Lu Zhishen
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- This is a Chinese name; the family name is Lu.
Lǔ Zhìshēn (魯智深), nicknamed the "Flowery Monk" (花和尚), or Sagacious Lu (the name his abbot gave him) is a major fictional character in the classic Chinese novel Water Margin. He is the lead in the first major story cycle of novel, in which he comes to epitomize loyalty, strength, justice but also rash action. One folktale represents him as a sworn brother of Zhou Tong, the archery teacher of Yue Fei.[1]
Lu Zhishen's original name was Lu Da (魯達), a native of Guangxi (廣西). He was born with a round face and big ears, a straight nose and squarish mouth, with a face overshadowed by his beard. He also stood at eight feet, with a wide waist. Originally, he served as a constable in Weizhou (胃州). However, he heard about a butcher nicknamed 'Lord of the West' (鎮關西), who bullied the poor and weak singer Jin Cuilian. Thus, in a fit of anger, Lu Da killed the butcher with just 3 punches. To avoid arrest by the authorities, Lu Da resigned and fled to Mount Wutai (五臺山) where he became a monk. He was given the Buddhist name Zhishen (智深) by the abbot.
However, Lu Zhishen did not follow the Buddhist code of abstinence from meat and wine. Once, he caused an uproar in the temple, by beating up the monks and damaging the temple. He earned himself the nickname 'Flowery Monk'. Also, Lu Zhishen wielded a 62 jin (about 31 kg) Buddhist monk's spade and carried a 81 jin (about 40.5 kg) dagger. Initially, he told the blacksmith forging the weapons for him that he wanted a 100 jin (about 50 kg) monk's spade, which shocked the blacksmith, who remarked that even Guan Yu's halberd weighed a lot lesser. The abbot could no longer tolerate Zhishen's actions and behavior, thus Zhishen was banished from the temple and sent to a faraway temple in the Eastern Capital (東京).
On his journey, Lu Zhishen managed to persuade the 'Little Tyrant' Zhou Tong not to force Lord Liu's daughter to marry him. Also, he allied himself with Shi Jin and killed the evil bandits Cui Daocheng and Qiu Xiaoyi. Upon reaching his destination, Lu was put in charge of taking care of the garden in the temple. Lu subdued the band of hooligans, who offered to let him be their leader. Once, he uprooted a willow tree with his bare arms while in a drunken stupor, an action for which he became famous. While wielding his staff one day he impressed a martial arts instructor named Lin Chong, and they became sworn brothers. Later, Lin Chong was framed and exiled to Cangzhou (滄州). Lu Zhishen followed Lin Chong secretly and protected him from the guards who were about to kill Lin Chong on the way.
Later, Lu Zhishen passed by Cross Slope (十字坡) and became fast friends with Sun Erniang and Zhang Qing. He went to Twin Dragons Mountain (二龍山) to seek refuge under Deng Long but was refused. Lu Zhishen, Yang Zhi and Cao Zheng killed Deng Long and seized control of the stronghold. Later, when Huyan Zhuo attacked Peach Blossom Mountain (桃花山), Lu Zhishen and the Liangshan heroes conquered Qingzhou (青州) and Lu followed the heroes to Liangshan.
Lu Zhishen went to Huazhou (華州) to invite Shi Jin to join the Liangshan heroes but was arrested together with Shi Jin and held captive in Prefect He's residence. Wu Yong devised a strategy and rescued both of them. Lu Zhishen eventually became one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry and 36 Heavenly Chieftains. He followed the Liangshan heroes on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and the southern rebels such as Fang Xi. Lu saved Wu Song's life when the latter's arm was sliced off by Bao Daoyi. In the end, Lu Zhishen left the band and went to live a reclusive life in a temple in Hangzhou (杭州).
In the end, Lu Zhishen concluded the prophecy that was given to him by fasting, allowing his body to deteriorate. This, in a sense, redeems Lu as an actual monk, who at last, gave up everything and knowingly faced his death by ending his life as a monk.
[edit] See also
- Lu Zhishen's storyline for a list of supporting minor characters from Lu Zhishen's storyline.
[edit] References
- ^ Hsia, C.T. C. T. Hsia on Chinese Literature. Columbia University Press, 2004 (ISBN 0231129904), pp. 448-449, footnote #31
