Myths and Legends of China Part 10

Blue Dragon and White Tiger

The functions discharged by Heng and Ha at the gates of Buddhist temples are in Taoist temples discharged by Blue Dragon and White Tiger.

The former, the Spirit of the Blue Dragon Star, was Teng Chiu-kung, one of the chief generals of the last emperor of the Yin dynasty. He had a son named Teng Hsiu, and a daughter named Ch'an-yu.

The army of Teng Chiu-kung was camped at San-shan Kuan, when he received orders to proceed to the battle then taking place at Hsi Ch'i. There, in standing up to No-cha and Huang Fei-hu, he had his left arm broken by the former's magic bracelet, but, fortunately for him, his subordinate, T'u Hsing-sun, a renowned magician, gave him a remedy which quickly healed the fracture.

His daughter then came on the scene to avenge her father. She had a magic weapon, the Five-fire Stone, which she hurled full in the face of Yang Chien. But the Immortal was not wounded; on the other hand, his celestial dog jumped at Ch'an-yu and bit her neck, so that she was obliged to flee. T'u Hsing-sun, however, healed the wound.

After a banquet, Teng Chiu-kung promised his daughter in marriage to T'u Hsing-sun if he would gain him the victory at Hsi Ch'i. Chiang Tzu-ya then persuaded T'u's magic master, Chu Liu-sun, to call his disciple over to his camp, where he asked him why he was fighting against the new dynasty. "Because," he replied, "Chiu-kung has promised me his daughter in marriage as a reward of success." Chiang Tzu-ya thereupon promised to obtain the bride, and sent a force to seize her. As a result of the fighting that ensued, Chiu-kung was beaten, and retreated in confusion, leaving Ch'an-yu in the hands of the victors. During the next few days the marriage was celebrated with great ceremony in the victor's camp. According to custom, the bride returned for some days to her father's house, and while there she earnestly exhorted Chiu-kung to submit. Following her advice, he went over to Chiang Tzu-ya's party.

In the ensuing battles he fought valiantly on the side of his former enemy, and killed many famous warriors, but he was eventually attacked by the Blower, from whose mouth a column of yellow gas struck him, throwing him from his steed. He was made prisoner, and executed by order of General Ch'iu Yin. Chiang Tzu-ya conferred on him the kingdom of the Blue Dragon Star.

The Spirit of the White Tiger Star is Yin Ch'eng-hsiu. His father, Yin P'o-pai, a high courtier of the tyrant Chou w.a.n.g, was sent to negotiate peace with Chiang Tzu-ya, but was seized and put to death by Marquis Chiang Wen-huan. His son, attempting to avenge his father's murder, was pierced by a spear, and his head was cut off and carried in triumph to Chiang Tzu-ya.

As compensation he was, though somewhat tardily, canonized as the Spirit of the White Tiger Star.

Apotheosized Philosophers

The philosophers Lieh Tzu, Huai-nan Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Mo Tzu, etc., have also been apotheosized. Nothing very remarkable is related of them. Most of them had several reincarnations and possessed supernatural powers. The second, who was a king, when taken by the Eight Immortals to the genii's Heaven forgot now and then to address them as superiors, and but for their intercession with Yu Ti, the Pearly Emperor, would have been reincarnated. In order to humiliate himself, he thereafter called himself Huai-nan Tzu, 'the Sage of the South of the Huai.' The third, Chuang Tzu, Chuang Sheng, or Chuang Chou, was a disciple of Lao Tzu. Chuang Tzu was in the habit of sleeping during the day, and at night would transform himself into a b.u.t.terfly, which fluttered gaily over the flowers in the garden. On waking, he would still feel the sensation of flying in his shoulders. On asking Lao Tzu the reason for this, he was told: "Formerly you were a white b.u.t.terfly which, having partaken of the quintessence of flowers and of the _yin_ and the _yang_, should have been immortalized; but one day you stole some peaches and flowers in w.a.n.g Mu Niang-niang's garden. The guardian of the garden slew you, and that is how you came to be reincarnated." At this time he was fifty years of age.

Fanning the Grave

One of the tales a.s.sociated with him describes how he saw a young woman in mourning vigorously fanning a newly made grave. On his asking her the reason of this strange conduct, she replied: "I am doing this because my husband begged me to wait until the earth on his tomb was dry before I remarried!" Chuang Tzu offered to help her, and as soon as he waved the fan once the earth was dry. The young widow thanked him and departed.

On his return home, Chuang Sheng related this incident to his wife. She expressed astonishment at such conduct on the part of a wife. "There's nothing to be surprised at," rejoined the husband; "that's how things go in this world." Seeing that he was poking fun at her, she protested angrily. Some little time after this Chuang Sheng died. His wife, much grieved, buried him.

Husband and Wife

A few days later a young man named Ch'u w.a.n.g-sun arrived with the intention, as he said, of placing himself under the instruction of Chuang Sheng. When he heard that he was dead he went and performed prostrations before his tomb, and afterward took up his abode in an empty room, saying that he wished to study. After half a month had elapsed, the widow asked an old servant who had accompanied w.a.n.g-sun if the young man was married. On his replying in the negative, she requested the old servant to propose a match between them. w.a.n.g-sun made some objections, saying that people would criticize their conduct. "Since my husband is dead, what can they say?" replied the widow. She then put off her mourning-garments and prepared for the wedding.

w.a.n.g-sun took her to the grave of her husband, and said to her: "The gentleman has returned to life!" She looked at w.a.n.g-sun and recognized the features of her husband. She was so overwhelmed with shame that she hanged herself. Chuang Sheng buried her in an empty tomb, and then began to sing.

He burnt his house, went away to P'u-shui, in Hupei, and occupied himself in fishing. From there he went on to Chung-t'iao Shan, where he met Feng Hou and her teacher Hsuan Nu, the Mother of Heaven. In their company he visited the palaces of the stars. One day, when he was attending a banquet at the palace of w.a.n.g-mu, Shang Ti gave him as his kingdom the planet Jupiter, and a.s.signed to him as his palace the ancient abode of Mao Meng, the stellar G.o.d reincarnated during the Chou dynasty. He had not yet returned, and had left his palace empty. Shang Ti had cautioned him never to absent himself without his permission.

Canonized Generalissimos

A large number of military men also have been canonized as celestial generalissimos. A few will serve as examples of the rest.

The Three Musical Brothers

There were three brothers: T'ien Yuan-shuai, the eldest; T'ien Hung-i, the second; and T'ien Chih-piao, the youngest. They were all musicians of unsurpa.s.sed talent.

In the K'ai-yuan Period (A.D. 713-42) the Emperor Hsuan Tsung, of the T'ang dynasty, appointed them his music masters. At the sound of their wonderful flute the clouds in the sky stopped in their courses; the harmony of their songs caused the odoriferous _la mei_ flower to open in winter. They excelled also in songs and dances.

The Emperor fell sick. He saw in a dream the three brothers accompanying their singing on a mandolin and violin. The harmony of their songs charmed his ear, and on waking he found himself well again. Out of grat.i.tude for this benefit he conferred on each the t.i.tle of marquis.

The Grand Master of the Taoists was trying to stay the ravages of a pestilence, but he could not conquer the devils which caused it. Under these circ.u.mstances he appealed to the three brothers and asked their advice as to what course to adopt. T'ien Yuan-shuai had a large boat built, called 'Spirit-boat.' He a.s.sembled in it a million spirits, and ordered them to beat drums. On hearing this tumult all the demons of the town came out to listen. T'ien Yuan-shuai, seizing the opportunity, captured them all and, with the help of the Grand Master, expelled them from the town.

Besides the canonization of the three T'ien brothers, all the members of their families received posthumous t.i.tles.

The Dragon-boat Festival

This is said to be the origin of the dragon-boats which are to be seen on all the waterways of China on the fifth day of the fifth moon. [21] The Festival of the Dragon-boats, held on that day, was inst.i.tuted in memory of the statesman-poet Ch'u Yuan (332-296 B.C.), who drowned himself in the Mi-lo River, an affluent of the Tung-t'ing Lake, after having been falsely accused by one of the petty princes of the State. The people, out of pity for the unfortunate courtier, sent out these boats in search of his body.

Chiang Tzu-ya

In the wars which resulted in the overthrow of the tyrant Chou w.a.n.g and his dynasty and the establishment of the great Chou dynasty, the most influential generalissimo was Chiang Tzu-ya. His family name was Chiang, and his own name Shang, but owing to his descent from one of the ministers of the ancient King Yao, whose heirs owned the fief of Lu, the family came to be called by that name, and he himself was known as Lu Shang. His honorific t.i.tle was T'ai Kung w.a.n.g, 'Hope of T'ai Kung,' given him by Wen w.a.n.g, who recognized in the person of Chiang Tzu-ya the wise minister whom his father T'ai Kung had caused him to expect before his death.

The Battle of Mu Yeh

Chiang Tzu-ya was originally in the service of the tyrant Chou w.a.n.g, but transferred his services to the Chou cause, and by his wonderful skill enabled that house finally to gain the victory. The decisive battle took place at Mu Yeh, situated to the south of Wei-hui Fu, in 1122 B.C. The soldiers of Yin, 700,000 in number, were defeated, and Chou, the tyrant, shut himself up in his magnificent palace, set it alight, and was burned alive with all his possessions. For this achievement Chiang Tzu-ya was granted by Wu w.a.n.g the t.i.tle of Father and Counsellor, and was appointed Prince of Ch'i, with perpetual succession to his descendants.

A Legend of Chiang Tzu-ya

The _Feng shen yen i_ contains many chapters describing in detail the various battles which resulted in the overthrow of the last tyrant of the Shang dynasty and the establishment of the ill.u.s.trious Chou dynasty on the throne of China. This legend and the following one are epitomized from that work.

No-cha defeats Chang Kuei-fang

The redoubtable No-cha having, by means of his Heaven-and-earth Bracelet, vanquished Feng Lin, a star-G.o.d and subordinate officer of Chang Kuei-fang, in spite of the black smoke-clouds which he blew out of his nostrils, the defeated warrior fled and sought the aid of his chief, who fought No-cha in some thirty to forty encounters without succeeding in dislodging him from his Wind-fire Wheel, which enabled him to move about rapidly and to perform prodigious feats, such as causing hosts of silver flying dragons like clouds of snow to descend upon his enemy. During one of these fights No-cha heard his name called three times, but paid no heed. Finally, with his Heaven-and-earth Bracelet he broke Chang Kuei-fang's left arm, following this up by shooting out some dazzling rays of light which knocked him off his horse.

When he returned to the city to report his victory to Tzu-ya, the latter asked him if during the battle Kuei-fang had called his name. "Yes," replied No-cha, "he called, but I took no heed of him." "When Kuei-fang calls," said Tzu-ya, "the _hun_ and the _p'o_ [_anima_ and _umbra_] become separated, and so the body falls apart." "But," replied No-cha, "I had changed myself into a lotus-flower, which has neither _hun_ nor _p'o_, so he could not succeed in getting me off my magic wheel."

Tzu-ya goes to K'un-lun

Tzu-ya, however, still uncertain in mind about the finality of No-cha's victories, went to consult Wu w.a.n.g (whose death had not yet taken place at this time). After the interview Tzu-ya informed Wu w.a.n.g of his wish to visit K'un-lun Mountain. Wu w.a.n.g warned him of the danger of leaving the kingdom with the enemy so near the capital; but Tzu-ya obtained his consent by saying he would be absent only three days at most. So he gave instructions regarding the defence to No-cha, and went off in his spirit chariot to K'un-lun. On his arrival at the Unicorn Precipice he was much enraptured with the beautiful scenery, the colours, flowers, trees, bridges, birds, deer, apes, blue lions, white elephants, etc., all of which seemed to make earth surpa.s.s Heaven in loveliness.

He receives the List of Immortals

From the Unicorn Precipice he went on to the Jade Palace of Abstraction. Here he was presented to Yuan-shih. From him he received the List of Promotions to Immortals, which Nan-chi Hsien-weng, 'Ancient Immortal of the South Pole,' had brought, and was told to go and erect a Feng Shen T'ai (Spirits' Promotion Terrace) on which to exhibit it. Yuan-shih also warned him that if anyone called him while he was on the way he was to be most careful not to answer. On reaching the Unicorn Precipice on his way back, he heard some one call: "Chiang Tzu-ya!" This happened three times without his paying any heed. Then the voice was heard to say: "Now that you are Prime Minister, how devoid of feeling and forgetful of bygone benefits you must be not to remember one who studied with you in the Jade Palace of Abstraction!" Tzu-ya could not but turn his head and look. He then saw that it was Shen Kung-pao. He said: "Brother, I did not know it was you who were calling me, and I did not heed you as Shih-tsun told me on no account to reply." Shen Kung-pao said: "What is that you hold in your hand?" He told him it was the List of Promotions to Immortals. Shen Kung-pao then tried to entice Tzu-ya from his allegiance to Chou. Among Shen's tactics was that of convincing Tzu-ya of the superiority of the magical arts at the disposal of the supporters of Chou w.a.n.g. "You," he said, "can drain the sea, change the hills, and suchlike things, but what are those compared with my powers, who can take off my head, make it mount into s.p.a.ce, travel 10,000,000 _li_, and return to my neck just as complete as before and able to speak? Burn your List of Promotions to Immortals and come with me." Tzu-ya, thinking that a head which could travel 10,000,000 _li_ and be the same as before was exceedingly rare, said: "Brother, you take your head off, and if in reality it can do as you say, rise into s.p.a.ce and return and be as before, I shall be willing to burn the List of Promotions to Immortals and return with you to Chao Ko." Shen Kung-pao said: "You will not go back on your word?" Tzu-ya said: "When your elder brother has spoken his word is as unchangeable as Mount T'ai, How can there be any going back on my word?"

The Soaring Head