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

The Precious Scroll of Incense Mountain, Part 1 73
Book and Marvelous Sound to go together with the empress and try
to talk her around.
As long as the starling remains twittering on its branch,
The phoenix of course will not be willing to alight there.
Namo Guanshiyin pusa
The emperor issued an edict and summoned the empress,
He ordered her to go again and change their daughter’s mind.
As soon as the empress had received the emperor’s order,
She hastened to go, using fewer than five steps for every ten.
They had urged her with common sense, fierce like fire!
Who knew that her saintly heart would be cold like ice?
Marvelous Book and Marvelous Sound and their mother
Went straight into the garden, where the empress said:
‘‘My child, ever since you have been in this place,
Your mother has been awash in tears every night!
I urge you, my child, just marry a prince consort,
And then you can have your wedding with your sisters.
It’s hard to repay your parents’ favors in nurturing you,
But by returning to the palace you repay their favors.
If today you still refuse to change your mind, you are
Indeed a person who lacks the heart of filial piety!’’
Marvelous Goodness replied to her mother: ‘‘I am deeply aware of
the extent of my parents’ favors, and I will repay them later. Fortunately
my two elder sisters will each marry a husband, and they will
be able to serve you in your old age. Allow me to leave the family. If
I obtain the Way and achieve perfect enlightenment, the first thing I
will do will be to ferry across both my parents so they will be reborn
together in the Pure Land. 56 I implore you, my mother, to look
upon me as someone who was never born, as someone who has already
died. The people of this world prize riches and sex, but I want
to pacify my heart so it will be still. Riches and sex disturb a person’s
heart, but once stilled, one sees the Buddha-nature of ultimate
truth.’’ When the empress heard these words, she did not know how
to reply.