CHAPTER 18

Gao Guoqin goes to visit a friend, leaving some verses as a message to his wife; Ji Gong is begged to foretell the absent husband’s fate

The scholar was young, unrecognized, and not yet wed.

A painted lady called to him and offered tea.

In her secluded courtyard far within

She trod upon a flower where none could see.

WHEN Gao Guoqin came a second time to City God Mountain, he stayed in the room to which he and his wife Lu Shi had returned and did not go into the hall to study. One evening, however, as he was sitting with Lu Shi, he said, “Wife, tomorrow I wish to go to visit a friend.”

Lu Shi said, “Sir, I still have two hundred cash that my aunt gave me to buy needles and thread. Tomorrow, when you leave, take the money to use for tea and cakes.” When she had finished speaking, she brought the money to him.

As Gao Guoqin held it in his hand, he was filled with shame, and said, “Do not be anxious, wife.”

When Lu Shi was sleeping peacefully, Guoqin sat staring abstractedly, a prey to gloomy fancies, cut off from heaven with no resources on earth. His heart was filled with sorrow. He took a writing brush, wrote a note on three slips of paper, and placed them under the inkstone. He wanted with all his heart to wake his wife, but he feared that she would be troubled if he did so. He hardened his heart, then stood up and went outside.

There was attached to the nunnery a man whose work included taking care of the incense burners. His surname was Feng, and he was called Feng Xun. He asked, when he saw Gao Guoqin come out, “Why has Gao Guoqin risen so early?”

Guoqin said, “Would you open the gate, old gentleman? I am going down the mountain to visit a friend.”

Feng Xun opened the gate and Gao Guoqin hurriedly went down City God Mountain and on into the distance.

When Lu Shi awoke and did not see her husband, she involuntarily experienced a terrible shock. She quickly went outside and began searching for him until she heard Feng Xun say, “Ah, Gao Guoqin left early this morning.”

Lu Shi immediately went back inside and started to look around. Then she saw the three slips of paper. On the first he had written:

Time seems to limp along in rags,

Each day almost beyond enduring.

We came into this nunnery

As I held back my burning shame.

Though kindness of the family

Has led us here through Buddha’s gate,

I could not stay while all about

Men mocked my wretchedness.

Lu Shi read this verse. She understood it to mean that he was so poor that he could not take care of a family, and that he was leaving the nunnery because he could not bear men’s ridicule. Then she read the second verse:

I now leave for some far-off place.

My chances to return are few

And whether I shall live or die

Is something that I do not know.

The possibility is scant

That we may ever meet again.

Yet fate ordained that we be born

And also ruled we two be wed.

Thus Lu Shi learned that her husband was leaving for a distant place from which he might not return, that he did not know whether he would live or die, and that everything was in the hands of fate. Finally, she read the third verse:

As I put down my writing brush

Abandoning my classic books

The worst is that I understand

I only have myself to blame.

My dearest wife may understand

These few poor words I leave behind.

I now entrust her dear sweet self

To those who gave her shelter here.

While I take with me as I go

The memory of her lovely eyes.

When Lu Shi had finished reading this third verse, she began to scream with pain as if she were being torn into pieces. Hearing her, the old nun came and asked, “Why are you in such distress, niece?”

Lu Shi, saying that she felt almost certain that her husband would die, showed her aunt the three verses left by Gao Guoqin.

The old nun said, “You need not be so disturbed, child. I have an idea. There is now at the Monastery of the Soul’s Retreat at the West Lake a monk called Ji Gong. He is a true living Buddha, able to foretell the destinies of others. He knows about things that have not yet happened. I will send Feng Xun, the man who takes care of the incense burners, to the Monastery of the Soul’s Retreat to invite Ji Gong to come here. He will use his powers to tell where your husband went and where he is now. Then we will send someone there to ask him to come back.”

Lu Shi said, “If that is so, quickly send the man to invite Ji Gong here.”

The abbess sent Feng Xun down to find Ji Gong. The first time that Feng Xun visited the Monastery of the Soul’s Retreat, Ji Gong was not there. The second time that Feng Xun went to ask for Ji Gong, the monastery was surrounded by soldiers. The third time that Feng Xun went, he heard that Ji Gong had been taken away in fetters by order of Prime Minister Qin. Therefore things were delayed for several days. At last, Feng Xun was successful when he again went down the mountain in search of the monk. Feng Xun saw the revered lohan just as he was coming up the mountain with Zhao Wenhui and Su Beishan.

Feng Xun quickly ran forward and prostrated himself at Ji Gong’s feet, saying, “Teacher, you did come! I have been to the monastery over and over asking for you, sir, several times. And today, sir, what about the things I have heard—and where are you going now?”

Ji Gong replied, “I am going to your temple to see the old nun. We are presenting her with a person who is going to leave the world.”

Feng Xun said, “Good, good, good. Our abbess, just now, wants to ask your help in an urgent matter.”

Zhao Wenhui and Su Beishan asked, “What is the matter at the temple?”

Feng Xun then described in detail the affair of Gao Guoqin from beginning to end as they all hurried on to the temple. Feng Xun led the way.

When they entered the nunnery, they went to the west courtyard. This courtyard had buildings on three sides—the east, the west, and the north. Each of the buildings was divided into three sections. Feng Xun went with the rest into the north building. Zhou Yuanwai noticed that the room that they had entered was extremely neat and clean. Against the north wall was a long, high table on which were many volumes of the classics. In front of this table was a square “eight immortals” table with chairs on either side. Ji Gong sat down at the head of the table, Zhao Wenhui sat at the foot, and Su Beishan sat at the side. Looking about, they saw a pair of hanging scrolls with calligraphy. There was another scroll in the center on which a large peach was painted, and on which there was also some writing:

Could I but leave the quest for wealth and fame,

I’d build my thatched hut close against a hill

With half an acre reflected in a pool,

Some willow trees and stalks of green bamboo.

There on a warm spring day I’d entertain a guest

And sit half drunk with him in the sun.

At night, in the red circle of the lamp,

I’d visit in books the mind’s most distant realms.

Thus would I cultivate true purity of heart

Secluded from the world and petty cares.

On the pair of matching scrolls of calligraphy, the following two sentences were written:

Though painted by artists for a thousand years, the mountain has not changed.

Its waterfalls have given life to countless ancient poems.

At the bottom of each of the three scrolls was the signature of Gao Guoqin.

Su Beishan looked at them and said, “Saintly monk, you can see that Gao Guoqin is a man of natural talent. Everything that Feng Xun said about him is certainly right. See the quality of the calligraphy in these two scrolls. Please, saintly monk, show compassion for him and bring him back. I will help him find a place to study and carry him through until the time of the examination. I will also bestow silver upon him and help him to succeed afterward.”

The monk said, “Good! This is added evidence of the yuanwai’s merit.”

As they were talking thus, the old nun came in, leading her niece. She approached the old monk and greeted him reverently saying, “I beg the lohan to be compassionate. This is my niece, Lu Shi, called Simple Chastity. I speak for her because her husband, Gao Guoqin, left her in my care here at the nunnery. Today it is already several days since he left. I beg the holy monk to show his mercy and use his powers to foretell what is about to happen.”

The monk said, “That is easy. However, we have just rescued a person, the daughter of a well-known family, who fell into the hands of a procuress. It is the young lady’s desire to leave the world. We thought we could bring her to this nunnery of yours. Please receive her as your follower.”

The old nun said, “Whatever Teacher directs will be done.”

Zhao Wenhui said, “In a little while I will send my gift of three hundred ounces of silver to the nunnery to continue the burning of incense.”

The old nun thanked Zhou Yuanwai and again begged the monk for his prediction concerning the whereabouts of Gao Guoqin.

Ji Gong sent forth the light from the innermost part of his being. Then the monk cried out, “Ai yah! It is finished! It is finished!”

When Lu Shi heard this, she was so frightened that her face changed color. She begged, “Holy monk! Have mercy! Save him! Save him!” Having uttered these words, she began to weep piteously and continued to implore the monk’s help.

“What time is it just now?” the monk asked.

“The sun is just past the midpoint,” answered Feng Xun.

Ji Gong said, “This man has now traveled 180 li. When it is time for the sun to set, his life will be in danger.”

Su Beishan offered, “I will do anything I can to help.”

“Then select someone from your household to go with me,” Ji Gong instructed him. “I will also need two hundred silver pieces for traveling expenses.”

Su Beishan said, “Su Lu, go quickly to a money shop and get the two hundred silver pieces. Then go with the saintly monk to find Gao Guoqin.”

The old nun said, “Feng Xun, you also shall go with Ji Gong.”

Lu Shi, meanwhile, was bowing in respect and gratitude to Ji Gong, who said, “Zhao Wenhui and Su Beishan, you will see that Spring Fragrance is brought safely here to become a nun. Then you may leave.”

The two yuanwai agreed to do so. Su Lu returned, bringing the silver. Then Ji Gong left the Bright Purity Nunnery with Su Lu and Feng Xun. When they reached the foot of City God Mountain, Ji Gong suddenly stopped. Then he took three steps forward and next went back three steps.

Su Lu said, “Teacher, we must travel 180 li before dark. If you continue in this way, you will not be able to cover eight li. If you will change your way of walking, it will be easier.”

The monk replied, “It is not difficult to change my way of walking.” With this remark, he began taking three steps forward and two steps backward.

Feng Xun secretly realized that this was a kind of joke and said, “Teacher, at this rate you will be back where we started before dark, but what good will that do?”

Ji Gong countered, “If I go quickly, will you be able to keep up with me?”

The two said they could. Then left, right! Left, right! Ji Gong was off and running on ahead. In the twinkling of an eye he was out of sight. The two men quickly ran after him for two or three li. They were both soaked with perspiration.

One of them said, “When we reach those woods, let us rest.”

Just as the two entered the woods, the monk said, “Oh, come now, a little further.”

“We have not had any rest at all, and you reached here earlier,” the two protested.

The monk said, “Perhaps I did doze for a few moments. Do those legs belong to you two?”

The two answered, “They are fastened to our bodies. If they are not ours, whose are they?”

The monk replied, “Well, in that case, they probably do belong to you two. I will recite one of my incantations and then they will be able to move again.”

Feng Xun said, “Good! Good! Do recite one of your incantations.”

When the monk saw that the two men were standing firmly on their feet, he said under his breath, “Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum, I command!”

Quite beyond control of the two men, their legs rapidly carried them forward as if they were flying. Su Lu could only call out, “Teacher, there are nothing but trees ahead of us. If we hit one, we will die!”

The monk said, “Never mind. It is all safely in my hands. When you get there, you will not hit anything.”

Naturally, as they came to the woods, the two simply passed between the trees. After they had passed through the woods and as they still ran on, they saw a man coming out of a village carrying a bowl in his hand. Ji Gong took one look at him.

Now this man was an unruly son. His surname was Wu, and he was called by the personal name Yun. In his home there was only his old widowed mother. On this day they had had meat dumplings for their noon meal. His mother had prepared them well, but when this Wu Yun had looked at the table, he saw that she had not bought the vinegar to go with them. Then he became angry, saying, “The older you get, the more mixed up you get. Where is there a family that eats meat dumplings without vinegar? You are useless and I resent it!” His mother said nothing. He walked out still angry, carrying a bowl to get some vinegar. It was then that he was seen by Ji Gong.

Ji Gong had known from the beginning all about what had happened. For this reason he made a slight pointing motion with his hand toward Wu Yun. As a result, Wu Yun joined Feng Xun and Su Lu and started running alongside them.

Involuntarily Wu Yun called out, “I am not going this way! What kind of business is this? My legs have gone mad!”

Then there was a great sound in the ears of the three men, like the howling of the wind as it drives the clouds across the sky. Ahead of them they saw light reflected on a river. Su Lu then called out, “Holy monk, stop making me run! A river is up ahead. If we fall in, we will die.”

The monk said, “Do not worry. Just use a little effort and we will pass over it.”

When they came to the river, it seemed as though they were flying as they crossed it. Su Lu thought to himself, “When we reach the other bank, I will manage to catch hold of one of those trees.” As soon as this thought came into his mind, he selected a tree. Su Lu quickly grasped it with ease and fell to the ground. Feng Xun also fell to the ground, and the man who had gone out to buy vinegar fell as well.

The monk came to them and said, “You may all get up now.”

The three said they were not able to stand. The monk took a piece of medicine from his pocket, divided it into three pieces, and gave one piece to each of the men to eat. The three then realized that their bodies were capable of movement and they could stand without difficulty. Wu Yun was amazed that they had traveled so far.

Just at that moment another man approached them, and Su Lu asked, “May I inquire what place this is?”

The man replied, “This is small Liu village. Where are you people going?”

Su Lu answered, “We have come from Linan City and we are going to Yuhang prefecture.”

The man said, “You have gone past it! From here it is twenty li back to Yuhang prefecture.”

When Wu Yun heard this, he said, “Ai yah! I broke the bowl I brought to carry home the vinegar! I never ate the meat dumplings, either! Because of the river, I will have to go two hundred li to get back.”

The monk said, “I will take you back.”

Wu Yun said, “Do not take me back. I can hardly stand. We are at the northern frontier. How am I going to get back?”

It took him two days and two nights to get home. From that time forward, whenever he saw a monk, he would run away from him. Wu Yun’s heart was forever filled with fear of the poor ragged monk.

Su Lu asked, “Will we get to Yuhang prefecture today, and will we find Gao Guoqin?”

Ji Gong answered, “That is exactly right.”

Then Ji Gong, Su Lu, and Feng Xun continued on their way.