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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The <strong>Precious</strong> <strong>Scroll</strong> <strong>of</strong> Incense Mountain, Part 2 125<br />
On his head he wore the Daoist headgear <strong>of</strong> the freely<br />
roaming,<br />
And his body was wrapped in the black gauze gown <strong>of</strong> a priest.<br />
In his h<strong>and</strong> he grasped a staff that was taller than his person,<br />
And to his chest he held the Sutra <strong>of</strong> Countless Ways. 25<br />
With folded h<strong>and</strong>s he stepped forward <strong>and</strong> addressed her:<br />
‘‘Young lady, what is the cause that brought you here?’’<br />
The princess immediately answered him as follows:<br />
‘‘Dear Daoist priest, please listen to what I have to say!’’<br />
The princess had come back to life <strong>and</strong>, breathing heavily with a<br />
rasping sound, was looking all around her. When she espied the<br />
capital city <strong>and</strong> the imperial palaces <strong>of</strong> her father, the emperor, it<br />
was like frost had been added to snow, <strong>and</strong> sufferings doubled by<br />
suffering! She deplored that heaven was too distant <strong>and</strong> earth too<br />
narrow, <strong>and</strong> she thought about the fact she had no place to settle<br />
down. <strong>Her</strong> heart was depressed <strong>and</strong> filled with despair; she was afflicted<br />
<strong>and</strong> flustered. <strong>Her</strong> voice was choked, she was overcome by<br />
sorrow, her tears streamed down. When she went on ahead, she<br />
saw a mountain that was square <strong>and</strong> broad, level <strong>and</strong> right. But as<br />
she was about to ascend the mountain, she suddenly saw an elderly<br />
man st<strong>and</strong>ing by the side <strong>of</strong> a rock who called out to her: ‘‘Young<br />
lady, why did you come here?’’ The princess replied: ‘‘I want to build<br />
a hermitage here in which to cultivate the Way for the rest <strong>of</strong> my<br />
life.’’ The priest said: ‘‘Marvelous! Marvelous! If you come to live<br />
here on this mountain, you <strong>and</strong> I will always be together. Whether<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ing or walking, sitting or resting, we will share our breath <strong>and</strong><br />
intertwine our limbs. This is a joy that has arrived by itself without<br />
being sought! Heaven created in us a fine couple! You <strong>and</strong> I will become<br />
man <strong>and</strong> wife, a match <strong>of</strong> yin <strong>and</strong> yang, <strong>and</strong> practice cultivation<br />
together till we die. Won’t that be a joy?!’’ When the princess<br />
heard these words, she promptly replied: ‘‘Dear priest, your words<br />
do not accord with principle! How can you say such things! Men<br />
<strong>and</strong> women live separate lives; plants <strong>and</strong> trees don’t come in couples.<br />
If when cultivating oneself, one does not cut <strong>of</strong>f love <strong>and</strong> affections,<br />
<strong>and</strong> has not eliminated the lustful heart, then even if you<br />
achieve enlightenment it will be a lustful enlightenment, <strong>and</strong> even<br />
after a million kalpas, you would still not achieve buddhahood!’’<br />
The priest then smiled <strong>and</strong> said: ‘‘I am not a mortal, I am Indra<br />
from highest heaven. I saw you were coming here to practice culti-
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