Shanglan monk (上藍和尚)

Overview

Shanglan monk was a Monk and Diviner.

PeriodSui and Tang

IdentityHistorical · Male · Title only

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Death

Died immediately after composing a prophetic verse
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passages 78-79

Attested activity

AD 906 鍾傳末年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passages 67, 76

Learning and skills

Skill divination 術數 · Level master
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 76

Works and attributed material

Verse · Author · Mode direct-speech Speaker Shanglan monk (上藍和尚) · With Zhong Chuan (鍾傳)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 78

References in the histories

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 17Volume 17 Book of Later Liang 17: Biographies 7: Cheng Rui, Du Hong, Tian Yun, Zhao Kuangning, Zhang Ji, Lei Man · 4 passages

Open chapter

少年任俠，乘醉殺人，為仇家所捕，因落發為僧，冒姓郭氏。 As a young man he killed someone in a drunken brawl, was hunted by the victim's kin, shaved his head as a monk, and took the surname Guo.

上藍和尚，失其名，居於洪州上藍院，精究術數，大為鍾傳所禮。 A monk of Shanglan Monastery in Hongzhou, name forgotten, was a master of divination whom Chuan treated with great respect.

一旦疾篤，往省之，且曰：「老夫於和尚可謂無間矣，和尚或不諱，得無一言相付耶！」 When the monk fell gravely ill Chuan visited him and said, "I have held nothing back from you—won't you leave me one word before you go?"

上藍強起，索筆作偈以援，其末云：「但看來年二三月，柳條堪作打鍾槌。」 The monk roused himself, wrote a verse, and ended it, "Watch the second or third month next year—willow twigs will do for beating the bell."