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

Chapter 121 Sun Xingzhe, it is better to open up than to block
But the immortal pretended to be an old man and persuaded Wukong to return to the right path.

After hearing what he said, Wukong seemed to be thinking about something and remained silent.

The old man smiled and said, "I lament for my brother, but I am also disappointed that he is not as good as I thought. If he could live up to his expectations, I would not have such a lament. I haven't asked you yet, since you are a wanderer returning home, where do you live?"

Wukong replied, "Brother, my home is in the Flower-Fruit Mountain. It's quite a distance from here, and you probably don't know where it is."

The old man said, "Huaguo Mountain? I really don't know it, but seeing you are here, you must have a family here, or are you here to learn from a master?"

Wukong shook his head and said, "I have no home here. My master's sect is far away from here, in the Western Niu He Continent, and you don't even know it."

The old man said, "Your family is in Huaguo Mountain, and another family is in Xiniuhezhou. Why are you here? Won't your two families be worried? I often lament, but I am also worried about my brother, hoping that he can succeed. There must be someone in your two families who is worried about you and hopes that you can succeed."

Wukong was moved and bowed, saying, "Brother, you are indeed a wise man. Now that I have heard your words, I understand them. To be honest, I had no intention of returning home. I was protecting a man on his way to the West to obtain the scriptures. On the way, I met some bandits, and I beat them to death with a stick. The man kept nagging, which annoyed me, so I left."

The old man replied, "Honest advice is unpleasant to the ear, and one should not leave it unheard. If it annoys you, you should regard it as a tempering. Just think that there are elders in your family who hope that you will succeed, practice hard, and temper yourself. I feel sorry for my brother, and you don't want the elders in your family to feel sorry for you."

Wukong said, "Thank you so much for your kindness. I will leave now. When I succeed in obtaining the scriptures, I will come to thank you."

The old man said it was not necessary.

Wukong said no more and told the old man to turn around, fearing that he might use magic to scare the old man. Upon hearing this, the old man turned around and left.

Wukong leaped up and somersaulted away.

The old man changed his shape and revealed his true form, which was Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan watched Wukong leave with a smile on his face, thinking to himself, "You are still listening. The real master has the power in his hands. Once the journey to the west is completed, he will no longer be disturbed by the two gods and their two minds. Only then will he be free."

……

Wukong somersaulted and headed west to escort Tang Monk on his journey. While on the way, he suddenly met a Bodhisattva on the sea. He stopped somersaulting, stepped forward and bowed, not daring to offend, and said, "Bodhisattva."

Guanyin Bodhisattva held down the cloud and asked, "Wukong, why are you here? Instead of protecting Tang Monk on his journey to the west, you left."

Wukong panicked and said, "Thanks to the kindness of the Bodhisattva, Tang Monk released me from the mountain and saved my life. I accepted him as my master and helped him to go west. But he kept nagging me. I saved his life, but he blamed me for being mean. So I didn't get angry for the moment and avoided him. Now I am returning and will help him to go west. Please don't blame me, Bodhisattva."

The Bodhisattva said: "Since this is the case, you should return quickly and protect them on their journey west. Don't miss them."

Wukong replied: "That's right."

Say it.

Wukong went to where Tang Seng was.

The Bodhisattva then rode on a cloud to where Jiang Yuan was.

……

Wukong leaped up on his somersault cloud and arrived at where Tang Monk was. However, he saw that Tang Monk had not moved at all and was just sitting on the side of the road.

Wukong stepped forward and said, "Master, why don't you walk? I feel you are moving forward, so I want to chase you."

Tang Seng said: "I don't know where you are going, so I dare not move. I will just wait for you here."

Wukong laughed and said, "Master, you don't know that there is a mountain 50,000 miles away from here. On the top of the mountain there is an old wise man. He gave me a peach and told me something. After we finished eating, I returned."

Tang Seng said: "How can a monk tell lies? You have been gone for less than an hour, how can you say that there is an old wise man fifty thousand miles away, eating peaches and talking?"

Wukong said, "Master, you are ignorant. I can ride the Somersault Cloud. With one somersault I can travel 108,000 miles. I can be there and back in no time."

Tang Monk said: "Really? Tell me a few words of what the old wise man said, and I will believe you."

Wukong told Tang Seng about the old man's story.

Upon hearing this, Tang Seng bowed to the east and said, "This is a truly wise man. You and I should go west as he said and keep our minds firm and unwavering, only then can we achieve success."

He added: "You have the ability to eat peaches, but I am here enduring hunger."

Wukong said: "In that case, I will go and beg for food to fill your stomach."

Tang Monk stopped him and said, "I have some dry food in my bag. Take it out and find some water so that we can fill our stomachs and head west."

Wukong heard this and sang a "yes" and opened the bundle. He saw the treasures shining brightly in the bundle. He took a closer look and found that it was a cotton gown and a hat inlaid with gold flowers. The monkey saw it and felt that the wood mother was haunted. He became greedy and the two gods were in a turmoil.

Wukong asked, "Master, where did this clothing come from?"

Tang Seng hesitated for a long time and said, "I wore it when I was young."

Wukong asked, "Master, you don't wear it now?"

Tang Monk said: "I can't wear it now."

Wukong smiled and said, "In that case, good master, how about dressing me?"

Tang Monk said: "If you can wear it, then wear it."

When Wukong heard this, he put on his cotton robe and his hat, just as he liked Xianghua.

Seeing this, Tang Seng silently chanted the spell to tighten the golden hoop in his heart. Wukong suddenly felt a splitting headache and rolled on the ground, scratching his flower hat and revealing the golden hoop. Tang Seng was afraid that Wukong would tear the golden hoop, so he did not dare to chant again.

Wukong suddenly felt no pain, he touched his head, and saw a golden hoop. He was very angry, took out a needle from his ear, inserted it into the hoop, and tried to pry it open. But he didn't expect that this was a Buddha's treasure, how could it be pried open.

Tang Seng tried to pry Wukong open the hoop again and recited the spell to tighten the hoop. Wukong suddenly felt pain and stood still like a dragonfly with his ears and face flushed.

Upon seeing this, Tang Seng dared not recite any more, for fear of harming his life.

Wukong understood that it was Tang Seng who was causing the trouble, and angrily said, "It was you, old monk, who cursed my head."

Tang Monk asked: "When did I ever curse you?"

Wukong said, "When you chanted the spell, I had a headache. How could it not be your curse?"

Say it.

There was a fierce light flashing in his eyes, and he actually took out his golden cudgel, swung it, and it was as thick as a bowl. He looked at Tang Seng and was ready to kill him.

Tang Seng recited the spell to tighten the hoop quickly, which gave Wukong a headache and he no longer dared to have any evil thoughts.

Wukong held his head and cried, "Master, I dare not offend you. Don't think about it, don't think about it!"

Tang Monk asked: "Are you willing to listen to my teachings?"

Wukong said, "I wish, I wish! But I don't know where did you find this method, this golden hoop, Master?"

Tang Monk said: "Just now an old lady asked me about my experience, and gave me this kind of thing, just saying that if you don't want to be taught, just read it."

Wukong was furious when he heard this and said, "This old lady must be that Guanyin. She is trying to hurt me like this. I will beat her up on Mount Luojia in the South China Sea and make her never have peace."

Tang Seng said: "He taught me this method, how could he not know it? If I recite it, you can't bear it. If you want to bring bad luck to him, he will recite it, and you will die, right?"

After hearing this, Wukong no longer dared to get angry, so he calmed down, knelt down and said, "Master, this is his way of controlling me. I cannot understand it. Now I am willing to go west with you. Please don't recite it. I know I regret it."

Tang Monk said: "In this case, just follow me westward without any worries."

Wukong dared not commit the crime again, and set his mind on heading west. However, Mu Mu became frightened, and the two gods became uneasy, so the right master took power. From then on, "Sun Xingzhe set his mind on heading west."

...It is said that the Bodhisattva and the Immortal were meeting on the clouds, and they came here to watch. They were relieved to see that the monkey had been subdued by the golden hoop, and both of them were smiling.

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "Monkey is arrogant, and my words are a bit offensive, but please don't blame me, Bodhisattva."

When the immortal heard the monkey talking about making a big fuss on Mount Luojia, he didn't know what he felt. The Bodhisattva had great magical powers, so how could he allow the monkey to cause such trouble?

The Bodhisattva shook his head and said, "Master, this monkey taught the two gods to speak nonsense, which cannot be counted."

Jiang Yuan said: "Bodhisattva, now that the matter here is done, this monkey will feel much more at ease after wearing the golden hoop. I will leave now."

The Bodhisattva said, "Please allow me to see you off."

Jiang Yuan said, "How dare I trouble the Bodhisattva to see me off? I will go by myself. Bodhisattva, my junior fellow disciple is in front of me, transforming into a Zen master, and my deer is blocking the way ahead. I don't know what to do."

The Bodhisattva smiled and said, "Master, please rest assured. Master Junior Brother has taught many people in the front. Although he has not been here for long, he has already become famous. That white deer is also kind-hearted. He has never done any evil. Instead, he used Master's whisk to drive away the evildoers in the area."

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "This will make me feel at ease. Bodhisattva, I will leave now."

The Bodhisattva responded by saying, "Slow down, True Man."

Auspicious clouds gathered under Jiang Yuan's shoes. He said, "I'm leaving now," and used the Qingyun spell to go to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

The Bodhisattva rode on a cloud and went to another place.

……

Qingyun Fa traveled 240,000 miles and returned to the Xieyue Sanxing Cave in an instant. He entered the cave, took a small path to the master's quiet room, and paid homage to the master in the quiet room.

The master asked, "How about this?"

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "Master, I am here to serve as Wukong's junior apprentice disciple."

The master asked, "How do you say that?"

Jiang Yuan said: "Brother Wukong escaped from the trap, but he was unable to settle his mind, so he often wanted to leave. He was often disturbed by five people and two gods, who were unwilling to protect the pilgrims on their journey to the west. I transformed myself into an old man and persuaded them to return. Later, the Bodhisattva used the hoop to settle this direction and it went west."

The master said, "I have heard of that hoop. Is the monkey willing to wear the hoop and be subdued by it?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "The hoop is hidden in a flowery hat, and it is not something he wants to wear."

The master laughed and said, "I thought it was the monkey head and the wood mother who were causing trouble. I was greedy for its fragrance and beauty, so I was willing to wear it. I didn't expect that I would suffer a disaster."

Jiang Yuan said: "Master is very wise."

The master said, "Let this monkey practice. How is the temperature of your alchemy furnace?"

Jiang Yuan said: "Calculating the time, it is still one or two degrees short of the full three liang six true Yang Qi."

The master said, "Go and watch the fire, don't let the external elixir fail."

Jiang Yuan said: "Yes, Master, I will never make a mistake, but I don't know how to teach the Holy Bull Infant."

The master asked, "Tell me about it."

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "Master, Niu Shengying is very intelligent. He realized his primordial spirit by himself. Wen Huo taught him a lot, so it is very easy to practice. However, his primordial spirit realized by himself because the two spirits have not been born. If there is a change, the two spirits will be born, and then there may be trouble. That's why I brought him to my side and he helped me prepare the golden elixir. I teach him by words and deeds, but I don't know how to guide his practice."

When the master heard this, he laughed and said, "Boy, you are obsessed with appearances."

Jiang Yuan asked: "Master, what do you mean?"

The master said, "Boy, you have a treasure, the Yu Ding. How did it come from?"

Jiang Yuan said, "The Yu Ding was given to me by my master when he invited Lao Jun to come. He saw that I was troubled by the two gods, so Lao Jun showed me his kindness and gave me the Yu Ding. This Ding was cast by King Yu with divine gold, and it is one of the nine Dings."

The master said, "Yu once said that flood control is worse than blocking. You should know this principle, boy. Why don't you understand it now?"

Jiang Yuan suddenly understood and bowed in submission.

The Patriarch sent Jiang Yuan to go there. Upon hearing this, the Immortal did not dare to make any mistake, so he left the quiet room and went to where the cauldron was.

Jiang Yuan waited until he reached the quiet room where the cauldron was, raised his head and took a closer look, only to see Red Boy carefully building the fire and pulling the wind, and he was busy.

He walked into the room, and Red Boy bowed and greeted him, calling him "Sir".

Jiang Yuan asked, "Is there anything wrong with the tripod?"

Red Boy replied, "It has not been long since the master left, so I dare not make any mistakes, so I am warming it with a low fire."

Jiang Yuan went to look at the stove and felt the true Yang Qi close to him. As he expected, the fire was just a little short of the target. In a few months, the true Yang Qi would be 326. It was exactly as Red Boy said. Only by warming with a slow fire could one have such a high amount of true Yang Qi.

Jiang Yuan said: "The temperature is just right, and you can succeed if you keep it warm."

Red Boy said, "Master, I will make sure that the temperature of the furnace is not wrong. Master, you can rest assured."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "You are used to cooking with a gentle fire."

Red Boy said, "Master, this is very easy to learn."

Jiang Yuan said: "Holy Infant, do you know what this method of gentle fire nourishment is?"

Red Boy bowed and said, "The master once said that what needs to be nurtured is the true Yang Qi. There are seven steps in the external alchemy path. This step is to warm the furnace and cultivate the cauldron. It is to store the true Yang Qi in the furnace. Only in this way can the golden elixir be prepared."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "You are indeed smart."

Red Boy said, "It's all thanks to the master's teaching."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Is there anything you don't understand?"

Red Boy pondered for a long time and asked, "Master, I think this fire is a gentle fire. Master asked me to read books, and the books often talk about yin and yang. This is a theory of opposites, just like the sun, the moon, the earth and the sky. Since there is a gentle fire, is there a strong fire?"

Jiang Yuan heard this and asked, "If there is a strong fire, what do you think it should be like?"

Red Boy bowed and said, "If there is a strong fire, the opposite of the gentle fire is a surging fire. If the strong fire exists, there must be a big gentle fire and a small gentle fire, a big strong fire and a small strong fire."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Why do you think so?"

Red Boy said, "Because the book talks about the four symbols, namely the Sun, the Moon, the Lesser Yang, and the Lesser Yin. These are the numbers of heaven and earth. The master often taught me many numbers of heaven and earth during the day, so I made a bold guess."

After listening to this, Jiang Yuan felt that Red Boy was very smart and had revealed many key points. This also made him understand what the master said, 'It is better to guide than to block.' If this is the case, and Red Boy learns all his skills, then he can go down the mountain again. When the two gods become stronger and more confused, that is when disaster will occur, just like what happened to Wukong.

Furthermore, Red Boy was not created by heaven and earth, and is not as good as Wukong. If he caused disasters and became confused while practicing the righteous way, he would die.

The path of alchemy is difficult, every step is arduous, the road is long and obstructed. For a person like Red Boy, no matter whether he succeeds in practicing the right way or not, he will face disaster.

I'm afraid his teaching by words and deeds will be of little use.

Perhaps it should be just as the ancestors said.

Jiang Yuan seemed to be thinking about something, and after a long while he said, "The Holy Infant is indeed very smart."

Red Boy was very polite and bowed, saying, "It's all thanks to you, Master, for writing this book."

(End of this chapter)