Chapter 65

Chapter 65

On the causes and effects of this tale: exhort all to do good and never do evil. Let a single thought arise, and the spirits will witness it—let others act as they may. How could the dull and clumsy learn such skill? Both kinds are still but medicine for the mindlessness. Cultivate the Way while you still live—do not waste your time. Recognize the root source, shed the fundamental shell. To seek long life, you must grasp it. Keep clear insight at all times, and taste the ghee of wisdom. Penetrate the three passes and fill the black sea, and the good will ride the phoenix and crane. At that time, pity the old with deeper compassion, and ascend to the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Now we speak of Tang Sanzang, whose single thought was devout and sincere. Let us not yet speak of the gods who protected him—even the spirits of grass and trees came to guide and escort him. A graceful night passed, and he escaped from the thorns and brambles, with no more vines or creepers to entangle him. The four companions advanced westward and traveled for a long time, until the winter had waned and the days of the third month of spring arrived:

All things flourished in harmony, and the handle of the Dipper returned to the yin position. Green shoots spread across the land, and willow buds lined the dikes in emerald. On one ridge, red peach blossoms stained the brocade; in half a stream, misty water gleamed like blue silk. How much wind and rain, how boundless the heart's stirrings! The sun warmed the hearts of flowers to brilliance; swallows carried mossy stamens with gentle care. The mountain colors were like Wang Wei's paintings, now dark, now light; the birdsong was like Master Ji's tongue, flowing freely. The fragrant splendor spread like embroidered silk, but no one admired it—yet the dancing butterflies and singing bees had feeling enough.

The master and disciples too sought out the fragrant and trod the green, following the horse's pace leisurely. As they traveled, they suddenly saw a tall mountain. Gazing into the distance, it seemed to join with the heavens. Sanzang raised his whip and pointed, saying: "Wukong, I don't know how high that mountain is—it seems to touch the blue sky and pierce through the azure firmament." The Pilgrim said: "Does not the ancient poem say: 'Only the Heaven is above; no mountain can equal it.' It speaks only of the mountain's extreme height, that nothing can compare with it—how could it actually touch the sky?" Bajie said: "If it doesn't touch the sky, why is Mount Kunlun called the Pillar of Heaven?" The Pilgrim said: "You don't understand. Since ancient times it has been said that 'Heaven is not full in the northwest.' Mount Kunlun lies in the northwest, in the qian position, and so it has the meaning of supporting the sky and filling the void—therefore it is called the Pillar of Heaven." Sha Wujing laughed and said: "Big brother, don't tell him such fine things. If he hears them, he'll go and lord it over someone else. Let's just keep walking—when we reach the mountain, we'll know its height for ourselves."

The fool chased Sha Wujing, scuffling and sparring with him. The old master's horse flew like the wind. In no time they reached the edge of the mountain cliff, and step by step they began to climb upward. Behold that mountain:

The wind rustled in the forest, the water gurgled in the ravine. Crows and sparrows could not fly over it; even immortals would say it was difficult. A thousand cliffs and ten thousand ravines, a billion curves and a hundred bends. Dust and sand rolled without end, and no one arrived; strange rocks stood in dense profusion, never tiring the eye. In some places there was cloud like swirling water; in every direction were trees and the clamor of birds. A deer carried an herb in its mouth and departed; a monkey plucked a peach and returned. Foxes and badgers leaped about on the heights; deer and river deer came and went at the ridge. Suddenly a tiger's roar startled the heart; leopards and wolves blocked the road.

Tang Sanzang was alarmed at the sight. Sun Wukong's divine powers were vast. Look—with his iron rod and a single roar, he frightened off the wolves, insects, tigers, and leopards, cut open a path, and led the master straight up the tall mountain. They passed the ridge and descended to a level place in the west, when suddenly they saw auspicious light spreading gently and colored mist swirling thickly. There stood a cluster of towers, halls, and pavilions, with the distant, faint sound of bells and chimes. Sanzang said: "Disciples, what sort of place is that?" The Pilgrim raised his head, shaded his eyes with his hand, and looked carefully. That was a splendid place. Truly:

Precious towers and jeweled thrones, a famous monastery in the world above. The valley was empty and full of earthly sounds; the realm was still and scattered the fragrance of heaven. Green pines, veiled in rain, shaded the tall pavilions; emerald bamboo, holding clouds, guarded the lecture halls. Radiant light, ethereal, revealed the dragon palace; colored mist, drifting, stretched across the world of sand. Vermilion railings and jade doorways, painted beams and carved rafters. The fragrance of scripture filled the seats; the moon shone upon the window as the spells were chanted. Birds sang within the cinnabar trees; cranes drank beside the stone springs. Flowers bloomed on all sides, making the jade garden radiant; three gates opened, shining with the light of Shravasti. The towers rose abruptly, facing the peaks; the bells and chimes rang softly, their tones long and drawn out. The windows opened to a fine breeze; the curtains rolled up to mist. The monks' hearts were tranquil and detached; no vulgar spirit disturbed their peace. The red dust of the world never reached this true immortal realm; this pure land's monastery was a fine place for the Way.

When the Pilgrim had finished looking, he replied: "Master, that place is a monastery—but I don't know why, amid its auspicious and sacred light, there is also some baleful energy. Judging from its appearance, it resembles Thunder Monastery, yet the road doesn't match. When we arrive there, we must not enter rashly, lest we fall into a trap." Tripitaka said: "Since it has the appearance of Thunder Monastery, could it perhaps be the Vulture Peak? Do not mislead my sincere heart and delay my purpose." The Pilgrim said: "No, no. I have traveled to the Vulture Peak several times—is that the road?" Bajie said: "Even if it isn't, there must be some good people living there." Sha Wujing said: "There's no need to doubt so much. This path inevitably passes by the gate—whether it is or not, we'll know as soon as we see it." The Pilgrim said: "Wujing speaks sensibly."

The old master whipped his horse and hastened forward. When he reached the monastery gate and saw the three large characters "Leiyin Si," he tumbled off his horse in alarm and fell to the ground, cursing: "You wretched monkey! You've done me in! It's clearly Thunder Monastery, and yet you still deceived me!" The Pilgrim said with an apologetic smile: "Master, don't be angry—look again. There are four characters on the gate. How did you only read three, and then blame me?" The old master scrambled to his feet, trembling, and looked again. Indeed, there were four characters: "Xiao Leiyin Si"—the Lesser Thunder Monastery. Sanzang said: "Even if it is the Lesser Thunder Monastery, there must be a Buddha within. The scriptures speak of three thousand Buddhas—perhaps they are not all in one place: Guanyin is in the South Sea, Puzhan on Mount Emei, Wenshu on Mount Wutai. This must be the monastery of some Buddha. The ancients said: 'Where there are Buddhas and scriptures, there is no fixed direction and no fixed treasure.' We may go in." The Pilgrim said: "You must not enter. This place has little fortune and much misfortune. If disaster befalls us, don't blame me." Sanzang said: "Even if there is no Buddha, there must be a Buddha image. It is my wish as a disciple to worship any Buddha I meet—how could I blame you?"

He then ordered Bajie to fetch the cassock, change the monk's cap, put his robes in order, and set off. Just then they heard someone shouting inside the mountain gate, "Tang monk, you came from the Eastern Land to pay homage to our Buddha—how can you be so discourteous?" Upon hearing this, the Tripitaka immediately bowed in reverence. Bajie also kowtowed, and Sha Wujing fell to his knees. Only the Great Sage held the horse and gathered the luggage from behind. Only after they had entered the inner gate did they see the great hall of the Tathagata. Outside the hall, beneath the jeweled terrace, were arrayed the five hundred Arhats, the three thousand Yakshas, the four Diamond Guardians, the eight Bodhisattvas, the bhikshunis, the upasakas, and countless holy monks and Taoist adepts. Truly, the fragrant flowers were gorgeous and auspicious airs swirled in profusion. The elder, together with Bajie and Sha Wujing, were so flustered that they bowed with every step as they ascended the sacred platform. But Sun Wukong openly refused to bow. Then a sharp voice cried out from the lotus throne above, "That Sun Wukong—why do you not bow before the Tathagata?" Little did they know the Great Sage looked closely and saw it was all a ruse. He threw down the horse and the luggage, seized his staff, and shouted, "You herd of wretched beasts, how dare you be so brazen—counterfeiting the Buddha's name and sullying the Tathagata's pure virtue? Don't you run away!" With both hands he swung his staff and charged forward to strike. Then with a clanging sound from midair, a pair of golden cymbals fell, enclosing the Great Sage from head to foot within the golden cymbals. In a panic, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing raised their rake and staff, but the Arhats, Yakshas, holy monks, and Taoist adepts swarmed around them. Caught off guard, both were captured. The Tripitaka was seized as well. All were bound with ropes and tightly secured.

In fact, the one disguised as the Buddha on the lotus throne was a demon king, and the Arhats were all lesser demons. They then put away the Buddha's form and resumed their true demonic shapes. The three captives were carried to the back and stored away. The Great Sage was sealed within the golden cymbals, never to be released. They were placed upon the jeweled terrace, and in three days and nights he would be reduced to blood and pus. After that, they would be put in an iron cage and steamed for the demons to enjoy. And so it was:

The green-eyed monkey recognized the false from the true;

In seeing the image, he bowed to the golden form in jest.

The Yellow Woman blindly joined in the worship;

The Wood Mother foolishly shared in the discourse.

The wicked demons grew strong and deceived their true nature;

The demon chief harbored evil and cheated heaven and man.

Truly, when the Way is small and the demon is great,

One errs by entering a side gate and wastes one's body in vain.

At that time, the horde of demons stored Tripitaka and his three disciples in the back. They tied the horse in the rear. They placed the cassock and monk's cap inside the luggage and stored them as well. And there they kept them under strict guard.

Now then, the Great Sage was enclosed within the golden cymbals. It was pitch black, and he sweated all over from the stifling heat. He pushed left and bumped right but could not get out. In desperation, he struck wildly with his iron staff, but it did not budge even a fraction. At his wits' end, he strained his body outward, trying to burst the golden cymbals apart. He formed a mudra and grew to a height of a thousand feet, but the golden cymbals grew with him, leaving no crack or sliver of light. He then formed a mudra to shrink his body down to the size of a mustard seed, and the cymbals shrank with him, leaving not the tiniest opening. He then blew a breath of immortal qi upon his iron staff and commanded, "Transform!" It became like a banner pole, propping up the golden cymbals. He plucked two long hairs from the back of his head and commanded, "Transform!" They became a five-petaled plum-blossom drill. He drilled a thousand times against the underside of the staff, but it only made a hollow, echoing sound and did not penetrate at all. The Great Sage grew frantic. He formed a mudra and chanted the spell "Oṃ, the tranquil dharma realm, Qian, Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen," summoning the Five-Directional Yakshas, the Six Ding and Six Jia gods, and the eighteen guardian deities of the teachings. They all appeared outside the golden cymbals and said, "Great Sage, we are all protecting our master, preventing the demons from harming him. Why have you summoned us?" The Great Sage said, "My master wouldn't listen to my counsel—even if he dies, he deserves it. But you must quickly find a way to pry open these cymbals and let me out, so I can deal with the situation. It's so dark inside here, and I'm so hot and restless—won't I be suffocated to death?" The gods truly tried to pry open the cymbals, but they seemed to have grown together as one, and they could not budge them even a fraction. The Golden-Head Yaksha said, "Great Sage, these cymbals are some kind of treasure—top and bottom joined as one piece. My divine power is too weak to pry them open." The Great Sage said, "I've used every kind of magic in here, and I can't move them either."

Upon hearing this, the Yaksha ordered the Six Ding gods to protect Tripitaka, the Six Jia gods to guard the golden cymbals, and the guardian deities to keep watch front and rear. Then he mounted auspicious light and, in an instant, burst through the Southern Heavenly Gate. Without waiting for an audience, he went straight to the Hall of Miraculous Fog below and, prostrating himself before the Jade Emperor, said, "Your Majesty, I am the envoy of the Five-Directional Yakshas. Now the Great Sage Equal to Heaven is escorting Tripitaka on his scripture-seeking journey. They encountered a mountain called the Lesser Thunder Sound Monastery. Tripitaka mistakenly took it for the sacred mountain and went in to bow—but it was actually a demon's illusion, trapping master and disciples. The Great Sage has been sealed inside a pair of golden cymbals with no way in or out, and he is close to death. I have come especially to report this." The edict was immediately issued: "Dispatch the Twenty-eight Constellations at once to deliver them from calamity and subdue the demons."

The star deity dared not delay. Along with the Jiedi guardian, he left the Heavenly Gate and arrived at the mountain gate around the second watch of the night. The lesser demons, having captured the monk Tang, had been rewarded by the old demon king and had all gone to sleep. The star deities moved without raising alarm, reaching the outside of the cymbals. They announced, "Great Sage, we are the Twenty-Eight Mansions sent by the Jade Emperor to rescue you here." The Pilgrim, hearing this, was overjoyed and said, "Use your weapons to break them open, and old Sun will come out." The star deities said, "We dare not strike them. This is a treasure of pure gold. If struck, it will make a sound, and the sound will rouse the demons, making rescue difficult. Let us use your weapons to pry at it. Wherever you see even a sliver of light inside, make your move." The Pilgrim said, "Exactly." And so you saw those wielding spears wield spears, those wielding swords wield swords, those wielding sabers wield sabers, those wielding axes wield axes. Some carried, some lifted, some pried, some pried at the edges. They worked until the third watch, but the cymbals remained unmoved—solid and seamless as if cast in one piece. The Pilgrim inside peered east and west, crawled this way and rolled that, but could not see the slightest glimmer of light.

The Dragon of the Kang constellation said, "Great Sage, do not be anxious. This treasure must be a wish-fulfilling object, capable of transformation. Inside, find the seam with your hands and feel for it. I will push the tip of my horn in through it. You can then transform yourself and slip out wherever there is some give." The Pilgrim followed his words and groped around inside. The star deity shrank his body, and the tip of his horn became as fine as a needle, sliding through the seam where the cymbals met. Alas, it took a thousand pounds of force to pierce through. He then expanded his body and his horn using his magical form, crying, "Grow! Grow! Grow!" The horn grew to the thickness of a bowl. Yet the mouth of the cymbals did not seem cast of gold—it was more like flesh and flesh grown together, gripping the Kang Dragon's horn tightly, with no crack or gap anywhere around. The Pilgrim felt his horn and said, "This won't do. There's not the slightest give above or below. There's no choice—bear some pain for me and pull me out." The great sage then transformed his golden-banded steel rod into a drill and bored a hole through the tip of the horn. He shrank himself to the size of a mustard seed and nestled inside the drilled hole, crying, "Pull the horn out! Pull the horn out!" The star deity spent untold effort before he finally pulled it free, his strength utterly spent and his muscles limp, collapsing to the ground.

The Pilgrim, however, slipped out through the hole drilled in the tip of the horn, resumed his true form, seized his iron rod, and struck the cymbals with a tremendous crash. The sound was like a copper mountain collapsing or a gold mine splitting open. Alas, a sacred Buddhist vessel was shattered into a thousand scattered pieces of metal. The Twenty-Eight Mansions were thrown into a panic, the Five Jiedi guardians' hair stood on end, and all the lesser demons awoke from their dreams. The old demon king rose in haste from his sleep, threw on his clothes, beat the drum, and assembled the demon host, each taking up weapons. By now dawn was approaching. They rushed as one to the foot of the precious platform and saw only the Pilgrim Sun and the star deities surrounding the shattered golden cymbals. The demon king was struck with terror. He commanded, "Little ones! Bar the front gate tightly. Let no one escape."

The Pilgrim, hearing this, gathered the star deities and leaped into the ninth heaven on a cloud. The demon king gathered the scattered metal pieces, arrayed his demon soldiers, and drew up ranks outside the mountain gate. The demon king, nursing his hatred, had no choice but to don his armor. He wielded a short, flexible wolf-tooth mace and strode out of his camp, shouting, "Sun the Pilgrim, a true man does not flee far away. Come forward and fight three rounds with me." The Pilgrim could not restrain himself. He led the star deities and descended on his cloud to observe what manner of creature this demon was. He saw him thus:

His hair disheveled, bound by a thin flat golden circlet; his eyes blazing, with two pairs of yellow eyebrows bristling upward. His nose was like a suspended gall, with nostrils flaring wide; his mouth was square, with sharp fangs. He wore a suit of interlocking chain mail and a silk sash knotted with tassels. On his feet were a pair of black leather shoes; in his hand he carried a wolf-tooth mace. His form resembled a beast yet was not a beast; his face was not human yet bore a human likeness.

The Pilgrim raised his iron rod and shouted, "What manner of monster are you, that dares impersonate a Buddha, seize a mountain, and falsely establish a Lesser Thunder Sound Temple?" The demon king said, "This monkey does not even know my name, yet dares invade my immortal mountain. This place is called the Lesser Western Heaven. Because I cultivated myself and attained the fruits of enlightenment, Heaven bestowed upon me this precious pavilion and treasure halls. My name is the Yellow-Browed Old Buddha. The people here do not know this and call me the Yellow-Browed Great King or the Yellow-Browed Patriarch. I have long known that you were traveling westward and possessed certain abilities, so I set up this image to display my power and lure your master inside. I wanted to make a wager with you. If you can defeat me, I will spare your master and disciples and let you attain the fruits of enlightenment. If you cannot, I will kill you all and go myself to visit the Tathagata to obtain the scriptures and bring them to glorify the Middle Kingdom." The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Demon, do not boast. If you want a wager, come up here and receive my rod." The demon king, delighted, raised his wolf-to-he mace to meet him. And this was a fine battle:

The two rods were different, and their shapes could be described: one was a short, soft weapon of the Buddha's house; the other was a hard rod hidden in the sea's depths. Both had the power of transformation at will; this day they met to contend for supremacy. The short, soft wolf-tooth mace was adorned with brocade; the hard golden-banded rod resembled a dragon. Coarse or fine, both were worthy of praise; short or long, both could be wielded as needed. The monkey and the demon fought together—this battle was truly no deception. The tamed monkey, instructed by the teachings, became the Mind-Monkey; the wild demon, defying Heaven, created a false image. With wrath and hatred, both showed no mercy; fierce and savage, each had its own manner. One struck from above without relenting; the other parried face-on and could not yield. Their battle clouded the sun and darkened the day; their mist shrouded the peaks and ridges. Rod met rod in mutual assault, and both forgot life and death—all for the sake of Tripitaka.

The two of them fought for fifty rounds, with neither gaining the upper hand. At the mountain gate, gongs were beaten and drums pounded, while the various demons shouted and waved their banners. On this side, the Twenty-Eight Constellation Generals and the Five Guardian Deities, each brandishing their weapons, let out a great roar and surrounded the demon chief in the middle. This terrified the horde of lesser demons outside the mountain gate—they could barely beat their drums, and their hands trembled too much to strike the gongs. The old demon lord showed no fear whatsoever. With one hand he wielded his wolf-tooth mace, fending off the massed weapons; with the other hand he untied from his waist an old white cloth sack and tossed it upward. With a smooth, loud swooping sound, he caught Great Sage Sun, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, and the Five Guardian Deities all in one sack, slung it over his shoulder, and strode back inside. The little demons all returned in triumphant joy. The old demon ordered his minions to fetch thirty or fifty hemp ropes, untied the sack, and bound each one as they were taken out. Every single one of them was limp and numb, their skin shriveled and wrinkled. Having bound them, they were carried to the back and thrown to the ground without discrimination. The demon king then ordered a grand feast, and they drank from dawn until dusk before dispersing, each retiring to his quarters—of which no more will be said.

Now, Sun Great Sage and the other gods had been bound until the middle of the night when suddenly they heard the sound of weeping. Listening closely, they recognized it as the voice of Tripitaka, crying: "Wukong! I—

Regret that I would not listen then,

Which brings me to this calamity now.

The golden cymbal harmed you, I know not who,

And hemp ropes bind me—who knows of this?

Four souls afflicted, our fates bitter,

Three thousand merits all brought low.

How shall we escape this dire distress,

And journey westward, free to return?"

When the Pilgrim heard these words, he secretly felt compassion. "Though my master did not heed my words and has now suffered this harm, yet in the midst of calamity he still thinks of old Sun. Taking advantage of this quiet night when the demons sleep and no one is on guard, I shall go and free us all to escape."

So the Great Sage employed his body-shrinking technique, made himself small, slipped out of his ropes, and approached Tripitaka, calling out, "Master!" The elder recognized his voice and cried, "How did you get here?" The Pilgrim quietly told him everything that had happened. The elder was overjoyed. "Disciple, quickly save me! From now on, I will leave everything to you and will not be stubborn again." The Pilgrim then set to work, first freeing his master, then releasing Bajie and Seng. He also untied each of the Twenty-Eight Constellations and the Five Guardian Deities. He led the horse over and told them to go out first. But upon reaching the gate, they did not know where the luggage was, so he went back to look for it. Kang Jinlong said, "You value objects over people! You've already saved your master—that's enough. Why go looking for luggage?" The Pilgrim replied, "People are certainly important, but the sacred objects are even more important. In the pack are the travel permit, the brocade kasaya robe, and the purple-gold alms bowl—all precious treasures of the Buddhist faith. How could we leave them behind?" Bajie said, "Brother, you go look for it. We'll head out on the road and wait for you." The star deities gathered around Tripitaka, employed their levitation magic, and with a gust of wind, carried them over the walls, down the mountain slope, and settled on level ground to wait.

Around the third watch, Sun Great Sage walked slowly and softly back inside. He found that each layer of doors was tightly shut. He climbed up to the high tower to look, but all the windows were closed. He wanted to go down, but feared the window frames would creak, so he dared not push them. He recited a spell, shook his body, and transformed into a celestial mouse—commonly known as a bat. This is what he looked like:

His head was pointed like a mouse's,

His eyes were bright just the same.

He flew out at dusk with wings,

And dwelt in darkness when there was no light.

He hid himself in holes in the tiles,

And caught mosquitoes for his food.

He favored clear moonlit nights,

And flew and soared, knowing the hour well.

He crept in through the gaps beneath the un-mortared roof tiles, passing through doors and halls, until he reached the middle. There he saw, beneath the window of the third-story tower, a flickering gleam of light—not the light of lamps or candles, not the light of fireflies, nor the light of flying auroras or lightning. He half-flew, half-hopped up to the window and saw that it was the pack glowing. The demon had taken off Tripitaka's kasaya but had not folded it—he had stuffed it carelessly into the pack. The kasaya was a Buddhist treasure, adorned with wish-fulfilling pearls, mani pearls, red agates, purple coral, sarira relics, and night-shining pearls, which is why it shone with such radiance. Seeing these sacred objects, the Pilgrim's heart leaped with joy. He resumed his true form, seized the pack, and without caring whether the carrying ropes were properly arranged, slung it over his shoulder and headed down. But he accidentally let one end slip, and it fell with a crash onto the floorboards with a loud clatter. Ah! What a thing to happen—the old demon chief happened to be sleeping downstairs. The sound startled him awake. He leaped up and shouted wildly, "There's someone here! There's someone here!" The lesser demons all rose, lit lamps and torches, and shouted together, searching everywhere. Some came to report, "Tripitaka has escaped." Others reported, "The Pilgrim and all the others have escaped." The old demon quickly issued orders: "Guard every gate carefully!" When the Pilgrim heard this, fearing he might fall into another trap and fail to carry off the pack, he somersaulted on his cloud and leaped out the tower window, making his escape.

The demon could not find Tripitaka and the others no matter how he searched. Seeing that dawn was approaching, he took his staff and led his troops in pursuit. He found the Twenty-Eight Constellations and the Five Dīptā Devas and other gods, surrounded by billowing clouds and mist, encamped at the foot of a hillside. The Demon King bellowed, "Where do you think you're going? Here I come!" At once Jiaomujiao called out, "Brothers, the monster is here!" Kangjinlong, Difu, Fangritu, Xin Yuehu, Weihuozhu, Jishuibao, Dumuxie, Niujinniu, Nütuhao, Xuri Shu, Wei Yueyan, Shi Huozhu, Bishuiyu, Kuimulang, Loujingou, Weitu Zhi, Maorij, Bi Yuehu, Zihuohou, Canshuiyuan, Jingmu'an, Guijinyang, Liutuxing, Xingrima, Zhangyuelu, Yihuoshe, and Zhenyushuiyin, leading the Golden-Headed Dīpta, the Silver-Headed Dīpta, the Six Jia and Six Ding gods, the Protective Sangharama, along with Bajie and Sha Seng (but not taking Tang Sanzang, and leaving behind the White Dragon Horse), all seized their weapons and surged forward together. The Demon King saw them, laughed a cold laugh, and blew his whistle. Four or five thousand lesser demons, each mighty and fierce, engaged in a pitched battle on the western hillside. A fierce fight it was:

The demon's savage evil assailed the true nature;

The true nature, gentle and mild, could no match the demon make.

A hundred schemes were tried, but hardship could not be escaped;

A thousand wondrous arts could not bring harmony.

The heavenly hosts came to protect;

The holy saints aided with arms.

Lingering affection brought loss to the Wood Mother;

Steady resolve stirred the Yellow Dame.

The furious battle shook heaven and earth;

Fierce struggle set nets and snares.

On one side banners waved and war cries rang;

On the other side drums were beaten and gongs were struck.

Spears and swords in dense array, their cold light rippling;

Halberds and halberds in multitude, their killing aura abundant.

The demon soldiers were fierce and brave;

What could the divine weapons do?

Gloomy clouds obscured the sun and moon;

Miserable mist covered the rivers and mountains.

They fought with desperate effort and strain,

All because Tripitaka had worshipped Amitabha.

The demon fought with redoubled ferocity, leading his troops forward to slaughter them.

At the moment when neither side could gain the advantage, they heard Pilgrim Sun shout, "Old Sun is here!" Bajie came forward and asked, "What about the luggage?" Pilgrim said, "Old Sun's life was nearly lost—what's there to talk about luggage!" Sha Seng, holding his precious staff, said, "Enough talk. Hurry and fight the demon!" The Constellations, Dīptās, Dīngjia, and other gods had been surrounded by the horde of demons and were locked in fierce combat. The old demon came at the three of them with his staff. Pilgrim, Bajie, and Sha Seng threw aside their staves and wielded their rake to hold him off. Truly the sky grew dark and the earth dim; they could not prevail. They fought until the Sun Star sank behind the mountain roots and the Moon Star rose above the eastern sea cliffs. The demon saw that night was falling, blew his whistle, and told his troops to be on their guard. Then he produced his treasure. Sun Pilgrim saw clearly: the monster untied his satchel and took it in his hand. Pilgrim cried out, "It's over! Run!" Without a thought for Bajie, Sha Seng, or the heavenly host, he somersaulted all the way up into the Ninth Heaven. The gods, Bajie, and Sha Seng did not understand what was happening. He was thrown in, and they were all packed inside—only Pilgrim escaped. The Demon King withdrew his troops and returned to the temple. He then had ropes brought out and had them bound as before. Tripitaka, Bajie, and Sha Seng were hung high from the rafters, the white horse was tied up at the rear, and the gods were all bound and carried into the cellar, where the trapdoor was sealed shut. The lesser demons obeyed and stored everything away, and we shall speak of them no more.

Pilgrim Sun leaped into the Ninth Heaven and saved his life. Seeing the demon troops return without displaying their banners, he knew that the others had been captured. He pressed down his auspicious light and descended upon the eastern mountaintop, gnashing his teeth in hatred of the monster, shedding tears as he thought of Tripitaka, gazing up at the sky, and suddenly bursting into lament. He cried, "Master! In what age did you create such tribulation that in this age you meet demons at every step? With suffering like this so hard to escape, what can be done?" Alone, he sighed and grieved for a long time. Then he composed his mind and reflected, questioning his own heart: "I don't know what kind of satchel this demon has—how can it hold so many things? Now the heavenly gods and heavenly generals and so many others have all been packed inside. I want to seek help from Heaven, but I fear the Jade Emperor would take offense. I recall there is a True Martial Emperor of the North, called the Demon-Subduing Celestial Worthy, who is now on Mount Wudang in the Southern Continent of Jambudvīpa. I will go and ask him to rescue Master from this calamity." Indeed:

Before the Way of Immortality was complete, the ape and horse were scattered;

With the spirit having no master, the Five Elements withered.

We do not know for certain how this journey will turn out. Listen to the next chapter for the explanation.