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

Chapter 457 Re-entering the Tushita Heaven, the True Man Returns to His Position
As the saying goes, "A scholar who does not understand the present will eventually become a fool; a person who does not accept advice will eventually become a delusional ghost."

Despite the master's well-intentioned advice, it was all in vain. None of the disciples in the manor understood his intentions; most of them learned unorthodox skills and then hurriedly left the mountain, lingering in the sea of ​​suffering.

Time flies, and more than fifty years have passed in the blink of an eye.

The Great Sage of the Water Ape has been doing menial work in the mansion for over a hundred years. He has never been impatient with people coming and going, which the True Man greatly admires.

Since the founding of the sect by the True Master, it has reached the seventh generation. Among the seven generations of disciples, not a single one has been found to cultivate their mind; most are just passing through. The True Master laments this and often reflects on the past, when the patriarch founded the sect, there were not many disciples left in the sect either; this was the norm.

One day, the True Man was cultivating in his quiet room when he suddenly felt something. He looked out of the mansion and went to the high platform to summon the Great Sage of the Water Ape.

Upon receiving the order, the Great Sage of the Water Ape immediately went to the high platform to meet the True Man.

The immortal said, "Xinjiang, I'm sorry to trouble you to make this trip. There are celestial children from the Tushita Palace outside the mansion. Lead them to see me."

The Great Sage of the Water Ape said, "Yes, Master. I will go outside the mansion now. Please wait here for a while."

The real person smiled and nodded.

After waiting quietly on the high platform for a while, he saw the Great Sage of the Water Ape leading two celestial children over. These were familiar faces, namely Golden Horn and Silver Horn.

Golden Horn and Silver Horn entered the pavilion, bowed deeply, and said, "We pay our respects to Master Guangxin!"

The True Man descended from the high platform, helped up Golden Horn and Silver Horn, and said, "Why do you two junior brothers address me like this? If you bow and call me senior brother, I will be happy. Why do you call me True Man today? Do you find me too vulgar and do not want to acknowledge me as your senior brother?"

Golden Horn and Silver Horn panicked and said, "No, no! Please, Master, see the truth! You possess great magical power, while we are merely servants. How dare we call ourselves your fellow disciples?"

The master shook his head and said, "Between you and me, fellow disciples, when have we ever judged each other by the level of our magical power? If you two junior brothers are like this, I don't know what to do. Do you two junior brothers think that I am someone who judges people by their magical power?"

Upon hearing this, Jinjiao and Yinjiao looked at each other in surprise, then bowed and addressed each other as "Senior Brother".

The Master smiled and nodded, leading the two to their seats in the hall. Once they were seated, he sat beside them and had the Water Ape Great Sage accompany them.

The master said, "My two junior brothers, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

Golden Horn and Silver Horn replied, "It is thanks to your concern, Senior Brother. I have been well lately."

The man smiled and spoke with the two of them, showing them great care and concern.

The three talked for a long time before Golden Horn and Silver Horn revealed their purpose: Laozi had sent them to invite the True Man to visit the Tushita Palace.

Upon learning this, the Master said, "Since the Master instructed me to go, I will go ahead. Please wait here for a while, my two junior brothers. I will go and bid farewell to the Master before I go with you two."

Golden Horn and Silver Horn said, "Senior Brother, please go. We are heading to the Tushita Palace because Master has invited Yuanshi Tianzun and Lingbao Daojun to meet with you. Please be aware of this."

The master smiled and nodded, saying, "I understand. Please wait a moment, my two junior brothers."

Say it.

The True Man instructed the Great Sage of the Water Ape to accompany the two, while he himself headed towards the Patriarch's meditation room.

When he entered the patriarch's meditation room, he saw the patriarch sitting upright on a futon, and he knew all about the matter there.

The patriarch looked at the True Man and smiled, “Child, you may go. You should meet these two.”

The Master said, "Yes, Master. But Master, I wonder if there are any taboos when I meet with Yuanshi Tianzun and Lingbao Daojun."

The Patriarch said, “There are no taboos. Just follow your heart and you will be able to handle it. With your current abilities, even the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and the Lingbao Daojun should show you some respect.”

The real person agreed.

The Patriarch then smiled and instructed the True Man to leave and go to the Heavenly Palace, so that Laozi would not have to wait too long.

The True Man bid farewell to the Patriarch before departing. Before leaving, he instructed True Man to take charge of the mansion in his place and also instructed the Great Sage of the Water Ape to persevere. Only then did he leave with Golden Horn and Silver Horn, heading towards the Heavenly Palace.

……

The immortal rode on a cloud, accompanied by Golden Horn and Silver Horn, towards the Heavenly Palace. Before long, they arrived at the South Heavenly Gate.

Inside the South Heavenly Gate, the four marshals were about to lead their officers and soldiers to stop him, but when they saw the immortal, they immediately ordered their officers and soldiers to put down their weapons and led the crowd to pay their respects, saying, "We pay our respects to the Immortal Guangxin!"

The master returned the bow and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, marshals."

The four marshals asked, "Master, is there any important matter that you have come here today? If so, we can send officers and soldiers to clear the way so that you can reach your destination as quickly as possible."

The Master said, “I dare not trouble you all. I have come here to go to Laozi’s Tushita Palace.”

At that moment, Jinjiao and Yinjiao stepped forward and said, "Marshals, we are here on the orders of Laozi to invite our senior brother to the Heavenly Realm to go to the Tushita Palace. Yuanshi Tianzun and Lingbao Daojun are there, waiting for the True Man to arrive. We hope that you will allow us to pass."

Upon hearing this, the four marshals immediately made way and said, "We originally intended to speak with the Master, but we did not understand the meaning. Now that we have heard about this matter, we dare not delay and invite the Master to come."

The immortal said, “Thank you all. I am going to the Tushita Palace now. Please convey my greetings to His Majesty on my behalf. I do not have a celestial talisman and cannot travel in the Heavenly Palace. Otherwise, I would have personally greeted His Majesty. If I have the opportunity to see His Majesty again in the future, I will apologize to him.”

The four marshals immediately responded, assuring the True Man that they would convey the message.

The True Man then entered with Golden Horn and Silver Horn and headed towards the Tushita Palace.

The four marshals watched the immortal depart, each bowing to his departing figure. They then wrote a document, incorporating the immortal's intentions, and sent it to the Tongming Hall, presenting it to the four celestial masters, daring not to be negligent.

Now, the True Man, accompanied by Golden Horn and Silver Horn, arrived at the Tushita Palace. Even from the outside, he could see boundless celestial light within, and indescribable Daoist charm permeated the air.

Golden Horn and Silver Horn stepped forward, opened the Tushita Palace wide, and said, "Please come in, Senior Brother. The Master and the others are in the main hall. You can see them there."

The master responded and thanked the two, Golden Horn and Silver Horn, before walking into the main hall. A short while later, he entered the main hall and saw the three of them sitting there.

At the very top is Laozi, the Supreme Lord.

On the far right is a divine being, 'with a nine-colored halo above his head and seventy-two auspicious symbols on his body. Between his brows hangs the aperture of chaos, and with each breath he exhales the two polarities of Yin and Yang. His left hand holds a primordial pearl, and his right hand gently holds a Taiji diagram. Golden lamps and palm leaves float around his body, each lamp seemingly illuminating a world. Truly, he is an unparalleled immortal.'

Upon seeing this, the immortal realized that it was indeed the Primordial Celestial Venerable. He then looked at the one on his left.

He was seen wearing a lotus crown with nine heavens on his head, a robe of myriad clouds and mist on his body, a jade ruyi hanging at his waist, shoes with nine-colored auspicious clouds on his feet, and a five-colored halo hanging behind his head. Within the halo, three thousand worlds were hidden, with dragon and phoenix seals appearing and disappearing, and infinite wonderful methods and supernatural powers arose spontaneously.

This is none other than the Daoist Master Lingbao.

The True Man, knowing the three of them, stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Guangxin greets the Master, greets the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, and greets the Lingbao Daojun."

The three looked at the True Man and told him to dispense with the formalities. Yuanshi Tianzun looked at the True Man and laughed, "Years ago, I held a Dharma assembly and summoned a group of immortals. At that time, I learned about you from Bodhi and Zhenyuanzi. I never expected that when I meet you today, you have become a person of great magical power. You are truly remarkable."

Lingbao Daojun looked at Yuanshi Tianzun and Taishang Laojun, clapped his hands and laughed, "You two, one of you has heard of Guangxin's name, and the other is even his teacher. But I am different. I was in quiet meditation and lost track of time. After a long while, I looked back and saw that tens of thousands of years had passed in the human world, and many things had happened, such as Kinnara and Sun Wukong, and Guangxin. Looking back, he has already achieved great power, which makes me sigh."

Lao Tzu laughed and said, "It is because you often meditate in seclusion and have never cared about the human world. If you cared more, you would surely be able to see it."

As he spoke, he looked at the real person and said, "Guangxin, there's no need for formalities. Please take a seat and come over here."

The master obeyed the order and sat down on the prayer mat.

Laozi asked, "Guangxin, before you came, did that fellow Bodhi tell you why I sent you here?"

The master replied, "Master, my master once said that this is about the next tribulation."

Laozi said, “That is indeed the case. In my opinion, you will be the master in the next kalpa. Therefore, I have come to find these two people to meet with you. If what they say is feasible, you will surely be the master in the next kalpa.”

The master pondered for a moment and said, "Master, although I have attained great magical power, I know that my abilities are still weak and cannot compare with yours. Why then do you teach me to be your master?"

Laozi laughed and said, "You are a great power born from a calamity, as vibrant as the rising sun. Having you as your master will further enhance your cultivation. If you are worried about the difficulty of becoming a master, there is no need to worry. You have my help, and Bodhi will also help you. Now that you have the promise of these two, they will naturally help you in the next calamity."

Upon hearing this, the True Man could no longer refuse. He looked at the two, Yuanshi Tianzun and Yuanshi Tianzun, and waited for their words.

Yuanshi Tianzun smiled and nodded, saying, "Since Laojun has spoken in this way, I can certainly lend you a hand. In the next tribulation, you can be the master. Just as Laojun said, although you are peaceful in nature, you are ultimately the one who succeeds in this tribulation, and you have a sharp edge within you. Making you the master will have its own advantages."

Lingbao Daojun then said, "Guangxin, if you are in charge of the next tribulation, what do you intend to do in the next tribulation?"

After pondering for a moment, the True Man replied, "Daoist Lord, if I am in charge of the next calamity, I shall do two things: first, create heaven and earth; second, spread teachings and enlightenment."

Lingbao Daojun asked again, "Are there any others?"

The master replied again: "The rest should follow nature."

Lingbao Daojun laughed and said, "You are indeed well-versed in Laozi's teachings. Let me ask you, if I were to teach you how to create the world, how would you teach it to be created? If it were an ordinary matter, it would be difficult to teach the world to be established."

The immortal replied, “If I were to create heaven and earth, I could use the Nine Cauldrons as my master, thereby stabilizing heaven and earth. The Nine Cauldrons have different effects; they can stabilize the Five Elements, as well as generate life, maintain balance, calm the mind, and ward off evil. They would be sufficient to stabilize heaven and earth.”

Lingbao Daojun said, "If it were the Nine Cauldrons, it could certainly stabilize the world. However, such a treasure is extraordinary. Are you truly willing to give up this treasure to stabilize the world?"

The master said, "What is there to be reluctant about?"

Lingbao Daojun gazed intently at the True Man, who met his gaze without fear, his eyes filled with tranquility, a tranquility that seemed unshaken even if heaven and earth were to perish.

Lingbao Daojun suddenly nodded and said, "Those who can achieve great magical power in one tribulation are truly extraordinary. Your aptitude is outstanding, but there are many in the Three Realms whose aptitude surpasses yours. However, in terms of Dao heart, no one in the Three Realms can surpass you. In the next tribulation, you can be the master. If you have any needs, I can assist you."

The immortal bowed deeply to the three men and expressed his gratitude.

Laozi and the others helped the immortal up and were about to say something.

Suddenly a celestial boy entered and said, "My lord, Venus has come with an imperial decree."

Upon hearing this, Laozi immediately instructed the celestial boy to invite Venus (Taibai Jinxing) in.

Venus entered the central hall and bowed to Laozi, Yuanshi Tianzun, and the other two in turn, and then bowed to the True Man.

Laozi asked, "Why has the Star Lord come?"

Taibai Jinxing smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "To be honest, Your Majesty learned of your arrival, so He sent me to invite you to the Lingxiao Palace to meet His Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Laozi nodded and said, "In that case, Guangxin, you may go to the Lingxiao Palace and not keep His Majesty waiting."

The True Man bowed to Laozi and others, indicating that he was about to leave with Venus and head to the Lingxiao Palace.

Laozi said, "Guangxin, after this matter is over, return here, and I will teach you."

The real person responded, "Yes, teacher."

Laozi waved his hand, signaling the True Man to depart.

The immortal bowed to each of them one by one before following Venus out.

The two arrived outside the Tushita Palace and rode on clouds toward the Lingxiao Palace.

As Venus rode a cloud, he laughed and said, "I was astonished to hear that you, Master, have achieved great magical power. At that time, I was unable to leave due to other matters, so I could not go to congratulate you, which I regret. Now that I am here, I should congratulate you once again on your success."

The immortal smiled and said, "I appreciate the Star Lord's intentions."

Upon hearing this, Venus nodded and then asked, "In the past, Your Majesty often invited the immortals to return to their positions in the Heavenly Realm, but they often declined due to their cultivation. Now that you have achieved great magical power, do you have the desire to return to your positions?"

The Master said, “Now that I have attained great magical power, I have some free time. If Your Majesty does not find me crude and needs to employ me, I will naturally return to my position to assist Your Majesty.”

Venus smiled and said, "If His Majesty knew, he would be overjoyed. His Majesty has long awaited the return of the True Man."

The immortal shook his head and said, "I dare not accept such words from the Star Lord. Under Your Majesty's command, there are countless immortals and gods. Whether I am there or not, there is no change."

Venus said, "Your Majesty does not think so."

As the two talked, they arrived at the Tongming Hall, and Venus led the immortal into the hall.

Upon entering the Tongming Hall, one sees Wang Lingguan leading a group of spirit officials to pay their respects to the True Man and bow in greeting.

The real person returned the gift.

Venus chuckled and said, “Gentlemen, I have received His Majesty’s decree to invite the True Man here. You may let him in.”

Wang Lingguan said, "We will certainly let them pass."

Say it.

He ordered all the spirit officials to make way.

The True Man then entered the Tongming Hall with Venus, and there they met the Four Heavenly Masters. After passing the Four Heavenly Masters, they entered the Lingxiao Palace, where they met the Jade Emperor.

(End of this chapter)