OriginChapter 19
The monster’s fire-light went ahead, and the Great Sage’s colored clouds followed behind. As they proceeded, they suddenly saw a lofty mountain. The monster gathered the red light together, revealed his true form, charged into the cave, and brought out a nine-toothed iron rake to do battle. The Pilgrim shouted, “Wretched monster! From where have you come, you evil demon? How do you know my Old Sun’s name? What abilities do you have? Give a truthful account, and I will spare your life.” The monster said, “You do not yet know my methods. Come forward and stand firm; I shall tell you. I:
From childhood my nature was dull and slow,
I loved idleness and laziness, never ceasing so.
I never cultivated nature nor practiced the Way,
In chaos and delusion I passed the nights and days.
Suddenly, in leisure, I met a true immortal,
And sat with him discussing warmth and cold.
He urged me to turn my heart and not fall into the vulgar world,
For harming life and creating boundless sin.
When one day the great limit came and life ended,
Among the eight difficulties and three paths, regret would have no end.
Hearing his words, my mind turned and I wished to cultivate,
Hearing his teaching, my heart returned as I sought the wondrous formula.
Having affinity, I bowed on the spot and made him my master;
He indicated the heavenly pass and the earthly palace.
I received the Nine-Revolutions Great Reversion Elixir,
And practiced day and night without ever stopping.
Above, it reached the Mud-Pellet Palace at the crown,
Below, it descended to the Bubbling-Well points beneath the feet.
The kidney water circulated into the Flower Pool,
And the dantian was replenished until it grew warmly hot.
The infant and maiden matched yin and yang,
Lead and mercury were cast together, dividing the days and months.
The Li dragon and Kan tiger were harmonized,
The numinous tortoise drew in all the blood of the Golden Crow.
The three flowers gathered at the crown, attaining return to the root;
The five qi faced the origin, penetrating clearly through.
When the merit was complete and the practice fulfilled, I flew upward;
Pairs of heavenly immortals came to welcome me.
Brightly, beneath my feet, colored clouds arose;
My body became light and strong as I went to the Golden Gates.
The Jade Emperor set a banquet and assembled the multitude of immortals,
Dividing each according to rank and arranging them in ordered rows.
He commanded and ennobled me as Marshal, governor of the Heavenly River,
Overall commander of the water troops, called the Censorial Standard.
It was only because the Queen Mother held her Peach Banquet,
Opening a feast at the Jasper Pool and inviting all the guests.
At that time I became drunk and my thoughts grew clouded,
Lurching east and leaning west, behaving wildly.
Showing off my might, I charged into the Guanghan Palace,
And the graceful immortal maiden came to receive me.
Seeing her appearance seize men’s souls,
My old mortal heart proved difficult to extinguish.
With no regard for high or low, and losing all sense of honor and rank,
I seized Chang’e and demanded that she stay with me.
Again and again she refused to comply,
Hiding east and west, her heart displeased.
My lustful courage was as great as Heaven, and my shouting was like thunder;
I nearly shook down the Heavenly Pass and palace.
The Investigating Divine Officer reported me to the Jade Emperor;
That day, my fortune was indeed unfortunate.
They surrounded Guanghan so that not even wind could pass;
With no way in or out, escape was difficult.
Yet the various gods seized me,
And with wine still in my heart, I was not afraid.
They escorted me to the Numinous Empyrean to see the Jade Emperor;
According to the law, the inquiry found that I deserved execution.
Fortunately, Li Taibai, the Star Lord Venus,
Left the ranks, bowed low, and spoke in person.
The sentence was changed to two thousand heavy blows;
My flesh split, my skin tore, and my bones nearly broke.
My life was spared, but I was banished beyond the Heavenly Pass,
To establish a household beneath Fuling Mountain.
Because of my crime, I mistakenly entered the womb,
And my common name became Zhu Ganglie.”
The Pilgrim, hearing this, said, “So you are Marshal Tianpeng, the Water God, descended into the lower world. No wonder you know my Old Sun’s name.” The monster shouted, “Hah! You Bimawen who deceived your superiors—when you caused that disaster in former days, who knows how many of us you implicated? And today you have come here again to bully people. Do not be rude. Take this rake!” How could the Pilgrim show mercy? He raised his staff and struck straight at the monster’s head. The two of them fought in the middle of that mountainside through the dark night. It was a fine battle:
The Pilgrim’s golden eyes were like flashes of lightning;
The demon’s ringed eyes were like silver flowers.
One sprayed colored mist from his mouth;
The other breathed red clouds from his nostrils.
Red clouds breathed forth made the darkness bright;
Colored mist sprayed from the mouth gave radiance to the night.
The Golden-Banded Staff and the nine-toothed rake—
The two heroes were truly worthy of praise:
One was the Great Sage come down into the mortal world;
The other was a marshal descended to the edge of Heaven.
One had become a monster after losing his dignity;
The other had luckily escaped suffering and bowed before a monk.
The rake went forth like a dragon stretching its claws;
The staff met it as though a phoenix pierced flowers.
The one said, “You have ruined another’s marriage as if killing his father!”
The other said, “You forced yourself upon a young girl and rightly deserve capture!”
Idle words, wild clamor,
Back and forth, staff and rake clashed.
They fought until the sky was about to dawn,
And the demon’s two arms began to feel sore and numb.
The two of them had fought straight from the second watch until the eastern sky grew pale. The monster could no longer withstand his opponent, fled the battle, and once again transformed into a fierce wind, going directly back into the cave. He shut the gate tightly and did not show himself again. Outside the cave gate, the Pilgrim saw a stone tablet with the three characters Cloud-Stacking Cave written upon it. Seeing that the monster would not come out, and that the sky had already grown bright, he thought, “I fear that Master and the others are waiting. I shall first return and see him, then come back to capture this monster; there will still be time.” He then stepped upon the clouds and made one small turn, arriving at Gao Family Village before long.
Now Tripitaka and the various elders had been discussing the present and the past, unable to sleep through the night. Just as they were wondering why the Pilgrim had not returned, they suddenly saw him standing in the courtyard. The Pilgrim put away his iron staff, straightened his clothing, and entered the hall. He called, “Master, I have returned.” The various elders hurriedly bowed together and gave thanks, saying, “You have taken great trouble, great trouble.” Tripitaka asked, “Wukong, where did you go this night? Did you capture the demon?” The Pilgrim said, “Master, that demon is neither an evil spirit of the mortal world nor a monster of the mountains. He was originally Marshal Tianpeng, descended into the mortal realm. Only because he mistakenly entered the wrong womb does his face resemble that of a wild boar; in truth, his spiritual nature remains. He said that he took his form as his surname and was called Zhu Ganglie. I pulled out my staff from the rear residence and struck him, but he transformed into a gust of fierce wind and fled. When Old Sun struck him with a staff amid the wind, he transformed into a streak of fire-light and went straight back to his original mountain cave. He brought out a nine-toothed iron rake and battled Old Sun for the whole night. Just now, when the sky was about to brighten, he fled from the fight, shut the cave gate tightly, and would not come out. Old Sun still intended to break open that gate and settle things with him, but I feared that Master would be troubled here, waiting anxiously, so I came first to bring back word.”
After he had finished speaking, Old Gao came forward and knelt down, saying, “Elder, there is no other way. Though you drove him away, after you have gone he will return again. How can we deal with him then? Better to trouble you to seize him with me and eradicate him by the roots; only then will there be no future calamity. This old man does not dare be remiss. There will certainly be a substantial reward: I shall have this household’s property and fields written into a deed by our relatives and friends, and divide them equally with you, Elder. It is only necessary to cut down the grass and remove the roots, so that he does not damage the pure reputation of the Gao family.” The Pilgrim laughed and said, “Old man, you do not understand the limits of things. That monster also told me that although his appetite is great and he has eaten some of your family’s food, he has done a great many good things for you as well. Over these years he has earned a great deal of property, all through his own strength. He did not eat your things for nothing. Why do you ask how to drive him away? According to what he said, he is a heavenly god descended into the lower world, working for your family, and he has never harmed your daughter. Considered this way, such a son-in-law is also well matched in household and rank. He has not really damaged the family’s reputation or dishonored its conduct. It would truly be acceptable to keep him.” Old Gao said, “Elder, although he has not injured propriety, the reputation is not very pleasant to hear. Whenever people see us, they say, ‘The Gao family took a demon for a son-in-law.’ How are we to endure those words?” Tripitaka said, “Wukong, since you have already fought with him, go all the way and bring the matter to a conclusion with him. Only then will the beginning and the end be clear.” The Pilgrim said, “I was merely testing him for sport. This time I shall certainly capture him and bring him here for you to see. Do not worry for now.” He called, “Old Gao, continue to take good care of my Master. I am going.”
At the word “Go,” he vanished without form or shadow, leaping to that mountain of his and arriving at the cave entrance. With one blow of his iron staff, he smashed the two doors to pieces. He cursed from within his mouth: “That sack-of-chaff blockhead, come out quickly and fight with your Old Sun!” The monster was sleeping inside, panting heavily. Hearing the doors being smashed, and hearing himself cursed as a sack-of-chaff blockhead, he could not contain his anger. He had no choice but to drag his rake along, brace himself up, and run out, cursing harshly: “You Bimawen, you are truly a lazy wretch. What business is it of yours? Why did you smash my great doors? Go and look at the statutes: breaking through the great doors to enter carries the capital penalty for miscellaneous offenses.” The Pilgrim laughed and said: “What a fool! Even though I smashed your great doors, there is still a case to be distinguished. But you forcibly occupied another family’s daughter, without the three matchmakers and six witnesses, and without the least tea, betrothal gifts, wine, or lễ. You deserve to be tried for the true offense and beheaded.” The monster said: “Enough idle talk. Look at this old hog’s rake.” The Pilgrim used his staff to hold it off and said: “Is this rake the one you used while working as a long-term laborer for the Gao family, digging the earth and planting vegetables? What good does it have that I should fear you?” The monster said: “You have mistaken it. How could this rake be an ordinary worldly object? Now listen to me:
This was divine ice-iron, forged and refined,
Ground and polished until its workmanship shone pure and bright.
Laojun himself moved the hammer and tongs,
And Yinghuo personally added the charcoal dust.
The Five Directions and Five Emperors applied their minds,
The Six Ding and Six Jia went to great lengths.
It was fashioned into nine teeth with jade-hanging fangs,
Cast into twin rings with golden hanging leaves.
Its body is adorned with the Six Luminaries arranged with the Five Stars,
Its form follows the Four Seasons and accords with the Eight Solar Nodes.
Its length and shortness, its upper and lower parts, determine Heaven and Earth,
Its left and right, Yin and Yang, divide the sun and moon.
The divine generals of the Six Lines accord with the laws of Heaven,
The stars of the Eight Trigrams follow the Dipper in their array.
Its name is the Supreme Treasure Gold-Inlaid Rake,
Presented to the Jade Emperor to guard the Elixir Palace.
Because I cultivated into a Great Luo Immortal,
It was made to nurture me, a guest of long life.
I was conferred by edict the title Marshal Tianpeng,
And was graciously granted the spike-rake as an imperial token.
Raise it, and blazing flames mingle with its every ray of light;
Bring it down, and fierce winds whirl, scattering auspicious snow.
The divine generals of the Celestial Court are all startled,
The Yama Kings of the underworld tremble in heart and gall.
Where among humankind is there such a weapon?
In all the world there is no iron like this.
It changes along with me according to my heart’s desire,
And turns and leaps at will in accordance with the spell.
For several years we have accompanied each other and never parted,
For years it has been my companion, with not a day of separation.
It has not been cast aside even for my three meals by day,
Nor neglected through a single night’s sleep.
I once wore it when I went to the Peach Banquet,
And once carried it when I went to court before the Imperial Palace.
All because I relied on wine and committed violence,
Only because I depended on my strength and behaved outrageously.
Heaven banished me and sent me down into the mortal dust;
In the lower world I exhausted myself in committing sins.
In a stone cave, my wicked heart once led me to eat people;
At Gao Village, love of passion brought about a marriage bond.
With this rake I have overturned the lairs of dragons and toads beneath the sea,
And on the mountains I have smashed the dens of tigers and wolves.
As for all the various weapons, let them be put aside;
Of them all, my rake is the most effective.
What difficulty is there in contending until victory is won?
There is no need to speak of gambling in battle to seek merit.
Why should I fear your copper head, iron brain, and steel body?
When the rake arrives, the soul will scatter and the spirit will leak away.”
Hearing this, the Pilgrim withdrew his iron staff and said: “Fool, do not boast. I shall hold out this head of mine here; now strike it once and see whether the soul can scatter and the spirit leak away.” The monster truly raised his rake and brought it down with all his strength. With a *puff*, the rake struck up blazing sparks, yet it did not move even a bit of the scalp. His hands and feet were frightened numb and weak, and he said: “What a head! What a head!” The Pilgrim said: “You truly do not know. Because I caused havoc in Heaven, stole immortal elixirs, robbed the Peaches of Immortality, and pilfered imperial wine, I was captured by the Little Sage Erlang, taken under guard, and placed before Douniu Palace. All the celestial gods chopped me with axes, struck me with hammers, cut me with knives, pierced me with swords, burned me with fire, and battered me with thunder, yet they did not damage me in the least. Then Laojun took me away and put me into the Eight-Trigram Furnace, where he refined me with divine fire, forging me into fiery eyes and golden pupils, with a copper head and iron arms. If you do not believe it, strike me a few more times and see whether it hurts or not.” The monster said: “You monkey, I remember that when you caused havoc in Heaven, your home was in the Water-Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain in the Aolai Kingdom of the Eastern Continent of Superior Victory. By now your name has not been heard for a long time. How have you come here to bully me at my own door? Could it be that my father-in-law went there and invited you?” The Pilgrim said: “Your father-in-law did not go to invite me. It is because your Old Sun has abandoned evil and returned to righteousness, cast aside the Dao and followed the monks, and is protecting an Imperial Younger Brother of Great Tang in the Eastern Land, called the Dharma Master Sanzang, who is going west to worship Buddha and seek the scriptures. We passed through Gao Village and borrowed lodging there. When the Elder Gao happened to speak of the matter, he asked me to save his daughter and seize you, that sack-of-chaff blockhead.”
When the monster heard these words, he cast aside the spike-rake, gave a deep bow, and said: “Where is the scripture-seeker? I trouble you to introduce me to him.” The Pilgrim said: “Why do you wish to see him?” The monster said: “I was originally admonished toward goodness by Guanshiyin Pusa and received his precepts. Here I have kept a vegetarian diet and abstained from meat. He instructed me to follow that scripture-seeker westward to worship Buddha and seek the scriptures, so that I might balance my offenses with merit and attain the true fruition. He told me to wait for him these several years, but I have heard no news. Since today it turns out that you have become his disciple, why did you not say earlier that you were seeking the scriptures, instead of relying only on ferocity and force and coming to my door to beat me?” The Pilgrim said: “Do not use deceit to fool me and soften my heart, intending merely to escape. If you truly wish to protect Tang Monk, without the least falsehood, swear an oath to Heaven, and only then will I take you to see my master.” The monster immediately fell to his knees with a thump, gazed into empty space, and kowtowed repeatedly like a pestle pounding a mortar, saying: “Amitabha Buddha, Namo Buddha! If I am not sincere and wholehearted, then may I still violate the laws of Heaven and be hacked into ten thousand pieces.” Seeing him swear an oath and make a vow, the Pilgrim said: “Since that is so, bring a fire and burn down this dwelling of yours. Only then will I take you with me.” The monster truly moved some reeds and thorns together, set them alight, and burned the Yunzhan Cave until it looked like a ruined tile kiln. He said to the Pilgrim: “Now I have no more attachments. You may lead me away.” The Pilgrim said: “Hand me the spike-rake.” The monster then handed the rake to the Pilgrim. The Pilgrim plucked out another hair, blew upon it with immortal breath, and called: “Change!” It immediately changed into a three-strand hemp rope. He came over and bound the monster’s hands behind his back. The monster truly let his hands be bound behind him, no matter how the Pilgrim tied them. Then the Pilgrim seized his ears and pulled him along, calling: “Quickly, quickly, move.” The monster said: “Be a little gentler. Your hands are heavy; you are pulling my ear roots until they hurt.” The Pilgrim said: “I cannot be gentle; I have no time to spare for you. As the saying goes: ‘A good pig requires harsh handling.’ Only after you have seen my master and shown that you truly mean it will I release you.” The two of them traveled half in cloud and half in mist, making straight for Gao Village. A poem serves as proof:
The nature of Metal is firm and strong, able to overcome Wood;
The mind-monkey subdues the wood-dragon and brings it home.
When Metal follows Wood, all become one;
When Wood loves Metal, benevolence is always brought forth.
One is lord and one is guest, without any separation;
Three unions and three correspondences contain profound mystery.
Their natures and feelings delight in gathering at the primal source;
Together they certify the Western Heaven, and their words do not conflict.
In an instant they arrived before the village. The Pilgrim tucked his rake beneath his arm and tugged at his ear, saying: “Look—who is seated upright in the hall? That is my master.” The Gao family’s various relatives and friends, together with Elder Gao, suddenly saw the Pilgrim coming with the monster’s hands bound behind him and his ear pulled. One by one they joyfully came to meet them in the courtyard, saying: “Elder, Elder, he is truly my family’s son-in-law.” The monster stepped forward, knelt on both knees, kept his hands behind his back, and kowtowed to Sanzang, calling loudly: “Master, your disciple failed to come out to welcome you. Had I known that Master was staying at my father-in-law’s house, I would have come to greet and receive you. How did you instead undergo so many difficulties?” Sanzang said: “Wukong, how did you subdue him so that he came to pay respects to me?” Only then did the Pilgrim release his grip. He struck the monster with the handle of the spike-rake and shouted: “Fool, speak.” The monster then carefully recounted the entire matter of Guanshiyin Pusa’s admonition toward goodness.
Sanzang was overjoyed and immediately called, “Gao Taigong, bring an incense table for our use.” Old Gao hurriedly carried out an incense table. Sanzang washed his hands, lit incense, and faced south to bow, saying, “I am deeply indebted to the Bodhisattva’s holy grace.” The several old men also added incense and bowed together. After bowing, Sanzang took the high seat in the hall and instructed Wukong to release the ropes binding him. The Pilgrim merely shook his body once, drew himself back together, and the bonds loosened of themselves. The monster again bowed to Sanzang and expressed his wish to go west with him. He also bowed to the Pilgrim, taking the one who had entered earlier as his elder brother, and thus addressed the Pilgrim as Elder Brother. Sanzang said, “Since you have followed me toward the good fruit and wish to become my disciple, I shall give you a Dharma name, so that I may call you by it morning and evening.” He said, “Master, the Bodhisattva has already rubbed my crown, given me the precepts, and bestowed a Dharma name upon me. It is Zhu Wuneng.” Sanzang laughed and said, “Good, good. Your elder brother is called Wukong, and you are called Wuneng; in truth, these belong to the lineage of my Dharma gate.” Wuneng said, “Master, after receiving the Bodhisattva precepts, I gave up the five pungent roots and the three abominations. I observed a vegetarian fast at my father-in-law’s house and never touched meat. Now that I have seen you, Master, I shall break my fast.” Sanzang said, “不可,不可. Since you do not eat the five pungent roots and the three abominations, I shall give you another name and call you Bajie.” The simpleton happily said, “I shall respectfully obey my Master’s command.” Hence he was again called Zhu Bajie.
Seeing that evil had been driven away and righteousness restored, Gao Laoshi was all the more delighted. He therefore ordered the household servants to arrange a banquet in thanks to Tang Sanzang. Bajie stepped forward and tugged at Old Gao, saying, “Father, please ask my humble wife to come out and pay her respects to my father-in-law and elder brothers. How about it?” The Pilgrim laughed and said, “贤弟, since you have entered the Buddhist gate and become a monk, from this day onward, do not mention that phrase ‘my humble wife’ again. In this world there are only fire-dwelling Daoists; where is there such a thing as a fire-dwelling monk? Let us first arrange our seats, eat a meal of vegetarian fare, and set out westward at daybreak.” Gao Laoshi laid out the tables and seats and invited Sanzang to sit at the head; Wukong and Bajie sat on the two sides, left and right; the various relatives sat below. Gao Laoshi opened a jar of vegetarian wine, filled a cup to the brim, offered it to Heaven and Earth, and then presented it to Sanzang. Sanzang said, “Not to conceal the truth from you, Taigong, this poor monk has been vegetarian from birth and has never eaten meat since childhood.” Old Gao said, “Knowing that the Master is pure and vegetarian, I did not dare prepare any meat. This wine too is vegetarian; surely one cup will do no harm.” Sanzang said, “I also dare not drink wine. Wine is the foremost precept of our monastic order.” Wuneng hurriedly said, “Master, I have observed a vegetarian fast, but I have never given up wine.” Wukong said, “Though this old fellow’s capacity is small and I cannot drink more than a jar or so, I too have never given up wine.” Sanzang said, “Since that is so, you brothers may drink some vegetarian wine, but you must not drink until drunk and thereby neglect your duties.” Thus the two of them each received the first cup. Everyone then sat down as before, and a vegetarian feast was laid out. It would be impossible to describe the abundance of the cups and dishes, or the richness of the various delicacies.
After the master and disciples had finished the banquet, Old Gao brought out a red-lacquered vermilion tray, placed upon it two hundred taels of loose gold and silver, and presented them to the three venerable masters for their expenses on the road. He also brought three bian-shan robes of cotton cloth as outer garments. Sanzang said, “We are traveling monks. At villages we beg for meals, and wherever we go we seek vegetarian fare. How could we dare accept gold, silver, money, or goods?” The Pilgrim stepped forward, flung open his hand, and grabbed a handful, shouting, “Gao Cai, yesterday you troubled yourself to lead my Master here, and today you have given us a disciple. Having nothing with which to thank you, take this broken gold and silver as traveling money and use it to buy yourself straw sandals. In the future, whenever there are demons, do us a few more favors; there will still be occasions for me to thank you.” Gao Cai accepted it and kowtowed in thanks for the gift. Old Gao again said, “Since the Masters will not accept gold and silver, I hope you will graciously accept these coarse garments, if only to express a little of my sincerity.” Sanzang again said, “If we who have left the household were to accept even a thread’s worth of bribes, we would be unable to cultivate for a thousand kalpas. Just take some of the cakes and fruits left uneaten from the banquet and bring them along as dry provisions; that will be enough.”
Bajie said from the side, “Master, Elder Brother, if you do not want them, then so be it. But I have been their son-in-law for these several years, and even as provisions for the journey I ought to receive three shi. —Father-in-law, my zhiduo robe was torn apart by my elder brother last night; give me a blue brocade kasaya. My shoes are split; give me a pair of good new shoes.” Hearing this, Gao Laoshi did not dare refuse. He promptly bought a pair of new shoes and brought out a bian-shan robe to replace the old clothing. Bajie swayed back and forth, gave Old Gao a zuo-nuo salute, and said, “Please convey this to Mother-in-law, Elder Aunt, Second Aunt, and all my uncles, aunts, and other relatives: today I am going to become a monk. I have no time to bid you farewell in person, so do not blame me. Father-in-law, continue to treat my wife well. We may fail to obtain the scriptures; if so, I may come back and return to lay life, and continue living as your son-in-law as before.” The Pilgrim shouted, “Blockhead, do not talk nonsense.” Bajie said, “It is not nonsense. I only fear that some mishap may occur for a time. Would that not mean that the monkhood had been undertaken in vain, the wife had been taken in vain, and both sides had been delayed?”
Sanzang said, “Enough of idle talk. Let us set out at daybreak.” Thus they packed a load of luggage, which Bajie carried; the white horse was borne on his back, while Sanzang rode it; and the Pilgrim carried the iron staff on his shoulder and led the way ahead. The three travelers took leave of Gao Laoshi and all their relatives and friends and headed west. A poem serves as evidence. The poem says:
The ground is filled with mists and rosy clouds, the trees stand high;
The Buddha’s sons of the Tang suffer hardship and toil.
Hungry, they eat from one bowl the food of a thousand households;
Cold, they wear a patched robe sewn with a thousand stitches.
Let not the mind-horse in the breast run wild;
Let not the perverse heart-ape be taught to howl.
When feeling is harmonized and nature settled, all conditions unite;
When the moon fills the golden flower, the hair is cut away.
The three travelers proceeded along the western road, and for a month all was peaceful. After passing through the borders of Wusizang, they suddenly raised their heads and saw a lofty mountain. Sanzang halted, drew in the reins, and said, “Wukong, Wuneng, the mountain ahead is high; we must be exceedingly careful.” Bajie said, “There is no problem. This mountain is called Futu Mountain. In the mountain there is a Wuchao Chanshi who practices here. This old pig has met him before.” Sanzang said, “What sort of business does he conduct?” Bajie said, “He does have some cultivation. He once urged me to practice with him, but I did not go.” As the master and disciples spoke, they soon reached the mountain. What a fine mountain! There they saw:
To the south of the mountain were green pines and blue-green cypresses; to the north were green willows and red peaches. Chattering noisily, the mountain birds spoke to one another; dancing gracefully, the immortal cranes flew together. Fragrant and rich, the many flowers displayed a thousand colors; fresh green and luxuriant, the assorted grasses showed ten thousand marvels. Below the ravine flowed surging green water; before the cliffs drifted clusters of auspicious clouds. Truly this was a place of extraordinarily secluded and elegant scenery, silent and utterly without travelers.
From atop the horse, the Master gazed into the distance and saw, before a fragrant cypress tree, a nest of brushwood. On the left, a musk deer carried flowers in its mouth; on the right, a mountain monkey offered fruits. At the treetop, azure luan birds and multicolored phoenixes cried out together, while black cranes and brocade pheasants gathered there as well. Bajie pointed and said, “Is that not Wuchao Chanshi?” Sanzang urged the horse forward and hurried straight to the foot of the tree.
As for the Chanshi, when he saw the three travelers approaching, he immediately left his nest and jumped down from the tree. Sanzang dismounted and offered his respects. The Chanshi supported him with his hand and said, “Holy Monk, please rise. I have failed to welcome you; I have failed to welcome you.” Bajie said, “Old Chanshi, I salute you.” The Chanshi asked in astonishment, “You are Zhu Ganglie of Fuling Mountain. How did you come by such a great karmic affinity as to travel together with the Holy Monk?” Bajie said, “The year before last, thanks to Guanyin Bodhisattva’s exhortation toward goodness, I resolved to follow him and become a disciple.” The Chanshi was overjoyed and said, “Good, good, good!” Then he pointed at the Pilgrim and asked, “Who is this person?” The Pilgrim laughed and said, “How is it that this old Chanshi recognizes him but does not recognize me?” The Chanshi said, “It is only because I have had little acquaintance with you.” Sanzang said, “He is my first disciple, Sun Wukong.” The Chanshi accompanied his words with an embarrassed smile and said, “I have been discourteous; I have been discourteous.”
Tang Sanzang bowed twice and said, “May I ask, where is the Great Thunderclap Monastery in the Western Heaven?”
The Chan Master said, “Far, far away. It is only that the road has many tigers and leopards and is difficult to travel.”
Tang Sanzang earnestly expressed his gratitude, then asked again, “Just how far is the journey?”
The Chan Master said, “Though the journey is far, in the end there will surely be a day of arrival. It is only that the demonic miasma is difficult to dispel. I have one scroll of the *Duoxin Jing*, consisting of fifty-four sentences and totaling two hundred and seventy characters. If you encounter a place of demonic miasma, simply recite this scripture, and you will naturally suffer no harm.”
Tang Sanzang bowed prostrate upon the ground and beseeched him. The Chan Master then recited it aloud and transmitted it to him. The scripture says:
*The Mahā Prajñāpāramitā Heart Sutra*: The Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, practicing deeply the Prajñāpāramitā, at that time clearly saw that the five aggregates are all empty, and crossed beyond all suffering and distress. Śāriputra, form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form; form itself is emptiness, emptiness itself is form. Feeling, conception, volition, and consciousness are also thus. Śāriputra, all dharmas are empty in characteristic: they are neither produced nor destroyed, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor diminishing. Therefore, in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, conception, volition, or consciousness; no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind; no form, sound, scent, taste, touch, or dharma; no eye realm, and so on up to no mind-consciousness realm; no ignorance, nor also any ending of ignorance. And so on up to no aging and death, nor also any ending of aging and death. No suffering, origination, cessation, or path; no wisdom and also no attainment. Because there is nothing to attain, the Bodhisattva relies on the Prajñāpāramitā; therefore, the mind has no obstruction. Because there is no obstruction, there is no fear. Far removed from inverted dreams and thoughts, one ultimately enters Nirvāṇa. All Buddhas of the three times, because they rely on the Prajñāpāramitā, attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. Therefore know that the Prajñāpāramitā is the great divine mantra, the great illuminating mantra, the supreme mantra, the unequaled mantra, able to remove all suffering, true and not false. Therefore the Prajñāpāramitā mantra is spoken, and it is spoken thus: “Gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā!”
At this time, the Dharma Master of the Tang dynasty possessed an innate foundation; having heard the *Duoxin Jing* once, he was immediately able to remember it, and it has been transmitted in the world down to the present day. This is the general scripture for cultivating the True, and the gateway assembly for becoming a Buddha.
After the Chan Master had transmitted the scripture, he trod upon a radiance of clouds and was about to ascend to the Crow’s Nest and depart. Tang Sanzang again seized him and asked him to explain in detail the route to the west. The Chan Master laughed and said:
The road is not difficult to travel;
Listen carefully to my instructions.
A thousand mountains and a thousand waters lie deep;
Many are the places of miasma and demons.
If you encounter the Cliff That Touches Heaven,
Set your mind at ease and do not fear.
When you reach Mo’er Cliff,
Place your feet sideways as you walk.
Be especially careful in the Black Pine Forest;
Demon foxes often block the road.
Spirits fill the cities and kingdoms;
Demonic lords dwell throughout the mountains.
The old tiger sits in the Qin Hall;
The gray wolf serves as the chief registrar.
Lions and elephants all call themselves kings;
Tigers and leopards all serve as imperial attendants.
The wild boar carries the burden;
The water monster will be encountered at the front.
The old Stone Monkey of many years—
How could he harbor anger?
Ask that acquaintance of yours;
He knows the road to the west.
Wukong heard this and sneered, saying, “When we go, there is no need to ask him; just ask me.” Tang Sanzang still did not understand his meaning. The Chan Master transformed into a golden radiance and went straight up to the Crow’s Nest. The Elder bowed upward in thanks, while Wukong grew furious in his heart, raised the iron staff, and struck wildly upward. He saw only lotus flowers springing forth by the ten thousand, with auspicious mist protecting them in a thousand layers. Though Wukong possessed the strength to stir the sea and overturn the rivers, he could not hope to pull down even a single tendril of the Crow’s Nest.
Seeing this, Tang Sanzang seized Wukong and said, “Wukong, how can you strike at the nest of such a Bodhisattva?”
Wukong said, “He has gone after cursing the two of us, brothers.”
Tang Sanzang said, “How did he ever curse you in his account of the road to the Western Heaven?”
Wukong said, “What do you know? When he said, ‘The wild boar carries the burden,’ he was cursing Bajie; ‘The old Stone Monkey of many years’ was cursing your old Sun. How could you understand this meaning?”
Bajie said, “Elder Brother, calm your anger. This Chan Master also knows matters of the past and future. As for his line, ‘The water monster will be encountered at the front,’ who knows whether it will prove true? Let him go.”
When Wukong saw the lotus flowers and auspicious mist, and the nest close at hand, he had no choice but to ask his master to mount the horse. They descended the mountain and went westward. On that journey:
It was bound to make pure blessings scarce among humankind,
And cause calamities and demons to multiply within the mountains.
In the end, what exactly will happen on the road ahead? Let us listen to the explanation in the next installment.