Half-measures

“Who else, in fact, but his child,” she continued amid her sobs, “could have had the courage to give her hand to save her father’s life?” “What are you saying?” said the King.  “In the world there are many hands like this.”  While they thus reasoned, the priest entered the King’s apartment.  “This great Immortal has long devoted herself to the attainment of perfection,” he said.  “Those she has healed are innumerable.  Give me the hand and eye.”  He took them and shortly produced an ointment which, he told the King, was to be applied to his left side.  No sooner had it touched his skin than the pain on his left side disappeared as if by magic; no sign of ulcers was to be seen on that side, but his right side remained swollen and painful as before.

“Why is it,” asked the King, “that this remedy, which is so efficacious for the left side, should not be applied to the right?” “Because,” replied the priest, “the left hand and eye of the saint cures only the left side.  If you wish to be completely cured, you must send your officers to obtain the right eye and right hand also.”  The King accordingly dispatched his envoys anew with a letter of thanks, and begging as a further favour that the cure should be completed by the healing also of his right side.

The King Cured

On the arrival of the envoys Shan Ts’ai met them in the mutilated form of Miao Shan, and he bade them cut off his right hand, pluck out his right eye, and put them on a plate.  At the sight of the four bleeding wounds Liu Ch’in could not refrain from calling out indignantly:  “This priest is a wicked man, thus to make a martyr of a woman in order to obtain the succession!”

Having thus spoken, he left with his companion for the kingdom of Hsing Lin.  On their return the King was overwhelmed with joy.  The priest quickly prepared the ointment, and the King, without delay, applied it to his right side.  At once the ulcers disappeared like the darkness of night before the rising sun.  The whole Court congratulated the King and eulogized the priest.  The King conferred upon the latter the title Priest of the Brilliant Eye.  He fell on his face to return thanks, and added:  “I, a poor priest, have left the world, and have only one wish, namely, that your Majesty should govern your subjects with justice and sympathy and that all the officials of the realm should prove themselves men of integrity.  As for me, I am used to roaming about.  I have no desire for any royal estate.  My happiness exceeds all earthly joys.”

Having thus spoken, the priest waved the sleeve of his cloak, a cloud descended from Heaven, and seating himself upon it he disappeared in the sky.  From the cloud a note containing the following words was seen to fall:  “I am one of the Teachers of the West.  I came to cure the King’s illness, and so to glorify the True Doctrine.”