{"collection":"cfu","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/cfu/mlc/mlc15.htm","path":"cfu/mlc/mlc15.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/cfu/mlc/mlc15.htm","text":"Myths and Legends of China, by Edward T.C. Werner, [1922]\nThe F\u00eang sh\u00ean yen i describes at length how, during the wars which preceded the accession of the Chou dynasty in 1122 B.C., a multitude of demigods, Buddhas, Immortals, etc., took part on one side or the other, some fighting for the old, some for the new dynasty. They were wonderful creatures, gifted with marvellous powers. They could at will change their form, multiply their heads and limbs, become invisible, and create, by merely uttering a word, terrible monsters who bit and destroyed, or sent forth poison gases, or emitted flames from their nostrils. In these battles there is much lightning, thunder, flight of fire-dragons, dark clouds which vomit burning hails of murderous weapons; swords, spears, and arrows fall from the sky on to the heads of the combatants; the earth trembles, the pillars of Heaven shake.\nOne of these gifted warriors was Chun T\u2019i, a Taoist of the Western Paradise, who appeared on the scene when the armies of the rival dynasties were facing each other. K\u2019ung Hs\u00fcan was gallantly holding the pass of the Chin-chi Ling; Chiang Tz\u016d-ya was trying to take it by assault\u2014so far without success.\nChun T\u2019i\u2019s mission was to take K\u2019ung Hs\u00fcan to the abode of the blest, his wisdom and general progress having now reached the required degree of perfection. This was a means of breaking down the invincible resistance of this powerful enemy and at the same time of rewarding his brilliant talents. p. 321\nBut K\u2019ung Hs\u00fcan did not approve of this plan, and a fight took place between the two champions. At one moment Chun T\u2019i was seized by a luminous bow and carried into the air, but while enveloped in a cloud of fire he appeared with eighteen arms and twenty-four heads, holding in each hand a powerful talisman.\nHe put a silk cord round K\u2019ung Hs\u00fcan\u2019s neck, touched him with his wand, and forced him to reassume his original form of a red one-eyed peacock. Chun T\u2019i seated himself on the peacock\u2019s back, and it flew across the sky, bearing its saviour and master to the Western Paradise. Brilliantly variegated clouds marked its track through space.\nOn the disappearance of its defender the defile of Chin-chi Ling was captured, and the village of Chieh-p\u2019ai Kuan, the bulwark of the enemy\u2019s forces, reached. This place was defended by a host of genii and Immortals, the most distinguished among them being the Taoist T\u2019ung-t\u2019ien Chiao-chu, whose specially effective charms had so far kept the fort secure against every attempt upon it.\nLao Tz\u016d himself had deigned to descend from dwelling in happiness, together with Y\u00fcan-shih T\u2019ien-tsun and Chieh-yin Tao-j\u00ean, to take part in the siege. But the town had four gates, and these heavenly rulers were only three in number. So Chun T\u2019i was recalled, and each member of the quartette was entrusted with the task of capturing one of the gates. p. 322\nChun T\u2019i\u2019s duty was to take the Ch\u00fceh-hsien M\u00ean, defended by T\u2019ung-t\u2019ien Chiao-chu. The warriors who had tried to enter the town by this gate had one and all paid for their temerity with their lives. The moment each had crossed the threshold a clap of thunder had resounded, and a mysterious sword, moving with lightning rapidity, had slain him.\nAs Chun T\u2019i advanced at the head of his warriors terrible lightning rent the air and the mysterious sword descended like a thunderbolt upon his head. But Chun T\u2019i held on high his Seven-precious Branch, whereupon there emerged from it thousands of lotus-flowers, which formed an impenetrable covering and stopped the sword in its fall. This and the other gates were then forced, and a grand assault was now directed against the chief defender of the town.\nT\u2019ung-t\u2019ien Chiao-chu, riding his ox and surrounded by his warriors, for the last time risked the chance of war and bravely faced his four terrible adversaries. With his sword held aloft, he threw himself on Chieh-yin Tao-j\u00ean, whose only weapon was his fly-whisk. But there emerged from this a five-coloured lotus-flower, which stopped the sword-thrust. While Lao Tz\u016d struck the hero with his staff, Y\u00fcan-shih T\u2019ien-tsun warded off the terrible sword with his jade ju-i.\nChun T\u2019i now called to his help the spiritual peacock, and took the form of a warrior with twenty-four heads and eighteen arms. His mysterious weapons surrounded T\u2019ung-t\u2019ien Chiao-chu, and Lao Tz\u016d struck the hero so p. 323 hard that fire came out from his eyes, nose, and mouth. Unable to parry the assaults of his adversaries, he next received a blow from Chun T\u2019i\u2019s magic wand, which felled him, and he took flight in a whirlwind of dust.\nThe defenders now offered no further resistance, and Y\u00fcan-shih T\u2019ien-tsun thanked Chun T\u2019i for the valuable assistance he had rendered in the capture of the village, after which the gods returned to their palace in the Western Heaven.\nT\u2019ung-t\u2019ien Chiao-chu, vanquished and routed, swore to have his revenge. He called to his aid the spirits of the twenty-eight constellations, and marched to attack Wu Wang\u2019s army. The honour of the victory that ensued belonged to Chun T\u2019i, who disarmed both the Immortal Wu Y\u00fcn and T\u2019ung-t\u2019ien Chiao-chu.\nWu Y\u00fcn, armed with his magic sword, entered the lists against Chun T\u2019i; but the latter opened his mouth and a blue lotus-flower came out and stopped the blows aimed at him. Other thrusts were met by similar miracles.\n\u201cWhy continue so useless a fight?\u201d said Chun T\u2019i at last. \u201cAbandon the cause of the Shang, and come with me to the Western Paradise. I came to save you, and you must not compel me to make you resume your original form.\u201d\nAn insulting flow of words was the reply; again the magic sword descended like lightning, and again the stroke was averted by a timely lotus-flower. Chun T\u2019i now waved his wand, and the magic sword was broken to bits, the handle only remaining in Wu Y\u00fcn\u2019s hand. p. 324\nMad with rage, Wu Y\u00fcn seized his club and tried to fell his enemy. But Chun T\u2019i summoned a disciple, who appeared with a bamboo pole. This he thrust out like a fishing-rod, and on a hook at the end of the line attached to the pole dangled a large golden-bearded turtle. This was the Immortal Wu Y\u00fcn, now in his original form of a spiritual turtle. The disciple seated himself on its back, and both, disappearing into space, returned to the Western Heavens.\nTo conquer T\u2019ung-t\u2019ien Chiao-chu was more difficult, but after a long fight Chun T\u2019i waved his Wand of the Seven Treasures and broke his adversary\u2019s sword. The latter, disarmed and vanquished, disappeared in a cloud of dust. Chun T\u2019i did not trouble to pursue him. The battle was won.\nA disciple of T\u2019ung-t\u2019ien Chiao-chu, P\u2019i-lu Hsien, \u2018the Immortal P\u2019i-lu,\u2019 seeing his master beaten in two successive engagements, left the battlefield and followed Chun T\u2019i to the Western Paradise, to become a Buddha. He is known as P\u2019i-lu Fo, one of the principal gods of Buddhism.\nChun T\u2019i\u2019s festival is celebrated on the sixth day of the third moon. He is generally shown with eight hands and three faces, one of the latter being that of a pig. p. 325","title":"Myths and Legends of China: Chapter XIII. A Battle of the...","type":"page"}