All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Prologue #9

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Prologue #9
“CHANG, THE HEAVENLY TEACHER, CHIEF OF THE TAOISTS, BESEECHES THE GODS TO DRIVE AWAY THE EVIL FLUX. THE COMMANDER HUNG, IN HEEDLESSNESS, FREES THE SPIRITS.”

Again the Commander said, “Truly had I no strength to walk, and even as I thought to climb higher up the ridge I saw come out from among the pines an acolyte riding upon an ox and he blew upon a metal flute. Even as he came around the ridge I asked him whence he came and if he knew who I was and he knew all and he said The Heavenly Teacher had already mounted a crane and riding the clouds had gone that morning to the capital city. For this reason did I return.”


The abbot said, “Pity is it that the Commander has lost such an opportunity! This acolyte was The Heavenly Teacher himself.”


The Commander asked, “If he was The Heavenly Teacher then how did he look so common and so small?”


The abbot answered, saying, “This generation of heavenly teachers is not usual. Although his years are few, yet is he high in the true way. He is one outside the ranks of men and he is everywhere in every sort of guise and truly is he miraculous. Men on earth call him He Whose Wisdom Fills The Heavens.”

The Commander replied, “Is this what manner of man I am, that although I have eyes yet could I not discern the true Heavenly Teacher! I have seen his face and missed the knowing I did!”


The abbot said, “Pray let the Commander’s heart be at rest. If The Heavenly Teacher announced that he had gone already, then wait until the day you return to the capital and by then the great mass will already have been said.”


The Commander listened to this, and only then did he let his heart rest. Then did the abbot bid a feast be prepared to entertain the Commander and the Emperor’s mandate was preserved in the imperial casket and it was placed there in the temple and the dragon incense was burned in The Hall Of Three Clearnesses.


On that day in the guest hall there was prepared a great vegetable feast and wine was poured forth. When the night was come and the feast over, the Commander slept there until the morning.


<Continued – Prologue #10>

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Prologue #8

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Prologue #8

“CHANG, THE HEAVENLY TEACHER, CHIEF OF THE TAOISTS, BESEECHES THE GODS TO DRIVE AWAY THE EVIL FLUX. THE COMMANDER HUNG, IN HEEDLESSNESS, FREES THE SPIRITS.”

Then was the Commander afraid and he said, “You are but a cowherd, and how do you know?”

The acolyte laughed and said, “In the morning I serve The Heavenly Teacher in his temple and I heard him say, ‘Today the Son Of Heaven has sent a Commander Hung to me and he comes bearing the imperial mandate and the jade censer and he comes here on the mountain and he would have me got to the capital to make a mass of three thousand six hundred chants and so drive away the plague. Therefore will I mount a crane and ride the clouds and go thither.’ By now I do think he is gone, for he is not in the temple. Do not go up then for on the mountain there are fierce tigers and wild beasts and even your life may be lost.”

The Commander said, “Do not lie to me.”

Then the acolyte laughed and answered nothing but again he blew upon his flute, and so he turned to the other side of the ridge. The Commander thought to himself, saying, “But how is it this little lad knows everything? I believe The Heavenly Teacher must have commanded him to come and speak to me thus. Truly must this be so. When I think of climbing further and of how frightened I have been just now, better would it be if I returned.”

So the Commander took up the censer and sought again his old path and he hastened down the mountain. All the Taoists met him and he sat down in the guest hall and then the abbot asked him, “Did you see The Heavenly Teacher?”

Then the Commander said, “I am an honored official in the imperial court and how was it you bade me climb that mountain road and suffer thus? Truly might I all unknowing have lost my life. When I head gone half up the mountain there leaped out upon me a slant-eyed white-browed tiger and he frightened my souls and spirits clean away from me. Again I had not passed through more than on valley up the mountain when out of the viny bamboos there sprang a great snowy-spotted serpent and he heaped himself into circles and cut off the road I must go. If my destiny had not been greatly good how could I have come back with my life? – But it was all because of you Taoists who thought to make a joke of a high lord!”

Then the abbot replied, saying, “And how would such poor Taoists as we dare to treat so mighty a lord thus lightly? Nay, this tiger and this serpent were trials sent by our Heavenly Teacher to try your heart, for although there be tigers and serpents on this mountain of ours they are not such as harm men.”

<Continued – Prologue #9>

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Prologue #7

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Prologue #7

“CHANG, THE HEAVENLY TEACHER, CHIEF OF THE TAOISTS, BESEECHES THE GODS TO DRIVE AWAY THE EVIL FLUX. THE COMMANDER HUNG, IN HEEDLESSNESS, FREES THE SPIRITS.”

Again he went on some thirty to fifty paces and he drew several deep sighs and he said resentfully, “The Emperor set me a certain day to come here and he has made me suffer such fear as this ---“

Before he finished speaking he perceived again a great wind rising there and it blew a poisonous breath toward him. When the Commander stared into it there was a sound of hissing among the vines in the bamboos and there came forth a white-spotted serpent as large around as a bucket.

The Commander saw it and again he leaped in terror. He case aside his censer and shouted out, “This time am I dead indeed!” And tumbling backward he fell beside a ledged rock. Then he saw the serpent writhe quickly toward to rock and facing him it heaped itself into a pile of circles and out of its two eyes gleamed yellow light and opening its great mouth it thrust out its tongue and blew its poisonous breath into the man’s face.

The Commander was in such terror his three souls floated from his body and his seven earthly spirits left him. That serpent stared awhile at the Commander and at last winding down the mountain was seen no more. Only then did the Commander crawl to his feet again and he said, “Fortunate! But I am killed with fright.”

When he looked at himself there were spots on him as big as dumplings and he began to curse the Taoists, saying, “These hateful, cursed, virtueless ones – they make these tricks on me and make me suffer such fears as these! If I cannot find The Heavenly Teacher on the mountain top then shall I have more to say to them when I go down.”

Again he lifted up the censer and set straight the mandate and ordered his clothing and was about to go on again. Even as he lifted his foot to step he heard in the pines the faint sound of a flute coming near and nearer. When he fixed his gaze to see, he saw an acolyte sitting backward on an ox and blowing on a metal flute and smiling as he came. The Commander watched him come and he called, “From whence have you come? Do you know who I am?”

But the acolyte paid no heed to him and he did but blow his flute. The Commander asked him yet several times more and at last the acolyte laughed a great ho-ho and taking the metal flute from his lips he pointed with it at the Commander and he said, “Do you come hither to see The Heavenly Teacher?”

<Continued – Prologue #8>

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Prologue #6

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Prologue #6
“CHANG, THE HEAVENLY TEACHER, CHIEF OF THE TAOISTS, BESEECHES THE GODS TO DRIVE AWAY THE EVIL FLUX. THE COMMANDER HUNG, IN HEEDLESSNESS, FREES THE SPIRITS.”

Then the Commander parted from them and repeating the name of the Taoist god he left his feet free and strode up the mountain. He went on thus alone awhile and he rounded the cliffs and followed the narrow path and pushed aside the vines and grasses.

When he had gone over several ridges and more than a mile or so he felt his feet give way and his legs were suddenly strengthless, and truly could he go no further. He was silent now and he pondered, and in his heart he said, “I am an honored minister of the imperial court and when I am in the capital I cannot rest unless I have to mattresses under me and when I eat it must be from many dishes and even then am I wearied much. How then can I suddenly put straw sandals on my feet and walk up such a mountain as this? And how do I know where this Heavenly Teacher is that one like me should suffer so?”

He had gone but thirty or fifty paces more and his shoulders were heaving with his panting when suddenly between two mountains he saw a great wind rise. When this wind had passed there came after it a great noise like the clap of mighty thunder from behind the pine trees and there leaped out suddenly a white-browed, slant-eyed, many-hued tiger.

The Commander gave a start of terror and he shouted out, “Ah Yah!” and he fell backward. The great tiger stared at him and begin to circle first to the left and then to the right and it roared awhile and then went leaping down the crags to the back of the mountain.

Now the Commander had fallen at the foot of a tree and all his thirty-six teeth clattered together and his heart beat as though it were a well with fifteen buckets going up and down together in it. His whole body lost its sense as though he were paralyzed and his two legs were weak as vanquished cocks. Without ceasing he cried out bitterness.

After the tiger had left him he lay for about the space of the drinking of a cup of tea and only then could he clamber to his feet and he mended the incense in his censer and lit the incense and again he went up the mountain determined to find The Heavenly Teacher.

<Continued – Prologue #7>