User:Whipsandchains/Long Nu
18 lohans
The Eighteen Luohans (
In China
Originally the Arhats composed of only the 10 disciples of Gautama Buddha, although the earliest
釋惠簡
: Shì Huìjiǎn)Method for Inviting Pindola (Chinese: 請賓度羅法; pinyin: Qǐng Bīndùluó Fǎ)
Later this number increased to 16 to include patriarchs and other spiritual adepts. Teachings about the Arhats eventually made their way to China where they were called Luohans (excellence), but it wasn't until 654 AD when the Nandimitrāvadāna (Chinese: 法住記; pinyin: Fǎzhùjì), Record on the Duration of the Law, spoken by the Great arhat Nadimitra, was translated by Xuanzang into Chinese that the names of these Luohans were known. For some reason Kundadhana was dropped from this list.[3]
Somewhere between the late
but because no historical records detailing how the Luohans looked like existed there were no distinguishing features to tell the Luohans apart. The paintings depicted them as foreigners having bushy eyebrows, large eyes, hanging cheeks and high noses. They were seated in landscapes, leaning against pine trees and stones. An additional theme in these paintings were that they were portrayed as being unkempt and "eccentric" which emphasize that they were vagabonds and beggars who have left all worldly desires behind. When Guan Xiu was asked how he came up with the depictions, he answered: "It was in a dream that I saw these Gods and Buddhas. After I woke up, I painted what I saw in the dream. So, I guess I can refer to these Luohans as 'Luohans in a dream'." These portraits painted by Guan Xiu has become the definitive images for the 18 Luohans in Chinese Buddhist iconography, although in modern depiction they bear more
The Qianlong Emperor was a great admirer of the Luohans and during his visit to see the paintings in 1757, Qianlong not only examined them closely but he also wrote an eulogy to each Luohan image. Copies of these eulogies were presented to the monastery and preserved. In 1764, Qianlong ordered that the paintings held at the Shengyin Monastery be reproduced and engraved onto stone tablets for preservation. These were mounted like facets into a marble stupa for public display. The temple was destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion but copies of ink rubbing of the steles were preserved in and outside of China.[8]
Roster
In the Chinese Tradition, the 18 Luohans are generally presented in the order they are said to have appeared to Guan Xiu, not according to their power: Deer Sitting, Happy, Raised Bowl, Raised Pagoda, Meditating, Oversea, Elephant Riding, Laughing Lion, Open Heart, Raised Hand, Thinking, Scratched Ear, Calico Bag, Plantain, Long Eyebrow, Doorman, Taming Dragon and Taming Tiger.
Name | Qianlong's Eulogy | Synopsis |
---|---|---|
01. |
Sitting dignified on a deer, |
Guan Xiu's Dream: Deer Sitting Luohan (Chinese: 騎鹿羅漢; pinyin: Qílù Luóhàn) |
02. Kanaka the Vatsa |
Decimating the demons, |
|
03. Kanaka the Bharadvaja |
In majestic grandeur, |
|
04. Nandimitra |
A seven-storey pagoda, |
|
05. Nakula* |
Quietly cultivating the mind, |
|
06. Bodhidruma |
Bearing the sutras, |
|
07. Kalika |
Riding an elephant with a dignified air, |
Elephant Riding Lohan (Chinese: 騎象羅漢; pinyin: Qíxiàng Luóhàn) |
08. Vijraputra |
Playful and free of inhibitions, |
|
Open the heart and there is Buddha, |
||
10. Pantha the Elder* |
Easy and comfortable, |
|
11. Rahula |
Pondering and meditating, |
|
12. Nagasena |
Leisurely and contented, |
|
Buddha of infinite life, |
||
14. Vanavasa |
Buddha of infinite life, |
|
Compassionate elder, |
||
16. Pantha the Younger |
Powerful, husky and tough, |
|
17. Nantimitolo+ |
In the hands are the spiritual pearl and the holy bowl, |
Taming Dragon Lohan (Chinese: 降龍羅漢; pinyin: Jiànglóng Luóhàn) |
Precious ring with magical powers, |
500 Luohans
References
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- )
- )
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- ^ Masako Watanabe (2000). Guanxiu and Exotic Imagery in Rakan Paintings. Orientations, vol. XXXI, no. 4. p. 34-42.
- )
- ^ Susan Bush and Ilsio-yen Shih (1985). Early Chinese Texts on Painting. Cambridge, MA, and London. p. 314.
- ^ Harvard University Library.
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Long Nu
Long Nü (
Lotus Sutra
She is depicted in the 12th Chapter of the
Tale of the Southern Seas
A single chapter in the Complete Tale of Guan Yin and the Southern Seas (
When Guan Yin learns that the third son of the Dragon King,
As a token of gratitude, the Dragon King asked Ao Guang to bring the "Pearl of Light", but his granddaughter volunteers to go in his father's place instead. After offering the pearl to Guan Yin, she decides to stay with her and become her disciple to learn the Buddha Dharma.[2]
The Precious Scrolls
Unlike the Complete Tale of Guan Yin and the Southern Seas which only briefly mentions Long Nu, the Precious Scroll of Shan Cai and Long Nu (
The first judge the argument is presented to is the incarnation of he Golden
Three years later, Shan Cai formally becomes an acolyte of Guan Yin along with the
References
External References
- Putuoshan
- Chinese Customs - Guan Yin
- Chinese Customs - Jade One and Golden Child
- Antiques - Guan Yin
Longnu Category:Chinese mythology Category:Buddhist deities, bodhisattvas, and demons
Shan Cai
Sudhana (
The Gandavyuha Sutra
Sudhana was a youth from India who was seeking
The pilgrimage of Sudhana mirrors that of
Tale of the Southern Seas
In chapter 18 of the Complete Tale of Guan Yin and the Southern Seas (
Guan Yin, after having a discussion with Shan Cai, decided to test his resolve to fully study the
Shan Cai and Guan Yin managed to reascend the cliff at which point Guan Yin ask Shan Cai to look down. There Shan Cai saw his mortal remains at the foot of the cliff. Guan Yin who now asked him to walk and Shan Cai found that he could walk normally and that he was no longer crippled. When he looked into a pool of water he also discovered that he now had a very handsome face. From that day forth Guan Yin taught Shan Cai the entire Buddha Dharma. Next Guan Yin and Shan Cai encounters the the third son of the
The Precious Scrolls
The Precious Scroll of Shan Cai and Long Nu (
A virtuous minister by the name of Chen Bao, and his wife Lady Han, are still childless and not getting any younger. When Chen rejects his wife's suggestion of taking a concubine, she then suggests praying to Guan Yin. Guan Yin, who sees that the couple is destined to remain childless, orders a Boy Who Brings Wealth (Chinese: 招財僮子; pinyin: Zhāocái Tóngzǐ) to be born into the family. Soon Lady Han gave birth to a boy named Chen Lian, but she passed away when he was only 5 years old.
As a child, Chen Lian was interested not in civil or military pursuits but in religious enlightenment much to his fathers disapproval. At the age of 7 his father finally gave into to his pleas and allows him to learn under the tutelage of the Yellow Dragon Immortal (
When his father's 60th birthday approaches, he is once again asked to visit home. With his master away on business, Shan Cai decides to visit his father on since it is a special occasion. On his way down a mountain path to visit his father he hears a voice crying out for help. Upon investigation, it turns out to be the voice of a snake trapped in a bottle for the last eighteen years. The snake begs Shan Cai to release her upon which she turn into her true form, that of a monster and threatens to eat him. When Shan Cai protests at the snake's behavior, it makes the argument that than ēn (恩, a kind act) is repaid by a feud and that is the way of the world. However the snake agrees to submit the argument to three judges.
The first judge the argument is presented to is the incarnation of he Golden
Three years later, as Guan Yin returns to Putuoushan, she appears to Shan Cai in the middle of the ocean riding. Shan Cai then joins her in walking across the ocean and becomes her acolyte. With the confirmation of his faith, his parents are reborn in heaven. After the snake submitted itself to seven years of austerity, it cleanses itself of it's poison and produces a pearl. It then transforms into Long Nu and joins Shan Cai and becomes an acolyte of Guna Yin as well.[3]
References
- )
- )
- )
External References
- Putuoshan
- Chinese Customs - Guan Yin
- Chinese Customs - Jade One and Golden Child
- Antiques - Guan Yin
Category:Buddhism in China Category:Mahayana
The Wolf of Zhongshan
The Wolf of Zhongshan (
Synopsis
The story is set during the late
: Dōngguō Xiānshēng). The wolf appeals to the scholar's belief of "universal love" and implores for his help. Mr. Dongguo takes pity on the creature and hides it in one of his books bags strapped to his donkey.When the hunters approach him, Mr .Dongguo denies any knowledge of the wolf's whereabouts. After the hunters had left Mr. Dongguo lets the wolf out of his bag, got on his donkey and was about to take his leave only to be stopped by the wolf. The wolf now asked the scholar to save his life again, this time from starvation. Mr. Dongguo offered the wolf some pastries, but the wolf smile and said "I don't eat those, I dine solely on meat". Puzzled, Mr. Dongguo inquires if the wolf intended to eat his donkey and the wolf replies "No, no, donkey meat is no good". The donkey, upon hearing this, bolts from the scene as fast as its four legs to carry it leaving Mr. Dongguo behind with the wolf. To Mr. Dongguo's surprise, the hungry wolf pounced on him and announced it intention to eat him. When Mr. Dongguo protests at the wolf's ingratitude, the wolf presents the argument: since the scholar saved his life once why not do it again? Now that it was starving, only by serving as the wolf's food will the scholar have fulfilled the act of saving his life. Besides, the wolf complained that it nearly suffocated while it was crammed in the scholar's bag and the scholar now owed him. Dongguo and the wolf debated and finally decided to present their case to the judgment of three elders.
The first elder they present their argument to is an old withering apricot tree. The tree relates its own experience to the two on how when it was young, children used to pick its fruits from its branches and the tree would tell them to eat their fill. Now it was about to be chopped down to provide firewood. The tree sides with the wolf. The wolf is very pleased.
The second elder they present their argument to was an elderly water buffalo. The buffalo tells its story of how it served its masters for many years dutifully providing him with milk and plowing his fields. Now his master wants to butcher it so he can eat his meat. The buffalo too sides with the wolf. The wolf grins and feels even more justified in his request to eat the scholar. Mr. Dongguo reminds the wolf that they have one more elder to seek out.
The last elder they present their argument to is an elderly farmer. The farmer was skeptical and didn't believe that the wolf could fit into the bag. To illustrate its point, the wolf crawled back into the bag and right away the old farmer tied up the bag and started to beat the wolf with his hoe. The farmer bashes the wolf to an inch of his life then unties the bag and drags his dying wolf out of the bag.
Seeing the pitiful wolf the scholar thinks that the old farmer was too cruel but just then a weeping woman comes running towards them. She pointed to the wolf and told Mr. Dongguo and the farmer how it dragged off her little boy. Mr Dongguo now no longer pitied the wolf. He picked up the hoe and and strikes the final blow to the wolf's head.
Author
The authorship of this text is a matter of dispute. The text originally appeared in the Hǎishuō Gǔjīn as an anonymous text with no author listed but it has generally been attributed to
The term Mr. Dongguo (Dōngguō Xiānshēng) has now become a Chinese idiom for a naive person who gets into trouble through being softhearted to evil people.
Variations
Another variation of this tale can be found in the Precious Scroll of
See Also
References
- )
External Links
- Chinese Idiom
- The Wolf of Zhongshan (German)
- Welcome to China (English)
http://doris422.blog.sohu.com/72327308.html http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071019234806AAKmFFf http://chineseculture.about.com/library/extra/idiom/d/blyrhdongguoxiansheng.htm http://hubpages@@.com/hub/Too-Nice-to-Be-Real http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.know-china.net/UploadFiles/Chinese/20094/200904282231414011.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.know-china.net/2009/04/409.html&usg=__iOWSVKqB_qmEYzFDlP2KzlzP98c=&h=200&w=120&sz=5&hl=en&start=11&um=1&tbnid=qcz0zq3MpCdV6M:&tbnh=104&tbnw=62&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwolf%2Bzhongshan%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1 馬中錫