We were telling you about the disciple and master, who urged the horse forward and arrived at the front gate of the building. They saw that it was indeed a monastery with
Tiers of towers and turrets,
And rows of quiet chambers.
Above the temple gate
Hung the august panoply of colored nimbus;
Before the Hall of Five Blessings
Whirled a thousand strands of bright red mists.
Two rows of pines and bamboos;
One grove ofjuniper and cypress;
Two rows of pines and bamboos
Revealed their fair virtue unspoiled by time;
One grove ofjuniper and cypress
Displayed its chaste beauty in comely hues.
They saw also the tall bell tower,
The pagoda rugged,
Monks in silent meditation
And birds on trees gently cooing.
A dustless seclusion was the real seclusion,
For the quiescence of Dao was truly quiescent.
The poem says:
This temple, like Jetavana, hides in a jade-green grove.
Its beauty surpasses even the Sag-var~a.
Pure land among mankind is rare indeed:
This world's famed mountains are mostly held by monks.
The priest dismounted, and Pilgrim laid down his load. They were about to walk through the gate when a monk came out. "How does he look?" you ask.
He wore a hat pinned to the left
And a robe most spotlessly pure.
Two brass rings hung from his ears;
A silk sash was wrapped round his waist.
His straw sandals moved sedately;
His hands carried a wooden fish.
His mouth recited constantly
The Wtsdom he sought most humbly.
When Tripitaka saw him, he stood waiting by the gate and saluted with his palms pressed together in front of him. The monk returned the greeting at once and said laughing, ''I'm sorry, but I don't know you!" He then asked, "Where do you come from? Please come in for some tea." "Your disciple," said Tripitaka, "has been sent by royal decree from the Land of the East to go to seek scriptures from Buddha in the Temple of Thunderclap. It was getting late when we arrived here, and we would like to ask for a night's lodging in your fair temple:' "Please take a seat inside;' said the monk. Only then did Tripi taka call Pilgrim to lead the horse inside. When the monk caught sight of Pilgrim's face, he became somewhat afraid and asked, "What's that thing leading the horse?" "Speak softly!" said Tripitaka. "He's easily provoked! If he hears you referring to him as a thing, he'll get mad. He happens to be my disciple." With a shiver, the monk bit his finger and said, "Such a hideous creature, and you made him your disciple!" Tripi taka said, "You can't tell by mere appearance. He may be ugly, but he is very useful."
That monk had little choice but to accompany Tripitaka and Pilgrim as they entered the temple gate. Inside, above the main hall's entrance, the words "Guanyin Chan Hall" were written in large letters. Highly pleased, Tripitaka said, "This disciple has repeatedly benefited from the holy grace of the Bodhisattva, though he has had no opportunity to thank her. Now that we are at this Chan hall, it is as if we are meeting the Bodhisattva personally; and it is most proper that I should offer my thanks." When the monk heard this, he told one of the attendants to open wide the door of the hall and invited Tripitaka to worship. Pilgrim tied up the horse, dropped his luggage, and went with Tripitaka up the hall. Stretching his back and then flattening himself on the ground, Tripi taka kowtowed to the golden image as the monk went to beat the drum, and Pilgrim began to strike the bell. Prostrating himself before the seat of the deity; Tripi taka poured out his heart in prayer. When he finished, the monk stopped the drum, but Pilgrim continued to strike the bell without ceasing. Now rapidly; now slowly, he persisted for a long time. The attendant said, "The service is over. Why are you still striking the bell?" Only then did Pilgrim throw away the hammer and say; laughing, "You wouldn't know this! I'm just living by the proverb: 'If you are a monk for a day, strike then the bell for a day!"' 2
By then, the monks young and old of the monastery and the elders of upper and lower chambers were all aroused by the unruly sound of the bell. They rushed out together crying, "Who is the maniac fooling with the bell?" Pilgrim leaped out of the hall and shouted, "Your Grandpa Sun sounded it to amuse himselfl" The moment the monks saw him, they were so frightened that they tumbled and rolled on the ground. Crawling around, they said, "Father Thunder!" "He's only my great-grandson!" said Pilgrim. "Get up, get up! Don't be afraid. We are noble priests who have come from the Great Tang Nation in the east:' The various monks then bowed courteously to him, and when they saw Tripi taka, they were even more reassured. One of the monks, who was the abbot of the monastery, said, "Let the holy fathers come to the living room in the back so that we may offer them some tea:' Untying the reins and leading the horse, they picked up the luggage and went past the main hall to the back of the monastery, where they sat down in orderly rows.
After serving tea, the abbot prepared a vegetarian meal, although it was still rather early for dinner. Tripi taka had not finished thanking him when an old monk emerged from the rear, supported by two boys. Look how he was attired:
He wore on his head a Vairocana hat
Topped by a precious, shining cat's-eye stone;
He wore on his body a brocaded woolen frock,
Piped brilliantly in gold and kingfisher feathers.
A pair of monk shoes on which Eight Treasures were set,
And a priestly staff encased with starry gems.
His face full of wrinkles,
He looked like the Old Witch of Li Mountain;
His eyes were dim-sighted,
Though he seemed a Dragon King of the Eastern Ocean.
Wind stabbed his mouth for his teeth had fallen,
And palsy had made crooked his aged back.
The various monks made the announcement: "The Patriarch is here:' Tripitaka bowed to receive him, saying, "Old Abbot, your disciple bows to
you:' The old monk returned the gesture, and they were both seated. "Just
now I heard the little ones announcing;' said the old monk, "that venerable fathers from the Tang court have arrived from the east. I came out specifically to meet you." "Without knowing any better;' said Tripi taka, "we intruded into your esteemed temple. Please pardon us!" "Please, please!" said the old monk. "May I ask the holy father what the distance is between here and the Land of the East?" "Since leaving the outskirts of Chang'an;• said Tripitaka, "I traveled for some five thousand miles before passing the Mountain of Two Frontiers, where I picked up a little disciple. Moving on, we passed through the Hamil Kingdom of the western barbarians, and in two months we had traveled another five or six thousand miles. Only then did we arrive at your noble region." "Well, you have covered the distance of ten thousand miles,'' said the old monk. "This disciple truly has spent his life in vain, for he has not even left the door of the temple. I have, as the saying goes, 'sat in the well to look at the sky.' A veritable piece of dead wood!"
Then Tripitaka asked, "What is the honorable age of the Old Abbot?" "Foolishly I have reached my two hundred and seventieth year,'' said the old monk. When Pilgrim heard this, he said, "You are only my descendant of the ten-thousandth generation!" "Careful!" said Tripitaka, looking at him sternly. "Don't offend people with your brashness!" ']\nd you, Elder,'' asked the old monk, "how old are you?" "I dare not tell,'' said Pilgrim. That old monk thought it was just a foolish remark; he paid no further attention, nor did he ask again. Instead, he called for tea to be served, and a young cleric brought out a tray made of milk-white jade on which there were three cloisonne cups with gold edges. Another youth brought out a white copper pot and poured three cups of scented tea, truly more colorful than camellia buds and more fragrant than cassia flowers. When Tripi taka saw these, he could not cease making compliments, saying, "What marvelous things! What marvelous things! A lovely drink, indeed, and lovely utensils!" "Most disgraceful stuffl" said the old monk. "The holy father resides in the heavenly court of a great nation, and he has witnessed all kinds of rare treasures. Things like these are not worthy of your praise. Since you have come from a noble state, do you have any precious thing you can show me?" "It's pathetic!" said Tripi taka. "We have no precious thing in the Land of the East; and even if we had, I could not bring it with me because of the distance.''
From the side, Pilgrim said, "Master, I saw a cassock the other day in our bag. Isn't that a treasure? Why not take it out and show it to him?" When the other monks heard him mentioning a cassock, they all began to snicker. "What are you laughing at?" asked Pilgrim. The abbot said, "To say that a cassock is a treasure, as you just did, is certainly laughable. If you want to talk about cassocks, priests like us would possess more than twenty or thirty such garments. Take the case of our Patriarch, who has been a monk here for some two hundred and fifty years. He has over seven hundred of them!" He then made the suggestion: "Why not take them out for these people to see?" That old monk certainly thought it was his show this time! He asked the attendants to open up the storage room and the dhūtas to bring out the chests. They brought out twelve of them and set them down in the courtyard. The padlocks were unlocked; clothes racks were set up on both sides, and ropes were strung all around. One by one, the cassocks were shaken loose and hung up for Tripitaka to see. It was truly a roomful of embroidery, four walls of exquisite silk!
Glancing at them one by one, Pilgrim saw that they were all pieces of fine silk intricately woven and delicately embroidered, splashed with gold. He laughed and said, "Fine! Fine! Fine! Now pack them up! Let's take ours out for you to look at." Pulling Pilgrim aside, Tripi taka said softly, "Disciple, don't start a contest of wealth with other people. You and I are strangers away from home, and this may be a mistake!" "Just a look at the cassock:' said Pilgrim, "how can that be a mistake?" "You haven't considered this," said Tripitaka. ''As the ancients declared, 'The rare object of art should not be exposed to the covetous and deceitful person.' For once he sees it, he will be tempted; and once he is tempted, he will plot and scheme. If you are timid, you may end up yielding to his every demand; otherwise, injury and loss oflife may result, and that's no small matter.'' "Relax! Relax!" said Pilgrim. "Old Monkey will assume all responsibility!" Look at him! He did not permit any further discussion! Darting away, he untied the bag, and brilliant rays at once came flashing through the two layers of oil-paper in which the garment was wrapped. He discarded the paper and took out the cassock. As he shook it loose, a crimson light flooded the room and glorious air filled the courtyard. When the various monks saw it, none could suppress the admiration in his heart and the praise on his lips. It was truly a magnificent cassock! It has hanging on it
Sparkling pearls-marvelous in every way-
And Buddha's treasures in each aspect rare.
Up and down spreads grapevine3 weave on 90rgeous silk;
On every side are hems of fine brocade.
Put it on, andgoblins will then be slain.
Step in it, and demons will flee to Hell.
It's made by those hands of 90ds incarnate;
He who's not a true monk dares not wear it.
When the old monk saw a treasure of such quality, he was indeed moved to villainy. Walking forward, he knelt down before Tripitaka, and tears began to fall from his eyes. "This disciple truly has no luck:' he said. "Old Abbot," said Tripitaka, raising him up, "what do you mean?'' "It was already getting late," he said, "when the venerable father spread this treasure out. But my eyes are dim and I can't see clearly. Isn't this my misfortune?" "Bring out the lamps," said Tripitaka, "and you can take a better look.'' The old monk said, "The treasure of the father is already dazzling; if we light the lamps, it will become much too bright for my eyes, and I'll never be able to see it properly.'' "How would you like to see it?" asked Pilgrim. "If the venerable father is inclined to be gracious," replied the old monk, "please permit me to take it back to my room, where I can spend the night looking at it carefully. Tomorrow I shall return it to you before you continue your journey to the west. How would that be?" Startled, Tripitaka began to complain to Pilgrim, saying, "It's all your doing! It's all your doing!" "What are you afraid of?" said Pilgrim, laughing. "Let me wrap it up and he can take it away. If there's any mishap, old Monkey will take care of it." Tripi taka could not stop him; he handed the cassock over to the monk, saying, "You may look at it, but you must give it back tomorrow morning, just as it is. Don't spoil or damage it in any way!" The old monk was very pleased. After telling the young cleric to take the cassock inside, he gave instructions for the various monks to sweep out the Chan hall in front. Two rattan beds were sent for and the bedding was prepared, so that the two travelers could rest. He gave further instructions for sending them off with breakfast in the morning, after which everyone left. Master and disciple closed up the hall and slept, and we shall say no more of that.
We shall now tell you about the old monk, who had got hold of the cassock by fraud. He took it beneath the lamps in the back room and sat in front of it, bawling. The chief priest of the monastery was so startled that he dared not retire first. The young cleric, not knowing the reason for the weeping, went to report to the other monks, saying, "The aged father has been crying, and it's now the second watch and he still hasn't stopped:' Two grand disciples, who were his favorites, went forward to ask him, "Grand master, why are you crying?" ''I'm crying over my ill luck," replied the old
monk, "for I cannot look at the treasure of the Tang Monk:' One of the little
monks said, "The aged father is becoming a little senile! The cassock is placed right before you. All you have to do is to untie the package and look at it. Why do you have to cry?" "But I can't look at it for long;' said the old monk. ''I'm two hundred and seventy years old, and yet I have bargained in vain for those several hundred cassocks. What must I do to acquire that one cassock of his? How can I become the Tang Monk himself?" "The grand master is erring," said the little monk. "The Tang Monk is a mendicant who had to leave his home and country. You are enjoying the benefits of old age here, and that should be sufficient. Why do you want to be a mendicant like him?" The old monk said, "Though I'm relaxing at home and enjoying my declining years, I have no cassock like his to put on. If I can put it on for just one day, I'll die with my eyes shut, for then I shall not have been a monk in vain in this World of Light." "What nonsense!" said another monk. "If you want to put it on, what's so difficult about that? Tomorrow we will ask them to stay for one more day, and you can wear it the whole day; if that's not enough, we'll detain them for ten days so that you can wear the cassock all that time. That will be the end of the matter. Why do you have to cry like this?" "Even if they were to be detained for a whole year:' said the old monk, "I would only be able to wear it for one year. That's not long-lasting! The moment they want to leave, we will have to return it. How can we make it last?"
As they were speaking, one of the little monks, whose name was Great Wisdom, spoke up: "Aged Father, if you want it to last, that's easy too!" When the old monk heard that, he brightened up. "My son," he said, "what profound thoughts do you have?" Great Wisdom said, "The Tang Monk and his disciple are travelers and are subjected to a lot of stress and strain. So they are fast asleep now. I suppose a few of us who are strong could take up knives and spears, break open the Chan hall, and kill them. We could bury them in the backyard, and only those of us within the family would know about it. We could also take over the white horse and the luggage, but the cassock could be kept as an heirloom. Now isn't this a plan made to last through posterity?" When the old monk heard this, he was filled with delight. Wiping away his tears, he said, "Good! Good! Good! This plan is absolutely marvelous!" He asked at once for knives and spears.
There was in their midst another little monk, whose name was Big Plan, who was the younger classmate of Great Wisdom. Coming forward, he said, "That plan is no good! If you want to kill them, you must first assess the situation. It's easy to take care of the one with the white face, but the hairy face presents more difficulty. If for some reason you are unable to slay him, you might bring disaster upon yourselves. I have a plan that does not call
for knives or spears. How do you feel about this?" "My son:' said the old
monk, "what sort of plan do you have?" "In the opinion of your little grandson," said Big Plan, "we can call up all the resident heads, both senior and junior, in the eastern wing of this monastery, asking each person and his group to bring a bundle of dried firewood. We'll sacrifice the three rooms of the Chan hall and set fire to them; the people inside will be barred from all exits. Even the horse will be burned with them! If the families who live in front of the temple or behind it should see the fire, we can say that they caused it by their carelessness and burned down our Chan hall. Those two monks will surely be burned to death, but no one will know any better. After that, won't we have the cassock as our heirloom?" When the monks heard this, they were all delighted. "Better! Better! Better! This plan is even more marvelous! More marvelous!" they all said. They sent for the resident heads at once to bring firewood. Alas, this single plan will have the result of
A venerable old monk ending his life,
And the Guanyin Chan Hall reduced to dust.
That monastery, you see, had over seventy suites and some two hundred monks resided there. Hordes of them went to fetch firewood, which they stacked around the Chan hall until it was completely surrounded. They then made plans to light the fire, but we shall say no more of that.
We must now tell you about Tripitaka and his disciple, who had already gone to rest. That Pilgrim, however, was a spiritual monkey; though he lay down, he was only exercising his breath to preserve his spirit, with his eyes half-closed. Suddenly he heard people running around outside and the crackling of firewood in the wind. "This is a time for quietness," he said to himself, his suspicion fully aroused, "so why do I hear people walking about? Could they be thieves plotting against us?" Whirling around, he leaped up, and would have opened the door to look outside, had he not been afraid of waking his master. Look at him display his abilities! With one shake of his body he changed into a bee. Truly he had
A sweet mouth and vicious tail;
A small waist and light body.
He cut through flowers and willow like a dart;
He sought like a meteor the scented pollen.
His light, tiny body could bear much weight.
His thin wings buzzing could ride the wind.
Descending from rafters and beams,
He crawled out to get a clear view.
He then saw that the various monks were hauling hay and carrying firewood; surrounding the Chan hall, they were about to light the fire. "What my master said has really come true!" said Pilgrim, smiling to himself "Because they wanted to take our lives and rob us of our cassock, they were moved to such treachery. I suppose I could use my rod to attack them, but I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to withstand it. A little beating, and they would all be dead! Then Master would blame me for acting violently again. 0, let it be! I shall lead the sheep astray conveniently and meet plot with plot, so that they won't be able to live here anymore." Dear Pilgrim! With a single somersault, he leaped straight up to the South Heaven Gate. He so startled the divine warriors Pang, Liu, Gou, and Bi that they bowed, and so alarmed Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Guan that they bent low. "Good Heavens!" they cried. "That character who disrupted Heaven is here again!" "No need to stand on ceremony, all of you!" said Pilgrim, waving his hand. "And don't be alarmed! I came to find Vinlp~a, the Broad-Eyed Devaraja:'
Before he had finished speaking, the Devaraja arrived and greeted Pilgrim, saying, "It's been a long time! I heard some time ago that the Bodhisattva Guanyin asked the Jade Emperor for the services of the Four Sentinels, the Six Gods of Light and Darkness, and the Guardians to protect the Tang Monk as he goes in quest of scriptures in the Western Heaven. She also said that you had become his disciple. How do you have the leisure to be here today?" "Don't mention leisure!" said Pilgrim. "The Tang Monk met some wicked people on his journey, who are about to have him burned up. It's an extreme emergency, and that's why I've come to borrow your FireRepelling Cover to save him. Bring it to me quickly; I'll return it the moment I'm finished with it." "You are wrong;• said the Devaraja. "If wicked people are starting a fire, you should go find water to save him. Why do you want the Fire-Repelling Cover?" Pilgrim said, "You have no idea what's behind this. If I find water to save him, the fire won't bum, and that will benefit our enemies instead. I want this cover so that only the Tang Monk will be protected from harm. I don't care about the rest! Let them bum! Quickly! Quickly! A little delay, and it may be too late! You will botch up my affairs down below!" "This monkey is still plotting with an evil mind;' said the Devaraja, laughing. 'i\fter looking out for himself, he is not worried about other people." "Hurry!" said Pilgrim. "Stop wagging your tongue, or you'll upset my great enterprise!" The Devaraja dared not refuse and gave Pilgrim the cover.
Pilgrim took it and descended through the clouds to the roof of the Chan hall, where he covered up the Tang Monk, the white horse, and the luggage. He himself then went to sit on the roof of the back room occupied by the old monk in order to guard the cassock. As he saw the people lighting the fire, he pressed his fingers together to make a magic sign and recited a spell. Facing the ground to the southwest, he took a deep breath and then blew it out. At once a strong wind arose and whipped the fire into a mighty blaze. What a fire! What a fire! You see
Rolling black smoke;
Vaulting red flames.
With rolling black smoke
All the stars vanish from the vast sky;
With vaulting red flames
The earth's lit up, made crimson for a thousand miles.
At the beginning,
What gleaming snakes of gold!
Soon thereafter,
What imposing bloody horses!
The Three Southern Forces display their might.
The Great God of Fire reveals his power.
When dried wood burns in such .fire intense,
Why speak ofSuiren4 drilling fire from wood ?
When colored flames shoot out ofhot-oiled doors,
They match even the opened oven of Laozi.
This is how fire rages ruthlessly,
Though no worse than such intended fraud
As not suppressing misdeeds
And abetting violence.
The wind sweeps the fire
And flames fly up for some eight thousand feet;
The fire's helped by the wind,
So ashes burst beyond the Ninefold Heaven.
Ping-ping, pang-pang,
They sound like those firecrackers at year's end.
Po-po, la-la,
They're like the roar of cannons in the camps.
It bums till the Buddha's image cannot flee from the scene,
And the Temple Guardians have no place to hide.
It's like the Red Cliff Campaign in the night, 5
Surpassing the fire at Epang Palace.6
As the saying goes, "One little spark of fire can bum ten thousand acres:' In a moment, the strong wind and the raging fire made the entire Guanyin Hall glowing red. Look at all those monks! They began to bring out the chests and carry out the drawers, to grab for tables and snatch up pots. A loud wailing filled the whole courtyard. Pilgrim Sun, however, stood guard at the back while the Fire-Repelling Cover securely screened off the Chan hall at the front. The rest of the place was completely lit up; truly the sky was illuminated by brilliant red flames, and bright gold light shone through the walls.
No one knew, however, that when the fire had begun, it had caught the attention of a mountain monster. For about twenty miles due south of this Guanyin Hall there was a Black Wind Mountain, where there was also a Black Wind Cave. A monster in the cave, who happened to tum over in his sleep, noticed that his windows were lit up. He thought that dawn had broken, but when he arose and took another look, he saw instead the brilliant glow of fire burning in the north. Astonished, the monster said, "Good Heavens! There must be a fire in the Guanyin Hall. Those monks are so careless! Let me see if I can help them a little!" Dear monster! He rose with his cloud and went at once to the place of fire and smoke, where he discovered that the halls front and back were entirely empty while the fire in the corridors on both sides was raging. With great strides he ran inside and was about to call for water when he saw that there was no fire in the back room. Someone, however, was sitting on the roof whipping up the wind. He began to perceive what was happening and ran quickly inside to look around. In the living room of the old monk, he saw on the table colorful radiance emitted by a package wrapped in a blue blanket. He untied it and discovered that it was a cassock of silk brocade, a rare Buddhist treasure. Thus it is how wealth moves the mind of man! He neither attempted to put out the fire nor called for water. Snatching up the cassock, he committed robbery by taking advantage of the confusion and at once turned his cloud back toward the mountain cave.
The fire raged on until the time of the fifth watch before burning itself out. Look at those monks: weeping and wailing, they went with empty hands and naked bodies to rummage about in the ashes, trying desperately to salvage a scrap or two of metal or valuables. Some attempted to erect a temporary shelter along the walls, while others amid the rubble tried to build a makeshift oven so that rice could be cooked. They were all howling and complaining, but we shall say no more about that.
Now we shall tell you about Pilgrim, who, taking the Fire-Repelling Cover, sent it up to the South Heaven Gate with one somersault. He handed it back to the Broad-Eyed Devaraja, saying, "Thanks so much for lending it to me!" The Devaraja took it back and said, "The Great Sage is very honest. I was a little worried that if you did not return my treasure, I would have a hard time finding you. I'm glad you brought it right back." "Do you think that old Monkey is the sort of person who steals openly?" asked Pilgrim. "As the saying goes, 'Return what you borrow, and again you may borrow!'" "I haven't seen you for a long time," said the Devaraja, "and I would like to invite you to spend some time at my palace. How about it?" Pilgrim said, "Old Monkey can't do what he did before, 'squatting on a rotted bench and dispensing lofty discourse.' Now that I have to protect the Tang Monk, I haven't a moment's leisure. Give me a rain check!" He took leave of the Devaraja quickly and dropped down from the clouds. As the sun arose, he arrived at the Chan hall, where with one shake of his body he changed again into a bee. When he flew inside and resumed his original form, he saw that his master was still sleeping soundly.
"Master;' cried Pilgrim, "it's dawn. Get up.'' Only then did Tripitaka awake; he turned around, saying, "Yes, indeed!" Putting on his clothes, he opened the door and went out. As he raised his head, he saw crumbling walls and seared partitions; the towers, the terraces, and the buildings had all disappeared. 'illi!" he cried, greatly shaken. "How is it that the buildings are all gone? Why are there only scorched walls?" "You are still dreaming!" said Pilgrim. "They had a fire here last night.'' "Why didn't I know about it?" asked Tripitaka. "It's old Monkey who safeguarded the Chan hall;' replied Pilgrim. "When I saw that Master was sound asleep, I did not disturb you.'' "If you had the ability to safeguard the Chan hall;' said Tripi taka, "why didn't you put out the fire in the other buildings?" "So that you may learn the truth;' said Pilgrim, laughing, "just as you predicted it yesterday. They fell in love with our cassock and made plans to have us bumed to death. If old Monkey had been less alert, we would have been reduced to bone and ashes by now!" When Tripi taka heard these words, he was alarmed and asked, "Was it they who set the fire?" "Who else?" said Pilgrim. "Could it be," asked Tripi taka, "that they mistreated you, and you did this?" Pilgrim replied, "Is old Monkey the sort of wretch that would indulge in such sordid business? It really was they who set the fire. When I saw how malicious they were, I admit I did not help them put the fire out. I did, however, manage to provide them with a little wind!"
"My God! My God!" said Tripitaka. "When a fire starts, you should get water. How could you provide wind instead?" "You must have heard," said Pilgrim, "what the ancients said: 'If a man has no desire to harm a tiger, a tiger has no intention of hurting a man: If they hadn't played with fire, would I have played with wind?" "Where's the cassock?" asked Tripitaka. "Has it been bumed?" "Not at all!" replied Pilgrim. "It hasn't been bumed, for the fire didn't reach the living quarters of the old monk where the cassock was placed." "I don't care!" exclaimed Tripi taka, his resentment rising. "If there's the slightest damage, I'm going to recite that little something and you'll be dead!" "Master!" cried Pilgrim with alarm, "don't start your recitation! I'll find the cassock and retum it to you, and that'll be the end of the matter. Let me go fetch it so that we can start on our joumey:' Tripi taka led the horse while Pilgrim took up the load ofluggage. They left the Chan hall and went to the room at the rear.
We now tell you about the monks, who were still grieving when they suddenly saw master and disciple approaching with the horse and the luggage. Scared out of their wits, they all said, "The wronged souls have come to seek vengeance!" "What wronged souls are seeking vengeance?" shouted Pilgrim. "Give back my cassock quickly!" All the monks fell to their knees at once, saying as they kowtowed, "Holy Fathers! Just as a wrong implies an enemy, so a debt has its proper creditor! If you seek vengeance, please understand that we had nothing to do with this. It was the old monk who plotted with Big Plan against you. Don't make us pay for your lives!" "You damnable beasts!" cried Pilgrim angrily. "Who wants you to pay with your lives? Just give me back the cassock and we'll be going." Two of the monks who were less timid said to him, "Father, you were supposed to be bumed to death in the Chan hall, and yet now you come to demand the cassock Are you indeed a man, or are you a ghost?" "This bunch of accursed creatures!" said Pilgrim, laughing. "Where was the fire? Go to the front and look at the Chan hall. Then you can come back and talk." The monks got up and went to the front to look; not even half an inch of the door, the window, or the screen outside the Chan hall was scorched. One and all were awestruck and became convinced that Tripitaka was a divine monk, and Pilgrim a celestial guardian. They all went forward to kowtow to them, saying, "We have eyes but no pupils, and therefore we did not recognize True Men descending to Earth. Your cassock is at the residence of the old Patriarch at the back." Tripi taka was deeply saddened by the rows of crumbling walls and damaged partitions they went past before arriving at the Patriarch's chambers, which were indeed untouched by fire. The monks dashed in, crying, "Aged Father, the Tang Monk must be a god. He hasn't been burned to death, though we have hurt ourselves. Let's take the cassock quickly and give it back to him."
But the fact of the matter is that the old monk could not find the cassock. In addition, most of the buildings in his monastery had been ruined, and he was, of course, terribly distressed. When he heard the monks calling, how could he have the courage to reply? Feeling utterly helpless and incapable of solving his dilemma, he bent forward, took several great strides, and rammed his head into the wall. How pitiful! The impact made
The brain burst, the blood flow, and his soul disperse;
His head stained the sand as his breathing stopped.
We have a poem as a testimony, which says:
So lamentable is this blind old monk!
In vain he lives among men to such old age.
He wants the cassock forever to keep,
Not knowing how uncommon is Buddha's gift.
If you think what endures can come with ease,
Yours will be sure failure and certain grief
Big Plan, Great Wisdom, of what use are they?
To gain by others' loss-what empty dreams!
Shocked to tears, the monks cried, "The Patriarch has killed himself And we can't find the cassock. What shall we do?" "It must have been you who stole it and hid it," said Pilgrim. "Come out, all of you! Give me a complete list of your names and let me check you off the roll one by
one:' The head residents of all the upper and lower chambers made a thor-
ough accounting of all the monks, the dhutas, the young novices, and the Daoists in two scrolls, and presented Pilgrim with some two hundred and thirty names. Asking his master to take a seat in the middle, Pilgrim went through the roll and examined the monks one by one. Every person had to loosen his clothes to be searched thoroughly, but there was no cassock. They then went to hunt through the trunks and chests that had been salvaged from the fire, but again there was not the slightest trace of the garment. In dismay, Tripitaka became more and more embittered toward Pilgrim until he began reciting the spell as he sat there. Falling at once to the ground, Pilgrim gripped his head with his hands, hardly able to bear the pain. "Stop the recitation! Stop the recitation!" he cried. "I'll find the cassock." Terrified by what they saw, the various monks went forward and knelt down to plead with Tripitaka, who only then stopped his recitation. Pilgrim leaped straight up and whipped out his rod from his ear. He would have struck at the monks, had not Tripi taka shouted for him to halt, crying, "Monkey! Aren't you afraid of your headache? Do you still want to behave badly? Don't move, and don't hurt people! Let me question them further." The monks kowtowed and begged Tripitaka, saying, "Father, please spare us. Truly we did not see your cassock. It was entirely the fault of that old devil! After he got your cassock last night, he started crying until very late; he didn't even bother to look at it, for all he had on his mind was how he might keep it permanently as an heirloom. That was why he made plans to have you burned to death, but after the fire started, a violent wind arose also. Every one of us was only concerned with putting out the fire and try-
ing to save something. We have no idea where the cassock has gone:'
Angrily, Pilgrim walked into the Patriarch's room, pulled out the corpse of the old man rammed to death, and stripped him naked. The body was examined carefully, but the treasure was nowhere to be seen. Even if they had dug up three feet of the ground in that room, there would have been not a trace of it. Pilgrim thought silently for awhile and then asked, "Is there any monster around here who has become a spirit?" "If father hadn't asked;' said the abbot, "he would have never known about this. Southeast of us there is a Black Wind Mountain, in which there is a Black Wind Cave. In the cave is a Black Great King, with whom this deceased old fellow of ours used to discuss the Dao frequently. He is the only monster spirit around here." "How far is the mountain from here?'' asked Pilgrim. "Only twenty miles;' said the abbot. "The peak that you can see right now is where it is." Pilgrim laughed and said, "Relax, Master! No need for further discussion; it must have been stolen by the black monster." "That place is about twenty miles away," said Tripitaka. "How can you be so sure that it was he?" "You didn't see last night's fire;' said Pilgrim, "when its light illuminated great distances, and its brightness penetrated the Threefold Heaven. Not just for twenty miles, but for two hundred miles around it could be seen. I have no doubt that he saw the brilliant glow of the fire and used that opportunity to come here secretly. When he saw that our cassock was a treasure, he grabbed it in the confusion and left. Let old Monkey go find him." "Who will care for me while you are gone?" asked Tripi taka. "You can relax," said Pilgrim. "You have in secret the protection of the gods; and in the open, I shall make sure that the monks wait on you." He then called the monks over, saying, ''A few of you can go and bury that old devil, while the others can wait on my master and watch our white horse:' The monks at once agreed. Pilgrim said again, "Don't give me any casual reply now, only to grow slack in your service after I'm gone. Those who wait on my master must be cheerful and pleasant; those who look after the white horse must take care that water and hay are fed in proper proportions. If there's the slightest mistake, you can count on meeting this rod. Now watch!" He whipped out his rod and aimed it at the seared bricked wall: with one stroke, not only did he pulverize the wall, but the impact was so great that it caused seven or eight more walls to collapse. When the various monks saw this, they were all paralyzed with fear. They knelt to kowtow with tears flowing from their eyes and said, "Father, please be assured that we shall be most diligent in caring for the
holy father after you are gone. We wouldn't dream of slacking in any way:'
Dear Pilgrim! He swiftly mounted the cloud somersault and went straight to the Black Wind Mountain to look for the cassock. Thus it was that
Truth-seeking Gold Cicada left Chang'an.7
With gifts he went westward, passing blue-green hills.
There were wolves and tigers as he walked along,
Though merchants or scholars were rarely seen.
One foolish monk's envy abroad he met;
His re.fuye solely was the Great Sage's might.
The fire yrew; the wind came and wrecked the Chan hall.
A Black Bear at night stole the embroidered robe.
We do not know whether Pilgrim found the cassock or not, or whether the outcome of his search was good or bad. Let's listen to the explanation in the next chapter.