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

Chapter 246 Guangxin Fourteenth Generation, Accepting Disciples

The story is about the Three Stars Immortal Cave, in front of the Patriarch’s quiet room.

When Master Jiang and Sun Wukong saw the three brothers approaching, they all bowed down with great respect and said, "Disciple greets Master."

In the quiet room, the master sat cross-legged on a cushion, as if he had expected that the three disciples would come here. The master had closed his eyes, but when he heard what the three disciples said, he opened his eyes and said, "Come closer."

Upon hearing this, the three disciples stood up, walked into the quiet room, and bowed deeply again.

The master was delighted to see his three disciples bowing together. He thought that these three disciples were the true disciples of his family, and Guangxin was the one who would inherit his legacy.

The master said, "No need to be polite, just stand up."

The three of them stood up after hearing this.

Jiang Yuan stepped forward and asked, "Master, I haven't served you for a long time, please forgive me. Master, are you doing well recently?"

The master smiled and said, "I am fine. Boy, you left for cultivation, so how can you say that you are guilty? You have made great progress in cultivation, and I am very happy to say so. Please come forward and take a seat."

The ancestor designated that three cushions be placed in the front. Among the three cushions, the middle one is closer to the front, while the ones on the left and right are closer to the back.

What the ancestor is pointing to here is the cushion in the middle.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan smiled and thanked the master, then sat down on the cushion in the middle.

The master looked at Sun Wukong and Zhenjian and said, "Wukong, Zhenjian, you two have made great progress in your practice, much better than before."

Sun Wukong said: "I dare not take advantage of Master's words, as my cultivation is still very shallow."

Zhen Jian nodded and said, "Master, the progress in my cultivation is all thanks to my elder brother. If you follow my elder brother in cultivation for some time, you will naturally make progress."

The master smiled and said, "You two can sit here for the time being."

Sun Wukong and Zhen Jianwenting sat on the two cushions on the left and right beside Zhenren.

The master said, "I have three disciples in my house now, and you are the only one. I am very happy that you have returned to my house, but I have something to tell you, so please listen carefully."

All three of them listened attentively.

The master pointed to Jiang Yuan and said, "There are three disciples in my sect, Guangxin, Zhenjian, and Wukong. But among the three of you, Guangxin has the most profound magical powers and a kind heart, so I will make Guangxin the successor of the mantle and the inheritance of the cave to Guangxin. You two must assist Guangxin wholeheartedly. Do you understand?"

Sun Wukong said with a smile: "Master, this should have been passed on to our eldest brother. We all understand and will do our best to assist him. However, if anyone offends him, I will not forgive him."

Zhen Jian stood up and bowed, "Master, the eldest brother should open the house."

The master saw this and said, "You two can go to the mansion to rest and come to my place later."

Sun Wukong and Zhenjian accepted the order, bowed and left the quiet room.

After a while, the Master and Jiang Yuan were the only ones in the quiet room.

Jiang Yuan stood up, bowed three times to the master, and said, "Master!"

The master helped him up and said with a smile, "Little boy, why are you being so polite when there are only you and me in the room now?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Master, etiquette cannot be abolished."

The master asked, "You have achieved success in your practice and are about to open a temple. You can call me 'master', but you don't need to greet me."

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, no matter how I practice, I am just your child."

The ancestor laughed and said, "If you perform the ceremony when you open your residence someday, wouldn't it be embarrassing?"

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, if I can save face by being disrespectful, what is the value of this face? Master, you have done me a great favor. If it weren't for you, I would be just an ordinary person, and I would have been a fugitive long ago. How could I be like this now? Therefore, etiquette should not be abolished. No matter who you are, I am still a boy in front of you, Master."

As he said this, the Immortal bowed deeply, then bowed again and said, "So, Master, please do not mention the times when you do not need to bow. If a disciple does not bow when he sees you, how can he cultivate the Dao?"

The master smiled brightly, walked to the front, helped him up again, nodded and said, "It's up to you."

Jiang Yuan supported the master with his hand and said, "Master, I have asked Chongyang if there is anything wrong with his practice, so Master sent his junior brother to call the disciple back. I don't know how Chongyang's practice is going."

The master shook his head and said, "There is no need to talk about this matter for now. His practice is not good enough. You will see Chongyang in the evening and it will be bright. But there is one thing I need to tell you."

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, please tell me that if there is anything important, I will take care of it for you."

The master said, "Your fate is about to come, and you are just a little short of leaving the palace. However, Chongyang, the disciple of the Zuo family, Red Boy will be your disciple first. Do you know this?"

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "Master, I feel something in my heart. I know about this matter and have sent the Bull King to bring Red Boy back."

The ancestor looked at Zhang Wang with admiration, secretly praising the master's profound magical powers. He then said, "Boy, if you accept disciples and open a school in the future, your disciples must have generation names. In the past, my disciples had twelve generation names, such as 'Great Wisdom, True Nature Sea, Insightful and Perfect Enlightenment'. Your disciples should also have generation names. Do you have a generation name that you like?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan said, "Master, please grant me a generation name to join your sect."

The master said, "In this case, I will tell you the generation name."

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "Disciple, I am all ears."

The master pointed at the boy and said with a smile, "You, boy, are very polite. Everyone who sees you will praise you for your courtesy. I will give you a fourteen-character generation, which is 'rectify your heart, follow the etiquette, maintain sincerity and kindness, and be extremely quiet and virtuous, so that you can be forever chaste'. What do you think of this fourteen-character generation?"

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, I will do my best to accept what you have given me."

The master said, "These fourteen characters should be the generation names of the disciples you accept. You should remember them well."

Jiang Yuan accepted the order and wrote down the fourteen-character generation name.

The master asked, "Have you succeeded in practicing the magical power of alchemy?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Master, it has not yet been accomplished."

The ancestor said: "Now do you know what the magical power of alchemy is?"

Jiang Yuan replied: "Laojun once told me, so I know that the magical power of alchemy is the creation of the world."

The ancestor smiled and said, "That's right, that's right. I never thought that Laojun would tell you this, but it's not a bad idea to get to know you, because you have achieved success in your practice and your magical power is getting stronger. When you travel all over the world and complete your merits, you will succeed in refining the elixir."

Jiang Yuan said: "My disciple's cultivation is not deep enough, and the day of success is still far away."

The ancestor said, "As long as you keep cultivating your mind, I will be at ease. You can go now. The Holy Infant of the Ox has arrived, and the Zuo Clan's disciples have been waiting outside for a long time."

Jiang Yuan said, "Yes, Master. I will come back to chat with you later."

The master smiled and said, "Come as soon as you finish your work. It has been a long time since I played chess with you. I will play chess with you for a while when you come over."

Jiang Yuan agreed and left the quiet room.

He left the cave and walked to Yaotai, where he saw Sun Wukong, Zhenjian, Zuo Liang and Red Boy all there.

Sun Wukong and Zhenjian bowed to the Immortal, who returned the greeting and helped them up.

The Bull Demon King led Red Boy forward and said, "Master, I have brought the Holy Child with me."

Red Boy stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said, "Holy Infant greets the Master!"

Jiang Yuan said, "Holy Infant, please stand up. You can take a seat in the class for now."

Red Boy took the order and walked into the Yaotai group. When he saw Zuo Liang, he sat behind him without hesitation.

Jiang Yuan looked at Zhen Jian and the other two and said, "Please ask my two junior brothers to call Chongyang here."

He looked at the Bull Demon King again and said, "Niu'er, go to the mountain and watch over the Si King. Don't let him get away."

The three men presented the order of the Immortal and dared not disobey it, so they left the Yaotai. Zhenjian and Sun Wukong went to call Chongyang, while the Bull Demon King left the Sanxing Immortal Cave to look for the Green Ox.

The immortal sat on the altar, took the ruler from his waist, and meditated quietly to calm his mind, waiting for the arrival of the Double Ninth Festival.

Seeing how solemn the Immortal was, Zuo Liang and Red Boy from the Yaotai Troupe did not dare to play around. They sat down with a serious expression, waiting for the Immortal to speak.

Jiang Yuan sat high on the Yaotai, waiting for a long time, but Chongyang Festival finally arrived.

Chongyang went to Yaotai and bowed, saying, "Disciple Chongyang, I pay my respects to Master. Master, I am sorry that you have kept me waiting for so long."

Jiang Yuan heard this and looked at Chongyang, but he saw that there seemed to be a foul air between Chongyang's eyebrows. His true self was lost. He knew what was going on and said, "It's okay, but I'm not in the mansion often, and I've failed in my duty as a teacher."

Chongyang shook his head and said, "As the saying goes, 'The master leads you to the door, but the practice is up to you.' The master has taught me a lot, and I am grateful to him. How can I dare to ask for more?"

Jiang Yuan was deeply moved and said, "Chongyang, please take a seat in the class. I will talk to you about cultivation later."

After paying homage on Chongyang Festival, he sat down in the class. He wanted to find a seat closer to the back, but Red Boy grabbed him and pushed him to the first seat. He had no choice but to walk to the first seat and sat down safely.

Seeing Chongyang sitting in the first seat, Zuo Liang had some guesses in his mind and asked in a low voice: "Brother, are you the master's disciple?"

Chongyang turned around and saw Zuo Liang, and replied, "That's right."

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "I am not your disciple, sir. I am here to show my respect."

Chongyang had never seen Zuo Liang before, but he saw that he had an old face, but his eyes were bright, so he made him serious and asked, "Who are you, brother?"

Zuo Liang replied, "My surname is Zuo, my given name is Liang, and my courtesy name is Zhiqing. I was born in the Southern Continent of Jambudvīpa. I met you by chance, and have been following you to cultivate for some years. Now I am following you back to the mountains, and I wish to become your disciple."

Chongyang asked, "How old are you, Brother Zuo?"

Zuo Liang replied: "If it is an ordinary age, it is more than sixty years old. If it is a real age, it is less than ten years old."

Chongyang asked: "What is an ordinary year and what is a true year?"

Zuo Liang said: "I was once an ordinary person without knowing it, relying on gold and silver to waste my time, and was confused and didn't know the true number. That was an ordinary year. Since I followed you, I have sought freedom and have seen the true number. That is a true year."

Chongyang said, "Brother Zuo, that's a good idea."

The two were talking in low voices in the class. Red Boy sat on his cushion and did not say anything to interrupt them, for fear of being impolite.

Jiang Yuan saw the three of them sitting down and talking in class. He pondered for a long time, then looked at Chongyang and said, "Chongyang."

When Chongyang heard the call from the Immortal, he stepped out of the class and said, "Master, I am here."

Jiang Yuan said, "Chongyang, you have been in my sect for some years, but I was often away from home and neglected to teach you. Now that you are back home, I will teach you well. However, when you entered my sect, I did not give you a Dharma name. Now that I have a generation name, I will give you a Dharma name and teach you to enter the sect properly."

Chongyang bowed and said, "Master, please give me a Dharma name. I will be very grateful."

Jiang Yuan said, "There are fourteen generations in my school, which are 'rectify the mind, follow propriety, maintain sincerity and kindness, and be extremely quiet and virtuous, so as to benefit from eternal loyalty'. You are my first disciple, so I give you the generation name of 'Zheng'. I will give you the generation name of 'Wei'. The great Dao is extremely subtle, and one can understand the Dao by seeing the subtle. A saint can also see the subtle and know the shadow. I will give you the Dharma name of Zhengwei!"

Chongyang kowtowed and said, "Disciple thanks Master for bestowing the Dharma name."

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, then asked Chongyang to return to the class. He then looked at Zuo Liang and said, "Zuo Liang."

Zuo Liang knew what the immortal said when he heard it. He was overjoyed and walked out of the class, saying, "Sir, Zuo Liang is here."

Jiang Yuan said, "Zuo Liang, you have followed me from the Southern Continent to practice, walking all the way, braving the cold and hardship, and you are quite insightful. I have promised you that as long as you follow me wholeheartedly, I will accept you as my disciple until you reach Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. Now that you are here, are you willing to take me as your master?"

Zuo Liang knelt on the ground and bowed, "Sir, I am willing, I am willing!"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Are you really willing? You must know that if you agree, you must not regret it."

Zuo Liang said: "Disciple will never regret it."

Jiang Yuan said, "In this case, I will accept you as my second disciple, and we will both be named 'Zheng'. I will name you 'Yuan', as there is a saying that 'the highest virtue is like water, and emptiness and tranquility are like the abyss'. I hope you will continue to cultivate your mind and achieve freedom soon. I will name you Zhengyuan. What do you think?"

Zuo Liang said: "Master, I thank you! I would like to take this as my Dharma name! Master, I will never forget your kindness, and I have no way to repay you."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Don't talk about repaying me. Just practice hard and that will be my repayment. Then join the class."

Zuo Liang responded and returned to the class.

Jiang Yuan then looked at Red Boy and said, "Red Boy, come here."

Red Boy was just bored and didn't know why the Immortal Master called him as his disciple, but he respected the Immortal Master, so since the Immortal Master was there, he didn't dare to play around and could only wait patiently.

When Red Boy heard the immortal calling him, he was a little surprised. Fortunately, Chongyang called him and he came back to his senses.

Red Boy walked out of the group and bowed, "Master, I am here."

Jiang Yuan looked at Red Boy and saw that his spiritual energy had increased. He knew that he had not forgotten to practice. He smiled and asked, "Holy Infant, are you willing to take me as your master and become my third disciple?"

Red Boy was surprised and asked, "How can the master accept me as his disciple?"

Jiang Yuan asked, "Why can't I accept you as my disciple? Holy Infant, don't think about anything else. Are you willing to worship me as your master, practice with me, and be my third disciple?"

Red Boy said happily: "It is a great blessing for me to be able to take you as my master. How can I not want to! The Holy Infant is willing to take you as my master!"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Since that's the case, from today on, you will join my sect and become my third disciple. I will use the character 'Zheng' as the generation name, and I will give you the character 'Ci' as the Dharma name. I will name you 'Zheng Ci', which corresponds to the Three Treasures. Therefore, you should be kind, frugal, and dare not be the first in the world to save the world and save people."

Red Boy was overjoyed and said, "My Lord, I will be called Zhengci. I will be called Zhengci!"

Jiang Yuan said, "Zhengci, stop calling me master, and you should change your words."

Red Boy knelt on the ground, kowtowed countless times, and said, "Disciple Zhengci, I pay my respects to the Master!"

Jiang Yuan said, "Zhengci, please stand up and join the group. I am accepting you three now. I want you three to get along well with each other and not to have any conflicts. Practice together and you will soon achieve the right result."

Chongyang, Zuo Liang, Red Boy and the other three stood up, bowed and followed the immortal's instructions.

(End of this chapter)