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

Chapter 152: Monkey Meets the Ancestor (asking for monthly votes)
In the Sanxing Immortal Cave, the monkey came back to pay respect to the master, and walked closer, wandering in front of the master's quiet room, but saw the door of the quiet room half open, and the master curled up on the bed and sleeping.

The monkey waited for a while, and finally entered the quiet room carefully, knelt in front of the bed, and did not dare to say anything to disturb him, just waiting for the master.

An unknown amount of time had passed before the master woke up, stretched his legs, put on his robes and sat cross-legged. In front of the bed, he saw a monkey kneeling with a spirit on its face, and the demons were about to drive away.

The master pretended to be annoyed and said, "Where did you come from? How did you enter my house and kneel before my room? But the Holy Bull Infant was too playful to close the door, so you, a monkey from the mountain, got in?"

The monkey was terrified and kowtowed, saying, "Master, Master! I am not a monkey from the mountains."

The master said, "Since you are not a monkey from the mountains, how come you came to my house? Are you here to practice cultivation?"

The monkey said: "Master, my disciple is Wukong!"

The master pondered for a long time and said, "Are you talking about my tenth-generation disciple Wukong?"

The monkey said, "That's right, that's right."

The master said, "It is impossible. My little disciple is born with a spiritual appearance. How can a monkey like you compare to him? Besides, I have already driven him out of the sect. How can he come back?"

When the monkey heard this, he was overwhelmed with grief and tears welled up in his eyes. He said, "Master, I am indeed Wukong. I have disappointed you. I have never learned well and have only cared about showing off. Now I need the help of my elder brother to return to the right path. Master, please forgive me. I will never be so presumptuous again. But please forgive me, Master, please forgive me."

The master left the bed, went forward and helped the monkey up, saying, "Don't act so pretentiously. I never blame you. I was just teasing you. Now that you have gotten rid of your double thoughts and have returned to the right path, I am also happy to talk to you."

The monkey couldn't stop the tears from flowing like a fountain and burst into tears.

The master made the monkey sit on the cushion and said, "You monkey."

The monkey shed tears and said, "I am afraid that Master will blame me for not bowing for a long time. I am rude, rude."

The master said, "It is your double-mindedness that I blame, not you. Get up, get up."

The monkey talked with the master for a long time in the room, and the master and disciple finally put aside their grudges and restored their master-disciple relationship.

The monkey bowed and said, "Master, I wish to be filial to you and will never leave."

The master sat down on the cushion and asked, "I heard from your elder brother earlier that you protected Tang Monk on his journey to the west to obtain the scriptures, to restore the right path, and to achieve the right result. Why do you say now that you are fulfilling your filial duty in front of me? Have you succeeded?"

The monkey said, "Master, I have never succeeded."

The master said: "Since you haven't achieved success yet, why don't you go west and return home when you have achieved success?"

The monkey said, "I was banished by the Tang monk."

When the master heard this, he asked the monkey to explain the whole matter to him.

The monkey did not dare to hide anything and told him everything that had happened, including what had happened once before.

The master was angry when he heard this and said, "How can this be possible? Go find your elder brother and ask him to seek justice for you. It is better not to go on this journey to the west."

The monkey hesitated for a long time and then bowed and said, "Master, there is a saying that says 'there is a beginning and an end'. I have been on this road for many years and must not give up easily. I must walk this road to the end."

The master said, "You have this intention, which means you have made progress in your practice. Stop, stop, stop. Talk to your eldest brother and ask him to seek justice for you before we discuss the journey to the west."

The monkey bowed and said, "Yes, Master."

The master waved his hand and said, "Go, go."

The monkey didn't dare to disturb him anymore. After paying homage, he left the room, left the quiet room, and went to the real person's quiet room.

The door to the real person's room was wide open, and he was waiting inside.

The monkey stepped forward and bowed again, then told his eldest brother what he had said to the Grand Master.

Jiang Yuan listened and said with a smile: "Just stay in the mansion and I will seek justice for you."

The monkey said, "Yes, brother."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Junior brother, is the golden hoop on your head uncomfortable?"

The monkey was delighted when he heard this and said, "Big Brother, do you have a way to help me remove this golden hoop? To be honest, Big Brother, I have used the golden hoop stick and other methods, such as knocking, hitting, lightning, and burning, but none of them could stop this golden hoop. I have asked the Bodhisattva for help, but the Bodhisattva only said that there is no way to remove it. This golden hoop was given by Tathagata and cannot be removed."

Jiang Yuan said: "There is a way to untie this golden hoop. The Venerable Muni from the West once told me the way to untie it. I can untie it for you."

The monkey stuck his head out and said, "In that case, please, Senior Brother, untie this golden hoop for me. Senior Brother, you don't know that this golden hoop has caused me so much suffering."

Jiang Yuan smiled but said nothing, only chanting the spell to loosen the hoop.

After a while, the monkey felt the golden hoop on his head loosen, so he took it off. He was so happy that he danced with his hands and feet.

The monkey said, "This golden hoop has caused me a lot of trouble. I will destroy it."

Jiang Yuan stopped him and said, "The hoop is a treasure. If you don't want it, give it to me."

The monkey presented it with both hands and said, "Brother, if you want this harmful thing, take it, take it."

Jiang Yuan took the golden hoop and said with a smile: "In this case, you can go now. No one has moved your room. Everything is the same as before."

The monkey was overjoyed and kowtowed to Jiang Yuan before leaving.

Jiang Yuan looked at the golden hoop in his hand, and then called Zhen Jian in.

Zhenjian went inside and met the real person.

Jiang Yuan gave him the golden hoop and said, "Put it in front of the gate. When Wukong asks for it, you can ask him to take it away."

Zhen Jian took it, not understanding its meaning, and asked, "Big Brother, what do you mean?"

Jiang Yuan said, "This golden hoop can help people fix the five people in their body. Wukong doesn't like it, but his practice has not yet been completed. He is about to fail. When he reflects on himself, he will ask for the golden hoop. If he teaches others to wear it, it will not be good. Wearing it after reflecting on himself is the practice."

Zhenjian bowed and said, "Big Brother, I understand."

Zhenjian took the golden hoop and placed it at the gate of the mansion, without mentioning anything else for the time being.

……

On the way to the West, the group of people seeking scriptures were getting impatient, and Tang Monk just sat on the side of the road.

Tang Seng said, "Earlier I sent Wu Neng to the monkey in the Flower-Fruit Mountain to get our luggage. When we travel west again, we no longer need the monkey to protect us. No matter if the monkey is a fake monkey or a real monkey, we will never use him. But Wu Neng went to get the luggage, why hasn't he returned in such a long time?"

Sha Wujing was serving beside him and said, "Master, Second Brother usually talks nonsense, always saying that when we divide the luggage, you get more and I get less. Now that the eldest brother is not here, he went to get the luggage alone. Could it be that he picked up the luggage halfway and went to Gao Laozhuang to exchange the luggage for gold and silver and become his son-in-law?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Monk was so frightened that his soul flew away. He said sadly, "I have been guided by the Bodhisattva and ordered by the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty to travel west to obtain the scriptures. I don't know how long it took me along the way, and I have experienced countless hardships. How come all my luggage is gone now, and my pass is gone, so I can no longer travel west."

It is exactly that 'if the Wood Mother cannot control her mind, she will harbor evil intentions and deceive her master'.

Sha Wujing said, "Master, don't worry. I will go look for him. I will first go to Huaguo Mountain and then to Gao Village. If I can't find him, I will go to the South Sea and pay homage to the Bodhisattva."

Tang Monk said, "Wujing, if you go, I'm afraid demons will come to harm me, and no one will protect me." Upon hearing this, Sha Wujing sighed and felt helpless. He thought that without his eldest brother, they could not unite as one, so how could they obtain the scriptures?

Sha Wujing said, "Master, why don't we wait for the eldest brother to come back and take him in? Otherwise, the second brother will become lazy and only the eldest brother can teach him to calm down."

Tang Seng pondered for a long time and said, "I am afraid he will do evil and kill lives."

Sha Wujing said, "Master, has Brother killed any living beings recently? It was because I was not feeling well a few days ago that this happened. I lost my concentration and committed the mistake."

Tang Seng said, "If it is as you said, Wujing, then let Wukong go. When Wukong comes back, tell him to bring Bajie and the luggage back."

Sha Wujing nodded deeply.

The two waited on the roadside for several days, but neither Wukong returned nor Bajie came back with the luggage.

Wujing had no choice but to ask the White Dragon Horse to ask the Bodhisattva to take charge of the situation.

After receiving the order, the White Dragon Horse transformed into a dragon again and flew towards the South China Sea.

……

The white dragon soared in the clouds for a long time and finally arrived at Luojia Mountain in the South China Sea.

The white dragon appeared at Mount Luojia, and Venerable Hui'an stopped it. After a closer look, he recognized the person and said, "Aren't you Ao Lie, the Dragon Prince of the West Sea? Why didn't you go west with Tang Monk, and come to Mount Luojia?"

Bailong explained the whole story to Venerable Hui'an.

Upon hearing this, Venerable Hui An asked, "The Great Sage has not yet returned, and Wu Neng has also gone to get his luggage, so why hasn't he returned yet?"

Bai Long said, "That's exactly what happened. That's why my master sat on the roadside for a long time, not knowing what to do. Senior Brother Wu Jing sent me here to talk to the Bodhisattva."

Venerable Hui'an immediately entered the Chaoyin Cave and reported to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.

The Bodhisattva then called the White Dragon to come forward and asked him about the matter. After asking, he said, "Wukong's second thoughts have been cleared. Since he has not returned, I think he is in Fangcun Mountain. Come with me to Fangcun Mountain. When Wukong returns, I will send him to look for Wuneng."

Bai Long said: "Follow the Bodhisattva's teachings."

The Bodhisattva did not dare to make any mistake, so he called on Venerable Hui'an to be the Dharma protector, and rode on the auspicious cloud and the white dragon to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

It won't take long.

The Bodhisattva landed in front of the Sanxing Immortal Cave, dispersed the auspicious clouds, and landed in front of the Immortal Mansion. A venerable person came forward and knocked on the door. After a while, the immortal came forward and opened the door.

The Immortal and the Bodhisattva greeted each other, and after the ceremony, the Immortal welcomed the Bodhisattvas into the tower and set up a banquet for them.

The immortal asked, "Bodhisattva, are you here for Wukong's business?"

The Bodhisattva sat on the right seat and said, "That's right. I heard Ao Lie say that Wukong never went west again. I guess Wukong is now in Fangcun Mountain, so I came to ask."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "I've troubled the Bodhisattva to come here, but I haven't told him that Wukong will not go west. I have already told him to take off the golden hoop. I hope the Bodhisattva will choose another person to protect Tang Monk on his journey to the west."

The Bodhisattva sighed and said, "Master, this journey to the West is not only for the spread of Buddhism to the East, but also for the benefit of all living beings. Moreover, it is also for the practice of the group of people who are seeking the scriptures. How can we give up?"

Jiang Yuan said: "It's not that I didn't want Wukong to go west, but Tang Monk was too deceitful and kept driving Wukong away."

Upon hearing this, the Bodhisattva ordered the Venerable Hui'an and Ao Lie to leave, leaving the two of them alone at the banquet. The Bodhisattva clasped his hands together and asked, "Master, how can you make Wukong come back?"

Jiang Yuan said, "Bodhisattva, I really don't want Wukong to go, and my master also has this intention. But Wukong is determined to achieve success, so he is willing to go west again. Bodhisattva, I don't want to say more, just ask Tang Monk to go to Fangcun Mountain and invite Wukong in person, then Wukong will go back and protect him on his journey to the west."

The Bodhisattva said, "Master, if we were to reach Fangcun Mountain, even with the help of the white dragon horse, it would still take a year or so."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "This is also a disaster."

The Bodhisattva heard what the Immortal meant, and said, "Since that is the case, we will send Tang Monk to Fangcun Mountain to ask Wukong to return. Fangcun Mountain can also be considered as a journey to the west, which is fine."

Jiang Yuan talked with the Bodhisattva, and they both decided to teach Tang Monk to go to Fangcun Mountain.

After the Bodhisattva finished talking to Jiang Yuan, he took Venerable Hui'an and Ao Lie away from Fangcun Mountain and headed towards Gao Laozhuang.

……

Jiang Yuan saw the Bodhisattva off and was about to return to his quiet room. When he reached the road, he saw a monkey sneaking around in front of him.

The immortal pointed to the front and said, "You monkey, why are you following me?"

The monkey just walked out, came forward and bowed, saying, "Big Brother."

The immortal led the monkey back to the quiet room, and sat cross-legged on a cushion. He then took another cushion and asked the monkey to sit on it. He said, "Monkey, did you come to see me about the Bodhisattva?"

The monkey scratched his head and said, "Big Brother, that's right, that's right."

Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "You monkey, why are you so impatient? The Bodhisattva came here to teach you to go and bail out Tang Monk again. I talked to the Bodhisattva and asked Tang Monk to come to Fangcun Mountain to invite you, and you went there just now. If Tang Monk doesn't come, you must not go to bail him out."

The monkey bowed and said, "Big Brother, I understand. I don't have the golden hoop now, so the old monk can't do anything to me even if he recites the old sayings and sutras."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Wukong, what do you think the golden hoop is useful for?"

The monkey picked up the hoop and gnashed his teeth, saying, "That hoop is a nuisance. It gives me a splitting headache."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "During these days, Wukong, you have been practicing with me in the mansion, don't forget it."

The monkey naturally bowed in response, not daring to make any mistake.

The immortal then asked the monkey to leave.

Wukong had just left the quiet room and walked out of the Yaotai path. He was about to return to his room to cultivate his mind when he suddenly saw Red Boy coming from outside the house and calling him from afar.

Wukong walked closer and asked, "Nephew, what are you doing here?"

Red Boy walked out and said, "Uncle, I was out practicing martial arts."

Wukong laughed and said, "My dear nephew, you are indeed diligent. My elder brother is much more diligent. In the past, I became sworn brothers with your father. We drank and had fun during the day, but we never practiced martial arts every day like you do."

Red Boy asked, "Uncle, my father was like you before, isn't he a demon?"

Wukong said: "We seven brothers all look the same. At that time, we were all people who practiced cultivation but not mind cultivation. We looked like demons."

Red Boy said, "Old uncle, my father and you both follow the right path, but where are the other five uncles?"

Wukong laughed and said, "I never knew that. In the past, I had Tathagata suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain. We haven't heard of him for a long time. He is mostly in Beijuluzhou and other places, occupying the mountains and being the king."

After the monkey finished speaking, he pulled Red Boy and said, "My dear nephew, let's go, let's go. Didn't you ask me to teach you martial arts before? Now that I have some free time, I will teach you a few martial arts. You should learn them well."

The monkey pulled Red Boy and walked out of the house. The uncle and nephew wanted to practice martial arts.

(End of this chapter)