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

Chapter 149: The walker has two minds, and the real person teaches Chongyang (asking for monthly tickets)
However, there were many discords among the group of people who were seeking the scriptures. They arrived at a house and stayed overnight. During the conversation, they learned that the two strong men they had killed during the day were the leaders of a group of strong men nearby.

This family has a son who is one of the gang of strong men.

When Monkey heard this, he knew that the strong man would come to attack again, and when it was dawn, he urged Tang Seng and his companions to travel west.

Tang Seng had no choice but to ride away.

Unexpectedly, the gang of thugs came looking for them again, partly for money and partly to avenge the two leaders.

Seeing this, the Monkey King cursed, "I didn't need to let you know my methods yesterday. I made you want to take revenge. You deserve to be beaten."

Tang Seng advised: "Wukong, don't hurt anyone's life."

How could the Monkey King listen to his words? He opened his eyes wide and said angrily, "Are you really going to fight with me?"

The group of strong men cursed: "You thieves, you relied on your martial arts skills to kill my king. Now we have sharpened our knives and will make you pay for your life!"

The warriors surrounded Monkey King and hacked at him with their swords. Monkey King swung his golden cudgel and used all his strength to beat the warriors so terrified that they went straight to the King of Hell. It was truly a vicious killing scene.

The golden hoop weighed 13,500 kilograms. The Monkey King unleashed his mighty sword, and those strong men killed anyone who was hit by the iron hoop, or who was held by it. In a matter of moments, more than 30 people were all dead.
The traveler's evil nature resurfaces, how can he be controlled by him? The demonic appearance appears on his face.

When Tang Monk saw this, he was frightened and rode away on his horse, and Zhu Bajie and the other two followed him.

The Monkey King grabbed the leader of the thieves, cut off his head with a single blow, and holding it bloodied, he caught up with Tang Seng and said, "Master, this is the leader of the thieves."

Tang Seng was so frightened that his soul almost flew away. He said in panic: "You monkey, you are scaring me to death. Take the head away, take it away."

Bajie took it away and kicked it away, and it disappeared.

Tang Monk dismounted, sat cross-legged, and began to recite the spell to tighten the hoop.

The monk suddenly felt a splitting headache and rolled on the ground, shouting, "Old monk! Don't think, don't think!"

Tang Seng recited it more than ten times before he stopped and said, "Go now. Go now. I don't need you to be my disciple."

The traveler felt very painful and asked, "Why are you chasing me away?"

Tang Seng said, "You have done such evil things, killing so many people, and have no good intentions at all. I have tried to persuade you many times along the way, but you have not changed. How can a monk be so vicious as you? I no longer want you to follow me, so go quickly."

The Monkey King said, "Master, if you really want to drive me away, remember what the Bodhisattva said."

Tang Seng said: "I am determined to drive you away. If you don't leave, I will recite the spell to tighten the hoop again."

The traveler was frightened and did not dare to stay any longer. He rode on the clouds and went up to the sky. When he was halfway up in the air, he looked around, feeling a little at a loss, not knowing where to go.

He suggested going to the Flower-Fruit Mountain, but he was afraid that the monkeys in the mountain would laugh at him for being driven away every time and not being a human being. If he went to the Heavenly Palace, he was afraid that he could not stay there for a long time. If he went to an island, he would be ashamed to see the fairies on the sea. If he went to the Dragon Palace, he really didn't want to go. But if he went to the Square Inch Mountain, he would not be able to see his senior brother and master again because he had not achieved his goal at that time.

The Monkey King sighed, "I have been feeling irritable lately. I don't know why. Let me bow down to him and don't let my elder brother and master be disappointed."

Think about it.

The Monkey King descended from the cloud and served under Tang Monk's horse, saying, "Master, I do know I am wrong, but please forgive me for the sake of the Bodhisattva. I will never do evil again."

Tang Seng did not answer, but just recited the spell to tighten the hoop. He recited it more than twenty times before stopping. The monkey fell to the ground in so much pain that he could not move.

Tang Seng was satisfied and said, "Leave quickly. If you stay any longer, I will chant the spell to tighten the hoop."

The traveler stood up after a long while and said, "Don't think about it. Without my protection, you will never make it to the west."

Tang Seng was very angry and said, "I don't need you to follow me. You have killed many people and committed countless sins. If you are with me, I can't go to the West. If you don't go, I will recite the spell to tighten the hoop again."

The traveler did not dare to stay and flew away on a cloud, not knowing where to go. After pondering for a long time, he decided to go to Mount Luojia to complain to the Bodhisattva. But the Bodhisattva might still be furious and would teach the old monk a lesson after hearing about this, or even vent his anger on his behalf.

The traveler left on a cloud, so we won’t mention it for now.

……

Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and the Three Stars Cave with the slanting moon.

Jiang Yuan practiced for a long time and then came out. He called Chongyang and Red Boy to the Yaotai, sat on the altar, and talked about the numbers of heaven and earth for the two to listen.

Chongyang and Red Boy sat down in the class. Chongyang originally wanted Red Boy to sit in the first seat, but Red Boy said, "You are the young master, you should sit in the first seat," and persuaded Chongyang to sit down.

The two of them tried to be polite, but Red Boy insisted on doing so. Chongyang had no choice but to sit in the first seat and Red Boy sat in the second seat.

Chongyang turned around and said, "Holy Infant, you don't need to call me 'young master' anymore. It is said that the one who is more advanced is the elder brother. You are much more capable than me, so you don't deserve to be called that."

Red Boy said, "Etiquette cannot be abolished. You are the disciple of the senior master, so I should call you Little Master."

Chongyang said, "If you are like this, I will definitely refuse if you ask me to play with you someday, and we will never meet again."

Red Boy said anxiously, "Just don't tell me, just don't tell me."

Chongyang said: "If you don't abandon me, you can call me brother."

Red Boy greets him and calls him "brother".

Jiang Yuan sat down on the altar and said, "You two should stop making noise and listen to me quietly."

Chongyang and Red Boy dared not say anything more. They sat down in the class and listened attentively.

Jiang Yuan then explained the numbers of heaven and earth to the two of them.

This lecture lasted more than half a day. The Immortal explained the numbers of heaven and earth to Red Boy, and then he taught him to consolidate it. He then explained what Chongyang had heard, and that was how he was teaching.

Chongyang has not practiced cultivation now, so the immortal did not say much.

Finished.

Jiang Yuan did not leave the class yet, he sat on the platform and said, "Double Ninth Festival."

Upon hearing this, Chongyang hurried out of the class and bowed, saying, "Master, I am here."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Can you read all the books in your room?"

Chongyang said, "Master, I have not finished reading half of the books in the library. I have been reading a book lately and I cannot put it down, so I have not read the rest and my progress is slow."

Jiang Yuan asked again: "Tell me about the book you are reading."

Chongyang said: "Master, what I read is the Taoist book that you interpreted for me before."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "You really like Xuanmen."

Chongyang said: "Master, I have read a wide range of books, but I don't know why, when I read Taoist books, I can't help but feel happy, so I read more Taoist books."

Jiang Yuan asked: "Do you really have a wide range of interests?"

Chongyang said, "I dare not deceive Master."

Jiang Yuan asked: "In this case, let me ask you, what is the meaning of Confucianism?"

Chongyang bowed and said, "Master, Confucianism is about courtesy and virtue."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "There are many Confucian books in the library, such as the books on the Six Arts brought from the Southern Continent. Many of them talk about the principles of governing a country by our ancestors. They are useless."

Chongyang said: "Master, I have some insights on this."

Jiang Yuan asked, "What do you mean?" Chongyang said, "Master, the six arts are mostly old stories from our ancestors. There is a saying that 'times are different now'. The old stories from our ancestors are no longer applicable today. If you learn this, you will fall behind. The essence of Confucianism lies in etiquette and virtue. All other principles are extensions of these two."

Jiang Yuan heard this and nodded and smiled, "That's right. Let me ask you again, what does Buddha mean?"

Chongyang replied: "Buddha is in the heart and in the mind."

Jiang Yuan asked: "How do you say that?"

Chongyang replied: "Master, Zen is in the mind's awareness, and nirvana is in the mind's thoughts."

Jiang Yuan asked again: "What does Tao mean?"

Chongyang replied again: "The way is to seek within oneself."

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

It is those who are well versed in this matter who speak concisely and to the point, while those who are unclear and unclear speak at length.

Chongyang said: "What is said in the book is not what I said."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "The Tao is not far from people, people distance themselves from it. The Tao is always there. Chongyang, you have been studying for a long time. Now I want to teach you a way so that you can practice. What do you think?"

Chongyang performed a great ceremony and then said, "I will just follow Master's instructions."

Jiang Yuan said, "Stand up. There are 360 ​​side doors in the Dao Sect, all of which have positive results. Which one do you teach?"

Chongyang said: "Master, I was a prince in the palace in the past, and suffered a great disaster. I was trapped and could not get out. I drank poison and died. It was because of Master's great grace that I was able to escape and practice with all my heart. Now Master has given me a way to practice, and I dare not criticize it. I will just follow Master's words."

Jiang Yuan said: "There is a saying that 'the master leads you to the door, but the practice is up to you'. This is the door to your practice, and I cannot make the decision. So you must choose it yourself. If you practice it, there will be no turning back."

Chongyang pondered for a long time and said, "Master, please teach me some Taoist secrets."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "All three hundred and sixty side doors are fine. Just tell me how to practice. If you want to practice asking the gods to help you, then practice the Shu door. If you want to practice paying homage to the gods, then practice the Liu door. If you want to practice resting and guarding the grain, then practice the Jing door. Although I am not very familiar with these side doors, I can still lead you into them."

Chongyang said: "Master, this kind of sect does not require the energy of the Tao."

Jiang Yuan said: "There is a spirit of Tao in it."

Chongyang said: "Master, I...I read the volume of Golden Elixir in the past. I wonder if it is one of the ways?"

Jiang Yuan heard this and smiled, saying, "That's the way."

Chongyang knelt on the ground and said, "I shouldn't be picky, but I learned it just because I have some Taoist spirit. I don't know why, but when I thought about the Golden Elixir, I couldn't help but yearn for it and wanted to learn that kind of door."

Jiang Yuan asked: "Do you know what the golden elixir is?"

Chongyang shook his head and said, "I have heard Master talk about it in the past, but I have never seen the whole thing, so I don't know what this school is like."

Jiang Yuan said: "This is the true way of the golden elixir. Ordinary people can never learn it. Do you understand?"

Chongyang said: "Master, I have been through life and death before, so why should I be afraid of difficulties?"

Jiang Yuan said, "It's not that I don't want to teach you, but this way is much more difficult than you think. It is not created by heaven and earth, so it is very difficult to learn. I practiced this way in the past. However, I practiced this way for hundreds of years, and went through countless hardships. I was lucky enough to succeed. If you practice the way of the golden elixir, if you make a mistake, you will die. In this case, are you still willing to learn it?"

Chongyang kowtowed and said, "Disciple is not afraid."

Jiang Yuan looked down and saw a divine light in Chongyang's Niwan Palace. He knew it was his primordial spirit that was pointing the way. He said, "Go back and think about it for a few days. If you really want to practice with all your heart, come find me again."

Say it.

He went away from the altar and went into the quiet room.

I pay farewell to my teacher on Double Ninth Festival, feeling thoughtful.

……

On a moonlit night with a gentle breeze, Jiang Yuan returned to his quiet room to practice meditation, sitting cross-legged on a cushion, cultivating his mind and cultivating himself.

It was the second watch of the night when Jiang Yuan suddenly felt something in his heart. He looked up towards the quiet room. He put on a purple robe, walked to the door and opened it, only to see Chongyang kneeling outside his room.

Jiang Yuan said, "Chongyang, why are you kneeling outside my room?"

Chongyang said: "My disciple has made up his mind, so I came to see Master."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "If you have made up your mind, why did you come here in the middle of the night? Besides, if I were not you, wouldn't you have knelt outside for a long time?"

Chongyang said: "Master, I know what I want to do, so I came here in a hurry. When I got outside, I realized it was getting late. I didn't dare to disturb you, so I waited outside."

Jiang Yuan said, "Come on, come on, come in with me."

Say it.

The real person walked into the room and sat down on the cushion.
Chongyang followed closely behind and paid great respects to the Immortal.

Jiang Yuan stared at Chongyang for a long time, chanting, "Difficult, difficult, difficult. The Dao is the most mysterious. Don't take the golden elixir lightly. If you don't meet a wise man to pass on the secret, your words will be in vain and your mouth will be dry and your tongue will be dry."

"Chongyang, you came here just to cultivate the golden elixir path?"

The real person asked again and again.

Chongyang said: "Master, I will practice with all my heart."

The Immortal said, "Since you are devoted to cultivation, I will not stop you. There are 360 ​​side paths in the Dao Sect, but the righteous path is the Golden Elixir Sect. Practicing the righteous path will bring you countless difficulties. If you succeed, you will be able to live forever and achieve great freedom."

Chongyang said: "Master, I am sincere and hope that you will show me your great mercy and teach me the way. I will never regret it. If I fail and die, it is because I am not destined to be with you, and I cannot blame others."

Jiang Yuan was filled with emotion when he saw Chongyang. He saw Chongyang as if he saw his past. Chongyang had suffered a great disaster, and his heart had died and his mind had been reborn. His past was just a dream, and his heart had died and his mind had been reborn.

The two people are essentially the same, there is no difference between who acts first and who acts later.

Jiang Yuan said: "Chongyang, please listen carefully, I will tell you something."

On Double Ninth Festival, one bows repeatedly and washes one’s ears attentively to listen to the true man’s teachings.

The Immortal then told Chongyang about the cultivation of Golden Elixir. He had not yet passed on the Taoist secrets, so he mostly told Chongyang about the five people in his body. He only waited for Chongyang to subdue the five people, and then he would teach him the Taoist secrets.

……

On the other hand, the Great Sage rode his somersault cloud to Luojia Mountain in the South China Sea. Just as he entered the purple bamboo forest, the Black Wind Monster, the guardian god of the mountain, showed up and stopped the Great Sage.

The Black Wind Monster stopped him and asked, "Where are you going, Great Sage?"

The Great Sage saw the Black Wind Monster and said, "If you want to find the Bodhisattva, you can get out of Black Wind Mountain and become a great god who guards the mountain. You are quite free."

The black bear demon smiled and said, "Of course I feel quite at ease. Since the Great Sage is coming to look for the Bodhisattva, I will inform you."

The Great Sage said, "I am so sorry. It is strange to say that I was troubled by thousands of things and could not find a moment's peace. But now that I have come to Luojia Mountain through clouds and light, I am no longer troubled. This is indeed a blessed place for immortals and is extraordinary."

The black bear spirit said: "This is the land of immortals, it is blessed."

The Great Sage responded with a smile and asked the Black Bear Demon to inform him. Not long after, the Black Bear Demon returned and invited him into the Chaoyin Cave, where the Bodhisattva was waiting for him.

(End of this chapter)