Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

But then, the green ox, which had been dozing off, opened its eyes at some point, its big, round eyes staring intently at Chen Jiao.

Upon hearing the sound, Chen Jiao turned his head to look at the green ox, his face calm and expressionless.

Knowing that it was the Green Ox under the Dao Ancestor, its strength was extraordinary.

After a moment's thought, he actually took out a jade box.

The box was opened, revealing a dozen or so golden, round spirit oranges neatly arranged inside, looking full of spiritual energy.

This orange is no ordinary fruit; it comes from the Heavenly Cloud Garden, where it has absorbed the essence of the immortals, making it sweet and delicious.

The ox's nose twitched twice, its eyes brightened, and it grunted:

"Hmm, the aroma is quite pure! Quickly, get two for Master Niu to try!"

Chen Jiao flicked his fingertips, and two spirit oranges floated out, landing steadily in front of the open mouth of the green ox.

With a flick of its tongue, the ox rolled the orange into its mouth, chewed it a few times, and then narrowed its eyes.

The rich aroma of fruit mingled with a spiritual energy.

It smacked its lips, but a hint of dissatisfaction flashed in its eyes, and it said in a gruff voice:

"Hmm, the oranges produced in the Nine Heavens Cloud Garden are full of spiritual energy and sweet, but... they're just missing something."

It flicked its tail, as if savoring the memory:

"Not as good as Lord Niu back in the mortal realm..."

Cough cough, anyway, it's just lacking that bit of kick, not quite right!

Even so, it still swallowed the orange whole, peel and pulp, in a few bites, and licked its lips with a lingering sense of satisfaction.

After offering its critique, it glanced at Chen Jiao again:

"However, you are still the most virtuous one."

Unlike some celestial officials who are timid, stingy, and always putting on airs.

"Old Ox, I've got it. From now on, in this Realm of Separation and Sorrow, if you need anything, just mention my name, King Rhinoceros. It'll do you some good."

Its tone was quite smug, with a touch of chivalrous spirit.

Chen Jiao nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

His gaze swept over the blue ox, then across the serene and shrouded Tushita Palace in purple mist.

The palaces and temples are ancient and simple, with a profound atmosphere, as if they have transcended time, with only the spirit of non-action and tranquility flowing endlessly.

The Taoist Ancestor transcended worldly affairs, observing all phenomena from a seated position. His Taoist temple was naturally the purest and most tranquil place in the Three Realms, where all laws returned to their source.

However, his mount, the blue ox, though living in this extremely quiet place, was fond of worldly affairs, craving the pleasures of the mortal realm and enjoying wild fruits from the mundane world.

Being active, playful, and yearning for worldly pleasures seems incompatible with the ultimate tranquility of the Tushita Palace.

Chen Jiao felt a slight stirring in his heart, as if a thin mist were quietly dissipating.

The Daoist patriarch once said, "The Great Dao is all-encompassing; it can be followed to the left or right."

It is also said: "Reversal is the movement of the Tao, and weakness is the function of the Tao."

Isn't this a manifestation of the interplay between movement and stillness, and the mutual support between yin and yang?

The movement of the green ox is part of the stillness of the Tushita Palace, just like the eyes of a yin-yang fish, interdependent and indispensable.

The path of spiritual practice may be to pursue a mind as still as water, where all thoughts are extinguished.

Or they may seek worldly experience and understanding of life's complexities.

However, the highest level is not about simply rejecting or indulging in something, but about understanding the essence of movement and stillness, and mastering the changes of existence and non-existence.

Thinking of this, the slight ripples in Chen Jiao's heart gradually subsided, turning into a sense of understanding.

The Taoist patriarch left this ox in front of the palace, letting it do as it pleased; perhaps this was a form of teaching without words.

All things arise and flourish, and I observe their return; the Way follows nature and is not bound by any single pattern.

No wonder the Green Ox later longed to descend to the mortal realm.

Originally, the cattle pen could not contain the movement of the Way; the green ox was originally a manifestation of the Way.

All sorts of thoughts passed by like a gentle breeze, becoming clear in my mind.

Just then, a flash of light appeared inside the palace gates, and the Golden Horned Boy strode out, bowing and saying:

"My Lord, the Master requests your presence."

Chen Jiao stopped thinking and walked steadily, following Jin Jiao into the depths of the Tushita Palace amidst a misty purple aura.

Outside the palace gate, under the shade of pine trees.

The blue ox flicked its tail, then lazily lay down again, its snores rising as it dreamt of tasting wild oranges.

The palace is not decorated with gold and jade, but has only bluestone floors and jade pillars supporting the sky, giving it an ancient and quiet appearance.

The air was filled with a faint, refreshing fragrance of medicinal herbs, which brought peace to the mind.

After passing through several quiet rooms, we arrived at an extremely spacious alchemy room.

In the center of the room, an ancient and imposing Bagua furnace, its orientation subtly aligned with the Bagua, stands quietly.

The furnace body is engraved with cloud patterns and bird seal script, and the three legs at the bottom of the furnace are like a tripod, standing firmly on the ground.

Before the incense burner, an elderly man sat quietly on a prayer mat with his back to the palace gate.

He wore a Taoist robe embroidered with yin-yang symbols and the eight trigrams of the celestial sphere, and his white hair was tied up with only a wooden hairpin.

It was none other than the Supreme Dao Ancestor.

The Dao Ancestor did not look at the newcomer; his gaze remained fixed on the slightly trembling lid of the Eight Trigrams Furnace, as if listening to the breathing of the things inside.

He held a banana leaf fan in his hand, which resembled the items used by ordinary farmers, only with a warmer color.

Occasionally, a gentle fan is used, the movement is slow and natural, without the slightest hint of worldly affairs.

The divine fire beneath the furnace flickered slightly, its temperature changing with exquisite precision.

Upon reaching this point, Jin Jiao held his breath, bowed, and stepped aside, not daring to disturb him.

The Daoist Ancestor did not turn around, but continued to gaze at the furnace fire, his voice gentle:

"You're here?"

Chen Jiao stepped forward a few paces, stopped in front of the furnace, and bowed respectfully:

"Junior Chen Jiao pays respects to the Dao Ancestor."

The Dao Ancestor nodded slightly, still without turning around, yet seemingly able to see through everything, and casually asked:

"Just now outside the palace, when you saw that stubborn ox, did you have any thoughts or insights?"

His tone was calm, as if he were chatting casually, yet it seemed as if he had already seen through Chen Jiao's momentary thoughts.

Chen Jiao's heart skipped a beat; knowing he couldn't hide it from the Dao Ancestor's discerning eyes, he answered frankly:

"Seeing the blue ox dwelling in a place of utmost stillness, my heart yearns for the hustle and bustle of the mortal world."

Although its nature is unconventional, it may actually resonate with the tranquility of this place, suggesting a balance between movement and stillness.

Chen Jiao paused for a moment, then added:

"This perfectly aligns with what the Dao Ancestor once said: 'The Great Dao is all-encompassing; it can be turned to the left or right.' 'Reversal is the movement of the Dao; weakness is the function of the Dao.'"

"Only now do I understand."

Upon hearing this, the Dao Ancestor seemed to have a faint smile that flashed across his lips, but he continued to gaze at the furnace fire.

He did not directly comment on Chen Jiao's words, but simply gave a soft "hmm," like a gentle breeze brushing against the strings of a zither.

After a moment of silence, the flames in the furnace flickered slightly.

The Dao Ancestor pointed to the flickering, golden-purple flames within the Eight Trigrams Furnace and said slowly:

"When the fire in this furnace is strong, it can melt gold and refine stones; when it is weak, it can still nourish the elixir embryo."

When the fire should be strong and when it should be weak depends not on the fire itself, but on the timing and measure.

Too much of anything is as bad as too little; neither is the right path.

Chen Jiao's initial understanding of movement and stillness suddenly became much clearer and more profound.

This is no longer a simple relationship between movement and stillness, but touches upon the rhythm and balance of the operation of all things.

Dao Ancestor then slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on Chen Jiao. His gaze was clear and peaceful, as if he could see the origin of everything.

He nodded slightly:

"The green ox is both an ox and a mirror. It is already rare for you to see the extraordinary in the ordinary."

The greatest truths are the simplest, yet they are inseparable from daily life and ethical norms.

"To guard one's true nature and discern the opportune moment is true cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiao's gaze narrowed slightly, sensing something amiss. He bowed deeply to the Dao Ancestor's retreating figure, his voice calm and solemn:

"Disciple Chen Jiao thanks Master for imparting the Way."

The Daoist Ancestor did not respond, seemingly lost in thought.

Chen Jiao said no more and stood quietly to observe the Dao.

In the Tushita Palace, there was an old man and a young man, one sitting and one standing.

One was refining weapons, the other was observing the Dao.