A RECORD OF ALL THINGS UNDER HEAVEN
As gathered from the oldest accounts that remain
PROLOGUE — CHAPTER TWELVE
On the Matter of Nezha — 哪吒 — the Third Prince
His name is Nezha — 哪吒.
He is also called the Third Prince — 三太子 — San Tai Zi.
He is also called the Marshal of the Central Altar — 中壇元帥 — Zhong Tan Yuanshuai.
He is also called the Third Lotus Prince — 蓮花三太子 — Lianhua San Tai Zi.
He is the patron deity of children — 兒童守護神 — ertong shouhushen.
He is the guardian of rebels and misfits.
He is revered by taxi drivers and truck drivers. They place his statue in their vehicles. They ask him for safe passage.
He is seven years old in every depiction. He has been seven years old for a thousand years.
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On his origins.
His story first appears in Buddhist texts — 佛教典籍 — Fojiao dianjin — where he is described as a guardian under Vaisravana — 毗沙門天王 — Pi Sha Men Tian Wang — the Heavenly King.
His name Nezha — 哪吒 — is the Chinese transliteration of the Sanskrit name Nalakuvara — नलकूबर. Nalakuvara was a yaksha — a mischievous spirit — the son of Kubera the yaksha king.
When Nalakuvara's name traveled from Sanskrit into Chinese, it became Naluojiupoluo — 那羅鳩婆羅. Over time it shortened. It became Nazha. Then Nezha.
The name is not Chinese in origin.
The deity became Chinese.
By the Song dynasty — 宋朝 — Song Chao — he was fully absorbed into Chinese folk religion and Taoism. He was no longer a Buddhist guardian. He was the Third Prince of Chentang Pass — 陳塘關 — Chentang Guan.
In a thirteenth century collection of popular deities he is listed as a member of the Jade Emperor's court. He is described as a giant with eight arms. His roar summons rainfall. His voice shakes the universe.
By the Ming dynasty — 明朝 — Ming Chao — he was the mischievous child on Wind Fire Wheels — 風火輪 — Feng Huo Lun.
Both accounts are recorded.
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On his birth.
His father is Li Jing — 李靖 — garrison commander of Chentang Pass — 陳塘關.
His mother is Lady Yin — 殷氏.
He has two older brothers. The eldest is Jinzha — 金吒. The second is Muzha — 木吒.
Lady Yin was pregnant for three years and six months — 三年六個月 — san nian liu ge yue.
One night she dreamed. A Taoist monk entered her dream. He placed something in her arms.
She woke.
She gave birth.
What emerged was not a child.
It was a ball of flesh — 肉球 — rou qiu. Glowing. Red. Burning with inner heat.
Li Jing saw it.
He believed his wife had given birth to a demon — 妖魔 — yao mo.
He drew his sword — 寶劍 — bao jian.
He struck the ball.
The ball split open.
Out came a boy.
He was not an infant. He was a fully formed child. He could walk. He could speak.
He wore a red armillary sash — 混天綾 — Huntian Ling — the Universe Ring — around his body.
On his wrist he wore a gold bracelet — 乾坤圈 — Qian Kun Quan — the Universe Ring.
The monk Taiyi Zhenren — 太乙真人 — arrived immediately.
He said: this child is a blessing. He wields the strength of a deity. I will take him as my disciple.
Li Jing and Lady Yin agreed.
Nezha went with Taiyi Zhenren.
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On what he is.
He is the reincarnation of the Spiritual Pearl — 靈珠子 — Lingzhu Zi.
The Spiritual Pearl was sent by the Jade Emperor — 玉皇大帝 — Yu Huang Dadi — to be born into the mortal world.
It chose Lady Yin's womb.
It chose Li Jing's household.
It gestated for three years and six months.
It emerged as Nezha.
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On the incident at the East Sea.
Chentang Pass was under the jurisdiction of Ao Guang — 敖廣 — Dragon King of the East Sea.
Ao Guang sent plagues and droughts. The people of Chentang Pass feared him. They offered food. It was not enough. He demanded two children — a boy and a girl — to eat.
One day Nezha was bathing in a stream near the East Sea.
He used his red armillary sash — 混天綾 — Huntian Ling — to stir the water.
The stirring sent shockwaves to the Crystal Palace — 水晶宮 — Shuijing Gong.
The palace shook.
Ao Guang sent a yaksha — 夜叉 — yecha — named Li Gen — 李艮 — to investigate.
Li Gen emerged from the sea.
He was rude.
Nezha killed him.
Ao Guang sent his third son Ao Bing — 敖丙 — to investigate the death.
Ao Bing arrived in his war form.
They fought.
Nezha killed Ao Bing.
He stripped the dragon tendons — 龍筋 — long jin — from Ao Bing's body.
He brought the tendons home.
He gave them to his father as a gift.
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On the aftermath.
Ao Guang emerged from his palace.
He went to Li Jing's compound.
He demanded retribution.
Li Jing could not control his son.
Ao Guang gathered his three brothers. All four Dragon Kings united. They brought their armies to Chentang Pass. They threatened to flood the entire region.
Nezha stepped forward.
He said: the fault is mine alone.
He said: take my body. My flesh to my mother. My bones to my father. My organs to you.
He performed the ritual dismemberment — 割肉還母,剔骨還父 — ge rou huan mu, ti gu huan fu — cutting flesh to return to his mother, stripping bone to return to his father.
He removed his flesh.
He removed his bones.
He returned each part to its source.
He died.
Ao Guang accepted what was given.
The Dragon Kings withdrew.
The rains stopped.
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On the temple.
Nezha's soul wandered.
He could not cross into the afterlife. He had died too young.
He appeared to his mother in a dream.
He asked her to build him a temple — 廟 — miao — so his soul would have a place to rest.
Lady Yin built the temple.
People came to it. The sick were healed. The lost found direction.
Li Jing found out.
He was furious.
He burned the temple to the ground.
Nezha's soul became homeless again.
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On the rebirth.
Nezha went to Taiyi Zhenren — 太乙真人.
Taiyi Zhenren took lotus flowers — 蓮花 — lianhua — and lotus roots — 蓮根 — lian gen — from a pond.
He carved a new body from them.
He placed Nezha's soul inside it.
Nezha was reborn — 重生 — chongsheng.
His new body was made entirely of lotus. Not flesh. Not bone. Lotus.
Taiyi Zhenren gave him weapons.
The Fire-Tipped Spear — 火尖槍 — Huo Jian Qiang.
The Wind Fire Wheels — 風火輪 — Feng Huo Lun — on which he could fly.
The Universe Ring — 乾坤圈 — Qian Kun Quan — the gold bracelet he was born wearing.
The Red Armillary Sash — 混天綾 — Huntian Ling.
The Gold Brick — 金磚 — Jin Zhuan.
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On the war with his father.
Nezha sought Li Jing.
Li Jing ran.
He found Muzha — 木吒 — his second son — and begged him to fight on his behalf.
Nezha killed Muzha without hesitation.
He killed his own brother.
Li Jing had no one left to defend him.
He attempted suicide.
He was stopped by Randeng Daoren — 燃燈道人 — the Lamp-Lighting Taoist.
Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun — 文殊廣法天尊 — also intervened.
They said to Nezha: killing one's parents is a grave sin. Even if your father wronged you. Even if he burned your temple. The sin of patricide — 弒父 — shi fu — is absolute.
Nezha considered this.
He put down his weapon.
He submitted.
Randeng Daoren gave Li Jing a golden pagoda — 金塔 — jin ta.
In each level of the pagoda were Buddhas — 佛 — Fu — radiant with splendor.
The Buddha told Nezha: regard these Buddhas as your father.
Nezha did so.
The hatred ended.
Li Jing became the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King — 托塔天王 — Tuo Ta Tian Wang — because of the pagoda he now carried.
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On his weapons and tools.
The Fire-Tipped Spear — 火尖槍 — Huo Jian Qiang. His primary weapon. Made of fire. The tip burns everything it touches.
The Wind Fire Wheels — 風火輪 — Feng Huo Lun. Two wheels of fire on which he stands. They carry him through the sky at great speed.
The Universe Ring — 乾坤圈 — Qian Kun Quan. A gold bracelet. It can be thrown. It returns. It strikes with the force of heaven.
The Red Armillary Sash — 混天綾 — Huntian Ling. The sash he was born wearing. It binds enemies. It creates shockwaves when dragged through water.
The Gold Brick — 金磚 — Jin Zhuan. Thrown at enemies. Returns like the Universe Ring.
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On his role in the Fengshen Yanyi — 封神演義 — Investiture of the Gods.
He fought alongside Jiang Ziya — 姜子牙 — in the war against the Shang dynasty — 商朝 — Shang Chao.
He fought many battles.
He helped assemble the new celestial order.
After the war he received his divine title.
Marshal of the Central Altar — 中壇元帥 — Zhong Tan Yuanshuai.
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On his role in Journey to the West — 西遊記 — Xiyou Ji.
He first appeared as an adversary of the Monkey King — 孫悟空 — Sun Wukong.
He fought the Monkey King during the uproar in heaven — 大鬧天宮 — Da Nao Tian Gong.
He was defeated.
Later he fought alongside the pilgrim party against demons.
He held no grudge against the Monkey King for the earlier defeat.
This is noted.
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On his worship.
In Jiangyou — 江油 — Jiangyu — Sichuan province — 四川省 — Sichuan Sheng — a Taoist temple claims to be his hometown.
At the center of the temple stands Li Jing — 李靖 — his father.
Lady Yin — 殷氏 — stands on the left.
Nezha stands on the right. Depicted as a young child.
The family is worshipped together.
In coastal areas he is believed to suppress the waters. This comes from his havoc in the East Sea.
Parents make offerings to him for their children. They ask that their children grow up strong. They ask that they be dutiful. They ask that they be respectful.
These are the things Nezha himself struggled with.
The god of filial piety was not naturally filial.
He became it.
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On his age.
He is always depicted as a child. Seven years old. Eight years old at most.
He has been a child for a thousand years.
His birth attendant Taiyi Zhenren said: this child carries the power of a deity.
He was right.
He was also always seven years old.
This is recorded without further comment.
END OF CHAPTER TWELVE