Xiqu

Monk Mulian Rescues His Mother (Part Two):
The Dragons’ Birthday Visit to the Goddess of Mercy,
Keeping Vigil by His Mother’s Grave,
Two for the Road and Fighting the Tiger,
Lei Yousheng’s Purity of Heart Tested

One unique feature of the Monk Mulian Rescues His Mother series in Dacheng Opera is the creation of a character called Lei Yousheng, performed by an actor in chou (comic) role. In the episode of Two for the Road, he and Mulian pose as strong contrasts, with him providing the comedic elements and Mulian being always the serious one. The Dragons’ Birthday Visit to the Goddess of Mercy is another ritual play in Dacheng Opera; whereas Fighting the Tiger involves the “juggling cymbals” routine, a stunt that is unique to Dacheng Opera. The cymbals are commonly used in Taoist rituals in southern Fujian, and are considered sacred vessels that have the power of chasing away demons and ghosts to escort the spirit of the dead safely to Hell without being tortured on the way.

On the birthday of Guanyin the Goddess of Mercy, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas go to give their birthday greetings. The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea invites Guanyin to go and help Fu Luobu, who is trapped on Jingang Mountain, so that he can go to the West to see the Buddha and be empowered to save his mother from Hell. Since his mother Liu Shizhen, died, Luobu has been staying in a shed by his mother’s grave to guard over it. Lei Yousheng, a bandit on Jingang Mountain, bears upon him to join the gang. In a bid to save his mother, Luobu makes a pledge with Lei. Then he takes the tonsure, puts the scriptures in a pack together with a portrait of his mother, and sets off on his long journey to the West to see the Buddha. Lei is touched by his filial piety, and wants to go with him so as to save his father, too. The two accompany each other on the way, but are separated when a tiger jumps at them. Luobu is firm of heart, so Guanyin orders the Flying Cymbals Arhat to send the ferocious tiger away and escort him to the West. On the other hand, Guanyin orders Liangnu to take the guise of a village woman, and conjure up a cottage in the mountain so that Lei would come to spend the night. The purpose is to test if he would remain true to his monastic vows. Lei fails the test because he is overcome by his human desires, so he cannot continue the way to see the Buddha.