The dharma is born through the mind;
It'll be destroyed, too, through the mind.
By whom it is destroyed or born,
That you must determine yourself.
If it is through your own mind,
Why do others need to tell you?
All that you need is your hard work
To draw blood out of iron ore.
Let a silk cord puncture your nose
To tie a firm knot on the void;
Fasten that to the no-work tree, 1
That you'd not be vicious and wild.
Regard not the thief as your son,
And forget all dharma and mind.
Let not the Other deceive me:
With one big punch strike him out first.
The manifest mind's also no mind;
Manifest Law is law that's stopped.
When both Bull2 and Man disappear,
The jade-green sky is bright and clear.
Any autumn moon's just as round:
You can't tell one from the other.
This enigmatic gutha was composed by Xuanzang, master of the law, af-
ter he had thoroughly mastered the Heart Sūtra, which had, in fact, broken
through the gate of his understanding. He recited it frequently, and the beam of spiritual light penetrated by itself to his innermost being.
We tum now to tell you about the three travelers, who dined on the wind and rested by the waters, who clothed themselves with the moon and cloaked themselves with the stars on their journey. Soon, it was the scene of summer again, beneath a torrid sky. They saw
Flowers gone, and butteiflies cared not to linger;
On tall trees the cicada chirp turned brazen.
Wild worms made their cocoons, fair pomegranates their fire,
As new lilies in the ponds appeared.3
As they were traveling one day, it was growing late again when they saw a hamlet beside the mountain road. "Wukong;' said Tripitaka, "look at that sun setting behind the mountain, hiding its fiery orb, and the moon rising on the eastern sea, revealing an icy wheel. It's a good thing that a family lives by the road up there. Let us ask for lodging for the night and proceed tomorrow:' "You are right!" said Eight Rules. "Old Hog is rather hungry, too! Let's go and beg for some food at the house. Then I can regain my strength to pole the luggage."
"This family-hugging devil!" said Pilgrim. "You only left the family a few days ago, and you are already beginning to complain:' "Elder Brother," said Eight Rules, "I'm not like you-I can't imbibe the wind and exhale the mist. Since I began following our master a few days ago, I've been half hungry all the time. Did you know that?" Hearing this, Tripi taka said, "Wuneng, if your heart still clings to the family, you are not the kind of person who wants to leave it. You may as well tum back!" Idiot was so taken aback that he fell on his knees and said, "Master, please do not listen to the words of Elder Brother. He loves to put blame on others: I haven't made any complaint, but he said that I was complaining. I'm only an honest moron, who said that I was hungry so that we could find some household to beg for food. Immediately he called me a family-hugging devil! Master, I received the commandments from the Bodhisattva and mercy from you, and that was why I was determined to serve you and go to the Western Heaven. I vow that I have no regrets. This is, in fact, what they call the practice of strict austerities. What do you mean, I'm not willing to leave the family?" "In that case;' said Tripitaka, "you may get up."
Leaping up with a bound, Idiot was still muttering something as he picked up the pole with the luggage. He had no choice but to follow his companions with complete determination up to the door of the house by the wayside. Tripi taka dismounted, Pilgrim took the reins, and Eight Rules put down the luggage, all standing still beneath the shade of a large tree. Holding his nine-ringed priestly staff and pressing down his rain hat woven of straw and rattan, Tripi taka went to the door first. He saw inside an old man reclining on a bamboo bed and softly reciting the name of Buddha. Tripitaka dared not speak loudly; instead, he said very slowly and quietly, "Patron, salutations!" The old man jumped up and at once began to straighten out his attire. He walked out of the door to return the greeting, saying, "Honored Priest, pardon me for not coming to meet you. Where did you come from? What are you doing at my humble abode?" "This poor monk;' said Tripitaka, "happens to be a priest from the Great Tang in the Land of the East. In obedience to an imperial decree, I am journeying to the Great Thunderclap Temple to seek scriptures from the Buddha. It was getting late when I arrived in your esteemed region, and I would beg for shelter for one night in your fine mansion. I beseech you to grant me this favor." "You can't go there," said the old man, shaking his head and waving his hand, "it's exceedingly difficult to bring scriptures back from the Western Heaven. If you want to do that, you might as well go the Eastern Heaven!" Tripitaka fell silent, thinking to himself, "The Bodhisattva clearly told me to go to the West. Why does this old man now say that I should head for the East instead? Where in the East would there be any scriptures?" Terribly flustered and embarrassed, he could not make any reply for a long time.
We now tell you about Pilgrim, who had always been impulsive and mischievous. Unable to restrain himself, he went forward and said in a loud voice, "Old man! Though you are of such great age, you don't have much common sense. We monks have traveled a great distance to come and ask you for shelter, and here you are trying to intimidate us with discouraging words. If your house is too small and there's not enough space for us to sleep, we'll sit beneath the trees for the night and not disturb you." "Master!" said the old man, taking hold ofTipitaka, "you don't say anything. But that disciple of yours with a pointed chin, shriveled cheeks, a thunder-god mouth, and blood-red eyes-he looks like a demon with a bad case of consumption-how dare he offend an aged person like me!"
''An old fellow like you;' said Pilgrim with a laugh, "really has very little discernment! Those who are handsome may be good for their looks only! A person like me, old Monkey, may be small but tough, like the skin around a ball of ligaments!" "I suppose you must have some abilities," said the old man. "I won't boast," said Pilgrim, "but they are passable:' "Where did you used to live?" asked the old man, "and why did you shave your hair to become a monk?" "The ancestral home of old Monkey," said Pilgrim, "is at the Water-Curtain Cave in the Flower-Fruit Mountain, in the Aolai Country of the East Pftrvavideha Continent. I learned to be a monster-spirit in my youth, assuming the name of Wukong, and with my abilities I finally became the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven. Because I did not receive any acceptable appointment in Heaven, I caused great turmoil in the Celestial Palace, and incurred great calamities for myself I was, however, delivered from my ordeals and have turned to Buddhism instead to seek the fruits of Truth. As a guardian of my master, who is in the service of the Tang court, I am journeying to the Western Heaven to worship Buddha. Why should I fear tall mountains, treacherous roads, wide waters, and wild waves? I, old Monkey, can apprehend monsters, subdue demons, tame tigers, capture dragonsin sum, I know a little about all the matters that a person needs to know to go up to Heaven or to descend into Earth. If by chance your household is suffering from some such disturbances as flying bricks and dancing tiles, or talking pots and doors opening by themselves, old Monkey can quiet things down for you."
When that old man heard this lengthy speech, he roared with laughter and said, "So you are really a garrulous monk who begs for alms from place to place!" "Only your son is garrulous!" said Pilgrim. "I'm not very talkative these days, because following my master on his journey is quite tiring." "If you were not tired,'' said that old man, "and if you were in the mood to chatter, you would probably talk me to death! Since you have such abilities, I suppose you can go to the West successfully. How many of you are there? You may rest in my thatched hut." "We thank the old patron for not sending us away,'' said Tripi taka; "there are three of us altogether." "Where is the third member of your party?" asked the old man. "Your eyes must be somewhat dim, old man,'' said Pilgrim. "Isn't he over there standing in the shade?" The old man did indeed have poor sight; he raised his head and stared intently. The moment he saw Eight Rules with his strange face and mouth, he became so terrified that he started to rush back into the house, tripping at every step. "Shut the door! Shut the door!" he cried. ''A monster is coming!" Pilgrim caught hold of him, saying, "Don't be afraid, old man! He's no monster; he's my younger brother:' "Fine! Fine! Fine!" said the old man, shaking all over. "One monk uglier than another!"
Eight Rules approached him and said, "You are really mistaken, Aged Sir, if you judge people by their looks. We may be ugly, but we are all use-
ful:' As the old man was speaking with the three monks in front of his
house, two young men appeared to the south of the village, leading an old woman and several young children. All of them had their clothes rolled up and were walking barefoot, for they were returning after a day's planting of young shoots of grain. When they saw the white horse, the luggage, and the goings-on in front of their house, they all ran forward, asking, "What are you people doing here?" Thrning his head, Eight Rules flapped his ears a couple of times and stuck out his long snout once, so frightening the people that they fell down right and left, madly scattering in every direction. Tripitaka, alarmed, kept saying, "Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid! We are not bad people! We are monks in quest of scriptures." Coming out of his house, the old man helped the old woman up, saying, "Mama, get up! Calm yourself This master came from the Tang court. His disciples may look hideous, but they are really good people with ugly faces. Take the boys and girls back into the house." Clutching at the old man, the old woman walked inside with the two young men and their children.
Sitting on the bamboo bed in their house, Tripitaka began to protest, saying, "Disciples! The two of you are not only ugly in appearance, but you are also rude in your language. You have scared this family badly, and you are causing me to sin:' "To tell you the truth, Master," said Eight Rules, "since I started accompanying you, I have become a lot better behaved. At the time when I was living in Old Gao Village, all I needed to do was to pout and flap my ears once, and scores of people would be frightened to death!" "Stop talking rubbish, Idiot," said Pilgrim, "and fix your ugliness:' "Look at the way Wukong talks," said Tripi taka. "Your appearance comes with your birth. How can you tell him to fix it?" "Take that rakelike snout;' said Pilgrim, "put it in your bosom, and don't take it out. And stick your rush-leaffan ears to the back of your head, and don't shake them. That's fixing it:' Eight Rules did indeed hide his snout and stick his ears to the back of his head; with his hands folded in front of him to hide his head, he stood on one side of his master. Pilgrim took the luggage inside the main door, and tied the white horse to one of the posts in the courtyard.
The old man then brought a young man in to present three cups of tea placed on a wooden tray. After the tea, he ordered a vegetarian meal to be prepared. Then the young man took an old, unvarnished table full of holes and several stools with broken legs, and placed them in the courtyard for the three of them to sit where it was cool. Only then did Tripi taka ask, "Old patron, what is your noble surname?" "Your humble servant goes by the surname of Wang," said the old man. '1\nd how many heirs do you have?" asked Tripitaka. "I have two sons and three grandchildren;' said the old man. "Congratulations! Congratulations!" said Tripitaka. '1\nd what is your age?" "I have foolishly lived till my sixty-first year;' the old man said. "Good! Good! Good!" said Pilgrim. "You have just begun a new sexagenary cycle." "Old patron," said Tripitaka again, "you said when we first came that the scriptures in the Western Heaven were difficult to get. Why?" "The scriptures are not hard to get;' said the old man, "but the journey there is filled with hazards and difficulties. Some thirty miles west of us there is a mountain called the Yellow Wind Ridge of Eight Hundred Miles. Monsters infest that mountain, and that's what I meant by difficulties. Since this little priest claims that he has many abilities, however, you may perhaps proceed after all." "No fear! No fear!" said Pilgrim. "With old Monkey and his younger brother around, we'll never be touched, no matter what kind of monster we meet."
While they spoke, one of the sons brought out some rice and placed it on the table, saying, "Please eat." Tripitaka immediately folded his hands to begin his grace, but Eight Rules had already swallowed a whole bowl of rice. Before the priest could say the few sentences, Idiot had devoured three more bowlfuls. "Look at the glutton!" said Pilgrim. "It's like we've met a
preta!" Old Wang was a sensitive person. When he saw how fast Eight Rules
was eating, he said, "This honored priest must be really hungry! Quick, bring more rice!" Idiot in truth had an enormous appetite. Look at him! Without lifting his head once, he finished over ten bowls, while Tripi taka and Pilgrim could hardly finish two. Idiot refused to stop and wanted to eat still more. "In our haste we have not prepared any dainty viands," said old Wang, "and I dare not press you too much. Please take at least one more helping." Both Tripitaka and Pilgrim said, "We have had enough." "Old man," said Eight Rules, "what are you mumbling about? Who's having a game of divination with you?Why mention all that about the fifthyao and
the sixth yao?4 If you have rice, just bring more of it, that's all!" So Idiot in
one meal finished all the rice in that household, and then he said he was only half full! The tables and dishes were cleared away, and after bedding had been placed on the bamboo bed and on some wooden boards, the travelers rested.
The next morning, Pilgrim went to saddle the horse, while Eight Rules put their luggage in order. Old Wang asked his wife to prepare some refreshments and drinks to serve them, after which the three of them expressed their thanks and took leave of their host. The old man said, "If there is any mishap on your journey after you leave here, you must feel free to return to our house." "Old man:' said Pilgrim, "don't speak such disconcerting words. Those of us who have left the family never retrace our steps!" They then urged on the horse, picked up the luggage, and proceeded toward the West. Alas! What this journey means for them is that
There's no safe way which leads to the Western Realm;
There'll be great disasters brought by demons vile.
Before the three of them had traveled for half a day, they did indeed come upon a tall mountain, exceedingly rugged. Tripitaka rode right up to the hanging cliff and looked around, sitting sideways on his saddle. Truly
Tall was the mountain;
Rugged, the peak;
Steep, the precipice;
Deep, the canyon;
Gurgling, the stream;
And fresh were the flowers.
This mountain, whether tall or not,
Its top reached the blue sky;
This stream, whether deep or not,
Its floor opened to Hell below.
Before the mountain,
White clouds rose in continuous rings
And boulders in shapes grotesque.
Countless the soul-rending cliffs ten thousand yards deep;
Behind them, winding, twisting, dragon-hiding caves,
Where water dripped from ledges drop by drop.
He also saw some deer with zigzag horns;
Dull and dumbly staring antelopes;
Winding and coiling red-scaled pythons;
Silly and foolish white-faced apes;
Tigers that climbed the hills to seek their dens at night;
Dragons that churned the waves to leave their lairs at dawn.
If one stepped before a cave's entrance,
The dead leaves crackled;
The fowls in the grass
Darted up with wings loudly beating;
The beasts in the forest
Walked with paws noisily scratching.
Suddenly wild creatures hurried by,
Making hearts beat with fear.
Thus it was that the Due-to-Fall Cave duly faced the Due-to-Fall Cave, s
The Cave duly facing the Due-to-Fall Cave duly faced the mount.
One blue bill dyed like a thousand yards of jade,
Mist-veiled like countless mounds ofjade-green gauze.
The master rode forward very slowly, while the Great Sage Sun also walked at a slower pace and Zhu Wuneng proceeded leisurely with the load. As all of them were looking at the mountain, a great whirlwind suddenly arose. Alarmed, Tripitaka said, "Wukong, the wind is rising!" "Why fear the wind?" said Pilgrim. "This is the breath of Heaven in the four seasons, nothing to be afraid of" "But this is a terribly violent wind, unlike the kind that comes from Heaven," said Tripitaka. "How so?" said Pilgrim. Tripi taka said, "Look at this wind!
Augustly it blows in a blusterous key,
An immense force leaving the jade-green sky.
It passes the ridge,just hear the trees roar.
It moves in the wood, just see the poles quake.
Willows by the banks are rocked to the roots;
Blown garden flowers now soar with their leaves.
Fishing boats, nets drawn, make their hawsers taut;
Vessels with sails down have their anchors cast.
Trekkers in mid-journey have lost their way;
Woodsmen in the hills cannot hold their loads.
From woods with .fruits divine the apes disperse;
From clumps of rare .flowers the small fawns flee.
Before the cliff cypress fall one by one;
Downstream bamboo and pine die leaf by leaf.
Earth and dust are scattered while sand explodes;
Rivers and seas overturned, waves churn and roll."
Eight Rules went forward and tugged at Pilgrim, saying, "Elder Brother, the wind is too strong! Let's find shelter until it dies down:' "You are too soft, Brother," said Pilgrim, laughing, "when you want to hide the moment the wind gets strong. What would happen to you if you were to meet a monster-spirit face to face?" "Elder Brother;' said Eight Rules, "you probably haven't heard of the proverb,
Flee the fair sex like a foe;
Flee the wind like an arrow!
We suffer no loss if we take shelter just for a little while:'
"Stop talking;' said Pilgrim, "and let me seize the wind and smell it." "You are fibbing again, Elder Brother," said Eight Rules, with a laugh, "for how can the wind be seized for you to smell? Even if you manage to catch hold of it, it will slip past you at once." "Brother," said Pilgrim, "you didn't know that I have the magic to 'seize the wind:" Dear Great Sage! He allowed the head of the wind to move past but he caught hold of its tail and sniffed at it. Finding it somewhat fetid, he said, "This is indeed not a very good wind, for it smells like a tiger or else like a monster; there's something definitely strange about it."
Hardly had he finished speaking when from over a hump of the mountain a fierce striped tiger with a whiplike tail and powerful limbs appeared. Tripitaka was so horrified that he could no longer sit on the saddle; he fell head over heels from the white horse and lay beside the road, half out of his wits. Throwing down the luggage, Eight Rules took up his muckrake and rushed past Pilgrim. "Cursed beast!" he shouted. "Where are you going?" He lunged forward and struck at the beast's head. That tiger stood straight up on his hind legs and, raising his left paw, punctured his own breast with one jab. Then, gripping the skin, he tore downward with a loud rending noise and he became completely stripped of his own hide as he stood there by the side of the road. Look how abominable he appears! Oh! That hideous form:
All smeared with blood, the naked body;
Most sickly red, the warped legs and feet;
Like shooting flames, wild hair by the temples;
Bristlingly hard, two eyebrows pointing upward;
Hellishly white ,four steel-like fangs;
With light aglow, a pair of gold eyes;
Imposing of mien, he mightily roared;
With power fierce, he cried aloud.
"Slow down! Slow down!" he shouted. "I am not any other person. I am the vanguard of the forces commanded by the Great King Yellow Wind. I have received the Great King's strict order to patrol this mountain and to catch a few mortals to be used as hors d'oeuvres for him. Where did you monks come from that you dare reach for your weapons to harm me?" "Cursed beast that you are!" cried Eight Rules. "So you don't recognize me! We are no mortals who just happen to be passing by; we are the disciples ofTripitaka, the royal brother of the Great Tang Emperor in the Land of the East, who by imperial decree is journeying to the Western Heaven to seek scriptures from the Buddha. You better stand aside quickly for us to pass, and don't alarm my master. Then I'll spare your life. But if you are impudent as before, there will be no clemency when this rake is lifted up!"
That monster-spirit would not permit any further discussion. He quickly drew near, assumed a fighting pose, and clawed at Eight Rules's face. Dodging the blow, Eight Rules struck at once with his rake. Since the monster had no weapons in his hands, he turned and fled, with Eight Rules hard on his heels. Racing to the slope below, the monster took out from beneath a clump of rocks a pair of bronze scimitars, with which he turned to face his pursuer. So the two of them clashed right in front of the mountain slope, closing in again and again. Meanwhile, Pilgrim lifted up the Tang Monk and said, "Master, don't be afraid. Sit here and let old Monkey go help Eight Rules strike down that monster so that we can leave." Only then did Tripitaka manage to sit up; trembling all over, he began to recite the
Heart Sūtra, but we shall say no more of that.
Whipping out the iron rod, Pilgrim shouted, "Catch him!" Eight Rules at once attacked with even greater ferocity, and the monster fled in defeat. "Don't spare him," yelled Pilgrim. "We must catch him!" Wielding rod and rake, the two of them gave chase down the mountain. In panic, the monster resorted to the trick of the gold cicada casting its shell: he rolled on the ground and changed back into the form of a tiger. Pilgrim and Eight Rules would not let up. Closing in on the tiger, they intended to dispose of him once and for all. When the monster saw them approaching, he again stripped himself of his own hide and threw the skin over a large piece of rock, while his true form changed into a violent gust of wind heading back the way he had come. Suddenly noticing the master of the law sitting by the
road and reciting the Heart Sutra, he caught hold of him and hauled him
away by mounting the wind. 0, pity that Tripitaka,
The River Float fated to suffer oft!
It's hard to make merit in Buddha's gate!
Having taken the Tang Monk back to the door of his cave, the monster stopped the wind and said to the one standing guard at the door, "Go report to the Great King and say that the Tiger Vanguard has captured a monk. He awaits his order outside the door." The Cave Master gave the order for him to enter. The Tiger Vanguard, with the two bronze scimitars hanging from his waist, lifted up the Tang Monk in his hands. He went forward and knelt down, saying, "Great King! Though your humble officer is not talented, he thanks you for granting him the honored command of doing patrol in the mountain. I encountered a monk who is Tripi taka, master of the law and brother to the Throne of the Great Tang in the Land of the East. While he was on his way to seek scriptures from Buddha, I captured him to present to you here for your culinary pleasure:' When the Cave Master heard this, he was a little startled. "I have heard some rumor:' he said, "that the master of the law Tripitaka is a divine monk who is going in search of scriptures by imperial decree of the Great Tang. He has under him a disciple whose name is Pilgrim Sun and who possesses tremendous magical power and prodigious intelligence. How did you manage to catch him and bring him here?"
"He has, in fact, two disciples:' said the Vanguard. "The one who appeared first used a nine-pronged muckrake, and he had a long snout and huge ears. Another one used a golden-hooped iron rod, and he had fiery
eyes and diamond pupils. As they were chasing me to attack me, I used the
trick of the gold cicada casting its shell and succeeded not only in eluding them but also in catching this monk. I now respectfully present him to the Great King as a meal:' "Let's not eat him yet," said the Cave Master.
"Great King," said the Vanguard, "only a worthless horse tums away ready feed!" "You haven't considered this," said the Cave Master. "There's nothing wrong with eating him, but I'm afraid his two disciples may come to our door and argue with us. Let's tie him instead to one of the posts in the rear garden and wait for three or four days. If those two don't show up to disturb us, then we can enjoy the double benefit of having his body cleaned and not having to bicker with our tongues. Then we can do what we want with him, whether we wish him boiled, steamed, fried, or sauteed; we can take our time to enjoy him." Highly pleased, the Vanguard said, "The Great King is full of wisdom and foresight, and what he says is most reasonable. Little ones, take the priest inside:'
Seven or eight demons rushed up from the sides and took the Tang Monk away; like hawks catching sparrows, they bound him firmly with ropes. This is how that
Ill-fated River Float on Pilwim broods;
The god-monk in pain calls Wuneng to mind.
"Disciples," he said, "I don't know in what mountain you are catching monsters, or in what region you are subduing goblins. But I have been captured by this demon from whom I have to suffer great injury. When shall we see each other again? Oh, what misery! If you two can come here quickly, you may be able to save my life. But if you tarry, I shall never survive!" As he lamented and sighed, his tears fell like rain.
We now tell you about Pilgrim and Eight Rules, who, having chased the tiger down the slope of the mountain, saw him fall and collapse at the foot of the cliff. Lifting his rod, Pilgrim brought it down on the tiger with all his might, but the rod bounced back up and his hands were stung by the impact. Eight Rules, too, gave a blow with his muckrake, and its prongs also rebounded. They then discovered that it was nothing but a piece of tigerskin covering a large slab of stone. Greatly startled, Pilgrim said, "Oh, no! Oh, no! He's tricked us!" "What trick?" asked Eight Rules. Pilgrim replied, "This is called the trick of the gold cicada casting its shell. He left his skin covering the stone here to fool us, but he himself has escaped. Let's go back at once to take a look at Master. Let's hope that he has not been hurt." They retreated hurriedly, but Tripi taka had long vanished. Bellowing like thunder, Pilgrim
cried, "What shall we do? He has taken Master away:' "Heavens! Heavens!"
wailed Eight Rules, leading the horse, as tears fell from his eyes, "where shall we go to look for him?" With head held high, Pilgrim said, "Don't cry! Don't cry! The moment you cry, you already feel defeated. They have to be somewhere in this mountain. Let's go and search for them."
The two of them indeed rushed up the mountain, passing the ridges and scaling the heights. After traveling for a long time, they suddenly beheld a cave dwelling emerging from beneath a cliff. Pausing to tal<e a careful look around, they saw that it was indeed a formidable place. You see
A pointed peak fortresslike;
An old path ever winding;
Blue pines and fresh bamboos;
Green willows and verdant wu-trees;6
Strange rocks in twos below the cliff;
Rare fowls in pairs within the woods.
A stream flowing far away spills over a wall of stones;
The mountain brook reaches the sandy banks in small drops.
Wasteland clouds in clusters;
And grass as green as jade.
The sly vixen and hare scamper wildly about;
Horned deer and musk deer lock to contest their strength.
Slanted across the cliff dangles an aged vine;
Half down the gorge an ancient cedar hangs.
August and grand, this place surpasses Mount Hua;7
The falling blooms and singing birds rival Tiantai's.
"Worthy Brother," said Pilgrim, "you may leave the luggage in the fold of the mountain, where it will be protected from the wind. Then you can graze the horse nearby and you need not come out. Let old Monkey go fight with him at his door. That monster has to be caught before our master can be rescued." "No need for instructions;' said Eight Rules. "Go quickly!" Pulling down his shirt and tightening his belt on the tiger-skin skirt, Pilgrim grasped his rod and rushed up to the cave, where he saw six words in large letters above the door: "Yellow Wind Cave, Yellow Wind Peak." He at once poised himself for battle, with legs apart and one foot slightly ahead of the other. Holding his rod high, he cried, "Monster! Send out my master at once, lest I overturn your den and level your dwelling!"
When the little demons heard this, every one of them was panic-stricken and ran inside to make the report, "Great King, disaster!" The Yellow Wind Monster, who was sitting there, asked, "What's the matter?" "Outside the cave door there's a monk with a thunder-god mouth and hairy face;' said one of the little demons, "holding in his hands a huge, thick, iron rod and demanding the return of his master." Somewhat fearful, the Cave Master said to the Tiger Vanguard, "I asked you to patrol the mountain, and you should merely have caught a few mountain buffalo, wild boar, fat deer, or wild goats. Why did you have to bring back a Tang Monk? Now we have provoked his disciple to come here to create all sorts of disturbance. What shall we do?" "Don't be anxious, Great King;' said the Vanguard, "and put your worries to rest. Though this junior officer is untalented, he is willing to lead fifty soldiers out there and bring in that so-called Pilgrim Sun as a condiment for your meal." "In addition to the various officers here;' said the Cave Master, "we have some seven hundred regulars. You may pick as many of them as you want. Only if that Pilgrim is caught will we be able to enjoy a piece of that monk's flesh with any comfort. And if that happens, I'm willing to become your bond brother. But I fear that if you can't catch him, you may even get hurt. You mustn't blame me then!"
"Relax! Relax! Let me go now!" said the Tiger Monster. He checked off the roll fifty of the toughest little demons, who began beating drums and waving banners. He himself took up the two bronze scimitars and leaped out of the cave, crying with a loud voice, "Where did you come from, you monkey-monk, that you dare make such a racket here?!' "You skin-flaying beast!" shouted Pilgrim. "You were the one who used that shell-casting trick to take away my master. Why do you question me instead? You better send out my master immediately, or I'll not spare your life:' "I took your master," said the Tiger Monster, "so that he could be served to my Great King as meat for his rice. If you lmow what's good for you, get away from here. If not, I'll catch you too, and you'll be eaten along with him. It will be like 'one free piece of merchandise with every purchase!"' When he heard this, Pilgrim was filled with anger. With grinding teeth and fiery eyes all ablaze, he lifted his iron rod and yelled, "What great ability do you have, that you dare talk like that? Don't move! Watch this rod!" Wielding his scimitars swiftly, the Vanguard turned to meet him. It was truly some battle as the two of them let loose their power. What a fight!
That monster is truly a goose's egg,
But Wukong is a goose-egg stone no less!
When bronze swords fight Handsome Monkey King,
It's like eggs coming to strike at stones.
How can sparrows quarrel with the phoenix?
Dare pigeons oppose the eagles and hawks?
The monster belches wind-the mount's filled with dust;
Wukong spits out fog and clouds hide the sun.
They fight for no more than four or five rounds;
The Vanguard grows weak, having no strength left.
He turns in defeat to flee for his life,
Hard pressed by Wukong, who seeks his death.
Not able to hold out any longer, the monster turned and fled. But since he had boasted in front of the Cave Master, he dared not go back to the cave; instead, he fled toward the mountain slope. Pilgrim, of course, would not let him go; holding his rod, he gave chase relentlessly, shouting and crying along the way. As they reached the fold of the mountain, which formed a wind break, he happened to look up, and there was Eight Rules grazing the horse. Hearing all the shouts and clamor, Eight Rules turned around and saw that it was Pilgrim chasing a defeated Tiger Monster. Abandoning the horse, Eight Rules lifted his rake and approaching from one side brought it down hard on the monster's head. Pity that Vanguard!
He hoped to leap clear of the brown-rope net,
Not knowing he would meet the fisher's coop.
One blow from Eight Rules's rake produced nine holes, from which fresh blood spurted out, and the brains of the monster's whole head ran dry! We have a poem as a testimony for Eight Rules, which says:
Returning to True Teaching some years ago,
He kept a chaste diet to realize the Real Void.
To serve Tripitaka is his pious wish:
This, a new Buddhist convert's first merit.
Idiot put his foot on the monster's spine and brought down the rake on him once more. When Pilgrim saw that, he was very pleased, saying, "That's right, Brother! He was audacious enough to lead scores oflittle demons against me, but he was defeated. Instead of fleeing back to the cave, he came here seeking death. It's a good thing you are here, or else he would have escaped again:' "Is he the one who took our master with the wind?" asked Eight Rules. "Yes! Yes!" said Pilgrim. "Did you ask him the whereabouts of our master?" said Eight Rules. "This monster brought Master to the cave,'' said Pilgrim, "to be served to some blackguard of a Great King as meat for his rice. I was enraged, fought with him, and chased him here for you to finish him off. Brother, this is your merit! You can remain here guarding the horse and luggage, and let me drag this dead monster back to the mouth of the cave to provoke battle again. We must capture the old monster before we can rescue Master:' "You are right, Elder Brother,'' said Eight Rules. "Go, go now! If you beat that old monster, chase him here and let old Hog intercept and kill him." Dear Pilgrim! Holding the iron rod in one hand and dragging the dead tiger with the other, he went back to the mouth of the cave. So it was that
The dhanna-master met monsters in his ordeal;
Feeling and nature in peace wild demons subdued.
We do not know whether he managed this time to overcome the monster and rescue the Tang Monk; let's listen to the explanation in the next chapter.