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

Chapter 24: Kiln Head Adobe
It has been five years since Dahui learned the way of "tranquility". Time really flies.

Jiang Tong'er followed Dahui's teachings on the "tranquility" sect and said nothing. He just said that a golden statue had been burned and asked the five people to gather early to help the Yuanshen together.

During this day, the master ascended the altar and sat high, calling Jiang Yuan and Dahui to come over, and explained a principle and a Dharma scripture.

Jiang Yuan went to Yaotai and saw the master sitting high up. He greeted him and said, "Disciple greets Master."

The master nodded with a smile and said, "Boy, stand up. You have practiced diligently. Keep up the good work."

The master's magical powers can be seen at a glance, and Jiang Yuanli and Jin Gong are gradually taking shape.

Although the progress is slow and every step is difficult, the advantage is that the path is righteous. Once the golden elixir is formed, you will make great progress every day.

Jiang Yuan sat down and said, "Disciple burns a golden man every day, and dare not make any mistakes."

The ancestor nodded, and said in his heart with joy, "This boy's primordial spirit is full of vitality, his mind is stable, he has the protection of the Yu Ding, and the half-completed Jin Gong, which makes the two spirits have no holes to drill. He is a cultivator, and he will be able to achieve the golden elixir in the future."

It turned out that the master knew that it was difficult to make the golden elixir and that the right path was arduous. When he first taught the boy, he thought that the boy would give up because of the difficulty, but he never expected that the boy would learn the skill.

Jiang Yuan sat down not long ago.

Dahui walked over and greeted the master: "Master, I am your disciple!"

The master asked, "Dahui, you have been practicing the Way of 'tranquility' recently. Have you succeeded?"

Dahui danced with joy, and said with a smile: "My disciple has succeeded in cultivation, I have succeeded in cultivation! Now I have achieved immortality, I am very happy. I thank you, Master!"

The master asked again: "Tell me, how do you practice to achieve immortality?"

Dahui smiled and said, "My disciple's luck has come. My master has taught me the way of 'tranquility'. I have been practicing hard, not eating, guarding the grain, and meditating while sleeping. I think I will not need to eat for three to five years, and will achieve immortality in my dreams. If the King of Hell sees me, I will not take him away!"

The master said, "That's good. Please take a seat."

Dahui responded "yes" and sat down behind Jiang Yuan.

The ancestor then began to preach the truth and the sutras.

When Jiang Yuan heard this, he felt it was just wonderful music.

When I saw Dahui again, I felt drowsy after listening to the Dharma.

Suddenly the Patriarch saw him, and he woke him up immediately, asking, "Dahui, why are you so rude and not listening to me?"

Dahui woke up with a start and said, "Master, I am practicing resting food and guarding the grain, and sitting in meditation while sleeping. I don't understand what you are saying, I don't understand!"

The master sighed and said, "In that case, you should go back to your room and practice in seclusion."

Dahui bowed and left the platform.

Only the master and Jiang Yuan are left on Yaotai.

The master looked at Jiang Yuan and asked, "Tong'er, what do you think of Dahui?"

Jiang Yuan walked out of the class and said, "Master, Junior Brother Dahui has an arrogant mind. Although he has learned the doorway, it has also helped to make his mind more arrogant. I think Junior Brother has not taught me to focus on chopping firewood, so he should be lazy."

The master nodded and said, "These two gods are trying to gain power. Boy, what do you think of seeing that Dahui has achieved immortality?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Master, what kind of immortality is this? Resting on food and guarding the grain, sleeping and meditating, how can immortality be this wonderful? This is the 'kiln head adobe'. Although it has taken shape, it has not been calcined by water and fire. Once it rains heavily, it will collapse!"

This is the principle of unorthodox methods: it is easy to practice but difficult to master them. If two spirits drill into your body, your heart and eyes will be blinded, your mind will become wild and unstable, and your primordial spirit will be frustrated. How can you achieve immortality?

The master said: "The boy is smart!"

After that, let’s talk about the truth and the Dharma.

Jiang Yuan was overjoyed listening to the wonderful music.

……

After the master finished explaining the principles and scriptures, he returned to his room to meditate. Jiang Yuan left the cave and waited until dawn the next day to inhale and exhale heavenly fire.

He saw the bright moon hanging high in the west, and knew what was going on, so he headed towards the mossy rock.

Jiang Yuan was walking outside when he heard someone calling him. He stopped and looked back. He saw his junior fellow apprentice Dahui calling him.

"Brother, slow down! Brother, slow down!"

Dahui took two steps at a time and came to him. Jiang Yuan asked with a smile, "Brother, you are not in a dream or meditation, so why are you looking for me?"

Dahui stood still and said, "I came here to express my gratitude. Brother, you saved my life in Yuzhu Mountain. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to practice this way of cultivation."

Jiang Yuan shook his head: "You and I are from the same sect, no need to thank me."

Dahui said, "That is one theory, but since I came to the sect, I have not yet greeted my senior brother. This is my fault."

Jiang Yuan smiled again and said, "I practice hard in the mountains every day. How did you find me? It's not a mistake!"

Dahui and Jiang Yuan exchanged greetings for a while and became more familiar with each other.

Suddenly, Dahui changed the subject and asked about Jiang Yuanxiu's skills.

Hearing this, Jiang Yuan shook his head and laughed, "I am not as good as you in cultivation. You only know how to cultivate food and protect the grain, sleep and meditate, and you can achieve immortality, but I need to swallow and exhale heavenly fire every day to keep my root from being lost and prevent my soul from being taken away by the King of Hell."

Dahui was surprised and asked, "Brother, what is the secret of swallowing and spitting out heavenly fire?"

Jiang Yuan said: "Swallowing and spitting out heavenly fire is a difficult path."

Dahui asked again: "Brother, is there any bitterness or sweetness in the path?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Junior brother, you don't know that I breathe in and out heavenly fire every day. Whenever the heavenly fire enters my body, it burns my lungs, stirs up smoke, burns my eyes, and burns my soul, as if my soul is being banished to the underworld."

Upon hearing this, Dahui was terrified and shocked, but he was secretly happy and said that he should just think of it as the master passing on the way of honey to him so that he would not have to endure such suffering.

He comforted Jiang Yuan for a while, told him a few more things, and then went back to the quiet room to practice sleeping skills.

When Jiang Yuan saw Dahui's appearance, he shook his head and smiled, then went out of the cave.

……

Behind the Yaotai is the master’s quiet room.

The master listened to the sound from the cave, he closed his eyes for a long time, then smiled and said, "Good!"

"The boy is talented. If I am not in the mansion someday, the boy will be in charge and I won't have to worry."

……

The mist and clouds follow the coming and going, and the cold and heat never invade and the years are remembered.

Jiang Yuan only said that the Yin fire is refined at the winter solstice, and the Yang fire is refined at the summer solstice, and this cycle repeats thirteen times, so it should be thirteen years.

After thirteen years, Jiang Yuan's lungs were calcined successively by civil and military fires. In the red furnace, two beads were seen flying up and down like fire wheels. The two beads were truly "mixed into one". He knew clearly that the two beads must be his weapons.

But he still didn't understand why his sword turned into two beads.

How can these two beads be used for weapons?

Jiang Yuan was confused, but he knew that when the two beads were completed and Jin Gong appeared, all his doubts would disappear.

During the thirteen years, he practiced cultivation every day. In addition to listening to the ancestor's lectures, he also visited the Zuo family. The head of the Zuo family found a refugee woman from somewhere unknown and married her. Now they have a son, and the child sighs that while he was practicing, he has already experienced several generations in the human world.

Furthermore, there are often people who practice cultivation outside the cave. The master is kind-hearted and those who are destined to practice cultivation will enter the cave. Now there are seven disciples in the cave.

Jiang Yuan had been practicing for a long time and didn't know the practice progress of his fellow disciples. The master also taught him not to take it too seriously and to learn a way of cultivation as soon as possible.

During this day.

Jiang Yuan sat on the mossy stone, refining gold.

Suddenly, he saw a bright golden light in the east, and there was a faint roar of a bear. He looked over and the Mud Palace was shaken, calling for the Yuanshen to help. He saw a "bear" in the east from a distance, it was very old and seemed to be dying.

"The Zhou royal family..."

"It's time to live."

Jiang Tong'er murmured.

He has a primordial spirit, which teaches him to predict the future.

The boy didn't think much about it, when he suddenly saw a big change in the east, and purple air came from the east...

(End of this chapter)