Two Precious Scroll Narratives of Guanyin and Her ... - Khamkoo
Two Precious Scroll Narratives of Guanyin and Her ... - Khamkoo
Two Precious Scroll Narratives of Guanyin and Her ... - Khamkoo
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110 The<strong>Precious</strong><strong>Scroll</strong><strong>of</strong>IncenseMountain,Part2<br />
This night His Imperial Majesty visited the inner garden,<br />
And entered the cell where Marvelous Goodness was kept.<br />
<strong>Her</strong> father the emperor visited her in person <strong>and</strong> sighed:<br />
‘‘Alas, my Marvelous Goodness, my very own child! You<br />
Disobeyed your father’s orders, so it’s fit you are punished,<br />
Now you are a criminal condemned to die for your serious crime.’’<br />
<strong>Her</strong> father the emperor was moved to tears big as pearls,<br />
Overcome by grief, his heart was sore, his voice choked:<br />
‘‘If it hadn’t been for your sisters’ request for your return,<br />
How would you have been allowed to return to the palace?<br />
If you do not marry a prince consort while you’re young,<br />
You miss out on greening spring <strong>and</strong> misapply your mind.<br />
If you haven’t known the love between husb<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> wife,<br />
As a human you have lived your life in this world in vain.<br />
So tonight, dear daughter, be a darling, change your mind,<br />
And avoid having to lose your life <strong>and</strong> see the Lord <strong>of</strong> Shade.<br />
But if you still obstinately refuse to have a change <strong>of</strong> heart,<br />
A single sword will slice you in two, sending you <strong>of</strong>f to darkness!’’<br />
<strong>Her</strong> father the emperor said: ‘‘A kind mother’s love is like the earth,<br />
the stern father is a counterpart <strong>of</strong> Heaven. How is one different<br />
from animals, birds, <strong>and</strong> beasts, if one does not follow a father’s instructions?<br />
You should listen to your two elder sisters in the palace!<br />
Because they obeyed their father <strong>and</strong> married a husb<strong>and</strong>, they’re<br />
now enjoying a hundred kinds <strong>of</strong> pleasure, <strong>and</strong> don’t lack any <strong>of</strong> the<br />
enjoyments <strong>of</strong> the divine immortals. But you tonight are fettered<br />
<strong>and</strong> shackled. And why is that? It is because you refuse to enjoy<br />
pleasure <strong>and</strong> are happy to be a criminal. [In this world nothing surpasses<br />
the affection between husb<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> wife who share cushion<br />
<strong>and</strong> coverlet: their love is bigger than mountains <strong>and</strong> seas!] What<br />
kind <strong>of</strong> notion is that, that you do not obey the instructions <strong>of</strong> the<br />
ancients? [If you would know the pleasures <strong>of</strong> the forest <strong>of</strong> hundred<br />
flowers, you’d be happy to die for it.]’’ 9 When Marvelous Goodness<br />
heard this, she replied: ‘‘My father the emperor, dear daddy, you are<br />
misled <strong>and</strong> deluded <strong>and</strong> unenlightened, <strong>and</strong> your perverse heart is<br />
all ablaze. This is not the behavior <strong>of</strong> a lord <strong>and</strong> emperor in possession<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Way! Daddy, you are the ruler <strong>of</strong> the myriads <strong>of</strong> people,<br />
the lord <strong>of</strong> the whole nation. If you cannot control your family, how<br />
can you control the nation? If you are a Son <strong>of</strong> Heaven <strong>and</strong> an emperor<br />
<strong>of</strong> men, in possession <strong>of</strong> the Way, how would you, a father,
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