Critics have traditionally viewed the Dongdu ji (Passage to the East), a work of the Ming-Qing transition, as a novel of spirits and demons propagating the cult of Bodhidharma. Its plot has been understood as a struggle between the orthodox and the evil. However, a close reading of the text, focusing on its descriptions of human emotions, and the ways in which it presents the doctrine og retribution, renders such a view inconclusive. This reading also leads to a reconsideration of the influence of religious thought on plot structure and narrative form in Chinese fiction. My analysis revolves around the two major concepts of yuan (making the vow) and du (attaining enlightenment) in light of Amitabha's vow to Bodhidharma to bring all sentient beings to nirvana. The "making the vow" is reflected in Fan Zhi and his disciples' joumey east. At first, all Fan Zhi wishes is to find a rich patron. This inevitably leads the group astray. A high monk appears to enlighten them. The demons actually arise from their own minds. They eventually establish a correct vow and embark on the correct way. The attainment of nirvana is the final goal of the vow, but nirvana resides also in the very vicissitudes of making the vow. The concept of du within the plot informs the physical crossing over the mountains and sea from southern India, or in Bodhidharma's crossing the river on a reed. This expresses the Buddhist belief that one can meet countless obstacles in a split second. Du also implies the stage of having passed through, i.e., having overcome the obstacles set up by demons such as Sili. Du, of course, points also to the salvation of humankind, the moral of the story. The Dongdu ji, compared to works such as the Journey to the West or Daoist tales of the supernatural, not only inherits the trope of displaying wisdom and understanding the mind, but also uses yuan and du innovatively. It aims to stand out from the conventional structure of fall from divinity, faces squarely the desires and experiences of particular individuals, and aspires to resolve some of the conflicts between Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism.
