Da throwing the meat away hit the monk with his fist several times. This raised a loud shout from the monks who went to the cupboards to get their clothes and alms bowls with the idea of leaving. This created a general confusion which the monk in charge could not control. The superintendent summoned all the servants, including groundsmen, cooks’ assistants, messengers, sedan-chair carriers, altogether about two hundred men, who seized sticks, rice shovels, staffs and cudgels, and placing towels round their heads, entered the hall in a body. Upon seeing them Lu Da howled, and, having no weapon, hurried to the center of the hall, pushed over the table for offerings in front of Buddha, and having broken off two of the legs he advanced. When the menial monks saw his fierce expression, they retreated to the veranda, but as Lu Da only flourished the table legs they soon returned to the attack. Lu Da was very angry and struck on both sides. He had moved towards the hall where the scriptures were expounded, and there he met the Abbot who called out, “Lu Da, you are unreasonable! You monks must not lay a hand on him.” The monks retreated and Lu Da threw away the legs of the table, asking the Abbot, “Will you tell me what I must do?” At that moment Lu Da was nearly sober.
“Lu Da, you have implicated me seriously,” said the Abbot. “You were drunk previously and created a lot of trouble. Now you are again drunk, knocked down an arbor and broken two idols. You have also made trouble with the monks, so that they have all to go away. This sin of yours is not a small one. This, my Wenshu Monastery, on Mount Wutai, has been kept holy and sacred for more than a thousand years, so how can I keep a filthy thing like you here? But you can live in my quarters for a few days more until I find a place for you to go to.”
Lu Da accompanied the Abbot to his quarters. The Abbot sent word for the visiting monks to return and continue their contemplations. The monks that were injured had their wounds attended to.
Next day, the Abbot wrote a letter to Zhao Yuanwai sending it with two messengers who waited for his reply. When Zhao Yuanwai read the letter, he was very sad. He wrote a reply and said that he would pay for the repairs; as for Lu Da, he would leave him to the Abbot to be banished.
When the Abbot received the letter, he instructed his attendants to bring a gown of black cloth, a pair of shoes, ten taels of silver, and fetch Lu Da. Upon his arrival the Abbot reproved him about his offences; telling him he had decided to expel him from the monastery. He continued, “During the night I thought of your affairs, and have prepared for you four sentences from our sayings which you can use until your dying day.”
Laughing monk with staff so rare,
And ordained sword so beautiful;
Fought with heroes everywhere,
And punished traitorous ministers.
We will now relate what the Abbot said.
Footnote
54 Yuanwai an aristocratic title, approximating an “esquire” or gentleman.
CHAPTER 4
Little Tyrant When Drunk Goes Inside the Bed Curtains; Lu Da, the Monk, Has a Fight at Taohua Village
THE Abbot spoke, “Zhishen, you certainly cannot stay here, but I have a brother in religion called Zhi Qing Jingshen, who is the Abbot of Great Xiangguo Monastery in Kaifeng, and you can go there for refuge, and work for the monks. I have here a letter of introduction for you. Last night I thought over your case, and decided to give you four sentences from our sacred sayings, and until your dying day you must not forget them.”
Lu Da (Zhishen) knelt down, and said, “I am willing to listen to these sayings.”
The Abbot continued and said: (1) “When you see a forest your lot will be improved; (2) when you see a mountain you will become rich; (3) when you enter a prefecture you will move on; and (4) when you see a river (Jiang, also a surname) you will stop.”
Lu Da upon hearing these four “sayings” kowtowed three times three. He then put on his back a bundle, two girdles round his waist, hid away the letter, bid farewell to the Abbot and the crowd of monks. He departed from Mount Wutai and went to the inn in the village near the blacksmith’s shop, where he stayed for a few days until the monk’s staff and broadsword were finished. He also got a scabbard for the sword, and had the staff varnished. He took a number of pieces of silver and paid the blacksmith. He left, and the passers-by gazed after him as he was really a very strange sight. He followed the road towards the Eastern Capital (Kaifeng). In more than half a month he had not slept in a single monastery; but had rested and eaten his food at inns, and bought his wine in wine shops. One day he was enjoying the scenery of a mountain stream and did not notice it was evening, and that he had not found a place to sleep. The road was quite deserted. After he had gone thirty li more, he passed over a plank bridge, where he saw in the distance a red light emerging from a group of trees. It was a farmhouse in a wood with surrounding wild mountains rising one above the other. He went to the farmhouse and saw outside a dozen men who were very busy moving things about. He placed his staff against the wall and spoke to the men to attract their attention.
The villagers said, “Monk, why do you arrive so late at our farm?”
“As I cannot find an inn near here,” replied Lu Da, “I should like to stay at your farm tonight, and will leave here early tomorrow morning.”
“We have some business here tonight so that you cannot stay.”
“However inconvenient it is, let me stay tonight,” said Lu Da.
“Monk, you had better go at once, and do not risk your life here.”
“This is strange,” replied Lu Da. “If I only stay for one night how shall I risk my life?” “Go away!” said the villagers. “If you do not go we shall tie you up.”
Lu Da became angry. “You villagers are unreasonable. I have not said anything wrong, yet you want to tie me up.”
Some of the villagers abused him, while others acted as mediators. Lu Da took his staff and threatened to beat them; just then he saw an old man. He was over sixty years of age and was walking with a staff that reached above his head. He called, “What is all this noise about?”
The villagers answered, “This detestable monk desires to beat us.” Lu Da spoke, “I am from Mount Wutai, and am on my way to the Eastern Capital on some business. This evening I have not found an inn, and should like to make use of your noble house for one night. Your servants were unreasonable, and wanted to tie me up.”
“As you are a monk from Mount Wutai please come inside,” the old man said. They went into the guest chamber and sat down. The old man said, “You must not think us impolite because our servants did not know that you are from a place where there is a living Buddha, and they took you as an ordinary person. I previously believed in Buddhism. Although we have some affair this evening, yet you may stay here tonight.”
Lu Da placed his staff against a chair, and rising, signified his appreciation, and then asked his host’s name.
“My name is Liu, and the villagers call me ‘Grandpa Liu.’ This place is called Taohua Village. May I ask your name and also your religious name?”
“My superior—the Abbot Zhi Zhen, gave me the name Zhi Shen but my surname is Lu.”
“Reverend, will you take a little supper with me? but I do not know whether you are willing to eat meat
