Journey to the West: Beginning with the Apprenticeship of Bodhi Patriarch

Chapter 1 My Master is Bodhi Patriarch

"The Dongsheng Divine Continent is narrow in the east and wide in the west, shaped like a half moon. The faces of the people are also shaped like a half moon. The human body is eight cubits long, and the life span is 250 years."

"The land of the Southern Continent is narrow in the south and wide in the north, shaped like a carriage. The faces of the people are like the terrain of the land. Most of the people are three and a half cubits long, and some are four cubits long. The life span is 100 years, but most die young."

"In Xiniuhezhou, the land is shaped like a full moon. The faces of the people are also shaped like a full moon. The human body is sixteen cubits long and the life span is five hundred years."

"In Uttarakuru, the land is square, like a pond. The faces of the people are like the landforms. The height of the human body is thirty-two cubits. The life span is one thousand years, and there is no death at all."

During the Western Zhou Dynasty, Jiang Yuan lived in a thatched hut, holding a bamboo slip and reading it word by word.

He frowned after reading it, picked up the bamboo slip, and saw that it had no name, so he shook his head.

This bamboo slip made him unable to tell where he was.

However, he was certain that what was recorded in the bamboo slips was true.

Just because the person who gave him the bamboo slips was extraordinary.

"This bamboo slip should be a book of geography, such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas, but I have never read it. That Taoist priest is indeed a strange man."

Jiang Yuan sighed.

He didn't know where he came from, he only had a dream. In the dream, he died of a serious illness. At the moment of his death, it was both a dream and reality. When he woke up in this world, it felt like a lifetime ago.

The flower is not a flower, the fog is not fog, and I am not me.

Jiang Yuan didn't know whether he was traveling through time or just dreaming.

Now his dream is all in vain and he has to wake up.

Dreams are like bubbles, but the pain of life and death will always be remembered in his heart.

Jiang Yuan woke up at the age of four and is twenty-nine this year.

From the moment he woke up, he knew where he was going. In this life, he would never suffer the pain of life and death or the pain of illness again.

He seeks immortality and the truth.

But how could he dare to travel far away when his parents were still alive? When he was four years old, he saw that his parents were still alive, so he hid his heart and thought that he would serve his parents for the rest of his life before seeking immortality.

When Jiang Yuan was thirteen years old, his father died unexpectedly. His mother fell ill due to missing him and passed away when he was sixteen. Jiang Yuan was left alone with no worries, so he dismissed his servants, burned down his old house, and left to seek immortals and ask for the Tao.

He visited many mountains, and finally, at the age of nineteen, he found a Taoist priest in a cave in Shangjing Mountain, from whom he sought the Tao.

But the Taoist shook his head and said that he would not accept any disciples. How could Jiang Yuan be willing to obey him? He was determined to follow the Taoist.

Finally, the Taoist was forced into no choice but to say that he would accept him as his disciple when the dying tree on the hilltop sprouted new buds.

From then on, Jiang Yuan built a hut of grass and lived next to a dying tree, concentrating on studying grafting technology.

Finally, ten years later, he made a technological breakthrough. He replaced the film with mud and learned to control the humidity and the tightness of the wrapping, which made him have some chance of success.

Jiang Yuan put down the bamboo slips in his hand and walked out of the thatched cottage.

Outside the thatched cottage, an old dead tree appeared before our eyes.

Jiang Yuan walked forward, holding a homemade kettle, and took good care of the dead tree. He looked at a new branch on the dead branch that was covered with mud, and a bit of fluorescent green could be vaguely seen on it.

Whether he can become a disciple and seek the truth depends on this branch.

Jiang Yuan's mouth corners curled up, and he was in a good mood.

"Jiang Yuan, why are you so happy?"

A slightly old voice sounded.

Jiang Yuan turned his head and saw an old man in purple clothes, with a solemn but kind face walking towards him.

This old man was the strange man he met.

Judging from his behavior, he behaves like a Taoist priest, so we assume he is a Taoist priest.

The Taoist stayed in the cave in the mountains for ten years.

Jiang Yuan also stayed with him for ten years. In addition to taking care of the dead tree, he would also study the delicacies in his dreams and share them with him. He also invented "Go" and "Chess" to entertain him.

During the ten years, the two had an unusual relationship. Although he had never become his disciple, the Taoist often showed him some strange bamboo slips.

Jiang Yuan stretched out his hand from his wide sleeves and pointed at the dead tree: "Sir, my dead tree will soon sprout new buds."

The Taoist was shocked when he heard this and walked to the dead tree: "Let me take a look."

After saying this, his palm gently stroked the new branches of the dead tree.

"It's really a new shoot."

"How strange! This tree clearly has lost its vitality, yet you have snatched the vitality from it, making it glow with new life."

"Good means."

The Taoist was amazed.

Jiang Yuan bowed: "Sir, in this case, you may accept me as your disciple."

Ten years of hard work and painstaking research, just to get a glimpse of the truth and achieve eternal life.

The Taoist was also moved by his perseverance and said, "Why do you bother to do this? In the past ten years, I have always been moved by what you have done. With your talent, you will be rich and prosperous in the world, with no worries about food and clothing. The kings and generals will treat you as a guest of honor, and the peddlers will bow down to you."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "It's wonderful to just seek immortality."

According to what he saw and heard in his dream, as long as he wanted, enormous wealth and power would come in the blink of an eye. Even if he wanted to become the master of China, he could do it.

In this life, whether you are rich or poor, in the end it is all nothing. From the moment a breath enters your body to the moment it is exhaled, it is nothing but a dream.

Without immortality and true truth, you will ultimately be just a flower in the mirror and a moon in the water.

The Taoist said, "Why bother coming here?"

Jiang Yuan only said: "I wish to seek the Tao for longevity with this body, and I will have no regrets even if I die. If I am destined not to have longevity, as long as I can see the Tao before I die, I will not be afraid of death."

"Sir, if I hear the truth in the morning, I can die in the evening!"

Boom!

There was a roar of thunder and the wind and clouds suddenly changed.

In this era when a hundred schools of thought have yet to contend with each other, the power of "If I hear the truth in the morning, I would be willing to die in the evening" is enormous.

The Taoist said, "Come on, come on, come on! I will accept you as my disciple! Immortality is hard to obtain, and seeing the Tao is hard to obtain. You have never seen it in your entire life. But are you willing to receive immortality?"

Jiang Yuan said nothing, dressed neatly, stood like a pine or cypress, with his hands at his eyebrows and both knees on the ground. He faced the Taoist and bowed slowly, with his palms touching the ground first and his forehead resting on his palms, performing the "bow ceremony".

This is a ceremony of worshiping the king or offering sacrifices.

Show your determination with courtesy.

The Taoist was surprised: "Why do you do this to me?"

Since the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Zhou Li has been established. Each type of ritual has its own uses and cannot be used at will.

Jiang Yuan said: "Heaven and earth are my dear teachers. Now I take you as my teacher. I wish to spend my whole life seeking the way and longevity. I should do so with proper respect."

The Taoist praised: "You are indeed a great talent. If you follow me into the cave, you will become my disciple today and practice as a boy. I will call you Jiang Tong'er, but you still need a Dharma name. My sect has twelve characters, which are 'vast wisdom, true nature, and perfect enlightenment'."

"You are my first disciple, and your name is 'Guang'. You are also greedy for immortality, and your mind is hard to tame. I will give you the Dharma name Guangxin, hoping that you can tame your mind and hear the wonders of the Tao soon."

The Taoist said so.

Broad heart!

Vast wisdom, the sea of ​​true nature, and brilliant enlightenment!
It seems familiar.

Jiang Yuan recalled the scene in his dream and woke up in vain.

"Excuse me, Master, what is your Dharma name?"

"Bodhi."

This is Journey to the West!
My master is actually Bodhi Patriarch!
(End of this chapter)