Two Precious Scroll Narratives of Guanyin and Her ... - Khamkoo

168 The Precious Scroll of Good-in-Talent and Dragon Girl
the necessary arrangements, and the next day he accompanied his
son to Two Immortals Mountain so he might bow before the Master
of the Way and become his pupil—but no more about this.
Let’s talk about the mahāsattva Guanyin. ‘‘Seven years have
passed since I sent that lad down to the mortal world. He was given
the name of Chen Lian and was born into the realm of dust. He
does not eat any pungent food: his root in the Way has not yet
been obscured, and his single-minded heart is still undivided. If
I do not provide him guidance along with the Way and its Virtue, I
fear he will end up taking the wrong road. ‘By practice people grow
distant.’ Availing myself of the opportunity that ‘his hole of passion
has not yet been opened,’ I will lead him into the Way, so he will
avoid stumbling into the domain of misty flowers. 16 I will entrust
him to my old friend, the Perfected Man Yellow Dragon. He and I
are inseparable friends in the Way from an earlier existence. He
has now built his hut in Immortal Peach village in Hanyang prefecture,
so as to ferry people across. I will have to entrust it to him to
guide and ferry across Chen Lian. Then later, Chen Lian can enter
my service at Mt. Putuo.’’ She immediately dispatched Jinzha to
Two Immortals Mountain. The Perfected Man Yellow Dragon, who
already knew about everything, agreed to all her requests—but
enough about that.
Let’s not talk about the mahāsattva and the Perfected Man,
Let’s tell of the grand historian, who accompanied his son.
One of heart they arrived at Two Immortals Mountain, and
In Hemp Maiden’s Grotto the father explained his purpose:
‘‘Greet the teacher with four genuflections and eight
kowtows—
I completely rely on you, dear sir, to instruct my ignorant son.
Young of years, his understanding is not yet very perceptive,
I pray you, dear teacher, to treat the boy with some leniency.
On the first and fifteenth he should practice his essay writing,
On the second and sixteenth he should train in the martial arts.
The civil arts on the odd days, the martial arts on the even—
Let him give all his efforts to civil affairs and martial skills.’’
After the grand historian had entrusted him so to his teacher,
He also impressed on Chen Lian not to slacken his effort, and,
Having said what he had to say to Chen Lian, he returned home,
And when he got home, he felt lonely and sad, awash in tears.