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

Chapter 458 Divine Firmament Nine Heavens Patrol Inspector - Purple Mansion Mysterious Heaven Law Supervisor True Lord

The story goes that Venus led the immortal into the Lingxiao Palace, and they went directly to the emperor to pay homage.

Venus reported, "Your subject received the imperial decree and went to the Tushita Palace to invite the True Man of Broad Mind. Now that the True Man has arrived, I have come to report the decree."

The immortal bowed and said, "Your Majesty has summoned me, and I have come now."

The Jade Emperor, looking down from behind his curtain, said, “I have heard that the True Man has recently attained the Great Dao and established his residence in the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars. I am delighted. However, the Three Realms are busy with affairs, and I have not been able to personally visit him to offer my congratulations, which I deeply regret.”

The immortal replied, “Although His Majesty has not come in person, I already know His Majesty’s intentions. For His Majesty’s grace has allowed the immortals to descend to the mortal realm to congratulate me, and even celestial beings have presented gifts. How could I not know His Majesty’s intentions?”

The Jade Emperor smiled and said, "Come closer."

The immortal was already in front of the steps. If he went any further, he would be on the throne. But to get close to the throne would be to overstep his bounds. How could he dare to do such a thing? He quickly declined, saying, "Your Majesty, I cannot overstep my bounds. This is the rule of Heaven."

The Jade Emperor said, "You are not a celestial being from the Heavenly Palace, so what right do you have to speak of Heavenly rules? I have instructed you to come forward. You may come forward, so please do not take it to heart."

The real man still refused; he absolutely refused to do such a rude thing.

Upon hearing this and seeing the Immortal's attitude, the Jade Emperor had no choice but to give up. He then said, "Immortal, when you had cultivated the Golden Elixir, I invited you to Heaven to oversee the troops. At that time, you declined, citing your need to cultivate in seclusion, and I understood your reasoning. Now, you govern Heaven and Earth, and within and beyond the Three Realms, there are very few whose magical power surpasses yours. I wish to invite you to Heaven again, and I will personally bestow upon you the title of God. Are you willing to comply?"

The immortal bowed deeply and said, “I am but a humble being, and my magical powers have not yet reached the highest level. Your Majesty has repeatedly summoned me from Heaven and elevated me to the ranks of immortals. I was grateful for Your Majesty’s compassion in the past, which granted me permission to cultivate in seclusion. Now I am again deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s boundless grace and earnest invitation. Although I am dull and foolish, how dare I refuse again? I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse and respectfully accept Your Majesty’s imperial decree.”

The Jade Emperor then smiled and said, "I know that you have now established your own residence and have not yet had the time to return to your position in the Heavenly Palace. To hear your words is enough. True Man, I hereby make a promise with you that once you have completed establishing your own residence and the fourteenth generation has achieved their goals, it will be the time for you to return to your position. What do you think of this?"

The official said, "Your Majesty's understanding is appreciated, and I will accept it without hesitation."

The Jade Emperor nodded and talked with the True Man for a long time in the Lingxiao Palace. Knowing that the Supreme Lord Laozi was still waiting for the True Man and that he could not stay any longer, he sent heavenly soldiers to escort the True Man away to the Tushita Palace.

The man bowed and withdrew.

When Venus saw the immortal leave, he rose and bowed to congratulate the Jade Emperor on obtaining the immortal.

The Jade Emperor, looking behind his curtain, asked, "Now that the True Man wishes to return to his position, as you have said, where shall he reside?"

After much hesitation, Venus said, “In the Heavenly Palace today, there are many officials in every palace, hall, and place. If the position is too low, one is not worthy of being a True Person. If the position is too high, there are very few vacancies. It is truly difficult to choose.”

The Jade Emperor said, "I know there are many officials in various places. Therefore, I wish to create another title for the True Man."

Venus asked, "How should a title be established? Is there an honorific title?"

The Jade Emperor said, "We may establish the honorific title 'Divine Firmament Nine Heavens Patrol Inspector, Purple Mansion Mysterious Heaven Law Supervisor True Lord'."

Upon hearing this, Jin Xing knew that this title must be of great importance. He bowed and asked, "Your Majesty, what is the rank of this official title?"

The Jade Emperor said, "This is the highest rank an official can attain."

Jin Xing's heart skipped a beat, and he asked again, "Your Majesty, what is the effect of this title?"

The Jade Emperor, looking behind his curtain, said, "This title is directly subordinate to me and the Three Pure Ones, and is not under the jurisdiction of the Four Emperors. This shows that the Three Pure Ones do not pay homage, but all gods are addressed as supreme."

Jin Xing said, "Since you have such ability, you must have real power. May I ask what kind of power Your Majesty has and what your responsibilities are?"

The Jade Emperor said, “He shall be granted three powers. The first is ‘Supervision,’ which shall patrol the Three Realms without disturbing the heavens and humans. He shall use the mirror of clarity to observe their hearts and the laws to measure their actions. If any celestial official neglects his duties, any demon or monster acts against the natural order, or any ghost or spirit disrupts the order, his crimes shall be recorded and reported to the emperor.”

"Secondly: 'Enforcing the law,' carrying the Supreme Supervisor's sword, executes first and reports later. Anyone who violates the Heavenly Laws, tampers with Yin and Yang, or steals creation, regardless of whether they are gods or demons, can have their divine status stripped, their cultivation abolished, and be sent to the Thunder Prison for interrogation. In the most serious cases, their body and spirit will be severed on the spot and they will be imprisoned in the Northern Feng forever."

"Thirdly: enact laws and consult with the Xuandu Law Hall to correct errors in the Heavenly Laws. Where laws are not clearly defined or cause and effect are confused, the 'Revised Laws and Laws' can be presented to the Emperor to rectify the principles of Heaven."

Say it.

Venus was speechless with astonishment. He never imagined that the Jade Emperor and the True Man possessed such power. If one obtained this power, all lawless beings in the Three Realms would know the might of the True Man.

The Jade Emperor asked, "What do you think?"

Venus said, "Your Majesty, such power may be subject to objections."

The Jade Emperor said, "The True Man possesses profound magical powers; you can rest assured."

Upon hearing this, Venus, naturally unable to say anything more, bowed and agreed.

……

Meanwhile, the other immortal returned to the Tushita Palace and met with Laozi.

In this Tushita Palace, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and the Lingbao Daojun have long since departed, leaving only the Supreme Lord Laozi here.

Laozi met the True Man in the central hall and laughed, "If I'm not mistaken, His Majesty will surely teach you to be an official, won't you?"

The master bowed respectfully before replying, "How did you know, teacher?"

Lao Jun laughed and said, "His Majesty has repeatedly invited you to serve as an official in Heaven. Who does not know this? Now that you have attained great magical power, His Majesty will naturally invite you again, and you cannot refuse. You should serve as an official in Heaven. Is there anything wrong with what I said?"

The master said, "Teacher has discerning eyes; there is nothing wrong with what you say."

Lao Jun said, "You should be prepared. His Majesty will appoint you as an official and give you great power, which will be extraordinary."

The master asked in bewilderment, "Master, I have just entered the Heavenly Court. How can His Majesty grant me such great power? This does not make sense."

Laozi stroked his beard and smiled, “If it were anyone else, entering the Heavenly Court would hardly grant them great power; they would mostly be minor, idle officials. But you are different. You have a Daoist heart and even greater magical power. His Majesty will surely grant you an official position with immense power.”

The man shook his head; he didn't care about official rank.

Laozi knew the true man's intentions, and he said, "I have come here to teach you about the creation of heaven and earth and the teachings. These are all things I have done in the past. You may listen to them, as they may be of some use to you. If they are not, you may just listen to them to pass the time."

The Master said, “Laojun’s words are precious. It is my good fortune to have Laojun speak to me.”

Lao Jun smiled and nodded.

The two then discussed their next tribulation here. Laozi did most of the talking, while the True Man listened and learned from the Dao.

……

One day in heaven is one year on earth.

The True Man learned the Dao in the Tushita Palace and left after three days. He spent more than three years in the mortal realm. After listening to Laozi's teachings, the True Man talked with Laozi in the Tushita Palace for a long time before finally leaving for the mortal realm.

When he descended to the mortal realm, the True Man returned to his cave dwelling, finished settling matters there, and then went to the Patriarch's meditation room to meet with the Patriarch.

The Patriarch saw the True Man, had him sit down, and said with a smile, "Child, you have had a very fruitful trip to the Heavenly Palace today."

The True Man said, “Master, I met you, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, and the Lingbao Daojun in the Heavenly Palace and gained some insights. Furthermore, Laozi personally taught me, explaining the ways of the world and instructing me to understand the essential principles of creating heaven and earth and practicing education.”

The Patriarch smiled and said, "With this teaching now, you will surely be in charge of the next tribulation. You can rest assured." The True Man said, "This disciple will do his best and not disgrace the prestige of the mansion."

The patriarch said, “How can you talk about losing your power in the mansion? You were able to teach someone to be your master for a kalpa, which is your destiny. But you should go back to your quiet room to rest for a while. Your destiny is about to arrive, and the gates of the mansion should be wide open.”

The master nodded and said, “Master, I understand. But I don’t know that among these people with karmic connections, there might be one who can escape the sea of ​​suffering. If all fourteen generations of disciples have passed away and none of them have escaped the sea of ​​suffering, then this master will leave me helpless.”

The Patriarch smiled and said, "But if you can open your own temple and have a karmic connection with the Dharma, then the opportunity for self-salvation has already manifested. If they have not grasped it, there is nothing you can do. You don't need to worry too much. If there is truly an enlightened one, then you should give him the opportunity for self-salvation and teach him to truly leave the sea of ​​suffering."

The real person responded.

The patriarch then said no more and instructed the true man to rest in the quiet room.

The real person then went there.

……

Time flies, and nearly ninety years have passed in the blink of an eye.

After the True Man returned from the Heavenly Palace, he never left the manor again. Instead, he taught the many disciples in the manor. Now, the generational names in the manor have reached the ninth generation, and the completion of the fourteenth generation is not far off.

However, after these nine generations left, few stayed in the manor for long. Most of them would learn a few skills in the manor and then leave. The Master often advised them to cultivate their minds, but few of them listened.

Those words of "honest advice is hard to hear" are easy for a three-year-old to recite, but even a centenarian would find them difficult to accept.

Even the real person was helpless in this situation.

One day, as usual, the True Man summoned everyone in the mansion to sit in the center and began to expound on the Great Dao.

What the Master said today was still some words about cultivating the mind. It was hard for those dozens of restless people to hear, but for the Great Sage of the Water Ape and others, it was like hearing heavenly music.

After the master finished speaking, many disciples wanted to learn a skill. The master granted their request and asked each of them what they wanted to learn. He then instructed them on what they wanted to learn.

After the master finished instructing all his disciples, he was about to dismiss them when he suddenly noticed the Water Ape Great Sage at the front of the class and smiled.

This disciple's patience was beyond his expectations. He had never thought that this disciple could persevere in doing the menial work in the mansion without pursuing the path of cultivation.

But this disciple persisted, doing menial work in the mansion every day, without seeking cultivation.

This disciple may or may not pass on the teachings.

This is because the best methods are already learned through practice.

The Immortal took a candle and instructed Wang Chongyang to give it to the Great Sage Water Ape. He had often heard that the Great Sage Water Ape read at night in his library, and he used this candle to teach him how to read at night, as well as to encourage him.

Wang Chongyang took the candle and handed it to the Great Sage Water Ape. The candle went out just as it was being placed in front of the Great Sage Water Ape.

Wang Chongyang felt helpless, but he had no choice but to explain the reason to the Great Sage Water Ape.

Upon hearing this, the Great Sage of the Water Ape was taken aback, then accepted the candle and thanked the immortal.

The master smiled and nodded, and the disciples in the class dispersed. Only after all the disciples had left did he leave the high platform and return to his meditation room. He would then go into seclusion and cultivate, and would only appear again when he began to expound on the Great Dao.

True masters often spend months in quiet meditation; this is the norm.

The disciples in the manor were also used to it. Even if a disciple wanted to leave, he would seek out Zhenjian, who would naturally let him go. Therefore, no one disturbed the True Man.

However, on this day, something changed. Around the first watch of the night, a furtive figure quietly entered the front of the quiet room, hesitated there, and dared not come closer.

The True Man naturally sensed that someone was outside the quiet room. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was a monkey-like creature. He initially thought it was Sun Wukong, but upon further inspection, he realized that it was not Sun Wukong, but the Great Sage of the Water Ape.

He found it amusing. How could this fellow be acting like Sun Wukong, sneaking over like a ghost, as if to see what this guy was up to?

The master sat with his eyes closed on the futon, without making a sound.

The Great Sage of the Water Ape crept up and peered through the window. He saw that the True Man had his eyes closed, and for a moment he dared not approach, for fear of disturbing the True Man.

The Great Sage of the Water Ape was so anxious that he scratched his ears and cheeks, but he had no choice but to stand there and wait.

After waiting for an unknown amount of time, I suddenly heard a sound beside my ear.

"Your heart is troubled. It is now the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), why are you not sleeping, but have come here to me? What is the reason for this?"

The Great Sage of the Water Ape was startled and hurriedly looked up. He saw that the real person had opened his eyes at some point and was looking at him.

The Great Sage of the Water Ape quickly bowed and said, "This disciple had no intention of disturbing you, please forgive me, Master!"

The master smiled and said, "Come closer now, there's no need to stay outside."

Upon hearing this, the Great Sage of the Water Ape entered the quiet room, bowed again, and said, "Master, this disciple has been impolite."

The master said, "Don't say that. Tell me, what brings you here today?"

The Great Sage of the Water Ape said hesitantly, "My master taught me to come here."

The man found it both strange and amusing, and asked, "When did I tell you to come here?"

The Great Sage of the Water Ape pondered for a moment before answering, saying, "Master, but you instructed my eldest brother to fetch a candle for me, and the candle went out once in front of me. Isn't that instructing me to come and pay my respects to you at the first watch of the night? Could it be that I have misunderstood something?"

The master was both amused and exasperated, and asked, "From whom did you learn this skill?"

The Great Sage of the Water Ape said, "It was my Uncle Wukong who told me about his past cultivation, which is why I know about it now."

When the immortal heard this, how could he not know that it was Sun Wukong who had spoken to him, making the Great Sage of the Water Ape realize that he had sent him candles so that he could come here at the first watch of the night to preach the Dao?

The master had no choice but to say, “That’s not what I meant. But I heard Zheng Yuan say that you often read in the library until late at night, so I gave you a candle so that you could read more clearly, and also as encouragement. It’s not what you think.”

Upon hearing this, how could the Great Sage of the Water Ape not understand? It was because he had been overthinking and had misjudged the situation.

The Great Sage of the Water Ape hurriedly bowed and said, "Master, it was my oversight that led me to come. Please forgive me, Master. I will never do it again."

The immortal gently flicked his sleeve, and a breeze swept by as he helped the Water Ape Great Sage to his feet, saying, "Rest assured, I have never intended to offend you. Xinjiang, you have cultivated in the manor for many years, but I have never taught you any methods. Have you ever resented me?"

The Great Sage of the Water Ape shook his head and said, "No."

The master smiled and said, “It’s not that I haven’t taught you the ways of the world. I originally intended to teach you, but after much thought, I realized that your skills are already quite good. If I were to teach you some unorthodox methods, it would be of little use. It would be better for you to keep busy in the manor and cultivate your mind through asceticism. This may be the best way for you to cultivate. Once you have achieved success in cultivating your mind, I will then teach you some unorthodox methods. That would be even better for you. I hope you understand my intention.”

Upon hearing this, the Great Sage of the Water Ape was moved to tears and immediately submitted to the True Man.

(End of this chapter)