LNCQLT 2

LNCQLT 2

[2/1a] The Second Fascicle of the Arrayed Tales of Selected Oddities from South of the Passes

The Tale of Lý Ông Trọng

At the end of the era of the Hùng kings, a man surnamed Lý with the given name of Thân was born and grew up in Thụy Hương Commune, Từ Liêm District, Giao Chỉ (he grew to two trượng and three xích tall). Haughty and fierce, he killed a man. The crime was evil and deserved death, but the Hùng king cherished him and could not bear to execute him.

Then during the time of King An Dương, the First Emperor of Qin wished to attack our kingdom. King An Dương offered Lý Thân to the Qin as tribute (some say he presented [Lý Thân]). The First Emperor was very happy, and appointed him metropolitan commandant.[1] When First Emperor annexed All Under Heaven, he had [Lý Thân] lead troops to garrison Lintao and shock the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu [2/1b] did not dare to encroach upon the border. He was invested as the Marquis of Phụ Tin/Fuxin, and offered a princess in marriage (That is, [someone from] the First Emperor’s Khiết Bạch/Jiebai Palace. She gave birth to six or five kings. Her death anniversary is on the tenth day of the first lunar month.).[2] Later because of advanced age, he returned to the kingdom.

The Xiongnu again encroached. The First Emperor again thought of Lý Thân and sent a person to summon him. Lý Thân was unwilling to go, and fled into the forests and swamps. The Qin monarch condemned him. King An Dương searched but could not find him, and lied by saying that he had already died. The Qin asked how he had died, and [King An Dương] responded that [he had died of] diarrhea. The Qin dispatched an emissary to verify this and he turned up the heat and stirred up the land to get the truth. The Qin ordered that the corpse be brought back. Lý Thân had no option but to commit suicide (At the time, it was the second day of the second lunar month). His corpse was covered with mercury, and was delivered to the Qin.[3]

The First Emperor found [the corpse] to be extraordinary, and had [Lý Thân’s] image cast in bronze, calling it “Ông Trọng/Wengzhong.” It was placed outside the Outer Palace Gate in Xianyang. It could hold [2/2a] several tens of men, who would secretly rock it back and forth. The Xiongnu believed that it was the living commandant, and dared not trespass across the border.

During the Tang, Protector-General of Giao Region Zhao Chang dreamed at night that he discussed with Lý Thân about the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Zuo Commentary. He thereupon inquired about [Lý Thân’s] old residence, erected a shrine there and made offerings to him. Later, when Cao Biền/Gao Pian was pacifying Nanzhao, [Lý Thân’s spirit] willingly manifested itself to assist with the submission [of Nanzhao]. Cao Biền/Gao Pian had the shrine renovated, and a statue carved in wood. This he called the Commandant Lý Shrine. Currently it is in Thụy Hương Commune, Từ Liêm District. (It was formerly called Thị Hàm Commune. Now it has been changed to Thụy Hương Commune.) It is by Đại River, fifteen leagues from the capital. (Now the sacrificial register lists it as the most potent shrine. Every year sacrifices are made in the spring, before those in Quốc Uy Prefecture.)

There is a poem which goes:

A great man with full talent in civil and marshal affairs,

The bequeathed image at Xianyang, startles the northern barbarian hordes.

Eternally engaged in a dream discussing the classics,[4]

The sacrificial offerings under the Southern Heavens strengthen the imperial kingdom.

[2/2b] The Tale of the Việt Well

The Việt Well was on Mount Trâu in Vũ Ninh Commandery. At the time of the third generation Hùng king, the Yin king raised an army and trespassed the south. He camped his troops at the foot of Mount Trâu. The Hùng king sought help from the Dragon Lord. The Dragon Lord informed him that he would search All Under Heaven for extraordinary talents so that the enemy could be pacified. The Sóc Thiên King responded to the occasion and was born. Riding an iron horse, he attacked [the army]. The Yin officers and soldiers all fled. The Yin king was defeated and died at the foot of the mountain, and became the Lord of the Netherworld. People erected a shrine and worshipped him with offerings. With the passage of many years it gradually fell into disuse and the temple was abandoned.

Passing through the Zhou to the Qin, a man from our kingdom, Thôi Lượng, served the Qin as Censor-in-chief. He once passed [2/3a] this place. Seeing the decrepit state [of the temple] he felt sadness. He renovated the temple, and then composed a poem which went:

The ancient who transmitted the way was King Yin,

He made an imperial tour all the way to this area.

Amidst verdant mountains and flowing streams, a lone temple,

Although his spirit has ascended, traces remain and one can still sense his presence.

A moment’s defeat brought an end to the Yin’s moral awe,

But for a myriad years his spiritual efficacy has brought order to the Việt Thường.

Let the people from this point onward worship with offerings,

To silently assist the kingdom’s destiny to know no boundaries.

Later, Ren Xiao and Zhao Tuo led troops to trespass the south (during the time of King An Dương). They garrisoned their soldiers at the foot of the mountain. They renovated the temple and enforced the worship [at the temple].

The [spirit of] King Yin felt gratitude at Lượng’s moral virtue and wished to repay his merit. He dispatched the Immortal Magu, to exit the [immortal] realm and search for him. At that time, Lượng had already died in the Qin [domain]. However, his son Vỹ was still [2/3b] alive, and was away studying.

Once at the time of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the people journeyed to the shrine and offered a pair of glass vases. The Immortal Magu picked them up and toyed with them. Suddenly she dropped them on the ground and they cracked. The commoners grabbed her [to get her to] compensate. Magu was clothed in lowly robes and the people did not know that she was an immortal. The people insulted and beat her severely. Thôi Vỹ saw this and took pity on her. He took off his robe and gave it to Magu to use as compensation so that she could escape. Magu asked Vỹ where he lived. Vỹ told her everything about his father. Only then did Magu realize that he was Censor-in-chief Thôi’s son. Delighted, she said to Vỹ, “Today I have nothing with which to repay you. Later I will definitely repay you.” She gave him a bunch of mugwort and said to him, “Carefully safeguard this. Don’t let it leave [2/4a] your person. Later if you see a person with a goiter on his head, use this to perform moxibustion and it will disappear. Then you will definitely obtain great wealth.” Vỹ accepted it, but he did not know that it was medicine of the immortals.

He went to the home of his close friend, Ứng Huyền. Huyền was a Daoist master who had a goiter on his head. [Thôi Vỹ] said to him, “I have mugwort which can cure this ailment. Please let me administer it.” [Thôi Vỹ] then used the mugwort to perform moxibustion and the goiter naturally disappeared.

Huyền said, “This is the medicine of the immortals. I do not have anything with which I can repay you. Please let me repay you with some other form of gratitude. I saw that a close friend who is an official also has this ailment. He once said that to whomever can cure this, he will not be stingy in offering that person his family riches. Please, Sir, treat him, and let that serve as my repayment.”

Huyền led Vỹ to the home of Ren Xiao, where [Vỹ] performed moxibustion [2/4b] on him. The goiter was immediately cured. Xiao was very happy, and took Vỹ in as his adopted son. He established an academy where Vỹ could study until he was ready to be employed. Vỹ was intelligent by nature. He studied and learned to play the zither.

Xiao’s daughter, Fangrong, took a fancy in him when they met and she then had relations with Vỹ. When Xiao’s son, Renfu, learned of this, he wanted to kill [Thôi Vỹ] by sacrificing him to the Xương Cuồng God. He enticed [Vỹ] by saying, “It is the end of the year and we still have no one to sacrifice to the Xương Cuồng God. Now you should not move about on the road for you might be captured alive. You should come hide in this room to avoid this.”

Vỹ did not realize Renfu’s real intent and followed him. Renfu locked the door. When Fangrong learned of this, she secretly gave Vỹ a knife which he used to bore through the wall and get out.

[2/5a] In the dark of night he tried to secretly go to the home of Ứng Huyền. When he raced over a mountain, there was a cave into which he suddenly fell. It took an entire two-hour watch for him to reach the bottom. He laid there in pain for a long time before he could sit up. He then saw that he was surrounded by walls of stone, with no stairs to climb out. There was a stone above him, with mineral milk from it flowing into a stone basin. There was a white snake which was one hundred trượng long that had a golden horn, a crimson mouth, green whiskers and white scales. On its neck was a goiter. On its forehead were characters in gold which said “Prince of the Royal Capital.” The snake came out to drink the mineral milk, and then went back deep into the cavern [of the cave].

Vỹ lived in the cavern for three days and became very hungry. He then stole a drink of the mineral milk. When the snake came out and saw that the stone basin [2/5b] was completely empty, he raised his head, saw Vỹ, and wished to swallow him. Vỹ was terrified. He prostrated and said, “I fell into here when I was trying to escape calamity. I have no means of relieving my hunger, so I stole and ate some of this. I sincerely admit my guilt. I now see that you have a goiter under your chin. I have three-year mugwort. Please pardon my crime and allow me to perform this humble technique.”

The snake raised its head and requested the moxibustion. Suddenly a blaze shot up and a piece of charcoal fell down into the cavern. Vỹ took it and used it to perform moxibustion. The goiter was immediately cured. The snake then coiled itself before Vỹ with the intent of letting Vỹ mount him.[5] Vỹ mounted its back, and it immediately took him out of the cavern. At the second watch of the night they reached the rim [of the cave]. There was no one around. The snake waved its tail to let Vỹ climb down, and then it went back into the cavern.

Vỹ walked [2/6a] and got lost. He stumbled across a citadel gate. Above it was a high tower with exquisite crimson tiles shining with brilliance.[6] Hanging above the gate was a crimson placard with gold characters that said “Citadel of the Yin King.” Vỹ sat beside the gate. Looking into the courtyard he saw a pool. In the pool there were five-color lotus flowers. Next to it were several rows of locust and willow trees. There was a flat and smooth road of cobblestones. There were palaces of jade and pearl, with broad covered walkways. In the main palace was a golden-turtle bed over which was spread a silver ornamented mat. There was a zither and a lute, and no one around.

Vỹ slowly went over and played them. He suddenly saw several hundred golden lads and jade maidens guarding the Yin queen come out from a gate which opened. Vỹ was astonished. He descended from the palace and prostrated before them. The queen laughed and said, “How did official Thôi arrive [2/6b] here on his own?”

She then led him up into the palace and said, “Formerly, the palace of the Yin king was abandoned and allowed to decay. No one made offerings there. Censor-in-chief Thôi was ordered to renovate it. The people followed him in this and made offerings perpetually. Immortal Magu was ordered to search out and repay him for his virtuous deed. She did not find the Censor-in-chief, but met you, Sir, and had nothing to repay you with. Now we have a chance to meet face to face but the Emperor on High [Thượng Đế] issued an order and the king has reported to Heaven and is not here.”

She then granted Vỹ a feast with wine and delicacies, and encouraged him to drink and eat to his fill.

After drinking, he suddenly saw a man with long whiskers and a big belly respectfully bring a memorial, kneel before them and report, “On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, Northerner Ren Xiao was beaten to death by the Xương Cuồng God.”

Having reported this, the queen said that, “Official Yang will lead Sir Thôi back to the mortal world.” The queen saw them off. Official Yang [2/7a] had Vỹ close his eyes and sit on his shoulders. In just over a moment they reached the mountain. Official Yang transformed into a stone sheep and stood on the mountain.[7] Today he is still on the south side of Mount Trâu, behind the shrine to King Việt of the Triệu.

Vỹ returned to the home of Ứng Huyền, and told him everything. On the first day of the eighth lunar month, at twilight, Vỹ and Huyền were roaming when they met Immortal Magu leading a maiden by the hand, whom she granted to Vỹ. They subsequently became husband and wife.

[She also gave him] a dragon-jade precious pearl. At first the pearl had consisted of a male and female pair. From the Yellow Emperor to the Yin it was passed down as an heirloom. In the battle at Mount Trâu, the Yin King wore it and died. It was then buried in the ground. The radiance of the pearl constantly shot up to Heaven. During the period of the Qin Dynasty, there was fighting. All [2/7b] jewels were burned. Looking at the [radiance shooting up to Heaven], they knew that the dragon-jade precious pearl was still in the Southern Kingdom. They came from afar to look for it.

At this point [the spirit of] the Yin King repaid Vỹ with the precious pearl. At that time, someone bought it with gold, silver and patterned silk cloth worth hundreds of thousands of strings of cash. Vỹ thereupon became very wealthy.

Immortal Magu invited Vỹ and his wife to leave. It is not known where they went. It is speculated that they became immortals. Today there is nothing left but a cavern, and it is still commonly referred to as Việt Well Ridge.

The Tale of the Golden Turtle

[2/8a] King An Dương of the Kingdom of Âu Lạc was from Ba Thục/Ba Shu.[8] His surname was Thục/Shu, and his given name was Phán/Pan. When his forebear was denied after asking for the hand of the daughter of the Hùng King, Mỵ Nương, in marriage, he developed a grudge. Phán/Pan desired to act on this earlier resolution [of his forebear to seek revenge], so he raised troops, attacked the Hùng King and destroyed the Kingdom of Văn Lang. He changed its name to Âu Lạc and took up residence there.

He built a citadel in the Việt Thường/Yuechang lands. Each time it was built it would collapse. The king then set up an altar, fasted and prayed. On the seventh day of the third lunar month, an old man suddenly arrived from the west. When he arrived at the gate to the citadel he sighed and said, “When will the building of this citadel come to an end?” The king invited him into the palace, performed a ritual of salutation, and asked, “Each time I build this citadel it collapses. I have expended [2/8b] a great deal of labor but have been unable to complete it. Why is this?” The old man said, “One day the Clear River Emissary will construct it together with the king, and then it will finally be completed.” Having said this, he departed.

The next day, the king stood looking off from the east gate and saw a golden turtle come from the east. He stood on the water and could make the sounds of human language. He claimed that he was the Clear River Emissary and clearly understood the principles of Heaven and earth, yin and yang, and ghosts and spirits. The king was pleased and said, “This is what the old man told me about.” He then had [the golden turtle] transported into the citadel on a golden palanquin, and invited him to sit in the palace.[9] He then asked why the construction of the citadel could not be completed.

The golden turtle responded that “This is the numinous khí/qi of the mountains and rivers. The previous king’s son relied on it to get revenge for the kingdom. There is also a thousand-year-old white chicken which transforms into an evil essence. It hides on Mount Thất Diệu. There are ghosts [2/9a] on the mountain, and a musician from the previous dynasty was buried there. He transformed into a ghost. On one side is an inn, where travelers come and go. The owner of the inn is named Ngộ Không.[10] He has a daughter and a white chicken which are the residue essence of ghosts and spirits. When people come to stay there, this ghost essence transforms into myriad shapes and forms, and harms them. Many people have died. Now there is a white rooster which has married the inn owner’s daughter. If you kill the rooster and suppress its ghost essence, it will definitely accumulate yin khí/qi and become a demon, and will then transform into an owl that will carry a document in its beak and fly to the top of a Candana tree where it will be submitted to the Thearch on High [Thượng Đế/Shangdi] with the request that the citadel be ruined.[11] I, your servant, will bite it and get the document to fall. You, king, must quickly grab it, and then the citadel can be completed.”

The golden turtle then got the king to pretend he was a traveler [2/9b] and stay at the inn. The king placed the golden turtle on the door lintel. Ngộ Không said, “There is a demon essence in this inn. It often kills people at night. You should not stay here, sir. It is still not dark. You should quickly go to another place, otherwise you will invite calamity.”

The king laughed and said, “Birth and death are determined by fate. What can ghosts and demons do? I am not afraid,” and stayed for the night.

That night a ghost essence called from outside, “Who’s there? Hurry up and open the door.” The golden turtle shouted back, “We have closed the door. What are you going to do about it?” The ghost essence set a fire and then transformed into myrid forms, using numerous techniques to terrify them, but did not succeed in entering. With the cock’s crow, the ghost essence dispersed. The golden turtle together with the king to pursue it. They reached [2/10a] Mount Thất Diệu, and ghost essence fully hid itself. The king then returned to the inn.

In the morning, the owner of the inn came with other people to collect and bury the corpses of the people staying at the inn. When he saw the king happily langhing and talking, everyone saluted him and said, “How did you become like this, sir? You must be a sage! I beg you for your divine medicine in order to save living beings.”

The king said, “Kill your white chicken and perform a sacrificial ritual with it. The ghost essence will completely disperse.”

Ngộ Không followed [this plan]. In killing the white chicken, his daughter immediately collapsed and died. [The king] then ordered [Ngộ Không] to dig on Mount Thất Diệu and get an ancient musical instrument and the skeleton [of the musician], to burn them to ash, and to throw [the ashes] in a river.

By this point it was getting late in the day. The king and the golden turtle ascended Mount Việt Thường and saw that the ghost essence had already transformed into a six-footed owl and that it was flying to the Candana tree with the document in its beak. [2/10b] The golden turtle changed into a colored mouse and followed it. [The golden turtle] bit the owl’s foot and the document dropped. The king quickly grabbed it. Bookworms had consumed more than half of the document already. From this point onward the ghost essence dispersed.

The construction of the citadel was completed in half a month. The wall of the citadel was one thousand trượng in expanse and wound around in the shape of a snail.[12] It was therefore called Loa Citadel.[13] It was also called Quỷ Long Citadel.[14] People of the Tang [Dynasty] called it Côn Lôn/Kunlun Citadel, which referred to its great height.

The golden turtle stayed there for three years and then bid farewell. The king thanked him saying, “Thanks to your benevolence the citadel is now complete. If we need to engage in external defense, how do we defend against that?”[15]

The golden turtle responded that “The ascendence or decline a kingdom’s destiny and the security or danger of its altar to the spirit of soil and grain [are determined by] the movements of Heaven. People can extend [the kingdom’s destiny] by cultivating morality. Since you have this wish, how can I [2/11a] be reluctant?” [The golden turtle] then pulled off a claw and gave it to the king, saying, “Use this to make a crossbow trigger. When you fire arrows at bandits you will have no worries.” Having said this, [the golden turtle] returned to the Eastern Sea. he king ordered Cao Lỗ to make a crossbow using the claw for its trigger and called it the Numinously-Radiant Golden-Claw Divine-Trigger Crossbow.

Later, the Zhao king, Tuo, raised troops and invaded to the south. He engaged in battle with the king. The king fired at him with the divine-trigger crossbow. Tuo’s troops were thoroughly defeated. They raced to Mount Trâu, where they built ramparts facing the king. He was not able to engage in regular battle, so he sent an emissary to ask for peace. The king was pleased and let Tuo govern areas to the north of Tiểu River while the king would govern over areas to its south (the Tiểu River is today the Thiên Đức River).

Not long after this, Tuo sought marriage. The king did not have the intention to grant in marriage his daughter, Mỵ Châu, to Tuo’s son, Trọng Thủy/Zhongshi. Zhongshi enticed Mỵ Châu to let him steal a look at the divine-trigger crossbow. [2/11b] He then secretly made another trigger and used it to replace the golden-turtle claw. He then lied [to Mỵ Châu] that he had to return to the north to visit his parents.

He said, “A husband and wife can never forget each other, and the closeness of one’s parents can never be abandoned. I am now going back to visit. If the two kingdoms here should fall out of favor, and north and south should be divided, I will come to find you. So what object will you use so that I can recognize you?”

Mỵ Châu stated, “I am a girl. Having to part, it is hard for me to control my feelings. I have a goose-down brocade quilt which is always by my side. I will take out the feathers and place them at each fork in the road to show you so that I can perhaps be rescued.”

Zhongshi clasped the trigger under his arm and returned. Tuo was elated to obtain [the trigger], and sent troops to attack the king. Relying on the divine crossbow, the king sat at ease playing chess and said, “So Tuo is not afraid of my divine crossbow?” When Tuo’s troops neared, [2/12a] the king picked up the crossbow, but the divine trigger was gone, so he fled. The king placed Mỵ Châu on his horse and then ran southward. Zhongshi recognized the goose feathers and pursued them. When the king arrived at the sea coast, the road came to an end and there were no boats to make a crossing.

The king shouted loudly, “Heaven is letting me die! Where are you, Clear River Emissary? Hurry and save me!”

The golden turtle emerged on the water and reprimanded [the king] saying, “The one riding behind you is a bandit.”

The king thereupon took out his sword and hit Mỵ Châu. Mỵ Châu vowed, “If, as a daughter, I have had a rebellious heart and harmed my father, then I will become dust when I die. However, if I am loyal and have been deceived by someone, then I will become a pearl-white jade that will cleanse this disgrace.”

Mỵ Châu died on the sea coast. Her blood flowed into the water where oysters [2/12b] ingested it and it became bright pearls.

The king took hold of a seven thốn [long] patterned rhinoceros [horn].[16] The golden turtle opened the waters and led the king into the sea. Tradition has it that this was at Mount Dạ, Cao Xá village, Diễn Châu Prefecture. When Tuo’s troops arrived, there was nothing to be found but Mỵ Châu. Zhongshi held Mỵ Châu’s corpse and took it back to bury at Loa Citadel where it transformed into a piece of jade. With Mỵ Châu having died, Zhongshi was filled with endless grief and regret. At the place where she used to bathe, he thought of Mỵ Châu and threw himself into a well and died. Later, when people obtained bright pearls [minh châu] from the Eastern Sea and washed them with water from this well, they became even brighter. They thereupon made the word Mỵ Châu taboo and called bright pearls đại cưu/dajiu or tiểu cưu/xiaojiu.[17]

[2/13a] The Tale of the Loyal and Numinous Two Ladies

According to the Historical Records, the two Trưng ladies were originally surnamed Hùng Thị. The elder sister was named Trắc and the younger sister was named Nhị. They were from Mê Linh in Phong Châu, and were the daughters of a Hùng general of Giao/Jiao Region. At first Trắc married Thi Sách, a man from Chu Diên District. She was very morally upright, courageous, and had the intelligence to decide critical matters. At that time, Tô Định/Su Ding of Giao/Jiao Region was greedy and violent. The people of the region suffered under him. Trắc sought revenge against Ding for killing her husband, and together with her sister Nhị raised troops and attacked Ding, capturing Giao/Jiao Region, and leading [the people of] the commanderies of Cửu Chân/Jiuzhen, Nhật Nam/Rinan and Hợp Phố/Hepu to all support them. They thereupon conquered 65 citadels in Lĩnh Ngoại [2/13b], and declared themselves monarchs.[18] It was at this time they there were first called Trưng. They established a capital at Ô Diên Citadel.

Su Ding fled back to Nam Hải/Nanhai. When [Emperor] Guangwu of the Han learned of this, he banished Su Ding to Đam Nhĩ/Dan’er Commandery, and dispatched the generals Mã Viện/Ma Yuan and Lưu Long/Liu Long and others to attack [the Trưng sisters] in his stead. When they reached Lãng Bạc, the ladies fought to hold them off. Over a year later, seeing the strength of Ma Yuan’s army increasing, [the Trưng sisters] calculated that their disorderly followers would probably not be able to persist, so they retreated to hold Cấm Khê. [Ma] Yuan led his followers to attack them. The foot soldiers [of the Trưng sisters] scattered. The ladies’ position became isolated and they perished in the battle. Some say they ascended Mount Hy, and then disappeared.

The people in the region felt sorry for them. They built a temple for them at the mouth of the Hát River to honor them. Whenever there was a calamity, people would make supplications to them, and their potent spirits [2/14a] would respond. During the time of Lý Anh Tông there was a great drought. He ordered Zen master Cảm Tĩnh to pray for rain. One day the rain came down, covering people with its coolness. The emperor was pleased. As he watched it, he suddenly fell asleep.[19] In his dream he saw two women wearing lotus caps, green robes and vermillion sashes. Riding iron horses, they came following the wind. The emperor found this peculiar and inquired who they were. They responded that “We are the two Trưng sisters. We have received an order from the Thearch on High [Thượng Đế] to bring about rain.” The emperor wished to sincerely ask more, but they raised their hands to signal for him to stop. The emperor then awoke from the dream and felt moved. He ordered that the shrine be renovated, and a ritual performed for their benefit. Later they also entered the emperor’s dream and asked that a shrine be built on the Đồng Nhân Shoal.[20] [The emperor] agreed. He ordered that they be invested as the Loyal and Numinous Two Ladies. The Trần Dynasty additionally invested them with the attractive title of Manifestly-Meritorious, Victorious and Purely [2/14b] Maintaining Obedience. To this day they are still granted titles, and the incense [from those who make offerings at their temple] never ceases.

The Tale of the Savage Maiden

During the time of Emperor Xian of the Han [r. 181-220 C.E.], Governor Sĩ Nhiếp/Shi Xie was based in a citadel on the southern bank of the Bình River (today it is the Thiên Đức River). To the south of the citadel was a Buddhist Temple. There was a monk there who came from the west who was called Kalacanya [Già La Đồ Lê]. He served as abbot of the temple and was able to establish the dharma of the single leg.[21] People revered him. They called him Revered Master and all came to study the way.

At the time there was a girl called the Savage Maiden [Man Nương]. Her parents both died and she became more impoverished with every day. She also devoutly sought the way of the Buddha. She was not good at talking and could not recite [2/15a] the sutras with the others. She often stayed in the kitchen, pounded rice, picked vegetables and cooked to provide for all of the monks in the temple and the people who came from all directions to study.

Once in the fifth lunar month the night passed quickly. The monks chanted scriptures until the cock crowed. When the Savage Maiden completed her preparations in the kitchen, the monks had yet to finish chanting the scriptures, and did not come to eat porridge. The Savage Maiden took a nap in the kitchen. Then unexpectedly she drifted off into deep sleep. When the monks finished chanting the scriptures, each monk returned to his room. Kalacanya stepped over the Savage Maiden, and she was delightfully stirred. An embryo appeared in her womb. After three or four months, the Savage Maiden became ashamed and returned home. Kalacanya was also embarrassed and left.

The Savage Maiden journeyed [2/15b] to a temple at a crossroads by a river and stayed there. When her term was full she gave birth to a daughter. She looked for Kalacanya to return her to him. At night, Kalacanya took the daughter to a crossroad where he found a hibiscus tree with luxuriant foliage. It had a hole which was deep and clean. Kalacanya placed [the girl] there and said, “I entrust this Buddha child to you. Preserve it and you each will attain Buddhood.”

When Kalacanya and the Savage Maiden were about to depart, Kalacanya gave the Savage Maiden a staff and said, “I entrust you with this staff. When you return, if there is a time of great drought, take this staff and plant it in the ground. Water will well up. Use this to save the people.” The Savage Maiden respectfully received it and returned to stay at the original temple.

There came a year when there was a great drought. She planted the staff in the ground and water naturally surged forth. The people relied on it a great deal.

When the Savage Maiden was over 90 years old [2/16a], the hibiscus tree fell over and floated to the ford in front of the temple where it got stuck in an eddy. The people noticed it and went to chop it up into firewood, but their axes were blunted. So they got over three hundred people from the village to pull it, but it would not budge.

Right at that point the Savage Maiden went down to the ford to wash her hands and casually pushed it, and the tree turned about. The people were all astonished. They got the Savage Maiden to pull it onto the bank, and ordered craftsmen to make four Buddha images. When they chopped to the place which held the daughter who had been hidden at the crossroads, they found that she had been transformed into a stone which was especially hard. The craftsmen chopped at it and their axes all broke. They threw the stone into a deep pool. Brilliant rays shot forth, and only after a moment did it begin to sink. The craftsmen all died. [The villagers] asked the Savage Maiden to bow in reverence, and they got a fisherman to go rescue it. It was then welcomed into the main hall of the temple, and placed it among the Buddha images. These images [2/16b] were all covered with gold leaf.

Kalacanya named the Buddha images Dharma Cloud, Dharma Rain, Dharma Thunder, and Dharma Lightning. Of those who came from the four quarters to pray, there were none who did not have their prayers answered. Everyone hailed the Savage Maiden as the Buddha Mother. On the fourth day of the fourth lunar month, without illness she died. She was buried in the temple. People regarded this day as the Buddha’s birthday. Every year on this day of this month men and women from the four directions congregate at this temple where there are festivities with singing and dancing. It is popularly called the “Buddha Washing Festival.”[22]

The Tale of Nam Chiếu/Nanzhao

Nam Chiếu/Nanzhao [was ruled by] descendents of the Martial Emperor of the Triệu/Zhao, Tuo/Đà. During the time of Han Wudi, Counselor-in-chief Lữ Gia/Lü Jia, did not [2/17a] follow orders and killed the Han emissary Anguo Shaoji and others. Han Wudi ordered General Lu Bode, Yang Pu and others to lead a punitive expedition against [Lü Jia]. They captured the Vệ Dương/Weiyang King, Kiến Đức/Jiande, annexed the kingdom, and appointed officials to administer the area.

The descendents of the Triệu/Zhao clan dispersed to the four directions. Later they again returned to an uninhabited area around Thần Phù and Hoành Sơn. They amassed a large following. They constructed boats and at times sailed at sea and then suddenly entered the boundaries [of the kingdom] and robbed people along the coast. They killed Han governors. The people submitted in terror and called them the “Southern Triệu/Zhao” (Nanzhao/Nam Triệu). Later it was mistakenly transmitted as “Southern Chiếu/Zhao” (Nanzhao/Nam Chiếu), and thereupon the name was passed on.

Then at the time of [2/17b] Sun Quan the King of Wu, people like Dai Liang and Lü Dai were ordered to serve as governor and regional governor [in the region]. Southern Chiếu/Zhao went on from Mount Thiên Cầm to annex places like Hà Hoa, Cao Vọng, Mount Hoành [Hoành Sơn], Ô Tung, Hải Ngạn, Lại Bộ, Trường Sa, Quế Hải, Vọng Cái and Lỗi Lôi.

The mountains were high and the seas [around it] were broad, the waves serving as barriers. No one was to be found here. The people of Southern Chiếu/Zhao lived there and made their living by robbery. They attacked and killed the governors and regional governors. They could never be stopped, and their numbers somewhat increased. They used goods and jewels to bribe the kingdom of Tây Bà Dạ to request an alliance to help each other.

At the end of the Jin, All Under Heaven was in disorder. There was a local chieftan, Triệu Ông Lý, who was also [2/18a] a descendent of the Triệu/Zhao Martial Emperor [i.e., Zhao Tuo]. He had a lot of brothers, and was extremely brave and adept at strategy. The people obeyed him. He united with people of Southern Chiếu/Zhao, and obtained more than 20,000 men. He again presented jewels to the Tây Bà Kingdom, and requested a sliver of land close to their border to settle.

At that time, the Tây Bà Dạ Kingdom took half of the coastal area and half of an upriver area and made two circuits. [The area] from Quì Region to Diễn Region was Nhứ Hoàn Circuit. They sacrificed a buffalo and a horse to seal their oath, and gave the area to Southern Chiếu/Zhao and Triệu Ông Lý to govern.

Thereupon Ông Lý constructed a citadel in Cao Xá village in Diễn Region. To the sea in the east, to Bà Dạ Kingdom in the west, to Mount Hoành [2/18b] in the south, he established himself as ruler.

The Eastern Jin ordered General Cao Er to lead troops to attack. In the strategic terrain of the upriver area, Ông Lý attacked with elephant troops that were waiting in ambush.[23] He then went out to sea, to Mount Mê and Mount Mạt, to avoid him.[24] When [Cao Er’s forces] dispersed, [Ông Lý’s] congregated, and when [Cao Er’s forces] congregated, [Ông Lý’s] dispersed. They went out in the morning and returned at night. It went back and forth like this for four or five years. The Jin army could not withstand the mountain miasmas and more than half died. They then retreated.

Southern Chiếu/Zhao often attacked and plundered citadels in the east, the south, and the capital.[25] The governors could not control them. By the time of the Tang they were even more powerful. [Tang] Yizong ordered Cao Biền/Gao Pian to lead troops to on a punitive expedition against them. He also could not conquer them and returned. Then at the time of the Five [2/19a] Dynasties, Shi Jingtang of the Jin ordered Commander Li Jin [to lead] 200,000 troops to attack at Mount Đồ. Southern Chiếu/Zhao then retreated, and settled along the border of the Ai Lao Kingdom. The land was called Bồn Mang of the Đầu Hoành Mô Kingdom.[26] [Its inhabitants] often plundered for a living. Sometimes they were active, sometimes they were not, but they never stopped. Now it is Trấn Ninh Prefecture. It is all included in the imperial map of Đại Việt, [and may it stay there] for myriad generations!

The Tale of the Tô Lịch River

In the sixth year of the Xiantong era of Tang Yizong’s reign [865 C.E.], Cao Biền/Gao Pian was a ordered to serve as protectorate general.[27] He led troops to attack [2/19b] Nam Chiếu/Nanzhao and then returned. After that the Calm Sea Army was established at Lĩnh Nam/Lingnan Citadel, and Gao Pian was appointed military commissioner. Pian was well versed in astronomy and geomancy. Observing the formation of the land, he constructed Đại La Citadel to the west of the Lô River, thirty leagues in circumference, and took up residence there.[28] There was a small river which flowed to the northwest from the Lô River. It wound around to the south and wrapped itself around La Citadel before again flowing into the main river.

At that time, during the sixth lunar month, rains caused the water level to rise. Pian went out in a small boat and followed the current into the small river. After going about a league, an old man whose hair and whiskers were all white suddenly appeared. The appearance of his face was peculiar. He was bathing in the middle of the river, and was joyfully laughing and talking. Pian asked, “What is your name?” The man responded, “My surname [2/20a] is Tô and my given name is Lịch.” [Gao Pian] asked further, “Where is your home?” [The old man] replied, “In the middle of this river.” Having said this, he created darkness by splashing water and suddenly disappeared. Pian knew that he was a divine being and named the river the Tô Lịch River.

In the morning of a different day, Pian went out and stood to the east of La Citadel on the bank of the Lô River. There the wind started to blow, the waves surged, and the clouds became dark. There was an extraordinary man standing on the water. He was more than two trượng tall. He wore a yellow robe and had a purple cap on his head. In his hand he held a golden tablet which radiated light that shimmered up and down through the air. As the sun began to rise, the clouds and mist still did not disperse. Pian was alarmed by this, and wished to suppress it. At night be dreamed [2/20b] that a divine person said to him “Do not suppress me. I am the essence of Long Đỗ [literally, “dragon’s belly”], the leader of the earthly powers. You, Sir, constructed the citadel here. We have not had a chance to meet, so I wanted to come and meet you. What fear do I have of the occult?” Pian then woke with a start.

The next day he set up an altar and chanted incantations. He used talismans of gold, bronze and iron to suppress it. That night thunder boomed, and the wind and rain came in big gusts. All between Heaven and Earth was in darkness. The guardian spirit roared and the earth and skies shook. Not long after this, [the spirit] saw the gold, bronze and iron talismans on the ground, reduced them to ashes, and them dispersed into the air. Pian was again startled. He sighed and said, “This place has an extraordinarily numinous spirit. One cannot [2/21a] stay here long, or one will meet calamity.” Later Yizong summoned Pian to return. As it turns out, he was executed, and was replaced by Cao Tầm/Gao Xun.

The Tale of Mount Tản Viên

Mount Tản Viên was to the west of the capital citadel of the kingdom of Nam Việt. The mountain is 12,300 trượng tall and 98,600 in circumference.[29] Three mountains stand arrayed together. Its peak is round like a parasol. Hence its name.[30]

Seng Kun of the Tang’s Record of Jiao Region [Jiaozhou ji] records that the Great King of the mountain was the mountain sprite Mr. Nguyễn/Ruan, and that it was very potent and efficacious.[31] During times of drought or flooding, when one beseeched [the spirit] for protection against calamity, it would respond right away.[32] [2/21b] People never stopped to faithfully and reverently make sacrifices. It was often the case that if there was something which resembled a pennant seen floating about in a mountain valley on a clear day, and the people in the area would say that the mountain spirit had appeared.

When Gao Pian was in An Nam, he wanted to suppress potent traces. He would cut open a seventeen year-old unwed girl and take our her innards. He would then stuff the body with angelica herb, clothe it in robes, sit it on a stool, and forbid it to use meat.[33] After a while, it would be able to move. He would then use a sword to cut off its head. In deceiving the various spirits, he would always use this technique. He often made this offering to [the spirit of] Mount Tản Viên, but he would then see the King riding a white horse in the clouds, spit at [the stuffed corpse] and depart. [Gao Pian] would sigh and say [2/22a] “The potency of the South’s [Nam Phương] khí/qi is unfathomable. Its effervescent khí/qi cannot be extinguished. Such is the response of its awesome potency.”

Earlier, the Great King, seeing the beauty of Mount Tản Viên, made a road from Bạch Phiên toward the south side of Tản Ridge. He made his way to An Vệ Aboriginal Settlement and also to the area where the waters of stone springs separated into different channels, where he built a palace to rest. He also passed Thạch Bạn and ascended to the cloud-covered ridge where he took up residence. Sometimes he would roam about the Tiểu Hoàng River to observe fishing, and when he passed through villages he would stay and build palaces to rest. Later the residence saw the remains of these palaces and build temples to honor him.

Also, [2/22b] according to the appended old biography in Master Zeng’s Record of Jiao Region, it was said that the Great King was a mountain essence surnamed Nguyễn, that he resided happily with [members of] the water clan in Gia Ninh in Phong Region [Phong Châu]. During the time of King Nan of the Zhou [314-256 B.C.E.], the eighteenth-generation descendent of the Hùng king traveled to Việt Trì in Phong Region which he called Văn Lang. He had a daughter called Mỵ Nương (the twenty-seventh generation descendent of Thần Nông/Shen Nong) who was beautiful in appearance. He heard that the Thục/Shu king, Phán, requested to marry her, but he did not agree. He wanted to chose a good son-in-law.

A few days later, two men suddenly appeared, one called himself Mountain Essence and one called himself Water Essence. They stayed and requested to marry [Mỵ Nương]. The Hùng king requested to test their skills. Mountain Essence thereupon pointed to a mountain and the mountain collapsed. He also went in and out of stones without any obstruction. Water Essence spit water into the air and it turned into clouds and rain. [2/23a] The king said, “The two of you have supernatural powers, but I just have one daughter. To whomever can bring the betrothal gifts first, I will offer [Mỵ Nương] in marriage. The next day, Water Essence came and presented objects such as precious gems, gold, silver, mountain birds and wild animals. The king honored [his promise]. Later, Water Essence arrived. Not seeing Mỵ Nương, he became furious and led the water clan to attack and capture her. The Great King stretched an iron net across a river in Từ Liêm District. Water Essence then opened up the Tiểu Hoàng River. From Lý Nhân he exited the Hát River and then entered the Đà River to attack Mount Tản Viên from behind. He also broke open the Tiểu Tích River to move towards the front of Mount [2/23b] Tản Viên. Arriving in places along the rivers like Cam Giá, Xa Lâu, Cổ Hào, and Ma Sá, he dug out coves to enable the members of the water clan to pass through. He often created wind, rain and darkness and then led the water to attack the King. When the people at the foot of the mountain saw this, they wove bamboo fences to protect [the mountain], and beat drums and thumped their pestles to make a big racket in order to save [the mountain]. Seeing stems floating in the river beyond the bamboo fence [of their village], they shot arrows at them, and the dead turned into dragon, serpent, fish and turtle carcasses that clogged up the riverway. Every year in the seventh or eighth lunar month this happens. Many of the people who live close to the bottom of the mountain have their crops damaged by big winds and floods. They say that this is Water Essence and Mountain [2/24a] Essence contending to marry Man Nương.[34]

The Great King obtained the secret of immortal longevity and he is very efficatious. He is the top-ranked spirit of good fortune in Đại Việt.

During the period of the Trần Dynasty, Hàm Lâm Academician Nguyễn Sĩ Cố paid a visit during a campaign to the west and composed the following poem:[35]

A mountain as high as Heaven, its spirit the most efficacious,

As soon as the heart’s door is struck, the sound is heard.[36]

Mỵ Nương has also made her numinous powers manifest,

So may they protect this scholar now on this journey.

At the end of this tale a new addition has been made.

According to the Thế Pháp Collection [Thế Pháp tập], in the past Lord Lạc Long and Âu Cơ produced a sac with one hundred eggs. When each egg was opened it had a boy in it. Lord Long led fifty back to the sea. The fifty [others] lived together and divided up and ruled over All Under Heaven with Âu Cơ [2/24b] and called themselves the Hùng kings. The Great King of Mount Tản Viên was one of those fifty boys who had returned to the sea. He was not a mountain essence or a spirit with abundant khí/qi.

The King returned from the sea kingdom by way of Thần Phù Seaport. He looked for a place to reside that was nice and secluded and where the people’s customs were generous and simple in style. He crossed the big river and reached the area of Long Đỗ. He then wanted to stay in Trấn Trạch, but was not satisified and left. He went up the Lô River to the bank of the Phúc Lộc River.[37] He saw Mount Tản Viên towering high and looking elegant. Its three peaks stood arrayed together just like in a painting. Also, there were people at the foot of the mountain whose customs were to sacrifice buffalo and make wine offerings. They ate and drank what they had every day, and were simple in the way they [2/25a] sang and muttered. The King thereupon made a road which was like a string which went from Bạch Phiên Crossing towards the south side of Mount Tản Viên. Reaching An Uyên Aboriginal Settlement, he built a palace and rested there.

The Tale of the Two Spirits of Long Nhãn and Như Nguyệt

In the first year of the Thiên Phúc era [981 C.E.] of Emperor Lê Đại Hành’s reign, Song Taizu ordered General Hou Renbao, Sun Quanxing and others to lead troops on a southward invasion. When they reacded the Đại Than River, Lê Đại Hành and General Phạm Cự Lượng [led] troops to resist them at the Đồ Lỗ River. Both sides constructed ramparts and held their positions.

Đại Hành dreamt that two spirits on the river greeted him and said, “We are brothers. The first [2/25b] is named Trương Hống, and the other, Trương Hát. In the past, King Việt of the Triệu [Triệu Việt Vương] led his followers to attack the rebels, and won control of All Under Heaven. Then later he lost the kingdom. The Southern Emperor of the Lý [Lý Nam Đế], summoned us brothers, but out of a sense of righteouness we were not willing to go. We drank poison and died. The Thearch on High [Thượng Đế] took pity on us given our merit, praised us for our loyalty and righteousness, and granted us the title of Official Generals of the Spirit Division, with authority over the ghost troops. Now that the Song troops have entered the territory and are causing suffering for the people of our kingdom, we spirits have come and are willing to attack these bandits with the emperor in order to rescue the people.”

The great king awoke with a start and said with joy to his close attendants, “These divine beings are helping us.” He thereupon lit some incense at the front of his ship and uttered the incantation, “If the divine beings can accomplish this task with me, then they will be honored with sacrificial [2/26a] goods for ten thousand ages to come.” Thereupon sacrifical offerings were made, robes and caps were burned [as offerings], as were goods such as paper money, horses and elephants.

That night Đại Hành saw in his dream two divine men wearing the robes that had been offered come and pay their respects. Then in the latter part of the night he saw one man leading a white-robed-ghost division come from south of the Bình River and one man leading a scarlet-robed-ghost division come down from the north of the Như Nguyệt River.

On the thirtieth day of the tenth lunar month, during the third night watch, the air was dark and a violent storm raged. The Song troops became terrified. The two divine beings secretly stood in the air and in a loud voice intoned,

The Southern Emperor occupies the Southern Kingdom,

August Heaven has already established this in a Book of Heaven.

[2/26b] If the Northern slaves come to invade and loot,

They will shatter like bamboo with the swing of our blades.

(There is also: If the rebelling bandits come and attack/Watch how they meet total defeat.)

When the Song troops heard this, they trampelled over each other as they scattered, and attacked and killed each other as each man fled for his life. Those who were caputured were so numerous that they could not be counted. The Song army was thoroughly defeated and returned. The great king brought the troops back with the captives, honored the officials, and invested the two divine beings.[38] One was called the Delicate and Agile Great King and a shrine was erected for him on the Tam Kỳ River in Long Nhãn.[39] People from the Bình River honored [the spirit]. One was called the Agility-Repelling Great King, and a shrine was erected for him on the Tam Kỳ River in Như Nguyệt.[40] People in Như Nguyệt who lived along the river were made to honor [the spirit]. The blood offerings never ceased. Now they are still spirits of good fortune.

[2/27a] The Tale of Từ Đạo Hành and Nguyễn Minh Không (. . . on this mountain there is an image. In the temple there is an image of Lý Thần Tông.)[41]

At Thiên Phúc Temple on Mount Phật Tích there was a man surnamed Từ whose given name was Lộ and whose courtesy name was Đạo Hạnh. His father, Vinh, served the Lý court as a Buddhist censor. He often visited An Lãng village, where he married a daughter of the Tăng clan named Loan and took up residence. Lộ was given birth to by Loan. When he was young he roamed about looking for adventure. He was high-spirited and had great ambitions. No one could predict what he would do or say. He often got along well with the scholar, Mại Sinh, the Daoist, Lê Toàn Nghĩa, and the performer, Phan Ất.[42] At night be assiduously studied, while during the day he played the flute, hit a ball around and engaged in play fights. His parents often scolded him for being unrestrained and lazy.

One night they looked into his room. His light [2/27b] was about to go out. Books were piled up, and Lộ had fallen asleep at his desk, his hands still holding a volume. His parents henceforth did not worry any more. He later took the test for Buddhist monks and passed the White Lotus exam.

Not long after this his father used sorcery to defy the Marquis of Diên Thành. [The Marquis of] Diên Thành relied on Thiền Master Đại Điên to use the law to have him beaten to death and thrown into the Tô Lịch River.[43] The corpse floated down to An Quyết Bridge, the place where the Marquis of Diên Thành’s family lived. Suddenly it stood up and stopped. For the entire day it did not move on. Diên Thành became afraid and reported this to Đại Điên. Đại Điên arrived and shouted, “Anger does not last through the night!”[44] Responding to the shout, the corpse fell over and [floated] away.

Lộ wanted to get revenge for his father, but did not have a strategy for doing so. One day he waited for Đại Điên to go out, and wanted to attack him, but he suddenly heard a voice come out of nowhere and shout “Stop it!” Lộ became frightened, tossed aside his club and left. He wanted to go to Ấn Quốc [2/28a] Temple to seek magical techniques, but the road passed through the rugged terrain occupied by the Golden-Teeth Savages, so he returned. He thereupon lived in seclusion among the cliffs of Mount Phật Tích, where he daily chanted the Dharani Sutra of the Great Compassionate Mind. He intoned it a full 18,000 times. One day he saw a divine person come and say to him, “I, your disciple, am the Heaven-Guarding King. I am impressed at your accomplishments in chanting the sutra. Therefore, I have come to serve you, and now await your instructions.” Lộ knew that his magical powers were now complete, and that he could avenge his father’s [death].[45] He went to the An Quyết Bridge and took his walking staff and threw it into the current. The staff flowed upstream to Tây Dương Bridge and then stopped. Lộ was pleased and said, “My [magical] techniques can now defeat Đại Điên.”

He went directly to where Điên was. When he saw Điên, he said to him, “Don’t you remember what happened previously?” The master looked up into the sky. It was still [2/28b] with nothing in sight. He thereupon attacked and beat Điên. Điên then became ill and died. With this the injustice was avenged, and his mundane thoughts vanished. [Lộ] roamed about through the forests seeking signs of assurance of attaining Buddhahood. He heard of Kiều Trí Huyền in Bình Hóa Circuit, and personally went to pay him a visit and to ask about the true mind.

He composed a gatha that went:

Long lost in the mortal world of dust, yet to recognize what is pure gold,

I do not know where the true mind is.

Please instruct me with your adaptable means,

So that with enlightenment I can put an end to this search through suffering.

Huyền responded with a gatha that went:

The five-tone riddle plays out pure gold,

Therein the full moon reveals the Thiền mind.

Realizing how numerous are the sands of the Ganges is the path to enlightenment,

But when one intends to reach enlightment, it will remain a great distance away.

Lộ felt confused and uneasy. He then went to pay a visit to Thiền master Phạm Hội at Pháp Linh Sơn Temple. He asked, “What is the true mind?” Phạm [2/29a] said, “What is not the true mind?”[46] Lộ suddenly achieved a self-realization and asked, “What is the way to proceed?” Phạm said, “When you are hungry, eat. When you are thirsty, drink.” Lộ paid his respects and departed.

From this point onward [Lộ’s] Dharmic power increased, and his karmic affinity with Thiền deepened. Mountain vipers and wide beasts all came and were tamed. He burned his fingers to pray for rain and made incantations over water to cure illnesses. There was nothing he did that was not effective. A monk asked [about the concept that] “All actions are the Buddha mind.” Lộ showed him a gatha that went,

Actions exist and the sands of dust exist,

Emptiness is entirely empty.

Existence and emptiness are like the moon’s reflection on water,

Do not think that emptiness can be made empty.[47]

He also said,

The sun and moon rise about the cliff,

People have lost the fire-pearl.

The returning man with a young horse,

Walks and does not ride it.

At that time, Lý Nhân Tông did not have an heir. In the third lunar month of the third year of the Hội Tường Đại Khánh era [1112 C.E.], someone in Thanh Hóa Prefecture [2/29b] reported that “On the coastal shoals there is a child with supernatural powers. He is three years old and has declared himself emperor, calling himself the Awakened Emperor. There is nothing that he does not know about being an emperor. He is the reincarnation of Đại Điên.

The emperor dispatched an emissary to take a look. It was just as had been reported. [The child] was brought back to the capital and housed at Báo Thiên Temple. The emperor found him to be remarkably intelligent and was quite fond of him. He wanted to establish [the boy] as his heir. The officials, however, remonstrated that this was not acceptable. They said, “He is definitely supernatural. He must first be reincarnated into the palace, and then it will be acceptable.” The emperor agreed to this, and held a large reincarnation ceremony what was to extend for seven days and nights.

Lộ learned of this and said to his sister, “That child is is an evil demon and has completely beguiled people. Can I just stand by and watch without doing anything to rescue the situation while he [2/30a] deceives people and disturbs the true Dharma?” His sister was therepon sent disguised as a spectator to the ceremony. She secretly carried several seals that Lộ had made and inserted them in the eaves [of the building where the ceremony was being held]. On the third day of the ceremony the Awakened Emperor fell ill and said to people, “An iron net has been spread across the entire kingdom. Although I want to reincarnate, I have no path to follow through.”

The emperor suspected that there was a curse. He ordered people to search for it. They captured [Lộ] in Hưng Thánh Pavilion and detained him. The various officials met to discuss the matter. When the Marquis of Sùng Hiền was passing by, Lộ made a plea to him, saying that “If you are willing to help this poor monk avoid punishment, I will surely repay your moral rectitude by reincarnating into the palace.” The marquis nodded to him.

When he reached the meeting, everyone was saying that “Your Highness does not have an heir. So you therefore prayed for [the Awakened Emperor] to reincarnate. However, Lộ committed a crime by cursing this.” The marquis then stated that, [2/30b] “If the Awakened Emperor had divine powers, then even if Lộ cursed him a hundred times over, how could he be harmed? The situation is just the opposite. Lộ far surpasses the Awakened Emperor. I therefore humbly feel that rather than punishing Lộ, it would be better to allow him to reincarnate.” The emperor agreed to this.

Lộ proceeded to the marquis’s residence, where he caught of glipse of his wife bathing. The wife became angry and reported this to the marquis. The marquis understood what the reason was, and let the issue pass. His wife thereupon became pregnant. Lộ ordered him that “When your wife is about to give birth, you must tell me.” When her term was almost up, Lộ received such a report. He bathed and changed his robes, and said to his disciples, “My karmic causes have yet to end, so I will be reborn in the world again temporarily as an emperor. When that life ends, I will enter the Traiyatrimsa Heaven. If [2/31a] my body is seen to decompose, then I will have entered nirvana and will no longer be caught in the cyle of birth and death.”[48] When his disciples heard this there were none that were not moved to tears.

Lộ uttered a gatha that went:

Autumn comes unannounced and the geese return,

[Causing] people to smile bitterly at this temporary sadness.

I say to my disciples, do not be attached,

For how many times have the teachers of the past become the teachers of today.

Having said this, with solemnity he transformed. The marquis’s wife gave birth to a son [named] Dương Hoán. When he became three, [Emperor] Nhân Tông raised him in the palace, and established him as the heir apparent. When Nhân Tông passed away, the heir apparent ascended the throne as Thần Tông, and was the [re-]birth of Lộ. Traces of Lộ’s transformation can be found today on a crag on the grounds of Thiên Phúc Temple on Mount Phật Tích in Ninh Sơn [District].

Formerly in Trường An [Prefecture]’s Đại Hoàng [District] (also called Gia Viễn ), there was a man from Đàm Xá [2/31b] village named Nguyễn Chí Thành who resided at Quốc Thanh Temple and who held the title of National Preceptor Minh Không. When he was young he traveled about to study. He met Đạo Hạnh and reverently followed his Dharma teachings.[49] After more than 10 years, Đạo Hạnh rewarded his will and character by granting him the [mind] seal and the name [Minh Không].

When Đạo Hạnh was about to depart from this world, he said to Minh Không, “In the past, after the world-honored teacher [i.e., the Buddha] had attained enlightenment, he still still suffered retribution from the metal spear.[50] So how can we in the final declining days [of the Dharma] possibly protect ourselves? Today I will leave this world as a teacher of people. In my future life I will be sick. This is a [karmic] fact that I will not be able to escape. I have a karmic affinity with you. We should help each other.”

After Đạo Hạnh died, Minh Không returned to his former temple and engaged in cultivation for over twenty years, never seeking fame or fortune. Then Lý Thần Tông [2/32a] became ill with a strange disease. It confused his thoughts and his screams of agony were as frightening as a tiger’s roar. Doctors came to treat him in the hundreds of thousands, but to no avail. At that time there was a children’s riddle that went, “If you want to cure the Son of Heaven’s illness, you have to get Nguyễn Minh Không.” An emissary was sent to search for him, and he was found.

Minh Không saw the emissary arrive. In his boat were many oarsmen. [Minh Không] wanted to feed them. So he put a small container of rice in the boat for the oarsmen to share. He then pointed to it and said, “There are quite a lot of you. I fear that this is not enough to fill your bellies, but go ahead and have a taste.” The several hundred oarsmen then ate but they could not finish it off. When they finished eating, [Minh Không] again said, “You all have a good sleep. After a while when the tide rises [2/32b] we can then set off.” The oarsmen agreed and all slept soundly on the boat. Then in an instant, the boat arrived back at the capital. When the oarsmen awoke they were all astonished.

When Minh Không arrived, there were many different physicians at the palace all practicing their craft. Seeing how rustic Minh Không looked, they did not treat him with courtesy. Minh Không took out a nail some five inches long and stuck it into a palace pillar. He then stated loudly, “Whoever can pull out this nail will be able to cure the illness.” [The physicians] tried and tried, but none was up to the challenge. Minh Không then pulled at it with two of the fingers on his left hand and the nail came out. Everyone was struck with admiration.

When he met [Emperor] Thần Tông, Minh Không shouted harshly, “You, sir, are honored as the Son of Heaven, and possess all within the four seas, why have you become so crazy like this?” The emperor shook [2/33a] with fear. Minh Không then took a large cauldron of oil and heated it until it boiled. Using his hand, he mixed it numerous times, and then sprinkled [the oil] over the emperor’s body. [The emperor] immediately recovered from the illness. He then appointed Minh Không national preceptor and granted him several hundred households as a reward. In the twenty second year of the Thái Bình era, a tân sửu year, Minh Không passed away at the age of seventy six.[51]

The Tale of Dương Không Lộ and Nguyễn Giác Hải

Thiền Master Không Lộ of Nghiêm Quang Temple in Hải Thanh was surnamed Dương and was from Hải Thanh. For generations [his family] had fished, but he gave up that occupation and became a monk. He often chanted dharanis and scriptures.

During the Chương Thánh Gia Khánh era [1059-1065 C.E.] of Lý Thần Tông’s reign, [2/33b] together with his dharma companion Giác Hải, he lived in retreat at Hà Trạch.[52] Mr. Hà sought food, and almost forgot his own body.[53] Externally he ceased his strivings and internally he cultivated dhyana and samadhi. His mind, spirit and perceptions became daily more at ease.[54] He thereupon was able to fly in the air and walk on water, to lead tigers to submit and dragons to surrender. No one could fathom his countless mysteries.

A while later, the original commandery Thiền temple and lived there.[55] One day an attendant reported that, “Since I have come here I have yet to receive your instruction on the essence [of the dharma]. Let me venture to offer this poem:[56]

Only through cultivation can the body and mind become pure,

A luxuriant tree with a straight trunk facing an empty courtyard.

Someone comes to inquire about the dharma of the King of Emptiness,

A body sits by the window, his shadow collecting forms.

The master understood and said, “You brought the scriptures, and I accepted them from you. You brought water, and I received it from you. Where did I never offer you the essence [of the dharma]?” He then [2/34a] roared with laughter. He often liked to recite the gatha that went:

I have chosen a place among the serpents and dragons to reside,

Where the wildness brings joy the day through.

Sometimes I go right to the top of an islolated ridge,

And let out a long whistle through the chilled emptiness.[57]

On the third day of the sixth lunar month in the tenth year of the Hội Tường Đại Khánh era, a kỷ hợi year [1119 C.E.], he died. His disciples collected his relics and buried them by the temple gate. An edict was issued to renovate and enlarge the temple. At that time, twenty people were exempted [from paying taxes to the monarch] in order to keep the incense burning [i.e., to maintain the temple].[58]

Zen Master Giác Hải was from Hải Thanh. He resided at that commandery’s Diên Phúc Temple, and his surname was Nguyễn. When he was young he was fond of fishing. He often used a small rowboat as his home, and floated about on the rivers and seas. When he was twenty five he abandoned this occupation, shaved his hair and became a monk. At first he served a master together with Không Lộ and resided at Hà Trạch Temple. Later he followed Không Lộ’s teachings.[59]

During the time [2/34b] of Lý Nhân Tông [r. 1072-1127 C.E.], [Giác Hải] and Daoist adept Thông Huyền were summoned to Lương Thạch Temple in Liên Mộng to attend to [the emperor]. Suddenly [two] lizards began to shriek at each other, making a sound that grated on one’s ears. The emperor ordered Huyền to stop them. Huyền uttered an incantation under his breath, and this felled the first. The emperor laughed and said to the master [i.e., Giác Hải], “That leaves one for the monk.” The master uttered an incantation at it, and after a short while it also fell. The emperor found this to be extraordinary and composed a poem which went,

The heart of Giác Hải is [vast] like the sea,

The way of Thông Huyền is abstruse.

Their supernatural powers are able to bring about transformations,

One is a Buddha, the other an immortal.

Because of this, the master’s fame quickly spread across All Under Heaven. Monks and commoners relied on him. The emperor always treated him as his master. Whenever the emperor traveled to his auxiliary palace in Thanh Hải he would always visit [Giác Hải’s] temple first.[60]

One day the emperor said to the master, “Could I learn something of the worthy one’s supernatural powers?”[61] The master then did eight recitations and his body ascended [2/35a] into the air five trượng above the ground. A short while later he came back down. The emperor and the officials all applauded and sighed [in admiration]. He was thereupon granted a palanquin so that he could visit the palace.

Then during the time of [Lý] Thần Thông’s reign [1128-1138 C.E.] he was repeatedly summoned to the capital, but claiming old age and illness, he did not go. There was a monk who asked him, “Between the Buddha and living beings, who is the host and who is the guest?” The master composed a gatha which went:

Not noticing your white hair,

[I] tell you to be a simple guest.[62]

But as for the Buddha world,

At Dragon Gate [your] forehead will be marked.

When he was about to pass away, he pronounced the following gatha to his followers:

When spring arrives, flowers and butterflies are good at recognizing the season,

Flowers and butterflies respond to their needs by responding to the times.

[But] flowers ard butterflies are ultimately all an illusion,

So do hold flowers and butterflies in ones concentration.

That night there was a large star which fell to the southwest of the great hall.[63] The next morning the master sat straight up and [2/35b] passed away. An edict was issued exempting thirty households [from paying taxes to the monarch] in order to keep the incense burning, and his two sons were granted officials positions to reward them. (Thanh Hải became Thiên Thanh during Trần Thái Tông’s reign, that is, Thiên Trường Prefecture.)

The Tale of Hà Ô Lôi

During the Thiệu Phong era [1342-1357 C.E.] of Trần Dụ Tông’s reign, Đặng Sĩ Doanh from Ma La village served as pacification commissioner. He received orders to travel to the Northern Kingdom. His wife, Madam Vũ, remained at home. This village had a spirit shrine [for a spirit] called the Ma La Divine Essence. Each night it would transform into Sĩ Doanh. In its appearance and behavior it was quite similar to Sĩ Doanh. It would enter Madam Vũ’s room and have relations with her. At the cock’s crow it would then leave. Later, one night Madam Vũ asked, “My lord has already received orders to serve as an envoy to the North, how is it that you often appear at night and then disappear during the day?” The spirit lied by saying “The emperor already sent [2/36a] someone else, and has made me serve and assist him. He often has me play chess with him and does not allow me to go outside. However, I miss the feelings between husband and wife, and [therefore] dare to secretly return to you in order to release [my feelings of] conjugal love.[64] The next morning I race back to the court, for I dare not stay long.” At the cock’s crow he then left. Madam Vũ felt suspicious about this.

A year later, Sĩ Doanh returned from the embassy. Madam Vũ was already a month pregnant. Sĩ Doanh submitted a memorial informing of her crime, and Madam Vũ was sent to prison. Then one night the emperor saw a divine person come and respectfully state, “Your servant is the Ma La Spirit. I have taken a woman as my wife and she is already pregnant. Sĩ Doanh is trying to get the child.” The emperor awoke from the dream. The next day he ordered the prison officials to bring Madam Vũ before him, where he made the decision that “The wife should be returned to Sĩ Doanh and the child to the Ma La Spirit.

Three days later, Madam Vũ gave birth to a black sac [2/36b] and obtained a son. His skin was like ink. When he was twelve he was called Hà Ô Lôi. Although he was as black as lacquer, his flesh was shiny like grease. When he was fifteen the emperor summoned him to serve him, and [the emperor] greatly cherished him, granting him the position of guest child.

One day Ô Lôi went out to roam around West Lake [Hồ Tây] and met Lü Dongbin [Lã Động Tân] who asked, “Is there something you desire my boy?” [Ô Lôi] responded, “When All Under Heaven is at peace, and there are no matters to attend to in the kingdom, and since I view wealth and prosperity to be like the floating clouds, all I want are women and song to please my eyes and ears.”[65] Dongbin laughed and said, “You will rise and fall with your women and songs, [but your] fame will last through the ages.” He then had Ô Lôi open his mouth. Dongbin spat inside and had [Ô Lôi] swallow it. He then ascended into the sky and departed. From this point onward, although Ô Lôi was illiterate, he became [2/37a] intelligent and could discriminate better than other people.[66] Whether it be an essay or poetry, a song or an ode, the sounds of his singing and intoning suprised people with its beauty. Women and girls particularly wished to see his face. The emperor often gave orders in the court that, “Should it later be found that Ô Lôi violated [a woman] in someone’s family, if [the family] comes to the palace they will be rewaded with a thousand strings of cash. If someone kills him, then he must pay 1,000 in compensation.”[67]

At that time in Nhân Mục Village there was a commandery princess named A Kim, a lady from the imperial family.[68] She was twenty three. Her husband died early and she lived as a widow. Her beauty was unmatched. The emperor was fond of her. He sought her favors, but to no avail. He often resented this, and said to Ô Lôi, “What strategy do you have to get her?” [Ô Lôi] responded, “Give me a year. If she does not come, [2/37b] then this matter cannot reach a harmonious end, and I will be willing to die.” He thereupon bid farewell and departed.

He returned home, shed his garments, slept in the mud and exposed his body to the sun and rain. He donned some trousers made of coarse cloth and pretended to be a horse keeper slave. He carried a pair of bamboo baskets to the house of the commandery princess and bribed the gatekeeper boy with a box of betel but to let him into the commandery princess’s garden to cut grass. The gatekeeper boy let him enter. At that time, it was around the fifth or sixth lunar month. Jasmine flowers were in full bloom. Ô Lôi cut them all down and placed them all in [the baskets of] his carrying pole. When the commandery princess’s servant saw that all of the flowers in the garden were gone, he shouted an order to tie up [Ô Lôi] and to wait for his master to come and redeem [him]. After holding him for more than three days, no one had come to acknowledge him. [The servant] asked, “Who’s slave are you that no one from your home comes to redeem you and pay compensation for the garden [2/38a] flowers?” Ô Lôi stated, “I am a drifter. I have no master, and no parents. I often follow entertainers and seek food by carrying things for hire. I recently met an official who had tied his horse to the south of the citadel. The horse was starving because there was no grass. Its owner paid me five cents [văn] and had me go cut a carrying-pole load of grass. I happily accepted the money and went to work cutting grass unaware what jasmine flowers are. Now I have no means to compensate, but am willing to offer myself as a slave in compensation.” He then lingered outside the gate. After more than a month the commandery princess’s servant saw that he was starving and thirsty, and gave him food and drink. At night [Ô Lôi] once sang for the gatekeeper boy. The commandery princess, her servants and her maidservants all enjoyed listing to it.

One evening after dusk, when not a single light [2/38b] was lit, the commandery princess sat silently. No one was there to assist her. The commandery princess called the servants and upbraided them for not fulfilling their duties. She wished to flog and demote them. The group of servants bowed their heads and apologized, saying that “We stayed to listen to the grass cutter slave’s singing. We were so pleased, we did not realize what we had done. We are willing to accept being flogged and demoted.” The commandery princess put the matter aside and did not inquire further.

Once at night duing the summer months, the commandery princess sat in the hall with her servants, where they enjoyed the wind and the moon. From over the wall they heard the sound of Ô Lôi’s singing, like a melody from Heaven and completely different from earthly sounds. As it blended with her spirit, her emotions stirred and she sent for Ô Lôi to be brought into the house [2/39a] where he served her as close personal slave. She often had him sing and intone in order to release her pent up feelings. Ô Lôi took advantage of this and made an extra effort to race about and fulfill his duties. The commandery princess cherished and trusted him. During the day he served her. In the evenings he hung the laterns and accompanied her. Sometimes he was asked to sing, and the sound penetrated from the interior to the outside. The commandery princess was moved, and subsequently fell ill from melancholy. After three or four months her illness became more severe, but from caring for her, her servants fell ill as well. In their illness, they slept soundly, and they did not wake when the commandery princess called them. Only Ô Lôi alone went to care for her illness. It was difficult for the commandery princess to hold in her feelings. She secretly said to Ô Lôi, “Since you have come here, the sound [of your singing] has led me to become ill.” She thereupon [2/39b] had intercourse with Ô Lôi. Her illness improved a bit, and her affection became even stronger. She forgot all thoughts about appearance, and had no hesitations. She wished to give land to Ô Lôi for an estate. Ô Lôi said, “I originally did not have a family. Now I have met the commandery princess, a true Celestial Immortal. This is my good fortune. I have no need for an estate or precious jewels. I just wish to obtain the princess’s cap covered with gold and jade for attending court. If I can try it on once, then I will be content to die.” This cap had been granted [to the princess] by the previous emperor, and it was used for attending congratulatory rituals at the court. The commandery princess was so attached to Ô Lôi that she felt no qualms [in granting his request].

Ô Lôi obtained the cap and secretly went back. Wearing it, he entered the court.[69] The emperor was very pleased to see him, and urged that the commandery princess be summoned to the court. He had Ô Lôi wear [2/40a] the jade-adorned cap and stand in attendance. The emperor asked the commandery princess, “Have you ever met Ô Lôi before?” The commandery princess felt very ashamed. At that time there was a poem in the language of the kingdom that went,

He just secretly went off to work as a boy,

But oh was the Celestial Immortal ever a blessing for Lôi!

From this point onward Ô Lôi became famous across All Under Heaven. The daughters of the nobility often teased him. There was a poem in the language of the kingom that went,

He went racing about, his face burnt and soiled,

In the market they desired him, and passers pined too.

But once he landed his women and wealth,

People went racing about just to get good a look.

Although there were poems which looked down on him, people were still affected by the sound [of his singing], and could not avoid this.[70] He often had intercourse with the daughters of noble families. People were not able to punish him, as they feared the emperor would follow up and force them to pay compensation.

Later he had intercourse with the first daughter of the Minh Uy Prince’s main wife. He was detained, but not killed. 2/40b] The next day the Minh Uy Prince entered the court and reported that, “Ô Lôi secretly entered my home at night, and when it was too dark to see clearly, I killed him. I now request to pay the appropriate amount.” The emperor did not know that [Ô Lôi] had not been killed yet, and made the decision, “For an accidental execution, there is no need for further discussion!”

At that time, the empress, Vi Từ, was the Minh Uy Prince’s sister. Therefore, the king did not pay attention to the matter.

[The Minh Uy Prince] returned and beat [Ô Lôi], but he did not die. [The Minh Uy Prince] then used a pestle to beat him to death. Right before he died, Ô Lôi intoned a poem in the language of the kingom that went,

Life and death depends on Heaven, no need to care,

Men should just strive to become heroes.

If women and song kill me, I’m willing to die;[71]

But why grow up to die in pain like this?

He also said, “Formerly [Lü] Dongbin said to me, ‘You will rise and fall with your women and songs.’ What he said is true!” [2/40b] He then died.

[1] The position of metropolitan commandant [sili xiao wei 司隸校尉] was created in 89 B.C.E. by the Han Dynasty. It did not exist under the Qin. See Charles O. Hucker, A Dictionary of Official Titles in Imperial China (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1985), 451.

[2] This note is problematic. First, I cannot find any evidence for a Khiết Bạch/Jiebai Palace (lit., “palace of pure whiteness”). Second, the statement that this woman gave birth to “six or five” kings also does not make sense in that the characters should be in the other order, “five or six.” Obviously there is also no evidence that any woman during this period gave birth to five or six kings.

[3] The information in this paragraph does not appear in the version of this story in the earlier Việt Điện U Linh Tập. Another version of the Arrayed Tales, the Lĩnh Nam chích quái ngọai truyện [Outer Tales of Selected Oddities from South of the Passes], records that this information came from a certain Ngoại sử ký [Outer Historical Records]. It is not clear what that text was, however. See Chen Qinghao, et. al., 156.

[4] This sentence is problematic. This version of the text has 永姜一入談經夢, and the first two characters do not make sense. Other versions have 永著一番談經夢, which can be translated as I have here.

[5] For what I have translated as “coiled,” the text has 鵉 which refers to a mythical type of bird, a phoenix, whereas it probably should have 彎, meaning “to bend.”

[6] Other versions of the text have “shining with brilliance” [燈光照耀]. This version has “shining weakly with brilliance” [淡光照耀]. The character 淡 instead of 燈 does not make sense here.

[7] The “yang” in Official Yang’s name means “sheep” or “ram.”

[8] Vietnamese today transliterate the second charcter in this kingdom’s name as lạc [貉]. In actuality, it should be pronounced hạc.

[9] What I have translated as “palanquin” in this version is rendered by a character which means “to envy” or “to hate” [轝]. This is perhaps a colloquial version for the character 輿, which refers to a cart or a palanquin. This latter character appears in other versions of this text.

[10] The name “Ngộ Không” means “realizing emptiness” and has a Buddhist feel to it.

[11] Instead of “suppress” [壓] the text has “dislike” [厭]. The two characters look similar, and “suppress” makes much more sense here.

Candana [chiên đàn na/zhantanna] is the Sanskrit term for sandalwood. It is can be rendered in two or three characters, that is as 旃檀 or 旃檀娜. The use of this term instead of the more common term in classical Chinese for sandalwood [đàn hương/tanxiang 檀香] again hints at some Buddhist connection.

[12] A trượng was somewhere around ten feet.

[13] “Loa” can mean “snail” or “conch.” So this could be “Snail Citadel” or “Conch Shell Citadel.”

[14] This text has Quỷ Long [鬼龍], but other sources, and other versions of this text, say that an alternate name for this citadel was Tư Long (思龍).

[15] What I have translated as “external defense” [外禦] is “harassment from outsiders” [外侮] in other versions. Hence, “If we are harassed by outsiders, how do we defend against that?”

[16] One thốn was approximately 23.1 millimeters. Seven thốn was therefore 161.7 millimeters, or just over six inches.

[17] Cưu refers to a kind of second-grade black pearl. Đại and tiểu mean large and small, respectively.

[18] “Lĩnh Ngoại” or “Beyond the Passes” refers to the region south of the “Five Passes” along the northern borders of what are today Guangxi and Guangdong provinces.

[19] Some versions have “After a short while, he fell asleep.”

[20] Some versions have “in Cổ Lai Village.”

[21] It is not clear what this was. Cuong Tu Nguyen has translated this sentence as “He had the power to stand on one leg,” but that leaves out 之法. See Cuong Tu Nguyen, Zen in Medieval Vietnam: A Study and Translation of the Thiền Uyển Tập Anh (Honolulu: Kuroda Institute and University of Hawaii Press, 1997), 333.

[22] The Buddha’s birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month.

[23] Other versions do not have “elephants.”

[24] This sentence is not clear.

[25] What I have translated as “capital” is Trường An/Chang’an, the Tang Dynasty capital. That could be the meaning in this story. Alternately, that term was often used to refer to “the capital” in a more generic sense. That is how I have translated it here.

[26] “Mang” is “muang,” a Tai term for a polity or a small kingdom.

[27] The A. 2107 version starts differently.

[28] The A. 2107 version has “8,000 paces.”

[29] There is an extra character meaning “10,000” [萬] at the end of this sentence. It is clearly a mistake, and someone wrote a similar character next to it which means “to reside” [寓]. It should probably be a character indicating a measurement of distance, such as “league” [里].

[30] “Tản” means “parasol” and “viên” means round.

[31] The text has “Seng” [僧] but this person’s surname was actually Zeng [曾].

[32] Where this passage talks about flooding it has 潦為. This does not make sense. It is likely a mistake for 潦歲, which would mean “years of flooding,” so the phrase would be, “during times of drought and years of flooding.”

[33] There is a typo here. In other versions, Gao Pian “used meat to make a sacrifice” [祭以牲牢]. This version has the character for “forbid” [禁] where it should have the character for “sacrifice” [祭].

[34] This should be “Mỵ Nương” rather than “Man Nương.”

[35] Other versions say that he was campaigning against the “Western Savages” [西蠻].

[36] This line is difficult to decipher. What I have translated as “struck” is actually a character which means “to tie” [扣]. However, other versions have a similar-looking character which means “to strike” or “to knock” [叩]. The first two characters of this line [心扃] are also problematic. Other versions have [香心], meaning literally “fragrant heart/mind.” In the end, I am not sure how to translate this line.

[37] The first character in this sentence means “to be pleased” [訢]. It is clearly erroneous.

[38] Other versions have “Đại Hành” [大行] instead of “great king” [大王].

[39] Instead of the “Delicate and Agile Great King” [精敏大王], other versions have the “Enemy-Awing Great King” [威敵大王]. Other versions also say that the shrine was constructed at a junction in the Long Nhãn River. The information here about the location of these shrines is problematic.

[40] Instead of the “Agility-Repelling Great King” [却敏大王], other versions have the “Enemy-Repelling Great King” [却敵大王].

[41] There is a line of small print here (where I have “. . .”) which is not clearly visible as it is in the fold of the manuscript.

[42] Some versions have Phí Sinh 費生 instead of Mại Sinh 賣費生.

[43] Thiền is pronounced Chan in Chinese and Zen in Japanese.

[44] This sentence has caused a lot of confusion. This version has 僧恨不滿宿, whereas the R. 6 version has 僧恨不隔宿 (37a). Cuong Tu Nguyen has “A monk’s anger should not last overnight!” Lê Hữu Mục translated the first version as “Tăng giận chưa thỏa mãn hay sao?” However, that translation still leaves the final character, 宿, unaccounted for.

It would make more sense to read this first character, 僧, as a mistake for 憎. 憎恨 is a compound which means “anger.”

[45] The text literally has “Buddhist Dharma” (đạo pháp) instead of “magical powers.” However, from the context it seems clear that some form of magical powers were being developed.

[46] Phạm Hội’s reponse in this text is basically impossible to make any sense out of [阿難個個是真心]. My translation here is based on the R.6 version which has 何那個不是真心 (32b).

[47] Like the other lines of Buddhist verse in this text, this one is probably not accurate.

[48] There are problems with this passage in this version. The name “Trayatrimsa” is based on the numeral “33” because it is the heaven of 33 devas. This version of the text has 22 rather than 33. Also, what should be the characters meaning nirvana [涅般] are two characters which mean “muck and mire” [沮泥]. That does not make sense. See by contrast this same passage in the Thiền Uyển Tập Anh in Cuong Tu Nguyen 56a.

[49] This sentence is a bit confusing. Other versions say that Nguyễn Chí Thành served Đạo Hạnh.

[50] In a previous life, the Buddha had hit a fish with a metal spear. After he attained enlightenment he still suffered from headaches as a result of that past action.

[51] Minh Không is recorded to have died in the 1141 C.E., the second year of the Đại Định era, a tân dậu year.

[52] First, this era was during the reign of Lý Thánh Tông not Lý Thần Tông. Second, there is a character [梄] in this sentence after Hà Trạch which does not make sense here. That character refers to a kind of wood, and is probably a mistake for another character which means to reside [棲]. Some versions of this story say that Không Lộ journeyed to Hà Trạch and took up residence there, or secretly went there and took up residence. This version says that he “lived in retreat at Hà Trạch and [wood/resided] there.”

[53] This sentence does not make sense and clearly contains errors. What should be here is something like “[Không Lộ] would clothe himself in grass clothes and feed himself with wild fruits to the point where he forgot his own body.” See Cuong Tu Nguyen, 136.

[54] There is a mistake in the original here. It has “直耳” (“straight ear”) where other versions have “耳目” (“ears and eyes,” or what I have translated as “perceptions”).

[55] This sentence does not make sense. Other versions indicate that he returned to his home area and built a temple. That is probably what this sentence is supposed to say.

[56] There are a number of clearly erroneous characters in this version of this text. The result is that this poem is incomprehensible. I am therefore translating the version of this poem that appears in the Thiền uyển tập anh. See Cuong Tu Nguyen, 25b where it has the following: 鍛鍊身心始得清，森森直幹對虛庭。有人來問空王法，身坐屏邊影集形。

[57] As Cuong Tu Nguyen has pointed out, Không Lộ’s response here closely mirrors aspects of a couple of stories in the Chuandeng lu. See Nguyen, 398.

[58] This should probably say “twenty households” instead of twenty people.

[59] The Thiền uyển tập anh states more specifically that Giác Hải became Không Lộ’s “dharma heir” [法嗣]. See Cuong Tu Nguyen, 34b.

[60] This should be Hải Thanh, not Thanh Hải.

[61] The text has 伸足 when it should have 神足 for this sentence to make sense.

[62] Other versions have “Seeing your white hair, [I] tell you to be an old guest.”

[63] There are problems with this sentence in the orininal. There is a character, 五, which as been crossed out and another, 方, has been written next to it. The text accompanying Lê Hữu Mục’s translation has the following: 是夜有火星墜于太室東南隅.

[64] This version of the text has “write [寫] [my feelings of] conjugal love” whereas others have “release” [瀉]. These two characters look similar, but “release” makes more sense.

[65] What I have translated as “women and song” is literally “sounds and colors” (thanh sắc/shengse 聲色). It and refers, however, to the pleasures of “women and song.”

[66] This sentence has “the king’s people” [王人] but that does not make sense here. There is also a character meaning “to listen” [聼] before the word for “intelligent” [聰明] which does not fit in this sentence either.

[67] Other versions have “ten thousand.”

[68] A “commandery princess” was a title given to daughters of imperial princes.

[69] The text here has the wrong character for “to wear.” It has 帶 when it should have 戴.

[70] This version has “sound and colors” [聲色] whereas others have “sound” [聲音]. “Sound” makes more sense here.

[71] This is literally “sounds and colors” again.