Chapter 19

Chapter 19

As the demon fled ahead in a blaze of firelight, the Great Sage followed close behind on his iridescent cloud. They had not gone far when suddenly a lofty mountain came into view. The demon gathered his crimson glow, resumed his true form, dashed into a cave, and emerged wielding a nine-toothed iron rake. With a loud shout, Wukong cried: "You fiendish creature! What region do you hail from, and how do you know the name of old Sun? What abilities do you possess? Confess them truthfully, and I shall spare your life."

The demon replied: "You have no idea of my prowess. Stand firm and listen, and I shall tell you all.

From birth my nature was dull and idle,

Loving leisure, shunning toil, never resting.

I never cultivated my nature or practiced the Way,

But muddled through life, letting days and months slip by.

Then one day in leisure I met a true immortal,

Who sat with me and spoke of warmth and cold.

He urged me to turn my heart and not sink into the mortal world,

For taking life brings boundless sin.

When the great limit comes and life's end arrives,

The sufferings of the eight hardships and three paths will be too late to regret.

Moved by his words, I resolved to cultivate,

And stirred by his teaching, I sought the wondrous formula.

By fortune I bowed at once as his disciple,

And he showed me the Heavenly Pass and Earthly Palace.

I was taught the nine-cycled Great Restorative Elixir,

And practiced day and night without cease.

From the top of the head, the Palace of Niwan,

To the soles of the feet, the Bubbling Spring point,

Kidney water circulated into the Flowering Pool,

And the Cinnabar Field grew warm and hot.

The Infant and the Maiden were paired in yin and yang,

Lead and mercury united like sun and moon.

The Dragon of Li and the Tiger of Kan were harmonized,

The spiritual turtle drank the blood of the golden crow.

The three flowers gathered at the head and took root,

The five energies returned to the origin, penetrating all.

When merit was fulfilled and practice complete, I ascended to heaven,

And hosts of celestial immians came to welcome me.

Brightly a colored cloud rose beneath my feet,

Light and vigorous, I ascended to the Golden Palace.

The Jade Emperor hosted a banquet for all the immortals,

Each ranked and seated according to his station.

I was appointed Marshal, governing the River of Heaven,

Commander of the water troops, bearing the seal of authority.

Then came the Queen Mother's Peach Banquet,

When the Jasper Pool was opened to invite all the guests.

That day I drank too much and grew muddled,

Staggering and stumbling, behaving without restraint.

In my swagger I burst into the Palace of Cool Radiance,

Where the Goddess of Romance came to greet me.

Her beauty ensnared my very soul,

And my old mortal heart could not be quelled.

All sense of rank and propriety was lost,

I seized the goddess Chang'e and demanded she sleep with me.

Again and again she refused,

Hiding and fleeing, displeased.

My lust was as vast as the heavens, my cries like thunder,

Nearly shaking down the Heavenly Pass itself.

The Inspector of Spirits reported me to the Jade Emperor,

And that day my fortune ran ill.

The Palace of Cool Radiance was besieged, no air could pass,

Trapped with no way forward or back.

The gods seized me, yet still the wine in my heart made me bold.

I was escorted to the Hall of Divine Radiance to face the Jade Emperor,

And by law was sentenced to execution.

Thanks to the Grand White Planet Li,

Who stepped forward and spoke on my behalf.

My sentence was commuted to two thousand heavy blows,

My flesh split open, my bones nearly broken.

I was released but banished from the Heavenly Pass,

To seek a livelihood beneath Fuling Mountain.

Because of my crime I was wrongly reborn,

And my mortal name is Zhu Ganglie."

Wukong said upon hearing this: "So you are the Water Marshal Peng who descended to the mortal realm. No wonder you knew old Sun's name."

The demon cried: "Hah! You presumptuous Stable-keeper of Horses! When you caused that catastrophe back then, you dragged us all down with you, and now you come here to bully me again. Enough of this courtesy—take my rake!"

Wukong was in no mood to show mercy. He raised his iron staff and brought it down on the demon's head. The two of them fought amid the mountain in the darkness of night. What a battle it was:

Wukong's golden eyes flashed like lightning,

The demon's round eyes gleamed like silver flowers.

One breathed colored mist from his mouth,

The other exhaled crimson radiance.

The crimson radiance glowed bright in the darkness,

The colored mist shone brilliant in the night.

The golden-banded staff and the nine-toothed rake—

Two heroes truly to be praised:

One was the Great Sage come to the mortal world,

The other was a Marshal descended from the sky.

That one had lost his dignity and become a monster,

This one had happily escaped hardship to follow the monk.

The rake struck like a dragon extending its claws,

The staff met it like a phoenix threading flowers.

That one cried: "You ruin people's marriages as though killing their father!"

This one replied: "You tried to rape a maiden—you deserve to be arrested!"

With idle words and clamor,

Back and forth they clashed, staff against rake.

They fought on until the sky began to lighten,

And the demon's two arms grew weary and numb.

From the second watch of the night they battled until the east grew white. The demon could no longer hold his ground and fled the field. Once again he transformed into a violent wind, straight back into his cave, where he slammed the shutters tight and would not show his head again.

Wukong noticed a stone tablet by the cave entrance inscribed with the characters "Cloud Stack Cave." Seeing that the demon would not emerge and the sky was now bright, he thought to himself: "I fear the Master is waiting for me. I shall go back to see him first, then return to catch this demon—there is no hurry." He stepped on his cloud and in an instant was back at Village Gao.

Now Sansang had spent the whole night in conversation with the elders, discussing matters ancient and modern, unable to sleep. Just as he was worrying that Wukong had not returned, suddenly the Great Sage appeared standing in the courtyard. Wukong put away his iron staff, straightened his clothes, and entered the hall. "Master," he called out, "I have returned."

The elders were so startled that they all bowed together, saying, "How you have toiled, how you have toiled!"

Sansang asked: "Wukong, where is the demon you went to capture all night?"

Wukong replied: "Master, that demon is no ordinary evil spirit from the mortal world, nor a monster from the mountains. He was originally the Marshal Peng, who descended to the mortal realm. Because he was wrongly reborn, his face resembles that of a wild boar, though his nature and spirit remain intact. He took his surname from his appearance and is called Zhu Ganglie. Old Sun struck him with my staff from the back garden, and he fled on a gust of wind. I pursued him with a blow upon the wind, and he transformed into a streak of fire, making straight for his original mountain cave, where he took out a nine-toothed iron rake and fought old Sun all through the night. Just now, as dawn approached, he fled in fear and shut his cave tight, refusing to come out. Old Sun was about to break down that door and settle the matter once and all, but I feared you, Master, would be worried and waiting, so I came back first to report."

With that, old Gao stepped forward and knelt down, saying, "Venerable Father, there is no other way. Though you have driven him away, he will come back after you leave, and then what will we do? It would be better if you would go to the trouble of capturing him for me and cutting out the root so that there would be no further trouble. I, this old man, dare not be negligent—I will reward you handsomely. We will have the relatives and friends draw up a formal document, and this family's wealth and land will be divided equally with you. I only ask that you root out the weed completely and not let him tarnish our Gao family's good name."

The Pilgrim laughed and said, "You old man, you don't know your place. That fiend also told me that, though he has a great appetite and has consumed some of your food and tea, he has also done much good for you. These years he has built up your family fortune—it has all been through his effort. He hasn't eaten your food for nothing, so why do you want him gone? According to him, he is a celestial being who descended to earth to work for your household, and he has never harmed your daughter. A son-in-law like this—one who is well-matched in standing—hardly ruins your family's reputation or disgraces your conduct. Really, you might as well keep him."

Old Gao said, "Venerable Father, though there is no offense against morality, the reputation is not very pleasant to hear. People will say at every turn, 'The Gao family has taken in a demon as a son-in-law.' How can we bear such talk?"

Tripitaka said, "Wukong, since you have already had dealings with him, you might as well finish the matter with him to see it through to the end."

The Pilgrim said, "I was only testing him for fun. I will certainly bring him back this time for you to see. Do not worry." He called out, "Old Gao, take good care of my master. I'm off!"

The moment he said "off," he vanished without a trace, leaping to that mountain. Arriving at the cave entrance, he struck the two doors with his iron rod and smashed them to pieces. He cursed aloud, "That gluttonous lout, come out and fight old Sun!"

The fiend was sleeping in the cave, panting heavily. When he heard the pounding on the door and the cursing about a "gluttonous lout," his fury knew no bounds. He had no choice but to grab his rake, summon his strength, and rush out, shouting fiercely, "You Ban-Horse-Wretch, you really are a scoundrel! What business is it of yours that you've broken down my gate? Go and look up the statutes—breaking through someone's front door is a capital offense for trespass!"

The Pilgrim laughed and said, "You stupid fool! Even if I have broken down the gate, there's still room to argue the case. But you've seized someone's daughter without a matchmaker or go-between, without betrothal gifts or wedding wine—that calls for the death penalty for a capital crime!"

The fiend said, "Enough talk! Take a look at old Pig's rake!" The Pilgrim used his rod to block the blow and said, "Is this rake used for farm labor at the Gao estate, breaking ground and planting vegetables? What's so wonderful about it that you think I'd fear it?"

The fiend said, "You're mistaken. This rake is no ordinary thing. Listen to me:

Forged from divine ice-iron, refined and polished bright and pure.

The Lord Lao himself worked the hammer, the Fire-Star personally added charcoal filings.

The Five Directions and Five Emperors exerted their craft, the Six Ding and Six Jia labors were spent.

Nine jade teeth were wrought upon it, twin rings with golden pendants cast.

The Six Luminaries adorn its body, the Five Stars arranged upon it.

Its form follows the Four Seasons, its frame accords with the Eight Nodes.

Its length and breadth fix Heaven and Earth, its left and right divide the sun and moon.

Six-line spirits enforce Heaven's laws, the Eight Trigrams and stars align with the Dipper.

It is named the Exquisite Gold-Spade of Supreme Treasure, presented to the Jade Emperor to guard the Cinnabar Palace.

Because I cultivated myself to become a Great Immortal, for me he nurtured the guest of long life.

By imperial decree I was named Marshal Tianpeng, by royal gift this rake was bestowed as my scepter.

When raised, fierce flames and radiant light; when lowered, fierce winds and auspicious snow.

The celestial generals were all alarmed, the King of Hell in the underworld trembled in fear.

No such weapon exists among men, no such iron is found in the world.

It transforms at will following the heart, leaps and bounds as the incantation commands.

We have been together for several years without separation, companion to me day after day without parting.

Three meals a day it was never left behind, one night's sleep it was never cast aside.

I carried it to attend the Peach Festival, I bore it to pay court to the Emperor.

But relying on wine I committed violence, depending on strength I acted wantonly.

Heaven banished me to descend to the mortal world, the world below let me do my evil deeds.

In the stone cave, with a wicked heart, I devoured men; at Gao Village, with amorous desire, I entered into marriage.

This rake, cast into the sea, could overturn the dragons' lair; raised on the mountain, could shatter the dens of tigers and wolves.

Speak no more of all other weapons—none is dearer to me than this rake.

What difficulty is there in fighting to win? What need to mention contending for merit?

Why should I fear you, with your brass head and iron skull and body of steel? When this rake strikes, your soul will flee and your spirit will drain away!"

Hearing this, Wukong put away his iron staff and said, "Don't talk big, you fool. Let me stretch my head out here—go ahead and strike it once and see if it makes my soul scatter and my spirit drain away." The monster indeed raised his rake, mustered all his strength, and swung it down. With a thud, sparks flew from the rake in brilliant flashes, yet not the slightest bit of Wukong's scalp was disturbed. The monster was so frightened that his hands went numb and his feet grew weak. He cried out, "What a head! What a head!"

Wukong said, "You don't know the whole story. Because Old Sun had wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, stolen the immortal elixir, plucked the peaches of immortality, and purloined the celestial wine, he was captured by the Lesser Sage, Erlang, and brought before the Doumu Palace. The celestial gods chopped him with axes, pounded him with hammers, slashed him with swords, stabbed him with spears, burned him with fire, and struck him with thunderbolts—yet not a hair on his head was harmed. Then the Supreme Lord Laozi took me away and placed me in his Eight Trigrams Furnace, where he refined me with divine fire, forging in me fiery eyes with golden pupils and a head of copper and arms of iron. If you don't believe me, strike a few more times and see if it hurts or not."

The monster said, "You monkey—I remember when you wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, your home was in the Water Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain in the Kingdom of Aolai in the Eastern Continent of Superiority. Your name hasn't been heard for a long time. How did you come here to bully me at my own door? Could it be that my father-in-law went there and invited you?"

Wukong said, "Your father-in-law never invited me. It's because Old Sun has reformed his ways and returned to the right path, abandoning the Way to become a monk. I am protecting an imperial younger brother of the Great Tang Empire in the East, a monk called Tripitaka, on his journey west to worship Buddha and seek the scriptures. We passed by the Gao family estate and asked to stay the night. Old Master Gao brought up the matter in conversation, and he asked me to rescue his daughter and capture you, you gluttonous lout."

The moment the monster heard these words, he dropped his spiked rake and made a deep bow. "Where is that scripture pilgrim? I would trouble you to introduce me." Wukong said, "What do you want to see him for?" The monster said, "It was the Bodhisattva Guanyin who exhorted me to do good. I accepted her precepts and have been keeping a vegetarian fast and abstaining from meat here. She told me to follow that scripture pilgrim westward to worship Buddha and seek the scriptures, so that I might atone for my sins and attain the proper reward of merit. I have been waiting for him these several years without any news. Since you are now his disciple, why didn't you say something about the scripture-seeking business earlier? Instead you relied on your ferocity and came to my door to beat me up."

Wukong said, "Don't try to deceive me with tricks to get yourself off the hook. If you truly intend to protect Tripitaka without any falsehood, you can swear an oath to Heaven, and then I'll take you to see my master." The monster threw himself to his knees and kowtowed toward the sky like a pestle pounding in a mortar, bowing his head again and again. "Amitabha Buddha! Namo Buddha! If I am not sincere and true in heart, may I violate Heaven's laws and be chopped into ten thousand pieces!"

Wukong saw him make this vow and said, "Since that's the case, go light a fire and burn down this dwelling of yours, and then I'll take you." The monster indeed gathered some reeds and brambles, set a fire, and burned the Cloud-Shed Cave until it looked like a broken kiln. He said to Wukong, "Now I have nothing left to hold me back. Please lead me to him." Wukong said, "Hand me your spiked rake." The monster gave the rake to Wukong. Wukong then plucked one of his body hairs, blew on it with immortal breath, and called out, "Transform!" It instantly turned into a three-strand hemp rope. He came over and bound the monster's hands behind his back. The monster indeed turned his hands behind his back and let himself be bound however Wukong pleased. Wukong then grabbed him by the ear and pulled him along, saying, "Quick, quick, let's go!" The monster said, "Be a little gentler—your hand is too rough. You're hurting my ear." Wukong said, "I can't be gentle—I can't make allowances for you. As the saying goes: 'A good pig must be taken by force.' I'll only release you after we see my master and I'm convinced you're sincere."

The two of them traveled half in cloud and half in mist, making straight for the Gao family estate. There is a poem as proof:

The nature of Metal, strong and firm, can subdue Wood;

The Mind-Ape has subdued the Wood-Dragon and brought him home.

When Metal follows Wood, they become one;

When Wood cherishes Metal's benevolence, both are fully expressed.

Host and guest are now without separation;

The three unions and three combinations hold profound mystery.

Their natures rejoice together in the gathering of primal essence;

Together they shall prove the truth of the West, with no words in vain.

In an instant they arrived at the estate. Wukong held the monster's rake and pulled him by the ear, saying, "Look—who is it sitting upright in the hall? That is my master." The Gao family relatives and old Master Gao suddenly saw Wukong dragging the monster along, bound and by the ear, and they came out joyfully to meet them in the courtyard, crying out, "Venerable monk, venerable monk—he is indeed our son-in-law!" The monster stepped forward, dropped to his knees with his hands still bound behind his back, and kowtowed to Tripitaka, calling out loudly, "Master, this disciple failed to greet you. Had I known you were staying at my father-in-law's house, I would have come to pay my respects. Why did I have to go through so much trouble?"

Tripitaka said, "Wukong, how did you subdue him so that he would bow to me?" Wukong only then released his hand, struck the monster with the handle of the rake, and shouted, "You fool—speak!" The monster then recounted in detail how the Bodhisattva had exhorted him to do good.

Tripmaster was overjoyed and called out, "Lord Gao, bring out an incense table." Old Gao promptly carried one out. Tripmaster purified his hands and burned incense, then bowed toward the south, saying, "I am deeply indebted to the Bodhisattva's sacred grace." The other old men also added incense and bowed together. After the worship, Tripmaster ascended the hall and sat in a high position, instructing Wukong to release him from his bonds. The Pilgrim shook himself once, drew himself up, and his bonds fell away of their own accord. The monster bowed again before Tripmaster, vowing to follow him westward. He also bowed to the Pilgrim, taking the one who had arrived first as elder brother, and so addressed the Pilgrim as Senior Brother. Tripmaster said, "Since you have turned to the good and wish to become my disciple, I shall give you a dharma name, so that I may call upon you morning and evening." He replied, "Master, the Bodhisattva already performed the head-touching ceremony upon me and gave me the precepts, bestowing a dharma name—Zhu Wuneng." Tripmaster laughed and said, "Excellent, excellent! Your senior brother is called Wukong, and you are called Wuneng—these are truly the lineage of my dharma tradition." Wuneng said, "Master, having received the Bodhisattva's precepts, I have renounced the five pungent foods and the three abominations. At my father-in-law's house, I have maintained a vegetarian diet and pure conduct, and have not touched meat. Today, having seen my Master, I shall break my vegetarian fast." Tripmaster said, "No, no. Since you already abstain from the five pungent foods and the three abominations, I shall give you another name—Bajie." The fool was overjoyed and said, "I respectfully obey my Master's command." And so he was also called Zhu Bajie.

Old Gao, seeing this turn from evil to righteousness, was all the more delighted. He ordered his household servants to prepare a feast to thank Tripitaka. Bajie stepped forward and seized Old Gao, saying, "Father, ask my humble wife to come out and pay her respects to her father-in-law and uncles—how about that?" The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Brother, since you have entered the Sangha and become a monk, from this day forward, never speak of that 'humble wife' again. In this world there are fire-dwelling Daoists, but where have you ever heard of a fire-dwelling monk? Let us settle our seating order, eat a vegetarian meal, and set off early for the Western Heaven." Old Gao set a table and invited Tripmaka to sit in the seat of honor; the Pilgrim and Bajie sat on the left and right sides; the various relatives sat below. Old Gao opened the pure wine and filled a cup to the brim, offered it to Heaven and Earth, then presented it to Tripmaster. Tripmaster said, "To be honest, Lord Gao, this poor monk has been vegetarian since the womb and has not eaten meat since childhood." Old Gao said, "Knowing that Your Reverence maintains a pure diet, I have not dared to serve meat. This wine is also vegetarian—please do not refuse a cup." Tripmaster said, "I cannot drink wine either—wine is the first prohibition of our monastic order." Wuneng was alarmed and said, "Master, I have kept a vegetarian diet, but I have never given up wine." Wukong said, "Although this old Sun has a modest capacity and cannot drink a whole jar or two, I too have never given up wine." Tripmaster said, "Very well then—you brothers may drink some pure wine, but you must not drink to excess and neglect our mission." And so the two of them received the first cup. Each took his former seat, and vegetarian dishes were laid out. Words cannot describe the abundance of cups and platters or the richness of the fare.

When the feast was over, Old Gao brought out a red-lacquered tray containing two hundred taels of loose gold and silver, offering it to the three venerable monks for their journey. He also presented three cotton-padded monks' robes as outer garments. Tripmaster said, "We are wandering monks. We beg for food in every village and seek alms wherever we go. How dare we accept gold, silver, or silk?" The Pilgrim stepped forward, stretched out his hand, and grabbed a handful, saying, "Gao Cai, yesterday you troubled yourself to guide my Master, and today we have gained a disciple. Having nothing to thank you with, take this loose gold and silver as recompense for your trouble, and use it to buy straw sandals. If there are any more demons ahead, I shall make sure to handle several more for you—then I shall have further occasion to thank you." Gao Cai accepted it and kowtowed in gratitude. Old Gao then said, "Since the venerable monks will not accept gold or silver, I hope you will accept these coarse garments as a small token of my gratitude." Tripmaster again said, "We who have left the household life—if we accept even a thread of bribe, a thousand kalpas will not suffice to cultivate our practice. It is enough to take some of the leftover pastries and fruit from the table as provisions for the road."

Bajie said from the side, "Master, Senior Brother—if you don't want them, that's your affair. But I served this family as a son-in-law for several years; even as hanging-foot rations, I'm worth three shi of grain. Father-in-law, my robe was torn by Senior Brother last night—give me a blue brocade kasaya. My shoes are falling apart—give me a fine new pair of shoes." Old Gao dared not refuse, and promptly bought a new pair of shoes and a robe, exchanging them for the old garments. Bajie swayed back and forth and made a bow to Old Gao, saying, "Please convey to my mother-in-law, the Elder Aunt, the Second Aunt, and their husbands, the uncles and cousins on both sides: today I am becoming a monk and have no time to take my leave in person—please do not take offense. Father-in-law, you must treat my wife well. If by chance we fail to obtain the scriptures, I may return to lay life and resume being your son-in-law as before." The Pilgrim shouted, "You dolt! Stop your nonsense." Bajie said, "It is no nonsense—I only fear that if some mishap occurs, it would not be the monk delaying his work but the wife delaying her marriage, and both sides would suffer for it."

Tripmaster said, "Speak less of idle things—we must set off early." They packed a load of luggage, which Bajie carried on his pole; the white horse was loaded and Tripmaster rode it; the Pilgrim shouldered his iron staff and led the way. The company of three took their leave of Old Gao and all the relatives, and set off toward the West. There is a poem that bears witness. It reads:

Smoke and mist fill the land, the trees stand tall,

A Tang dynasty Buddha's son toils through it all.

Hungry, he eats one bowl from a thousand homes,

Cold, he wears one robe patched with a thousand combs.

Let the wild horse of the mind roam no more,

Let the wicked monkey in the heart howl no more.

When emotion and nature are settled and all conditions unite,

The moon is full at Flower-Gold—that is the shaving of the head.

The three travelers pressed westward along their road, and for a time the way lay smooth and level. They passed beyond the borders of Wusang, and suddenly raising their heads, they saw before them a great mountain. Tripitaka halted his horse and said, "Wukong, Wuneng—there is a tall mountain ahead. We must be careful, very careful." Zhu Bajie said, "There's nothing to worry about. This mountain is called Futu Mountain. In it dwells a Chan Master Wuchao, who cultivates himself here. Old Pig has met him before." Tripitaka asked, "What sort of practices does he have?" Bajie replied, "He does have some spiritual attainment. He once urged me to cultivate myself with him, but I didn't go." The master and his disciples talked as they rode, and before long they had reached the mountain. A fine mountain! Observe:

On the south side stood green pines and cypresses; on the north, weeping willows and red peach blossoms. Noisily chattering, mountain birds conversed in pairs; gracefully soaring, immortal cranes flew together. Fragrant and lush, the hundred flowers displayed a thousand hues; verdantly fresh, the countless weeds held myriad wonders. Below the stream ran rushing green water; before the cliff floated masses of auspicious cloud. Truly it was a place of uncommon serenity and elegance—silent, with no sign of people coming or going.

The master gazed from his horse into the distance. Before a fragrant cypress tree he saw a nest of firewood and grass. On the left, a mule-deer held a flower in its mouth; on the right, a mountain monkey offered fruit. From the treetops came the mingled cries of blue phoenixes and colorful fenghuang; dark cranes and brocade chickens all gathered there. Zhu Bajie pointed and said, "Is that not Chan Master Wuchao?" Tripitaka urged his horse forward at a gallop and rode straight to the tree.

Now that Chan Master, seeing the three travelers approach, at once left his nest and jumped down from the tree. Tripitaka dismounted and bowed reverently, but the Chan Master raised him with his hands, saying, "Holy monk, please arise. I failed to greet you. I failed to greet you." Bajie said, "Old Chan Master, I salute you." Startled, the Chan Master asked, "Are you Zhu Ganglie of Fuling Mountain? How have you come to have such great fortune as to travel with the holy monk?" Bajie replied, "Some years ago, Guanyin Bodhisattva exhorted me to do good, and I agreed to become her disciple." The Chan Master said with great delight, "Good, good, good!" Then he pointed at the Pilgrim and asked, "And who is this one?" Sun Wukong laughed and said, "How is it that this old Chan knows him but doesn't know me?" The Chan Master said, "It is because I have too little knowledge." Tripitaka said, "He is my eldest disciple, Sun Wukong." The Chan Master said apologetically with a smile, "Forgive my rudeness, forgive my rudeness."

Tripitaka bowed again and asked, "May I inquire—where is the Great Thunder Monastery of the Western Heaven?" The Chan Master said, "Far, far away. But the road is full of tigers and leopards—it is hard to travel." Tripitaka pressed him earnestly and asked again, "How far is the journey?" The Chan Master said, "Though the road is long, you will reach your destination in time. It is only that demons and miasmas are hard to overcome. I have a scroll of the *Duoxin Sutra*, consisting of five-fourteen lines, in all two-hundred-seventy characters. Whenever you encounter a place of demonic miasma, simply recite this sutra and you will come to no harm." Tripitaka prostrated himself on the ground and implored him, and the Chan Master transmitted the sutra by word of mouth. The sutra read:

*The Maha Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra*: When the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara was practicing the deep Prajna Paramita, he illuminated the Five Aggregates and found them all empty, and passed beyond all suffering and distress. Shariputra, form is not different from emptiness; emptiness is not different from form. Form is precisely emptiness; emptiness is precisely form. Sensation, conception, mental formation, and consciousness are also like this. Shariputra, these are the marks of the emptiness of all dharmas—neither born nor destroyed, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing. Therefore in emptiness there is no form, no sensation, conception, mental formation, or consciousness; no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind; no form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or object; no realm of sight, and so forth, up to no realm of consciousness. There is no ignorance and no end of ignorance, and so forth, up to no old age and death and no end of old age and death. There is no suffering, origination, cessation, or path; no wisdom and no attainment. Because there is no attainment, the Bodhisattva, relying on Prajna Paramita, has no obstruction in his mind. Because there is no obstruction, he has no fear. Far removed from deluded dreams, he attains final Nirvana. The Buddhas of the three periods, relying on Prajna Paramita, attain Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi. Therefore know that Prajna Paramita is the great divine spell, the great bright spell, the supreme spell, the unequaled spell, which can remove all suffering—true, not false. Therefore speak the Prajna Paramita spell; speak the spell thus: "Gate gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi svaha!"

At that time the Tang monk Tripitaka, having roots of enlightenment within him, heard the *Duoxin Sutra* but once and was able to memorize it, and it has been handed down to this day. This is the comprehensive sutra for cultivating truth, the gateway to becoming a Buddha.

When the Chan Master had transmitted the sutra, he stepped upon a cloud of light and was about to ascend to his nest. Tripitaka seized him and pressed him again, determined to learn the details of the road to the West. The Chan Master smiled and said:

The road is not hard to travel—

Listen to my instructions:

A thousand mountains, a thousand rivers deep,

Many miasmas, many demons you will meet.

If you come to a cliff that touches the sky,

Set your heart at ease—fear not.

When you arrive at the Pumice Rock,

Walk sideways, placing your feet with care.

Be watchful in the dark pine forest—

Many a demon fox will try to cut off your path.

Spirits fill the walled cities,

Mountain lords abound.

A tiger sits in the music hall,

A gray wolf serves as chief secretary.

Elephants and lions all claim to be kings,

Tigers and leopards all act as outriders.

A wild boar carries a shoulder pole,

A water demon you will meet ahead.

An old stone monkey of many years—

Why does he harbor angry resentment?

Ask that one you have met—

He knows the road to the West.

Upon hearing this, the Pilgrim said with a sneer, "Let's go. We needn't ask him—ask me!" Tripitaka still did not understand his meaning. The Chan master transformed himself into a beam of golden light and went straight up to the Crow's Nest. The patriarch bowed upward to thank him, but Pilgrim Sun was filled with rage. He raised his iron rod and struck wildly upward, only to see a myriad lotus blossoms bloom and auspicious fog gather in a thousand layers. Even with the strength to churn the sea and overturn the river, Pilgrim Sun could not snatch a single vine from the Crow's Nest. Tripitaka, seeing this, grabbed Pilgrim Sun and said, "Wukong, such a Bodhisattisa—why are you smashing his nest?" Pilgrim Sun said, "He insulted the two of us, my brother and me!" Tripitaka said, "He spoke of the road to the Western Heaven—how did he insult you?" Pilgrim Sun said, "How could you know? When he said 'the wild pig carries the load,' he was insulting Bajie. When he said 'the old stone monkey of many years,' he was insulting old Sun. How could you not understand that?" Bajie said, "Brother, calm yourself. This Chan master also knows the past and the future. Just look at his words—'a water monster lies ahead'—who knows if that will come true or not? Let him go." Pilgrim Sun saw the lotus blossoms and auspicious fog near the nest's edge, and he could do no more. He had no choice but to ask his master to mount the horse, and they descended the mountain and headed west. And that journey:

It ensured that blessings of peace would be rare on earth,

And caused demons of disaster to multiply in the mountains.

What exactly lay ahead on their journey, you will hear in the next chapter.