Appendices and Endnotes

by William Dolby

  ii) a Buddhist term, Dharma Aspects, the aspects or characteristics of things (“all things being of myriad nature but differing in form”):

  a) All Mundane-worldly Truth (yi-ch’ieh shih-ti 一切世諦) has phenomena and non-phenomena, which are collectively known as Dharma Aspects, for which theory see Hui-yȕan 慧遠 (334 - 416), Mahaya righteousness chapters (Ta-ch’eng yi-chang 大乘義章). This is what Lasting-life Palace-hall means when it says: “Political disputes are mere illusion and void, who observes the Buddhist Dharma Aspects!”.

  b) an abbreviation for the Dharma-aspect School (Fa-hsiang-tsung 法相宗), also known as Compassionate-affection School (Tz’u-en-tsung 慈恩宗).

  886Ch’ing-ming 清明: Clear Brightness, name of a traditional Chinese festival taking place each year on the fifth or sixth day of April, when people pay their respects to their forbears’ spirits. Liu An 劉安 (?BC - 122 BC), Sir Huai-south (Huai-nan Tzu 淮南子), “T’ien-wen”), says: “Fifteen days after the Spring Equinox (ch’un-fen 春分), when the Dipper points to yi 乙, is Clear Brightness.”

  887Pao-ssu 襃娰, Elder Sister of Pao, the favourite queen (ch’ung-fei 寵妃) of King Secluded (Yu-wang 幽王, reigned 781 BC - 771 BC) of the Chou dynasty, she was presented to him by the people of Pao 襃 (also known as Yu-pao 有襃, a small subordinate Chou state, situated south-east of present-day Pao-ch’eng county in Shensi province), when he campaigned against Pao, which is why she was given the title Elder Sister of Pao.

  The king greatly favoured her with his love, and she gave birth to a son, Po-fu 伯服, so the king then dismissed his principal queen, Shen-hou 申后, and set up Elder Sister of Pao in her stead, and also dismissed his crown prince Yi-chiu 宜臼, and set up Po-fu as his heir-apparent instead, he himself sporting and feasting unsatedly, and giving no care to affairs of state.

  Elder Sister of Pao was disinclined to smile, and the king tried every trick to amuse her, but still she wouldn’t smile. So then he had the frontier beacons lit to summon to him the rulers of his subordinate states. They got there and discovered there were no enemy incursions. This at last made Elder Sister of Pao laugh out loud. But it was a case of crying wolf. When the Western Yi (Hsi Yi 西夷) and Dog Jung (Ch’ȕan Jung 犬戎) barbarians did actually invade, the king had the beacons lit, to summon his forces, but the rulers of his subordinate states failed to come to his assistance, and the Dog Jung killed him at the foot of Mount Li (Li-shan 驪山), also killing Po-fu, and seizing and making off with Elder Sister of Pao.

  888mai-fan 麥飯, ground-wheat-and-bran dish. There’s the expression “ground-wheat-and-bran and bean-broth” (mai-fan tou-keng 麥飯豆羹). Shih Yu 史游 (fl. ca. 40 BC), Improvisations piece (Chi-chiu p’ien 急就篇), sometimes abbreviated to Improvisations (Chi-chiu 急就), annotations by Yen Shih-ku 顏師古 (581 - 645), Wang Ying-lin 王應麟 (1223 - 1296) and Sun Hsing-yen 孫星衍 (1753 - 1818), says: “Cake (ping-erh 餠餌), ground-wheat-and-bran dish and sweet-bean broth (kan-tou keng 甘豆羹)”, a note to which says: “The ground-wheat-and-bran dish means wheat ground along with its hulls and cooked. The sweet-bean broth is boiled from washed-rice liquid (t’ao-mi-kan 洮米泔), but another source says it’s a broth made of red beans (hsiao-tou 小豆), without using vinegar (hsi-ts’u 醯酢), its taste being pure sweet, hence its name ‘sweet-bean broth’. Both ground-wheat-and-bran dish and sweet-bean broth are merely the food of rustics and farmers.”

  889hsiang-liao 香醪, fragrant mellow lees. According to Hsü Shen 許慎 (30 - 124), Explaining writing and elucidating characters (Sho-wen chieh-tzu 說文解字), the lao means “sediment wine”, “lees”, “dregs liquor” (tzu-chiu 滓酒). Hsü Hao 徐灝 (dates?), Notes and exegeses to “Explaining characters and elucidating writing” (Sho-wen chieh-tzu chu-chien 說文解辭注箋), says: “Lao and ‘sweet-wine’ (li 醴) were both the liquid along with the dregs. The sweet-wine matured overnight, and had a most thin taste, while lao was a rich wine (ch’un-chiu 醇酒) with a sweet taste.”

  Fan Yeh 范曄 (398 - 445), History of the Latter Han dynasty (Hou Han shu 後漢書), “Fan Ch’ou chuan”, says: “In addition, Yeh-wang 野王 [“remote provincial princes”] yearly submitted to the emperor tribute of sweet lao and ‘sweet malt-cakes’ (kao-hsing 膏餳).”. A note to that says: “Lao means rich wine along with its dregs.”

  890shih-t’an 石壇, stone altar-platform.

  891ling-wei 靈位, spirit tablet, being a wooden tablet (“position”) set up for a dead person. Also called board tablet (/ “position”) (p’ai-wei 牌位). It’s made with plain-white damask silk (su-ling 素靈) or paper, situated in the middle, on which is are one after the other written so-and-so’s mandarin title, surname and personal name. It’s set up roughly a number of days after the person has just died, for the purposes of a sacrificial service. When the spirit master-tablet [?] (shen-chu 神主), made of chestnut wood, and also called wooden master-tablet (mu-chu 木主) is completed, the spirit tablet isn’t used any more.

  892Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Han Yü 韓愈 [768 - 824].

  893Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Wang Chien 王建 [fl. ca. 751 - 835].

  894Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Liu Yü-hsi 劉禹錫 [772 - 842].

  895Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Tu Fu 杜甫 [712 - 770].

  896Tuan-cheng-lou 端正樓, Upright-and-just Tower, the name of a building. Yȕeh Shih 樂史 (930 - 1007), Unofficial biography of Grand-truth (T’ai-chen wai-chuan 太真外傳), scroll 2, says: “Florescence-purity Imperial-palace had an Upright-and-just Tower, which was the place where Empress Yang combed and washed.”

  897chi-shu 琪樹, Fine-jade Trees. Anon. (Chou and Han dynasties), Close exegeses/ standards (Erh-ya 爾雅), “Shih-ti”, says: “The beautiful ones of the Eastern Region [Japan or Korea] included the hsȕn 珣, yü 玗 and ch’i 琪 of Yi-wu-lü 醫無閭.” A note to that, not too helpfully, says: “Kinds of jade.” There’s the expression “fine-jade flowers and jasper plants” (ch’i-hua yao-ts’ao 琪花瑤草). Wang Ku 王轂 (fl. ca. AD 901), Dreaming of immortality ballad (Meng-hsien yao 夢仙瑤), has the line: “Every petal of the fine-jade flowers is stuck to jasper plants.”.

  898ch’ing-luan 青鸞, “green roc”: a kind of phoenix, the mostly crimson kind of phoenix being called feng 鳳, “phoenix”, and the mostly green kind being called luan 鸞, which, for the distinction, we provisionally translate as “roc”. See Abundant knowledge record (Ch’ia-wen chi 洽聞記). Li He 李賀 (791 - 817) has a poem with the line, “At bronze mirror stands the green roc”. Rocs were said to enjoy dancing facing a mirror, and so “roc” became a term for “mirror”. Hsü Yin 徐夤 (fl. ca. AD 873), in his Shang-yang Palace lyric (Shang-yang-kung tz’u 上陽宮詞), has the line: “By darkness of dust on the dressing-table the green roc’s covered.”

  899Han-huang 寒簧, Wintry Flute-reed, name of an immortal lady from the moon.

  900ch’ing-p’an 青盼, “black gaze”, a term for “delighted reverent gaze”. Fang Ch’iao 房喬 (579 - 648), and others (eds.), Tsin history (Chin-shu 晉書), “Juan Chi chuan”, says that Juan Chi 阮籍 (210 - 263) was good at “making black and white eyes” (wei ch’ing-pai yen 為青白眼). When he met vulgar-mannered gentlemen, he would face them with “white eyes” (pai-yen 白眼). When his mother died, Chi Hsi 稽喜 (fl. ca. AD 265) came to offer his condolences, Juan Chi put on “white eyes” [a look of disgust/distaste], and Chi Hsi 嵇喜withdrew displeased. Hearing about it, Chi Hsi’s younger borther, the famous poet Chi K’ang 嵇康 (223 - 262), brought along wine and dulcimer to Juan Chi’s house, to the delight of Juan, who met him with “black eyes” (ch’ing-yen 青眼) (= delighted looks)”.

  Chou Ch’i 周祈 (Ming dynasty), Investigation into the meanings of terms (Ming-yi k’ao 名義考)., says: “Juan Chi was good at making ‘black and white eyes’, so later people had the expressions ‘black gaze’ and ‘h
ang down black’ (ch’ui-ch’ing 垂青). If people look levelly (p’ing-shih 平視), their eyeballs are round, so are black. If they look up, their eyeballs are hidden, so they’re [their eyes are] white. looking up means glaring/ looking with angry eyes.”

  901Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Wang Chien 王建 [fl. ca. 751 - 835].

  902Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by T’ang Yen-ch’ien 唐彥謙 [fl. ca. AD 880].

  903 Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Liu Yü-hsi 劉禹錫 [772 - 842].

  904Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Li Shang-yin 李商隱 [813 - 858].

  905Ch’ung-hua 重華, Double/Layered Splendour/Flourishing:

  i) a term of praise referring to the mythical demi-god world-ruler Yü-ti-Shun 虞帝舜, a Wu-ti-chi ruler, traditionally reigned 2255 BC - 2206 BC. K’ung Ch’iu 孔丘 (551 BC - 479 BC) (ed.), History classic (Shu-ching書經), “Shun-tien”, says: “Double Splendour co-operated with God.” The commentary to that says: “Splendour means cultured virtue (wen-te 文德).” An exegesis says: “Shun was able at carrying on from Yao 堯 and prizing the splendour of his cultured virtue, and using such virtue joined with the demi-god world-ruler Yao, he and Yao both being sage enlightened ones.”

  Ssu-ma Ch’ien 司馬遷 (ca. 147 BC - 90 BC), Historians’ records (Shih-chi 史記), “Wu-ti chi”, says: “Shun’s eyes had double eyeballs, which is why he was called Double Splendour.”

  ii) According to Ssu-ma Chen 司馬貞 (Liang dynasty), Quest for hidden meanings in “Historians’ records” (Shih-chi so-yin 史記索隱), the term is another name for the planet Jupiter (Sui-hsing 歲星).”

  Here it’s a euphemism for Sublime August-emperor (Shang-huang 上皇), the former Shining August Emperor (Ming-huang 明皇), Emperor Dark-progenitor (Hsȕan-tsung 玄宗).

  906hung-ai 鴻哀, “swan-geese lamenting”, an image for “ordinary people scattered in flight by famine or natural disasters”. It originates in Anon. (around 600 BC), Songs classic (Shih-ching 詩經), no. 181, verse 3, lines 1 & 2: “Swan-geese and wild-geese are flying, their sorrowful calls wailing wailing.”

  907Feng-yi 鳳儀, Phoenix Grace. Name of a present-day county in Yunnan province. Here perhaps the name of an imperial palace in the Szechwan or Shensi region.

  908hsü-lai 虛籟, “empty panpipes/flutes of the void” or “empty void”.

  909Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Ts’ui Lu 崔櫓 [fl. ca. AD 867].

  910Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Ts’ui Tao-jung 崔道融 [fl. ca. AD 879].

  911Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Wang Ch’iu 王遒 [circa T’ang dynasty].

  912Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Wei Chuang 韋莊 [fl. ca. AD 900].

  913tsa-chih hang-t’ou 雜職行頭, Sub-official Functionaries’ Column-leader, Head of Miscellaneous Duties/Posts.

  914A lot of this and the following passage requires much further investigation.

  915Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Kao P’ien 高駢 [AD? - AD 887].

  916Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Cheng T’ien 鄭畋 [ca. 823 - ca. 885].

  917Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Fang Kan 方干 [fl. ca. AD 860].

  918Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Seng Kuang-hsȕan 僧廣宣 [circa T’ang dynasty].

  919i.e. time passes.

  920i.e. her alluring face is as beautiful as the portrait of her.

  921pi-fu 蚍蜉, Camponotus liguipardus, a kind of ant.

  922Ch’iao-shan Ling-ch’in 橋山陵寢, Bridge-mountain Mound Bedchamber. Ch’iao-ling 橋陵, Bridge Mound, the name of the tomb-mound of the mythical demi-god world ruler the Yellow Emperor/ Yellow Demi-god (Huang-ti 黃帝, mythical Wu-ti-chi world-ruler, traditionally reigned 2698 BC-2599 BC). Ling-ch’in 陵寢, “mound bedchamber”, means “tomb mound”, defined as the Ancestral-temple Bedchamber (miao-ch’in 廟寢) of the Son of Heaven’s Mound Garden (Ling-yȕan 陵園), providing for the holding of sacrificial services for all four seasons. Fan Yeh (398 - 445) and others, Latter Han history (Hou Han shu 後漢書), “Chi-ssu chih”, says: “Empress Tou (Tou-hou 竇后) used to make food offerings to Emperor Illustrious (Chang-ti 章帝) [reigned 76 - 88], and Empress-dowager Deferential-bosom (Kung-huai Huang-hou 恭懷皇后) betook herself to the Mound-bedchamber to hold the sacrificial service.”

  Mound Garden was a term for the place where the Son of Heaven and rulers of subordinate states had their tombs. Emperor Frank-and-cultured (Chien-wen-ti 簡文帝, Southern Dynasties Liang dynasty emperor, reigned 550 - 551, Hsiao Kang 蕭綱, 503 - 551), Preface to the collected works of Resplendent-shining Crown-prince (Chao-ming T’ai-tzu chi-hsü 昭明太子集序), says: “Treading the Mound Garden, which is the title of the In-fast-thunder Road (Chen-chung-lu 震中路).”

  Ancestral-temple Bedchamber is also found as Bedroom Ancestral-temple (Ch’in-miao 寢廟). Fang Ch’iao 房喬 (579 - 648) and others, (eds.), Tsin history (Chin-shu 晉書), “He Hsȕn chuan”, says: “King P’an-keng 盤庚 of the Yin dynasty didn’t follow King Yang-chia 陽甲, and Emperor Shining-warrior (Kuang-wu-ti 光武帝) of the Han dynasty didn’t take up from Emperor Perefection (Ch’eng-ti 成帝), but erected separate Ancestral-temple Bedchambers, and had their ministers hold sacrificial services to them.”

  Ssu-ma Ch’ien 司馬遷 (ca. 147 BC - 90 BC), Historians’ records (Shih-chi 史記), “Feng-shan shu”, says that when Emperor Warrior (Wu-ti 武帝), reigned 140 BC - 87 BC, of the Han dynasty. returned from a tour of inspection of the Northern Region (Sho-fang 朔方), he held a sacrificial service at the Yellow Emperor’s Tomb (Huang-ti-chung 黃帝冢) on Mount Bridge (Ch’iao-shan 橋山), which was this Bridge Mound. There were a lot of cypress-trees up on it. Mount Bridge is north-west of present-day Chung-pu county in Shensi province. The River Chü (Chü-shui 沮水) cut through it, making it seem like a bridge, hence its name.

  It was also called Mount Tzu-wu (Tzu-wu-shan 子午山). Up on it there’s the Yellow Emperor’s Tomb, called Bridge Mound. Its range winds unbroken across the borders of Shensi and Kansu provinces, being the water-shed of the River Ching and River Lo, and reaching Fu-p’ing and T’ung-kuan in the south and connecting to the range of Mount Heng in the north. People also take Mount Heng as the northern foot-hills of Mount Bridge.

  923Hung-yȕan-wu 紅鴛舞, Scarlet-mandarin-drake dance, the title of some dance of the T’ang dynasty imperial court.

  924Wu-yȕn Chih-kai 五雲芝葢, Five-clouds Immortal-fungus Canopies. Canopies or parasols, shaped or decorated like many-coloured clouds and fomes-fungus.

  925Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Hsü Yin 徐夤 [fl. ca. AD 873].

  926Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Tu Mu 杜牧 [803 - 852].

  927Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Liu Ts’ang 劉滄 [fl. ca. AD 867].

  928Hung Sheng gives the note that this line derives from a poem by Cheng Yü 鄭嵎 [fl. ca. AD 859].

  929Pi-wu-t’ien 碧梧天, Emerald-green Parasol-tree Heaven.

  930Chin-feng 金風, Gold/ Bronze Wind, a poetic term for “autumn wind”. Hsiao T’ung 蕭統 (501 - 531), Resplendent-shining Crown-prince (Chao-ming T’ai-tzu 昭明太子, Liang dynasty), Fifth Pitchpipe Seventh Month letter (Yi-tse Ch’i-yȕeh ch’i 夷則七月啟), says: “The Gold Wind shakes at dawn, deliberately wounding the heart of the far-travelling wayfarer.”

  931Chin-feng Yü-lu 金風玉露, Gold Wind and White-jade Dew, a poetic term for “autumn wind and autumn dew”, the “autumn dew” stressing its chill sparkle that’s like shiny jade. This line is slightly altered from a poem by Li Shang-yin 李商隱 (813 - 858), On the Seventh Night of the year hsin-wei (Hsin-wei ch’i-hsi 辛未七夕): �
��Ever, on the banks of the Silver River [Milky Way] in the azure sky, when there’s needed Gold Wind and Jade Dew.” A tz’u-lyric by Ch’in Kuan 秦觀 (1049 - 1101), Magpie Bridge immortals (Ch’ȕeh-ch’iao hsien 鵲橋仙): “As soon as they meet each other in the Gold Wind and Jade Dew, It surpasses countless in the mortal world.”

  932Wu-ch’ueh-chu 烏鵲渚, Magpie Isle. The name of some island, associated with the Milky Way and Weaving-damsel.

  933Tou-niu-kung 斗牛宮, Dipper-Ox Palace, the name of a palace of Heaven. Dipper-Ox is the name of traditional Chinese constellations, i.e. the Dipper Constellation (Tou-hsiu 斗宿) and Ox Constellation (Niu-hsiu 牛宿).

  934Tou-fu Hsing-kung 斗府星宮, Dipper Mansion Star-palace, the name of a palace in Heaven where Weaving-damsel and Oxherd meet once a year.

  935T’ien-chi 天雞, Heaven Cock:

  (i) then name of stars. Kan-shih Wu-hsien-shih 甘石巫咸氏 (Sung dynasty or earlier), Stars classsic (Hsing-ching 星經), or Liu Piao 劉表 (142 - 208, the end of East Han dynasty), Stars classic, says: “The two stars Heaven Cock are north of Dog-country (Kou-kuo 狗國), and govern exotic birds (yi-niao 異鳥).” Fang Ch’iao 房喬 (579 - 648) and others (eds.), Tsin history (Chin-shu 晉書), “T’ien-wen chih”, says they govern the seasonal junctures (hou-chih 候時).