Wiping the Dust at the Five-Hundred-Stone Grotto Heaven, Vol. 1

Also discussing the affairs of the world, also discussing the principles of both past and present.
Indignation gathers in my heart. The Five Peaks The five sacred mountains of China, which represent stability and the terrestrial order. rise faintly; the sea spray flies sideways every day; who in the mid-stream can act as the Pillar Rock original: 砥 (dǐ), referring to the Di-Zhu rock in the Yellow River, a symbol of a person who stands firm against a chaotic tide.?
The sky itself tilts from the northwest A reference to the Chinese creation myth where the pillars of heaven were broken, causing the sky to tilt.. I wish for a thousand generations of peace, yet the Spirit Turtle original: 靈鼇 (líng'áo), the giant turtle whose legs were used by the goddess Nuwa to prop up the sky. has been abandoned; how can the body survive when the Southeast is left to be submerged?

The divine mountains no longer stand tall. Mending the heavens but not the earth—what use is the goddess Nuwa The mother goddess of Chinese mythology who repaired the fallen sky.? The great floods shift and change; even "ashes of reeds" Nuwa used reed ashes to stop floodwaters. cannot stop them.
Human hearts are as treacherous as the Mengmen Gorge A dangerous and narrow passage on the Yellow River.. Even the Foolish Old Man original: 愚公 (yúgōng), a legendary figure who moved mountains; here, the author suggests even his persistence cannot change the human heart. could not relocate them. Stone figures emerge again, inciting the collapse of the Yellow River An allusion to a stone statue found in the 14th century that predicted a Great Rebellion..

Can a Grotto-Heaven original: 洞天 (dòngtiān), a "cavern-heaven" or hidden paradise in Taoist belief. truly exist in this world? Perhaps it is at the foot of the Kunlun Mountains. I seem to hear that east of the Compassionate Ridge, the moss-flowers are stained purple with the blood of battle.
Across the vast Nine Provinces original: 九州 (jiǔzhōu), a traditional name for China., the caves on the islands are like swarming ants in conflict. Flying carriages Likely referring to trains or modern industrial machinery. tunnel through the bellies of mountains, rushing about like ghosts and spirits. Flora is trampled; jade and stone are incinerated.

When the cycle of calamity reaches even the immortals, grotto-dwellings can no longer be relied upon. In the auspicious Sandalwood Forest A poetic term for a Buddhist sanctuary. of the Buddha-land, the startled mountain peaks are peerlessly high.
I praise the Stone Pillar Sutra. Heavenly dragons come to pay their respects. The power of the Dharma traps the demons; toxic mists bring sorrow to the sea. To the one opening the altar to preach: let not your heart be torn with grief.

The Five Hundred Arhats The enlightened disciples of Buddha; here referring to Qiu’s collection of 500 unique stones.. Heavenly beings and humans shed tears together. They turn to stone, and the stones remain silent, while the autumn rain falls in thin, lingering streaks.
How much more so in this mortal world? The beautiful valleys are turning to yellow dust. All that remains is this stone from the Eastern Sea—a single "fist" of rock wrapped in a sleeve.

I only cherish the purity of this "Grotto-Vase" original: 洞壺 (dònghú), a metaphor for a small, self-contained paradise or a scholar’s private collection.; let it not be stained by the dregs of yellow dust. Rather than letting it fall into the hands of others, it is better to claim it for oneself and govern these various grotto-heavens.
Who would dare speak of a "Thicket of Discourse" in Singapore original: 星洲 (xīngzhōu), "Star Island," a common poetic name for Singapore.? In days of old, the world saw many troubles. Discussions emerged from the "dusty histories" of the common world. As for the other Records of Fanning the Dust original: 揮塵錄 (huīchén lù), a famous Song dynasty book; the author is comparing Qiu Shuyuan's work to this classic of scholarly notes., their titles are not...