“To the Divine Flying Stone” by Lan Xin (Lanxin Samei)

Lan Xin (Lan Xin)
World Memory Heritage The Only Female Inheritor of Dongba Culture, International Renowned Writer & Poet. Internationally Renowned Chinese-English Bilingual Writer. The Only Female Inheritor of the World Memory Heritage Dongba Culture, Dean of China Yulong Wenbi Dongba Culture Academy.

Eva Lianou Petropoulou
Αποκλειστικη Eκπρόσωπος για την Ελλάδα για την προώθηση της πολιτιστικής κληρονομιάς – Dongba Culture Κίνα

On this day

I set forth from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
With celestial sunlight as my guide
Mountains greet me with smiling faces
Jinsha River sings with unrestrained joy
Yaks and goats come to offer their regards
On this most auspicious day
All living things rejoice

Descending the path where ancestors once migrated
Winding up along the Wuliang River
The sheer cliffs and steep crags amid towering mountains
Form the only celestial path leading to this pure land
Even ninety-nine turns and eighty-one bends
Fail to capture your exquisite grace

The God of Wind sends word via pine trees
The God of Mountains relays a message through flying birds
At last, I am led to the mountain’s summit
A giant boulder stands tall between the blue sky and white clouds
Like a divine frog that descended from heaven
Crouching mid-air in its thousand-year vigil
Guarding this sacred pure land

Are you the divine stone that watches over this pure land
Are you the divine frog that holds the mysteries of the five elements
Where did you fly from
Why did you alight here
What sacred mission transformed you into this frog-shaped boulder
The cacti atop your head stand in neat array
What whimsical nature deity designed such a wondrous form

All living things pass on the torch of love
White clouds drift overhead
Birds soar high above
Winds sing merrily up above
The lush greenery that fills my eyes
Is a greeting gift from the God of Mountains
The azure river water flowing by
Is a greeting gift from the God of Rivers
The fluttering red silk scarf in my hand
Is a greeting gift from the God of Wind
That ladder of clouds stretching into the sky
Is a greeting gift from the clouds themselves
And love
Is my greeting gift

I give thanks to heaven for its boundless benevolence
I give thanks to the earth for its abundant nurturing
I give thanks to the divine stone for its faithful guardianship
Your noble names shall be inscribed upon the starry river
And forever etched in the hearts of all beings
In the name of love
Your legacy shall endure for a hundred generationsC

oncise Annotation

This poem is a soul-stirring ode inspired by Lan Xin’s journey to a sacred Dongba land, a remote area in Sichuan Province. It overflows with profound reverence for this pure, hallowed territory and a heartfelt celebration of the eternal transmission of love among all living things.
Embarking from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and tracing the migratory routes of her ancestors, the poet traverses a perilous mountain path—a celestial thoroughfare leading to the sanctuary. Guided by the God of Wind and the God of Mountains, she encounters a colossal boulder atop the peak, shaped like a divine frog.
This stone is both a guardian spirit watching over the pure land and an embodiment of the cosmic mysteries rooted in Dongba culture. Every element along the way, from the lush greenery and azure river to the fluttering red silk scarf and cloud-like ladder, serves as a heartfelt token bestowed by nature.
With love as its central theme, the poem not only conveys deep gratitude for the blessings of heaven and earth and the steadfast guardianship of the divine stone, but also extols the timeless law of love passed down among all beings. It transforms the sanctity and warmth of this Dongba haven into a spiritual resonance that transcends time and borders.