第八回 · 菩薩到長安 The Bodhisattva Reaches Chang'an — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

菩薩到長安 The Bodhisattva Reaches Chang'an

他tā與yǔ木mù吒zhā離lí了le此cǐ處chù，一yì直zhí東dōng來lái，不bù一yí日rì就jiù到dào了le長cháng安ān大dà唐táng國guó。斂liǎn霧wù收shōu雲yún，師shī徒tú們men變biàn作zuò兩liǎng個gè疥jiè癩lài遊yóu僧sēng，入rù長cháng安ān城chéng裡lǐ，早zǎo不bù覺jué天tiān晚wǎn。行xíng至zhì大dà市shì街jiē傍páng，見jiàn一yí座zuò土tǔ地dì廟miào祠cí，二èr人rén徑jìng入rù。諕xià得de那nà土tǔ地dì心xīn慌huāng，鬼guǐ兵bīng膽dǎn戰zhàn，知zhī是shì菩pú薩sà，叩kòu頭tóu接jiē入rù。那nà土tǔ地dì又yòu急jí跑pǎo報bào與yǔ城chéng隍huáng、社shè令lìng，及jí滿mǎn長cháng安ān各gè廟miào神shén祗qí，都dōu知zhī是shì菩pú薩sà，參cān見jiàn告gào道dào：「菩pú薩sà，恕shù眾zhòng神shén接jiē遲chí之zhī罪zuì。」菩pú薩sà道dào：「汝rǔ等děng切qiè不bù可kě走zǒu漏lòu一yì毫háo消xiāo息xī。我wǒ奉fèng佛fó旨zhǐ，特tè來lái此cǐ處chù尋xún訪fǎng取qǔ經jīng人rén。借jiè你nǐ廟miào宇yǔ，權quán住zhù幾jǐ日rì，待dài訪fǎng著zháo真zhēn僧sēng即jí回huí。」眾zhòng神shén各gè歸guī本běn處chù，把bǎ個gè土tǔ地dì趕gǎn在zài城chéng隍huáng廟miào裡lǐ暫zàn住zhù，他tā師shī徒tú們men隱yǐn遁dùn真zhēn形xíng。他tā与yǔ木mù咤zhā离lí了le此cǐ处chù，一yì直zhí东dōng来lái，不bù一yí日rì就jiù到dào了le长cháng安ān大dà唐táng国guó。敛liǎn雾wù收shōu云yún，师shī徒tú们men变biàn作zuò两liǎng个gè疥jiè癞lài游yóu僧sēng，入rù长cháng安ān城chéng里lǐ，早zǎo不bù觉jué天tiān晚wǎn。行xíng至zhì大dà市shì街jiē傍páng，见jiàn一yí座zuò土tǔ地dì庙miào祠cí，二èr人rén径jìng入rù。諕xià得de那nà土tǔ地dì心xīn慌huāng，鬼guǐ兵bīng胆dǎn战zhàn，知zhī是shì菩pú萨sà，叩kòu头tóu接jiē入rù。那nà土tǔ地dì又yòu急jí跑pǎo报bào与yǔ城chéng隍huáng、社shè令lìng，及jí满mǎn长cháng安ān各gè庙miào神shén祗qí，都dōu知zhī是shì菩pú萨sà，参cān见jiàn告gào道dào：「菩pú萨sà，恕shù众zhòng神shén接jiē迟chí之zhī罪zuì。」菩pú萨sà道dào：「汝rǔ等děng切qiè不bù可kě走zǒu漏lòu一yì毫háo消xiāo息xī。我wǒ奉fèng佛fó旨zhǐ，特tè来lái此cǐ处chù寻xún访fǎng取qǔ经jīng人rén。借jiè你nǐ庙miào宇yǔ，权quán住zhù几jǐ日rì，待dài访fǎng着zháo真zhēn僧sēng即jí回huí。」众zhòng神shén各gè归guī本běn处chù，把bǎ个gè土tǔ地dì赶gǎn在zài城chéng隍huáng庙miào里lǐ暂zàn住zhù，他tā师shī徒tú们men隐yǐn遁dùn真zhēn形xíng。

逐句解 Line by line

他tā與yǔ木mù吒zhā離lí了le此cǐ處chù，一yì直zhí東dōng來lái，不bù一yí日rì就jiù到dào了le長cháng安ān大dà唐táng國guó。他tā与yǔ木mù咤zhā离lí了le此cǐ处chù，一yì直zhí东dōng来lái，不bù一yí日rì就jiù到dào了le长cháng安ān大dà唐táng国guó。

He and Moksa left that place and came straight east; in less than a day they reached the Great Tang at Chang'an.

In 一直 the 一 takes yì before the rising tone of 直. 不一日 means inside a day, with 不 as bù and 一日 taking yí. 長安 is Chang'an, the Tang capital and the largest city in the world at the time.

斂liǎn霧wù收shōu雲yún，師shī徒tú們men變biàn作zuò兩liǎng個gè疥jiè癩lài遊yóu僧sēng，入rù長cháng安ān城chéng裡lǐ，早zǎo不bù覺jué天tiān晚wǎn。敛liǎn雾wù收shōu云yún，师shī徒tú们men变biàn作zuò两liǎng个gè疥jiè癞lài游yóu僧sēng，入rù长cháng安ān城chéng里lǐ，早zǎo不bù觉jué天tiān晚wǎn。

Drawing in mist and gathering cloud, mistress and disciple turned themselves into two scabby wandering monks and entered the city of Chang'an; before they knew it, evening had fallen.

疥癩遊僧 is scabby wandering monks — a disguise chosen to be looked past. 不覺 is before they noticed, 不 as bù and 覺 read jué.

行xíng至zhì大dà市shì街jiē傍páng，見jiàn一yí座zuò土tǔ地dì廟miào祠cí，二èr人rén徑jìng入rù。行xíng至zhì大dà市shì街jiē傍páng，见jiàn一yí座zuò土tǔ地dì庙miào祠cí，二èr人rén径jìng入rù。

Coming to the side of the great market street, they saw a shrine to the local god, and the two of them went straight in.

In 一座 the 一 takes yí. A 土地廟 is a shrine to the earth-god of that particular patch of ground — the smallest office in the divine civil service, one per neighbourhood.

諕xià得de那nà土tǔ地dì心xīn慌huāng，鬼guǐ兵bīng膽dǎn戰zhàn，知zhī是shì菩pú薩sà，叩kòu頭tóu接jiē入rù。諕xià得de那nà土tǔ地dì心xīn慌huāng，鬼guǐ兵bīng胆dǎn战zhàn，知zhī是shì菩pú萨sà，叩kòu头tóu接jiē入rù。

It so frightened the local god that his heart quailed and his ghost-soldiers trembled; knowing it was the Bodhisattva, he kowtowed and received them.

諕得 is frightened so much that; 諕 is read xià, the same word as 嚇, and the complement 得 is the light de. The local god recognises her and panics, which is the correct response.

那nà土tǔ地dì又yòu急jí跑pǎo報bào與yǔ城chéng隍huáng、社shè令lìng，及jí滿mǎn長cháng安ān各gè廟miào神shén祗qí，都dōu知zhī是shì菩pú薩sà，參cān見jiàn告gào道dào：「菩pú薩sà，恕shù眾zhòng神shén接jiē遲chí之zhī罪zuì。」那nà土tǔ地dì又yòu急jí跑pǎo报bào与yǔ城chéng隍huáng、社shè令lìng，及jí满mǎn长cháng安ān各gè庙miào神shén祗qí，都dōu知zhī是shì菩pú萨sà，参cān见jiàn告gào道dào：「菩pú萨sà，恕shù众zhòng神shén接jiē迟chí之zhī罪zuì。」

The local god ran in haste to report to the City God, the Earth-Altar Magistrate, and all the temple-spirits throughout Chang'an; and they all, knowing it was the Bodhisattva, came to pay homage, saying: "Bodhisattva, forgive us spirits the offense of our late reception."

城隍 is the City God and 社令 the altar-magistrate: the supernatural bureaucracy of the district, arriving at speed to apologise for not having been at the door.

菩pú薩sà道dào：「汝rǔ等děng切qiè不bù可kě走zǒu漏lòu一yì毫háo消xiāo息xī。菩pú萨sà道dào：「汝rǔ等děng切qiè不bù可kě走zǒu漏lòu一yì毫háo消xiāo息xī。

The Bodhisattva said: "You must on no account let slip the least word of this.

In 不可 the 不 keeps bù before the dipping tone of 可; 一毫 takes yì. Not one hair of a rumour: the search has to be conducted quietly.

我wǒ奉fèng佛fó旨zhǐ，特tè來lái此cǐ處chù尋xún訪fǎng取qǔ經jīng人rén。我wǒ奉fèng佛fó旨zhǐ，特tè来lái此cǐ处chù寻xún访fǎng取qǔ经jīng人rén。

I bear the Buddha's command, come expressly to this place to seek out the scripture-pilgrim.

處 is chù, a place. She states her warrant and her errand in a single sentence, as she has to the Golden Immortal, to the river-monster, to the boar, to the Jade Emperor and to the Great Sage. This is the sixth and last time the chapter uses the formula.

借jiè你nǐ廟miào宇yǔ，權quán住zhù幾jǐ日rì，待dài訪fǎng著zháo真zhēn僧sēng即jí回huí。」借jiè你nǐ庙miào宇yǔ，权quán住zhù几jǐ日rì，待dài访fǎng着zháo真zhēn僧sēng即jí回huí。」

I shall borrow your shrine and lodge a few days, returning as soon as I have found the true monk."

訪著 is to find by looking; the 著 that marks a search actually landing is read zháo.

眾zhòng神shén各gè歸guī本běn處chù，把bǎ個gè土tǔ地dì趕gǎn在zài城chéng隍huáng廟miào裡lǐ暫zàn住zhù，他tā師shī徒tú們men隱yǐn遁dùn真zhēn形xíng。众zhòng神shén各gè归guī本běn处chù，把bǎ个gè土tǔ地dì赶gǎn在zài城chéng隍huáng庙miào里lǐ暂zàn住zhù，他tā师shī徒tú们men隐yǐn遁dùn真zhēn形xíng。

The spirits each returned to their places, and they sent the local god off to lodge a while in the City God's temple; mistress and disciple hid their true forms.

隱遁真形 is putting the real shape away. She will wait for the pilgrim in disguise, which is how the next chapter finds her.

總評 Commentary

With the disciples gathered or accounted for, Guanyin finishes her journey where it was always going: Chang'an, the Tang capital, where the human pilgrim has to be found. She and Moksa dress down as two scabby wandering monks, slip into the city, and take a room at a neighbourhood earth-god shrine.

The comedy of the local deities lightens the ending — the terrified earth-god, the trembling ghost-soldiers, the entire supernatural civil service of the district turning out to apologise for a late reception — while quietly confirming that her authority holds even in a bad disguise. Her order of silence sets up the incognito search the next chapter runs.

Yu notes that the arrival closes the great arc the chapter has drawn: from the Buddha's decision on Vulture Peak, through recruitments strung across the width of the world, to Chang'an, the one city where the pilgrim is waiting to be born into the story. The mission has come the whole way from West to East, and stops on the doorstep of its human beginning.