romherwanderings，shewalethemwithnewsorstoriesshehadgatheredahemspellboundwithfasatingtalesoffar-offpces，someofwhichhappenedhundredsofyearsago．RaisinghereyestothepeainthesilvervaseLotus’mindwaheteststoryAmaliahadtoldthemaboutatalkingbuffalo,anevilyoungmonkwhoabusedtheimprecations,andadazzlinglybeautifulyoungwidowandhersadfate,allofwhichhappenedinaforestofpeas．ShealsothoughtofAngelica’sshortpoem：

    "Atasideghepearesembledanoldmonkreverentlypraying，

    Heremaihereonthewindowsill,sereneandquiet,deeplythinking，

    Suddenlyawhiffofgentlebreeze,asofttrembletothepetalsbring，

    Ablinkofhiseyeisinitselfabrightshaft.”

    Inthegoldenmsun,Lotusseemedtoseethepeachforest,theimprecation-tingbigbuffalo，theevilyoungTaoistmonkandtheunfortunateyoungwidow.Uheinflueheimprecations,thepeainhervaseflewoutofthewindowbatotheforestandwasseennomore．Lotuswokewithastartfromherreverie．Shelookedaround．Thegoldensunshinewasbrightaseverandthedewypeawasstillinthesilvervasebythewindow．Herrgealmondeyesframedbylongeyeshesblinkedinpuzzlement．Coulditbethatthemindstillretainedfragmentsofmemoriesofthepastinations?Bewilderedandbemused，shecamebacktotherealworldandsawthatthepeooveerkingandreadyforption．

    AfloatingwhitecloudhappeoenterastreakoflightsmokeintheblueskiesofthemysteriousKingdom．Thecloudintroducedherselftohimsaying，

    15

    "IamafloweroftheKingdomofHeaven.”

    "IamasighfromHell”hereplied．

    "Whereareyougoing?"thecloudaskedafterashortsilence．

    "Iamheavyandfullofsaturatedvapor．ImustdrenchtheearthwithitandmayevenpermeatedowntoHell．Whereareyouboundfor?"

    "IjustpassedthroughthesingeingfmesofHelndhavebeenturolightsmoke．IfeelmyselfrisingupwardsandmayevenpasstheGatesofheaven．Iamcurioustoknowwhatitislikeupthere．Sinceyouareaflowerofheaven,perhapsyoutellmeifitisihetrueparadiseitisreputedtobe，fullofhappinessandfreefromallcare，worriesaions?"

    "Iis．Butyouwillsoonfindthatapcefreefromcare，worriesaionsisalsothemostlonesomeandmonotonous．Bythewayyoujustpassedthroughhell．Couldyoutellmewhatitislike?Isitashorridastheysay?Apcefullofpainandsuffering?"

    "Yes．Hellisfullofpainandsuffering,butyou’llgetusedtoitandtakeitinyourstride.”

    "Ah!"bothofthemsaidinunion，"WearelivinginTimeandSpathebosomofNature!"Theringbreezeblewthetart，eachtoitsowinationandtheyseparatedrelutly，wistfuloverthebriefnessoftheirenter．

    Whitesailsdottedthecrystalbluewaterasthebeautiespetedjoyfullyinasailingmatch,shoutsofughterbreakingthequietcalm,oringthesilencelikenotesofmusitheshoredeepintheshadowsofthetrees，twonakedanimalsyilyosandengagediohearttalk．OhehystericallyinedpoetessAngelica，wearingherfavoritedanglingearringsofesejade．Shewasofahighstrungtemperament,fragileanddelicateasintrinsicgssware,needingstantandsolicitouscareorshewouldbreakintopieces．Theotherwasthebeautifundknowledgeabledoctor，Elina．Angelicawassaying，

    "KingDimitrihasbeenawayforalongtime．Iwonderwhereheisnow．DoyouthiilllookingforiesfortheKingdom?"

romherwanderings，shewalethemwithnewsorstoriesshehadgatheredahemspellboundwithfasatingtalesoffar-offpces，someofwhichhappenedhundredsofyearsago．RaisinghereyestothepeainthesilvervaseLotus’mindwaheteststoryAmaliahadtoldthemaboutatalkingbuffalo,anevilyoungmonkwhoabusedtheimprecations,andadazzlinglybeautifulyoungwidowandhersadfate,allofwhichhappenedinaforestofpeas．ShealsothoughtofAngelica’sshortpoem：

    "Atasideghepearesembledanoldmonkreverentlypraying，

    Heremaihereonthewindowsill,sereneandquiet,deeplythinking，

    Suddenlyawhiffofgentlebreeze,asofttrembletothepetalsbring，

    Ablinkofhiseyeisinitselfabrightshaft.”

    Inthegoldenmsun,Lotusseemedtoseethepeachforest,theimprecation-tingbigbuffalo，theevilyoungTaoistmonkandtheunfortunateyoungwidow.Uheinflueheimprecations,thepeainhervaseflewoutofthewindowbatotheforestandwasseennomore．Lotuswokewithastartfromherreverie．Shelookedaround．Thegoldensunshinewasbrightaseverandthedewypeawasstillinthesilvervasebythewindow．Herrgealmondeyesframedbylongeyeshesblinkedinpuzzlement．Coulditbethatthemindstillretainedfragmentsofmemoriesofthepastinations?Bewilderedandbemused，shecamebacktotherealworldandsawthatthepeooveerkingandreadyforption．

    AfloatingwhitecloudhappeoenterastreakoflightsmokeintheblueskiesofthemysteriousKingdom．Thecloudintroducedherselftohimsaying，

    15

    "IamafloweroftheKingdomofHeaven.”

    "IamasighfromHell”hereplied．

    "Whereareyougoing?"thecloudaskedafterashortsilence．

    "Iamheavyandfullofsaturatedvapor．ImustdrenchtheearthwithitandmayevenpermeatedowntoHell．Whereareyouboundfor?"

    "IjustpassedthroughthesingeingfmesofHelndhavebeenturolightsmoke．IfeelmyselfrisingupwardsandmayevenpasstheGatesofheaven．Iamcurioustoknowwhatitislikeupthere．Sinceyouareaflowerofheaven,perhapsyoutellmeifitisihetrueparadiseitisreputedtobe，fullofhappinessandfreefromallcare，worriesaions?"

    "Iis．Butyouwillsoonfindthatapcefreefromcare，worriesaionsisalsothemostlonesomeandmonotonous．Bythewayyoujustpassedthroughhell．Couldyoutellmewhatitislike?Isitashorridastheysay?Apcefullofpainandsuffering?"

    "Yes．Hellisfullofpainandsuffering,butyou’llgetusedtoitandtakeitinyourstride.”

    "Ah!"bothofthemsaidinunion，"WearelivinginTimeandSpathebosomofNature!"Theringbreezeblewthetart，eachtoitsowinationandtheyseparatedrelutly，wistfuloverthebriefnessoftheirenter．

    Whitesailsdottedthecrystalbluewaterasthebeautiespetedjoyfullyinasailingmatch,shoutsofughterbreakingthequietcalm,oringthesilencelikenotesofmusitheshoredeepintheshadowsofthetrees，twonakedanimalsyilyosandengagediohearttalk．OhehystericallyinedpoetessAngelica，wearingherfavoritedanglingearringsofesejade．Shewasofahighstrungtemperament,fragileanddelicateasintrinsicgssware,needingstantandsolicitouscareorshewouldbreakintopieces．Theotherwasthebeautifundknowledgeabledoctor，Elina．Angelicawassaying，

    "KingDimitrihasbeenawayforalongtime．Iwonderwhereheisnow．DoyouthiilllookingforiesfortheKingdom?"