by Tang Xianzu
We make reverence to you, Master!
OLD MASTER:
Where did you come back, Faxiang and Fayun?
FAXIANG, FAYUN:
We are not called Faxiang and Fayun, but called Sikong.
OLD MASTER:
I am your master Sikong, meaning “Four Sunyata, Four Vanities, Four Voids, or Four Emptiness.” How come you have the same name?
FAXIANG:
I am afraid that our Sikong is different from yours.
OLD MASTER:
In what way are they different?
FAXIANG:
When I went out for amusement after I finished sitting in meditation today, I saw monks from the Shaolin Temple practicing martial arts. As I was hot and thirsty, I asked an alchemist for some silver to have some drinks at an inn. When the waiter brought the wine, I drained a kettle at one gulp. He laughed to see that I could drink so much wine. He asked whether I could chant the Buddhist hymns. When he asked me to compose a hymn rhyming with “vain”, I managed to compose half of a hymn with the four words of wine, woman, money and pride.
OLD MASTER:
What is your hymn?
FAXIANG:
“The wine is vain,
For the waiter only serves the wine cups from day to day;
The woman is vain,
For the whorehouse runner only buys powder from day to day;
The money is vain,
For the alchemist only tempers copper from day to day;
The pride is vain,
For the boxer only makes a show from day to day.”
Thus, men in the street call me Sikong, Four Vanities.
OLD MASTER:
How come Fayun is also called Sikong?
FAYUN:
Faxiang returned and told me about the first Four Vanities, but I think that none of the four types of people in his lines enjoys wine, woman, money or pride. What’s the use of talking about them? He’s left out that those who enjoys the four things are also vain.
Therefore, I say that his lines are but the first half of the hymn.
OLD MASTER:
What is your half?
FAYUN:
“The wine is vain,
For the drunkard only dwells in dreams from day to day;
The woman is vain,
For the palace courtesan only lives in tears from day to day;
The money is vain,
For Dong Zhuo’s wealth could not be hoarded from day to day;
The pride is vain,
For the ambitious Sima Xiangru was laid in bed from day to day.
Thus, the disciples in the temple also call me Sikong, Four Vanities.
OLD MASTER:
In my opinion, wine, women, money and pride are not vain.
“The wine is not vain,
For the Buddha’s teaching is the mellowest nectar;
The woman is not vain,
For the Buddha has the round face of a pretty woman;
The money is not vain,
For the Buddha lives in the Pearl Palace;
The pride is not vain,
For the Buddha is the great hero who conquers the demons.”
FAYUN:
Then, why are you called Sikong, Four Vanities?
OLD MASTER:
I am not referring to wine, woman, money and pride, but referring to earth, fire, water and wind. They come from nowhere and go nowhere.
FAXIANG:
In that case, you are the Old Sikong, Fayun is the Big Sikong and I am the Small Sikong.
OLD MASTER:
Fayun, go and boil the tea! Faxiang, wait at the gate! Prime Minister Du Huangshang is likely to drop by on his way back to the capital.
(Exit Fayun)
(Faxiang waits at the gate)
(Enter Du Huangshang, followed by attendants)
DU HUANGSHANG (To the tune of Lülüjin):
Over the road where the sands whistle,
The flying fire-wheel of the sun
Scorches the way of my journey.
Where are the cool clouds arising,
Amid winds blowing across the earth?
I remember having taken a rest in the temple,
And wonder when I can enjoy a life of ease.
Attendants, I’ll visit Master Sikong in this temple.
FAXIANG (Reports):
Prime Minister Du is at the gate!
DU HUANGSHANG (Greets Old Master):
“I still remember the day of my departure from you
And your seeing me off all the way.
For what have I been kept busy till my hair turns grey?
I ask myself when I return in triumph.”
OLD MASTER:
What’s the use of asking yourself, Your Excellency? I have a similar question to ask myself.
DU HUANGSHANG:
At over a hundred years of age, you have reached the highest stage of Buddhist practice. So what do you have to ask? As I am only sixty, how shall I practice Buddhism to reach the age of a hundred?
OLD MASTER:
I have been ignorant in these hundred years.
DU HUANGSHANG:
Please tell me in detail!
OLD MASTER:
When I intended to devote my body to Buddhism, my parents did not agree. They gave my body love and care by providing me with dwellings, clothes, food, bedding, medicine, horses, wagons and servants, kept me healthy and contented all the time. Instead of being grateful, my body bore grudges against them and deteriorated according to the laws of impermanence of life. Moreover, my body could not remain permanently strong, and would not benefit my eternal self either. The insatiable desires were hateful as thieves and ugly as poisoned sores. Except for excretory functions which are normal, my body was fragile as the foams in water and filthy for the parasites. It was but a terrible nuance, kept together by veins, blood, skin and bones. If it was observed in this way, it was abhorrence indeed. Constrained by the worldly rituals, sexual intercourse was dirty and sanguinary but was considered love. With the passage of time, I was like fish living in decreasing waters — what pleasure was there? I strove hard as if in imminent danger. As I studied the sutras and abided by the disciplines, I have lived more than a hundred years. I have resisted multitudes of nameless worries, and am now devoid of all the nameless worries. What’s more, there is a change in every ten years of human life. Let me describe the life process from the age of ten to the age of one hundred!
(To the tune of Shuahai’er)
At the age of ten,
Children have pretty countenance
And play games all day long.
At the age of twenty,
People ride splendid wagons driven by stalwart steeds
And make lofty and refined speeches.
At the age of thirty,
People cherish noble ambitions
And devote themselves to fame and name.
At the age of forty,
People hold high official posts
And serve at the court in all splendour.
(To the tune of Wusha)
At the age of fifty,
People enjoy prestige
And live a life full of singing and dancing.
At the age of sixty,
People enjoy a life of affluence and comfort.
At the age of seventy,
People have no more pleasure
And seldom look into the mirror.
At the age of eighty,
People lose their wits and memory
And store their wagons in the garage.
(To the tune of Sisha)
At the age of ninety,
People do not have many days in store.
What is left of the body and mind?
They speak wrong words
And harbor their fear in heart.
They shed tears for the bygone days
But do not recognize their grandchildren.
At the age of one hundred,
People lose interest in anything,
> With their eyes smeared and blurred
And their mouths dripping saliva.
DU HUANGSHANG:
When life comes to this stage, it is useless to talk about the rewards and punishments by Heaven! If the saints cannot escape life and death, how can I hope to live longer? What happened in the past is but a transient dream!
(To the tune of Sansha)
When will their vitality be lost?
The old tree will grow decayed,
Ready to leave the earthly world.
Why do birds singing in the trees move from place to place?
Autumn cicadas chirping in the temple will increase my sadness.
Overwhelmed with the sad sentiments,
The blooming cycas flowers will wither
And the arjaka leaves will fall.
OLD MASTER:
Why do you worry about the arjaka trees?
DU HUANGSHANG:
In my opinion, there are multiple sufferings brought about by the transmigration of life. Today I will take off a jade belt and make confessions to Buddha with a bunch of precious incense. Tomorrow I will write an application of resignation and go to practice Buddhism in the mountains. I am afraid that it is already too late to solve this matter of life and death.
OLD MASTER:
Everyone has the Buddhist nature, so why do you say “too late”? You may walk to the Buddhist hall as well.
(Walks)
Now make your confessions, please!
DU HUANGSHANG:
Please ask one of your disciples to take the trouble to invite the Bodhisattvas to listen to my confession!
(Tells Faxiang to invite the Bodhisattvas)
On the fifth day of the sixth month in the first year of the Taihe reign in the Tang Dynasty, Duke of Fen and Prime Minister Du Huangshang piously offers a jade belt and precious incense and wishes to be converted to Buddhism, honoring all the Bodhisattvas, arhats, four grades of saintship and sanctity, Shakyamuni, and eight divisions of gods and dragons. I have been the prime minister, patrolling in the frontier, but I consider that there are multiple sufferings brought about by the transmigration of life and death. Therefore, I would like to extend my wish to the Bodhisattvas that I am willing to abandon all the worries and begin to practice Buddhism. As a newly-converted Buddhist still tormented by various disturbances, I prey to the Bodhisattvas in the east and in the west, in the north and in the south, to guard and protect me so that I will grasp the essence of Buddhism. I hope that when the end of my days comes, I will be in a happy state and leave in auspiciousness for the pure land in the west. Now I pay my utmost homage to Buddha and make my sincerest prayer!
(Finishes the rite)
FAXIANG:
Please take a vegetable meal in the Bamboo Hall!
DU HUANGSHANG:
There is no need for that. I will come and stay here after I make my resignation. And I am grateful to you for salvaging the rest of my life, Master!
(To the tune of Ersha)
Time passes but I have not realized the sufferings
Of sleeping late and getting up early to fulfill the official duty,
But I’ll get rid of human bondage and devote myself to Buddha.
As fragile as grass in the vain shape of a prime minister,
I will finally enter the Buddhist realm after death.
The precious incense is fragrant in the hot sunshine;
What people do is just like having a short dream,
Seeking Buddha’s shelter like frightened doves.
I must take leave now, Master. I beg you to enlighten me from now on!
FAXIANG:
Please don’t cheat the Bodhisattvas, Your Excellency!
DU HUANGSHANG (To the tune of Shawei):
I feel sad to live to an advanced age in vain,
So why should I be afraid of falling sick from strange diseases?
I’ve made the oath to the Bodhisattvas over the incense.
Master,
My wish to convert myself to Buddhism comes too late.
I return to the south in gray hairs,
For I keep the Lotus Pond of the temple in mind.
I used to be occupied with court affairs,
But from now on I’ll never leave the master behind.
Scene Thirty-Two
Border Thoughts
(Enter Li Yi)
LI YI:
“The Grand Academician at the court
Makes military exploit in the front.
Leaving wife and capital city behind,
I live a rough life in the frontier fort.
Keeping my separated wife in mind,
I go on expedition in the west.
While warriors look in the direction of the homeland,
Their wives shed tears that wet the dresses.”
When Prime Minister Du left, he said that he would send for me as soon as he reached the Great Wall. But it has been half a month with no one to pick me up. I wonder whether my wife Xiaoyu is going on well at home. Tonight the crescent moon shines over the tent when the clouds are dispersed. Wind from the snow-topped mountains cools the heat. I gaze at the Milky Way, imagining the bridge that brings the Cowboy and the Weaver Girl together. It is true indeed,
“The fleabanes that drift all the time
Do not return when the melons ripe.
While I am weathering cold and heat,
My wife is declining in her beauty.
In longing for my dear wife,
I look far beyond the Yumen Pass.
After I parted with my dear wife,
I suffer increasing lovesickness.”
My wife, I know that you are also longing for me.
(To the tune of Luojiangyuan)
When the stars move in their orbits,
The night watch breaks the silence
In the clear sky.
The Milky Way looks like the white silk,
While the moon shines over the general’s camp
And illuminates the fairyland.
With the Red Mansion in my mind,
In face of the rolling mountains barely visible in the distance,
I watch the wild geese in their southward flight.
My wife, it is the hottest season in the Central Plains, and yet it is still cool here in early summer. In this season,
(To the tune of Xiangbianman)
You sleep in a pretty posture on the fragrant bed,
Waving a fan after bath
And wearing a transparent dress over your fair skin.
Your beautiful hair is loosely woven in a bun,
On which a hairpin is stuck askew.
Peeping at the moon,
You show signs of bitterness.
Gazing in the direction of the borders,
You lean against the railings.
Xiaoyu, when you saw me off at the Baling Bridge, you shed tears on my war robes, leaving stains still visible now. Caressing the tear stains, I recollect the parting scene at the red pavilion.
(To the tune of Jinguyuan)
Grasping my sleeves, you sang a song of separation;
Holding my horsewhip, you blamed me for heartlessness.
In the ancient fortress dotted with flowers by the green peaks,
I recall your parting tears when you plucked a flower
And snapped a farewell willow-twig.
How difficult it was to say good-bye at that time!
(To the tune of Jiaqingzi)
You saw off your man in tears
With catkins floating about and disturbing the mind,
Not to be pacified by tying golden threads to the flowers.
The separation was really painful,
But departure had to be made
And the journey had to be hastened.
Though I thought of quitting the post,
(To the tune of Yaobian)
I was decreed to obey this military order,
Which is harsh and permits no delay.
I was sad
that her hairpin fell off
And reminded her to watch her steps on the petal-covered path
When I saw that she felt bitter and hated to be left alone.
Xiaoyu, since we parted at the red pavilion, the pleasures between us have been lost!
(To the tune of Pinling)
I recall her rubbing the skirt ribbon
And walking round the stairs,
With her eyebrows contracted in woe
And her eyes gazing after the flapping flags.
Her eyes full of tears
That dropped in strings
On tear-stained dress,
She adjusted the zither, but was afraid to listen.
As to the wind and the moon afar,
The full moon might bring about high wind.
I can remember how we enjoyed ourselves strolling in Prince Huo’s Ever-Spring Garden.
(To the tune of Biyefa)
We were pleased to appreciate the flowers
And stopped occasionally on the lawn.
The lute was played in the warm spring breeze,
The lute was played in the warm spring breeze,
In tunes about the cold clouds mirrored on the autumn pond.
When lotus flowers were in full bloom
And bamboos were green and clear,
Distant green mountains were enshrouded in the mist,
Distant green mountains were enshrouded in the mist.
Why were the orioles separated in the spring?
They were chirping the song of separation.
(To the tune of Yujiaozhi)
With fading powder and fragrance,
The beauty was left at the pavilion of departure.
We nestled together with sleeves wavering in the wind,
When the blooming season was leaving with the spring.
We hugged like the twining hoisting-tackle of the well,
And kept close as the toad biting at the lock of the burner.
We were full of tender affection to each other,
Yet I had to part with her for rank and honor,
Yet I had to part with her for rank and honor.
I am so lovesick now!
(To the tune of Sanfanliuyaoling)
She may keep awake longing for her man in the frontier,
While I am like Sima Xiangru dreaming of Zhuo Wenjun.
In her chamber by the Yuniang Lake,
She may shed tears by the silver screen;
In the frontier near the Guanglu fortress,
I wear the warrior’s robe holding the sword,
Seeing glowworms fly around the eaves
And the beacons’ fires announcing safety.
I did not cry at departure, but shed tears in loneliness on the borders. It is true indeed,
“I used to think that it was pleasant to join the army