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

Chapter 324 The True Man preaches the Dao; may I reveal my name?

Time flies like an arrow, and more than a year has passed since the True Man and his entourage returned to the mountain.

One day, the True Man ascended the altar and sat high, summoning his disciples to preach the Great Dao. Zuo Liang and Red Boy from the mansion naturally entered the Jade Terrace and listened quietly to the wonderful sound.

Sun Wukong, upon seeing the two, also came to listen.

Among them, Chenxiang was timid and hesitant, it was unclear whether he could hear the Dao, but he also arrived under Sun Wukong's pull.

The True Man sat high above, looking down at the Jade Terrace. He saw people sitting scattered around the Jade Terrace, about to expound on the Great Dao. However, he had a feeling and suddenly looked outside the Jade Terrace and saw a bull's horn there.

He pointed to that spot and laughed, “Where did this Six-Eared One come from? If you want to hear the Dao, why don’t you come forward?”

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong looked outside and, with his fiery eyes wide open, recognized the creature outside as the Green Ox. He laughed and said, "Elder Brother, let me go and capture that Six-Eared Beast."

Say it.

Sun Wukong leaped down and exited the Jade Terrace. Sure enough, he saw the Green Ox outside. He went up to it, pulled out its ears, and said, "It really has six ears! It really has six ears!"

The green ox shook its head and said, "Monkey, let me go! I am not Six-Eared Macaque! I am just passing through this place!"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Why did you have to pass by here now of all times? You must be trying to fool me."

Qingniu was about to retort.

Suddenly the immortal said, "Wukong, don't say any more, and bring the Great King of the Rhinoceros here."

Sun Wukong had no choice but to obey the order and drag the green ox into the Jade Terrace.

When the green ox saw the real person, it felt ashamed and said, "Real person, I am indeed not Liu Er, but just a passerby."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "I know that Six Ears is not you, but someone else. Just now, Wukong went out and scared Six Ears away. But I'm afraid that Six Ears will come again and eavesdrop on my secrets. So I know that King Si is here. Could you please take a seat in the table and keep watch for those outside so that Six Ears won't come?"

Upon hearing this, Qingniu straightened his expression and said, "That's only right. I will guard the class for you, so you can focus on expounding the Great Dao."

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, then let Sun Wukong sit down.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong had no choice but to give up and take his seat in the group. The Green Ox followed closely behind and took his seat in turn.

Seeing that everyone was well, the Master began to speak. He spoke the words of the Dao, which was about cultivating the mind.

"Cultivation must begin with cultivating the mind; if the mind is not cultivated, it will all be in vain. Please take a seat and listen to my teachings."

"The heart is the master..."

"Though golden robes may dazzle, they cannot conceal the myriad insects and ants within the heart. The vermilion eaves of the jeweled temple reflect the morning glow, yet cannot compare to the single thought of truth on the meditation cushion. Floating clouds roll over the temple's peaks, much like frost and snow piled high with delusions. The devotee kneels before a thousand statues, yet has he ever seen his true nature?"

"Alas! The mirror stand is inherently untouched by dust, so where does the cloud of hair at your temples come from? Clinging to appearances leads to three lifetimes of suffering, and sitting in vain is like a silkworm in a cocoon. Look at the moon reflected in the cold pool, and you will know that the reflection is the true reality. Do not seek a single word in the scriptures, for the green mountains before your eyes are all Buddhist scriptures. The sound of the wind in the pines becomes profound truth, and the stars hanging down become the celestial pivot. Just wash the six senses into a mirror, and you will see through the fog of the five aggregates."

The master preached the Daoist teachings, and the audience listened with rapt attention.

But in the ancestral master's quiet room behind the Jade Terrace.

Laozi appeared here at some unknown time and was talking with the Patriarch. As they talked, they were playing a game of chess.

Laozi seemed to hear the Daoist voice from the Jade Terrace. After a moment of contemplation, he smiled and said, "Bodhi, your disciple is becoming more and more remarkable, making me extremely envious. The Daoist voice here is enough to show his cultivation, but eight or nine out of ten who cultivate the Golden Elixir know how to cultivate but not how to teach, because explaining the Dao is difficult. However, your disciple knows how to cultivate and teach, which is a sign of great accomplishment. My disciple Miaole is far inferior to your disciple."

The patriarch smiled and said, "However, he is still some distance from achieving great magical power, so he should not be praised."

Laozi appointed the patriarch and said, "If your Bodhi is truly capable of moving people's hearts with praise, how could you have such cultivation now? I cannot stand to see you like this. If I were not still taking Guangxin to participate in the Queen Mother's birthday celebration, I would definitely want to learn from you."

The Patriarch smiled and said, "We can discuss the matter of seeking instruction another day. But Laozi, you will have to wait for me in the mansion for a while, as my young servant still needs some time to expound the Dao."

Laojun said, "You are telling me to wait like this, aren't you afraid that the Queen Mother will miss the appointed time and start the assembly without waiting for us?"

The Patriarch laughed and said, "If you, Laozi, did not go, how could the assembly begin?"

Laozi smiled helplessly and said, "Fine, fine, fine. You, Bodhi, may wait here as you say. I reckon that after a while, Guangxin's sermons will cease."

The Patriarch said, "Laojun, when do you think my disciple will achieve great magical power?"

Laozi said, "How would I know when you will attain great magical power?"

The patriarch said, “Your magical power is immense. If you do not know it, then no one else does. Therefore, I must ask you.”

Lao Jun shook his head and said, "I don't know when Guang Xin will achieve great magical power. This is beyond my prediction, but it will most likely happen during this tribulation. If he fails in this tribulation, he will succeed in the next one. You can rest assured."

The patriarch smiled and said, "With your words, I can rest assured."

Lao Jun said, "But I have long thought that if Guangxin can achieve great magical power in this tribulation, the next tribulation will begin with him."

Upon hearing this, the patriarch was somewhat moved and said, "Why has it come to this?"

Laozi stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Since he calls me teacher, I will naturally take care of him."

The patriarch smiled and said, "It is an honor for the child to have you as his teacher."

Lao Jun shook his head and said, "There's no need to say such things. If he hadn't cultivated his mind, I would never have taken care of him."

The two talked for a long time, engrossed in the game of chess in front of them.

……

Before they knew it, two or three months had passed.

The master finally finished explaining the intricacies of the matter. After he finished speaking, seeing that the group on Yaotai were still completely absorbed and had not yet woken up, he smiled and said, "Do you still have any questions? If so, please tell me, and I will answer them for you."

Upon hearing the words of the immortal, everyone awoke and bowed to him in gratitude for his kindness.

Chenxiang stepped forward from the class and asked, "Senior Uncle, but this disciple has some questions."

Jiang Yuan said, "Chen Xiang, please tell me what's bothering you."

Chenxiang asked, "Senior Uncle, if one cultivates only the mind and not the power during cultivation, and after the mind cultivation is perfected, there is no sign of power in the body, how should one deal with that?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "I know what you mean. Once you have mastered the art of cultivation, your magical power will naturally manifest. There is no need to worry."

Chenxiang then asked, "Senior Uncle, you have gained insights from practicing martial arts and cultivating magical power, but have you gained insights from cultivating your mind?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "What you are talking about is 'physical sensation.' There is no such method in cultivating the mind; it is ethereal and elusive."

Chenxiang said, "If that's the case, how can we observe the degree of mental cultivation?"

Jiang Yuan pointed to the agarwood and said, "But when you are no longer troubled by this, you will have achieved success in cultivating your mind."

Chenxiang seemed to be deep in thought, and bowed to thank the immortal.

Later, Zuo Liang and Hong Hai'er also had some questions and asked them one by one, which the real person answered one by one.

After answering all their questions, the Master then sent them off to cultivate.

Before long, everyone in the class dispersed, leaving only Qingniu still there.

The immortal descended from the high platform and said with a smile, "King Si, I trouble you to keep watch for me and prevent the Six Ears from eavesdropping."

The green ox blushed and said, "Master, I will come again next time to guard the gate for you."

The immortal smiled and nodded, then sent the green ox away. The green ox bowed repeatedly before leaving the Jade Terrace, showing great respect for the immortal.

Then the blue ox left.

The master was about to get up and go to the quiet room for meditation when he suddenly heard a voice in his ear, which was the patriarch's summons.

Having received the summons from the Patriarch, Jiang Yuan dared not delay and went to the Patriarch's meditation room.

A short while later, they arrived at the patriarch's meditation room.

Jiang Yuan entered and saw Laozi and the Patriarch. He stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Disciple greets Master and Teacher."

Both of them laughed, and made the real man stand up.

Laojun said, "You have come here because the Queen Mother's birthday is approaching, so I have come to summon you."

Jiang Yuan said, "This disciple was unaware and has kept Master waiting. This is my fault."

Lao Jun shook his head and said, "I know you are preaching, so I am waiting for you here. Later, I will take you to the Heavenly Palace."

The True Man looked to the Patriarch, and after receiving the Patriarch's approval, he responded to Laozi.

Lao Jun said, "I just heard you talk about the way of cultivating the mind. You know a lot about this way."

The master shook his head and said, "I am but a shallow and insignificant person, and I dare not accept Laozi's words."

Lao Jun said, "Your knowledge here is comparable to ours, which shows the demeanor of an ancestor. But I will not say more to you. It is time to set off for the Heavenly Palace."

The Patriarch said, “That is the way. We cannot keep the Queen Mother waiting for long. Child, go to the Heavenly Palace and give my regards to the Queen Mother. Also, remember to bring your disciple with you.”

The true man bowed to the patriarch and spoke of his understanding.

Laozi then sent the True Man to summon his disciple so that they could travel together.

The man was about to turn and leave.

Laozi suddenly said, "Let's summon that monkey. The Queen Mother invited him to come along, but since I've just arrived, she asked me to go with her. Let's summon the monkey to the Heavenly Palace."

The patriarch smiled and asked, "From where did you invite that monkey?"

Lao Jun replied, “As the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, he is certainly entitled to this seat. In the past, he caused a great disturbance in the Heavenly Palace because of this incident. At that time, he was not invited because the seating arrangement for the Peach Banquet had been the same every year. If it were a year later, he would definitely be invited. Just like the Queen Mother’s birthday celebration, he was invited.”

The Patriarch smiled and said, "Guangxin, take Wukong there and teach him to apologize properly."

Jiang Yuan said, "Master, this disciple understands."

Say it.

He then got up and went outside. Before long, he arrived at the disciples' quiet room and found Zuo Liang there.

Zuo Liang was meditating in his quiet room when he learned that the master had come. He hurriedly came out of the quiet room to pay his respects and said, "Disciple pays respects to Master, but I did not know that Master was coming. I am sorry for not welcoming you properly."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "There's no need for such formalities. I've come here to ask you to leave the manor with me."

Zuo Liang said, "Master, I will go pack my luggage now, so that I can go out with you at any time."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Why don't you ask where we should go?"

Zuo Liang said, "But if Master has given instructions, this disciple will certainly go. There is no need to ask any more questions."

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, saying, "Today is the beginning of the Queen Mother's birthday celebration, so I have been invited to the Heavenly Palace to participate in the event. You should come with me."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang panicked and said, "Master, how can I go?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Why can't you go?"

Zuo Liang bowed and said, "I have heard that the Heavenly Palace is the abode of immortals, and only those with a celestial talisman are allowed to enter. I am a cultivator without a celestial talisman, so how can I go there? I am afraid that this will cause trouble for my master, which would be wrong."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "We are going there at the invitation of the Three Star Immortal Mansion, so we can go. But when you go, don't wander around and disturb others. You can go on your own."

Zuo Liang said, "In that case, Master, I will go with you."

Jiang Yuan said, "Let's go and pack up. I'll go and ask Wukong to come with me. Wukong is the Great Sage Equal to Heaven of the Heavenly Court and has a celestial talisman."

After bowing, Zuo Liang stepped back and entered the quiet room.

Jiang Yuan turned back and went to Sun Wukong's quiet room, where he called him out and spoke with him.

When Sun Wukong heard that the Queen Mother of the West had invited him to a banquet, he was overjoyed and said, "I knew the Queen Mother of the West would invite me."

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "If I didn't invite you, would you have gone and caused another ruckus in the Heavenly Palace?"

Sun Wukong waved his hand and said, "Elder brother, please don't tease me. That was something I did out of ignorance in the past. Now that I know better, I will never do it again."

Jiang Yuan said, "Let's gather the troops and come with me. Laozi is still waiting. Take us to the Heavenly Palace."

Sun Wukong said, "Then why did Laozi come? If it is the cloud road to the Heavenly Palace, I know it. Why would I need Laozi to come?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Laojun came here to take me. You have a celestial talisman, but I do not. Therefore, I should ask Laojun to come and take me there."

Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "Who would dare to stop my eldest brother from going to the Heavenly Palace?"

Jiang Yuan said, "No one dares to stop us, but the proper rules and etiquette must not be disregarded."

Sun Wukong said, "Elder brother, I understand perfectly well. Please wait here while I go and tidy up."

Jiang Yuan responded with a smile.

Sun Wukong then went into the quiet room to tidy up.

Jiang Yuan waited in place for a while, and then Zuo Liang and Sun Wukong came and met up with Jiang Yuan.

After paying their respects to the patriarch, the group left the mansion and rode the clouds with Laozi to the Heavenly Palace.

Laojun rode among the clouds, looking closely at Zuo Liang behind the True Man. He smiled and nodded, saying, "Blessed by his ancestors, he possesses spiritual light. Not bad, he is a good seedling. He has the potential to achieve enlightenment through unorthodox means. Guangxin, your disciple is quite remarkable."

Jiang Yuan said, "You shouldn't say that, teacher."

Zuo Liang also bowed, but said he dared not.

Lao Jun shook his head and said, "The Three Star Immortal Cave lineage is exactly the same."

Jiang Yuan said, "Teacher, although I have cultivated my mind, I have not yet mastered the art of cultivating my mind, and I do not deserve your praise."

Lao Jun said, "Your disciple is only one or two steps away from success, so there is no need to worry so much. Well, perhaps I have said too much. Your disciple is just like you. He will worry before he succeeds, and he will still worry even after he succeeds."

As he spoke, he looked at Zuo Liang and said, “I observe that your cultivation method is the Five Thunder Orthodox Method. If you ever need divine assistance in the future, and you are in a hurry, I will allow you to summon my name. There are no celestial beings in heaven who will not respond. However, if they do not respond, you will be punished.”

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liang bowed again and said, "Thank you, Laozi!"

Jiang Yuan also bowed, deeply aware of the profound kindness shown to her by Laozi.

Laozi smiled without saying a word, and simply rode the clouds to the Heavenly Palace.

(End of this chapter)