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

Chapter 406 Wang Chongyang Spreads His Teachings, Ma Congyi

In the Tomb of the Living Dead, Wang Chongyang emerged from the tomb, pushed open the long-sealed tomb door, and saw Zhu Bajie guarding it outside, looking imposing and ready for battle.

Seeing this, how could Wang Chongyang not understand that his master had always instructed Zhu Bajie to secretly protect him and keep him safe?

Wang Chongyang stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Bodhisattva."

Pigsy, startled by the voices behind him, turned around and saw Wang Chongyang. He nearly fell to the ground in fright. He said, "What are you doing here? I was just passing through and saw a tomb here, so I stayed..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Chongyang stopped him.

Wang Chongyang said, "Bodhisattva, why do you make this gesture? It's not like I don't know you."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy suddenly realized what was happening and exclaimed happily, "Zhengwei, are you awake now?"

Wang Chongyang bowed and said, "I have awakened and learned of my three lifetimes. I am deeply grateful to the Bodhisattva for protecting me here."

Pigsy was overjoyed and said, "Zhengwei, you are indeed awake now. In that case, you should come home with me. Your master has been waiting for you for a long time. I am here to protect you, which is also on your master's orders."

Wang Chongyang said, "Bodhisattva, I have just woken up and I also want to see my master as soon as possible and serve him. But I still have important matters to attend to and need to sever my worldly ties. Otherwise, even if I return here, I will have to come out again in the future."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy asked, "Zhengwei, where are you going?"

Wang Chongyang smiled slightly and said, “Bodhisattva, I now have seven worldly ties, scattered throughout the world. These are all karmic connections left over from my three lifetimes. Now I should return home, cultivate the Great Dao in seclusion, and serve my master. Therefore, these karmic connections from my three lifetimes should be severed.”

Pigsy said, "If what you say is true, then you should go. But where are you going?"

Wang Chongyang bowed and said, "Bodhisattva, my first stop on my journey will be Qingzhou."

Pigsy waved his hand and said, “Don’t call me a Bodhisattva. If you don’t mind, just call me Pigsy. Now that you are going to Qingzhou, I will protect you and keep you safe.”

Wang Chongyang laughed and said, "Since I cannot be called a Bodhisattva, how about I call you Brother Dao?"

Pigsy responded.

Wang Chongyang then said, “Brother Dao, I have troubled you to protect me for so long. How can I let you go to Qingzhou and suffer again? You can go home and rest. I can go alone. Don’t worry about me. I have some skills. Few people in the world can stop me.”

Pigsy shook his head and said, “No, no! But if you are leaving, I will definitely go with you. Don’t talk about being tired. I will definitely protect you. This is my duty and I cannot slack off.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Chongyang stared intently at Zhu Bajie for a long time before laughing and saying, "Brother Dao, you have changed a lot compared to before, you are not the same as before."

Pigsy was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "Is this change good or bad?"

Wang Chongyang laughed and said, "Brother Dao, you should know this yourself."

He did not try to persuade Pigsy to leave again, but instead instructed him to go with him to Qingzhou to sever his ties with the mortal world.

Pigsy followed closely behind.

The two had been walking for a short while.

Pigsy suddenly spoke up, saying, "Wait, Zhengwei, you call me 'Brother Daoist,' but Pigsy and Monkey King are of the same generation. You also call Monkey King 'Uncle-Master,' so isn't Pigsy a generation below Monkey King?"

Wang Chongyang smiled at this, said nothing more, and walked down the mountain.

……

Time flies, and two or three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

Wang Chongyang and Zhu Bajie finally arrived at Qingzhou and entered its territory.

Pigsy asked, "Zhengwei, we have now arrived at Qingzhou, where should we go next?"

Wang Chongyang laughed and said, "Come with me. There is a place for us. I have some experience with the mortal world, and you can find traces of it there."

Pigsy said, “How can you be so similar to the master? Whether it’s your Daoist heart or your behavior, you are just like the master. If I didn’t know that the master’s primordial yang is still intact, I would still think that you are the master’s own son.”

Wang Chongyang replied, “The word ‘master’ means both a teacher and a father. What’s the difference?”

Pigsy said, "Fine, fine, fine. I can't argue with you."

Wang Chongyang suddenly pointed ahead and said, "That is where we are going. Let's hurry and get there."

Pigsy looked ahead and, upon closer inspection, saw that there was indeed a city in the distance, though it was quite far away. He said, "If we want to get there, we should hurry, otherwise we will definitely not reach it before nightfall."

Wang Chongyang nodded with a smile.

The two then headed in that direction.

Two or three hours later, the two approached the city. Pigsy changed his appearance and walked to the city gate. Soldiers came to stop them and asked what they were doing.

Wang Chongyang pondered for a moment, then replied with the teachings.

The soldier said, "Since the founding of the dynasty, the 'passing station' has been abolished. There is no need for inspection. You may enter, but you must not cause trouble."

Wang Chongyang smiled and replied without saying anything more, then led Zhu Bajie inside.

As soon as the two entered the city, they sent Pigsy to spread the word about 'spreading the Tao.' Although Pigsy didn't understand, he still did as they were told. Before long, it was rumored throughout Qingzhou that a Taoist master would be spreading the Tao here in a few days.

When many Taoists in the city learned of this, they were all intrigued and wanted to hear this Taoist master 'preach'.

In a grand mansion in the city lived a man who also loved Taoism. This man's name was Ma Congyi, courtesy name Yifu, and he came from a wealthy family. In terms of wealth, he was worth more than a million, and some people called him "Ma the Half-Province Man." He was well-read, philanthropic, and a first-rate wise man in the city.

When Ma Congyi learned that a Taoist master had come to the city, he was overjoyed and wanted to go and listen to his teachings. He asked his servants, "Where did this Taoist master come from? Where is he from? I have heard that there are many masters in Longhu Mountain. Could he be from Longhu Mountain?"

The servant reported, "Master, we are unaware of such matters, but since that powerful protector spoke of it, and that protector is said to be able to summon wind and rain, and cause sand and stones to fly, and possesses great supernatural powers, we can deduce that the powerful protector must be extraordinary."

Ma Congyi exclaimed in surprise, "Is it really such a supernatural power?"

The servant said, "I dare not deceive you, sir. This has been seen by many people in the city. If it is false, I will gladly accept the punishment."

Ma Congyi said, "If he really has such supernatural powers, this master is extraordinary. Since he wants to spread his teachings, I should go. However, I cannot go empty-handed if I want to hear his teachings."

The servant replied, "Master, you are extremely wealthy. Why not take some jewels with you?"

Ma Congyi shook his head and said, "No, no. Taoist masters don't like jewelry. If you bring jewelry, it will be an insult and will surely disgust the masters. You must not bring jewelry."

The servant pondered for a moment, then said, "Master, there is a piece of land under construction in the suburbs. It is almost finished. Since there is nothing to give as a gift, why not turn it into a Taoist temple or hermitage and give it to a learned person to live in?" Ma Congyi was overjoyed upon hearing this and said, "What you say makes perfect sense. We will do as you suggest. Quickly send someone to build a Taoist hermitage and inform the learned person that it is a gift from me, and instruct him to accept it and preach the Tao there."

The servant obeyed and left.

……

When Wang Chongyang learned that Ma Congyi was offering to escort him to the Daoist temple, he smiled but did not refuse. Instead, he accepted the offer and instructed Ma to tell Ma that once the temple was completed, he could go there to spread the Dao.

The servants immediately reported this to Ma Congyi.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and the Taoist temple was renovated. Ma Congyi then invited Wang Chongyang to give a sermon. Upon learning of this, Wang Chongyang gladly went to the temple one day.

Many Taoists in the city came here after walking to the Taoist temple.

Wang Chongyang, accompanied by Zhu Bajie, met Ma Congyi in front of the Taoist temple.

Ma Congyi stepped forward and bowed, saying with delight, "I have long heard of your arrival, esteemed sir, but I have not had the time to meet you. I hope you will forgive me."

Wang Chongyang laughed and said, "Brother Ma gifted me a hermitage, and I haven't yet repaid him. How can there be talk of forgiveness or not?"

The two chatted and laughed. While exchanging pleasantries with him, Ma Congyi secretly observed Wang Chongyang. He saw that Wang Chongyang was of golden appearance and jade-like quality, with a natural Taoist spirit. He was tall and upright, with a lean and refined appearance and a bright and clear spirit. His eyes had a restrained brilliance when they opened and closed, and there was a faint purple aura about them. He was truly a Taoist master.

After talking with Wang Chongyang for a long time, Ma Congyi invited him to enter the Taoist temple to preside over the preaching of Taoism.

Wang Chongyang gazed at the Taoist temple, noting that it was situated on a sunny slope outside the city, surrounded by mountains, with verdant peaks as its back and a clear, flowing stream in front. Following the feng shui principle of "embracing yin and yang," the temple comprised three courtyards arranged along a central axis.

Wang Chongyang nodded and smiled, "This is indeed a good place."

Ma Congyi smiled and said, "I'm glad you're satisfied, but this Taoist temple is not yet named. I would appreciate it if you could give it a name so I can find a plaque to hang up."

Wang Chongyang said, “Those who cultivate the Dao seek nothing more than the perfection of both body and spirit, and complete harmony with the Dao. This can be called ‘Quanzhen Hermitage.’ Please come inside with me, and I will share with you the wondrous Dao.”

Ma Congyi and Wang Chongyang walked inside side by side, followed by many Daoist devotees.

Upon entering, they found many prayer cushions, which were prepared in advance by Ma Congyi.

Wang Chongyang instructed all the Daoist practitioners to take their seats, with Ma Congyi sitting at the very front and Zhu Bajie sitting beside Wang Chongyang.

Seeing that everyone was seated, Wang Chongyang pondered for a moment before speaking, saying, "Lao Tzu's 'Tao Te Ching' says, 'Man follows the earth, the earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows nature. The Tao is the source of the universe, the origin of all things, formless and without appearance, yet it nurtures heaven and earth...'"

Wang Chongyang selected some of his knowledge to speak about. This knowledge was neither too profound nor too superficial, just right for these people. Ma Congyi and the others were amazed when they heard him speak. Wang Chongyang's knowledge was far beyond their comprehension.

Although they enjoyed the teachings, they mostly only had a superficial understanding and could not compare with Wang Chongyang. Now, having heard Wang Chongyang's words, they had gained a great deal.

This explanation of the principles lasted for more than an hour and a half.

After Wang Chongyang finished speaking, he asked the crowd if they still had any questions.

Suddenly someone asked, "Daoist Master, since ancient times, have any Daoist practitioners ascended to become immortals?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chongyang smiled and replied, "Whether those who delight in the Dao ascend to immortality, I do not know. However, among those who cultivate the Dao, there must be those who ascend to become immortals."

The man asked again, "Master, could you tell me about any people who have cultivated the Tao and ascended to heaven?"

Wang Chongyang laughed and said, "Countless. But how many have cultivated the Dao and become immortals, such as Zhang Daoling, Xu Jingyang, Ge Xuan, Qiu Hongji, Qin Gao, and so on? Let me tell you about Qin Gao. Would you like to listen?"

Everyone spoke up, saying they were willing to listen.

Wang Chongyang then laughed and said, "Qin Gao was a man from the State of Zhao during the Warring States period of the pre-Qin era. He was skilled in playing the qin and once served as a retainer of King Kang of Song. He practiced the longevity techniques of Juanzi and Pengzu and traveled around the Jizhou area. Some people have seen him for more than two hundred years, and his appearance has not aged."

"One day, Qin Gao suddenly told his disciples that the time for him to complete his cultivation was approaching. He said that he would soon dive into the Zhuo River, take the dragon's son, and ride it to ascend to heaven. He instructed his disciples to fast and purify themselves the next day and set up a shrine by the water to wait. His disciples obeyed. The next day, they saw Qin Gao riding a giant red carp out of the water and sit in the shrine, where thousands of people watched. A month later, he rode the carp back into the water and ascended to heaven."

Upon hearing this, everyone was greatly shocked and couldn't help but envy Qin Gao for having obtained the longevity techniques of Juanzi and Peng Zu, enabling him to live so long and even ascend to immortality.

Ma Congyi asked, "Master, where can I obtain the art of cultivation?"

Wang Chongyang smiled and asked, "The techniques of cultivation are easy to obtain, but the heart for cultivation is hard to find. If one achieves success, like Qin Gao, it is difficult to succeed if one has the technique but no heart, but if one has the heart but no technique, the technique will come naturally."

Ma Congyi was puzzled and was about to ask again.

Wang Chongyang waved his hand and said, "It's getting late, everyone should go now. If you have any questions, you can come back another day to ask."

Ma Congyi was somewhat unwilling, but dared not disobey, so he had no choice but to follow Wang Chongyang's advice and reluctantly leave with the group of Daoists.

After they had all left, Pigsy asked from the side, "Zhengwei, is the one you want to sever your ties with the mortal world this Ma Congyi?"

Wang Chongyang nodded and smiled, "That's right."

Pigsy scratched his head and said, "When I see him, he doesn't seem to have anything outstanding about him. He's just like the vast majority of people, ordinary and unremarkable, deeply trapped in the sea of ​​suffering without realizing it, and content with enjoying money and pleasure."

Wang Chongyang laughed and said, "Many people awaken from among the vast masses of people. Before they awaken, they are no different from the vast masses of people. This needs no further explanation."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy pondered for a moment, nodded in agreement, and said, "Zhengwei, what you say makes a lot of sense. In the past, I was also a lazy and gluttonous person. But as far as I know, this person is extremely wealthy, richer than a country. How can you teach him to give up his wealth and cultivate himself?"

Wang Chongyang smiled slightly and said, "If one hears of the Dao but does not advance, one's worldly ties are severed, and there is no need to force it."

Pigsy suddenly realized and said, "So that's how it is."

The two talked here.

……

When Ma Congyi returned home, he was in a daze, and his wife, Sun Fuchun, came forward to ask him what was wrong.

Ma Congyi said, "I have met a highly accomplished Taoist priest. I have learned a lot from his teachings and I admire him greatly."

Sun Fuchun was very interested and asked, "Who is this eminent Taoist? Is he the high-ranking master from Longhu Mountain?"

Ma Congyi shook his head and said, "I don't know where he came from, but he is indeed a highly accomplished Taoist. His words have taught me a lot, and I feel that if I could often listen to his words, they would be of great help to me."

Sun Fuchun said, "I have rarely heard you say such things. Do you want to meet him tomorrow? If you do, I will definitely go with you."

Ma Congyi readily agreed.

(End of this chapter)