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

Chapter 93: The Cause and Effect of the Underworld, Luojia Mountain (4k)

In the country of Uli, Jiang Yuan listened to the old man's words. This country was far away from the sea, so he didn't care much about it. He just said to enter the country of Uli.

Jiang Yuan sent the white deer to travel around the country of Uli and wander through the alleys. He had such an immortal air that many people followed him, surrounding him and walking with him. The immortals did not care much and just kept walking forward.

After walking for two or three days, they arrived at a shop and suddenly heard wailing and sobbing sounds. Master Jiang asked the white deer to stop and was moved. He looked in the direction of the house and saw a young man stamping his feet, beating his chest, and stroking the coffin with deep sorrow. There was a funeral in the family.

Jiang Yuan suddenly realized how he got here. It turned out that this boy had a predestined relationship with him, and Bai Lu came unintentionally. However, he was not very talented, and this was not the time for him to open a school and accept disciples.

He and this child have a predestined Dharma, but the timing is not right, so this predestined Dharma cannot be realized, so there is no master-disciple relationship. For a master and a disciple, predestined Dharma and timing are all indispensable. If the teacher has not yet completed his accomplishments, and the disciple arrives, there is no Dharma to be passed on. If the teacher has completed his accomplishments, but the disciple has not arrived, there is also no Dharma to be passed on.

Jiang Yuan sighed inwardly, "My teachings are still shallow, and if I teach them, I will mislead people. Stop, stop, stop! Let's see why this person is crying like this."

He dismounted the white deer and walked forward. When he got closer, he stopped an old man and asked, "Brother, brother! I am a cultivator, and I am traveling here today. I saw this family was in mourning, and the man was stamping his feet and beating his chest. I don't know what it is, so I stopped you. If I disturb you, please don't blame me."

The old man saw Jiang Yuan's immortal appearance and bowed, saying, "Master, I have not disturbed you, I have not disturbed you. This person is the Liu family of Wuli. It is said that they are a family that fled from far away and have settled here for two or three generations. Now Liu's mother has died, so his son is crying. His son is a filial gentleman, which is really rare."

Jiang Yuan supported the old man and said, "Brother, you don't have to be so polite. Life and death are determined by fate and cannot be forced. This child is like this, I'm afraid he wants to commit suicide to follow his mother. How come no one in the family stopped him?"

The old man said, "Master, you don't know. This man is the only child in his family, so no one would stop him. And Liu's mother shouldn't have died. I really don't know why."

Jiang Yuan tied the white deer beside him and said, "How can you say it shouldn't die?"

The old man said, "On the day of Liu's mother's death, someone saw a dead person being brought in, and they asked, 'Where is Lao?' Lao was a seriously ill person, but Liu's mother was healthy. Somehow, Liu's mother died, but Lao did not die, and his illness got better. Everyone said that they had brought the wrong person."

Jiang Yuan heard this and recalled all the things that happened in the past. Back then, the underworld had taken the wrong person and almost took him away. It was because the ancestor protected him that he was safe. He had a grudge against the underworld. When he was free, he would go to the underworld.

He said, "It is like this. Why don't I go in and give him some advice so as not to make him sad?"

The old man said, "Master, please go, please go!"

Jiang Yuan gently stroked the white deer, telling it not to cause trouble. He then walked into the house and said, "Life and death are determined by fate. Don't let sadness get to your heart and hurt your mind."

Liu's son looked up and saw the immortal figure. He wept and said, "Master, my mother has passed away. I am filled with sorrow."

Jiang Yuan said: "You served your parents well, being filial to them when they were alive and loyal to them after they died. You have prepared their coffin, coffin, clothes and quilts, and you have done enough."

Liu's son said, "Master, I heard that my mother was the one who deceived the dead, not that she died. How can I not be sad? If my mother died of natural causes, how can I be sad? As a son, if my mother deceives her and dies, and I am powerless to do anything, this is unfilial. People like me should die quickly and go to the underworld to protect my mother."

Jiang Yuan said, "Whether it is a mistake or not, I have no idea. Why don't I ask the local land and then we can get some information."

When Liu heard this, he bowed his head to the ground and said, "Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!"

Jiang Yuan helped him up, chanted a spell, and asked the land god of Wuli country to come and ask. After a while, the land god appeared, walked into the house, bowed and said: "Goddess, I am here, I don't know why you call me."

Jiang Yuan said, "You are the governor of Wuli country, do you know about the Liu family's affairs? I heard that Liu's mother was mistakenly taken away. Have you seen it?"

The land god bowed again and said, "It is true, it is true! We cannot stop it. The one who took the dead took the wrong person and went back to the underworld."

Jiang Yuan said: "Isn't this your fault?"

The land god was terrified and bowed, "Goddess, there is a document to seduce the dead, and I couldn't stop it. I didn't know that I had seduce the wrong person. By the time I found out, it was too late. Because I am a lowly person and my words are not taken seriously, I can't do anything. I beg Goddess to forgive me!"

Jiang Yuan said, "Forget it, forget it, forget it! I won't make it difficult for you, just go ahead."

The land god bowed and said, "Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir! I am leaving now!"

Say it.

The land slipped away underground and disappeared.

Liu's son came over, knelt on the ground, and said sadly: "I heard that my mother was deceived by mistake. She didn't deserve to die, but was taken away by the underworld. As a son, I must avenge this. I know that Master has great magical powers, but I know that I have no relatives or friends. I dare not embarrass Master, but please show me the way to the underworld. I will give away my family wealth, buy weapons in the market, and go to the underworld to protect my mother."

Jiang Yuan said: "You really don't need my help?"

Liu's son said, "This has nothing to do with the master, how can I ask the master to help me?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "You are such a gentleman. I won't hide it from you. We are predestined to be master and disciple, but not in this life. The timing is not right. I heard your mother died and you are very sad. But it's because your mother was taken to the underworld by mistake. I often hear that 'people have a life span, but also a death span'. I think your mother is still in the underworld, so I will go to Luojia Mountain. If your mother's body is still intact when I return, I will help her return to the world. If not, I can't save her."

Liu's son said sadly, "Master, how can I keep my mother's body in such a hot summer?"

Jiang Yuan said: "I have my own method here to help your mother's body not be affected by the four seasons, but if you do something that causes damage to the body, I can't help you."

Liu fell to his knees, kowtowed countless times, and said, "Thank you, Master. Thank you, Master!"

Jiang Yuan said: "I don't know how many years this journey will take. Whether your mother is alive or not depends on you."

Say it.

He blew some magical air into the coffin, walked out of the house, and led the white deer outside, intending to leave the country of Uri and go to the South China Sea.

Just as Jiang Yuan was riding the white deer out, a dozen young men knelt on the road, wanting to follow Jiang Yuan to practice far away.

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "The Tao is right under your feet, why do you need to learn from me?"

The immortal ignored the dozen young men and rode his white deer towards the sea.

……

However, it is said that the Monkey King was in high spirits in the Three Stars Immortal Cave, showing off his skills, so the master ordered him to be driven away and not to be allowed to stay in the palace. He also said, "You are not allowed to say that he came from the Three Stars Immortal Cave. If you say even a word, he will come personally, skin the Monkey King, grind his bones, and banish his soul to the nine netherworlds, so that the Monkey King will never be able to turn over." These are very serious words.

The Monkey King left the Sanxing Immortal Cave, but was refused to pay homage to his eldest senior brother. So he had to return to the Dongsheng Continent and to the Water Curtain Cave in the Flower-Fruit Mountain.

The good Monkey King, upon his return, destroyed the King of Chaos, and practiced martial arts every day, and taught his monkeys and descendants, using the "Art of War" he learned from the books in the Sanxing Immortal Cave. They set up camp, raised flags, and sounded whistles, using military training methods.

The Monkey King saw the monkeys and their descendants forming an army, and thought about the weapons in their hands, which were ordinary items. Most of the monkeys and their descendants used bamboo poles and wooden swords as weapons. He suddenly thought of Jiang Yuan and said to himself, "In the past, when I tried my magic power with my eldest brother, the robe he wore and the tripod on his waist were both extraordinary items. If I had a magic weapon at that time, the outcome would still be uncertain. But I need a magic weapon now. If I have a magic weapon, I will definitely win if I meet my eldest brother again in the future and try it out."

The Monkey King was getting angry and didn't know where to find a magic weapon, but he waved his hand and called four old monkeys over, and told them the whole story.

The four old monkeys heard this and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, if you want to learn about weapons, we have them in the country of Aolai, which is adjacent to the Flower-Fruit Mountain. But most of the weapons there are ordinary ones, and Your Majesty is a divine being, so ordinary weapons are not useful to you. However, there is an entrance to the sea under the iron bridge of our Water Curtain Cave, and there is a Dragon Palace in the East China Sea, which has countless treasures. Why don't you ask the Dragon King for a weapon? That will definitely be useful to you."

The Monkey King was overjoyed and said, "That's how it should be, that's how it should be! After I heard the truth, I have the ability to transform into 72 different forms, and I will be immortal for eternity. With one somersault I can travel 108,000 miles. I have a path to heaven and a door to the earth. I can walk on the sun and moon without a shadow, and can enter metal and stone without hindrance. There are few in the three realms who can defeat me, and I shall wield the divine weapon."

The Monkey King was excited and was about to go into the sea to find a way out. …

Time flies so fast that half a month has passed without me noticing.

Jiang Yuan rode the white deer to the South China Sea. He did not ride anymore, but used his magic to take the white deer away. Then he raised auspicious clouds and traveled 240,000 miles to the depths of the South China Sea.

But in the depths of the South China Sea, 'a thousand layers of snowy waves roar in the blue sky, and ten thousand layers of smoke waves roll in the daytime.'

The Immortal didn't know where Mount Luojia was, so he followed the auspicious clouds, concentrated his energy and eyes, and finally took a look. He saw five-colored light rising in the south, which was just as the ancestor said, "The place where the five-colored light rises is Mount Luojia." He jumped and went to the place where the light was.

When we got closer, we took a closer look and saw what a beautiful Luojia Mountain it was. Five-colored lights were rising from the mountain peaks, and all kinds of auspicious grasses were swaying in the sun and the moon. There were glazed tiles in front of the Guanyin Temple, and the tortoise shell paved the entrance to the Chaoyin Cave. There were often spirits in the purple bamboo forest. It was really a wonderful place, a blessed land for immortals.

As Jiang Yuan got closer, a guardian deity appeared and asked, "Who is coming?"

Jiang Yuan pressed the auspicious cloud and said, "I am Guangxin, the eldest disciple of Bodhi Patriarch in the Three Star Cave of the Slanting Moon in Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. It is because Guanyin Bodhisattva invited my master to attend the Dharma Assembly. My master was in meditation and had no intention of coming, so he specially asked me to attend the Dharma Assembly. If I have offended you, please don't blame me, please don't blame me!"

The guardian deity held the iron staff firmly and bowed, saying, "I didn't expect you to be Master Guangxin! I am Hui'an, a great disciple of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva."

Jiang Yuan responded by saying, "It is you, Hui An Xing. I am so disrespectful."

Hui An said, "Master, I failed to welcome you. Please follow me into the mountain."

Say it.

The traveler Hui'an met Jiang Yuan and went to the Purple Bamboo Grove of Mount Luojia. When they entered the forest, they saw a banquet set up in the forest. It was a lively place with Arhats, Jieti, Bodhisattvas, Vajra, Bhikkhus, nuns and others there. Infinite light was visible, but the Dharma Assembly had not yet been completed. All kinds of Buddhas were talking about the Buddha.

The traveler Hui An said, "Master Guangxin, please follow me and meet our master."

Jiang Yuan said: "That's exactly what it should be."

The monk Hui'an led Jiang Yuan into the forest and after a while they arrived at Chaoyin Cave, where they went in to report to Guanyin Bodhisattva.

When Guanyin Bodhisattva called him in, Jiang Yuan went into the cave, walked to the lotus platform, bowed and said, "Guangxin greets the Bodhisattva."

Guanyin Bodhisattva said, "Stand up, Brother Bodhi hasn't come yet?"

Jiang Yuan said: "My master is in meditation and has no time, so he asked me to attend the Dharma Assembly."

The Bodhisattva said: "Guangxin has already achieved enlightenment, so he can attend the Dharma Assembly. When I first met Guangxin, his mind was about to calm down. It is still a long way to go to achieve enlightenment, but with hundreds of years of human time, it will be accomplished."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "It's probably because of my master's contribution."

The Bodhisattva said: "There are many brothers and sisters on the Bodhi path, but none is like you."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "I am just an ordinary person."

The Bodhisattva smiled and said, "You are so broad-minded and humble. It is hard to find someone like you in the four continents."

Jiang Yuan did not say much here. If he heard too much praise like this, he might become arrogant. He liked to cultivate his mind and was most afraid of such things. He asked, "Bodhisattva, this is my first time participating in a Dharma Assembly. I don't know the tricks. I hope the Bodhisattva can teach me."

The Bodhisattva said, "If that is the case, Guangxin will just listen. There is no need for Guangxin to speak. We can discuss this later when we participate in various Dharma assemblies."

Jiang Yuan said: "Thank you, Bodhisattva."

The Bodhisattva then called upon the monk Hui'an to come and take Jiang Yuan to the purple bamboo forest.

Not long after, Hui An Xingzhe and Jiang Yuan left. The dragon girl who was serving beside the lotus platform kept looking around. When the two of them were far away, she said, "Bodhisattva, is this a real person? He really has the appearance of an immortal, and he is an immortal. But has he really realized Zen? There is no trace of Buddhism in his body."

Guanyin Bodhisattva looked at the Dragon Girl and said, "You are obsessed with appearances."

The Dragon Girl shook her head and said, "Buddha, I don't understand."

The Bodhisattva said, "You are a Buddha, what is the difference between you and a demon?"

The dragon girl replied: "Buddha is the supreme true Dharma, and demons are obstacles that cause evil. There is a big difference."

The Bodhisattva said, "It is only a thought. If we talk about the origin, it is nothing. There is no need to say more about Xuanmen and Buddhism. Guangxin is one of the three schools. His Buddhist meditation method took a long time to achieve enlightenment, and he has complete etiquette. But you should not say so. I am telling you this time, and you must remember it. When you understand, you will no longer have demonic obstacles."

The dragon girl is unknown.

……

In the purple bamboo forest.

The monk Hui'an brought Jiang Yuan to the table. The seats here were divided into upper, lower, left and right. Jiang Yuan sat in the upper seat, which should be where Patriarch Bodhi sat. He was his most senior disciple and also an enlightened person, so no one was dissatisfied with him sitting in this seat.

After Jiang Yuan took his seat, Hui'an left.

The immortal looked at the fruit-scented tea on the table, and then at the Buddhists in the forest. After this look, he saw someone coming forward.

This person came forward, clasped his hands together, and bowed, saying, "Master Guangxin."

Jiang Yuan returned the greeting. He used his energy and eyes to see that this person was in the state of infinite light. He was a person with profound Buddhist knowledge. He asked, "May I ask the elder's Dharma name?"

The man smiled and said, "That's Jin Chanzi. I am now the second disciple of the Venerable Sakyamuni. I have long heard of the name of the real person and the profoundness of his Zen. But we have no chance to meet. Now we meet in the purple bamboo forest. It is really fate."

Jiang Yuan said: "It turns out to be Elder Jin Chan. I didn't want to let Elder Jin Chan know my name."

Jin Chanzi said, "Master Guangxin's Dharma name is well-known in Xiniu Hezhou. When Master attained enlightenment, auspicious clouds traveled 90,000 miles, and everyone knew that Master had attained enlightenment. Countless people in the ancient caves of the immortal mountains congratulated Master, but Master may not know it."

Hearing this, Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "I didn't know that so many people knew my name."

Jin Chanzi said, "Master Guangxin is very modest. Maitreya Bodhisattva is also considered your disciple. You are very capable. When the Purple Bamboo Forest Dharma Assembly is over, I will discuss Zen with you."

Jiang Yuan listened to the words and smiled without saying anything. He neither agreed nor refused...

　Asking for a monthly pass

　　Eight thousand words a day is the limit for maintaining quality, so I won't update it. It takes four or five hours to write one chapter. Please forgive me, my friends o(╥﹏╥)o
　　
　
(End of this chapter)