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

Chapter 94: The Monkey King obtains the magic weapon, and the real man goes to the underworld (4k)

It is said that the Immortal went into the Purple Bamboo Forest to attend a Dharma Assembly and talked with Golden Chanzi for a long time. Golden Chanzi invited the Immortal to discuss Dharma but failed, so he had to leave.

Jiang Yuan sat at the table, he looked at Jin Chanzi going away, and thought to himself: "Elder Jin Chan, you have some Taoist style, and your words often show contempt for the great Western religions. You are thinking of changing your mind."

He has never said that there is no other way to attend the Dharma Assembly. He should listen more and talk less according to the words of the ancestors. The Buddhas and the Sangha will talk here and it will be beneficial to him.

Master Jiang waited for the Dharma Assembly calmly, without being anxious or impatient. He was graceful and virtuous, with a warm and cheerful mood. He was truly an immortal.

He didn't know how long he had been meditating when he suddenly heard a sound.

"Master Guangxin."

The immortal looked around and saw a smiling monk with big ears, a narrow chin, a broad face, broad shoulders, a full belly and a fat body walking towards him. It was none other than Maitreya Bodhisattva.

Jiang Yuan stood up and bowed: "Maitreya Buddha."

Maitreya Bodhisattva clasped his hands together and bowed, saying: "The real person has now attained enlightenment. Congratulations, congratulations!"

Jiang Yuan gathered his energy and opened his Dharma Eye. He took a closer look and saw that Maitreya Bodhisattva was accompanied by infinite light and his Dharma was profound and better than before. He smiled and said, "The Bodhisattva is making great progress in Dharma, which is also worthy of congratulations."

Maitreya Bodhisattva smiled and said, "It is because of the Zen method of the real person."

Jiang Yuan shook his head: "The Tao is always there. Everyone has awareness. Bodhisattva, this is not my achievement."

Maitreya Bodhisattva smiled and did not argue about the merits. He asked, "Master, why can't I see Brother Bodhi here?"

Jiang Yuan replied, "My master is in retreat and cannot come, so he asked me to come and participate in this Dharma Assembly."

Maitreya Bodhisattva nodded and said, "You are a Taoist immortal, so you can come here on my behalf. After this Dharma Assembly is over, will you have time to go to my mountain to discuss Zen?"

Jiang Yuan said: "Maitreya Bodhisattva doesn't know that after this Dharma Assembly, I have to go to the underworld to settle the cause and effect, but it is not possible. When I have free time, I will go to Maitreya Bodhisattva's fairy mountain and discuss Zen with the Bodhisattva."

Maitreya Bodhisattva asked: "What is cause and effect?"

Jiang Yuan replied, "In the past, before I became an immortal, I became a disciple of my master and was almost taken away by the underworld."

Maitreya Bodhisattva said: "It is like this, this karma should be resolved."

Jiang Yuanfu talked with Maitreya Bodhisattva for a long time, mostly reminiscing about the past, until the beginning of the Dharma Assembly, when they returned to their respective positions. As the Dharma Assembly began, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva sat on the highest lotus platform, opened his kind mouth slightly, and expounded the wonderful Dharma, which was the true Dharma of Lingshan Nirvana.

All the Buddhas are like Arhats, Gaters, Bodhisattvas, Vajra, Bhikkhus, monks, and nuns, who all hear the wonderful Dharma of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and become as fools and intoxicated as if they were drunk.

Jiang Yuan listened attentively. He had received the true teachings from the ancestors and was well versed in the theories of the three schools. These Buddhist teachings were beneficial to him, so he just listened to the sutras.

……

It is said that in the Dragon Palace of the East China Sea, the Monkey King just arrived here and came to ask the Dragon King of the East China Sea for a handy precious magic weapon. Just look at the Monkey King, who showed his mighty power without losing it, and made the Dragon King and his sons, grandsons, shrimp soldiers, and crab generals all come out of the palace to welcome him.

The Dragon King welcomed the Monkey King into the palace and offered him tea. After the Dragon King finished, he asked the Monkey King where he came from. The Monkey King answered frankly that he came to ask for weapons.

Upon hearing this, the Dragon King ordered his soldiers to bring their weapons. He then asked, "I have often heard that 'the heavens will congratulate those who have achieved enlightenment'. When did the Immortal achieve enlightenment? How come I didn't know about this ability?"

The Monkey King's eyes rolled around and he said with a smile, "My dear neighbor, you don't know that I was born divine. When I was born, my eyes emitted golden light that shot into the sky. At that time, the heavens congratulated me. That's why I didn't receive any congratulations from the heavens when I became enlightened a few years ago."

The Dragon King was surprised and said, "The golden light at that time was due to the might of the immortal. I am so sorry, so sorry!"

The Monkey King laughed and said, "It is said that 'ignorance is not a crime'."

The Dragon King then ordered his soldiers to bring a square painted halberd and said, "My Lord, this weapon is a treasure in my palace. It weighs seven thousand two hundred catties and cannot be lifted without divine strength."

Upon hearing this, the Monkey King stepped forward, raised his Fang Tian Hua Ji in one hand, and danced like a phoenix flying through flowers. He performed two moves, stuck them aside, and said, "Too light, too light."

The Dragon King was horrified and became more and more afraid, saying, "Supreme power! This weapon is the most important in my palace. There is no other weapon."

The Monkey King was annoyed and said, "It is often said that 'there is no treasure in the Dragon Palace'. Your Dragon Palace is so big, you should look for it again!"

The Dragon King said, "I have nothing to hide."

The Monkey King said, "If you let me find you, I'll make you suffer."

The Dragon King was shocked and said, "My Lord, my Lord! Don't do anything! Just tell me what treasure you want, and I will find it for you."

Wukong suddenly remembered the little tripod on his elder brother's waist. It was a treasure. He smiled and said, "I want a tripod."

The Dragon King asked, "How do you say that?"

Wukong said, "I saw someone before, with a tripod tied around his waist. It was a small round tripod with patterns on it. It was invulnerable to all kinds of attacks. It was called the 'Yu Ding'. Do you have one in your Dragon Palace?"

The Dragon King panicked and said, "That Yu Ding is one of the Nine Dings. In the past, Yu cast the Nine Dings to control the southern continent of Jambu. The kings of all generations have regarded them as treasures. How can there be such a treasure in my Dragon Palace?"

Wukong said, "How can you be so stupid, Dragon King? Extend your crutch and fight with me."

The Dragon King was frightened. A dragon lady came up behind him and whispered, "Your Majesty, there is something related to Dayu in the sea treasure. Why don't you give it to me and send him out?"

Wukong was delighted and said angrily, "You old dragon, I call you a wise neighbor, but you take advantage of my ignorance."

The Dragon King said, "I dare not, I dare not! Immortal, the treasure in the sea is a piece of precious iron, which was used to determine the depth of rivers when Dayu controlled the floods. If you want it, just go and take a look."

Wukong was overjoyed and agreed. Then the two of them went into the sea to hide. When the Monkey King arrived, they suddenly saw golden light on the road ahead and an iron pillar standing there. It was as thick as a bucket and more than two meters long.

The Monkey King stepped forward, touched it, and said, "It's too thick and long. It should be shorter."

As soon as he finished speaking, the precious iron became several feet shorter and thinner, and turned out to be a magic weapon.

The Monkey King was overjoyed and thought to himself, "With this magical weapon, I am proficient in martial arts. When I meet my eldest brother again someday, I will surely win."

This is when the Monkey King got the magic weapon, demanded the armor treasure, deceived the Heart Sea Dragon Palace, and became two-faced. Let's not talk about what happened here.

……

Time flies so fast that before I knew it, autumn is gone, winter is almost over, and half a year has passed.

In the Purple Bamboo Grove of Mount Lokāya, the Dharma Assembly was just coming to an end. All the Buddhas left Mount Lokāya and returned to their respective practice places.

Jiang Yuan heard Avalokitesvara's teachings and gained a lot from them. Just as he was about to leave with the Buddhas, the traveler Hui'an stopped him and said that Avalokitesvara wanted to see him.

When the Immortal heard this, he responded and followed the traveler Hui'an to pay homage to the Bodhisattva and walked to Chaoyin Cave.

Jiang Yuan worshipped Guanyin Bodhisattva in the lotus platform.

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled and said, "Guangxin, there is no need to be polite. I sent a traveler to stop you this time because I want to ask you, did you gain anything from this Dharma Assembly?"

Jiang Yuan said: "How can I gain nothing from hearing the wonderful Dharma of the Bodhisattva?"

The True Man was well versed in the Dharma nature and had acquired the teachings of the three schools. When he heard the Bodhisattva’s teachings, he was able to grasp the subtleties of the teachings.

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva said: "I have heard of Guangxin's wisdom, but I wonder what Guangxin has gained from my teachings of Nirvana?"

Jiang Yuan replied: "With my little knowledge, I cannot compare with the Bodhisattva."

The Bodhisattva said, "Tell me now."

Jiang Yuan said: "Nirvana is not the nirvana of life and death. It is the nirvana in the body. This body is not that body. It is a dead body, not a living body. Nirvana is the nirvana of the troubled mind and the nirvana of the two spirits. It is definitely not the nirvana of the living body." The Bodhisattva smiled and said: "You are broad-minded and intelligent. What do you think of the teachings of the Buddhas?"

This Dharma Assembly was not just a lecture by Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, but a round of lectures in which all the Buddhas also gave lectures.

Jiang Yuan pondered for a long time and said, "The Buddhas' teachings are profound, but I do not understand the Buddha-nature, so I have never heard of the profound Buddha-nature. I have only heard of one or two Bodhisattvas' wonderful teachings, which are not the Dharma of no cause."

The Bodhisattva said: "Nirvana is the supreme true Dharma. Many Buddhas cannot grasp the key point. Broad-minded and straightforward speech is the key point."

Jiang Yuan did not answer. He had heard the Buddhas preaching, but his Dharma was not clear. Most of the people in the world were ignorant and had misinterpreted nirvana. Their own teachings were not profound, but they falsely spoke of profound teachings.

It was the great wisdom of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva who pointed out the truth of Nirvana, so that he could understand that this Nirvana is not life and death, but the way of birth and death. All troubles can be extinguished, and all sufferings are nothing but a "thought". Stay away from troubles, purify the six senses, do not have any thoughts, and Nirvana will appear. This is the true method of Nirvana.

The Bodhisattva said: "Guangxin is indeed a wise man. You can easily grasp the three schools of thought."

Jiang Yuan said: "I don't deserve it."

The Bodhisattva said: "If Guangxin has free time in the future, you can come to Mount Luojia to discuss the Dharma with me."

Jiang Yuan said: "I hope the Bodhisattva will not think my teachings are shallow."

The Bodhisattva said, "You are very knowledgeable and have learned a lot. Guangxin, I have heard that you want to go to the underworld to settle the cause and effect. Is that right?"

Jiang Yuan said: "That's right, the cause and effect has been going on for a long time."

The Bodhisattva said, "In this case, I will send the monk Hui An to go with you."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "How dare I tire you? Bodhisattva, you don't know that I am a shallow person, but I still have some magical powers."

The Bodhisattva asked, "Are you proficient in martial arts?"

Jiang Yuan heard this and replied, "That doesn't make sense."

He has great magical powers, great magic power, and many treasures. He is not very proficient in martial arts, because Black Fish is good at being violent and ruthless, so his martial arts are okay, but far from being proficient.

The Bodhisattva said, "We see that you are not good at martial arts, so we have asked Hui An to follow you to protect you. If you encounter a martial arts demon, it will be inconvenient without a guardian. If Guang Xin sees a demon with good karma and is good at being violent and aggressive, he can be a guardian and keep you away."

Jiang Yuan suddenly realized and bowed, "In that case, thank you very much, Bodhisattva."

The Bodhisattva nodded and called the traveler Hui'an to come.

It is said that this traveler Hui'an is the second prince of Li Tianwang, the Pagoda-Bearing King in the heaven. His name is Mu Cha. He follows Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva in cultivation and is a senior disciple of the Bodhisattva. His Dharma name is "Hui'an". He uses a solid iron stick, is good at martial arts, and often protects the Bodhisattva.

The monk Hui An stepped forward and bowed, "Master."

Guanyin Bodhisattva said: "Master Guangxin wants to go to the underworld, you should go with him."

Hui An Xingzhe said, "As you command."

The Bodhisattva looked at Jiang Yuan again and said, "Guangxin, you have six ears in your sleeves. They can hear the Dharma Assembly and hear you speak about the true Dharma of Nirvana. This is the Dharma of fate."

Jiang Yuan suddenly realized what was going on and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He almost forgot that there was a white deer in his sleeve. He put the white deer into his sleeve and came to attend the Dharma Assembly, but he didn't expect to get the deer for free.

He made a move with his sleeves and the white deer appeared.

The white deer knelt down before Jiang Yuan and bowed three times before bowing to the Bodhisattva, expressing his gratitude for the bond between them.

Jiang Yuan pointed at Bai Lu and said, "Now that you have obtained the Dharma of Fate, you should do good deeds."

The white deer cried as if responding to the immortal, so it lowered its body and carried the immortal.

Jiang Yuan rode on the white deer and said, "Well, Bodhisattva, I am leaving now."

The monk Hui'an bowed and then led the white deer to the outside of Luojia Mountain.

Guanyin Bodhisattva watched Jiang Yuan leave, and the dragon girl holding the pearl beside him said: "Bodhisattva, this real person actually knows the true method of Nirvana."

The Bodhisattva sat on the lotus platform and shook his head, saying, "Because of the broad mind and deep Dharma nature, the Dharma is clear after hearing it. However, the true Dharma of Nirvana is not understood by many Buddhas, and they may express their own opinions. The true Dharma of Nirvana is difficult to understand and comprehend, or the Zen Dharma is true."

……

On the vast ocean, the traveler Hui'an was leading a white deer and walking on the clouds. Jiang Yuan was sitting on the deer, thinking about the "true Dharma of Nirvana".

Jiang Yuan was amazed at the great wisdom of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. He was able to express the true mystery of the true Dharma of Nirvana in just a few words. He could only measure the depth of the Dao and reveal it through the explanation of the Dao. He could reveal all kinds of mysteries with just one or two words. This was the great wisdom of the Dao.

Jiang Yuan said: "Walker Hui'an."

The monk Hui An led the white deer and asked, "What do you want, Master?"

Jiang Yuan asked, "Traveler, I have asked you the Dharma this time, and I know that Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva has great wisdom, which is not inferior to that of Buddha. Why hasn't the Bodhisattva attained Buddhahood?"

The monk Hui An replied: "My master is not a Buddha, but he is better than a Buddha."

Jiang Yuan asked, "What do you mean?"

The traveler Hui An said, "In the past, my master had completed his merits and practices, and was fully acquainted with the Dharma nature. He was supposed to become a Buddha, but he went from the South Sea to the sacred Lingshan Mountain to be ordained as a Buddha. On the way, he encountered a woman being attacked and killed by the king of earth beasts. The time for my master to be ordained as a Buddha was approaching, so he ignored the opportunity and went to Lingshan Mountain. When he arrived at Lingshan Mountain, he felt that all living beings were suffering, so he gave up the position of Buddha and returned to save people. Therefore, he never became a Buddha. That is why I say that my master is not a Buddha, but he is better than a Buddha."

Jiang Yuan suddenly realized, "There is such a thing."

The traveler Hui An said: "My master has not yet attained Buddhahood, but he is also one of the Five Elders of the Five Directions, and his power is boundless."

Jiang Yuan said: "It is my great fortune to have the Bodhisattva teach me the true Dharma of Nirvana."

The traveler Hui An said, "When the Immortal attained enlightenment in the past, it was also extraordinary. There were auspicious clouds covering 90,000 miles, and the heavens congratulated him for his enlightenment. I have also seen that."

Jiang Yuan smiled but said nothing.

The two men and the deer went to the underworld together.

……

Before they knew it, more than half a month had passed. Jiang Yuan and the monk Hui'an, along with the white deer, had arrived at the underworld. One of them was an immortal, and the other was a Bodhisattva. They had entered the underworld and walked for a long time in the wilderness of the underworld. Suddenly, they saw a city appear in front of them, with an iron plate hanging on it that read "Netherworld".

There were endless wails and cries of grief from the city, and there were many dead bodies being dragged to death. They just pulled and tugged, trying to drag their souls into the city. If there were anyone who refused to listen, they would be beaten or killed and dragged into the city.

I saw many ox-faced ghosts and horse-faced ghosts in the city again, guarding the city. If you are dragged into the city, you will never be able to get out. It is just like "on the road to the underworld, once you go, you can never come back".

Jiang Yuan made the white deer stop and said, "This is the underworld, where should we go?"

The monk Hui An pointed to the city and said, "Let's go ahead and talk about it after we enter the city. These sneaky people are all bullies and afraid of the strong, so we can't be soft. If any sneaky people come forward to bully us, just beat them up."

Jiang Yuan said: "I often hear that 'the Hades lives in Senluo Palace'. Why not go to Senluo Palace and meet the Hades?"

The monk Hui An was ordered by his master to come here to protect the Dharma for the Immortal Master. He obeyed the Immortal Master's orders and said, "Just go to the Senluo Palace."

After saying this, the Monkey King held the iron staff and led the white deer towards the Netherworld, attracting the attention of the Ox-Headed Ghost. The Horse-Faced Ghost stepped forward, lured the dead man to stop and look over, and the Monkey King and Jiang Yuan were stopped.

The Ox-Headed Ghost and the Horse-Faced Ghost shouted, "The Netherworld is locked up here. Who is coming? Tell me your name quickly."

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(End of this chapter)