[Poetry] Tidal Bore Viewing

Read on: 08/27/2023

Written on: 08/27/2023

Tidal Bore Viewing

By Su Shi Tr. Qin Dachuan

Zhejiang's tidal bore, as well as Mt. Lu's misty rain, Not having been there, you'll regret for evermore; Yet after you have, everything still stays just the same: Be it Mt. Lu's misty rain or Zhejiang's tidal bore.

Today, as usual, in an ordinary afternoon, I opened this poem by Dong Po again.

During his lifetime, he wrote farewell poems. By that time, Su Shi had become a waning old man, and his former boldness was no longer the same. This word is not as bold and unrestrained as it has always been, nor is it gentle and tender. However, his plain words, like soft words and eloquent words, actually express the essence of life.

The mist and rain in Lushan Mountain and the tide in Zhejiang have not yet arrived, and all kinds of regrets have not disappeared. When this time comes, everything is fine for him, the mist and rain in Lushan Mountain and the tide in Zhejiang Province. The mist and rain of Mount Lushan and the tide of Qiantang River are all beautiful sights without comparison. It would be regretful and regretful not to see them all. However, when you personally set foot on the top of Mount Lushan and on the bank of the Qiantang River, and watch the mist and rain lingering, and the surging tide, you will sigh that it is nothing more than that, and finally find that it has no special meaning, it is just the mist and rain of Mount Lu and the tide of the Qiantang River. .

Isn't this just my obsession?

Su Shi quoted the Zen sayings in the Zen history book "Wu Deng Hui Yuan" about life in the three realms:

Mountains are mountains and water is water. In Su Shi's eyes, "Lushan Misty Rain" and "Zhejiang Tide" are mountains and water. Before seeing it in person, these beautiful scenery are alluring to people's hearts. Rumors about the scenic beauty of this place make the feeling of longing come from the inside out.

In the beginning, the mountains were still mountains and the water was still water. The state of mind matches the vision.

The mountains are not mountains, and the water is not water. As time goes by, dreams have not been realized for a time, and obsessions are inevitably buried in my heart. With this obsession, going to see "Lushan Mountain Misty Rain" and "Zhejiang Tide" brings a sense of satisfaction, but it is also accompanied by disappointment in reality and illusion, making people gradually drift away from the original intention of appreciating the landscape.

Most people end their viewing journey here and get lost in the splendor. And so am I.

Mountains are still mountains and water is still water. This realm seems to return to reality. After experiencing all kinds of life, indulgence and glitz, as time passes, obsession gradually fades away, and the pure original intention re-examines the landscape and restores its original appearance.