Lu Zhishen - Death

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 Song 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:

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.

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