Xu Mengjiao

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Xu Shilin (許士林), also known as Xu Mengjiao (许梦蛟) in some version, is a Chinese mythological figure in Chinese folklore, best known for being one of the major characters of the Legend of the White Snake, one of China's four great folk tales.^[1] The story has been adapted many times, including into Chinese operas, films, television series and other media. He was the son of the white snake spirit Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian.

The other story Xu Shilin Rescued His Mother, has become a well-known folktale in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and is separate from the main legend of the White Snake. His legend is popular throughout China that there is a common saying, "A child who fulfills the gratitude of their parents is like Xu Shilin, who showed great filial piety to his mother".^[2]

Name[edit]

His name changed from "Shilin" to "Xiangyang" , with the assistance of Green Snake, as he destroyed the pagoda and liberated his mother. This self-initiated name change was indicative of the Hong Kong female writer's disinterest in representing the imperial examination, as implied by the name Shilin, and her strong inclination towards referencing the Cultural Revolution, as Xiangyang would vividly remind the reader. The novel explicitly depicted the Cultural Revolution as "a revolutionary game" and asserted that snakes could transcend the political vicissitudes while humans were obliged to confront undesirable circumstances amidst significant political transformations.^[3]

Legends[edit]

Legend has it that he is considered to be an incarnation of the (Astral God of Civil Arts). Bai Suzhen was defeated and imprisoned in the imposing Leifeng Pagoda by Fahai. During her imprisonment, Bai Suzhen gave birth to a son. Bai Suzhen named her son Mengjiao (in an alternative version) because she had a dream in which a dragon encircled her body when she was about to give birth, and decided to name the boy after the dream. On the same day, Xu Xian's sister-in-law, Lady Li, also gave birth to a girl, and named her Bilian. Xu Xian had renounced worldly attachments, shaving his hair to embrace a life of monkhood uner the religious title of Daozong in the Zhaoging Monastery. He strictly observed the pure rules and firmly cultivated the way. When three years had quickly passed, Xu Xian suddenly conceived a desire to wander like a cloud across the world. With this yearning in his heart, he bid farewell to the other monks and his family, and departed from the monastery. Xian Xian's elder sister, Lady Li became the adoptive mother of him. From his earliest youth, he was incredibly intelligent. He wholeheartedly dedicated himself to the study of books, never growing tired of it. Unfortunately, others would mock him, considering him the offspring of a snake-spirit. However, he didn't distinguish between snake and demon as family. Despite this, he had never witnessed the gentle countenance of the mother who brought him into this world. Whenever he found himself free, he immediately sought solace at the pagoda. Facing north, he would burn incense and candles with utmost sincerity. His unwavering commitment was directed towards the study of books, as he devoted all his effort and strength to it. Twenty years later, he grew up to become a successful scholar and earns the Zhuangyuan (top scholar) degree in the imperial examination.^[4] He went to the pagoda to pay respects to his mother and pleaded for her release from its confines, ultimately rescuing her and ascending together to Heaven. He married his cousin, Bilian (Hu Meiniang in some version), and Suzhen, Xiaoqing, Fahai, and Xu Xian have also resolved their karmic debts. With their merits and virtues complete, they were able to return to heaven. In some version of the story, Bai Suzhen rescued from the pagoda and the whole family reunited.^[5] After his death, as an incarnation of Wenquxing, he returned to the Heavenly Court.

According to another version of the legend, upon returning home, he carried with him a patent of nobility for his mother. However, when he personally dismantled the pagoda, he discovered his mother curled up beneath its foundation. Bai Suzhen then gracefully ascended the Heaven, riding a cloud of compassion. Eventually, he discovered his parents as they revealed their immortal identities, ascending to the Heaven.^[6]

The most famous and popular story of a son who frees his sinful mother from her prison deep below the earth is the Mulian Rescues His Mother, who freed his mother from the Avic Hell thanks to the magic of the Buddha. According to the book Sacrifice at the Pagoda, it clearly describes the pagoda as a grave and explicitly compares Shilin to Mulian. However, he does not rely on Daoist magic or Buddhist meditation but rather on his own filial piety and writing skills. He is able to bring about his mother's liberation once he has passed the metropolitan examinations as the top-of-the-list candidate and has made sacrifices of imperial offerings to his mother.^[6]

In popular culture[edit]

His story is widely portrayed in Chinese operas and other forms of art, especially in Peking opera. Chang Show-foong's essay Xu Shilin's Monologue, selected from the collection of essays After Stepping Down the Red Carpet (步下紅毯之後), is based on the story of Xu Shilin worshipping his mother in The Legend of the White Snake. It intricately expresses Xu Shilin's feelings of worship towards his mother imprisoned in the Leifeng Pagoda, emphasizing the impermanence of the world and portraying the profound emotions between mother and child.^[7] The eassy won the China Times Prose Recommendation Award in 2018.^[8][9]

References[edit]

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