Dujie

Dujie (simplified: 渡劫, traditional: 渡劫, pinyin: Dùjié, jyutping: dou6 gip3) was one of the Three Elders of the Bodhidharma Hall (达摩堂长老) of the Shaolin Order. He was a white-faced monk who, along with Du’e and Dunan, spent over thirty years in seclusion practicing withered meditation (枯禅) and mastering the Diamond Vajra Array (金刚伏魔圈). While he possessed exceptional martial arts abilities and was skilled in the Great Strength Vajra Finger, he was recognised as having less Buddhist understanding than Du’e, with attachments to victory and defeat that limited the full potential of the Diamond Vajra Array.

Biography

Thirty years of seclusion

Following Du’e’s defeat and loss of sight in one eye after a battle with Yang Dingtian, the 33rd leader of the Ming Order, Dujie entered seclusion with Du’e and Dunan. The three elders spent over thirty years practicing withered meditation in a small chamber, focusing on developing their internal energy 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.

Guarding Xie Xun

When Xie Xun was captured and imprisoned at Shaolin Temple, he was placed under the guard of the Three Elders. Dujie, along with Du’e and Dunan, used their Diamond Vajra Array to guard Xie Xun, making it nearly impossible for anyone to rescue him. During Xie Xun’s imprisonment, the Three Elders chanted Buddhist sutras daily, which had a profound effect on Xie Xun and gradually led him toward Buddhist enlightenment.

Battles with Zhang Wuji

Zhang Wuji, the 34th leader of the Ming Order, came to Shaolin Temple three times to rescue his godfather Xie Xun. In the first battle, Zhang Wuji faced the Three Elders alone but was unable to break through the Diamond Vajra Array.

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, Dujie found himself in danger when Yang Xiao used clever tactics, using the Sacred Fire Command (圣火令) as a hidden weapon to attack Dujie, putting him in a critical situation. However, Du’e intervened and saved Dujie, demonstrating the perfect coordination of the Three Elders and their ability to support each other in times of danger.

This incident highlighted that while Dujie was an exceptional martial artist, he was still vulnerable to clever tactics and strategic thinking. Du’e’s intervention saved not only Dujie but also preserved the integrity of the Diamond Vajra Array, showing the importance of their unity and coordination.

Personality and traits

Attachment to victory and defeat

Unlike Du’e, who had transcended the “four marks” (四相) and achieved a higher level of Buddhist understanding, Dujie still had attachments to victory and defeat. This attachment, while not necessarily a flaw in terms of martial arts ability, did limit the full potential of the Diamond Vajra Array, as the technique’s maximum power required transcending all attachments, including those to winning and losing.

This attachment was demonstrated in his reactions during battles, where he would focus on the outcome rather than maintaining the detached state required for the highest level of Buddhist martial arts practice.

Exceptional martial arts ability

Despite having less Buddhist understanding than Du’e, Dujie was still recognised as an exceptional martial artist. His skills were superior to even the Xuanming Second Elder (玄冥二老), demonstrating his formidable abilities. 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.

Mental unity with fellow elders

Dujie’s thirty years of practice together with Du’e and Dunan had created a bond of perfect mental unity, allowing them to coordinate their movements and thoughts almost telepathically. This unity was essential for the Diamond Vajra Array, and Dujie’s ability to maintain this coordination despite his other attachments demonstrated his dedication and skill.

Martial arts abilities

Diamond Vajra Array

Dujie, along with Du’e 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

Dujie 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. Dujie was one of only a few masters in the Shaolin Order who had mastered this technique, along with the Four Holy Monks and his fellow elders.

Internal energy

After over thirty years of withered meditation and seclusion, Dujie had developed exceptional internal energy. 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 internal energy was so refined that it could work seamlessly with the internal energies of Du’e and Dunan, creating the unified force that made the Diamond Vajra Array so powerful.

Overall skill level

Dujie was recognised as one of the top martial artists in the jianghu, with skills superior to even the Xuanming Second Elder. 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. While he was recognised as having less Buddhist understanding than Du’e, his martial arts abilities were still formidable.

Relationships

Brotherhood with fellow elders

Dujie maintained a close relationship with Du’e 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. Du’e was recognised as superior in both martial arts ability and Buddhist understanding, making him the leader among the three, but Dujie’s contribution to their combined techniques was essential.

Relationship with Zhang Wuji and the Ming Order

Dujie’s relationship with Zhang Wuji and the Ming Order was initially hostile, driven by the traditional enmity between Shaolin and the Ming Order, as well as the deaths of Kongjian and Kongxing. However, after Zhang Wuji explained the true circumstances and the Three Elders recognised the truth, their relationship gradually evolved, though Dujie maintained his initial reservations longer than Du’e did.

Behind the scenes

Significance in the narrative

Dujie’s character serves to highlight the different levels of Buddhist understanding among the Three Elders. While Du’e had transcended attachment to the “four marks,” Dujie still had attachments to victory and defeat, which limited the full potential of the Diamond Vajra Array. This contrast demonstrates that Buddhist practice is a journey with different stages, and that even masters of exceptional skill may still have room for further cultivation.

His near-defeat by Yang Xiao’s clever tactics also demonstrates that while the Diamond Vajra Array provided incredible defensive power, it could still be challenged by strategic thinking and unexpected tactics. However, the perfect coordination of the Three Elders allowed them to support each other, ensuring that individual vulnerabilities did not compromise the overall effectiveness of their combined techniques.