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

Chapter 80: Monkey King Climbs the Mountain
Before I knew it, half a month had passed and it was already warm and gentle.

Jiang Yuan swallowed the miraculous elixir, and it indeed stabilized his root. The reason was that when the golden elixir was formed, the energy in the body was consumed, and this root was empty, which was unstable. He had to cultivate his nature quietly to preserve his root. Now that he had swallowed the miraculous elixir, it made his root much more stable. He didn't need to spend more time to make his root firm.

After his foundation was solidified, he began to practice the "Hundred Eight Great Methods" taught by his ancestor. He first practiced the Earthly Evil Numbers. During this time, he was able to "open up one orifice and all orifices will be opened up". Within three days, he had learned the Earthly Evil Numbers by 30% to 40%.

He was originally devoted to practicing the 108 Great Dharmas.

One day, they suddenly heard the master calling for everyone to gather and start preaching the great truth. Jiang Yuan walked up and sat at the head of the group. He was dressed in plain clothes, and his immortal appearance was not covered by the clothes. People were afraid of him, because he had such a majestic aura that no demon or monster dared to approach him.

All the disciples entered the class and paid their respects to Jiang Yuan before taking their seats. Jiang Yuan greeted them all to put them at ease and listen to the teachings attentively.

The master had just gotten off the bed and was preaching on the platform when he suddenly paused, looked outside the palace, and said, "Just now, a cultivator came up from the foot of the mountain. Everyone calm down and wait for a while to listen to the sermon."

When everyone heard this, they felt dissatisfied and thought that they should not wait for others and that it was a waste of time.

Jiang Yuan was not impatient, sitting cross-legged in the class. Didn't he hear that those who heard the Tao were all the same? Waiting for those who practiced Tao, why not waiting for yourself? If you are impatient, you will be confused.

Zhenjian sat behind him, also sitting cross-legged with a calm mind, not disturbed by the master's words.

……

Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

The Monkey King climbed up to look at the mountain, and saw that it was a mountain with thousands of peaks and towering mountains. It was indeed a sacred mountain and a blessed land for immortals. Walking among the mountains, he saw "thin vines entwined around old trees, an ancient ferry crossing a secluded path, the sound of birds singing nearby, and clear and resonant springs."

Not long after they walked, the Monkey King suddenly heard a sound beside his ear.

The good Monkey King listened attentively, and thought it was a fairy song. The song had a fairy-like air about it, and it made him feel peaceful.

The Monkey King was filled with joy, thinking to himself, "Such heavenly music must be caused by those three beings living here. Those three beings are immortals, Buddhas, and divine beings. I really don't know what kind of people live here!"

The monkey king hurriedly jumped in and pushed aside the grass and trees. He saw a woodcutter chopping wood with an axe. The monkey king stepped forward and bowed: "Old immortal, your disciple pays respect to you with all his heart!"

The woodcutter was frightened and put down his axe. He turned around and said, "I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it! How dare an old man like me to claim the words of a god?"

The Monkey King scratched his head and asked anxiously, "Brother, brother! Since you are not a fairy, how can you sing fairy songs and music?"

The woodcutter asked, "When did I sing the fairy songs and music?"

The Monkey King said, "I heard it before, isn't it the fairy songs and music?"

The woodcutter was so amused when he heard this that he pointed at the Monkey King and said, "You don't know that this is not fairy music, but a moral truth! It was passed down from my ancestors. They had a long relationship with the immortals in the mountains, so the immortals passed down this truth to me. It can only help you solve your problems. You don't deserve to call me an immortal. If you want to learn, I will teach you."

The Monkey King was overjoyed and said, "Are there really immortals in the mountains?"

The woodcutter nodded and said, "Yes, yes! The Immortal Palace is not far from my home!"

The Monkey King said, "Since you live not far from the Immortal's Palace, why don't you worship the Immortal as your master?"

The woodcutter said, "I have an old mother to take care of me. Besides, practicing Buddhism is very useful. I have plenty of firewood at home. I will go back to my hometown and become a rich guest."

The Monkey King advised: "You don't know how many years you can be rich and noble like this. If you live forever, wealth and nobleness will be within your reach."

The woodcutter pointed to a place and said, "Go, go, go! It's different. How can I be as carefree as you? The Immortal Palace is right there. Just go there. There are two immortals in the Immortal Palace, an old immortal and a young immortal. The young immortal is approachable and easy to get along with."

The Monkey King heard this and took note of it, saying, "What does a deity look like?" The woodcutter said, "Deities have their own deity appearances. You will know what a deity is when you see it."

The Monkey King turned around and advised again: "Brother, I will never forget your kindness in guiding me. Why don't you come with me?"

The woodcutter said, "Why do you say that? I told you long ago that I won't go! Go by yourself, go by yourself!"

Upon hearing this, the Monkey King had no choice but to bow again, say goodbye and go away. He follows the path in the mountains and forests, following the woodcutter's instructions, all the way up. Before long, he saw a fairy cave in front of him.

The monkey was overjoyed. He walked to the fairy cave, but did not dare to go near. He just waited outside the door.

……

On the Yaotai, the Patriarch looked outside the palace and said, "Guangxin, go to the outside of the cave to welcome a cultivator."

Jiang Yuan sang a greeting, stood up and left the class, heading out of the cave. After a while, he arrived outside the cave, opened the middle door, and suddenly saw a monkey with a hairy face and a thunder god's mouth waiting outside the door.

When the monkey saw him, he bowed and said, "God, God! I pay my respects to you with all my heart. I pay my respects to you with all my heart. I hope you will show mercy and accept me as your disciple!"

Jiang Yuan was calm, he bent down and helped the monkey up, he only regarded it as a cultivator, he said: "I am also a disciple of the immortal in the cave, I am a cultivator, how can you worship me."

The monkey said, "I didn't know what immortals look like, but when I saw the immortals approaching, I knew what they looked like. They all said that immortals are kind and compassionate. Please accept me as your disciple!"

Jiang Yuan said, "You don't know that I am a cultivator and cannot accept you. Just now my master was preaching on the platform and suddenly said that there is a cultivator. It must be you. If you want to become my disciple, just follow me and enter the door."

The monkey listened for a long time before he realized that he could not worship Jiang Yuan. He just said, "It's me, it's me! I hope the gods can lead me to the gate. I will never forget your kindness!"

Jiang Yuan said: "Come in with me."

Say it.

He brought the monkey into the Sanxing Cave, but saw that the monkey learned human etiquette, dressing neatly and respectfully, and no one dared to act rashly.

Jiang Yuan brought the monkey to the Yaotai, and he joined the class.

The monkey came forward, bowed down, and kowtowed, knocking his head to the ground, saying, "God, God! I have come here with all my heart to become your disciple! Please accept me as your disciple!"

This monkey is imitating human's appearance, which makes the disciples laugh at him. How can any monkey come to become his disciple?

In the class, only Jiang Yuan and Zhen Jian were waiting solemnly. Those who heard the truth did not laugh even if they looked extremely ugly. Here, laughing at others was like laughing at oneself.

The master asked, "Where are you from? Please tell me your hometown, name and surname, and then I will bow again."

The monkey said, "I am from the Water Curtain Cave in the Flower and Fruit Mountain in the Aolai Country of the Dongsheng Divine Continent!"

The master asked again: "From here to Dongsheng Shenzhou, there are two great oceans and one Nanzhanbuzhou. How do you get there?"

The monkey said sincerely, "I sailed across the ocean and first arrived in Jambudvīpa. Walking through the streets and alleys, I suddenly heard a strange phenomenon coming from the east. It was because I knew the terrain well and had many years of experience that I came here by smelling the fragrance."

The master looked at Jiang Yuan in the class and realized that it was the boy's immortal incense that attracted the monkey. He smiled and said, "Guangxin, I didn't expect that you were here."

Jiang Yuan walked out of the class and said, "Master, this is the law of fate."

(End of this chapter)