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

Chapter 135: The Immortal Captures Bajie, White Dragon Invites the Bodhisattva

It is said that Zhu Bajie packed up his robe and left Baoxiang Kingdom, and walked on the clouds to Huaguo Mountain. When he entered the Mountain, he saw the wonderful flowers and sights, as well as countless monkeys. He knew in his heart that it was common for monkeys not to become monks. If he had such a family fortune, he would not become a monk either.

This fool couldn't find the Monkey King in the Flower-Fruit Mountain. He heard the White Dragon Horse say, "If he is not in the Flower-Fruit Mountain, he must be in the Fangcun Mountain," so he rode his cloud to the Fangcun Mountain again.

When he arrived at Fangcun Mountain and in front of the Xieyue Sanxing Cave, he did not dare to enter the cave or knock on the door, so he could only wander around the mountain.

Zhu Bajie entered the mountain, but saw all kinds of rare flowers and rare herbs, thin vines entwined around old trees, an ancient ferry crossing, the sound of birds singing nearby, and a clear spring. He looked up again and saw the sun's shadows moving in thousands of purple strips and auspicious auras shaking in thousands of red clouds. It was a blessed land of immortals, and there was a fairyland atmosphere in it.

Zhu Bajie said, "I really envy you, envy you! This naughty monkey, your mother's home, Flower-Fruit Mountain, is one of the most famous mountains in the world. It is a good place, a good mountain. I think it is the best mountain in the world. Now you have entered Fangcun Mountain, your husband's home, which is even more fairy-like. Flower-Fruit Mountain cannot compare. Your mother's home is great, and your husband's home is even more great. If I were this monkey, with such a mother's home and husband's home, I would not become a monk."

Bajie was timid. How could he dare to break into the cave in such a fairy mountain? He wandered around the mountain, wanting to find a place to sleep first, but then he thought of Tang Seng and had to resist the sleepiness and look for a way out in the mountain.

When they reached the mountainside, they suddenly heard the calls of animals and birds. Bajie went forward and saw some spiritual beasts worshiping the Sanxing Cave on the mountainside. Upon closer inspection, they saw some white cranes, black apes, golden lions, jade elephants, and vaguely they could see unicorns and phoenixes.

It is said that Lingtai Fangcun Mountain was originally a most beautiful mountain in heaven and earth, and later Patriarch Bodhi came to take over, bringing spiritual energy to the mountain, which nourished the mountain and contained spiritual energy. After the immortal achieved enlightenment, heaven and earth celebrated, and more spiritual energy came, making the fairy mountain a success. Many spiritual beasts in the mountain were blessed, and they often gathered to worship the Sanxing Fairy Cave from afar, and respect Patriarch Bodhi and Immortal Guangxin.

I was worshiping from afar during the day, when unexpectedly Zhu Bajie sneaked in.

Zhu Bajie didn't know what to do, so when he saw the spiritual beasts in the mountains bowing from afar, he simply mixed in with them, squeezed in with a black ape, and kowtowed to the Sanxing Immortal Cave countless times.

The black ape spoke in human language and asked, "Where are you from, and why are you pushing me?"

Zhu Bajie said, "I was originally in this position, but you took it away from me."

Xuan Yuan said, "I will be here for three or four days."

Bajie thrust the rake's mouth forward, looking a little fierce, and said, "This seat was mine three or four days ago, so stop making a fuss."

Seeing the ferocious look, the black ape became a little frightened and retreated to the side.

I don't know how long this worship went on when suddenly auspicious clouds fell. It turned out that the immortal was walking out of the palace. All the spiritual beasts in the mountains bowed down to respect him, except Bajie. He raised his head and took a peek. "Look at that person coming. He has a seven-star crown on his head, and his eyes are full of spirit. He wears a purple robe of the sun and the moon, and he holds a jade-handled whisk in his hand and wears square shoes. He is protected by a bright and auspicious aura, and the divine light of heaven is always shining on him. He is truly an immortal.

Bajie's heart sank, he felt a little respectful, yet also a little jealous. It was the Wood Mother's mischief that prevented him from achieving enlightenment, while this man had succeeded.

It is just like 'If you have something that he doesn't have, and you feel jealous, disaster will surely befall you'.

The real person is Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan fell down from the auspicious cloud, looked up, and saw many spiritual beasts. He said: "I have said before that there is no need to worship, just practice well and avoid disasters."

The spirit beasts bowed again and listened to his words, but did not obey them. Most of them still worshipped the Three Stars Immortal Cave from afar.

Jiang Yuan took a closer look and found that he was looking for Zhu Bajie. He saw a creature with a rake mouth and cattail-leaf fan ears among the spirit beasts. It was Zhu Bajie, who indeed looked a bit fierce. He pointed at Bajie and asked, "There are many spirit beasts and birds in our Fangcun Mountain. How come there are evil monsters and barbarians here?"

The spirit beasts in the mountains turned their eyes to Zhu Bajie.

The black ape stepped forward and said, "Master, this person came up to squeeze me. I saw that he was very fierce. He must not be a cultivator in the mountains."

Jiang Yuan waved his whisk and said, "This monster is quite vicious. It is an evil demon. It dared to enter our Fangcun Mountain. If it wants to harm people, I will bring it back."

Zhu Bajie was trembling with fear, not daring to show off his power in front of the immortal. He said in panic, "I am not a demon, not a demon."

All the spirit beasts obeyed the immortal's order and swarmed over. A phoenix and a unicorn appeared and pinned Zhu Bajie down. A black ape brought a rope and tied it up tightly as if it were a New Year pig.

Just as Bajie was about to shout, a spirit beast fetched something and blocked the rake's mouth.

The second and third black apes presented Zhu Bajie.

Jiang Yuan said with a smile: "Thank you for capturing the evil monster. You are all dedicated to cultivating spirits, so don't let the evil monster enter the mountain. Today, we have finished worshipping and we can go back to practice."

All the spirit beasts left upon hearing the news, leaving only two or three black monkeys, meaning that Jiang Yuan was carrying Zhu Bajie.

Jiang Yuan said: "Since you are willing to help, please carry this evil spirit and send it to the front of the cave."

The black ape took the order, picked up Zhu Bajie and went to the Sanxing Immortal Cave.

Jiang Yuan picked up the nine-toothed rake that Zhu Bajie dropped on the ground and said, "The water god Tianpeng once overturned the Douniu Palace, ate the Queen Mother's Lingzhi vegetables, and bullied the fairies. How come he has made me look like an immortal now, trembling with fear, arrogant at first and respectful later, and can be caught by two or three spirit beasts? If one practices cultivation without cultivating the mind, it will be in vain even if he practices for a thousand years."

Say it.

He returned to the cave.

……

When the Immortal arrived in front of the mansion, the Black Ape placed Zhu Bajie in front of the mansion gate and left early. The Monkey and Zhenjian were waiting in front of the mansion.

Wukong covered his mouth and laughed secretly, pointing at Zhu Bajie on the ground, and said: "Big Brother, where did you find this thing? Your face is strange and ugly."

Jiang Yuan approached and said with a smile, "I saw some evil spirits in the mountain. When I reached the mountainside, I saw spirit beasts worshipping the mountain. This evil spirit mixed in among them. Let me find it out and catch it. I will get some information and see which mountain demon dared to enter our Fangcun Mountain to cause trouble."

Zhen Jian said, "Big Brother, Junior Brother Wukong, this demon is a pig spirit, with fat and plump meat. It is better to cook it. I see that Wukong is thin, so I will give him some nourishment."

Wukong knew that his two brothers were trying to vent their anger on him, so he said, "That's right. I've been a monk for a long time and haven't eaten meat. Now that I've returned to secular life, and there are pig spirits like this, I should eat some tonic. To be honest with you, Big Brother and Second Brother, I know some tricks when it comes to cooking these. The meat of this pig spirit is fat, why not chop it up and cook it with oil? It will taste delicious."

Zhen Jian said: "It's delicious when stewed. Yours is not tasty enough."

Wukong said, "Second Brother, cooking with oil is very wonderful."

Zhenjian said: "It's better to stew it."

Jiang Yuan said, "Don't argue. This pig is lean and fat. You two can each take half. You can either chop it up and cook it in oil, or scrape the hair and stew it. It's up to you two. This pig is fat and you probably can't finish it. So dry it quickly in case it gets cloudy."

Zhenjian and Wukong both bowed and said, "We will listen to what Senior Brother says."

After hearing all these words, Bajie was so frightened that his soul flew out of his body. His heart was trembling, his lungs were in panic, his liver was hiding, his kidneys were hiding, and his spleen was in a mess. He was completely at a loss.

Bajie used all his strength to pry the rags out of his mouth and said, "Don't cook me, don't cook me, I am an acquaintance, an acquaintance."

Jiang Yuan pretended to be surprised and said, "How can this pig demon be called an acquaintance? Did he come to the mountain to pay respects to someone? I have never seen a pig demon with this appearance. My two junior brothers, who among you has seen one?"

Zhen Jian stepped forward to take a look and said with a smile, "Big Brother, I have never recognized you."

Wukong said, "Big Brother, I have never recognized him either."

When Bajie heard this, he said anxiously, "Brother, how can you say you don't know me? If you don't know me, how can you recognize my mouth?"

Say it.

Bajie raised the rake's mouth, causing Wukong to laugh. Jiang Yuan asked, "Wukong, who is this?"

Wukong said: "Big Brother, judging from his appearance, he looks a bit like my brother Zhu Bajie."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Is it the Zhu Bajie who went on a journey to seek Buddhist scriptures?"

Zhu Bajie said happily, "That's right, that's right! Please, Master, untie me."

Wukong stopped him and said, "Brother, no, no! He looks like Zhu Bajie, but my brother followed Tang Monk to seek Buddhist scriptures and has no intention of returning. This man is definitely not my brother. He is probably a demon. I am afraid that you will cook him and turn him into my brother to scare me."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "So that's the case. In this case, capture the demon and bring it to the mansion. Prepare enough materials and let the two of you deal with it."

Wukong replied with a smile, and at Zhu Bajie's shouting, he and Zhenjian carried the remains towards the mansion, looking as if they were sharpening their knives.

……

The story goes that Bajie failed in his mission to request a place at Fangcun Mountain and was captured.

The white dragon horse was afraid that Tang Monk would get into trouble, so he didn't stop for a moment, transformed himself into a dragon, and flew into the South China Sea and then into Mount Luojia.

As soon as he entered Mount Luojia, he was stopped by Venerable Hui'an.

The Venerable One said, "Aren't you the Dragon Prince of the West Sea, who was enlightened by the Bodhisattva and helped Tang Monk travel west? How come you have transformed into a dragon and come here now?"

The white dragon said, "Tang Monk is suffering on his journey to the west. His life is in danger. My fellow monks are injured and there is no one to save them. I have no choice but to show up as a dragon and pray to the Bodhisattva to save Tang Monk."

Upon hearing this, Venerable Hui An was shocked. Seeing that the white dragon was injured, he said, "What kind of demon is it that even the Great Sage cannot defeat? The Great Sage is a strong man. I have never been his opponent. Tell me clearly, which demon has the magical power to defeat the Great Sage."

Bai Long felt bitter after hearing this, so he recounted the whole story.

Venerable Hui An said, "How could Tang Monk not recognize the demon and chase away the Great Sage? Without the Great Sage's protection, how could we travel west? You stay here for a while. I will go into the cave and talk to the Bodhisattva."

Bai Long said, "Please, Your Excellency."

The Venerable turned and went into the cave, and after a while, he called the white dragon in.

The white dragon walked into the Chaoyin Cave, approached the lotus platform, bowed and said, "Little dragon greets the Bodhisattva."

Guanyin Bodhisattva sat on the lotus platform and asked, "I already know this matter. Can you tell me how Tang Seng chased Wukong away?"

Bai Long said, "I dare not hide anything from the Bodhisattva. Master has chased Senior Brother away three times, but Senior Brother could not stand it any longer and just left. Before he left, he said that the Bodhisattva blamed him, so Master wrote a letter of demotion himself, saying that if the Bodhisattva blamed him, he would show it to the Bodhisattva."

The Bodhisattva asked, "How is Tang Monk now?"

Bai Long said, "My former master was possessed by a magic spell and turned into a tiger, and was captured."

The Bodhisattva said, "Tang Seng has the Six Dings and Six Jias, the Five Directions Jie Di, the Four Valued Officials, and the eighteen guardians of the Dharma who are secretly protecting him. For the time being, there will be no problem. This is Tang Seng's difficulty, and it cannot be solved without Wukong. Moreover, on the road to the West, without Wukong, it is impossible to go there. We must find Wukong to come."

Bai Long said: "Earlier I invited Brother Bajie to Huaguo Mountain and invited the eldest brother to Fangcun Mountain. I don't know the result, but I am afraid that Brother Bajie is lazy, so I came to the South Sea in person."

The Bodhisattva said: "If Wukong is in Huaguo Mountain, Wuneng will definitely be able to invite him back. But if Wukong is in Fangcun Mountain, Wuneng will not be able to invite him back. It must be difficult."

Bai Long said: "Bodhisattva, I heard that Fangcun Mountain Guangxin Zhenren has a great reputation. How could he harm Brother Bajie?"

The Bodhisattva said, "Fang Cun Mountain cannot harm Wu Neng. This matter was mostly caused by Wu Neng's nonsense. Wu Kong is the junior brother of Master Guangxin, and we are fellow disciples. If Bajie goes there, he will definitely suffer some hardships."

Bai Long was at a loss, not knowing what to do now.

The Bodhisattva said, "Bai Long, come with me to Fang Cun Mountain."

Bai Long nodded deeply.

The Bodhisattva rode on a cloud to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, accompanied by the Venerable Hui'an who held an iron rod as a guardian, and the white dragon followed closely behind.

……

The Three Stars Immortal Cave, on the Yaotai.

The three disciples in the mansion gathered here and sat in the class. After capturing Zhu Bajie, Jiang Yuan handed Zhu Bajie over to Wukong without asking any questions.

Wukong was overjoyed and said with a smile: "Big Brother, Second Brother, have you two seen what Zhu Bajie looks like?"

Jiang Yuan asked: "Are you going to cook it?"

Wukong said, "Brother, no. I didn't hurt a single hair of mine. He only plucked one of my hairs and turned it into a wild boar. I threw it in front of him and cooked it. He was so scared that he begged for mercy. I wanted to beat him with twenty bruises on his back, but he said he was the Bodhisattva of the Sea. So I let him go without beating him."

Jiang Yuan said, "I think the Bodhisattva will come to plead for mercy. Wukong, are you willing to return to the West, or practice with me in the mountains?"

Wukong pondered for a long time and said, "Brother, I have practiced in the mountains, but my mind is hard to settle. I have suffered in the Five Elements Mountain for more than 500 years. I finally know where my way is. If I continue to practice hard in the mountains, sooner or later I will take the old path again. I will take this journey to the west again."

Jiang Yuan smiled when he heard this and asked, "Do you know why you want to take this journey west?"

Wukong said: "I know."

Jiang Yuan asked, "What do you mean?"

Wukong said: "We are walking on the road to the west, which is also the journey of the heart. When I obtain the true scriptures, my path will be accomplished."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Monkey, your Dharma nature will improve after living in the mansion for a while."

Wukong said: "Always listen to the teachings of the elder brother, and your Dharma nature will naturally increase."

Jiang Yuan smiled but said nothing, thinking to himself, "This monkey has made great progress in his character compared to before, but the two hearts in his body have never been extinguished. The five people in his body have been restrained, and the two gods have also been restrained. I only know that when the two gods are unable to take power again on the journey to the west, the two hearts will surely appear. If Wukong can eliminate the two hearts at that time, then he will be successful."

He then said, "In this case, you should return to the West. However, this is Tang Monk's fault. When the Bodhisattva invites you back and your sincerity is sufficient, you can return. Don't let Tang Monk deceive you again."

Wukong knew that his elder brother wanted to protect him, and tears fell from his eyes. He bowed and said, "Thank you for taking care of my affairs, elder brother. But there is one thing I would like to ask for your approval."

Jiang Yuan helped Wukong up and asked, "What's the matter?"

Wukong said, "But please, Big Brother, keep my quiet room for me. When I return after my mission is accomplished and have the dignity to see Master, I will return to the mansion and there will be a place for me to stay."

Jiang Yuan asked, "How come there is no place for you at home?"

Wukong thanked him again and again and showed respect to the immortal.

(End of this chapter)