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

Chapter 87 Wukong obtains immortality
Jiang Yuan understood immediately after hearing this and bowed, "Master, I understand."

The master smiled and said, "I have not even finished half of my sermon, but you have not heard it all. Find a cushion and I will start my sermon so that you can hear it all."

Jiang Yuan thanked the master for his kindness and took a cushion to sit on.

The master then preached the Tao to Jiang Tong'er, and most of his teachings were from Taoist scriptures.

Jiang Yuan entered into a state of meditation and listened to the teachings, as if he were fascinated and intoxicated.

Preaching and practicing Buddhism are different.

Half a day later, he finally finished the story.

Jiang Yuan was about to leave.

The master stopped him and asked, "Boy, have you mastered the universe in your sleeve?"

Jiang Yuan replied, "Master, I have learned the whole thing, but I have not tried it yet. I don't know how it works, so I haven't told you the good news yet."

The master smiled and said, "You try to do it to me."

Jiang Yuan asked: "Where should we try?"

The master said, "Don't hesitate, try it on me in the room."

Jiang Yuan didn't hesitate when he heard it. He chanted a spell and used the technique of "The World in the Sleeves". He spread out his sleeves lightly and went into the room. He didn't dare to offend the master and just went to the place in front of the master.

With one move, he covered all the futons, desks, and beds in the classroom and put them into his sleeves. The world in this sleeve is a great skill. Once it is put in, it cannot be taken out. It must be untied from the outside. If it is untied from the inside, the sleeve will be soft when rubbed by hand, but it will be harder than steel if hit.

Jiang Yuan put half of the room's contents into his sleeves, and put the contents back to their original places. He said, "Master, this is the Universe in Your Sleeves."

The master praised him with a smile, "You are indeed smart, boy. I will teach you to learn the whole thing of the world in your sleeve, but you should just practice it. When you can master it and use it without reciting the formula, you will be amazing."

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, I should learn more about it."

The master said, "Boy, you have learned a lot from this experience. Have you realized anything?"

Jiang Yuan replied: "Master, I feel that my supernatural powers are similar to those when I was practicing the Golden Elixir righteous way."

The master smiled and asked, "What do you mean?"

Jiang Yuan pondered for a long time and said, "Learning supernatural powers is similar to practicing the golden elixir. For example, the universe in the sleeve, like the 'standing tripod', the hundred and eight great methods, involve a lot, and have many similarities with the seven steps of the golden elixir."

The master nodded and said, "What the boy said makes sense, it makes sense! How do you think the golden elixir can be the right way? This way is difficult, this way is mysterious, and it is difficult to achieve the way without meeting a wonderful person. If I teach you to practice this way, it will be very easy for you to practice supernatural powers. This is because when you practiced the right way, you had already learned many types."

Jiang Yuan said: "I owe everything to Master, and I am where I am today."

The master said, "I am not completely convinced of my merit. Your heart of Taoism is unshakable, so you should go and take a rest. I will teach you a way to protect yourself someday."

Jiang Yuan sang the greetings and left the quiet room after the ceremony.

……

When Master Jiang returned to his room, he knew that the monkey would come at night, so he did not meditate in silence. Instead, he sat cross-legged on a cushion, took a bamboo slip, and intended to write a book.

What he recorded was not the orthodox way of the golden elixir. This way was difficult and would never be passed on lightly. There were many secrets in the way that were not passed on. How could he record it down? He had listened to lectures by people in the mansion in the past, and had some insights into the side doors. It was okay to record them down to complete the library.

Before I knew it, it was already late, around midnight.

Jiang Yuan felt something and looked through the half-open door. He saw a monkey there adjusting the air in and out of his nostrils and approaching on tiptoe. He said with a smile, "How can anyone find out from outside? We must use fire to burn him to death."

The monkey outside was horrified when he heard this. He suddenly appeared and bowed, saying, "Brother, it's me! Don't burn it, don't burn it!"

Jiang Yuan smiled, put down his pen, pointed at the monkey, and said: "You monkey! Why don't you go to sleep in front? Why do you come to me in the middle of the night like a thief?" Wukong said: "Big brother, I came here to help you with your difficulties. After you pass the difficulties, I will go to the master and learn the secret of immortality."

Jiang Yuan said: "When did Master say this, Wukong, those who practice cultivation should avoid such things."

Wukong said, "Brother, please don't fool me. This is a riddle from Master, but I know it."

Jiang Yuan was amazed when he heard this, and thought to himself: "This monkey is indeed born from heaven and earth. This kind of understanding is amazing, amazing! Compared with Zhenjian, it is much better. If Zhenjian had a little understanding, he would have understood the primordial spirit long ago."

He then said, "Wukong, since you know the riddle, I will not hide it from you. I will ask you a question. If you answer it well, I will let you go. If I am not satisfied, then you will return empty-handed."

Wukong bowed and said, "Just ask it, Senior Brother."

Jiang Yuan sat cross-legged on a cushion and said, "If there are sentient beings on the path of cultivation who need your help, what will you do?"

Wukong replied, "Brother, although the three schools of thought of the disciples in the mansion are not bad, and they talk about compassion, I have ascended to the world and traveled around. I know that people have no self-cultivation and act for fame and gain. If I ask them to practice, they will be despised. If sentient beings want me to save them, I cannot save them. It is just a favor to guide them. Tell me the way."

Jiang Yuankan sighed and said, "Wukong, you are similar to me. If you want to find the right way, you must be taught to cultivate your mind. Do you understand?"

Wukong said again: "Brother, I understand."

Jiang Yuan waved his hand and said, "Then you can go."

Wukong bowed and retreated.

Jiang Yuan looked around. He didn't know what Wukong would be like in the future. Would he be as unruly, rebellious and arrogant as in the dream Journey to the West? However, he knew that Wukong was a cultivator at this moment. He had a good character and excellent understanding. He was a person who practiced the right way. It would be interesting to see what Wukong would become.

Jiang Yuan waved his sleeves lightly, a breeze blew in, and he closed the door tightly, writing a book.

……

But Wukong left Jiang Yuan's meditation room and turned to the master's meditation room. When he got closer, he saw that the door of the master's meditation room was also half open. He walked forward and entered the room. The master was sitting cross-legged on a cushion with his eyes pretending to close.

Wukong stepped forward and knelt down, saying, "Master."

The master just opened his eyes and said, "Why are you here, you monkey?"

Wukong said: "Master, I know the secret, so I came here to learn the Dao."

The master asked, "What is the mystery?"

Wukong replied, "Master hit me three times in front of the altar during the day and told me to come back at three o'clock in the morning. He also closed the middle door with my elder brother, so that I could learn the Dao through the back door according to my elder brother's intention."

When the master heard this, he thought to himself, "This fellow must have been born of heaven and earth, otherwise how could he have figured out the mystery on my plate. I have a boy in my house who has inherited my mantle and bowl, and another who has true insight to assist him. I never thought there would be another one who practices the righteous way."

Wukong stepped forward and said, "Master, there is no Liuer here. I hope you will be merciful and teach me the way to immortality. I will never forget your kindness!"

The master said: "Since you have solved the mystery in the plate, you have the predestined relationship. I will teach you the right way. If you practice this way, you can achieve immortality."

Wukong kowtowed and said, "Master, please teach me!"

The master said, "Come closer and I will teach you the true way."

Wukong washed his ears attentively, moved closer, and heard the wonderful Tao.

The master then passed on the correct way to make the golden elixir to Wukong.

Wukong wrote down the formulas carefully, bowed three times to the master, then left the quiet room and went back to his residence along the old route, not daring to disturb everyone else.

(End of this chapter)