All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Prologue #10

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Prologue #10

“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.”

On the next day after he had eaten his early meal the abbot and all the Taoists and all the servitors and all the workmen came and invited the Commander to walk with them for pleasure. Then was the Commander much pleased and many men went with him and they went afoot out of the guest hall. In front were two acolytes who led the way and they went before The Hall Of Three Clearnesses and behind it and to many beautiful places. In the Hall itself the splendor was beyond the telling. Upon the left veranda were The Hall Of Nine Heavens and The Hall Of The Imperial Purple Star and The Hall Of The North Star. Upon the right veranda there were The Hall To The Primeval God, The Hall Of The Three Kings Of Heaven And Earth And Water, and The Hall Of The Dispelling Of Evil Spirits.

When these temple Halls were all seen they went to a place behind the right veranda and when the Commander looked about there was yet another temple separate from the others and its walls were red as peppers. At the front of it were two vermilion windows and upon the doors were great locks as long as a man's arm and these held fast the doors. The doors were sealed with many paper strips and upon these papers were stamped many scarlet seals. Under the eaves was hung a red horizontal tablet written in letters of gold, and there were four gold letters which said, "Hall Of The Subjugated Magic Devils". The Commander pointed to the temple, saying, "What temple is this?"

 The abbot replied, saying, "There was a heavenly teacher of generations past and it is his temple."

Again the Commander asked, "And why is it there are placed so many papers sealed across the doors?"

The abbot answered, "In the dynasty of great T'ang the chief Taoist who understands the Taoist deeps locked the kings of devils here and sealed them in, and from generation to generation each heavenly teacher comes himself and sets his seal here, so that no son or grandson of his can easily open this door and free the kings of devils, for they are fierce above all others. Now some eight or nine generations have passed and they have announced that none shall dare to open this Hall. The lock is melted together in brass and who knows what is within? This lowly one who am I have been abbot here for more than thirty years and I also have only heard it told thus."

The Commander Hung listened to this and his heart was filled with fearful wonder and he thought to himself, "I would see these kings of devils for once and know how they look." And so he said aloud to the abbot, "Do you open the door, I pray, for I would see what these kings of devils are."

Then did the abbot humbly reply, "Commander, this temple indeed I do not dare to open. Our heavenly teachers of generations past have forbidden it many times, and they have said that none of any generation shall dare to open this door at his pleasure."

<Continued – Prologue #11>