1019fu-ou 浮漚, floating bubbles/ foam, foam floating on the surface of water, this binom thus being used as a Buddhist metaphor for “inconstant/ insubstantial human life”, such foam or bubbles tending readily to be burst/ destroyed. Anon., Surangama sutra (Leng-yen ching 楞嚴經), says: “Like a floating bubble on the deep mighty ocean-current, rising and being extinguished without control.”
1020A line from a poem by Yȕan Chen元稹 (779-831), in his five-poem Parting’s yearnings (Li-ssu 離思). I.e. all that love failed?
1021liu-chih 柳枝, willow-twig, willow-switch. Buddhists put such twigs in clean water to keep evil spirits away. Willow-twigs and clean water were also used when petitioning the Buddha, and in this play they’re regarded as a means of summoning Empress Yang’s spirit back from the Shades of afterlife.
1022Yi-chao-t’u 遺照圖, Leftover-sunshine Picture. A term for a picture of a deceased person, here may mean Empress Yang.
1023Ch’ing-tz’u 青詞, Green Statement, a term for a kind of prayer-text, used for purification fastings and other Taoistic prayer-sessions. Li Chao 李肇 (fl. ca. AD 813), Plume-forest record (Han-lin chih 翰林志), says: “In general, any written petitions of the Taoist monastery of Grand-purity Palace (T’ai-ch’ing-kung 太清宮) use green-liana paper (ch’ing-t’eng-chih 青藤紙) and vermilion characters (chu-tzu 朱字).” Such are also frequently found in the collected literary works of people of the Sung dynasty. During the Ming dynasty, when Taoism was in full spate, ministers in charge of petitions to the throne vied to please the emperors with such documents, Yen Sung 嚴嵩 (1480 - 1569) being especially skilled at winning the monarch’s amity with his Green Statements.
1024tzu-luan-shu 紫鸞書, Scarlet-roc Letter, perhaps meaning the same as tzu-shu 紫書, “scarlet letter”, a term for a Taoist epistle/letter (tao-shu 道書). 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), talks of: “Plain-white Rhymed-formulae for the Earth’s truth, and Scarlet Letters for lasting life.” Chang Chȕn-fang 張君房 (fl. ca. AD 1001), Seven Labels of Cloud Book-box (Yȕn-chi ch’i-ch’ien 雲笈七籤), says: “Scarlet Letters means written documents (shan-wen 繕文) written with a ‘scarlet writing-brush’ [one using red ink perhaps] (tzu-pi 紫筆).”
1025 feng-chien 鳳箋, “phoenix notelets”. A poetic term for “fine writing-paper”.
1026Han Liu-lang 漢劉郎, young sir Liu of the Han dynasty, i.e. Emperor Warrior (Wu-ti 武帝). Used here to refer to Sublime August-emperor, Emperor Dark-progenitor (Hsüan-tsung 玄宗).
1027tao-fu-chang 道符章, Taoist amulet, magic figures drawn by Taoist priests to invoke or expel spirits and bring good or ill fortune. Also found termed fu 符. Similar terms are fu-chou 符咒, “Taoist magic figures for dispelling or employing demons and spirits”, and fu-lu 符籙, “secret writings of Taoist priests”. Li Yen-shou 李延壽 (T’ang dynasty, 7th century AD), Northern history (Pei-shih 北史), “Wei Hsien-wen-ti 魏獻文帝”, says: “The emperor [reigned 466 - 471] favoured the Taoist altar-platform with a visit, received the fu-lu in person, and wrongly gave the capital city an amnesty.” Wei Cheng 魏徵 (580 - 643) and others, Sui history (Sui-shu 隋書), “Ching-chi chih”: “Emperor Grand-warrior [T’ai-wu-ti 太武帝, reigned 424 - 452] of Wei 魏 received fu-lu in person, and from then on, whenever emperors ascended the throne, would unfailingly receive fu-lu, it being considered an old established practice.” Ke Hung 葛洪 (284 - 363), Sir Uncarved-block Embracer (Pao-p’u Tzu 抱樸子), mentions Sir Old (Lao-chün 老君 Lao-tzu 老子) as going into the mountains to await fu. Lu means:
i) “written records”, “register”. Ch’en Shou 陳壽 (233 - 297), Three Kingdoms records (San-kuo chih 三國志), “Wu-chih”, “Sun Ts’e chuan”, says: “This young gentleman is already in the lu of spirits, so don’t waste any more paper and writing-brush, but at once hurry up and execute him.”
ii) a fu-ming 符命 missive. Wang Jung 王融 (467 - 493), Essay on being conferred with a Cultivated Talent degree in the year AD 493 (Yung-ming shih-yi-nien ts’e hsiu-ts’ai wen 永明十一年策秀才文), says: “I the emperor grasp a lu to govern the world.” A note by Li Chou-han 李周翰 (early 8th century AD) to that says: “Lu means fu. When an emperor receives the mandate to rule, he grasps it to govern the world.”
iii) a term for Taoist priests’ secret writings (mi-wen 祕文). Sui history, “Ching-chi chih”, says: “In the methods of the Taoist scriptures for receiving cosmic truths, one first receives the five thousand written lu (wen-lu 文籙), then next receives the three Cave-paradise Lu (tung-lu 洞籙). The lu are all written on plain-white paper, and record the names of Assistants (tso-li 佐吏) coming under the Heaven [imperial] Sections (t’ien-ts’ao-kuan 天曹官).”
The term fu-ming 符命, “tally mandate” means:
i) a tally sent down by Heaven as an auspicious sign (jui-ying 瑞應, “auspicious response”) for a ruler to receive as his mandate to rule. Su Shih 蘇軾 (1036 - 1101) has a poem with the line: “The former emperor received a tally mandate.”
ii) That which, when a ruler of China received his mandate to rule, his ministers put into writing, setting forth the grandness and abundance of his fine achievements and virtuous influences, mentioning in passing “auspicious signs”, so as to magnify the sense of Heaven’s protection of and affection for him. The genre was similar to the sung 頌, “eulogy”. Hsiao T’ung 蕭統 (501 - 531) (comp.), Selection of fine literature (Wen-hsȕan 文選), includes it as a literary genre, with such pieces as Ssu-ma Hsiang-ju’s 司馬相如 (179 BC - 117 BC) Accession-sacrifice essay (Feng-shan wen 封禪文), Yang Hsiung’s 揚雄 (53 BC - AD 18) Hasty memorial on the fine and novel (Chü-tsou mei-hsin 劇奏美新) and Pan Ku’s 班孤 (32 - 92) Records introduction (Tien-yin 典引).
1028kung-ts’ao 功曹, Labour Section, a regional government organ, also an unofficial term for “Ministry of Personnel”. The various administrative Regions (chou 州), of the Han dynasty had Labour-section Administrative-clerks (kung-ts’ao shu-tso 功曹書佐), which in commanderies (chȕn 郡) were called Labour-section Scribes (kung-ts’ao-shih 功曹史), and they were in charge of the selection and reward of personnel (hsȕan-ahu kung-lao 選署功勞). During the Northern Ch’i dynasty, Labour-section Adjutants (kung-ts’ao ts’an-chȕn 功曹參軍) were set up in each of the various administrative Regions. Emperor Yang (Yang-ti 煬帝) of the Sui dynasty replaced the Regions by commanderies, and changed the officers’ title to Labour-manager Administrative-clerks (ssu-kung shu-tso 司功書佐). In the T’ang dynasty, the ones in the prefectures (fu 府) were called Labout-section Adjutants, and the ones in the Regions were called Labour-management Adjutants, also establishing such in the counties (hsien 縣). They were simply referred to as Labour-managers (ssu-kung 司功). They were in charge of matters concerning government gardens, sacrificial services, schools, memorials to the throne, medical doctors, shamans, examinations and assessments, and burials and funerals.
1029fu-shih 符使, Amulet/Tally Envoys, being a title of officials from Heaven bearing/ bringing amulets/tallies.
1030Li-shih, Huang-chin 力士、黃巾, Strongman and Yellow Turban the names of two Amulet Mandarins, envoys from Heaven.
1031Yin-feng 陰風, Dark Wind. i.e. wind of the Shades. It means unusual wind or evil wind. Most comes with the ghosts.
1032chu-fu 硃符, cinnabar amulets. Red-coloured ones. Or does the “cinnabar” just indicate Taoistic or supernatural associations.
1033tai chien-chȕeh 歹劍訣, bad/ poor-quality sword(smanship)-formula. The chȕeh 訣 means “method”, “rhymed formula”, “knack”, “tricks of the trade”, as in such terms as mi-chȕeh 秘訣, “secret of success”, “key to success”, chȕeh-ch’iao 訣竅, “secret of success”, “key to success”, “knack”, and chen-chȕeh 真訣, “true knack/ trick/ key”. Chien-chȕeh 劍訣, “sword rhymed-formula”, is said to be
a rhymed formula (on paper) held by a swordsman. Whenever one engages in sword-fighting, one raises the sword in one’s right hand, and sticks out parallel the index-finger and middle finger of one’s left hand, curling inwards the other three fingers, pinching hold of the sword rhymed-formula, and pressing on the right hand’s wrist-pulse (mo-men 脈門). As the sword stretches out, the palm of the hand holding the rhymed formula turns outwards, pointing at the tip of the left-hand eyebrow. Not altogether clear to me.
1034chen-yen 真言, True Words, a Buddhist term, meaning the words of truth, the words of the Tathagata, Buddha-truth. It’s also used to mean mantra and dharani, signifying magical formulae, spells, charms, esoteric words. The term is also found as mi-yen 密言, “secret/esoteric words”, mi-yȕ 密語, “secret/esoteric wordings”, mi-mi-hao 祕密號, “secret/ esoteric wordings”, and also termed chu 祝, “incantations”, and transliterated as t’o-lo-ni 陀羅尼 (meaning “overall control”). Vairocana sutra (Ta-jih ching 大日經) says: “All dharma-world strengh complies with all living beings, for instance its categories developing the methods of teaching true words.” There was a True-word School (Chen-yen 真言宗) of Buddhism.
1035yȕan-shen 元神:
i) Great Spirit. Yen Yen-chih 顏延之 (384 - 456), Invoking and seeing-off spirits song (Ying-sung shen ke 迎送神歌), has the words: “Receiving the gift of yȕan-shen.”
ii) Origin Spirit. A Taoist term. T’an Ch’iao 譚峭 (fl. ca. AD 922), Book of transmutations (Hua-shu 化書), says: “When one finds the gate to Vast-flooding Breath-energy, it’s the means by which one can take back-in one’s Root. When one gets to know of the building of one’s Origin Spirit, it’s the means by which one can draw back-in one’s Light.”
1036Feng-tu 豐都: “Prosperous Capital/Metropolis”, being the name of a present-day county city in Szechwan province, south-west of Chung county. Situated on the north-west bank of the River Yangtse. The Sui dynasty set up a Feng-tu county (Feng-tu-hsien 豐都縣), the Ming dynasty changing its writing to Feng-tu county (Feng-tu-hsien 酆都縣), this during the Ch’ing dynasty coming under Chung-chou 忠州.
Fan Ch’eng-ta 范成大 (1126 - 1193), Record of Wu ships (Wu-ch’uan lu 吳船錄), says: “Three li-miles from the county seat of Feng-tu county, there’s Mount P’ing-tu (P’ing-tu-shan 平都山), which, according to what stelae and documents have passed down, was the place where both Wang Fang-p’ing 王方平 of the Former Han dynasty [There was also a Taoist called Wang Fang-p’ing of the Latter Han dynasty, personal name Yȕan 遠, and the Taoistic man Wang Hung-chih 王弘之(365 - 427) had the personal name of Fang-p’ing] and Yin Ch’ang-sheng 陰長生 of the Latter Han dynasty discovered the cosmic truths and ascended into immortality, there being a Lord Yin’s Cinnabar-alembic (Yin-chȕn Tan-l u 陰君丹爐) and a shrine-hall/ temple (tz’u-t’ang 祠堂) to the two men there.
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. Taoists] 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 created 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 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).
1037Sen-lo-tien 森羅殿, Sen-lo Palace-hall, Thick-forest-netted Hall. See preceding note. The term Thick-forest-netted (= dense and close) Ten-thousand/ Myriad Phenomena (Sen-lo Wan-hsiang 森羅萬象) is a Buddhist one, signifying “the universe”.
1038pan-kuan 判官, Assessor:
i) the title of a government executive mandarin with judging duties. Administrative Assistant, set up during the T’ang dynasty. In charge of documentation under a Military Commissioner (chieh-tu-shih 節度使) or other high-ranking regional mandarin. The same under the Sung dynasty. Through the Liao, Kin and Yȕan dynasties the title was widely used for various mandarins of 6th grade or lower. Duing the Ming and Ch’ing dynasties, the Assistant was used as a suffix for various mandarin titles, such as Assistant Prefect, etc.
ii) the title of a supernatural mandarin. There were what were called the Four Great Assessors (Ssu Ta P’an-kuan 四大判官), being the main assistants of Yama Raja, King of Hell.
1039t’ieh-suan-tzu 鐵算子, i.e. t’ieh-suan-p’an 鐵算盤, abacus of iron, iron abacus. Right Terrace Immortal-lodge Brush-jotting (Yu-t’ai Hsien-kuan pi-chi 右台仙館筆記) says: “The tricksters/magicians (shu-shih 術士) of ordinary society don’t avail themselves of groping in and filching from pouches or sneaking open and stealing from little storage-chests [terms from Sir Chuang (Chuang-tzu 莊子)], but are able at taking people’s valuables by their skillful techniques, referring to it as their ‘iron abacus’.” This expresses the spirit of utmost ingenuity of skill.
1040yen-hu chi-fu pa Chou-tsung t’ien 檿弧箕服把周宗殄, “with Mountain-mulberry-wood Bow and Thin-reed Quiver destroyed the Chou Clan”. Tso Ch’iu-ming 左丘明 (6th - 5th century BC perhaps) (dub. attr.), Discussions of the states (Kuo-yü 國語), “Cheng-yu”, says: “Mountain-mulberry-wood Bow and Thin-reed Quiver was in fact what destroyed the state/dynasty of Chou.”
Ssu-ma Ch’ien 司馬遷 (ca. 147 BC-90 BC), Historians’ records (Shih-chi 史記), “Chou pen-chi” 4, tells how Elder Sister of Pao (Pao-ssu 襃娰), the last favourite-queen of King Secluded of the Chou dynasty (Chou Yu-wang 周幽王), brought about the destruction of the Chou. A folk-song circulated, which had the lines, “By Mountain-mulberry-wood Bow and Thin-reed Quiver, The Chou state will in fact be ruined.” So the king issued the command that a couple who were traders of such bows and quivers were to be arrested and executed. They fled, though, and escaped. On their way, they came upon and adopted an abandoned baby, she being the subsequently disastrous Elder Sister of Pao.
1041p’in-chi yeh-chih pa Liu Tsung shan 牝雞野雉把劉宗煽, “Female Cock and Wild Pheasant who framed the Liu Clan”. Female Cock was a term for a woman who ruled the roost/held governmental power, the cock being regarded as “governing/ in charge of dawn (ssu-ch’en 司晨)”. Pheasant (chih) was the personal name of Lü Chih 呂雉, the domineering and ambitious empress of Emperor High-ancestor of the Han dynasty (Han Kao-tsu 漢高祖). When he died, she murdered many of his clansmen of the surname Liu.
1042e-mei hu-mei pa T’ang-tsung pien 蛾眉狐媚把唐宗變, “moth-antennae-eyebrowed one who fox-beguiled and caused mighty calamity to the imperial T’ang Clan.” “Moth-antennae-eyebrows” means “lon
g beautifully curved eyebrows”, and was used as a term for “beautiful lady”. This refers here to the beautiful Empress Wu (Wu-hou 武后), i.e. the later Empress Patterned-on-Heaven (Tse-t’ien-hou 則天后), Wu Chou 武周 ruler, empress of the T’ang dynasty emperor High-progenitor (Kao-tsung 高宗, reigned 650 - 683). She had the name Wu Chao 武曌. She usurped the T’ang dynasty, replacing it with her Wu Chou dynasty. She reigned 684 - 705.
1043Ni-ching 霓旌, Rainbow Banner. Used in imperial insgnia corteges (yi-chang 儀仗). Tu Fu 杜甫 (712 - 770), in his poem Pavilion of the Prince of T’eng (T’eng-wang t’ing-tzu 滕王亭子), has the lines: “Still yearning for the entry of song and shawm, a thousand mounted men grasping Rainbow Banners.”
Ou-yang Hsȕan 歐陽玄 (1273 - 1357) and others, Sung history (Sung-shih 宋史), “Yȕeh-chih”, says: “Rainbow Banners and Feather Canopies guide the insignia and provide the guard.”
Earlier, the ni-ching is found written 蜺旌, as in Pan Ku 班固 (32 - 92), History of the [Former] Han (Han-shu 漢書), “Ssu-ma Hsiang-ju chuan”, which says: “Dragging Rainbow Banners, With a luxury of Cloud Flags (yȕn-ch’i 雲旗).” A note to that says: “Chang Yi 張揖 [Northern Wei dynasty, fl. ca. AD 490] says: ‘It means split feathers dyed with all the colours, and sewn together with silk thread to make a banner, having a vivacity somewhat like that of a rainbow.’”
1044Chiang-ch’ȕeh 絳闕, Carmine/Crimson Palace-towers, a poetic term for “imperial palace”, similar to such terms as Scarlet Imperial-palace (tzu-ch’en 紫宸) and Cinnabar Steps (tan-ch’ih 丹墀). Yen Yen-chih 顏延之 (384 - 456), Crimson-and-white horse rhapsody (Che-pai ma fu 赭白馬賦), says: “Presenting a report-document in Carmine Palace-towers.” Tu-ku Chi 獨孤及 (725 - 777), in a poem, says: “Meeting each other at the foot of the Carmine Palace-towers, we surely say the screened lofty carriages are too slow.”
Appendices and Endnotes Page 51