Snow in August (13 page)

P. 11, line 1: field of merits 福田

The “field” (place) where meritorious virtues are nurtured and developed; the accumulation of practices which lead to enlightenment.

P. 11, line 10:
prajna
般若

Insight or wisdom. According to the Sandhinirmocana Sutra, there are three kinds of insights: insight into worldly truth, insight into ultimate truth, and insight into benefiting sentient beings.

P. 11, line 13:
gatha
偈

A hymn or chant of Buddhist teaching, usually written in the form of a poem.

P. 11, line 18: Bodhidharma 達摩

The name is traditionally associated with the founder of Zen Buddhism in China. The Grand Master Bodhiharma went to China from India around the end of the fifth century or the beginning of the sixth century.

P. 20, line 1:
ksana
念

A thought; thinking; a momentary sensation.

P. 20, 6th line from bottom: the other shore 彼岸

In Sanskrit, “the other shore” is
paramita
, the land of enlightenment in Buddhism. According to Buddhist belief, one is able to cross the river of life—from the shore of delusion and suffering to the other shore of enlightenment—by cultivating and perfecting the
paramita
virtues of generosity, morality, patience, vigor, concentration (or meditation) and wisdom.

P. 28, line 2:

Huiming was reported to be the first monk to be enlightened by Huineng on the truth of the
Dharma
.

P. 32, 4th line from bottom: Maha Parinirvana Sutra 大般涅盤經

Commonly called the Nirvana Sutra. This was said to have been delivered by Sakyamuni just before his death.

P. 34, 2nd line from bottom: arhat 羅漢

The saint or perfect man of Hinayana Buddhism; the famous disciples appointed to witness Buddha-truth and to save the world.

P. 35, line 12: Bodhisattva 菩薩

Enlightened being, who has compassion and fully altruistic intentions to deliver people from suffering.

P. 35, line 12: Mahasattva 摩訶薩

Great being with compassion and energy, who brings salvation to all living beings.

P. 36, line 9:
Dhuta
頭陀

An ascetic practice to get rid of the trials of life in order to attain nirvana.

P. 41, last 3 lines:

When Huineng gave Shenhui the club, it was reputed to be the beginning of the practice of “
banghe
” 棒喝 (clubbing and shouting) in Zen Buddhism—the master hits his meditating disciple with a club to jolt him into sudden enlightenment.

P. 44, 7th line from bottom: the four
Mahabhutas
四大

The four elements of which all things are made: earth, water, fire and air. They represent solid, liquid, heat and motion.

P. 45, 11th line from bottom: the five
Skandhas
五陰

The five aggregates, accumulations, or substances; the components making up “sentient beings,” especially human beings. The five
Skandhas
are form, feeling, perception, impulse and consciousness.

P. 49, line 10:

According to Song
Gaozeng Zhuan
宋高僧傳 (Biographies of eminent monks compiled in the Song Dynasty), the Emperor, after hearing Xue Jian’s account of Huineng’s sermon, was very pleased. He commended Huineng for his efforts in spreading Buddhism in China and presented him with a Buddhist robe made with “
mona
” 磨衲 (an exquisite fabric from Korea) and a crystal almsbowl. He also ordered the local prefect to renovate Huineng’s temple and renamed it Guo’en Temple (Temple of National Grace) in honor of the Zen master.
Snow in August
chooses to omit the Emperor’s benevolence and instead accentuates Huineng’s aloofness and his giving the Emperor the snub with his sarcastic remarks.

P. 52, last line: Guanyin 觀音

The Goddess of Infinite Compassion and Mercy, the most popular bodhisattva in Buddhism. She works towards the salvation of all.

P. 53, line 1:
Maitreya
彌勒

Maitreya
, meaning benevolent, is the bodhisattva who will appear in this world to become the next Buddha. In a Buddhist temple, his image is usually found in the hall of the four guardians facing outward, where he is represented as the fat laughing Buddha; in some places he appears as a tall Buddha.

P. 59, line 12:

“Cao Mountain, quiet and serene” is the semantic translation of the name of the Zen master Caoshan Benji 曹山本寂 (840-901).

P. 59, lines 17-18:

“… the green grassland,/ Seek out your thoughts” is the semantic translation of the name of the Zen master Qingyuan Xingsi 青原行思 (?-740). (Qingyuan Xunsi 青原尋思 in the play.)

P. 59, lines 19-20:

“On snowy mountain tops,/ There is meaning for us to know” is the semantic translation of the Zen master Xuefeng Yicun 雪峰義存 (822-908). (Xuefeng Cunyi 雪峰存義 in the play.)

P. 59, 2nd line from bottom:

“Even insensate stones think of moving” is the semantic translation of the Zen master Shitou Xiqian 石頭希遷 (716-790).

P. 60, lines 4-5:

“The way of Heaven,/ They say it’s enlightenment” is the semantic translation of the Zen master Tianhuang Wudao 天皇悟道 (748-807). (Huangtian Wudao 皇天悟道 in the play.)

Pp. 59-60:

Qingyuan Xingsi was Huineng’s disciple, and the rest of the Zen masters were pupils of his disciples, some of them several generations removed. In the play, some Chinese characters in the names have been changed to make them semantically meaningful. Others have their orders shifted. I have translated the names semantically after consulting with Gao Xingjian.

P. 60, line 10: Dhyana 禪那

“Chan” or “Zen”, meaning meditation, thought and reflection, particularly abstract contemplation. Here it is used to invoke the name of Zen.

P. 64, 7th line from bottom: “face changing”

A technique in Sichuan opera which sees an actor changing face masks in quick succession.

P. 71, lines 13-15:

The source for this scene comes from a koan case recorded in Wu Deng Hui Yuan 五燈會元 (Five lights combined). The story goes that during the reign of Emperor Dezong 德宗 in the Tang Dynasty, the monks of two houses in Puyuan 普願 Temple in Chizhou 池州 are fighting for the possession of a cat. The abbot, by the name of Nanquan 南泉, picked up the cat and asks the monks if they understand the meaning of the Truth. When none of them can provide an answer to the question, the abbot instantly cuts up the cat into two pieces with a chopper. Later a monk named Zhaozhou 趙州 returns to the temple. Upon hearing the abbot’s question, he immediately takes off his shoes and places them on his head. The abbot sighs, “If you were here when I asked the question, the cat’s life would have been saved!”

P. 73, line 7: Tai Mountain 泰山

A mountain in Shandong Province. One of the five sacred mountains in China.

P. 73, line 8: Jade Mountain 玉山

According to
Shanhai jing
山海經 (Classic of mountains and seas), Jade Mountain is a mountain in the West. It has voluminous jade deposit in it and is the place where the Queen Mother of the West resides. Other sources say that Jade Mountain is not an actual mountain but a metaphor to describe someone with a handsome appearance. The phrase “the collapse of Jade Mountain” is used when someone is drunk and falls to the ground.