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

Chapter 86 Don't learn, don't learn

The master called the disciples in the palace to start preaching. The disciples of Sanxing Immortal Cave gathered and sat in the class to listen to the master preaching.

Jiang Yuan sat at the head of the class, and all the other disciples respected and feared him, and all of them submitted to him. Zhen Jian sat at the second seat in the class, but the monkey was also well-behaved and sat at the end of the class.

Jiang Yuan looked at the monkey. He had profound magical powers and saw that the monkey's body was light and that many of the cause and effect had gone away. These events over the years were determined by the monkey's nature. None of the disciples in the fairy cave had the monkey's nature.

This monkey’s aspiration to the Tao is no less than that of his past.

When the master saw his disciples gathered together, he began to lecture on the great principles, explaining the truths of the three schools of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism.

When Jiang Yuan heard the wonderful sound, he felt that his body and mind were purified. He thought that the master had mysterious magical powers and that all kinds of wonderful Dharmas came out of his words, which made people intoxicated. Even after he attained enlightenment, he was still fascinated by the sound.

This is not the case for all the disciples in the class. When the master starts to preach the great truth, if the disciples are calm, they will be able to listen. But if they are restless, no matter how hard they listen, they will not be able to hear.

There is a saying that goes, "When the mind arises, all kinds of demons arise; when the mind ceases, all kinds of demons cease." When demons arise, the mind is uneasy. If demons are strong, disasters will surely occur, and the six thieves will multiply. Therefore, "the eyes see joy, the ears hear anger, the nose smells love, the tongue tastes thoughts, the opinions are desires, and the body is worried." This encourages the two spirits and obscures the original spirit.

However, the students in the class also have their own mental obstacles. Those who have learned the skills are worried that they cannot compare with others, while those who have not learned the skills are wondering when they will be able to learn them.

How can one, for the sake of his life, learn so many tricks and show off?

When the master was halfway through his sermon, he suddenly saw Sun Wukong scratching his ears and cheeks, grinning, and then dancing with his hands. All the disciples in the class resented him very much and secretly cursed him as a vulgar and weird monster.

Jiang Yuan looked over and knew that the monkey's karma had been eliminated and his heart was at peace. He was able to hear the wonderful sound, so he looked happy.

The master saw this and pointed at Sun Wukong and asked, "Wukong, why are you like this in the class? Why don't you listen to me?"

Sun Wukong left the class and bowed, saying, "Master, please don't blame me! It's because I just heard the wonderful music for the first time. I was so happy that I jumped up and down unconsciously. I hope Master will forgive me!"

The Patriarch looked around with his Dharma eyes, knowing the reason, and then asked: "You are not guilty of hearing the wonderful sound for the first time. Let me ask you, how long have you been my disciple?"

Wukong said, "Master, I am ignorant and don't know the weather. I only remember that there is a mountain behind the mountain. There is a peach tree in the mountain. It bears fruit once a year. I don't know if there is anyone to take care of the peach tree. But I saw that the people in the mountains were simple and honest. I didn't dare to take too much. I only took a little to fill my stomach. I think it has been six or seven years now."

The master said, "It has been six or seven years. Now that you know Miaoyin, I will teach you the secret. What do you want to learn?"

Wukong said happily: "With Master's teachings, I think there is some Taoism in it, so I will learn from it."

When the master heard this, he looked at Jiang Tong'er and found that this monkey was quite similar to him. He said, "There are 360 ​​side doors in the Dao Sect. If you want to teach you, how about I teach you a technique from the 'Skill' Sect?"

Wukong said, "Master, what do you mean, what do you mean?"

The ancestor said: "The way in this 'art' is to ask the gods to help, to ask for divination and to cast yarrow stalks, to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune. If you learn it, you can avoid the three disasters and keep yourself from disasters."

Wukong scratched his head and said, "Master, I am an honest disciple and I don't understand the tricks. But please enlighten me, Master. Can I achieve immortality with this trick?"

The ancestor shook his head and said, "No, no!"

Wukong said: "No, no!"

The master asked again: "So, I will teach you the way of the 'flow' sect. This sect's way is the theory of hundreds of schools."

Wukong asked again: "Can I achieve immortality this way?"

The master shook his head again: "No, it's like 'putting a pillar in the wall'."

Wukong was so anxious that he scratched his head and asked, "Master, what is a pillar in the wall?" The master said, "When people build a house, if they want it to be strong, they must put a pillar between the walls. However, if one day the building collapses, the pillar will decay. This is called a pillar in the wall."

Wukong understood and waved his hands, saying, "My master said this won't last long. I won't learn it!"

The master said, "You are a greedy person. Are you interested in learning the Dao of the 'quiet' and the Dao of the 'movement'? If I can teach you, I will pass them on to you as well."

Wukong said happily, "Master, what do you mean, what do you mean?"

The master said, "Listen to me. The way of the 'quiet' school is to rest and guard the grain, be quiet and do nothing, meditate, abstain from speech and fast, or practice sleeping skills, or practice standing skills, and enter into a state of meditation. The way of the 'moving' school is to rub the navel to pass the qi, use prescriptions, burn grass and beat the cauldron, take red lead, refine autumn stone, and take women's milk. If you can teach all of them, I will teach you all of them."

Wukong was not moved when he heard this, and asked, "Master, can this lead to immortality?"

The master shook his head and said, "To desire immortality is like catching the moon in the water."

Wukong asked: "Why try to catch the moon in the water?"

The master replied: "The moon is in the sky, and its shadow is in the water. You can see it, but you can't catch it, so it's called 'fishing for the moon in the water'."

When Wukong heard this, he shook his head: "I won't learn it, I won't learn it!"

Jiang Yuan smiled when he saw this. This monkey was a man of unwavering faith in Taoism and was devoted to immortality. The ancestor's teachings of a few side techniques did not sway him.

When the master heard what Wukong said, he took out a ruler, pointed at Wukong, stood up from the altar, walked to the class, and said, "Monkey! You don't want to learn this, and you don't want to learn that, what are you going to do?"

Say it.

The master hit Wukong three times, then put his hands behind his back and walked to Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan understood what he meant, and he supported the master with his hand and went down to the Yaotai.

The Patriarch and Jiang Yuan walked to the middle gate and closed it, but did not preach.

Everyone in the class was shocked and angry, and complained, saying, "You rude monkey! Master taught you the way because it was your destiny. You don't learn this and that, and you anger Master. What can we do?"

The crowds were all different. Those who had learned the art and were impetuous despised and hated Wukong. Those who had not learned the art and were jealous had evil intentions.

Wukong was not annoyed, but smiled apologetically. He secretly solved the mystery in the plate. He thought that the master hit him three times to teach him to be mindful at three o'clock in the morning. The master put his hands behind his back and closed the middle door, so he told him to take a small path to the back of the stage without letting anyone know. Then he went in front of the eldest senior brother to teach him to get the eldest senior brother's intention first, so that he could teach him the secret way of immortality.

……

In the quiet room.

Jiang Yuan served the master and returned here. He was also a spiritual person. How could he not know the mystery in the master's plate? He said, "Master, why do you just teach and merge your disciples into the sect?"

The master sat cross-legged on the cushion and said with a smile: "Boy, just sharpen his mind. If you can make his mind calm, let him go. If you can't teach him, just ask him to sharpen himself."

Jiang Yuan had no choice but to accept and bowed, saying, "Master, Junior Brother Wukong's character is of the highest quality. However, Junior Brother is the one created by heaven and earth. If you teach him to become a Taoist, I'm afraid that the host and the guest will be reversed, causing disasters."

The master said, "My boy, remember that the truth is at your feet. If you and I advise others and they don't listen, then forget it."

(End of this chapter)