Taoists consider the Underworld/ Shades/ Hell (ming-yü 冥獄) to be lodged in a Feng-tu Palace (Feng-tu-kung 酆都宮), and the Feathered Ilk (yü-liu 羽流) [i.e. Taoist adepts] say that this is perhaps the place.
Fang Hsiang-ying 方象瑛 (fl. ca. AD 1665), Diary of an embassy to Shu (Shih Shu jih-chi 使蜀日記), says:
Feng-tu county city has its back to/ leans against Mount P’ing-tu (P’ing-tu-shan 平都山), Taoist writings saying that it’s one of the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands/Paradises (Ch’i-shih-erh Fu-ti 七十二福地), and that Wang Fang-p’ing of the Han dynasty obtained cosmic truth there. They also say that it’s the place where Yin Ch’ang-sheng ascended. There are an Immortal-metropolis Convent (Hsien-tu-kuan 仙都觀) and an Aunty Hemp-cave (Ma-ku-tung 麻姑洞) there, and the forest is dense and secluded, it being given the title of Scarlet-palace Dwelling of Transcendental Immortals (Tzu-fu Chen-hsien Chih-chü 紫府真仙之居).
A Thick-forest-netted Hall (Sen-lo-tien 森羅殿) was invented at some time now unknown, because of which it then came to be forcedly assumed to be Lord Yama’s Cave (Yen-chȕn-tung 閻君洞), and considered to be the same as the Feng-tu of Hades (ti-yü 地獄), with prayers and sacrificial services and the seeking of Taoist secret amulets far and near, which is merely the Taoists’ deluding of society and straying from the truth.
Common legend has it that in Feng-tu city (Feng-tu-ch’eng 酆都城) there’s a palace of the Great Emperor of Feng-tu (Feng-tu Ta-ti 酆都大帝), and that the Great Emperor is the Royal Bodhisattva Ksitigharbha (“Earth-store”) (Ti-tsang Wang P’u-sa 地藏王菩薩), a Buddhist deity, taking Ksitigharbha to be the Patriarch/ Religion-founder of the Shades (You-ming Chiao-chu 幽冥教主). When, as the initial cause, the Thick-forest-netted Hall came to be created, the place was first held to be where Yin Ch’ang ascended into immortality, and it was merely common custom that came erroneously to regard it as the Shades Palace of the Dark Realm (Yin-chieh Ming-fu 陰界冥府).
678Chien-shu 劍樹, Tree of Swords, Sword-tree, i.e. Shu Ti-yü 樹地獄, Trees Hell, Tree Earth-prison, Asipattra, also called Knife-blade Road (Tao-jen-lu 刀刃路). The Hill of Swords, or Trees Hell. Also called Sword-tree Hell (Chien-shu Ti-yü 劍樹地獄) , one of the Sixteen Small Hells (Shih-liu Hsiao Ti-yü 十六小地獄). A Buddhist term.
The long agamas [Dirghagarma] grading of the Nineteen Hells (Ch’ang-a-han ti-shih-chiu ti-yü p’in 長阿含第十九地獄品) says:
Sword-tree Hell is five hundred yojanas (yu-hȕn 由旬) [an Indian term for nine, a measurement of nine English miles, etc.] [wide?], and when sinners enter that forest of Sword-trees, there’s a great storm-wind arises, blowing down the leaves of the Sword-trees, dropping them on their bodies, so that when the leaves touch their hands, they cut their hands off, and when they touch their feet, they cut their feet off, and when they touch their bodies, heads or face, they’re without exception wounded or destroyed.”
679Tao-shan 刀山, Knife-mountain, a Buddhist term meaning a mountain covered with knives and swords in Hell. Sahasrabhuja sahasranetra mahakaruna Avalokitesvara sutra (Ch’ien-shou Ch’ien-yen ta-pei kuan-shih-yin ching 千手千眼大悲觀世音經) says: “If I turn towards Knife-mountain, Knife-mountain will of its own accord be destroyed and broken.”
680Nan-k’e meng 南柯夢, “Dream of Southern Tree-limb” is a commonplace allusion “for futile dream of fame and success”, referring to the famous T’ang dynasty novella about a man who experiences the mighty vicissitudes and vanity of worldly fame and fortune all in one brief dream.
Governor of South Tree-limb (Nan-k’e t’ai-shou chuan 南柯太守傳), sometimes just called South Tree-limb (Nan-k’e chi 南柯記), by Li Kung-tso 李公佐 (fl. ca. AD 813), is the story of a dream of career glory and disaster that convinces its dreamer of the futility of worldly ambition. Wealthy Ch’un-yü Fen 淳于芬 is dismissed from the army for, when drunk, insulting his general. Depressed, he spends his time drinking.
To the south of his house in Kuang-ling 廣陵 there’s an enormous ancient scholar-tree, beneath which he and his boon-companions booze every day. One day, in the Ninth Month in AD 794, he being drunk, two friends carry him into his house, and go off to wash their feet and give their horses some fodder.
Half-dozing, he sees two scarlet-clad envoys come to him, who announce that the King of Scholar-tree Tranquillity (Huai-an-kuo 槐安國) has invited him to his kingdom. The envoys have him mount, attended by eight footmen, into a small four-horse green carriage, driving it down through a hollow in his scholar-tree. He come to a land, “Southern Tree-limb”. where he knows much splendour, and becomes governor of a region, but falls out of power, and on waking discovers that the region was an ant-hill at the foot of the tree, this realisation causing him to become a Taoist recluse, rejecting worldly splendour.
681Fan-hun-hsiang 返魂香, Soul-returning Perfume, Returning-the-spirit Perfume, the name of perfume from the Returning-perfume Tree (Fan-hun-shu 返魂樹), Boswellia serrata, of the Jade Bud (Yü-jui 玉蕊) family. Li Shih-chen 李時珍 (1518 - 1593), Detailed systematic outline of herbs (Pen-ts’ao kang-mu 本草綱目), “Fan-hun-hsiang”, quotes Pan Ku 班固 (32 - 92) (dub. attr., probably a work by someone of the Three Kingdoms Wei or Tsin dynasty), Inside biography of Emperor Warrior of the Han dynasty (Han Wu-ti nei-chuan 漢武帝內傳), as saying: “On Mulberry-tree-grotto Isle (Sang-k’u-chou 桑窟洲) there’s the Spirit-returning Tree, the scent of petals and leaves of which can be smelled a hundred li-miles away. When its roots are boiled, they’re distilled to become like lacquer, whereupon the perfume is ready. If anyone dies [falls unsconcious?] of plague, a cup or so of it’s heated up and they’re fumed with it, and can be revived.”
682Tung-yȕeh 東嶽, Eastern Sacred-peak, one of the Five Sacred-peaks (Wu-yȕeh 五嶽), i.e. Mount T’ai (T’ai-shan 泰山). Anon. (Chou and early Han dynasty), Close exegeses (Erh-ya 爾雅), “Shih-shan”, says: “Mount T’ai is the Eastern Sacred-peak.” Mount T’ai, also known as T’ai-tai 泰岱, Tai-Yȕeh 岱嶽, Tai-tsung 岱宗 and Tai-shan 岱山, belongs to the present day Yin Mountains System, from south-west of Chiao-chou Bay in Shantung province, and, going westwards, it lies as a barrier across the middle of the province, ending up on the west bank of the Grand Canal, being now called the Mount T’ai Range, and its chief peak being north of T’ai-an county.
683Ts’ui-hung-hsiang 翠紅鄉, Emerald-and-scarlet Land, presumably a term for “gorgeous realm of romance”.
684Fen-hsiang-ts’ung 粉香叢, cluster of Powdered-and-perfumed Ones, i.e. bunch of fair ladies.
685tien-kuang shih-huo 電光石火, lightning-shine and flint-fire, an expression for “the speed/swiftnesss of arising and extinction/ destruction”, often used as a metaphor for the changing and extinction without any constant endurance of all things and events, for their transience or impermanence. Shih P’u-chi 釋普濟 (Sung dynasty) or Hui-ming 慧明 (Sung dynasty), Five Lamps assembly of origins (Wu-teng hui-yȕan 五燈會元), “Pao-fu Ts’ung-chan Ch’an-shih”, says: “This matter is like striking fire from a stone, resembling the flash of lightning.” A Buddhist term.
686ch’ȕan-wo 泉窩, nest of the Springs, being a poetic term for the Yellow Springs of afterlife.
687fen-k’e 墳窠, “nest of a tomb”, a poetic term for “tomb”.
688Hung Sheng here gives a note saying that this line derives from a poem by Ch’u Ssu-tsung 儲嗣宗 [fl. ca. AD 853].
689Hung Sheng here gives a note saying that this line derives from a poem by Hsȕeh Neng 薛能 [AD? - AD 880].
690Hung Sheng here gives a note saying that this line derives from a poem by Wei Hsȕn 韋絢 [fl. ca. AD 840].
691Hung Sheng here gives a note saying that this line derives from poem by Wei Chuang 韋莊 [fl. ca. AD 900].
692kung-feng 供奉, Co-opted Court-entertainer, Supernumerary.
693in Lo-yang.
694yȕan-pan 鵷班, Phoenix-troupe, Roc-troupe, a term for “the ranks of imperial court mandarins”. The t
erm yȕan-lu 鴛鷺, “mandarin-ducks and egrets”, also found written as yȕan-lu 鵷鷺, “’rocs’ and egrets”, was an image for the [two-by-two] ranks of imperial-court mandarins, the birds flying in neat order being an image for the disciplined ranks of the courtiers. He Ning 和凝 (898 - 955), in his Palace lyric (Kung-tz’u 宮詞), has the line: “The mandarin-ducks and egrets keeping to their lines bow on either side.” Wei Cheng 魏徵 (580 - 643) and others, Sui history (Sui-shu 隋書), “Yin-yȕeh-chih”, says: “Yellow on their breasts and white seal-cords, the rocs and egrets form their lines.”
Han Yü 韓愈 (768 - 824), in his poem Repeated-obeisance table-piece to the Duke of Tsin on his return from defeating the brigands (Chin-kung p’o-tsei hui ch’ung-pai t’ai-tz’u 晉公破賊回重拜台詞), has the lines: “Rocs and egrets are about to return into the Immortal Cortege, Bears and grizzlies go back into their forbidden-precincts camps.” The “roc” here is theyȕan-chu 鵷雛, a fabulous giant bird first mentioned in the Taoist Classic Sir Chuang (Chuang-tzu 莊子) of the 3rd or 4th century BC, but sometimes elsewhere explained as the young of a feng 鳳, “phoenix”.
The term yȕan-hang 鴛行, “mandarin-duck lines”, likewise referred to the ranks of court mandarins. Liu Yü-hsi 劉禹錫 (772 - 842), in his poem In respectful harmonisation of an off-the-cuff poem by the Secretary Lord Ssu-ma P’ei (Feng-he Ssu-ma P’ei hsiang-kung chung-shu chi-shih 奉和司空裴相公中書即事詩), has the line, “Stands stock-still and listens to the war-horses’ breathing, Goes in and celebrates, leading the mandarin-duck lines.” It’s also found written yȕan-hang 鵷行, “’roc’ lines”.
Chao Yen-chao 趙彥昭 (AD? - AD 714 or not long after), in his poem Respectfully presented poem in harmony with one “In attendance at a feast in a mountain manor” by Wei Ssu-li composed by imperial command on an imperial visit to a mountain manor (Feng-he hsing Wei Ssu-li shan-chuang shih-yen ying-chih shih 奉和幸韋嗣立山莊侍宴應制詩), has the line: “Even though I hanker after ‘leopard reclusion’, In futile shame I assist the roc lines.”
695ch’in-p’i 寢皮, “sleeping skin”. A term for “a lazy person”. See following note.
696ch’in-p’i shih-jou 寢皮食肉, “sleeping-on-skins and flesh-eating/meat-eating”. more usually found as shih-jou ch’in-p’i 食肉寢皮, “eating-flesh and sleeping-on-skins”. Tso Ch’iu-ming 左丘明 (6th - 5th century BC?) (dubious attribution), Tso’s commentary (Tso-chuan左傳), “Hsiang 21 nien [551 BC]”, says:
When Duke Chuang, ruler of Ch’i 齊, went to the court, he pointed at the Ch’i generals Chih Ch’o and Kuo Tsui, and said: “These are my cocks [i.e. most valiant knights, cock-fighting imagery].” Chou Ch’o [from Tsin] said: “If you my lord consider them cocks, who would be so impertinent as to not regard them as cocks! But I lack mental agility. After [the battle of] P’ing-yin [in 555 BC, which Tsin won], I crowed [proclaimed victory] earlier than the two young gentlemen did [and took them both captive].”
Duke Chuang of Ch’i used a Courage Wine-jar to pour wine for valiant knights, and Chih Ch’o and Kuo Tsui wanted to take some of the wine.
“In the Tung-lü Campaign [for the Ch’i capital, which campaign Ch’i lost again to Tsin],” said Chou Ch’o, “my humble self’s left-hand chariot-horse came under pressure, and could only whirl around in the city-wall gate, and was so hustled round and squeezed that I had no means of advancing. [Being hemmed in so long] I made a note of the number of iron nails on the city-wall gate. [Perhaps boasting that he was for long at the very gate of the Ch’i capita]. Probably I can drink this wine, can’t I!”
“Yes, you fought for the ruler of Tsin with fiercce courage!” said Duke Chuang of Ch’i.
“I from the start strove to be a servant of my ruler.” said Chou Ch’o, “These two gentlemen, however, are analogous to birds and beasts: I’ve eaten their flesh and slept on their [flayed] skins!”
From this, “flesh-eating meat-eating and skin-sleeping: came to be used as a metaphor for “deep hatred and yearning for revenge.”
697chiu-ssu 九死, Nine Deaths, i.e. chiu-ssu yi-sheng 九死一生, “nine deaths one life”, an expression signifying “a narrow escape from death”, an extremely dangerous situation”, “to many times undergo life-or-death danger but luckily survive”.
698An emperor sometimes wore a Crimson-yellow Robe (Che-huang-p’ao 赭黃袍).
699Ch’ung-t’ien 衝天, i.e. Ch’ung-t’ien-kuan 沖天冠, Heaven-charging Crown, the name of an imperial crown. Ch’ung-t’ien 沖天 means: “to go straight up to Heaven/ the sky”. Lü Pu-wei’s 呂不韋 (?BC - 235 BC) (attr.) Mr. Lü’s springs and autumns (Lü-shih ch’un-ch’iu 呂氏春秋), “Ch’ung-yen”, says: “Flying almost charging the sky.” Ssu-ma Ch’ien 司馬遷 (ca. 147 BC - 90 BC), Historians’ records (Shih-chi 史記), says: “Immediately flew charging the sky.”
700fei-yi 緋衣, crimson robes. Presumably referring to court waiters’ wearing such. Ku Yeh-wang 顧野王 (519 - 581), Jade pieces (Yü-p’ien 玉篇), says: “Fei means crimson fine boiled silk (lien 練).” Lu Fa-yen 陸法言 (Sui dynasty), Expanded “Rhymes” (Kuang-yȕn 廣韻), says: “Fei means ‘crimson colour’.” Liu Hsü 劉昫 (887 - 946) and others, Old T’ang history (Chiu T’ang-shu舊唐書) (AD 945), “Chȕ-fu chih”, says: “Those who wear fei, decorate it with silver.”
701i.e. Rainbow-skirt has rarely been performed.
702Chysanthemum coronarium.
703Suggesting a parallel with the failed assassin of the Chou dynasty, Ching K’e.
704proverbs. i.e. When you’re with real friends, you can rightly feel perfectly safe and relaxed, and there’s every reason why you should enjoy/ celebrate the occasion endlessly. When you’re just not getting on well with someone, and basic ideals, stances or attitudes aren’t clicking, or are mutually hostile, it’s best not even to try to say anything, as the slightest thing you say will be misconstrued and add fuel to the fire of the other person’s hostility.
705San Chin 三晉, Three Tsins. The three houses of Wei 魏, Chao 趙 and Han 韓 of the Springs-and-autumns period of the Chou dynasty originally served the state of Tsin 晉 as lord-ministers. In the Warring States period of that same dynasty, the heads of those three houses, Ssu Marquis Civility of Wei (Wei Wen-hou Ssu 魏文侯斯), Chi Marquis Lieh of Chao (Chao Lieh-hou Chi 趙列侯籍) and Ch’ien Marquis Greatness of Han (Han Ching-hou Ch’ien 韓景侯虔), divided up Tsin between them, setting up their own states, those being collectively referred to as the Three Tsins. They occupied the territory of the two present-day provinces Shansi and Henan and the southwest parts of Hopeh province. Meng K’e 孟軻 (372 BC - 289 BC), Sir Mencius (Meng Zi 孟子), “Liang Hui-wang”, says: “There’s no state in the whole worrld stronger than Tsin.” A note to that says: “Han, Wei and Chao were originally Six Lord-ministers (Liu-ch’ing 六卿) of Tsin, and at that time they were called the Three Tsins.”
706Hung Sheng here gives a note saying that this line derives from a poem by Lo Yin 羅隱 [833 - 909].
707Hung Sheng here gives a note saying that this line derives from a poem by Li Shan-fu 李山甫 [ca. AD 874].
708Hung Sheng here gives a note saying that this line derives from a poem by Hsȕeh Chi 薛稷 [649 - 713].
709Hung Sheng here gives a note saying that this line derives from a poem by Lu Hsi-sheng 陸希聲 [AD? -ca. AD 905].
710The earliest road from Shensi into Szechwan involved such galleries, covered, wood-strut-supported walkways.
711Cf. Yȕeh Shih (930 - 1007), Unofficial biography of Grand-truth (T’ai-chen wai-chuan 太真外傳). A very famous tz’u-lyric by Liu Yung 柳永 (987 - 1953) used the tune-title Little handbells showered by rain (Yü-lin ling 雨霖鈴):
Cicadas chirping, as a lady says goodbye
Wintry cicadas’ mournful desperate chirping,
As at Long-bower Lodge
we come to evening,
And now
the rain’s just ceased driving.
In no mood for marqueed send-of
f party,
here beyond the capital’s walls,
And as I now yearn wistful,
reluctant to let you go,
Your “orchid-wood” boat frets,
impatient to be leaving.
We grasp hands,
into each other’s tear-filled eyes now gazing,
The words stuck in our throats,
after all saying nothing.
Ah! When I think of those misty waves,
away and away a thousand miles!
And the Ch’u sky’s vast,
with sundown clouds heavy weighing.
Feeling, passionful people
ever and always grieve at parting,
And so much worse
in more unbearable
bleak autumn’s
desolate chilling.
Where will you sleep off your wine this night?
By weeping-willow banks
in fading moon
at dawn’s first breezing.
Now you go,
all coming years’ fine days and scenes
must mean me naught,
And no matter what manner of all soft feelings evoking,
Hereafter who is there shall have their confiding?
712Hung Sheng here gives a note saying that this line derives from a poem by Lo Pin-wang 駱賓王 [AD? - AD 684].
713Hung Sheng here gives a note saying that this line derives from a poem by Lo Yeh 羅鄴 [fl. ca. AD 877].
714Hung Sheng here gives a note saying that this line derives from a poem by Ch’in T’ao-yü 秦韜玉 [fl. ca. AD 882].
Appendices and Endnotes Page 39