Canonical Classics ← 第七十八回
第七十八回
qiūliánziqiǎnyīnshén
jīn殿diànshítándào

In Bhikshu He Pities the Children and Sends Out the Shade-Spirits · In the Golden Hall He Knows the Fiend and Discourses on the Way and Its Power

更不行禮
模式 Mode Read Study
拼音 Pinyin Off
字體 Script
原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

更不行禮 He Made No Bow At All

guózhàngdàobǎo殿diànqiángèngxíngángánglièlièjìngdào殿diànshàngguówángqiànshēndào:「guózhàngxiānzōngjīnzǎojiàng。」jiùqǐngzuǒshǒuxiùdūnshàngzuòguózhàngdàobǎo殿diànqiángèngxíngángánglièlièjìngdào殿diànshàngguówángqiànshēndào:「guózhàngxiānzōngjīnzǎojiàng。」jiùqǐngzuǒshǒuxiùdūnshàngzuò


逐句解 Line by line

guózhàngdàobǎo殿diànqiángèngxíngángánglièlièjìngdào殿diànshàng guózhàngdàobǎo殿diànqiángèngxíngángánglièlièjìngdào殿diànshàng

The Royal Father-in-Law came before the precious hall and made no bow at all, but went straight up into it, haughty and fierce.

is gèng, reinforcing the negative — not so much as a bow. Everyone else in this chapter has bowed to somebody: the sentry to Wukong, Tripitaka at the foot of the steps, the king to this man, the whole court in the poem. 昂昂烈烈 is two more doubled words, head-up and blazing.

guówángqiànshēndào:「guózhàngxiānzōngjīnzǎojiàng。」 guówángqiànshēndào:「guózhàngxiānzōngjīnzǎojiàng。」

The king inclined his body and said, "The Royal Father-in-Law's immortal presence — I am glad you have come down early today."

is jiàng, to descend, the verb you use of a deity arriving. 仙蹤 — immortal traces — is a term of address for a transcendent being. A reigning monarch is speaking to his own subject as though to a visiting god, and thanking him for coming early.

jiùqǐngzuǒshǒuxiùdūnshàngzuò jiùqǐngzuǒshǒuxiùdūnshàngzuò

He then invited him to sit on the embroidered stool at his left hand.

The left-hand seat is the place of honour in a Chinese hall. Eight characters, and the seating plan tells you who is running this kingdom.


總評 Commentary

Three sentences, and the balance of power in the Kingdom of Bhikshu is entirely clear without a word of comment. He does not bow. The king does. The king thanks him for being early. The king seats him on his left.

The contrast with the passage before last is exact and deliberate. Tripitaka — who really is what he appears to be, and whose vestments came from a Bodhisattva — made his obeisance at the bottom of the steps and waited to be invited up. This man walks past the same steps without stopping.