Introductory article, translated from Chinese and comments by O. M. GORODETSKAYA

(c) 2002

In the sixteenth century, an unknown Chinese author, playfully disguising himself as the Lanlin Scoffer, which certainly indicated something, hinted at what one can only fantasize about now, created one of the most famous and mysterious, frivolous novel "Jin, Ping, Mei", although translated into Russian, but Unfortunately, it was not fully published. With its fascinating storyline, Jin, Ping, Mei is also a unique historical source, containing almost encyclopedic information about the everyday life of various strata of society, about social hierarchy, rituals, culture, beliefs, and even science.

In addition, the novel contains a large number of specifically attributed, both anonymous and author's borrowings. With considerable justification, it can be qualified as a" Textbook " of artistic and popular religious literature of the Ming era (XIV-XVI centuries). The list of works cited in it is sometimes partially and sometimes completely impressive:

1. Twenty ancient Canonical texts and philosophical treatises (X century BC-X century AD);

2. Twelve medical treatises and compilations of prescriptions (IV century BC-XVI century AD);

3. The six canons of religious Taoism included in the sacred "Treasury of Tao" (Tao Tsang) ;

4. Four occult works devoted to mantic practices, geomancy, astrology and physiognomy;

5. Eighteen Buddhist canons, codices, sacred sutras and precious scrolls (IV-XVI centuries);

6. Sixty-seven poems and dramatic works (III-XVI centuries);

7. One hundred and eighty-two romances (ci) 2 .

This publication is a 16th-century Buddhist work known from many Buddhist sources and fully cited in "Jin, Ping, Mei", which belongs to the" pure land school", or Amidaism, one of the leading branches of Buddhism in the Far East. This precious scroll... published for the first time. Only one very large work of this genre was published in Russian - "The Precious Scroll of Pu-min", made by E. S. Stulova 3 .

Precious Scrolls Genre (bao juan) it appeared in China in the XVI century. initially, as a record of apocryphal cults and beliefs of secret sects. However, the theme is bao juanei it quickly moved away from the original need to explain and publicize the basic beliefs of secret sects. They turned into epic software-

page 145

homilies, biographies of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, celestials, monks, and virtuous laymen.

Structurally the texts of the scrolls consist of alternating prose passages with verses (shi or ts) and arias (qu), sung to a specific tune. The name of the melody must be given at the beginning of the aria. Some bao juan they are sung and recited from beginning to end. This is the published "Precious Scroll of the Righteous Huang".

Thanks to the popular narrative form, works of this genre quickly gained popularity among all segments of society, and they began to be recognized by the ministers of Orthodox churches. Buddhist nuns collected money from religious believers to publish precious scrolls and performed their texts in the homes of rich citizens, receiving gifts as a reward. In the descriptions of "Jin, Ping, Mei", the listeners of the precious scrolls were mostly women from well-to-do homes. For them, who lived in seclusion and communicated only within the family harem, the arrival of nuns and their execution of precious scrolls were primarily available entertainment. However, of course, it was not only entertainment. The nuns tried to inspire their listeners with Buddhist ideas about retribution for good and evil, about reincarnation and the path of perfection, about the good that awaits the righteous and the horrors that await the wicked. Interest in bao juan shows the degree of spiritual purity of the listeners. A wife who is deferential to the nuns and willing to listen to them is rewarded with the birth of a son, and a flighty and mocking concubine becomes a restless spirit as a result of a violent death at a young age.

Translated by: Jin, Ping Mei tsy hua (Jin, Ping, Mei in the poetic-narrative [genre]). Shanghai, [b. g.].

notes

1 Publications of the publishing house "Khudozhestvennaya Literatura" are only a brief summary of the main content of the work. For the present translation of the 63rd of the 100 chapters of "Jin, Ping, Mei", see: Jin, Ping, Mei, or Plum Blossoms in a Golden Vase. Vol. 1-3. Irkutsk, 1994. "The Precious Scroll of the Righteous Huang" is included in Chapter 74 of the novel, therefore, it was not published.

2 The last two items of this list, namely poems, excerpts from dramatic works, romances and song cycles, are almost completely included in two recently published poetry collections: "Plum Blossoms "(St. Petersburg: "Neva"; Moscow: "Olmapress", 2000) and " Zolotaya Chara "(Moscow: "ACT", 2002).

3 Bao chuan o Pu-ming / Izdanie, per. s kit., issled. and comments by E. S. Stulova, Moscow, 1979.

Translation

[Introduction]:

For it is known: The Law

It will never be extinguished, because it will never be extinguished.

There is nothing.

Also the root of the Path

We can't find your birth date,

After all, what is born in the world,

The world doesn't need everything long ago.

Therefore, The Body of the Law

Originally

Through the Eight Eternal Images

Revealed.

And eight, so samples

They show us the Body of the Law

In the glory of stozvonnaya 1 .

page 146

How bright is the lamp of the Kindest!

He opened the gates of the universe.

How clear is the mirror of the Buddha!

It pierces the bottomless darkness. A hundred years - only a moment stopped,

The Four Great Substances

All bodies, like a shadow, illusory,

Like a lamb's reflection. 2 .

Oh, people, they wind up all day.

In Mirskaya

Dust.

There is no end to human vanity:

From morning to morning.

In the short term

Disorderly affairs

They're running

All days.

And do they know about peace

About enlightenment

Hearts are they?!

They strive to please forever

Both feelings and thinking

And drown in pernicious passions

And in temptations.

They want to achieve fame, so that

Outshine all your contemporaries

All this is just a mortal dream.

From the captive world.

Ranks, their wealth, sometimes,

The mountain is not lower than the clouds!

Can't escape under that mountain

"No consistency" - a couple of words!!!

The wind and flames will barely pass by,

How old and young will perish.

Streams will dry up, mountains will collapse -

And where is the whole glorious city?!

I will lift up the psalm to the ten countries of the world

At eight, I'll build altars.

Save the Monastery from countless sufferings!

Open the gates of Emptiness! 4

The psalm reads:

Who is happy and noble, who is poor, poor -

There is always a reason for this.

And don't you ever ask that God

Gave the best predestinations.

Spring days you wasted in vain -

Did not grow fat ears of corn.

There is no harvest in the field now -

Don't hold out your hopes for autumn!

Listen, merciful bodhisattvas, to the Word of the Buddha that the poor nun preaches to you! This psalm was bequeathed to us by the Patriarch himself. What is the meaning of it? "He who is happy and noble, who is poor and wretched-there is always a foundation for him." Take you, merciful bodhisattvas. You are married to an eminent person, who has both high ranks and a wide income. You live in palaces and chambers, your servants and servants run to your call. Gold adorns you, silver encircles you. You are bathed in brocade and taffeta, surrounded by piles of satins and silks. There will be a desire to get dressed - and thousands of chests with

page 147

silks will open for you. If you want to eat, hundreds of the rarest flavorful dishes will be placed in front of you. Prosperity and luxury, wealth and nobility belong to you for your deeds in the past life. You don't complain about fate. Even without a prayer, everything comes naturally to you. And the fact that I, a poor nun, am here reading the canon to you, praising the Buddha, eating dainties with you and enjoying the gifts of your kindness is the command of a higher destiny. And fate is a great thing. All of us are the chosen ones from the Dragon Flower Festival 5 reaping the fruits of their past life's achievements. But if you do not do what you have done, you will be like one who did not sow his field in the spring. How can he wait for full ears of corn, if in the autumn a field overgrown with weeds opens up before him?

Truly said:

Cleaner than meti

Abode of the soul,

Take a measure -

Don't go fornicating for nothing.

From thoughts, passions

Beyond the Secret Door,

People's mores

You know now 6 .

And more:

Life is only for a moment, and then the body will crumble to dust.

There is no insight in birth - vanity and fear,

And the one who has received his sight, without being born, goes through the ages.

And more:

How changeable is the breath of fate!

The sun is reddening on the Western cliffs,

Happiness has dried up, suffering is coming -

Death throes for thousands of kalpas .

Just think, wealth and nobility, prosperity and luxury melt away like a snowball thrown into boiling water. And if you think about it more deeply - these are chimeras, empty dreams. Today, in my physical form, I am subject to mental anguish and agitation, and after death, the four great substances of my body will turn to dust. And who knows where my soul will languish. Who is afraid of samsara 8 wheels of life and death, let him come and listen to the sermon further.

To the tune of "Words of the Decree" 9 :

Born-died on both sides

Go with the flow together, their moan

And the sighs are heard until the end of days,

The worldly bustle of wayward children.

And the messenger of death comes sickness.

Life is a dream in the wind or a spring song.

The candle stub had already burned out completely,

And the heart will shrink: really today?!

The intro reads:

The revealed body of the Buddha 10

From everyday bitter everyday life

Saves you.

Its root has no beginning or end -

Permanent -

To all the mourners

In aiding.

Great is the holy oath

Amitabhi, what is the Study

page 148

Founded it -

Forty-eight profound oaths 11

Suspensions

From heaven in the name of many,

Who lives on the road

Alcalus.

He will move all the living

See your nature at once,

He is through the waves of samsara -

Gorky Sea-carrier

We're running out.

Amitabha is the master

Pacification.

To bodhi

And to its wondrous fruits 12

Will lead to eternal rest -

Healing.

Mindful of the Buddha's goals -

May all your sins perish,

Numerous, as if

There are so many grains of sand in the waters of the Ganges!

And the one who prays diligently -

You will be immensely happy!

The words faithful preacher,

In the correspondence of the burning sutras,

You'll be reborn like a phoenix,

In the sky of Lotus Paradise!

Well, the knowledgeable one is deep -

In a moment determined by Fate

You will rise high -

To the Lands of Pure Amida! 13

If you remember, you will reach!

Great is love and pity,

So huge that the Amida

Out of love and charity

Life - service to the Law,

Life to the Divine Throne,

The Three Treasures of Learning 14

I gave it all away.

This is him, having made up his mind,

I swore an oath of renunciation

From heaven in the name of many,

Who lives on the road

Alcalus.

The psalm reads:

Deep truth and hidden!

To you-in millions of centuries, a difficult path!

Having seen, having heard, I always hold on,

And I long to understand your higher self 15 .

All Buddhas and all Bodhisattvas are heavenly

They came down to the ground to burn incense,

Ascend to the learning of wonderful praises!..

I'm telling you about the wise Huang.

In the old days, this happened during the reign of the Han king. There were then fertile rains and soft winds blowing. The country flourished and the people enjoyed peace. And then a certain woman was born, who touched the sky with her mercy. From the rich Huang, who lived in the county town of Nan Hua, Cao Zhou region 16 , a daughter was born-a serious, sensible and beautiful girl. She was only seven years old, and

page 149

she was already wearing coarse clothing, fasting, and reciting the Diamond Sutra to thank her parents for their love. And so on from day to day. And the moved bodhisattva Guan-yin appeared to her in the sky. Her parents, seeing the zeal with which her daughter recited the sutra, tried to dissuade her, but she did not follow the advice. Then they found a matchmaker, chose a happy day and a good hour, and married their daughter to the butcher Zhao Ling-fang. The couple lived for twelve years and had one son and two daughters. One day Juan turned to her husband and said:

"We've been married for twelve years, and we've given birth to a worthy son and beautiful daughters, but only love draws a person in like a whirlpool... Listen, my husband, to the romance that I have prepared for you:

The husband is bound to his wife by fate.

Let the children run around in a crowd,

Do not delay the arrival of death.

My husband, my master, believe me,

And together we will make a decision -

There is only salvation in asceticism.

Wealth, nobility - weeds,

The temptations of life are so petty!

However, Lin-fan could not take such a vow, and one day, after saying goodbye to his wife, he went to buy pigs in Shan-tung. After her husband's departure, Huang cleaned the house, performed ablutions, and began to recite the Diamond Sutra while burning incense and praying.

When he left immediately

In Shan-tung, the butcher Lin-fan,

They went to bed in the central hall

all four children 17 ,

And my wife is in the bedroom -

Madame Juan

I washed myself with scented water,

I got dressed without any trouble.

Turning to the west, she burned incense in her bedroom,

I prayed in the evening and in the morning

And the precious scrolls I taught there,

"Diamond" read the sutra.

Repeat the canons she continued,

How the incense suddenly melted:

Her prayer to the Buddha is so pure, so strong,

That the firmament is pierced by sound.

The Word has reached the heavenly realms and the gates of Hell,

And the magic light blinded.

Seeing, King Yan-lo 18 I was overjoyed

And he revealed his royal face.

"Is it in the sublunary world 19 , amidst passions and troubles

The Buddhist patriarch has increased?" -

He called two judges from beyond the grave to a council

And he ordered an interrogation.

"Vladyka the Wise," the judge says in response, -

This voice, it's from Nan Hua,

A heavenly light shone over Cao Zhou

With Mrs. Huang's prayer.

The knowledge of this righteous woman is deep,

Dressed modestly, fasting,

She does good, her achievements are great -

The firmament rejoices in them" 20

Sung like the Diamond Sutra:

Yan-lo's heart began to race at these words,

page 150

And the two demons ran together

at his hasty summons.

They were directed to Zhao's house,

under his decent shelter.

There Huang read the sutras,

lighting up the alcove in the night.

Suddenly I saw: in front of her

two young ambassadors.

Recited:

Odin is a good messenger from heaven,

The other is a vicious yaksha, a young imp 21 .

Huang stopped reading in an instant,

Her righteous face is turned to the guests.

"From what house to an unworthy servant

Have you come?" "Madam, be at ease,

Not your family's precious kin,

I was sent from the shadowlands to you.

The wise Yan-lo is calling you, Mother,

The sutras you read make the sky light."

The words made her instantly afraid,

To them with a request, it is on trembling lips.

"With the same surname and the same fate

Take the other one to Yan-lo with you.

Ready for hundreds of millions of deaths,

But how can I leave my children orphaned?

After all, the eldest daughter is only nine years old,

And the youngest is six!.. How do I get shelter?!

My little son is three years old,

His cherished and caressed so little!

Let go of if, then life in the coffin

I will work harder to do good!"

The boys said to her from the darkness:

"Who remembers the Diamond Sutra like you do?"!

The good and evil youths who listened to Righteous Huang's pleas couldn't possibly take her with them. She loved her children so much that she could not bear to part with them. The boys began to hurry her: "Good mother, death will take you to the third night watch" 22 , do not postpone even until the fourth. It is here in the light world that you are free, free. And the shadow realm won't allow any delay. If we delay, we will sin, and no amount of excuses will help."

And then Juan decided. She ordered her daughter to heat some water, and after ablution, standing before the Buddha with her feet folded according to the regulations, she sat down in silence. Huang appeared as a true soul before the Lord of Yan-lo.

Sung to the tune of "Autumn over the Chuska River" 23 :

Life is like a flash of lightning, like a dream in the morning.

The man before his death is a candle in the wind.

I have already met the Sovereign of Yan-lo,

I'm going on a long journey, my robe is white.

From the Nostalgic Tower 24 I'll take a look back.

How I am tormented by the tears of my dear children!

You are wearing linen belts and a simple robe.

Beat the gongs, prepare my coffin for the funeral service.

Pronounced like prose 25 :

Let's leave aside how Ling-fang suffered.

Let's talk about Juan going to the world of shadows.

Reached the infernal banks of the Nai-he River 26 .

page 151

Before the Golden Bridge She slowed her steps.

"Who is awarded the Golden Bridge to go?"

"One who reads the sutras with faith in his breast."

And under the bridge, a column of blood spattered up,

And the cries of grief, weeping, and screeching were terrifying.

Snakes swirled in the midst of blood puddles,

So many sinful souls have suffered from their poison!

There's a Mountain of Broken Coins ahead

"What is the secret behind this name?"

"People burn sacrificial money," was the reply, -

They don't burn to the ground, and so on for millions of years -

A mountain has accumulated from such half-coins.

So they called it. And there are no other secrets."

Innocently slain hail in front of Huang -

They have no rebirth, their fate is a fog 28 .

Compassion made Juan's head ache,

The words "Diamond Sutra" burst out.

The sinners in the river opened their eyes,

Lush forests covered the mountain of corpses,

The earth is not made of fire - it is red by lotuses -

Heaven has covered hell with a good cloud.

Hurry the young men of Juan to leave the city,

Hurry to the ruler of Yan-lo, submit a report.

Sings to the tune of "Sheep from the mountainside" 29 :

The precious altar of all phenomena in the universe

Don Juan suddenly appeared blinded.

Two messengers reported her instantly,

And Yan-lo received her gravely.

Forgetting about the perishable life,

Falling on your knees

Near the golden steps,

I listened to Juan in excitement.

"Tell us frankly,

How long have you been with the immutable

You honor your studies with constancy,

Are you looking for enlightenment in the sutras?

Did you have an apparition

Guan-yin bodhisattvas?

Speak freely!"

"I've been fasting since I was seven years old, and in the hope of,

What the Most High hears, the blindfolded will be opened,

I burned the victims tirelessly day by day

And when they married me off.

Penetrated the teachings of the imperishable sutra

And I lived a meek, humble life with my husband."

He speaks like prose:

"Know the soul of the righteous Yan-lo!, -

In response, Huang heard the Lord's voice. -

"Diamond Sutra" how many signs do you remember

And highlighted places that are darker than dark?

What hieroglyph does the canon use?

How does it fall off, smoothly completed?

Which ones are in the center? If you remember everything right,

You'll come back to life. For diligence-a reward!"

Before the golden pedestal, Juan stands up:

"Hear, my lord, your servants report.

page 152

Five thousand and forty-nine words in the Canon, as one!

Hell, eighty and four thousand in all.

The hieroglyph "essence" is the first one, and the last one is "karma",

The "duty" sign in the center, next to it - "burden", " paired..." 30

I didn't finish my story, and suddenly in the night

The thinnest rays pierced the throne of Yan-lo

And the dragon's face brightened 31 the king of death.

"Well, I'll let you go take a look at the human world."

When she heard the decision, she answered immediately:

"Listen, O sire, to the slave for the last time.

Let me not return to the family of simple ignoramuses,

32 I don't need any clothes.

I want to be a virtuous couple's son 33 .

I will honor the canons of the Buddha for the rest of my life, until I perish."

Yan-lo picked up a brush and drew his verdict instantly:

"To be the scion of a rich and staid family,

Enter as a baby in Cao-chou to the old Zhangs,

So that their graves are not overgrown with weeds.

Warm the hearth of virtuous spouses,

Whose glorious names are between the four seas.

Accept the oblivion of past lives elixir.

Through the womb of the Venerable Zhang, enter this world.

Only on the left elbow of the baby's hand

I will write two red lines of hieroglyphs.

That will appear in the rebirth of Huang,

Whose good-for-nothing husband in a previous life was Lin-fan.

A male rebirth has been granted to her

And longevity for the desire for enlightenment.

Let Zhang cherish his son as a priceless gift,

Fatherhood is a miracle if you're already that old."

Sings to the tune of "Crepe Black Dress" 34 :

Exactly fulfilled

the sovereign's plan -

Found a man's body,

she became Zhang-Huang.

And the rich man bloomed with happiness;

My son grew up at the age of three,

At seven , he revealed a bright mind

and he excelled in the sciences.

A rare talent called -

zarekli from troubles.

Thronny was the first to pass the exam

at the age of eighteen.

And so. The eighteen-year - old Zhang Jun-da, a rare Talent, passed the exams and became the county ruler of Nan Hua in Cao Zhou. As soon as he took office, the first thing he did was deal with state taxes, then he discussed the affairs of the city council, and then he remembered his former home. He tells the two messengers, " Go invite Zhao Ling-fang. We need to talk." The messengers immediately went to Zhao's house and invited Ling-fan.

Pronounced like prose 35 .

Lin-fan was alone in his house, reading the canons -

He prayed earnestly to the Buddha.

When the messengers entered with a bow

And he found out what was going on-right away

Gathered, dressed up decorously for the parade

And went out to visit the council.

page 153

After entering, he bowed in the hall according to the rite.

He was honored by the chief dignitary -

Ruler Zhang! He took the butcher to task!

And he sat him down respectfully.

Pleasantries were exchanged according to the charter,

The servants served food.

"You, sir , are my master and consort Lin-fan

From the Zhao family. Take a closer look!

I am your dead wife, Juan.

She came back to life as a man.

Don't you believe me? Let's go to the quiet veranda,

I'll take off my clothes by candlelight:

There is an inscription cinnabar broadcasts the truth

Hieroglyphs on the shoulder.

That the eldest daughter, a favorite, is already

His wife lives in a different house,

That the youngest daughter's husband is worthy of Cao Ren,

And she is devoted to him.

The son longs for his mother respectful,

Takes care of the grave.

Let's get on the swift horses,

Let's go to the cemetery, honey!"

The governor and Lin-fan and their children went to Huang's grave. The coffin was opened. Juan lay there as if she were alive. They returned home and served a memorial service for seven days. Lin-fan was reading the Diamond Sutra. Then the cloud of the annunciation descended, and all five of them ascended to heaven on the cloud.

This is evidenced by the tune of "The Hermit by the River". 36 :

Justly appreciate the merits of the righteous Huang:

She entered the heavenly abode with her children and her husband.

Who is virtuous in the world and honours the teachings of the Buddha,

Nor will the Bodhisattva of mercy forget that 37 .

Conclusion:

The precious scroll has already been completed

The perfection of the Buddha is already known to us.

In the world of dharma, everything that is endowed with feeling,

This world will win. May the celebration come!

May we surrender ourselves to the Buddha! 39

Learning is one, immeasurable,

It rules the void perfectly

And in the center is the ocean of Buddhism,

He wanders everywhere,

Everywhere encourages

All rivers and sands

Go back, converge

To the world of Pure Land

And in the happiness of prayers.

Bowing down, we make a vow

Word Exercises

And in the name of the Buddha,

What reaches up

Heavenly paradise,

And it penetrates downwards

To the underworld.

Remembering the Buddhas -

renounce the world of samsara;

page 154

Creating evil deeds -

a century at the bottom of hell will get bogged down.

Those who have achieved enlightenment -

The Buddha will show the way of salvation.

And the light will shine,

And it will illuminate ten directions!

It will descend to the west and east,

Returns to reflections,

Established in the north and south,

It will reach all homes.

Let's ascend to the end of rebirths -

a boat will land on the shore.

The child will meet his native mother -

it will curl up again into an embryo.

Three jewels from now on -

they will be preserved in us!

And they will rest forever -

human passions and minds.

The psalm reads:

To all the cohorts of sins that people commit,

From the beginning of the beginning, there is still no izvoda.

From the Wonderful Mountain, wandering away, they

We have lost the great primordial nature.

There is a spark of Buddha in the four kinds of life -

It will lead everyone to wonderful rebirths 40 .

My first thanksgiving 41

We send a salute to Heaven and Earth for the grace of birth.

And the second is thank you

Clear to the Sun and Moon for the gift of illumination.

Our third thanksgiving -

to all the lords of earth and water for their mercy,

And the fourth Thanksgiving

we thank our father and mother that we were nursed.

Our fifth Thanksgiving -

to the patriarchs who taught the law deeply,

And the sixth is Thanksgiving

to the souls of those whose bodies were buried before the deadline...

Wisdom is majestic in salvation -

Maha prajna paramita!!!

comments

1 Law (kit. fa, skt. the dharma ) - the supreme reality, the one law of the universe, the teaching of the Buddha. Path (kit.: the dao, skt.: margot) - the noble middle way of Buddhist adepts.

Body of the Law (kit. fa shen, skt. dharmakaya ) - one of the three, the cosmic body of the Buddha. The Three bodies of the Buddha (kit. san fo, skt, triyaka ). In Mahayana , this is 1-the phenomenal body (the one in which the Buddha could appear on earth); 2 - the body of bliss (the image of a bodhisattva); 3 - the body of Law, or the cosmic body (the extra-illusory personification of the absolute truth). In Amidaism, it is represented in the image of the Buddha Amida (skt. Amitabha, whale. A-mi-to-fo ).

Vossem b images (here and there) - eight hypostases of the manifestation of the Body of Law: images of the One Who descended from Heaven. Possessed in the womb. Abiding in the womb, Being born from the womb of the mother, Becoming a hermit, Becoming enlightened, Preaching the Word of the Buddha, and entering nirvana.

In glory recalled - buddhist prayer formula on mo, it must be repeated in prayers and has a sacred purpose.

page 155

2 The moment stopped (kit. cha na, skt. kshana )- according to the general Buddhist concept, each element, each body exists only for a moment (kshanu), being a point in time and space.

The Four Great Substances (kit. sy yes, skt. mahabhuta )- in Buddhist terminology, the four main components that make up the human body, namely: earth, water, fire and wind, which act as carriers of the corresponding qualities: hardness, humidity, warmth, and mobility.

3 "No persistence", or 'impermanence' (Woo Chan) - consisting of two characters the Chinese equivalent of the Sanskrit term anitya, meaning the absence of constancy, i.e. a constant movement from birth to death, as one of the fundamental properties of being. This is the concept of ephemeral existence on earth. According to Buddhist beliefs, when a person dies, the messengers of death - the demons of impermanence-come for his soul from the underworld Woo-chan gui.

4 Ten countries of the world - eight countries and half-countries of the world, zenith and nadir. Eight are the same, except for the last two.

The Abode (Da jae) - Heaven and Earth.

Gate of the Void - The gate of the Buddhist teaching, the temple of the Buddha The teaching of the Great Void - that is, the teaching of Buddhism, which preached absolute nothingness, non-existence as an ideal.

5 Dragon Flower Festival (Long Hua) It falls on the eighth day of the fourth moon, when Buddhist monks sprinkle fragrant water on holy images and allegedly gather under a tree with dragon flowers (kit. long hua shu, skt. pushpanaga ), under which enlightenment should occur (bodhi) the future Buddhas of Maitreya.

6 Abode of the soul, or soul altar (kit. lin tai ) - ascending to Chuang Tzu (Taoist monument of the IV-III centuries BC) designation of the heart.

From thoughts and passions - The original text speaks of the " five obscurations "(Kit. Wu jo, skt. pancha kashayah ) and "six roots" (Liu gen). The five obscurations are the negative characteristics of the second one (zhu-jie) of the four time cycles of the universe (kalpa in the cycle of being: 1. darkening of the entire kalpa, 2. darkening of worldviews, 3. darkening of feelings, 4. darkening of living entities, 5.darkening of destinies. "Six roots" - five sense organs and thinking, responsible for connecting a person with the world.

The Secret Door (Xuan Men) - the hidden teachings and mysteries of Buddhism.

7 Western Cliffs, or Western Mountains (Xi shan) - not only the area of the sunset sky, but also the image of another world, a kind of Buddhist paradise created by Buddha Amitabha, the most important mythological image of Amidaism. Apparently, in the connection of this happy land of Bodhisattvas and righteous people with the west, there is a hidden opposition to Indra's paradise, which was considered located in the east.

Thousands of Kalpas (wan jie) - more precisely, tens of thousands jie. Jie (Sanskrit, kalpa). - In Buddhist cosmology, it is a cycle of existence, one turn of the wheel of time in the universe. At the end of each kalpa, the universe collapses and everything starts over. The cause of the world cycle is the sins of living beings. Kalpas will follow each other until all sentient beings are on the path of salvation. Then the world will finally cease to exist.

Samsara 8 (skt., lit.: wandering, circling; kit. ku hai, lit.: "bitter sea") "a living world of births, deaths, and eternal suffering. It is opposed to the ideal peace and non-existence - nirvana, which is the exodus from samsara and the highest goal of all living beings.

9 Decree (And Feng shu) - in ancient times, a royal verdict; in the Ming era, a court order. This is also the name of the standard southern melody of the sixth category in the tonic gong (hsien lui gong), also called "Farewell on the Autumn River" (Qiu Jiang Song be). In the song vault of the XV-XIV centuries. "Notes of the Great achievements of the "Nine Palaces"" ("Ju gong" by Da cheng pu) it is specified that the text should consist of 9 lines (5; 6; 5; 6; 7; 7; 3; 3; 7 hieroglyphs), this canon is almost complete, only the second line instead of 6 hieroglyphs contains 7.

10 The body revealed by the Buddha (kit. ying shen, skt. nirmanakaya ) - one of the three, the phenomenal body of the Buddha, in Amidaism represented in the image of a man Gautama Shakyamuni.

11 Forty-eight Oaths (si shi ba yuan) - the vow of renouncing one's own bliss in nirvana until all living beings comprehend the truth of the Teaching, the bodhisattva path.

12 The wonderful fruit of the Bodhi tree - an image of achieving higher enlightenment. It was under this tree that Shakyamuni came to know the light of the Teaching, it is the Buddhist version of the world tree.

13 Lotus Paradise (hua tsang - abr. from lian hua zang shi jie) - ideal spheres of Buddhist otherness. The world of the lotus-born is the abode of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The lotus is a sacred symbol of Buddhism. Lands of pure Amidas (Amitabha) - Western Paradise, see comment 7.

14 Three treasures of Learning - The Buddha, the dharma (law), the sangha (monastic community).

page 156

15 The first four lines of the psalm repeat the first psalm from the Buddhist work "Point-by-Point Interpretations of the Diamond Sutra" (Jin gang ke yi), also fully represented in " Jin, Ping, Mei "(see: Jin, Ping, Mei, or Plum Blossoms in a golden vase. Irkutsk, 1994, pp. 164-167).

16 Cao-zhou - a county in the province of Shan-tung on the site of the ancient appanage of the principality of Cao.

17 Here the text refers to four children, although everywhere else only three are mentioned. There may be an error in the original version.

18 Yan-lo, he is Yan-wan, he but Pit - Grand Prince of darkness, lord of the underworld.

19 Sublunary world - in Chinese terms, lit.: the world of the sun, or the world of the light male active element Yang (yang jian ), an image of the living, bustling world, which is opposed to the shadow world, or the dark female passive element yin (yin jian), the realm of the dead.

20 Starting from the words Turn to the west. . and until the end of this passage, the original Chinese text is an alternation of rhyming lines consisting of six and four characters, which is translated by alternating six-stop and four-stop Iambic lines.

21 Yaksha (Skt., kit. e cha ) - a bloodthirsty messenger of hell.

22 The dark period of the day from 7 pm to 5 am was divided by the Chinese into five two-hour guards. (gen). The third night watch corresponds to midnight.

23 Autumn over the Chuska River - an unknown ringtone.

24 Nostalgic Tower, or a terrace (xiang tai) - according to beliefs, it is located in the afterlife, from it you can see the abandoned house.

25 Pronounced like prose - in the Chinese text, there is a hieroglyph buy-in, meaning in theatrical actions that the actor speaks in prose without emphasized recitation. However, the text spoken by him can be rhythmically organized and rhymed, as in this case, when the following passage is a poem with rhyme and the observance of equal length of all lines - six hieroglyphs, which is translated in Iambic hexameter.

26 Nai hae - the river of blood that sinners in hell are in.

27 Golden Bridge over Nai Hae designed for the passage of the righteous.

28 The innocently slain Hail (Wang Si Cheng) - the region of the underworld, where the souls of innocent victims stay until the deadline.

29 "Sheep from the mountainside "(Shan po Yang) - a motif that is constantly found in ancient dramas, and various arias are sung to it. It can be northern of the third category in a tonic gong (Zhong Lui gong) or southern seventh category in a tonic shang (Lin zhong shang or shang diao).

30 In the question of designated places, especially those that contribute to the spiritual enlightenment of the individual, Yan-lo uses the combination dian hua, lit.: "points that transform". Huang replied, apparently assuming a different homonymous character hua - "line in a hieroglyph", refers to the number of all points and lines that make up the hieroglyphs that form the text of the sutra.

Entity (kit. zhu, skt. tatha, letters'.: suchness ) is a term used in Buddhism to define the true and unconditioned nature of all things, the absolute reality. Karma (Skt., kit. syn, literally: action, activity, duty) - refers only to conscious activity and, even in the first place, the activity of consciousness and desires, which forms the necessity and character of future lives. Any actions of a person create karma, the reward of which comes both in this life and in the future. To completely destroy, to get rid of your karma-this means to finally die, to go to nirvana. Debt and burden (He dan) - a combination of two synonymous hieroglyphs, letters: to carry a burden on your back (shoulders), a burden (possibly responsibility).

31 Драконий лик (лун янь) - стандартный эпитет для царственной особы.

32 Крашенное (жань) - в буддизме является одним из определений греховного, ибо ценится простота и безыскусность.

33 Huang's desire to return to the world in a male form is not accidental, for this is considered an increase in being rank, through which you can then go to the state of a Buddha or bodhisattva. Existence in the form of a woman is a lower destiny, through which there is almost no direct path to nirvana.

34 Crepe black dress (Tsao lo pao) - southern melody of the third category in tonic Gong (Zhong Lui gong).

35 Below, the size is repeated with alternating lines of six and four hieroglyphs, which is translated by alternating six-stop and four-stop Iambic lines. See note 20.

page 157

36 "The Hermit by the River "(Lin Jiang xian) - under this name, there are both northern and southern melodies: northern sixth category in tonic gong (hsien lui gong) and, the most popular, southern opening aria (yin tzu) fifth category in tonic gong (nal lui gong).

37 Bodhisattva of Mercy - the standard epithet is Guan-yin.

38 The World of Dharma (fa jie) - the Chinese equivalent of the Sanskrit term dharmadhatu it means both the totality of things in the world, or some part of the material universe in one state or another, and the supernatural reality that defines this universe. Endowed with feeling (Yu qing) - a term for all living things.

39 May we surrender ourselves to the Buddha (on mo) - standard multi-valued prayer formula.

40 Wonderful Mountain (ling shan or ling ju shan) - Mount Gijahakuta in India, which was, according to legend, the place of preaching of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Four kinds of Life (si sheng) - womb-born, egg-born, water-born, and born out of nothing, as in the beginning of the world.

A Spark of Buddha - (and dian ling guang) - this refers to the sacred principle in the soul of every living being, its potential ability to become a Buddha.

41 Each line of the subsequent passage begins with a hieroglyph bao ("vow" and "thanksgiving") in combination with a number from 1 to 6, and ends (except for the last one) with a hieroglyph en ("mercy").

42 .. "I mean the so-called 'homeless spirits' (gu gui) those who died an unnatural death (see note. 29), inclined to take revenge on the living.

43 Wisdom is great in salvation-Maha prajna paramita - The original Chinese transcription of this Sanskrit prayer formula is given, which literally means: "Great is the wisdom of crossing to the other side." Paramita ("crossing to the other side", "crossing") is a means of salvation as the achievement of nirvana. These Buddhists counted six varieties: alms (given), vows (awl), patience (kshanti), diligence (viria), meditation (dhyana) and wisdom (prajna).

© biblio.vn

Permanent link to this publication:

https://biblio.vn/m/articles/view/HUANG-SHI-NU-BAO-JUAN-PRECIOUS-SCROLL-OF-THE-RIGHTEOUS-HUANG-From-the-novel-Jin-Ping-Mei-Plum-Blossoms-in-a-Golden-vase