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

Chapter 251: Giving birth to a pearl like the full moon, Zuo Liang repairs the side door

After that, Zhenren Biao and Qingniu left the Heavenly Palace and flew back to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain on a cloud. When they reached Fangcun Mountain, he asked Qingniu to play in the mountains and told him not to leave the mountain. He then walked into the Sanxing Immortal Cave and went straight to the Yaotai Trail and arrived in front of the Patriarch's quiet room.

The main door of the quiet room was wide open. The master had expected this and was waiting for the immortal inside.

The immortal walked into the quiet room, bowed to the master, and said, "Master, I am going home."

The master stood up and helped the real person up, made him sit down, and said with a smile: "Boy, how come you come back so soon?"

Jiang Yuan replied, "Master, the Purple Star Emperor only talked about things and did not keep anyone here, so I left the Purple Star Palace and went down to the Heavenly Palace and returned."

The ancestor said: "The Purple Star Emperor has a solemn character, which is normal. Boy, tell me about this matter."

Jiang Yuan told the master everything that happened in Ziwei Palace.

After hearing this, the master pondered for a long time and sighed, "It will be difficult to accomplish. Boy, if you walk in the human world and Emperor Ziwei needs help, you can help him. This matter is difficult to accomplish, but you still need to do your best."

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "Master, if I meet the Purple Star Emperor, I will certainly help you."

The ancestor said: "I admire what Ziwei Emperor did. Even though he has great magical powers, it is difficult for him to save sentient beings if he comes to the mortal world in person. If he is not careful, he will fall into the sea of ​​suffering and may only be able to get out after several lifetimes."

Jiang Yuan said: "The Emperor's actions also taught me to sincerely accept. Compared with him, I am far from perfect. I only care about myself and have never had the heart to help others."

The master laughed and said, "Why do you say that, boy? Why don't you have the heart to save others? If you didn't have the heart to save others, you wouldn't do the work of repairing the law, and you wouldn't have compassion in your heart."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Compared with Emperor Ziwei, my disciple is nothing."

The master said, "My boy, don't underestimate yourself. The path you follow is different from that of the Purple Star Emperor. There is no comparison. You also have great compassion in your heart, but your compassion is completely different from that of the Emperor. Can you tell me about the compassion in your heart?"

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, the compassion in my heart is not good enough to be shown on the stage. All I think about is to restrain the hearts of people in the world to practice, to teach them to practice with one heart and not be moved by external things. However, I have never had the heart to save sentient beings."

The master smiled and said, "My child, you have never had the heart to save sentient beings, because you too came from the sea of ​​suffering of sentient beings. You practice with all your heart to save yourself from the sea of ​​suffering. You know that the sea of ​​suffering is boundless and you can only save yourself. You amend the law to make it easier for sentient beings to save themselves."

Jiang Yuan was moved when he heard this, and said, "Master, I have some thoughts that I cannot hide from you."

The master gently stroked the head of the immortal, just like in the past. He smiled and said, "My child, your heart of Taoism is unshakable. I am very happy to hear your words. Just concentrate on your practice and wait for you to become a powerful person soon."

Jiang Yuan listened to what the master said and responded.

The master said, "Please find a day to teach your disciples some of the true ways. I see that their worldly ties have been resolved, their minds have gained enlightenment, and their primordial spirits have calmed the two gods. This is a good opportunity for cultivation, and we must not miss it."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan said, "Master, I know very little about the side door, but if you teach me some secrets that I don't know, I am afraid that I will mislead my disciples."

The master said, "My boy, you should know the numbers of heaven and earth and learn all the side skills overnight. Just teach me with peace of mind. If you have any questions, you can ask me. I will teach you the skills and you can pass them on to your disciples."

Jiang Yuan said: "Disciple thanks the master."

The master shook his head and said, "No need to thank me. But you are learning the numbers of the universe right now, and I cannot distract you from your studies. If you have time, I still have many magical powers to teach you."

Jiang Yuan was filled with gratitude and kowtowed to the master three times.

The master helped the immortal up and tidied his clothes before letting him go out of the room. He told him that one should not be careless when teaching a disciple, and reminded him that although it was difficult for Chongyang to succeed now, he should still teach him with all his heart.

Jiang Yuan accepted the order and left the master's meditation room. He did not call his disciples to come, but walked to his residence and went in to rest.

He sat upright on the cushion, thinking about the Double Ninth Festival, feeling helpless.

It is difficult to achieve the Golden Elixir on Chongyang Day. Just as the ancestors said, Chongyang Day's worldly ties are not over yet, so one should wait quietly for the right time to cut off worldly ties. Only then will one have the chance to practice the Golden Elixir path.

But he could not just leave Chongyang alone and wait for the right time without teaching him.

Jiang Yuan pondered for a long time, took out paper and pen, and wrote down his own understanding of the golden elixir to help Chongyang's practice.

But the real person was seen putting pen to paper, writing on it, titled it "Golden Elixir", and then writing the next chapter.

'The monkey in the heart holds the golden man, leaping and swaying in the nine orifices, and the will horse and the wood mother run away in the eight wildernesses. Huang Po stood with a jade tablet in her hand, and said, "The monkey in the heart of Li Palace, the golden man in Dui Palace, the will horse in the Kan Pavilion, and the wood mother in Zhenguan, how can they be allowed to run rampant?" Then she drew the divine light of heaven and earth, and cast four chains to lock the heart. One chain bound the monkey in the palace, the second transformed into a soldier and entered the palace, the third reined in the horse in the pavilion, and the fourth restrained the mercury to keep the commandments.'

'So the monkey in the mind gets the gold to use, and breaks through the fog of greed and anger. The wood mother goes with the will to water the dry sea of ​​true consciousness. The yellow woman mediates the clear and turbid cauldron, and adjusts the dragon and tiger, water and fire. In an instant, the fire comes to cook, and the water grinds it with warmth and effort. When the two gods no longer stop, a pearl like the full moon is produced.'

Jiang Yuan wrote a lot in a very eloquent way.

When he finished writing, he put the paper away. When he finished writing the book, he rested in the room.

……

Time flies, and before I know it, five or six days have passed.

During this day, the Immortal came out of the quiet room and summoned all the disciples in the mansion to the Yaotai. He sat on the altar and was about to teach them again.

On Chongyang Festival, Zuo Liang and Red Boy learned about it and went to Yaotai to pay homage to the immortal and took seats in the class.

Jiang Yuan hadn't said much yet, but he saw Sun Wukong and Bull Demon King coming over again, sitting in the class, wanting to listen together.

Seeing this, Jiang Yuan said with a smile, "Wukong, Zhenjian, Niu'er. Why are you here again? What I have said are just some tips for the beginning of cultivation, which will not be of much use to you."

Sun Wukong said with a smile: "Big Brother, you are wrong this time. What you said is of great use to us."

Zhen Jian bowed and said, "Big Brother, we are all just beginning to cultivate, and we didn't put in enough effort, but we made up for it later. However, this kind of basic skills are the weakest. Now that I have heard from you, I have gained something."

The Bull Demon King also responded.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Since it is useful to you, please sit down and listen."

Everyone responded and thanked Master Yu.

When the Immortal saw everyone sitting down, he began to lecture on the great principles. What he talked about this time was not some profound doctrine. What he talked about were some principles of cultivating the mind.

Jiang Yuan said: "The heart is the home of the spirits. The five spirits are like vines entwined around cypresses, and the two spirits are like fog covering the sky. Therefore, the sutra says, 'If a person can always be pure, heaven and earth will all return to him.' A true practitioner does not cling to emptiness, does not fall into color, and always responds and is always calm, like a mirror reflecting objects without leaving any trace, neither moving nor still, like water reflecting the moon and always shining..."

The Immortal explained the principles of cultivating the mind, and everyone including Sun Wukong was fascinated by what he heard. Especially Sun Wukong, who had a very high level of comprehension, but he had not cultivated his mind in his early years, which led to his misfortune. Now that he has been reformed, cultivating the mind is still his weakest point. After listening to what the Immortal said, he gained a lot.

After Jiang Yuan finished speaking, the crowd was still not satisfied, as they were all people who had heard the truth. The Immortal dismissed Sun Wukong and the others, and then gave the paper to Chongyang, telling Chongyang and Red Boy to go away and practice in peace, leaving Zuo Liang behind.

Zuo Liang saw this and bowed, "Master, is there anything I can do for you?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head, sat on the high platform, and said: "Zhengyuan, you followed me from the Southern Continent, and then went to the Western Continent, and became my disciple. Now you have been practicing in the palace for some time. I see that you have spiritual light, so I guess you have been practicing for a long time, but I don’t know what you want to learn from me?"

Zuo Liang heard this and said, "As long as I can feel at ease, I will learn from you, Master."

Jiang Yuan pointed at Zuo Liang and said with a smile: "You have many ways to be free, teach me how to do it with you."

Zuo Liang asked, "Master, I wonder how many ways there are to achieve freedom?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "There are 360 ​​side doors in the Dao Sect. All the side doors have positive results, but if you succeed, you can be free."

Zuo Liang pondered for a long time and said, "Master, I don't know what the door is, but please tell me so that I can know more and make a choice."

Jiang Yuan said, "In that case, I will tell you. Please sit down. If it suits your taste, you can learn it."

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "That should be the case."

Jiang Yuan said: "How about I teach you the way of the word 'Shu'?"

Zuo Liang asked about his origins.

Jiang Yuan replied, "The art of magic is all about asking the gods to help you, asking for divination and casting yarrow stalks, which can help you avoid misfortune and seek good fortune. If you can achieve success, then you will be free."

Zuo Liang was moved and asked, "Master, if this is the way, is it possible to know if I encounter danger?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "You can know it yourself. But in the way of practicing magic, you know the good and bad by yourself. But when you are in danger, you will feel it in your heart, which is the only way to save your life. In addition, asking the immortals to help you is to use the 'Five Thunder True Method' to mobilize the immortals and gods."

Zuo Liang asked again: "Master, is there anything lacking in this method?"

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "Of course, of course. Although this way can help you avoid disasters and seek good fortune, and seize the good fortune of heaven and earth, it is difficult to achieve eternal life. If such a disaster comes, you must stay in the mansion to avoid it."

Zuo Liang asked: "Master, what does it mean to be immortal for eternity?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and answered: "So it is neither born nor destroyed, neither increases nor decreases, it is spotless and pure, it enjoys eternal peace, and it lives as long as the sun and the moon."

Zuo Liang said: "Master, among the 360 ​​paths, which one can lead to eternal life and immortality?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "If you want to achieve eternal life, none of the 360 ​​side doors can achieve it. This is not the way of the side door."

Zuo Liang asked: "If this is the case, how can one achieve eternal life and immortality?"

Jiang Yuan said: "The golden elixir can be obtained through the right way."

Zuo Liang said: "Master, what is the golden elixir righteous path?"

Jiang Yuan said: "In the Dao Sect, there are 360 ​​side sects, corresponding to the number of Zhou Tian. The Great Dao is unique, and it is the correct path of the Golden Elixir."

Zuo Liang said: "Master, is it possible for me to learn the true way of the golden elixir?"

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "Yes, but the Golden Elixir Path is not something that can be learned easily. Before you were born, the source of your teachings was lost. Even if you have the elixir pills to make up for it, it is still a loss. Therefore, it is difficult to succeed in practicing the Golden Elixir Path."

Zuo Liang heard this and asked again: "Master, what is the root cause?"

Jiang Yuan said: "The meaning of the root is very broad, but your loss is in the essence."

Zuo Liang suddenly realized and said, "Master, what you mean is that I was too licentious in my early years, so I lost the root of my teachings, and that's why I can't practice the right way now?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "That's not what you say. To practice the correct way of the golden elixir, one must still have the Yuan Yang."

Zuo Liang said: "If that's the case, then I can't cultivate the golden elixir path."

Jiang Yuan said: "It's not that you can't practice it, but it's difficult to practice and difficult to succeed. Maybe you can't succeed even if you practice for hundreds or thousands of years. But if you want to try, I will teach you."

Zuo Liang asked: "Master, which path do you think is best for me to practice?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Zhengyuan, you must know what is at your feet. The decision is up to you."

Zuo Liang pondered for a moment, then bowed to the Immortal again and said, "Master, I do not want to practice the true way of the Golden Elixir. I want to practice the way of the 'Shu' sect."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "I thought you would practice the Golden Elixir Way, but I never thought you would choose the way of the 'Spell' sect. But after listening to me, you must know that the Golden Elixir Way is far superior to others. Why don't you give it a try?"

Zuo Liang said, "Master once taught me to feel the space between the eyebrows. Since I followed Master, I have often felt it and gained something. I have never forgotten Master's teachings. But I have seen someone living between the eyebrows. If I have doubts, he can solve them for me. If I am upset, he can solve my troubles. Now I hear Master talking about the doorway, and my heart is filled with thoughts. It is difficult to practice the golden elixir path, so I have to give it up. I have followed Master for sixty years and have experienced half a lifetime of ups and downs. I know the way to choose and give up."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded. He wondered why Zuo Liang gave up so easily, but he never thought that it was his Yuanshen who helped him. Zuo Liang could not practice the orthodox way of Golden Elixir, so his Yuanshen helped him practice the side door and obtain the true result of the side door. This was the best choice.

He said, "I already know what you have chosen, but there are 360 ​​side doors. Why don't you listen to them one by one and then choose the one you want?"

Zuo Liang shook his head and said, "Master, the Shu character gate is enough."

When Jiang Yuan heard this, he knew what Zuo Liang was thinking and stopped asking questions. If it was the School of Arts, he knew a lot about it and there was no need to ask the master. He could teach Zuo Liang.

The Immortal immediately asked Zuo Liang to come forward and whispered the art into his ear, telling him to practice it diligently and to ask him if he had any questions.

Zuo Liang responded of his own accord, with tears of gratitude, and he knelt on the ground and kowtowed countless times, expressing his gratitude for the Immortal's deep kindness.

The immortal said with a smile: "Get up and practice hard. You will achieve the right result soon. Then you can teach me to go out and talk about my disciples. You can teach others to say that the Fangcun Mountain lineage will prosper for three generations."

Zuo Liang said: "I, your disciple, will never slack off and will practice with all my heart to achieve the true fruit as soon as possible."

Jiang Yuan waved his hand and said, "In that case, Zhengyuan, you should leave and practice. When you have mastered the skills I will teach you, I will teach you some more methods. And don't underestimate the side door. This side door can also cultivate people with profound magical powers. For example, the one in the mansion has become a Buddha through the side door."

Zuo Liang responded, bowed, and turned to leave to practice.

Jiang Yuan watched Zuo Liang leave, thinking to himself, "It is very easy for Zhengyuan to practice the side door. It is difficult for ordinary people to practice the side door because of their character, but Zhengyuan has followed me all the way, and his Yuanshen has suppressed the two gods. Now it should be very easy for him to practice the way of the Shu word door."

(End of this chapter)