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

Chapter 248 Chongyang is hard to achieve, Emperor Ziwei
On the Yaotai, Jiang Yuan asked Chongyang if he was willing to exchange the secrets for the way, abandon the golden elixir and practice the side door. Chongyang replied to the immortal that he would "never regret it until his death".

Upon hearing this, the Immortal was moved and said, "Zhengwei, you have to think carefully. The difficulty of the golden elixir is not even one or two times what you have experienced now. It is impossible to succeed without great perseverance and wisdom. There are 360 ​​side doors in the Dao Gate. If you choose one of them, you will definitely succeed. You should know the theory of difficulty and ease. Most people choose the easy and discard the difficult. Why do you choose the difficult one?"

Chongyang knelt on the ground and said, "Master, I know the theory of difficulty and ease, but how can we choose the easy and abandon the difficult in cultivation? If we choose the easy, how can we really cultivate? If we choose the easy and avoid the difficult in cultivation, one day it will harm our cultivation, just like a tall building. If we build it from the easy, it will collapse one day."

Jiang Yuan said: "Are you really devoted to practicing the Golden Elixir righteous way?"

Chongyang said: "I am devoted to practicing the golden elixir path, but please help me, Master. If I really die because of this path, I will have no complaints."

Jiang Yuan sighed, "Forget it, forget it, forget it. Just do as you wish. Get up first. Do you know what the difficulty is in your cultivation now?"

Chongyang replied, "I don't know, but I couldn't find the five people, and I became restless, so I went astray. Later, my master reminded me and told me to clean up the dust in the house every day. Since then, I have rarely felt upset, but my practice has not been successful."

Jiang Yuan said: "I know that there are five people practicing, but I cannot tell you. You must understand the secret of this way."

Chongyang said: "Master, I know it myself."

Jiang Yuan said: "Although I cannot reveal the secrets of Taoism to you, I do have scriptures that I can explain to you. They may help you, but you must figure out the secrets yourself."

Chongyang bowed and said, "Thank you Master. I am a prince of a small country. I was harmed by a villain and my life is in danger. I have nowhere to escape. Fortunately, Master has mercy on me and saved me. Master, I will never be able to repay you for your kindness even if I die a thousand times."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "There is no need to say such things. Since I have accepted you as my disciple, I will teach you wholeheartedly. I was away from home to revise the law earlier, and I haven't seen you for a long time. If you have any doubts in the future, you can come to me."

Chongyang responded and said, "Master, I have seen that Second Junior Brother is very good at cultivation, and I admit that I am not as good as him."

Jiang Yuan said, "Are you talking about Zheng Yuan?"

Chongyang said: "That's right."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Zhengyuan has practiced at the age of sixty, and has seen through all kinds of human life. He has practiced and practiced, so he is different. You should just focus on practicing your own way and don't worry about other things."

Chongyang said, "Yes, Master."

Jiang Yuan said, "Just calm down and I will tell you a scripture."

On Double Ninth Festival, listen to the sound, wash your ears and listen attentively to the real person preaching the sutras.

Seeing Chongyang like this, Jiang Yuan said, "The golden elixir is very important for the fire. It follows the wonderful use of the primordial spirit, the exchange of the true breath, gathering and dispersing, rising and falling, cooking and refining, and the cycle is endless. It lasts forever, and it is not used frequently, in response to nature. The four medicines are hidden in the body. This medicine is hard to find. When it is scattered, it will blend and become invisible. When it is gathered, it will condense into medicine. Five people are needed to find it. The five people are the monkey and the will, the golden man and the wooden mother, the yellow woman and the knife, the baby and the girl, the spirit turtle and the golden crow, the dragon and the tiger in Li, and the different ones are all different names of the five people. If it is not constant, it will not be cooked..."

When a real person recites the scriptures, the sound is wonderful, and when people listen to it, their minds will be peaceful and calm, without any disturbances.

Listening to wonderful music during Double Ninth Festival makes you feel relaxed and happy.

Jiang Yuan spent more than three days lecturing on the scriptures without noticing that time had passed quickly.

Three days later, Jiang Yuan finished his speech and let Chongyang go home to rest.

Chongyang took the order and retreated, leaving the Yaotai.

Jiang Yuan watched Chongyang leave, thinking to himself, "It may be difficult for Chongyang to achieve the Golden Elixir. After all, Chongyang lacks some luck. I wonder what this disciple will end up like."

The immortal wanted to get up and return to the room, but he saw the master standing outside the middle door.

When the immortal saw the master, he quickly stood up and tried to get down from the platform to pay his respects to the master.

The master walked into the Yaotai and said, "Boy, there is no need to come down. Just sit still."

Say it.

The master waved his sleeves and a cool breeze blew.

The Immortal was about to get down from the platform, but he asked Qingfeng to stay still and send him back to the platform.

Jiang Yuan said: "Master is here, how can I take this position?"

The master said, "My boy, you know how to respect your teacher, but this is the master's order. I teach you to sit in this position, and you must not disobey it."

Jiang Yuan felt helpless after hearing this and said, "Master, I will sit here, but I don't know when you will be here."

The master sat down in the class and said with a smile, "I have been listening to you since you started to lecture on the sutras. I am very interested in what you have to say."

Jiang Yuan said, "Master is coming, just call me. I will go to your room and talk to you."

The master said, "It is different. When I heard you talk about the way, I knew how far you have come in your practice. According to what you are saying now, it will only take a little while for you to open up your palace."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Master, I have some skills but I don't know how much time it will take to develop them."

The master said: "According to the boy's aspirations, it won't take long for him to complete his cultivation."

After the master finished speaking, he did not wait for the real person to reply, and asked again: "Boy, how is Chongyang?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan said, "Master, I feel something in my heart. Chongyang may not be able to succeed."

The master smiled and asked, "Why do you feel this way?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Master, I am still a beginner in cultivation, so I don't know, but I have a feeling. Chongyang is devoted to the Tao, so this shouldn't be the case, but I have this thought."

The master said, "My boy, do you think Chongyang is similar to you?"

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "Chongyang is like me."

The master said: "Although Chongyang is similar to you, he is different from you, Tong'er. Do you know what the difference is?"

Jiang Yuan didn't understand what he meant, so he asked, "Master, I don't know, but I hope you can be merciful and tell me."

The master smiled and said, "When you were young, you were helped by the primordial spirit. You realized your true self and practiced. It took you more than ten years to finally find the way. Your heart of Taoism is unshakable and you are determined to practice. This is very rare. Although Chongyang also has a heart of Taoism, he was different from you in the past. Chongyang was the prince of Baoliang State and was deeply indebted to the country. Later, he was harmed by others and was reborn. Boy, do you understand the difference between you and Chongyang?"

Jiang Yuan suddenly realized and said, "Master, what you meant is that Chongyang was forced to seek the Tao, while I, the disciple, am seeking the Tao on my own initiative."

The master said, "That's right. This is the difference between Chongyang and you. That's why Chongyang hasn't been able to learn the Dao for a long time."

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, what should we do?"

The master said, "Chongyang is still somewhat connected to the mortal world. I originally wanted to teach him to clear away the accumulated dust and clear his mind, but now it seems that this is not possible. Boy, although it is impossible now, you don't have to worry too much. Since Chongyang is still connected to the mortal world, when the fate and the law come in the future, he should go into the world and get rid of the connection. When his mind is free from distractions, he will definitely achieve success in his cultivation."

Jiang Yuan pondered for a long time and said, "If that's the case, it's very difficult."

The master pointed at Jiang Yuan and said with a smile: "How can you say that, boy? The right way of the golden elixir is not easy. However, everyone who cultivates the golden elixir has his own calamity, and this is unavoidable."

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, I know how difficult it is to make the golden elixir, but I am worried about Chongyang, fearing that he will fail and die."

The master smiled and said, "My child, I was often worried about you in the past, but I have taught you with all my heart. In the end, cultivation must rely on oneself."

Jiang Yuan had no choice but to respond. The master and his disciple talked on the Yaotai.

Just as the conversation was reaching a climax, Jiang Yuan suddenly felt something in his heart and looked out of the mansion.

The immortal had his own divine vision. He suddenly saw stars falling in the east. He knew that this was a sign of the death of the Tang King of the East.

The ancestor said: "This is the fall of the Purple Star. The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty in the East has died, so there is such a turbulent move."

The real person sighed and said, "The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty finally died."

The master asked, "Does the boy have any old ties with him?"

The Immortal nodded and said, "I dare not lie to Master. I have met him once. The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty once offered his scriptures to me in exchange for the secret of immortality. I once offered him a secret of warding off evil spirits in exchange. But now it seems that the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty has failed."

The ancestor said: "Life and death are determined by fate and cannot be changed."

Jiang Yuan naturally understood.

The master and the disciple talked for a while before leaving. The immortal served the master back to the quiet room, and then he returned to his residence to cultivate his nature and practice Taoism.

……

The Three Stars Immortal Palace has always been very quiet. After the Immortal had been preaching the sutra, more than half a year had passed, and it was the third month of autumn here, with its frosty scenery.

The immortal has been meditating and cultivating for a long time, forgetting about time. He has always practiced like this. Often when he is practicing, he doesn't know how many years have passed, and one or two generations of the human world pass by in the blink of an eye.

The Immortal is meditating here, and everything is fine in the mansion. Chongyang still doesn't know how to practice, but he cleans the dust every day and never forgets. Zuo Liang is not anxious or impatient. Since the Immortal has not called him, he will just do his job well.

Red Boy often played with Sun Wukong, Bull Demon King, and Green Ox in the mountains, mostly learning all kinds of martial arts.

One day.

The immortal was originally meditating in his room when he was suddenly summoned by the master. Upon hearing the news, the immortal left the room and went to find the master.

Wait to enter the master's quiet room.

The Patriarch sat cross-legged on a cushion, and without waiting for the Immortal to greet him, he said, "Boy, the Purple Star Emperor has invited all the tribes to go to the Purple Star Palace. You go to the Purple Star Palace on my behalf and meet the Purple Star Emperor."

Jiang Yuan replied: "Yes, Master. Do you want me to go now?"

The master said, "You can go there in the near future."

Jiang Yuan agreed and asked, "Master, I wonder why the Purple Star Emperor asked us to go there?"

The master smiled and said, "It's probably irrelevant to us. Just go and listen. You have never seen the Purple Star Emperor. It would be a good deed if you go and see him now."

Jiang Yuan said, "As Master said, there are many gods and immortals in and outside the Three Realms that I have never seen. Do you want me to visit them all?"

The master said, "That's right, boy. You should inherit my mantle and go meet the gods and immortals."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan asked, "Master, there are so many gods in heaven. I don't know how long it will take to visit them all."

The master smiled and said, "But the one with great magical power must be visited. And there is no need to rush. When you have free time in the future, I will take you there to visit him in person."

Jiang Yuan bowed and accepted the gesture.

The master then said, "Go and prepare a few things, and when you are ready, go to Ziwei Palace."

Jiang Yuan said, "Yes, Master."

The immortal bowed again and left the quiet room.

After the immortal left the master's quiet room, he walked to Chongyang's quiet room, and told Chongyang and Zuo Liang that he would be away for a while and go to the Heavenly Palace. Then the immortal walked to the alchemy room and talked to Jinjiao and Yinjiao who stayed in the mansion, saying that they might not have time to prepare external elixirs. So thinking that the two of them had stayed in the mansion for a long time and had not returned to heaven, he went to Ziwei Palace and sent them back to Tushita Palace.

They both responded.

Jiang Yuan took Jinjiao and Yinjiao with him, gathered some people in the mansion, and was about to go to the heaven.

As soon as he walked out of the mansion, he saw a group of people fighting fiercely outside the mansion. It was a lively place.

But Sun Wukong was seen swinging his golden cudgel, fighting alone against Green Ox, Bull Demon King, and Red Boy.

Sun Wukong put aside his airs and used all his skills, combining both hardness and softness. For a time, Green Ox, Bull Demon King and Red Boy were unable to defeat him.

No matter how sharp the Green Ox's electric steel spear was, how heavy the Bull Demon King's iron stick was, or how sharp the Red Boy's fire-tipped spear was, even if the three weapons attacked together, they could not hurt Sun Wukong.

Seeing this, the Golden Horn and Silver Horn behind the Immortal said, "The Great Sage's abilities are much better now than before. In the past, on the road to the west, we were able to fight with the Great Sage for a while, but if we fight with the Great Sage now, I'm afraid it won't take more than two or three rounds before the Great Sage will beat us to death."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Wukong has indeed made great progress, and his martial arts are his greatest improvement."

The Immortal knew very well that Sun Wukong was very capable. From this fight, we can see how powerful Sun Wukong's martial arts were. Red Boy, Green Ox and Bull Demon King were all unable to defeat him. If it were not for their magical powers, Green Ox and the other three would have already been defeated. This was because Sun Wukong had strong endurance, and the three men's martial arts were unable to defeat Sun Wukong. If the battle lasted for a long time, the three men would undoubtedly be defeated.

Jinjiao Yinjiao said: "Brother, the Great Road to the West really has such a miraculous effect. If you follow it, your cultivation will improve."

The Immortal shook his head and said, "It's not that the journey to the west has magical effects, but Wukong was originally lacking this spiritual cultivation, and now he has accomplished it."

Say it.

The Immortal stepped forward and stopped the fighting.

When Sun Wukong and others saw the immortal coming, they came forward to pay their respects.

Jiang Yuan said, "I am now following the master's order to go to the Heavenly Palace and practice martial arts with you. But when you practice martial arts, don't forget to cultivate your supernatural powers, and don't forget to cultivate your mind."

Everyone obeyed the order.

Qingniu stepped forward and said, "Master, why are you going to the Heavenly Palace? Can I go with you?"

Jiang Yuan glanced at Qingniu and said with a smile: "I have important business to attend to in the Heavenly Palace, but if you want to go with me, you can. You are Laojun's beast, and no one in the Heavenly Palace will stop you."

Qingniu said, "In that case, I will go with you. Who are you going to visit? Just say a name and I will tell you what treasures are in his palace. Is it the twenty-eight constellations, the twelve zodiac signs, or the nine stars?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "What do you think of Emperor Ziwei?"

The blue ox said, "The Purple Star Emperor has a solemn and dignified temperament, which makes people afraid. However, I often walk in the Heavenly Palace, but I dare not offend him, for fear that he will punish me. Therefore, when I hear where the Purple Star Emperor is, I will retreat three steps away."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "This is to visit the Emperor Ziwei."

(End of this chapter)