We now tell you that when Pilgrim Sun somersaulted into the air, he so terrified the monks, the dhūtas, the young novices, and the attendants at the Guanyin Hall that every person bowed to the sky, saying, "0, Father! So you are actually an incarnate deity who knows how to ride the fog and sail with the clouds! No wonder fire cannot harm you! That ignorant old carcass of ours-how despicable he was! He used all his intelligence only to bring disaster on his own head:' "Please rise, all of you;' said Tripi taka. "There's no need for regret. Let's hope that he'll find the cassock, and everything will be all right. But if not, I would fear for your lives; for that disciple of mine has a bad temper, and I'm afraid that none of you will escape him." When the monks heard this, they were all panic-stricken; they pleaded with Heaven for the cassock to be found so that their lives would be preserved, but we shall say no more about them for the moment.
We were telling you about the Great Sage Sun. Having leaped up into the air, he gave one twist of his torso and arrived at once at the Black Wind Mountain. Stopping his cloud, he looked carefully and saw that it was indeed a magnificent mountain, especially in this time of spring. You see
Many streams potently flowing,
Countless cliffs vying for beauty.
The birds call but no man is seen;
Though flowers fall, the tree's yet scented.
The rain passes, the sky's one moist sheet of blue;
The wind comes, the pines rock like screens ofjade.
The mountain grass sprouts,
The wild flowers bloom
On hanging cliffs and high ranges.
The wisteria grows,
The handsome trees bud
On rugged peaks and flat plateaus.
You don't even meet a recluse.
Where can you .find a woodsman?
By the stream the cranes drink in pairs;
On the rocks wild apes madly play.
Augustly the branches spread their luscious green,
Basking their splendor in bright mountain mist.
Pilgrim was enjoying the scenery when suddenly he heard voices coming from beyond a lovely grass meadow. With light, stealthy steps, he inched forward and hid himselfbeneath a cliff to have a peep. He saw three monsters sitting on the ground: a swarthy fellow in the middle, a Daoist to the left, and a white-robed scholar to the right. They were in the midst of an animated conversation, discussing how to establish the tripod and the oven, how to knead the cinnabar and refine the mercury, the topics of white snow and yellow sprout,1 and the esoteric doctrines ofheterodox Daoism.
As they were speaking, the swarthy fellow said, laughing, "The day after to-
morrow will be the date of my mother's labor. Will you two gentlemen pay me a visit?" "Every year we celebrate the Great King's birthday;' said the white-robed scholar. "How could we thinl< of not coming this year?" "Last night I came upon a treasure;· said the swarthy fellow, "which may be called a brocaded robe of Buddha. It's a most attractive thing, and I think I'm going to use it to enhance my birthday. I plan to give a large banquet, starting tomorrow, and to invite all our Daoist friends of various mountains to celebrate this garment. We shall call the party the Festival of the Buddha Robe. How about that?" "Marvelous! Marvelous!" said the Daoist, laughing. "First I'll come to the banquet tomorrow, and then I'll bring you good wishes on your birthday the day after."
When Pilgrim heard them speaking about a robe of Buddha, he was certain that they were referring to his own treasure. Unable to suppress his anger, he leaped clear of his hiding place and raised high the golden-hooped rod with both hands, shouting, "You larcenous monsters! You stole my cassock. What Festival of the Buddha Robe do you think you are going to have? Give it back to me at once, and don't try to run away!" Wielding his rod, he struck at their heads. In panic, the swarthy fellow fled by riding the wind, and the Daoist escaped by mounting the clouds. The white-robed scholar, however, was killed by one stroke of the rod, and he turned out to be the spirit of a white-spotted snake when Pilgrim pulled his body over for closer examination. He picked up the corpse again and broke it into several pieces before proceeding deep into the mountain to look for the swarthy fellow. Passing pointed peaks and rugged ridges, he found himself in front of a hanging cliff with a cave dwelling below it. You see
Mist and smoke abundant,
Cypress and pine umbrageous.
Mist and smoke abundant, their hues surround the door;
Cypress and pine umbrageous, their green entwines the gate.
Flat, dried wood supports a bridge.
Wisterias coil round the ridge.
Birds carrying red petals reach the cloudy 90rge.
And deer tread on florets to comb the rocky flats.
Before that door
The flowers bloom with the season
As the wind wafts their .fragrance.
Atop the dyke-shading willows orioles sing;
O'er the bank's sweet peaches butterflies flit.
This rustic spot, though no cause for much praise,
Still rivals the3 beauty of Mount Penglai.2
Pilgrim went to the door and found that the two stone doors were tightly closed. On top of the door was a stone tablet, on which was plainly written in large letters, "Black Wind Mountain, Black Wind Cave." He lifted his rod to beat at the door, crying, "Open the door!" A little demon who stood guard at the door came out and asked, "Who are you, that you dare beat at our immortal cave?" "You damnable beast!" scolded Pilgrim. "What sort of a place is this, that you dare assume the title of 'immortal'? Is the word 'immortal' for you to use? Hurry inside and tell that swarthy fellow to bring out your venerable father's cassock at once. Then I may spare the lives of the whole nest of you." The little demon ran swiftly inside and reported: "Great King! You won't have a Festival of the Buddha Robe. There's a monk with a hairy face and a thunder-god mouth outside demanding the cassock."
That swarthy fellow, after being chased by Pilgrim from the grass meadow, had just managed to reach the cave. He had not even been able to sit down when he again heard this announcement, and he thought to himself: "I wonder where this fellow came from, so arrogant that he dared show up making demands at my door!" He asked for his armor, and, after putting it on, he walked outside holding a lance with black tassels. Pilgrim stood on one side of the gate, holding his iron rod and glaring. The monster indeed cut a formidable figure:
A bowl-like helmet of dark burnished steel;
A black-gold cuirass that shone most bright.
A black silk robe with wide wind-bagging sleeves,
And dark green sashes with long, long tassels.
He held in his hands a black-tasseled lance.
He wore on his feet two black-leather boots.
His eyes' golden pupils like lightning flashed.
He was thus in this mountain the Black Wind King.
"This fellow:· said Pilgrim, smiling to himself, "looks exactly like a kiln worker or a coal miner. He must scrub charcoal here for a living! How did he get to be black all over?'' The monster called out in a loud voice, "What kind of a monk are you that you dare to be so impudent around here?" Rushing up to him with his iron rod, Pilgrim roared, "No idle conversation! Return the cassock of your venerable grandfather at once!" "What monastery are you from, bonze?" asked the monster, "and where did you lose your cassock that you dare show up at my place and demand its return?" "My cassock;' said Pilgrim, "was stored in the back room of the Guanyin Hall due north ofhere. Because of the fire there, you committed robbery by taking advantage of the confusion; after making off with the garment, you even wanted to start a Festival of the Buddha Robe to celebrate your birthday. Do you deny this? Give it back to me quickly, and I'll spare your life. If you but mutter half a 'no; I'll overturn the Black Wind Mountain and level the Black Wind Cave. Your whole cave of demons will be pulverized!"
When the monster heard these words, he laughed scornfully and said, "You audacious creature! You yourself set the fire last night, for you were the one who summoned the wind on top of the roof I took the cassock all right, but what are you going to do about it? Where do you come from, and what is your name? What ability do you have, that you dare mouth such reckless words?" Pilgrim said, "So you don't recognize your venerable grandfather! He is the disciple of the Master of the Law, Tripi taka, who happens to be the brother of the Throne in the Great Tang Nation. My surname is Sun, and my given name is Wukong Pilgrim. If I tell you my abilities, you'll be frightened out of your wits and die right on the spot!" "I won't;' said the monster. "Tell me what abilities you have." "My son;' said Pilgrim, laughing, "brace yourselfl Listen carefully!3
Great since my youth was my magic power;
I changed with the wind to display my might.
Long I trained my nature and practiced Truth
To flee the wheel of karma with my life.
With mind sincere I always sought the Way;
Seedlings of herbs I plucked on Mount Lingtai.4
There was in that mountain an old immortal.
His age: one hundred and eight thousand years!
He became my master most solemnly
And showed me the way to longeviJ;y,
Saying that in my body were physic and pills
Which one would work in vain to seek outside.
He gave me those high secrets of the gods;
With no foundation I would have been lost.
My inner light relumed, I sat in peace
As sun and moon mated within myselP
I thought of nothing-all my desires gone,
My body strengthened, my six senses cleansed.
From age back to youth was an easy boon;
To join transcendents was no distant goal.
Three years without leaks6 made a godlike frame,
Immune to sufferings known to mortal men.
Playing through the Ten Islets and Three Isles,
I made the rounds at Heaven's very edge.
I lived like that for some three hundred years,
Though not yet ascended to the Ninefold Heaven.
Taming sea dragons brought me treasure true:
The golden-hooped rod I did.find below.
As .field marshal at the Flower-Fruit Mount,
Monsters I gathered at Water-Curtain Cave.
Then the Jade Emperor gave to me the name,
Equal to Heaven-such, the rank most high.
Thrice I caused havoc in Divine Mists Hall;
Once I stole peaches from the Mother Queen.
Thus came a hundred thousand men divine
To curb me with their rows of spears and swords.
The Devarāja was beaten back to Heaven,
While Nata in pain led his troops and fled.
Xiansheng Master7 knew transformations well;
With him I waged a contest and I fell.
Laozi, Guanyin, and the Jade Emperor
All watched the battle at South Heaven Gate.
When Laozi decided to lend his help,
Erlang brought me to Heaven's magistrate.
To the monster-routing pillar I was tied;
The gods were told to have my head cut off.
Failing to harm me with either sledge or sword,
They would blast and burn me with thunderclaps.
What skills indeed did this old Monkey have,
Who was not even half a whit afraid!
Into Laozi's brazier they sent me next,
To have me slowly cooked by fire divine.
The day the lid was opened I jumped out
And ran through Heaven brandishing a rod.
Back and forth I prowled with none to stop me,
Making havoc through all thirty-six Heavens.
Then Tathāgata revealed his power:
Under Mount Five Phases he had me clamped,
And there I squirmed for a full .five hundred years
Till by luck Tripitaka left the Tang court.
Now I go West, having yielded to Truth,
To see Jade Eyebrows at Great Thunderclap. 8
Go and ask in the four corners of the universe:
You'll learn I'm the famous ranking daimon of all time!"
When the monster heard these words, he laughed and said, "So you are the BanHorsePlague who disturbed the Celestial Palace?" What most annoyed Pilgrim was when people called him BanHorsePlague. The moment he heard that name, he lost his temper. "You monstrous rogue!" he shouted. "You would not return the cassock you stole, and yet you dare insult this holy monk. Don't run away! Watch this rod!" The swarthy fellow jumped aside to dodge the blow; wielding his long lance, he went forward to meet his opponent. That was some battle between the two of them:
The compliant rod,
The black-tasseled lance.
Two men display their power before the cave:
Stabbing at the heart and face;
Striking at the head and arm.
This one proves handy with a death-dealing rod;
That one tilts the lance for swift, triple jabs.
The "white tiger climbing the mountain" extends his paws;
The "yellow dragon lying on the road"9 turns his back.
With colored mists flying
And bright flashes of light,
Two monster-gods' strength is yet to be tried.
One's the truth-seeking, Equal-to-Heaven Sage;
One's the Great Black King who's now a spirit.
Why wage this battle in the mountain still?
The cassock,forwhich each would aim to kill!
That monster fought with Pilgrim for more than ten rounds until about noon, but the battle was a draw. Using his lance to halt the rod for a moment, the swarthy fellow said, "Pilgrim Sun, let us put away our weapons for the time being. Let me have some lunch first, and then I'll wage a further
contest with you:' 'i\ccursed beast!" said Pilgrim. "You want to be a hero?
Which hero wants to eat after fighting for merely half a day? Consider old Monkey, who was imprisoned beneath the mountain for altogether five hundred years and he hadn't even tasted a drop of water. So, what's this about being hungry? Don't give me any excuses and don't run away! Give me back my cassock, and I'll allow you to go and eat:' But that monster only managed to throw one more feeble thrust with his lance before dashing into the cave and shutting his stone doors. He dismissed his little demons and made preparations for the banquet, writing out invitation cards to the monster kings of various mountains, but we shall say no more about that.
We must tell you that Pilgrim had no success in breaking down the door and so had to return to the Guanyin Hall. The clerics of that monastery had already buried the old monk, and they were all gathered in the back room to minister to the Tang Monk, serving him lunch soon after he had finished breakfast. As they were scurrying about fetching soup and hauling water, Pilgrim was seen descending from the sky. The monks bowed courteously and received him into the back room to see Tripitaka. "Wukong," said Tripitaka, "so you've returned. How is the cassock?" ·~t least I found the real culprit:' said Pilgrim. "It was a good thing that we did not punish these monks, for the monster of Black Wind Mountain did steal it. I went secretly looking for him, and saw him seated on a beautiful grass meadow having a conversation with a white-robed scholar and an old Daoist. He was, in a sense, making a confession without being tortured, saying something about the day after tomorrow being his birthday, when he would invite all the other griffins for the occasion. He also mentioned that he had found an embroidered Buddha robe last night, in celebration of which he was planning to throw a large banquet, calling it the Festival of the Buddha Robe. Old Monkey rushed up to them and struck out with his rod; the swarthy fellow changed into the wind and left, and the Daoist also disappeared. The white-robed scholar, however, was killed, and he turned out to be a white-spotted snake who had become a spirit. I quickly chased the swarthy fellow to his cave and demanded that he come out to fight. He had already admitted that he took the cassock, but we fought to a draw after half a day of battle. The monster returned to his cave because he wanted to eat; he closed his stone doors tightly and refused to fight anymore. I came back to see how you were and to make this report to you. Since I know the whereabouts of the cassock, I'm not worried about his unwillingness to give it back to me."
When the various monks heard this, some of them folded their hands while others kowtowed, all chanting, "Nama Amitabha! Now that the whereabouts of the cassock is known, we have a claim to our lives again:'
"Don't celebrate yet," said Pilgrim, "for I have not yet recovered it, nor has my master left. Wait until we have the cassock so that my master can walk peacefully out of this door before you start cheering. If there's the slightest mishap, old Monkey is no customer to be provoked, is he? Have you served some good things to my master? Have you given our horse plenty of hay?"
"We have, we have, we have!" cried the monks hastily. "Our service to the holy monk has not slackened in the least!" "You were gone only half a day," said Tripitaka, "and I have been served tea three times and have had two vegetarian meals. They didn't dare slight me. You should therefore make a great effort to get back the cassock." "Don't rush!" said Pilgrim. "Since I know where he is, I shall certainly capture this fellow and return the garment to you. Relax! Relax!"
As they were speaking, the abbot brought in some more vegetarian dainties to serve to the holy monk Sun. Pilgrim ate some and left at once on the hallowed cloud to search for the monster. As he was traveling, he saw a little demon approaching from the main road, who had a box made of pear tree wood wedged between his left arm and his body. Suspecting that something important was inside the box, Pilgrim raised his rod and brought it down hard on the demon's head. Alas, the demon could not take such a blow! He was instantly reduced to a meat patty, which Pilgrim tossed to the side of the road. When he opened the box, there was indeed an invitation slip, on which was written:
Dean of the Golden Pool. For the gracious gifts you have bestowed on me
on several occasions I am profoundly grateful. I regret that I was unable to
assist you last night when you were visited by the God of Fire, but I suppose
that Your Holy Eminence has not been adversely affected in any way. Your
student by chance has acquired a Buddha robe, and this occasion calls for
in advance. When Pilgrim saw this, he roared with laughter, saying, "That old carcass! He didn't lose anything by his death! So he belonged to a monster's gang! Small wonder that he lived to his two hundred and seventieth year! That monster, I suppose, must have taught him some little magic like ingesting his breath, 10 and that was how he enjoyed such longevity. I can still remember how he looked. Let me change myself into that monk and go to the cave to see where my cassock is located. If I can manage it, I'll take it back without wasting my energy."
Dear Great Sage! He recited a spell, faced the wind, and changed at once into an exact semblance of that old monk. Putting away his iron rod, he strode to the cave, crying, "Open the door!" When the little demon who stood at the door saw such a figure, he quickly made his report inside: "Great King, the Elder of the Golden Pool has arrived:' Greatly surprised, the monster said, "I just sent a little one to deliver an invitation to him, but he could not possibly have reached his destination even at this moment. How could the old monk arrive so quickly? I suppose the little one did not run into him on the way, but Pilgrim Sun must have asked him to come here for the cassock. You, steward, hide the cassock! Don't let him see it!"
Walking through the front door, Pilgrim saw in the courtyard pines and bamboos sharing their green, peaches and plums competing in their glamour; flowers were blooming everywhere, and the air was heavy with the scent of orchids. It was quite a grotto-heaven. He saw, moreover, a parallel couplet mounted on both sides of the second doorway that read:
A deep mountain retreat without worldly cares.
A divine cave secluded -what joy serene.
Pilgrim said to himself, "This fellow is also one who withdraws from dirt and dust, a fiendish creature who knows his fate:' 11 He walked through the door and proceeded further; when he passed through the third doorway, he saw carved beams with elaborate ornaments and large windows brightly decorated. Then the swarthy fellow appeared, wearing a casual jacket made of fine dark-green silk, topped by a crow-green cape of figured damask; he wore a head-wrap of black cloth and was shod in a pair of black suede boots. When he saw Pilgrim entering, he tidied his clothes and went down the steps to receive him, saying, "Golden Pool, old friend, we haven't seen each other for days. Please take a seat! Please take a seat!" Pilgrim greeted him ceremoniously, after which they sat down and drank tea.
After tea, the monster bowed low and said, "I just sent you a brief note, humbly inviting you to visit me the day after tomorrow. Why does my old friend grant me that pleasure today, already?" "I was just coming to pay my respects," said Pilgrim, "and I did not anticipate meeting your kind messenger. When I saw that there was going to be a Festival of the Buddha Robe, I came hurriedly, hoping to see the garment." "My old friend may be mistaken," said the monster, laughing. "This cassock originally belonged to the Tang Monk, who was staying at your place. Why would you want to look at it here, since you must surely have seen it before?" "Your poor monk;' answered Pilgrim, "did borrow it, but he did not have the opportunity last night to examine it before it was taken by the Great King. Moreover, our monastery, including all our belongings, was destroyed by fire, and the disciple of that Tang Monk was rather bellicose about the matter. In all that confusion, I couldn't find the cassock anywhere, not knowing that the Great King in his good fortune found it. That is why I came specially to see it."
As they were speaking, one of the little demons out on patrol came back to report: "Great King, disaster! The junior officer who went to deliver the invitation was beaten to death by Pilgrim Sun and left by the wayside. Our enemy followed the clue and changed himself into the Golden Pool Elder so that he could obtain the Buddha robe by fraud." When the monster heard that, he said to himself, "I was wondering already why he came today, and in such a hurried manner too! So, it's really he!" Leaping up, he grabbed his lance and aimed it at Pilgrim. Whipping out the rod from his ear, Pilgrim assumed his original form and parried the lance. They rushed from the living room to the front courtyard, and from there they fought their way out to the front door. The monsters in the cave were frightened out of their wits; young and old in that household were horror-stricken. This fierce contest before the mountain was even unlike the last one. What a fight!
This Monkey King boldly posed as a monk;
That swarthy chap wisely concealed the robe.
Back and forth went their clever repartee,
Adapting to each instant perfectly.
He would see the cassock but had no means:
This runic treasure's a mystery indeed!
The small imp on patrol announced mishap;
The old fiend in anger showed his power.
They fought their way out of the Black Wind Cave,
The rod and the lance forced a trial by might.
The rod checked the lance, their noise resounding;
The lance met the rod, causing sparks to fly.
The changes ofWukong, all unknown to men;
The monster's magic skills, so rare on earth.
This one wanted for his birthday fete a Buddha robe.
Would that one with no cassock go home in peace?
The bitter fight this time seemed without end.
Even a live Buddha descending could not break them up!
From the entrance of the cave the two of them fought up to the peak of the mountain, and from the peak of the mountain they fought their way up to the clouds. Belching wind and fog, kicking up sand and rocks, they fought until the red sun sank toward the west, but neither of them could gain the upper hand. The monster said, "Hey, Sun! Stop for a moment! It's getting too late to fight any more. Go away! Come back tomorrow moming, and we'll decide your fate:' "Don't run away, my son," cried Pilgrim. "If you want to fight, act like a fighter! Don't give me the excuse that it's getting late." With his rod, he rained blows indiscriminately on his opponent's head and face, but the swarthy fellow changed once more into a clear breeze and went back to his cave. Tightly bolting his stone doors, he refused to come out.
Pilgrim had no altemative except to go back to the Guanyin Hall. Dropping down from the clouds, he said, "Master:' Tripitaka, who was waiting for him with bulging eyes, was delighted to see him; but when he did not see the cassock, he became frightened again. "How is it that you still have not brought back the cassock?" he asked. Pilgrim took out from his sleeve the invitation slip and handed it over to Tripitaka, saying, "Master, the monster and that old carcass used to be friends. He sent a little demon here with this invitation for him to go to a Festival of the Buddha Robe. I killed the little demon and changed into the form of the old monk to get inside the cave. I managed to trick him into giving me a cup of tea, but when I asked for the cassock, he refused to show it to me. As we were sitting there, my identity was leaked by someone on patrol in the mountain, and we began to fight. The battle lasted until this early evening and ended in a draw. When the monster saw that it was late, he slipped back into the cave and tightly bolted up his stone door. Old Monkey had no choice but to return here for the moment."
"How's your skill as a fighter when compared with his?" asked Tripi taka. "Not much better," said Pilgrim. "We are quite evenly matched." Tripitaka then read the invitation slip and handed it to the abbot, saying, "Could it be that your master was also a monster-spirit?" Falling to his knees, the abbot said, "Old Father, my master is human. Because that Great Black King attained the way of humanity through self-cultivation, he frequently came to the monastery to discuss religious texts with my master. He imparted to my master a little of the magic of nourishing one's spirit and ingesting breath; hence they address each other as friends."
"This bunch of monl<S here," said Pilgrim, "don't have the aura of monsters: each one has a round head pointing to the sky and a pair of feet set flat on the earth. They are a little taller and heavier than old Monkey, but they are no monsters. Look at what's written on the slip: 'your student-servant, the Bear.' This creature must be a black bear who has become a spirit." Tripitaka said, "I have heard from the ancients that the bear and the ape are of the same kind. They are all beasts, in other words. How can this bear become a spirit?" "Old Monkey is also a beast," said Pilgrim, laughing, "but I became the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven. Is he any different? All the creatures of this world who possess the nine apertures can become immortals through the art of self-cultivation.'' "You just said that the two of you were evenly matched," said Tripitaka again. "How can you defeat him and recover my cassock?" "Lay offl Lay offl" said Pilgrim. "I know what to do.'' As they were discussing the matter, the monks brought in the evening meal for master and disciple. Afterwards, Tripi taka asked for lamps to go to the Chan hall in front to rest. The rest of the monks reclined against the walls beneath some temporary awnings and slept, while the back rooms were given to accommodate the senior and junior abbots. It was now late. You see
The Silver Stream aglow;
The air perfectly pure;
The sky full of bright and twinkling stars;
The river marked by receding tide.
All sounds are hushed;
All hills emptied of birds.
The fisherman's fire dies by the brook;
The lamps grow faint on the pagoda.
Last night acaryas sounded drums and bells.
Only weeping is heard throughout this night!
So they spent the night in the Chan hall, but Tripitaka was thinking about the cassock. How could he possibly sleep well? As he tossed and turned, he suddenly saw the windows growing bright. He arose at once and called: "Wukong, it's morning. Go find the cassock quickly:' Pilgrim leaped up with a bound and saw that the monks were bringing in washing water. ·~of you," said Pilgrim, "take care to minister to my master. Old Monkey is leaving:' Getting up from his bed, Tripitaka clutched at him, asking, "Where are you going?" "Come to think of it;' said Pilgrim, "this whole affair reveals the irresponsibility of the Bodhisattva Guanyin. She has a Chan hall here where she has enjoyed the incense and worship of all the local people, and yet she can permit a monster-spirit to be her neighbor. I'm leaving for the South Sea to find her for a little conversation. I'm going to ask her to come here and demand that the monster return the cassock to us." "When will you be back?" asked Tripitaka. "Probably right after breakfast;' answered Pilgrim. "At the latest, I should be back around noon, when everything should be taken care of All of you monks must take care to wait on my master. Old Monkey is leaving."
He said he was leaving, and the next instant he was already out of sight. In a moment, he arrived at the South Sea, where he stopped his cloud to look around. He saw
A vast expanse of ocean,
Where water and sky seemed to merge.
Auspicious light shrouded the earth;
Hallowed air brightened the world.
Endless snow-capped waves surged up to Heaven;
Layers of misty billows washed out the sun.
Water flying everywhere;
Waves churning all around.
Water flying everywhere rolled like thunderclaps;
Waves churning all around boomed like cannonade.
Speak not merely of water;
Let's look more at the center.
The treasure-filled mountain of five dazzling colors:
Red,yellow,Breen, deep purple, and blue.
If this be Guanyin's scenic reB ion true,
Look further at Potalaka of South Sea.
What a splendid place!
The tall mountain peak
Cut throuBh airy space.
In its midst were thousands of rare flowers,
A hundred kinds of divine herbs.
The wind stirred the precious trees;
The sun shone on the Bolden lotus.
Glazed tiles covered the Guanyin Hall;
Tortoiseshell spread before the Tidal-Sound Cave.
In the shades of Breen willow the parrot spoke;
Within the bamboo Brove the peacock sanB.
On rocks with Brains like finBerprints,
The BUardians fierce and solemn.
Before the carnelian foreshore,
Mokṣa stronB and heroic.
Pilgrim, who could hardly take his eyes off the marvelous scenery, lowered his cloud and went straight to the bamboo grove. The various deities were there to receive him, saying, "The Bodhisattva told us some time ago about the conversion of the Great Sage, for whom she had nothing but praise. You are supposed to be accompanying the Tang Monk at this moment. How do you have the time to come here?" "Because I am accompanying the Tang Monk," said Pilgrim, "I had an incident on our journey about which I must see the Bodhisattva. Please announce my arrival:' The deities went to the mouth of the cave to make the announcement, and the Bodhisattva asked him to enter. Obeying the summons, Pilgrim went before the bejeweled lotus platform and knelt down.
"What are you doing here?" asked the Bodhisattva. "On his journey my master came across one of your Chan halls," said Pilgrim, "where you receive the services of fire and incense from the local people. But you also permitted a Black Bear Spirit to live nearby and to steal the cassock of my master. Several times I tried to get it back but without success. I have come specifically to ask you for it." The Bodhisattva said, "This monkey still speaks insolently! If the Bear Spirit stole your cassock, why did you come to ask me for it? It was all because you had the presumption, you wretched ape, to show off your treasure to sinister people. Moreover, you had your share of evildoing when you called for the wind to intensify the fire, which burned down one of my way stations down below. And yet you still want to be rowdy around here?" When Pilgrim heard the Bodhisattva speaking like that, he realized that she had knowledge of past and future events. Hurriedly he bowed with humility and said, "Bodhisattva, please pardon the offense of your disciple. It was as you said. But I'm upset by the monster's refusal to give us back our cassock, and my master is threatening to recite that spell of his at any moment. I can't bear the headache, and that's why I have come to cause you inconvenience. I beseech the Bodhisattva to have mercy on me and help me capture that monster, so that we may recover the garment and proceed toward the West:'
"That monster has great magical power," said the Bodhisattva, "really just as strong as yours. All right! For the sake of the Tang Monk, I'll go with you this time:' When Pilgrim heard this, he bowed again in gratitude and asked the Bodhisattva to leave at once. They mounted the blessed clouds and soon arrived on the Black Wind Mountain. Dropping down from the clouds, they followed a path to look for the cave.
As they were walking, they saw a Daoist coming down the mountain slope, holding a glass tray on which there were two magic pills. Pilgrim ran right into him, whipped out his rod, and brought it down squarely on his head, with one blow causing the brains to burst and blood to shoot out from the neck. Completely stunned, the Bodhisattva said, "Monkey, you are still so reckless! He didn't steal your cassock; he neither knew nor wronged you. Why did you kill him with one blow?"
"Bodhisattva," said Pilgrim, "you may not recognize him, but he is a friend of the Black Bear Spirit. Yesterday he was having a conversation with a white-robed scholar on the grass meadow. Since they were invited to the cave of the Black Bear Spirit, who was going to give a Festival of the Buddha Robe to celebrate his birthday, this Daoist said that he would first go to celebrate his friend's birthday today and then attend the festival tomorrow. That's how I recognized him. He must have been on his way to celebrate the monster's birthday:' "If that's how it is, all right;' said the Bodhisattva. Pilgrim then went to pick up the Daoist and discovered that he was a gray wolf The tray, which had fallen to one side, had an inscription on the bottom: "Made by Master Transcending Void:'
When Pilgrim saw this, he laughed and said, "What luck! What luck! Old Monkey will benefit; the Bodhisattva will save some energy. This monster may be said to have made a confession without torture, while the other monster may be destined to perish today." "What are you saying, Wukong?" said the Bodhisattva. "Bodhisattva;' said Pilgrim, "I, Wukong, have a saying: plot should be met with plot. I don't know whether you will listen to me or
not:' "Speak up!" said the Bodhisattva.
"Look, Bodhisattva!" said Pilgrim. "There are two magic pills on this little tray, and they are introductory gifts that we shall present to the monster. Beneath the tray is the five-word inscription 'Made by Master Transcending Void; and this shall serve as our contact with the monster. If you will listen to me, I'll give you a plan that will dispense with weapons and do away with combat. In a moment, the monster will meet pestilence; in the twinkling of an eye, the Buddha robe will reappear. If you do not follow my suggestion, you may go back to the West, and I, Wukong, will return to the East; the Buddha robe will be counted as lost, while Tripi taka Tang will have journeyed in vain."
"This monkey is pretty clever with his tongue!" said the Bodhisattva, laughing. "Hardly!" said Pilgrim. "But it is a small plan!" "What's your plan?" asked the Bodhisattva. "Since the tray has this inscription beneath it;' said Pilgrim, "the Daoist himself must be this Master Transcending Void. If you agree with me, Bodhisattva, you can change yourself into this Daoist. I'll take one of the pills and then change myself into another pilia slightly bigger one, that is. Take this tray with the two magic pills and present them to the monster as his birthday gift. Let the monster swallow the bigger pill, and old Monkey will accomplish the rest. If he is unwilling to return the Buddha robe, old Monkey will mal<e one-even if I have to weave it with his guts!"
The Bodhisattva could not think of a better plan and she had to nod her head to show her approval. "Well?" said Pilgrim, laughing. Immediately the Bodhisattva exercised her great mercy and boundless power. With her infinite capacity for transformation, her mind moved in perfect accord with her will, and her will with her body: in one blurry instant, she changed into the form of the immortal Master Transcending Void.
Her crane-down cloak swept by the wind,
With airy steps she'd pace the void.
Her face, aged like cypress and pine,
Showsfair,freshfeatures never seen.
She moves with freedom without end,
A special selfsustaining Thus!
In sum all return to one Form,
But from bodies perverse set free.
When Pilgrim saw the transformation, he cried, "Marvelous, Marvelous! Is the monster the Bodhisattva, or is the Bodhisattva the monster?" The Bodhisattva smiled and said, "Wukong, the Bodhisattva and the monsterthey both exist in a single thought. Considered in terms of their origin, they are all nothing:' Immediately enlightened, Pilgrim turned around and changed at once into a magic pill:
A rolling-pan steadying pearl-
Round, bright, of no known recipe.
Fused "three time three"12 at Mount Goulou;13
ForBed "six times six," with Shao WenB's14 help.
Like Blazed tiles and yellow Bold flames
It shines with sun and mani's light.
Its coat of mercury and lead
Has power not with ease assessed.
The pill into which Pilgrim had changed was slightly larger than the other one. Making a mental note of it, the Bodhisattva took the glass tray and went straight to the entrance of the monster's cave. She paused to look around and saw
Deep BOrBes, parlous cliffs,
Clouds risinB from the peaks;
Green pines and cypresses,
And wind rustlinB in the woods.
Deep BOrBeS, parlous cliffs:
A place truly made for monsters and not for man!
But Breen pines and cypresses
MiBht seem fit for pious recluse to seek the Way.
The mountain has a stream,
And the stream has water,
Its current murmurs lightly as a lute
Worthy to cleanse your ears.
The cliff has deers,
The woods have cranes,
Where softly hums the music of the spheres
To lift your spirit.
So it was the boBUS immortal's luck that Bodhi came:
To vouchsafe boundless mercy was her vow.
After looking over the place, the Bodhisattva was secretly pleased and said to herself, "If this cursed beast could occupy such a mountain, it might be that he is destined to attain the Way." Thus she was already inclined to be merciful.
When she walked up to the cave's entrance, some of the little demons standing guard there recognized her, saying, "Immortal Transcending Void has arrived:' Some went to announce her arrival, while others greeted her. Just then, the monster came bowing out the door, saying, "Transcending Void, you honor my humble abode with your divine presence!" "This humble Daoist," said the Bodhisattva, "respectfully submits an elixir pill as a birthday gift." After the two of them had bowed to each other, they were seated. The incidents of the day before were mentioned, but the Bodhisattva made no reply. Instead, she took up the tray and said, "Great King, please accept the humble regard of this little Daoist." She chose the large pill and pushed it over to the monster, saying, "May the Great King live for a thousand years!" The monster then pushed the other pill over to the Bodhisattva, saying, "I wish to share this with Master Transcending Void." After this ceremonial presentation, the monster was about to swallow it, but the pill rolled by itself right down his throat. It changed back into its original form and began to do physical exercises! The monster fell to the ground, while the Bodhisattva revealed her true form and recovered the Buddha Robe from the monster. Pilgrim then left the monster's body through his nose, but fearing that the monster might still be truculent, the Bodhisattva threw a fillet on his head. As he arose, the monster did indeed pick up his lance to thrust at Pilgrim. The Bodhisattva, however, rose into the air and began reciting her spell. The spell worked, and the monster felt excruciating pain on his head; throwing away the lance, he rolled wildly all over the ground. In midair, the Handsome Monkey King nearly collapsed with laughter; down below the Black Bear Monster almost rolled himself to death on the ground.
"Cursed beast." said the Bodhisattva, "will you now surrender?" "I surrender;' said the monster without any hesitation, "please spare my life!" Fearing that too much effort would have been wasted, Pilgrim wanted to strike at once. Quickly stopping him, the Bodhisattva said, "Don't hurt him; I have some use for him." Pilgrim said, "Why not destroy a monster like him, for of what use can he be?" "There's no one guarding the rear of my Potalaka Mountain," said the Bodhisattva, "and I want to take him back there to be a Great Mountain-Guardian God." "Truly a salvific and merciful goddess;' said Pilgrim, laughing, "who will not hurt a single sentient being. If old Monkey knew a spell like that, he'd recite it a thousand times. That would finish off as many black bears as there are around here!"
So, we shall tell you about the monster, who regained consciousness after a long time. Convinced by the unbearable pain, he had no choice but to fall on his knees and beg: "Spare my life, for I'm willing to submit to Truth!" Dropping down from the blessed luminosity, the Bodhisattva then touched his head and gave him the commandments, telling him to wait on her, holding the lance. So it was with the Black Bear:
Today his vaulting ambition is checked;
This time his boundless license has been curbed.
"You may return now, Wukong," instructed the Bodhisattva, "and serve the Tang Monk attentively. Don't start any more trouble with your carelessness." ''I'm grateful that the Bodhisattva was willing to come this far to help;' said Pilgrim, "and it is my duty as disciple to see you back." "You may be excused," said the Bodhisattva. Holding the cassock, Pilgrim then kowtowed to her and left, while the Bodhisattva led the bear and returned to the
Auspicious light surrounds the golden form:
What maze of colors so worthy of praise!
She shows great mercy to succor mankind,
To reveal gold lotus as she scans the world.
She comes all because of scripture seeking;
Then she withdraws, as ever chaste and pure.
The fiend converted, she leaves for the sea;
A Buddhist regains a brocade-cassock.
We do not know what happened afterwards; let's listen to the explanation in the next chapter.