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

Chapter 401 Lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot.

At the foot of Mount Ling, Mo Luo led thousands of demons to invade the area. Along the way, they burned, killed, looted, and committed all sorts of atrocities. It was said that "red clouds were like congealed blood, cold winds tore through the sky, ten thousand demons roared and suppressed the chanting, and a bloody wind rose against the sky and scorched smoke and clouds."

Countless demons began slaughtering believers at the foot of the sacred mountain. Sometimes, before an old man kneeling in prayer could even open his eyes, a giant mouth with rotten scales would suddenly cover his head, the sound of skulls shattering mixed with the choking of incantations. A woman holding an infant would stagger and try to run away, but a three-headed demon dog would tear her spine and snatch the infant, sucking its marrow as if drinking sweet dew.

Blood splattered again before the bluestone steps, and half of the novice monk holding the beads was already rolling in the throat of the demon dragon. Screams echoed through the pine and cypress Buddhist forest as a centipede pierced through his abdomen, dragging out more than ten feet of bloody intestines.

Mara gazed calmly at the tragic scene below Mount Ling, his hands clasped together, chanting Buddhist mantras, like a highly accomplished monk.

The wolf demon beside him asked, "Your Majesty, why has the Buddha of Mount Ling ignored us when we slaughtered so many people? You should know that we have devoured all the believers, big and small, in the Mount Ling region as we passed through. If there were a Buddha in Mount Ling, he should be furious."

But as he passed through, tens of thousands of Lingshan believers taught him to devour them. If the Buddha had eyes, how could he not protect him? This teaching greatly puzzled him.

Mara laughed and said, "The Buddha is a falsehood. What compassion he speaks of, what sentient beings he talks about, are all illusions. I have said this before. Do you believe it now?"

The wolf demon said, "What Your Majesty says is true. Now that we have devoured all the believers of Mount Ling, shall we go up the mountain? To be honest, Your Majesty, I have never devoured the Buddha. If I have the chance, I will definitely devour him."

Mara said, “Now that we have arrived here, we should go up the mountain. The fact that Mount Ling is so incompetent shows how weak the Buddha is. Now that his teachings have been abandoned, we should go up the mountain and meet him. If there is an opportunity, the Buddha of Mount Ling will surely give you something to eat.”

The wolf demon cheered wildly.

The surrounding demons seemed to be encouraged, all roaring and their demonic energy soaring into the sky. Even the Buddha's light that filled the sky could not conceal the demonic energy.

Mara clasped his hands together, smiled slightly, and said, "Come with me up the mountain to meet the Buddha. This place is indeed Mount Ling, and now that we have arrived here, we should pay our respects to the Buddha."

The demons roared, as if echoing Mara.

In a short while, thousands of demons rushed up Mount Ling, vying to devour the Bodhisattvas and Buddhas.

Mara stood still, not moving forward, seemingly wanting to see if the demons would be destroyed by the Buddhas of Mount Ling if they rushed up Mount Ling. If they were no match for him, he would turn and leave. He had already slaughtered all the believers in the Mount Ling region, which was enough. There were still many demons in Beiju Luzhou. Now was not the time to fight the Tathagata.

Of course, if these demons could invade Mount Ling and show him its vulnerable side, he would not hesitate to charge into Mount Ling.

The wolf demon beside him asked, "Your Majesty, shall we proceed?"

Moro shook his head and said, "There's no need to go. Just stand here and wait."

The wolf demon, puzzled, asked, "Your Majesty, why don't we go?"

Moro said, “If you wish to go, then go without asking me.”

Upon hearing this, the wolf demon quickly calmed himself down and dared not say another word, staying in place to wait for Moro.

Moro watched as thousands of demons stormed Mount Ling. No one stopped them along the way. The mountain gates were wide open, allowing the demons to enter freely. Occasionally, monks who tried to resist were torn apart and devoured by the demons.

The demons have already conquered half of Mount Ling, but their numbers are insufficient, and their offensive has begun to slow down.

Upon seeing this, Mara thought to himself, "There are no truly capable beings within Mount Ling. Otherwise, these demon soldiers would not be able to reach that place. The Buddhas within Mount Ling all know that the Tathagata's Dharma is about to depart, and therefore they are unwilling to obey, so they do not come to guard Mount Ling?"

He was puzzled, and just as he was about to think about it more, he suddenly saw a beam of light coming from outside and falling into the Spirit Mountain. When the divine light shone on it, many demons with weak magical powers perished.

"With the Victorious Fighting Buddha Sun Wukong here, who dares to act recklessly!"

This rebuke stopped thousands of demons in their tracks, preventing them from advancing any further.

Moro looked in that direction and saw Sun Wukong standing there in front of the Great Thunderclap Temple, wielding his golden cudgel, majestic and arrogant.

Moro felt relieved; it was good that someone was guarding the place. He walked towards the Great Thunderclap Temple.

The demons in the Spirit Mountain, fearing Sun Wukong's power, dared not approach. But seeing Mo Luo walking upwards, they all seemed to have found their leader and followed Mo Luo upwards.

Moro arrived with a multitude of demons and monsters, and met Sun Wukong in front of the temple gate.

Sun Wukong, wielding his golden cudgel and wearing a cassock, stood calmly before the demons, showing no fear.

Mara stepped forward, bowed, and put his hands together, saying, "Victorious Fighting Buddha, it has been a long time since we last met, and I have missed you dearly."

Sun Wukong said, "Moro, I have no connection with you, so let's not talk about such things. Now that you dare to lead your followers to slaughter Mount Ling, I, the Victorious Fighting Buddha of Mount Ling, will come to capture you!"

Moro laughed and said, "Although we have no personal relationship, we have met and even fought before. Isn't this friendship precious?"

Sun Wukong said, "I won't say any more to you. You have killed countless people at Mount Ling, and your crimes are unforgivable. If you leave here, I will not hold it against you."

Moro said, "Why is the Great Sage Equal to Heaven so forceful? In the past, the True Man Guangxin met with me and said that he would not be my enemy if I did not travel near the main road to the west. Now, your actions are contrary to what the True Man Guangxin said. I have heard that you are the True Man Guangxin's junior brother. If you go against his words, wouldn't that be disrespectful and offensive?"

Sun Wukong said, "Don't tell me such things. I've come here to become the Victorious Fighting Buddha, and it has nothing to do with anything else. Besides, if you hadn't been unable to enter the Westward Journey, my eldest brother would have subdued you long ago. How could you be acting so arrogantly here?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Luo knew that a battle with Sun Wukong was inevitable. He said no more. Knowing that Guangxin Zhenren would not interfere in this matter was enough. With a command, the demons surged toward Sun Wukong like a tide.

Sun Wukong remained calm and fearless, simply uttering the word "Change!" His golden cudgel transformed into a ten-thousand-foot-long object, sweeping towards the demons and instantly causing thousands of demons to perish.

The other demons, seeing Sun Wukong's great supernatural powers, were all terrified and dared not cause any more trouble. They rushed to escape, fearing that Sun Wukong would injure them.

Moro cursed the demons inwardly as a "rabble." Seeing Sun Wukong's supernatural powers, he strode forward, black lotuses rising from his feet, intending to fight Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong, seeing Moro's menacing approach, dared not underestimate him, and swung his golden cudgel to meet him in battle.

The two fought endlessly before the Great Thunderclap Temple. Sun Wukong and the demon Luo, both with different faces, came to fight. One said, "How dare you be so presumptuous in this sacred Buddhist place?" The other said, "This place is a den of filth and depravity." One said, "You, Kinnara, have entered the demonic path." The other said, "Buddha and demon are of different paths but the same in a single thought." One was dutifully and loyally protecting Mount Ling, while the other wanted to enter Mount Ling to kill the Buddha. How could words sway their hearts? They fought fiercely as a pair. Sun Wukong's staff thwarted the demons' escape, while the demon Luo protected his entire body with his black lotus. At first, they fought in front of the mountain, but later they rode together on auspicious clouds, displaying their supernatural powers in mid-air, performing wondrous operations amidst five-colored light.

After fighting for more than ten rounds, Sun Wukong's magical power was no match for Moro's, and he fell into a disadvantageous position. However, Moro, relying on his magical power, could not defeat Sun Wukong for the time being.

Just as Moro was about to use a magic weapon to fight Sun Wukong, a burst of Buddhist light suddenly appeared and separated the two.

Then an Arhat appeared, put his hands together, and said, "Victorious Fighting Buddha, please stop."

With a swing of his golden cudgel, Sun Wukong stopped the Arhats, saying, "What's going on here? Why didn't any of you show yourselves, allowing this demon to wreak havoc and causing the deaths of thousands of people on Mount Ling? You are guilty! Quickly tell me the truth, or I will show you my skills from when I wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace."

The Arhat bowed and said, “Victorious Fighting Buddha, all these things are the golden decree of the World Honored One, and we cannot disobey it. Now the World Honored One has decreed that Mara be allowed to enter, and the Victorious Fighting Buddha need not stop him.”

Sun Wukong scratched his head, puzzled, and was about to say something more.

The Arhat said, “Victorious Fighting Buddha, if you need to ask questions, you can discuss them with the World Honored One later. The World Honored One’s golden decree is here now, so please, Victorious Fighting Buddha, do not say anything more.”

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong had no choice but to remain silent, baring his teeth and glaring at Mo Luo.

After observing Sun Wukong's words and hearing the Arhat's golden decree, Moro gazed meaningfully at the Great Buddha Hall for a long time before leaping into the wind and heading towards it.

Sun Wukong watched as the demon walked away, and then saw the Arhat bow to him before leaving. Although he did not know why the Buddha forbade him to block the way, he could not bear to see so many people being devoured by demons while he remained unmoved.

Sun Wukong looked at the demons fleeing across the mountain, plucked a hair from his head, and with a gentle breath, tens of thousands of monkey soldiers appeared, all wielding clubs, chasing after the demons. Whenever they encountered a demon, they eliminated it, whether it was a vicious dragon, a ferocious ape, a centipede, or a demonic dog; once they met the monkey soldiers, they were beaten and killed.

In a short while, Sun Wukong had cleared out all the demons on the mountain. He scratched his head, wanting to go inside, but fearing that he would offend the Buddha, he could only wait outside the Great Thunder Temple.

……

Meanwhile, outside the Great Buddha Hall, Moro arrived at this place, put his hands together, and looked at it with a hint of nostalgia. But in an instant, the look of nostalgia disappeared and he returned to calm.

Mara walked into the Great Buddha Hall, but upon entering, he saw the Buddha sitting on a lotus throne at the head of the hall. As he entered, black lotuses rose from beneath his feet, lifting him up to be level with the Buddha.

When the Buddha saw this, he said, “Kinnara, there was a reason why you left Mount Ling in the past. How could you not know the reason and the will of Heaven? Now you are causing trouble on Mount Ling, making all people suffer. Why do you commit such sins?”

Mara clasped his hands together and said, “Buddhism is unjust, talking falsely about the equality of all beings. All people are misled by Buddhism and are beyond redemption. This is to devour their flesh and teach their true spirits to be liberated and no longer misled by Buddhism. This is the supreme grace. How can there be any sin? On the contrary, Buddhism is false. This is the one who is suffering. Tathagata, your sins are heavy. Now that the Dharma of Nirvana is about to end, this will be your retribution.”

The Buddha sighed softly and said, “You do not understand the true nature of things. How could you have such thoughts? All beings are equal, as it has always been. You have now strayed from the right path. Your thoughts and concerns are all demonic. How can you understand the Buddha's intention? As you say, the Dharma of Nirvana is about to disappear. However, the disappearance of the Dharma of Nirvana is the beginning of a new life for Buddhism. The Chan Dharma should be established. My Dharma is about to leave. I have no regrets. What retribution is there to speak of?”

Mara said, "No matter what you say, Buddhism is ultimately a falsehood. If it is a falsehood, how can it contain any truth?"

The Buddha said, "You say that Buddhism is false, then tell me the truth."

Mara pondered for a moment and said, “The Buddha said that all beings are equal. However, in the past, there was a butcher in Varanasi named Guang’e who slaughtered countless sheep every day. Later, he saw Sariputra observe the eight precepts and was reborn as the son of Vaishravana, the Northern Heavenly King. This is the story of ‘laying down the butcher’s knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot.’ But sheep are also beings. How can their lives be described? How can this be considered equal? ​​Moreover, sheep are divided into superior and inferior. The superior sheep are noble sheep, serving as pets to kings and generals, pleasing others. The inferior sheep suffer greatly, becoming meat for others. How can this be considered equal?”

The Buddha said, “All beings are equal, yet all beings are in the sea of ​​suffering. What is there to be unjust about? Furthermore, as you said, ‘broadening one’s horizon’ ultimately means to lay down the butcher’s knife and immediately become a Buddha. This butcher’s knife refers to the evil of the three karmas of the mind, speech, and intention, including killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, all delusions, attachments, ignorance, and afflictions. This ‘laying down one’s horizon’ means establishing faith and virtue to solidify one’s foundation. This ‘becoming a Buddha’ means the initial awakening of one’s awakened nature and the deep planting of good roots. If one can truly lay down one’s horizon, establish faith, and become a Buddha, one will escape the sea of ​​suffering. How can there be any injustice?”

Mara said, “The World Honored One is indeed the World Honored One. His words are like lotus flowers. Whatever comes from the World Honored One’s mouth will become reasonable. I am just an ignorant little monk and can never argue with the World Honored One.”

The Buddha sighed and said, "Kinnara, turn back and you will find the shore."

Mara said, “What’s this talk of turning back? This is precisely what I should advise you on, Venerable One: turning back is the right path!”

The Buddha said, “Since you are still deluded and have come here to discuss the equality of Buddhas with me, I will now have a real discussion of the Dharma with you, but how about we make a bet?”

Moro asked, "What kind of bet is it?"

The Buddha said, “Since you do not believe in the Buddha’s teachings and do not know the true number, but you do not acknowledge this, I will show you the Buddha’s teachings. If you can recognize them, then I will lose and Mount Ling will be yours. If you cannot recognize them, then you will lose and you should leave and cultivate for several more kalpas before me to discuss the Buddha’s teachings again. How about that?”

Mara pondered for a moment, then replied, "Show me your Buddhist teachings, and I will see what Buddhist teachings you have."

Upon hearing this, the Tathagata stretched out his palm and said, "Look at this Buddha's teachings."

Say it.

A Buddha-light emanates from the palm of the Buddha's hand, and faintly, one can hear the chanting of Sanskrit within the Buddha-light, with five-colored radiance flowing within it.

Mara opened his eyes wide and looked at him, as if trying to discern what kind of Buddhist teachings the light in his palm was.

After a long time, Mara still couldn't recognize it and just kept staring at the Buddha's light.

The Buddha sighed and said, “I taught you this Dharma in the past, but now you have been blinded by demonic thoughts and have forgotten many things. You only remember hatred, killing, stealing, and adultery. All delusions, attachments, ignorance, afflictions, and countless sins are all in you. You should reflect on yourself carefully, Kinnara.”

Say it.

The Buddha reached out and pushed Mara, and a beam of Buddhist light struck him, sending Mara flying out of the hall and into a deep abyss behind Mount Sumeru.

(End of this chapter)