see the splendid wild scenery. The mountain was covered with grass and trees, and was difficult of access, there being only one road. After a few days, however, Lu Da saw that Li Zhong and Zhou Tong were mean, and had no nobility in their natures. When he told them he wanted to leave, they pressed him to remain but he reminded them he being a monk could not join them.
The bandit chiefs said, “As you have definitely decided to go, please wait until tomorrow, when we will go down the mountain, and plunder somebody for some money, which we will give you for your traveling expenses.”
The next day they made a big banquet at which the wine cups were of gold and silver, but just as they sat down one of their men came to report that below were two carts with about ten travelers. Upon hearing this the bandit chiefs summoned their followers and said to Lu Da, “Elder brother, you will have to drink our wine by yourself, but we will leave two men to wait upon you. We must go and get the money for you.” So saying they left with their men.
Lu Da thought, “These two men are certainly very mean as they have plenty of gold and silver here to give me, but instead they want to plunder other people for money and give it to me. Is not this being generous at other people’s expense? So I will frighten these two men who are attending on me.” He then told the men to bring him some warm wine, and after drinking some he got up and knocked them down with his fists. He then took their girdles, and tied their arms and legs. He gagged them with balls of hempen thread; he opened his bundles and threw away everything that was not needed; and then taking the gold and silver cups he made them flat by stamping on them, and packed them in his bundles. He hid the letter from Abbot Chen in his breast pocket; put on his sword; picked up his monk staff, and left the stronghold. He had a good look round, and saw that the mountain behind the stronghold was very wild. If, however, he went down the mountain by the ordinary road he was sure to meet the brigands, so he decided to descend the mountain by rolling down through the grass. He tied his broad sword, and the monk staff to the bundle, and threw them down the steep slope. He then rolled himself down to the foot of the mountain without sustaining any injury. He soon found his bundle, and started on his way.
The bandit chiefs attacked the travelers, who resisted for a long time, but seeing that they were outnumbered they at last retreated abandoning their baggage. Upon returning to their stronghold with the loot, the chiefs discovered that Lu Da had gone, and had taken away the gold and silver cups, and at first they thought of pursuing him, but after a little discussion they agreed to let the matter drop.
That day Lu Da walked a distance of about twenty li without coming across an inn so that by evening he was very hungry. Just then he happened to hear the tinkling of a bell, which he knew was the sound of a bell hanging at the eaves of a Buddhist temple, and it was moved by the wind. So he decided to investigate this. We will now relate what this temple was.
A score of souls,
Were lost in half a day;
Temples of long standing,
In ambers were now laid.
Footnote
55 Exclamation of surprise or realisation, similar to “Oh my!”
CHAPTER 5
Shi Jin Acts as a Highwayman in a Pine Forest; Lu Da Sets Fire to the Waguan Monastery
LU had crossed several mountain ridges before he entered a pine forest, and still following a path for about half of one li he at last came to a ruined monastery on the eaves of which bells were tinkling in the breeze. Above the main entrance was an honorary tablet in a horizontal position with four characters “Waguan Monastery” in a dilapidated condition. He crossed a stone bridge, and entering the monastery went to the monk’s living rooms. There he found there were no doors, windows, or walls left standing, and wondered how the place had been destroyed. Near the abbot’s living quarters the ground was covered with bird’s excreta, and there a door was locked and covered with spider’s webs. He stuck his staff into the ground and called out, “Are there any monks here? I want some food.” Although he said this several times there was no reply. So be went to the kitchen, but found that there was no boiler and that the cooking range had been destroyed. There he placed his bundle in the seat usually occupied by the supervisor at meal times, and then went to look round the place. Behind the kitchen he found a small room in which several emaciated old monks were sitting on the ground. He shouted, “You monks have no manners. I called out several times without getting a single reply from you.”
They waved their hands, and said, “Do not talk so loudly.”
“I am a traveling monk, and only demand a meal from you so what harm is there in that?”
An old monk replied, “For three days we have had no food so how can we give you some?”
“I am from Mount Wutai, and even if you have only stale congee I beg you to let me have half a bowl of it.”
The old monk replied, “As you come from a place where there is a living Buddha we certainly ought to give you some food, but as a matter of fact we have not got even a grain of rice in this monastery, and most of the monks have already left. For three days we have not had a bite of food.”
“Nonsense! I don’t believe that,” said Lu Da.
The old monk continued, “This monastery was certainly not a small one, and we collected subscriptions over a large area. But some time ago a traveling monk came here with a Taoist and they seized all the property for themselves. They did everything that is bad, and that was why almost all the monks left. We are so old that we could not go with them, and we live here in a state of starvation.”
“Nonsense! If these two men did such things why did you not complain to the government?”
“Reverend, you do not understand. The yamen is a long way off, but even if the magistrate came here he would not put matters right, because these two men are exceedingly fierce, and would kill somebody or set the place on fire. They live in the abbot’s quarters at the back of this building.”
“What are the names of those two men?” asked Lu Da.
“The monk is called Cui; his religious name is Daocheng, and his nickname is ‘Iron Buddha.’ The Taoist priest is called Qiu Xiaoyi, and his nickname is ‘Flying Ogre.’ But they are just robbers, and not like clerics. Outwardly they look like clerics, but their innermost thoughts are vile.”
While Lu Da was listening to this he became aware of a fragrant smell, and turning round he saw a cooking pot with a cover of matting through which steam was issuing. He lifted the cover, and saw that the pot was full of maize and water. He said, “You old monks said that you had had no food for three days, and yet here is a pot full of maize congee. Why did you lie to me?”
When they saw that he had found the congee they removed the bowls, saucers, chopsticks, and ladles so that he should not eat any. But he was so hungry that he decided to take drastic steps. Taking a broken table near the stove he wiped off the dust with a whisp of grass; then taking the pot with both hands he emptied the contents on the table. Upon seeing this all the monks came forward with bowls to help themselves, but Lu Da pushed them away. He took the congee with both hands, and ate it.
The old monks said, “For three days we have had no food, and we obtained this maize outside by begging, but now you eat it.”
Lu Da had taken about seven mouthfuls, and so he desisted taking any more. Just then he heard someone
