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

Chapter 396 The Five Elements Mountain suppresses anger, and the Tightening Spell binds delusions.

Meanwhile, in the pavilion, the old man intended to recommend Wang Chongyang for an official position, stating frankly that he was capable of holding a high-ranking post and possessed the talent of a prime minister.

Upon hearing this, Wang Chongyang shook his head and said, "I dare not accept what you say, sir. I am but a leisurely person, without the talent of a prime minister, much less daring to speak of being an official. Thank you for your kind words, sir."

The old man, knowing the young man had refused, felt a pang of regret and said, "Young friend, are you truly unwilling?"

Wang Chongyang shook his head and said, "Let's do it for the sake of learning."

The old man said, “In that case, I will not force you. But I have never said anything false about the matter of a wise ruler. The unification of the world is imminent, and a wise ruler will surely be able to rebuild the nation.”

Wang Chongyang said, "If there is an enlightened ruler, it will be a blessing for all the people of the world."

Upon hearing this, the old man sighed but said no more, instead continuing to discuss his knowledge with Wang Chongyang.

……

In the Taihe Palace of Wudang Mountain, the True Man, the Mysterious Emperor, and Sun Wukong were discussing their respective cultivation journeys.

After the Xuan Emperor and the True Man finished speaking, they verified each other's points and each gained something. After they finished speaking, they looked at Sun Wukong.

Emperor Xuan smiled and said, "Great Sage, would you like to speak about the path of cultivation?"

Upon hearing this, the master looked towards him with slight surprise, but did not say anything more.

Sun Wukong scratched his head and said, "If the Xuan Emperor wishes to hear, I can certainly tell you a thing or two. But the Xuan Emperor should know about my path of cultivation, so please don't laugh at me if I tell you."

Emperor Xuan said, "But the path of cultivation should not be laughed at; I know this common sense."

Sun Wukong bowed and said, "Since you are my senior brother, and the Emperor Xuan doesn't mind my old age, I will now tell you two a few things."

Both the True Man and the Mysterious Emperor sat cross-legged, listening attentively to show their respect.

Upon seeing this, Sun Wukong immediately spoke, saying, "Please listen, my elder brother, Emperor Xuan. I was born in the Eastern Continent of Divine Victory, where there is the Kingdom of Aolai. On the coast stands Flower Fruit Mountain, and on its summit stands a spiritual stone. That spiritual stone absorbed the pure energy of heaven and the turbid energy of earth, and was formed from it. One day, the mountain collapsed and the stone split open, and a stone egg was born. That is my origin."

"Since birth, I have been in harmony with the principles of heaven and earth, both internally and externally. My stillness and movement are like the flow of yin and yang. The Great Dao is in harmony with my body, and my golden elixir is as if it were naturally formed. Therefore, I am a born saint."

Speaking of which.

Emperor Xuan and the True Man looked at each other, both feeling somewhat helpless.

Compared to the numerous hardships they endured, Sun Wukong's golden elixir seemed to be naturally formed, making him innately divine and possessing supernatural powers naturally. This starting point was unimaginable for them.

Sun Wukong was unaware of what the two, Xuandi and the other, were talking about. He was still recounting his path of cultivation, starting from when he was playing in the mountains. He talked about how he saw a group of monkeys die of old age, which made him yearn for immortality. So he went out to sea to find immortals. After a long time, he found Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, but due to mistakes in his cultivation, he suffered hardships.

As Sun Wukong gradually recounted his rampage in the Heavenly Palace, his trials under the Five Elements Mountain, and his journey to the West to obtain the Buddhist scriptures, he spoke with some hesitation at first, but gradually became more relaxed as he continued.

After a long period of time, Sun Wukong finally said that he had attained enlightenment on Mount Ling and become the Victorious Fighting Buddha.

After recounting his cultivation, Sun Wukong pondered for a long time before saying, "Elder Brother, Emperor Xuan. My cultivation began easily but ended in difficulty. Ultimately, it is a process of refining the mind. I originally possessed innate spiritual intelligence, but due to a lack of discipline, I fell into madness and eccentricity. Although my supernatural powers are unparalleled in the Three Realms, I cannot achieve greatness without undergoing tribulations."

As he spoke, Sun Wukong seemed to be filled with emotion. After a long pause, he said, "What is suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain is anger, what is bound by the Tightening Headband is delusion, and what is tested by the eighty-one tribulations is ego. From demon to saint, from saint to Buddha, the journey to the Western Paradise is but a journey within the heart."

Both the True Man and the Mysterious Emperor bowed to Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong quickly stood up and returned the greeting to the two.

Emperor Xuan said, "I now understand the Great Sage's cultivation, which commands my respect. What a profound understanding you have!"

The master laughed and said, "Wukong is just like me."

Sun Wukong said, "I dare not accept what you two say."

Emperor Xuan said, "With your cultivation like this, Great Sage, you will surely have great magical power in the next tribulation."

Sun Wukong repeatedly begged for mercy, only asking the Emperor Xuan not to praise him any further.

Seeing Sun Wukong's appearance, Emperor Xuan smiled and said, "Great Sage, there's no need for this. But since you are not swayed by a few words, even a little praise would be fine."

Just as Sun Wukong was about to say something more, a spirit official came to report.

The spirit official reported, "A great ruler has appeared in the human world, establishing the dynasty 'Song.' He reports to Heaven above and to Earth below, and Wudang Mountain has informed him. Please inform the Emperor."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xuan immediately asked, "Is there a formal proclamation?"

The spirit official said "Yes," and then took a document and handed it to the Xuan Emperor.

The Xuan Emperor examined it carefully, and once it was finished, he handed it over to the True Man.

Jiang Yuan took the document and read it. She saw that the document contained a lot of text, written in a graceful and elegant style, with excellent calligraphy.

The document states, "Your subject respectfully follows the founding ceremony of the Great Song Dynasty, bows twice, and presents this petition to Heaven and Earth, the sun, moon, stars, mountains and rivers, and all the gods and spirits."

In the first year of the Jianlong reign, the year being Gengshen, on the day of Yisi in the first month, the succeeding emperor, your subject Kuangyin, dares to solemnly announce to the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, and the Earthly Deity:

Heaven's mandate has its end, and the cycle of destiny returns to its proper place. Since the fall of the Tang Dynasty, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms periods have risen and fallen, marked by constant warfare and widespread suffering. My ancestors accumulated virtue over generations, secretly blessed by divine intervention; I, your humble son, have inherited their legacy, and live in constant reverence and awe…

In the past, the Zhou dynasty declined, the ruler was young and the state was uncertain. The northern borders instigated conflict, and the frontier was in dire need of news. I was ordered to lead an army, and the emperor camped at Chenqiao. The army and the people forced me to wear yellow robes, saying, "Heaven's will has turned away from the Zhou dynasty; the hearts of the people have turned to Zhao Zhan." I fearfully refused repeatedly, but the celestial signs indicated a change, and divine intervention could not be disobeyed. Thus, I received the mandate of Heaven, quelled the rebellion, retrieved the imperial seals and seals at the palace gates, and secured the palace in the western wing; I executed the rebellious minister Han Tong to uphold justice, and pacified the officials and common people to demonstrate benevolence and leniency…

Now, I, along with my civil and military officials, prepare black oxen and blue jade discs to offer sacrifices at the southern suburbs. Following the example of the Purple Palace, I establish the imperial throne; riding the fire element, I continue the illustrious dynasty. I hereby establish the name of the empire as the Great Song, and the reign title as Jianlong. I posthumously honor Emperor Xizu as Emperor Wenxian, Emperor Shunzu as Emperor Huiyuan, Emperor Yizu as Emperor Jiangong, and my late father Hongyin as Emperor Xuanzu Zhaowu. I establish the Imperial Ancestral Temple to solemnly perform the sacrifices, and set up altars of the land and grain to pray for a bountiful harvest…

I humbly request:

The heavens reveal their signs: the sun and moon shine brightly, the wind and rain are favorable, and no disasters or plagues occur.
The earth sustains all things, mountains and rivers respond with divine grace, rivers flow peacefully, and crops yield abundant harvests;
The constellations follow their proper order, protecting our people; the elderly find peace, and the young grow up.
All the gods share the same duty, protecting the nation's borders, ensuring the peace of the frontiers, and extending the nation's prosperity.

With utmost care, we offer jade, silk, and other precious offerings, along with sacrificial animals, millet, and sorghum, to the Jade Emperor, and bury them at Fangqiu.

May God witness this utmost sincerity and grant eternal peace to the people!
This proclamation is hereby issued to the Divine Firmament, so that all may know!

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "This person is somewhat sincere, which is not bad."

Say it.

He handed the document to Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong took the document, examined it for a long time, put it down, and asked, "Elder Brother, why did this person name his country Song? What's the significance of this?"

Jiang Yuan said, "The document itself tells you that Wukong did not read it carefully. This person was once the military governor of Guide Army in Songzhou. His place is the former territory of the State of Song in the Spring and Autumn Period. Therefore, he should be called Song."

Sun Wukong said, "This person established his capital in Kaifeng, just as my elder brother said years ago. The royal aura is not in Chang'an, nor in Luoyang, but has gone elsewhere."

Emperor Xuan asked with great interest, "Did the immortal once say that the royal aura is not in Chang'an or Luoyang?"

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "My senior brother once said that the aura of royalty is in the south and the north, either in Yangzhou or Jizhou. These two places have a lot of royal aura." Upon hearing this, Emperor Xuan looked at the True Man and said, "True Man's magical power is indeed profound."

The master shook his head and said, "I dare not accept such praise. This is but a trivial trick, and it does not deserve the praise of the Xuan Emperor."

Emperor Xuan said, “This is no trivial trick, but great wisdom. The True Man can see the royal aura and even the changes. This is enough to show the True Man’s wisdom. I have a feeling that after this, the True Man’s great power will be right before your eyes.”

The man smiled and said no more.

The group then spoke with Emperor Xuan for a long time.

Several days later, the master announced that he was leaving.

Emperor Xuan said, "True Man, is there anything I have done wrong in my hospitality? Otherwise, why are you leaving so soon?"

The True Man shook his head and said, “Emperor Xuan, it is not that you have failed to entertain me properly. Please listen to my explanation. It is because my disciple Zhengwei is about to return. Furthermore, I will be establishing my own residence, so I will naturally make further preparations. Therefore, please rest assured, Emperor Xuan. I am not leaving because of any shortcomings in my hospitality. There is another reason.”

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xuan could only say, "Since it is as the True Man says, I cannot say anything more. But if the True Man comes again in the future, he should stay here and talk and discuss the Dao with me for some time, instead of leaving after such a short time."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Emperor Xuan, we have been here for quite some time. How can you say it's only been a short while?"

Emperor Xuan said, "Time is nothing to us. Since we are discussing the Dao, we should measure it in hundreds or thousands of years."

The True Man rose and said, “Emperor Xuan, I naturally agree to your request. When we meet again in the future, I will certainly spend some time discussing the Dao with you.”

talking.

The True Man suddenly seemed to remember something, took out the Seven Star Sword from behind him, handed it to the Xuan Emperor, and said, "In the past, because of matters concerning the laws of the mortal world, the Xuan Emperor lent me this sword. Now that I have not been able to do so for a long time, this sword should be returned to the Xuan Emperor. Please accept it."

Emperor Xuan shook his head and said, "True Man, the laws still need to be cultivated. You may keep this sword. There will surely be a day when the magic sword will be drawn again."

Upon hearing this, the master could only nod and say, "In that case, I will take this sword."

Emperor Xuan nodded with a smile.

The master then slung the Seven Star Sword over his shoulder and got up to leave.

Emperor Xuan personally escorted the True Man to the outside of Taihe Palace. Only after the True Man repeatedly dissuaded him did he stop and cease his escort.

The immortal then rode a white deer, and with Sun Wukong's protection, headed outwards. In a short while, he left Wudang Mountain.

After leaving Wudang Mountain, Sun Wukong asked, "Eldest brother, where should we go now?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Now that you have come from the Taihe Palace of Emperor Xuan, you should naturally return home. Why, Wukong, do you have somewhere else to go and do not wish to return home?"

Sun Wukong shook his head and said, "No. I was just afraid that my senior brother still has somewhere to go, so I asked this question. Since my senior brother has nowhere to go, then we will go home."

Say it.

Just as Sun Wukong was about to lead the deer to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, he suddenly looked closely at the Southern Jambudvipa behind him.

Jiang Yuan asked, "What is Wukong looking at?"

Sun Wukong looked back expectantly and said, "Eldest brother, but I have some questions. As we see it, the dynasty in the human world has been established and the country is called 'Song'. If that's the case, the aura of the Three Calamities should have been completely eliminated. Why is it that the aura of the Three Calamities has not been completely eliminated and is still present in the north of the Southern Continent? What is the explanation for this?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan looked in that direction and laughed, "The human world is not yet unified, so the aura of the three calamities has not been completely eliminated. There are still places in the north and west of the human world that have not yet entered this Great Song Dynasty."

Sun Wukong scratched his head, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Eldest Brother, why is this? Why establish a kingdom first and then launch a conquest? Shouldn't we eliminate the three calamities first and then establish a kingdom?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Don't pay any attention to them. Since they did what they did, they must have their reasons."

Sun Wukong said, "As the saying goes, 'One should strike while the iron is hot, but the second will be weaker and the third will be exhausted.' If we stop now, we may never have another good opportunity to complete the mission."

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "The road is under your feet, no need to pay attention to it. Wukong, let's go home together."

Say it.

With a gentle flick of his whisk, the immortal summoned a west wind, and auspicious clouds rose beneath the feet of Sun Wukong and the white deer, carrying them back to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

……

In a short while, the three of them had returned to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

Sun Wukong was jumping around there, not having reacted yet.

The immortal released the white deer back into the mountains, and as he walked up to Sun Wukong, he laughed and asked, "Wukong, what are you doing?"

Sun Wukong said, "I was amazed by my senior brother's supernatural powers and deeply felt that my senior brother's supernatural powers are extraordinary."

The master laughed and said, "This is just a minor supernatural power. It's nothing to worry about. Come back to my residence with me."

Sun Wukong said, "If this is a minor supernatural power, then it is not a great supernatural power. Senior Brother's magical power is truly remarkable."

The master smiled but did not answer. Instead, he asked, "Wukong, now that you have returned here, do you wish to come with me to pay respects to our master, or would you like to rest at the mansion first?"

Sun Wukong said, "Now that I have returned, I should go first to pay my respects to my master."

The master said, "In that case, come with me to the mansion."

Say it.

The two said no more and walked towards the mansion.

Before long, the two of them bypassed the Jade Terrace in the mansion and arrived at the ancestral master's meditation room. They saw that the door of the ancestral master's meditation room was wide open. After bowing, the two of them entered the meditation room.

The Patriarch was sitting cross-legged inside. Upon seeing the two, he smiled and said, "Boy, Wukong, you two have returned. Is the matter settled?"

The master bowed and said, “Master, I have finished my business and will return on the Double Ninth Festival soon. I have a feeling that the day of opening my mansion is just around the corner. I also feel that my magical power has improved. Therefore, I have returned to the mansion with the intention of quiet cultivation to cultivate my mind and control my magic.”

Upon hearing this, the Patriarch laughed and said, "You child, do you know how high your magical power is now? If you make further progress, you will have great magical power."

The master replied, “Master, I know this, but now the great power is right before my eyes. I only need to make progress and take this step to become a master of the great power.”

The patriarch was pleased and praised the True Man.

Sun Wukong was also present, happily offering his congratulations to the True Man.

Upon seeing this, the Patriarch whispered a few instructions and then told the True Man to go to a quiet room to cultivate in peace, waiting for the right opportunity to cultivate his mind and master the Dharma, to establish his own temple as the Patriarch, and to achieve great success through the power of the Dharma.

(End of this chapter)