We were telling you about the flaming light of the monster, who was fleeing, while the Great Sage riding the rosy clouds followed right behind. As they were thus proceeding, they came upon a tall mountain, where the monster gathered together the fiery shafts of light and resumed his original form. Racing into a cave, he took out a nine-pronged muckrake to fight. "Lawless monster!" shouted Pilgrim. "What region are you from, fiend, and how do you know old Monkey's names? What abilities do you have? Make a full confession quickly and your life may be spared!" "So you don't know my powers!" said that monster. "Come up here and brace yourself! I'll tell you!
My mind was dim since the time of youth;
Always I loved my indolence and sloth.
Neither nursing nature nor seeking the Real, 1
I passed my days deluded and confused.
I met a true immortal suddenly
Who sat and spoke to me of cold and heat. 2
'Repent,' he said, 'and cease your worldly way:
From taking life accrues a boundless curse.
One day when the Great Limit ends your lot,
For eight woes and three ways3 you'llgrieve too late!'
I listened and turned my will to mend my ways:
I heard, repented, and sought the wondrous rune.
By fate my teacher he became at once,
Pointing out passes keyed to Heav'n and Earth.
Taught to forge the Great Pill Nine Times Reversed, 4
I worked without pause through day and night5
To reach Mud-Pill Palace6 topping my skull
And Getting-Spring Points7 on soles of my feet.
With kidney brine jlooding the Floral Pool, 8
My Cinnabar Fieldg was thus warmly nursed.
Baby and FairGirl10 mated as yin andyang;
Lead and mercury mixed as sun and moon.
In concord Li-dragon and Kan-tiger11 used,
The spirit turtle sucked dry the gold crow's blood.12
'Three flowers joined on top,'13 the root reclaimed;
'Five breaths faced their source'14 and all freely flowed.
My merit done, I ascended on hiah,
Met by pairs of immortals from the sky.
Radiant pink clouds arose beneath my feet;
With liaht, sound frame I faced the Golden Arch.
The Jade Emperor aave a banquet for aods
Who sat in rows according to their ranks.
Made a marshal of the Celestial Stream,
I took command of both sailors and ships.
Because Queen Mother aave the Peaches Feast-
When she met her auests at the Jasper Pool-
My mind turned hazy for I 90t dead drunk,
A shameless rowdy reeling left and riaht.
Boldly I baraed into Vast Cold Palace15
Where the charming fairy received me in.
When I saw her face that would snare one's soul,
My carnal itch of old could not be stopped!
Without reaardfor manners or for rank,
I arabbed Miss Chana'e16 asking her to bed.
For three or four times she rejected me:
Hiding east and west, she was sore annoyed.
My passion sky-hiah I roared like thunder,
Almost toppling the arch of Heaven's aate.
Inspector General17 told the Emperor Jade;
I was destined that day to meet my fate.
The Vast Cold completely enclosed airtiaht
Left me no way to run or to escape.
Then I was cauaht by the various aods,
Undaunted still,for wine was in my heart.
Bound and taken to see the Emperor Jade,
By law I should have been condemned to death.
It was Venus the Gold Star, Mr. Li,
Who left the ranks and knelt to beg for me.
My punishment chanaed to two thousand blows,
My flesh was torn; my bones did almost crack.
Alive! I was banished from Heaven's a ate
To make my home beneath the Fuling Mount.
An errant womb's my sinful destination:
Stiff-Bristle Hog's my worldly appellation!"
When Pilgrim heard this, he said, "So you are actually the Water God of the Heavenly Reeds, who came to earth. Small wonder you lmew old Monkey's name." "Curses!" cried the monster. "You Heaven-defying BanHorsePlague! When you caused such turmoil that year in Heaven, you had no idea how many of us had to suffer because of you. And here you are again to make life miserable for others! Don't give me any lip! Have a taste of my rake!" Pilgrim, of course, was unwilling to be tolerant; lifting high his rod, he struck at the monster's head. The two of them thus began a battle in the middle of the mountain, in the middle of the night. What a fight!
Pilgrim's gold pupils blazed like lightning;
The monster's round eyes flashed like silver blooms.
This one spat out colored fog:
That one spouted crimson mist.
The spouted crimson mist lit up the dark;
The colored fog spat out made bright the night.
The golden-hooped rod;
The nine-pronged muckrake.
Two true heroes most worthy of acclaim:
One was the Great Sage descended to earth;
One was a Marshal who came from Heaven.
That one,for indecorum, became a monster;
This one, to flee his ordeal, bowed to a monk.
The rake lunged like a dragon wielding his claws:
The rod came like a phoenix darting through flowers.
That one said: "Your breaking up a marriage is like patricide!"
This one said: "You should be arrested for raping a young girl!"
Such idle words!
Such wild clamor!
Back and forth the rod blocked the rake.
They fought till dawn was about to break,
When the monster's two arms felt sore and numb.
From the time of the second watch, the two of them fought until it was growing light in the east. That monster could hold out no longer and fled in defeat. He changed once more into a violent gust of wind and went straight back to his cave, shutting the doors tightly and refusing to come out. Outside the cave, Pilgrim saw a large stone tablet, which had on it the inscription, "Cloudy Paths Cave:' By now, it was completely light. Realizing that the monster was not going to come out, Pilgrim thought to himself, "I fear that Master may be anxiously waiting for me. I may as well go back and
see him before returning here to catch the monster:' Mounting the clouds,
he soon arrived at Old Gao village.
We shall now tell you about Tripitaka, who chatted about past and present with the other elders and did not sleep all night. He was just wondering why Pilgrim had not shown up, when suddenly the latter dropped down into the courtyard. Straightening out his clothes and putting away his rod, Pilgrim went up to the hall, crying, "Master! I've returned!" The various elders hurriedly bowed low, saying, "Thank you for all the trouble you have been to!" "Wukong, you were gone all night," said Tripi taka. "If you captured the monster, where is he now?" "Master," said Pilgrim, "that monster is no fiend of this world, nor is he a strange beast of the mountains. He is actually the incarnation of the Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds. Because he took the wrong path of rebirth, his appearance assumed the form of a wild hog: but actually his spiritual nature has not been extinguished. He said that he derived his surname from his appearance, and he went by the name ofZhu Ganglie. When I attacked him with my rod in the rear building, he tried to escape by changing into a violent gust of wind; I then struck at the wind, and he changed into shafts of flaming light and retreated to his mountain cave. There he took out a nine-pronged muckrake to do battle with old Monkey for a whole night. Just now when it grew light, he could fight no longer and fled into the cave, shutting the doors tightly and not coming out any more. I wanted to break down the door to finish him off, but I was afraid that you might be waiting here anxiously. That's why I came
back first to give you some news:'
When he had finished speaking, old Mr. Gao came forward and knelt down, saying, "Honored Priest, I have no alternative but to say this. Though you have chased him away, he might come back here after you leave. What should we do then? I may as well ask you to do us the favor of apprehending him, so that we shall not have any further worries. This old man, I assure you, will not be ungrateful or unkind; there will be a generous reward for you. I shall ask my relatives and friends to witness the drawing up of a document, whereby I shall divide my possessions and my property equally with you. All I want is to pluck up the trouble by the root, so that the pure virtue of our Gao family will not be tainted."
'1\ren't you being rather demanding, old man?" said Pilgrim, laughing. "That monster did tell me that, although he has an enormous appetite and has consumed a good deal of food and drink from your family, he has also done a lot of good work for you. Much of what you were able to accumulate these last few years you owe to his strength, so that he really hasn't taken any free meals from you. Why ever do you want to have him driven away? According to him, he is a god who has come down to earth and who has helped your family earn a living. Moreover, he has not harmed your daughter in any way. Such a son-in-law, I should think, would be a good match for your daughter and your family. So, what's all this about ruining your family's reputation and damaging your standing in the community? Why not really accept him as he is?"
"Honored Priest:' said old Mr. Gao, "though this matter may not offend public morals, it does leave us with a bad name. Like it or not, people will say, 'The Gao family has taken in a monster as a son-in-law!' How can one stand remarks of that kind?" "Wukong;' said Tripi taka, "if you have worked for him all this while, you might as well see him through to a satisfactory conclusion." Pilgrim said, "I was testing him a little, just for fun. This time when I go, I'll apprehend the monster for certain and bring him back for you all to see. Don't worry, old Gao! Take good care of my master. I'm off!"
He said he was off, and the next instant he was completely out of sight. Bounding up that mountain, he arrived at the cave's entrance; a few strokes of the iron rod reduced the doors to dust. "You overstuffed coolie!" he shouted, "Come out quickly and fight with old Monkey!" Huffing and puffing, the monster was lying in the cave and trying to catch his breath. When he heard his doors being struck down and heard himself called "an overstuffed coolie;' he could not control his wrath. Dragging his rake, he pulled himself together and ran out. "A BanHorsePlague like you," he yelled, "is an absolute pest! What have I done to you that you have to break my doors to pieces? Go and take a look at the law: a man who breaks someone's door and enters without permission may be guilty of trespassing, a crime punishable by death!" "Idiot!" said Pilgrim, laughing. "I may have broken down the door, but my case is still a defensible one. But you, you took a girl from her family by force-without using the proper matchmakers and witnesses, without presenting the proper gifts of money and wine. If you ask me, you are the one guilty of a capital crime!" "Enough of this idle talk," said the monster, "and watch out for old Hog's rake!" Parrying the rake with his rod, Pilgrim said, "Isn't that rake of yours just something you use as a regular farmhand to plow the fields or plant vegetables for the Gao family? Why on earth should I fear you?"
"You have made a mistake!" said the monster. "Is this rake a thing of this world? Just listen to my recital:
This is divine ice steel greatly refined,
Polished so highly that it glows and shines.
Laozi wielded the large hammer and tong;
Mars himself added charcoals piece by piece.
Five Kings of Five Quarters applied their schemes;
Twelve Gods of Time expended all their skills.
They made nine prongs like dangling teeth ofjade,
And brass rings were cast with dropping gold leaves.
Decked with .five stars and six brightnesses,
Its frame conformed to eight spans and four climes.
Its whole length set to match the cosmic scheme
Accorded with yin yang, with the sun and moon:
Six-Diagram Gods etched as Heaven ru1ed;18
Eight-Trigram Stars stood in ranks and files.
They named this the High Treasure Golden Rake,
A gift for Jade Emperor to guard his court.
Since I learned to be a great immortal,
Becoming someone with longevity,
I was made Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds
And given this rake, a sign of royal grace.
When it's held high, there'll be bright flames and light;
When it's brought low, strong wind blows down white snow.
The warriors of Heaven all fear it;
The Ten Kings of Hell all shrink from it.
Are there such weapons among mankind?
In this wide world there's no such fine steel.
It changes its form after my own wish,
Rising and falling after my command.
I've kept it with me for several years,
A daily comrade I never parted from.
I've stayed with it right through the day's three meals,
Nor left it when I went to sleep at night.
I brought it along to the Peaches Feast,
And with it I attended Heaven's court.
Since I wrought evil relying on wine,
Since trusting my strength I displayed my fraud,
Heaven sent me down to this world of dust,
Where in my next life I would sin some more.
With wicked mind I ate men in my cave,
Pleased to be married at the Gao Village.
This rake can overturn sea dragons' and turtles' lairs
And rake up mountain dens of tigers and wolves.
All other weapons there's no need to name,
Only my rake is of most fitting fame.
To win in battle? Why, it's no hard thing!
And making merit? It need not be said!
You may have a bronze head, an iron brain, and a .full steel frame.
I'll rake till your soul melts and your spirit leaks!"
When Pilgrim heard these words, he put away his iron rod and said, "Don't brag too much, Idiot! Old Monkey will stretch out his head right here, and you can give him a blow. See if his soul melts and his spirit leaks!" The monster did indeed raise his rake high and bring it down with all his might; with a loud bang, the rake made sparks as it bounced back up. But the blow did not make so much as a scratch on Pilgrim's head. The monster was so astounded that his hands turned numb and his feet grew weak. He mumbled, "What a head! What a head!" "You didn't know about this, did you?" said Pilgrim. "When I caused such turmoil in Heaven by stealing the magic pills, the immortal peaches, and the imperial wine, I was captured by the Little Sage Erlang and taken to the Polestar Palace. The various celestial beings chopped me with an ax, pounded me with a bludgeon, cut me with a scimitar, jabbed me with a sword, burned me with fire, and struck me with thunder-all this could not hurt me one whit. Then I was taken by Laozi and placed in his eight-trigram brazier, in which I was refined by divine fire until I had fiery eyes and diamond pupils, a bronze head and iron arms. If you don't believe me, give me some more blows and see whether it hurts me at all."
"Monkey," said the monster, "I remember that at the time you were causing trouble in Heaven, you lived in the Water-Curtain Cave of the FlowerFruit Mountain, in the Aolai Country of the East Pllrvavideha Continent. Your name hasn't been heard of for a long time. How is it that you suddenly tum up at this place to oppress me? Could my father-in-law have gone all that way to ask you to come here?" "Your father-in-law did not go to fetch me," said Pilgrim. "It's old Monkey who turned from wrong to right, who left the Daoist to follow the Buddhist. I am now accompanying the royal brother of the Great Tang Emperor in the Land of the East, whose name is Tripi taka, Master of the Law. He is on his way to the Western Heaven to seek scriptures from Buddha. We passed through the Gao Village and asked for lodging; old man Gao then brought up the subject of his daughter and asked me to rescue her and to apprehend you, you overstuffed coolie!"
Hearing this, the monster threw away his muckrake and said with great affability, "Where is the scripture pilgrim? Please take the trouble of introducing me to him:' "Why do you want to see him?" asked Pilgrim. The monster said, "I was a convert of the Bodhisattva Guanshiyin, who commanded me to keep a vegetarian diet here and to wait for the scripture pilgrim. I was to follow him to the Western Heaven to seek scriptures from the Buddha, so that I might atone for my sins with my merit and regain the fruits ofTruth. I have been waiting for a number of years without receiving any further news. Since you have been made his disciple, why didn't you mention the search for scriptures in the first place? Why did you have to unleash your violence and attack me right at my own door?"
"Don't try to soften me with deception;' said Pilgrim, "thinking that you can escape that way. If you are truly sincere about accompanying the Tang Monk, you must face Heaven and swear that you are telling the truth. Then I'll take you to see my master." At once the monster knelt down and kowtowed as rapidly as if he were pounding rice with his head. '~itabha," he cried, "Namo Buddha! If I am not speaking the truth in all sincerity, let me be punished as one who has offended Heaven -let me be hewn to pieces!"
Hearing him swear such an oath, Pilgrim said, 'i\ll right! You light a fire and bum up this place of yours; then I'll take you with me." The monster accordingly dragged in bunches of rushweed and thorns and lighted the fire; the Cloudy Paths Cave soon looked like a derelict potter's kiln. "I have no other attachment," he said to Pilgrim. "You can take me away." "Give me your muckrake and let me hold it;' said Pilgrim, and our monster at once handed it over. Yanking out a piece of hair, Pilgrim blew onto it and cried, "Change!" It changed into a three-ply hemp rope with which he prepared to tie up the monster's hands. Putting his arms behind his back, the monster did nothing to stop himself from being bound. Then Pilgrim took hold of his ear and dragged him along, crying, "Hurry! Hurry!"
"Gently, please!" pleaded the monster. "You are holding me so roughly, and my ear is hurting!" "I can't be any gentler;' said Pilgrim, "for I can't worry about you now. As the saying goes, 'The nicer the pig, the nastier the grip!' After you have seen my master and proved your worth, I'll let you go." Rising up to a distance halfway between cloud and fog, they headed straight for the Gao Family Village. We have a poem as a testimony:19
Strong is metal's nature to vanquish wood:
Mind Monkey has the Wood Dragon subdued.
With metal and wood both obedient as one,
All their love and virtue willgrow and show.
One guest and one host20 there's nothing between;
Three matings, three unions-there's great mystery!21
Nature andfeelings gladly fused as Last and First:22
Both will surely be enlightened in the West.
In a moment they had arrived at the village. Grasping the rake and pulling at the monster's ear, Pilgrim said, "Look at the one sitting in a most dignified manner up there in the main hall: that's my master:' When old Mr. Gao and his relatives suddenly saw Pilgrim dragging by the ear a monster who had his hands bound behind his back, they all gladly left their seats to meet them in the courtyard. The old man cried, "Honored Priest! There's that son-in-law of mine:' Our monster went forward and fell on his knees, kowtowing to Tripitaka and saying, "Master, your disciple apologizes for not coming to meet you. If I had known earlier that my master was staying in my father-in-law's house, I would have come at once to pay my respects, and none of these troubles would have befallen me." "Wukong;' said Tripitaka, "how did you manage to get him here to see me?" Only then did Pilgrim release his hold. Using the handle of the rake to give the monster a whack, he shouted, "Idiot! Say something!" The monster gave a full account of how the Bodhisattva had converted him.
Greatly pleased, Tripi taka said at once, "Mr. Gao, may I borrow your incense table?'' Old Mr. Gao took it out immediately, and Tripitaka lighted the incense after purifying his hands. He bowed toward the south, saying, "I thank the Bodhisattva for her holy grace!" The other elders all joined in the worship by adding incense, after which Tripi taka resumed his seat in the main hall and asked Wukong to untie the monster. Pilgrim shook his body to retrieve his hair, and the rope fell off by itself Once more the monster bowed to Tripi taka, declaring his intention to follow him to the West, and then bowed also to Pilgrim, addressing him as "elder brother" because he was the senior disciple.
"Since you have entered my fold and have decided to become my disciple,'' said Tripi taka, "let me give you a religious name so that I may address you properly:' "Master,'' said the monster, "the Bodhisattva already laid hands on my head and gave me the commandments and a religious name, which is Zhu Wuneng (Awake to Power):' "Good! Good!" said Tripitaka, laughing. "Your elder brother is named Wukong and you are called Wuneng; your names are well in accord with the emphasis of our denomination:' "Master,'' said Wuneng, "since I received the commandments from the Bodhisattva, I was completely cut off from the five forbidden viands and the three undesirable foods. I maintained a strict vegetarian diet in my father-in-law's house, never touching any forbidden food. Now that I have met my master today, let me be released from my vegetarian vow." "No, no!" said Tripi taka. "Since you have not eaten the five forbidden viands and the three undesirable foods, let me give you another name. Let me call you Eight Rules."23 Delighted, Idiot said, "I shall obey my master." For this reason, he was also called Zhu Eight Rules.
When old Mr. Gao saw the happy ending of this whole affair, he was more delighted than ever. He ordered his houseboys immediately to prepare a feast to thank the Tang Monk. Eight Rules went forward and tugged at him, saying, "Papa, please ask my humble wife to come out and greet the granddads and uncles. How about it?" "Worthy brother!" said Pilgrim, laughing. "Since you have embraced Buddhism and become a monk, please don't ever mention 'your humble wife' again. There may be a married Daoist in this world, but there's no such monk, is there? Let's sit down, rather, and have a nice vegetarian meal. We'll have to start off soon for the West:'
Old Mr. Gao set the tables in order and invited Tripi taka to take the honored seat in the middle: Pilgrim and Eight Rules sat on both sides while the relatives took the remaining seats below. Mr. Gao opened a bottle of dietary wine and filled a glass: he sprinkled a little of the wine on the ground to thank Heaven and Earth before presenting the glass to Tripitaka. "To tell you the truth, aged sir," said Tripitaka, "this poor monk has been a vegetarian from birth. I have not touched any kind of forbidden food since childhood:' "I know the reverend teacher is chaste and pure," said old Mr. Gao, "and I did not dare bring forth any forbidden foodstuff. This wine is made for those who maintain a vegetarian diet: there's no harm in your taking a glass." "I just don't dare use wine," said Tripitaka. "for the prohibition of strong drink is a monk's first commandment." Alarmed, Wuneng said, "Master, though I kept a vegetarian diet, I didn't cut out wine." "Though my capacity is not great;' said Wukong, "and I'm not able to handle more than a crock or so, I haven't discontinued the use of wine either:' "In that case," said Tripi taka, "you two brothers may take some of this pure wine. But you are not permitted to get drunk and cause trouble." So the two of them took the first round before taking their seats again to enjoy the feast. We cannot tell you in full what a richly laden table that was, and what varieties of delicacies were presented.
After master and disciples had been feted, old Mr. Gao took out a red lacquered tray bearing some two hundred taels of gold and silver in small pieces, which were to be presented to the three priests for travel expenses. There were, moreover, three outer garments made of fine silk. Tripitaka said, "We are mendicants who beg for food and drink from village to village. How could we accept gold, silver, and precious clothing?"
Coming forward and stretching out his hand, Pilgrim took a handful of the money, saying, "Gao Cai, yesterday you took the trouble to bring my master here, with the result that we made a disciple today. We have nothing to thank you with. Take this as remuneration for being a guide; perhaps you can use it to buy a few pairs of straw sandals. If there are any more monsters, turn them over to me and I'll truly be grateful to you:' Gao Cai took the money and kowtowed to thank Pilgrim for his reward. Old Mr. Gao then said, "If the masters do not want the silver and gold, please accept at least these three simple garments, which are but small tokens of our goodwill." "If those of us who have left the family," said Tripitaka again, "accept the bribe of a single strand of silk, we may fall into ten thousand kalpas from which we may never recover. It is quite sufficient that we take along the leftovers from the table as provisions on our way." Eight Rules spoke up from the side: "Master, Elder Brother, you may not want these things. But I was a son-in-law in this household for several years, and the payment for my services should be worth more than three stones of rice! Father, my shirt was torn by Elder Brother last night; please give me a cassock of blue silk. My shoes are worn also, so please give me a good pair of new shoes." When old Mr. Gao heard that, he dared not refuse; a new pair of shoes and a cassock were purchased at once so that Eight Rules could dispose of the old attire.
Swaggering around, our Eight Rules spoke amiably to old Mr. Gao, saying, "Please convey my humble sentiments to my mother-in-law, my greataunt, my second aunt, and my uncle-in-law, and all my other relatives. Today I am going away as a monk, and please do not blame me if I cannot take leave of them in person. Father, do take care of my better half If we fail in our quest for scriptures, I'll return to secular life and live with you again as your son-in-law:' "Coolie!" shouted Pilgrim. "Stop babbling nonsense!" "It's not nonsense," said Eight Rules. "Sometimes I fear that things may go wrong, and then I could end up unable either to be a monk or to take a wife, losing out on both counts:' "Less of this idle conversation!" said Tripitaka. "We must hurry up and leave:' They packed their luggage, and Eight Rules was told to carry the load with a poie. Tripi taka rode on the white horse, while Pilgrim led the way with the iron rod across his shoulders. The three of them took leave of old Mr. Gao and his relatives and headed toward the West. We have a poem as testimony:
The earth's mist-shrouded, the trees appear tall.
The Buddha-son of Tang court ever toils.
He eats in need rice begged from many homes;
He wears when cold a robe patched a thousandfold.
Hold fast at the breast the Horse of the Will!
The Mind-Monkey is sly-let him not wail!
Nature one with feelings, causes all joined24 -
The moon's full of gold light when hair is shorn. 25
The three of them proceeded toward the West, and for about a month it was an uneventful journey. When they crossed the boundary of Qoco, they looked up and saw a tall mountain. Tripitaka reined in his horse and said, "Wukong, Wuneng, there's a tall mountain ahead. We must approach it with care." "It's nothing!" said Eight Rules. "This mountain is called the Pagoda Mountain and a Crow's Nest Chan Master lives there, practicing austerities. Old Hog has met him before." "What's his business?" said Tripitaka. "He's fairly accomplished in the Way," said Eight Rules, "and he once asked me to practice austerities with him. But I didn't go, and that was the end of the matter:'
As master and disciple conversed, they soon arrived at the mountain. What a splendid mountain! You see
South of it, blue pines, jade-green junipers;
North of it, green willows, red peach trees.
A clamorous din:
The mountain fowls are conversing.
A fluttering dance:
Immortal cranes unite in flyina.
A dense fraarance:
The flowers in a thousand colors.
A manifold areen:
Diverse plants informs exotic.
In the stream areen water flows bubblina;
Before the cliff float petals ofhallowed cloud.
Truly a place of rare beauty, a well-secluded spot;
Silence is all, not a man to be seen.
As the master sat on his horse, peering into the distance, he saw on top of the fragrant juniper tree a nest made of dried wood and grass. To the left, musk deer carried flowers in their mouths; to the right, mountain monkeys were presenting fruits. At the top of the tree, blue and pink phoenixes sang together, soon to be joined by a congregation of black cranes and brightly colored pheasants. "Isn't that the Crow's Nest Chan Master?" asked Eight Rules, pointing. Tripitaka urged on his horse and rode up to the tree.
We now tell you about that Chan Master, who, seeing the three of them approach, left his nest and jumped down from the tree. Tripitaka dismounted and prostrated himself Raising him up with his hand, the Chan Master said, "Holy Monk, please arise! Pardon me for not coming to meet you:' "Old Chan Master," said Eight Rules, "please receive my bow!" ''Aren't you the Zhu Ganglie of the Fuling Mountain?" asked the Chan Master, startled. "How did you have the good fortune to journey with the holy monk?" ''A few years back," said Eight Rules, "I was beholden to the Bodhisattva Guanyin for persuading me to follow him as a disciple." "Good! Good! Good!" said the Chan Master, greatly pleased. Then he pointed to Pilgrim and asked, "Who is this person?" "How is it that the old Chan recognizes him," said Pilgrim, laughing, "and not me?" "Because I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you;' said the Chan Master. Tripi taka said, "He is my eldest disciple, Sun Wukong." Smiling amiably, the Chan Master said, "How impolite of me!"
Tripitaka bowed again and asked about the distance to the Great Thunderclap Temple of the Western Heaven. "It's very far away! Very far away!" said the Chan Master. "What's more, the road is a difficult one, filled with tigers and leopards:' With great earnestness, Tripitaka asked again, "Just how far is it?" "Though it may be very far," answered the Chan Master, "you
will arrive there one day. But all those miira hindrances along the way are
hard to dispel. I have a Heart Sutra here in this scroll; it has fifty-four sentences containing two hundred and seventy characters. When you meet
these mara hindrances, recite the sutra and you will not suffer any injury
or harm." Tripi taka prostrated himself on the ground and begged to receive it, whereupon the Chan Master imparted the sutra by reciting it orally. The sutra said:
When the Bodhisattva Guanzizai26 was moving in the deep course of the
Perfection of Wisdom, she saw that the five heaps 27 were but emptiness, and
she transcended all sufferings. Sariputra, form is no different from empti-
ness, emptiness no different from form; form is emptiness, and emptiness
is form. Of sensations, perceptions, volition, and consciousness, the same is
also true. Sariputra, it is thus that all dharmas are but empty appearances,
neither produced nor destroyed, neither defiled nor pure, neither increas-
ing nor decreasing. This is why in emptiness there are no forms and no sen-
sations, perceptions, volition, or consciousness; no eye, ear, nose, tongue,
body, or mind; no form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or object of mind. There
is no realm of sight [and so forth], until we reach the realm of no mind-
consciousness; there is no ignorance, nor is there extinction of ignorance
[and so forth], until we reach the stage where there is no old age and death,
nor is there the extinction of old age and death; there is no suffering, anni-
hilation, or way; there is no cognition or attainment. Because there is noth-
ing to be attained, the mind of the Bodhisattva, by virtue of reliance upon the
Perfection of Wisdom, has no hindrances: no hindrances, and therefore, no
terror or fear; he is far removed from error and delusion, and finally reaches
Nirval}.a. All the Buddhas of the three worlds28 rely on the Perfection ofWis-
dom, and that is why they attain the ultimate and complete enlightenment.
Know, therefore, that the Perfection of Wisdom is a great divine spell, a spell
of great illumination, a spell without superior, and a spell without equal. It
can do away with all sufferings-such is the unvarnished truth. Therefore,
when the Spell of the Perfection of Wisdom is to be spoken, say this spell:
"Gate! Gate! Paragate! Parasalpgate! Bodhisvaha!"29 Now because that master of the law from the Tang court was spiritually prepared, he could remember the Heart Sutra after hearing it only once. Through him, it has come down to us this day. It is the comprehensive classic for the cultivation of Perfection, the very gateway to becoming a Buddha.
After the transmission of the sutra, the Chan Master trod on the cloudy luminosity and was about to return to his crow's nest. Tripitaka, however, held him back and earnestly questioned him again about the condition of the road to the West. The Chan Master laughed and said:
"The way is not too hard to walk;
Try listening to what I say.
A thousand hills and waters deep;
Places full of goblins and snags;
When you reach those sky-touching cliffs,
Fear not and put your mind at rest.
Crossing the Rub Ear Precipice,
You must walk with steps placed sideways.
Take care in the Black Pine Forest;
Fox-spirits will likely bar your way.
Griffins will fill the capitals;
Monsters all mountains populate;
Old tigers sit as magistrates;
Graying wolves act as registrars.
Lions, elephants-all called kings!
Leopards, tigers are coachmen all!
A wild pig totes a hauling pole;
You'll meet ahead a water sprite.
An old stone ape of many years
Now nurses over there his spite!
Just ask that acquaintance of yours:
Well he knows the way to the West:'
Hearing this, Pilgrim laughed with scorn and said, "Let's go. Don't ask him, ask me! That's enough!" Tripitaka did not perceive what he meant. The Chan Master, changing into a beam of golden light, went straight up to his crow's nest, while the priest bowed toward him to express his gratitude. Enraged, Pilgrim lifted his iron rod and thrust it upward violently, but garlands ofblooming lotus flowers were seen together with a thousand-layered shield of auspicious clouds. Though Pilgrim might have the strength to overturn rivers and seas, he could not catch hold of even one strand of the crow's nest. When Tripi taka saw this, he pulled Pilgrim back, saying, "Wukong, why are you jabbing at the nest of a bodhisattva like him?" "For leaving like that after abusing both my brother and me," said Pilgrim. "He was speaking of the way to the Western Heaven," said Tripi taka. "Since when did he abuse you?"
"Didn't you get it?" asked Pilgrim. "He said, 'A wild pig totes a hauling pole,' and insulted Eight Rules. 'An old stone ape of many years' ridiculed old Monkey. How else would you explain that?" "Elder Brother," said Eight Rules, "don't be angry. This Chan Master does know the events of past and future. Let's see if his statement, 'You'll meet ahead a water sprite,' will be fulfilled or not. Let's spare him and leave." Pilgrim saw the lotus flowers and auspicious fog near the nest, and he had little alternative than to ask his master to mount so that they could descend from the mountain and proceed toward the West. Lo, their journey
Thus shows that in man's world pure leisure is rare,
But evils and 09res are rife in the hills!
We really do not know what took place in the journey ahead; let's listen to the explanation in the next chapter.