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

Chapter 153: Monk Tang Goes to Fangcun Mountain (Double Monthly Ticket Request)

The story goes that on the journey to the west, the Bodhisattva, the Venerable Hui'an, and the little white dragon went to Gao Laozhuang together, and they found Zhu Bajie holding the luggage in Fuling Mountain outside Gao Laozhuang.

The Bodhisattva half persuaded and half scolded before Zhu Bajie repented and followed the Bodhisattva on a cloud back to Tang Seng.

When Tang Monk saw the Bodhisattva, he quickly stood up to greet him and bowed with his hands clasped together.

The Bodhisattva said, "Tang Monk, Zhu Wuneng has taken his luggage and left. Now he has taught me to explain. He has a repentant heart and will return with me. However, on the way to the west, the obstacles are fierce and fierce. Without Wukong's protection, you will not be able to move forward and obtain the true scriptures."

"Besides, I already know what happened before. The one who injured you was the 'fake Wukong'. Now it is clear that both you and Wukong are at fault."

Tang Seng kowtowed and said, "I will follow your instructions and will not make any mistakes. I am willing to accept Wukong and come back to support him as we go to the West."

The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong has been demoted by you to Fangcun Mountain. You must go to Fangcun Mountain and ask Wukong to return."

Zhu Bajie was a little indignant and whispered, "We both left, why did he go to ask for help? I, the old pig, will ask the Bodhisattva to say that I am back."

The Bodhisattva heard Zhu Bajie's nonsense and said, "Zhu Wuneng, you are also responsible for this. You have never cultivated good speech and always talk nonsense."

Bajie said, "Buddha, I am used to it."

The Bodhisattva said: "Practitioners are advised to cultivate the virtue of speech. The world of Jambu is originally a boundless sea of ​​suffering. If you do not cultivate the virtue of speech, you will inevitably cause disputes."

Zhu Bajie said, "Bodhisattva, I understand."

The Bodhisattva did not persuade Tang Monk any more, and said to him, "Tang Monk, I hope you can ask Wukong to return as soon as possible, so that he can protect you and help you travel west with peace of mind."

Tang Monk bowed and said, "I will respect the Bodhisattva's instructions."

The Bodhisattva rode on a cloud and left with Venerable Hui'an.

Ao Lie transformed into a white dragon horse to use as a means of transportation.

Tang Seng told Sha Wujing to pack his luggage and go to Fangcun Mountain.

Sha Wujing received the order and reorganized the area.

Zhu Bajie approached Tang Seng and said, "Master, I know I was wrong."

Tang Seng sighed, "Bajie, why did you ask me to pack my bags and leave? You never came to look for me, and made me suffer here while you took your bags and left freely."

Zhu Bajie said, "I won't dare to do it again. I won't dare to do it again. Master, please forgive me."

Tang Monk said: "Since you have done a great service, I will spare you."

Zhu Bajie smiled and said, "Thank you, Master. I will lead the horse for you."

Tang Seng readily agreed.

The group of pilgrims set out again, heading for Fangcun Mountain.

Tang Seng got on his horse and told Bajie to lead the horse in front while Sha Seng carried the load behind. He asked, "Bajie, do you know the way to Fangcun Mountain?"

Zhu Bajie said, "Of course I know. Master, should we really go and invite Bi Ma Wen?"

Tang Monk said: "The Bodhisattva's will cannot be violated."

Zhu Bajie shouted, "Master, that Fangcun Mountain is not a good place, it is an evil place."

Tang Monk said: "Don't say anything more, just go to Fangcun Mountain."

Zhu Bajie said no more and led the horse forward.

When they reached a high mountain, Tang Seng pulled the reins and stopped his horse, saying, "Bajie, there are dangerous mountains and steep ridges ahead. I'm afraid there may be monsters among them. Don't be distracted and let the monsters invade."

Zhu Bajie held up the nine-toothed rake, patted his chest and said with a smile: "Master, don't worry. I am here to discipline the evil spirits. They dare not attack us."

Sha Monk said, "Second Brother, you must pay attention and not be lazy."

Zhu Bajie said, "Don't worry, Brother Sha, I am not lazy."

The group went up the mountain, and soon tigers, leopards, jackals and wolves came to attack.

When Zhu Bajie saw the tigers, leopards, jackals and wolves coming, he was frightened and started to beat them with his nine-toothed rake.

The tigers, leopards, jackals and wolves were frightened by the sight of Bajie's might and fled away. Bajie chased after them, cursing at them.

But then a ferocious tiger pounced from behind, knocked Tang Seng off his horse, and pretended to bite him. Tang Seng was terrified and cried out, "My life is over."

Fortunately, Sha Seng put down his burden, took out his demon-subduing staff, beat the tiger to death with one blow, helped Tang Seng up, and said, "Master."

Tang Seng was still in shock and said, "Wu Jing, I'm lucky to have you. Where could Wu Neng go?"

Sha Monk said, "Master, my second brother has gone after those tigers, leopards, jackals and wolves. I don't know where he is going."

Tang Seng, with tears in his eyes, said, "When Wukong was here, how could there be such tigers, leopards, jackals and wolves attacking us?"

Sha Monk said: "Master, don't let Second Brother lead the horse. Second Brother is always lazy. He is not like First Brother, who has infinite magical powers and cannot guard against evil spirits."

Tang Monk said, "Wujing, you come and lead the horses. Go and bring Wukong back as soon as possible, and we will continue our journey westward."

Sha Monk said, "Yes, Master. I just hope that Master will not chase Senior Brother away in the future. The road ahead is dangerous and difficult. Without Senior Brother, it will be difficult to move forward."

Tang Seng answered naturally.

……

Time flies, and before I know it, half a year has passed.

However, in the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, in the Xieyue Sanxing Cave, Jiang Yuan and his master continued to meditate in silence every day, cultivating their nature and practicing Taoism, without any mistakes.

Chongyang comprehended the way of the golden elixir and often practiced in silence. Zhenjian then practiced the perfect timing of the fire in the alchemy room.

Yu Wukong and Red Boy are the two most noisy people in the mansion, and they often practice martial arts outside the mansion.

As time went by, the monkey became unaware of this and often played around in the mountains, spending less time in meditation.

One day, the monkey was practicing martial arts with Red Boy outside the mansion as usual.

The uncle and nephew clashed with their spears and sticks, and the fight was fierce. One swung his iron stick like a dragon leaving the water, and the other held his sharp spear like a phoenix flying through flowers. Both fought fiercely. The one who was a disciple of Bodhi gave up evil and returned to the right path, and the other who was a well-behaved spirit boy in the Zhenren Mansion, fought back and forth.

After fighting for twenty rounds, Red Boy was finally defeated and put away his flaming spear.

Red Boy said, "Uncle, your martial arts have improved greatly. I am no match for you."

Wukong put away his golden cudgel and said with a smile, "My dear nephew, your martial arts skills have also improved."

Red Boy said, "Uncle, your martial arts have improved, but you have become uglier now."

Wukong laughed and said, "Nephew, why do you hate your uncle?"

Red Boy said, "I didn't hate it, I didn't hate it. It's just that my uncle's face has really changed, so I'm reminding him."

Wukong said, "How do you say that?"

Red Boy said, "When my uncle came to the mansion, he looked quite good, but now he looks a little ugly."

When Wukong heard this, he was shocked and said, "I'm going to go find my elder brother and not play tricks on you, my nephew."

Say it.

Wukong went to the mansion and entered the Three Stars Immortal Cave, only then did he realize that his eldest senior brother was not in the mansion, but on the mountainside.

Wukong then left the house to look for his senior brother.

The monkey was walking on the cliffs, trying to "see the qi". He saw some divine light shining from an old cypress tree on the mountainside. His eldest brother must be there.

The monkey leaped closer to the old forest. He saw the immortal talking to the white deer in the distance, as if teaching him something. The monkey laughed in his heart, "Just watch me use my transformation skills to get closer and play with the eldest brother."

Think about it.

The monkey shouted "change" and turned into a bee, sneaking into the woods. When he got much closer, he could hear what the immortal said to the white deer.

I only heard the Immortal say: "Lu'er, how is your practice going recently?"

The white deer knelt down and answered, "Master, I have been cultivating in the mountains recently. I have never done evil, been lazy, or played around. I have only been cultivating wholeheartedly."

Jiang Yuan said: "Is it true that you practiced with all your heart and did not make any mistakes?"

The white deer said, "After traveling through the world of Jambu for many times, I have settled down. It is my fault that you are worried about me."

Jiang Yuan asked: "You have traveled in the world of Jambu many times. Which one taught you to understand the experience of many lives?"

Bai Lu said, "Master, apart from the two Dharma assemblies, it was the trip to Guanjiangkou that gave me a profound insight."

Jiang Yuan said with a smile, "Guanjiangkou? But you were ordered by me to escort Zuo's son to Nanzhanbuzhou. When you were about to succeed, you went to Xiansheng Temple to steal and let Erlang Shen capture you. I will save you."

Bai Lu said, "Master, it was that time."

Jiang Yuan asked: "How do you feel about this?"

Bai Lu said, "Master, this time, I have learned what 'failure at the edge of success' means."

Jiang Yuan smiled and asked, "What do you mean?"

The white deer said, "Master, the more successful one is, the more likely one is to become arrogant, so one becomes lax, thinking that one has accomplished something, and never taking the next step. One becomes self-satisfied and acts erratically, leading to failure. I once saw a golden lion catching a rabbit, and the difference in strength was huge. I also knew that one must go all out. If one says a thousand words before success, there is a risk of failure. This experience taught me that one must go all out, and it is not too late to slack off after success."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Because of this, when you were making things difficult for the pilgrims in Falin, you used the words I discussed with the Venerable Muni of the West to make things difficult for the pilgrims?"

Bai Lu was busy apologizing.

When the monkey transformed into a bee heard the immortal talking with the white deer, he became thoughtful and did not dare to disturb them, so he flew away.

When the monkey left, the immortal looked around, smiled and said nothing.

The monkey returned to the Sanxing Immortal Cave, entered the quiet room, and sat cross-legged in meditation, wondering if he had been slacking in his cultivation recently and had become arrogant.

The monkey said, "When did I become like this? After the Golden Hoop left, I lost my mind and stopped practicing. I just played around in the mountains. It's true that failure is just around the corner. It's never too late to relax when success is achieved."

The monkey calmed down and never acted recklessly again. He spent most of his time in meditation at home.

……

Time flies, summer passes through autumn, some cicadas chirp and the willows are broken, and the fire flows westward.

The group of people seeking scriptures climbed over many mountains and went through many hardships, and finally reached Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

Here, the gods protected him, and he never encountered any monsters or demons that could harm his life. However, there were innumerable tigers, leopards, jackals, and the like along the way, which caused Tang Seng to suffer a lot.

Tigers, leopards, jackals and wolves were one of the problems. Secondly, Zhu Bajie was lazy by nature. He was often negligent in begging for food and fetching water, so Tang Seng was often hungry and thirsty.

After going through many hardships, Tang Monk realized how powerful Monkey King was. As long as Monkey King was there, tigers, leopards, jackals and wolves dared not attack. They would just say they were hungry and thirsty, and Monkey King would soon bring them vegetarian food and water. Even if evil spirits came to harm them, Monkey King had a way to save them from disaster.

Tang Monk was walking along the Fangcun Mountain. The scenery along the way was beautiful and natural, which made him feel much more relaxed. He asked, "Wujing, how far is Fangcun Mountain?"

The monk Sha who was leading the horse replied, "Master, we are getting closer. This place is beautiful with clear water and green mountains. There are no evil spirits here, and no tigers, leopards, jackals or wolves either. This is because we are getting closer to Fangcun Mountain."

Tang Seng clasped his hands and said, "I heard Bajie say that Fangcun Mountain was an evil place. I didn't expect it to be so beautiful. It would take three days to see all the beautiful scenery."

Sha Monk said: "Master, don't listen to Second Brother, Fangcun Mountain is a fairy mountain, how can it be an evil place."

Zhu Bajie, who was following behind with his load on his shoulders, heard this and shouted, "The mountain is a good mountain, but the man is an evil man."

Tang Seng said: "Don't talk nonsense. Those who live in such a fairyland must be virtuous people."

Sha Monk suddenly spoke up, pointed to a mountain ahead, and said, "Master? That is Fangcun Mountain. I have been here before, so I know the old way."

Tang Seng said, "Hurry up and ask Wukong to come. We will continue our journey westward. This time we have been walking for a long time and I don't know how much time has passed."

Zhu Bajie said: "Master, we have come all the way here without any major problems. We can still travel west without Bi Ma Wen."

Tang Monk said: "Don't say that. Since we have followed the Bodhisattva's teachings, we cannot abandon them."

Say it.

Tang Monk urged Sha Monk to lead the horse and go to Fangcun Mountain.

After walking for a long time, they arrived at the foot of Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. Tang Seng looked up and although he could only see a corner of the mountain, he could still get a glimpse of what kind of fairy mountain this was.

Tang Monk exclaimed: "Immortal mountain, immortal mountain! I didn't expect that Wukong's home is in this mountain. Disciple, today we are visiting the immortal mountain. We have to dismount and walk. It is insurmountable."

Bajie saw the fairy mountain and said, "If I were the eldest brother, with such a family, I would never become a monk."

Tang Monk said: "Bajie, we monks should not be tempted by wealth and fame."

Zhu Bajie had no choice but to say yes.

The three people who were seeking the scriptures climbed the mountain. When they first climbed the mountain, a black ape offered them water to quench their thirst. When they reached the mountainside, a magical deer came with magical fruits to quench their hunger. This really made Tang Monk sigh in admiration.

Zhu Bajie said, "This mountain is not that great."

Sha Monk said, "Second Brother, you shouldn't talk nonsense in front of the Immortal Palace. Why do you say that?"

Zhu Bajie said, "There is a saying that goes 'serve the right dish to the right person'. I see that this is also the case in Fangcun Mountain. When I came here in the past, there were no black apes offering water or spirit deer carrying fruits. But now that Master is here, they are offering water and carrying fruits. Isn't this just serving the right dish to the right person?"

Tang Seng turned around and said, "Bajie, don't talk nonsense."

Zhu Bajie dared not say anything more.

The pilgrims walked for a long time and finally arrived at the Sanxing Cave.

When Tang Seng arrived in front of the immortal palace, he said, "Wujing, untie the bag, take out the cassock for me, and bring me the nine-ring staff."

Sha Seng responded, turned around, untied his bag, took out the cassock and put it on Tang Seng, and then gave the nine-ring staff to Tang Seng.

Tang Seng straightened his clothes and said, "You two should straighten your clothes and don't be disrespectful."

Sha Seng and Zhu Bajie then straightened their clothes, put their weapons aside, and followed behind Tang Seng, not daring to be rude.

Tang Seng walked forward and knocked on the door of the immortal palace.

After a while, a spirit boy opened the door of the mansion and saw that it was Tang Monk outside. He asked, "Tang monk? If you are not seeking scriptures, why are you here?"

The spiritual boy was none other than Red Boy.

Tang Seng mistook it for Red Boy and was so frightened that he stumbled over and said in panic, "I came here to ask Wukong to go west with me, how could it be you?"

Just as Red Boy was about to say something, he saw Zhu Bajie and got angry, and yelled, "Zhu Bajie, where are you going?"

Say it.

Red Boy took the flaming spear from the gate, stepped on the flames, and attacked Zhu Bajie.

Zhu Bajie cursed, "You damned thing, why are you chasing after me?"

Zhu Bajie did not dare to be careless and tried to run away. However, Red Boy ignored him and just kept chasing him.

Red Boy did not answer, but thrust his spear in an effort to avenge the verbal grudge.

It is exactly 'When the mouth is opened, the spirit dissipates; when the tongue moves, trouble arises'.

(End of this chapter)