Du'e

Du’e (simplified: 渡厄, traditional: 渡厄, pinyin: Dù’è, jyutping: dou6 ak1) was the most senior of the Three Elders of the Bodhidharma Hall (达摩堂长老) of the Shaolin Order. He was a yellow-faced, one-eyed monk who had lost his left eye in a battle with Yang Dingtian, the 33rd leader of the Ming Order, decades earlier. He spent over thirty years in seclusion practicing withered meditation (枯禅), mastering the Diamond Vajra Array (金刚伏魔圈) with his fellow elders, and eventually took Xie Xun as his disciple, guiding him to Buddhist enlightenment.

Biography

Early battle with Yang Dingtian

Decades before the events of the novel, Du’e fought against Yang Dingtian, the 33rd leader of the Ming Order. During this battle, Yang Dingtian blinded Du’e in his left eye, leaving him permanently one-eyed. This defeat left Du’e with deep resentment, and he, along with his fellow elders Dujie and Dunan, spent the next thirty years in seclusion, practicing withered meditation and developing the Diamond Vajra Array in preparation for revenge.

Thirty years of seclusion

Following his defeat and loss of sight in one eye, Du’e entered seclusion with Dujie and Dunan. The three elders spent over thirty years practicing withered meditation in a small chamber, focusing on developing their neili and the Diamond Vajra Array. This long period of seclusion allowed them to achieve a state of mental unity (心意相通), where their minds and movements became perfectly synchronised, creating an almost telepathic connection that made their combined techniques nearly invincible.

During this period, Du’e developed a deep understanding of Buddhist principles, transcending his initial desire for revenge and achieving a higher level of spiritual cultivation. Despite his earlier resentment, his Buddhist practice allowed him to gradually overcome his attachment to hatred.

Guarding Xie Xun

When Xie Xun was captured and imprisoned at Shaolin Monastery, he was placed under the guard of the Three Elders. Du’e and his fellow elders used their Diamond Vajra Array to guard Xie Xun, making it nearly impossible for anyone to rescue him.

During Xie Xun’s imprisonment, Du’e and the other elders chanted Buddhist sutras daily. These sutras had a profound effect on Xie Xun, gradually transforming him and leading him toward Buddhist enlightenment. The daily exposure to Buddhist teachings, combined with Xie Xun’s own reflections on his past actions, allowed him to achieve a deep understanding of the nature of suffering and the futility of revenge.

Three battles with Zhang Wuji

Zhang Wuji, the 34th leader of the Ming Order, came to Shaolin Monastery three times to rescue his sworn father Xie Xun. In the first battle, Zhang Wuji faced the Three Elders alone but was unable to break through the Diamond Vajra Array. When Zhang Wuji explained the true circumstances of Kongjian’s death and Cheng Kun’s deception, Du’e was the first to believe him and the first to withdraw his attacks, demonstrating his ability to recognise truth and his superior understanding compared to his fellow elders.

In the second battle, Zhang Wuji was joined by Yang Xiao and Yin Tianzheng. The battle evolved into a complex confrontation where Zhang Wuji fought against Du’e and Dujie, while Dunan fought against Yang Xiao and Yin Tianzheng. During this battle, Du’e assisted Dujie when he was in danger of being defeated by Yang Xiao’s clever tactics, demonstrating the perfect coordination of the Three Elders.

In the third and final battle, Du’e and Zhang Wuji fought to a draw, and the confrontation ended peacefully. This final battle demonstrated Du’e’s acceptance that the enmity with the Ming Order had been resolved and his recognition of Zhang Wuji’s character and the truth of the situation.

Taking Xie Xun as a disciple

After Xie Xun achieved enlightenment and publicly repented for his past crimes, Du’e took him as a disciple, despite Xie Xun’s initial reluctance due to his guilt over Kongjian’s death. When Xie Xun expressed concern about the violation of Buddhist hierarchy (as Kongjian had been his master and Du’e was Kongjian’s senior), Du’e demonstrated his deep understanding of Buddhist philosophy by saying: “空固是空，圆亦是空，我相人相，好不懵懂” (Empty is empty, round is also empty, the distinction between self and others—how confused!).

Du’e accepted Xie Xun as his disciple, giving him the dharma name “Xie Xun” (using his original name) and guiding him on his path to becoming a respected Buddhist master. This act demonstrated Du’e’s ability to transcend traditional hierarchies and attachments, recognising that in Buddhist philosophy, all distinctions are ultimately empty.

Personality and traits

Deep Buddhist understanding

Du’e possessed the deepest understanding of Buddhism among the Three Elders. His ability to transcend his initial desire for revenge, recognise truth when presented with evidence, and accept Xie Xun as a disciple despite traditional hierarchies demonstrated his profound grasp of Buddhist principles. He understood that all distinctions, including those of master and disciple, are ultimately empty (空), and that true Buddhist practice requires transcending attachments to names and forms.

Superior martial arts and wisdom

Among the Three Elders, Du’e was recognised as superior in both martial arts ability and Buddhist wisdom. His yellow face and one-eyed appearance gave him a distinctive appearance, but his true strength lay in his cultivation and understanding. His ability to coordinate perfectly with his fellow elders in the Diamond Vajra Array, while maintaining the highest level of spiritual practice, demonstrated his exceptional abilities.

Ability to recognise truth

Du’e demonstrated a remarkable ability to recognise truth and accept it, even when it contradicted his previous beliefs. When Zhang Wuji explained the true circumstances of Kongjian’s death and Cheng Kun’s deception, Du’e was the first to believe him, demonstrating his wisdom and open-mindedness compared to his fellow elders.

Transcendence of attachment

Du’e’s acceptance of Xie Xun as a disciple, despite the violation of traditional Buddhist hierarchies, demonstrated his ability to transcend attachment to forms and names. He understood that in Buddhist philosophy, all distinctions are ultimately empty, and that true practice requires recognising this emptiness rather than rigidly adhering to traditional structures.

Martial arts abilities

Diamond Vajra Array

Du’e, along with Dujie and Dunan, mastered the Diamond Vajra Array (金刚伏魔圈), a defensive formation that used three black whips (黑索) to create an impenetrable barrier. The technique required the three practitioners to achieve perfect mental unity (心意相通), where their minds and movements were perfectly synchronised. After over thirty years of practice together, the Three Elders had achieved this unity, making their Diamond Vajra Array nearly invincible.

However, the technique’s full power required transcending the “four marks” (四相): self-mark, other-mark, sentient-being-mark, and life-mark (我相、人相、众生相、寿者相). While Du’e had achieved this transcendence, Dujie and Dunan still had attachments to victory and defeat, which prevented the Diamond Vajra Array from reaching its maximum potential.

Great Strength Vajra Finger

Du’e was skilled in the Great Strength Vajra Finger (大力金刚指), one of Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Supreme Skills. This technique, which used finger techniques to target acupoints and break bones, was considered one of Shaolin’s most powerful offensive techniques.

Neili

After over thirty years of withered meditation and seclusion, Du’e had developed exceptional neili. His cultivation allowed him to maintain perfect coordination with his fellow elders in the Diamond Vajra Array, demonstrating the depth of his internal power. His neili was so refined that it could react automatically to external forces, achieving the state where “flies and mosquitoes cannot land” (蝇虫不能落).

Overall skill level

Du’e was recognised as one of the top martial artists in the jianghu, ranking only below Zhang Sanfeng, Yang Dingtian, and Zhang Wuji in martial arts ability. His thirty years of seclusion and practice had made him a master of exceptional skill, and his coordination with his fellow elders in the Diamond Vajra Array made them nearly invincible as a unit.

Relationships

Brotherhood with fellow elders

Du’e maintained a close relationship with Dujie and Dunan, the other Two Elders of the Bodhidharma Hall. Their thirty years of practice together had created a bond of perfect mental unity, allowing them to coordinate their movements and thoughts almost telepathically. However, Du’e was recognised as superior in both martial arts ability and Buddhist understanding, making him the leader among the three.

Master-disciple relationship with Xie Xun

Du’e’s relationship with Xie Xun represented the culmination of his Buddhist practice. By accepting Xie Xun as a disciple despite traditional hierarchies, Du’e demonstrated his ability to transcend attachments and guide another toward enlightenment. Under Du’e’s guidance, Xie Xun achieved Buddhist enlightenment and became a respected Buddhist master, demonstrating Du’e’s effectiveness as a teacher and his deep understanding of Buddhist principles.

Relationship with the Ming Order

Du’e’s relationship with the Ming Order evolved significantly over the course of the novel. Initially driven by resentment over his lost eye and Yang Dingtian’s death, Du’e gradually came to recognise the truth of the situation and accept that the enmity had been resolved. His peaceful conclusion to the final battle with Zhang Wuji demonstrated his acceptance and his ability to transcend his initial desire for revenge.

Behind the scenes

Significance in the narrative

Du’e’s character serves as an example of how Buddhist practice can lead to transcendence of hatred and attachment. His transformation from a man consumed by resentment over his lost eye to one who could accept his former enemies and guide others toward enlightenment demonstrates the power of Buddhist cultivation.

His acceptance of Xie Xun as a disciple, despite violating traditional hierarchies, also demonstrates the Buddhist principle that all distinctions are ultimately empty. This act of transcendence shows that true Buddhist practice requires going beyond attachment to forms and names.

Du’e’s character also highlights the contrast between different levels of Buddhist understanding. While he had transcended attachment to the “four marks,” his fellow elders Dujie and Dunan still had attachments to victory and defeat, which limited the full potential of the Diamond Vajra Array.