Home > Journey to the West > 19-kingdom-of-chechi

19 The Kingdom of Chechi

Wukong gave a leap and rose upon the clouds. In the distance he saw a walled city, faintly glowing with auspicious light and swirling with blessed air. Looking more closely, he saw a crowd of ragged monks outside the city gate shouting a work chant in unison as they hauled a great cart. The cart was piled with grey bricks and green tiles, with timber and sun-dried adobe. Just then two young Daoists came out of the city gate. At the sight of them the monks were terrified and pulled all the harder. Wukong thought to himself: Men say there is a place in the west that honours the Dao and destroys the monks; this must be it. Let me go and ask plainly, so that I may bring word back to Master. Wukong brought his cloud down and came to the foot of the city wall, where he gave himself a shake and changed into a wandering Daoist. Bowing low to the two young priests, he said, "This poor priest is wandering through these parts and wishes to beg a vegetarian meal. May I ask you two, sir priests, where in this city the people honour the Dao and love the worthy?" The Daoist said with a laugh, "In our city, from the highest officers down to the common folk, all honour the Dao and love the worthy. His Majesty the king honours the Dao most of all. As for begging a meal, never speak of it; everyone here will gladly make you an offering." Wukong pressed him for the details, and the Daoist went on, "This is the Kingdom of Chechi. Twenty years ago a great drought fell upon us, and the people prayed to heaven for rain but got none. Happily my three masters, Tiger-Strength, Deer-Strength and Goat-Strength, summoned wind and called rain and brought down sweet dew, and so the king reveres our Daoist arts." When Wukong heard this, he said, "Might this poor priest be so fortunate as to meet those three great immortals?" The young Daoist pointed at the monks and said, "What difficulty is there in that! Wait but a moment; when they have finished their work, we two will take you to pay your respects to our masters." Wukong asked what work it was, and the young Daoist went on, "Brother, you do not know: those monks failed to bring rain in that year, so in its wrath the court tore down their temple gates, smashed their images of Buddha, and gave them to our house as servants. Just now we are building a courtyard, and fearing the monks may idle, we two have come to oversee them." At this Wukong said with a wail, "I will not hide it from you two, sir priests: this poor priest has wandered here partly to save his life, and partly to seek a kinsman. I have an uncle who left home to become a monk in his youth; he must be here too, yet I do not know how he fares." Seeing that Wukong was of their own faith, the young Daoists simply told him to go and count the five hundred monks, to see whether his uncle was among them. Wukong thanked them and walked up to the monks, who kowtowed again and again, saying, "My lord, we have not idled! Not half a one of the five hundred is missing; we are all here hauling the carts!" Wukong waved his hand and said, "Do not be afraid. I have come here to seek my kinsman; what overseer am I?" When the monks heard that he was looking for relatives, they crowded round him one and all, each hoping to be claimed and taken away. At the sight of them Wukong roared with laughter. The monks were puzzled, and Wukong said, "If you wish to leave, why do you not run away?" The monks said, "Every one of us has had his portrait painted, and the pictures are posted all about the city. Where could we flee to?" The monks said, weeping, "There were once more than two thousand of us in this place, and now more than half are dead. We have longed to die, and yet the gods protect us: whenever we dream, the Six Ding and the Six Jia and the guardian devas come and comfort us, bidding us wait for the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, to deliver us. That is why we have endured in bitterness until now!" Wukong cupped his hands and said, "Wait here a moment; I will go and return." With that he walked towards the two young Daoists. The young Daoists asked him as he came up, "Sir, have you found your kinsman?" Wukong answered, "All five hundred of them are kin to me. Release them at once!" The Daoists would not hear of it, and Wukong, without waiting for another word, gave his golden-hooped rod a slight shake, and the two young Daoists died upon the spot.

 2/9   Home Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next Last