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

Chapter 349 Holding onto appearances creates countless obstacles, while Wukong achieves enlightenment with a single thought (Seeking monthly votes)

Inside the Great Hall of Mount Ling, the Buddha Tathagata spoke for a long time before finally finishing his discourse.

After the Buddha finished speaking, Jiang Yuan was deeply moved and felt that the Buddha's teachings were profound. He immediately stood up, bowed, and said, "Thank you for your teachings, Venerable One. I am extremely grateful."

The Buddha smiled and said, “Of all those who have heard my Dharma of Nirvana, you have gained the most. This is because you already possess the Buddha’s teachings and have great wisdom. Now that you have heard my Dharma of Nirvana, you have gained a great deal. In the future, your progress in the Dharma of Nirvana will likely be no less than mine.”

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "I dare not presume to be on par with the Venerable One. My Nirvana Technique is far inferior to the Venerable One's, and I cannot surpass it."

The Buddha said, “If you had said this in the past, it would have been fine, but now it is not acceptable for you to say this.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and said nothing more. He then rose and bowed, saying, "There is one more thing I hope Your Excellency will grant."

The Buddha said, “Tell me, and if you agree, I will grant you all your requests.”

Jiang Yuan said, "Please do not blame me for my words and actions, Venerable One. What I am asking for is for you to give me some guidance. Since I began my cultivation, I have rarely communicated with others and do not know how my cultivation is progressing. Therefore, I have come here to ask for your guidance. I hope you will not hesitate to teach me how to cultivate. If I have offended you in any way, please forgive me."

Upon hearing this, the Buddha smiled broadly and said, "Given your current level of cultivation, it's not a matter of guidance, but rather a friendly exchange. Since you have this intention, I will not disappoint you. Now, Master, shall we go elsewhere?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Thank you, Venerable One!"

The Buddha looked at Maitreya Buddha and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva and said, "Venerable Maitreya and Great Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, you may accompany me and observe; I will be of assistance to you both."

Both of them bowed and said, "We will obey the Buddha's will."

The group then rode on the clouds and headed outwards.

But when the Tathagata left the Great Buddha Hall, the Venerable Kasyapa and the Venerable Ananda were already accompanying him. The assembly of Arhats raised banners and canopies, also wanting to follow. The Four Vajras came forward and asked if they could accompany him as Dharma protectors.

Buddha shook his head and declined, saying, "You do not need to follow me. I will go outside Mount Ling to spar with the True Man. You can stay on Mount Ling."

Upon hearing this, the crowd exclaimed in surprise, for they had all heard that the Buddha's words were a discussion with the True Man, not instruction. This was enough to show that the Buddha regarded the True Man as an equal, not a junior.

The Buddha said nothing more and rode a cloud toward Mount Ling.

The immortal followed on a cloud, but lagged behind the Buddha by a figure, and dared not overtake him.

Behind him, Maitreya Buddha and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva followed.

The group traveled to the outskirts of Ling Mountain.

The Buddha descended from auspicious clouds and landed on a mountain, with the True Man following closely behind.

Buddha laughed and said, "Let's fight here. You can use your skills to attack me, and then I will see what skills you have."

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "Venerable One, why don't you go ahead? It is already a rare privilege for me to receive your guidance, how can I go ahead?"

The Buddha said, “If I am to give you guidance through words, how can I guide you if you do not demonstrate your abilities? True man, please rest assured and demonstrate your abilities. Only when I see them can I give you guidance.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan bowed again and said, "In that case, please forgive my rudeness, Your Excellency."

The Buddha stood in the mountains, smiling without saying a word.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Yuan cast a spell, only to see him manifest his Dharma form, with divine light bursting from his body. His purple robes adorned with the sun and moon, his seven-star crown, and the various treasures at his waist, such as the cauldron and ruler, all shone brightly, as if responding to the true man's thoughts.

"Venerable One, be careful!"

The real man said that he suddenly raised his hand and pointed at the Buddha, casting a spell to freeze him in place.

However, when he tried to use his magic on the Buddha, it was like trying to put mud into the sea; it had no effect whatsoever, and the Buddha could not move an inch.

Jiang Yuan was startled. He had never imagined that Tathagata's power was so great. His immobilization spell could not move him in the slightest. Even Wukong would find it difficult to break free from Tathagata's immobilization spell. But it was useless against Tathagata.

The Buddha laughed and said, "Master, you are very skilled. You have mastered this immobilization technique. If it were an ordinary person, they would not be able to detect it. But you do not know that I cultivated a sixteen-foot golden body on the top of the snow mountain, which is impervious to all magic and repelled by all evil. Therefore, such techniques are useless to me."

Jiang Yuan said, "Your Excellency's skill was truly remarkable. This sixteen-foot golden body taught me many spells, but they were all useless."

The master sighed inwardly. He had never fought against such a powerful being before. Now, after their first encounter, he understood the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent. He was truly remarkable.

This sixteen-foot-tall golden body was enough to disable more than half of his supernatural powers. Even his most skillful technique, the Universe in His Sleeve, was useless against the Tathagata.

The Buddha said, “The sixteen-foot golden body represents wisdom and compassion. It is not perfect and cannot be manifested otherwise. Therefore, this method cannot be easily broken, and no magic can affect it. If you, a true person, have any supernatural powers, you may use them.”

Upon seeing this, the Master said, "In that case, please be careful, Venerable One, I will try others."

The Buddha smiled but remained silent.

Jiang Yuan immediately drew the Zhenwu Sword, his magical power completely drained, and pointed north and south, combining water and fire to break the sixteen-foot golden body.

The Buddha remained unmoved, watching the water and fire approach, unable to budge them even slightly, like a majestic mountain standing tall elsewhere. The true man here was like a mayfly, a mayfly trying to shake a tree.

Seeing that the True Martial Sword could not withstand Tathagata, Jiang Yuan used his immense magical power to unleash the Samadhi True Fire and strike Tathagata.

The Buddha exhaled a mouthful of fire, which blazed fiercely into the sky and spread a fiery red across the land. It resembled a fiery wheel flying up and down, or embers dancing in the east and west. Such intense heat would have been enough to incinerate any demon or evil spirit. However, this great fire was utterly insignificant before the Buddha, unable to budge it in the slightest.

When the True Man saw this, he used three or four more supernatural powers, but he was still no match for the Tathagata.

The Buddha smiled slightly and said, "Your Excellency has displayed many supernatural powers, dazzling me, but I should also teach you about my supernatural powers. Please watch!"

Suddenly, Tathagata thrust out a palm, intending to suppress the True Man.

The True Man remained unmoved, and several cauldrons appeared from his waist, knocking the Buddha back with a single palm strike. No matter how hard the Buddha tried, he could not push him away even a fraction.

This is the power of the Nine Cauldrons, and also the profound magical power within a true person.

When the Buddha realized that he could not persuade the true man, he turned to the power of the Five Elements, intending to use the numbers of Heaven and Earth to suppress Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan was quite accomplished in this art, using the Nine Cauldrons to manipulate the laws of heaven and earth, and wrestling with the Buddha. The two were locked in a stalemate, each using their own magical powers to fight. It was truly a time of darkness and gloom, with the sun setting behind the mountains in the west and the moon rising over the sea in the east. The two were still locked in a struggle, unable to determine who was superior.

In mid-air, Maitreya Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva watched the two struggle and were both surprised.

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "The True Man's magical power is so great. I know that the World Honored One has many supernatural powers, but the True Man has the protection of the Nine Cauldrons in his body, just like the Sixteen-Foot Golden Body. He is also immune to all magics, and his supernatural powers are useless. As a result, the World Honored One had to fight the True Man's magical power. The True Man has been able to hold on until now. He is truly remarkable."

Maitreya Buddha clasped his hands and laughed, “Do not underestimate the True Man. After all, the True Man is the Zen Patriarch. I knew in the past that the True Man would eventually have great magical power. It is only natural that he can contend with the World Honored One today.”

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled and said, "You are truly remarkable, but you have not yet attained great magical power. You can still contend with him for a while, but if it goes on for too long, your willpower will be insufficient, which will be a disadvantage."

Maitreya Buddha said, "Although we are at a disadvantage now, the True Man will surely be no less than the World Honored One in the future; this is the general trend." Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "You, Venerable One, have many high regard for the True Man."

Maitreya Buddha smiled and said, "The True Man is the one who enabled me to attain enlightenment, and he is also the patriarch of Zen. How could I not revere the True Man? But among the renowned Zen practitioners in the Three Realms and Ten Directions, who does not revere the True Man?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled but remained silent, and said nothing more.

……

Meanwhile, in the mountains, Jiang Yuan had been fighting with Tathagata for more than half a day. He deeply felt that Tathagata's magical power was profound and that he was inferior to him in many ways. At first, the fight was still manageable, and he could still hold his own for a while thanks to his own cultivation. However, as time went on, his disadvantages became fully apparent.

The two struggled for a long time, and the True Man, having fully realized the shortcomings in his own cultivation, understood the state of his own practice.

Before he could think any further, Buddha withdrew his palm and ceased his struggle with the True Man.

The True Man also took back the Nine Cauldrons. He stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your power is profound, and I am no match for you."

The Buddha smiled and said, "This exchange of skills ends here. Master, shall we go to the Great Buddha Hall again?"

The master readily agreed, saying, "I dare not disobey."

The group then rode on the clouds and headed towards Mount Ling.

When they arrived at the Mahavira Hall, Guanyin Bodhisattva and Maitreya Buddha did not enter, but left the True Man and Tathagata there.

The True Man entered the Great Buddha Hall and bowed again to express his gratitude to the Buddha for his guidance and instruction.

The Buddha sat upright on the nine-tiered lotus platform and laughed, "If I had not sparred with the True Man, I would not have known that the True Man's power had reached such a level. It would be very difficult for me to defeat him. Many of my supernatural powers are no match for the True Man. Although the True Man does not have a sixteen-foot golden body, he has nine cauldrons, which make him impervious to all magic."

The True Man bowed and said, “Although I possess the ability to be immune to all magic, I rely heavily on the Nine Cauldrons. Your Excellency, however, possesses magnificent magical power, great wisdom, and great compassion, which enabled you to attain a sixteen-foot golden body. I am no match for Your Excellency.”

The Buddha said, “The Nine Cauldrons are deeply connected to the True Man, something that ordinary people cannot obtain. Even I do not have the connection to the Nine Cauldrons. Only the True Man possesses them, so how can we compare? However, in terms of magical power, if the True Man cultivates further, he may not be weaker than me.”

Jiang Yuan dared not accept such a statement.

The Buddha said, “If it were any other time, I would have invited the True Man to join the Buddhist order, but I have not spoken yet.”

Jiang Yuan asked curiously, "Venerable One, what is the reason for this?"

The Buddha said, “Firstly, the Great Heavenly Venerable once told me that you are a god of the Heavenly Court, awaiting your return to your position in the future, so I cannot invite you. Secondly, you will now possess great magical power, and given the vastness of Mount Ling, I cannot keep you here.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan remained silent, unsure how to respond.

The two then discussed many Buddhist scriptures and principles in the Great Buddha Hall. In the past, it would have been difficult for the True Man to discuss Buddhist scriptures and principles with the Tathagata. However, since the True Man had been practicing unorthodox methods, he had gained some understanding of many of them, so he was able to discuss them with the Tathagata.

The two talked for more than half a year.

After finishing his conversation, the True Man prepared to bid farewell to the Buddha and return to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

The Buddha asked, "But there is one question. It is not too late for you to leave after you have answered it, True Man."

Jiang Yuan turned around and bowed, saying, "Please, Venerable One, speak."

The Buddha said, "As the True Man has said, what else is the essence of Zen besides not relying on written words and realizing one's true nature?"

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "If that's the case, Venerable One should seek out my junior brother Zhenjian. Although I am known as the Zen Patriarch, in terms of Zen practice, I am not as good as my junior brother."

The Buddha said, "But I wish to know what the true man thinks."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "If Zen can be summed up in one sentence, it is nothing more than 'attachment to form leads to a thousand mountains of obstruction, while enlightenment leads to a single thought of understanding,' nothing more."

Say it.

The Buddha rose, bowed to the Buddha, and left the Great Buddha Hall.

The Buddha sat serenely on his lotus throne, watching the True Man depart, and gained some enlightenment.

……

After leaving the Great Buddha Hall, the True Man exchanged pleasantries with the Four Vajras for a while, then left the mountain gate and used the Auspicious Cloud Technique to travel 240,000 li in one go, heading towards the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

A short while later, Jiang Yuan returned to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. Upon arriving at Fangcun Mountain and returning home, he saw Sun Wukong practicing martial arts in front of the mansion as he approached the gate. The golden cudgel in his hand was twirling up and down, looking quite majestic.

Jiang Yuan stepped forward and said with a smile, "Wukong."

Sun Wukong was showing off his golden cudgel when he suddenly heard a shout. He turned around and saw Jiang Yuan. He put away his golden cudgel and said happily, "Senior Brother, it's you!"

Jiang Yuan said, "Wukong, I just went to Mount Ling and have only just returned. Before I got home, I saw you practicing martial arts here. Why is there no one practicing with you? I remember there are still people in the manor."

Sun Wukong said, "Eldest brother, you don't know this, although that fool in the manor has some martial arts skills, he would never dare to practice with me. That Green Ox Demon is lazy by nature and will not practice with me either, so I have to practice here by myself."

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "Your martial arts skills are superb, I would not dare to spar with you casually."

Sun Wukong waved his hand and said, "I dare not speak before my senior brother."

Jiang Yuan said, "I won't say any more to you. I'm going to pay my respects to my master. Later, I'll go find King Si to practice martial arts with you."

Sun Wukong said, "Eldest brother, please go ahead. Eldest brother, please go ahead."

Jiang Yuan bid farewell to Sun Wukong and entered the mansion. Before long, he arrived at the Jade Terrace, bypassed the Jade Terrace, and came to the Patriarch's meditation room.

The door to the patriarch's meditation room was wide open, awaiting the arrival of the true master.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Yuan dared not enter rashly. He bowed deeply outside the door and said, "Master, I have returned from my trip to Mount Ling and have come to pay my respects to you."

The Patriarch sat cross-legged inside. Upon hearing his words, he smiled and said, "I will open the door to let you in. Come closer and tell me, what have you gained from this trip to Mount Ling?"

Upon hearing this, the Master entered the meditation room and said, "Master, I have gained a great deal from this trip to Mount Ling. I have not only made progress in the Nirvana Method, but also learned what I lack in my cultivation."

The patriarch said, “Since you say you have gained a lot, tell me what you have gained.”

After receiving permission from the Patriarch, Jiang Yuan sat down on the futon and said, "Master, when I was at Mount Ling, I first talked with Venerable Shakyamuni about the Dharma of Nirvana. The Venerable's Dharma was truly remarkable. His talk gave me a lot of insights and made me more diligent. Later, I tested my magic with the Venerable outside Mount Ling, but I was no match for him."

The True Man recounted his journey to Mount Ling and many other events to the Patriarch.

(End of this chapter)