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

Chapter 452 The incense smoke dissipated, and I saw lotuses blooming in all directions.
The story goes that the True Man and the Bodhisattva, along with one or two others, traveled into Jambudvipa (the southern continent) on their way to Xuzhou. Along the way, they observed that the Song Dynasty was in decline.

As they soared through the clouds, the Bull Demon King followed the immortal's gaze and looked down, but saw nothing unusual. He asked in a low voice, "Master, I have a question. May I ask you about it?"

The immortal stopped his cloud-borne journey and asked with a smile, "Since I brought you out here, I have the intention of teaching you cultivation and experience. You can tell me what is troubling you, and I will certainly help you resolve it."

The Bull Demon King said, "Master, how did you and the Bodhisattva observe whether there were any changes in the fate of Jambudvipa? Does this require great magical power to observe?"

The master laughed and said, "If one has great magical power, it will only be more convenient. To observe the destiny, one does not need great magical power, but only the Dharma Eye."

The Bull Demon King said, "Master, although I am not very capable, I do have the ability to see clearly. However, after looking around, I cannot see any change in the fate of the world."

The Master said, "If you want to observe the Qi with your Dharma Eye, you must observe the subtle details in order to see the changes in the Qi's destiny."

The Bull Demon King scratched his head and asked, "Master, what do you mean by this?"

The immortal smiled, pointed ahead, and said, "King Bull, as you've traveled this far, observing the aura of the Southern Continent, what are your thoughts?"

The Bull Demon King replied, "The Qi is confused, with countless Qi mixed together, making it difficult to distinguish."

The master said, “But you have not looked closely. If you had looked closely, you would have noticed that the royal aura of the Song Dynasty in the Southern Continent is like a candle about to go out, and the purple palace starlight is dim as if covered with dust.”

Say it.

The real person pointed to Bianliang.

The Bull Demon King looked around, but when he saw it with his divine eye, he saw that the aura of Bianliang was dim, and its aura was a mixture of yellow mist and black.

The Bull Demon King suddenly realized that this was a sign of great chaos in the destiny of the nation. He then asked, "Master, what is the difference between a great chaos in destiny, to the point of near extinction, and a stable and prosperous destiny?"

The master laughed and said, “The difference is huge, let me explain. When a dynasty is prosperous, the golden light in the Purple Palace shines brightly, and the aura of the Red Emperor covers the nine provinces like a canopy. The earth’s veins burst forth like spring water, and five-colored clouds shroud the palace day and night. But when a dynasty is prosperous, there are three things that are inevitable in its destiny.”

"The first is 'condensation,' where the royal aura gathers into a towering pillar of black and yellow, hundreds of feet tall, which can suppress mountains and rivers. Even the fiercest winds cannot destroy it, and it can also scare away demons and evil spirits. The second is 'connection,' where the pure yang energy reaches the heavens above and penetrates the earth below, like golden threads connecting the twenty-eight constellations. The third is 'moistening,' where auspicious clouds bring forth blossoms from withered trees, and red earth bursts forth with sweet wine. Virtuous and wise people emerge in great numbers, heroes are endless, and the weather is favorable."

The immortal then told the story of this place to the Bull Demon King.

The Bull Demon King then asked, "Master, what will it look like when our fate is about to end and we are in decline?"

The Master said, “If it is in decline, the starlight of the Taiwei Enclosure will scatter like sand, and the pillar of royal energy will crack like rotten wood. There are three points. The first is ‘turbidity,’ where black miasma rises from the fields and mingles with yellow haze to form ochre-colored resentful clouds, swirling around the marketplace like hungry crows fighting over rotten food. The second is ‘stagnation,’ where the earth’s energy is blocked like a silted pond, and in spring and summer, the grass and trees are covered with frost, and the rivers and canals flow turbidly, frothing with blood foam. The third is ‘leakage,’ where the tiles of the Golden Palace scatter ashes and smoke, which cannot be gathered even by the morning bell and evening drum, snakes crawl into the nine orifices, and termites gnaw at the Bright Hall.”

The Bull Demon King responded and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your teachings, Master. I will remember them well."

The Dragon Girl and Huian Xingzhe beside them also bowed in respect, and they understood something after hearing what the True Man said.

The man waved his hand, indicating that there was no need for further formalities.

The Bodhisattva smiled and said, "What the True Man said hit the nail on the head. He explained the essence of observing qi in its entirety. I have also gained a lot from listening to what the True Man here has to say."

The master said, "It's just a minor skill; please forgive my ignorance, Bodhisattva."

The Bodhisattva shook his head.

The two talked for a while before setting off again.

Before long, the group had arrived in the vicinity of Bailong Mountain in Xuzhou.

Guanyin Bodhisattva stopped her cloud, pointed to a village ahead, and said, "True Man, that is the village ahead."

The immortal followed the Bodhisattva's gaze and saw a village at the foot of the mountain. It lay nestled in the shade of White Dragon Mountain, its vermilion buildings ablaze with light, wine flags fluttering like banners summoning souls. The night market thronged with people; a handsome young man held a jade pot, its rim dripping crimson saliva; a woman adorned with jewels smiled as she opened a sandalwood box, inside which coral branches writhed like centipedes. Amidst the clamor of various performances, a fire-breathing artist's flames glowed bluish-purple, and a burly man swallowing a knife had his Adam's apple bulge as if scurrying away like a rat. Food stalls displayed roasted pork, golden oil dripping onto the fire with a sound like sobbing; sugar paintings depicted peaches, their translucent surfaces revealing faint streaks of blood.

Again I see 'a solitary temple on West Street, moss creeping up the stone steps like a clean prayer mat, spiderwebs sealing the door like a hanging white gauze banner. Ancient cypress trees stand tall in the courtyard, each leaf tip glistening with dew like willow branches still wet with water. This is the temple of Guanyin Bodhisattva.'

The master said, "This manor is somewhat prosperous, but within that prosperity lies a scene of decay, and there are so many evil spirits."

Guanyin Bodhisattva shook her head and said, "This prosperity is but an illusion, a mirage, how can it be real?"

The master looked at the lonely Guanyin Bodhisattva temple and said, "The precious image is covered in dust, and believers no longer pay homage. Is the Bodhisattva angry?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled and said, "You see the sandalwood smoke dissipate, and I see lotuses blooming in all directions."

The Taoist bowed to the Bodhisattva and said, "The Bodhisattva's cultivation has taught me to respect him. I am no match for him."

The Bodhisattva returned the greeting and said, "I dare not accept what the True Man says. Within and without the Three Realms, there are very few who dare to claim to be superior to the True Man."

The master smiled and said no more. He looked up at the mountain and saw that the Xuzhou Cauldron was responding to him. He pointed to a place and said, "Bodhisattva, the Xuzhou Cauldron is over there. There are two or three people in the village guarding it, but they can't do anything to the Xuzhou Cauldron."

The Bodhisattva asked, "Would the True Man like to go and retrieve the cauldron?"

The master shook his head and said, "No rush. But I want to find a local deity to find out why the people in the village coveted the Xuzhou Cauldron and what evil spirits they believed."

The Bodhisattva said, "True Man, shall I go and find an Earth God?"

The immortal said, "How could I dare trouble the Bodhisattva to go?"

The Bull Demon King then stepped forward and volunteered to go and find the local deity.

The real person agreed.

The Bull Demon King then descended from the clouds and departed.

The True Man and the Bodhisattvas went to another mountain to wait for the Bull Demon King to return.

After waiting for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Bull Demon King arrived with a local deity to meet the True Man and the Bodhisattva.

Upon seeing the True Man and the Bodhisattva, the local earth god trembled and said, "The local earth god of Bailong Village pays respects to the True Man Guangxin and the Bodhisattva Guanyin."

The immortal stepped forward and helped the earth god up, saying, "Earth god, there's no need for such formalities. I have sent my protector to invite you here because I have a question to ask. I wonder if this has disturbed you. If it has, please forgive me."

The local deity panicked and said, "No disturbance, no disturbance! If you have any questions, please ask me, and I will answer them without hesitation."

The real man smiled and then told the land about the matter.

When the local deity heard that the immortal wanted to inquire about the affairs of White Dragon Manor, he told the immortal about the matter and bowed, saying, "I recently learned about the matter that the manor inhabitants stole the divine cauldron and that there are many evil spirits causing trouble in the manor."

The immortal said, "I hope the Earth God will grant my request."

The local deity said, “True man, the reason why so many things have happened in this village is because the wealthy man in the village, surnamed Chen, wanted to become a Bodhisattva. He had evil thoughts, which led to all these troubles.”

The Bodhisattva, hearing this, felt strange and asked, "But he stole the divine cauldron and caused many demons to appear in the village. How is this related to becoming a Bodhisattva?"

The local deity said, “Bodhisattva, you are unaware of this. This Old Man Chen has always been fond of Buddhism. Recently, as he has grown old, he has often been troubled by his lifespan and has thus desired to become a Bodhisattva, thinking that if he were a Bodhisattva, he could be free from the torment of birth and death. However, because of this evil thought, demons sensed it and took advantage of his vulnerability to meet with Old Man Chen. They then used slanderous words to bewitch him, causing many troubles and bringing many demons and misfortunes to the village.” The immortal asked, “What slanderous words?”

The local deity replied, “A demon once told Chen Taigong that becoming a Bodhisattva is very easy. He used the afterlife to bewitch him, saying that if a person’s soul leaves from the soles of their feet, they will fall into the realm of hungry ghosts and hell, suffering endless torment. If the soul leaves from the knees, they will fall into the animal realm. If the soul leaves from the chest, they can be reborn as a human in the next life. If the soul leaves from the space between the eyebrows, they can enter the heavenly realm and become a celestial being. However, if the soul leaves from the crown of the head, that is, the Brahma chakra, then one can become a Bodhisattva.”

"The demon then said that there was a divine object on the mountain. If one could obtain its energy to protect oneself, it could make Chen Taigong's soul emerge from the top of his head after his death, and he would become a Bodhisattva."

The land told the whole story.

The immortal and the Bodhisattva did not reply immediately after hearing this.

The Bull Demon King couldn't help but ask, "So, Old Master Chen believed this demon's words so easily?"

The local deity said, "At first, I didn't believe it, but the demon led Chen Taigong to the place where the divine cauldron was located, showed Chen Taigong that the divine cauldron was extraordinary, and told Chen Taigong about the origin of the divine cauldron, so Chen Taigong believed it."

The Bull Demon King said, "This demon is quite clever. He even knows to use the divine cauldron to lure Old Master Chen. If Old Master Chen is convinced, wouldn't he be able to cause trouble in this village at will, and no one would be able to control him?"

The local deity said, "That's right, that's right. In this White Dragon Manor, no one can subdue that evil spirit."

The immortal said, "I am fully aware of what has happened here. I am only asking the Earth God to inform you. Please rest assured, Earth God, I will handle the matter in the village properly."

Upon hearing this, the local deity hurriedly bowed deeply to Guanyin Bodhisattva and the True Man, saying, "This humble deity is here to thank the True Man and the Bodhisattva on behalf of the people of Bailong Village."

The sage lifted the land up, offered some encouragement, and taught it not to forget its responsibilities.

The landowner naturally complied, bowing repeatedly before departing.

The True Man watched the Earth God leave, then looked at the Bodhisattva and said, "In that case, Bodhisattva, let us first resolve the matters in the manor, and then go to retrieve the Xuzhou Cauldron. What do you think, Bodhisattva?"

The Bodhisattva clasped his hands together and said, “That is how it should be. I just never imagined that the village would be thrown into such chaos because of this.”

The Master smiled and said, "What does the Bodhisattva think of the method for becoming a Bodhisattva that the demon has proposed?"

The Bodhisattva shook his head and said, "If a Bodhisattva has the marks of self, person, or life span, then he is not a Bodhisattva."

The Master said, "Does the Bodhisattva think that if someone makes offerings of incense to the Bodhisattva for a hundred years until their death, can that person be considered a member of the Buddha's community?"

The Bodhisattva said, "You cannot be a member of the Buddha's retinue."

The master asked, "Why?"

The Bodhisattva replied, “Incense and fire are but empty flowers, glory and desolation are but a dream. How can a true Bodhisattva be swayed by external circumstances? He only appears temples and pagodas when he sees sentient beings in delusion, and sits in the empty space when sentient beings are enlightened.”

The immortal smiled and nodded, saying nothing more, and walked towards the manor with Guanyin Bodhisattva. The Bull Demon King led the white deer, with Huian Xingzhe and the Dragon Girl accompanying them.

Before long, they arrived at Bailong Village.

The immortals and bodhisattvas concealed their immortal and bodhisattva appearances and entered the White Dragon Manor.

As soon as the group entered, they saw an old man walking towards them in a hurry.

Upon seeing the group of real people, the old man came forward to drive them away.

"Stop! Stop!"

The old man stopped the group of real people.

The Bull Demon King stepped forward and asked, "Old sir, why are you blocking our way?"

The old man made a shooing motion and said, "Strangers, do not enter this land. There are strange creatures here that are not of this world. You should leave quickly. This is my kind advice. If you insist on staying, and you lose your lives, do not blame the people of the village."

The Bull Demon King laughed and said, "I have traveled all over the country and seen countless things. How can you refuse to let me in just because you mention some strange creatures? What kind of logic is that? Clear the way and let me in. I am not afraid of such things."

The old man said, "I truly did not deceive you, but the road ahead is indeed difficult to travel."

The Bull Demon King wanted to say something more.

The man stepped forward and said, “Old sir, there’s no need to block our way. To tell you the truth, we all have some methods of subduing demons, which is why we dared to come here. We came here today because we heard about what happened in the manor, so we came to subdue the demons.”

Upon hearing this, the old man said, "But the creatures inside are extraordinary. You must not be careless, or you may lose your lives."

The master smiled and said, "Don't worry, old man, the monster inside won't harm our lives."

The old man wanted to say something more.

The immortal had already walked inside, and the Bull Demon King, the Bodhisattva, and the others followed.

Seeing this, the old man could only stand there stamping his feet, regretting that he hadn't been able to stop it, fearing that the monster would harm them, these strange guests.

The real man and his entourage entered the manor, which was comparable to some county towns and appeared very prosperous. However, at a glance, they saw mostly small demons disguised as humans wandering around the streets.

The immortal glanced around and said, "King of the Ox, I'm sorry to trouble you to make this trip, but the demons and monsters here are all evildoers, and you can eliminate them all."

The Bull Demon King laughed and said, "Please wait here a moment, Master! I will now eliminate him!"

Say it.

The Bull Demon King wielded his Black Dragon Spear and charged towards the lesser demons.

The Bodhisattva clasped his hands together and said, "Huian, you can help me with this task."

Huian Xingzhe stepped forward and said, "Yes."

Without saying a word, he picked up his staff and joined forces with the Bull Demon King to kill the lesser demons in the village.

The immortal and the Bodhisattva waited in place, but soon the Bull Demon King and Huian Xingzhe returned and reported that all the demons and evil spirits had been eliminated.

Upon seeing this, the True Man and the Bodhisattva continued on their way, heading towards the home of Old Man Chen, intending to rid the place of the bewitching evil spirits and to punish Old Man Chen.

The two walked for a short while and then saw a large building ahead, which was the residence of Old Master Chen.

The two arrived at the front of Chen Taigong's house.

The immortal said, "King Ox, please go forward and knock on the door so that we may meet with Old Man Chen."

The Bull Demon King acknowledged the order, stepped forward, and, with a menacing air, knocked on the door.

(End of this chapter)