Canonical Classics ← 第八十八回
第八十八回
chándàohuáshīhuì
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Chan Reaches Yuhua and a Dharma Assembly Is Held · The Mind-Ape and the Wood and the Earth Take Disciples

各逞雄才
模式 Mode Read Study
拼音 Pinyin Off
字體 Script
原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

各逞雄才 They Come Down and Sit

sānchěngxióngcái使shǐleànxiàxiángyúnbīngshōuledàotángsēngmiànqiánwènxùnxièleshīēnzuòxiàsānchěngxióngcái使shǐleànxiàxiángyúnbīngshōuledàotángsēngmiànqiánwènxùnxièleshīēnzuòxià


逐句解 Line by line

sānchěngxióngcái使shǐleànxiàxiángyúnbīngshōule sānchěngxióngcái使shǐleànxiàxiángyúnbīngshōule

The three of them each displayed his heroic gifts, ran through one full round, brought the auspicious cloud down and put their weapons away.

各逞雄才, each giving free rein to his heroic talent, is a formula of praise, and 按下 is the exact verb for bringing a cloud down — you press it down under you. The scene ends with three weapons being put away, which is a quieter close than it might have had.

dàotángsēngmiànqiánwènxùnxièleshīēnzuòxià dàotángsēngmiànqiánwènxùnxièleshīēnzuòxià

They came before the Tang Monk, made their greeting, thanked their master for his kindness, and each of them sat down. Of that no more.

And they bow to Tripitaka. 問訊 is the same palms-together greeting that started all the trouble when Bajie used it on the prince — performed here correctly, to the right person, with nobody frightened. 師恩, a master's kindness, is what they are thanking him for; the display was his to permit. 各各坐下 echoes the four of them eating in silence in the pavilion earlier.


總評 Commentary

The scene that began with a boy swinging a rake at Bajie ends with three demigods bowing to a middle-aged monk and sitting down.

The greeting they use is the one the chapter has been arguing about since the audience hall. Bajie was told it was the wrong courtesy for a prince; here all three give it to their master and it is exactly right.