第三十六回 · 土母調和 The Earth-Mother's Mediation — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition 含詞賦 With rhapsody

土母調和 The Earth-Mother's Mediation

那nà長zhǎng老lǎo聽tīng說shuō，一yì時shí解jiě悟wù，明míng徹chè真zhēn言yán。滿mǎn心xīn歡huān喜xǐ，稱chēng謝xiè了le悟wù空kōng。沙shā僧sēng在zài傍páng笑xiào道dào：「師shī兄xiōng此cǐ言yán雖suī當dàng，只zhǐ說shuō的de是shì弦xián前qián屬shǔ陽yáng，弦xián後hòu屬shǔ陰yīn，陰yīn中zhōng陽yáng半bàn，得dé水shuǐ之zhī金jīn；更gèng不bú道dào：那nà长zhǎng老lǎo听tīng说shuō，一yì时shí解jiě悟wù，明míng彻chè真zhēn言yán。满mǎn心xīn欢huān喜xǐ，称chēng谢xiè了le悟wù空kōng。沙shā僧sēng在zài傍páng笑xiào道dào：「师shī兄xiōng此cǐ言yán虽suī当dàng，只zhǐ说shuō的de是shì弦xián前qián属shǔ阳yáng，弦xián后hòu属shǔ阴yīn，阴yīn中zhōng阳yáng半bàn，得dé水shuǐ之zhī金jīn；更gèng不bú道dào：

水shuǐ火huǒ相xiāng攙chān各gè有yǒu緣yuán，全quán憑píng土tǔ母mǔ配pèi如rú然rán。水shuǐ火huǒ相xiāng搀chān各gè有yǒu缘yuán，全quán凭píng土tǔ母mǔ配pèi如rú然rán。

三sān家jiā同tóng會huì無wú爭zhēng競jìng，水shuǐ在zài長cháng江jiāng月yuè在zài天tiān。」三sān家jiā同tóng会huì无wú争zhēng竞jìng，水shuǐ在zài长cháng江jiāng月yuè在zài天tiān。」

逐句解 Line by line

那nà長zhǎng老lǎo聽tīng說shuō，一yì時shí解jiě悟wù，明míng徹chè真zhēn言yán。那nà长zhǎng老lǎo听tīng说shuō，一yì时shí解jiě悟wù，明míng彻chè真zhēn言yán。

The elder, hearing this, in a moment grasped it and understood clearly the true words.

解悟 "to comprehend, awaken to"; 明徹 "to understand thoroughly"; 那 read nà, 長 read zhǎng.

滿mǎn心xīn歡huān喜xǐ，稱chēng謝xiè了le悟wù空kōng。满mǎn心xīn欢huān喜xǐ，称chēng谢xiè了le悟wù空kōng。

Filled with joy, he thanked Wukong.

稱謝 "to express thanks"; 了 the aspect particle le.

沙shā僧sēng在zài傍páng笑xiào道dào：「師shī兄xiōng此cǐ言yán雖suī當dàng，只zhǐ說shuō的de是shì弦xián前qián屬shǔ陽yáng，弦xián後hòu屬shǔ陰yīn，陰yīn中zhōng陽yáng半bàn，得dé水shuǐ之zhī金jīn；沙shā僧sēng在zài傍páng笑xiào道dào：「师shī兄xiōng此cǐ言yán虽suī当dàng，只zhǐ说shuō的de是shì弦xián前qián属shǔ阳yáng，弦xián后hòu属shǔ阴yīn，阴yīn中zhōng阳yáng半bàn，得dé水shuǐ之zhī金jīn；

Sha Monk, at his side, said with a smile: “Brother, though your words are apt, they tell only of how before the quarter belongs to yang and after the quarter to yin — the yang half within the yin, the metal that has got its water;”

在傍 "at the side," 傍 read páng; 雖當 "though apt/correct," 當 read dàng; 陰中陽半 "yang half within yin," 中 read zhōng; 得水之金 "the metal that has obtained water," 得 read dé — the fusion of metal (yang) and water (yin).

更gèng不bú道dào：更gèng不bú道dào：

but he does not go on to say:

更不道 "does not further say," 更 read gèng. Sha Monk offers a completing verse.

Water and fire mingle, each by its own affinity, relying wholly on the Earth-Mother to match them so.

相攙 "to blend, mingle," 相 read xiāng, 攙 read chān; 土母 "the Earth-Mother," the element Earth (spleen / intention) that mediates and harmonizes the other agents — in Five-Agent alchemy, Earth is the go-between uniting Water and Fire.

When the three houses meet together without contention — water lies in the long river, the moon hangs in the sky.

三家 "the three houses," the agents brought into union; 長江 "the long river," 長 read cháng. The closing image: perfect equilibrium, each thing in its place, water below and moon above.

總評 Commentary

Tripitaka grasps Wukong's teaching at once, and Sha Monk — usually the most reticent of the disciples — steps forward to complete it. His point is that Wukong has described only half the process: the mingling of yang and yin (the "metal that has got its water") still requires a mediator. His verse supplies it: Water and Fire cannot unite of themselves but must be matched by the "Earth-Mother," the agent Earth that in Five-Agent alchemy harmonizes the others.

The passage deepens the symposium by adding the doctrine of the "three houses" brought into concord through Earth's mediation — a standard refinement of the internal-alchemical scheme, in which the intention or true-earth reconciles the opposed forces. Sha Monk's closing couplet resolves the whole discourse into a serene image of things in their right places: "water in the long river, the moon in the sky." That each disciple contributes a further turn of the doctrine is itself significant — the moon becomes an occasion for the pilgrims' shared understanding, a collaborative unfolding of the teaching.