The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 2 (89 page)

2
. Gate of undivided truth: the gate is the
dharma-paryāya
, the teachings of Buddha regarded as the entrance to enlightenment. Undivided truth refers to
advaya
, the one and undivided unity of all things, nonduality or, in Chinese,
bu er
.

3
. An unfilial act: a quotation from chapter 11 of the
Classic on Filial Piety
, traditionally attributed to Zeng Shen, a disciple of Confucius. The Five Punishments (
wuxing
), according to ancient reckoning (e.g.,
Classic of Documents
,
j
6), refer to tattooing the face, cutting off the nose, cutting off the feet, castration, and death. Since about the sixth century CE, however, the phrase means caning, whipping, penal servitude, exile, and death. Still more recently, it has meant monetary fines, hard labor of a set period, penal servitude of a set period, life imprisonment, and death.

4
. “O my father”: these four lines are quotations of lines from a poem titled “Tarrogon or Liao’e
,” in the
Xiaoya
section of the
Classic of Poetry
. For the complete poem, see SSJZS 1: 459–60; for an English translation, see
The Book of Songs, The Ancient Chinese Classic of Poetry
(New York, 1996), pp. 184–85.

5
. Śarīra: the relic or ashes of a Buddha or a saint after the person has been cremated.

6
. Wood-Wolf Star: in the Chinese stellar divisions, constellation number 15,
kui
(Revatī), has the corresponding element of wood and the corresponding animal of wolf. Hence its name. The constellation is composed of the asterism
bēta
(Mirach),
délta, epsīlon, zēta, ēta, mū, nū, pē
Andromeda,
sīgma
(2),
tau, nū, phī, chī, psī
Pisces at longitude 17°48’12.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

1
. Apple court: the plant is the
haitang
, Chinese flowering apple
Malus spectabilis
.

2
. Purple paths: roads in the imperial city are frequently referred to as “purple paths” in classical Chinese verse. The series of images here is often used in poetry celebrating the enjoyment of flowers in the time of spring. See, for example, Liu Yuxi
(772–841), “
”:
,
. See QTS
j
365 in 6: 4114.