Sudhana - Tale of The Southern Seas

Tale of The Southern Seas

Chapter 18 of the Complete Tale of Guanyin and the Southern Seas (simplified Chinese: 南海观音全撰; traditional Chinese: 南海觀音全撰; pinyin: Nánhǎi Guānyīn Quánzhuàn), a 16th century Ming Dynasty novel, is the first text that established a connection between Shancai and Guanyin. In the tale, Shancai was a disabled boy from India who was very interested in studying the Buddha's teachings. At that time, Guanyin had just achieved enlightenment and had retired to Mount Putuo. When Shancai heard that there was a bodhisattva on the rocky island of Putuo, he quickly journeyed there to learn from her despite his disability.

Guanyin, after having a discussion with Shancai, decided to test his resolve to fully study the Buddhist dharma. She transformed the trees and plants into sword-wielding pirates, who ran up the hill to attack them. Guanyin took off and dashed to the edge of a cliff and jumped off, with the pirates still in pursuit. Shancai, in his desperation to save Guanyin, jumped off after her.

Shancai and Guanyin managed to reascend the cliff, and at this point, Guanyin asked Shancai to look down. Shancai saw his mortal remains at the foot of the cliff. Guanyin then asked him to walk and Shancai found that he could walk normally and that he was no longer crippled. When he looked into a pool of water, he also discovered that he now had a handsome face. From that day onwards, Guanyin taught Shancai the entire Buddhist dharma. Guanyin and Shancai later encountered the third son of the Dragon King, and in the process, Guanyin earned Longnü (Dragon Girl) as a new acolyte. (see Longnü for how Shancai and Guanyin aided the Dragon King)