In her former body, form and appearance came to naught;
She listens not to water-caltrop songs but to Buddhist sutras.
Do not say this life sinks in a sea of darkness—
Within her nature shines a great illumination.
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
Xichun's riddle in Chapter 22. The answer is 'the sea-lamp before the Buddha.' It foreshadows Xichun's eventual renunciation of the world to become a nun. 'Listens to Buddhist sutras instead of songs' indicates her turn from worldly pleasures to religion. 'A great illumination within' suggests she finds liberation through Buddhism.
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