Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 71 The Wind Passes Through the Pine Trees, and the Rainbow Returns to Heaven [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]

Lu Beigu's essay is not only beautifully written, but also subtly witty in its dialogue between host and guest.

When Master Baoyue read the lines, "The Dharma rain nourishes the parched, ultimately returning to the ocean of nature; the Zen bell breaks through delusion, directly pointing to the empty flower," several monks present spontaneously put their hands together and softly chanted the Buddha's name.

He Cong's face was ashen. He staggered back two steps and nearly fell, tripping over the stone steps behind him.

Xian Zhen swiftly caught him, only to see the usually arrogant top scholar of the county school trembling, muttering, "Impossible, how could this be an impromptu piece?"

Master Baoyue's voice grew louder and louder, and the last part echoed through the mountains like a great bell.

"The guest leaned against the rock and let out a long howl, the sound splitting through the clouds. Suddenly all was quiet, and only the sun could be seen shining in the sky."

After I finished my long whistle, the guest immediately asked, "Where does the sound reside?" I replied, "It resides at the back of your ear." He pressed further, "Where does your heart turn?" I pointed to the cypress tree before the cliff, "In its fruit."

I suddenly realized that what I had previously called clarity and change were all reflections in a mirror; what I had called destiny and public interest were merely traces on water.

Yu Xi clapped his hands and sang: 'The moon rises over the eastern mountain, its light illuminating the abyss; the wind passes through the pine tips, and rainbows dance in the sky; the sound of striking the stone is like a clear, resonant string; I shake my clothes and wash in the sacred spring.'

The guest laughed and said, "Now I bathe my golden body in jade dew, and am freed from worldly bonds in the vast emptiness. Though a white horse flashes past a crack, the universe is my curtain. Why not be like the Kalavinka, carrying wondrous fruit, dwelling in pairs under the tree of enlightenment? Or would I rather emulate Zijin, controlling a solitary duck, alone knocking on the gates of the Mysterious Capital?"

The words ceased, the banners faded, and the rosy clouds disappeared behind the distant peaks; the sound of the chime fell into the clouds, and the mountains were silent, and people forgot.

Suddenly, a crane skimmed down the steps, disappearing into the mist; only the shadow of a cypress tree remained on the ground, faintly touched by the frost.

As the last note faded, the entire audience was stunned.

A moment later, even the brown-robed monk who had been impartially supervising the entire process couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"This last passage is truly as wonderful as a gazelle hanging its horns on a cliff. If you savor it carefully, it is like sailing on a river and suddenly you see a white deer on a green cliff, but there is no trace of it. The scene is leisurely and the meaning is profound."

"Amitabha!"

Master Baoyue clasped his hands together, closed his eyes slightly, and after a moment of contemplation, slowly began to offer his comments.

"The so-called 'leaning against the rock and whistling' is actually creating a scene with sound, just like Liu Zongyuan's brushstrokes 'A single oar sounds and the mountains and waters turn green.' After all the sounds are quiet, only the sunlight can be seen flowing. It can be said to leave blank space to preserve the charm."

"The dialogue between host and guest subtly reveals three realms: the first question, 'Where does the sound reside?' elicits the sharp insight of 'It is all your sound, so where does it suddenly reside?'; the second refers to the cypress seed, alluding to the Zen koan 'The cypress seed in front of the courtyard' by the eminent Tang Dynasty Zen master Zhaozhou Congshen; and the final realization is 'Looking at the reflection in the mirror, the traces on the water,' directly pointing to the Diamond Sutra's 'All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, dew, and lightning; thus should they be viewed.' Each layer progresses in turn, ultimately dissolving into nothingness."

"And the song 'The moon rises over the eastern mountain' also shows the style of the Chu Ci. The guest laughed and concluded with the pair of Jialing and Zijin knocking alone. It is not just about choosing between two options, but actually showing people the non-dualistic way. Even if the white horse flies by, what does it matter if the whole world is the curtain? The true meaning here is no less than Tao Yuanming's sigh of 'wanting to explain but forgetting the words'?"

"In the end, the crane disappears into the mist, and the cypress shadows are covered with frost, concluding the poem with a beautiful scene that lingers in the air. The entire poem is like a fresh rain in an empty mountain, washing away all artifice and revealing true charm in the blank spaces. It can truly be described as 'a gazelle hanging its horns on a tree, leaving no trace to be found.'"

Master Baoyue's purple kasaya was fluttered by the mountain wind, leaving a golden edge. He suddenly turned to face Lu Beigu and bowed deeply.

This unexpected move caused everyone present to gasp in astonishment. This was a highly respected monk, personally bestowed with a title by the current emperor! Yet he was bowing to a student from a county school!
"This poem is no ordinary piece of writing; it is a work of profound understanding, where the writer's mind is connected to Buddhism and the pen flows like a lotus flower."

The mountains were silent for a moment, with only the sound of the pine trees rustling in the wind.

He Cong, who was crouching on the ground holding his head, broke the silence with his muttered words: "This...this is impossible!"

He Cong suddenly grabbed his own essay and tore it to shreds in a few strokes.

The shredded paper was blown down the cliff like snowflakes by the wind and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Everyone looked at him with pity.

This child has gone mad.

Lu Beigu calmly observed He Cong's loss of composure and said softly, "Victory and defeat are unpredictable in war; a true man endures shame and humiliation."

"Shut up!" He Cong pointed at Lu Beigu's nose, about to say something, but was stopped by Xian Zhen.

"We lost this round."

He Cong then realized his loss of composure, suppressed his anger and stepped aside, but the resentment in his heart grew stronger.

Although Xian Zhen conceded defeat, his face was also very ugly. He originally thought that He Cong had the victory in the bag, but he did not expect that He Cong would be defeated by Lu Beigu, whom he had always looked down on, in front of everyone.

However, even if Lu Beigu managed to save the day and turn the tide, he could only tie the score at 2-2.

Xian Zhen was confident that he would defeat Lu Beigu in the upcoming decisive battle.

After all, Xianzhen, as a student in the middle dormitory of the state school, often went to the upper dormitory. His literary level was on a completely different level from that of He Cong and Ji Yun.

He Cong is no match for Lu Beigu, but that doesn't mean Xian Zhen is.

At this moment, He Cong also walked to Xian Zhen's side with a gloomy face and whispered something to him.

"It's alright, there's still the fifth challenge. I'll go and meet this Lu Beigu myself."

Xian Zhen stared at Lu Beigu and said in a deep voice.

After looking around, the brown-robed monk announced, "The fourth round, Han Ziyu's team wins!"

Yes, there's no need to compete anymore. As soon as Lu Beigu finished writing his poem, everyone behind him stepped back, not intending to go up and embarrass themselves alongside He Cong.

Then the brown-robed monk said to them, "Please rest for a while, the final test will take place at the summit."

Lu Beigu returned to his companions.

"Brother Han, I have not disappointed you."

Finally, when the results came out, Han Ziyu breathed a long sigh of relief on the stretcher, and the pain seemed to lessen a bit.

"Brother Lu, you are truly a celestial being. I have underestimated all the heroes of the world."

Then, Han Ziyu struggled to say, "Brother Lu, I'll have to rely on you from now on. If you can get first place and help me vent my anger, I will definitely not be stingy with the cost of the 'Records of Buddhist Temples in Luoyang'!"

Han San Niang disregarded etiquette and excitedly tugged at Lu Bei Gu's sleeve: "Young Master Lu is truly a man of extraordinary talent, I admire him greatly!"

Lu Beigu smiled slightly: "Just lucky."

"This is no fluke!" Ji Yun excitedly patted Lu Beigu on the shoulder.

Lu Guangyu complained, "You kept this from us for so long!"

Lu Beigu smiled but did not answer, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains and rivers.

Looking out from this vantage point, the Yangtze River and Anle River, which usually seem so vast and powerful, appear incredibly small.

Looking into the distance, the mountains to the north and the Sichuan Basin at the horizon are all within sight.

"One day, I will go to see the green mountains beyond the mountains, and I will also see the scenery beyond the green mountains."

He thought to himself.

Just then, the brown-robed monk suddenly appeared in front of Lu Beigu, saying that Master Baoyue had something to say to him, and then led him over to talk to Master Baoyue alone.

(End of this chapter)