"Sending the Monk Back to Japan" is a work by Qian Qi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. The author of this poem bid farewell to the Japanese monks, expressed his respect for the Japanese monks' spirit of not being afraid of hardships, and praised the Japanese monks' holiness of character and noble conduct. The writing method of the poem is very special. The lines are clear and beautiful, the rhyme is harmonious, and the sentences use Buddhist terminology, which is full of religious color.
Sending the monk back to Japan
Qian Qi
Living in the country is like a dream.
The sky and the sea are far away, but the boat of death is light.
The water and moon penetrate the Zen silence, and the fish and dragons listen to the sound of Sanskrit.
Only the shadow of a lamp can bring light to thousands of miles away.
Poetry Explanation
By chance, I came to live in China, and the journey there was like wandering in a dream. Coming from the vast sea in the distance, it seems to be floating in the sky, and it leaves briskly on a Dharma boat. The moon in the water is connected with the realm of purity and tranquility. The fish and dragons in the sea also come to listen to your chanting. I love this Buddhist lantern the most. Thousands of miles away, my eyes are still bright.
Translation
As long as there is a chance, you can come to China at any time;
The journey is foggy and the ship seems to be sailing in a dream.
The sky and the sea are ups and downs, and the boat is sailing to the far edge;
When you are detached from the world, you will naturally feel the lightness of the Dharma boat.
The state of mind is calm and quiet, everything is as illusory as the moon and water;
The fish and dragons in the sea will also come out to listen to the sound of your chanting.
The most lovely thing is that there is a Buddhist lamp that illuminates the heart;
After sailing thousands of miles, the eyes will always be bright and bright.
Word explanation
Shangguo: refers to the Tang Dynasty.
Floating sky: boats floating in the sky.
Zen Silence: The state of mind that is pure and calm when Buddhism is enlightened.
⑴Shangguo: In the Spring and Autumn Period, the Central Plains was called Shangguo, which refers to China (Tang Dynasty). Let it happen: As a Buddhist saying goes, let it happen.
⑵Place of origin: refers to coming to China from Japan.
⑶ Floating sky: The boat floats in the sky. Describing the vastness of the sea, the sky seems to be floating on the sea. One is "Floating Clouds". Canghai: It means the sea, named because the water is deep and green.
⑷Death: leaving the world, here refers to leaving China. Dharma boat: refers to a boat blessed by Buddhism. Dharma boat is light: It means that because of the brilliant Dharma, returning home by boat will be a smooth journey.
⑸Water Moon: A Buddhist term used to describe a monk’s pure and beautiful character, everything is as illusory as the moon in the water. Zen Silence: The state of mind that is pure and calm during Buddhist enlightenment.
⑹Sanskrit sound: the sound of reciting Buddhist scriptures.
⑺Wei Lian: Favorite; most pitiful. Yideng: a Buddhist term used to describe wisdom. Lamp: a pun, using boat lantern as a metaphor for Zen lantern.
Background:
During the Tang Dynasty, the country was very powerful. Japan sent many envoys to the Tang Dynasty to China, and many monks came with them to learn culture, skills, and seek Buddhism, which greatly contributed to the great development of China. Promoted cultural exchanges between China and Japan. This poem was given by the author to the monk who was about to return to China. The poet was in Chang'an at that time.
Appreciation
During the Tang Dynasty, there were frequent international exchanges with Japan. Many Japanese came to China to study or serve as officials. Many of the Tang Dynasty people had chapters dedicated to the Japanese. The poet sent a Japanese monk back to his country, and praised the monk's spirit of not being afraid of hardships and bravely realizing his ideals. Because he was writing about monks, he used many Buddhist terms.
The poem begins abruptly. It is meant to be a farewell, but instead of writing about returning home, it starts from the way back. "Walking in a Dream" expresses the exhaustion and trance state of long-term boating and sailing, contrasting the hardships on the way home, and opens the middle two couplets. The couplet describes the confused scene while sailing on the sea. The "floating sky"-like sea road is far away and the sea is vast, embodying care and consideration for the monks on their long and bumpy journey. "Fa Zhou" is closely tied to the identity of a monk, and also contains the connotation of boating in a sea of ??people and "going with the circumstances". It is ethereal and rich in meaning. The neck couplet states that the monk still did not forget to practice Dharma during the sea journey, sitting in meditation under the moon and chanting sutras on the boat. "Water Moon" is a metaphor for Zen philosophy, and "fishes and dragons listening" are traveling across the sea. They also euphemistically express the monk's character of chanting sutras alone and adhering to Buddhist laws, and are rich in imagination. The last couplet uses "one lamp" to describe the loneliness of the monk on his way back, with only a solitary lamp accompanying him. This is true. But there is a virtual reality. "Yi Deng" also refers to Zen philosophy and Buddhist philosophy. Virtual reality contrasts with each other. There are two points that need to be noted in the conception of this poem: First, the sender is a monk, and some Buddhist terms are used in the poem, such as "Sui Yuan", "Fa Zhou", "Zen", "Brahma", "Yideng", etc. , in line with the identity of the character. Second, the monk came from Japan, and if he wanted to return to Japan, he had to pass through the sea, so he spoke highly of the hardships of sea voyage. The two couplets in the middle are mostly said by predecessors to be written about their origins, but they are actually too clumsy. In fact, it is written both on and off the road, but mainly on the return journey, so that it can fit in with the title of the poem "Returning to Japan". This poem sends people across the sea, so it euphemistically expresses this feeling of farewell through the expression of Zen. Haiqu Zen, deep friendship, blend into one, forming a good farewell poem.
The first half of the poem describes the Japanese monks coming to China, and the second half describes the Japanese monks returning to China. The poem uses many Buddhist terms, with a strong Zen style. The harmonious and natural choice of words and sentences shows the poet's profound knowledge and solid artistic skills.