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

Chapter 117: The Great Sage Repents, the Holy Bull Infant
It is said that Guanyin Bodhisattva received the Buddha's instructions and went to the East with the traveler Hui'an. The road was half cloud and half foggy. When they arrived at the area of ​​​​the Liusha River, the Bodhisattva saw that the river was turbulent and could not help but stop.

The Bodhisattva asked, "Hui An, this is difficult. The pilgrim is a mortal, how can he cross this place?"

The traveler Hui An waited and said, "Master, this river is indeed difficult to cross, but since the Immortal has said so, how can we not cross it if we invite the Great Sage to be our disciple? The Great Sage had great magical powers in the past, and even 100,000 heavenly soldiers could not stop him. This river will definitely not be difficult for him."

The Bodhisattva said, "Hui An, this is different. No matter how powerful the Great Sage is, he cannot ferry the pilgrim across the river. There is a saying that goes, 'It is as light as a mustard seed to ferry a mortal away from the world of mortals.' Moreover, the pilgrim must go through thousands of mountains and rivers to obtain the scriptures, and cannot fly into the clouds. Therefore, this river is difficult for the pilgrim to cross."

As the monk Hui'an was teaching and saying something, he suddenly saw a demon jumping out of the water and starting to hit it with his demon-subduing staff. It turned out to be Li Xingshi.

In the past, Li Xingshi had received the advice of the Immortal to calm his mind, but he had not put his mind at ease. This time, he was harmed by Huang Po, and he became so evil that he committed murder on the Bodhisattva.

Hui An Xingzhe shouted, "How dare you."

Say it.

The monk Hui'an blocked it with a solid iron rod and stepped forward to fight against him. The two of them fought fiercely. The solid iron rod and the demon-subduing staff were like two silver pythons fighting each other. Both of them had powerful abilities.

The two sides fought for fifty rounds with no clear winner and were evenly matched.

Li Xingshi held the iron rod of Hui'an Xingzhe, knowing that the man was no ordinary person. With such skills, he would surely be defeated if the battle lasted for a long time.

He shouted, "Where are you from? How dare you enter my territory and fight against me?"

The traveler Hui An said, "I am Hui An, the great disciple of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara of the South Sea. I am now following my master to the East to look for someone to obtain the sutra. Where are you from? How dare you block my way?"

Li Xingshi suddenly realized, and asked, "Where is the Bodhisattva?"

The traveler Hui An said, "Just look at the shore. Isn't that my master?"

Li Xingshi looked up, but saw the Bodhisattva in the dark, looking around with a smile. How could he dare to be presumptuous? He put away the demon-subduing staff and let Hui'an Xingzun hold him and go to the shore.

When they reached the shore, Li Xingshi bowed down and said, "Please forgive me, Bodhisattva."

Guanyin Bodhisattva asked: "There is a spirit in your body. Is it from heaven?"

Li Xingshi said, "I dare not deceive the Bodhisattva. I am not a demon. As the Bodhisattva said, I came from the heaven. I was originally the curtain-rolling general who served the imperial carriage of His Majesty Lingxiao. Because I broke a colored glass cup at the meeting, I was beaten 800 times and demoted to the lower world. Once every seven days, I was pierced through my chest and ribs with a flying sword for more than a hundred times. Fortunately, two or three hundred years ago, I was pitied by Master Guangxin and taught me the way to calm my mind. Unfortunately, I was useless and lost my mind. I was deceived by evil thoughts and committed crimes here for a long time. I didn't expect to offend the Bodhisattva. I hope you will forgive me!"

The Bodhisattva said, "You are guilty of this, and now you are committing a crime, adding sin to sin. How can you cross this sea of ​​suffering?"

Li Xingshi knelt down and said, "I beg the Bodhisattva to show me the way."

The Bodhisattva said, "I have received the Buddha's order to go to the East to find a pilgrim to obtain the sutras. Then I will go west to Mount Lingshan to obtain the sutras. This path will lead to enlightenment. Why don't you convert to Buddhism and become my disciple? Then you can go to the West to worship the Buddha and you will also achieve enlightenment."

Li Xingshi replied, "Bodhisattva, you don't know. I have been in this Flowing Sand River for a long time. Nine people came here to seek scriptures, but I ate them. In this water, human bones cannot float. Only the skulls of the nine people who sought scriptures floated on the water. I felt that they were rare treasures, so I took the ropes and put them together. So, how could there be more people seeking scriptures coming here?"

The Bodhisattva said, "It will arrive naturally, and you can rest assured."

Li Xingshi said: "In that case, I am willing to convert."

The Bodhisattva touched his head and gave him precepts. He dropped his earthly name, pointed to Sha as his surname, and took a Dharma name, "Wu Jing".

The reason is that Huang Po is in the center palace to harmonize and nourish nature, and has the effect of uniting the five people and their spirits as one. However, before Huang Po descends, she is the most vicious and evil one among the five people in the body. This is exactly the perfect "yin and yang". Yin gives birth to yang, and yang gives birth to yin. The most vicious one is also the kindest. This is called "Huang Po".

……

The Bodhisattva bid farewell to the Flowing Sand River and went to the East with the traveler Hui'an. Halfway through the journey, they saw another mountain, which was Fuling Mountain. In the mountain lived a demon, who was the reincarnation of Marshal Tianpeng who was mistakenly born into a pig's womb. His mother Mu was trapped, so he was enlightened by the Bodhisattva and converted to Buddhism. The Bodhisattva gave him the Dharma name "Zhu Wuneng".

He also enlightened and saved a white dragon, who converted to Buddhism and became a helper for the pilgrim who set out to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

The Bodhisattva and the traveler Hui'an went to the East together. When they entered the southern continent, they approached a mountain and saw thousands of golden lights and auspicious auras on the mountain.

The traveler Hui An said, "Master, this mountain is the Five Elements Mountain. The Great Sage is trapped here."

While Hui'an was speaking, the five Jie Di suddenly appeared and praised Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.

The Bodhisattva asked, "How is the Great Sage doing down the mountain these days?"

The Five Directions Jie Di said, "The Great Sage has been doing well recently because he was taught by the Immortal Guang Xin who came here hundreds of years ago. He transformed himself into a shepherd boy and explained the truth to him, which made the Great Sage calm down a lot. However, his nature has not changed and he is still vicious. Be careful when you approach him, Bodhisattva."

The Bodhisattva smiled and said, "I never thought that Master Guangxin had been here."

Wufang Jie Di said, "In the past few hundred years, only Master Guangxin has come to visit. Apart from him, no one else has come to see the Great Sage."

The Bodhisattva asked, "I have often heard that the Great Sage has made friends with heroes from all corners of the country. How come he is being subdued now and no one dares to interfere? Did the Buddha give any instructions?"

Wufang Jie Di shook his head and said, "No."

The Bodhisattva asked again: "Has the Jade Emperor given any instructions?"

The Five Jie Di shook their heads: "No."

The Bodhisattva asked, "Is there anything in the Three Stars Cave of the Slanting Moon?"

The Five Directions Jie Di shook his head again: "Neither have they."

The Bodhisattva asked, "If so, what do you say?"

The Five Directions Jie Di said, "There is no reason. Perhaps the Great Sage is not careful in choosing friends. No one came to visit us, and we did not stop them."

The Bodhisattva said, "Please allow me to meet the Great Sage."

Say it.

The Bodhisattva rode on a cloud and approached the Five Elements Mountain. He looked at the monkey head between the stone gates and felt very sorry. He said, "It's a pity that this monkey was so arrogant in the past and made a big fuss in the Heavenly Palace. One hundred thousand heavenly soldiers were helpless. He was so powerful in the Nine Heavens. Now he is trapped in the mountains. How can he show his former power?"

These words startled the monkey under the stone gate, and the Great Sage shouted, "Who is that person who is talking and exposing my shortcomings? If he is an old friend, why doesn't he come to see me?"

The Bodhisattva pressed down the auspicious cloud, listened in front of the stone gate, and asked, "That Great Sage, do you recognize me?"

The Great Sage opened his eyes and looked at him, and cried out, "Aren't you the great and merciful Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva who saves the suffering and the distressed on Mount Putuo in the South China Sea? Thank you for your care! In the past, I somersaulted across the South China Sea and paid homage to you from afar. Now I am here, being subdued by this mountain, and my days are like years. No one who knows me has come to see me, yet I am being cared for by the Bodhisattva."

The Bodhisattva smiled and said, "How can you say that Wu Xiang Zhi came to see you? Guang Xin Zhenren has come to see you, how can you say this?"

The Great Sage asked, "When did the elder brother come to visit? How come I didn't know?"

The Bodhisattva said, "The Five Directions Jie Di said that hundreds of years ago, the Great Heart Immortal transformed himself into a shepherd boy to visit you."

When the Great Sage heard this, tears welled up in his eyes and he remained silent.

The Bodhisattva asked, "How many years have you been here now?"

The Great Sage said, "To tell you the truth, Bodhisattva, it has been more than five hundred years. I sincerely hope that Bodhisattva can help me and save me. I know I am wrong and I admit my sin. Or I can ask Bodhisattva to tell my elder brother that I am willing to practice cultivation, recognize the demonic obstacles in my body, and devote myself to the Tao without any second thoughts."

The Bodhisattva said, "It is very easy to save you. I am here to go to the Tang Kingdom in the East to find a man who is seeking scriptures. If you are willing to help him on his journey to the West, you will achieve the true fruit and have no second thoughts. Only then will you be truly free. What do you think?"

The Great Sage said, “I wish so. I wish so.”

The Bodhisattva said, "If so, you wait here, and the pilgrim will come here and rescue you. Then you can cultivate good karma."

The Great Sage agreed, but he felt regretful and was even more grateful for the teachings of his senior brother.

The Bodhisattva was overjoyed when he heard this, and talked a lot with the Great Sage before leaving to go to the Tang Dynasty to look for someone to seek the sutra. …

The words show the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

In a tree hole behind the mountain, Jiang Yuan was meeting the Bull Demon King.

When the Bull King saw Jiang Yuan, he bowed deeply and said, "My Lord, we haven't seen each other for more than 200 years. Now that I see you, your majesty remains as strong as ever."

Jiang Yuan held up the whisk and looked at the Ox King. Seeing that the Ox King was in a calm state of mind and had not lost his practice, he felt relieved and said, "You, the ox, have not forgotten to practice and have listened to my teachings. Congratulations."

The Bull King said, "I will never forget the Master's teachings."

Jiang Yuan asked, "I heard you have a son. Where is he? Why don't you bring him over to let me see him?"

The Bull King said happily, "Please wait a moment, sir. My child is practicing in the mountains and I don't know where he is playing. I will go and ask him to come and pay his respects. Please wait for me for a moment."

Jiang Yuan said: "You go ahead, I'll wait for you here."

The Ox King went happily into the mountain, and the Immortal was waiting there.

Not long after, the Bull King returned with a child behind him.

Jiang Yuan took a closer look and saw that the child had a face that was three parts whiter than powder, lips that were painted red, and a face that was more talented than powder. His hair was tied in black clouds and dyed indigo, and his eyebrows were divided into crescent moons as if cut by a knife. He was indeed a good spirit child.

The Bull King came forward and said, "My Lord, this is my child. His nickname is Red Boy, but his real name is Holy Bull Infant."

When Red Boy saw Jiang Yuan, he looked up and asked, "Are you my father, the hero?"

Jiang Yuan lowered his head and smiled: "That's right."

Upon hearing this, Red Boy knelt down in front of him, kowtowed and said, "Saint Infant Niu greets the Master."

Jiang Yuan helped the spirit boy up and asked, "You don't have to be so polite. Why do you call me Master?"

Red Boy bowed and said, "Master, you are my father. I am one generation younger than my father, which means I am two generations younger than you. That is why I call you Master, which means you are above Master."

When Jiang Yuan heard this, he pointed to Red Boy and said with a smile, "You are a spiritual being. Have you been practicing in the mountains recently?"

Red Boy replied, "Master, when I entered the mountains, I heard Master Gao teach me some techniques. Master Gao saw that I had nothing to do, so he taught me some techniques of drinking dew and eating wind, and taught me to cultivate my spirit."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "What does Master Gao say?"

Red Boy said: "My father is called Master, and I am called Grand Master. So the master of Grand Master is Grand Master."

Jiang Yuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "You are really interesting, boy."

Red Boy said: "This is etiquette. I have not practiced for many years and have never read numbers, so I don't know the real etiquette. Calling you "Master" or "Grand Master" is my etiquette."

Jiang Yuan said: "Now that you know the etiquette, do you have a heart for Taoism?"

Red Boy said, "Master, I have a heart of Taoism. I drink dew and eat wind every day, and it has been a hundred years now."

Jiang Yuan said: "Since you have a heart for Taoism and know etiquette, would you like to practice with me?"

Red Boy bowed and said, "I wish so, I wish so!"

Jiang Yuan said: "I have not yet opened my own temple, so I cannot accept you as my disciple. Therefore, you should learn etiquette from me first."

Red Boy smiled and said, "I am also happy that you can learn etiquette."

Jiang Yuan said: "Then you can go and play, but don't hurt the spirit beasts in the mountains."

Red Boy agreed, bowed to the Ox King, and then bowed to Jiang Yuan before leaving.

The Bull King stepped forward and asked, "Master, how is my child?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Your child has regular facial features, three equal parts, and a strong spirit. You are a man of good manners. If you teach him well, he will not lose his mind and will achieve great things in the future."

The Bull King was overjoyed and said, "I don't deserve your words, Master."

Jiang Yuan said with a smile: "You cow, you are not worthy of my words, smiling happily."

The Bull King said, "Master, how can a parent be unhappy when hearing others praise their child?"

Jiang Yuan said: "You are happy with the Tao, but you must let him cultivate his mind. You must remember the state of Wukong's confusion. Your cow has also been cultivating with me for a long time, so you should understand it."

The Bull King bowed and said, "Master, I will understand and not let my child lose his mind and be confused."

Jiang Yuan replied, "That's great. You go and look after the child."

Say it.

The immortal walked toward the Sanxing Immortal Cave and returned to the quiet room. He did not go to heaven, but stayed in the quiet room to meditate peacefully, cultivate his nature and practice Taoism.

He has listened to the Buddha's teachings for many years, and it takes time for him to fully understand the principles of the Dharma before he can ascend to heaven and learn the complete external alchemy.

……

Time flies, and before I knew it, half a year has gone by.

During this half year, Jiang Yuan practiced in silence in the mansion, comprehending all the Dharma principles and practicing complete nirvana. In his spare time, he taught Red Boy the etiquette of Confucianism so that he would not lose his original nature. The ancestor also often lectured on the great Dao.

However, the great Dao is being taught here, and there are no disciples in the mansion except four people, namely Jiang Yuan, Zhen Jian, and the Niu Wang father and son.

Even if there are no disciples in the palace, the master will still preach the great truth.

Jiang Yuan heard the great truth and comprehended the legal principles, and made rapid progress.

One day, Master Jiang was practicing in his room when there was a knock on the door and he heard someone shouting outside.

"Big brother."

Jiang Yuan then stood up and opened the door. Seeing Zhen standing outside with a smile on his face, he asked, "Junior brother, we talked about the past and discussed the Fa. Are you here to discuss the Fa today?"

Today, this junior fellow disciple’s magical power is not weak, and his understanding of Zen is even better than his. He is no longer the one who threatened his life in the past.

Zhen Jian shook his head and said, "No, no! Big Brother, it was the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara from the South Sea who was outside the palace and asked me to inform him. Master said he was looking for you, so he asked me to come and invite you to see the Bodhisattva."

Jiang Yuan understood what he said and bowed, "Please inform me, Junior Brother. I will leave the cave and meet the Bodhisattva."

Zhen Jian said: "How dare you say it's hard work? It's my job."

Jiang Yuan was afraid of neglecting the Bodhisattva, so he said goodbye to Zhenjian and went outside the palace. When he got outside the palace, he saw the Bodhisattva and the monk Hui'an were both there. They looked exhausted and must have returned from the East.

Jiang Yuan went forward to greet the Bodhisattva and the monk Hui'an, greeted them in turn, led them to the tower, and set up a banquet for them.

He did not see the master coming, and he understood in his heart that the master wanted him to preside over the reception of the Bodhisattva. The master had long intended to give him the cave, so he would be the successor of the master's robe and bowl.

(End of this chapter)