Chapter 58

This Pilgrim and Sha Monk took leave of the Bodhisattva, and soaring up on two rays of auspicious light, departed from the South Sea. Now the Pilgrim's Somersault Cloud was swift, while Sha Monk's immortal cloud was somewhat slow; the Pilgrim wished to go on ahead. But Sha Monk caught hold of him and said, "Elder Brother, there is no need to be so secretive and go ahead to plant your roots first. Let your younger brother go with you together." The Great Sage was indeed of good conscience, but Sha Monk had his suspicions. In truth, the two of them rode the clouds together and departed. Before long, they indeed saw Flower-Fruit Mountain. Lowering their cloud heads, the two carefully looked outside the cave and indeed saw a Pilgrim seated high on a stone terrace, drinking wine and making merry with the troop of monkeys. His appearance was no different from the Great Sage's: he too had yellow hair and a golden fillet, golden eyes that blazed like fire; he wore a coarse cloth straight-cut robe and a tiger-skin kilt about his waist; in his hand he too wielded an iron staff with golden bands; on his feet he too wore a pair of deerskin boots; he too had such a hairy face, a thunder-god beak, sunken cheeks with a protruding earth-star, wide-set ears, a broad forehead, and fangs jutting outward. The Great Sage, enraged, let go of Sha Monk in a flash, drew his iron staff, and stepping forward, cursed, "What fiend are you, that you dare assume my form, dare occupy my sons and grandsons, arbitrarily dwell in my immortal cave, and arbitrarily exercise such authority and favor here?" When that Pilgrim saw him, he made no answer at all but also took up his iron staff to meet him. The two Pilgrims being in one place, indeed it was impossible to distinguish true from false. How they fought! Two staves, two monkey spirits— this battle was no light matter. Both wished to protect the Tang Priest, each displaying merit to win renown. The true monkey truly received the teaching of the Buddhist faith, the false monster falsely claimed the sentiment of the Buddha's son. Because their supernatural powers were so many and so changeable, neither true nor false could gain the upper hand. One was the Great Sage Equaling Heaven of Primordial Unity, the other was an earth-sprite long refined through a thousand transformations. This one wielded the As-You-Will Golden-Banded Staff, that one wielded the Mind-Following Iron-Pole Weapon. Parrying and blocking, neither victory nor defeat; holding and resisting, neither loss nor gain. First they crossed weapons outside the cave, soon they contended and rose into mid-air. The two of them, each treading on cloud-light, leapt and battled up into the ninth heaven. Sha Monk, standing by, dared not make a move. Seeing them fight this bout, truly it was hard to distinguish the real from the false. He wished to draw his blade and assist, but feared he might wound the true one. He endured for a long while, then sprang down from the cliff, and wielding his Demon-Subduing Precious Staff, struck near the outside of the Water Curtain Cave, scattering the troop of monsters, overturning stone benches, and smashing all the drinking and eating vessels. He searched for his blue felt bundle, but it was nowhere to be seen. Now this Water Curtain Cave was originally a cascade of flying waterfall, hanging over the cave mouth; from afar it looked like a white cloth curtain, from nearby it was a stream of water, hence the name Water Curtain Cave. Sha Monk did not know the lay of the land, and thus had difficulty finding it. He then mounted the clouds and rushed up to the ninth heaven, but wielding his precious staff, he found it hard to strike. The Great Sage said, "Sha Monk, since you cannot lend strength, go back and report to our master, saying that matters stand thus and thus; let old Sun fight this fiend to the South Sea, before the Bodhisattva on Mount Potalaka, to distinguish true from false." Having said this, that other Pilgrim said the same. Sha Monk, seeing that the two had not the slightest difference in appearance or voice, could not distinguish black from white, and had no choice but to follow these words, turn his cloud around, and return to report to Tang Monk—of that we will not speak. Now watch those two Pilgrims, fighting as they went, all the way to the South Sea, straight to Mount Potalaka, scuffling and cursing without cease. They soon startled the Deva Guardians, who reported into Tide Sound Cave, saying, "Bodhisattva, indeed two Sun Wukongs have come fighting." The Bodhisattva, together with Pilgrim Moksa, Sudhana, and the Dragon Girl, descended from the lotus terrace, went out the door, and cried, "Where do you vile beasts think you are going?" The two, each gripping the other, said, "Bodhisattva, this creature is indeed like your disciple in appearance. We have been fighting since the Water Curtain Cave, battling for a long while, with no decision. Sha Wujing, with his mortal and benighted eyes, could not distinguish us, and though he had strength, he could not help. Your disciple sent him back west to report to our master. I have fought this creature to your precious mountain, to borrow the Bodhisattva's wisdom-eye to distinguish true from false for your disciple, and to discern the righteous from the evil." Having said this, that other Pilgrim also spoke the same words. The various Devas and the Bodhisattva looked for a long while, but could not recognize them. The Bodhisattva said, "Release your hands, stand on either side, and let me look again." They indeed let go and stood on both sides. This one said, "I am the true one." That one said, "He is the false one." The Bodhisattva called Moksa and Sudhana forward and quietly instructed them, "Each of you hold one, while I secretly recite the Band-Tightening Spell and see which one feels pain—that one will be the true one; the one that feels no pain will be the false one." The two indeed each held one. The Bodhisattva silently recited the true words, and both cried out in pain at the same time, clutching their heads and rolling on the ground, crying only, "Do not recite, do not recite." When the Bodhisattva stopped reciting, the two again seized each other and resumed their clamorous fighting as before. The Bodhisattva, at her wits' end, ordered the Devas and Moksa to step forward and lend their strength. But the many spirits, fearing they might wound the true one, also dared not strike. The Bodhisattva called out "Sun Wukong," and both answered at once. The Bodhisattva said, "In former years you were appointed Protector of the Horses; when you caused great havoc in Heaven, the heavenly generals all recognized you. You should go to the upper realm and have them distinguish you and report back." The Great Sage thanked her for the favor, and that other Pilgrim also thanked her. The two, tugging and pulling, never ceasing their clamorous fighting, went straight to the outside of the Southern Heavenly Gate. The Broad-Eyed Heavenly King, leading the four great heavenly generals—Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Guan—and the many spirits large and small guarding the gate, were so alarmed that they each took up their weapons and blocked the way, saying, "Where are you going? Is this any place for fighting?" The Great Sage said, "Because I was escorting Tang Monk to the Western Heaven to fetch scriptures, I killed some bandits on the road, and that Sanzang drove me back. I went straight to Mount Potalaka to pour out my grievances to Guanyin Bodhisattva. I never thought that this fiend, in no time at all, would change into my likeness, strike down Tang Monk, and snatch away the bundle. Sha Monk went to Flower-Fruit Mountain to seek redress, and there he saw this fiend occupying my lair. Later he went to Mount Potalaka to petition the Bodhisattva, and again saw me standing in attendance beneath the terrace. Sha Monk falsely claimed that I had ridden the Somersault Cloud and had come ahead to the Bodhisattva's place to make excuses. But the Bodhisattva is clear-sighted and did not listen to Sha Monk's words; she ordered me to go with him to Flower-Fruit Mountain to examine the matter. It turned out that this fiend is indeed like old Sun in appearance. From the Water Curtain Cave we fought all the way to Mount Potalaka to see the Bodhisattva, and even the Bodhisattva could not distinguish us. Therefore we have fought our way here, to trouble the vision of the heavenly spirits to distinguish true from false for me." Having said this, that other Pilgrim also spoke the same words in like manner. The many heavenly spirits looked for a good while but could not distinguish them either. The two shouted, "Since you cannot distinguish us, clear the way and let us go see the Jade Emperor!" The many spirits, unable to hold them back, opened the heavenly gate, and they went straight to the Hall of Miraculous Mist. Marshal Ma, together with the four celestial masters Zhang, Ge, Xu, and Qiu, reported, "Below in the mortal world there are two Sun Wukongs who have fought their way through the heavenly gate, claiming they wish to see Your Majesty." Before they finished speaking, the two came shouting straight in. The Jade Emperor was so startled that he descended from his throne and stood in the hall, asking, "For what reason do you two recklessly disturb the heavenly palace and come shouting before me, seeking death?" The Great Sage said, "Long live, long live! Your minister has now submitted to the faith and taken refuge in the Buddhist order, and dares no longer deceive his sovereign with a dishonest heart. It is only because this fiend has transformed into the likeness of your minister..." and so on and so forth, he laid out the whole story in full, "and I beg you to distinguish the true from the false for your minister." That other Pilgrim also laid out the same story. The Jade Emperor immediately issued a decree summoning Heavenly King Li, who carries the pagoda, and commanded, "Take the Demon-Reflecting Mirror and shine it on these creatures to see who is true and who is false; let the false be destroyed and the true remain." The Heavenly King took the mirror and shone it on them, inviting the Jade Emperor and all the spirits to look. In the mirror were the shadows of two Sun Wukongs, golden fillets, clothing, not a hair's breadth of difference. The Jade Emperor could not distinguish them either and drove them out of the hall. The Great Sage gave a cold, mocking laugh, and that other Pilgrim also laughed in delight. Grabbing each other by the head and neck, they fought their way back out of the heavenly gate and dropped down onto the western road, saying, "We shall go see our master, we shall go see our master." But to resume—after the Sha Monk had left the two of them at Flower-Fruit Mountain, he traveled another three days and nights until he returned to the village, where he recounted the whole affair to Tripitaka. Tripitaka reproached himself, saying, “At the time I thought it was Sun Wukong who struck me with his staff and seized the bundle, but I never knew it was an evil spirit disguised as the Pilgrim.” The Sha Monk further reported, “This fiend also changed himself into an elder, a white horse, and there was another Bajie carrying our bundle, and another changed to look like me. I could not restrain my anger and struck him dead with my staff, but he turned out to be a monkey spirit. Thus they were scattered, and I went to the Bodhisattva to pour out my grievances. The Bodhisattva instructed me to go back with Elder Brother to identify him, and that fiend indeed looked exactly like Elder Brother. I was of little help, so I came back first to report to Master.” When Tripitaka heard this, he turned pale with fright. Bajie laughed heartily and said, “Fine, fine, fine! That fits the old woman’s words—she said there were several bands going to fetch scriptures; isn’t this just another one?” Then all the old and young of the household came to ask the Sha Monk, “Where have you been these past days to raise traveling funds?” The Sha Monk laughed and said, “I went to Flower-Fruit Mountain in the East Purvavideha Continent to find Great Elder Brother and retrieve the luggage, then to Mount Potalaka in the South Sea to pay respects to Guanyin Bodhisattva, and then back to Flower-Fruit Mountain before returning here.” The old man asked again, “How far is the round trip?” The Sha Monk said, “About two hundred thousand li.” The old man said, “Heavens! To cover such a distance in just a few days, you would have to ride the clouds to get there!” Bajie said, “If not riding the clouds, how could we cross the sea?” The Sha Monk said, “That’s nothing for us. If it were my Great Elder Brother, he could go and return in just a day or two.” When the household heard this, they all said they were immortals. Bajie said, “Though we are not immortals, immortals are still our juniors!” While they were talking, they suddenly heard a great clamor in midair. Startled, they all went out to look, and saw two Pilgrims fighting their way toward them. When Bajie saw them, he could not restrain his itching hands and said, “Let me go and see which is which.” The good idiot quickly leaped up into the air and called out loudly, “Elder Brothers, stop your quarreling—old Pig is here!” The two answered together, “Brother, come and fight the fiend, come and fight the fiend!” The household was both startled and delighted, saying, “Several arhats who ride clouds and mist are staying at our home—even if we had vowed to feed monks, we could never have entertained such good people.” They no longer minded the tea and meals but increased their offerings. They also said, “I fear these two Pilgrims may fight too fiercely, overturning heaven and earth and causing disaster here!” When Tripitaka saw that the old man was pleased to their faces but worried behind their backs, he spoke up, “Old patron, set your mind at ease and do not fret. Your poor monk will subdue his disciples, turn them from evil to good, and naturally thank you.” The old man replied profusely, “No need, no need.” The Sha Monk said, “Patron, say no more. Master, sit here. Let Second Brother and me go, each grab one and bring them before you. Then you recite that spell—whichever one feels pain is the real one, and the one who feels no pain is the false.” Tripitaka said, “That is most reasonable.” The Sha Monk then rose into midair and said, “You two, stop your hands. I will take you both to Master to distinguish true from false.” The Great Sage released his hold, and the other Pilgrim also released his. The Sha Monk took one by the arm and called, “Second Brother, you take the other one.” So they each took one, descended from the clouds, and went straight to the door of the thatched cottage. When Tripitaka saw them, he recited the Band-tightening Spell. The two cried out in pain together, “We are fighting so bitterly—why do you curse us like this? Stop, stop!” The elder was kind-hearted by nature, so he stopped reciting, yet he still could not tell which was true and which false. The two broke free and resumed fighting. The Great Sage said, “Brothers, protect Master. Let me fight him all the way to King Yama’s court to have it out.” The other Pilgrim said the same. The two grappled and scuffled, and in a moment they had vanished again. Bajie said, “Sha Monk, since you went to Water-Curtain Cave and saw the false Bajie carrying the luggage, why didn’t you snatch it back?” The Sha Monk said, “When that fiend saw me strike his false Sha Monk with my treasure staff, he swarmed around with his minions to capture me, and I fled to save my life. Later, after I told the Bodhisattva and went with the Pilgrim back to the cave mouth, the two of them fought in midair. I went in and overturned his stone benches and scattered his little demons. But I saw only a torrent of waterfall—I could not tell where the cave door was, and I could not find the luggage, so I returned empty-handed to report to Master.” Bajie said, “So you didn’t know. When I went to invite him the year before last, I first met him outside the cave. Later, after I flattered him, he jumped down and went into the cave to change clothes. I saw him plunge into the water. That torrent of waterfall is the cave entrance. I suppose that fiend has put our bundle inside there.” Tripitaka said, “Since you know the way, while they are both away, you can go first to his cave and fetch the bundle, and then we shall go to the Western Heaven. Even if he comes back, I won’t need him anymore.” Bajie said, “I’ll go.” The Sha Monk said, “Second Brother, there are a thousand little monkeys before his cave—you alone may not be able to handle them, and it would be bad.” Bajie laughed and said, “No fear, no fear.” He hurried out the door, mounted the clouds and mist, and headed straight for Flower-Fruit Mountain to retrieve the luggage. Now those two Pilgrims fought and clamored all the way to the back of the Dark Mountain, terrifying the mountain ghosts so that they trembled and hid in fear. Some of the faster ones ran into the gates of the Netherworld and reported to the Hall of Senluo, saying, “Great King, on the far side of the Dark Mountain there are two Great Sages Equal to Heaven fighting their way here!” In panic, the First Court King Qinguang sent word to the Second Court King Chujiang, the Third Court King Songdi, the Fourth Court King Biancheng, the Fifth Court King Yanluo, the Sixth Court King Pingdeng, the Seventh Court King Taishan, the Eighth Court King Dushi, the Ninth Court King Wuguan, and the Tenth Court King Zhuanlun—one court passed to the next, and in an instant all ten kings had assembled. They also sent men to report swiftly to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. All gathered in the Hall of Senluo, mustering the legions of the underworld to await the capture of the true and false ones. They heard only the howling gale and the dense, mournful mists, as the two Pilgrims rolled and tumbled in combat all the way to the steps of the Hall of Senluo. Yin Jun stepped forward and blocked the way, saying, "Great Sage, what business have you that you make this commotion in my underworld?" This Great Sage said, "Because I am escorting the Tang Monk to the Western Heaven to fetch scriptures, we passed by the Western Liang Kingdom and came to a mountain where strong bandits intercepted and robbed my master. It was old Sun who killed a few of them, but my master blamed me and drove me back. I then went to the Bodhisattva of the South Sea to state my grievance. I do not know how that fiend, catching my very breath, falsely assumed my form, and on the road knocked down my master and seized the luggage. My junior brother Sha Monk went to my home mountain to retrieve the bundles, but this fiend, falsely claiming the master's name, said he was going to the Western Heaven to fetch scriptures. Sha Monk fled to the South Sea and saw the Bodhisattva, and I happened to be at her side. He recounted the whole cause, and the Bodhisattva ordered me to go with him to Flower-Fruit Mountain to observe—indeed, that wretch had occupied my lair. I debated with him before the Bodhisattva; truly, our appearance, speech, and everything else were identical, and even the Bodhisattva could not distinguish the false from the true. Then we fought up to Heaven, and all the deities likewise could not tell us apart. Because we saw my master, he recited the Tightening Band spell to test us, and it caused the same pain in me as in him. Therefore I have come to make a disturbance in the underworld, and I ask Yin Jun to look into the Register of Life and Death for me, to see what origin this false Pilgrim has—quickly summon his soul, so that this confusion of two minds may be ended." That fiend also repeated the same story. When Yin Jun heard this, he summoned the registrars to examine the records one by one from the beginning, but there was no name of any false Pilgrim. They then looked through the register of hairy creatures; among the monkeys there were one hundred and thirty entries, but all had been crossed out with a single stroke when Great Sage Sun, in his youth after attaining the Way, had raised a great disturbance in the underworld and had his death-name erased. Since then, all beings of the monkey kind had no names at all. After the investigation was completed, they reported back in the hall. Yin Jun, each holding his tablet, said to the Pilgrim, "Great Sage, since there is no name to be found in the underworld, you had better go back to the world of the living to argue it out." Just as he was speaking, they heard the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha say, "Hold, hold. Let me have Di Ting listen for you to discern the true from the false." Now this Di Ting was a beast that lay crouching beneath Kṣitigarbha's sutra-stand. When it lay prone on the ground, in an instant it could mirror and examine the good and evil, and listen to and distinguish the worthy and the foolish, among the mountains, rivers, and lands of the Four Great Continents, the cavern heavens and blessed regions, and all the beings: womb-born, scale-born, hair-born, feather-born, insect-born, celestial immortals, earthly immortals, divine immortals, human immortals, and ghost immortals. That beast, receiving Kṣitigarbha's command, prostrated itself on the ground in the courtyard of Senluo. In a moment, it raised its head and said to Kṣitigarbha, "The fiend's name does exist, but it cannot be spoken openly, nor can we give help to capture him." Kṣitigarbha asked, "What would happen if it were spoken openly?" Di Ting said, "If spoken openly, I fear the fiend would fly into a rage and disturb this precious hall, causing unrest in the underworld." Kṣitigarbha asked again, "Why can you not help to capture him?" Di Ting said, "The fiend's supernatural powers are no different from Great Sage Sun's. How much magical force do the spirits of the underworld possess? Therefore we cannot capture him." Kṣitigarbha said, "In that case, how is he to be removed?" Di Ting replied, "The Buddha's Dharma is boundless." Kṣitigarbha understood at once, and said to the Pilgrim, "You two are identical in appearance and equal in supernatural powers. If you want to distinguish clearly, you must go to the Thunderclap Monastery, to the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, and there you will obtain clarity." Both of them shouted together, "Right, right! We will go before the Buddha of the Western Heaven to argue it out." The ten Yin Lords of the halls saw them out, thanked Kṣitigarbha, returned to the Green Cloud Palace, and ordered ghost attendants to close the passes of the underworld—but we shall say no more of this. Now watch those two Pilgrims flying on clouds and riding mists, fighting their way up to the Western Heaven. A poem bears witness: When man has two minds, calamity is born, To the horizon's edge breeds doubt and scorn. He thinks of noble steeds and high estate, And yearns for golden halls and sovereign's gate. Southward he wars, northward he never rests, East he defends, west he subdues—unblest. The gate of Zen must learn the mindless art, To nurture the true infant, the holy heart. Those two, in mid-air, tugging and pulling, grappling and shoving, fighting as they went, raised a clamor all the way to the great Western Heaven, outside the Thunderclap Monastery on the Spirit Vulture Immortal Mountain. There they were met by the four great Bodhisattvas, the eight Vajras, the five hundred Arhats, the three thousand Guardians, the bhikṣuṇīs, bhikṣus, upāsakas, and upāsikās—all the hosts of great saints, who had gathered beneath the seven-jeweled lotus throne to listen quietly to the Tathāgata expounding the Dharma. The Tathāgata was just then speaking: "In being there is non-being; in non-being there is being. In form there is non-form; in emptiness there is non-emptiness. That which is not being is yet being; that which is not non-being is yet non-being. That which is not form is yet form; that which is not emptiness is yet emptiness. Emptiness is just emptiness; form is just form. Form has no fixed form; form is just emptiness. Emptiness has no fixed emptiness; emptiness is just form. Know that emptiness is not empty, know that form is not form—this is called clear illumination, and thereby one attains the wondrous sound." Just as all the assembly bowed in homage and were reciting and propagating this, the Tathāgata scattered heavenly flowers in profusion, rose from his jeweled throne, and said to the great assembly, "All of you are of one mind—now watch two minds coming in strife." The assembly raised their eyes and saw, indeed, two Pilgrims, shouting at heaven and earth, fighting their way to the Thunderclap sacred realm. The eight Vajras hurried forward to block them and said, "Where are you going?" This Great Sage said, "A fiend has changed into my likeness and wishes to come before the jeweled lotus throne. I beg the Tathāgata to distinguish the true from the false for me." The Vajras could not hold them back, and they clamored straight up to the throne, knelt before the Buddha, and prostrated themselves, saying, "Your disciple, escorting the Tang Monk, has come to this precious mountain to seek the true scriptures. Along the way, he has subdued demons and bound fiends, expending no small amount of energy. Earlier, midway, we encountered violent bandits who robbed us—it was indeed your disciple who, a second time, wounded several men. My master blamed me and drove me back, refusing to let me worship the Tathāgata's golden body. Your disciple had no choice but to flee to the South Sea and see Guanyin to recount his suffering. Unexpectedly, this fiend falsely assumed your disciple's voice and appearance, knocked down my master, and seized the luggage. My junior brother Wujing came to my mountain and was deceived by that fiend's glib words about having a true monk to fetch scriptures. Wujing escaped and went to the South Sea, where he told the whole story in detail. When Guanyin learned of it, she ordered your disciple to return with Wujing to my mountain. Hence, the two of us compared true and false, fighting all the way to the South Sea, then to the Heavenly Palace, and we also fought before the Tang Monk and before the underworld—none could distinguish us. Therefore we have presumptuously come here, and we beg you, in your great compassion, to open the gate of convenience and extend your merciful thoughts, to distinguish the righteous from the wicked for your disciple, so that he may properly escort the Tang Monk to worship your golden body, fetch the scriptures and return to the Eastern Lands, and forever spread the great teaching." The assembly heard both mouths speak in the same voice, each saying the same thing, and none could tell them apart. Only the Tathāgata understood it all, and was just about to reveal it when suddenly, from the southern clouds, Guanyin appeared and paid homage to our Buddha. The Buddha joined his palms and said, "Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, look at those two pilgrims—which is the true one and which the false?" The Bodhisattva said, "The other day at my humble abode, I was truly unable to distinguish them. They also went to the Heavenly Palace and the Netherworld, and there too none could recognize them. I have come especially to pay respects and inform the Tathāgata, and beg you by all means to distinguish them clearly." The Tathāgata smiled and said, "You all possess vast spiritual power, enough to universally survey all matters within the Zhou Heaven, but you cannot fully recognize all things within the Zhou Heaven, nor can you broadly know all the species of the Zhou Heaven." The Bodhisattva further asked to be instructed on the species of the Zhou Heaven. Then the Tathāgata said, "Within the Zhou Heaven there are five kinds of Immortals: Heaven, Earth, Spirit, Human, and Ghost. There are five kinds of Worms: the Shelled, the Scaled, the Hairy, the Feathered, and the Insectoid. This creature is neither Heaven, nor Earth, nor Spirit, nor Human, nor Ghost; nor is he Shelled, Scaled, Hairy, Feathered, or Insectoid. Moreover, there are four kinds of Monkeys that mingle with the world, not belonging to the ten categories of species." The Bodhisattva said, "May I ask what those four monkeys are?" The Tathāgata said, "The first is the Intelligent Stone Monkey, who understands transformation, knows the seasons of heaven, comprehends the advantages of earth, and can shift stars and exchange constellations. The second is the Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey, who knows yin and yang, understands human affairs, excels at coming and going, and avoids death to prolong life. The third is the Long-Armed Ape Monkey, who seizes the sun and moon, shrinks a thousand mountains, distinguishes good and ill fortune, and manipulates heaven and earth. The fourth is the Six-Eared Macaque, who is skilled at hearing sounds, able to investigate principles, knows past and future, and understands all things. These four monkeys do not enter the ten categories of species, nor do they come under the names of the two realms. As I see it, the false Wukong is the Six-Eared Macaque. If this monkey takes his stand in one place, he can know events a thousand li away; whenever ordinary people speak, he can also know it. Thus he is skilled at hearing sounds, able to investigate principles, knows past and future, and understands all things. The one who has the same appearance and the same voice as the true Wukong is the Six-Eared Macaque." When that macaque heard the Tathāgata reveal his true form, his heart trembled with fear, and he quickly leaped up and tried to flee. When the Tathāgata saw him leaving, he immediately ordered the assembly to act. Already the four Bodhisattvas, the eight Vajras, the five hundred Arhats, the three thousand Jiedi, the Bhikṣus, Bhikṣuṇīs, Upāsakas, Upāsikās, Guanyin, and Mokkṣa all surrounded him at once. The Great Sage Sun also wanted to step forward, but the Tathāgata said, "Wukong, do not act—wait until I seize him for you." That macaque, terrified to the very marrow and feeling that escape would be difficult, quickly shook his body and changed into a little honeybee, flying upward. The Tathāgata cast up his golden alms bowl, which exactly covered that bee and fell back down. The assembly did not know and thought he had escaped. The Tathāgata smiled and said, "Do not speak, assembly. The demon has not gone; he is right here under my bowl." The assembly all pressed forward and lifted up the bowl, and indeed they saw his true form—it was a Six-Eared Macaque. The Great Sage Sun could not contain himself; he raised his iron staff and struck him dead on the crown with one blow, and from that time this species was forever extinct. The Tathāgata could not bear it and said, "Good! Good!" The Great Sage said, "Tathāgata, you should not have shown him mercy. He wounded my master and seized my bundle. According to the law, charging him with taking property and injuring a person, with daylight robbery, he deserved no less than decapitation." The Tathāgata said, "You should quickly go and protect Tang Sanzang and come here to seek the scriptures." The Great Sage kowtowed and gave thanks, saying, "I beg to inform the Tathāgata: that master of mine will surely refuse to have me. If I go now and he does not take me back, shall I not have to go through all that trouble again? I pray the Tathāgata, as a convenience, recite the spell for loosening the band, take off this golden fillet, return it to the Tathāgata, and let me return to lay life." The Tathāgata said, "Do not have wild thoughts, and do not be stubborn. I will instruct Guanyin to escort you there, and he will not dare not to take you in. Protect him well, and when the work is accomplished and you return to the Western Paradise, you too shall sit upon a lotus throne." When Guanyin, who was beside him, heard this, she immediately joined her palms, gave thanks for the holy favor, took Wukong, and rode off on a cloud. Then Mokkṣa and the white parrot caught up with them. Before long, they arrived at the thatched cottage halfway along the road. Sha Heshang saw them and hurriedly invited his master to bow and welcome them at the gate. The Bodhisattva said, "Tang Sanzang, the one who struck you the other day was the false pilgrim, the Six-Eared Macaque. Fortunately, the Tathāgata recognized him, and he has now been killed by Wukong. You must now take Wukong back. Along the way, the demonic obstacles have not yet been dispelled; you must have him protect you before you can reach Spirit Mountain, see the Buddha, and obtain the scriptures. Do not be angry with him again." Sanzang kowtowed and said, "I reverently obey your instruction." Just as they were bowing in thanks, they heard a great gale roaring from the due east, and Zhu Bajie, carrying two bundles on his back, came riding the wind. When the idiot saw the Bodhisattva, he threw himself to the ground and bowed, saying, "Your disciple, the day before yesterday, left my master and went to the Water-Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain to look for the bundle. Indeed I saw a false Tang Sanzang and a false Bajie, both of whom I killed with my own hands—they turned out to be two monkey bodies. Then I went inside and found the bundle. I checked it on the spot and nothing was missing, and then I rode the wind back here. But I do not know what became of the two pilgrims." The Bodhisattva then related the whole affair of the Tathāgata's recognition of the demon. That idiot was overjoyed and gave endless thanks. The master and disciples having thanked her, the Bodhisattva returned to the sea. They then all became as before, of one mind and one heart, their grievances washed away and their anger dissolved. They also thanked the people of that cottage, packed up their luggage and horse, and took the main road west. Truly: Midway they parted, disturbing the Five Phases; Subduing demons, they gathered in union with the Original Brightness. The spirit returns to the mind’s abode, and meditation is then settled; The six senses subdued, the elixir forms of itself. After all, as to when Sanzang would come face to face with the Buddha and seek the scriptures—listen to the next installment for the resolution.