智通
智通：浏览李湘艺术网站的红楼梦资料。本页正文暂为英文，完整译文待补充。
智通
“The Nun Who Took Fangguan”
Her Story
When the household breaks up the troupe of young actresses in Chapter 77, three of the girls refuse to be married off and beg instead to have their heads shaved. Zhitong, a nun of the Water Moon Priory, is in the house that day on other business. Wang Furen consents, and Zhitong leaves with Fangguan as her disciple. The novel is plain about the exchange: the priory gains a servant, and Fangguan escapes one fate by choosing a smaller one.
In Xiang Li's Hands
She paints an old woman rather than a holy one. Black outer robe over grey, a blue inner collar, heavy amber beads doubled at the throat, palms pressed together at the chest. The face is ruddy, lined, faintly amused. Behind her, nothing at all.
The Calligraphy
智通 — the dharma name alone, no surname and no title, which is the only name the religious life has left her.
Connections
- Fangguan 芳官 — the dismissed actress she takes away as her disciple in Chapter 77.
- Yuanxin 圆信 — the Dizang Nunnery nun who leaves the same day with two of the other girls.
- Wang Furen 王夫人 — gives the permission that hands the girls over.
Others of the same kind · nun / monk / Taoist Miaoyu 妙玉 · Jingxu 净虚 · Zhishan 智善 · Zhineng 智能 · Yuanxin 圆信 · Da Liao 大了 · Sekong 色空 · Qinxiang 沁香 · Hexian 鹤仙 · Ma Daopo 马道婆 · Zhang Daoshi 张道士 · Wang Yitie 王一贴
Named on these pages Fangguan 芳官 · Yuanxin 圆信
Dream of the Red Chamber
Xiang Li painted all 413 characters of the novel between 1975 and 1985, the first person to complete the entire cast. See the whole collection · Chinese Empresses
