Full poem:
Vimalakirti is not sick when he is sick, but he has forgotten his luck at home.
Why does Emperor Wei need a pill and seven bowls of tea with him?
Vernacular translation: The eminent monk Vimalakirti fell ill. Elder Vimalakirti knew that Manjusri and the Buddhist disciples were coming, so he used his magical power to empty the room, leaving him with nothing but sleeping on a bed. When Manjushri Bodhisattva entered the room, he asked the elder Vimalakirti about his illness. Xie Lingyun is already a secular person traveling around. Wherever Emperor Wei's elixir of life is needed, all he needs is the seven cups of strong tea in Tang Lu's poem.
Source: From Su Shi's seven-character quatrain of the Northern Song Dynasty, "Wandering to the Buddha's Houses, Drinking Hot Tea in One Day, Playing with Shu Qinshi's Wall with Seven Cups".
Extended information:
Creative background:
This poem was written when Su Shi was a local official in Hangzhou. He visited Buddhist temples and drank seven cups of strong drink a day. Tea, he was very excited, compared himself to Vimalakirti Bodhisattva, and compared himself to Xie Kangle, and said that after drinking tea, there is no need to take medicine.
In 1057 AD (the second year of Jiayou's reign in the Song Dynasty), he and his younger brother Su Zhe became Jinshi. Su Shi, his father Su Xun, and his younger brother Su Zhe are all famous for their literature, and they are known as the "Three Sus" in the world. He was skilled in poetry, lyrics, writing, calligraphy and painting. He was a leader in the literary world of the Northern Song Dynasty after Ouyang Xiu.
In terms of ancient prose, he is one of the "Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song Dynasties"; as an outstanding poet, he pioneered a bold style of poetry, and is also known as "Su Xin" together with Xin Qiji; in poetry, he is also known as "Su Xin" together with Huang Tingjian. Su Huang"; in terms of calligraphy, together with Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu and Cai Xiang, they are known as the "Four Masters of Song Dynasty". His works include "Visiting the Buddhist Residences for a Day, Drinking Tea in a Day, Playing with Seven Cups and Shuqin Shibi", "Seven Collections of Dongpo", etc. There are now 150 volumes of "The Complete Works of Dongpo".