Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch
RASHKB and author
96
Vol. 1 (1961)
ISSN 1991-7295
(h) The name of Chin-cha does not appear in the prompt-book Hsi-yu-chi of the "Four Travels", but it appears in Ch.83 of Wu's Hsi-yu-chi, in a paragraph which is now open to question.
(i) In Ch.38 of the Fêng-shen, the monster Lung-hsü Hu (A) when stirred up by Shên-kung Pao (A), was prepared to devour Chiang Tzu-ya, and exclaimed when seeing him approach, "If one could eat a slice of the flesh of Chiang Shang, he would prolong his life for a thousand years more!" This idea does not appear in the "Four Travels", but is repeated twice in Chs. 32 and 40 of Wu's Hsi-yu-chi to the effect that if anyone could eat a slice of the flesh of Hsüan-tsang he would prolong his life.
(j) In Ch.45 of the Fêng-shen Yen-i, in order to break through the ranks of the Boisterous Wind Array (RAM), a “wind-stopping pearl" (L) was to be borrowed from the Immortal Tu-O (EXA). Now in Ch.59 of Wu's Hsi-yu-chi, Sun Wu-k'ung was fanned away by the wind and he had to borrow a "wind-stopping pill" (A) from the Bodhisattva Ling-chi (M). This story does not appear in Ch.37 of the Hsi-yu-chi in the "Four Travels".
(k) In Ch.34 of the Hsi-yu-chi in the "Four Travels” when the black ox of Lao-tzu stole its master's diamond ring and descended from heaven with it, though it fought fiercely with many gods it never encountered the gods of the Department of Fire. But in Ch.51 of Wu's Hsi-yu-chi, it fought against many genii of the Department of Fire whose weapons were fire-dragons, fire-horses, fire-crows, fire-rats, fire-swords, fire bows and fire arrows. The fire-crows first appeared in Ch.9 of the Nan-yu-chi and both the fire-crows, fire arrows and fire-dragons appear in Ch.64 of the Fêng-shên Yen-i and were a part of the arms of Lo Hsüan (). The "fire-horse" may be derived from the "horse of red smoke" (ch'ih-yen chù *), a mount of Lo Hsüan,
The above points when considered separately may be regarded as accidental and some of them may even be refutable, but as some of them seem to be invulnerable and when they are found together in the same book, it would be ridiculous to overlook their significance. And besides, it is easy to sum up a long story and to write a synopsis of it as is done in Ch.83 of Wu's Hsi-yu-chi, but it would be a very difficult and thankless task to develop a short paragraph into a thrilling story of some twenty thousand words. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that these
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch
RASHKB and author
96
Vol. 1 (1961)
ISSN 1991-7295
(h) The name of Chin-cha does not appear in the prompt- book Hsi-yu-chi of the "Four Travels", but it appears in Ch.83 of Wu's Hsi-yu-chi, in a paragraph which is now open to question.
(i) In Ch.38 of the Fêng-shen, the monster Lung-hsü Hu (A) when stirred up by Shên-kung Pao (A), was prepared to devour Chiang Tzu-ya, and exclaimed when seeing him approach. "If one could eat a slice of the flesh of Chiang Shang, he would prolong his life for a thousand years more!" This idea does not appear in the "Four Travels", but is repeated twice in Chs. 32 and 40 of Wu's Hsi-yu-chi to the effect that if any one could eat a slice of the flesh of Hsüan-tsang he would prolong his life.
(1) In Ch.45 of the Fêng-shen Yen-i, in order to break through the ranks of the Boisterous Wind Array (RAM), a “wind-stopping pearl" (L) was to be borrowed from the Immortal Tu-O (EXA). Now in Ch.59 of Wu's Hsi-yu-chi, Sun Wu-k'ung was fanned away by the wind and he had to borrow a "wind- stopping pill" (A) from the Bodhisattva Ling-chi (M). This story does not appear in Ch.37 of the Hsi-yu-chi in the "Four Travels".
(k) In Ch.34 of the Hsi-yu-chi in the "Four Travels” when the black ox of Lao-tzu stole its master's diamond ring and descended from heaven with it, though it fought fiercely with many gods it never encountered the gods of the Department of Fire. But in Ch.51 of Wu's Hsi-yu-chi, it fought against many genii of the Department of Fire whose weapons were fire-dragons, fire-horses, fire-crows, fire-rats, fire-swords, fire bows and fire arrows. The fire-crows first appeared in Ch.9 of the Nan-yu-chi and both the fire-crows, fire arrows and fire-dragons appear in Ch.64 of the Fêng-shên Yen-i and were a part of the arms of Lo Hsüan (). The "fire-horse" may be derived from the "horse of red smoke" (ch'ih-yen chù *), a mount of Lo Hsüan,
The above points when considered separately may be regarded as accidental and some of them may even be refutable, but as some of them seem to be invulnerable and when they are found together in the same book, it would be ridiculous to overlook their significance. And besides, it is easy to sum up a long story and to write a synopsis of it as is done in Ch.83 of Wu's Hsi- yu-chi, but it would be a very difficult and thankless task to develop a short paragraph into a thrilling story of some twenty thousand words. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that these
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