Chapter 7

← Chapter Six: Guanyin Attends the Assembly to Ask the Cause; the Little Sage Displays His Might and Subdues the Great Sage Journey to the West, Chapter Seven: The Great Sage Escapes from the Eight-Trigrams Furnace; the Mind-Ape Is Calmed Beneath Five-Elements Mountain Author: Wu Cheng’en Chapter Eight: The Buddha Creates the Scriptures and Transmits Them to Ultimate Bliss; Guanyin, Receiving the Imperial Edict, Goes to Chang’an → Wealth, rank, and fame are fixed by former causes; As a person, never deceive your own heart. Upright and bright, loyalty and goodness bring ever-deeper fruit; A little madness brings Heaven’s punishment—if fortune fails before your eyes, await the time to come. Ask the Lord of Spring: why do calamities now assail him? Only because, with a heart too lofty, he plots the boundless, Failing to distinguish high from low and throwing the rules into disorder. Now, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven had been escorted by the assembled Celestial soldiers beneath the Execution Platform, where he was bound to the Demon-Subduing Pillar. Knives hacked him, axes chopped him, spears pierced him, and swords cut him, yet none could harm his body. The Star Lord of the Southern Dipper ordered the gods of the Fire Division to set fire to him and roast him, but they could not burn him. Then he ordered the gods of the Thunder Division to hammer him with thunderbolts, but still they could not injure him by so much as a hair. The Strong-Force Ghost King and the others memorialized: “Your Majesty, this Great Sage has somehow learned a method of protecting his body. Our knives, axes, thunder, and fire cannot injure him in the slightest. What are we to do?” The Jade Emperor, hearing this, said, “This fellow is like this and like that. How shall he be dealt with?” Laojun immediately memorialized: “That monkey ate the Peaches of Immortality, drank the Imperial Wine, and stole the immortal elixirs. Of my five vessels of pills, some raw and some finished, he ate them all into his belly. By employing the Samadhi fire and tempering them into one mass, he has made his whole body like steel. It cannot be harmed in haste. Better let this old Daoist take him away and place him in the Eight-Trigrams Furnace, where I shall temper him with civil and martial fire. When my elixirs have been refined from him, his body itself will become ashes.” Hearing this, the Jade Emperor ordered the Six Ding and Six Jia to untie him and hand him over to Laojun. Laojun received the decree and departed. Meanwhile, Erlang Xiansheng was summoned and rewarded with a hundred golden flowers, a hundred bottles of Imperial Wine, a hundred finished elixirs, unusual treasures and bright pearls, brocades, embroideries, and other articles, with orders that he share them with his sworn brothers. The True Lord thanked the Emperor and returned to Guanjiangkou. This need not be discussed further. Laojun arrived at Doushu Palace. He removed the ropes from the Great Sage, took out the device that had pierced his pipa bones, and pushed him into the Eight-Trigrams Furnace. He ordered the Daoist who watched the furnace and the youths who tended the fire to fan the flames and begin the tempering. The furnace was formed according to the trigrams qian, kan, gen, zhen, xun, li, kun, and dui. He immediately burrowed his body beneath the xun position. Xun is wind; where there is wind, there is no fire. But the wind stirred up smoke, which roasted a pair of his eyes red with fire and turned them into the eyes of an old sufferer of ophthalmia. Thus they came to be called “Fire-Eyes and Golden Pupils.” Indeed, time passed swiftly. Before he knew it, forty-nine days had gone by, and Laojun’s fire had reached its full cycle. One day, he opened the furnace to take out the elixirs. The Great Sage was rubbing his eyes with both hands, wiping away his tears, when he suddenly heard a sound from the top of the furnace. He opened his eyes wide and saw the light. Unable to restrain himself, he sprang up, leaped out of the furnace with a clatter, kicked over the Eight-Trigrams Furnace, and ran outside. The fire-tenders, furnace-watchers, and the Six Ding and Six Jia hurried to seize him, but he knocked them down one by one, like a white-fronted tiger in an epileptic fit or a one-horned dragon gone mad with the wind. Laojun caught up and grabbed him, but the Great Sage flung him over his shoulder, sending him headfirst to the ground, and escaped. He immediately drew the Ruyi Jingu Bang from his ear. Shaking it once in the wind, he made it as thick as a bowl and took it in his hand again. Without distinguishing friend from foe, he once more threw the Celestial Palace into chaos. He beat the Nine Luminaries Stars until they shut their gates and doors, and the Four Heavenly Kings vanished without trace. What a marvelous monkey! A poem bears witness: The primordial body accords with the Former Heaven; Through ten thousand calamities and a thousand trials, it remains natural. Vast and boundless, without action, wholly Grand Unity; Thus and unmoving, it is called the Primal Mystery. Long refinement in the furnace is not lead or cinnabar; Immortality beyond the world is the original Immortal. Endless transformations return to further transformations; The Three Refuges and Five Precepts—say no more of them. Another poem: One spark of numinous light pierces the Great Void; That staff of his is likewise so. Long or short, it follows the user’s need; Across or upright, extended or withdrawn, it obeys at will. Another poem: The Way-body of the ape matches the human heart; The heart itself is the ape—the meaning runs deep. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven is no empty claim; How could a Horse Controller understand his true nature? When horse and ape unite, heart and intent are harmonized; Tightly bound and firmly fastened, seek no other place. All forms return to truth through a single principle; The Tathagata shares the accord and dwells in the Twin Groves. This time the Monkey King made no distinction between high and low. He wielded the iron staff, striking east and attacking west. No god could withstand him. He fought all the way to within the Palace of Illumination and outside the Hall of the Golden Firmament. Fortunately, Wang Lingguan, the assistant of the True Lord You sheng, was guarding the hall. Seeing the Great Sage rampage about, he drew near with his golden whip and blocked him, saying, “Rebellious monkey, where are you going? I am here, so do not run wild.” Without another word, the Great Sage raised his staff and struck. Lingguan raised his whip to meet him. The two fought together before the Hall of the Golden Firmament. What a battle it was: His scarlet loyalty and faithfulness have won him great renown; Deceit against Heaven and the throne has ruined the other’s name. One low, one high, yet fortunately they hold each other at bay; Heroes and champions compete in a wager of strength. The iron staff is fierce, the golden whip swift; How can upright impartiality endure such an assault? One is the Supreme Thunder-Sound Manifestation Venerable; The other is the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the strange ape. The golden whip and iron staff are mighty in both their hands— Both are divine weapons from immortal palaces. Today they display their might in the Hall of the Golden Firmament; Each reveals heroic talent, a sight truly delightful. One, deceiving his own heart, seeks to seize the Douniu Palace; The other exhausts his strength to uphold the Profound Sage’s realm. They struggle bitterly, yielding not an inch; Whip and staff pass back and forth, with neither gaining victory. The two fought as one, with victory and defeat still undecided. The True Lord Yousheng soon sent his commanders and aides with a dispatch to the Thunder Office, summoning thirty-six thunder generals. They came together and surrounded the Great Sage at the center of the field, each displaying savage ferocity in the fierce battle. The Great Sage showed not the slightest fear. He wielded a single Ruyi Jingu Bang, guarding left and right, parrying behind and meeting attacks before him. For a time, the blades, spears, swords, halberds, whips, tablets, clubs, hammers, battle-axes, golden maces, sickles, and crescent spades of the thunder generals came at him in a dense assault. Then he shook his body and transformed into Three Heads and Six Arms. He shook the Ruyi Jingu Bang once, and it became three staffs. His six hands wielded the three staffs, spinning them like a spinning wheel, whirling round and round as they flew through the center of the field. None of the thunder gods could approach. Indeed: Round and radiant, blazing and bright, Existing from ancient times—how could men learn it? Entering fire, it cannot be burned; entering water, it has never drowned. A single luminous mani pearl, Untouched by swords, halberds, knives, or spears. It can be good, and it can be evil; Before its eyes, good and evil are made as it wills. When good, it becomes a Buddha or an Immortal; When evil, it grows fur and bears horns. With endless transformations it troubles the Celestial Palace; The thunder generals and divine weapons cannot seize it. At that time the assembled gods hemmed the Great Sage in together, yet could not approach his body. They shouted and fought in confusion. This soon alarmed the Jade Emperor, who issued an edict ordering the Traveling Spirit Official and the True Lord Yisheng to go west and request the Buddha and Patriarch to subdue him. The two sages received the edict and went directly to the entrance of the Thunderclap Monastery in the victorious realm of Vulture Peak. After saluting the Four Diamond Guardians and the Eight Bodhisattvas, they asked them to convey their request. The assembled gods followed them to beneath the Precious Lotus Platform and announced the matter. The Tathagata summoned them. The two sages circled the Buddha three times in reverence and stood below the platform. The Tathagata asked, “What matter troubles the Jade Emperor and causes the two sages to come here?” The two sages immediately reported: “Some time ago, a monkey was born on Flower-Fruit Mountain. There he displayed supernatural powers, gathered the monkeys, and disturbed the world. The Jade Emperor issued a decree of pacification and appointed him Protector of the Imperial Horses, but he considered the office too low and rebelled. “Li Tianwang and Prince Nezha were then sent to capture him, but they failed. He was again pacified and appointed the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, at first with an office but no salary. He was put in charge of the Peach Garden, and he stole the peaches. He then went to the Jade Pool, stole the food and wine, and disrupted the assembly. Relying on his drunkenness, he secretly entered Doushu Palace and stole Laojun’s immortal elixirs, then fled from the Celestial Palace. “The Jade Emperor again sent a hundred thousand Celestial soldiers, but they too could not subdue him. Later, Guanyin recommended Erlang Shen, who, together with his sworn brothers, pursued and attacked him. He possessed countless transformations, and it was only because Laojun threw down the Vajra Cutter and struck him that Erlang was able to capture him. “He was escorted before the throne, and the order was given to execute him. Knives hacked him, axes chopped him, fire burned him, and thunder struck him, yet none could harm him. Laojun received permission to take him away and temper him with fire. After forty-nine days, when the furnace was opened, he leaped out of the Eight-Trigrams Furnace again, beat back the Celestial soldiers, and went straight into the Palace of Illumination and outside the Hall of the Golden Firmament. “He was blocked by Wang Lingguan, the assistant of the True Lord Yousheng, and they fought bitterly. Thirty-six thunder generals were then summoned to surround him at the center of the field, but they still could not approach him. The situation is urgent. Therefore the Jade Emperor specially requests that the Tathagata rescue the throne.” The Tathagata, hearing this, said to the assembled Bodhisattvas, “You remain seated here in the Dharma Hall and do not disturb your meditation seats. I shall go refine the demon and rescue the throne.” The Tathagata summoned Ānanda and Kāśyapa, the two venerable ones, to accompany him. He left Thunderclap Monastery and went directly to outside the Lingxiao Gate. Suddenly he heard shouts shaking the ears. The thirty-six thunder generals had surrounded the Great Sage. The Buddha transmitted this Dharma command: “Tell the thunder generals to cease their weapons, open their encampment, and call the Great Sage forth. I would ask him what powers he possesses.” The assembled generals withdrew. The Great Sage also put away his Dharma image and appeared in his original form. He approached, bristling with anger, and cried in a harsh voice, “What kind of worthy are you, daring to come and stop the weapons and question me?” The Tathagata smiled and said, “I am the Venerable Shakyamuni of the Western Paradise, the World of Ultimate Bliss. Namo Amitabha Buddha! I have now heard that you are a wild and reckless creature who has repeatedly rebelled against the Celestial Palace. I do not know where you were born, in what year you attained the Way, or why you are so violent and tyrannical.” The Great Sage said: I am a numinous immortal born from Heaven and Earth, An old ape in Flower-Fruit Mountain. Water-Curtain Cave is my family estate; I visited friends and sought a teacher, awakening to the Great Mystery. I refined many methods of long life and learned transformations boundless and broad. Because I found the mortal realm too narrow, I resolved that I must dwell in the Jade Heaven. The Hall of the Golden Firmament should not long belong to another; The throne has passed by right through the generations of human kings. The strong should yield it to me; Among heroes, I alone dare be first to contend. Hearing this, the Buddha laughed coldly and said, “You are merely a monkey who has become an essence. How dare you deceive your own heart and seek to seize the honored position of the Jade Emperor? He cultivated himself from youth and has endured one thousand seven hundred and fifty kalpas of hardship. Each kalpa lasts one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred years. Calculate how many years he must have undergone before he could enjoy this boundless Great Way. You are a beast who has only recently taken human form—how dare you utter such extravagant words? You are no son of man, no son of man! You have diminished your allotted years. Take refuge early and do not speak nonsense. I fear you may suffer a deadly hand and lose your life in an instant. It would be a pity to destroy your original nature.” The Great Sage said, “Though he has cultivated for a long time, he should not occupy this place forever. As the saying goes: ‘The emperor’s throne takes turns; next year it will be my house.’ Let him move out and yield the Celestial Palace to me, and that will settle matters. If he still refuses, I shall surely make trouble until there is never peace.” The Buddha said, “Apart from your methods of long life and transformation, what other abilities do you have that you dare occupy the Celestial Palace’s victorious realm?” The Great Sage said, “My abilities are many! I possess seventy-two transformations and can remain ageless and immortal through ten thousand kalpas. I can ride the cloud of the somersault, leaping one hundred and eight thousand li at a bound. How could I not sit upon the Celestial throne?” The Buddha said, “Let us make a wager. If you have the ability to leap out of my right palm in a single somersault, you win. There will be no further need to use weapons or wage a bitter struggle; I shall ask the Jade Emperor to go dwell in the West and yield the Celestial Palace to you. If you cannot leap from my palm, you must return below the world as a demon, cultivate for several more kalpas, and then come back to argue.” Hearing this, the Great Sage secretly laughed. “This Tathagata is exceedingly foolish. My somersault carries me one hundred and eight thousand li, while his palm is not even a foot across. How could I fail to leap out?” He hurriedly said, “Since you put it that way, can you truly make the decision?” The Buddha said, “I can, I can.” He opened his right hand, which appeared about the size of a lotus leaf. The Great Sage put away the Ruyi Jingu Bang, gathered his divine might, and leaped onto the Buddha’s palm. Then he said, “I am off.” Behold him: a trail of cloud-light, without form or shadow, carrying him away. The Buddha watched with his Wisdom Eye and saw that the Monkey King moved like a windmill, never stopping, pressing onward. As the Great Sage traveled, he suddenly saw five flesh-red pillars supporting a mass of blue vapor. He said, “This must be the end of the road. When I return, with the Tathagata as witness, the Lingxiao Palace will surely be mine.” Then he thought, “Wait. I should leave a mark, so that I will have something to say to the Tathagata.” He plucked out one hair, blew upon it with immortal breath, and called, “Transform!” It became a double-bristled brush thick with ink. Upon the middle pillar he wrote a line in large characters: “The Great Sage Equal to Heaven came here on a visit.” Having finished, he withdrew the hair. Then, showing no reverence at all, he urinated at the foot of the first pillar. He turned his somersault cloud around and returned directly to his original place. Standing within the Tathagata’s palm, he said, “I have gone and now returned. Tell the Jade Emperor to yield the Celestial Palace to me.” The Tathagata scolded him: “You urine-soaked monkey, you never even left my palm!” The Great Sage said, “You do not know. I went to the end of Heaven and saw five flesh-red pillars supporting a mass of blue vapor. I left a mark there. Do you dare go with me to see it?” The Buddha said, “There is no need to go. Just lower your head and look.” The Great Sage opened wide his Fire-Eyes and Golden Pupils and looked down. It turned out that upon the Tathagata’s right middle finger was written: “The Great Sage Equal to Heaven came here on a visit.” Between the thumb and forefinger there was even the stench of monkey urine. The Great Sage was startled. “How can such a thing be? How can such a thing be? I wrote those words upon the pillar supporting Heaven—how have they appeared upon his finger? Could it be some art of knowing beforehand? I absolutely do not believe it. I do not believe it. Let me go again.” What a Great Sage! He hurriedly sprang up once more and tried to leap out. The Buddha overturned his palm and struck downward, pushing the Monkey King outside the Western Heaven Gate. He transformed his five fingers into five linked mountains of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, naming them Five-Elements Mountain, and gently pressed the Great Sage beneath them. The assembled thunder gods, Ānanda, and Kāśyapa each pressed their palms together and praised him: Excellent, excellent! In those years, hatched from an egg, he learned to take human form; He set his heart on cultivation and truly attained the fruit of the Way. Through ten thousand kalpas he remained unmoved in a victorious realm; In a single day, a change scattered his spirit. He deceived Heaven and defied the throne, coveting the highest position; He offended the Sage and stole elixirs, disrupting the great order. His evil was complete, and now retribution has come; Who knows when he will be able to rise again? The Tathagata Buddha destroyed the demon monkey’s power and then summoned Ānanda and Kāśyapa to return with him to the Western World of Ultimate Bliss. At that moment, Tianpeng and Tianyou hurried out from the Hall of the Golden Firmament and said, “Please wait a moment, Tathagata. Our sovereign’s imperial carriage is coming.” Hearing this, the Buddha turned and looked. In a short while, there indeed appeared a phoenix carriage adorned with eight auspicious scenes and a jeweled canopy of nine rays of light. Mysterious songs and wondrous music were played; immeasurable divine hymns were chanted; jeweled flowers were scattered and true incense sprayed. The procession came directly before the Buddha, who said in thanks: “By your great Dharma, the demon and heresy have been subdued and destroyed. I hope the Tathagata will remain for one day, so that we may invite all the Immortals to a banquet in gratitude.” The Tathagata did not dare refuse. Pressing his palms together, he replied, “This old monk came here at the command of the Great Celestial Worthy. What power have I? It is rather the Celestial Worthy’s and all the gods’ abundant blessings. How could I presume to receive thanks?” The Jade Emperor issued an edict ordering the gods of the Thunder Division to invite the Three Pure Ones, the Four Imperial Lords, the Five Elders, the Six Ministries, the Seven Origins, the Eight Extremities, the Nine Luminaries, the Ten Capitals, the Thousand Perfected Ones, and the Ten Thousand Sages to attend and join in giving thanks for the Buddha’s grace. He further ordered the Four Great Heavenly Masters and the Nine Celestial Maidens to open wide the Jade Capital’s Golden Watchtower, the Supreme Mystery Precious Palace, and the Dongyang Jade Hall; to invite the Tathagata to take the high seat upon the Seven-Treasure Numinous Platform; to arrange the seats for every rank; and to prepare dragon liver, phoenix marrow, jade nectar, and the Peaches of Immortality. Before long, the Primordial Heavenly Worthy of the Jade Purity, the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the Higher Purity, the Heavenly Worthy of Dao and Virtue of the Supreme Purity, the Five-Qi True Lords, the Five Dipper Star Lords, the Three Offices and Four Sages, the Nine Luminary True Lords, the Left Assistant and Right Aide, the Heavenly Kings, Nezha, and all the numinous and efficacious beings of the Profound Void arrived. Pair after pair bore banners; two by two they carried pennants and canopies. All held bright pearls and rare treasures, longevity fruits and extraordinary flowers, and bowed before the Buddha, saying: “We are grateful for the Tathagata’s immeasurable Dharma-power in subduing the demon monkey. The Great Celestial Worthy has arranged this banquet and summoned us all to offer our thanks. We ask the Tathagata: what name shall we give this assembly?” The Tathagata accepted the request of the assembled gods and said, “Since you wish to give it a name, it may be called the Great Assembly to Pacify Heaven.” All the Immortals and Elders spoke with one voice: “What an excellent ‘Great Assembly to Pacify Heaven’! What an excellent ‘Great Assembly to Pacify Heaven’!” When they had finished speaking, each took his seat. Cups were passed and goblets exchanged; flowers were tucked into their hair, and zithers and flutes were played. It was indeed a fine assembly. A poem bears witness: The banquet of Peaches was disrupted by the monkey; The Great Assembly to Pacify Heaven surpasses the Peach Assembly. Dragon banners and phoenix carriages glow with auspicious light; Jeweled standards and pennants float in clouds of good omen. Immortal music and mysterious songs resound in beautiful tones; Phoenix flutes and jade pipes ring out in lofty harmonies. Jade fragrance curls around the gathering Immortals; The universe is peaceful as they congratulate the Sagely Court. Everyone was delighted by the assembly. Then they saw the Queen Mother lead a company of Immortal maidens, celestial women, lovely girls, and beautiful women, who floated and danced before the Buddha. After performing their rites, they said: “Previously, the demon monkey disrupted the Peach Assembly. We invite all the Immortals and Buddhas to share in this achievement. Now, thanks to the Tathagata’s great Dharma, the stubborn monkey has been bound and subdued, and we rejoice in the Great Assembly to Pacify Heaven. Having nothing else with which to offer our thanks, I have personally washed my hands and picked several large Peaches of Immortality to present.” Indeed: Half red and half green, they breathe out sweet fragrance; Their splendid immortal roots endure for ten thousand years. Laughable are the plantings on the Wuling source— How could they compare with the Heavenly Court’s, more wondrous and mighty? Purple markings, tender and lovely, are rare beneath Heaven; Their yellow kernels are pure and sweet, unmatched in the world. They prolong life and extend the years, easily transforming the body; Those with the destiny to eat them are naturally extraordinary. The Buddha pressed his palms together and thanked the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother then ordered the Immortal maidens and celestial women to sing and dance. All the Immortals at the assembly praised them. Indeed: Mistlike celestial fragrance fills every seat; Brilliant immortal stamens and flowers bloom in profusion. The Jade Capital’s Golden Watchtower is filled with splendid glory; Rare delicacies and extraordinary treasures are without price. In pairs they share Heaven’s longevity; Two by two, their years increase through ten thousand kalpas. Let mulberry fields become seas and seas become fields as they will; They themselves remain without fear or surprise. While the Queen Mother had the Immortal maidens and celestial women singing and dancing, with cups and counters passing to and fro, they suddenly heard: A burst of strange fragrance came to the nose, Startling every star and constellation in the hall. The Celestial Immortals and Buddha halted their cups; Each raised his head and looked up in expectation. An old man appeared amid the Milky Way, Holding a lingzhi mushroom amid brocade-like clouds. Within his gourd were stored ten-thousand-year elixirs; His precious registers and famous books recorded a thousand ages of life. Within the cave, Heaven and Earth were free to his will; Within the gourd, sun and moon followed his accomplishments. He roamed the Four Seas in joy and leisure; Across the Ten Continents, the carefree gathered around him. He had attended the Peach Assembly and become drunk several times; When he awoke, the bright moon remained as before. With long head, great ears, and short body, He was called the Old Longevity Star of the Southern Pole. The Star of Longevity had arrived. After saluting the Jade Emperor, he also met the Tathagata and expressed his thanks: “When I first heard that the demon monkey had been taken by Laojun to Doushu Palace for tempering, I thought peace would surely be achieved. I did not expect him to break out again. Fortunately, the Tathagata skillfully subdued this monster. Hearing of the banquet of gratitude, I came here. I have no other gift to offer, so I have brought purple lingzhi and precious herbs, green lotus roots and golden elixirs.” The poem says: Green lotus roots and golden elixirs are offered to Shakyamuni; May the Tathagata’s ten thousand years be as countless as grains of sand. Peace and eternal joy are brocaded with the Three Vehicles; Health, safety, and long life are flowers of the Nine Grades. Within the Gate of Formlessness, he is the true lord of Dharma; Above the Heaven of Form and Emptiness, he is the Immortal Patriarch. All beneath Heaven and Earth call him Ancestor; His sixteen-foot golden body enjoys abundant blessings and longevity. The Tathagata gladly accepted his thanks. The Star of Longevity took his seat and again joined in passing cups and exchanging goblets. Just then the Barefoot Immortal arrived. After bowing deeply before the Jade Emperor, he also thanked the Buddha: “We are deeply grateful for your Dharma-power in subduing the demon monkey. Having nothing with which to express our respect, I have specially brought two giao pears and several fire dates as an offering.” The poem says: The Barefoot Immortal’s dates and pears are fragrant; He reverently offers them to Amitabha, whose lifespan is long. The Seven-Treasure Lotus Platform is steady as a mountain; The seat of a thousand golden flowers is adorned like brocade. To say his longevity equals Heaven and Earth is no falsehood; To compare his blessings to the mighty waves is no exaggeration. Blessings and longevity truly come as promised; The West of Ultimate Bliss is the realm of supreme leisure. The Tathagata again expressed his thanks. He told Ānanda and Kāśyapa to put away, one by one, all the offerings that had been presented. Then he went before the Jade Emperor to thank him for the banquet. Everyone became thoroughly drunk. Just then a Traveling Spirit Official came to report, “The Great Sage has stuck his head out.” The Buddha said, “It is of no concern, no concern.” From within his sleeve he took a single placard bearing six golden characters: “Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum.” He handed it to Ānanda and told him to paste it atop the mountain. This venerable one received the placard, carried it out through the Celestial Gate, and went to the summit of Five-Elements Mountain. There he firmly pasted it upon a four-sided stone. The mountain immediately took root and its seams closed together. The Great Sage could use his breath-energy and crawl his hands out, and he could struggle and shake himself a little. Ānanda returned and reported, “The placard has been pasted in place.” The Tathagata then took leave of the Jade Emperor and the assembled gods and departed beyond the Celestial Gate with the two venerable ones. He again aroused a compassionate thought and recited a true-word spell. He summoned a mountain deity to Five-Elements Mountain and ordered him to reside there with the Five Directions’ Vajra Guardians and keep watch over the prisoner. When the Great Sage was hungry, they were to give him iron pellets to eat; when he was thirsty, they were to give him molten copper to drink. When the days of his calamity and offense were complete, someone would come to rescue him. Indeed: The demon monkey boldly rebelled against the Celestial Palace, Yet the Tathagata subdued him with a turn of his hand. He drinks molten copper in thirst and endures the passing years; He eats iron pellets in hunger and passes the long hours. He suffers Heaven’s disasters and bitter hardship; Through human misery and desolation, he is fortunate to retain his life. If one day a hero again breaks free and struggles forth, In years to come he shall accompany the Buddha to the West. Another poem says: He flaunted his strength and rose in mighty power; He subdued dragons and tigers, displaying his clever arts. He stole peaches and wine and roamed the Heavenly Court; He received registers and imperial favor in the Jade Capital. His evil was complete, and his body now suffers confinement; His roots of goodness are not severed, and his vital breath still rises. If he truly escapes from the Tathagata’s hand, He must await the holy monk’s emergence in the Tang court. In the end, it remained unknown in what year and month his calamities would be completed. To hear the explanation, listen to the next chapter. ← Chapter Six: Guanyin Attends the Assembly to Ask the Cause; the Little Sage Displays His Might and Subdues the Great Sage Journey to the West / Chapter 007 Chapter Eight: The Buddha Creates the Scriptures and Transmits Them to Ultimate Bliss; Guanyin, Receiving the Imperial Edict, Goes to Chang’an →