第八回 · 大聖求救 The Great Sage Begs Release — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

大聖求救 The Great Sage Begs Release

菩pú薩sà道dào：「我wǒ奉fèng佛fó旨zhǐ，上shàng東dōng土tǔ尋xún取qǔ經jīng人rén去qù，從cóng此cǐ經jīng過guò，特tè留liú殘cán步bù看kàn你nǐ。」大dà聖shèng道dào：「如rú來lái哄hǒng了le我wǒ，把bǎ我wǒ壓yā在zài此cǐ山shān，五wǔ百bǎi餘yú年nián了le，不bù能néng展zhǎn掙zhēng。萬wàn望wàng菩pú薩sà方fāng便biàn一yí二èr，救jiù我wǒ老lǎo孫sūn一yí救jiù。」菩pú薩sà道dào：「你nǐ這zhè廝sī罪zuì業yè彌mí深shēn，救jiù你nǐ出chū來lái，恐kǒng你nǐ又yòu生shēng禍huò害hài，反fǎn為wéi不bù美měi。」菩pú萨sà道dào：「我wǒ奉fèng佛fó旨zhǐ，上shàng东dōng土tǔ寻xún取qǔ经jīng人rén去qù，从cóng此cǐ经jīng过guò，特tè留liú残cán步bù看kàn你nǐ。」大dà圣shèng道dào：「如rú来lái哄hǒng了le我wǒ，把bǎ我wǒ压yā在zài此cǐ山shān，五wǔ百bǎi余yú年nián了le，不bù能néng展zhǎn挣zhēng。万wàn望wàng菩pú萨sà方fāng便biàn一yí二èr，救jiù我wǒ老lǎo孙sūn一yí救jiù。」菩pú萨sà道dào：「你nǐ这zhè厮sī罪zuì业yè弥mí深shēn，救jiù你nǐ出chū来lái，恐kǒng你nǐ又yòu生shēng祸huò害hài，反fǎn为wéi不bù美měi。」

逐句解 Line by line

菩pú薩sà道dào：「我wǒ奉fèng佛fó旨zhǐ，上shàng東dōng土tǔ尋xún取qǔ經jīng人rén去qù，從cóng此cǐ經jīng過guò，特tè留liú殘cán步bù看kàn你nǐ。」菩pú萨sà道dào：「我wǒ奉fèng佛fó旨zhǐ，上shàng东dōng土tǔ寻xún取qǔ经jīng人rén去qù，从cóng此cǐ经jīng过guò，特tè留liú残cán步bù看kàn你nǐ。」

The Bodhisattva said: "I bear the Buddha's command, going up to the Eastern Land to seek a scripture-pilgrim; passing this way, I have taken a few spare steps to look in on you."

殘步 is a few steps left over — a modest way of saying she made a detour to come and see him.

大dà聖shèng道dào：「如rú來lái哄hǒng了le我wǒ，把bǎ我wǒ壓yā在zài此cǐ山shān，五wǔ百bǎi餘yú年nián了le，不bù能néng展zhǎn掙zhēng。大dà圣shèng道dào：「如rú来lái哄hǒng了le我wǒ，把bǎ我wǒ压yā在zài此cǐ山shān，五wǔ百bǎi余yú年nián了le，不bù能néng展zhǎn挣zhēng。

The Great Sage said: "The Tathāgata deceived me and pinned me beneath this mountain — five hundred years and more, with no power to struggle free.

In 不能 the 不 keeps bù before the rising tone of 能. 展掙 is to stretch and wrench free. His account of the affair is one word long: the Buddha cheated.

萬wàn望wàng菩pú薩sà方fāng便biàn一yí二èr，救jiù我wǒ老lǎo孫sūn一yí救jiù。」万wàn望wàng菩pú萨sà方fāng便biàn一yí二èr，救jiù我wǒ老lǎo孙sūn一yí救jiù。」

I beg the Bodhisattva to show me some little favor and save old Sun, save me!"

In 一二 and 一救 the 一 takes yí before the falling tones of 二 and 救. He calls himself 老孫, old Sun, which is what he always calls himself, and which sounds no less cocky from under a mountain.

菩pú薩sà道dào：「你nǐ這zhè廝sī罪zuì業yè彌mí深shēn，救jiù你nǐ出chū來lái，恐kǒng你nǐ又yòu生shēng禍huò害hài，反fǎn為wéi不bù美měi。」菩pú萨sà道dào：「你nǐ这zhè厮sī罪zuì业yè弥mí深shēn，救jiù你nǐ出chū来lái，恐kǒng你nǐ又yòu生shēng祸huò害hài，反fǎn为wéi不bù美měi。」

The Bodhisattva said: "You wretch, your sins are deep; were I to free you, I fear you would breed fresh havoc — that would be ill done."

這廝 is dismissive — this fellow, this piece of work — with 廝 read sī; it is the same word the Buddha used of him at the start of the chapter. 反為不美 is it would turn out badly, 為 read wéi.

總評 Commentary

Guanyin explains her errand and the monkey seizes his opening, begging to be let out with a bitterness aimed squarely at the Buddha who, he says, tricked him. Five hundred years have not made him sorry. He wants release, not reform, and he says so.

Her refusal is pointed and fair: she will not loose him while his sins are that deep and his freedom might only produce fresh damage. The exchange sets the precondition for his salvation. It cannot be a simple opening of the door; it has to be attached to a discipline, which is the logic the head-band and the pilgrimage will enforce.

As Anthony C. Yu observes, this brief stand-off is dramatically necessary. The monkey has to travel from demanding freedom to accepting service, and Guanyin withholds the rescue precisely in order to produce the change of heart the next passage records — the turn from grievance to repentance that alone makes redemption possible.