Canonical Classics ← 第十三回
第十三回
陷xiàn虎hǔ穴xué金jīn星xīng解jiě厄è
雙shuāng叉chā嶺lǐng伯bó欽qīn留liú僧sēng

Trapped in the Tiger's Den, the Gold Star Dispels the Peril · At Twin-Fork Ridge, Liu Boqin Takes In the Monk

誦經薦亡
模式 Mode Read Study
拼音 Pinyin Off
字體 Script 繁
原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

誦經薦亡 The Service for the Dead

次cì早zǎo，那nà合hé家jiā老lǎo小xiǎo都dōu起qǐ來lái，就jiù整zhěng素sù齋zhāi，管guǎn待dài長zhǎng老lǎo，請qǐng開kāi啟qǐ念niàn經jīng。這zhè長zhǎng老lǎo淨jìng了le手shǒu，同tóng太tài保bǎo家jiā堂táng前qián拈niān了le香xiāng，拜bài了le家jiā堂táng。三sān藏zàng方fāng敲qiāo響xiǎng木mù魚yú，先xiān念niàn了le淨jìng口kǒu業yè的de真zhēn言yán，又yòu念niàn了le淨jìng身shēn心xīn的de神shén咒zhòu，然rán後hòu開kāi《度dù亡wáng經jīng》一yí卷juàn。誦sòng畢bì，伯bó欽qīn又yòu請qǐng寫xiě薦jiàn亡wáng疏shū一yí道dào，再zài開kāi念niàn《金jīn剛gāng經jīng》、《觀guān音yīn經jīng》。一yì一yì朗lǎng音yīn高gāo誦sòng。誦sòng畢bì，吃chī了le午wǔ齋zhāi，又yòu念niàn《法fǎ華huá經jīng》、《彌mí陀tuó經jīng》，各gè誦sòng幾jǐ卷juàn，又yòu念niàn一yí卷juàn《孔kǒng雀què經jīng》，及jí談tán苾bì蒭chú洗xǐ業yè的de故gù事shì，早zǎo又yòu天tiān晚wǎn。獻xiàn過guò了le種zhǒng種zhǒng香xiāng火huǒ，化huà了le眾zhòng神shén紙zhǐ馬mǎ，燒shāo了le薦jiàn亡wáng文wén疏shū。佛fó事shì已yǐ畢bì，又yòu各gè安ān寢qǐn。次cì早zǎo，那nà合hé家jiā老lǎo小xiǎo都dōu起qǐ来lái，就jiù整zhěng素sù斋zhāi，管guǎn待dài长zhǎng老lǎo，请qǐng开kāi启qǐ念niàn经jīng。这zhè长zhǎng老lǎo净jìng了le手shǒu，同tóng太tài保bǎo家jiā堂táng前qián拈niān了le香xiāng，拜bài了le家jiā堂táng。三sān藏zàng方fāng敲qiāo响xiǎng木mù鱼yú，先xiān念niàn了le净jìng口kǒu业yè的de真zhēn言yán，又yòu念niàn了le净jìng身shēn心xīn的de神shén咒zhòu，然rán后hòu开kāi《度dù亡wáng经jīng》一yí卷juàn。诵sòng毕bì，伯bó钦qīn又yòu请qǐng写xiě荐jiàn亡wáng疏shū一yí道dào，再zài开kāi念niàn《金jīn刚gāng经jīng》、《观guān音yīn经jīng》。一yì一yì朗lǎng音yīn高gāo诵sòng。诵sòng毕bì，吃chī了le午wǔ斋zhāi，又yòu念niàn《法fǎ华huá经jīng》、《弥mí陀tuó经jīng》，各gè诵sòng几jǐ卷juàn，又yòu念niàn一yí卷juàn《孔kǒng雀què经jīng》，及jí谈tán苾bì蒭chú洗xǐ业yè的de故gù事shì，早zǎo又yòu天tiān晚wǎn。献xiàn过guò了le种zhǒng种zhǒng香xiāng火huǒ，化huà了le众zhòng神shén纸zhǐ马mǎ，烧shāo了le荐jiàn亡wáng文wén疏shū。佛fó事shì已yǐ毕bì，又yòu各gè安ān寝qǐn。

逐句解 Line by line

次cì早zǎo，那nà合hé家jiā老lǎo小xiǎo都dōu起qǐ來lái，就jiù整zhěng素sù齋zhāi，管guǎn待dài長zhǎng老lǎo，請qǐng開kāi啟qǐ念niàn經jīng。這zhè長zhǎng老lǎo淨jìng了le手shǒu，同tóng太tài保bǎo家jiā堂táng前qián拈niān了le香xiāng，拜bài了le家jiā堂táng。三sān藏zàng方fāng敲qiāo響xiǎng木mù魚yú，先xiān念niàn了le淨jìng口kǒu業yè的de真zhēn言yán，又yòu念niàn了le淨jìng身shēn心xīn的de神shén咒zhòu，然rán後hòu開kāi《度dù亡wáng經jīng》一yí卷juàn。誦sòng畢bì，伯bó欽qīn又yòu請qǐng寫xiě薦jiàn亡wáng疏shū一yí道dào，再zài開kāi念niàn《金jīn剛gāng經jīng》、《觀guān音yīn經jīng》。一yì一yì朗lǎng音yīn高gāo誦sòng。誦sòng畢bì，吃chī了le午wǔ齋zhāi，又yòu念niàn《法fǎ華huá經jīng》、《彌mí陀tuó經jīng》，各gè誦sòng幾jǐ卷juàn，又yòu念niàn一yí卷juàn《孔kǒng雀què經jīng》，及jí談tán苾bì蒭chú洗xǐ業yè的de故gù事shì，早zǎo又yòu天tiān晚wǎn。獻xiàn過guò了le種zhǒng種zhǒng香xiāng火huǒ，化huà了le眾zhòng神shén紙zhǐ馬mǎ，燒shāo了le薦jiàn亡wáng文wén疏shū。佛fó事shì已yǐ畢bì，又yòu各gè安ān寢qǐn。 次cì早zǎo，那nà合hé家jiā老lǎo小xiǎo都dōu起qǐ来lái，就jiù整zhěng素sù斋zhāi，管guǎn待dài长zhǎng老lǎo，请qǐng开kāi启qǐ念niàn经jīng。这zhè长zhǎng老lǎo净jìng了le手shǒu，同tóng太tài保bǎo家jiā堂táng前qián拈niān了le香xiāng，拜bài了le家jiā堂táng。三sān藏zàng方fāng敲qiāo响xiǎng木mù鱼yú，先xiān念niàn了le净jìng口kǒu业yè的de真zhēn言yán，又yòu念niàn了le净jìng身shēn心xīn的de神shén咒zhòu，然rán后hòu开kāi《度dù亡wáng经jīng》一yí卷juàn。诵sòng毕bì，伯bó钦qīn又yòu请qǐng写xiě荐jiàn亡wáng疏shū一yí道dào，再zài开kāi念niàn《金jīn刚gāng经jīng》、《观guān音yīn经jīng》。一yì一yì朗lǎng音yīn高gāo诵sòng。诵sòng毕bì，吃chī了le午wǔ斋zhāi，又yòu念niàn《法fǎ华huá经jīng》、《弥mí陀tuó经jīng》，各gè诵sòng几jǐ卷juàn，又yòu念niàn一yí卷juàn《孔kǒng雀què经jīng》，及jí谈tán苾bì蒭chú洗xǐ业yè的de故gù事shì，早zǎo又yòu天tiān晚wǎn。献xiàn过guò了le种zhǒng种zhǒng香xiāng火huǒ，化huà了le众zhòng神shén纸zhǐ马mǎ，烧shāo了le荐jiàn亡wáng文wén疏shū。佛fó事shì已yǐ毕bì，又yòu各gè安ān寝qǐn。

Early the next morning the whole household, old and young, rose and set about a vegetarian feast to entertain the elder, and asked him to begin reciting the scriptures. The elder washed his hands, and together with the Guardian burned incense before the family shrine and made his obeisances to it. Then Sanzang sounded the wooden fish, and first recited the True Words for cleansing the mouth of its karma, and next the divine spell for purifying body and mind, and after that opened the Sutra for the Deliverance of the Dead, a single scroll. When he had finished chanting, Boqin asked him further to write out a memorial petition for the departed, and then to begin reciting the Diamond Sutra and the Guanyin Sutra, all in a clear, ringing voice. When these were done, they took their midday meal, and then he recited the Lotus Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra, several scrolls of each, and one scroll of the Peacock Sutra as well, and told the story of how the bhikṣu washed away his karma; and soon it was evening again. When they had presented every kind of incense and offering, burned the paper horses for the host of spirits, and burned the memorial petition for the departed, the Buddhist rites were complete, and each of them went again to rest.

This is a real Buddhist requiem, set down in working order rather than gestured at: wash the hands, burn incense at the family shrine, sound the wooden fish, recite the spell that cleanses the mouth of its karma, then the spell that purifies body and mind, then the sutras, then write out a petition for the departed and burn it with the paper offerings. The scriptures named — 度亡經, 金剛經, 觀音經, 法華經, 彌陀經 and 孔雀經 — are all standard equipment for making merit on behalf of the dead. 苾蒭 (bì chú) is a transliteration of Sanskrit bhikṣu, a fully ordained monk; the character 蒭 is kept in its original form here rather than converted.

總評 Commentary

The service is described with the particularity of a manual, and that thoroughness is the point. Every step is there: the hand-washing, the incense, the wooden fish, the purifying spells, the sutras in sequence, the written petition, the paper horses burned at the end.

It also completes a reversal the chapter has been setting up since the pit. Xuanzang has spent the first half of this chapter being rescued — by a star-god, then by a hunter — and unable to do a thing for himself. Here he is finally in his own office, and entirely competent in it.

The detail earns its place for a practical reason, too. The novel is about to claim that these rites worked, and it wants you to have watched them being done properly first.