The Chinese myth of the meddling monk Shunan Teng
Xu Xian had just received yet
another invitation
to the opening ceremony of the new
Jin Shan Temple.
His wife, Bai Su Zhen,
had warned him not to attend.
Since she was in fact a benevolent white
snake spirit in human form,
their marriage had already weathered
attacks by meddling monks.
But devout Buddhist that he was,
Xu Xian felt obligated to make
an appearance.
What they didn’t know
was that these invitations had come
from none other than Fa Hai–
the misguided monk who had
tried to separate the young lovers,
almost killing Xu Xian in the process.
The monk confronted Xu Xian,
telling him that because he consorted
with a demon,
he must remain at the monastery
and cleanse his soul.
Xu Xian protested,
but Fa Hai would not let him escape.
At home, Bai Su Zhen was uneasy.
Her husband had departed so quickly
that she hadn’t been able to tell him
she was pregnant with his child.
And now he had been gone so long
she sensed something must be wrong.
She made her way to the temple,
and upon encountering Fa Hai
the monk threw his prayer mat,
which erupted into fire and smoke.
Weakened from her pregnancy,
Bai Su Zhen desperately summoned a fleet
of shrimp soldiers and crab generals
to subdue the monk,
and waves to put out the blaze.
But the water also flooded the
surrounding area,
drowning many innocent villagers.
For the first time, Bai Su Zhen had
harmed humans,
and she fell out of the gods’ favor.
With their blessing retracted,
Fa Hai attempted to trap her
in his magical alms bowl.
But just when all hope seemed lost,
a bright glow came from within her belly,
saving her from the mad monk’s magic.
The couple fled home,
grateful to the mysterious power
that had saved them,
and soon after, Bai Su Zhen gave
birth to their son, Xu Shi Lin.
Yet despite this joyous occasion,
Xu Xian was uneasy.
He was shaken by his wife’s accidental
act of destruction,
and he feared the misfortune
it might bring upon their home.
Not a month later,
Fa Hai appeared at their doorstep.
He offered Xu Xian an alms bowl to
ensure good fortune for his newborn son.
Still wary of the monk,
but also remembering Bai Su Zhen’s
destructive act,
Xu Xian accepted the gift.
But as soon as the bowl
entered their home,
it flew to Bai Su Zhen’s head
and trapped her inside.
Against the family’s wishes,
Fa Hai buried the bowl beneath
the Lei Feng Pagoda.
And when Xu Xian begged him to
release his wife,
the monk sternly replied:
“She will be free when the
iron tree blooms.”
Overcome with guilt,
Xu Xian ran away to a monastery,
leaving Shi Lin in the care of his aunt.
But there was something neither
of them knew.
The boy was the reincarnation
of Wen Qu Xing,
the wisdom god,
sent to the family to reward
Xu Xian’s devotion.
It was this power that had protected
Bai Su Zhen at the temple,
and as he grew, so did his wisdom.
At age 19, Shi Lin went to the capital
city to take the nation-wide imperial exam
and obtained the highest score
in all the empire.
The Emperor himself bestowed
Shi Lin’s prize:
an ornate hat decorated with
jewel-encrusted flowers.
But though he returned home in glory,
the fate of his parents still
weighed heavy on his mind.
Coaxing his father from exile,
Shi Lin took him to visit the Lei Feng
Pagoda to pay respects to his mother.
Kneeling before it,
he placed his jeweled prize on the
iron tree as an offering.
Suddenly, the ground opened and
Bai Su Zhen stepped out.
With her sins absolved by
the tribute of a god,
and a blossom on the iron tree,
Shi Lin had freed his mother,
and reunited his family–
both mortal and divine.