5
The Flower Lives with the Evil
Somewhere in Southeast Asian, there is an ancient temple aged
thousands of years. When I stood inside and the time seemingly wanders
in dimness, I unexpectedly noticed that on the old stony staircase, there
lay scattered petals in a variety of colors, forming a figure with a wolf's
head and a monster's body, one that emitted a divine odor in the heavy
smoke of the antique oil lamps. Then several characters popped up in
my mind - "The Flower Lives with the Evil."
For a very long time afterwards, I have been contemplating the meaning
of these words. The first thought that strikes me is that the poets of
today are mostly the departed souls who failed to realize their wishes in
the time of the flourishing dynasties, and who are trying to be reborn in
the era that does not belong to themselves. Probably for them, death is
the only way that could keep them going forward.
Author's Preface