Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 70 "Ode to the Dharma King Temple on the Buddha's Birthday" [Seeking monthly votes!]

As the poem unfolds...

Lu Beigu's expression became increasingly focused, as if he had become one with the words he was writing.

He was completely immersed in his creative process, and what he wrote was the essence that had been refined three times, reaching a level where "not a single word could be changed".

Xian Zhen, who was watching from the sidelines, frowned involuntarily when he saw Lu Beigu's flowing writing style. This state was not uncommon; anyone who had experienced "a wellspring of inspiration" would understand what it meant.

Meanwhile, Ji Yun, who was also concerned about him, stood several feet away on the other side, tiptoeing to try to see the contents, but only caught a glimpse of a few lines of ink.

"Brother?"

Han San Niang looked uneasily at Han Ziyu on the stretcher.

This is the moment that will determine the team's victory or defeat. If they win this fourth round and tie the score at two to two, then they will still have hope of winning the fifth round.

If Lu Beigu loses, the team will be completely defeated.

Despite the pain, with beads of sweat forming on her forehead, Han Ziyu managed to say, "Wait and see, I believe him."

When the incense had burned halfway.

Lu Beigu's essay is also nearing completion.

His pen suddenly paused, as if he was pondering how to conclude the piece. After a moment, a flash of enlightenment appeared in his eyes, and he wrote the last few lines with a flourish.

After checking it one last time, Lu Beigu organized his poem and presented it to Master Baoyue.

"Please take a look, Master."

Master Baoyue slightly raised his half-closed eyelids and looked at the paper with a scrutinizing gaze.

However, as he read, his previously furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and his eyes revealed surprise and admiration.

After examining it carefully for a while, Master Baoyue gave his evaluation.

"A masterpiece of literary and artistic excellence!"

Everyone was surprised when they heard this.

He Cong's expression changed instantly. He stared wide-eyed at the Xuan paper in Master Baoyue's hand, as if trying to see through the paper what Lu Beigu had written.

Upon hearing this assessment, Han Ziyu struggled to sit up, but Han San Niang quickly pressed her down.

Master Baoyue held the Xuan paper and recited it aloud himself.

"Ode to the Buddha's Birthday at Fawang Temple"

It was early summer, a time of clear and mild weather. On the first day of the Buddha's bathing ceremony, the Dharma resounded throughout the nine heavens. We gathered wild herbs to invite the clouds, sharing the rosy hues; we collected pine nuts to boil spring water, each adjusting our straw raincoats. Then we saw precious trees drooping with tassels, their fragrance floating like golden millet; the sacred spring gurgling like jade, its reflection shimmering like a blue snail.

After reading this passage, Master Baoyue paused for a moment and then gave his evaluation without hesitation.

"The opening lines of this poem capture the essence of the Six Dynasties' parallel prose. For example, the line 'Gathering mountain ferns to invite the clouds' subtly echoes Xie Tiao's 'The remaining sunset clouds scatter like brocade,' while the four characters 'The spiritual spring washes jade' clearly possess the refined charm of Wang Wei's 'The clear spring flows over the rocks.' This truly demonstrates that the poet's mind is connected with the Zen spirit."

Master Baoyue's comments echoed in the mountain breeze.

The clouds at the edge of the cliff suddenly surged, as if moved by this poem. And with just this opening, anyone present with even a little literary knowledge, anyone who had read the poems of Jiang Yan and Yu Xin, would understand the level of this work.

The writing is fresh and natural, with the charm of mountains and forests and the beauty of Zen. It does not use any obscure words or waste words, yet it vividly describes the scene. Occasionally, it uses allusions as if they were natural and without any trace.

It's a truly first-rate article!

It can be said that this exquisite opening alone is worlds apart from He Cong's rambling and nonsensical "Ode to the Cliff Cypress"!
However, before anyone could even sigh in amazement, Master Baoyue continued reading.

"Then, incense smoke wafted from sandalwood tablets, and dew condensed on pearl tablets. Wang Wei engaged in profound discussions, and Master Huiyuan recited pure verses. Observing the solemnity of the Buddha's image, I was suddenly overcome with sorrow and lamented: The Dharma body is eternal, existing for countless eons; while life is fleeting, like a passing river or a galloping horse. It is like a morning mushroom obscured by the dawn and dusk, or a cicada unaware of spring and autumn; how is it different from a small boat hidden in a great ravine, or Mount Sumeru containing a mustard seed? So I put down the book, straightened my robe, and stood in the wind, fluttering my sleeves."

After everyone listened intently to the second part, their faces showed shock.

He Cong's face turned from pale to ashen, his fingertips unconsciously dug into his palms, and large drops of sweat dripped from his forehead.

He had only one thought in his mind.

"It's over."

This passage not only maintains the quality of the previous text, but also naturally leads the article into profound philosophy from the perspective of the protagonist. More importantly, this kind of transition often means that as long as the following content does not fall apart, the theme and realm of this poem will reach a level that He Cong can only dream of!
"If your writing is this good, why did you write a novel at the literary banquet back then?"

At this moment, Ji Yun had only this one thought in his mind.

Lu Guangyu, standing next to him, was completely dumbfounded. He suddenly realized that he had never witnessed Lu Beigu's full strength before.

The different reactions from the crowd made Han San Niang feel a little flustered.

She squatted down and quietly asked Han Ziyu, "Brother, although I am not very knowledgeable about poetry, I can still tell that the writing is good. But what exactly is so good about Lu Beigu's poem? Why are people so surprised?"

Han Ziyu was momentarily lost in thought, but after hearing her sister's question, she came to her senses and tried her best to explain.

"The poem begins with the imagery of smoke and dew, and expresses its sentiments through Buddhist principles, demonstrating a mastery of the essence of poetry and Buddhism. The middle lines are particularly exquisite in their metaphors and perfect in their parallelism, such as 'the morning mushroom is confused by the new moon and the twilight' paired with 'the cicada is confused by spring and autumn,' and 'a small boat is hidden in a great ravine' paired with 'Mount Sumeru is contained in a mustard seed.' These are all natural creations, not the result of painstaking composition. The last line is especially captivating, leaving the reader eager to hear how the story unfolds."

After saying that, Han Ziyu ignored his sister and just propped himself up on one side, staring at Master Baoyue as he continued reading.

Master Baoyue remained solemn and continued reading.

"Leading his guest, they treaded into the void. The guest patted the rock and said, 'This water yesterday condensed the snowy essence of Mount Emei, today it transforms into the shimmering light of the Hejiang River. Tomorrow it will travel with the sea to Penglai. Though its form and substance have changed, its clarity remains the same.'"

I pointed to the broken wall and gnarled vines: 'Yet the clear stream enjoys longevity, while the withered wood loses its former appearance; is this not a case of fate being biased?'

The guest smiled and waved his whisk: "Don't you see how the Dharma rain nourishes the withered, ultimately returning to the sea of ​​nature; the Zen bell breaks through delusion, directly pointing to empty illusions. Water, moon, and mirror image—are they two separate things? Pine, bamboo, and crane bones—are inherently without constant difference."

The question-and-answer format of Song Fu (a type of classical Chinese prose-poetry) originated from Han Fu, such as Sima Xiangru's "Zixu Fu". However, the role of the "guest" in Song Fu is more philosophical and has less of the satirical and admonitory meaning in Han Fu. Moreover, the so-called "guest" is not a real person, but a fictional literary figure created to advance the narrative structure, provoke philosophical thinking, and project the author's emotions.

Therefore, there wasn't actually a person accompanying Lu Beigu to climb mountains and talk, and Lu Beigu didn't have a mental breakdown; this was just a normal narrative technique used in the novel.

From the perspective of literary development, the fictional "guest" in Song Fu not only enhanced the literary quality of the works, but also became an important means for Song Dynasty literati to express complex thoughts and emotions. It was through this setting that Song Fu achieved a sublimation from description to argumentation, and from narration to lyricism, reflecting the characteristics of Song Dynasty literature that emphasizes reason and critical thinking.

Typical examples include two famous Song dynasty fu poems that have yet to be published: Ouyang Xiu's "Ode to the Autumn Sounds" and Su Shi's "Ode to the Red Cliff".

As the recitation continued, the expressions of the people present gradually changed from shock to deep thought.

(End of this chapter)