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

Chapter 2 Cause and Effect

Time flies, summer passes through autumn, some cicadas chirp and the willows are broken, and the fire flows westward.

Jiang Yuan is already thirty years old.

He knew that after his journey to the West, his mind was as clear as a mirror, undisturbed by dust.

It’s fine if it’s Journey to the West, but it’s also fine if it’s not.

How could this shake his determination to pursue immortality and the Tao?

It is said that Jiang Yuan became a disciple of Patriarch Bodhi and lived in a quiet room in a cave in the mountains. He got up early every morning to clean the cave, swept the ashes in spring and summer, and swept the snow in autumn and winter, serving the Patriarch.

Since the master didn't mention cultivation, Jiang Yuan didn't ask either. He just waited until the right time came and focused on doing the job at hand.

One day, Jiang Yuan walked out of the cave and continued to take care of the dead trees on the mountain.

Do not abandon your meritorious officials just because they have achieved success.

When I went out to look, I saw that the dead trees were blooming with new buds in spring.

Jiang Yuan was very happy looking at the green flowers.

This tree is about to wither, but this is the new spring that he has exchanged for ten years of his life. How can he not be happy?

"Jiang Tong'er, come here."

The ancestor’s voice came from the cave.

After listening to the master's words, Jiang Yuan put down the homemade kettle in his hand and went back to the cave.

The cave was very simple, and it was not like what was described in his dream of Journey to the West, with layer upon layer of deep pavilions, palaces and towers, and countless quiet and secluded residences.

There are two quiet rooms in Bodhi Patriarch's cave, one belongs to the Patriarch, and the other was built by the Patriarch in the first year of Jiang Yuan's worship of the mountain. It is simple inside, with a bed, a cushion and a table.

Jiang Yuan once asked the master why he built a quiet room during his first year of worshiping the mountain.

The master smiled without saying anything and pointed at Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan still doesn’t understand.

He walked in front of the master's quiet room.

"Master."

Jiang Yuan bowed respectfully.

"Tong'er, come in."

From outside the meditation room, the master’s voice was heard.

Jiang Yuan walked slowly into the quiet room and saw Patriarch Bodhi sitting in front of the desk.

There is a chess board on the table.

The master pointed to the chessboard in front of him and said, "Tong'er, let's play a game?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head: "Master, I will help you wash up first, and then we can talk about the chess game."

The master nodded with a smile.

Jiang Yuan walked out, brought in a basin of water, and helped the master wash up.

He knew that the master was born pure, but he was still willing to serve him. The master was also happy about it. After Jiang Yuan took the basin of water away, he returned to the quiet room and sat down in front of the chessboard.

The master asked, "Tong'er, have you grown another year older?"

Jiang Yuan nodded and replied: "Master, I am already thirty years old."

The ancestor asked curiously, "You are only thirty years old, what are you sighing about?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "At thirty, a layman has lived half his life. How can I not sigh when I am only now becoming a disciple of the master?"

Upon hearing this, the master smiled and nodded.

"Tong Er, if you were to enter the imperial court with your talent, how could you be able to enjoy the salary of the officials?"

"It is a waste of talent to be my disciple!"

The Patriarch sighed.

Jiang Yuan disagreed. He smiled and said, "It is my honor that Master accepted me as his disciple."

The master said nothing, but pointed at the chess pieces. The brown pieces had been placed, but the white pieces were in a mess.

Jiang Yuan understood and placed the white chess pieces.

This chess game was created by Jiang Yuan in the second year of his worship of the mountain. It was slightly modified, with the "Battle of Zhuolu" between Chiyou and Huangdi replacing the "Boundary between Chu and Han" between Xiangyu and Liu Bang. The chess pieces also changed accordingly. The cannon was changed to "cannon", which was a catapult, the elephant was a complete elephant soldier, and the chariot was a chariot. The color of the chess pieces changed accordingly, with Chiyou's side using white pieces and Huangdi's side using brown pieces.

"Master, please."

Jiang Yuan placed the chess pieces and his expression changed, becoming confident and calm.

If we talk about Go, ten of him tied together are still no match for Patriarch Bodhi, but if we talk about chess, he wins more and loses less.

In the dream, there were various moves, endless and unpredictable, but he was not afraid of the master in this chess game.

The master smiled, and placed his hand on the chess piece. He looked up and said, "Tong'er, do you know why I haven't taught you how to practice in the past year?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head honestly: "I don't know."

He doesn't know how to practice.

There is a sequence of hearing the truth, and there is a specialization in the surgery industry.

He just doesn't understand.

He didn't think that, as some of the records in his dreams said, he would be able to learn the skills just by giving him a book.

The master said, "My boy, you have unbroken karma, so you should avoid practicing. Since spring and summer, dust has accumulated in the cave every day. Since autumn and winter, snow has accumulated in the cave every day. What you sweep is your karma. Your karma will end today."

The master's words were like the sound of a huge bell, striking Jiang Yuan's mind hard.

Jiang Yuan suddenly realized, as if the shackles had been untied by himself, and he felt a lot lighter.

It is like having nothing to do and feeling light.

It turned out that he had burned down his old residence, so he still had a connection with the neighbors. He dismissed all the servants, but he still had a connection with the servants. The servants had taken care of him and brought him up, so how could money cut him off?

He was born into the world in a free and easy manner, but in fact he had never been born.

The master said, "Now, my boy, you are still one step away from being truly born into the world."

Jiang Yuan stood up and bowed, saying, "Master, teach me!"

After thirty years of chaos, I finally feel free today.

"Jiang Tong'er, look at this!"

The master smiled, held up the chess piece, and moved the pawn three steps forward, which is also called "immortal pointing the way" in chess terminology.

Boom! !
The chess piece fell with a loud bang, and sand seemed to be blown up by wind. Jiang Yuan was blinded. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that the world had changed completely.

The two sides stood in battle formation, waving flags, with burly soldiers standing in the front, and in the back row, there were catapults ready to go. Looking more closely, in the last row, the commander was surrounded by two ferocious-looking men, and next to him were elephant soldiers, cavalry, and chariots. The atmosphere was tense and the attacks were fierce.

Jiang Yuan looked back and saw that there was also a catapult behind him. Behind the catapult, there was a commander standing on the top of a high platform under protection, giving orders.

To the left of the commander-in-chief, a winged dragon was soaring into the sky, constantly making dragon roars. To the right of the commander-in-chief, an old man with white hair and beard, who looked dignified but kind, was standing.

Jiang Yuan didn't know why, but when he saw the majestic and kind old man, his heart trembled, and he felt a sense of blood kinship.

This old man seems like his relative.

The old man seemed to notice Jiang Yuan, looked towards him, smiled and nodded, his eyes full of kindness, as if he was looking at his grandson.

This is……

The Battle of Zhuolu in chess?
The two sides were Chiyou and Huangdi.

So who could this old man be?

The evil spirit is Chi You, and on his side is Huangdi. Who else could appear next to Huangdi?

That winged dragon must be Yinglong.

Legend has it that Yinglong had a pair of wings. It was Yinglong who beheaded Kuafu and killed Chiyou. He was Huangdi's right-hand man.

Who is this old man who looks like his ancestor?

Jiang Yuan's heart moved.

His surname is Jiang, and the ancestor of the Jiang surname originated from Emperor Yan.

It is rumored that Emperor Yan was born by the Jiang River and took the water as his surname. Most of the people in later generations who took the surname Jiang originated from Emperor Yan.

The only person who could appear next to Huangdi was Yan Di.

His last cause and effect was the surname Jiang!

It is exactly "If the cause and effect in this world are not established, how can one learn to practice Taoism in the afterlife?"

(End of this chapter)