Ask at meditation-pass
Why even countless queries
Would lead just to empty old age!
Shine bricks to make mirrors?
Hoard snow for foodstuff? 2
How many youths are thus deceived;
A feather swallows the great ocean?
A mustard seed holds the Sumeru?3
Golden Dhuta is gently smiling.4
The enlightened transcends the ten stops5 and three wains6
Sluggards must join the four beasts and six ways?
Who can hear below the Thoughtless Cliff,
Beneath the Shadowless Tree,
The cuckoo's one call for the dawn of spring?
Roads at Caoxi, perilous;8
Clouds on Vulture's Peak, dense;9
Here an old .friend's voice turns mute.
At a ten thousand-foot waterfall
Where a five-petal lotus unfolds,
Incense wraps an old temple's drapes.
In that hour,
Once you break through to the source,
The Dragon King's three jewels you'll see.10 The tune of this lyric is named "Su Wu at Slow Pace:'11
We shall now tell you about our Sovereign Buddha Tathagata, who took leave of the Jade Emperor and returned to the Treasure Monastery ofThunderclap. All the three thousand buddhas, the five hundred arhats, the eight diamond kings, and the countless bodhisattvas held temple pennants, embroidered canopies, rare treasures, and immortal flowers, forming an orderly array before the Spirit Mountain and beneath the two Sala Trees to welcome him. Tathagata stopped his hallowed cloud and said to them:
I have
With deepest prajfia 12
Looked through the three realms.13
All .fundamental nature
Will end in extinction
Like empty phenomena
Existing as nothing.
The wily ape's extirpation,
This, none can comprehend.
Name, birth, death, and origin
Of all forms appear thus.
When he had finished speaking, he beamed forth the sari light, 14 which filled the air with forty-two white rainbows, connected end to end from north to south. Seeing this, the crowd bowed down and worshipped.
In a little while, Tathagata gathered together the holy clouds and blessed fog, ascended the lotus platform of the highest rank, and sat down solemnly. Those three thousand buddhas, five hundred arhats, eight diamond kings, and four bodhisattvas folded their hands and drew near. After bowing down, they asked, "The one who caused disturbance in Heaven and ruined the Peach Festival, who was he?" "That fellow;' said Tathagata, "was a baneful monkey born in the Flower-Fruit Mountain. His wickedness was beyond all bounds and defied description. The divine warriors of the entire Heaven could not bring him to submission. Though Erlang caught him and Laozi tried to refine him with fire, they could not hurt him at all. When I arrived, he was just making an exhibition of his might and prowess in the midst of the thunder deities. When I stopped the fighting and asked about his antecedents, he said that he had magic powers, knowing how to transform himself and how to cloud somersault, which would carry him one hundred and eight thousand miles at a time. I made a wager with him to see whether he could leap clear of my hand. I then grabbed hold of him while my fingers changed into the Mountain of Five Phases, which had him firmly pinned down. The Jade Emperor opened wide the golden doors of the Jade Palace, invited me to sit at the head table, and gave a Banquet for Peace in Heaven to thank me. It was only a short while ago that I took leave of the throne to come back here:' All were delighted by these words. After they had expressed their highest praise for the Buddha, they withdrew according to their ranks; they went back to their several duties and enjoyed
the bhūtatathatā.15 Truly it is the scene of
Holy mist encompassing Tianzhu, 16
Rainbow light enclosing the Honored One,
Who is called the First in the West,
The King of the Formlessness School.17
Often black apes are seen presenting fruits.
Tailed-deer holding flowers in their mouths,
Blue phoenixes dancing,
Colorful birds singing,
The spirit tortoise boasting of his age,
And the divine crane picking agaric.
They enjoy in peace the Pure Land's ]etavana, 18
The Dragon Palace, and worlds vast as Ganges' sands.
Every day the flowers bloom;
Every hour the fruits ripen.
They work silence to reach perfection.
They meditate to bear the right fruit.
They do not die nor are they bam.
No growth is there, nor any decrease.
Mist and smoke wraithlike may come and go.
No seasons intrude, nor are years recalled.
The poem says:
To go or come is casual and .free;
Of fear or sorrow there's not one degree.
Fields of Ultimate Bliss are flat and wide.
In this great world no four seasons abide.
As the Buddhist Patriarch lived in the Treasure Monastery of the Thunderclap in the Spirit Mountain, he called together one day the various buddhas, arhats, guardians, bodhisattvas, diamond kings, and mendicant monks and nuns and said to them, "We do not know how much time has passed here since I subdued the wily monkey and pacified Heaven, but I suppose at least half a millennium has gone by in the worldly realm. As this is the fifteenth day of the first month of autumn, I have prepared a treasure bowl filled with a hundred varieties of exotic flowers and a thousand kinds of rare fruit. I would like to share them with all of you in celebration of the Feast of the illlambana Bowl,lg How about it?" Every one of them folded his hands and paid obeisance to the Buddha three times to receive the festival. Tathagata then ordered Ananda to take the flowers and fruits from the treasure bowl, and Kasyapa was asked to distribute them. All were thankful, and they presented poems to express their gratitude.
The poem of blessing says:
The star of blessing shines before Lokajyeṣtha, 20
Who enjoys blessing lasting and immense.
His blessing's boundless virtue endures as Earth.
His blessing's source is gladly linked to Heaven.
His blessing's fields ,far planted, prosper each year.
His blessing's sea, huge and deep, is ever strong.
His blessing fills the world and all will be blessed.
May his blessing increase, endless and complete.
The poem of wealth says:
His wealth weighs a mountain where the phoenix sings.
His wealth trails the seasons to wish him long life.
He gains wealth in huge sums as his body health.
He joys in wealth abundant as the world in peace.
His wealth's reach equals Heaven is ever safe.
His wealth's name is sealike but even more pure.
His wealth's grace far-reaching is sought by all.
His wealth is boundless, enriching countless lands.
The poem oflong life says:
The Star of Long Life gives gifts to Tathagata,
From whom light of long life begins now to shine.
The long life fruits fill the bowls with hues divine.
The long life blooms, newly plucked, deck the lotus throne.
The long life verse, how elegant and finely wrought.
The long life songs are scored by gifted minds.
The long life's length matches the sun and moon's.
Long life, like sea and mountain, is twice as long!
After the bodhisattvas had presented their poems, they invited Tathagata to disclose the origin and elucidate the source. Tathagata gently opened his benevolent mouth to expound the great dharma and to proclaim the truth. He lectured on the wondrous doctrines of the three vehicles, the five
skandhas, 21 and the Silrangama Sūtra. As he did so, celestial dragons were
seen circling above and flowers descended like rain in abundance. It was truly thus:
The Chan mind shines bright like a thousand rivers' moon;
True nature's pure and great as an unclouded sky.
When Tathagata had finished his lecture, he said to the congregation, "I have "watched the Four Great Continents, and the morality of their inhabitants varies from place to place. Those living on the East Pftrvavideha revere Heaven and Earth, and they are straightforward and peaceful. Those on the North Uttarakuru, though they love to destroy life, do so out of the necessity of making a livelihood. Moreover, they are rather dull of mind and lethargic in spirit, and they are not likely to do much harm. Those of our West Aparagodaniya are neither covetous nor prone to kill; they control their humor and temper their spirit. There is, to be sure, no illuminate of the first order, but everyone is certain to attain longevity. Those whoreside in the South Jambūdvipa, however, are prone to practice lechery and delight in evildoing, indulging in much slaughter and strife. Indeed, they are all caught in the treacherous field of tongue and mouth, in the wicked sea of slander and malice. However, I have three baskets of true scriptures which can persuade man to do good:' Upon hearing these words, the various bodhisattvas folded their hands and bowed down. "What are the three baskets of authentic scriptures;' they asked, "that Tathāgata possesses?"
Tathagata said, "I have one collection of vinaya, which speaks of Heaven; one collection of sastras, which tells of the Earth; and one collection of sfrtras, which redeems the damned. Altogether the three collections of scriptures contain thirty-five divisions written in fifteen thousand one hundred forty-four scrolls. They are the scriptures for the cultivation of immortality; they are the gate to ultimate virtue. I myself would like to send these to the Land of the East; but the creatures in that region are so stupid and so scornful of the truth that they ignore the weighty elements of our Law and mock the true sect of Yoga. Somehow we need a person with power to go to the Land of the East and find a virtuous believer. He will be asked to experience the bitter travail of passing through a thousand mountains and ten thousand waters to come here in quest of the authentic scriptures, so that they may be forever implanted in the east to enlighten the people. This will provide a source ofblessings great as a mountain and deep as the sea. Which one of you is willing to make such a trip?"
At that moment, the Bodhisattva Guanyin came near the lotus platform and paid obeisance three times to the Buddha, saying, "Though your disciple is untalented, she is willing to go to the Land of the East to find a scripture pilgrim." Lifting their heads to look, the various buddhas saw that the Bodhisattva had
A mind perfected in the four virtues, 22
A golden body filled with wisdom,
Fringes of dangling pearls and jade,
Scented bracelets set with lustrous treasures,
Dark hair piled smartly in a coiled-dragon bun,
And brocade sashes .fluttering as phoenix quills.
Her green jade buttons
And white silk robe
Bathed in holy light;
Her velvet skirt
And golden cords
Wrapped by hallowed air.
With brows of new moon shape
And eyes like two briyht stars,
Her jadelike face beams natural joy,
And her ruddy lips seem a flash of red.
Her immaculate vase overflows with nectar from year to year,
Holdiny spriys ofweepiny willow yreenfrom aye to aye.
She disperses the eiyht woes;
She redeems the multitude;
She has great compassion;
Thus she rules the Tai Mountain
And lives at the South Sea.
She saves the poor, searchiny for their voices,
Ever heedful and solicitous,
Ever wise and efficacious.
Her orchid heart deliyhts in yreen bamboos;
Her chaste nature loves the wisteria.
She is the merciful lord of the Potalaka Mountain,
The Liviny Guanyinfrom the Cave of Tidal Sound.
When Tathagata saw her, he was most delighted and said to her, "No other person is qualified to make this journey. It must be the Honorable Guanyin of mighty magic powers-she's the one to do it!" "As your disciple departs for the east:' said the Bodhisattva, "do you have any instructions?"
''As you travel:' said Tathagata, "you are to examine the way carefully. Do not journey high in the air, but remain at an altitude halfway between mist and cloud so that you can see the mountains and waters and remember the exact distance. You will then be able to instruct closely the scripture pilgrim. Since he may still find the journey difficult, I shall also give you five talismans:' Ordering Ananda and Ka.Syapa to bring out an embroidered cassock and a nine-ring priestly staff, he said to the Bodhisattva, "You may give this cassock and this staff to the scripture pilgrim. If he is firm in his intention to come here, he may put on the cassock and it will protect him from falling back into the wheel of transmigration. When he holds the staff, it will keep him from meeting poison or harm." The Bodhisattva bowed low to receive the gifts. Tathagata then took out also three fillets and handed them to the Bodhisattva, saying, "These treasures are called the tightening fillets, and though they are all alike, their uses are not the same. I have a separate spell for each of them: the Golden, the Constrictive, and the Prohibitive Spell. If you encounter on the way any monster who possesses great magic powers, you must persuade him to learn to be good and to follow the scripture pilgrim as his disciple. If he is disobedient, this fillet may be put on his head, and it will strike root the moment it comes into contact with the flesh. Recite the particular spell which belongs to the fillet and it will cause the head to swell and ache so painfully that he will think his brains are bursting. That will persuade him to come within our fold:'
After the Bodhisattva had bowed to the Buddha and taken her leave, she called Disciple Hui'an to follow her. This Hui'an, you see, carried a huge iron rod that weighed a thousand pounds. He followed the Bodhisattva closely and served her as a powerful bodyguard. The Bodhisattva made the embroidered cassock into a bundle and placed it on his back; she hid the golden fillets, took up the priestly staff, and went down the Spirit Mountain. Lo, this one journey will result in
A Buddha son returning to keep his primal vow.
The Gold Cicada Elder will clasp the candana. 23
The Bodhisattva went to the bottom of the hill, where she was received at the door of the Jade Perfection Daoist Abbey by the Great Immortal of Golden Head. The Bodhisattva was presented with tea, but she did not dare linger long, saying, "I have received the dharma-decree ofTathagata to look for a scripture pilgrim in the Land of the East:' The Great Immortal said, "When do you expect the scripture pilgrim to arrive?" "I'm not sure," said the Bodhisattva. "Perhaps in two or three years' time he'll be able to get here." So she took leave of the Great Immortal and traveled at an altitude halfway between cloud and mist in order that she might remember the way and the distance. We have a testimonial poem for her that says:
A search through ten thousand miles-no need to say!
To state who will be found is no easy thing.
Has not seeking someone been just like this?
What's been my whole life, was that a mere chance?
We preach the Dao, our method turns foolish
When saying meets no belief; we preach in vain.
To find some percipient I'd yield liver and gall.
There's affinity, I think, lying straight ahead.
As the mentor and her disciple journeyed, they suddenly came upon a large body of Weak Water, for this was the region of the Flowing Sand River. 24 "My disciple;' said the Bodhisattva, "this place is difficult to cross. The scripture pilgrim will be of temporal bones and mortal stock. How will he be able to get across?" "Teacher," said Hui'an, "how wide do you suppose this river is?" The Bodhisattva stopped her cloud to take a look, and she saw that
In the east it touches the sandy coast;
In the west it joins the barbaric states;
In the south it reaches even Wuyi;25
In the north it comes near the Tartars.
Its width is eiBht hundred miles,
And its lenBth must measure many thousand more.
The water flows as if Earth is heavinB its frame.
The current rises like a mountain rearinB its back.
Outspread and immense;
Vast and interminable.
The sound of its towerinB billows reaches distant ears.
The raft of a BOd cannot come here,
Nor can a leaf of the lotus stay afloat.
Lifeless Brass in the twilight drifts alonB the crooked banks.
Yellow clouds conceal the sun to darken the lonB dikes.
Where can one find the traffic of merchants?
Has there been ever a shelter for fishermen?
On the flat sand no wild Beese descend;
From distant shores comes the cryinB of apes.
Only the red smartweed flowers know this scene,
BaskinB in the white duckweed's fraBile scent.
The Bodhisattva was looking over the river when suddenly a loud splash was heard, and from the midst of the waves leaped an ugly and ferocious monster. He appeared to have
A Breen, thouBh not too Breen,
And black, thouBh not too black,
Face of Bloomy complexion;
A lonB, thouBh not too lonB,
And short, thouBh not too short,
Sinewy body with naked feet.
His BleaminB eyes
Shone like two lights beneath the stove.
His mouth,forked at the corners,
Was like a butcher's bloody bowl.
With teeth protrudinB like swords and knives,
And red hair all disheveled,
He bellowed once and it sounded like thunder,
While his leBs sprinted like whirlinB wind.
Holding in his hands a priestly staff, that fiendish creature ran up the bank and tried to seize the Bodhisattva. He was opposed, however, by Hui'an, who wielded his iron rod, crying, "Stop!", but the fiendish creature raised his staff to meet him. So the two of them engaged in a fierce battle beside the Flowing Sand River, which was truly terrifying.
The iron rod of Mok§a
Displays its power to defend the Law;
The monster-taming staff of the creature
Labors to show its heroic might.
Two silver pythons dance along the river's bank.
A pair of godlike monks charge each other on the shore.
This one plies his talents as the forceful lord of Flowing Sand.
That one, to attain great merit, protects Guanyin by strength.
This one chums up foam and stirs up waves.
That one belches fog and spits out wind.
The stirred-up foams and waves darken Heaven and Earth.
The spat-out fog and wind make dim both sun and moon.
The monster-taming staffofthis one
Is like a white tiger emerging from the mountain;
The iron rod of that one
Is like a yellow dragon lying on the way.
When used by one,
This weapon spreads open the grass and finds the snake.
When let loose by the other,
That weapon knocks down the kite and splits the pine.
They fight until the darkness thickens
Save for the glittering stars,
And the fog looms up
To obscure both sky and land.
This one, long a dweller in the Weak Water, is uniquely fierce.
That one, newly leaving the Spirit Mountain, seeks his first win.
Back and forth along the river the two of them fought for twenty or thirty rounds without either prevailing, when the fiendish creature stilled the other's iron rod and asked, "What region do you come from, monk, that you dare oppose me?" ''I'm the second son of the Pagoda Bearer Devaraja," said Mo~a, "Mo~a, Disciple Hui'an. I am serving as the guardian of my mentor, who is looking for a scripture pilgrim in the Land of the East. What kind of monster are you that you dare block our way?" "I remember;' said the monster, suddenly recognizing his opponent, "that you used to follow the Guanyin of the South Sea and practice austerities there in the bamboo grove. How did you get to this place?'' "Don't you realize," said Mo~a, "that she is my mentor-the one over there on the shore?"
When the monster heard these words, he apologized repeatedly. Putting away his staff, he allowed Mo~a to grasp him by the collar and lead him away. He lowered his head and bowed low to Guanyin, saying, "Bodhisattva, please forgive me and let me submit my explanation. I am no monster; rather, I am the Curtain-Raising General who waits upon the phoenix chariot of the Jade Emperor at the Divine Mists Hall. Because I carelessly broke a crystal cup at one of the Festivals of Immortal Peaches, the Jade Emperor gave me eight hundred lashes, banished me to the Region Below, and changed me into my present shape. Every seventh day he sends a flying sword to stab my breast and side more than a hundred times before it leaves me. Hence my present wretchedness! Moreover, the hunger and cold are unbearable, and I am driven every few days to come out of the waves and find a traveler for food. I certainly did not expect that my ignorance would today lead me to offend the great, merciful Bodhisattva."
"Because of your sin in Heaven;' said the Bodhisattva, "you were banished. Yet the taking of life in your present manner surely is adding sin to sin. By the decree of Buddha, I am on my way to the Land of the East to find a scripture pilgrim. Why don't you come into my fold, take refuge in good works, and follow the scripture pilgrim as his disciple when he goes to the Western Heaven to ask Buddha for the scriptures? I'll order the flying sword to stop piercing you. At the time when you achieve merit, your sin will be expiated and you will be restored to your former position. How do you feel about that?" "I'm willing," said the monster, "to seek refuge in right action:' He said also, "Bodhisattva, I have devoured countless human beings at this place. There have even been a number of scripture pilgrims here, and I ate all of them. The heads of those I devoured I threw into the Flowing Sand, and they sank to the bottom, for such is the nature of this water that not even goose down can float on it. But the skulls of the nine pilgrims floated on the water and would not sink. Regarding them as something unusual, I chained them together with a rope and played with them at my leisure. If this becomes known, I fear that no other scripture pilgrim will want to come this way. Won't it jeopardize my future?"
"Not come this way? How absurd!" said the Bodhisattva. "You may take the skulls and hang them round your neck. When the scripture pilgrim ar-
rives, there will be a use for them:' "If that's the case," said the monster, ''I'm
now willing to receive your instructions." The Bodhisattva then touched the top of his head and gave him the commandments. 26 The sand was taken to be a sign, and he was given the surname "Sha" and the religious name "Wujing,"27 and that was how he entered the Gate of Sand. 28 After he had seen the Bodhisattva on her way, he washed his heart and purified himself; he never took life again but waited attentively for the arrival of the scripture pilgrim.
So the Bodhisattva parted with him and went with Mo~a toward the Land of the East. They traveled for a long time and came upon a high mountain, which was covered by miasma so foul that they could not ascend it on foot. They were just about to mount the clouds and pass over it when a sudden blast of violent wind brought into view another monster of most ferocious appearance. Look at his
Lips curled and twisted like dried lotus leaves;
Ears like rush-leaf fans and hard, gleaming eyes;
Gaping teeth as sharp as a fine steel file's;
A long mouth wide open like afire pot.
A gold cap is fastened with bands by the cheek.
Straps on his armor seem like scaleless snakes.
He holds a rake-a dragon's outstretched claws;
From his waist hangs a bow of half-moon shape.
His awesome presence and his prideful mien
De.JY the deities and daunt the gods.
He rushed up toward the two travelers and, without regard for good or ill, lifted the rake and brought it down hard on the Bodhisattva. But he was met by Disciple Hui'an, who cried with a loud voice, "Reckless monster! Desist from this insolence! Look out for my rod!" "This monk," said the monster, "doesn't know any better! Look out for my rake!" The two of them clashed together at the foot of the mountain to discover who was to be the victor. It was a magnificent battle!
The monster is fierce.
Hui'an is powerful.
The iron rod jabs at the heart;
The muckrake swipes at the face.
Spraying mud and splattering dust darken Heaven and Earth;
Flying sand and hurling rocks scare demons and gods.
The nine-teeth rake,
All burnished,
Loudly jingles with double rings;
The single rod,
Black throughout,
Leaps and flies in both hands.
This one is the prince of a Devaraja;
That one is the spirit of a grand marshal.
This one defends the faith at Potalaka;
That one lives in a cave as a monster.
Meeting this time they rush to fight,
Not knowing who shall lose and who shall win.
At the very height of their battle, Guanyin threw down some lotus flowers from midair, separating the rod from the rake. Alarmed by what he saw, the fiendish creature asked, "What region are you from, monk, that you dare to play this 'flower-in-the-eye' trick on me?" "Cursed beast of fleshly eyes and mortal stock!" said Mo~a. "I am the disciple of the Bodhisattva from South Sea, and these are lotus flowers thrown down by my mentor. Don't you recognize them?" "The Bodhisattva from South Sea?" asked the fiend. "Is she Guanyin who sweeps away the three calamities and rescues us from the eight disasters?" "Who else;' said Mo~a. "if not she?" The fiend threw away his muckrake, lowered his head, and bowed, saying, "Venerable brother! Where is the Bodhisattva? Please be so good as to introduce me to her:' Mo~a raised his head and pointed upward, saying, "Isn't she up there?" "Bodhisattva!" the fiend kowtowed toward her and cried with a loud voice, "Pardon my sin! Pardon my sin!"
Guanyin lowered the direction of her cloud and came to ask him, "What region are you from, wild boar who has become a spirit or old sow who has become a fiend, that you dare bar my way?" "I am neither a wild boar," said the fiend, "nor am I an old sow! I was originally the Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds in the Heavenly River. 29 Because I got drunk and dallied with the Goddess of the Moon, 30 the Jade Emperor had me beaten with a mallet two thousand times and banished me to the world of dust. My true spirit was seeking the proper home for my next incarnation when I lost my way, passed through the womb of an old sow, and ended up with a shape like this! Having bitten the sow to death and killed the rest of the litter, I took over this mountain ranch and passed my days eating people. Little did I expect to run into the Bodhisattva. Save me, I implore you! Save me!"
"What is the name of this mountain?" asked the Bodhisattva.
"It's called the Mountain of the Blessed Mound;' said the fiendish creature, "and there is a cave in it by the name of Cloudy Paths. There was a Second Elder Sister Egg originally in the cave. She saw that I knew something of the martial art and therefore asked me to be the head of the family, following the so-called practice of 'standing backward in the door:31 After less than a year, she died, leaving me to enjoy the possession of her entire cave. I have spent many days and years at this place, but I know no means of supporting myself and I pass the time eating people. I implore the Bodhisattva to pardon my sin."
The Bodhisattva said, "There is an old saying:
If you want to have a .future,
Don't act heedless of the future.
You have already transgressed in the Region Above, and yet you have not changed your violent ways but indulge in the taking oflife. Don't you know that both crimes will be punished?"
"The future! The future!" said the fiend. "Ifl listen to you, I might as well feed on the wind! The proverb says,
If you follow the law of the court, you'll be beaten to death;
If you follow the law of Buddha, you'll be starved to death!
Let me go! Let me go! I would much prefer catching a few travelers and munching on the plump and juicy lady of the family. Why should I care about two crimes, three crimes, a thousand crimes, or ten thousand crimes?" "There is a saying," said the Bodhisattva,
A man with good intent
Will win Heaven's assent.
If you are willing to return to the fruits of truth, there will be means to sustain your body. There are five kinds of grain in this world and they all can relieve hunger. Why do you need to pass the time by devouring humans?"
When the fiend heard these words, he was like one who woke from a dream, and he said to the Bodhisattva, "I would very much like to follow the truth. But 'since I have offended Heaven, even my prayers are of little avail:"32 "I have received the decree from Buddha to go to the Land of the East to find a scripture pilgrim;' said the Bodhisattva. "You can follow him as his disciple and make a trip to the Western Heaven; your merit will cancel out your sins, and you will surely be delivered from your calamities." ''I'm willing. I'm willing," promised the fiend with enthusiasm. The Bodhisattva then touched his head and gave him the instructions. Pointing to his body as a sign, she gave him the surname "Zhu" and the religious name "Wuneng."33 From that moment on, he accepted the commandment to return to the real. He fasted and ate only a vegetable diet, abstaining from the five forbidden viands and the three undesirable foods34 so as to wait single-mindedly for the scripture pilgrim.
The Bodhisattva and Mo~a took leave ofWuneng and proceeded again halfway between cloud and mist. As they were journeying, they saw in midair a young dragon calling for help. The Bodhisattva drew near and asked, "What dragon are you, and why are you suffering here?" The dragon said, "I am the son of Aorun, Dragon King of the Western Ocean. Because I inadvertently set fire to the palace and burned some of the pearls therein, my father the king memorialized to the Court of Heaven and charged me with grave disobedience. The Jade Emperor hung me in the sky and gave me three hundred lashes, and I shall be executed in a few days. I beg the Bodhisattva to save me."
When Guanyin heard these words, she rushed with Mo~a up to the South Heaven Gate. She was received by Qiu and Zhang, the two Celestial Masters, who asked her, "Where are you going?" "This humble cleric needs to have an audience with the Jade Emperor," said the Bodhisattva. The two Celestial Masters promptly made the report, and the Jade Emperor left the hall to receive her. After presenting her greetings, the Bodhisattva said, "By the decree of Buddha, this humble cleric is journeying to the Land of the East to find a scripture pilgrim. On the way I met a mischievous dragon hanging in the sky. I have come specially to beg you to spare his life and grant him to me. He can be a good means of transportation for the scripture pilgrim:· When the Jade Emperor heard these words, he at once gave the decree of pardon, ordering the Heavenly sentinels to release the dragon to the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva thanked the Emperor, while the young dragon also kowtowed to the Bodhisattva to thank her for saving his life and pledged obedience to her command. The Bodhisattva then sent him to live in a deep mountain stream with the instruction that when the scripture pilgrim should arrive, he was to change into a white horse and go to the Western Heaven. The young dragon obeyed the order and hid himself, and we shall speal{ no more of him for the moment.
The Bodhisattva then led Mo~a past the mountain, and they headed again toward the Land of the East. They had not traveled long before they suddenly came upon ten thousand shafts of golden light and a thousand layers of radiant vapor. "Teacher;· said Mo~a. "that luminous place must be the Mountain of Five Phases. I can see the tag ofTathagata imprinted on it." "So, beneath this place," said the Bodhisattva, "is where the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, who disturbed Heaven and the Festival of Immortal Peaches, is being imprisoned." "Yes, indeed," said Mo~a. The mentor and her disciple ascended the mountain and looked at the tag, on which was in-
scribed the divine words Orit mani padme hilrit. When the Bodhisattva saw
this, she could not help sighing, and composed the following poem:
I rue the impish ape not heeding the Law,
Who let loose wild heroics in bygone years.
His mind puffed up, he wrecked the Peach Banquet
And boldly stole in Thshita Palace.
He found no worthy match in ten thousand troops;
Through Ninefold Heaven he displayed his power.
Imprisoned now by Sovereign Tathagata,
When will he be free to show once more his might?
As mentor and disciple were speaking, they disturbed the Great Sage, who shouted from the base of the mountain, "Who is up there on the mountain composing verses to expose my faults?" When the Bodhisattva heard those words, she came down the mountain to take a look. There beneath the rocky ledges were the local spirit, the mountain god, and the Heavenly sentinels guarding the Great Sage. They all came and bowed to receive the Bodhisattva, leading her before the Great Sage. She looked and saw that he was pinned down in a kind of stone box: though he could speak, he could not move his body. "You whose name is Sun," said the Bodhisattva, "do you recognize me?"
The Great Sage opened wide his fiery eyes and diamond pupils and nodded. "How could I not recognize you?" he cried. "You are the Mighty Deliverer, the Great Compassionate Bodhisattva Guanyin from the Potalaka Mountain of the South Sea. Thank you, thank you for coming to see me! At this place every day is like a year, for not a single acquaintance has ever come to visit me. Where did you come from?"
"I have received the decree from Buddha," said the Bodhisattva, "to go to the Land of the East to find a scripture pilgrim. Since I was passing through
here, I rested my steps briefly to see you:'
"Tathagata deceived me;' said the Great Sage, "and imprisoned me beneath this mountain. For over five hundred years already I have not been able to move. I implore the Bodhisattva to show a little mercy and rescue old Monkey!" "Your sinful karma is very deep;' said the Bodhisattva. "If I rescue you, I fear that you will again perpetrate violence, and that will be bad indeed." "Now I know the meaning of penitence;' said the Great Sage. "So I entreat the Great Compassion to show me the proper path, for I am willing to practice cultivation:' Truly it is that
One wish born in the heart of man
Is known throughout Heaven and Earth.
If vice or virtue lacks reward,
Unjust must be the universe.
When the Bodhisattva heard those words from the prisoner, she was filled with pleasure and said to the Great Sage, "The scripture says,
When a good word is spoken,
An answer will come from beyond a thousand miles;
When an evil word is spoken,
Opposition will hail from beyond a thousand miles.
If you have such a purpose, wait until I reach the Great Tang Nation in the Land of the East and find the scripture pilgrim. He will be told to come and rescue you, and you can follow him as a disciple. You shall keep the teachings and hold the rosary to enter our gate of Buddha, so that you may again cultivate the fruits of righteousness. Will you do that?" ''I'm willing, I'm willing;' said the Great Sage repeatedly.
"If you are indeed seeking the fruits of virtue;' said the Bodhisattva, "let me give you a religious name." "I have one already;' said the Great Sage, "and I'm called Sun Wukong." "There were two persons before you who came into our faith;' said the delighted Bodhisattva, "and their names, too,
are built on the word 'Wu: Your name will agree with theirs perfectly, and
that is splendid indeed. I need not give you any more instruction, for I must be going." So our Great Sage, with manifest nature and enlightened mind, returned to the Buddhist faith, while our Bodhisattva, with attention and diligence, sought the divine monk.
She left the place with Mo~a and proceeded straight to the east; in a few days they reached Chang' an of the Great Tang Nation. Forsaking the mist and abandoning the cloud, mentor and disciple changed themselves into two wandering monks covered with scabby sores35 and went into the city. It was already dusk. As they walked through one of the main streets, they saw a temple of the local spirit. They both went straight in, alarming the spirit and the demon guards, who recognized the Bodhisattva. They kowtowed to receive her, and the local spirit then ran quickly to report to the city's guardian deity, the god of the soil, and the spirits of various temples of Chang' an. When they learned that it was the Bodhisattva, they all came to pay homage, saying, "Bodhisattva, please pardon us for being tardy in our reception." "None of you," said the Bodhisattva, "should let a word of this leak out! I came here by the special decree of Buddha to look for a scripture pilgrim. I would like to stay just for a few days in one of your temples, and I shall depart when the true monk is found:' The various deities went back to their own places, but they sent the local spirit off to the residence of the city's guardian deity so that the teacher and the disciple could remain incognito in the spirit's temple. We do not know what sort of scripture pilgrim was found. Let's listen to the explanation in the next chapter.