The Chinese myth of the meddling monk - Shunan Teng

2,703,993 views ・ 2019-05-23

TED-Ed


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

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Xu Xian had just received yet another invitation
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to the opening ceremony of the new Jin Shan Temple.
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His wife, Bai Su Zhen,
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had warned him not to attend.
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Since she was in fact a benevolent white snake spirit in human form,
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their marriage had already weathered attacks by meddling monks.
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But devout Buddhist that he was,
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Xu Xian felt obligated to make an appearance.
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What they didn’t know
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was that these invitations had come from none other than Fa Hai–
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the misguided monk who had tried to separate the young lovers,
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almost killing Xu Xian in the process.
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The monk confronted Xu Xian,
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telling him that because he consorted with a demon,
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he must remain at the monastery and cleanse his soul.
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Xu Xian protested,
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but Fa Hai would not let him escape.
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At home, Bai Su Zhen was uneasy.
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Her husband had departed so quickly
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that she hadn’t been able to tell him she was pregnant with his child.
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And now he had been gone so long she sensed something must be wrong.
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She made her way to the temple,
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and upon encountering Fa Hai the monk threw his prayer mat,
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which erupted into fire and smoke.
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Weakened from her pregnancy,
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Bai Su Zhen desperately summoned a fleet of shrimp soldiers and crab generals
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to subdue the monk, and waves to put out the blaze.
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But the water also flooded the surrounding area,
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drowning many innocent villagers.
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For the first time, Bai Su Zhen had harmed humans,
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and she fell out of the gods’ favor.
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With their blessing retracted,
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Fa Hai attempted to trap her in his magical alms bowl.
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But just when all hope seemed lost,
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a bright glow came from within her belly,
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saving her from the mad monk’s magic.
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The couple fled home,
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grateful to the mysterious power that had saved them,
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and soon after, Bai Su Zhen gave birth to their son, Xu Shi Lin.
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Yet despite this joyous occasion,
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Xu Xian was uneasy.
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He was shaken by his wife’s accidental act of destruction,
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and he feared the misfortune it might bring upon their home.
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Not a month later,
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Fa Hai appeared at their doorstep.
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He offered Xu Xian an alms bowl to ensure good fortune for his newborn son.
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Still wary of the monk,
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but also remembering Bai Su Zhen’s destructive act,
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Xu Xian accepted the gift.
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But as soon as the bowl entered their home,
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it flew to Bai Su Zhen’s head and trapped her inside.
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Against the family’s wishes,
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Fa Hai buried the bowl beneath the Lei Feng Pagoda.
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And when Xu Xian begged him to release his wife,
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the monk sternly replied:
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“She will be free when the iron tree blooms.”
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Overcome with guilt,
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Xu Xian ran away to a monastery,
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leaving Shi Lin in the care of his aunt.
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But there was something neither of them knew.
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The boy was the reincarnation of Wen Qu Xing,
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the wisdom god,
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sent to the family to reward Xu Xian’s devotion.
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It was this power that had protected Bai Su Zhen at the temple,
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and as he grew, so did his wisdom.
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At age 19, Shi Lin went to the capital city to take the nation-wide imperial exam
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and obtained the highest score in all the empire.
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The Emperor himself bestowed Shi Lin’s prize:
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an ornate hat decorated with jewel-encrusted flowers.
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But though he returned home in glory,
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the fate of his parents still weighed heavy on his mind.
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Coaxing his father from exile,
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Shi Lin took him to visit the Lei Feng Pagoda to pay respects to his mother.
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Kneeling before it,
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he placed his jeweled prize on the iron tree as an offering.
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Suddenly, the ground opened and Bai Su Zhen stepped out.
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With her sins absolved by the tribute of a god,
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and a blossom on the iron tree,
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Shi Lin had freed his mother,
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and reunited his family–
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both mortal and divine.
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