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bookofjin · 3 years

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Commentary on the Warer Classic: Kunlun

[We return again to Kunlun and its many marvels. Attempts by some authors to equate Kunlun with Anavatapta from Buddhist tradition are difficult to reconcile with Daoist supernatural geographies, which I suppose is not too surprising.

Dongfang Shuo was a historical person who lived in the times of Emperor Wu of Han. The Records of Ten Islands and Classic of Gods and Wonders, though attributed to him, are quite likely to be much later works though.

Mr. Shi's discussion: Fotutiao arranges Classic of Mountains and Seas to say: South of the Western Sea, adjacent to the Flowing Sands, behind of the Red River赤水 and before of the Black River黑水 there is a great mountain, named Kunlun崑崙.

He also says: Six hundred li west of Zhong Mountain鍾山 is Kunlun Mountain崑崙山 from where sets out five rivers, carrying on hence the Account of Fotutiao.

Also recently pushed forward and obtained Kang Tai's Account of Funan. The Account's Kunlun Mountain崑崙山 exactly combine with Tiao's. According to the Account, from Jiao province交州 you arrive at the near-most of Tianzhu天竺. Tai's Account likewise knows that Anavatapta Mountian阿耨達山 is Kunlun Mountain崑崙山.

Shi states: Depending perhaps on Tiao's Account, openly making explanations, and then circulating them as the Map of the Western Region, to then tell of [Zhu?] Faitai. Faitai uses the common to see the unusual. He speaks of various famous people from Han and onward [?], he does not respond to the He河 being several thousand li south of Dunhuang敦煌, and does not know where Kunlun崑崙 is.

Shi states: Then the book says: Relying on Transmittals on the Majestic Son of Heaven, King Mu at the sides of Kunlun崑崙 and upon the Jade Pool瑤池 toasted the Queen Mother of the West, and states the distance to Zongzhou宗周, the Chan瀍 and Jian 澗, eleven thousand, one hundred li, how might it not be like Tiao tells? When Sir now sees Tai's Account, it is not making previous people unknowledgeable. But from now and afterwards then knowing that Kunlun Mountain崑崙山 is without a Hot Hill熱丘, how then to state it is outside of the foreign states?

I have examined Mr. Shi's words, but not yet made satisfactory proof. The Majestic Son of Heaven, Bamboo Book, and the Classic of Mountains and Seas all were buried and concealed years long past, the bamboo slips and leather are scarce and broken off, the books and records in scattered order. It is difficult to sew and patch them together. Later people made use of combining, but often deviated from the distant ideas. Reaching the desire to inquire into the earth's veins and streams, they do not fit together with the Classic. Inspecting the journeys and measuring the paths, assuredly they have no meetings with themselves. Mr. Shi did not restore to the root the vast causes of their multitude returns, [but] displayed his unsparing interest [?], to separate their faults, and not what is settled.

Now according to the Classic of Mountains and Seas which says: The Kunlun Barrens崑崙墟 are in the north-west, they are the Deity's lower capital. The barrens of Kunlun崙崑 are eight hundred lisquare, and ten thousand ren tall. Upon them are wooden standing grain. On the sides there are nine wells with jade as the enclosure. On the sides there are nine gates, the gates have enlightened beasts defending them. It is the place where are the hundred gods.

Guo Pu says: Separate from them there is Lesser Kunlun小崑崙.

Also according to the Book of Huainan, upon Kunlun崑崙 there are wooden standing grain, gem trees, jade trees, and jadestone璇 trees. The unding trees are west of them. The sand crab apple trees and and malachite are east of them. The scarlet trees are south of them. The blue-green trees and chalcedony trees are north of them. There are four hundred and forty gates, between the gates are four hamlets, and between the hamlets are nine chun. A chun is a zhang and five chi. On the sides are nine wells, with jade horizontal supports on their north-western crooks. The northern gates open to admit the winds that do not circle [?].

The slanting palace, revolving chamber, suspended gardens, cool winds, and fenced paulownia are within of Kunlun's崑崙 opening and closing gate. This is its wide-apart park. The pool of the wide-apart park is irrigated with the Yellow River黃水. The Yellow River黃水 circles three times and returns to its source, it is spoken of as the Cinnabar River丹水. [Those who] drink from it do not die.

The He River河水 sets out from its north-eastern corner. The Red River赤水 sets out from its south-eastern corner. The Immense River洋水 sets out from its north-western corner. Altogether these four rivers are the divine springs of the Deity, which harmonizes the hundred herbs, and which moisten the ten thousand things.

The hills of Kunlun崑崙, some are multiple times above them, they are spoken of as the Mountains of Cool Winds涼風. Those who climb them do not die. Some are multiple times above them, they are spoken of as the Mountains of the Dark Garden玄圃. Those who climb them then become unearthly, and are able to make wind and rain. Some are multiple times above them, these then uphold High Heaven. Those who climb them then become divine. These are spoken of as the dwellings of the Grand Deity. Yu then used the comforting earth to fill in the vast flood, and used it as the name for a mountain, digging out the Kunlun Barrens崑崙虛 to use as its lower ground.

Gao You says: Some of the land was made into a pool. Hence conforming with Fotutiao's explanation. Anavatapta's阿耨達 six rivers are the boundaries of Congling 蔥嶺 and Yutian's于闐 two rivers. He and the classics, histories and various books fully are inconsistent and different.

Also according to the Records of Ten Continents, Kunlun Mountain崑崙山 is the xu戌 land of the Western Sea and the hai亥 land of the Northern Sea. The distance between the banks is a hundred and thirty thousand li. There is the Weak River弱水 that encircles and goes around the mountain. To the south-east it joins the Piled-up Rocks Garden積石圃. To the north-west it joins with the House of the Northern Door北戶之室. To the north-east it overlooks the Well of Great Width大闊之井. To the south-west it is near the Valley of Accepted Abyss承淵之谷.

These four corners are great mountains, in truth the supporting buttresses of Kunlun崑崙. The Piled-up Rocks Garden積石圃 is the southern head. Formerly the Queen Mother of the West informed King Mu of Zhou, stating: The distance to Xianyang咸陽 is four hundred and sixty li, the mountain's hight above the level ground is thirty-six thousand li. Upon it there are three corners. Their faces are square, ten thousand li wide, and shaped like a resting pot, narrow below and wide above.

For that reason they say Kunlun Mountain崑崙山 has three corners. One of the corners is straight north, shielding the glow of the Morning Star [Mercury], its name is Wind-on-the-Fells Summit閬風巔. One the corners is straight west, its name is Dark Garden Terrace玄圃臺. One of its cornes is straight east, its name is Kunlun Palace崑崙宮. In that place there are piles of gold, it is the Heaven-Walled City天墉城. Its faces are a thousand li square. Upon the city are installed five gold terraces and twelve jade towers. Its Northern Door Mountain戶出山 and Accepted Abyss Mountain 承淵山 also have walled cities, with gold terraces and jade towers similar to the first one.

The watchtower of abyssal quintessence, the hall of brilliant blue-green stone, the chamber of carnelian splendour, the violet, bright blue, and cinnabar houses, the bright torches with sunshine, the vermilion-coloured clouds and nine lights, the place where the Queen Mother of the West governs, the place where the realized officials that are transcended and supernatural revere, the highest exchange with the whirling armillary, the primordial vapour flowing and spreading, the jade transverse's regular management, where to follow the Nine Heavens and attune yin and yang, the throng of things and crowd of living beings, where the rare, strange, and special sets out, all are here. The Heavenly people, manifold and multiple, cannot be drawn up and recorded. North of there, outside the seas, also there is Zhong Mountain鍾山. Upon it there are gold terraces and jade watchtowers, and it also enclosed by the primordial vapour, the place where the Heavenly Deity resides and governs.

Examining the words of Dongfang Shuo, and the Classic's text of fifty thousand li, they argue against Fotutiao and Kang Tai's Accounts. Within the Six Cardinal points, and what is concealed by rivers and marshes, what is large is not vast, what is small is not tiny, what exists is not become present, what is hidden is not absent. Among them [cases of] the same name but different regions, with claims and stories making chaos of each other, are also not few. Reaching the Eastern Sea's東海 Fangzhang方丈 [“Square Staff”?], it likewise has what is claimed about Kunlun崑崙. The Western Continent's西洲 Copper Pillar銅柱 also has the government of the Nine Offices.

Dongfang Shuo's Records of Ten Islands says: Fangzhang方丈 is at the exact centre of the Eastern Sea. From the eastern to western or southern to northern banks, the distance from each other is exactly the same. The sides of the Fangzhang are each five thousand li, upon it solely is the gathering place for the crowd of dragons. It has palaces of gold, jade, and glazed glass, which are the places governed by the Three Heavenly Ministers' instructions. Those among the crowd of transcendents who do not intend to climb to Heaven all come and go.

Zhang Hua's preface to Dongfang Shuo's Classic of Gods and Wonders says: Kunlun崑崙 has the Copper Pillar銅柱, its height enters into the Heavens, and it is spoken of as the Heavenly Pillar天柱. Its circumference is three thousand li, and it circles round [?] like a trimmer knife. Below there are rotating houses, the seat of the transcendents' Nine Offices. Above there is a great bird, named Xiyou [lit. “Rare Possession”]. Turning south, it extends its left wing to covered the Honoured King of the East, and its right wing the Queen Mother of the West. On its back there is a small spot without feathers, ten or nine thousand li, where the Queen Mother of the West yearly climbs on top of the wings, to go to the Honoured King of the East.

For that reason its pillar inscription says: “Its height enters into the Heavens, circling round like a trimmer knife, skin and body the finest quality. Its bird inscription says: “There is the Xiyou, green-red, glittering and glimmering, it does not cry and does not east. To the east it covers the Honoured King of the East, to the west it covers the Queen Mother of the West. The Queen Mother wished to go east, and climbed it to pass through herself. Yin and yang are necessary for each other, and indeed meet in beneficial labour.”

The Map of the Hidden Jia to Open Mountains says: For what the Five Dragons were teaching and traces from the Heavenly Augusts, look in Outside Nowhere's無外, Pillar Province柱州, on top Kunlun Mountian崑崙山.

Mr. Rong's Commentary states: The Five Dragons governed in the Five Regions, and were the gods of the Five Agents. The Five Dragons submitted to the Heaven August brothers, who where twelve people. They divided the Five Regions to become Twelve Sections, regulated the traces of the Five Dragons, and acted with nothingness to become transformed by it. Where Under Heaven the transcended sages govern is in Pillar Province柱州, on top Kunlun Mountian崑崙山. The mountain of Outside Nowhere's無外 is twelve thousand li south-east of Kunlun崑崙. The Five Dragons and Heavenly August all set out from within there, and become the twelve seasonal gods.

The Classic of Mountains and Seas says: The Hills of Kunlun崑崙 are truly indeed the Deity's lower capital. Their god Luwu is Minister of the Nine Sections of Heaven and the enclosed seasons of the Deity.

However within the Six Cardinal points, what they contain is far-distant. With the shrouded that causes to bring forth the marvellous, it is difficult to get to the root of the actual situation. With the ten thousand phenomena and distant pinnacles, thoughts cut across the fundamental search. [If] oneself does not climb a pair of dragons on the Cloud Carriage-Track, and gallops eight steeds on Tortoise Road, together with Xuanyuan question the Hundred Spirits, and side-by-side with Yu the Great assembles the gathered calculations, then the explanations of Ruists or Moists, who can tell them apart!

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