Lu Zhishen
Encyclopedia
Lu Zhishen, nicknamed "Flowery Monk", or Sagacious Lu (the name his abbot gave him), is a fictional character in the Water Margin
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
of Chinese literature
. He is the lead character in the first major story cycle of the novel, in which he comes to epitomize loyalty, strength, justice but also brashness. He ranks 13th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes.
One folktale represents him as a sworn brother of Zhou Tong.
and has a wide waist. Lu Da is first introduced as a garrison major in Weizhou (in present-day Gansu
) from his first meeting with Shi Jin
. While they are having some drinks in an inn, they hear a singer called Jin Cuilian, who is crying over her plight. She has been bullied by a butcher nicknamed "Lord of the West". Lu Da helps Jin Cuilian and her father escape from Weizhou and he confronts the butcher later. He fights with the butcher and kills him with three punches to the head. To avoid arrest, Lu Da flees to the city of Yanmen and by chance runs into Jin Cuilian's father. Jin Cuilian has married to a wealthy squire there, and Lu Da seeks shelter in his manor. The squire later writes a letter to the abbot at Wenshu Monastery on Mount Wutai introducing Lu Da. After Lu Da is accepted and becomes a monk, the abbot gives him the Buddhist
name Zhishen, which means "sagacious".
Lu Zhishen does not follow the Buddhist code of abstinence from meat and wine. Once, he causes an uproar in the monastery in a drunken rage by beating up his fellow monks who try to stop him and smashes a statue at the entrance. He earns himself the nickname "Flowery Monk" for the flowery tattoos which adorn his upper body. Lu Zhishen causes trouble again in the monastery after drinking and the abbot decides to send him away as he can no longer tolerate Lu's actions and behavior. Lu Zhishen is sent to the Great Minister's Temple
in Dongjing (present-day Kaifeng
).
Lu Zhishen wields a monk's spade
and a dagger as his weapons. Initially, he told the blacksmith that he wanted a monk's spade weighing 100 jin. The blacksmith remarks that even Guan Yu
's guan dao
weighs less at 81 jin, so Lu Zhishen wanted his spade to be 81 jin as well. The blacksmith told him that the spade would not be handy if it is too heavy, so Lu Zhishen eventually agreed to have the spade at 62 jin instead.
, the martial arts instructor of the 800,000 strong Imperial Guards, and they become sworn brothers. When Lin Chong is framed and exiled to Cangzhou
, Lu Zhishen secretly follows him and protects him from the guards who have been bribed to kill him along the way.
kill Deng Long and seize control of the stronghold and become outlaws. Lu Zhishen joins Liangshan after the battle of Qingzhou (in present-day Shandong
).
Lu Zhishen goes to Huazhou
to invite Shi Jin to join Liangshan but is arrested together with him and they are held captive in Prefect He's residence. The Liangshan outlaws trick Prefect He and manage to rescue them. Lu Zhishen becomes one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry after the Grand Assembly in chapter 71. He follows the Liangshan heroes on their campaigns against the invading Liao
army and rebel forces after they are granted amnesty by the emperor. He captures Fang La
, who was on the run after his army had been completely eradicated by the Liangshan forces.
decide to remain at Liuhe Pagoda
in Hangzhou
, where Song Jiang's army is camped. On their first night in the pagoda, Lu Zhishen is awakened by the sudden crashing of tides on the nearby Qiantang River
. He then comes to understand the meaning of the first half of his old abbot's prophecy. The entire prophecy went as follows:
Lu Zhishen, recalling that he has captured both Fang La and his general Xiahou Cheng, now learns that the tide is called "Old Faithful". The monks further relate to him that in Buddhist jargon, the characters for "completing the circle" (圓) "entering into silence" (寂) mean "to die" when combined. Realizing at that moment that his death is imminent, Lu Zhishen bathes and lights fragrant incense. He then composes an ode and calls for Song Jiang. Sitting cross-legged on a tuffet, Lu Zhishen dies before Song Jiang arrives. Song Jiang then picks up Lu Zhishen's ode, which reads:
Described as a monk who never read the scriptures and only knew slaughter, Lu Zhishen ends his life as an enlightened Buddha. He is later eulogized and cremated with all the honors befitting one of his accorded status.
Water Margin
Water Margin , also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty,...
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
Four Great Classical Novels
The Four Great Classical Novels, or the Four Major Classical Novels of Chinese literature, are the four novels commonly regarded by scholars to be the greatest and most influential of pre-modern Chinese fiction. Dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties, they are well known to most Chinese readers...
of Chinese literature
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
. He is the lead character in the first major story cycle of the novel, in which he comes to epitomize loyalty, strength, justice but also brashness. He ranks 13th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes.
One folktale represents him as a sworn brother of Zhou Tong.
Becoming a monk
Lu Zhishen's original name is Lu Da. He has a round face, big ears, a straight nose, a squarish mouth and a beard which overshadows his face. He stands at eight chiChi (unit)
The chi is a traditional Chinese unit of length, approximately equal to one foot. Its length is derived from the length of human forearm and has first appeared during the Shang Dynasty approximately 3000 years ago. Since then it has spread to and adopted by other East Asian cultures, such as...
and has a wide waist. Lu Da is first introduced as a garrison major in Weizhou (in present-day Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
) from his first meeting with Shi Jin
Shi Jin
Shi Jin is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 23rd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Nine Tattooed Dragons".-Background:...
. While they are having some drinks in an inn, they hear a singer called Jin Cuilian, who is crying over her plight. She has been bullied by a butcher nicknamed "Lord of the West". Lu Da helps Jin Cuilian and her father escape from Weizhou and he confronts the butcher later. He fights with the butcher and kills him with three punches to the head. To avoid arrest, Lu Da flees to the city of Yanmen and by chance runs into Jin Cuilian's father. Jin Cuilian has married to a wealthy squire there, and Lu Da seeks shelter in his manor. The squire later writes a letter to the abbot at Wenshu Monastery on Mount Wutai introducing Lu Da. After Lu Da is accepted and becomes a monk, the abbot gives him the Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
name Zhishen, which means "sagacious".
Lu Zhishen does not follow the Buddhist code of abstinence from meat and wine. Once, he causes an uproar in the monastery in a drunken rage by beating up his fellow monks who try to stop him and smashes a statue at the entrance. He earns himself the nickname "Flowery Monk" for the flowery tattoos which adorn his upper body. Lu Zhishen causes trouble again in the monastery after drinking and the abbot decides to send him away as he can no longer tolerate Lu's actions and behavior. Lu Zhishen is sent to the Great Minister's Temple
Daxiangguo Temple
- History :It was first built in 555 A.D.，the sixth year during Emperor Wenxuan's reign of the Northern Qi period and it was named "Xiangguo Temple"...
in Dongjing (present-day Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
).
Lu Zhishen wields a monk's spade
Monk's Spade
A monk's spade A monk's spade A monk's spade (Traditional Chinese: 月牙鏟; Simplified Chinese: 月牙铲; pinyin: yuèyáchǎn; literally "Crescent Moon Spade"; also, Traditional Chinese: 禪仗; Simplified Chinese: 禅仗; pinyin: chánzhàng; literally, "Zen Weapon"...
and a dagger as his weapons. Initially, he told the blacksmith that he wanted a monk's spade weighing 100 jin. The blacksmith remarks that even Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
's guan dao
Guan dao
A Guan Dao, Kwan Dao, or Kuan Tao is a type of Chinese pole weapon that is currently used in some forms of Chinese martial arts. In Chinese it is properly called a 偃月刀 yan yue dao , the name under which it always appears in texts from the Song to Qing dynasties such as the Wujing Zongyao and...
weighs less at 81 jin, so Lu Zhishen wanted his spade to be 81 jin as well. The blacksmith told him that the spade would not be handy if it is too heavy, so Lu Zhishen eventually agreed to have the spade at 62 jin instead.
Becoming sworn brothers with Lin Chong
On his journey, Lu Zhishen dissuades the "Little Tyrant" Zhou Tong from marrying Squire Liu's daughter. He meets Shi Jin again and allies with him to kill the evil bandits Cui Daocheng and Qiu Xiaoyi. Upon reaching his destination, Lu Zhishen is placed in charge of maintaining the garden of the temple. He subdues a group of hooligans who often stole vegetables from the garden and earns their admiration and respect. Lu Zhishen performs a superhuman feat by uprooting a willow tree with his brute strength and becomes famous. He meets Lin ChongLin Chong
Lin Chong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 6th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Panther Head"...
, the martial arts instructor of the 800,000 strong Imperial Guards, and they become sworn brothers. When Lin Chong is framed and exiled to Cangzhou
Cangzhou
Cangzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. Cangzhou's urban center has a population of approximately 514,074 at the 2010 census which correspond to the built up area), while the prefecture-level administrative region in total has a population of 7,134,053...
, Lu Zhishen secretly follows him and protects him from the guards who have been bribed to kill him along the way.
Becoming an outlaw
Later, Lu Zhishen passes by Cross Slope and became fast friends with Sun Erniang and Zhang Qing. He goes to Mount Twin Dragons to seek refuge under Deng Long but is refused. Lu Zhishen, Yang Zhi and Cao ZhengCao Zheng
Cao Zheng is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 81st of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 45th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Knife Wielding Demon".-Background:...
kill Deng Long and seize control of the stronghold and become outlaws. Lu Zhishen joins Liangshan after the battle of Qingzhou (in present-day Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
).
Lu Zhishen goes to Huazhou
Hua County, Shaanxi
Hua County , formerly Huazhou , is a county of Weinan, Shaanxi, China.-Administrative divisions:Hua County has 10 towns and 4 townships.Towns:*Huazhou *Jindui *Xinglin *Guapo *Chishui *Lianhuasi...
to invite Shi Jin to join Liangshan but is arrested together with him and they are held captive in Prefect He's residence. The Liangshan outlaws trick Prefect He and manage to rescue them. Lu Zhishen becomes one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry after the Grand Assembly in chapter 71. He follows the Liangshan heroes on their campaigns against the invading Liao
Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
army and rebel forces after they are granted amnesty by the emperor. He captures Fang La
Fang La
Fang La was a rebel leader who lived during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan heroes in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:...
, who was on the run after his army had been completely eradicated by the Liangshan forces.
Death
Lu Zhishen is one of the few survivors from Liangshan after the campaigns, and his unwitting capture of Fang La officially ends the punitive expedition against the rebel leader. Despite Song Jiang's pleas, Lu Zhishen refuses to take up an official post or become ordained as an abbot in some big monastery. He and Wu SongWu Song
Wu Song, nicknamed "Pilgrim", is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 14th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes. Wu Song also appears in the novel Jin Ping Mei, a spin-off of Water Margin...
decide to remain at Liuhe Pagoda
Liuhe Pagoda
Liuhe Pagoda , literally Six Harmonies Pagoda or Six Harmonies Tower, is a multi-story Chinese pagoda in southern Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China. It is located at the foot of Yuelun Hill, facing the Qiantang River...
in Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, where Song Jiang's army is camped. On their first night in the pagoda, Lu Zhishen is awakened by the sudden crashing of tides on the nearby Qiantang River
Qiantang River
The Qiantang River is a southeast Chinese river that originates in the borders of Anhui and Jiangxi provinces and passes through Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, before flowing into the East China Sea through Hangzhou Bay....
. He then comes to understand the meaning of the first half of his old abbot's prophecy. The entire prophecy went as follows:
| Take Xia when you meet him; | 逢夏而擒， |
| Seize La when you encounter him. | 遇臘而執。 |
| When you hear the tide, complete the circle; | 聽潮而圓， |
| When you see the faithful, enter into silence. | 見信而寂。 |
Lu Zhishen, recalling that he has captured both Fang La and his general Xiahou Cheng, now learns that the tide is called "Old Faithful". The monks further relate to him that in Buddhist jargon, the characters for "completing the circle" (圓) "entering into silence" (寂) mean "to die" when combined. Realizing at that moment that his death is imminent, Lu Zhishen bathes and lights fragrant incense. He then composes an ode and calls for Song Jiang. Sitting cross-legged on a tuffet, Lu Zhishen dies before Song Jiang arrives. Song Jiang then picks up Lu Zhishen's ode, which reads:
| In my life I never cultivated goodness, | 平生不修善果， |
| Relishing only murder and arson. | 只愛殺人放火。 |
| Suddenly my golden shackles have been opened; | 忽地頓開金枷， |
| Here my jade locks have been pulled asunder. | 這裡指斷玉鎖。 |
| Alas! Old Faithful of the Qiantang River has come; | 咦！錢塘江上潮信來， |
| Now I finally realize that I am myself! | 今日方知我是我。 |
Described as a monk who never read the scriptures and only knew slaughter, Lu Zhishen ends his life as an enlightened Buddha. He is later eulogized and cremated with all the honors befitting one of his accorded status.
See also
- List of Water Margin minor characters#Lu Zhishen's story for a list of supporting minor characters from Lu Zhishen's story.