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

Chapter 16: Protecting His Soul, and Knowing the Desire God

But Patriarch Bodhi led Jiang Yuan into the cave.

After entering the cave, Jiang Yuan was dazzled. This cave was truly a fairyland, just like what was described in "Journey to the West": "layer upon layer of deep pavilions and jade towers, entrenched in pearl palaces and shell palaces, and indescribably quiet and secluded abodes."

Compared with the cave residence in Shangjing Mountain, it is completely different.

The master walked in front and said, "Tong'er, how about this cave?"

Jiang Yuan was amazed: "Master, I have never seen a cave more wonderful than this one."

The master nodded and said with a smile: "In the innermost part is the Yaotai. Behind the Yaotai are two quiet rooms. One is for me and the other is for you. Don't go to the wrong one."

Jiang Yuan heard that there were countless quiet rooms in the cave and asked, "Master, what are these quiet rooms used for?"

The cave is so vast that it cannot accommodate only two people, but it can accommodate even a hundred or eighty people.

The master said, "I have a 'fate' here. This quiet room must have someone living in it. When the person with the fate comes, the quiet room has an owner. When the person with the fate leaves, the quiet room has no owner. The only quiet rooms with owners are you and me."

Jiang Yuan suddenly realized what the master meant. These quiet rooms in the cave were considered "dormitories" for people to stay in temporarily. Apart from the master, his was the only room that had a real owner.

He bowed and said, "Disciple will always accompany Master."

The master smiled and said, "Tong'er, you are my eldest disciple, so you should cultivate great magical powers."

Jiang Yuan responded, he was close to entering the Tao.

The master said, "My boy, you were at the gate of the cave earlier, wondering why I didn't invite Guanyin Bodhisattva into the cave?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head: "What the master did must be reasonable."

The master took two cushions, put them down, sat down and said, "Boy, you are not experienced in the world and do not know the principles of the world. It is true that there is a sacred mountain in Xiniuhezhou, and the Tathagata also has great magical powers. The Dharma can be learned, but the Buddhist principles cannot be learned."

Jiang Yuan sat down and said, "Master, I recite the mantra every day to practice Buddhism."

Refine your mind and bring it back to a state of submissiveness, eat wind and drink dew, and chant mantras every day.

He still knew which family's magic spell belonged to.

The master nodded and said, "The Dao is strong, it is better to train the mind with the Buddhist teachings."

Jiang Yuan asked, "When the disciple sees Master, he seems to be unhappy with Buddhism."

The master tapped Jiang Yuan's forehead and scolded with a smile, "Ghost!"

Jiang Yuan smiled, getting used to the occasional "knocking" from the Grandmaster.

This work depicts his daily life with the master, acting spontaneously and making small changes.

The master said, "My boy, do you know what the difference is between people born in Jambudvīpa and people born in the Western Niuhe Continent?"

Jiang Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "Master, I have never seen anyone from Xiniuhezhou, but I have often heard of the history of Nanzhanbuzhou. I know about the 'Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors'. The people of Nanzhanbuzhou are very intelligent, while there are many monsters and demons in Xiniuhezhou. As the saying goes, 'one piece of land feeds one piece of people'. This land is wild, so I guess the people there are not that good either."

He once heard the ancestor comment on Xiniu Hezhou: "The elders have no ambition, the young have no order, it is a sea of ​​suffering."

He traveled westwards on the Golden Road and encountered the "living beings" of Xiniu Hezhou.

Everyone living in Xiniu Hezhou can get a glimpse of all these things.

The master praised: "What you said makes sense, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were indeed great men. But before the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, why did you think there were spirits in Jambudvīpa?"

The Southern Continent was once a land of outstanding people and great sages, thanks to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. However, before the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, why was the Southern Continent not like the Western Continent?

Jiang Yuan thought about it after hearing this but did not answer.

The master sat quietly on a cushion, thinking silently.

Jiang Yuan thought about what happened in his dream before the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. If we talk about mythology, it should be "Nuwa creating human beings".

So before the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, human spirits were gifts from heaven? No.

Jiang Yuan knew very well that this was not the answer.

Where did the "soul" of the people in Jambudvīpa come from in the beginning?

Come from your own thinking!

There was light in Jiang Yuan's eyes, just like he is now, thinking about doubts and breaking through obstacles, so the people living in Jambudvīpa have "spirituality".

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, seeing obstacles leads to wisdom, and seeing confusion leads to thinking. That is why the people of Jambudvīpa have spirits, and that is why there are the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors."

The master agreed with him and said, "You are a talented boy. You can gain wisdom from obstacles and think from confusion. That's why there are the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors! The Buddhist teachings in Lingshan are profound, but I don't like what Buddha and Bodhisattva do. The way Buddha and Bodhisattva seek for nirvana is called 'great fool is great wisdom' by the people born in Hezhou, West Niu. Buddhism can be learned, but Buddhist principles are not respected. Do you understand, boy?"

A great fool was born in Hezhou, Xiniu. Does great foolishness mean great wisdom?
This is nothing more than saying that Buddha and Bodhisattva are ignorant of the people born in the Western Niuhe Continent.

Jiang Yuan stood up, bowed and said, "Disciple understands."

The master smiled and waved his hand, asking Jiang Yuan to get familiar with the cave, and then he went to the Yaotai.

Jiang Yuan bowed and watched the master leave. He was walking in the cave, thinking in his heart.

According to what the ancestors said, he knew that Jambudvīpa was once glorious, but then it encountered factors such as heaven, hell, Buddhism, etc., which caused it to lose its luster and no longer be glorious.

As for Xiniu Hezhou, because of the beautiful scenery of Lingshan Mountain and the ignorant people, the founder was displeased with the Buddhist sect, so the founder did not welcome Buddhism.

"The 'fate' that the Patriarch mentioned could not be the people born in Hezhou, West Niu? The Patriarch wanted to give the people of Hezhou, West Niu, a chance to teach them to think and gain wisdom?"

Jiang Yuan had something in mind.

However, these things are not what he is worried about.

He should calm his mind and enter the path of Taoism to achieve immortality.

Jiang Yuan stopped thinking and walked towards the cave, just to take a look at the scenery inside.

The cave is a newly opened place, full of spirits and gods, it is a treasure land. However, from what Jiang Yuan saw, there are few spiritual plants. It should be improved by adding old cypresses and trimmed bamboos to make it the icing on the cake.

Jiang Yuan wanted to take care of the cave, but it was getting late and dark, so he should enjoy the evening breeze and meditate in peace. He had to put off the work.

He walked towards the Yaotai and saw a small path behind the platform. He could hear the water flowing at the source and see the shadows of flying fireflies. It was indeed much better than the one in the cave.

The master has put a lot of effort into this place.

Jiang Yuan walked forward slowly. At the end of the path, there were two quiet rooms. The door of the left room was closed, so he should live in the right room.

He did not go to the quiet room on the right, but went to the quiet room on the left.

I saw him walk to the quiet room on the left and kowtow.

The master has done him a great favor and now allows him to have a quiet room in a cave. He should express his gratitude and kowtow to the master, but the master is in meditation and should not be disturbed, so he can only kowtow in front of the door.

"My boy, don't act pretentiously. The most important thing is to cultivate your mind."

The voice of the ancestor came from the room.

Jiang Yuan replied "yes" and went to the quiet room on the right. When he entered the room, he saw that the scenery was no different from that of Shangjing Mountain. He knew the master's intention and thought that it was to respect the master's order to quickly refine his mind and enter the Tao as soon as possible.

……

Jiang Tong'er meditates quietly in the room, drinks dew in the morning and eats wind in the evening. During the day, he plants old cypresses in the cave, stands tall bamboos, leaves rare flowers, and spreads rare grasses. He attracts cranes to dance with him, and black monkeys and white deer appear and disappear at will, and golden lions and jade elephants hide and go as they please. He truly has established a blessed land for immortals, named "Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave."

Before I knew it, eight or nine years had passed. Time flies and days are not counted.

Jiang Yuan will eventually settle down, and one of the five will eventually return to his position, protecting his soul and making sure it is safe, and fighting against the evil spirit...

(End of this chapter)