Tao-hsüan
(596-667c.e.) once asked a divine spirit about the history of the bodhisattva Kuan-yin.
The spirit replied:
In
the past there was a king whose name was Miao-chuang-yen. His lady was named
Pao-ying. She bore three daughters, the eldest Miao-yen, the second Miao-yin,
and the youngest Miao-shan.
At
the time of Miao-shan's conception the queen dreamed that she swallowed the
moon. When the time came for the child to be born, the whole earth quaked, and
wonderful fragrance and heavenly flowers were spread near and far. The people of
that country were astounded. At birth she was clean and fresh without being
washed. Her holy marks were noble and majestic, her body was covered over with
many-colored clouds. The people said that these were signs of the incarnation of
a holy person. Although the parents thought this extraordinary, their hearts
were corrupt, and so they detested her.
As
she grew up the bodhisattva became naturally kind and gentle. She dressed
plainly and ate only once a day. In the palace she was known as "the maiden
with the heart of a Buddha." By her good grace the ladies in waiting were
converted; all turned to the good life and renounced their desires. The king
took some exception to this and prepared to find her a husband. Miao-shan,
with integrity and wisdom, said: "Riches and honor are not there for ever,
glory and splendor are like mere bubbles or illusions. Even if you force me to
do base menial work, I will never repent of my resolve to remain chaste."
When
the king and his lady sent for her and tried to coax her, she said: "I will
obey your august command if it will prevent three misfortunes."
The
king asked: "What do you mean by 'three misfortunes'?"
She
said: "The first is this: when the men of this world are young, their face
is as fair as the jade-like moon, but when they grow old, their hair turns white
and their face is wrinkled; in motion or repose they are in every way worse off
than when they were young. The second is this: a man's limbs may be lusty and
vigorous, he may step as lithely as if flying through the air, but when suddenly
an illness befalls him, he lies in bed without a single pleasure in life. The
third is this: a man may have a great assembly of relatives, may be surrounded
by his nearest and dearest, but suddenly one day it all comes to an end with his
death; although father and son are close kin they cannot take one another's
place. If it can prevent these three misfortunes, then you will win my consent
to a marriage. If not, I prefer to retire to pursue a life of religion. When one
gains full understanding of the original mind, all misfortunes of their own
accord cease to exist."
The
king was angry. He forced her to work at gardening and reduced her food and
drink. Even her two sisters went privately to make her change her mind, but
Miao-shan held firm and would not turn back. When the queen personally
admonished her, Miao-shan said: "In all the emotional entanglements of this
world there is no term of spiritual release. If close kin are united, they must
inevitably be sundered and scattered. Rest at ease, mother. Luckily you have my
two sisters to care for you. Do not be concerned about Miao-shan."
The
queen and the two sisters therefore asked the king to release her to follow a
religious calling. The king was angry. He called for the nuns at White Sparrow
monastery, Po-ch'üeh ssu, and charged them to treat her so harshly that she
would change her mind. The nuns were intimidated and gave her the heaviest tasks
to do--fetching wood and water, working with pestle and mortar, and running the
kitchen garden. In response to her, the vegetables florished even in winter, and
a spring welled up beside the kitchen.
Much
time went by, and Miao-shan still held firm to her purpose. When the king heard
about the miracles of the vegetables and the spring of water, he was furious. He
sent soldiers to bring back her head and to kill the nuns. As they were
arriving, mountains of cloud and fog suddenly appeared, totally obscuring
everything. When it cleared, Miao-shan was the one person they could not find.
She had been borne off by a spirit to a crag in another place, there to live.
The spirit then said: "The land here is too barren to sustain
existence." He moved her altogether three times before they reached the
present Fragrant Mountain (Hsiang-shan). Miao-shan dwelt there, eating from the
trees, drinking from the streams.
Time
went by, and the king contracted jaundice. His whole body was corrupt and
suppurating, and he could no longer sleep or eat. None of the doctors could cure
him. He was about to die when a monk appeared, saying he was well able to cure
him, but would need the arms and eyes of one free from anger. The king found
this proposal extremely difficult to meet. The monk said: "On Fragrant
Mountain, in the south-west of your majesty's dominion, there is a bodhisattva
engaged in religious practices. If you send a messenger to present your request
to her you can count on obtaining the two things."
The
king had no choice but to command a palace equerry to go and convey his message.
Miao-shan said: "My father showed disrespect to the Three Treasures, he
persecuted and suppressed the True Doctrine, he executed innocent nuns. This
called for retribution." Then she gladly cut out her eyes and severed her
arms. Giving them to the envoy, she added instructions to exhort the king to
turn towards the good, no longer to be deluded by false doctrines.
"There
is no magic except for what believing makes so"
