Part 10 (1/2)

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 fis.h.i.+ng. 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.