第三十六回 · 鱗甲拜佛 Even Scaled Creatures Worship — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

鱗甲拜佛 Even Scaled Creatures Worship

三sān藏zàng見jiàn了le，點diǎn頭tóu長cháng嘆tàn道dào：「我wǒ那nà東dōng土tǔ，若ruò有yǒu人rén也yě將jiāng泥ní胎tāi塑sù這zhè等děng大dà菩pú薩sà，燒shāo香xiāng供gōng養yǎng啊a，我wǒ弟dì子zǐ也yě不bú去qù西xī天tiān去qù矣yǐ。」正zhèng嘆tàn息xī處chù，又yòu到dào了le二èr層céng山shān門mén之zhī內nèi。見jiàn有yǒu四sì大dà天tiān王wáng之zhī像xiàng，乃nǎi是shì持chí國guó、多duō聞wén、增zēng長zhǎng、廣guǎng目mù，按àn東dōng北běi西xī南nán風fēng調tiáo雨yǔ順shùn之zhī意yì。進jìn了le二èr層céng門mén裡lǐ，又yòu見jiàn有yǒu喬qiáo松sōng四sì樹shù，一yí樹shù樹shù翠cuì蓋gài蓬péng蓬péng，卻què如rú傘sǎn狀zhuàng。忽hū擡tái頭tóu，乃nǎi是shì大dà雄xióng寶bǎo殿diàn。那nà長zhǎng老lǎo合hé掌zhǎng皈guī依yī，舒shū身shēn下xià拜bài。拜bài罷bà起qǐ來lái，轉zhuǎn過guò佛fó臺tái，到dào於yú後hòu門mén之zhī下xià。又yòu見jiàn有yǒu倒dào座zuò觀guān音yīn普pǔ度dù南nán海hǎi之zhī像xiàng。那nà壁bì上shàng都dōu是shì良liáng工gōng巧qiǎo匠jiàng裝zhuāng塑sù的de那nà些xiē蝦xiā、魚yú、蟹xiè、鱉biē，出chū頭tóu露lù尾wěi，跳tiào海hǎi水shuǐ波bō潮cháo耍shuǎ子zi。長zhǎng老lǎo又yòu點diǎn頭tóu三sān五wǔ度dù，感gǎn嘆tàn萬wàn千qiān聲shēng道dào：「可kě憐lián啊a！鱗lín甲jiǎ眾zhòng生shēng都dōu拜bài佛fó，為wéi人rén何hé不bù肯kěn修xiū行xíng？」三sān藏zàng见jiàn了le，点diǎn头tóu长cháng叹tàn道dào：「我wǒ那nà东dōng土tǔ，若ruò有yǒu人rén也yě将jiāng泥ní胎tāi塑sù这zhè等děng大dà菩pú萨sà，烧shāo香xiāng供gōng养yǎng啊a，我wǒ弟dì子zǐ也yě不bú去qù西xī天tiān去qù矣yǐ。」正zhèng叹tàn息xī处chù，又yòu到dào了le二èr层céng山shān门mén之zhī内nèi。见jiàn有yǒu四sì大dà天tiān王wáng之zhī像xiàng，乃nǎi是shì持chí国guó、多duō闻wén、增zēng长zhǎng、广guǎng目mù，按àn东dōng北běi西xī南nán风fēng调tiáo雨yǔ顺shùn之zhī意yì。进jìn了le二èr层céng门mén里lǐ，又yòu见jiàn有yǒu乔qiáo松sōng四sì树shù，一yí树shù树shù翠cuì盖gài蓬péng蓬péng，却què如rú伞sǎn状zhuàng。忽hū抬tái头tóu，乃nǎi是shì大dà雄xióng宝bǎo殿diàn。那nà长zhǎng老lǎo合hé掌zhǎng皈guī依yī，舒shū身shēn下xià拜bài。拜bài罢bà起qǐ来lái，转zhuǎn过guò佛fó台tái，到dào于yú后hòu门mén之zhī下xià。又yòu见jiàn有yǒu倒dào座zuò观guān音yīn普pǔ度dù南nán海hǎi之zhī像xiàng。那nà壁bì上shàng都dōu是shì良liáng工gōng巧qiǎo匠jiàng装zhuāng塑sù的de那nà些xiē虾xiā、鱼yú、蟹xiè、鳖biē，出chū头tóu露lù尾wěi，跳tiào海hǎi水shuǐ波bō潮cháo耍shuǎ子zi。长zhǎng老lǎo又yòu点diǎn头tóu三sān五wǔ度dù，感gǎn叹tàn万wàn千qiān声shēng道dào：「可kě怜lián啊a！鳞lín甲jiǎ众zhòng生shēng都dōu拜bài佛fó，为wéi人rén何hé不bù肯kěn修xiū行xíng？」

逐句解 Line by line

三sān藏zàng見jiàn了le，點diǎn頭tóu長cháng嘆tàn道dào：「我wǒ那nà東dōng土tǔ，若ruò有yǒu人rén也yě將jiāng泥ní胎tāi塑sù這zhè等děng大dà菩pú薩sà，燒shāo香xiāng供gōng養yǎng啊a，我wǒ弟dì子zǐ也yě不bú去qù西xī天tiān去qù矣yǐ。」三sān藏zàng见jiàn了le，点diǎn头tóu长cháng叹tàn道dào：「我wǒ那nà东dōng土tǔ，若ruò有yǒu人rén也yě将jiāng泥ní胎tāi塑sù这zhè等děng大dà菩pú萨sà，烧shāo香xiāng供gōng养yǎng啊a，我wǒ弟dì子zǐ也yě不bú去qù西xī天tiān去qù矣yǐ。」

Tripitaka, seeing them, nodded and sighed deeply: “In my Eastern Land, if anyone would fashion great bodhisattvas like these in moulded clay and burn incense in offering to them, then I, your disciple, need not have gone to the Western Heaven at all.”

泥胎 (ní tāi) "clay body," a moulded statue; 這等 "such, of this sort." 將 read jiāng (coverb, "take, use"); 長 in 長嘆 read cháng ("a long sigh"); 那 read nà.

正zhèng嘆tàn息xī處chù，又yòu到dào了le二èr層céng山shān門mén之zhī內nèi。正zhèng叹tàn息xī处chù，又yòu到dào了le二èr层céng山shān门mén之zhī内nèi。

Just as he was sighing, he came within the second gate.

二層山門 the inner (second) gate of the monastery; 嘆息處 "at the point of sighing," 處 read chù.

見jiàn有yǒu四sì大dà天tiān王wáng之zhī像xiàng，乃nǎi是shì持chí國guó、多duō聞wén、增zēng長zhǎng、廣guǎng目mù，按àn東dōng北běi西xī南nán風fēng調tiáo雨yǔ順shùn之zhī意yì。见jiàn有yǒu四sì大dà天tiān王wáng之zhī像xiàng，乃nǎi是shì持chí国guó、多duō闻wén、增zēng长zhǎng、广guǎng目mù，按àn东dōng北běi西xī南nán风fēng调tiáo雨yǔ顺shùn之zhī意yì。

He saw images of the Four Heavenly Kings — Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Vaiśravaṇa, Virūḍhaka, and Virūpākṣa — set to the east, north, south, and west in token of ‘timely wind and seasonable rain.’

四大天王 the Four Heavenly Kings, guardians of the four directions: 持國 (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, East), 多聞 (Vaiśravaṇa, North), 增長 (Virūḍhaka, South; 長 read zhǎng), 廣目 (Virūpākṣa, West). 風調雨順 "wind and rain in season," a set phrase associated by folk etymology with the kings' emblems; 調 read tiáo.

進jìn了le二èr層céng門mén裡lǐ，又yòu見jiàn有yǒu喬qiáo松sōng四sì樹shù，一yí樹shù樹shù翠cuì蓋gài蓬péng蓬péng，卻què如rú傘sǎn狀zhuàng。进jìn了le二èr层céng门mén里lǐ，又yòu见jiàn有yǒu乔qiáo松sōng四sì树shù，一yí树shù树shù翠cuì盖gài蓬péng蓬péng，却què如rú伞sǎn状zhuàng。

Passing within the second gate, he saw four tall pines, each with a kingfisher-green canopy so full and spreading it was shaped like a parasol.

喬松 (qiáo sōng) tall pines; 翠蓋 "kingfisher canopy," the green crown of a tree; 蓬蓬 "luxuriant, spreading"; 傘狀 "parasol-shaped."

忽hū擡tái頭tóu，乃nǎi是shì大dà雄xióng寶bǎo殿diàn。忽hū抬tái头tóu，乃nǎi是shì大dà雄xióng宝bǎo殿diàn。

Looking up of a sudden, he found it was the Great Hero Treasure-Hall.

大雄寶殿 (dà xióng bǎo diàn) the "Great Hero Precious Hall," the main Buddha-hall of a monastery, enshrining Śākyamuni.

那nà長zhǎng老lǎo合hé掌zhǎng皈guī依yī，舒shū身shēn下xià拜bài。那nà长zhǎng老lǎo合hé掌zhǎng皈guī依yī，舒shū身shēn下xià拜bài。

The elder pressed his palms together in refuge, stretched himself down, and made his prostration.

皈依 (guī yī) "to take refuge" (in the Three Treasures); 舒身下拜 "to extend the body and bow down," a full prostration; 那 read nà, 長 read zhǎng.

拜bài罷bà起qǐ來lái，轉zhuǎn過guò佛fó臺tái，到dào於yú後hòu門mén之zhī下xià。拜bài罢bà起qǐ来lái，转zhuǎn过guò佛fó台tái，到dào于yú后hòu门mén之zhī下xià。

His bows finished, he rose, went round behind the Buddha-dais, and came to the back door.

拜罷 "having finished bowing," 罷 read bà; 佛臺 the altar-platform of the Buddha, 佛 read fó.

又yòu見jiàn有yǒu倒dào座zuò觀guān音yīn普pǔ度dù南nán海hǎi之zhī像xiàng。又yòu见jiàn有yǒu倒dào座zuò观guān音yīn普pǔ度dù南nán海hǎi之zhī像xiàng。

There he saw an image of the reverse-seated Guanyin of the Southern Sea, delivering all beings.

倒座觀音 (dào zuò guān yīn) the "reverse-facing Guanyin" — an image set facing the rear of the hall, toward the back door, a common arrangement; 倒 read dào. 普度 (pǔ dù) "to ferry across, save, all beings"; 南海 the Southern Sea, Guanyin's abode.

那nà壁bì上shàng都dōu是shì良liáng工gōng巧qiǎo匠jiàng裝zhuāng塑sù的de那nà些xiē蝦xiā、魚yú、蟹xiè、鱉biē，出chū頭tóu露lù尾wěi，跳tiào海hǎi水shuǐ波bō潮cháo耍shuǎ子zi。那nà壁bì上shàng都dōu是shì良liáng工gōng巧qiǎo匠jiàng装zhuāng塑sù的de那nà些xiē虾xiā、鱼yú、蟹xiè、鳖biē，出chū头tóu露lù尾wěi，跳tiào海hǎi水shuǐ波bō潮cháo耍shuǎ子zi。

On the walls there, fashioned by skilled artisans, were all manner of shrimp, fish, crabs, and turtles, heads out and tails showing, sporting in the leaping tide and waves of the sea.

良工巧匠 "fine workmen and clever craftsmen"; 出頭露尾 "heads emerging, tails exposed"; 耍子 "at play," 子 the neutral suffix zi. 那 read nà, 都 read dōu.

長zhǎng老lǎo又yòu點diǎn頭tóu三sān五wǔ度dù，感gǎn嘆tàn萬wàn千qiān聲shēng道dào：「可kě憐lián啊a！长zhǎng老lǎo又yòu点diǎn头tóu三sān五wǔ度dù，感gǎn叹tàn万wàn千qiān声shēng道dào：「可kě怜lián啊a！

The elder nodded again several times and, sighing a thousand sighs, said: “How pitiable!”

三五度 "several times"; 感嘆萬千聲 "to sigh a thousand and ten thousand sighs" — hyperbole for deep feeling; 長 read zhǎng.

鱗lín甲jiǎ眾zhòng生shēng都dōu拜bài佛fó，為wéi人rén何hé不bù肯kěn修xiū行xíng？」鳞lín甲jiǎ众zhòng生shēng都dōu拜bài佛fó，为wéi人rén何hé不bù肯kěn修xiū行xíng？」

“Even the scaled and shelled creatures all worship the Buddha — why then would a human being be unwilling to cultivate the Way?”

鱗甲眾生 "scaled and armoured living beings," the fish and turtles of the carving. 都 read dōu; 為人 "to be human," 為 read wéi; 修行 "to cultivate religious practice," 行 read xíng.

總評 Commentary

As Tripitaka passes through the monastery he reads its statuary devotionally, and the passage becomes a small tour of a Chinese Buddhist temple's standard program: the Four Heavenly Kings of the directions at the inner gate; the Great Hero Hall with its image of Śākyamuni; and, behind the main altar, the ‘reverse-seated’ Guanyin facing the back door, set amid a wall of sculpted sea-creatures representing her ocean realm. Each sight draws from the monk a sigh and a pious reflection.

The recurring note is Tripitaka's earnestness — his wish that his homeland had such images, his prostrations, and finally his moral drawn from the carved fish and turtles: if even scaled creatures bow to the Buddha, how can a human refuse to cultivate the Way? The sincerity is genuine and a little comic, and it deepens the irony of the reception awaiting him, for the human being about to prove least willing to show Buddhist charity is the very abbot of this well-furnished house.