AnthonyC.YuistheCarlDarlingBuckDistinguishedServiceProfessorEmeritusintheHumanitiesandProfessorEmeritusofReligionandLiteratureintheDivinitySchool;alsointheDepartmentsofComparativeLiterature,EastAsianLanguagesandCivilizations,andEnglishLanguageandLiterature,andtheCommitteeonSocialThought.Hisscholarlyworkfocusesoncomparativestudyofbothliteraryandreligioustraditions.

PublicationofthisvolumewasmadepossiblebyagrantfromtheChiangChing-kuoFoundationforInternationalScholarlyExchange(USA).

TheUniversityofChicagoPress,Chicago60637TheUniversityofChicagoPress,Ltd.,London©2012byTheUniversityofChicagoAllrightsreserved.Published2012.PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica

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Wu,Cheng'en,ca.1500–ca.1582,author.[Xiyouji.English.2012]ThejourneytotheWest/translatedandeditedbyAnthonyC.Yu.—Revisededition.pages;cm

Summary:ThestoryofXuanzang,themonkwhowentfromChinatoIndiainquestofBuddhistscriptures.Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.ISBN:978-0-226-97131-5(v.1:cloth:alkalinepaper)—ISBN:0-226-97131-7(v.1.:cloth:alkaline

paper)—ISBN:978-0-226-97132-2(v.1:pbk.:alkalinepaper)—ISBN:0-226-97132-5(v.1:pbk.:alkalinepaper)—ISBN:978-0-226-97140-7(v.1:e-book)(print)—ISBN:978-0-226-97133-9(v.2:cloth:alkalinepaper)—ISBN:0-226-97133-3(v.2:cloth:alkalinepaper)—ISBN:978-0-226-97134-6(v.2:paperback:alkalinepaper)—ISBN:0-226-97134-1(v.2:paperback:alkalinepaper)—ISBN:978-0-226-97141-4(v.2:e-book)(print)—ISBN:978-0-226-97136-0(v.3:cloth:alkalinepaper)—ISBN:0-226-97136-8(v.3:cloth:alkalinepaper)—ISBN:978-0-226-97137-7(v.3:paperback:alkalinepaper)—ISBN:0-226-97137-6(v.3:paperback:alkalinepaper)—ISBN:978-0-226-97142-1(v.3:e-book)(print)—ISBN:978-0-226-97138-4(v.4:cloth:alkalinepaper)—ISBN:0-226-97138-4(v.4:cloth:alkalinepaper)—ISBN:978-0-226-97139-1(v.4:paperback:alkalinepaper)—ISBN:978-0-226-97143-8(v.4:e-book)1.Xuanzang,ca.596–664—Fiction.I.Yu,AnthonyC.,1938–,translator,editor.II.Title.PL2697.H75E52012895.1'346—dc23

2012002836

ThispapermeetstherequirementsofANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992(PermanenceofPaper).

REVISEDEDITIONVolumeII

TheJourneytotheWest

TranslatedandEditedbyAnthonyC.Yu

TheUniversityofChicagoPressChicago&London

FORNathanandCharlotteScott

Contents

Acknowledgments,RevisedEditionAcknowledgments,FirstEditionAbbreviations

26.AmidtheThreeIslandsSunWukongseeksacure;WithsweetdewGuanshiyinrevivesatree.27.ThecadaverdemonthreetimesmocksTripitakaTang;TheholymonkinspitebanishesHandsomeMonkeyKing.28.AtFlower-FruitMountainapackoffiendsholdassembly;AttheBlackPineForestTripitakameetsdemons.29.Freeofhisperil,RiverFloatarrivesatthekingdom;Receivingfavor,EightRulesinvadestheforest.30.AdeviantdemonattacksthetrueDharma;TheHorseoftheWillrecallsMindMonkey.31.ZhuEightRulesprovokestheMonkeyKingtochivalry;PilgrimSunwithwisdomdefeatsthemonster.32.OnLevel-TopMountainthesentinelbringsamessage;AtLotus-FlowerCaveWoodMothermeetsdisaster.33.HeresydeludestheTrueNature;PrimalSpirithelpstheNativeMind.34.Thedemonking’splottingentrapsMindMonkey;TheGreatSage,everadroit,wanglesthetreasures.35.HeresyusespowertooppresstheproperNature;MindMonkey,baggingtreasures,conquersdeviatedemons.36.WhenMindMonkeyisrectified,thenidānascease;Smashthroughthesidedoortoviewthebrightmoon.37.TheghostkingvisitsTripitakaTangatnight;Wukong,throughwondroustransformation,leadsthechild.38.Thechildquerieshismothertolearnofdeviancyandtruth;MetalandWood,reachingthedeep,seethefalseandthereal.39.OnepelletofcinnabarelixirfoundinHeaven;Aking,deadthreeyears,livesagainonEarth.

40.Thechild’splayfultransformationsconfusetheChanMind;Ape,Horse,Spatulagone,WoodMother,too,islost.41.MindMonkeyisdefeatedbyfire;WoodMotheriscapturedbydemons.42.TheGreatSagediligentlycallsatSouthSea;GuanyinwithcompassionbindstheRedBoy.43.AnevildemonatBlackRivercapturesthemonk;TheWesternOcean’sdragonprincecatchestheiguana.44.Thedharma-bodyinprimalcyclemeetstheforceofthecart;Themind,rightingmonstrousdeviates,crossesthespine-ridgepass.45.AttheThreePureOnesAbbeytheGreatSageleaveshisname;AttheCartSlowKingdomtheMonkeyKingshowshispower.46.Heresyflauntsitsstrengthtomockorthodoxy;MindMonkeyinepiphanyslaysthedeviates.47.Theholymonk’sblockedatnightatHeaven-ReachingRiver;MetalandWood,incompassion,rescuelittlechildren.48.Thedemon,raisingacoldwind,sendsagreatsnowfall;Themonk,intentonseeingBuddha,walksonlayeredice.49.Tripitakameetsdisasterandsinkstoawaterhome;Tobringsalvation,Guanyinrevealsafishbasket.50.Naturefollowsconfusedfeelingsthroughlustanddesire;Faintspiritandmovedmindmeetademonchief.

NotesIndex

Acknowledgments,RevisedEdition

MythanksareduetotheMellonFoundationforitscontinuingsupportthroughthe extension in dispersal of fellowship fund for needed expenses. Dr. YuanZhou,Curatorof theEastAsianCollections in the libraryof theUniversityofChicagoandhisablestaffhavealsobeenunfailingintheirassistance.AsIwaspreparing this volume, the sad news arrived on the death (in April 2010) ofProfessorD.C.Lau,adistinguishedscholarof theChineseUniversityofHongKongknownworld-wide forhis translationsof theAnalects, theMencius, andtheDaodejing.Iowehimanincalculabledebtforthegenialfriendshipbestowedsinceourfirstmeetingin1975,thegeneroussharingofscholarlymaterialsandknowledge, the gift of his late father’s private volume of Chinese lyrics thathelpedtofosterandexpandmyowninterestinthegenre,and,overtheyears,theinvaluablelessons(manyofwhichinvolvingspecificlinguisticproblemsrelatedtoJourneytotheWest)inthedemandingartoftranslation.Hewasthekindestmentorwhom this humble expression of gratitude and bereavement can neverrepay.

Acknowledgments,FirstEdition

I wish to express my gratitude to the John Simon Guggenheim MemorialFoundation for theawardof aFellowship (1976–1977),duringwhichperiod IwasabletocompletethetranslationofthisvolumeofTheJourneytotheWest.My special thanks are due to Najita Tetsuo, Director of the Center for FarEasternStudies at theUniversity ofChicago, for his support and provision ofneeded research funds; to Mrs. Susan Fogelson, for expert assistance in thepreparationofthemanuscript;andtoMr.MaTai-loioftheFarEasternLibrary,theUniversityofChicago,forinvaluablehelpinresearch.

Abbreviations

Antecedents GlenDudbridge,The“Hsi-yuchi”:AStudyofAntecedentstotheSixteenth-CenturyChineseNovel(Cambridge,1970)

Bodde DerkBodde,FestivalsinClassicalChina(PrincetonandHongKong,1975)

BPZ Baopuzi ,NeipianandWaipian.SBBYBSOAS BulletinoftheSchoolofOrientalandAfricanStudiesCampany RobertFordCampany,ToLiveasLongasHeavenandEarth:A

TranslationandStudyofGeHong’s“TraditionsofDivineTranscendents”(Berkeley,2002)

CATCL TheColumbiaAnthologyofTraditionalChineseLiterature,ed.VictorMair(NewYork,1994)

CHC TheCambridgeHistoryofChina,eds.DenisTwitchettandJohnK.Fairbank(15vols.inmultiplebook-lengthparts.CambridgeandNewYork,1978–2009)

CHCL TheColumbiaHistoryofChineseLiterature,ed.VictorMair(NewYork,2001)

CJ AnthonyC.Yu,ComparativeJourneys:EssaysonLiteratureandReligionEastandWest(NewYork,2008)

CLEAR ChineseLiterature:EssaysArticlesReviewsCQ ChinaQuarterlyDH DaoismHandbook,ed.LiviaKohn(Leiden,2000)DHBWJ Dunhuangbianwenji ,ed.WangZhongmin (2vols.,

Beijing,1957)DJDCD Daojiaodacidian ,ed.LiShuhuan (Taipei,1981)DJWHCD Daojiaowenhuacidian ,ed.ZhangZhizhe

(Shanghai,1994)DZ ZhengtongDaozang (36vols.ReprintedbyWenwu,1988).

SecondsetofnumbersinJWcitationsreferstovolumeandpagenumber.

ET TheEncyclopediaofTaoism,ed.FabrizioPregadio(2vols.,LondonandNewYork,2008)

FSZ DaTangDaCi’ensiSanzangfashizhuan ,comp.Huili andYancong .T50,#2053.TextcitedisthatprintedinSZZSHB.

1592 XinkechuxiangguanbandaziXiyouji ,ed.Huayangdongtianzhuren .Fasc.rpr.ofJinlingShidetangedition(1592)inGubenxiaoshuojicheng ,vols.499–502(Shanghai,1990)

FXDCD Foxuedacidian ,comp.anded.,DingFubao (fasc.rpr.of1922ed.Beijing,1988)

HFTWJ LiuTs’un-yan[Cunren] ,Hefengtangwenji (3vols.,Shanghai,1991)

HJAS HarvardJournalofAsiaticStudiesHR HistoryofReligionsHerrmann AlbertHermann,AnHistoricalAtlasofChina,newed.(Chicago,

1966)HuShi(1923)

HuShi ,“Xiyoujikaozheng ,”inHuShiwencun(4vols.,HongKong,1962),2:354–99

Hucker CharlesO.Hucker,ADictionaryofOfficialTitlesinImperialChina(Stanford,1985)

IC TheIndianaCompaniontoTraditionalChineseLiterature,ed.andcomp.WilliamH.NienhauserJr.(Bloomington,IN,1986)

Isobe IsobeAkira ,Saiyūkikeiseishinokenkyū(Tokyo,1993)

j juanJA JournalasiatiqueJAOS JournaloftheAmericanOrientalSocietyJAS JournalofAsianStudiesJCR JournalofChineseReligionsJMDJCD JianmingDaojiaocidian ,comp.anded.,HuangHaide

etal., (Chengdu,1991)JW TheJourneytotheWest(Refersonlytothefour-volume

translationofXiyoujibyAnthonyC.YupublishedbytheUniversityofChicagoPress,1977–1983,ofwhichthepresentvolumeisthesecondoffourinacompleterevisededition.)

Lévy AndréLévy,trad.,WuCheng’en,LaPérégrinationversl’Ouest,

BibliothèquedelaPléiade(2vols.,Paris,1991)Li LiAngangPipingXiyouji (2vols.,Beijing,2004)

Little StephenLittlewithShawnEichman,DaoismandtheArtsofChina(ArtInstituteofChicago,inassociationwithUniversityofCaliforniaPress,2000)

LSYYJK LishiyuyanyanjiusuojikanLWJ “Xiyouji”yanjiulunwenji (Beijing,1957)MDHYCH GuZhichuan ,MingdaiHanyucihuiyanjiu

(Kaifeng,Henan,2000)Monkey Monkey:FolkNovelofChinabyWuCh’eng-en,trans.Arthur

Waley(London,1943)Ōta ŌtaTatsuo ,Saiyūkinokenkyū (Tokyo,1984)Plaks AndrewH.Plaks,TheFourMasterworksoftheMingNovel

(Princeton,1987)Porkert ManfredPorkert,TheTheoreticalFoundationsofChinese

Medicine:SystemsofCorrespondence(Cambridge,MA,1974)QSC QuanSongci ,ed.TangGuizhang (5vols.,1965;rpr.

Tainan,1975)QTS QuanTangshi (12vols.,1966;rpr.Tainan,1974)Saiyūki Saiyūki ,trans.ŌtaTatsuo andToriiHi-sayasu .

Chūgokukotenbungakutaikei ,31–32(2vols.,Tokyo,1971)

SBBY SibubeiyaoSBCK SibucongkanSCC JosephNeedhametal.,ScienceandCivilisationinChina(7vols.

in27book-lengthparts.Cambridge,1954)Schafer EdwardH.Schafer,PacingtheVoid:T’angApproachestothe

Stars(Berkeley,LosAngeles,andLondon,1977)SCTH Sancaituhui (1609edition)Soothill ADictionaryofChineseBuddhistTerms,comp.WilliamEdward

SoothillandLewisHodus(rpr.1934ed.byLondon:KeganPaul,Trench,Trubner.Taipei,1970)

SSJZS Shisanjingzhushu (2vols.,Beijing,1977)SZZSHB TangXuanzangSanzangzhuanshihuibian ,ed.

MasterGuangzhong (Taipei,1988)

T Taishōshinshūdai-zōkyō ,eds.TakakusuJunijirōandWatanabeKaikyoku (85vols.,Tokyo,1934)

TC TheTaoistCanon:AHistoricalCompaniontothe“Daozang”,eds.KristoferSchipperandFranciscusVerellen(3vols.,Chicago,2004)

TP T’oungPaoTPGJ Taipingguangji ,comp.anded.LiFang (5vols.,rpr.

Tainan,1975)TPYL Taipingyulan ,comp.anded.LiFang(4vols.,Beijing,

1960)Unschuld PaulU.Unschuld,trans.andannotated,Nan-Ching:TheClassicof

DifficultIssues(Berkeley,LosAngeles,andLondon,1986)Veith IlzaVeith,trans.,TheYellowEmperor’sClassicofInternal

Medicine,newed.(Berkeley,LosAngeles,andLondon,1972)WCESWJ WuCheng’enshiwenji ,ed.LiuXiuye (Shanghai,

1958).XMGZ Xingmingguizhi ,authorshipattributedtoanadvanced

studentofoneYinZhenren ,inZangwaiDaoshu (36vols.,Chengdu,1992–1994),9:506–95.ForJW,IalsoconsultamoderncriticaleditionpublishedinTaipei,2005,withacomprehensiveandlearnedsetofannotationsbyFuFengying

.ThecitationfromthisparticulareditionwillbedenominatedasXMGZ-Taipei.

XYJ WuCheng’en ,Xiyouji (Beijing:Zuojiachubanshe,1954).Abbreviationrefersonlytothisedition.

XYJCD Xiyoujicidian ,comp.anded.ZengShangyan(Zhengzhou,Henan,1994)

XYJTY ZhengMingli ,Xiyoujitanyuan (2vols.,1982;rpr.Taipei,2003)

XYJYJZL Xiyoujiyanjiuzhiliao ,ed.LiuYinbo (Shanghai,1982)

XYJZLHB “Xiyouji”zhiliaohuibian (Zhongzhou,Henan,1983)

YYZZ Youyangzazu (SBCKedition)ZYZ Zhongyaozhi (4vols.,Beijing,1959–1961).Yang YangFengshi ,ZhongguozhengtongDaojiaodacidian

(2vols.,Taipei,1989–1992)Yü Chün-fangYü,Kuan-yin:TheChineseTransformationof

Avalokiteśvara(NewYork,2001)

ZHDJDCD ZhonghuaDaojiaodacidian ,ed.HuFuchen etal.(Beijing,1995)

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CitationsfromallStandardHistories,unlessotherwiseindicated,aretakenfromthe Kaiming edition ofErshiwushi (9 vols., 1934; rpr. Taipei, 1959).Citations of text with traditional or simplified characters follow format ofpublicationsconsulted.

TWENTY-SIX

AmidtheThreeIslandsSunWukongseeksacure;WithsweetdewGuanshiyinrevivesatree.

Holdfastinlifethe“sword”abovethe“heart.”1Recallthe“long”besidethe“suffering.”Theproverbsaysthesword’sthelawoflife,Butthinkthricetocheckbothangerandpride.“Thenoblest”2ispeaceful—it’staughtlongago;“Thesagelovesvirtue”3—atruthforalltimes.Thestrongmanwillmeetsomeonestrongerstill:Cometonaughtatlasthesurelywill!

We were telling you about the Zhenyuan Great Immortal, who grabbedPilgrimandsaid,“Iknowyourabilities,andIhaveheardofyourreputation.Butyouhavebeenmostdeceitfulandunscrupulousthistime.Youmayindulgeinallsortsofwizardry,butyoucan’tescapefrommyhands.I’llarguewithyoualltheway to theWestern Heaven to see that Buddhist Patriarch of yours, but youwon’t get away fromhaving to restore tome theGinsengFruit Tree. So stopplayingwithyourmagic!”“DearSir!”saidPilgrim, laughing.“Howpettyyouare!Ifyouwant the treerevived, there’snoproblem.Ifyouhadsaidso in thefirst place, wewould have been spared this conflict.” “No conflict!” said theGreatImmortal.“YouthinkIwouldletyougetawaywithwhatyouhavedone?”“Untiemymaster,” said Pilgrim, “and I’ll give you back a living tree.How’sthat?”“Ifyoureallypossessthepower,”saidtheGreatImmortal,“tomakethetreealiveagain,I’llgothroughtheproperceremonyof‘EightBows’withyouandbecomeyourbond-brother.”“Relax!”saidPilgrim.“Let themgo,andyoucanbecertainthatoldMonkeywillgiveyoubackalivingtree.”TheGreatImmortalreckonedthattheycouldnotescape;hethereforegavethe

ordertofreeTripitaka,EightRules,andShaMonk.“Master,”saidShaMonk,“IwonderwhatsortoftricksElderBrotherisuptothistime.”“Whatsortoftricks?”askedEightRules.“Thisiscalledthetrickof‘Pulling

WoolRightoverYourEyes.’Thetreeisdead!Youthinkitcouldbecuredandrevived?He’sjustputtingoutsomeemptyformulaforshow.Onthepretextofgoingtofindmedicinetocurethetree,hewillfleeandtaketotheroadallbyhimself.You thinkhehas anycare forus?” “Hewon’tdare leaveusbehind,”saidTripitaka.“Let’saskhimwhereheisgoingtofindthecure.”

Hethencalledout,“Wukong,howdidyoumanage todeceive theImmortalMasterandhaveusfreed?”“OldMonkeyisspeakingthetruth,onlythetruth,”saidPilgrim.“Whatdoyoumeanbydeceivinghim?”Tripitakaasked.“Wherewillyougotofindthecure?”Pilgrim replied, “According to an old proverb, ‘The cure comes from the

seas.’IwanttogonowtotheGreatEasternOceanandmakeacompletetouroftheThreeIslandsandtheTenIslets.IwanttovisitalltheImmortalsandAgedSages to ask for amethod of revivification thatwill revive the tree for him.”“How long do you need to be away before returning?” said Tripitaka. “Onlythreedays.”“Allright,”saidTripitaka.“Asyousaid,I’llgiveyouthreedays.Ifyou return by that time, everythingwill be fine. If you don’t comeback afterthreedays,I’llbeginrecitingthat‘Old-TimeSūtra’!”“Ihearyou!Ihearyou!”saidPilgrim.Look how he quickly straightened his tiger-skin kilt. As hewalked out the

door,hesaidtotheGreatImmortal,“Youneednotworry,sir.I leavenow,butI’llbebackverysoon.Butyoumust takegoodcareofmymaster;see thathelacksnoneofthethreemealsandthesixteasoftheday.Ifmymaster’sclothesbecomesoiledorwrinkled,washandstarchthem.Shouldhewantanything,oldMonkeywillsettletheaccountwithyouwhenhereturns.I’llfinishpuncturingall the pans for you! Ifmymaster’s face pales even a little, Iwon’t take himback;andifhebecomesatriflethin,I’llnotleavethisplace.”“Go,go,”saidtheGreatImmortal.“I’llseetoitthathedoesn’tstarve!”DearMonkeyKing! Hemounted his cloud somersault quickly and left the

AbbeyofFiveVillages,headingstraight for theGreatEasternOcean.Movingthroughtheairlikelightningandmeteor,hesoonarrivedattheimmortalregionofPenglai.4Heloweredhiscloudandtookacarefullookbelow:itwasalovelyplaceindeed,forwhichwehaveatestimonialpoem.Thepoemsays:Agreatlanddivine,thesages’domain,ThesePenglaiislandscalmthewindsandwaves.Jaspertowers’cooltheheavenswiththeirshades;Tallarches’brightreflectionsfloatonthesea.Mistsoffivecolorsveilthejade-greensky;Highonthegoldturtlestarsandmoonshine.TheQueenoftheWestwouldthisplacefrequentForThreeImmortalswithpeachesaspresent.

Before he had finished looking at this divine scenery, Pilgrim was alreadyentering Penglai. As he walked, he saw three old men playing encirclementchess in the shadeof somepine treesoutside theWhite-CloudCave.Theonewatching thegamewas theStarofLongevity,while the twoplayingwere theStarofBlessingandtheStarofWealth.Pilgrimapproachedthem,crying,“Old

brothers, receivemybow!”When theThreeStars sawhim, theypushedawaythe chess board and returned his salutation. “Great Sage, why did you comehere?” they asked. “I cameespecially tohave some funwith all of you,” saidPilgrim.“IheardthattheGreatSage,whoforsookDaoismtofollowBuddhism,”saidtheStarofLongevity,“hadwonbackhisfreedomtoprotecttheTangMonkonhis journey toseekscriptures in theWesternHeaven.Hemustbe travelingoverruggedroadseveryday.Wherewouldhefind timetohavefunwithus?”Pilgrim said, “To tell all of you the truth, old Monkey has run into a littleobstaclehalfwayonthejourneytotheWest.That’swhyIcametorequestsomeassistance, but I don’t knowwhether you arewilling to helpme or not.” “Atwhatplace?”askedtheStarofBlessing.“Whatsortofobstacle?Tellusplainlyso that wemay decide.” “Wewere stopped while passing the Abbey of FiveVillagesattheLongLifeMountain.”“TheAbbeyofFiveVillagesisthedivineresidenceoftheZhenyuanGreatImmortal,”saidoneofthethreeoldmen,whowereastonished. “Could itbe thatyou stoleandatehisginseng fruits?”“So Istole and ate them,” said Pilgrim with a laugh. “How much could they beworth?”“Youape!”saidoneofthethreeoldmen.“Youaredumb!Amanwhotakes

onewhiffofthatfruitwilllivetobethreehundredandsixtyyearsold;heeatsoneandhe’ll last forty-seven thousandyears.That’swhy itbears thenameof‘TheLong-LifeGrassofRevertedCinnabar.’ThelevelofcultivationinDaoofthatGreatImmortalfarsurpassesours!Withsuchathinginhispossession,hecaneasilyhave the sameageasHeaven,whereaswe still have tonourishourspermalessence,cultivateourbreaths,fortifyourspirits,harmonizethetigerandthedragon,catch thekan to fillup the li—inshort,wehave to spenda lotoftimeandeffortjusttoattainimmortality.Howcouldyousay,‘Howmuchcouldthey beworth?’ Throughout thewholeworld, that’s the only kind of spiritualroot there is.” “Spiritual root! Spiritual root!” said Pilgrim. “I have alreadyuprootedit!”“What do you mean by ‘uprooted it’?” asked the three old men, greatly

alarmed. Pilgrim said, “Whenwewent to theAbbey the other day, theGreatImmortalwasnothome,andonlytwoladsreceivedmymaster.Theyservedhimtwoginsengfruits,butmymasterdidnotrealizethattheywerefruits.Thinkingthattheywereinfantsnotyetthreedaysold,heabsolutelyrefusedtoeatthem.The lads took them away and ate themwithout bothering even to share themwithus.So,oldMonkeywentandstolethreeofthefruitsforusthreebrotherstoeat,butthosetwolads,withoutanysenseofpropriety,keptoncallingusthieves.OldMonkeygotmadandgavethetreeablowwithhisrod.Whenitfelltotheground, the fruitson itdisappeared, thebranches snapped, the leavesdropped,

and it died with all its roots exposed. The lads tried to imprison us, but oldMonkeybroke their lockand left.Earlynextmorning, theirmastercamebackandgavechase;wehadafewroughexchangeswithhimwhichledeventuallytoa fight. Ina flash,he flippedopen that sleeveofhisandbaggedallofus.Wewere bound and shackled, interrogated and whipped for a whole day, but wemanagedtoescapeagainthatnight.Hecaughtupwithusoncemoreandtookuscaptive.Mindyou,therewasnotaninchofsteelonhim!Hehadonlythatyak’stailtoparryourblows,butnoneofthethreeweaponsofusbrotherscouldeventouchhim.Andsohegaveusmoreofthesametreatment,wrappingmymasterandmy twoyoungerbrothers inclothcoatedwithvarnishbutputtingme inapanofboilingoil.Ithenshowedhimmyspecialtalentforescape,butnotbeforeI had punctured his pan.When he saw that he could not holdme captive, hebecame somewhat intimidated, and that was when I sweet-talked him intofreeingmymasterandmybrotherswiththepromisethatIwouldrevivehistreefor him. That’s how we came to a temporary truce.When I remembered thesaying,‘Thecurecomesfromtheseas,’IdecidedtopayyouthreeoldBrothersavisitinthislovelyplace.Ifyouhaveanyformulatocurethetree,pleasepassitontomeatoncesothatIcanrescuetheTangMonkfromhisordeal.”WhentheThreeStarsheardthesewords,theybecamedistressedalso.Oneof

them said, “Monkey, you’re completely ignorant of people! That MasterZhenyuan is the patriarch of earthbound immortals, while we belong to thelineageofdivineimmortals.YoumayhavesomesortofpositioninHeaven,butyouareonlyanirregularnumberintheGreatMonadclan,andyouhaveyettoattainanauthenticrank.Howcouldyoupossiblyexpecttoescapefromhim?Ifyouhadkilledsomebeastorbird,someinsectorscalycreature,allyouwouldneedisonegrainofmymillet-elixiranditwouldberevived.Theginsengfruit,however,istheveryrootofalldivinetrees.Howcoulditbehealed?There’snocure for it!” When Pilgrim heard that there was no cure available, his browbecamecompletelyfurrowed.“GreatSage,” said theStarofBlessing,“though there isnocurehere, there

may be one in another place. Why are you so dejected?” Pilgrim said, “Ofcourse,Idon’tmindgoingtoanotherplacetoseekacure.Itwouldhavebeenasmallmatterindeed,evenifIhadtojourneytotheedgeoftheseasormakeacomplete tour of the thirty-sixHeavens. But that Elder Tang ofmine, who isneithertolerantnormagnanimous,hasgivenmealimitofthreedays.IfIdon’treturnwithsomethingafterthreedays,he’llstartrecitingtheTight-FilletSpell.”“Good!Good!Good!”saidtheThreeStars, laughing.“Haditnotbeenforthislittlemeansofcontrol,youwouldbecrawlingalloverHeavenagain!”ThentheStar of Longevity said, “Relax, Great Sage. Don’t worry. Though that Great

Immortalisoursenior,hedoesknowus.Aswehavenotvisitedhimforalongtime,andasitisforthesakeoftheGreatSage,wethreeshallgoandcallonhimright now.We’ll express your concern to the TangMonk and tell him not torecite theTight-FilletSpell.Threedays, fourdays—what’s thedifference?Wewon’tleavethemuntilyoucomebackwiththecure.”“Thankyou!Thankyou!”said Pilgrim. “Please get onwith your journey, oldBrothers. I’moff.” So theGreatSagetookleaveofthem,andweshallsaynomoreofthat.WetellyounowabouttheStars,whomountedtheauspiciousluminosityand

wentstraighttotheAbbeyofFiveVillages.ThecrowdattheAbbeywasmillingaboutwhensuddenlythecriesofcranescouldbeheardintheskytoannouncethearrivalofthethreeelders.YoucouldseeAskylitupbysheensofauspiciouslight,Assweet,unendingfragrancefilledtheair.Coloredmist—athousandstrands—veiledthefeatheredgowns;FleecycloudsinpetalshelduptheImmortals’feet(AsgreenphoenixesflewAndredphoenixessoared).Theirsleevessentascentedbreezetosweeptheearth;Theirstaffs,likehangingdragons,broughtlaughtergay;Theirbeardsswayedbeforethemlikemedalsofjade.Theirblithe,youthfulfeaturesshowednogrieforcare;Theirstrong,healthyframeswerethoseoftheblessed.TheyheldtalliesofstarsTofillupthesea-mansions;Fromtheirwaistshungthegourdsandpreciousscrolls.Tenthousanddecades—sograndwastheirage.OntheThreeIslandsandTenIsletstheyfreelylived.TheycametothisworldoftentogranttheirboonsAndincreaseman’sblessingsahundredfold.Thewhole,wideworldBrightwithgloryandwealth!Tohavenowendlessblessingandendlesslife!ThreeeldersridingonhalossawtheImmortalGreat:Whatboundlesspeaceandblessingfilledthehall!

Whenanimmortalladsawthis,herantomakethereport,“Master,theThreeStars from the sea have arrived.”MasterZhenyuanwas just chattingwith theTang Monk and his disciples. Hearing the announcement, he went down thestepsintothecourtyardtoreceivethevisitors.WhenEightRulessawtheStarofLongevity,hegrabbedhimandsaidwitha laugh,“Youblubberyoldcodger!Ihaven’tseenyouforalongtime,andyoustilllooksodashing!Why,youdidn’tevenbringalongahat!”Takingoffhisownmonk’s cap,heplopped it on theheadoftheStar,clappedhishands,androaredwithlaughter.“Fine!Fine!Fine!”he cried. “As the saying goes, ‘Put on the cap to increase riches!’” Throwingawaythecap,theStarofLongevitysnappedback,“Youstupidcoolie!Youhave

absolutely no manners!” “I’m no coolie,” said Eight Rules, “but you are allknaves.”“Youare indeeda stupidcoolie,” said theStarofBlessing,“andyoueven dare to call people knaves?” “If you are not the knaves of somehousehold,”saidEightRulesagain,laughing,“howisitthatyoucomebearingthenames‘IncreaseAge,’‘IncreaseBlessing,’and‘IncreaseWealth’?”At that moment, Tripitaka ordered Eight Rules to step back while he

straightenedhisclothesquicklytogreettheThreeStars,whointurnsalutedtheGreat Immortal as a senior colleaguebefore theydared takea seat.After theywereseated, theStarofWealthsaid,“Weapologizefornotcomingtopayourrespects for such a long time.We came now especially to see you since welearned that the Great Sage Sun had caused some disturbance here.” “HasPilgrimSunbeentoPenglaialready?”askedtheGreatImmortal.“Yes,”saidtheStarofLongevity.“AshehaddamagedthecinnabartreeoftheGreatImmortal,hecametoourplacetoseekacure.Whenhefoundoutthatwedidn’thaveany,hewentelsewhereinsearchofit.Hewasafraid,however,thathewouldexceedthetimelimitofthreedayssetbytheholymonkandprovokehimtorecitetheTight-FilletSpell.Thatisthereasonwhywecametoseeyouandtoaskyouforan extension of the limit.” When Tripitaka heard this, he said repeatedly, “Iwon’treciteit!Iwon’treciteit!”As they talked, Eight Rules came running in again to tug at the Star of

Blessing.Demanding thathebegivensome fruits toeat,hebegan togive theStar a complete search, poking into his sleeves, frisking his waist, and evenliftingupthehemofhisrobe.“Whatsortofbadmannersisthat,EightRules?”askedTripitakawithalaugh.“I’mnotill-mannered,”saidEightRules.“Thisiscalled ‘EveryTurn’saBlessing.’”Tripitakaagainorderedhim to leave.Ashesloggedtowardthedoor,IdiotturnedandstaredfiercelyattheStarofBlessing.“Stupidcoolie!”saidtheStar.“HowhaveIoffendedyouthatyoushouldbesomadatme?”“I’mnotmadatyou,”saidEightRules.“I’mjustdoingwhattheycall ‘TurningYourHead to Look for Blessing’!”When Idiot went out of thedoor,heranintoalittleladholdingfourteaspoonswhilesearchinginthehallforthecupswithwhichhecouldpresent tea.EightRulesgrabbed thespoonsandranintothemainhall;pickingupasonorousstone,hebegantostrikeitwildlywiththespoonsasheprancedabout.“Thismonk,”saidtheGreatImmortal,“isbecomingmoreandmoreundignified!”“I’mnotundignified,”saidEightRules,laughing.“Thisiscalledthe‘JoyfulFestivitiesofFourSeasons.’”5WeshallnowstoptellingyouaboutthepranksofEightRulesandturninstead

toPilgrim,whomountedtheauspiciouscloudstoleavePenglaiandsoonarrivedattheFangzhangMountain.Itwasalovelymountainindeed,forwhichwehavethefollowingtestimonialpoem.

ThesoaringFangzhang,aHeavenitself,Theprimalpalacewhereimmortalsmeet:Purpletowerslightupthethreepurepaths;Floralscentfloatsupwithfive-coloredmists.Goldphoenixesoftpauseonthepearlyarch.Whofloodswithjadecream6theagaricfields?PinkpeachesandpurpleplumsnewlyripenedAnnounceanaeon’schangeamongthegods.

Pilgrim loweredhiscloud,buthewas innomood toenjoy thescenery.Asheproceeded, hewasmetby agentle scentedbreeze andby the soundsofblackcranes.Thenhesawinthedistanceanimmortal,fromwhomTenthousandmotleybeamslitupthesky;Coloredmistssoaredinendlessshaftsoflight.Hisredphoenix’smouthheldflowersfresh;Hisgreenphoenixflewwithcanorouscries.Withluckliketheseaandagelikeamount,Helookedlikeaboyofsound,healthyframe.Hisvasekeptthecave-heaven’sagelessdrug;Asealoldasthesunhungfromhiswaist.HebroughtblessingstomankindseverallyAndsavedtheworldafewtimesfromdistress.KingWusummonedhimtoaddtohisage.HealwaysattendedtheFestivalofPeach.Hetaughtthemonkstobreaktheirworldlyties,Revealinglikelightningagreatwaytothem.Hecrossedtheseastowishamanlonglife,AndsawBuddhaoftenatSpiritMount.Hisholytitle:GrandThearchoftheEast,Firstoftheimmortalsmidstsmokeandmist.

Somewhatshamefacedly,PilgrimSunmethimandsaid,“GrandThearch,I’mraisingmyhands!”TheGrandThearchhastenedtoreturnthesalutation,saying,“GreatSage,forgivemefornotgoingtomeetyou.Pleasecometomyplaceandletmeserveyoutea.”HethentookthehandsofPilgrimandledhiminside.Itwastrulyadivinepalace,wheretherewerecountlessarchesstuddedwithpearl-oystershells,jasperpools,andjadeterraces.Astheysatdowntowaitfortheirtea,alittleladsteppedoutfrombehindthejadescreen.“Howwashedressed?”youask.HisbodyworeaDaoistrobeoflustroushues;Abrightsilksashwastiedaroundhiswaist;HetrodtheDipperwearingasilkheadwrap;7Hisfeetshodstrawsandalstotourfairyhaunts.RefiningthepristinelyrealHeshedhisoriginalshell.Meritachieved,hecoulddoashepleased.Helearnedthesourceofspirit,sperm,andbreathAsamasterwouldknowwithoutmistake.

Hefledfromfame,nowowningagelesslife—Themonths,theseasonshadnoholdonhim.PassingwindingcorridorsToascendroyaltowers,HepalmedfromHeavengods’peachesthreetimes.Incoloredmistheleftthekingfisherscreens,ThislowlyimmortalnamedDongfangShuo.8

WhenPilgrimsawhim,he laughedandsaid,“So, this littlecrook ishere!Butthere’s no peach at the Grand Thearch’s place for you to steal and eat.”DongfangShuobowed to himand replied, “Oldburglar!Whydidyou come?There’snodivineelixiratmymaster’splaceforyoutostealandeat.”“Stopblabbering,Manqian,”cried theGrandThearch.“Bringus some tea.”

Manqian,yousee,wasthereligiousnameofDongfangShuo.Hehurriedinsideto fetch two cups of tea.After they had finished drinking, Pilgrim said, “OldMonkey came here to ask of you a favor. Will you grant me that?” “Whatfavor?”saidtheGrandThearch.“Pleasetellme.”“IrecentlybecameguardianoftheTangMonkonhiswestwardjourney,”saidPilgrim.“WewerepassingbytheAbbeyofFiveVillagesattheLongLifeMountain,wherewewereinsultedbytwoyoung lads.Myangerof themomentmademe topple theirGinsengFruitTree,whichledtotheTangMonkbeingdetainedforthetimebeing.That’swhyIcametoaskyouforacure.Ihopeyou’llbegenerousaboutthematter.”“Youape,”saidtheGrandThearch.“Youhavenocareforanythingexceptto

causetroubleeverywhere.MasterZhenyuanoftheAbbeyofFiveVillages,withtheholytitleof‘Lord,EqualtoEarth,’happenstobethepatriarchofearthboundimmortals. How did you manage to offend someone like him? That GinsengFruit Tree of his, you know, is the grass of the reverted cinnabar. If you hadstolenitandeatenit,youwouldbeguiltyalready.Nowyouhavegonesofarastoknockthetreedown.Youthinkhe’llletyougetawaywiththat?”“Exactly,”saidPilgrim.“Wedidescape,buthecaughtupwithusandscoopedusupinhissleeveas ifwewerehandkerchiefs. It’sa troublesomeaffair: since Icouldnotprevail,Ihadtopromisehimthatthetreewouldbecured.That’swhyIcametobegyou.”TheGrandThearchsaid,“IhaveonegrainoftheGreatMonadElixirofNine

Reversions.Itcancureallthesentientcreaturesintheworld,butitcannotcuretrees.Fortreesarethespiritsofearthandwood,nourishedbyHeavenandEarth.Moreover,theGinsengFruitTreeisnotreeofthemortalworld;ifitwere,youmightfindacureforit.ButtheLongLifeMountainhappenstobeaHeavenlyregion, and the Abbey of Five Villages is a cave-heaven of the WestAparagodānīya Continent. And the Ginseng Fruit Tree produced there is aspiritual root thatcame intoexistenceat the timeofcreation.Howcould itbe

healed?Ihavenocure,nonewhatever!”“If you have no cure, old Monkey will take his leave,” said Pilgrim. The

GrandThearchwouldhavelikedtoofferhimacupof jadenectar,butPilgrimsaid, “This is emergency business; I dare not linger.” He then mounted theclouds toproceed to the islandofYingzhou.This, too,wasa lovelyplace, forwhichwehaveatestimonialpoem.Thepoemsays:Theelegantpearltree9aglowinpurplemists;Yingzhou’sarchesandtowerstouchingthesky;Greenhills,bluewaters,andfaircorallineblooms;Jadenectar,redsteel,10andthehardironstone.Thefive-coloredcockcrowsatthesea’ssunrise;Theredphoenix,ageless,breathesinscarletmists.Invainmortalswouldseekthisgourd-heldscene,11Anendlessspringbeyondtheworldofforms.

OurGreatSagearrivedatYingzhou,wherebeforetheredcliffsandbeneaththepearltreessatseveralfigureswithluminouswhitehairandbeards,immortalsofyouthfulcomplexion.Theywereplayingchessanddrinkingwine,tellingjokesandsingingsongs.TrulytherewereHallowedcloudsallfilledwithlight;Auspiciousmistswithfragranceafloat;Colorfulphoenixescallingatthecave’sentrance;Darkcranesdancingontopofthemountain.Jadelikelotusrootsandpeacheswentwellwithwine;Magicpearsandfiredatesprolongedtheyears.Noneofthemhadneedtoheedaroyalsummons,Thoughthedivinerecordhadeachoftheirnames.Whollyatease,theycouldwanderandplay;Withnoworkorcare,theycoulddoastheyplease.Themonths,theyearshadnoholdontheirlives;Throughoutthegreatworldtheywerecompletelyfree.HowlovelyweretheblackapesWhocameinpairs,bowing,topresentthefruits!HowfriendlyarethewhitedeerWholaydowntwobytwowithflowersintheirmouths!

ThoseoldmenwereenjoyingthemselveswhenourPilgrimwalkeduptothemandcried,“Howaboutlettingmehavesomefuntoo?”Whentheimmortalssawhim, they quickly rose to greet him.We have a poem as a testimony, and thepoemsays:ThespiritrootsoftheGinsengFruitTreesnapped;TheGreatSagecalledonthegodsforawondrouscure.Asscarletlightpouredfromthedivinegrove,HewasmetbytheNineEldersofYingzhou.

Recognizing the Nine Elders, Pilgrim said, laughing, “Old Brothers, how

contentyouare!”“IftheGreatSageinyearspasthadperseveredinthetruth,”said theNineElders, “and had not disruptedHeaven, hewould be evenmorecontentthanweare.Butyouareallrightnow.Weheardthatyouhadreturnedtothe truth toseekBuddha in theWest.Wheredoyoufindsuch leisure tocomehere?”Pilgrimthengaveathoroughaccountofhiseffortstofindacureforthetree.Astounded, theNine Elders said, “You cause toomuch trouble! Just toomuchtrouble.Honestly,wedon’thaveanycure.”“Ifyoudon’t,”saidPilgrim,“Ishalltakeleaveofyou.”TheNineEldersaskedhimtostayanddrinksomejadenectarandeatsome

lotusroot.Pilgrimwouldnotsitdownbut,standing,drankaglassofnectarandate apieceof lotus.He then leftYingzhou swiftly andheaded straight for theGreat Eastern Ocean. Soon the Potalaka Mountain came in sight. Droppingdownfromtheclouds,hewentstraighttothetopofthemountain,wherehesawthe Bodhisattva Guanyin giving a lecture to the various celestial guardians,dragon-ladies,andMokṣainthepurplebamboogrove.Asatestimony,wehaveapoemwhichsays:Thesea-mistresscity’stallwiththickhallowedair.Hereyouseecountlessmarvelousthings.KnowthatthethousandvagueandvariedformsAreallfoundinabook’sonesoundlessleaf.12

FourNobleTruths13conferredwillbearrightfruit:SixStages,14whenlistenedto,willsetyoufree.Thisyounggrove15haspleasuresspecialandtrue:Treesfullofreddenedfruitsandfragrantflowers.

TheBodhisattvawas the first to notice Pilgrim’s arrival, and she asked theGreatMountain Guardian to go meet him. As he came out of the grove, theguardian shouted, “Sun Wukong, where are you going?” Raising his head,Pilgrimcried,“Bearrascal!IsWukongthenameforyoutotakeinvain?IfoldMonkey hadn’t spared you back then, you would have been a corpse on theBlackWindMountain. Today you are a follower of the Bodhisattva, for youhave received the virtuous fruit and you have been made a resident of thisimmortalmountain so that you can listen frequently to the dharma teachings.Now,withallthesebenefits,can’tyouaddressmeas‘VenerableFather’?”ThatBlackBear,yousee,hadindeedattainedtherightfruit,butthefactthathewasmade a guardian of the Potalaka and given the title “Great Guardian” wassomethingthatheowedtoPilgrim.Sohereallycouldnotdoanythingbutsmileandsay,“GreatSage,theancientssaid,‘Theprincelymandoesnotdwellonoldfaults.’Whymentionmypast?TheBodhisattvaaskedme tocomemeetyou.”Our Pilgrim at once became solemn and earnest as he followed the Great

GuardiantobowdowntotheBodhisattvainthepurplebamboogrove.“Wukong,” said theBodhisattva, “where has theTangMonk reached in his

journey?” “The Long Life Mountain, in theWest Aparagodānīya Continent,”saidPilgrim. “In thatLongLifeMountain,” said theBodhisattva, “there is anAbbeyofFiveVillages,whichisthehomeoftheZhenyuanGreatImmortal.Didyoucomeacrosshim?”Banginghisheadontheground,Pilgrimsaid,“Itwasallbecauseofyourdisciple,whodidnotknowtheZhenyuanGreatImmortalatthatAbbeyofFiveVillages.Ioffendedhimbydamaginghistree,andheinturnheldupmymaster,preventinghimfrommakinganyprogressinhisjourney.”“You mischievous monkey!” scolded the Bodhisattva, who already had

knowledgeofthewholeaffair.“Youdon’tknowanybetter!ThatGinsengFruitTree of his is the spiritual root planted by Heaven and nourished by Earth.Master Zhenyuan himself is also the patriarch of earthbound immortals, andevenImustbesomewhatdeferentialtohim.Whydidyoudamagehistree?”Bowing lowagain,Pilgrimsaid, “Yourdisciplewas truly ignorant.Theday

whenwearrivedat theAbbey,MasterZhenyuanwasnothome,andonly twoimmortalladsweretheretoreceiveus.ItwasZhuWunengwhodiscoveredthattheyhad these fruits, andhewanted to try one.Yourdisciple stole three suchfruits, which we three brothers divided up among ourselves. When the ladsfoundout,theykeptonchidingusuntilIbecamesoangrythatIpusheddownthetree.Theirmasterreturnedthefollowingdayandcaughtupwithus;afterhehadscoopedusupwithhissleeve,hehadusboundandwhipped,interrogatingandtorturingusforawholeday.Weescapedthatnight,buthecaughtupwithusagainandtookuscaptiveasbefore.Twoorthreetimesitwentonlikethis,andwhenIbecameconvincedthatitwasimpossibleforustoflee,IpromisedhimthatIwouldhealthetree.IhavejustmadeacompletetouroftheThreeIslandsseekingacurefromthesea,butnoneoftheimmortalswasabletogivemeone.That’swhyyourdisciplehascometobowbeforeyouinallsincerity.IbegtheBodhisattva inher compassion tograntmeacure, so that theTangMonkcansoonjourneytowardtheWest.”“Whydidn’tyoucomeseemeearlier?”askedtheBodhisattva.“Whydidyou

go looking instead on the islands?”When Pilgrim heard thesewords, hewassecretlypleased and said tohimself, “What luck!What luck!TheBodhisattvamust have a cure!” He went forward again to beg some more, and theBodhisattvasaid,“Thesweetdewinmyimmaculatevasecanhealdivinetreesorspiritroots.”“Haveyoutriedthisbefore?”askedPilgrim.“Indeed,”saidtheBodhisattva.“When?”askedPilgrim.TheBodhisattvasaid,“SomeyearsagoLaozihadawagerwithme:hetook

mywillowtwigandplaceditinhiselixir-refiningbrazieruntilitwascompletely

driedandcharred.Thenhegaveitbacktome,andIstuckitinmyvase.Afterone day and one night, I had my green twig and leaves again, as lovely asbefore.”Laughing,Pilgrimsaid,“I’mlucky!Trulylucky!Ifascorchedwillowcouldberevived,what’ssodifficultabouta tree thathasbeenknockedover?”TheBodhisattvathengavethisordertotherestofherfollowers:“Maintainyourvigilance in the grove. I’ll be back soon.” She left, balancing the immaculatevaseinherhand;thewhiteparrotflewaheadofher,whiletheGreatSageSunfollowedfrombehind.Wehaveatestimonialpoem,andthepoemsays:Theworldcan’tlimnthisjade-browed16goldenform:AGodwhopitiesandsavesusfromwoes.AsstainlessBuddhashemetkalpaspast.Aselfwhichcandoshehasnowattained.17Shecalmspassion’sbillowsinmanylives;Hermoralnatureiswhollyunsoiled.Thesweetdew,longchargedwithtruewondrousmight,Willbringtheprecioustreeeternallife.

We now tell you about the Great Immortal, who was just having loftyconversationswith theThreeElderswhenallatonce theysaw theGreatSageSundropdownfromthecloudsandshout,“TheBodhisattvahasarrived.Comemeetherquickly!Comemeetherquickly!”TheThreeStars,MasterZhenyuan,Tripitaka,andhisdisciplesallhurriedoutofthemainhall.Stoppinghersacredcloud, theBodhisattva first exchangedgreetingswithMasterZhenyuanbeforebowing to the Three Stars.After the ceremony, she took the seat of honor asPilgrimledtheTangmonk,EightRules,andShaMonktobowtoher.Afterthat,the various immortals in theAbbey also came to greet her. “Great Immortal,”said Pilgrim, “there’s no need for further delay. Youmay aswell prepare thetableofincenseatonceandasktheBodhisattvatohealthatfruittreeofyours.”BowinglowtothanktheBodhisattva,theGreatImmortalsaid,“WhyshouldthetrivialaffairofthisplebeianbesuchaconcerntotheBodhisattvathatshewouldtake the trouble of coming here?” “The TangMonk ismy disciple,” said theBodhisattva. “If Sun Wukong has wronged you, it’s only reasonable that heshouldmakerecompenseandreturnyourprecioustree.”“Inthatcase,”saidtheThreeStars,“there’snofurtherneedforpolitetalk.MayweasktheBodhisattvatogotothegardenandseewhatcanbedone?”TheGreatImmortalgavetheordertoprepareanincensetableandtosweep

the grounds in the rear garden. The Bodhisattva was asked to lead the way,followedbytheThreeElders,Tripitaka,hisdisciples,andthevariousimmortalsof theAbbey.When theyarrivedat thegarden, they saw the tree lyingon theground—with the soil around it turned up, its roots exposed, its leaves fallen,and its branches dried up. “Wukong,” cried theBodhisattva, “stretch out your

hand.” Pilgrim stretched out his left hand. Dipping the willow twig into thesweetdewofhervase,theBodhisattvathenuseditasabrushanddrewonthepalmofPilgrimacharmthathad revivifyingpower.She toldhim toplacehishand at the base of the tree andwatch for the sign ofwater spurting out.Hishandclosedtightly,Pilgrimwenttothebaseofthetreeandplacedhisfistontheroots.Inalittlewhile,aclearspringwelledupfromtheground.TheBodhisattvasaid,“ThatwatercannotbetouchedbyanyinstrumentcontaininganyoneoftheFivePhases.Itmustbescoopedupbyajadeladle.Pushthetreebackupintoanupright position; pour thewater over it from the top down. The bark and therootswillgrowbacktogetheragain;theleaveswillcomeout,thebrancheswillturngreen,andthefruitswillappear.”“LittleDaoists,”saidPilgrim,“bringmeajadeladle,quickly.”“Yourhumble

Daoistlivesinaruralarea,”saidMasterZhenyuan,“andthereisnojadeladleavailable.Wehaveonlyjadeteacupsandjadewinegoblets.Cantheybeused?”“Aslongastheyaremadeofjade,”saidtheBodhisattva,“andcapableofbailingwater, theywill be all right.Bring themhere.”TheGreat Immortal asked thelittleladstotakeoutsomethirtyjadeteacupsandsomefiftywinegobletswithwhich they scooped up the clear water. Pilgrim, Eight Rules, and ShaMonkraised the tree intoanuprightpositionandcovered itsbasewith topsoil.Theythen handed the jade cups one by one to the Bodhisattva, who sprinkled thesweetliquidontothetreewithherwillowbranchassherecitedaspell.Beforelong, she stopped sprinkling, and the tree turned green all at once with thickleaves and branches. Twenty-three ginseng fruits could be seen on top. ClearBreezeandBrightMoon,thetwolads,said,“Whenwediscoveredourlossthedaybefore,wecameupwithonlytwenty-twofruitsevenafterwehadcountedthemoverandover.Whyisthereanextraonetodayafterithasbeenrevived?”“‘Timewilldisclose the true intentofman,’” saidPilgrim.“OldMonkey tookonlythreetheotherday;thefourthonedroppedtothegroundanddisappeared,for as the local spirit toldme, this treasurewould become assimilated once ittouchedearth.EightRuleskeptholleringaboutmyskimmingsomethingoffthetop, and thatwas howmy actwas discovered.Only today is thiswholemessclearedup.”TheBodhisattvasaid,“That’swhyIdidn’tuseanyinstrumentcontainingthe

FivePhasesjustnow,forIknowthatthisthingandtheFivePhasesaremutuallyresistant.”Highlypleased,theGreatImmortalaskedforthegoldmalletatonceandhadtenofthefruitsknockeddown.HetheninvitedtheBodhisattvaandtheThree Elders to go back to themain hall, where a Festival ofGinseng Fruitswouldbegivenintheirhonor.Thelittleimmortalsdulysetthetablesandtookoutthecinnabartrays,whiletheBodhisattvawasaskedtotaketheseatofhonor

in the center. The Three Elders were seated at the table to the left, the TankMonkwasplacedattheright,andMasterZhenyuanasthehosttookuptheseatdownbelow.Wehaveatestimonialpoemthatsays:AtLongLifeMountain’scave-heavenofold,Ginsengfruitsripeneveryninethousandyears.Thespiritrootexposed,hurtingtwigsandshoots;Thesweetdewrevives,fruitsandleavesmadewhole.ThreeEldersgladlymeetalltheseoldchums;Thefourmonksfindbyluckfriendsforeordained.Nowtheyhavelearnedtoeattheginsengfruits;They’llallbeimmortalswhoneverage.

Presently the Bodhisattva and the Three Elders each ate a fruit. Finallyconvincedthatthiswasatreasureoftheimmortals,theTangMonkalsoateone.Eachofthethreedisciplesalsoateone,andMasterZhenyuanhimselftookonetokeephis guests company.The last oneof the fruitswasdivided among theother residents of the Abbey. Pilgrim thanked the Bodhisattva and the ThreeStars,whowentbacktothePotalakaMountainandPenglaiIsland,respectively.Master Zhenyuan also prepared some vegetarian wine for a banquet, duringwhichheandPilgrimbecamebond-brothers.Astheproverbsays,Withoutfightingtheywouldnotknoweachother;Butnowthetwopartieshavebecomeonehousehold.

Happily,masteranddisciples spenta restfulnight there.Thus itwaswith thatElder,whowasLuckytohavetastedthegrassofrevertedcinnabar;Hislonglifewouldenduretheordealsofogres.

We do not know how they will part the following day; let’s listen to theexplanationinthenextchapter.

TWENTY-SEVEN

ThecadaverdemonthreetimesmocksTripitakaTang;TheholymonkinspitebanishesHandsomeMonkeyKing.

WeweretellingyouaboutTripitakaandhisdisciples,whomadepreparationstoleavethenextmorning.OurMasterZhenyuan,however,hadbecomesuchafastfriendofPilgrimsince the twoweremadebond-brothers thathe refused to letthemleave.Hegaveordersinsteadthattheyshouldbefetedforfiveorsixdays.Eversincehetookthegrassoftherevertedcinnabar,theelder’sspirithadbeenstrengthenedandhisbodymadehealthier;hefeltasifhisentirephysicalframehadbeen renewed.Ashewas intent on acquiring the scriptures, he refused tostay,andsotheydeparted.Aftertakingtheirleave,masteranddisciplestooktotheroadandsooncame

uponatallmountain.“Disciples,”saidTripitaka,“themountainaheadappearstobe rugged and steep, and I fear that the horsemay not be able to proceed soeasily. Every one of you should be careful.” “Have no fear, Master,” saidPilgrim.“Weknowhowtotakecareofeverything.”DearMonkeyKing!Heledtheway;carryinghisrodhorizontallyacrossbothhisshoulders,heopenedupamountainpathandledthemuptoatallcliff.TheysawPeaksandsummitsinrows;Streamsandcanyonsmeandrous;Tigersandwolvesrunninginpacks;Deerandfallowdeerwalkinginflocks;Countlessmusksandboarsmassedtogether;Amountainswarmingwithfoxesandhares.Thehugepythonofathousandfeet;Thelongsnakeoftenthousandfeet.Thehugepythonblewoutawfulmists;Thelongsnakebelcheddreadfulair.Bytheroadthornsandthistlessprawledunending;Onthepeakpinesandcedarsgrewresplendent.Wildhempsandcreepersfilledtheireyes;Fragrantplantsreacheduptothesky.Lightdescendedfromthenorthernpole;Cloudspartedatthesouthpolestar.Tenthousandfathomsofmountainholdingold,primalbreath;Athousandpeaksstoodaugustinthecoldsunlight.

The elder on the horse became fearful, but our Great Sage Sunwas ready toshowoff his abilities.Wielding the iron rod, he let out such a fearful cry thatwolves and serpents retreated, that tigers and leopards took flight.Master and

disciples thus journeyed into the mountain. As they reached the summit,Tripitakasaid,“Wukong,we’vebeentravelingforalmostaday,andI’mgettinghungry. Go somewhere and beg some vegetarian food for me.” “Master, youaren’tverysmart!”saidPilgrim,attemptingtoplacatehimwithasmile.“Wearein themiddle of amountain,with novillage in sight aheadof us nor any innbehindus.Evenifwehadmoney,there’snoplaceforustobuyanything.Wheredo you want me to go to find vegetarian food?” Irritated, Tripitaka began toberate his disciple. “You ape!” he cried. “Don’t you remember what sort ofcondition you were in at the Mountain of Two Frontiers? Pinned down byTathāgatainthatstonebox,youcouldmoveyourmouthbutnotyourfeet,andyouowedittomeforsavingyourlife.Nowthatyouhavebecomemydisciplebyhavingyourheadtouchedandreceivingthecommandments,whyareyounotwilling to exert yourself a bit more? Why are you always so lazy?” “Yourdisciple,”saidPilgrim,“hasbeenratherdiligent.SincewhenhaveIbeenlazy?”“Ifyouare thatdiligent,”saidTripitaka,“whydon’tyougoandbegmesomevegetarianfood?HowcanIjourneyifIamhungry?Moreover,thismountainisfilled with pestilential vapors, and if I become ill, how can I hope to reachThunderclap?”“Master,”saidPilgrim,“pleasedon’tgetupset.Nomorewords.Iknow that yours is a proud and haughty nature. A little offense and youwillrecite that little something spell! Dismount and rest awhile. Let me find outwhetherthere’sanyfamilyformetobegsomevegetarianfood.”Withabound,Pilgrimleapeduptotheedgeoftheclouds.Usinghishandto

shadehiseyes,hepeeredallaround.Alas!ThejourneytotheWestwasalonelyjourney, onewith neither villages nor hamlets.Therewere abundant trees andshrubbery,buttherewasnosignofhumanhabitation.Havinglookedaroundforsometime,Pilgrimsawtowardthesouthatallmountain,whereontheeasternslopethereseemedtobesometinyspecksofred.Loweringhiscloud,Pilgrimsaid, “Master, there’s something to eat.” The elder asked what it was, andPilgrim said, “There’s nohouseholdhere forme to beg for rice.But there’s astretch of red on a mountain south of here, and I suppose that must be ripemountainpeaches.Letmegoandpickafewforyoutoeat.”Delighted,Tripitakasaid,“Forapersonwhohasleftthefamilytohavepeachesisalreadythehighestblessing!”Pilgrim took the almsbowl andmounted the auspicious luminosity.Lookatthatbrilliantsomersault,withcoldvaportrailing!Inaninstant,hewasheadingstraight for thepeacheson thesouthmountain,andweshall speaknomoreofhimforthemoment.Now,theproverbsays:Atallmountainwillalwayshavemonsters;Aruggedpeakwillalwaysproducefiends.

In thismountain therewas indeed amonster-spirit,whowas disturbed by theGreatSageSun’sdeparture.Treadingdarkwind, she came through the cloudsand found the elder sitting on the ground. “What luck!What luck!” she said,unabletocontainherdelight.“ForseveralyearsmyrelativeshavebeentalkingaboutaTangMonkfromtheLandoftheEastgoingtofetchtheGreatVehicle.HeisactuallytheincarnationoftheGoldCicada,andhehastheoriginalbodythat has gone through the process of self-cultivation during ten previousexistences. If a man eats a piece of his flesh, his age will be immeasurablylengthened.So,thismonkhasatlastarrivedtoday!”ThemonsterwasabouttogodowntoseizeTripitakawhenshesawtwogreatwarriorsstandingguardoneithersideoftheelder,andthatstoppedherfromdrawingnear.Now,whocouldthesewarriorsbe,youask?Theywere,ofcourse,EightRulesandShaMonk.EightRulesandShaMonk,yousee,mightnothavegreatabilities,butafterall,EightRuleswas theMarshalofHeavenlyReedsandShaMonkwas theGreatCurtain-RaisingCaptain. Their authority had not been completely eroded, andthatwaswhythemonsterdarednotapproachthem.Instead,themonstersaidtoherself,“Letmemakefunofthemabit,andseewhathappens.”Dearmonster!Sheloweredherdarkwindintothefieldofthemountain,and,

withoneshakeofherbody,shechangedintoagirlwithafacelikethemoonandfeatures like flowers. One cannot begin to describe the bright eyes and theelegantbrows, thewhite teethandtheredlips.Holdinginher lefthandabluesandstonepotandinherrightagreenporcelainvase,shewalkedfromwesttoeast,headingstraightfortheTangMonk.ThesagemonkrestinghishorseonthecliffSawallatonceayounggirldrawingnear:Slenderhandshuggedbygentlyswayinggreensleeves;TinyfeetexposedbeneathaskirtofHunansilk.Perspiringherfaceseemedflowerbedewed;Dustgrazedhermoth-browslikewillowsheldbymist.Andashestaredintentlywithhiseyes,Sheseemedtobewalkingrightuptohisside.

When Tripitaka saw her, he called out, “Eight Rules, Sha Monk, just nowWukongsaidthatthisisanuninhabitedregion.Butisn’tthatahumanbeingwhoiswalkingoverthere?”“Master,”saidEightRules,“yousitherewithShaMonk.LetoldHoggotakealook.”Puttingdownhismuckrakeandpullingdownhisshirt,ourIdiottriedtoaffecttheairsofagentlemanandwenttomeetherfacetoface.Well,itwasastheproverbsays:Youcan’tdeterminethetruthfromafar.Youcanseeclearlywhenyougonear.

Thegirl’sappearancewassomethingtobehold!

Ice-whiteskinhidesjadelikebones;Hercollarrevealsamilk-whitebosom.Willowbrowsgatherdarkgreenhues;Almondeyesshinelikesilverstars.Herfeatureslikethemoonarecoy;Hernaturaldispositionispure.Herbody’slikethewillow-nestedswallow;Hervoice’slikethewoods’singingoriole.Ahalf-openedhaitong1caressedbythemorningsun.Anewlybloomedpeonydisplayinghercharm.

WhenIdiotsawhowprettyshewas,hisworldlymindwasarousedandhecouldnotrefrainfrombabbling.“LadyBodhisattva!”hecried.“Whereareyougoing?What’s that you are holding in your hands?”Thiswas clearly a fiend, but hecould not recognize her! The girl immediately answered him, saying, “Elder,what Ihave in thebluepot is fragrant ricemade fromwinecakes,and there’sfriedwheat gluten in the green vase. I came here for no other reason than toredeemmyvowof feedingmonks.”WhenEightRules heard thesewords, hewas very pleased. Spinning around, he ran like a hogmaddened by plague toreporttoTripitaka,crying,“Master!‘ThegoodmanwillhaveHeaven’sreward!’Becauseyouarehungry,youaskElderBrother togobeg for somevegetarianfood.Butwereallydon’tknowwherethatapehasgonetopickhispeachesandhavehisfun!Ifyoueattoomanypeaches,youareliabletofeelabitstuffedandgaseous anyway! Take a look instead. Isn’t that someone coming to feed themonks?” “Coolie, you’re just clowning!” said an unbelieving Tang Monk.“We’ve been traveling all this time and we haven’t even run into a healthyperson!Whereisthispersonwho’scomingtofeedthemonks?”“Master,”saidEightRules,“isn’tthistheone?”When Tripitaka saw the girl, he jumped up and folded his hands. “Lady

Bodhisattva,”hesaid,“whereisyourhome?Whatsortoffamilyisyours?Whatkindofvowhaveyoumadethatyouhavetocomeheretofeedthemonks?”Thiswas clearly a fiend, but our elder could not recognize her either! When thatmonsterheardtheTangMonkaskingafterherbackground,sheatonceresortedtofalsehood.Withclever,speciouswords,shetriedtodeceiveherinterrogator,saying, “Master, this mountain, which turns back serpents and frightens wildbeasts,bearsthenameofWhiteTiger.Myhomeislocatedduewestofhere.Myparents,stillliving,arefrequentreadersofsūtrasandkeenondoinggoodworks.Theyhavefedliberallythemonkswhocometousfromnearandfar.Becausemyparents had no son, they prayed to the gods, and Iwas born.Theywouldhavelikedtomarrymeofftoanoblefamily,but,waryofhelplessnessintheiroldage,theytookinason-in-lawinstead,sothattheywouldbecaredforinlifeand death.” Hearing this, Tripitaka said, “Lady Bodhisattva, your speech is

ratherimproper!Thesageclassicsays,‘Whilefatherandmotherarealive,onedoesnottravelabroad;orifonedoes,goesonlytoaproperdestination.’2Ifyourparentsare still living, and if theyhave taken inahusband foryou, thenyourmanshouldhavebeentheonesenttoredeemyourvow.Whydoyouwalkaboutthemountainallbyyourself?Youdon’t evenhaveanattendant toaccompanyyou.That’snotverybecomingofawoman!”Smilingbroadly,thegirlquicklytriedtoplacatehimwithmorecleverwords.

“Master,”shesaid,“myhusbandisatthenorthernfoldofthismountain,leadinga fewworkers to plow the fields.This happens to be the lunch I prepared forthemtoeat.Sincenowis thebusyseasonof farmwork,wehavenoservants;andasmyparentsaregettingold,Ihavetoruntheerrandmyself.Meetingyouthree distant travelers is quite by accident, but when I think of my parents’inclinationtodogooddeeds,Iwouldlikeverymuchtousethisriceasfoodformonks. Ifyoudon’t regard thisasunworthyofyou,pleaseaccept thismodestoffering.”“Mygoodness!Mygoodness!”saidTripitaka.“Ihaveadisciplewhohasgone

topick some fruits, andhe’s dueback anymoment. I dare not eat. For if I, amonk,weretoeatyourrice,yourhusbandwouldscoldyouwhenhelearnsofit.Will it thennotbe the fault of thispoormonk?”When thatgirl saw theTangMonk refuse to take the food, she smiled evenmore seductively and said, “OMaster!Myparents,wholovetofeedthemonks,arenotevenaszealousasmyhusband. For his entire life is devoted to the construction of bridges and therepairingof roads, in reverence for theagedandpity for thepoor. Ifheheardthat the rice was given to feedMaster, his affection for me, his wife, wouldincreasemanyfold.”Tripitaka,however,simplyrefusedtoeat,andEightRulesononesidebecameutterlyexasperated.Pouting,ourIdiotgrumbledtohimself,“There are countless priests in theworld, but none ismorewishy-washy thanthisoldpriestofours!Here’sready-maderice,andthreeportionstoboot!Buthewillnoteatit.Hehastowaitforthatmonkey’sreturnandthericedividedintofourportionsbeforehe’lleat.”Withoutpermittingfurtherdiscussion,hepushedoverthepotwithoneshoveofhissnoutandwasabouttobegin.LookatourPilgrim!Havingpickedseveralpeachesfromthemountainpeak

in thesouth,hecamehurtlingbackwithasinglesomersault,holding thealmsbowl inhishand.Whenheopenedwidehis fiery eyes anddiamondpupils totakea look,he recognized that thegirlwasamonster.Heputdown thebowl,pulledouthis iron rod, andwas about tobring it downhardon themonster’shead.Theelderwas so aghast thathepulledhisdisciplebackwithhishands.“Wukong,”hecried,“whomhaveyoucomebacktohit?”“Master,”saidPilgrim,“don’tregardthisgirlinfrontofyouasagoodperson.

She’samonster,andshehascometodeceiveyou.”“Monkey,”saidTripitaka,“youusedtopossessameasureoftruediscernment.

Howisitthatyouaretalkingnonsensetoday?ThisLadyBodhisattvaissokindthatshewantstofeedmewithherrice.Whydoyousaythatshe’samonster?”“Master,”saidPilgrimwithalaugh,“howcouldyouknowaboutthis?WhenI

wasamonsterbackattheWater-CurtainCave,IwouldactlikethisifIwantedtoeathumanflesh.Iwouldchangemyselfintogoldorsilver,alonelybuilding,a harmless drunk, or a beautifulwoman.Anyone feeble-minded enough to beattracted byme Iwould lure back to the cave. There Iwould enjoy him as Ipleased,bysteamingorboiling.IfIcouldn’tfinishhimoffinonemeal,Iwoulddry the leftovers in the sun tokeep for rainydays.Master, if I had returnedalittle later,youwouldhave fallen intoher trapandbeenharmedbyher.”ThatTangMonk, however, simply refused to believe these words; he kept sayinginsteadthatthewomanwasagoodperson.“Master,”saidPilgrim,“IthinkIknowwhat’shappening.Yourworldlymind

musthavebeenarousedbythesightofthiswoman’sbeauty.Ifyoudohavethedesire,why not askEightRules to cut some timber andShaMonk to find ussomegrass.I’llbethecarpenterandbuildyoualittlehutrightherewhereyoucan consummate the affair with her. We can each go our own way then.Wouldn’tthatbethethingtodo?Whybothertoundertakesuchalongjourneytofetchthescriptures?”Theelder,yousee,wasarathertameandgentleperson.Hewassoembarrassedbythesefewwordsthathiswholebaldheadturnedredfromeartoear.AsTripitakawas struck dumb by his shame, Pilgrim’s temper flared again.

Wieldinghisironrod,heaimeditatthemonster’sfaceanddeliveredaterrificblow.Thefiend,however,hadafewtricksofherown.SheknewthemagicofReleasing theCorpse.3When she sawPilgrim’s rodcomingat her, she rousedher spirit and left, leaving behind the corpse of her body struck dead on theground. Shaking with horror, the elder mumbled, “This ape is so unruly, soobdurate! Despite my repeated pleadings, he still takes human life withoutcause.”“Don’tbeoffended,Master,” saidPilgrim,“just comesee foryourselfwhatkindofthingsareinthepot.”ShaMonkledtheelderneartotakealook.The fragrant ricemade fromwine cakeswas nowhere to be found; therewasinsteadapotfuloflargemaggotswithlongtails.Therewasnofriedwheatgluteneither,butafewfrogsanduglytoadswerehoppingallovertheplace.Theelderwas about to think that theremight be thirty percent truthfulness in Pilgrim’swords,butEightRuleswouldnot lethisownresentmentsubside.Hebegantocastaspersionsonhiscompanion,saying,“Master,thiswoman,cometothinkofit,happenstobeafarmgirlofthisarea.Becauseshehadtotakesomelunchto

thefields,shemetusontheway.Howcouldshebedeemedamonster?ThatrodofElderBrotherisquiteheavy,youknow.Hecamebackandwantedtotryhishandonher,notanticipatingthatoneblowwouldkillher.He’safraidthatyoumightrecitethatso-calledTight-FilletSpell,andthat’swhyhe’susingsomesortofmagictohoodwinkyou.It’shewhohascausedthesethingstoappear,justtobefuddleyousothatyouwon’trecitethespell.”This single speech of Eight Rules, alas, spelled disaster for Tripitaka!

BelievingtheslanderoussuasionofourIdiot,hemadethemagicsignwithhishand and recited the spell. At once Pilgrim began to scream, “My head!Myhead!Stopreciting!Stopreciting!Ifyou’vegotsomethingtosay,sayit.”“WhatdoIhavetosay?”askedtheTangMonk.“Thosewhohaveleftthefamilymustdefertopeopleeverytime,mustcherishkindnessineverythought.TheymustKeepantsoutofharm’swaywhentheysweepthefloor,Andputshadesonlampsfortheloveofmoths.

Andyou,youpracticeviolencewitheverystep!Sinceyouhavebeatentodeaththisinnocentcommoner,whatgoodwoulditdoevenifyouweretogoacquirethescriptures?Youmightaswellgoback.”“Master,”saidPilgrim,“wheredoyouwantme to go back to?”TheTangMonk said, “I don’twant you asmydisciple.”“Ifyoudon’twantmeasyourdisciple,”saidPilgrim,“IfearthatyoumaynotmakeitonyourwaytotheWesternHeaven.”“MylifeisinthecareofHeaven,” said the TangMonk. “If it’s ordained that I should be food for themonster, even if I were to be steamed or boiled, it’s all right with me.Furthermore,doyouthinkreallythatyouhavethepowertodelivermefromthegreatlimit?Gobackquickly!”“Master,”saidPilgrim,“it’sallrightformetogoback, but I havenot yet repaid your kindness.” “What kindness have I shownyou?” asked theTangMonk.When theGreat Sage heard this, he knelt downimmediately and kowtowed, saying, “Because old Monkey brought greatdisruption to the Celestial Palace, he incurred for himself the fatal ordeal ofbeing clamped by Buddha beneath the Mountain of Two Frontiers. I wasindebted to theBodhisattvaGuanyinwhogaveme thecommandments,and toMasterwhogavemefreedom.IfIdon’tgouptotheWesternHeavenwithyou,itwillmeanthatIKnowingkindnesswithoutrepayingamnoprincelyman.Minewillbeforeveraninfamousname.”

Now the TangMonk, after all, is a compassionate holymonk.When he sawPilgrimpleadingsopiteouslywithhim,hechangedhismindandsaid,“Inthatcase, I’ll forgive you this time. Don’t you dare be unruly again. If youworkviolenceagainasbefore,I’llrecitethisspelloverandovertwentytimes.”“You

mayreciteitthirtytimes,”saidPilgrim,“butIwon’thitanyoneagain.”HelpingtheTangMonktomountthehorse,hethenpresentedthepeachesthathepicked.The TangMonk indeed ate a few of the peaches on the horse to relieve hishungermomentarily.Wenowtellyouaboutthemonsterwhoescapedbyrisingintothesky.That

oneblowofPilgrim’srod,yousee,didnotkillher,forshefledbysendingawayherspirit.Standingontopoftheclouds,shegnashedherteethatPilgrim,sayingspitefullytoherself,“ThelastfewyearsIhaveheardnothingbutpeopletalkingabout his abilities, but I’ve discovered today that his is not a false reputation.Alreadydeceivedbyme,theTangMonkwasabouttoeattherice.Ifhehadjustloweredhisheadand takenonewhiffof it, Iwouldhavegrabbedhimandhewould have been allmine. Little did I anticipate that this other fellowwouldreturnandbustupmybusiness.What’smore,Ialmostreceivedablowfromhisrod. If I had let thismonkget away, Iwould have labored in vain. I’mgoingbackdowntheretomakefunofhimoncemore.”Dearmonster!Loweringthedirectionofherdarkcloud,shedroppedintothe

foldofthemountainfurtheraheadandchangedwithoneshakeofherbodyintoawoman eighty years old, having in her hands a bamboo canewith a curvedhandle. She headed toward the pilgrims,weeping each step of theway.WhenEightRulessawher,hewashorrified.“Master,”hesaid,“it’sterrible!ThatoldMamaapproachingusislookingforsomeone.”“Lookingforwhom?”askedtheTangMonk. Eight Rules said, “The girl slain by Elder Brother has to be thedaughter.Thisonemustbethemotherlookingforher.”“Stoptalkingnonsense,Brother,”saidPilgrim.“Thatgirlwasabouteighteen,butthiswomanisatleasteighty.Howcould she still bear childrenwhen shewas sixty-someyears old?She’safake!LetoldMonkeygohavea look.”DearPilgrim!Inbigstrideshewalkedforwardtolookatthemonster,whoChangedfalselyintoanolddame,Withtempleswhiteassnow.ShewalkedeversoslowlyWithstepsbothsmallandsluggish.Herfrailbodywasmostslender;Herface,aleafdriedandwilted.Hercheekbonesjuttedupward;Herlipscurleddownwardandout.Oldageisnotquitelikethetimeofyouth:Thewholefaceiswrinkledlikelotusleaves.

Recognizingthemonster,Pilgrimdidnotevenbothertowaitforanydiscussion;he liftedup the rodandstruckat theheadatonce.When themonster saw theuplifted rod, she again exercised her magic and her spirit rose into the air,leavingbehindoncemore the corpseofherbody struckdeadbeside the road.

ThesightsofrightenedtheTangMonkthathefellfromhishorse.Lyingontheroad,hedidnotspeakanotherwordexcepttorecitetheTight-FilletSpellbackand forth exactly twenty times. Alas, poor Pilgrim’s head was reduced to anhourglass-shapedgourd!Asthepainwastrulyunbearable,hehadtorolluptotheTangMonkandplead,“Master,pleasedon’treciteanymore.Saywhatyouhavetosay.”“What’stheretosay?”askedtheTangMonk.“Thosewhohaveleftthefamily

willlistentothewordsofvirtuetoavoidfallingintoHell.Ihavetriedmybesttoenlightenyouwithadmonition.Whydoyoupersistindoingviolence?Youhavebeatentodeathonecommonerafteranother.Howdoyouexplainthis?”“She’s a monster,” said Pilgrim. The Tang Monk said, “This monkey is

babbling nonsense. You tellme that there are thatmanymonsters! You are apersonlackinganywill todogood,onewhoisonlybentonevil.You’dbettergo.”“Master,” said Pilgrim, “are you sendingme away again?All right, I’ll go

back. But there’s something which I find disagreeable.” “What do you finddisagreeable?”askedtheTangmonk.“Master,”saidEightRules,“hewantsyoutodivideuptheluggagewithhim!Youthinkhewantstogobackempty-handedafter following you as amonk all this time?Why don’t you seewhether youhaveanyold shirtor tatteredhat inyourwrap thereandgivehimacoupleofpieces.”WhenPilgrimheard thesewords,hebecameso incensed thathe jumpedup

and down, crying, “You loud-mouthed overstuffed coolie! Ever since oldMonkeyembracedtheteachingsofcompletepoverty,hehasneverdisplayedtheleastbitofenvyorgreed.Whatareyoutalkingabout,dividinguptheluggage?”“Ifyoushowneitherenvynorgreed,”said theTangMonk,“whydon’tyou

leave?”“Totellyouthetruth,Master,”saidPilgrim,“whenoldMonkeylivedattheWater-CurtainCaveoftheFlower-FruitMountainfivehundredyearsago,hewasheroenoughtoreceivethesubmissionofthedemonsofseventy-twocavesand to command forty-seven thousand little fiends. I was quite aman then—wearingonmyhead a purple gold cap, puttingonmybody a red and yellowrobe, tying around my waist a jade belt, having on my feet a pair of cloud-treadingshoes,andholdinginmyhandsthecompliantgolden-hoopedrod.ButeversinceNirvāṇadeliveredmefrommysins,whenwithmyhairshornItookthevowofcompletepovertyandfollowedyouasyourdisciple,Ihadthisgoldfilletclampedonmyhead.IfIgobacklikethis,Ican’tfacethefolksathome.IfMasterdoesn’twantmeanymore,please recite theLoose-FilletSpell so that Imaygetridof this thingfrommyheadandreturnit toyou.I’ll findthatmostpleasantandagreeablethen.Afterall,Ihavefollowedyouall this time;surely

youwouldnotdenymethisbitofhumankindness!”Greatly startled, the TangMonk said, “Wukong, I only received the Tight-

FilletSpellinsecretfromtheBodhisattva.TherewasnoLoose-FilletSpell.”“IftherewasnoLoose-FilletSpell,” saidPilgrim,“thenyou’dbetter still takemealong.”Theelderhadnoalternativebuttosay,“You’dbettergetup.I’llforgiveyouonemoretime,butyoumustnotdoviolenceagain.”“Iwon’tdaredoso,”saidPilgrim,“Iwon’tdaredoso.”Hehelpedhismastertomountuponcemoreandthenledthewayforward.We now tell you about that monster who, you see, had not been killed by

Pilgrim’ssecondbloweither.Inmidair,thefiendcouldnotrefrainfrompraisingher opponent, saying, “MarvelousMonkey King!What perception! He couldrecognizemeevenwhenIhadchangedintothatform!Thesemonksaremovingonratherquickly;another fortymileswestwardbeyond themountainand theywillleavemydomain.Ifsomedemonsorfiendsofanotherregionpickthemup,peoplewouldlaughtilltheirmouthscrackup,andIwouldeatmyheartout!I’llgodownandmake funof themonemore time.”DearMonster!Lowering thedarkwindagainintothefoldofthemountain,sheshookherbodyandchangedherselfintoanoldman.TrulyhehadFlowingwhitehairlikePengzu’s,4AndbeardmorefrostythantheAgeStar’s.Ajadestone5ranginhisears,Andgoldstarsflashedinhiseyes.Holdingacurveddragon-headcane,Heworealightcrane’s-downcloak.Graspinginhishandssomebeads,HechantedaBuddhistsūtra.

When theTangMonk on his horse saw this oldman, hewas very pleased.“Amitābha!”he cried. “TheWest is truly a blessed region!This dear oldmancan hardlywalk, but he still wants to recite the sūtras!” “Master,” said EightRules, “stop praising him.He’s the root of disaster!” “What do youmean therootofdisaster?”saidtheTangMonk.EightRulessaid,“ElderBrotherkilledhisdaughteraswellashiswife,andnowyouseethisoldmangropinghiswayhere.Ifwerunsmackintohim,Master,you’llpaywithyourlifesinceyouareguiltyofdeath.OldHogisyourfollower,sohe’llbebanishedtoserveinthearmy;ShaMonkcarriesoutyourorders,sohe’llbesentencedtohardlabor.ButourElderBrother,ofcourse,willusesomekindofescapemagictogetaway.Now,won’tthatleavethethreeofusheretotaketheblameforhim?”Hearingthis,Pilgrimsaid,“Thisrootofidiocy!Won’tthiskindofabsurdity

alarmourmaster?LetoldMonkeygoandhaveanotherlook.”Heputawayhisrodandwentforwardtomeet thefiend.“AgedSir,”hecalled,“whereareyou

going?Whyareyouwalkingandrecitingasūtraaswell?”Ourmonsterthistimesomehowmisread,asitwere,thebalanceofthesteelyard,andshethoughtthatGreatSageSunwasafterallanordinaryfellow.Henceshesaid,“Elder,thisoldmanhaslivedhereforgenerations.Mywholelifeisdevotedtodoinggoodandfeeding themonks, to readingscripturesandchantingsūtras.Fatedidnotgivemeaboy,andIhadonlyagirl,forwhomItookinason-in-law.Thismorningshewentofftotakericedowntothefields,andwefearthatshemighthavebeenmadefoodforthetigerinstead.Myoldwifewentsearchingforher,butshe,too,did not return. In fact, I have absolutely no ideawhat has happened to them.That’swhy thisoldmancameseeking tosee if theyhavebeenharmed inanyway. If so, Ihave little alternativebut to takeback theirbonesandhave themburiedproperlyonourancestralsite.”“I’mtheancestor inpullingpranks!”saidPilgrim, laughing.“Howdareyou

sneakuponmeandtrytodeceivemewithsomethingupyoursleeve?Youcan’tfoolme.Icanseethatyouareamonster.”Themonsterwassostartledthatshecouldnotutteranotherword.Wieldinghisrod,Pilgrimwasabouttostrike,buthesaidtohimself:“IfIdon’thither,she’sgoingtopullsometrickagain,butifIhit her, I fear thatMaster will recite that spell again.” He thought to himselfsomemore:“ButifIdon’tkillher,shecangrabMasterthemomentshehastheopportunity, and then I’ll have to make all that effort to save him. I’d betterstrike!Oneblowwillkillher,butMasterwillsurelyrecitethatspell.Well, theproverbsays:‘Eventhevicioustigerwillnotdevouritsown.’I’llhavetousemyeloquence,mydexteroustongue,toconvincehim,that’sall.”DearGreatSage!Herecitedaspellhimselfandsummonedthelocalspiritandthemountaingod,sayingtothem,“Thismonstermadefunofmymasterthreetimes.ThistimeI’mgoingtomakesureI’llkillher,butyoumuststandguardintheair.Don’tlethergetaway.”Whenthedeitiesheardthiscommand,neitherdareddisobeyit,andtheybothstoodguardontheedgeoftheclouds.OurGreatSagelifteduphisrodandstruckdownthedemon,whosespirituallightwasextinguishedonlythen.TheTangMonkonthehorsewasagainsohorrifiedbywhathesawthathe

could not even utter aword, but Eight Rules on one side snickered and said,“DearPilgrim!Hisdeliriumisactingupagain!Hehasjourneyedforonlyhalfadayandhehasslaughteredthreepersons!”TheTangMonkwasabouttorecitethe spellwhen Pilgrim dashed up to the horse, crying, “Master!Don’t recite!Don’t recite! Just comeand take a look at how she looksnow.”Therewas infront of them a pile of flour-white skeletal bones. “Wukong,” said the TangMonk,greatly shaken,“thispersonhas justdied.Howcould shechangeall atonce into a skeleton?”Pilgrim said, “She’s a demonic andpernicious cadaver,out to seduce andharmpeople.When shewaskilledbyme, she revealedher

trueform.Youcanseeforyourselfthatthere’sarowofcharactersonherspine;she’scalled‘LadyWhiteBone.’”When theTangMonkheardwhathe said,hewasabout tobelievehim,but

EightRuleswouldnotdesistfromslander.“Master,”saidhe,“hishand’sheavyandhisrod’svicious.Hehasbeatensomeonetodeath,but,fearingyourrecital,he deliberately changed her into something like this just to befuddle you.”Indeed a shilly-shallyperson, theTangMonkbelievedEightRulesoncemoreandstartedhisrecital.Unabletobearthepain,Pilgrimcouldonlykneelbesidetheroadandcry,“Don’trecite!Don’trecite!Ifyouhavesomethingtosay,sayitquickly.” “Monkey head!” said the Tang Monk. “What’s there to say? Thevirtuousdeedsofthosehavingleftthefamilyshouldbelikegrassinagardenofspring: though their growth is invisible, they multiply daily. But he whopracticesevilislikeawhetstone:thoughitsruinisinvisible,itdiminishesdaily.Youmanage to get away even after beating to death altogether three personsonly because there’s no one here to oppose you, to take you to task in thesedesolate wilds. But supposewe get to a crowded city and you suddenly starthittingpeople regardlessofgoodor illwith thatmourningstaffofyours,howwould I be able to go free from that kindof greatmisfortune causedbyyou?You’dbettergoback.”“Master,” said Pilgrim, “you have reallywrongedme. This is undeniably a

monstrousspirit,bentonhurtingyou.Ihavehelpedyoutowardoffdangerbykilling her, but you can’t see it. You believe instead those sarcastic andslanderousremarksofIdiottosuchanextentthatyoutrytogetridofmeseveraltimes.Theproverbsays,‘Nothingcanoccur threetimes’!IfIdon’t leaveyou,I’llbeabaseandshamelessfellow.I’llgo!I’llgo!It’snobigdeal,infact,forme to leave,but thenyouwill havenoman to serveyou.”Turningangry, theTangMonksaid,“Thisbrazenapeisbecomingevenmoreunruly.Soyouthinkthatyouaretheonlymanaroundhere?WunengandWujing,theyarenotmen?”When theGreatSageheard this statement about theother twodisciples, he

wassodeeplyhurtthathecouldnotbutsaytotheTangMonk,“Omisery!Thinkof the timewhenLiuBoqinwas your companion as you leftChang’an.Afteryou delivered me from the Mountain of Two Frontiers and made me yourdisciple,Ipenetratedancientcavesandinvadeddeepforeststocapturedemonsand defeat monsters. I was the one who, having experienced countlessdifficulties, subdued Eight Rules and acquired Sha Monk. Today, ‘banishingWisdomjusttocourtFolly,’youwantmetogoback.That’showitis:Whenthebirdsvanish,Thebowishidden;Whentheharesperish,

Thehoundsareeaten.6

All right!All right! There’s only one thing left for us to settle, and that’s theTight-FilletSpell.”TheTangMonksaid,“Iwon’trecitethatagain.”“That’shardtosay,”saidPilgrim.“Forwhenthetimecomesforyoutoface

thosetreacherousdemonsandbitterordeals,andwhenyou,becauseEightRulesand ShaMonk cannot rescue you, think ofme and cannot stop yourself fromreciting it, I’llhaveaheadacheeven if I’monehundred thousandmilesaway.I’llhavetocomebacktoseeyou,sowhydon’tyouletthismatterdropnow.”When the Tang Monk saw that Pilgrim was so long-winded, he became

angrier thanever.Rollingdown fromhishorse,he toldShaMonk to takeoutpaper and brush from one of the wraps. Fetching some water from a brooknearbyandrubbingoutsomeinkwithanink-slabonarock,hewroteatoncealetterofbanishment.Handing itover toPilgrim,hesaid,“Monkeyhead!Takethisasacertificate.I’llneverwantyouasadisciple.IfIeverconsenttoseeyouagain,letmefallintotheAvīciHell!”7Takingtheletterofbanishment,Pilgrimsaidquickly,“Master,noneedtoswear.OldMonkeywillleave.”Hefoldedupthe letter and put it in his sleeve. Attempting once more to placate the TangMonk,hesaid,“Master,afterall,IhavefollowedyouforallthistimebecauseoftheBodhisattva’s instructions.Today I have to quit inmidjourney and amnotabletoattainthemeritoriousfruit.Pleasetakeaseatandletmebowtoyou,sothat I can leave in peace.” TangMonk turned his back and refused to reply,mumblingonly,“I’magoodpriest,andIwon’ttakethesalutationofanevilmanlikeyou!”WhentheGreatSagesawthattheTangMonkrefusedtoanswer,heresortedtothemagicoftheBodybeyondtheBody.Pullingthreepiecesofhairfromthebackofhishead,heblewonthemamagicbreathandcried,“Change!”They changed at once into threePilgrims,whoalongwithhimself surroundedthemasteronall foursides.Themaster tried to turn leftandright,buthewasunabletododgeanymoreandhadtoreceiveabowfromoneofthem.Jumping up, theGreat Sage shook his body and retrieved his hair.Then he

gavethefollowinginstructionstoShaMonk,saying,“WorthyBrother,youareagoodman.Dobecareful,however,thatyoudon’tlistentothefoolishnonsenseofEightRules.Youmustalsoexercisecautiononthejourney.Ifthereshouldbea timewhen amonster catches hold ofMaster, you just say that oldMonkeyhappens to be his senior disciple.When those clumsy fiends of theWest getwindofmyabilities, they’llnotdaretoharmmymaster.”“I’magoodpriest,”saidtheTangMonk,“andI’llnevermentionthenameofanevilmanlikeyou.Goback.”WhentheGreatSagesawthattheeldersimplyrefusedtochangehismind,hehadnoalternativebuttoleave.Lookathim:

Intearshekowtowedtopartwiththepriest;IngriefhetookcaretoinstructShaMonk.Heusedhisheadtodigupthemeadow’sgrassAndbothfeettokickuptheground’srattan.LikeawheelspinningheenteredHeav’nandEarth,Mostabletooverleapmountainsandseas.Allatoncehecompletelydisappeared;Innotimeheleftonthewayhecame.

Look at him! He suppressed his outrage and took leave of his master bymounting the cloud-somersault to head straight for theWater-CurtainCave oftheFlower-FruitMountain.Ashewastraveling,aloneanddejected,hesuddenlyheardtheroarofwater.TheGreatSagepausedinmidairtolookanddiscoveredthatitwasthehightideoftheGreatEasternOcean.Themomenthesawthis,hethoughtoftheTangMonkandcouldnotrestrainthetearsfromrollingdownhischeeks.Hestoppedhiscloudandstayedthereforalongtimebeforeproceeding.Wedo not knowwhatwill happen to him as he goes away; let’s listen to theexplanationinthenextchapter.

TWENTY-EIGHT

AtFlower-FruitMountainapackoffiendsholdassembly;AttheBlackPineForestTripitakameetsdemons.

WeweretellingyouabouttheGreatSage,who,thoughhewasbanishedbytheTangMonk,wasnevertheless filledwithregretandnostalgiawhenhesawtheGreat Eastern Ocean. He said to himself, “I haven’t come this way for fivehundredyears!”Thisiswhathesawashelookedattheocean:Vast,mistycurrents;Huge,far-reachingwaves—Vast,mistycurrentsthatjointheMilkyWay;Huge,far-reachingwavesthattouchthepulseofEarth.Thetiderisesinsalvos;Thewaterengulfsthebays—ThetiderisesinsalvosLiketheclapofthunderinTripleSpring;ThewaterengulfsthebaysAsviolentgalesthatblowinlatesummer.Thoseold,blesseddragon-drivers1Wouldtravelnodoubtwithknittedbrows;Thoseyoung,immortalcrane-ridersWouldsurelypassbyanxiousandtense.Novillageappearsneartheshore;Fewfishingboatshugthewater.Wavesrolllikeathousandyear’ssnow;Windhowlsasifautumn’sinJune.Wildbirdscancomeandgoatwill;Waterfowlsmaystayafloatordive.There’snofisherbeforeyoureyes;Yourearshearonlytheseagulls.Deepintheseafishesfrolic;Acrosstheskywildgeeselanguish.

With a bound, ourPilgrim leaped across theGreatEasternOcean and soonarrived at the Flower-FruitMountain. Lowering the direction of his cloud, hestaredallaround.Alas, thatmountainhadneitherflowersnorplants,while themist and smoke seemed completely extinguished: cliffs and plateaus hadcollapsedandthetreeshaddriedandwithered.Howhaditallbecomelikethis,youask.WhenPilgrimdisruptedHeavenandwas takencaptive to theRegionAbove, thismountainwas burned to total ruin by the Illustrious Sage, ErlangGod,whowas leadingtheSevenBond-BrothersofPlumMountain.OurGreat

Sagebecamemoregriefstrickenthanever,andhecomposedthefollowinglongpoeminancientstyleasatestimony.Thepoemsays:Iviewthisdivinemountainandtearsfall;Ifaceitandmysorrowsmultiply.Themountain,Ithoughtthen,wouldnotbeharmed;TodayIknowthisplacehassufferedloss.HatefulwasthatErlangwhovanquishedme,ThatheinousLittleSagewhooppressedme.Inviolencehedugupmyparentaltombs;Withnocausehebrokeupmyancestralgraves.AllHeaven’smistsandfogarenowdispersed;Thewholeland’swindandcloudsbothdissipate.Nonecanhearatiger’sroaroneasternpeaks;Whoseesawhiteapehowlingonwesternslopes?Thenortherngorgehasnotraceoffoxorhare;Alldeerhavevanishedfromthesouthernglen.Greenrocksareburnedtoformathousandbricks;Thebrightsand’schangedtoapileofdirt.Tallpinesoutsidethecavehavefallendown;Greencedarsbeforethecliffarethinandscarce.Chun,shan,huai,kui,li,andtan2allarescorched;Peach,pear,prune,plum,almond,anddatearegone.Howcouldsilkwormsbefedwithnomulberry?Midstfewbamboosandwillowsbirdscannotlive.Well-formedrocksonthepeakhaveturnedtodust;Thebrook’swaterhasdriedup—allisgrass.Noorchidgrowsonparchedearthbelowthecliff;Creeperso’erspreadthebrownmudbytheroad.Towhatregionhavebirdsofpastdaysflown?Towhichmountainhavethebeastsofoldretired?Thisguttedspotthatsnakesandleopardsloathe!Thisblastedplacethatcranesandserpentsshun!ItmustbeforevildeedsinformertimesThatIshouldthisdaysuffersomuchpain.

AstheGreatSagewasthusexpressinghisgrief,sevenoreightsmallmonkeyssuddenly leaped out with a cry from among the tall grass and bushes on theslope. They rushed forward to surround him and kowtow, shouting, “FatherGreat Sage! You’ve come home today?” “Why aren’t you all having a littlefun?” asked the HandsomeMonkey King. “Why is everyone in hiding? I’vebeenbackforquiteawhile,andIhaven’tseeneventheshadowofoneofyou!Whyisthat?”Whentheseveralmonkeysheardthesewords,everyoneofthembegantoweep.“SincetheGreatSagewastakencaptivetotheRegionAbove,”they said, “we have been suffering from the hands of hunters, truly anunbearable affliction. How couldwewithstand those sharp arrows and strongbows,thoseyellowhawksandwickedhounds,thoseensnaringnetsandsickle-shapedspears!Topreserveourlives,noneofusdarescomeouttoplay;instead,

weconcealourselvesdeep in thecavedwellingor take refuge in somedistantlairs.Onlyinhungerdowegostealsomegrassonthemeadowforfood,andinthirstwedrinktheclearliquidfromdownstream.JustnowweheardthevoiceofourFatherGreatSage,andthatwaswhywecametoreceiveyou.Webegyoutotakecareofus.”WhentheGreatSageheardthesewords,hebecamemoredistressed.Hethen

asked, “Howmanyof you are there still in thismountain?” “Young and old,”said themonkeys,“altogethernomore thana thousand.”TheGreatSagesaid,“Informertimes,Ihadforty-seventhousandlittlemonstershere.Wheredidtheygo?” Themonkeys said, “When Father left, thismountainwas burned by theBodhisattvaErlang,andmorethanhalfofthemwerekilledbythefire.Someofusmanagedtosaveourlivesbysquattinginthewells,divingintothebrook,orhiding beneath the sheet iron bridge.When the firewas extinguished and thesmoke cleared, we came out to find that flowers and fruits were no longeravailableforfood.Thedifficultyinfindingsustenancedroveanotherhalfofthemonkeys away, leaving those of us to suffer here in themountain. These twoyears saw our number dwindle even further by more than half when hunterscametoabductus.”“For what purpose?” asked Pilgrim. “Talk about those hunters,” said the

monkeys, “they are truly abominable! Those of us whowere shot by arrows,piercedbyspears,orclubbedtodeaththeytookawayforfoodtobeservedwithrice. The deadmonkeyswould be skinned and boned, cookedwith sauce andsteamedwithvinegar,friedwithoil,andsauteedwithsalt.Thoseofuswhowerecaughtby thenetor the trapwouldbe ledaway live; theywouldbe taught toskipropes,toact,tosomersault,andtodocartwheels.Theywouldhavetobeatthedrumandthegongonthestreetsandperformeverykindoftricktoentertainhumans.”WhentheGreatSageheardthesewords,hebecameterriblyangry.“Whoisin

charge in the cave now?” he asked. “We still have Ma and Liu, the twomarshals,” said the little fiends, “Peng and Ba, the two generals: they are incharge.” “Report to them at once,” said the Great Sage, “and say that I’vereturned.” Those little fiends dashed inside the cave and cried, “Father GreatSage has come home!” When Ma, Liu, Peng, and Ba heard the report, theyrushedoutofthedoortokowtowandtoreceivehiminsidethecave.TheGreatSage tookaseat in themiddleas thevarious fiendsall linedupbeforehim topay homage. “FatherGreat Sage,” they said, “we heard recently that you hadregainedyourlifesothatyoucouldprotecttheTangMonkonhisjourneytotheWestern Heaven to acquire scriptures. Why are you not heading toward theWest?Whydoyoucomebacktothismountain?”

“Littleones,”said theGreatSage,“youhaveno idea that theTangMonkiswholly ignorant of who is worthy and who is foolish. For his sake, I caughtfiends and overcame demons throughout the journey, using all my abilities.SeveraltimesIslewamonster,but,accusingmeofdoingevilandviolence,hedisownedme as his disciple andbanishedmebackhere.He evenwroteme aformalletterofbanishmentasproofthathewouldneverwanttousemeagain.”Clapping their hands and roaringwith laughter, themonkeys said, “Lucky!

Lucky!Whatdoyouwanttobeamonkfor?Comehomeandyoucanleadustohaveafewyears’fun.Quick!Let’sbringoutthecoconutwineforthereceptionofFather.”“Let’snotdrinkwinejustyet,”saidtheGreatSage.“Letmeaskyou,howoftendothosehunterscometoourmountain?”“GreatSage,”saidMaandLiu,“there’snotellingoftime.Theyarehereeverydaytomaketrouble.”TheGreatSageasked,“Whyaren’ttheyheretoday?”MaandLiureplied,“Justwaitandyou’llseethemcome.”TheGreatSagegavethisorder:“Littleones,gouptothemountainandbring

metherocksthathavebeenburnedtosmallpieces.Pilethemuparoundhereinpilesof thirtyorsixtypieces. Ihaveusefor them.”Those littlemonkeyswerelikeacloudofbees;theyswarmedalloverthemountainandbroughtbacktherock pieces and piled them together.When the Great Sage saw that, he said,“Littleones,gohideinthecave.LetoldMonkeyexercisehismagic.”OurGreatSagewent straightup to thepeak to lookaround,andhesawovera thousandmen and horses approaching from the southern half of themountain. Beatingdrumsandstrikinggongs,theywereholdingspearsandswords,leadinghawksandhounds.WhentheMonkeyKingstaredcarefullyatthem,theyappearedtobemostferociousindeed.Dearmen!Trulyfierce!HesawFoxskinscoveredtheirheadsandbacks;Silkbrocadeswrappedaroundtheirtorsos;Quiversfullofwolf-teetharrows;3Andcarvedbowshungontheirthighs.Themenseemedmountain-prowlingtigers;Thehorses,likebrook-leapingdragons.Thewholegroupofmenledtheirhounds,Ashawksperchedonalltheirshoulders.Theyhauledfirecannons4inbaskets.Theyhadalsoeaglesmostfierce,Andhundredsofpoleswithbirdlimes,Andthousandsofforkstocatchrabbits;Dragnetslikethoseusedbybullheads,AndlassostossedbyKingYama.Theyyelledandshriekedaltogether,Causingconfusionfarandnear.

WhentheGreatSagesawthosemenswarminguphismountain,hebecame

terribly angry.Making themagic signwith his fingers and reciting a spell, hedrew inabreath facing the southwest andblew itout.Atonceaviolentwindarose.Marvelouswind!Itthrewupdustandscattereddirt;Ittoppledtreesandcutdownforests.Theoceanwavesroselikemountains;Theycrashedfolduponfoldontheshore.Thecosmosgrewdimanddarkened;Thesunandthemoonlosttheirlight.Thepinetrees,onceshaken,roaredliketigers;Thebamboos,hitabruptly,sanglikedragons.AllHeaven’sporesletloosetheirangrybreathsAsrocksandsandflew,hurtingoneandall.

TheGreatSagecalledup thismightywind thatblewupandscattered thoserockpiecesineverydirection.Pitythosethousand-oddhuntersandhorses!Thiswaswhathappenedtoeveryoneofthem:Therocksbroketheirdarkheadstopieces;5Flyingsandhurtallthewingedhorses.Lordsandnoblesconfoundedbeforethepeak,Bloodstainedlikecinnabartheearth.

Fathersandsonscouldnotgohome.Couldfinementotheirhousesreturn?Corpsesfelltothedustandlayonthemountain,Whilerougedladiesathomewaited.

Thepoemsays:Menkilled,horsesdead—howcouldtheygohome?Lost,lonelysoulsflounderedliketangledhemp.Pitythosestrongandvirilefightingmen,Whoseblood,bothgoodandbad,didstainthesand!

Loweringthedirectionofhiscloud,theGreatSageclappedhishandsandroaredwith laughter, saying, “Lucky! Lucky! Since I made submission to the TangMonkandbecameapriest,hehasbeengivingmethisadvice:‘Dogoodathousanddays,Butthegoodisstillinsufficient;Doevilforoneday,Andthatevilisalreadyexcessive.’

Sometruth indeed!WhenI followedhimandkilledafewmonsters,hewouldblamemeforperpetratingviolence.TodayIcamehomeand itwas themeresttrifletofinishoffallthesehunters.”Hethenshouted,“Littleones,comeout!”Whenthosemonkeyssawthatthe

violentwindhadpassedandheardtheGreatSagecalling,theyall jumpedout.“Godowntothesouthsideofthemountain,”saidtheGreatSage,“andstripthe

deadhuntersoftheirclothes.Bringthembackhome,washawaythebloodstains,andyouallcanwearthemtowardoffthecold.Thecorpsesyoucanpushintothedeepmountainlakeoverthere.Pullbackherealsothehorsesthatarekilled;their hides can be used tomake boots, and theirmeat can be cured for us toenjoy slowly.Gatherup thebowsandarrows, the swordsand spears, andyoucan use them formilitary drills again.And finally, bringme those banners ofmiscellaneouscolors;Ihaveuseforthem.”Every one of the monkeys obeyed these instructions. Pulling down the

bannersandwashingthemclean,theGreatSagethenpatchedthemtogetherintoalargebannerofmanycolors,onwhichhewrotethefollowingwordsinlargeletters:TheFlower-FruitMountainRebuilt,theWater-CurtainCaveRestored—GreatSage,EqualtoHeaven.Aflagpolewaserectedoutsidethecavetohangupthebanner.Thereafter,hegatheredtogethermorefiendsandbeastsbytheday,andhestoredupallkindsoffoodstuff.Theword“monk”wasnevermentionedagain. As he enjoyed wide friendship and great power, he had no trouble inborrowingsomesweet,divinewaterfromtheDragonKingsoftheFourOceanstowashhismountainandmakeitgreenagain.Henextplantedelmsandwillowsinfront,pinesandcedarsintheback;peach,pear,date,andplum—hehadthemall.He then sett leddown to enjoy lifewithout a care, andwe shall speaknomoreofhimforthemoment.We now tell you about the TangMonk, who listened to CraftyNature and

banishedtheMonkeyoftheMind.HemountedhishorsetoheadfortheWestasEightRulesledthewayinfront,whileShaMonkpoledtheluggageintherear.AftertheypassedtheWhiteTigerRidge,theycameuponalargeforest,fullofvines and creepers, green pines and cedars. “Disciples,” said Tripitaka, “themountain road isalready roughanddifficult tonegotiate.Andnowwehaveathickanddarkpineforest.Dobecareful.Ifearthatwemayrunintosomefiendsormonstrousbeasts.”ButlookatIdiot!Rousinghisenergies,hetoldShaMonktotakeholdofthehorse,whilehehimselfusedhismuckraketoopenupapathinfrontandledtheTangMonkdirectlyintothepineforest.Astheyjourneyed,the elder stopped the horse and said, “Eight Rules, I’m getting really hungrytoday.Wherecanyoufindmesomevegetarianfoodtoeat?”“Pleasedismount,Master,” saidEightRules, “and let oldHoggo find some for you.”The elderdescendedfromhishorse.ShaMonkputdownhis loadand tookout thealmsbowl to hand over to Eight Rules. Eight Rules said, “I’m off!” “Where to?”askedtheelder.“Nevermind,”saidEightRules.“OnceIgo,IwillDrilliceforfire6tofindyourmaigre,Andpresssnowforoiltobegyourrice.”

Lookat him!He left thepine forest andwalked toward theWest for over tenmiles,buthedidnot comeuponevena singlehousehold. Itwas trulyaplacemoreinhabitedbytigersandwolvesthanbyhumans.WhenIdiotbecametiredfromwalking,hethoughttohimself,“WhenPilgrimwashere,whateverthatoldpriestwantedhegot.Today,it’smyturntoserve,andit’slikewhattheproverbsays:Youknowthecostofriceandfirewoodwhenyourunahouse;Yourealizeyourparents’kindnesswhenyoubringupachild!

Where in the world can I go to beg for food?” He walked some more andbecameratherdrowsy.Hethoughttohimself,“IfIgobacknowandtellthatoldpriest that there’s no place here for me to beg for vegetarian food even aftertravelingallthisdistance,hewon’tbelieveme.ImustfindsomemeanstowhileawayanotherhourorsobeforeIgobacktoanswerhim.Well,well!Let’stakeanaphereinthegrass.”Idiotindeedputhisheadinthegrassandlaydown.Atthetime,hethoughtthathewoulddozeforawhileandthengetup,butlittledidherealizehowfatiguedhewasfromallthatwalking.Oncehelaydownhishead,hefellintoadeep,snoringslumber.Forthetimebeing,weshallspeaknomoreofEightRulesasleepinthisplace.

We tell you instead about the elder in the forest, who grew so restless andanxiousthathisearsbecameflushedandhiseyesbegantotic.Heturnedquicklyand said toShaMonk, “Whyhasn’tWuneng returned fromhis trip tobeg forfood?” “Master,” said ShaMonk, “don’t you understand?When he sees howmanyfamiliesthereareinthisregionoftheWestwholovetofeedmonks,he’snotgoingtoworryaboutyou,ishe,especiallywhenhehassolargeastomach!He’snotgoingtocomebackuntilhe’scompletelyfilled!”“Youareright,”saidTripitaka. “But if he is staying at some place just to satisfy his hankering forfood,wherearewegoingtomeethim?It’sgettinglate,andthisisnoplacetolive.Webetterfindsomelodging.”“Don’tworry,Master,”saidShaMonk,“yousit here and let me find him.” “Yes, yes,” said Tripitaka, “it doesn’t matterwhether there’s food or not.But it’s important for us to find a place to stay.”Grasping his precious staff, ShaMonk left the pine forest to search for EightRules.Theelder,sittingaloneintheforest,becamesowearyandfatiguedthathehad

to force himself to summon enough energy to get up. Putting the luggagetogether inapileand tying thehorse toa tree,he tookoffhiswidesplinthat,stuckhispriestlystaffintotheground,andstraightenedhisclericalrobeinorderto take awalk in this secluded forest just to rid himself of his depression.Helooked at all the wild grass and untended flowers, but he did not hear any

chatteringofbirdsheadinghomeward.The forest,yousee,wasaplaceof tallgrassandsmallpaths.Becausehewasratherconfusedhesoonlosthisway.Hehad,tobesure,wantedtodispelhisboredominthefirstplace,andtofindEightRules and Sha Monk in the second. Little did he realize that they wereproceedingwestward,whereashehimself,aftergoingincirclesforawhile,washeadingsouth.Asheemergedfromthepineforest,heraisedhisheadandsawall atonce flashesofgolden light andcolorfulmists aheadofhim.He lookedmorecarefullyand found that itwasabejeweledpagoda,whosegoldendomewasgleamingintheraysofthesettingsun.“Thisdiscipletrulyhasnoaffinity!”he said to himself. “When I left the Land of the East, Imade a vow to burnincense inevery temple, toworshipBuddhawhen I sawan imageofBuddha,andtosweepapagodaifIcameuponapagoda.Isn’tthatagoldenpagodathatissobrilliantoverthere?Whydidn’tItakethisroadbefore?Beneaththepagodatheremustbeatemple,insideofwhichtheremustalsobeamonastery.Letmewalkoverthere.It’sallright,Isuppose,toleavethewhitehorseandtheluggageheresincethereisnoonepassingby.Ifthere’sanyspacethere,I’llwaittillmydisciplesreturnandwecanallaskforlodgingforthenight.”Alas,thetimeofthatelder’smisfortunehasindeedarrived!Lookathim!He

strodeforwardandwentuptothesideofthepagoda.TherehesawBoulderstenthousandfeettall;Alargebluffreachingthegreensky:Itsrootsjoiningthethickearth,ItspeaksstickingintoHeaven.Severalthousandtreesofallkindsonbothsides;Ahundredmilesofsnarledcreepersfrontandback.Brightflowersongrasstips,thewindhaditsshadows.Inflowingwater’spartedcloudsthemoonhadnoroot.7Fallenlogsrestedindeepstreams;Driedtendrilsentangledbaresummits.BeneathastonebridgeFlowedabubblingclearstream;OntopofaterraceGrewflourlikewhiteblossoms.WhenseenfromafaritseemedtheParadiseofThreeIsles;WhenyoudrewnearitappearedlikethelovelyPenglai.Purplebamboosandscentedpinesenclosedthemountainbrook;Crows,magpies,andmonkeyscutthroughtheruggedridge.OutsideacaveTherewereherdsofwildbeastscomingandgoing;InthewoodsTherewereflocksofbirdsleavingorreturning.Inlovelygreenthefragrantplantsthrived;Radiantlythewildflowersbloomed.Thisregion,nonetheless,8wasanevilplace.Itwastheelder’sbadlucktocomebargingin!

Theelder strodeup to thedoorof thepagoda and foundamottledbamboocurtain hanging inside. Walking inside the door, he lifted up the curtain toproceedfurtherwhensuddenlyhesawbeforehimamonsterasleeponastonecouch.“Howdoeshelook?”youask.Indigoface,Longwhitefangs,Andabiggapingmouth!Tousledhaironthehead’stwosidesSeemedasifithadbeendyedredbyrouge.AfewstubsofdeeppurplebeardBorethelookoflycheesprouting.Anosecurvatelikeaparrot’sbeak,Andeyesglowinglikethemorningstars.HistwohugefistsHadtheshapeofamonk’salmsbowl.Twoblue-veinedfeetForkedlikebranchesdanglingdownacliff.Halfcoveredbyalightyellowrobe,Betterthanthesilk-brocadecassock,HestillgraspedascimitarWhichgleamedandglittered.HesleptonaslabofstoneBothflawlessandsmooth.Hehadledyoungfiendstomakeformationslikeants,Andolddemonstorulewithorderlikebees.Lookathisawesomebearing,WhenallhissubjectsRaisedthecry,“Sire!”Hehadmadethemoonhisthirdfriendashesippedhiswine;9Hehadfeltthewindgrowbeneathhisarmsasteawaspoured.Lookathisvastmagicpower!InthetwinklingofaneyeHecouldtouralltheHeavens.Inhiswildwoodsscreechedbirdsandfowls;Inhisdenssleptdragonsandsnakes.Immortalstilledhisfieldstogrowwhitejade;Daoistscalmedhisfiretoraisecinnabar.AdoorofasmallcaveDidnot,ofcourse,leadtotheHell,Avīci;ButsuchanuglymonsterSeemedtrulyabullheadedyakṣa!

Whentheeldersawthatkindofappearance,heretreatedinhorrorashisbodyturnednumbandhislegsflabby.Hetriedtoturnandrun,butjustashegotoutof the door, themonster,whowas a rather alert creature, opened his demoniceyes with golden pupils and shouted, “Little ones, go see who is outside ourdoor!”Alittlefiendstuckhisheadoutthedoorandsawthatitwasabaldheadedelder.Heranquicklyinsideandreported,“GreatKing!It’sapriestoutside.He

hasaroundheadandalargeface,withtwoearshangingdowntohisshoulders.He has a body full of tender flesh and very fine skin. He’s a good-lookingpriest!”Whenthemonsterheardthesewords,helaughedaloud,saying,“Thisislikewhattheproverbsays:Fliesatopaserpent’shead—Foodbyitselfpresented!

You,littleones.Chasehimdownandbringhimbackhere.Ihavegreatrewardsforyou.”Thoselittlefiendsrushedoutofthedoorlikeaswarmofbees.WhenTripitakasawthem,hismindwantedhimtomovelikeanarrowandhis

feet wanted to fly; but he quivered and shook, and his feet were numb andflaccid.Moreover,themountainroadwasrugged,theforestwasdark,anditwasgettinglate.Howcouldhepossiblymovefastenough?Thelittlefiendsranhimdownandhauledhimbackbodily.Truly,itislikeThedragoninshallowwaterteasedbyshrimps,Thetigeronlevelgroundmockedbydogs.Anobleventuremayhavemanysnags.Who’sliketheTangMonkwhenhefacestheWest?

Look at those little fiends!After having carried the elder back and put himdownoutside thebamboocurtain, theyranhappily tomake this report:“GreatKing,wehavecaughtthemonkandbroughthimback.”TheoldmonsterstoleaglanceatTripitakaandsawthathehadanerectheadandahandsomeface.Hewas indeed a good-looking priest. The monster thought to himself, “Such agood-looking priest must be someone from a noble nation. I can’t treat himlightly.IfIdidn’tshowhimwho’sbosshere,wouldhewillinglysubmittome?”Likeafoxaffectingtheauthorityofatiger,heallatoncebristleduphisredhairsandwhiskerswhilehiseyessplitwideopen.“Bringthatmonkin!”hebellowed.“Yes, sir!” the various fiends shouted in response, as they shoved Tripitakainside.Astheproverbhasit,Standingbeneathlow-pitchedeaves,Howcouldonenotbowhishead?

Tripitakahadnochoicebuttofoldhishandsandgreethim.“Fromwhatregionareyou,monk?”demandedthemonster.“Wheredidyou

comefrom?Whereareyougoing?Tellusquickly!”“I’mamonkfromtheTangcourt,” saidTripitaka. “Having received the imperialdecreeof theGreatTangEmperor to seek scriptures in theWest, I passed by your noblemountain anddecided to seek an audience with the sage beneath this pagoda. I have nointention to disturb Your Eminence. Please forgive me.When I return to theLandoftheEastafteracquiringscripturesintheWest,yourillustriousnamewillberecordedgratefullyforposterity.”

Whenthemonsterheardthesewords,heroaredwithlaughter,saying,“Isaidtomyselfthatyouwerefromanoblenation.Soyouareindeed!You’reexactlythe person I want to eat! It’s marvelous that you presented yourself here.Otherwise, I might havemissed you. You are ordained to be the food ofmymouth.Sinceyouhavebargedinhereallbyyourself,Icouldn’tletyougoevenifIwantedto.Andyoucouldn’tescapeevenifyouwantedto!”Hethenorderedthe little fiends, “Tie up that monk.” The little fiends rushed forward andfastenedtheelderfirmlywithropestotheSpirit-SoothingPillar.10Grasping his scimitar, the old monster asked again, “Monk, how many

personsarethereinyourentourage?Don’ttellmeyoudaregouptotheWesternHeaven all by yourself!”WhenTripitaka saw him picking up the scimitar, hesaidcandidly,“GreatKing,IhavetwodisciplesnamedZhuEightRulesandShaMonk.Theyallleftthepineforesttogobegforfood.Ihave,moreover,oneloadof luggageandawhitehorse,which I left in the forest.” “That’s luckieryet!”said the oldmonster. “Two disciples including youmake three, and there arereallyfourofyouifwecountthehorse.That’senoughforameal!”“Let’sgoandcatchthemtoo,”saidthelittlefiends.“Don’tgoout,”saidthe

oldmonster,“butshutthedoorinstead.Afterbeggingthefood,thosediscipleswouldbringittotheirmaster;whentheycan’tfindhim,theywillsurelycomeseekingrightuptoourdoor.Theproverbsays,‘Businessatone’sowndoor iseasiertodo.’Let’stakeourtimeandcatchthemthen.”Thelittlefiendsindeedclosedthefrontdoor.We speaknomoreofTripitakawhomet disaster;we tell you instead about

ShaMonk,wholeftthepineforestlookingforEightRules.Hewalkedforovertenmilesbutdidnotseeevenavillageorhamlet.Hewentuptoaknolltolookallaroundwhensuddenlyheheardsomeonespeakinginthegrassdownbelow.Pushingthetallgrassaparthurriedlywithhisstaff,hefoundIdiotinsidetalkinginhis sleep.ShaMonkgaveoneof thehugeears ahard tugandcried, “DearIdiot! Master told you to beg for food. Did he give you permission to sleephere?”Idiotwokeupwithastart,mumbling,“Brother,whattimeisit?”“Getup,quick!”saidShaMonk.“Mastersaidthatitdidn’tmatterwhethertherewasfoodornot.Hetoldustotryfindingaplacetostayinstead.”Pickingupthealmsbowlandtotinghismuckrake,Idiotwalkedbackstupidly

withShaMonk.Whentheyreachedtheforest, theirmasterwasnowheretobeseen.ShaMonkbegantoberatehim,saying,“It’sallbecauseofyou,Idiot,fortakingsucha longtimetofindsomefood.Mastermusthavebeenseizedbyamonster.” “Brother,” said Eight Rules, laughing, “don’t talk nonsense. Thisforestisapure,lovelyplaceanditdefinitelycannotharboramonster.Itmustbethatthatoldpriestcannotsitstillandhasgonesightseeingsomewhere.Let’sgo

findhim.”Thetwoofthempickedupthehatandthepriestlystaffbeforetheyleftthepineforest,leadingthehorseandpolingtheluggageastheysearchedfortheirmaster.It happened that the Tang Monk at this time was not yet destined to die.

Havinglookedforhimforsometimetonoavail,histwodisciplessawbeamsofgolden light coming from the south. “Brother,” saidEightRules, “the blessedwill only receive more blessings! Master, you see, must have gone to thatbejeweled pagoda over there that is giving off that light.Whowill dare to beinhospitableataplacelikethat?Theymustinsistonpreparingvegetarianfoodandhisstayingtoenjoyit.Whyaren’twemoving?Weshouldgetthereandhavesomething,too.”“ElderBrother,”saidShaMonk,“youcan’ttellwhetherit’sagood place or not. Let’s go and have a look first.” The two of them walkedboldlyuptothedooroftheedificeandfoundthatitwasclosed.Acrossthetopof thedoorwasaslabofwhite jadeonwhichwerewritten in large letters thefollowingwords:CasseroleMountain,Current-MoonCave.“ElderBrother,”saidShaMonk,“thisisnomonastery.It’sacave-dwellingof

amonster.EvenifMasterwerehere,Idoubtifwecouldseehim.”“Don’t be alarmed,Brother,” saidEightRules. “Tie up the horse and stand

guard over our luggage. Let me question them.” Holding high his muckrake,Idiotwentforwardandshouted,“Openthedoor!Openthedoor!”Thelittlefiendwhowasstandingguardinsideopenedthedoor.Whenhesawthetwoofthem,heranquicklytoreport,“GreatKing,businessishere.”“Whatsortofbusiness?”asked the old monster. “There is a monk with large ears and a long mouthoutsideourcave,”repliedthelittlefiend,“andthereisalsoanothermonkwiththegloomiestappearance.Theycamecallingatourdoor.”Greatlypleased,theoldmonster said, “They have to be Zhu Eight Rules and ShaMonk! Ho-ho!Theyknowwhere to lookall right!Howdid theymanage to findourdoor soswiftly?Well,iftheyappearsoaudacious,let’snottreatthemcasually.Bringmemyarmor!”Thelittlefiendbroughtitoutandhelpedhimputiton.Graspingthescimitar,theoldmonsterwalkedoutofthedoor.EightRulesandShaMonkwerewaitingoutsidethedoorwhentheysawthis

savagefiendemerge.“Howdidhelook?”youask.Greenface,redbeard,andfloppyscarlethair.Hisyellowgoldcuirassbothsparkledandgleamed.Abeltinlaidwithribbedshellswrappedhiswaist;Asilksashwoundtightlyroundhisarmoredchest.Thewindhowledwhenhestoodidlyonthemount;Thewaveschurnedwhenheglumlyroamedtheseas.ApairofhandswithveinsbothbrownandblueGraspedfirmlythesoul-snatchingscimitar.Ifyouwouldlearnthiscreature’sgivenname,

RememberYellowRobe,twofamouswords.

ThatOldMonsterYellowRobecameoutofthedoorandaskedatonce,“Whereare you from, monk, that you dare cause this racket before my door?” “Mychild,” saidEightRules, “don’tyou recognizeme? I’myourvenerable father!I’m one sent by theGreat Tang to go to theWesternHeaven, formymasterhappenstobetheroyalbrother,Tipitaka.Ifhe’sinyourhouse,sendhimoutatonce. That’ll spareme having to level it withmy rake!” “Yes, yes,” said thefiendwithalaugh,“there’saTangMonkinmyhouse,andIhaven’tdeniedhimanyhospitalityeither.Iwasjustpreparingsomebunsfilledwithhumanfleshforhimtoenjoy.Youtwocangoinsideandhaveonealso.Howaboutit?”IdiotindeedwouldhavegoneinsideimmediatelyifShaMonkhadnotpulled

himback,saying,“ElderBrother,he’sdeceivingyou.Sincewhendidyoustarteatinghumanfleshagain?”OnlythendidIdiotrealizehismistake.Raisinghismuckrake,hebroughtitdownhardonthemonster’sface.Themonstersteppedasidetododgetheblowandthenturnedtomeethimwithupliftedscimitar.Thetwo of them, summoning their magic powers, mounted the clouds to fight inmidair. Sha Monk abandoned the luggage and the white horse; wielding hisprecious staff, he joined the frayalso.At this time, two fiercemonksandonebrazenmonsterbeganasavagebattleontheedgeoftheclouds.ThusitwasthatThestaffrosehigh,metbythescimitar;Themuckrakecame,blockedbythescimitar.Onedemonwarriorusedhispower;Twodivinemonksdisplayedtheirmight.Thenine-prongedrake,howtrulyheroic!Thefiend-routingstaff,ferociousindeed!Theirblowsfellleftandright,infrontandback,ButsquireYellowRobeshowednofearatall.Seehissteelscimitarshininglikesilver!And,intruth,hismagicpowerwasgreat.TheyfoughttillalltheskyWasfogboundandbeclouded;AndinmidmountainStonescrackedandcliffsidescollapsed.Thisone,forthesakeofhisfame,Howcouldhegiveup?ThatoneforthesakeofhismasterWouldsurelyshownofear.

Thethreeofthemclosedinagainandagaininmidairforscoresoftimesbutadecisioncouldnotbereached.Thougheachofthemcaredforhislife,noneofthemwasabout tobeseparated.WedonotknowhowthedisciplesmanagetorescuetheTangMonk;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

TWENTY-NINE

Freeofhisperil,RiverFloatarrivesatthekingdom;Receivingfavor,EightRulesinvadestheforest.

Thepoemsays:1

Vainthoughtscannotbeslainbyforce.WhymustyouseekafterSuchness?RefinebeforeBuddhayourself-existentmind—Arenotillusionandenlightenmentthesame?

Enlightened,youreachinstantlytheRight;Deluded,yousinkintenthousandkalpas.IfyoucancultivateonethoughtwithTruth,SinsvastasGanges’sandarewipedout.

Wewere telling you about Eight Rules and ShaMonk, who fought with thatmonsterforoverthirtyroundsbutadecisioncouldnotbereached.Whynot,youask.If itwereamatterofmatchingabilities,youneedn’tspeakof twomonks.Even if therewere twentymonks, theywould still beunable towithstand thatmonster.ItwasonlybecauseofthefactthattheTangMonkwasnotyetfatedtodiethathisfollowerscouldcountonthehelpofcertaindeities.EightRulesandShaMonk,therefore,wereassistedinsecretintheairbytheSixGodsofLightandSixGodsofDarkness, theGuardiansofFiveQuarters, theFourSentinels,andtheEighteenGuardian-Spiritsofmonasteries.For themomentwe shall speak nomore of the battle between the three of

them.Wetellyouinsteadabouttheelder,whowasweepingpiteouslyinthecaveandthinkingabouthisdisciples.Astearsfellfromhiseyes,hesaidtohimself,“Wuneng,Idon’tknowinwhichvillageyouhavemetafriendoftruthandareenjoyingbeingfed.O,Wujing!Wherehaveyougonetosearchforhim,andhowwillyoubeabletomeethim?WillyoutworealizethatImetademon,thatI’msufferinghere?Whenwill I seeyoubothagain?Whenwill Iescape fromthisgreat ordeal so that I can reach the SpiritMountain soon?”As hewas givingvoicetohisgriefinthismanner,hesuddenlysawawomanwalkoutfrominsidethe cave.Holding on to the Spirit-Soothing Pillar, she said, “Elder,where didyoucomefrom?Whyareyouboundherebyhim?”Whentheelderheardthis,heturnedhistearyeyestostealaglanceatherand

foundthatshewasaboutthirtyyearsold.“LadyBodhisattva,”hesaid,“noneedforfurtherquestions.ImusthavebeenfatedtodiewhenIenteredyourdoor.Ifyouwant to devourme, go ahead.Why bother to questionme?” Thewoman

said,“Idon’teatpeople!Aboutthreehundredmileswestofhereismyhome,acitybythenameofthePreciousImageKingdom.2I’mthethirdprincessofitsking,andmychildhoodnameisHundredFlowers’Shame.Thirteenyearsago,ontheeveof thefifteenthof theeighthmonth,Iwasenjoyingthesightof themoonwhenthismonster-spiritkidnappedmeandbroughtmehereinaviolentwind.Iwasforcedtobecomehiswifeforallthesethirteenyearsandtobearhischildren. It was impossible, of course, for me to send any news back to theCourt,andIcouldn’tseemyparentseventhoughIthoughtofthemfrequently.Butwheredidyoucomefrom,andhowdidhecatchyou?”“Thispoormonk,”saidtheTangMonk,“issomeonesenttoacquirescriptures

intheWesternHeaven.IwastakingawalkwhenIbumpedintothisplace.Nowhewantstocatchmytwodisciplesalsosothatwewillallbesteamedandeatentogether.”“Elder,pleasedon’tworry,”saidtheprincesswithasmile.“Ifyouareascripturepilgrim,Icansaveyou,forthePreciousImageKingdomisrightonyourmainpathtotheWest.AllIaskofyouistodeliveraletterformetomyparents and I’ll ask my husband to let you go.” Nodding his head, the TangMonksaid,“LadyBodhisattva,ifyoucansavethelifeofthispoormonk,Ishallbegladtoserveasyourmessenger.”Quicklyrunninginside,theprincesswrotealetterandhaditproperlysealed.

Shethenwentbackouttothepillaranduntiedhimbeforehandinghimtheletter.Afterhewasfreed,theTangMonkheldtheletterinhishandsandsaid,“LadyBodhisattva, thankyou for savingmy life.When thispoormonk reachesyourkingdom,hewillcertainlydeliverthelettertotheking.Ifear,however,thatsuchalengthyseparationwillmakeitdifficultforyourparentstorecognizeanythingfrom you.What shall I do then? They would not accuse me of lying, wouldthey?”“Nofear,”saidtheprincess.“Myparentshavenoson;alltheyhaveareusthreesisters.Whentheyseethisletter,theywilllookafteryou.”Tuckingtheletter deep into his sleeve, Tripitaka thanked the princess again and started towalkout.“Youcan’tgoout the frontdoor!”said theprincess, tuggingathim.“Thosemonster-spirits,greatandsmall,arealloutsidewavingthebannersandbeatingthedrumsandgongstoassisttheGreatKing,whoisatthisverymomentfightingwithyourdisciples.You’dbetter leaveby thebackdoor. If theGreatKingseizesyou,hewillatleastinterrogateyou.Butifthelittlefiendscatchholdof you, they may slaughter you on the spot without further ado. Let me goinsteadtothefrontandspeakawordonyourbehalf.IftheGreatKingiswillingtoletyougo,yourdisciplescantakethatasafavorandleavewithyou.”WhenTripitakaheardthesewords,hekowtowedtotheprincessbeforetakingleaveofher.Afterwalkingout of thebackdoor, hedarednot proceed; instead, hehidhimselfinsomebushesandwaited.

Wetellyounowabout theprincess,whohaddevisedacleverplan.Sheranoutthefrontdoorandpushedherwaythroughthevastthrongofmonsters.Allshecouldhearwasthejangleofweapons,forEightRulesandShaMonkwerestilldoingbattle inmidairwiththatfiend.Theprincessshouted,“LordYellowRobe!”When the monster king heard the call of the princess, he abandonedEight Rules and Sha Monk and dropped down from the clouds. Holding hisscimitarwithonehand,hetookthehandoftheprincesswiththeotherandsaid,“Mistress,what do youwant?” “Husband,” said the princess, “Iwas sleepingjust now within the silk curtains, and I saw in my dream a golden-armoreddeity.”“Thatgolden-armoreddeity,”saidthedemon,“whatdoeshewantatmydoor?”Theprincesssaid,“DuringmyyouthwhenIwaslivinginthepalace,Imadeasecretvowthat if I foundagoodhusband, Iwouldascend the famousmountains,visittheimmortalabodes,andfeedthemonks.SinceImarriedyou,ourshadbeensuchgreathappinessthatIneverhadtheopportunitytomentionthistoyou.Justnowthatgolden-armoreddeitycametodemandthatIfulfillmyvow; hewas shouting atme so vehemently that Iwoke upwith a start. Eventhoughitwasalladream,Imadehastetocometotellyouaboutit.ThenIsawamonkalltieduponthatpillar.Ibegyou,husband,tobecompassionateformysake and spare thatmonk. Just regard thematter as if itweremy feeding themonkstoredeemmyvow.Areyouwilling?”“Mistress,” said the fiend, “you’re so gullible! I thought it was something

important!Allright!IfIwantedtoeathumans,Icancatchafewanywhere.Thisone monk, what does he amount to? I’ll let him go.” “Husband,” said theprincess,“lethimgooutthebackdoor.”Themonstersaid,“Whatnuisance!Justlethimgo.Whybotheraboutthebackdoororfrontdoor?”Hegrippedhissteelscimitarandshouted,“You,ZhuEightRules!Comeoverhere!I’mnotafraidofyou,butIwon’tfightwithyouanymore;forthesakeofmywife,I’mgoingtospare yourmaster.Go quickly to our back door and find him so that you canleavefortheWest.Ifyouevertrespassourterritoryagain,Iwillnotspareyou.”WhenEightRulesandShaMonkheardthesewords, theyfeltasif theyhad

beenreleasedfromthegateofHell!Leadingthehorseandpolingtheluggage,they darted like rodents past the Current-MoonCave.When they reached thebackdoor,theycried,“Master!”Theelderrecognizedtheirvoicesandansweredfrom the thornybushes.ShaMonkparted the grass andpickeduphismaster,whomountedthehorsehurriedly.So,Almostharmedbytheviciousblue-facedspirit,HemetbyluckthezealofHundredFlowers’Shame.Thescorpaenidhasfromthegoldenhookescaped:Hewagshisheadandtailtoswimwiththewaves.

EightRules led theway in frontwhileShaMonkbroughtup the rear.Theyleft thepine forestandproceededon themain road.Lookat the twoof them!Stillbickeringandgrumbling,theyweretryingtoputtheblameoneachother,andTripitakahadtospendallthetimeattemptingtopacifythem.Atnighttheysoughtaplace to rest;when thecockcrowed they lookedat thesky.Stagebystage, theysoon traveledsome twohundredandninety-ninemiles.When theyraisedtheirheadsoneday,theysawabeautifulcity.ItwasthePreciousImageKingdom,amarvelousplaceindeed!Howboundlesstheclouds!Howvastthejourney!Thoughthelandisathousandmilesaway,Itsconditionisnolessprosperous.3Auspiciousmistandsmokesurroundit;Brightmoonandclearwindbefriendit.Green,toweringdistantmountainsSpreadoutlikeapaintedscroll;Theflowingstream,surgingandbubbling,Throwsuppiecesofwhitejade.Arablefields,joinedbyroadwaysandpaths;Worthyoffood,densesproutingricecrops;Hookedbythefisherman,threewindingbrooksofafewhouseholds;Gatheredbythewoodsman,oneloadofpepper-woodfromtwohills.EachcorridorandeachrampartAremadestrongasifbymetalandliquid;4EveryhouseandeveryhomeVieswithoneanotherinfelicity.Nine-tieredtowersriselikepalacehalls;Layeredterracessoarlikebeacons.TherearealsotheGreatUltimateHall,5TheBrightCoverHall,TheBurnIncenseHall,TheText-ViewingHall,ThePolicy-ProclaimingHall,AndtheTalent-EngagingHall—Everyhalllinedwithjadethresholdandgoldsteps,Withcivilandmilitaryofficials.TherearealsotheGreatLightPalace,TheBrightSunPalace,TheLong-LastingPleasurePalace,TheBrightClearPalace,TheMemorial-EstablishingPalace,AndtheNever-EndingPalace—Eachpalace,withitschimes,drums,pipes,andverticalflutes,Releasesitsboudoirsorrowsandspringtimegriefs.ThereareintheforbiddencourtyardYoung,freshfaceslikeflowersbedewed;ThereareonthepalacemoatSlenderwaistslikewillowsdancinginthewind.

OnthebroadboulevardTheremaybeonewhoiscappedandsashed,Who,elaboratelydressed,Mountsafive-horsechariot.AtasecludedspotTheremaybeoneholdingbowandarrowsWho,pushingthroughfogandclouds,Wouldpierceapairofhawks.6Alleysofflowersandwillows;Towersofpipesandstrings:Springbreezehere’snolighterthanatLuoyangBridge!Ourscripture-seekingelderRecallstheTangcourtandhisbowelsalmostburst;Ourdisciples,flankingtheirmaster,Restinapost-houseandlosetheirsoulsindreams.

There was no end to the sight of such fine scenery at the Precious ImageKingdom.Masteranddisciples,thethreeofthem,broughttheluggageandthehorsetoapost-houseandrested.Afterwards,theTangMonkwalkedtothegateofthecourtandsaidtothegate

official,“ApriestfromtheTangcourthasarrivedtoseekanaudiencewiththethroneandtohavemytravelrescriptcertified.Pleasemakethisreportforme.”TheCustodianoftheYellowGatehurriedinsideandwentbeforethewhitejadesteps to say, “YourMajesty, there is an illustriousmonk from theTang court,whowishes to have an audiencewith you in order to have his travel rescriptcertified.”WhenthekingheardthatanillustriousmonkhadarrivedfromsuchagreatnationastheTang,hewasverypleasedandconsentedatonce.“Summonhim to come in,” he said. When Tripitaka was summoned before the goldensteps,hewentthroughanelaboratecourtceremonytopayhomagetotheruler.Noneofthecivilandmilitaryofficialslininguponbothsidesofthecourtcouldrefrain from saying, “Truly a man from a noble nation! What exquisitemanners!”The king said, “Elder,why did you come to ourKingdom?” “Thishumble monk,” said Tripitaka, “is a Buddhist from the Tang court. I havereceivedthedecreeofmyemperortogotoacquirescripturesintheWest.Thetravel rescript that Ioriginally receivedshouldbecertifiedonce Iarriveat thekingdom of Your Majesty. This is the reason why I dare intrude upon yourDragonPresence.”“IfyouhavetherescriptfromtheTangSonofHeaven,”saidthe king, “bring it up here forme to look at.” Presenting it with both hands,Tripitakaplacedthedocumentontheimperialdeskandunfoldedit.Therescriptsays:ThetravelrescriptoftheTangSonofHeaven,whosucceedsundertheguidanceofHeaventothethroneoftheGreatTangEmpireintheSouthJambūdvīpaContinent.Thoughwehumblyacknowledgeourpoordisplay of virtue,we are the lawful descendant of a great heritage. In the service to the gods and thegovernment ofmen,we try to be vigilant night and day, as if wewere approaching a deep abyss or

walkingonthinice.Sometimeago,wefailedtosavethelifeoftheOldDragonofJingRiver,forwhichwewerechastisedbytheMostHighAugustOne.Oursoulandspirit,driftingtotheRegionofDarkness,hadalreadybecomeaguestofimpermanence.Becauseourallottedagewasnotyetexhausted,however,we were indebted to the Ruler of Darkness, who released us and returned us to life. Thereafter, weconvenedagrandmassandestablishedtheritualfieldforthedead.ItwasatthistimealsothattheOnewhosavesfromafflictions,theBodhisattvaGuanshiyin,revealedtoushergoldenform,andenlighteneduswiththeknowledgethattheWesthadbothBuddhaandscriptures,abletoredeemthedeadanddeliverthe orphaned spirits. For this reasonwe now commissionXuanzang,master of the law, to traverse athousandmountainsinordertoacquiresuchscriptures.WhenhereachesthemanynationsoftheWest,itisourhopethattheywillnotextinguishthegoodlyaffinityandallowhimtopassthroughbecauseofthisrescript. This is a necessary-to-be-sent document.7 An auspicious day in the autumn of the thirteenthyear, in theZhenguanperiodof theGreatTang.Animperialdocument. (Therewerealso themarksofnineprecioussealsonit.)

When theking read it, he took the jade sealofhisownnationand stamped itbeforehandingitbacktoTripitaka.After he thanked the king and put away the travel rescript, Tripitaka said,

“This humble priest came first of all to have the document certified, andsecondly to present toYourMajesty a family letter.”Delighted, theking said,“Whatkindoffamilyletter?”“YourMajesty,”saidTripitaka,“thethirdprincesswas kidnapped by the Yellow Robe Fiend of the Current-Moon Cave at theCasseroleMountain.Thishumblepriestmetherbychanceanditwasshewhoaskedmetosendyouthisletter.”Whenthekingheardthis,hiseyesbrimmedwithtears.“Thirteenyearsago,”

he said, “we lost our princess. For that, we banished countless officials, bothcivilandmilitary,andwedidnotknowhowmanyladies-in-waitingandeunuchswe had caned to death throughout the palace. For we thought that she hadwalkedoutofthepalaceandlostherway.Sincewedidnotknowwheretolook,weinterrogatedcountlesshouseholdsinthecity,buttherewasnotatraceofher.Howwouldwe know that amonster had kidnapped her?When I receive thiswordtoday,Icannotholdbackmygriefortears.”ThereuponTripitakatookoutthe letter fromhis sleeve andpresented it.When theking took it and saw theaddresson theenvelope,hishands turnedfeebleandcouldnotopen the letter.HethereforegavetheordertohavetheGrandSecretaryoftheHanlinAcademy8come before the throne and read the letter. TheGrandSecretary ascended thestepsasall thecivilandmilitaryofficialsbefore thecourtandall the imperialconcubinesandpalace ladiesbehind thecourt listenedattentively.Opening theletter,theGrandSecretarybegantoread:Theunfilialdaughter,HundredFlowers’Shame,touchesherheadtothegroundahundredtimesbeforetheDragon-PhoenixPalace to honorFatherKingof the highest virtue.Longmayhe live! I bowalsobefore the Bright Sun Palace to my Queen Mother, Queen of the Three Palaces, and to all worthyministers,bothcivilandmilitary,oftheentirecourt.Eversinceitwasmygoodfortunetohavebeenborninto the queen’s palace, I have been indebted to you for the countless acts of grievous labor youundertookonmybehalf.IregretthatIhavenotdonetheutmosttopleaseyou,norhaveIdischargedwith

allmystrengthmyfilialduties. Itwason thefifteenthdayof theeighthmonth thirteenyearsago thatFatherKing,onthatlovelyeveningandauspiciousoccasion,gavehisgraciouscommandforbanquetstobebeprepared in the severalpalaces so thatwemightenjoy themoonlight andcelebrate thegloriousFestivalofImmaculateHeavens.Duringthemomentoffestivity,asuddengustoffragrantwind9broughtforwardademonkingwithgoldenpupils, indigoface,andgreenhairwhotookholdofyourdaughter.Mountingtheauspiciousluminosity,hecarriedmeawaydirectlytoanuninhabitedregionmidwayinthemountainandabsolutelyforbademetoleave.Heexploitedhisfiendishpowerandforcedmetobecomehiswife;Ihadnoalternativebuttosuffersuchignominyforthesethirteenyears.Twomonsterchildrenwereborntome,allseedsofthisfiend.Tospeakofthis,infact,istocorruptthegreathumanrelationsandtopervertourmorals.Ishouldnot,therefore,sendyousuchanoffensiveandinsultingletter,butIfearthattherewouldbenoexplanationshouldyourdaughterpassaway.AsIwasthinkingofmyparentswithdeepsorrow,IlearnedthataholymonkfromtheTangcourtwasalsotakencaptivebythedemonking. Itwas then that your daughterwrote this letter in tears andmade bold to obtain release for thepriest,sothathemightdeliverthissmalldocumentasanexpressionofmyheart.IbegFatherKinginhiscompassion tosendhisnoblegeneralsquickly tocapture theYellowRobeFiendat theCurrent-MoonCaveof theCasseroleMountain andbringyourdaughter back to the court.Yourswill be thedeepestfavortome.Pleasepardonmydisrespectinwritingthisletterinhaste,andwhateverhasnotbeensaidIhopetotellyoufacetoface.Yourdisobedientdaughter,HundredFlowers’Shame,kowtowsagainandagain.

When theGrandSecretary finished reading the letter, the king burst into loudwailing; all the three palaces shed tears and the various officials were alsooverbornebygrief.After thekinghadwept fora long time,heasked the tworowsofciviland

militaryofficials,“WhodaresleadthetroopsandcaptainstocapturethemonsterforusandrescueourHundredFlowersprincess?”Heaskedthequestionseveraltimes, but there was not a single person courageous enough to respond. Likegenerals carved out of wood and ministers molded with clay, they all turneddumb! Sorely distressed, the king wept till tears streamed down his face,whereupon many officials prostrated themselves and memorialized, saying,“YourMajesty,we beseech you to desist fromyour sorrow.The princesswaslost,andforthirteenyearstherehadbeennonewsfromher.AlthoughshemetbychancetheholymonkfromtheTangcourtsothatshewasabletosendusthisletter,wearestillnotfullyinformedabouthersituation.Moreover,yoursubjectsaremerelymortal creatures.We have studiedmilitarymanuals and tactics, ofcourse,butourknowledgeislimitedtoplacingtroopsinformationsandpitchingcamps in order to protect the frontiers of our nation from any invasion. Themonster-spirit, however, is someonewho comes by the fog and goeswith theclouds.Unlesswecouldmeethim face to face,howcouldweattackhimandrescue the princess? The scripture pilgrim from the Land of the East is, webelieve,aholymonkfromanoblenation.AsapriestWhosevastpowertamesdragonsandtigers,Whosegreatvirtueawesdemonsandgods,

hemustknowtheartofsubduingmonsters.Astheproverbsays,

HewhocomesandtellsofsomeaffairIshimselfinvolvedinthataffair.

Letusaskthiselder tosubduethemonsterandrescueourprincess; this isoursafestpolicy.”When the king heard thesewords, he turned quickly to Tripitaka and said,

“Elder, if you have the ability to release your dharma power and catch themonster so that my child can return to the court, you need not go worshipBuddhaintheWest.Youcanletyourhairgrowagain,forwewillbecomebond-brotherswithyou.Youmaysitonthedragoncouchwithusandenjoyourrichestogether.Howaboutit?”“This poormonk,” said Tripitaka hurriedly, “knows a little of chanting the

nameofBuddha,buttrulyhedoesnotknowhowtosubduemonsters.”“Ifyoudon’t,”saidtheking,“howdareyougoseekBuddhaintheWesternHeaven?”No longer able to hide the truth, the elder had to mention his two disciples.“YourMajesty,”hesaid,“yourpoormonkwouldfinditverydifficultindeedtocomehereifhewereallbyhimself.Ihave,however,twodisciples,mostcapableofopeningupapathwayinthemountainsandbuildingbridgeswhenwecomeupontherivers.Theyhaveaccompaniedmehere.”“You are an insensitive monk,” said the king, chiding him. “If you have

disciples,whydidyounotbringthemtoseeusalso?Whentheyentermycourt,even if we had no intention to reward them, we could provide at least somefood.”Tripitakasaid,“Thedisciplesof thispoormonkare ratherugly in theirappearances,andtheydarenotenterthecourtwithoutpermission.ForIfearthattheymightcausetoogreatashocktoyourMajesty.”“Look at how thismonk talks,” said the kingwith a laugh. “Do you think

reallythatwe’llbeafraidofthem?”“It’shardtotell,”saidTripitaka.“Myelderdisciple has the surname of Zhu, and his given names areWuneng and EightRules.Hehasalongsnoutandfangliketeeth,toughbristlesonthebackofhishead, and huge, fanlike ears.He is coarse and husky, and he causes even thewindtorisewhenhewalks.MyseconddisciplehasthesurnameofSha,andhisreligiousnamesareWujingandMonk.Heistwelvefeettallandthreespanwideacross his shoulders.His face is like indigo, hismouth, a butcher’s bowl; hiseyesgleamandhisteethseemarowofnails.Withlookslikethose,howcouldtheydareenterthecourtwithoutpermission?”“Sinceyouhavenowgiventhemathoroughdescription,”saidtheking,“wewouldn’tbeafraidofthem.Summonthemin.”Hethengavetheorderthataninvitationbyagoldenplaqueshouldbesentatoncetothepost-house.When Idiot saw the invitation, he said to Sha Monk, “Brother, you were

sayingpreviouslythatweshouldperhapsnotdeliverthatletter.Nowyoucansee

what benefits delivering that letter can bring. Itmust be that afterMaster haddeliveredtheletter,thekingsaidthatamessengershouldnotbelightlytreatedand insisted on giving a banquet for him.He has no stomach for that sort ofthing, but at least he’s considerate toward the two of us by mentioning ournames.That’swhyagoldenplaquehasbeensenttoinviteus.Let’sgoandhaveagoodmealthen,andwecanleavetomorrow.”“ElderBrother,”saidShaMonk,“we still don’t know the true reason for this. Let’s go and find out.” Theytherefore turned over the luggage and the horse to the care of the post-housemaster.Taking theirweaponswith them, they followed thegoldenplaque intocourtandwentbeforethewhitejadesteps.Standingontheleftandontheright,they made one bow and then remained erect without moving again. Everymember of those civil and military officials was deeply shaken. “These twomonks,” theysaid,“arenotonlyugly, theyaredownrightuncouth!Howcouldtheyseeourkingandnotprostrate themselves?Afteronebow, they juststandthereand remainerect. It’spreposterous! It’spreposterous!”EightRulesheardthisandhesaid,“Don’tcomplain,allofyou.That’showweare!Atfirstglance,wemayappearugly,butafterawhile,you’llgetusedtous.”When thekingsawhowhideous theywere,hewas immediately frightened.

By the timeheheardwhat Idiot had said, hewas shaking sohard that he felldownfromhisdragoncouch.Fortunately,therewereattendantsnearbywhotookholdofhimandhelpedhimup.TheTangMonkwasso terrified thathekneltbefore the court and kowtowed without ceasing, saying, “Your Majesty, thismonkdeservestenthousanddeaths,tenthousanddeaths!Isaidthatmydiscipleswere ugly and that they should not be granted an audience because it mightinjure your dragon body. Now, they have indeed alarmed the Throne.” Stilltrembling,thekingwentforwardtoraiseupthepriest,saying,“Elder,it’sagoodthingthatyoutoldmeaboutthembefore.Ifyouhadn’t,thesuddensightofthemwouldhavescaredmetodeath!”Afterhehadcalmeddown, theking said, “ElderZhuandElderSha,which

oneofyouisgoodatsubduingmonsters?”FoolishlyIdiotanswered,“OldHogknowshow.”“Inwhatway?”askedtheking.“IamtheMarshaloftheHeavenlyReeds,”saidEightRules.“BecauseItransgressedHeaven’sdecree,IfelltotheRegion Below where luckily I could embrace the truth and become a monk.SinceourjourneyfromtheLandoftheEast,Ihavebeentheonemostcapableofsubduing monsters.” The king said, “If you are a celestial warrior who hasdescendedtoEarth,youmustknowverywell themagicof transformation.”“Ishouldn’tboast,” saidEightRules,“but Idoknowa few little tricks.”“Try tochangeintosomethingformetohavea look,”said theking.EightRulessaid,“Givemeasubject,andI’llchangeintoitsform.”Thekingsaid,“Changeinto

somethingbig,then.”That Eight Rules happened to know thirty-six kinds of transformation. He

stoodbeforethestepsandshowedoffhisability;makingthemagicsignwithhisfingersandrecitingaspell,heshouted,“Grow!”Hestraightenedhistorsoandatonceattainedtheheightofeightyorninetyfeetjustlikeapathfindingdeity.Thetwo rows of civil andmilitary officials shook in their boots; the ruler and thesubjectsoftheentirekingdomwereterror-stricken.Oneofthepalaceguardian-generalsmanagedtoask,“Elder,whenwillyoustopgrowing?Istherealimittoyourheight?”Idiotcouldnotrefrainfromspoutingidioticwords.“Itdependsonthewind,”hesaid.“It’sallrightiftheeastwindisblowing,andthewestwindisokay, too.But if the southwind rises, I’ll bore a great hole in the blue sky!”Horrified, the king said, “Retrieve your magic. I know your power oftransformation.” Squatting down, Eight Rules changed back into his originalform at once and stood before the steps. “Elder,” asked the king once more,“what sort of weapons do you intend to bring with you to do battle on thisexpedition?”EightRulestookouthismuckrakeandsaid,“WhatoldHogusesisaprongedrake.”“That’sshameful!”saidthekingwithachuckle.“Wehaveherewhips,maces,giltbludgeons,mallets,scimitars,spears,halberdswithcrescent-shapedblades,battle-axes,swords,halberds,lances,andbattlesickles.Youcanpickanythingyoulikeandtakeitwithyou.Howcouldyouregardthatrakeofyours as aweapon?” “Youhaveno idea about this,YourMajesty,” saidEightRules. “This rake may seem a rather crude instrument, but it is one that hasstayedwithmesincemyyouth.WhenIwascommandingsomeeightythousandsailors in the naval department at the Heavenly River, I relied solely on thestrength of this rake. Now that I have descended to this mortal world toaccompanymymaster,thatwhichPlowsthroughthemountaindensoftigersandwolvesAndoverturnsthewaterhomesofdragonsandsnakes

isalltheworkofthisrake!”Mostdelightedandreassuredbywhatheheard,thekingturnedtosomeofhis

ladies in the court, saying, “Bring memy own special wine. Take the wholebottle, in fact, so that we can send the elder off properly.” He then poured agobletofitandpresentedittoEightRules,saying,“Elder,thiscupofwineisforthelaboryouareabouttoundertake.Waittillyoucapturethemonsterandbringbackourlittlegirl.Weshallhaveahugebanquetandathousandpiecesofgoldtothankyou.”Idiottookholdofthecupinhishands;thoughhewasarudeandrowdyperson,hecouldact courteouslywhenhewanted to.Bowingdeeply toTripitaka,hesaid,“Master,youshouldbe the firstone todrink thiswine.But

since it is thekingwhobestows itonme, Idarenot refuse.PleasepermitoldHogtodrinkthiswinefirst.Itshouldhelpinspiremetocatchthemonster.”Idiotdrainedthegobletwithonegulpbeforefillingitagaintohandittohismaster.Tripitakasaid,“Idon’tdrink.Youbrothersmaytakeit.”ShaMonkwentforwardto receive the cup, while the clouds sprouted beneath Eight Rules’s feet andliftedhimstraight intotheair.Whenthekingsawthis,hesaid,“SoElderZhuknowsevencloudsoaring!”Idiot left, and after draining the goblet alsowith one gulp, ShaMonk said,

“Master,whenthatYellowRobeFiendcaughtyou,twoofuscouldonlybattlehimtoadraw.IfSecondBrothergoesbyhimselfnow,Ifearthathemaynotbeabletowithstandhim.”“Youareright,disciple,”saidTripitaka.“Youmaygotolendhimsomeassistance.”Hearingthis,ShaMonkleapedupandleftsoaringontheclouds.ThekingbecamealarmedandcaughtholdoftheTangMonk,saying,“Elder, please sit with us for awhile. Don’t you go away too, soaring on theclouds.” The TangMonk said, “Pity! Pity! I can’t evenmove half a step likethat!”Atthistime,thetwoofthemchattedinthepalace,andweshallspeakofthemnofurther.We tellyounowaboutShaMonk,whocaughtupwithEightRules, saying,

“Elder Brother, I’m here.” Eight Rules said, “Brother, why did you come?”“Mastertoldmetocomehelpyou,”saidShaMonk.Highlypleased,EightRulessaid,“Well said, andwelcome!United inourmindsandefforts, the twoofuscangocatchthatmonster.Itmaynotbemuch,butwe’llspreadourfamealittleinthiskingdom.”Lookatthem:Swathedinhallowedlighttheypassedthekingdom’sedge;Bornebyauspiciousairtheyleftthecapital.Theywentbytheking’sdecreetothemountaincaveTocatchwithalldiligencethemonster-spirit.

Inalittlewhile,thetwoofthemarrivedatthemouthofthecaveandloweredthedirectionoftheirclouds.Raisinghisrake,EightRulesdeliveredablowonthedooroftheCurrent-MoonCavewithallhismight:atonceaholeaboutthesizeof a barrel appeared in the stone door. The little fiends standing guard at theentranceweresostartledthattheyopenedthedoorimmediatelyandfoundthatitwasthetwomonks.Theyraninsidetoreport,crying,“GreatKing,it’sterrible!Themonkwith a long snout and huge ears and themonkwith the gloomiestcomplexionhavereturnedandbustedourdoor.”Surprised,themonstersaid,“ThesetwohavetobeZhuEightRulesandSha

Monk. I spared theirmasteralready.Howdare theycomebackandwreckmydoor!”Alittlefiendsaid,“Theymusthaveleftbehindsomethingandreturnedtoget it.” “Rubbish!” cried theold fiend. “You leave somethingbehind and then

yougoandbreakdownsomeone’sdoor?Therehas tobeanother reason.”Hequicklyputonhisarmor,graspedhisscimitar,andwalkedoutside.“Monks,”heasked,“Ihavealreadysparedyourmaster.Forwhat reasondoyoudarecomebackandbreakdownmydoor?”EightRules said,“You lawlessmonster,youhave reallydonesomethingall

right!” “What?” asked theolddemon. “Youabducted the thirdprincessof thePreciousImageKingdomtothiscaveandforcedhertobeyourwife,”saidEightRules. “It’s been thirteen years, about time that you give her up. I have beendecreedby theking specially to captureyou.Go insidequickly and comeoutagain after tying yourself up. That’ll save old Hog from having to raise hishands.”When that oldmonster heard thesewords, he grew enraged. Look athim!Noisily,hegroundhisteeth;Roundandround,hiseyesglowered;Infury,heliftedhisscimitar;Withbloodythought,heslashedatthehead.

EightRulessteppedasidetododgetheblowandreturnedonewithhisprongedrake. Immediately,ShaMonkwieldedhispreciousstaffandrushedforward tojoin the battle. This conflict waged on the peak was different from the onebefore.Truly,Wrongwordsandirksomespeecharouseone’swrath;Maliceandrancormakeone’sangergrow.ThescimitarofthisbigdemonkingSlashesatthehead;Thenine-prongedrakeofthatEightRulesConfrontshimattheface.ShaWujingunleashesthepreciousstaff;Thedemonkingparriesthisweapondivine.OnesavagefiendAndtwogodlikemonksMovebackandforth,takingtheirtimetofight!Thisonesays,“Youdefraudanationandareworthyofdeath!”Thatonesays,“You’rewronglyindignantatsomeone’saffairs!”Thisonesays,“Yourapedaprincessandbroughthercountryshame!”Thatonesays,“It’snoneofyourbusiness,sostopmeddling!”ItisallbecauseofalettersentThatbothmonksanddemonarenotatpeace.

They battled for eight or nine rounds before themountain, andEightRulesbegantoweakensteadily;hecouldhardlylifthisrakeandhewasrapidlylosinghisstrength.Whycouldn’theprevailagainstthemonster,youask?Whentheyfoughtpreviously,you see, therewere thedharma-protectingdeitieswhogavethedisciplessecretassistancebecauseoftheTangMonk’spresenceinthecave.Thatwaswhytheyfoughttoadraw.Atthistime,however,allthegodshadgone

tothePreciousImageKingdomtoguardtheTangMonk,andthetwodisciplesby themselvescouldnotwithstand theiradversary. Idiot said,“ShaMonk,youcomeupandfightwithhimforawhile.LetoldHoggoshitfirst!”NotshowingtheslightestcareforShaMonk,hedoverightintoathicketofbramblebushes;withoutregardforgoodorill,withoutanyconcernthatthethornswereprickinghisfaceandtearinguphisscalp,herolledrightinsideandlaydown,refusingtocomeoutatall.Onlyhalfofhisearwasleftoutside,sothathecouldheartherattle10andlearnhowthebattlewasfaring.When the monster saw that Eight Rules had run away, he went after Sha

Monk.Completelyflustered,ShaMonkdidnotevenhavetimetotrytoescape,andhewas seizedby themonster andhauledback to the cave,wherehewasboundhandandfootbehindhisbackbythelittlefiends.Wedonotknowwhatwillhappentohislife;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

THIRTY

AdeviantdemonattacksthetrueDharma;TheHorseoftheWillrecallsMindMonkey.

Weweretellingyouaboutthefiendwho,havinghadShaMonkfirmlybound,didnotproceedtokillhimorbeathim.Hedidnot,infact,uttersomuchasanabusiveword tohisprisoner.Holdingon tohisscimitar,he thought tohimselfinstead, “The TangMonk is aman from a noble nation, whomust know themeaning of propriety and righteousness. How could he possibly send hisdisciplestotrytoseizeme,whenitwasIwhosparedhislifeinthefirstplace?Aha! It has to be some sort of letter sent by that wife of mine back to herkingdom,andthat’showthenewsisleaked!Letmegoaskher.”Turningsavageallofasudden,themonsterwantedtokilltheprincess.Theprincess,alas,wasstillinthedarkaboutthewholematter.Afterputting

onhermakeup,shewaswalkingalongwhenshesawthefiendapproachingwithbulging eyes and knitted brows, fiercely grinding his teeth together. Smilingbroadly, she said to him, “Husband, what’s bothering you so terribly?” “Youfilthybitch!”cried the fiend.“Youdon’thaveany regard forhuman relations!WhenIfirstbroughtyouhere,youdidn’tutterhalfawordofprotest.Youhadsilktowearandgoldtoputon;whateveryouneededIwentouttoprocure.Youhavebeenenjoying thegoodsofall four seasonsandmydeepaffectioneveryday.Why do you still think only of your parents, with no care at all for ourmarriage?”Whentheprincessheardwhathesaid,shewassoterror-strickenthatsheknelt on the ground at once. “Husband,” she said, “why are you speakingsuchwordsofseparationtoday?”“Idon’tknowwhetherit’syouorIwhowantsseparation!”saidthefiend.“IcaughttheTangMonkandwantedverymuchtoenjoy him.Why did you promise him release before you even consultedme?Thefactofthematterhadtobethatyouwrotealetterinsecretandaskedhimtodeliveritforyou.Ifitweren’tso,whydidthosetwomonkscomefightingbacktomy door and demand your return?Didn’t you do all this?” “Husband, youwrongme,”saidtheprincess.“SincewhendidIsendanyletter?”“Stilltryingtodeny it, huh?” said the fiend. “I’ve caught someone herewho’s going to be awitness.”“Who’she?”asked theprincess.Theold fiend said, “ShaMonk, theseconddisciple1oftheTangMonk.”Now,nohumanpersonislikelytoacceptdeathwillinglyevenifdeathisnear.

Determinedtodenyeverything,theprincesssaid,“Husband,calmyourselfand

letusgoquestionhim.Iftherewerealetter,Iwouldgladlyletyoubeatmetodeath.But if therewereno such letter,wouldn’t youhave slainmeunjustly?”When the fiend heard these words, he did not wait for further discussion.Stretching forth his indigo hand that had the size and shape of a winnow, hegrabbedtheprincessbythosetenthousandlocksoflong,lovelyhairandpulledherallthewaytothefront.Hethrewhertothegroundandthenwentforward,scimitarinhand,toquestiontheprisoner.“ShaMonk,”hebellowed,“sincethetwoofyoudaredfightuptoourdoor,Iaskyouthis:wasitbecausethisgirlhadsentaletterbacktohercountrythatthekingtoldyoutocome?”WhentheshackledShaMonksawhowfuriousthemonsterwas,hurlingthe

princesstothegroundandthreateningtokillherwiththescimitar,hethoughttohimself,“Ofcourseshesentaletter.Butshealsosavedmymaster,andthatwasanincomparablygreatfavor.IfIadmitteditfreely,hewouldkilltheprincessonthespotandthatwouldhavemeantourrepayingkindnesswithenmity.Allright!All right!Old Sand, after all, has followedMaster all this time and I haven’tmade themerestofmerit.Today,I’malreadyaboundcaptivehere; Imightaswelloffermylife torepaymymaster’skindness.”Hethenshouted,“Monster,don’tyoudarebeunruly!Whatkindofletterdidshesendthatmadeyouwanttoaccuseherandtakeherlife?Therewasanotherreasonforustocometodemandfromyou theprincess.Becauseyouhad imprisonedmymaster in thecave,hehadthechancetocatchaglimpseoftheprincess,herlooksandhergestures.Bythe timewe reached the Precious ImageKingdom and had our travel rescriptcertified,thekingwasmakingallkindsofinquiryaboutthewhereaboutsofhisdaughterwithapaintedportraitofhers.Heshowedmymasterthatportraitandaskeduswhetherwehadseenheron theway.Whenmymasterdescribed theladyhesawatthisplace,thekingknewitwashisdaughter.Hebestowedonushisownimperialwineandcommandedustocomeheretotakeyoucaptiveandbringhisprincessbacktothepalace.Thisis thetruth.Sincewhenwastherealetter? If youwant tokill someone, you cankill oldSand!But don’t harmaninnocentbystanderandaddtoyoursins!”WhenthefiendheardhowheroicallyShaMonkhadspoken,he threwaway

hisscimitarandliftedtheprincessupwithbothhishands,saying,“Iwasquiteroughwithyou justnow,andImusthaveoffendedyoudeeply.Please forgiveme!”Hehelpedherstraightenherhairagainandresetthebejeweledornamentswithgreattendernessandamiability,huggingherandteasingherastheywalkedinside. He then asked her to take a seat in the middle of the chamber andapologizedagain.Theprincess,afterall,wasa rather ficklewoman;whenshesawhowpenitenthebecame, she, too,hada changeofheart. “Husband,” shesaid,“ifyouhaveregardforourlove,pleaseloosenthoseropesonShaMonka

little.”When the old fiend heard that, he ordered the little ones to untie ShaMonk and lock himup instead.After hewas freed and locked up, ShaMonkstoodup,secretlypleasedandthinkingtohimself,“Theancientssaid,‘Kindnesstoothers is reallykindness tooneself.’ If Iwerenotkind toher, shewouldn’tmakehimuntieme,wouldshe?”The old fiend, meanwhile, asked also for wine and food to be served as a

means ofmaking further amends to the princess and calming her fears.Afterdrinkinguntiltheywerehalftipsy,theoldfiendsuddenlychangedintoabrightlycoloredrobeandgirdedaswordonhiswaist.“Mistress,”hesaid,caressingtheprincesswithhishand,“youstayhomeanddrinksomemore.Lookafterourtwokids and don’t let Sha Monk get away. While the Tang Monk is still in thekingdom, I’mgoing there to get acquaintedwithmykin.” “Toget acquaintedwithwhatkin?”askedtheprincess.“YourFatherKing,”saidtheoldfiend.“I’mhis imperial son-in-lawandhe’smy father-in-law.Whyshouldn’t Igoandgetacquainted?”Theprincesssaid,“Youcan’tgo.”“Whynot?”saidtheoldfiend.Theprincess

said, “My Father King did not win his empire by might on horseback; heinherited it from his ancestors. Since he ascended his throne in his youth, hehasn’t even left the gate of the city. We have no violent men with looks sosavageandgruesomeasyours. Ifyoumeethim,youmightscarehimand thatwouldn’tbeagoodthing.It’sbetterthatyounotgotogetacquainted.”“Ifyouputitlikethat,”saidtheoldfiend,“letmechangeintoahandsomefellowandgothere.”“Changeandletmelookatyoufirst,”saidtheprincess.Dear monster! Right before the dining table, he shook his body once and

changedintoaverycomelyperson.TrulyhehadMostelegantfeaturesAndaruggedphysique.HespokelikeamandarinAndmovedwiththegraceofyouth.GiftedasZijian2hecouldrhymewithease;HelookedlikePanAn3whentheytossedhimfruits.Heputonhisheadacrow-tailcap,Hishairgatheredinsmoothly;Andworeonhisbodyalined,whitesilkrobeWithwide,billowysleeves.Beneathhisfeetwerepatternedblackboots;Aroundhiswaistshonethefive-coloredbelt.Hehadthetruebearingofastrikingman:Handsome,tall,dignified,andfullofstrength.

The princess was most pleased by what she saw. “Mistress,” said that fiendlaughing, “is it a good transformation?” “Marvelous! Marvelous!” said the

princess.“Justrememberthis:onceyouenterthecourt,manyofficials,bothcivilandmilitary,willnodoubt inviteyou tobanquets, since it’smyFatherKing’spolicynever to rejectany relatives.Youmustbeextracarefulwhenyoudrinknottorevealyouroriginalappearance.Foronceyoushowyourselfinyourtrueform,youdon’tlookthatcivilized.”“Noneedforallthatinstruction,”saidtheoldfiend.“Iknowwhattodo.”Lookathim.HemountedthecloudsandsoonarrivedatthePreciousImage

Kingdom. Lowering their direction, he went before the court and said to theguardianofthegate,“Thethirdimperialson-in-lawcameespeciallytoseekanaudience with the Throne. Please report this for me.” The Custodian of theYellowGatewentbeforethewhitejadestepsandmadethereport,saying,“YourMajesty, the third imperial son-in-law has come to seek an audiencewith theThrone.Heisoutsidethegateofthecourtandawaitsyoursummons.”Thekingwas just conversingwith theTangMonk;whenheheardof the third imperialson-in-law,heaskedhisministers,“Wehaveonlytwosons-in-law.Howisitthatthereisathird?”“Thethirdimperialson-in-law,”saidseveraloftheministers,“must be thatmonster.” “Shallwe summon him in?” asked the king.Alreadyapprehensive, the elder said, “YourMajesty, it’s amonster-spirit! If he’s not aspirit,hewillnotbeintelligent.Hemustknowthefutureandthepast,forheisabletomountthecloudsandridethemists.He’llcomewhenyousummonhim,butevenifyoudidnot,hewouldcomeinanyway.Youmightaswellsummonhiminsothatwemightbesparedanykindofhassle.”The king gave his consent and ordered the fiend be summoned before the

goldensteps.He, too,went throughanelaborateperformanceofcourtritual topayhomagetotheking.Whenalltheofficialssawhowhandsomehewas,theydarednotconsiderhimamonster-spirit;beingoffleshlyeyesandmortalstock,they regarded him as a goodman instead.When the king saw how lofty anddignified he appeared, he also thought that this was a man of distinguishedabilities, fit togovern theworld. “Son-in-law,”he said, “where is yourhome?Whatregionareyoufrom?Whendidyoumarryourprincess?Whydidyouwaituntiltodaybeforecomingtoberecognizedasourkin?”“My lord,” said the old fiend, kowtowing, “your subject comes from a

household east of this city, in the Current-Moon Cave of the CasseroleMountain.”Thekingasked,“Howfarisyourmountainfromourplace?”“Notfar,” replied the old fiend, “only about three hundredmiles.” “Three hundredmiles,”saidtheking.“Howcouldourprincesspossiblygettheretomarryyou?”Withcleverwordsand the intent todeceive, themonster-spirit replied,“My

lord,yoursubjecthasbeenfondofarcheryandridingsincehisyouth,forIearnmylivelihoodbyhunting.Thirteenyearsago,Iledscoresofhouseboysuptothe

mountain,andwewerejustsendingoutourhawksandhoundswhenwesawalarge, striped tiger. It was going down the slope of the mountain carrying ayoung girl. It was your subject who shot the tiger with a single arrow andbrought the girl back to our village, where shewas revivedwith somewarmliquids.WhenIquestionedheraboutherhomeaftersavingher life, shenevermentionedtheword‘princess.’Hadshedeclaredthatshewasthethirdprincessof your Majesty, would I dare be so insolent as to marry her without yourconsent? Iwouldhave tried to enter thegoldenpalace and seek somekindofappointment,howeverlowly,inordertobeworthyofher.Becausesheclaimed,however, that shewasagirl fromsomepeasanthousehold,yoursubjectaskedhertoremaininmyvillage.Weseemedtobeideallysuitedforeachother,andwewere bothwilling; that’swhywe’ve beenmarried for these thirteen years.After our wedding, I was about to slaughter the tiger and use it to fete therelatives. The princess, however, requested me not to do so, and she put herreasonaptlyinthesepoeticlines:HeavenandEarthmadeushusbandandwife;Withnobrokerorwitnesswewerewed.Redthreads4didbindourfeetinpreviouslives:That’swhythetigerisourgo-between.

Becauseofwhatshesaid,yoursubjectuntiedthetigerandspareditslife.Clawsflailingandtailwagging,itranawaystillcarryingthearrowwound.LittledidIanticipatethatafterafewyears,thetigerthussparedmanagedtobecomeaspiritin themountain through self-cultivation, bent on seducing andhurtingpeople.Someyearsago,yoursubjecthadheardofseveralscripturepilgrims,allpriestssent by the Great Tang. The tiger, I think, must have taken their lives; heprobablygotholdofthetraveldocumentsandchangedintooneoftheirformstocome here to deceive my lord. My lord, the person sitting on that brocadedcushionoverthereisnoneotherthanthetigerwhichcarriedawaytheprincessthirteenyearsago.Heisnotarealscripturepilgrim.”Lookatthatcapriciousruler!Hisfoolish,undiscerningeyesofthefleshcould

notrecognizethemonster-spirit;instead,heregardedthatentirespeciousspeechtobethetruth.“Worthyson-in-law,”hesaid,“howcouldyoutellthatthismonkisatiger,theonewhichcarriedawayourprincess?”“Mylord,”saidthefiend,“whatyoursubjectfeedsoninthemountainaretigers;whathewearsarealsotigers.Isleepwiththemandrisewiththem.HowcouldInotrecognizethem?”“Inthatcase,”saidtheking,“makehimappearinhistrueform.”Thefiendishcreaturesaid,“Pleasegivemehalfacupofcleanwater,andyoursubjectwillmake him appear in his true form.” The king ordered an official to fetch thewater for the imperial son-in-law.Taking thecup inhishand, the fiendgotup

andwentforwardtoexercisetheDim-Eyes,Still-BodyMagic.Herecitedaspelland spat amouthful ofwater on the TangMonk, crying, “Change!” The truebodyoftheelderatoncebecameinvisible;whateveryonesawinthepalacewasa ferocious striped tiger instead. In those worldly eyes of the king and hissubjects,thetigertrulyhadAwhitebrowandaroundhead,Astripedbodyandlightningeyes.ItsfourhugepawsWerestraightandrugged;ItstwentyclawsWerehooklikeandsharp.Sawliketeethfilleditsmouth;Pointedearsjoineditseyebrows.Savage,itboretheformofabigcat;Raging,ithadtheshapeofabrownsteer.Steelhairsstoodrigidlylikesilverstrips;Aredtongue,daggerlike,belchednastyair.Itwasindeedastriped,ferociousthing,Blastingthepalacewithitsawesomebreaths.

Whenthekingsawit,hissoulmeltedandhisspirit fled,whilemanyofhissubjectswerefrightenedintohiding.Afewcourageousmilitaryofficialsledthecaptains and guards to rush forward and began hacking away with theirweapons.IfithadnotbeenforthefactthattheTangMonkthistimewasnotyetfated to die, even twenty monks would have been reduced to minced meat.Fortunately,hehadatthistimethesecretprotectionofLightandDarkness,theGuardians, the Sentinels, and the Protectors of the Faith in the air. For thatreason,theweaponsofthosepeoplecouldnotharmhim.Thechaosinthepalacelasteduntilevening,whentheofficialsdecidedtocapturethetigeraliveandlockitupwithchainsbeforeplacingitinanironcage.Itwasthenstoredinoneofthepalacechambers.The king then gave the decree that the Court of Imperial Entertainments

prepareahugebanquettothanktheimperialson-in-lawforsavinghimfromthemonk.Aftertheofficialsretiredfromcourt,thedemonenteredthateveningintothe Silver PeaceHall, where eighteen young palace ladies attended him; theysang, danced, and poured hiswine for him. Sitting all by himself at the headtable,hehadonbothsidesofhimall thoselovelybeauties.Lookathimdrinkandenjoy!Byabout thehourof thesecondwatch,hegotdrunkandcouldnolongerrefrainfrommischief.Leapingupallofasudden,helaughedhystericallyforamomentandchangedbackintohisoriginalform.Hegrewviolentthenandgrabbedoneofthegirlsplayingthepipa5withthatbigwinnowlikehandofhis.With a crunch, he bit off her head. The other seventeen palace girls were so

terrifiedthattheydashedmadlyforhidingandshelter.Lookatthem:Thepalaceladiespanicked;Themaids-of-honortookfright—ThepalaceladiespanickedLikerain-struckhibiscusbearingthenightrain.Themaids-of-honortookfrightLikewind-blownpeoniadancinginthespringwind.Theysmashedtheirpipas,eagertolive;Theybroketheirzithers,fleeingforlife.Theydashedoutthedoors,notknowingnorthorsouth!Theyquitthemainhall,flyingbotheastandwest!Theyscrapedtheirjadelikefeatures;Theybruisedtheirlovelyfaces.Everyonescrambledforherlife;Eachpersondartedforsafety.

Those people ran out, but they dared not even scream or holler for fear ofdisturbingtheThronesolateatnight.Quakingandshaking,theysoughttohidebeneaththeeavesofthelowpalacewallandweshallspeaknomoreofthem.Wetellyounowaboutthatfiendishcreaturewhosatinthehall,pouringwine

and drinking all by himself.After draining a glass, hewould haul the bloodycorpse near him and take a couple of bites. As hewas thus enjoying himselfinside,thepeopleoutsidethepalacebegantospreadawildrumorthattheTangMonkwasamonster-spirit.AllthehubbubsoonreachedtheGoldenLodgepost-house.Atthattime,therewasnooneatthepost-houseexceptthewhitehorse,whichwas consuming hay and feed in the stall.Hewas originally the dragonprince of theWestern Ocean, you recall, but because of past offense againstHeaven,hishornswere sawedoff andhis scaleswere shorn.HewaschangedintothewhitehorsesothathecouldcarrytheTangMonktoacquirescripturesintheWest.WhenhesuddenlyheardpeoplesayingthattheTangMonkwasatigerspirit,he thought tohimself, “Mymaster isdefinitelya trueman. Ithad tobethatfiendwhochangedhimintoatigerspiritinordertoharmhim.What’stobedone?What’stobedone?BigBrotherislonggone,andthereisnonewsfromeitherShaMonkorEightRules.”Hewaiteduntilitwasaboutthesecondwatch,and thenhe said tohimself, “If Idon’t try to rescue theTangMonknow, thismerit will be undone. Finished!” No longer able to contain himself, he bitthroughthereinsandshookoffthesaddle;allatoncehechangedhimselfoncemoreintoadragonandmountedthedarkcloudstoriseintotheair.Wehaveatestimonialpoemforhim,andthepoemsays:ThepriestgoesWesttoseektheWorld-HonoredOne,Thoughfoulandfiendishvaporsclogtheway.Tonighthe’satiger,whathopelessordeal!Thewhitehorsedropsreinshismastertosave.

InmidairtheyoungdragonprincesawthattheSilverPeaceHallwasaglowwith lights, for therewere eighthuge candelabra standing insidewith all theircandles lit.Ashe lowered thedirectionof his clouds, he looked carefully andsaw themonster seated alone at thehead table andgorginghimselfwithwineandhumanflesh.“Whataworthlessfellow!”saidthedragonwithalaugh.“Hehas shown his hand! He’s revealed himself! It’s not very smart, is it, to eatpeople! Since I don’t know the where-abouts ofMaster and I have only thislawlessdemonbeforeme,Imightaswellgodownthereandhavesomefunwithhim.IfIsucceed,Imightbeabletocatchthemonster-spiritfirstandthenrescuemymaster.”Deardragonprince!Withone shakeofhisbody,he changedhimself into a

palace maid, truly slender of body and seductive in appearance. She walkedswiftly inside and bowed to the demon, saying, “Imperial son-in-law, pleasedon’thurtme.Icametopourwineforyou.”“Pourthen,”saidthefiend.Takingupthewinepot,thelittledragonbeganpouringuntilthewinewasabouthalfaninchhigher than the rimof thegoblet,but thewinedidnot spill.Thiswas, infact, theMagicofWaterRestrictionusedbythelittledragon, thoughthefienddidnotknowitevenwhenhesawit.“Whatuncannyabilityyouhave,”hesaid,highlypleased.Thelittledragonsaid,“Icanpourandmakeitgoevenhigher.”“Poursomemore!Poursomemore!”criedthefiend.Thelittledragontookthepotandkeptonpouring,untilthewineroselikeapagodaofthirteenlayerswithapointed top;not adropof itwas spilled.The fiendishcreature stuckouthismouth and finished a whole goblet before he picked up the carcass and tookanother bite.Thenhe said, “Youknowhow to sing?” “A little,” said the littledragon,whoselectedatuneandsangitbeforepresentinganothergobletofwinetothefiend.“Youknowhowtodance?”saidthemonster.Thelittledragonsaid,“Alittlealso,butI’mempty-handed,andthedancewon’tbeattractive.”Liftinguphisrobe,thefiendunbuckledtheswordheworeonhiswaistandpulledthebladeoutofthesheath.Thelittledragontooktheswordfromhimandbegantodance in front of the dining table; wielding the sword up and down, left andright,shecreatedintricatepatternsofmovement.Waitinguntilthefiendwascompletelydazzledbythedance,thelittledragon

suddenly broke the steps and slashed him with the sword. Dear monster! Helungedsidewaysandtheblowbarelymissedhim;thenextthrustofthedragonwasmetbyacandelabrummadeofwroughtironandweighingabouteightyorninetypounds,whichthemonsterpickedupinahurry.ThetwoofthemlefttheSilverPeacePalaceasthelittledragonchangedbacktohisoriginalformtodobattlewiththefiendinmidair.Thisbattleinthedarknesswassomething!“Howwasit?”youask.

ThisonewasamonsterbornandformedonCasseroleMount;ThatonewasachastisedtruedragonoftheWesternOcean.ThisonegaveoffbrightlightLikewhitelightning;ThatonebelchedoutpotentairLikeburstingredcloud.Thisoneseemedawhite-tuskedelephantletlooseamongmankind;Thatoneseemedagolden-clawedwildcatflowndowntoearth.ThisonewasajadepillarproppingupHeaven;Thatonewasagoldenbeambridgingtheseas.Thesilverdragonflewanddanced;Theyellowdemonflippedandflopped.Theprecioussword,leftandright,didnotslowdown;Thecandelabrum,backandforth,wentonandon.

Afterthetwoofthemhadfoughtattheedgeofthecloudsforabouteightorninerounds,thelittledragon’shandgrewweakandhislimbsturnednumb.Theolddemon,afterall,wasstrongandpowerful;whenthelittledragonfoundthathecouldnolongerwithstandhisadversary,heaimedtheswordat themonsterandthrewitathim.Themonster,however,wasnotunpreparedforthisdesperatemove; with one hand, he caught the blade, and with the other, he hurled thecandelabrumatthelittledragon.Unnerved,thedragondidnotduckfastenoughand one of his hind legswas struck by it.Hastily he dropped down from theclouds, and it was his luck that the imperial moat was there to save his life.Chasedby thedemon, the littledragondoveheadfirst into thewaterandallatoncebecameinvisible.WhereuponthedemontooktheswordandpickedupthecandelabrumtogobacktotheSilverPeacePalace;therehedrankasbeforetillhefellasleep,andweshallspeaknomoreofhimforthemoment.Wetellyouinsteadaboutthelittledragon,whohidhimselfatthebottomof

themoat.Whenhedidnothearasoundafterhalfanhour,hegrittedhisteethtoendurethepaininhislegandleapedup.Treadingthedarkclouds,hereturnedtothepost-housewherehe changedoncemore into ahorse and laydown in thestall.Helookedpitifulindeed—completelysoakedandwoundedonhisleg!Atthistime,HorseoftheWillandApeoftheMindarealldispersed;MetalSquireandWoodMotherarebothscattered;YellowDameiswounded,fromeveryonedivorced;Withreasonandrightsoparted,whatcanbeachieved?

Let us say no more about how Tripitaka met disaster and the little dragonencountereddefeat.WetellyouinsteadaboutthatZhuEightRules,who,sinceabandoningShaMonk,stuckhisheaddeepintothebushesandlaytherelikeahog snoozing in a pool ofmud. The nap, in fact, lasted till themiddle of thenight,andonlyatthattimedidheawake.Whenhebecameconscious,hedidnot

evenknowwherehewasatfirst;onlyafterherubbedhiseyesandcollectedhisthoughtsa littledidhemanage tocockhisears to listen towhatevermightbehappening.Well,whathappenedwasthatThisdeepmountainhadnodogbarking;Thesespaciouswildslackedevencockcrowing.

Lookingupatthestars,hefiguredthatitwasaboutthehourofthethirdwatchandhethoughttohimself,“IwouldliketotrytorescueShaMonk,butOnesilkfiberisnothread;Asinglehandcannotclap!

Okay!Okay!LetmegobackandseeMasterfirst.IfIcouldpersuadethekingtogivemesomemorehelp,oldHogwouldreturntorescueShaMonktomorrow.”Idiotmountedthecloudsquicklyandwentbacktothecity;inalittlewhile,he

reached thepost-house.Themoonwasbright andpeoplehadbecomequiet atthistime,buthesearchedthecorridorsinvaintofindanytraceofhismaster.Allhesawwasthewhitehorselyingthere:hiswholebodywassoakedandononeofhishindlegswasthemarkofabruiseaboutthesizeofapan.“Thisisdoublyunfortunate!”saidEightRules,greatlystartled.“Thisloserhasn’ttraveled.Whyishesweatinglikethat,andwithabruiseonhisleg?Itmustbethatsomeevilmenhaverobbedourmaster,woundingthehorseintheprocess.”ThewhitehorserecognizedthatitwasEightRules;assuminghumanspeech

suddenly,hecalledout:“ElderBrother!”Idiotwassoshakenthathefellontheground.Pullinghimselfup,hewasabouttodashoutsidewhenthewhitehorsecaughtholdofthemonk’srobebyhisteeth,sayingagain,“ElderBrother,don’tbeafraidofme.”“Brother,”saidEightRules,stillshaking,“whyareyoutalkingtoday?When

you talk like that, it has tomean that somegreatmisfortune is about tobefallus.”Thelittledragonsaid,“DidyouknowthatMasterhadlandedinaterribleordeal?”“No,Ididn’t,”saidEightRules.The little dragon said, “Of course, you didn’t! You and Sha Monk were

flaunting your abilities before the king, thinking that you could capture thedemonandberewardedforyourmerit.Youdidn’texpectthatthedemonwassopowerfulandyouweretheonesnodoubtwhowerebeaten.Atleastoneofyoucouldhavereturnedtogiveusthenews,buttherewasnotonewordfromeitherof you. Thatmonster-spirit had changed himself into a handsome scholar andbrokenintothecourttopresenthimselftothekingasanimperialrelative.Ourmasterwaschangedbyhim intoa ferocious striped tiger,whowas then takencaptive by the officials and locked up in an iron cage in one of the palacechambers.When I heard howMaster suffered,my heart felt as if it had been

stabbedbyasword.Butyouweregonefornearlytwodays,andIwasafraidthatanyfurtherdelaymightmean thatMasterwouldbekilled.So Ihadnochoicebut to changeback intomydragonbody togoand try to rescuehim.When Ireached the court, I couldn’t findMaster, but Imet themonster in the SilverPeacePalace.Ichangedinto theformofapalacemaid, tryingtodeceivehim.Heaskedmetodoasworddance,duringwhichItriedtoslashhim.Heescapedmyblowanddefeatedmeinsteadwithacandelabrum.ItrieddesperatelytohithimwhenIthrewtheswordathim,buthecaughtitinsteadandgavemeablowonmyhindlegwiththatcandelabrum.Idivedintotheimperialmoatandsavedmylife;thebruiseonmylegwascausedbythecandelabrum.”WhenEightRulesheard thesewords,hesaid,“Is thatall true?”“You think

I’m deceiving you?” said the little dragon. Eight Rules asked, “What are wegoingtodo?Whatarewegoingtodo?Canyoumoveatall?”“IfIcan,”saidthelittle dragon, “what then?” “If you canmove at all,” saidEightRules, “moveintotheoceanthen.OldHogwillpoletheluggagebacktotheOldGaoVillageto pick upmywife again.”When the little dragon heard this, he clamped hismouthontoEightRules’sshirtandrefusedtoletgo.Astearsfellfromhiseyes,hesaid,“ElderBrother,youmustn’tbecomeindolent.”“Whynot?”saidEightRules.“BrotherShahasalreadybeencaughtbyhim,andIcan’tbeathim.Ifwedon’tscatternow,whatarewewaitingfor?”Thelittledragonthoughtforsometime before he spoke again, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Elder Brother,don’tmentionthewordscatter.IfyouwanttosaveMaster,youhavetogoandaskapersontocomehere.”“Whoisthat?”askedEightRules.Thelittledragonsaid, “You’d better hurry and mount the clouds to go to the Flower-FruitMountain, so that you can invite ourBigBrother,PilgrimSun, to comeback.Most certainly he has dharma power great enough to subdue this fiend andrescueMaster,avengingatthesametimetheshameofourdefeat.”“Brother,”saidEightRules,“letmegoasksomeoneelse.ThatmonkeyandI

arenoton thebestof terms,youknow.Whenhekilled thatLadyWhiteBonebackthereontheWhiteTigerRidge,hewasmadatmealreadyforwheedlingMasterintorecitingtheTight-FilletSpell.Iwasjustbeingfrivolous,andIdidn’tthinkthattheoldpriestwouldreallyreciteitandevenbanishhim.Idon’tknowhowhehatesmenow,andI’mcertainalsothathewon’tcomeback.Supposewehavealittleargumentthen:thatfuneralstaffofhisisprettyheavy,youknow.Ifhedoesn’tknowanybetteratthatmomentandgivesmeafewstrokes,youthinkI’llbeable to live?”Thelittledragonsaid,“Hewon’thityou,becausehe isakindandjustMonkeyKing.Whenyouseehim,don’tsaythatMasterisinperil;justtellhimthatMasteristhinkingofhimanddeceivehimintocoming.Whenhegetshereandseeswhat’shappening,hewillnotgetmad.Hewillwantmost

certainly to have it out with the monster-spirit instead. Then the demon willsurely be caught andMaster will be saved.” “All right, all right!” said EightRules.“Youaresodedicated.IfIdon’tgo,it’llmeanthatI’mnotdedicated.I’llgo, and if indeed Pilgrim consents to come, I’ll returnwith him. But if he isunwilling,thendon’texpectme,becauseIwon’tbecomingbackeither.”“Go!Go!”saidthelittledragon.“Hewillcertainlycome.”Idiot indeedputawayhismuckrakeandstraightenedhisshirt.He leapedup

andmountedtheclouds,headingstraighttowardtheEast.ItsohappenedthattheTang Monk was not yet fated to die. The wind was blowing in the rightdirection;allIdiothadtodowastostickuphishugeears,andhespedacrosstheEasternOceanasifsailswerehoistedonhim.Thesunwasjustrisingwhenhedroppedfromthecloudstofindhiswayinthemountain.Ashewaswalking,heheardsomeone talking.He tookanothercareful lookand foundPilgrimsittingonahugeboulderinamountainvalley.Beforehimsomeonethousandandtwohundredmonkeys lined up in ranks, all shouting, “Long live ourFatherGreatSage!” Eight Rules said, “What pleasures! What pleasures! No wonder hedoesn’t want to be a monk and wants only to come home! Look at all thesegoodies!Suchahugehousehold,andsomanylittlemonkeystoservehim!IfoldHog has a large farm like this, I’m not going to be amonk either. Since I’vearrived,whatshallIdo?IsupposeI’llhavetoseehim.”ButIdiotwasintruthafraidofPilgrim,andhedarednotshowhimselfopenly.

Slidingdown thegrassymeadow,hecrawledstealthily into themidstof thosethousand-oddmonkeysandbegantokowtowalsoalongwith them.HehadnoideahowhightheGreatSagewassittingandhowsharphisvisionwas.Havingseeneverythingallatonce, theMonkeyKingasked,“Whois thatbarbarianintherankswho’sbowinginsuchaconfusedmanner?Wheredoeshecomefrom?Bringhimuphere!”Hardlyhadhefinishedspeakingwhenthe littlemonkeys,like a swarmof bees, pushedEightRules to the front and pressed him to theground.Pilgrimsaid,“Barbarian,wheredidyoucomefrom?”“Idarenotacceptthehonorofyourquestioningme,”saidEightRules,hisheadlowered.“I’mnobarbarian,I’manacquaintance.”Pilgrim said, “All themonkeys under the command of theGreat Sage here

have similar features, not like that lubberly face of yours.Youmust be somefiendishdemon fromanother region. If so, and if youwant to be a subject ofmine,youshouldhavefirstpresenteduswithyournameandtheparticularsofyour age and antecedents on a card so that I can take your rollwhen you areassignedtoourrankshere.Butyouhaven’tevendonethat,andyoudarekneelheretobowtome?”Withhisheadandsnoutlowered,EightRulessaid,“Oh,forshame! I’ll showyoumy face! I have been a brother of yours now for a few

years,andyoustillclaimthatyoudon’trecognizeme,callingmesomekindofbarbarian!” “Raise your head and let me have a look,” said Pilgrim with achuckle. Sticking his snout upward, Idiot said, “Look! Even if you can’trecognizeme,youcanatleastrecognizethissnoutofmine!”Pilgrimcouldnotrefrainfromlaughingandsaying,“ZhuEightRules.”Assoonasheheardthis,hejumpedup,crying,“Yes!Yes!IamZhuEightRules.”Hethoughttohimselfalso,“Ifherecognizesme,thenit’seasiertospeak.”Pilgrim said, “Why aren’t you accompanying the Tang Monk to go fetch

scriptures?Whyareyouhere?Coulditbethatyou, too,haveoffendedMasterandhebanishedyoualso?Doyouhaveanyletterofbanishment?Letmeseeit.”“I didn’t offend him,” said Eight Rules, “and he didn’t giveme any letter ofbanishment.Nordidhedismissme.”“Ifthere’snoletterandhedidn’tdismissyou,whyareyouhere?”askedPilgrim.EightRules replied,“Masterhasbeenthinkingofyou;hetoldmetocomeandinviteyoutogoback.”“He didn’t think ofme, nor did he inviteme,” said Pilgrim. “He swore to

Heaven thatdayandhewrote the letterofbanishmenthimself.Howcouldhethinkofmeandaskmetogoback?Idefinitelywillnotgoback.”EightRuleslied conveniently, saying, “He really did think of you! He really did think ofyou!” “What made him think of me?” asked Pilgrim. Eight Rules said, “AsMasterwas ridingon thehorse,he calledout atonepoint, ‘Disciple.’ I didn’thear him, andShaMonk claimed that hewas somewhat deaf!Master at oncethoughtofyou,sayingthatwewereworthlessandthatonlyyouweresmartandalertenoughtoansweronceyouwerecalled,togivetenrepliestoonequestion.That’s howhe thought of you, and he has sentme specially to ask you to goback.Pleasedoso,atleastforthesakeofhisexpectationandforthesakeofmyhavingtraveledallthisdistance.”WhenPilgrimheard thesewords,he jumpeddownfromtheboulder.Taking

thehandofEightRules,hesaid,“WorthyBrother,sorrythatyouhavetotravelsuchagreatdistance tocome.Let’syouand Igoandhavesome fun.”“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“thisplace isquitefaraway,andIfear thatMastermightbekeptwaiting.Idon’twanttoplay.”Pilgrimsaid,“Afterall,thisisyourfirst time here. Take a look at least atmymountain scenery.” Idiot dared notpersistinhisrefusalandhadtowalkawaywithhim.Thetwoof themproceededhandinhand,while the littlemonstersfollowed

behind to go up to the highest spot on the Flower-FruitMountain.Marvelousmountain! Ever since the Great Sage’s homecoming, it had been completelymadenewbyhislaborthesefewdays.YouseethemountainGreenascarvedjade,Talllikeacloud-scraper.

Allaroundaretigerscrouchedanddragonscoiled;Onfoursidesarefrequentcallsofapesandcranes.Atdawnthecloudsblockadethesummit;Atduskthesunispoisedabovetheforest.Theflowingstreammurmursliketinglinggirdle-jade;Thebrooksoundsdropbydropapsalterynote.Beforethemountainareridgesandtallcliffs;Behindthemountainareflowersanddensewoods.Ittouchesthejade-girl’shair-washingbowlabove;ItjoinsabranchofHeaven’sRiverdownbelow.Thiscosmos-formedbeautysurpassesPenglai,Atruecave-mansionbornofprimalbreaths.Evenmasterartistsfindithardtosketch,Norcanwiseimmortalsdepictitall.LikeopenworkscarvedfinelyfantasticrocksInfantasticcolorssoarupatthetop.Thesunmovesinathousandpurplerays;Auspiciousairformscountlessstrandsofredmist.Acave-heaven,ablessedplaceamongmankind:Amountainfulloffreshblossomsandfreshtrees.

Delighted by the endless splendor of the scenery, Eight Rules said, “ElderBrother, what a lovely place! Truly the number one mountain in the wholeworld!” “Worthy Brother,” said Pilgrim, “think you can pass the time here?”“Look at the way Elder Brother talks!” chuckled Eight Rules. “This preciousmountain is a cave-heaven, a land of blessing. How could you say ‘pass thetime’?”Thetwoofthemchattedamiablyforalongtimebeforedescendingfromthepeak.Theymetonthewayseverallittlemonkeys,allholdingpurplegrapes,fragrantpears,brightgoldenloquats,anddarkredstrawberries.Kneelingbytheroad,theycried,“FatherGreatSage,pleasehavesomebreakfast.”“MyBrotherZhu,”saidPilgrim,laughing,“hasahugeappetite,andhedoesn’ttakefruitsforbreakfast. Nonetheless, please don’t be offended by such trifles; use them assnacksandtakeafew.”EightRulessaid,“ThoughIhaveahugeappetite,Idoasthenativesdoanywhere.Yes,byallmeansbringthemuphere.I’lltryafewfortaste.”The twoof themate the fruits, and the sunwas fast risinghigh.Afraid that

theremightnotbeenough time to save theTangMonk, Idiot tried tourgehiscompanion to leave, saying, “Elder Brother, Master is waiting for us. Pleasehurryandgo.”“WorthyBrother,”saidPilgrim,“I’minvitingyoutohavesomefunwithmeattheWater-CurtainCave.”EightRulesatoncedeclined,saying,“Iappreciate your kind thoughts, Old Brother, butMaster haswaited for a longtimealready.There’sreallynoneedforustoenterthecave.”“Inthatcase,”saidPilgrim,“Idarenotdetainyou. I’ll saygood-bye righthere.”“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules, “aren’t yougoingwithme?”Pilgrim said, “Gowhere?Thisplace of mine is neither governed by Heaven nor controlled by Earth. I’m

completelyfreehere.Whyshouldn’tIenjoythis?WhyshouldIbecomeamonkagain?Iwillnotgo.Youhavetogobackbyyourself.AndpleasetelltheTangMonkthatoncehehasdismissedme,don’teverthinkofmeagain.”WhenIdiotheardthesewords,hedarednotpressanyfurther,forhewasafraidthatPilgrim’stempermightflareandhewouldthenreceiveacoupleofstrokesfromtherod.Hehadnoalternativebuttotakeleavemeeklyandfindhiswayback.WhenPilgrimsawhim leave,heordered twoagile littlemonkeys to follow

himandtofindoutwhathewasgoingtosay.Indeed,whenthatIdiotdescendedthemountain,hedidnotcovermore than threeor fourmilesbeforehe turnedaroundandpointedhis finger at thedirectionofPilgrim. “Youape,”he cried,“youdon’twanttobeapriest!Youchoosetobeamonsterinstead.Whatanape!Icameherewithgoodintentionstoaskhimtogoback,butherefused.Allright!Ifyoudon’twanttogo,youdon’thaveto!”Hetookafewstepsandbeganhiscastigations again. The two little monkeys ran back to report, “Father GreatSage, that Zhu Eight Rules is rather sneaky!He’s ranting at you as hewalksaway.” Pilgrim grew angry and shouted, “Seize him!” All the little monkeysrushedafterEightRulesandpushedhim to theground.Clutchingathismaneand tuggingathis ears,pullinghis tail andgrabbinghishair, theyhauledhimbodilyback to the cave.Wedonot knowhowhewill be treatedorwhatwillhappentohim;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

THIRTY-ONE

ZhuEightRulesprovokestheMonkeyKingtochivalry;PilgrimSunwithwisdomdefeatsthemonster.

Righteousnessjoinedtofraternalfeelings,Thedharmareturningtoitsownnature:DocileMetalandGentleWoodwillbearrightfruit.MindMonkeyandWoodMotherfusewithelixirsource—1

Bothascendingtotheworldofultimatebliss,Botharrivingatthegateofundividedtruth.2Sūtrasarethemainpathofself-cultivation;Buddhashouldunitewithone’sownspirit.Brothers,elderandyounger,makethekinshipofthethree;FormsofmonstersanddemonsmatchtheFivePhases.ExterminatetheSixfoldPathAndyou’llreachtheGreatThunderclap.

WeweretellingyouaboutIdiot,whowascaughtbythosemonkeys;pullingandtuggingathim,theyrippedopenhisshirtastheyhauledhimaway.Overandoveragain,hemutteredtohimself,“Finished!I’mfinished!Thistime,I’mgoingtobebeatentodeath!”Innotimeatall, theyreachedtheentranceofthecave,wheretheGreatSagewassittingagainontopoftheboulder.“Youoverstuffedcoolie!” he shouted. “You should have just left. Why did you abuse me?”Kneelingontheground,EightRulessaid,“ElderBrother,Ididnotabuseyou.IfI did, Iwouldbiteoff this tongue! I only said that if youdidn’twant togo, IwouldgobacktotellMasterandthatwouldhavebeentheendofit.HowwouldIdareabuseyou?”“Howcouldyoupossiblydeceiveme?”askedPilgrim.“If Ipullup this left

earofmine,Icanfindoutwho’sspeakingupintheThirty-thirdHeaven;ifIpulldownthis rightearofmine, IcandiscoverhowtheTenKingsofHellaresettlingthecaseswiththejudges.Youweremaligningmeasyouwalkedaway,andyouthoughtthatIcouldn’thearyou?”EightRulessaid,“ElderBrother,nowIknow.Youaresomethingofacrook

andashakedownartist!Youmusthavechangedintosomekindofcreatureandfollowedme.That’showyoufoundout.”“Littleones,”criedPilgrim,“selectformealargecane!Givehimtwentystrokesonhisshanksasagreeting;thengivehimanothertwentyonhisback.Thereafterletmeusemyironrodtosendhimon his way!” Eight Rules was so terrified that he kowtowed at once, saying,

“ElderBrother,IbegyoutosparemeforthesakeofMaster.”“O,Masterissojustandkind!”saidPilgrim.“ElderBrother,”saidEightRulesagain,“ifnotforthesakeofMaster,atleast

forthesakeoftheBodhisattva,pleaseforgiveme.”When Pilgrim heard him mention the Bodhisattva, he relented somewhat,

saying,“Brother,ifyouputitthatway,Iwon’thityouforthemoment.Butyoumust be honestwithme andnot try to deceiveme.Where is thatTangMonkfacinganordealthathascausedyoutocomeandcallforme?”“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“there’snoordeal.Heis trulythinkingof

you.”“Coolie, youmust love to be beaten!” shouted Pilgrim. “Why are you still

tryingtodupeme?ThougholdMonkey’sbodyhasreturnedtotheWater-CurtainCave,hisheartfollowsthescripturemonk.Ourmasterfacesanordealwitheachstepoftheway;heisfatedtosufferateveryplace.Youbettertellmequickly,oryou’llbewhipped!”WhenEightRulesheardsuchwords,hekowtowedandsaid,“ElderBrother,I

didquiteclearlyattempttodeceiveyouintogoing,butIhadnoideahowsmartyouwere.Pleasesparemefromabeatingandletmetellyoustandingup.”“Allright,” said Pilgrim, “rise and talk.” Themonkeys took away their hands andIdiot, jumping up at once, began to look wildly left and right. Pilgrim said,“Whatareyoudoingthatfor?”“ToseewhichroadiswideandsmoothsothatIcanrun,”saidEightRules.“Towhere?”askedPilgrim.“I’llletyouhaveathreedays’headstart,andoldMonkeystillhas theability tochaseyouback.You’dbetterspeakup!Ifyougetmemadagain,Iwon’tspareyouthistime.”EightRulessaid,“Totellyouthetruth,ElderBrother,sinceyouleftus,Sha

MonkandIaccompaniedMaster togoforwardandwearrivedatablackpineforest.Masterdismountedandtoldmetogobegforvegetarianfood.BecauseIdidn’t find even a single household afterwalking a great distance, I got a bittiredandnappedalittleinthegrass.ShaMonk,Ididn’trealize,alsoleftMastertotrytofindme.YouknowthatMastercouldn’tsitstill,andhetookawalkbyhimselfintheforesttoenjoythescenery.Whenhegotoutoftheforest,hesawaluminescentjeweledpagodaofyellowgold,whichhethoughtwassomesortofmonastery.Hedidn’tknowthat therewasamonster-spiritbeneath thepagoda,whohadthenameofYellowRobe,andhewascaughtbythefiend.Later,whenShaMonkandIreturnedtolookforhim,wesawonlythewhitehorseandtheluggage,butwedidn’tseeMaster.Wesearcheduntilwewenttothedoorofthecave,wherewe fought the fiend.Meanwhile,Mastermet a saving star inside,whohappenedtobethethirdprincessofthePreciousImageKingdom,abductedsometimeagobythatfiend.ShewrotealettertoherfamilyandwantedMaster

to send it for her; that was the reason why she persuaded the monster to letMastergo.Whenwearrivedatthekingdom,wepresentedtheletter,whereuponthekingaskedMaster tosubdue themonster.ElderBrother,youshouldknow.Howcouldthatoldpriestsubdueanymonster?Ithadtobethetwoofusagainwhowentback todobattle,but themagicpowerof thefiendwas tremendousand he seizedShaMonk instead. Imanaged to escape by hiding in the grass.Thereafter, the monster changed himself into a handsome scholar to gainadmittance into the court and imperial recognition.Master, on the other hand,waschangedbyhim intoa tiger.That evening, itwas fortunate that thewhitedragon-horserevealedhimselftogosearchforMaster;hedidn’tfindhim,buthesawthefienddrinkingintheSilverPeacePalace.Changingintoapalacemaid,thedragonpouredwineforhim,didasworddance,andwasabout touse thatopportunity to try tokill themonster.Hewaswounded insteadbyhimwith acandelabrum,anditwasthedragonwhotoldmetocomegetyou.HesaidthatElderBrotherwasajustandbenevolentgentleman,onewhowouldnotdwellonold wrongs and would be willing to go and save Master. I beg you, ElderBrother, remember the truthof ‘Oncea teacher,alwaysa father,’anddo try tosavehim.”“You Idiot!” saidPilgrim. “At the timeofmy leaving, I toldyouagain and

againthatifMasterwerecaughtbyamonstrousdemon,youshouldtellhimthatold Monkey was his eldest disciple. Why didn’t you say so?” Eight Rulesthoughttohimself,“Toaskawarriorisnotaseffectiveastoprovokeawarrior.Letmeprovokehimabit.”Hesaidtherefore,“ElderBrother,itwouldhavebeenbetterhadInotmentionedyou.OnceIsaidsomethingaboutyou, themonsterbecameevenmoreimpudent.”“Whatdoyoumean?”askedPilgrim.EightRules replied,“I said, ‘Monster,don’tyoudarebe insolent, anddon’t

youdareharmmymaster.Istillhaveanelderbrother,whoiscalledPilgrimSun.His magic power is great and he is especially capable of subduingmonsters.Whenhegetshere,he’llmakeyoudiewithoutpickingaplaceforburial.’Whenthatfiendheardmywords,hebecamemorearoused,crying,‘Who’sthisPilgrimSunthatIshouldbeafraidofhim?Ifheshowsup,I’llskinhimalive,I’llpullouthistendons,I’lldebonehim,andI’lldevourhisheart.Hemightbethin,thismonkey, but I’ll still chop him to pieces and fry him in oil.’”When Pilgrimheard thesewords,hebecamesoenraged thathe jumpedupanddown,madlyscratchinghischeeksandpullingathisears.“Whois this thatdaresabusemethus?” he bellowed. Eight Rules said, “Elder Brother, calm yourself. It’s theYellowRobeFiendwhoisthusabusingyou.Iwasjustgivingyouarehearsalofwhat he said.” “WorthyBrother,” saidPilgrim, “get up. I’ve got to go. If that

monster-spiritdaredabusemeso, itwouldbe impossibleformenot tosubduehim. I’ll go with you. When old Monkey caused great disturbance in theCelestialPalacefivehundredyearsago,allthedivinewarriorsofHeavenwouldbend their backs and bow to him when they saw him. Every one of themaddressedmeastheGreatSage.Thisfiendistrulyimpudent.Hedaresabusemebehindmyback!I’llgo,I’llcatchhim,andI’llsmashhimtopiecestoavengemyself for being so insulted.When I’ve done that, I’ll come back.” “Exactly,ElderBrother,”saidEightRules.“Yougoandcatchthemonsterfirst,andwhenyouhaveavengedyourself,youcanthendecidewhetheryouwanttocomebackornot.”Leapingdownatoncefromtheboulder,theGreatSagedashedintothecave

andtookoffhismonstergarment.Tuckinginhissilkshirtandtightlyfasteninghistiger-skinkilt,hewalkedrightoutofthedoorholdinghisironrod.Startled,thevariousmonkeysbarred thewayandasked,“FatherGreatSage,whereareyougoing?Isn’titbetterthatyoulookafterusandhavefunwithusforafewmore years?” Pilgrim said, “Little ones, watch what you are saying. Myaccompaniment of theTangMonk is no privatematter, forHeaven andEarthknowthatSunWukongishisdisciple.Hedidn’tbanishmebackhere;he toldme to comehomeand relaxa littlebefore joininghimagain.That’swhat thiswholethingisabout.Youallmusttakegoodcareofourpropertyanddon’tfailtoplantthewillowsandthepinesindueseasons.WaittillIfinishaccompanyingtheTangMonkandtakingthescripturesbacktotheLandoftheEast.Afterthatmeritisachieved,I’llreturntoenjoythejoysofnaturewithyou.”Eachmonkeyobeyedtheinstructions.TheGreatSage thenmounted thecloudswithEightRules to leave thecave

and cross theGreat EasternOcean.When they reached thewestern shore, hestopped thecloudy luminosity, saying,“Brother,pleasestop foramomentandletmegodown to theocean to cleanupmybody.” “Weare in ahurry,” saidEightRules.“Whydoyouneedtocleanupyourbody?”Pilgrimsaid,“Youhaveno idea that the few days since Iwent back there have causedme to pick upsome monster odor. Master loves cleanliness, and I fear that he might bedisgusted withme.” Only then did Eight Rules fully realize that Pilgrimwasutterly sincere. In amoment theGreatSage finishedbathing andmounted thecloudsagaintoproceedwestward.Soontheysawtheluminescentgoldpagoda,towhichEightRulespointedandsaid,“Isn’tthatthehouseoftheYellowRobeFiend?ShaMonkisstillinside.”“Stayintheair,”saidPilgrim,“andletmegodown tohisdoor toseewhat Icandoabout fightingwith themonster.”EightRulessaid,“Don’tgo,themonsterisnotathome.”“Iknow,”saidPilgrim.DearMonkey King! Lowering his auspicious luminosity, he went straight to the

entranceof thecave, in frontofwhichhe found twoyoungboysplaying fieldhockey.Onewas about eightor nineyearsof age, and theotherwasover tenyearsold.Astheywereplaying,Pilgrimrushedforwardand,withnoregardatallforwhicheverfamilytheybelongedto,grabbedthembythetuftsoftheirhairandpickedthemup.Terrified,theboysbegantobrawlandscreamsoloudlythatthelittlefiendsintheCurrent-MoonCaverantoreporttotheprincess,saying,“Lady,someunknownpersonhascarriedoff the twoyoungprinces.”The twoboys,yousee,werethesonsoftheprincessandthemonster.Whentheprincessheardthat,sheranoutofthecave,whereshesawPilgrim

holdingthetwoboys.Standingontopofacliff,hewasabouttodashthemtothegroundbelow.“Hey,you!” screamed thehorrifiedprincess.“Ihavenoquarrelwithyou.Whydidyou take themaway?Theiroldman is rathermean,and ifanything happens to them, he won’t let you get away with it.” “You don’trecognizeme?” saidPilgrim. “I’mPilgrimSunWukong, the eldestdiscipleoftheTangMonk.Myyounger brother, ShaMonk, is in your cave.Yougo andrelease him, and I’ll return these boys to you; two for one, you’re getting abargainalready.”Whentheprincessheardwhathesaid,shewentquicklyinsideand told the few littlemonstersguarding thedoor to stepaside.Withherownhands, she untied ShaMonk. “Princess, you’d better not untie me,” said ShaMonk.“Whenyourfiendcomeshomeanddemandstheprisonerfromyou,Ifearthat youwould take the blame again.” The princess said, “Elder, you aremybenefactor;notonlydidyousendalettertomyhomeinmybehalf,butyoualsosavedmy life. Iwas trying to thinkof away to releaseyouwhenyour eldestbrotherSunWukongshowedupat thedoorofourcave.Hetoldmetoreleaseyou.”Holla!WhenShaMonkheardthenameofSunWukong,hefeltasifhisheadhadbeenanointedwithmellowwine, as if hisheart hadbeenmoistenedwithsweetdew.Joyfloodedhiscountenance;hiswholefacelitupwithspring.He did not behave like someone who heard the announcement of a person’sarrival,butratherlikesomeonewhohadjustdiscoveredablockofgoldorjade.Lookathim!Flappinghishandstobrushoffthedustonhisclothes,heranoutthedoorandbowedtoPilgrim,saying,“ElderBrother,youhavetrulydescendedfromHeaven! Saveme, I beseech you.” “O, you SandyBonze!” said Pilgrimwithachuckle.“WhenMasterrecitedtheTight-FilletSpell,wereyouwillingtosay a word for me? You were just as much a braggart! Why aren’t youaccompanying Master to go to the West? What are you squatting here for?”“ElderBrother,”saidShaMonk,“noneedtotalklikethatanymore.Agentlemanforgivesandforgets.Wearecommandersofadefeatedarmy,hardlyworthytospeak of courage. Please save us.” Pilgrim said, “Come up,” and Sha Monkleapeduptothecliff.

WhenEightRules,whowasstandinginmidair,sawShaMonkcomingoutofthecave,hedroppeddownfromtheclouds,crying,“BrotherSha!You’vehadahardtime!”Seeinghim,ShaMonksaid,“SecondElderBrother,wheredidyoucomefrom?”EightRulessaid,“AfterIwasdefeatedyesterday,Iwentintothecity at night where I learned from the white horse that Master was in greatdifficulty.HewaschangedintoatigerbythemagicofYellowRobe.ThewhitehorsesuggestedtomethatIshouldgoaskBigBrothertocomeback.”“Idiot,”saidPilgrim,“let’snotchitchat.EachofyoutakeoneoftheseboysandgointothePrecious ImageCity to provoke the fiend to comehere, so that I can slayhim.”“ElderBrother,”saidShaMonk,“howdoyouwantustoprovokehim?”Pilgrim said, “The two of you should mount the clouds and stand above thePalaceoftheGoldenChimes.Don’tbotherabouttheconsequence:justhurltheboysdowntothegroundbeforethewhitejadesteps.Ifanyoneasksyouwhosekids theyare, just tell themthat theyare thesonsof theYellowRobemonstercaughtby the twoofyou.When the fiendhears this,hewillcertainlywant toreturnhere.Idon’twanttofightwithhiminsidethecitybecauseourbattlewillscattercloudandmist,throwupdirtanddust.Theofficialsofthecourtandthecity’swholepopulacewillthenbedisturbed.”“Elder Brother,” said Eight Rules with a giggle, “the moment you do

anything, you start to bamboozle us.” “What do you mean?” asked Pilgrim.EightRulesreplied,“Thesetwokids,afterhavingbeenseizedbyyoulikethat,arealreadyshockedbeyondcure.Justnowtheycriedtilltheybecamevoiceless;afterawhile, theywilldieforsure.Ifwehurl themtothegroundfromtheair,they’llturnintomeatpatties.Youthinkthefiendwillletusgooncehecatchesupwithus?Hewillsurelymakeuspaywithourlives,whileyougetawayscotfree.There’snotevenawitnessagainstyou!Aren’tyoubamboozlingus?”“Ifhetangles with the two of you,” said Pilgrim, “just lure him here. We have asmoothandwidebattlefieldatthisplace,andI’llbewaitingforhim.”“Exactly,exactly,”saidShaMonk.“BigBrotherisright.Let’sgo.”RidingonthepowerandassuranceofPilgrim,thetwoofthempickeduptheboysandleft.Pilgrimleapeddownfromtheboulderandwentbeforethedoorofthepagoda.

“Hey,Monk,” said the princess, “you are completely untrustworthy. You saidthatyouwouldgivemebackmyboysonceyouryoungerbrotherwasreleased.Now that he is, you are still detaining my boys. What are you doing hereinstead?”Pilgrimsmiledatherandsaid,“Don’tbeoffended,princess.Youhavebeenhereforalongtime,andIthoughtthatweshouldtakeyoursonstopresentthem to their maternal grandfather.” The princess said, “Monk, you’d betterbehave!Myhusband,YellowRobe,isnoordinaryperson.Ifyouhavefrightenedmyboys,youshouldtrytocomfortthemfirst.”

“Princess,”saidPilgrimwithachuckle,“doyouknowwhat isconsideredacrimeforahumanbeinglivinginthisworld?”“Ido,”saidtheprincess.Pilgrimsaid,“Youareawoman!Whatdoyouknow?”“Sincethetimeofmyyouthinthepalace,” said theprincess, “Iwas taughtbymyparents. I recall anancientbook said, ‘Set against theFivePunishments are some three thousand crimes,but none is greater than an unfilial act.’”3 Pilgrim said, “You are precisely anunfilialperson.Remember:Omyfather,4whobegotme!Omymother,whohadnursedme!...Pitymyfatherandmother,Howhardtheytoiledtobearme!

Therefore,filialpietyisthefoundationofahundredvirtuousacts,thesourceofallmorality.Howcouldyouentrustyourbodytobethemateofamonster-spiritand not think of your parents at all? Haven’t you committed the crime of anunfilialact?”Whentheprincessheardthesewordsofrectitude,shewassoembarrassedthat

sheblushedforalongtimebeforeblurtingoutherreply,saying,“Thewordsoftheelderaremostrighteous.HowcouldInot thinkofmyparents?Butallmytroublesbeganwhenthemonsterkidnappedmehere.Hisordersareverystrict,andIcannottravelatall.Thedistance,furthermore,isgreatandthereisnooneabletosendwordforme.Iwantedtocommitsuicide,butIwasafraidthatmyparents would suspect that I had elopedwith someone, and the wholematterwould not be cleared up. I had, therefore, no alternative but to prolong myfragileexistence.Indeed,Iamagreatcriminalinthiswholewideworld!”Whenshefinishedspeaking,tearsstreameddownherface.Pilgrim said, “Princess, there’s no need for you to be sorrowful. ZhuEight

Rulesdidtellmethatyouwrotealetterandyousavedmymaster’slife.Youdidexpressyour thoughts foryourparents in the letter.Now thatoldMonkeyhasarrived,youmaybeassuredthathewillcatchthemonsterforyouandbringhimbacktocourttoseetheThrone.Youcanthenfindaworthymateandlookafteryourparentsintheiroldage.Howaboutit?”“Monk,”saidtheprincess,“don’t lookforcertaindeath.Thosetwoyounger

brothersofyourswerequite tough,but theycouldnotovercomemyhusband,YellowRobe,duringthefightyesterday.Nowlookatyou!Youlooklikeaghostwithmoretendonsthanbones!Youlooklikeacraborawalkingskeleton!Whatkind of ability do you have that you dare speak of catching the monster?”Laughing,Pilgrimsaid, “You reallydon’thavemuch judgment, andyoucan’tdiscriminatebetweenpersons.Asthecommonsayinghasit,Aurinebladder,thoughlarge,hasnoweight;

Asteelyardweight,thoughsmall,licksathousandpounds.

Theymaylookbig,but theyareuseless:creatingwindresistanceastheywalkandwastingclothwhentheyputonclothes.Theymaybebigasamountainbuttheyarehollowinside;theirheadsmaytouchdoorframesbuttheyareslackoftorsos;andtheymayeatalotbutfoodwon’tdothemanygood.I,oldMonkey,amsmall,allright,buthardy.”“Youreallyhavetheskills?”askedtheprincess.“Nothingthatyouhaveever

seen,”saidPilgrim,“butIspecializeinsubduingmonstersandtamingdemons.”“You’dbetternotgetme into trouble,” said theprincess. “Certainlynot,” saidPilgrim. “If you are able to subdue monsters and tame demons,” said theprincess,“howwillyougoaboutcatchinghim?”Pilgrimsaid,“You’dbetterbeoutofsight,orelseIcan’treallymovewhenhegetshere. I’mafraid thatyoustillhavealotoffeelingsforhimandcan’tgivehimup.”“Whatdoyoumeanby not giving him up?” said the princess. “My remaining here is not of mychoice!”“Ifyouhavebeenhusbandandwife for thirteenyears,”saidPilgrim,“youcan’tbewhollywithoutaffection.ButwhenIseehim,Iwon’tbefoolingaround:astrokeoftherodwillbeastroke,andapunchwillbeapunch.IhavetoslayhimbeforeIcantakeyoubacktocourttoseetheThrone.”TheprincessindeedfollowedPilgrim’sadviceandwentofftoasecludedspot.Hermarriageto themonster,moreover,was fated to end, and thatwaswhy theGreat Sagemadehisappearance.Afterhehadtheprincesshidden,theMonkeyKingshookhisbodyonceandchanged into the formof theprincess toenter thecaveandwaitforthemonster.WetellyounowaboutEightRulesandShaMonk,whotookthetwoboysto

thePrecious ImageKingdomanddashed them to thegroundbefore thewhitejade steps.Alas! Theywere reduced to twomeat patties; their boneswere allcrushedandbloodsplatteredallover.“Terrible!Terrible!”criedtheofficialsincourt. “Two persons have been thrown down from the sky!” “These boys,”shouted Eight Rules from above, “are the sons of themonster, Yellow Robe.TheywerecaughtbyoldHogandBrotherSha.”Stillundertheeffectofwine,thefiendwassleepingintheSilverPeacePalace

whenheheardsomeoneshoutinghisname.Heturnedoverandlookedup:therewere Zhu Eight Rules and Sha Monk standing on the edge of the cloudshollering. Themonster thought to himself: “If itwere just ZhuEightRules, Icouldunderstandthis,butShaMonkwastiedupinmyhouse.Howcouldhegethere?Whywouldmywifelethimgo?Howcouldmyboyslandintheirhands?CoulditbethatZhuEightRules,fearfulofmyunwillingnesstodobattlewithhim,isusingthistotrickme?Icantakethebaitandgofightwithhim.Hey!I’mstillhungover.Ifhegivesmeawhackwithhisrake,I’llloseallmycredibility.

Letmegohomefirstandseeiftheyareindeedmysonsornot.ThenIcanspeaktothesemonks.”Dearmonster!Without taking leave of the king, he headed straight for his

caveinthemountainforesttoinvestigate.Atthistime,peopleinthecourtknewfullwell that hewas indeed amonster. For, you see, he ate one of the palacemaidsduringthenight,buttheseventeenotherswhoescapedmadeathoroughreporttothekingafterthehourofthefifthwatch.Sinceheleftsoabruptly,theyknewall themore thathewaswithoutdoubtamonster.All thekingcoulddowastoorderthemanyofficialstoguardthespecioustiger,andweshallspeaknomoreofthemforthemoment.Wenowtellyouabout thefiend,whowentback to thecave.WhenPilgrim

sawhimarriving,heatoncedevisedaplanofdeception.Heblinkedafewtimesand tears began to fall like rain; stamping his feet, pounding his chest, andcalling for the boys all the time, he bawled lustily in the cave. So sudden anencounter made it impossible for the fiend to recognize that this was not hiswife.HewentforwardinsteadandembracedPilgrim,saying,“Mistress,whyareyousoupset?”Withartfulinvention,withimaginativefable,theGreatSagesaidtearfully,“DearHusband!Astheproverbsays,Ifamanhasnowife,hiswealthhasnoboss;Ifagirlhasnomate,she’scompletelylost!

After you went into court yesterday to present yourself to the kinfolks, whydidn’tyoureturn?ThismorningZhuEightRulescamebackandrobbedusofSha Monk. Furthermore, they took away our two boys by force despite mydesperatepleadings.Theysaidthattheywouldalsobringtheboysintocourttopresentthemtotheirmaternalgrandfather.Halfadayhasgonebyalreadyandthere’snosightofourboysorevennewsofwhethertheyarealiveordead.Andyoudidn’tturnupuntiljustnow.HowcouldIpartwithmybabies?That’swhyI’m so broken up.” When the fiend heard those words, he grew very angry,saying,“Didthatreallyhappentomysons?”“Yes,”saidPilgrim,“andtheyweretakenawaybyZhuEightRules.”Thedemonwas so incensed that he jumped aboutmadly, crying, “Undone!

Undone!Mysonshavebeendashedtodeathbyhim!Theycan’tberevived!Theonly thing left is tocatch thatmonkandmakehimpaywithhis life.Mistress,don’tcry.Howdoyou feelnow?Let’s takecareofyou first.”“I’mall right,”saidPilgrim,“butImissmybabiessomuch,andallthatweepinghascausedmyheart to ache.” “No need to worry,” said the demon. “Get up first. I have atreasurehere;allyouneed todo is torub iton thepainfulspotand itwillnothurtanymore.Butyoumustbecarefulnottofillipyourthumbontothetreasure,

forifyoudo,mytrueformwillrevealitself.”WhenPilgrimheardthis,hesaid,smiling, to himself, “This brazen creature! He’s quite honest; even withouttorturehehasmadeaconfessionalready.Waittillhebringsouthistreasure.I’mgoingtostrikeatitwithmythumbandseewhatkindofmonsterheis.”LeadingPilgrim,thefiendtookhiscompanion into themurkydepthof thecavebeforespitting out fromhismouth a treasure having the size and shape of a chickenegg. It was an internal elixir, formed crystalline white like a śarīra.5 Secretlydelighted, Pilgrim said to himself, “Marvelous thing! God knows how manysedentaryexerciseshadbeenperformed,howmanyyearsoftrialsandsufferingshad elapsed, howmany times the union ofmale and female forces had takenplacebefore thisśarīraof internalelixirwasformed.Whatgreataffinity ithastodaythatitshouldencounteroldMonkey!”Themonkeytookitover.Ofcourse,hedidnothaveanypain,butherubbedit

deliberatelyonhisbodysomewherebeforefillipinghisthumbatit.Alarmed,thefiendimmediatelystretchedforthhishandtotrytosnatchitaway.Thinkofit!Thismonkeyis just tooslickandshiftyacharacter!Hepoppedthetreasureinhismouthandwithonegulpswalloweditwhole.Thedemonraisedhisfistandpunchedathim,onlytobeparriedbythearmofPilgrim.Withhisotherhand,Pilgrimwipedhisownfaceonceandchangedbacktohisoriginalappearance,crying,“Monster,don’tbeunruly!Takealook!WhoamI?”When the fiend saw what he saw, he was greatly shaken, saying “Gosh,

Mistress!Howdid youmanage to bring out a face like that?” “You impudentimp!” chided Pilgrim. “Who’s your mistress? You can’t even recognize yourownancestor!”Suddenlycomprehending,thefiendsaid,“IthinkIknowyou.”Pilgrim said, “I won’t hit you just yet, take another look.” The fiend said,“Thoughyoudo look familiar, I just can’t thinkofyournameat themoment.Who indeed are you?Where do you come from?Where have youmovedmywife?Howdareyoucometomyhousetocheatmeofmytreasure?Thisismostreprehensible!” “So you don’t recognize me,” said Pilgrim. “I am the eldestdiscipleoftheTangMonk,andmynameisPilgrimSunWukong.I’malsoyourold ancestor of five hundred years ago!” The fiend said, “No such thing! Nosuch thing!When I caught the TangMonk, I found out that he had only twodisciples namedZhuEightRules and ShaMonk.No one had evermentionedthat there was someone by the name of Sun. You must be a fiend fromsomewherewhocameheretodeceiveme.”“ThereasonwhyIdidn’taccompanythe twoof them,” saidPilgrim, “wasbecausemyhabitual slayingofmonstershad offendedmymaster. A kind and compassionate person, he dismissedmewhenIslaughteredonetoomany.That’swhyIwasnottravelingwithhim.Areyou still ignorantofyour ancestor’sname?” “How fecklessyouare!” said the

fiend.“Ifyouwerebanishedbyyourmaster,howcouldyouhavethegumptiontofacepeoplehere?”Pilgrimsaid,“Youimpudentcreature!Youwouldn’tknowabout the sentimentof ‘Oncea teacher, alwaysa father,’norwouldyouknowthat‘Betweenfatherandson,there’snoovernightenmity.’Ifyouplantoharmmymaster, you think Iwouldn’t come to rescue him?Andyou didn’t stop atthat;youevenabusedmebehindmyback.Whathaveyougottosaytothat?”“Sincewhendid I abuseyou?”asked the fiend.Pilgrim replied, “ZhuEight

Rulessaidyoudid.”“Don’tbelievehim,”saidthefiend.“ThatZhuEightRules,withhispointed snout,has a tongue likeanoldmaid’s!Whydoyou listen tohim?”“Noneed for such idle talk,” saidPilgrim.“I’ll just say thatduringoldMonkey’s visit to your house today, you have not shown your distant guestsufficienthospitality.Thoughyoumaynothavefoodandwinetoentertainyourvisitor,youhaveahead.Stick itoverherequicklyand letoldMonkeybeat itoncewiththerod.I’llconsiderthatmytakingtea.”Whenthefiendheardthis,heroaredwithlaughter,saying,“PilgrimSun,you’vemiscalculated!Ifyouwantedto fight, you shouldn’t have followed me here. The various imps under mycommand,youngandold,numberinthehundreds.Thoughyoumayhavearmsall over your body, you won’t be able to fight your way out.” Pilgrim said,“Don’ttalkrot!Anddon’tmentionafewhundreds!Evenifyouhavehundredsofthousands,justcallthemuponebyoneandI’llslaythem.Everystrokeofmyrodwillfinditsmark.Iguaranteethattheywillbewipedout!Exterminated!”Whenthemonsterheardthesewords,hequicklygavetheorderandcalledup

allthemonstersbeforeandbehindthemountain,allthefiendsinandoutofthecave.Eachholdingweapons,theylinedupthicklyandcompletelybarricadedtheseveraldoorsinsidethecave.WhenPilgrimsawthis,hewasdelighted.Grippinghis rod with both hands, he shouted “Change!” and changed at once into apersonhavingthreeheadsandsixarms.Onewaveofthegolden-hoopedrodandit changed into threegolden-hooped rods.Lookathim!Sixarmswielding thethreerods,heplungedintothecrowd—likeatigermaulingaherdofsheep,likean eagle alighting on chicken coops. Pity those little fiends! One touch, andheads were smashed to pieces! One brush, and blood flowed like water! Hecharged back and forth, as if he had invaded an uninhabited region.When hefinished, there was only one old monster left, who chased him out the door,crying,“Youbrazenape!Youarenastyandnoxious!Youdareoppresspeopleright at their own door!” Spinning around, Pilgrim waved at him, crying,“Come!Come!It’snomerituntilI’vestruckyoudown.”Liftinghisscimitar,themonster aimed at his opponent’s head and hacked away, as dear Pilgrimbrandished the iron rod to face him. This time they fought on top of themountain,halfwaybetweenmistandcloud.

GreatSagehadgreatmagicpower;Thedemonhadvastabilities.Thisonestrucksidewayswiththerawironrod;Thatoneraisedaslantthesteelscimitar.Thescimitarrosesoftly,andbrightmistglowed;Therodparriedlightly,andcoloredcloudsflew.Backandforthitcircledtoprotectthehead;Roundandrounditturnedtoguardthebody.Onefollowedthewindtochangehislooks;Oneshookhisbodystandingontheground.Thisonewidenedhisfieryeyesandstretchedhissimianarms;Thatoneflaredhisgoldenpupilsandbenthistigerlikewaist.Comingandgoing,theyfoughtroundandround—Rodandscimitargivingblowforblow.TheMonkeyKing’srodconformedtobattleart;Thefiend’sscimitarfollowedtherulesofwar.Onehadalwaysworkedhisskillstobeademon-lord;OnehadusedhisvastpowertoguardtheTangMonk.ThefierceMonkeyKingbecamemorefierce;Theviolentmonstergrewmoreviolent.Heedlessoflifeordeaththeyfoughtintheair,AllforTangMonk’squestforBuddhafromafar.

The two of them fought for over fifty rounds, but a decision could not bereached. Secretly pleased, Pilgrim thought to himself, “The scimitar of thisbrazenmonster isquiteamatchfor therodofoldMonkey!Letmepretend toblunderandseeifhecandetectit.”DearMonkeyKing!Heraisedtherodabovehis headwith both his hands, using the style of “Tall-Testing theHorse.”Thefienddidnotperceivethatitwasatrick.Whenhesawthattherewasachance,hewieldedthescimitarandslashedatthelowerthirdofPilgrim’sbody.Pilgrimquicklyemployedthe“GreatMiddleLevel”tofendoffthescimitar,afterwhichhe followed up with the style of “Stealing Peaches beneath the Leaves” andbrought the rod down hard on the monster’s head. This one blow made themonstervanishcompletely.Heretrievedhisrodtolookaround,butthemonster-spiritwasnowheretobeseen.Greatlystartled,Pilgrimsaid,“Omychild!Youcan’t takemuch beating! One stroke, and you’re dead! But even if youwerebeatentodeath,therehadtobesomebloodorpusleft.Whyisn’tthereatraceofyou?Youmusthaveescaped,Isuppose.”Leapingupquicklytotheedgeoftheclouds,hestaredinallfourdirections,buttherewasnotthefaintestmovementanywhere. “These two eyes of old Monkey,” he said, “can see everythinganywhere.Howcouldhevanishjustlikethat?Ah,Iknow!Thatfiendsaidthathe recognized me somewhat, and that meant that he couldn’t possibly be anordinarymonsterofthisworld.MostlikelyhewasaspiritfromHeaven.”Unable to suppress his anger, the Great Sage somersaulted all at once and

leapeduptotheSouthHeavenlyGate,wieldinghisironrod.Pang,Liu,Gou,Bi,

Zhang,Tao,Deng,Xin,andtheothercelestialcaptains,weresostartledthattheybowedonbothsidesof thegateanddarednotstophim.Hefoughthiswayinand arrived before the Hall of Perfect Light. Zhang, Ge, Xu, and Qiu, theCelestialMasters,askedhim,“WhydidtheGreatSagecomehere?”“BecauseIaccompaniedtheTangMonkuntilthePreciousImageKingdom,”saidPilgrim,“wheretherewasademonwhohadseducedtheprincessandsoughttoharmmymaster. Old Monkey waged a contest with him, but as we were fighting Isuddenlylosthim.Idon’t thinkhe’sanordinaryfiendofEarth;hehastobeaspiritfromHeaven.Icameespecially to investigatewhetheranymonsterdeityhaslefttheranks.”WhentheCelestialMastersheardthis,theyenteredtheHallofDivineMiststomakethereport,andanorderimmediatelywasissuedtotakethe roll among theNineLuminaries, theTwelveBranches, theFivePlanetsoftheFiveQuarters, thenumerousgodsof theMilkyWay, theGodsof theFiveMountains,andtheFourRivers.EveryoneoftheHeavenlydeitieswaspresent,fornonedaredtoleavehispost.TheinvestigationwasthenextendedbeyondtheBig Dipper Palace, and the count, back and forth among the Twenty-eightConstellations, had turned up only twenty-sevenmembers. Revatī, theWood-WolfStar,6wasmissing.ThePreceptors returned to report to theThrone, saying “Revatī, theWood-

WolfStar,hasleftfortheRegionBelow.”TheJadeEmperorsaid,“Forhowlonghas he been away fromHeaven?” “Hewas absent for fourmuster-roll calls,”said the Preceptors. “The roll is taken once every three days, so today is thethirteenthday.”“The thirteenthday inHeaven,”said theJadeEmperor,“is thethirteenth year on Earth.” He thereupon gave the order for the Star’s owndepartmenttorecallhimbacktoHeaven.Afterhavingreceivedthedecree,theTwenty-sevenConstellationswentoutof

the Heavenly Gate and each of them recited a spell, which aroused Revatī.“Wherewashehiding?”youask.TheStar,actually,hadbeenacelestialwarriorwhowasterrorstrickenwhentheGreatSagecausedgreatdisturbanceinHeavenpreviously. Justnow, theStarhidhimself inamountain stream,and thewatervapor had covereduphismonster-cloud.Thatwaswhyhe could not be seen.OnlywhenheheardhisowncolleaguesrecitingtheirspellsdidhedareemergeandfollowthecrowdtoreturntotheRegionAbove.HewasmetbytheGreatSageatthegate,whowantedtohithim,butfortunatelytheotherStarsmanagedtoputa stop to it.Hewas then taken to see theJadeEmperor.Takingout thegolden plaque from his waist, the fiend knelt below the steps of the hall andkowtowed,admittinghisguilt.“Revatī, the Wood-Wolf Star,” said the Jade Emperor, “there is boundless

beautyintheRegionAbove.Insteadofenjoyingthis,youchosetovisitinsecret

anotherregion.Why?”“YourMajesty,” saidRevatī theStar,kowtowing, “pleasepardon themortal

offense of your subject. The princess of the Precious Image Kingdom is noordinarymortal;sheisactuallythejadegirl inchargeof incenseintheSpreadIncenseHall.Shewanted tohaveanaffairwithyour subject,whowasafraid,however, that this act would defile the noble region of the Celestial Palace.Longingfor theworld,shewentfirst to theRegionBelowwheresheassumedhumanformintheimperialpalace.Yoursubject,notwantingtodisappointher,changedhimselfintoademon.AfterIoccupiedafamousmountain,Iabductedhertomycavedwellingwherewebecamehusbandandwifeforthirteenyears.Thus‘notevenasuporabiteisnotforeordained,’anditisfatedthatGreatSageSun should accomplish hismerit at this time.”When the JadeEmperor heardthesewords,heorderedthattheStar’sgoldenplaquebetakenawayfromhim;hewas then banished to theTushita Palace to be a paid fire-tender forLaozi,withthestipulationthathewouldberestoredtohisrankifhemademerit,andthathewouldbepunishedfurtherifhedidnot.WhenPilgrimsawhowtheJadeEmperordisposedof thematter,hewasso

pleased thatheboweddeeply to theThrone.Thenhe said to theotherdeities,“Allofyou,thanksfortakingthetrouble.”“Thisape,”saidoneoftheMasters,laughing,“isstill souncouth!Wehave takencaptiveforhimthemonster-god,andinsteadofshowinghisgratitudetotheHeavenlyGraceproperly,heleavesafteronlytakingabow.”TheJadeEmperorsaid,“Wecountitourgoodfortunealreadyifhedoesn’tstartanytroubleandleavesHeaveninpeace.”Loweringthedirectionofhisauspiciousluminosity,theGreatSagewentback

directly to theCurrent-MoonCaveof theCasseroleMountain,wherehefoundtheprincess.Ashewasjustgivingheranaccountofallthatwentbefore,theyheardEightRulesandShaMonkshoutinginmidair,“ElderBrother,saveafewmonster-spiritsforustobeat,too.”“Theyareallfinished,”saidPilgrim.“Inthatcase,”saidShaMonk,“nothingshoulddetainushere.Let’sbring theprincessbacktocourt.Brothers,let’sdothemagicofShorteningtheGround.”All theprincessheardwastherushingofwind,andinamoment, theywere

backinthecity.ThethreeofthembroughttheprincessuptothePalaceoftheGoldenChimes,where shebowed reverently toherparents andmet againhersisters.Thereafter, thevariousofficials all came topay their respects. “WearetrulybeholdentoElderSun,”saidtheprincesstotheThrone,“whoseboundlessdharma power subdued the Yellow Robe Fiend and brought me back to ourkingdom.”“WhatkindofmonsteristhatYellowRobe?”askedtheking.Pilgrimsaid,“Theson-in-lawofYourMajestyhappens tobe theStarRevatī from theRegionAbove,andyourdaughterwasthejadegirlinchargeofincense.Because

of her longing for theworld, they both descended to Earth to assume humanforms.Itwasnosmallthingthattheyshouldconsummateamarriagecontractedin their previous existence.When oldMonkeywent to theCelestial Palace toreporttotheJadeEmperor,itwasdiscoveredthatthefiendhadnotansweredthemuster-rollforfourtimes.ThismeantthathehadleftHeavenforthirteendays,andcorrespondinglythirteenyearshadpassedonEarth,foradayinHeavenisayeardownhere.TheJadeEmperororderedtheConstellationsofhisdepartmentto recall him to the Region Above, where he was then banished to work forfurthermerit in the Tushita Palace. OldMonkeywas then able to bring backyour daughter.” After the king had thanked Pilgrim for his kindness, he said,“Let’sgoandtakealookatyourmaster.”Thethreedisciplesfollowedthekinganddescendedfromthetreasurehallto

gointooneofthechambersinthecourt,wheretheofficialsbroughtouttheironcageandloosenedthechainsonthespecioustiger.Everyonestillsawthetigeras a tiger, but Pilgrim alone saw him as a man. The master, you see, wasimprisoned by diabolical magic; though he understood everything, he couldneitherwalknoropenhiseyesormouth.“Master,”saidPilgrim,laughing,“youareagoodmonk.Howdidyoumanagetoendupwithafearsomelooklikethat?You blamedme forworking evil and violence and banishedme.You claimedthat youwanted to practice virtue single-mindedly.Howdid you acquire suchfeaturesallatonce?”“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“pleasesavehim.Don’tjustridiculehim.”

“Youpickonmeineverything,”saidPilgrim,“andyouarehisfavoritedisciple.Why don’t you save him?Why do you ask oldMonkey instead? Rememberwhat I said originally, that after I had subdued themonster to avengemyselffromhisabuse,Iwouldgoback.”ShaMonkdrewnearandkneltdown,saying,“ElderBrother, theancients said, ‘Ifyoudon’t regard thepriest,do regard theBuddha.’ If you are here, I beseech you to save him. If we could do so, wewouldn’thavetraveledallthatdistancetopleadwithyou.”Raisinghimwithhishands,Pilgrimsaid,“HowcouldIpossiblybecontentnottosavehim?Getmesomewater,quick!”EightRulesrushedbacktothepost-houseandtookoutthepurplegoldalmsbowlfromtheluggage.HereturnedandhandedtoPilgrimthebowlhalf-filledwithwater.Ashetookthewaterinhishand,Pilgrimrecitedamagic spell and spat amouthful ofwater on the tiger. At once the diabolicalmagicwasdispelledandthetigerishillusionwasbroken.Aftertheelderhadappearedinhisoriginalbody,herecoveredsufficientlyto

open his eyes and recognize Pilgrim, whom he took hold of with his handsimmediately.“Wukong,”hecried,“wheredidyoucomefrom?”Standingtooneside,ShaMonkgaveathoroughaccountofwhathadtakenplace,andTripitaka

wasfilledwithgratitude,saying,“Worthydisciple,Ioweyoueverything!Ioweyoueverything!Let’shope thatwe’ll reach theWest soon.Whenwe return totheLand of theEast, I’ll report to theTang emperor that yours is the highestmerit.” “Don’tmention it!Don’tmention it!” saidPilgrimwith laughter. “Justdon’t recite that little something, and your living kindness will be mostappreciated.”Whenthekingheardthis,healsogavethankstoallfourofthembeforepreparingahugevegetarianbanquetforthemintheEasternPalace.Aftertheyhadenjoyedtheseroyalfavors,masteranddisciplestookleaveofthekingandheadedfortheWest.Thekingledallhisministersthroughgreatdistancetosendthemoff.SoitwasthatThekingreturnedtothepalace,hisempiresecured;ThemonkwenttoworshipBuddhaatThunderclap.

We do not know what took place thereafter or when they would reach theWesternHeaven;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

THIRTY-TWO

OnLevel-TopMountainthesentinelbringsamessage;AtLotus-FlowerCaveWoodMothermeetsdisaster.

Wewere telling you about theTangMonk,who acquired again the service ofPilgrimSun;masteranddisciplesthereuponembarkedontheroadtotheWest,unitedoncemoreinheartandmind.AftertheyhadrescuedtheprincessofthePrecious Image Kingdom and been sent off by its king and officials, theyjourneyed without ceasing, taking food and drink when they hungered andthirsted, resting by night and traveling by day. Soon it was again the time ofTripleSpring,aseasonwhenLightbreezesblowonwillowgreenassilk,Alovelyscenemostfitforverse.Thetimeshastenbirdsongs;Thewarmthkindlesflowers,Fragrantbloomsallaround.

Apairofswallowscomestotheapplecourt,1Justintimetoenjoyspring:Reddustonpurplepaths,2Strings,pipes,andthesilkgowns,Gamesandpassingthewinecups.3

Asmasteranddiscipleswalkedandenjoyedthescenery, theyfoundanothermountainbarringtheirway.“Disciples,”saidtheTangMonk,“pleasebecareful.Wehavea tallmountainbeforeus, and I fear that tigers andwolvesmightbehere to obstruct us.” “Master,” said Pilgrim, “a man who has left the familyshould not speak as thosewho remain in the family.Don’t you remember thewords of the Heart Sūtra4 given to you by that Crow’s Nest Priest: ‘Nohindrances, and therefore, no terror or fear; he is far removed from error anddelusion’?OnlyyoumustSweepawaythefilthofyourmind,Andwashoffthedustbyyourears.Nottastingthemostpainfulofpain,You’llneverbeamanamongmen.

Youmustn’tworry,forifyouhaveoldMonkey,everythingwillbeallrighteveniftheskycollapses.Don’tbeafraidofanytigerorwolf!”Pullinginthereinsofhishorse,theeldersaid,“SinceIDepartedChang’anthatyearbydecree,

MysolethoughtfixedonBuddhaintheWest—Thatbright,goldenimageinŚārī-land,Thosejade-whitebrowsinthepagodablessed.Isearchedthroughthisworld’swaterswithoutname;Iclimbedallthemountainsunscaledbyman.Folduponfoldthemistsandwavesextend,WhencanImyselftrueleisureattain?”

WhenPilgrimheardwhat he said, he roaredwith laughter, saying, “IfMasterwantstrueleisure,it’snotthatdifficult!Whenyouachieveyourmerit,thenallthenidānas5willceaseandallformswillbebutemptiness.Atthattime,leisurewill come to you most naturally.” Hearing these words, the elder had to becontent to put aside his anxiety and urge his horse on. Master and disciplesbegan to ascend the mountain, which was truly rugged and treacherous.Marvelousmountain!Thetall,ruggedpeak;Thesharp,pointedsummit.Withinthedeep,windingbrook—Besidethelone,ruggedcliff—Withinthedeep,windingbrookYouhearwaterloudlysplashingasaserpentturns;Besidethelone,ruggedcliffYouseethebigmountaintigerwaggingitstail.Lookabove:Thejuttingpeaksstabthroughthegreensky.Turnyoureyes:Thecanyon’sdeepanddarkastheempyrean.Startclimbing:It’slikealadder,astair.Walkdownthere:It’slikeamoat,aditch.It’strulyaweird,hillockedrange;It’sindeedasteep-bankedprecipice.OntopofthehillockedrangeTheherb-pickeriswaryofwalking;BeforetheprecipiceThewoodsmanfindsithardtomoveaninch!Foreigngoatsandwildhorsesmadlygallop;Wilyharesandmountainbullsseemtoforminranks.Themountain’sheightdoeshidethesunandstars;Oneoftenmeetsstrangecreaturesandwhitewolves.Throughdensegrassypaththehorsecanhardlypass.HowcouldoneseeBuddhaatThunderclap?

As the elder pulled back his horse to survey this mountain, which was sodifficult to ascend, he saw a woodcutter standing on the green slope above.“Howwashedressed?”youask.Hisheadworeanoldrainhatofbluefelt;Hehadonhimamonk-robeofblackwool.

Theoldrainhatofbluefelt:Indeedararethingtowardoffsunlightandmists;Themonk-robeofblackwool:Asignofuttercontentmentrarelyseen.Hishandsheldasteelaxpolishedhighly;Hetiedhismachete-cutfirewoodfirmly.ThespringhuesattheendsofhispoleQuietlyoverflowedinallfourseasons;HiscarefreelifeasarecluseHadalwaysbeenblessedbytheThreeStars.6Heresignedhimselftogrowoldinhislot.Whatgloryorshamecouldinvadehisworld?

ThatwoodcutterWasjustchoppingfirewoodbeforetheslope,WhentheeldercameabruptlyfromtheEast.HestoppedhisaxtogooutofthewoodsAndwalkedwithbigstridesuptherockyledge.

Inaseverevoice,hecriedouttotheelder,“TheelderwhoisgoingtowardtheWest,pleasestopforamoment.Ihavesomethingtotellyou.ThereisabunchofviciousdemonsandcruelmonstersinthismountaindevotedtoeatingtravelerswhocomefromtheEastandgotowardtheWest.”When the elderheardwhathe said, his spirit left himandhis soul fled.He

shooksoviolentlythathecouldhardlysitonthesaddle.Turningaroundquickly,heshouted tohisdisciples,“Didyouhearwhat thewood-cuttersaidabout thevicious demons and cruel monsters? Which of you dare go and ask him ingreaterdetail?”“Master, relax!” said Pilgrim. “Old Monkey will go and question him

thoroughly.”Dear Pilgrim! He strode up the mountain and addressed the woodcutter as

“BigBrother”beforebowingtohimwithfoldedhands.Thewoodcutterreturnedhisgreeting, saying,“Elder,whydidyoupeoplecomehere?”“To tellyou thetruth,BigBrother,”saidPilgrim,“weweresentfromtheLandoftheEasttogoacquirescriptures in theWesternHeaven.Thatoneon thehorse ismymaster.Heisrathertimid;whenheheardjustnowwhatyousaidaboutviciousdemonsandcruelmonsters,heaskedmetoquestionyou.Forhowmanyyearshavetherebeen demons and monsters? Are they real professionals, or are they justamateurs?LetBigBrother take the trouble to tellme, so that Imayorder themountain god and the local spirit to send them away in custody.”When thewoodcutterheardthesewords,hefacedtheskyandroaredwithlaughter,saying,“So,youarereallyamadmonk!”“Iamnotmad,”saidPilgrim,“andthisisthehonesttruth.”“Ifyouarehonest,”saidthewoodcutter,“howdareyoutalkaboutsending them away in custody?” Pilgrim said, “The way you are magnifying

theirpower,thewayyouhavestoppeduswithyourfoolishannouncementandsillyreport,coulditbethatyouaresomehowrelatedtothesemonsters?Ifyouare not a relative, youmust be a neighbor; if not a neighbor, youmust be afriend.”“You mad, impudent monk!” said the woodcutter, laughing. “You are so

unreasonable!MyintentionsweregoodandthatwaswhyImadeaspecialefforttobringthismessagetoyou,sothatyoucouldtakeprecautionatalltimeswhenyoujourney.Nowyouareblamingmeinstead.Let’snotsayjustyetthatIdon’tknowanythingabouttheoriginofthosemonsters.Butsupposeyouhavefoundthatout,howwouldyoudisposeofthem?Wherewouldyousendthemawayincustody?”“If they are demons fromHeaven,” said Pilgrim, “I’ll send them to see the

JadeEmperor.IftheyaredemonsofEarth,I’llsendthemtothePalaceofEarth.ThoseoftheWestwillbereturnedtoBuddha;thoseoftheEastwillbereturnedtothesages;thoseoftheNorthwillbereturnedtoZhenwu;7thoseoftheSouthwill be returned toMars.8 If they are dragon spirits, they will be sent to theLordsofOceans;iftheyareghostsandogres,theywillbesenttoKingYama.Everyclasshasitsproperplaceanddirection,andoldMonkeyisfamiliarwithallofthem.AllIneedtodoistoissueacourtorder,andtheywillbesentoffinahurry.Evenatnight!”The woodcutter could hardly stop his scornful laughter, saying, “Youmad,

impudentmonk!Youmusthavemadeapilgrimage tosomeplaceand learnedsomepaltrymagicofdrawingupcharmsandcastingspellswithwater.Youmaybeabletodriveawaydemonsandsuppressghosts,butyouhaveneverrunintosuch vicious and cruel monsters.” “In what way are they vicious and cruel?”askedPilgrim.Thewoodcuttersaid,“Thelengthofthismountainrangeisaboutsixhundredmiles,andit’scalledtheLevel-TopMountain.InthemountainisacavebythenameofLotus-FlowerCave.Therearetwoolddemonsinthecavewhohadportraitsmadewiththeintenttocatchthepriests,andwhohadnamesandsurnameswrittendownbecause they insistedoneating theTangMonk. Ifyouhavecomefromanotherregion,youmightgetby,butifyouareinanywayassociatedwiththeword‘Tang’you’llneverpasshere.”“WeareexactlythosewhohavecomefromtheTangcourt,”saidPilgrim.Thewoodcuttersaid,“Andtheyspecificallywanttodevouryou.”“Lucky!Lucky!”saidPilgrim.“Howwouldtheyliketoeatus?”“Whydoyou

ask?”saidthewoodcutter.“Iftheywanttoeatmeheadfirst,”saidPilgrim,“it’sstillmanageable,butiftheywanttoeatmefeetfirst,it’llbemorebothersome.”Thewoodcutterasked,“What’sthedifferencebetweeneatingyouheadfirstand

feetfirst?”“Youhaven’texperiencedthis,”repliedPilgrim.“Ifheeatsmeheadfirst,one

bite will kill me, of course. Even if he were to fry, saute, braise, or boil methereafter,Iwouldn’tknowthepain.Butifheeatsmefeetfirst,hecanstartbymunchingonmyshanksandthenproceedtognawonmythighs.Hecandevourmeuptomypelvicbones,andIstillmightnotdieinahurry.WillInotbelefttosufferbitbybit?That’swhyitisbothersome.”“Monk,”saidthewoodcutter,“heisnotgoingtospendallthateffortonyou.

Allhewants is tocatchyouandhaveyouboundina largesteamer.Onceyouarecooked,he’lleatyouwhole!”“That’sevenbetter!That’sevenbetter!”saidPilgrim, chuckling. “There won’t be pain; I have to endure a little stuffiness,that’sall.”“Don’tbesosassy,monk,”saidthewoodcutter,“forthosemonstershavewiththemfivetreasureswhichpossesstremendousmagicpowers.Evenifyouhappentobethejadepillarthatholdsupthesky,orthegoldenbridgethatspanstheocean,ifyouwanttoprotectthepriestoftheTangcourtandpassthisplacesafely,youwillhavetobecomealittlemad.”“Forhowmanytimes?”askedPilgrim.“Atleastthreeorfourtimes,”replied

thewoodcutter.Pilgrimsaid,“That’snothing!Throughoutayear,wemusthavebecomemadforsevenoreighthundredtimes.Thesethreeorfour—what’sthattous?Alittlemadnessandwearethrough.”DearGreatSage!Hewasnotatallafraid.EageronlytoaccompanytheTang

Monk,heabandonedthewoodcutterandreturnedwithbigstridestowherethehorsewasstandingbeforethemountainslope.“Master,it’snothingserious,”hesaid.“Thereareacoupleofpunymonster-spirits,tobesure,butpeoplearoundherearerathertimidandoverlyconcerned.Youhaveme,sowhyworry?Let’sgetgoing!Let’sgetgoing!”Whentheelderheardwhathesaid,hehadnochoicebuttoproceed.Astheywalked,thewoodcuttervanished.Theeldersaid,“Whydid thatwoodcutterwhobrought us themessage disappear all at once?” “Ourluck must be rather poor,” said Eight Rules, “we have met a ghost in broaddaylight.” “Hemust have crawled back into the forest to find firewood,” saidPilgrim.“Letmetakealook.”DearGreatSage!Heopenedwidehisfieryeyesanddiamondpupilstoscan

themountainfarandnear,buttherewasnotraceofthewoodcutter.HeraisedhisheadandsuddenlysawtheDaySentinelontheedgeoftheclouds.Mountingtheclouds, he gave chase immediately, shouting several times, “Clumsy devil!”Whenhecaughtupwith thedeity,hesaid,“Ifyouhadsomething tosay,whydidn’tyoupresentyourselfandspeakplainly?Whydidyouhave toputonallthattransformationtomakefunofoldMonkey?”Thesentinelwassofrightenedthat he bowed before he said, “Great Sage, please do not take offense at my

tardiness inbringingyou thenews.Those fiendsdohavegreatmagicpowers,and they know many ways of transformation. It’s up to you to use all yourcleverness,toexerciseallyourdivineintelligencetoguardyourmastercarefully.Ifyouaretheslightestbitnegligent,youcan’tgetthroughthisroadtoreachtheWesternHeaven.”When Pilgrim heard this, he drove away the sentinel, though thewords he

keptfirmlyinhismind.Loweringthedirectionofhiscloud,hereturnedtothemountain.AshesawtheelderproceedingwithEightRulesandShaMonk,hethought to himself, “If I give an honest account of what the sentinel said toMaster,hewillweepforsure.He’ssoweak!IfIdon’ttellhimthetruth,Icanputsomethingoverhimandleadhimforward.Butastheproverbsays,‘Wadingsuddenlyintoaswamp,youcan’t tell if it’sdeeporshallow.’IfMaster indeedwere to be taken by themonsters,won’t oldMonkey be asked to expend hisenergyagain?LetmetakegoodcareofEightRulesinstead.I’mgoingtomakehimgoandwageabattlewiththosemonstersfirstandseewhathappens;ifhewins,wewillconsiderthattobehismerit.Ifhisabilitiesarenogoodandheiscaughtbythemonsters,therewillstillbetimeforoldMonkeytogorescuehim.Icandisplaymypowersthenandfurtherspreadmyfame.”Usingthemindtoquestionthemind,hewasthusdeliberatingwithhimself:“I

fear that Eight Rules is so lazy that he will refuse to volunteer his service.Master,moreover,issoprotectivetowardhim.I’llhavetousesomegimmick.”DearGreatSage!Lookatthechicaneryhe’sresortingto!Rubbinghiseyesfor

awhile, he managed to squeeze out some tears as he walked back facing hismaster.WhenEightRulessawthat,hecriedoutatonce,“ShaMonk,putdownyourpole.Bringtheluggageoverhereandwetwowilldivideitup.”“SecondElder Brother,” said Sha Monk, “Why divide it up?” “Divide it!” said EightRules. “You can then go back to the River of Flowing Sand and become amonsteragain.OldHogwillreturntotheOldGaoVillagetoseehowmywifeisdoing;wecansellthewhitehorseandbuyacoffinforMasterinpreparationforhis old age. All of us can scatter. Why bother about going to the WesternHeaven?”When the elder heard this on the horse, he said, “This coolie!We are still

journeying.What’sallthisbabble?”“Onlyyoursonbabbles!”saidEightRules.“Don’tyousee thatPilgrimSunisweepingover thereashewalks towardus?He’sastalwartwarriorwho’snotafraidofhackingbytheax,burningbyfire,orevenapotofboilingoil,onewhocanpenetrateHeavenandpierce theEarth.Nowhehasputonacapofsorrowandarrivedgushingtears.Ithastobethatthemountain is rugged, and that themonsters are trulyvicious.How thendoyouexpectweaklings likeus toproceed?”Theeldersaid,“Stopthisnonsense!Let

mequestionhimandseewhathesays.”Hethereforeasked,“Wukong,ifyouhavesomethingtosay,let’sdiscussthe

matterfacetoface.Whyareyousodistressedallbyyourself?Areyoutryingtofrightenmewith that tearful faceofyours?”“Master,”saidPilgrim,“justnowtheonewhobroughtusthemessagehappenedtobetheDaySentinel.Hesaidthat themonster-spiritsweremostvicious,making thisplaceadifficultone topass through. It is indeed a treacherous road through a tall mountain. I don’tthinkwecangothroughitnow;wemayaswellwaitforanothertime.”Whentheelderheardthesewords,hewasgreatlyshaken.TuggingatPilgrim’s tiger-skinkilt,hesaid,“Disciple,wehavecoveredalmosthalfthejourney.Whyareyouspeakingsuchdiscouragingwords?”“I’mnotundevotedtoourcause,”saidPilgrim,“butIfearthatthedemonsare

manyandmystrengthislimitedifIhavenohelp.Asthesayinggoes,‘Evenifit’s a piece of iron in the furnace, howmany nails can you beat out of it?’”“Disciple,” said the elder, “you have a point there. It is difficult for a singleperson to handle this matter, for as the military book says, ‘The few cannotwithstand the many.’ But I have Eight Rules and Sha Monk here, both mydisciples.Ipermityoutocommandandusethemasyouwish,sothattheycanserve as your helpers, someone to protect your flank. Only you should worktogethertoclearupapathandleadmeacrossthismountain.Willwenotthenbeattainingtherightfruit?”AllthatlegerdemainofPilgrim,yousee,wasaimedatelicitingfromtheelder

thesefewwords.Hewipedawayhistears,saying,“Master,ifyouwanttocrossthismountain,ZhuEightRuleshastoagreetodotwothingsforme.Onlythenwillwehaveaboutathirdofachancetogetby.Ifhedoesn’tagreetohelpme,youmight aswell forget about thewholematter.” “ElderBrother,” saidEightRules,“ifwecan’tdoit,let’sscatter.Don’tdragmedown.”“Disciple,”saidtheelder,“let’saskyourElderBrotherfirstandseewhathewantsyoutodo.”IdiotindeedsaidtoPilgrim,“ElderBrother,whatdoyouwantmetodo?”“ThefirstthingistolookafterMaster,”saidPilgrim,“andthesecondistogo

patrolthemountain.”EightRulessaid,“LookingafterMastermeanssittingrighthere,whereas topatrol themountainmeans takingawalksomewhere.Doyouwantmetositawhileandwalkawhile?HowcanIdotwothingsatonce?”“I’mnottellingyoutodotwothingsatonce,”saidPilgrim,“buttoselectone

only.”“That’seasiertodecide,”saidEightRules,chuckling,“butIdon’tknowwhat’s involved in lookingafterMasteror inpatrolling themountain.TellmesomethingofmydutiesandIcanthencarrythemoutaccordingly.”“To look afterMaster,” said Pilgrim, “means that if he wants to move his

bowels,youwaitonhim;ifhewantstojourney,youassisthim;ifhewantsto

eat,yougo tobegforvegetarianfood. Ifhesuffersfromhungerevenslightly,you’llbebeaten; ifhepalesa little,you’llbebeaten; ifhe losessomeweight,you’llbebeaten.”Horrified, Eight Rules said, “This is terribly difficult! Terribly difficult! To

waitonhimortohelphimtowalk—that’snothing,andevenifIhavetocarryhimbodily,it’sstillaneasymatter.Butifhewantstosendmetobegforfood,IfearthattheremightbethoseonthisroadtotheWestwhowon’trecognizethatI’m amonk seeking scriptures. Theymight think that I’m a healthy hog justreachingmaturityand thenhavemesurroundedbymanypeoplewithbrooms,rakes,pitchforks,andall.I’llbetakentotheirhomes,slaughtered,andcuredforthenewyear.Wouldn’tthatbelikemeetingtheplague?”“Thengoandpatrolthemountain,”saidPilgrim.“Whatdoesthatinvolve?”askedEightRules.Pilgrimreplied,“Gointothemountainandfindouthowmanymonstersthere

are,whatkindofmountainthisis,andwhatkindofcavethereis.Wecanthenmakeplanstopassthrough.”“Thisisasmallthing,”saidEightRules.“OldHogwillgopatrolthemountain.”Hitchinguphisgarmentatonce,Idiotheldhighhismuckrakeandstrodeenergeticallyuptheroadleadingintothemountain.AshewatchedEightRulesleave,Pilgrimcouldnotsuppresshisgiggles.“You

impudentape!”scoldedtheelder.“Asabrother,youhaven’tshowntheleastbitof sympathy or kindness.You are constantly envious of one another.With allthatbasecunning,allthose‘cleverwordsandaningratiatingappearance,’9youhavemanaged to trick him already into the so-called patrolling themountain.Nowyouareevenmockinghimwithyourlaugh!”“I’mnotmockinghim,”saidPilgrim,“becausethere’sanothermeaninginmy

laughter. You see that Eight Rules has left, but he will not go to patrol themountain,norwillhedaretofacethemonsters.Hewillgoinsteadsomewheretohide forawhileand thencomeback todeceiveuswithsomestory thathehasmadeup.”“How do you know that about him?” asked the elder. Pilgrim replied, “I

suspect that’showhewillbehave. Ifyoudon’tbelieveme, letme followhimandfindout.Icanalsolendhimsomeassistanceinsubduingthemonsters,andseeatthesametimewhetherheisearnestinseekingtheBuddha.”“Fine!Fine!Fine!”saidtheelder,“butyoumustnotplaytricksonhim.”Pilgrimagreedandranuptheslopeofthemountain.Shakinghisbodyonce,

he changed into a tiny mole cricket, indeed a delicate and lightsometransformation.YouseeThinwingsdanceinthewindwithouteffort;Asmallwaistsharpasapin.

HedartsthroughrushesandthefloralshadesFasterthanevenacomet.Eyesthatareshiningbright;Avoicethat’ssoftandfaint.

Ofinsectshe’soneofthesmallest:Slender,shapely,andsly.Afewtimesherestsidleinthesecludedwoods—Hiswholebodyoutofsight,Losttoathousandeyes.10

Spreadinghiswings,heflewwithabuzzupthere,caughtupwithEightRules,andalightedonhisneckbeneaththebristlesbehindhisear.Idiotwasintentontraveling; how could he know that someone had landed on his body? Afterwalkingforsevenoreightmiles,hedroppedhismuckrake,turnedaround,andfaced the direction of the TangMonk. Gesturing vehemently with hands andfeet,hebegantoletlooseastringofabuses.“Youdodderingoldpriest!”hesaid.“You unscrupulous BanHorsePlague! You sissy Sha Monk! All of you areenjoying yourselves, but you trick oldHog into stumping the road. All of usseekingthescriptureshopetoattaintherightfruit,butyouhavetomakemedothisso-calledpatrollingthemountain.Ha,ha,ha!Iftherearemonstersknowntobeinthisplace,weshouldhavetakencoverandtriedtogetbyundetected.Butthat’snotsufficient foryou;youhave tomakemegofind theminstead!Well,that’syourbadluck!I’mgoingtofindsomeplaceandtakeanap.WhenIamthroughsleeping,I’llgobackandgiveyouavaguestoryabouthavingpatrolledthemountain,andthatwillbethat!”ItwasthegoodfortuneofthemomentforIdiot.Ashewalkedfurtheralong,carryinghismuckrake,hediscoveredaclumpofredgrassinthefoldofthemountain.Hecrawledinsideatonceandusedhismuckrake to create for himself some sort of floor mat. Lying down andstretching himself, he said, “O joy! Even that BanHorsePlague is not ascomfortable as I am now!” But Pilgrim, you see, who had stationed himselfbehindhisear,heardeveryword.Nolongerabletocontainhimself,Pilgrimflewupanddecided tobadgerhima little.Withoneshakeofhisbodyhechangedagainintoasmallwoodpecker.YouseeAfinebillironhardandglossyredAndbright,gleamingpatternedplumage.Owningapairofsteelclawssharpasnails,Famishedhefearsnotquietwoods.

Helovesbestthedriedtrunksworm-rotted;Hecares,too,forthelonelyoldtree.Round-eyed,fan-tailed,he’sveryperky—Hispeckingsoundsareworthhearing!11

Thiscreaturewasneithertoobignortoosmall,weighingperhapsonlyseveral

ounces. Armed with a red bronze-hard bill and black iron claws, he hurtledstraight down from the air. Eight Rules was just sleeping soundly with headupturnedwhen his snout received a terrific bite. So startledwas Idiot that hescamperedupatonce,madlyshouting,“Amonster!Amonster!Hestabbedmewith the lance!Oh,mymouthissore!”Herubbeditwithhishandsandbloodspurtedout.“That’sweird!”hesaid,“I’mnotinvolvedinanyhappyevent.Whyhasmymouthbeenpainted red?”He stared at his bloodyhands,muttering tohimselfconfusedly,buthecouldnotdetecttheleasttraceofmovementaroundhim.He said, “There’s nomonster. Thenwhywas I stabbed by a lance?”Heraised his head to look upward and suddenly discovered a small woodpeckerflyingintheair.Grittinghisteeth,Idiotshouted,“Youwretchedoutcast!Isn’titenough thatBanHorsePlague shouldoppressme?Whymustyou, too, oppressme? Ah, I know! He must not have recognized that I’m a human, thinkinginstead that my snout is a charred, rotted tree trunk with worms inside. He’slooking forworms to eat and that’swhy he givesme a bite. Letme hidemysnoutinmychest.”Tumbling on the ground, Idiot again lay down to sleep. Pilgrim flew down

oncemoreandgavethebaseofhisearanotherbite.Alarmed,Idiotjumpedup,saying, “Thiswretchedoutcast!He’s reallyharassingme!Thismustbewherehis nest is located, and he’s worried that I have taken his eggs or offspring.That’swhyhe’sharassingme.All right!All right!All right! I’mnotgoing tosleepanymore.”Polinghisrake,helefttheredgrassmeadowandstarteduptheroad again. Meanwhile, Pilgrim Sun nearly broke up with amusement, theHandsomeMonkeyKingalmostcollapsedwithlaughter.“Thiscoolie!”hesaid.“Eventhosewideopeneyescouldn’trecognizeoneofhisown!”DearGreatSage!Shakinghisbodyandchangingagainintoamolecricket,he

attachedhimselffirmlytoIdiot’searoncemore.Afterwalkingfourorfivemilesdeepintothemountain,Idiotcameuponinavalleythreesquareslabsofgreenrock,eachaboutthesizeofatable.Puttingdownhisrake,Idiotboweddeeplytotherocks.Laughingsilentlytohimself,Pilgrimsaid,“ThisIdiot!Therocksarenohumans;theyknowneitherhowtotalknorhowtoreturnhisgreeting.Whybowtothem?That’strulyblindhomage!”ButIdiot,yousee,pretendedthattherockswere theTangMonk,ShaMonk,andPilgrim.Facing the threeof them,Idiotwasrehearsingwhathewouldsay.Saidhe,“ThistimewhenIgobacktoseeMaster,I’llsaythattherearemonsters,shouldtheyaskme.Andiftheyaskmewhatkindofmountainthisis,I’llsaythatit’smoldedofclay,madeofmud,wroughtoftin,forgedbycopper,steamedwithflour,plasteredwithpaper,andpaintedwiththebrush.IftheyclaimthatI’mspeakingidioticwords,I’mgoingtosaysomemore.I’llsaythatthisisarockymountain.Iftheyaskmewhatsort

of a cave there is, I’ll say there is a rocky cave. If they askmewhat kind ofdoorsthereare,I’llsaytherearesheet-irondoorsstuddedwithnails.Iftheyaskmehowdeepisthecaveinside,I’llsaythattherearesomethreesectionsinthedwelling. If theypersist in trying to learneverything, suchashowmanynailsthereareonthedoor,I’llonlysaythatoldHogistoopreoccupiedtoremembertheexactnumber.Well,nowthatIhaveeverythingallmadeup,I’mgoingtogoback to hoodwink that BanHorsePlague.” Having fabricated his story, Idiotdragged his rake along to retrace his steps. He did not know, however, thatPilgrimheardeverythingbehindhisear.WhenPilgrimsawhimturningback,hestretchedhiswingsandflewbackfirst,changingbacktohisoriginalformtoseehismaster.“Wukong,soyouhavecomeback,”saidthemaster.“Whydon’tweseeWunengalso?”“He’s just making up some lies,” said Pilgrim, chuckling. “He’ll be here

soon.”Theeldersaid,“Apersonlikehimwhohashiseyescoveredbyhisearshasto

beastupidfellow.Whatsortofliescanhemakeup?It’sgottobesomehum-buggeryofyoursagain,tryingtoputtheblameonhim.”“Master,”saidPilgrim,“youarealwayscoveringuphisfaults.WhatIhaveto

tellyou,however,isbasedonevidence.”Hethereupongaveacompleteaccountof how Idiot crawled into the clump of grass to sleep and was bitten by thewoodpecker,andhowhebowedtotherocksandmadeupthestoryonmonster-spiritsintherockymountain,intherockycavewiththesheet-irondoors.Afterhefinished,Idiotcamewalkingbackinalittlewhile.Ashewasafraidthathemight forget what he had made up, he was still rehearsing with head bowedwhenPilgrimshoutedathim,“Idiot,whatareyoureciting?”Stickinguphisearsso that he could glance around, Eight Rules said, “I’m back at the oldhomestead!” He went forward and knelt down, but the elder raised him up,saying,“Disciple,youmustbetired!”“Yes,”saidEightRules,“thepersonwhowalksorclimbsmountainsistheonemosttired.”“Arethereanymonsters?”askedtheelder.EightRulessaid,“Yes,yes!There

is awhole bunch of them!” “Howdid they treat you?” asked the elder. EightRules said, “They called me Ancestor Hog and Grandfather Hog; they alsopreparedsomevegetarianfoodandsoupnoodlesformetoeat,sayingthattheywouldputonabigparadetotakeusacrossthismountain.”“Couldthisbeyourtalkinginyourdreams,afteryouhavefallenasleepinthegrass?”askedPilgrim.When Idiot heard the question, he was so astounded that he almost lost twoinches of his height, saying, “O Father! How could he know about mysleeping?”Pilgrimwentforwardandcaughtholdofhim,saying,“Youcomeoverhere!

Letmeaskyou!”Idiotbecameevenmorealarmed;tremblingallover,hesaid,“Youcanaskmeanything.Whydoyouhavetograbmelikethat?”“Whatkindof a mountain is there?” asked Pilgrim. Eight Rules said, “It’s a rockymountain.”“Whatkindofacave?”“It’sarockycave,”hesaid.“Whatkindofdoorsarethere?”Pilgrimasked.“Therearesheet-irondoorsstuddedwithnails,”he said. “How deep is the cave inside?” “There are three sections inside,” hesaid.“Noneedforyoutosayanymore,”saidPilgrim.“Icanrememberthelastpartquiteclearly,butbecauseIfearthatMasterstillwon’tbelieveme,I’llsaythat for you.” “You sneak!” said Eight Rules. “You didn’t even go with me!Whatdoyouknowthatyoucansayforme?”“Howmanynailsarethereonthedoors?” said Pilgrim, laughing, “Just say that old Hog is too preoccupied torememberclearly.Isn’tthataboutright?”Idiotwassofrightenedthathefellonhiskneesatonce.Pilgrimsaid,“Youbowedtotherocksandbeganspeakingtothemasiftheywerethethreeofus.Isn’tthatright?Youalsosaid,‘Letmemakeup this story so that I can go hoodwink thatBanHorsePlague.’ Isn’t that rightalso?”“ElderBrother,”saidIdiot,kowtowingunceasingly,“coulditbethatyouaccompaniedmewhenIwenttopatrolthemountain?”“Youoverstuffedcoolie!”scolded Pilgrim. “This is an important area. We asked you to go patrol themountain,andyouwent tosleep instead. If thewoodpeckerhadn’t jabbedyouup,youwouldstillbesleepingthere.Afteryouwereroused,youevenmadeupsuchabiglie.Youcouldcompletelyruinourimportantenterprise,couldn’tyou?Stick out your shanks at once, and you’ll receive five strokes of the rod as akeepsake.”Horrified,EightRulessaid,“Thatfuneralstaffisveryheavy:alittletouchand

myskinwillcollapse,alittlebrushandmytendonswillsnap.Fivestrokesmeancertaindeathforme.”Pilgrimsaid,“Ifyouareafraidofbeingbeaten,whydoyoulie?”“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“it’sjustthisonce.I’llneverdaredothatagain.”“Allright,”saidPilgrim,“I’llgiveyoujustthreestrokesthistime.”“O Father!” said Eight Rules. “I can’t even bear half a stroke!”Without anyalternative,Idiotcaughtholdofthemasterandsaid,“Youmustspeakforme.”Theelder said, “WhenWukong toldme thatyouweremakingup this lie, I

would not believe him. Now that it is really so, you certainly deserve to bebeaten.Butwe are trying to cross thismountain at themoment, andwe needeveryonewecanuse.SoWukong,youmayaswellsparehimnow.Let’scrossthemountainfirst,andthenyoucanbeathim.”Pilgrimsaid,“Theancientssaid,‘Toobeythesentimentsofone’sparentsistoperformagreatfilialact.’IfMastertellsmenottobeatyou,I’llspareyouforthemoment.Youmustgotopatrolthemountainagain.Ifyoustartlyingandbotchthingsuponcemore,I’llnotspareyoufromevenonestroke!”

Idiothadnochoicebut to scamperupand leaveon themain road.Lookathim!Ashewalkedalongthistime,hewashauntedbysuspicion,supposingwitheverystepofthewaythatthetransformedPilgrimwasfollowinghim.Assoonashecameuponanobjector thing,hewould immediately suspect that itwasPilgrim.Afterhehadgoneforaboutsevenoreightmiles,hesawatigerrunningacrosstheslope.Undaunted,helifteduphismuckrakeandsaid,“ElderBrother,didyoucomeagaintolistentomyfibs?ItoldyouIwouldn’tdothatanymore.”Ashewalkedfurther,aviolentmountaingusttoppledadeadtree,whichrolledup tohim.Poundinghischestandstampinghis feet,hecried,“ElderBrother!Whydidyoudothis?ItoldyouIwouldnottrytodeceiveyouanymore.Whydidyouhave tochange intoa tree to strikeatme?”Heproceededstill furtherand saw in the air a white-necked old crow, which squawked several timesoverhead.Hesaidagain,“ElderBrother,aren’tyouashamedofyourself?ItoldyouIwouldn’tlieanymore.Whydidyoustillchangeintoanoldcrow?Areyoutryingtoeavesdroponmeagain?”ButthistimePilgrim,yousee,didnotfollowhim;hewas simply riddenwith suspicionand surmise, andwe shall speaknomoreofhimforthemoment.Wenowtellyouaboutthemountain,whichwasnamedLevel-TopMountain,

inwhichtherewasacavecalledtheLotus-FlowerCave.Thereweretwofiendsinthecave:onehadthenameoftheGreatKingGoldenHornandtheother,theGreatKingSilverHorn.As theysat in thecave thatday,GoldenHornsaid toSilverHorn,“Brother,howlonghas itbeensincewepatrolled themountain?”SilverHornsaid,“It’sbeenhalfamonth.”“Brother,”saidGoldenHorn,“goandpatrolittoday.”SilverHornsaid,“Whytoday?”“Youdon’tknowwhatIheardrecently,”saidGoldenHorn,“thattheTangemperorintheLandoftheEasthadsenthisroyalbrother, theTangMonk, toworshipBuddha in theWest.HehasthreeothercompanionsbythenamesofPilgrimSun,ZhuEightRules,andShaMonk;includingthehorse,therearefiveofthemaltogether.Goseewheretheyareandcapture themforme.”SilverHornsaid,“Ifwewant toeatpeople,wecancatchafewanywhere.Wherecanthesemonksbe?Letthempass.”GoldenHorn said, “You don’t know about this. The year when I left the HeavenlyRegion, Iheardpeople say that theTangMonk is the incarnationof theElderGoldCicada,amanwhohaspracticedreligionfortenexistences,andonewhohasnotallowedanyofhisyangenergy tobedissipated. Ifanyonecanhaveatasteofhis flesh,hisagewillbevastly lengthened.”“Ifeatinghis flesh,”saidSilver Horn, “can lengthen our age and prolong our lives, what need we topractice sedentary meditation, to arrive at certain attainment, to cultivate thedragonandthetiger,ortoachievetheunionofthemaleandthefemale?12Weshouldjusteathim.Letmegoandcatchhimatonce.”

GoldenHornsaid,“Brother,youareratherimpulsive.Let’snothurry.Ifyouwalkoutthisdoorandgrabanymonkthatcomesalong,youwouldbebreakingthe lawunnecessarily ifhewerenot theTangMonk. Istill recallhowtherealTangMonklooks.Let’shaveportraitsmadeofthemasterandhisdisciplesthatyoucantakealongwithyou.Whenyouseesomemonks,youcancheckwhethertheyare the realones.”He thereuponhadportraitsdrawnup,and thenameofeachpersonwaswrittenbesidethepicture.Takingthesketcheswithhim,SilverHornleftthecaveaftercallingupthirtylittlefiendstofollowhimtopatrolthemountain.WenowtellyouaboutEightRules,whosefortunewasabouttotakeaturnfor

theworse.Ashewalkedalong,heranrightintothevariousdemons,whobarredhis way and asked, “Who is he that’s approaching?” Raising his head andpushing his ears aside, Idiot saw that theywere demons and he became quitefrightened.Hesaidtohimself,“IfIsaythatI’mamonkgoingtoseekscriptures,theymaywanttoseizeme.I’dbettersayI’monlyatraveler.”Thelittlefiendsreportedbacktotheirmaster,saying,“GreatKing,it’satraveler.”Amongthosethirty little fiends, therewere somewhodid not recognizeEightRules.Therewere a few, however, who found his face somewhat familiar, and pointing athim, they said, “Great King, this monk looks like the portrait of Zhu EightRules.”Theoldfiendtoldthematoncetohangupthepicturesothattheycouldexamine it more closely. When Eight Rules saw it, he was greatly shaken,mutteringtohimself,“NowonderIfeelsomewhatdispiritedoflate!Theyhavecaughtmy spirit in this portrait!”As the little fiends held up the picturewiththeir spears, Silver Horn pointed with his hand, saying, “This one riding thewhitehorse is theTangMonk,and thisonewithahairy face isPilgrimSun.”Hearingthis,EightRulessaid,“CityGuardian,it’sallrightifI’mnotincluded!I’llpresentyouwiththreehog’sheads,twenty-fourportionsofpurelibation...”Mumblingtohimselfrepeatedly,hekeptmakingallsortsofvows.Thefiend,meanwhile,wentontosay,“ThatlongdarkoneisShaMonk,and

this one having a long snout and huge ears is Zhu Eight Rules.”When Idiotheardwhathesaid,hewassostartledthatheloweredhissnouttowardhischestand tried to conceal it. “Monk, stick out yourmouth,” cried the fiend. “It’s abirthdefect,”saidEightRules.“Ican’tstickitout.”Thefiendtoldtheimpstopullitoutwithhooks,andEightRulesbecamesoalarmedthathestuckouthissnout at once, saying, “It’s nomore than a homely feature!Here it is! If youwanttolookatit,justlook.Whydoyouwanttousehooks?”RecognizingthatitwasEightRules,thefiendtookouthispreciousbladeand

hackedaway.Idiotparried theblowwithhisrake,saying,“Mychild,don’tbebrazen!Watchmy rake!”The fiend saidwith a chuckle, “Thismanbecame a

monkinthemiddleoflife.”“Dearchild!”saidEightRules.“Youdohavesomeintelligence!Howdoyouknowrightaway thatyour fatherbecameamonk inthemiddleoflife?”“Ifyouknowhowtousetherake,”saidthefiend,“youmusthavestolenitafterhoeingthefieldsorgardensofsomehousehold.”EightRulessaid,“Mychild,youwon’trecognizetherakeofyourfather,foritisnotlikeanyordinaryrakeforhoeingtheground.WehavehereHugeteethmadeintheshapeofdragonclaws,Adornedwithgoldandlikeatigerformed.Whenusedinbattleitdrawsdowncoldwind;Whenbroughttocombatitemitsbrightflames.ItcanforTangMonkallbarriersremove,CatchallmonstersonthisroadtotheWest.Whenit’swielded,mistshidethesunandmoon;Whenit’sheldhigh,cloudsmakedimthepolestars.ItknocksdownMountTaiandtigerspanic;Ito’erturnsoceansanddragonscower.Thoughyou,monster,mayhavemanyskills,Onerakewillninebloodyholesproduce!”

Thefiendheard thewords,buthewasnot ready tostepaside.Wieldinghissword of seven stars,13 he charged Eight Rules and they closed in again andagaininthemountain.Evenaftersometwentyrounds,neitherappearedtobethestrongerone.Growingmoreandmorefierce,EightRulesbegantofightasifhehad no regard whatever for his life. When the fiend saw how his opponentflappedhishugeearsandspatoutsaliva,whoopingandyellingallthetime,hebecamesomewhatfrightened.Hethereforeturnedaroundtocallupallhislittlefiends to do battle. Now, if it were a one-to-one combat, it would have beenmanageableforEightRules.Butwhenhesawallthoselittlefiendsapproaching,hepanickedandturnedtoflee.Theroad,however,wasnotverysmoothandheimmediately trippedover somevines anddried creepers along theway.Ashewasstrugglingtorun,oneofthelittlefiendsmadeaflyingtackleathislegs,andhehit thegroundheadfirst likeadogeatingshit!Theothersswarmedalloverhim,pressinghimontheground,pullingathismaneandhisears,grabbinghislegs,and tuggingathis tail.Theyhoistedhimupbodily to return to thecave.Alas!ThusitisthatAwholebodyburstingwithdemonsishardtodestroy;Tenthousandillsarise,theyaretoughtoremove.

WedonotknowwhathappenstothelifeofZhuEightRules;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

THIRTY-THREE

HeresydeludestheTrueNature;PrimalSpirithelpstheNativeMind.

We were telling you about that fiend who hauled Eight Rules into the cave,crying,“ElderBrother,wecaughtone!”Delighted, theolddemonsaid,“Bringhimhereforalook.”“Isn’tthistheone?”saidtheseconddemon.“Brother,”saidtheolddemon,“youcaughtthewrongone.Thismonkisuseless.”EightRulesatoncejumpedatthisopportunityandsaid,“GreatKing,pleasereleaseauselessmonk and let him go. It’s a crime!” “Elder Brother,” said the second demon,“don’treleasehim.Evenifhe’suseless,heispartoftheTangMonk’scompany,and he’s calledZhuEightRules.Let’s soak him thoroughly in the purewaterpool in theback;whenthebristlesarepluckedandthehideispeeledafter thesoaking,wecanpicklehimwithsaltandsunhimdry.He’llbeagoodappetizerwith wine on a cloudy day.” When Eight Rules heard these words, he said,“Whatrottenluck!I’vemetupwithamonsterwhotrafficsinpickledfood!”ThelittlefiendshauledEightRulesinsideandthrewhimintothewater,andweshallspeakofhimnofurther.We tell you now about Tripitaka sitting before the slope; his ears became

flushed and his heart began to pound. Growing very restless, he called out,“Wukong,why is it thatWunenghas takenso long topatrol themountain thistimeandhasn’treturned?”Pilgrimsaid,“Masterstilldoesn’tknowanythingofhow his mind works!” “How does it work?” asked Tripitaka. “Master,” saidPilgrim,“ifthismountaintrulyhasmonsters,hewillfinditdifficulttoadvanceeven half a step. Instead, he will run back to report to us with all sorts ofexaggerations.Isuppose,however,thattherearenomonsters,andhemusthavegone aheaddirectlywhenhe found the roadquiet and safe.” “If he really hasgone ahead,” said Tripitaka, “where shall we meet him? This a wild,mountainous region, not like somewhere in a village or town.” Pilgrim said,“Don’tworry,Master, pleasemount up. That Idiot is rather lazy, andwithoutdoubthemovesveryslowly.Urgeyourhorsealittleandwe’llcertainlycatchupwith him to proceed together again.” The TangMonk indeed climbed on hishorse;asShaMonkpoledtheluggage,Pilgrimledthewayinfronttoascendthemountain.Wetellyounowinsteadabouttheoldfiend,whosaidtotheseconddemon,

“Brother, if you have caught Eight Rules, theremust also be the TangMonk

somewhere.Goandpatrolthemountainagain,andmakecertainthatyoudon’tmisshim.”“Atonce!Atonce!”saidtheseconddemon,whoimmediatelycalledupsomefiftylittlefiendstogopatrolthemountainwithhim.Astheyjourneyed,theysawauspiciouscloudsandluminousethercircling.Theseconddemonsaid,“Here comes theTangMonk!” “Where is he?” asked the various little fiends.Theseconddemonsaid,“Auspiciouscloudswillalightontheheadofavirtuousman,whereastheblacketheremittedfromtheheadofawickedmanwillriseuptothesky.ThatTangMonkisactuallytheincarnationoftheElderGoldCicada,avirtuousmanwhohaspracticedausteritiesfortenexistences.That’swhyheisencircled by these auspicious clouds.” Those little fiends, however, still couldnotperceivewhere themonkwas.Pointingwithhis finger, the seconddemonsaid, “Isn’t that he?” Immediately,Tripitaka on the horse shuddered violently;thedemonpointedagain,andTripitakashudderedoncemore.Thiswentonforthree times, and Tripitaka grew very anxious, saying, “Disciples, why am Ishudderinglikethis?”“Youmusthaveanupsetstomach,”saidShaMonk,“andthat’swhyyouare

feelingthechill.”“Nonsense!”saidPilgrim.“Goingthroughthistallmountainandruggedcliff

musthavemadeMasterratherapprehensive,that’sall.Don’tbeafraid!Don’tbeafraid!LetoldMonkeyputonashowforyouwithmyrodtocalmyourfearssomewhat.” Dear Pilgrim! Whipping out his rod, he began to go through asequenceofmaneuverswiththerodashewalkedbeforethehorse:upanddown,left and right, the thrusts and parries were made in perfect accord with themanuals of martial arts. What the elder saw from the horse was a sightincomparableanywhereintheworld!AsPilgrimledthewaytowardtheWest, themonster,whowaswatchingon

top of the mountain, almost fell over with fear. Scared out of his wits, themonsterblurtedout,“IhaveheardaboutPilgrimSunforseveralyears,buttodayI know that this is no false rumor.”Drawing closer to him, thevarious fiendssaid,“GreatKing,whydoyou‘magnifythedeterminationofotherstodiminishyour own authority’? Of whom are you boasting?” “Pilgrim Sun,” said theseconddemon,“trulypossessesvastmagicalpowers.Wewon’tbeabletoeattheTangMonk.”“GreatKing,”saidthefiends,“ifyoudon’thavetheabilities,letafew of us go and report to theGreat, Great King. Ask him to call up all thefighters,youngandold,ofourcave,andwewillall jointoformasolidbattlefront.Youfearthathe’llbeabletoescapethen?”“Can’tyouallseethatironrodof his?” asked the second demon. “It’s powerful enough to vanquish tenthousandfoes.Wehavebutfourorfivehundredsoldiers in thecave,andtheywon’tbeabletotakeevenasinglestrokeofhisrod!”

Thefiendssaid,“Ifyouputitthatway,theTangMonkcertainlywillnotbeour food.Doesn’t thatmean thatwehavealsomadeamistake in seizingZhuEightRules?Let’sreturnhimtothemonks.”“Wehaven’tquitemadeamistake,”said theseconddemon,“norshouldwe

sendhimbacksoeasily.Intheend,wearedeterminedtodevourtheTangMonk,butwecan’tdoitjustyet.”“Ifyouputitthatway,”saidthefiends,“shouldwewaitforafewmoreyears?”Theseconddemonsaid,“Noneedforafewmoreyears.IperceivenowthatthatTangMonkmustbesoughtforwithvirtueandnotbetakenbyviolence.Ifwewanttouseforcetocatchhim,wewon’tbeabletogetevenawhiffofhim.Theonlywaywecanmovehimis tofeignvirtue,sothathismindwillbemadetofusewithourminds, intheprocessofwhichweshallplotagainsthim,exploitingtheveryvirtueofhis.”Thefiendssaid,“IftheGreatKingwantstodeviseaplantocatchhim,willyouwanttouseus?”“Eachof you may return to our camp,” said the second demon, “but you are notpermittedtoreportthistotheGreatKing.Ifyoudisturbhimandleakthenews,myplanmayberuined.Ihavemyownpoweroftransformation,andIcancatchhim.”Thevariousmonstersdispersed;thedemonbyhimselfleapeddownfromthe

mountain.Shakinghisbodybytheroad,hechangedintoanagedDaoist.“Howwashedressed?”youask.YouseeAshiningstar-patternedcap,Andtousledwhitishhair;Afeatheredgownwrappedinsilksash,Andsandalstiedwithyellowcoir;Nicefeaturesandbrighteyeslikeamandivine,Alight,healthybodyastheAgeStar’s.WhyspeakoftheBlueBuffaloDaoist?1

He’sasstrongasWhiteTabletMaster2—Aspeciousformdisguisedasthetrueform,Falsehoodfeigningtobethehonesttruth!

Bythesideofthemainroad,hemasqueradedhimselfasaDaoistwithabloody,brokenleg,whimperingconstantlyandcrying,“Saveme!Saveme!”Wewere telling you about Tripitaka,who, relying on the strength ofGreat

SageSun andShaMonk,was proceedinghappilywhen theyheard repeatedlythe cry, “Master, saveme!”When this reached the ears of Tripitaka, he said,“My goodness!My goodness! There is all around not a single village in thewilderness of this mountain. Who could it be that’s calling? It must be, Isuppose,someoneterrifiedbythetigerortheleopard.”Reininginhisfinehorse,the elder called out, “Who is the person facing this ordeal? Please showyourself.”Thefiendcrawledoutofthebushesandatoncebangedhisheadon

thegroundwithoutceasing,facingtheelder’shorse.WhenTripitakasawthatitwasaDaoist,andanelderlyoneat that,he felt sorry forhim.Dismountingatonce,hetriedtotakeholdofhimwithhishands,saying,“Pleasegetup!Pleasegetup!”Thefiendsaid,“Ithurts!Ithurts!”WhenTripitakareleasedhishold,hediscovered that the man’s leg was bleeding. “O Master,” said the startledTripitaka,“wheredidyoucomefrom?Howisitthatyourlegiswounded?”With clever speech and specious tongue, the fiend answered falsely, saying,

“Master,westofthismountainisacleanandsecludedtemple,ofwhichIamaDaoist.” Tripitaka said, “Why are you not tending the incense and fires orrehearsing the scriptures and the rituals in the temple?Why are you walkingaroundhere?”“Apatronatthesouthernpartofthismountain,”saidthedemon,“invited theDaoists topray to thestarsanddistribute theblessingsdaybeforeyesterday.LastnightmydiscipleandIwerewalkinghomewhenweranintoaferociousstripedtigerinadeepcanyon.Itseizedmydiscipleanddraggedhimawayin itsmouth,whileyour terrifiedDaoist,madlyattempting toflee,brokehislegwhenhefellonapileofrocks.Icouldn’tevenfindmywayback.Butitmust be a greatHeavenly affinity that causedme tomeetMaster today, and Ibeseechyouinyourgreatcompassiontosavemylife.WhenIgettoourtemple,I will repay your profound kindness even if it means selling myself intoslavery!”WhenTripitakaheardthesewords,hethoughttheywerethetruthandsaidto

him,“OMaster,wetwobelongtothesamecalling—I’mamonkandyou’reaDaoist.Thoughourattiremaydiffer,theprinciplesincultivation,inthepracticeof austerities, are the same. If I don’t save you, I shouldn’t be ranked amongthosewhohaveleft thefamily.But thoughI intendtosaveyou,Iseethatyoucan’twalk.”“Ican’tevenstandup,”saidthefiend,“sohowcanIwalk?”“Allright,all right!”saidTripitaka.“Icanstillwalk. I’ll letyou takemyhorse forthisdistance.Whenyougettoyourtemple,youcanreturnthehorsetome.”Thefiendsaid,“Master,I’mgratefulforyourprofoundkindness,butmyinnerthighishurt.Ican’tride.”Tripitakasaid,“Isee,”andhesaidtoShaMonk,“Puttheluggageonmyhorse,andyoucarryhim.”“I’llcarryhim,”saidShaMonk.Stealing a quick glance at ShaMonk, the fiend said, “OMaster, I was so

terrifiedby that ferocious tiger.Now that I see this priestwith such agloomycomplexion,I’mevenmorefrightened.Idarenotlethimcarryme.”“Wukong,”saidTripitaka,“youcarryhimthen.”Pilgrimimmediatelyanswered,“I’llcarryhim.I’llcarryhim.”Havingmadecertain that itwasPilgrimwhowouldcarryhim, the monster became very amiable and did not speak anymore. “YoucockeyedoldDaoist!”saidShaMonk,laughing.“Youdon’tthinkit’sgoodforme tocarryyou,andyouwanthim instead.Whenhe isoutofMaster’s sight,

he’llsmashevenyourtendonsonasharp,pointedrock!”Pilgrim,meanwhile,hadagreed toput themonsteronhisback,buthesaid,

chuckling,“Youbrazendemon,howdareyoucometoprovokeme!YoushouldhavemadesomeinquiryonhowmanyyearsoldMonkeyhasbeenaround!YourfibcandeceivetheTangMonk,butdoyoureallythinkyoucouldfoolme?Icantellthatyouareafiendofthismountainwhowantstoeatmymaster,Isuppose.Butismymasteranordinaryperson,someoneforyoutoeat?Andevenifyouwanttodevourhim,youshouldatleasthavegivenalargerhalftooldMonkey!”WhenthedemonheardPilgrimmutteringlikethis,hesaid,“Master,Iamthe

descendantofagoodfamilywhohasbecomeaDaoist.It’smymisfortunethisdaytohavemetthisadversityofthetiger.I’mnomonster.”“Ifyoufearthetigerandthewolf,”saidPilgrim,“whydon’tyourecitetheScriptureoftheNorthernDipper?”3WhenTripitakaheardthesewordsjustashewasmounting,hechided,“Thiswantonape!‘Savingonelifeisbetterthanerectingaseven-tieredpagoda.’Isn’t it enough that you carry him?Why speakof theClassic of theNorthernDipperortheClassicoftheSouthernDipper?”WhenPilgrimheardhim,hesaid,“Luckyforthisfellow!Mymasterhappens

tobesomeonewhoisinclinedtowardcompassionandvirtue,butalsosomeonewhoprefers external appearancemore than inward excellence. If I don’t carryyou,he’llblameme, so I’llcarryyou,all right.But Ihave tomake itclear toyou:ifyouwanttopissorshit,tellmefirst.Forifyoupouritdownmyback,Ican’t take thestink,and there isnoonearound towashandstarchmyclotheswhen they are soiled.” “Look at my age,” said the fiend, “you think I don’tunderstandwhatyousaid?”OnlythendidPilgrimpullhimupandputhimonhisbackbeforesettingoutonthemainroadtotheWestwiththeelderandShaMonk.Whentheyreachedaspotinthemountainwheretheroadbecamebumpy,weavingupanddown,Pilgrimtookcaretowalkmoreslowly,allowingtheTangMonktoproceedfirst.Beforetheyhadgonefourorfivemiles,themasterandShaMonkdescendedintoafoldofthemountainandbecamecompletelyoutofsight.More andmore annoyed, Pilgrim thought to himself, “Master is such afooleventhoughhe’sagrownman!Travelingthisgreatdistance,onegetswearyevenifonewereempty-handed—andhetellsmeinsteadtocarrythismonster!IwishIcouldthrowhimoff!Let’snotsayhe’samonster;evenifhewereagoodman,heshoulddiewithoutregretforhavinglivedsolong.Imightaswelldashhimtothegroundandkillhim.Whycarryhimanyfurther?”As theGreat Sagewas about to do this, themonster knew instantly of his

plan.Knowinghowtosummonmountains,heresortedtothemagicofMovingMountainsandPouringoutOceans.OnPilgrim’sbackhemadethemagicsignwithhis fingers and recited a spell, sending theSumeruMountain intomidair

andcausingit todescenddirectlyonPilgrim’shead.Alittlestartled, theGreatSage bent his head to one side and themountain landed on his left shoulder.Laughing,he said, “Mychild,what sortofpress-bodymagic areyouusing topindownoldMonkey?Thisisallright,butalopsidedpoleisratherdifficulttocarry.”Thedemonsaidtohimself,“Onemountaincan’tholdhimdown.”Herecited

aspelloncemoreandsummonedtheEmeiMountain4intotheair.Pilgrimagainturned his head and themountain landed on his right shoulder. Look at him!Carryingtwomountains,hebegantogivechasetohismasterwiththespeedofameteor!Thesightofhimcausedtheolddemontoperspireallover,mutteringtohimself,“Hetrulyknowshowtopolemountains!”Exertinghisspiritevenmore,herecitedanotherspellandsentuptheTaiMountaintopressdownonPilgrim’shead.With thismagic of theTaiMountainPressing theHead, theGreat Sagewasoverpoweredashisstrengthebbedandhistendonsturnednumb;theweightwassogreatthatthespiritsoftheThreeWorms5 insidehisbodyexplodedandbloodspoutedfromhissevenapertures.6Dearmonster!AfterheusedhismagicpowertopindownPilgrim,hehimself

mountedquicklyagustofviolentwindtocatchupwiththeTangMonk.Fromtheedgeoftheclouds,hestretcheddownhishandtotrytoseizetheriderofthehorse.ShaMonkwas so startled thathe threwaway the luggageandwhippedouthisfiend-routingstafftoblocktheattempt.Wieldingtheswordofthesevenstars,thedemonmethimheadonanditwassomebattle!Theswordofsevenstars,Thefiend-routingstaff,Allflashedgoldenbeamsaslightningbright.Thisone,eyesglowering,seemedtheblackgodofdeath;Thatone,iron-faced,wasthetrueCurtain-RaisingCaptain.Thefiendbeforethemountainshowedhispower,SolelybentoncatchingTripitakaTang.Thisman,earnestlyguardingthetruemonk,Wouldnotletgoe’enatthethreatofdeath.ThetwobelchedfogandcloudtoreachHeaven’sPalace;Theysprayeddirtanddusttocoverthestars.Theyfoughttilltheredsungrewdimandlostitslight—Thegreatearth,thecosmos,turnedduskyall.Backandforththeyscuffledforeight,ninerounds:’TwasquickdefeatforwhichShaMonkwasbound!

Thedemonwasexceedinglyferocious;thethrustsandslashesofhisswordfellon his opponent like meteor showers. Growing weaker by the moment, ShaMonkcouldnolongerwithstandhimandturnedtoflee,whenthepreciousstaffwasforcedasideandhewasseizedbyahugehand.WedgingShaMonkbeneath

hisleftarm,thedemondraggedTripitakaoffthehorsewithhisrighthand;withthetipofhisfeethookedontotheluggageandhismouthtuggingatthemaneofthe horse, he used the magic of removal and brought them all to the Lotus-FlowerCaveinagustofwind.Shoutingatthetopofhisvoice,hecried,“ElderBrother,allthemonksarecaughtandbroughthere!”Whentheolddemonheardthesewords,hewasverypleased,saying,“Bring

them here forme to have a look.” “Aren’t these the ones?” asked the seconddemon. “Worthy brother,” said the old demon, “you caught the wrong onesagain.”“ButyoutoldmetocatchtheTangMonk,”saidtheseconddemon.Theold demon said, “Itwas theTangMonk, all right, but you did notmanage tocatch the able Pilgrim Sun.We have to catch him first before we can enjoyeatingtheTangMonk.Ifwehaven’tcaughthim,besurenottotouchanyofhiscompanions. ThatMonkey King, you see, has vast magic powers and knowsmanyways of transformation. Ifwe devour hismaster, you think he’ll acceptthat?Hewillcertainlycometoquarrelwithusatourdoorandwewillneverbeabletoliveinpeace.”“ElderBrother,”saidtheseconddemonwithalaugh,“youknowonlyhowtoexaltothers!Accordingtoyourwords,thatmonkeyisuniqueonEarth,andrareeven inHeaven.Butas I seehim,he’sso-soonly,withnotmanyabilities.”“Youcaughthim,then?”askedtheolddemon.“HehasalreadybeenpinneddownbythreelargemountainsthatIsummoned,”saidtheseconddemon,“andhecan’tmoveevenaninch.That’showImanagedtotransporttheTangMonk,ShaMonk,thewhitehorse,andeventheluggagebackhere.”Whentheolddemonheardthesewords,hewasfilledwithdelight,saying,“Whatluck!Whatluck!OnlyafterwehavecaughtthisfellowcantheTangMonkbefoodinourmouths.”Hethereuponsaidtothelittlefiends,“Preparesomewineatonce.Let’spresenttoourSecondGreatKingthegobletofmerit.”Theseconddemonsaid,“ElderBrother,let’snotdrinkwineyet.Let’sorderthelittleonestoscoopZhuEightRulesoutofthewaterandhanghimup.”EightRuleswasthushungupintheeastsideofthecave,ShaMonkinthewestside,andtheTangMonkinthe middle. The white horse was placed in a stable while the luggage wasbroughtinsidethecave.Smiling, theolddemon said, “WorthyBrother,whatmarvelous ability!You

wentouttwiceandyoucaughtthreemonks.ThoughPilgrimSun,however,hasbeenpressedbeneath themountains,wemust findaway tobringhimheresothat he can be steamed togetherwith the others.”The second demon said, “IfElderBrotherwantstobringPilgrimSunhere,there’snoneedforustomove.Please take a seat.We need only order two littlemonsters to put him in twotreasuresofoursandbringhimhere.”“Whichtreasuresshouldtheytakealongwiththem?”askedtheolddemon.Theseconddemonsaid,“Takemyredgourd

ofpurplegoldandyourpuremutton-jadevase.”Bringingoutthetreasures,theolddemonsaid,“Whomshouldwesend?”Theseconddemonsaid,“Let’ssendSlyDevilandWilyWorm,thetwoofthem.”Hethengavetheinstructionstothetwo,saying,“Takethesetreasuresandgo

tothetallestpeakofthethreemountains.Turnoneofthemupsidedownsothatits mouth will face the ground and its bottom, the sky. Call out the name,‘PilgrimSun,’andifheanswers,hewillbesuckedimmediatelyinside.Youwillthensealthecontainerwiththetapebearingthewords,‘MayLaoziActQuicklyAccording to This Command.’7 In one and three-quarter hours, he will bereducedtopus.”ThetwolittlefiendskowtowedbeforetheylefttofetchPilgrim,andweshallspeaknomoreofthemforthemoment.We tell you now about the Great Sage, who was pressed beneath the

mountainsbythemagicofthedemon.Suffering,hethoughtofTripitaka;Inadversity,herecalledtheholymonk.

He cried outwith a loud voice, “OMaster! I remember howyouwent to theMountainofTwoFrontierstoliftupthetapethathadmepresseddown,anditwas then that old Monkey escaped his great ordeal to embrace the vow ofcompletepoverty.ThankstotheBodhisattva,Iwasgiventhedharmadecreesothat you and I could stay together and practice religion together, so that wewouldbebroughtunderthesameaffinityandattainthesameenlightenmentandknowledge.HowshouldIexpectthatwewouldrunintosuchademonicobstaclehere,andthatIwouldbepinneddownagainbyhismountains.Opityitall!Youmaybefatedtodie,butpityShaMonk,EightRules,andthelittledragonwhotookallthattroubleofchangingintoahorse.Trulyasthesayinggoes,Atalltreebeckonsthewind,thewindwillrockthetree;Amanlivesforhisname,hisnamewillwrecktheman.”

Whenhefinishedthislamentation,tearsraineddownhischeeks.All that noise, however, immediately disturbed themountain god, the local

spirit,andtheGuardiansofFiveQuarters,whocametogetherwiththeGolden-HeadedGuardian.Thelastonesaid,“Whosemountainsarethese?”“Ours,”saidthelocalspirit.“Doyouknowwhoitisthatyouhavepinneddownbeneaththemountains?”“No,wedon’t,”saidthelocalspirit.“So,youdon’tknow,”saidtheGuardian,“buthehappens tobe theGreatSage,Equal toHeaven, thePilgrimSunWukongwhocausedtremendousdisturbanceinHeavenfivehundredyearsago. Now he has embraced the right fruit to follow the Tang Monk as hisdisciple.Howcouldyoupermitthedemontoborrowthesemountainstopinhimdown?You are as good as dead! If he ever finds release and comes out, you

thinkhe’llspareyou?Even ifhe letsyouallgo lightly, the localspiritwillbedemoted toanattendant inapost-house, themountaingodwillbebanished tomilitaryservice,andevenwewillbeplacedundera terribleobligation.”Onlythendidthemountaingodandthelocalspiritbecomefrightened;theysaid,“Wereallydidn’tknow.Allweheardwasthespellformovingmountainsrecitedbythedemonandwe transferred themountainshere.Howcouldweknow that itwastheGreatSageSun?”TheGuardian said, “Don’tbeafraidnow.TheLawsays, ‘The ignorantwill

not be held culpable.’ You and I can discuss thematter and see howwe canreleasehimwithoutmakinghimbeatus.”“Thisisbecomingratherridiculous,”said the local spirit. “Willhebeatus evenafterwehave releasedhim?”“Youhavenoidea,”saidtheGuardian,“thathepossessesacompliantgolden-hoopedrod,amostpowerfulweaponindeed.Onestrokeofitmeansdeath;onetouch,abad wound! A small tap and the tendons snap, a tiny brush and the skincollapses!”Growingmoreandmorealarmed,themountaingodandthelocalspirithada

discussionwiththeGuardiansofFiveQuartersbeforewalkinguptothefrontofthethreemountainsandcrying,“GreatSage,themountaingod,thelocalspirit,and the Guardians of Five Quarters have come to see you.” Dear Pilgrim!Though he might be like a lean tiger at the moment, his prowess remained.When he heard the announcement, he replied at once resolutely in a ringingvoice,“Whydoyouwanttoseeme?”Thelocalspiritsaid,“AllowmetoreportthistotheGreatSage.IaskyourpermissiontomovethemountainsawaysothattheGreatSagemightcomeoutandpardonthecrimeofdisrespectunknowinglycommitted by this humble deity.” Pilgrim said, “Move themountains away. Iwon’t hit you.” When he said this, it was as if an official pardon had beenannounced!Thevariousgodsbeganrecitingtheirspellsandthemountainsweresentbacktotheiroriginallocations.Once released,Pilgrim leapedup; shakingoff thedirt and tighteninguphis

skirt,hewhippedouthisrodfrombehindhisearandsaidtothemountaingodandthelocalspirit:“Stickoutyourshanks.EachofyouwillreceivetwostrokessothatoldMonkeymayfindsomereliefforhismisery!”Terrified,thetwogodssaid,“JustnowtheGreatSagepromised topardonus.Howcouldyouchangeyourword,nowthatyouhavecomeout,andwanttohitus?”“Dearlocalspirit!Dearmountaingod!”saidPilgrim.“YouarenotafraidofoldMonkey,youareafraidofthemonstersinstead!”Thelocalspiritsaid,“Thosedemonshavevastmagicalpowers.Withtheirincantationsandspells,theywouldsummonusintotheircaveandwewouldhavetotaketurnstobeonduty.”When Pilgrim heard these twowords “on duty,” he, too,was quite shaken.

Lifting his head to face the sky, he cried in a loud voice, “OAzureHeaven!SincethedivisionofchaosandthecreationofHeavenandEarth,andsincetheFlower-Fruit Mountain gave birth to me, I did search all around for theenlightenedteachertotransmittomethesecretformulaforlongevity.Thinkofit, I can changewith thewind, tame the tiger, and subdue the dragon; I evencaused great disturbance in the Celestial Palace and acquired the nameGreatSage.ButIneverdaredtobesoinsolentastoorderamountaingodoralocalspirit around. These demons today are truly lawless! How could they be soarrogantastomakethemountaingodandthelocalspirittheirservants,forcingthem to take turns to be on duty? O Heaven, if you had given birth to oldMonkey,whydidyougivebirthtothesecreaturesalso?”8As theGreat Sagewas thus sighing, he saw in the distance beams of light

risingfromamountainvalley.“Mountaingod,localspirit,”saidPilgrim,“sinceyou have been on duty in the cave, you must know what objects are thoseemitting the light.” “Theymust be the luminescent treasures of the demons,”said the local spirit. “Some monster spirits, I suppose, are coming with thetreasurestosubdueyou.”Pilgrimsaid,“Thisisalotmorefun!Letmeaskyouquickly, who would socialize with them in the cave?” The local spirit said,“Those they love are are personswho heat the cinnabar and refine the herbs;thosewhomtheydelightinaretheQuanzhenDaoists.”“NowonderhechangedintoanoldDaoisttoluremymasteraway,”saidPilgrim.“Sincethisisthecase,yourbeatingwillbedeferred for themoment.Youmay leave, letoldMonkeyhimselfcatchthem.”Thevariousdeitiesroseintotheairandleft.ThisGreatSage shookhisbodyonceandchanged intoanoldadept. “How

washedressed?”youask.Hisheadhadtwobunsofhair;Heworeaclericalrobe;Hishandstruckabamboofish;9

AMasterLü10sashcircledhiswaist.Recliningbythemainroad,Hewaitedforthelittlefiends.Inawhilethefiendsarrived;TheApeKingreleasedhistricks.

Innotimeatall,thetwolittlefiendscamebeforehimandPilgrimstuckouthisgolden-hoopedrod.Unpreparedforthis,oneofthelittlefiendstrippedonitandfell; only when he scrambled up did he see Pilgrim. “Villainy! Villainy!” hebegantocry.“IfourGreatKingsdidn’thaveaspecialfondnessforyourkindofpeople, Iwould scrapwithyou.” “What’s there to scrap about?” saidPilgrim,smiling amiably. “ADaoistmeeting aDaoist,we are all in the same family!”“Whydidyouliehere,”saidthefiend,“andcausemetostumble?”Pilgrimsaid,

“ADaoistyouthlikeyou,whenyourunintoanagedDaoistlikeme,musttakeafall—it’sasortofsubstituteforpresentinganintroductorygift.”Thefiendsaid,“OurGreatKingsonlydemandafewouncesofsilverasintroductorygifts.Whydo you insist on someone taking a fall? This must be the custom of anotherregion,andyoucan’tpossiblybeaDaoistfromaroundhere.”“Indeed,I’mnot,”saidPilgrim,“forIcamefromPenglaiMountain.”Thefiendsaid,“ButPenglaiisanislandintheterritoryofimmortals.”“IfI’mnotanimmortal,”saidPilgrim,“who’s an immortal?” Turning all at once from anger to delight, the fiendapproachedhimandsaid,“OldImmortal,OldImmortal!Weareoffleshlyeyesand mortal stock, and that’s why we can’t recognize you. Our words haveoffendedyou.Pleasepardonus.”“Iwon’tblameyou,”saidPilgrim,“forasthesayinggoes,‘Theimmortalframedoesnottreadongroundprofane.’Howcouldyouknow?ThereasonwhyIhavelandedonyourmountaintodayisthatIwanttoenlightenagoodmantobecomeanimmortal,tounderstandtheDao.Whichofyouiswillingtofollowme?”SlyDevilsaid,“Master,I’llfollowyou,”whileWilyWormalsosaid,“Master,I’llfollowyou.”Thoughheknew the reason already,Pilgrimnonetheless asked, “Wheredid

youtwocomefrom?”“FromtheLotus-FlowerCave,”saidoneofthefiends.“Whereareyougoing?”“Our Great Kings have ordered us,” said the fiend, “to go capture Pilgrim

Sun.” “To capturewhom?” asked Pilgrim. “To capture Pilgrim Sun,” said thefiendagain.Pilgrimsaid,“CoulditbePilgrimSun,theonewho’sfollowingtheTangMonk to seek scriptures?” “Exactly, exactly,” said the fiend. “Youknowhimtoo?”“Thatmonkeyisratherrude,”saidPilgrim.“Iknowhimallright,andIama

littlemadathim.I’llgowithyoutocapturehim;we’llconsiderthismyassistingyouinmakingmerit.”“Master,”said the fiend,“noneedforyou toassistus inmakingmerit.Our

SecondGreat King has considerablemagic powers: he summoned three hugemountainsandhadthatmonkeypinneddown,unabletomoveevenaninch.Hethentoldustocomewithtreasurestostorehimup.”“Whatkindoftreasures?”askedPilgrim.SlyDevilsaid,“Mineisaredgourd,

while his is a pure jade vase.” “How do you plan to store him up?” askedPilgrim.Thelittlefiendreplied,“Turnmytreasureupsidedownsothatitsmouthwill face the earth and its bottom the sky. I’ll then call him once, and if heanswersme,hewillatoncebesuckedinside.Iwillthensealthetreasurewithatapebearingthewords,‘MayLaoziActQuicklyAccordingtoThisCommand.’Inoneandthree-quarterhours,hewillbereducedtopus.”When Pilgrim heard that, he said to himself in secret alarm, “Formidable!

Formidable!Previously theDaySentinel said that theyhad five treasures, andthesemustbetwoofthem.Iwonderwhatsortofthingsaretheotherthree?”Hesmiledandsaidtothetwoofthem,“Couldyoutwopermitmetohavealookatthe treasures?” Completely unsuspecting, the little fiends took out from theirsleevesatoncethetwotreasuresandpresentedthemtoPilgrimwithtwohands.When Pilgrim saw them, he was delighted, saying to himself, “Marvelousthings!Marvelousthings!Icouldwagmytailonceandleapclearofthisplace,makingoffwiththetreasuresasiftheyhadbeenpresentedtomeasgifts.”Hethen thought tohimself, “It’snogood! I can rob themof these things,butoldMonkey’s reputationwillbe ruined.This isnothingbutcommittingrobbery inbroaddaylight.”Hethereforereturnedthetreasuresto thefiends,saying,“Youhaven’t seenmy treasure yet.”One of the fiends said, “What kind of treasuredoesMasterhave?Wouldyoupermitusprofanepeopletohavealook,towardoffcalamities,perhaps?”DearPilgrim!Stretchingforthhishand,hepulledoffapieceofhairfromhis

tailandgaveitasqueeze,crying“Change!”Itchangedatonceintoahugeredgourdofpurplegold,aboutseventeeninchestall.Hetookitoutfromhiswaist,saying, “You want to see my gourd?” Having received it in his hands andexaminedit,WilyWormsaid,“Master,yourgourdisbig,andithasniceform.It’sgoodtolookatallright,butI’mafraidthatit’snotgoodtouse.”“Whatdoyoumeanbynotgoodtouse?”askedPilgrim.Thefiendsaid,“Eachoneofourtreasurescanstoreuptoathousandpeople.”“So,”saidPilgrim,“yourscanstoreup people.What’s so rare about that? This gourd of mine can even store upHeaven!”“It can?” said the fiend. “Indeed,” saidPilgrim. “I’m afraid you are lying,”

saidthefiend.“Storeitupforustoseeandwe’llbelieveyou;otherwise,we’llneverbelieveyou.”“IfHeavenirritatesme,”saidPilgrim,“Iusuallystoreitupseven or eight timeswithin a singlemonth. If it doesn’t botherme, Iwill notstore it up for as long as half a year.” “Elder Brother,” saidWilyWorm, “atreasurethatcanstoreupHeaven!Let’sexchangeourswithhis.”SlyDevilsaid,“Howwouldhebewilling toexchangehiswithours,whichcanonlystoreuppeople?”“Ifhe’sunwilling,”saidWilyWorm,“we’llmakeitgoodwithourvasealso.”Secretlydelighted,Pilgrimthoughttohimself:Agourdrepaysagourd,Weaddavaseofjade.Twothingsexchangedforone:That’swhatIcallfairtrade!

HethereforewentforwardandcaughtholdofWilyWorm,saying,“IfIstoreupHeaven,youwilltradewithme?”“Ifyoudo,yes,”saidthefiend.“IfIdon’t,I’ll

beyourson!”“Allright!Allright!”saidPilgrim.“I’llstoreitupforyoutosee.”DearGreatSage!Bowinghisheadandmaking themagic sign,he reciteda

spellthatbroughthimtheGodofDayPatrol, theGodofNightPatrol,andtheGuardiansofFiveQuarters,towhomhegavethefollowinginstruction:“ReportformeatoncetotheJadeEmperorandsaythatoldMonkeyhasembracedtheright fruit to accompany the TangMonk to acquire scriptures in theWesternHeaven. Our path has been blocked at a tall mountain, where my masterencountersgrievouscalamity.Iwouldliketoenticecertaindemons,whopossesssometreasures,intotradingwithme.IthereforebeseechHisMajestywithduereverencetoletoldMonkeyborrowHeaventobestoredupforhalfanhoursothatImayaccomplishmytask.Ifhebututtershalfa‘No,’IshallascendtotheDivineMistsHallandstartawar!”The deities went past the South Heaven Gate and stood below the Hall of

DivineMiststoreporttotheJadeEmperor.“Thisimpudentape!”saidtheJadeEmperor. “He still speaks in such an unruly manner. Some time ago whenGuanyin came to informus that he had been released to accompany theTangMonk, we even sent him the Guardians of the Five Quarters and the FourSentinelstotaketurnsministeringtohim.NowheevenwantstoborrowHeavento be stored up! How could Heaven be stored up?” Hardly had he finishedspeaking when the Third Prince Naṭa stepped forward from the ranks andmemorialized,saying,“YourMajesty,Heaven,too,canbestoredup.”“How?”inquiredtheJadeEmperor.Naṭasaid,“WhenChaosfirstdivided,thatwhichwaspureandlightbecame

Heaven,andthatwhichwasheavyandturbidbecameEarth.Heaven,then,isaroundmass of clear ether that nonetheless supports the Jasper Palace and theHeavenly ramparts. In principle, therefore, Heaven cannot be stored up.However, the matter of Pilgrim Sun’s accompaniment of the Tang MonkjourneyingwestwardtoacquirescripturesisitselfasourceofblessingsgreatasMountTaianddeepasthesea.Todayweshouldhelphimtosucceed.”TheJadeEmperorsaid,“Howwouldourworthyministerhelphim?”“LetYourMajestyissueadecree,”saidNata,“andaskZhenwu,theLordof

the North at the North HeavenGate, to lend us his banner of black feathers,which should then be unfurled across the South Heaven Gate. The sun, themoon,andthestarswillbecovered,anditwillbesodarkonEarththatpeoplecannotseeeachothereveniftheyarestandingfacetoface.ThefiendswillbedeceivedintothinkingthatHeavenhasbeenstoredup,andthatishowwemayhelpPilgrimtosucceed.”TheJadeEmperorgavehisconsenttothissuggestion,andtheprincereceivedthecommandtogototheNorthHeavenGate,wherehegave the account to Zhenwu. The patriarch at once handed the banner to the

prince.Meanwhile, the Day Patrol God swiftly returned to the Great Sage and

whisperedinhisear,“PrinceNaṭahascometohelpyou.”Lookingup,Pilgrimsawauspiciouscloudsloomingup:indeedadeitywasapproaching.Heturnedtothelittlefiends,saying,“I’mgoingtostoreupHeaven.”“Goahead,”saidoneofthem. “Why keep dragging your feet?” “I was just exercising my spirit andreciting a spell,” saidPilgrim.The two little fiends stood therewide-eyed anddeterminedtofindouthowhewasgoingtostoreupHeaven.Pilgrimgavethespecious gourd amighty heave and tossed it up into the air. Think of it: thatgourdwaschangedfromapieceofhair.Howheavycoulditbe?Liftedupbythemountainwind,itdriftedhereandthereforatleasthalfanhourbeforedroppingdown.Meanwhile,PrinceNaṭaat theSouthHeavenGate flungwide theblackbannerandinoneinstantcoveredthesun,themoon,andalltheplanets.TrulyThecosmosseemeddyedbyink,Theworldwasmadeindigo.

Astounded, the little fiends said, “It was just about noon when we weretalking. How is it that it’s dusk already?” “Heaven has been stored up,” saidPilgrim.“Youcan’ttelltime!Howcanitnotbedusk?”“Whyisitsodark?”theycried.Pilgrimsaid, “The sun, themoon, and the stars are all contained inside.There’snolightoutside.Howcanitnotbedark?”“Master,”saidoneofthelittlefiends, “whereareyouspeaking?”“AmInot in frontofyou?”askedPilgrim.The little fiend stretchedout his hand to try to touchhim, saying, “I canhearyou,butIcan’tseeyourface.Master,wherearewe?”Todeceivethemfurther,Pilgrimsaid,“Don’tmove.ThisistheshoreoftheGulfofZhili.Ifyoustumbleand fall into the sea, youwon’t reachbottomeven after sevenor eight days.”“Stop! Stop! Stop!” cried the horrified fiends. “Release Heaven, please! Weknownowhowitisstoredup.Ifwefoolaroundanymoreanddropintothesea,we’llnotgethome.”DearPilgrim!Whenhe saw that they took thewhole thing for the truth,he

recited the spell again to alert the prince, who rolled up the banner and thesunlightofnoonwasseenoncemore.“Marvelous!Marvelous!”criedthelittlefiends, laughing. “Such fantastic treasure, ifwe don’t exchange for it, we arecertainlynobetterthanbastards!”SlyDevilatoncetookoutthegourdandWilyWorm the pure vase; both of them then handed the treasures to Pilgrim. Inreturn, Pilgrim gave them the specious gourd. After the exchange, Pilgrimwanted tomakecertain that thebargainstuck.Pullingoffapieceofhair frombeneath his belly, he blew on it and it changed into a copper penny. “Youngman,”hesaid,“takethispennyandbuyusapieceofpaper.”“Whatfor?”asked

thelittlefiend.“SothatIcandrawupacontractwithyou,”saidPilgrim.“Thetwo of you used your human-storing treasures to exchange with me a singlepieceofHeaven-storingtreasure.Ifearthatyoumaynotconsiderthatquitefairandthatafterafewyearsyouwillcometoregretourdeal.That’swhyIwantacontractforallofus.”“Wedon’tevenhavebrushorinkaroundhere,”saidoneof the fiends. “Why bother about writing a document? Let’s exchange vowsinstead.” “What kind of vow?” askedPilgrim.The two little fiends said, “Wegave two human-storing treasures to you in exchange for oneHeaven-storingtreasure. Ifweever regretourdecision,maywebe strickenwithplague inallfourseasons.”“I’llneverregretmine,”saidPilgrim,smiling.“IfIdo,mayIalsobestrickenlikeyou.”Afterhemadethisvow,heleapedupandwithonewagofhistailarrivedbeforetheSouthHeavenGate,wherehethankedPrinceNaṭaforunfurling thebannerand lendinghimassistance.Theprince thenwentback tothe palace to report to the Jade Emperor and to return the flag to Zhenwu.Pilgrim,meanwhile,stoodintheairandlookedatthoselittlefiends.Wedonotknowwhathappensthereafter;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

THIRTY-FOUR

Thedemonking’splottingentrapsMindMonkey;TheGreatSage,everadroit,wanglesthetreasures.

Weweretellingyouaboutthosetwolittlefiendswhotookthespeciousgourdintheirhandsand, forsome time, fought toexamine it.Raising theirheads, theysuddenly discovered that Pilgrim had vanished. “Elder Brother,” said WilyWorm,“evenan immortalwould lie.He said that afterwehadexchangedourtreasureshewouldenlightenustobecomeimmortals.Whydidheleavewithouteventellingus?”SlyDevilsaid,“Whenyoutallyupthescore,wearetheoneswhohave by far the greater gain.Whyworry about his leaving?Giveme thegourd.LetmestoreupHeaven,justforpractice!”Heindeedtossedthegourdupinto the air, but it plopped down again immediately. “Why doesn’t it work?”askedastartledWilyWorm.“Could itbe thatPilgrimSunhadchanged intoafalseimmortalandusedaspeciousgourdtotradeoffourrealone?”“Don’ttalknonsense!” said Sly Devil. “Pilgrim Sun is pinned down by those threemountains.Howcouldhecomeout?Giveittomeagain.Letmerecitethosefewwordsof thespellhesaidandsee if itwill storeupHeaven.”Again the fiendtossed the gourd up into the air, crying, “If there is but half a ‘No,’we shallascend to theDivineMistsHall and start awar.”Beforehehadeven finishedsaying that, the thingploppeddownagain.“Itdoesn’twork! Itdoesn’twork!”shriekedthelittlefiends.“It’sgottobeafake!”As they were clamoring like this, the Great Sage Sun saw and heard

everythinginmidair.Fearingthattheymightlearnthetruthiftheyplayedwiththe thing too long, he shook his body and retrieved the piece of hair that hadbeenchanged into thegourd.The twofiendswere leftwith fouremptyhands.“Brother,”saidSlyDevil,“givemethegourd.”“Youwereholdingit,”saidWilyWorm. “My God! How come it disappeared?” They searched madly on thegroundandin thebushes; theystucktheirhandsinto theirsleevesandslappedtheir waists. But there was nothing to be found. Stupefied, the two fiendsmumbled, “What shallwedo?What shallwedo?TheGreatKing at the timegaveusthetreasuresandtoldustocapturePilgrimSun.NotonlyhavewenotcaughtPilgrimSun,butwehaveeven lost the treasuresnow.Howdarewegobacktogiveourreport?Wewillsimplybebeatentodeath.Whatshallwedo?Whatshallwedo?”Afterawhile,WilyWormsaid,“We’dbettergo.”“Where?”askedSlyDevil.

“Nevermindwhere,”saidWilyWorm.“Ifwegobackandsaythatwehavenotreasures,wewillloseourlivesforsure.”SlyDevilsaid,“Don’trunaway,let’sgobackinstead.TheSecondGreatKingisordinarilyquitegoodtoyou;I’llputalittleblameonyou.Ifheisinthemoodtobesomewhatlenient,ourlivesmaybespared;ifnot,we’llatleastbebeatentodeathathomebutwewon’tbeleftdanglinghere.Let’sgo.Let’sgo.”Aftertheyhaddiscussedthematter,thefiendsbegantheirwalkbacktotheirmountain.When Pilgrim in midair saw them leaving, he shook his body again and

changedintoaflytofollowthem.Ifhechangedintoafly,youmightask,wheredidheputthosetreasures?Ifheleftthembytheroad,orevenifhehidtheminthegrass,peoplecouldpickthemupiftheysawthem,andallhiseffortswouldhavebeeninvain.No,hehadtotakethemwithhim,carryingthetreasuresonhisbody.Butaflyisnobiggerthanthesizeofapea.Howcouldhecarrythem?The treasures, you see, were just like his golden-hooped rod; they were alsocalledcompliantBuddha-treasures.Theywouldtransformaccordingtothesizeof the body: they could become large or small, and thatwaswhy even a tinybody like a fly could hold them. With a buzz, Pilgrim thus flew down andsteadfastlyfollowedthefiendstillinnotimetheyreachedthecave.The two head demons were sitting there and drinking wine when the little

fiends faced them and knelt down. Pilgrim alighted on the door frame andlistened. “Great Kings,” said the little fiends. “Have you returned?” said thesecond demon, putting down his cup. “Yes,” said the little fiends. “Have youcaught Pilgrim Sun?” he asked again. The little fiends began to kowtow, notdaringtomakeasound.Theolddemonaskedagain,buttheydidnotdarereply;alltheydidwastokowtow.Questionedagainandagain,theyfinallyprostratedthemselvesonthegroundandsaid,“Pleasepardonyourlittleonesforthecrimeof ten thousand deaths! Please pardon your little ones for the crime of tenthousand deaths!When we took the treasures and reached the middle of themountain,weran intoan immortal fromPenglaiMountain.He inquiredwhereweweregoingandwetoldhimthatweweregoingtocatchPilgrimSun.Whentheimmortalheardthis,hesaidthathe,too,wasmadatPilgrimSunandwantedtogiveusassistance.Wetoldhimthattherewasnoneedforhisassistanceandexplainedhowour treasures could storeuphumans.That immortal alsohad agourd most capable of storing up Heaven. Moved by vain hopes and illicitdesires,wethoughtweshouldexchangeourtreasures,whichcouldonlystoreuppeople, with his, which could store up Heaven. Originally, we wanted toexchange gourd for gourd, butWilyWormdecided tomake good the deal byadding the pure vase.We had no idea that his immortal object could not betouchedby thehandsof theprofane. Justaswewereexperimentingwith it, it

disappearedcompletelywiththeman,too.Webeseechyoutopardonourmortaloffense.”When the old demon heard this, he was so aroused that he bellowed

thunderously,“Undone!Undone!ThishastobePilgrimSunwhomasqueradedhimselfasanimmortaltodupethem.Thatapehasgreatmagicpowersandvastacquaintances. I don’t know which clumsy deity has let him out, and he haswangledourtreasures.”Theseconddemonsaid,“Don’tbesoangry,ElderBrother.Ididn’texpectthat

apeheadtobesoinsolent.Ifhehastheability,hecanescapeandthat’sallright.Whydidhehave towangleour treasures?If Idon’tcatchhim, I’llneverbeamonster on this road to theWest!” “Howwill you catch him?” asked the olddemon.Theseconddemonsaid,“Wehavefivetreasures; twoaregonebutwestillhavethreeothers.WemustmakecertainthatPilgrimSunwillbecaughtbyoneofthese.”“Whichthreedowehavenow?”askedtheolddemon.“Istillhavewithme the sword of the seven stars and the palm-leaf fan,” said the seconddemon, “but the yellow-gold rope is kept at the Crush-Dragon Cave of theCrush-DragonMountain,theplaceofouragedmother.WeshouldnowsendtwolittlefiendstoinvitemothertocometodineontheTangMonk’sflesh,andtellheratthesametimetobringthatyellow-goldropetocapturePilgrimSun.”Theolddemon said, “Whom shouldwe send?” “Not these useless creatures,” saidtheseconddemon,andthenheshoutedtothem,“Getup!”“Lucky!Lucky!”saidthe twoof them.“Wewereneitherbeatennor scolded.Weare letgo just likethat!”Thedemonsaid,“AskHill-PawingTigerandSea-LollingDragon,whooften

accompany me to come here.” The two little fiends arrived and knelt down.“Youmustbecareful,”instructedtheseconddemon.“Weshallbecareful,”theyreplied.“Youtwomustbecautious.”“Yes,weshallbecautious,”theyreplied.“Do you know where the Old Madam’s home is?” asked the second demonagain.“Yes,wedo,” theyreplied.“Ifyoudo,get therequickly,andwhenyoureachherhouse,informherreverentlythatsheisinvitedtocomeheretodineonthefleshoftheTangMonk.Tellheralsotobringalongtheyellow-goldropeinorderthatwemaycatchPilgrimSun.”Thetwolittlefiendsobeyedandracedoutofthecave;theydidnotknowthat

Pilgrimononesidehadheardeverythingclearly.Stretchinghiswings,heflewoutofthecave,caughtupwithHill-PawingTiger,andlandedonhisbody.Aftertheyhadgonefortwoorthreemiles,hewasabouttoslaythemwhenhethoughttohimself,“Tokillthemishardlydifficult,butthatOldMadamoftheirshastheyellow-goldrope,andIdon’tknowwhereshelives.Letmequestionthemabitfirst before I slaughter them.”Dear Pilgrim!He darted awaywith a buzz and

allowedthelittlefiendstowalkaheadforaboutahundredsteps.Thenwithoneshakeofhisbodyhealsochanged intoa littlemonsterwearinga fox-skincapandatiger-skinkilthitcheduptothewaist.Runninguptothem,hesaid,“Youontheroad,waitforme.”Turning around, Sea-Lolling Dragon asked, “Where did you come from?”

“DearBrother,”saidPilgrim,“youcan’tevenrecognizesomeonefromthesameclan?”“Youarenotinourclan,”saidthelittlefiend.“Whatdoyoumean?”saidPilgrim. “Take another look.” “You don’t look familiar at all,” said the littlefiend. “Wehaven’tmet before.” “Indeed,” saidPilgrim, “youhavenever seenme.Ibelongto theexternaldivision.”Thelittlefiendsaid,“Ihaven’tmetanyofficer from the external division at all.Where are you going?” Pilgrim said,“TheGreatKingtoldyoutwotoinviteOldMadamtodineonthefleshoftheTangMonk aswell as to bring along the yellow-gold rope to capture PilgrimSun.Buthefearsthatthetwoofyouwouldnotwalkfastenough,andyourloveofplaywoulddelaythisimportantenterprise.That’swhyhesentmealongalsototellyoutohurry.”Whenthelittlefiendssawthathiswordswentstraight tothe bottom of the truth, they did not suspect anything, thinking instead thatPilgrimindeedwasamemberofthesameclan.Hurriedly,theysprintedforwardforeightorninemiles.“Wehave run too fast,” saidPilgrim. “How farhavewegone sincewe left

home?” “About sixteenmiles,” said the little fiend. Pilgrim said, “Howmuchfarther dowe have to go?”Pointingwith his finger, Sea-LollingDragon said,“Inside thedark forestupahead—that’s it.”Pilgrim raisedhisheadandsawalargedarkforestnotfaraway,andhefiguredthattheoldfiendhadtobewithinthatvicinity.Hestoodstill,allowingtheothertwolittlefiendstoproceed;thenhecaughtupwiththemandgavethemaswipingblowwiththeironrod.Alas,theywere nomatch for the rod at all andwere reduced instantly to twomeatpatties!Pilgrimpicked themupandhid them inside somebushesby the road.Pulling off a piece of hair, he blew on it amagic breath, crying “Change!” Itchanged at once into Hill-Pawing Tiger, while he himself changed into Sea-Lolling Dragon. The two specious monsters then proceeded directly to theDragon-CrushingCavetoinvitetheoldmadam.ThisiswhatwecallSeventy-twotransformations—whatmagicmight!Everadroitwiththings—suchgreatability!

With four, five leaps, he bounded right into the forest. As he was lookingaround,hesawtwostonedoorshalf-closednearby.Notdaringtoenterabruptly,hehad tocallout,“Openthedoor,open thedoor.”Afemalemonsterstandingguard inside opened wide the door and asked, “Where did you come from?”

Pilgrimsaid, “I came from theLotus-FlowerCaveof theLevel-TopMountainwith an invitation for OldMadam.” “Inside,” said the female monster.WhenPilgrim reached the second door, he stuck his head inside to take a look andfound anoldwoman sitting squarely in themiddle. “Howdid she look?”youask.YouseeSnow-whitehairalltousled,Andstarlikeeyesallaglow.Herface,thoughruddy,hasmanywrinkles;She’sfullofspiritthoughfewteethremain.Charming—likethefrostedchrysanthemum;Rugged—likeanoldpinetreeafterrain.Ascarfoffine-spunwhitesilkwrapsherhead,Andbejeweledgoldringshangfromherears.

Afterhehadseenher,theGreatSageSundidnotgoinsideatonce.Instead,he remained crestfallen outside the second door and began to weep silently.“Whydidheweep?”youask.Coulditbethathewasafraidofher?Evenifhewere, he would hardly weep. Moreover, he was courageous enough to havebilkedthemonstersoftheirtreasuresandslainthelittlefiends.Whythendidheweep?Intimespast,hecouldhaveenteredagianttripodofboilingoil,andevenifhehadbeenfriedforsevenoreightdays,hewouldnothaveshedhalfatear.Itwas,however,thethoughtofthemiseryinflictedonhimonaccountoftheTangMonk’s going to acquire scriptures that moved him to tears. He thought tohimself,“IfoldMonkeyhaddisplayedhisabilityandchangedintoalittlefiendtoinvitethisagedmonster,therewouldbeabsolutelynoreasonforhimtospeakstanding up. I must kowtowwhen I see her! A hero all my life, I have onlykowtowedtothreepersons:IbowedtoBuddhaoftheWesternHeaven,GuanyinoftheSouthSea,andfourtimestoMasterwhenhesavedmeattheMountainofTwoFrontiers. For him I have used up evenmy innards andmy bowels!Ah,howmuchcouldarollofscripturebeworth?Yet,I’mforcedtoprostratemyselfbefore this fiend today. If Idon’t, I’llbediscoveredforsure.Omisery! In thelast analysis, Master is in sad straits and that’s why I have to bear suchhumiliation.”Whenhecametothatpointinhisthoughts,hehadnochoicebuttoraceinsideandkneeldown,facingher.“Madam,”hesaid,“pleasereceivemykowtow.”The fiend said, “My child, stand up.” “Fine! Fine! Fine!” said Pilgrim to

himself.“That’sanhonestaddress!”“Wheredidyoucomefrom?”askedtheoldfiend.“FromtheLotus-FlowerCaveoftheLevel-TopMountain,”saidPilgrim.“IreceivedtheorderofthetwoGreatKingstoinviteMadamtogoanddineonthe flesh of theTangMonk.You have also been requested to bring along theyellow-goldropetocatchPilgrimSun.”Exceedinglypleased,theoldfiendsaid,

“What filial sons!”She at once called forher sedan chair. “Omychild!” saidPilgrim to himself. “Even monsters ride in sedan chairs!” From behind, twofemalemonsterscarriedoutasedanchairmadeoffragrantrattan,onwhichtheyhungcurtainsofbluesilk.Theoldfiendwalkedoutof thecaveandsat in thechair,followedbyseverallittlefemalemonsterscarryingtoiletboxes,mountedmirrors,towels,andaperfumebox.“Whydidyouallhavetocomeout?”askedtheoldfiend.“I’mgoingtomyownhome,andyouthinkthattherewillbenoonetheretoserveme?Wedon’tneedyourbigmouthsthere.Goback!Shutthedoorsandlookafterthehouse!”Thosefewlittlemonstersindeedwentback,andonly two remained to pole the sedan chair. “What are thenamesof those twowhohavebeensenthere?”askedtheoldfiend.“He’scalledHill-PawingTiger,”saidPilgrimquickly,“andmynameisSea-LollingDragon.”Theoldfiendsaid,“Walkinfront,thetwoofyou.Shoutandclearthewayforme.”“Thishadtobemymisfortune!”thoughtPilgrim.“Wehavenotyetacquiredthescriptures,butIhavetobeherslaveatthismoment!”Hedidnotdarerefuse;walkingahead,heshoutedtocleartheway.After theyhadgone for fiveor sixmiles,hesatdownonaslabof stone to

waitforthetwocarryingthesedanchair.Whentheyarrived,Pilgrimsaid,“Howaboutrestingawhile?Yourshouldersmustbegettingsore.”Thelittlefiendsdidnot suspect anything, of course, and they put down the sedan chair.Walkingbehindit,Pilgrimpulledoffapieceofhairfromhischestandchangeditintoahugebiscuit,whichheheldandbegan tomunchon.“Officer,”saidoneof thechair carriers, “what are you eating?” “I’m embarrassed to tell you,” saidPilgrim, “butwe havewalked all this distance to inviteOldMadam, and shedidn’tgiveusanyreward.I’mgettinghungry,andthat’swhyI’meatingsomeofourowndriedgoodsbeforewemoveagain.”“Pleasegiveus some, too,” saidthecarriers.Pilgrimsaid,“Comeon.Weallbelongtothesamefamily.Whydoyouask?”Notknowinganybetter, the little fiendsbothsurroundedPilgrim todivide the dried food.Whipping out his iron rod, Pilgrim gave their heads aterrificblow: theonehitdirectlywas reducedatonce topulp,while theotherwho was swiped by the rod did not die immediately and was still moaning.Whentheoldfiendheardsomeonemoanandstuckherheadouttolook,Pilgrimleaped before the sedan chair and slammed the rod downon her head.Brainsburst out and blood spurted in every direction from the gaping hole. Pilgrimdraggedherfromthesedanchairanddiscoveredthatshewasanine-tailedfox.1“Cursedbeast!”saidPilgrim,laughing.“WhoareyouthatyoushouldbecalledOldMadam?IfyouareaddressedasOldMadam,youshouldcalloldMonkeyasyourgreat,grandancestor!”DearMonkeyKing!Hesearchedandfoundtheyellow-goldrope,whichhestuffedintohisownsleeve,sayinghappily,“Those

lawlessdemonsmaybepowerful,butthreetreasuresnowbelongtohimwhosename isSun.”Heyankedoff twopieces of hair (which he changed intoHill-PawingTigerandSea-LollingDragon), and twomore (whichhechanged intothefiendswhocarriedthesedanchair).Hehimselfchangedintotheformoftheoldwomanand sat in the sedanchair.They then startedouton themain roadoncemore.Ina littlewhile, theyreached theentranceof theLotus-FlowerCave.Those

little fiendswhichwere changed from the hairs cried out in front, “Open thedoor! Open the door!” The little fiends inside who were guarding the dooropened it andsaid,“Hill-PawingTigerandSea-LollingDragon,haveyou tworeturned?”“Yes,”saidthepiecesofhair.“WhereisOldMadamwhomyouwereto invite?” “Isn’t she there inside the sedan chair?” said the pieces of hair,pointing.“Stayhere,”saidoneofthelittlefiends.“Letmegoandreport.”Whenthe two head demons heard the announcement, “Great King, OldMadam hasarrived,”theygavetheorderatoncethatanincensetablebepreparedtoreceiveher.WhenPilgrimheardthis,hewasdelighted,sayingtohimself,“Whatluck!Nowit’smyturntobesomebody!WhenIfirstchangedintoalittlefiendtogoinvite thatoldmonster, Ikowtowed toheronce.Butnow that Ihavechangedintotheoldmonster,whoissupposedtobetheirmother,theymustperformtheceremonyoffourbows.Itmaynotbemuch,butI’mreapingtheprofitof twoheadskowtowingtome!”DearGreatSage!Hedescendedfromthesedanchairand,shakingoffthedirt

fromhisclothes,retrievedthefourpiecesofhairontohisbody.Thelittlefiendswho stood guard at the door carried the empty sedan chair inside, and hefollowedthemslowlyfrombehind,mincingall thewhile to imitate thegaitofthe old fiend. When they went inside, the entire flock of monsters, old andyoung,allcametoreceivehim,asdrumsandfluteswereplayedharmoniouslyandcurlsoffragrantsmokerosefromtheBoshanurn.2Hearrivedat themainhall and sat down, facing south;3 the two head demons knelt before him andkowtowed, saying, “Mother, your children are bowing.” “My sons,” saidPilgrim,“pleaserise.”We tell you now about Zhu Eight Rules, who, hanging there on the beam,

suddenly let out a guffaw. “Second Brother,” said Sha Monk, “this is quitemarvelous!Theyhangyoutillyoulaughoutloud!”“Brother,”saidEightRules,“I have a reason for laughing.” ShaMonk asked, “What reason?” “We wereafraid,”saidEightRules,“thatwhenMadamarrived,wewouldbesteamedandeaten.NowI see that it’snotMadam; it’s thedearold thing.”“Whatdearoldthing?” asked Sha Monk. “BanHorsePlague is here,” said Eight Rules,

chuckling.ShaMonksaid,“Howcouldyourecognizehim?”“Whenhebenthisbacktoreturntheirgreetings,saying,‘Mysons,pleaserise,’”saidEightRules,“thatmonkeytailofhisflippedupfrombehind.I’mhunghigherthanyou,andthat’swhy I can seemore clearly.” ShaMonk said, “Let’s not talk, let’s hearwhathehastosay.”“Exactly,exactly,”saidEightRules.Sittinginthemiddle,theGreatSageSunasked,“Mysons,whydidyouinvite

mehere?”“DearMother,”saidoneofthedemons,“fordaysyourchildrenhavenot had the opportunity to fulfill our filial responsibilities. This morning wemanagedtocatchtheTangMonkfromtheLandoftheEast,butwedarednoteathimallbyourselves.WethereforeinvitedMothertocomesothathemightbepresentedlivetoyou,andthenhewillbesteamedasyourfoodtoprolongyourlife.”“Mysons,”saidPilgrim,“I’mnotatallkeentodineontheTangMonk’sflesh,butIhearthattheearsofoneZhuEightRulesarequitemarvelous.Whydon’tyoucutthemdownandfixthemupasappetizersformywine?”Startledbywhatheheard,EightRulessaid,“Plagueonyou!Didyoucomeheretocutdownmyears?IfIannouncealoudwhoyouare,itwon’tsoundverygood!”Alas! This one careless statement of Idiot at once unmasked the

transformationof theMonkeyKing. Just then, a few little fiendswhowent topatrolthemountainandafewotherswhostoodguardatthedoorallrushedinalso,saying,“GreatKing,disaster!PilgrimSunhasbeatentodeathOldMadam,and he disguised himself to come here.” When the head demon heard thesewords, he did not wait for any further report; pulling out his sword of sevenstars, he slashed at the face of Pilgrim.DearGreat Sage!He shook his bodyonce,andbrilliantredlightfilledthecaveashemadehisescape.Suchabilitiesmadethewholeepisodefunandgamesforhim.Fortrulyhehadmasteredthissecret: coming together he took on form, but dispersing he became ether. Soshakenweretheinhabitantsofthecavethattheolddemon’sspiritlefthim,andthevariousmonstersbittheirfingersandshooktheirheads.“Brother,”saidtheolddemon,“taketheTangMonk,ShaMonk,EightRules,

thewhitehorse,andtheluggage—takethemallandreturnthemtoPilgrimSun.Let’sshutthedooronconflict.”“Whatareyousaying,ElderBrother?”saidtheseconddemon.“YouhavenoideahowmucheffortIspentindevisingthisplantobringbackall thosemonks.Andnow intimidatedbyPilgrimSun’s trickeryyouwant to return them to him unconditionally. You have become, in fact, apersonwhofearstheknifeandshunsthesword.Isthatmanliness?Sitdownanddon’tbeafraid.IheardyousaythatPilgrimSunhadvastmagicpowers;thoughImethim,Ihaveyet towageacontestwithhim.Bringmemyarmor.Letmefightthreeroundswithhim:ifhecan’tdefeatmeinthosethreerounds,theTangMonkisstillourfood.IfIcan’tprevailagainsthiminthosethreerounds,there’s

stilltimethenforustoreturntheTangMonktohim.”Theolddemonsaid,“Youareright,WorthyBrother.”Heorderedatonceforthearmortobebroughtout.After the various fiends hauled out his armor, the second demon suited up

himselfproperlyandwalkedoutthedoor,holdingthetreasuresword.“PilgrimSun,”hecried,“wherehaveyougoneto?”Atthetime,yousee,theGreatSagehadalreadyreachedtheedgeoftheclouds.Whenheheardhisnamecalled,heturnedquicklyandsawthatitwastheseconddemon.“Howishedressed?”youask.HewearsaphoenixhelmetwhiterthansnowAndanarmormadeofbrightPersiansteel.Thebeltonhiswaistisdragon’stendon.Plum-flowershapedgaiterstophisgoat-skinboots.HeseemsthelivingLordofLibationStream;4

HelooksnodifferentfromMightySpirit.5Heholdsinhishandstheswordofsevenstars,Sternandimposinginatoweringrage.

“PilgrimSun,”criedtheseconddemon,“giveusbackquicklyourmotherandourtreasures.I’llletyouandtheTangMonkgotoacquirescriptures.”Unabletocontain himself any longer, the Great Sage roared, “This impudent monster!You’vemade amistake in thinking that yourGrandpa Sunwill let you go soeasily!Returnatoncemymaster,myyoungerbrothers,thewhitehorse,andourluggage,andgiveus,moreover,sometravelmoneyforustotakeonourroadtotheWest.Ifhalfa‘No’leaksthroughyourteeth,youmightaswellhangyourselfwithrope.That’llsaveyourGrandpafromhavingtoraisehishands.”Whentheseconddemonheardthesewords,heleapeduptothecloudsswiftlyandstabbedwith thesword.Pilgrimmethimface to facewith theuplifted iron rod,and itwassomebattlebetweenthetwooftheminmidair.Thechessmasterfindinghismatch,Thegeneralmeetingagoodwarrior—Findinghismatchthechessmastercan’tsuppresshisjoy;Meetingagoodwarriorthegeneralmustapplyhimself.Whenthosetwodivinefighterscometogether,TheyseemliketigersbrawlingonSouthMountainOrdragonsstrivinginNorthSea.Asdragonsstrive,Theirscalessparkle;Whentigersbrawl,Teethandclawsstrikemadly.Teethandclawsstrikemadlylikesilverhooks,Andsparklingscalesupturnlikeironleaves.ThisoneallinallUsesathousandwaystoattack;ThatonebackandforthDoesnotletupforhalfamoment.

Thegolden-hoopedrodIsonlythree-tenthsofaninchfromthehead.Theseven-starssword,Poisedattheheart,needsonlyonethrust.TheimposingairofthisonechillstheGreatDipper;Theangrybreathsofthatonemenacelikethunder.

Thetwoofthemfoughtforthirtyroundsbutnodecisionwasreached.Secretly delighted, Pilgrim said to himself, “This lawless monster does

manage towithstand the iron rodof oldMonkey.But I have already acquiredthreeofhis treasures. If Icontinue to fightbitterly like thiswithhim,won’t itjustdelaywhatIwanttodo?PerhapsIshouldusethegourdorthepurevasetostorehimup.”Hethenthoughtfurther,“Nogood!Nogood!Theproverbsays,‘Eachthinghasitsmaster.’IfIcallhimandhedoesn’tanswer,itwilljustdefeatmy purpose. Let me use the yellow-gold rope to lasso his head.” Dear GreatSage!Heusedonehandtowieldhisironrodwhilehisotherhandwhippedouttheropeandlassoedthedemon’shead.Thedemon,however,knewaTight-RopeSpellandaLoose-RopeSpell.If theropehadboundanotherperson,hewouldrecitetheTight-RopeSpellandthatpersonwouldnotbeabletoescape.Butiftheropehadbeenfastenedononeofhisown,hewouldrecitetheLoose-RopeSpellandnoharmwouldcometotheperson.Whenhesaw,then,thatitwashisowntreasure,herecitedatoncetheLoose-RopeSpell; theropelooseneditselfandhecameoutofthenoose.Takingtherope,hethrewitatPilgriminsteadanditcaughtholdoftheGreatSageinstantly.TheGreatSagewasabouttoexercisehismagicofthinningthebodywhenthedemonrecitedtheTight-RopeSpellandithadhimfirmlybound.Itwasimpossibleforhimtoescape,forwhentheropewas drawn down to his neck, one end of it changed into a gold ring tightlyenclosing him. The fiend then gave the rope a tug and pulled Pilgrim downbeforehegavethatbaldheadsevenoreightblowswiththesword.TheskinonPilgrim’sheaddidnotevenreddenatall.“Thismonkey,”saidthedemon,“hasquiteahardhead!Iwon’thackatyou

anymore.LetmetakeyoubacktothecavefirstbeforeIhityouagain.Butyou’dbetter returnmy other two treasures right now.” “What treasures have I takenfrom you?” asked Pilgrim, “that you should ask me for them?” The demonsearchedPilgrimcarefullyandfoundboththegourdandthevase.Usingtheropeas a leash, he brought Pilgrim back to the cave, saying, “Elder Brother, I’vecaughthim.”Theolddemonsaid,“Whomdidyoucatch?”“PilgrimSun!”saidtheseconddemon.“Comeandlook!Comeandlook!”TheolddemontookonelookandrecognizedthatitwasindeedPilgrim.Hesmiledhappilyandsaid,“It’she!It’she!Tiehimupwithalongropetothepillarjustforfun.”TheyindeedhadPilgrimtiedtoapillar,afterwhichthetwodemonswent to thehall in the

backtodrink.As theGreat Sagewas crawling around beneath the pillar, hewas seen by

EightRules.Hangingonthebeam,Idiotlaughedloudly,saying,“ElderBrother,you can’t quite manage to eat my ears!” “Idiot,” said Pilgrim, “are youcomfortablyhungupthere?I’llgetoutrightnow,andyoucanbecertainthatI’llrescueallofyou.”“Aren’tyouashamedofyourself?”askedEightRules.“Youcan’tevenescapeyourself,andyouwanttorescueothers.O,letitbe,letitbe!MasteranddisciplesmightaswelldietogethersothatwecouldaskforourwayintheRegionofDarkness.”Pilgrimsaid,“Stopbabblingnonsense!Youwatchme leave here.” “I’ll see how you leave here,” said Eight Rules. Though theGreatSagewastalkingtoEightRules,hiseyeswerefixedonthosetwodemons.Hesawthattheyweredrinkinginside,andtherewereafewlittlefiendsrunningmadlybackandforthtobringinthedishesandtopourwine.WhentheirguardlapsedmomentarilyandnoonestoodneartheGreatSage,heatonceexercisedhisdivinepowers.Slippingouthisrod,heblewonit,saying,“Change!”anditchangedinstantlyintoafileofpuresteel.Grippingthegoldringonhisneck,hefiled it throughwith fouror five strokes and freedhimselfbypulling the ringapart.Yankingoff apieceofhair, he commanded it to change into a speciousformofhimselftiedtothepillar;histrueself,however,changedwithoneshakeofthebodyintoalittlemonsterandstoodtooneside.“Badnews!Badnews!”criedEightRulesoncemoreonthebeam.“Theone

tiedupisafalseproduct.Theonehangingisgenuine.”Putting down his cup, the old demon asked, “What’s that Zhu Eight Rules

yellingabout?”Pilgrim,whohadchangedintoalittlemonster,wentforwardtosay, “Zhu Eight Rules is trying to persuade Pilgrim Sun to escape bytransformation,butSunisn’twilling.That’swhyZhuishollering.”“AndwesaythatZhuEightRulesiswithoutguile!”saidtheseconddemon.“NowIseewhatasneakheis!Heshouldhavehismouthcanedtwentytimes.”Pilgrim indeed went to get a cane for the beating. “You’d better hit me

lightly,”saidEightRules.“Ifthestrokesareevenslightlyheavy,I’llyellagainthat I recognize you.” Pilgrim said, “It’s for the sake of all of you that oldMonkey has undergone the transformation.Why did you have to let the truthleakout?All themonster-spirits of this cave can’t recognizeme.Whydoes ithave to be you who can recognize me?” “Though you have changed yourfeatures,” said Eight Rules, “your ass hasn’t been changed! Aren’t those twopatchesofredstillonyourbuttocks?That’swhyIcanrecognizeyou.”Pilgrimslipped out to the kitchen and wiped some soot off the pots to blacken hisbuttocks before returning to the front. When Eight Rules saw him, he said,chuckling,“Thismonkeymusthavegonesomewheretomessaroundsothathe

hasnowcomebackwithablackass!”Pilgrim still remained standing there for he wanted to steal their treasures.

Indeedacleverperson,hewalkedupthehallandhalf-knelttothefiend,saying,“Great King, look how that Pilgrim Sun is crawling all over the pillar. Theyellow-gold rope, I fear,maybe ruinedbyall that rubbingand stretching.Weshouldgetsomethingthickertotiehimup.”“Youareright,”saidtheolddemon,andhetookoffabeltwithalionbucklefromhisownwaisttohandtoPilgrim.Taking the belt, Pilgrim fastened his false form to the pillar, but the rope hestuffed instantly intohisownsleeve.Thenhepulledoff anotherpieceofhair,whichwithoneblowofhisbreathhechangedintoafakeyellow-goldrope,andwhichhepresentedwithbothhands to the fiend.Eageronly forhiswine, thefienddidnotbothertoexamineitbeforeputtingitaway.ThisiswhatwemeanbyTheGreatSage,everversatile,displayshisskills:Thehairisnowexchangedforthegoldenrope.

As soon as he had acquired this treasure, he leapedout the door and changedbackintohistrueform.“Monster!”heshouted.Alittlefiendguardingthedoorasked,“Whoareyou,thatyoudareshouthere?”“Goinquickly,”saidPilgrim,“andreporttothoselawlessdemonsthataGrimpilSunishere.”Thelittlefiendindeedmadethereportashewastold.Highly startled, the old demon said, “We have caught PilgrimSun already!

HowisitthatthereisaGrimpilSun?”“ElderBrother,”saidtheseconddemon,“Whyfearhim?Thetreasuresareallinourhands.Letmetakethegourdoutandhavehimstoredup.”“Brother,”saidtheolddemon,“dobecareful.”Theseconddemon took out the gourd and walked out the door, where he encounteredsomeone who seemed to be an exact image of Pilgrim Sun but only a littleshorter.“Wheredidyoucomefrom?”heasked.Pilgrimsaid,“I’mthebrotherofPilgrimSun.WhenIheardthatyoucaughtmyelderbrother,Icametosettlethescorewithyou.”“Yes,Icaughthimallright,”saidtheseconddemon,“andhe’slockedupinthecave.Nowthatyouhavearrived,youwanttofightwithme,Isuppose,butIwon’tcrossswordswithyou.Letmecallyournameonce.Doyoudareanswerme?”“Evenifyoucallmeathousandtimes,Iwon’tbeafraid,”saidPilgrim.“I’llansweryoutenthousandtimes!”Leapingintotheairwithhistreasureheldupsidedown,thedemoncalledout,

“GrimpilSun!”Pilgrimdarednotreply,thinkingtohimself,“IfIanswerhim,I’llbesucked

inside.”“Whydon’tyouanswerme?”saidthedemon.

“My ears are a little stuffed up,” said Pilgrim, “and I can’t hear you. Calllouder.”Thefiendindeedshouted,“GrimpilSun!”Squeezinghis fingers together todosomecalculationsdownbelow,Pilgrim

thoughttohimself,“MyrealnameisPilgrimSun,butthisGrimpilSunisafakename that I’vemade up.With the real name I can be sucked inside, but howcould it work with a false name?” He could not refrain from answering, andinstantlyhewassuckedintothegourd,whichwasthensealedbythetape.Thattreasure, you see, had no regard forwhether the name called outwas true orfalse:ifoneevenbreathedananswer,onewouldbesuckedinsideinstantly.WhentheGreatSagearrivedinsidethegourd,hefoundonlytotaldarkness.

He tried to push up with his head but to no avail at all, for whatever wasstopping themouth of the gourd was exceedingly tight. Growing anxious, hethought tohimself, “Those two little fiends Imeton themountain at the timetoldmethatifamanwassuckedintoeitherthegourdorthevase,hewouldbereducedtopusinoneandthree-quarterhours.CouldIbedissolvedlike that?”He thought further to himself, “It’s nothing. I can’t be dissolved! When oldMonkeycausedgreatdisturbanceintheCelestialPalacefivehundredyearsagoand was refined for forty-nine days in the eight-trigram brazier of Laozi, theprocess in fact gave me a heart strong as gold and viscera hardy as silver, abronzeheadandan ironback, fieryeyesanddiamondpupils.Howcould Ibereducedtopusinoneandthree-quarterhours?Letmefollowhiminsideandseewhathedoes.”The seconddemonwent insidewith the gourd, saying, “ElderBrother, I’ve

caught him.” “Caughtwhom?” asked the old demon.The second demon said,“GrimpilSunhasbeenstoredupinthegourdbyme.”Delighted,theolddemonsaid,“WorthyBrother,pleasetakeaseat.Don’tmovethegourd.We’llshakeitafter awhile and we’ll lift the seal only if it swashes.” Hearing this, Pilgrimthoughttohimself,“Ifmybodyremainslikethis,howcoulditswash?Ihavetobe reduced to liquid before the gourd can swash when shaken. Let me leavesomeurinehere;whenheshakesitanditswashes,hewillcertainlyliftupthesealandIcanthenbeatit!”Buthethoughtagain,“Nogood!Nogood!Theurinecanmake the noise, but my shirt will be soiled. I’ll wait until he shakes thegourd,andthenI’llspitoutalotofsaliva.Allthatdrippymesswilldeceivehimintoliftingtheseal,andoldMonkeycanthenescape.”TheGreatSagemadethispreparation,butthefiendwasbusydrinkinganddidnottrytoshakethegourdatall.Devisinganotherplan todeceive them, theGreatSagesuddenlycriedout,“Heavens!My shanks have dissolved!” The demons did not shake the gourd,and the Great Sage cried out again, “O Mother! Even my pelvic bones aregone!”“Whenhiswaistisgone,”saidtheolddemon,“he’salmostfinished.Lift

upthesealandtakealook.”When the Great Sage heard this, he pulled off a piece of hair, crying

“Change!”Itchangedintohalfabodystuckatthebottomofthegourd,whilehistrue selfwas changed into a tiny insect attached to itsmouth.As soon as theseconddemonlifteduptheseal,theGreatSageflewoutatonceandwitharollchanged instantly again into the form of Sea-Lolling Dragon, that little fiendwhowassentformerlytofetchtheOldMadam.Hestoodtooneside,whiletheolddemontookholdofthegourdandpeeredinside.Halfabodywassquirmingdown below, and he did notwait to determinewhether it was genuine or notbeforeheshouted,“Brother,coveritup,coveritup!Hehasn’tbeencompletelydissolvedyet.”Theseconddemonagaintapedontheseal,notrealizingthattheGreatSageononesidewassnickeringtohimself,saying,“Youdon’tknowthatoldMonkeyisrightoverhere!”Takingthewinepot,theolddemonpouredafullcupofwineandpresentedit

withbothhandstotheseconddemon,saying,“WorthyBrother,letmetoastyouwiththiscup.”Theseconddemonsaid,“ElderBrother,wehavedrunkwineforquiteawhilealready.Whydoyouhavetotoastmewiththecupnow?”“It’snobigthing,perhaps,thatyoucaughttheTangMonk,EightRules,andShaMonk,”saidtheolddemon,“butyouevenmanagedtotieupPilgrimSunandstoreupGrimpil Sun. For making such great merit, you should be toasted with manycupsmore.”Whentheseconddemonsawhowhiselderbrothersoughttohonorhim,hedarednotrefuse,buthedarednotacceptthecupwithonehandeither,forhewasholdingthegourdwiththeother.QuicklypassingthegourdtoSea-LollingDragon,hethenreceivedthecupwithbothhands.Littledidherealize,of course, that Sea-Lolling Dragon was in fact the transformed Pilgrim Sun.Lookathim!Hewaitedonthedemonswithgreatattentiveness.Aftertheseconddemon took thewine anddrank it, hewanted to return the toast. “Noneed totoastme,”saidtheolddemon.“Here,I’lldrinkacupwithyou.”The two of them kept exchanging niceties like that for some time, while

Pilgrim,holdingthegourd,fixedhiseyesonthem.Whenhesawthempassingthewinecupbackandforthwithouttheslightestregardforwhathewasdoing,he slipped the gourd into his sleeve and used another piece of hair to form aspeciousgourdexactlythesameasthegenuineone.Thedemon,afterpresentingwine for awhile, took the gourd out of Pilgrim’s hands without bothering toexamineit.Theysatdownattheirtablesagainandcontinuedtodrinkasbefore.Having acquired the treasure again, the Great Sage turned and left, highlydelightedandsayingtohimself,Thoughthisdemonhashiswizardry,Thegourd’sstillownedbytheSunfamily!

We do not know what he had to do thereafter to exterminate the fiends andrescuehismaster;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

THIRTY-FIVE

HeresyusespowertooppresstheproperNature;MindMonkey,baggingtreasures,conquersdeviatedemons.

Hisnature’sperfect:thusheknowstheWay.Turning,heleapsclearofthenetandsnare.Tolearntransformation’snoeasything,Norisitcommontoachievelonglife.Luckchangeshimtothingspureandimpure;Freeoffatedkalpashemovesatwill.Forcountlessaeonsheisfancy-free—Araydivinefixedalwaysonthevoid.

Themeaning of this poem, you see, subtly corresponds to thewonders of theDaoattainedbytheGreatSageSun.Sincehehadacquiredthetruetreasurefromthat demon, he concealed it in his sleeve, saying happily to himself, “Thoughthatlawlessdemontriessohardtocaptureme,hiseffortsarenobetterthantheattempttofishthemoonoutofwater.ButwhenoldMonkeywantstocatchhim,it’sassimpleasmeltingiceoverfire!”Hidingthegourd,heslippedoutthedoorand changed back into his original form. “Monster spirits,” he shouted, “openthedoor!”A little fiend said, “Whoareyou thatyoudaremakenoiseshere?”Pilgrim answered, “Report at once to those old lawless demons that a SunPilgrimhasarrived.”Thelittlefienddashedinsidetomakethereport,saying,“GreatKing,thereis

a so-calledSunPilgrim showingupoutsideourdoor.” “WorthyBrother,” saidtheolddemon,deeplyshaken,“that’sbad!Wehavestirredupawholenestofpestilence! Look! The yellow-gold rope has caught a Pilgrim Sun, while thegourd has stored up a Grimpil Sun. How can it be that there is another SunPilgrim? Itmustbe that theyhave severalbrothers and theyhaveall arrived.”“Relax,ElderBrother,”saidtheseconddemon.“Thisgourdofourscanholdupto a thousand people, andwe have only oneGrimpil Sun inside.Whyworryabout another Sun Pilgrim? Letme go out and take a look. I’ll store him upalso.”“Dobecareful,Brother,”saidtheolddemon.Lookat that seconddemon!Holding the speciousgourd, hewalkedout the

doorasresolutelyandconfidentlyasbefore.“Whoareyou,”hecried,“thatyoudaremakenoisesaroundhere?”Pilgrimsaid,“So,youdon’trecognizeme!

IlivedatFlower-FruitMountain.Myhome:theWater-CurtainCave.FordisturbingHeaven’sPalaceIceasedtostriveforalongtime.Luckytobefreedofmywoes,IleftDaoandfollowedamonkToreach,obedient,Thunderclap,Toseekscripturesandrightknowledge.WhenImeetwild,lawlessdemons,Iworkwithmymightymagic.ReturnmymonkofGreatTangThatwegoWesttoseeBuddha.Ourconflictwillthenbeended,Andeachonecanenjoyhispeace.Don’tstirupoldMonkey’sire,Oryourstalelifewillexpire!”

“Youcomeoverhere for amoment” said thedemon,“but I’mnotgoing tofightwithyou.I’mabouttocallyournameonce.Youdareanswerme?”“Ifyoucallme,” saidPilgrim, chuckling, “I’ll answeryou.But if I call you,will youanswerme?”“Icallyou,”saidthatfiend,“onlybecauseIhaveatreasuregourdwhichcanstoreuppeople.Whatdoyouhavethatmakesyouwanttocallme?”Pilgrimsaid,“I,too,havealittlegourd.”“Ifyoudo,”saidthefiend,“takeitoutfor me to have a look.” Pilgrim took the gourd out of his sleeve, saying,“Lawlessdemon,youlook!”Hewaveditonceandstuffeditimmediatelybackintohissleeve,forhewasafraidthatthedemonmightwanttosnatchitaway.When the demon caught sight of the gourd, hewas greatly shaken, saying,

“Wheredidthatgourdofhiscomefrom?Howisitthatitisexactlylikemine?Evenifitgrewfromthesamebranch,thereoughttobesomedifferenceinsizeorshape.Howcouldtheybeexactlyalike?”Withcompleteseriousness,hesaid,“Sun Pilgrim,where did your gourd come from?” Pilgrim, of course, did notknow the history of the gourd, but he turned the question around and askedinstead,“Wheredidyourscomefrom?”Notrealizingthatitwasatrick,thedemonthoughtthatitwasanhonestquery

andheproceededtogiveacompleteaccountofitsorigin,saying,“ThisgourdofminecameintoexistenceduringthetimewhenchaosdividedandHeavenandEarthwerecreated.Therewas thenaSupremePrimordialOldPatriarch,1whothrough death changed himself intoNüwa and took on her name. Shemeltedstones in order to repair the heavens and save themundaneworld.When shereachedacrackinthenorthwestregionatthebaseoftheKunlunMountain,shediscoveredastrandofimmortalcreeperonwhichwasformedthisredgourdofpurplegold.Itis,therefore,somethinghandeddownbyLaoziuntilnow.”Whenthe Great Sage heard this story, he at once used it as a model for his own

account, saying, “Mygourdalsocame from the samespot.”“Howso?”askedthedemon.“Sincethedivisionofthepureandtheturbid,”saidtheGreatSage,“Heavenwas incompleteat thenorthwestcorner, andEarthwas incomplete inthe southeast corner. The Supreme Primordial Daoist Patriarch through deathchangedhimselfintoNüwa.2Aftershehadrepairedtheheavens,shejourneyedto the base of the Kunlun Mountain, where there was a strand of immortalcreeperonwhichtwogourdshadformed.TheoneIhaveisamale,whileyoursisafemale.”Thefiendsaid,“Noneedtodistinguishthesexes;ifitcanstoreuppeople, it’sagoodtreasure.”“Youareright,”saidtheGreatSage,“I’ll letyoutryfirst.”Highly pleased, the fiend leaped into the air, held up the gourd, and cried,

“Sun Pilgrim!”When he heard the call, the Great Sage replied in one breatheight or nine times without stopping, but nothing happened to him at all.Dropping down from the air, the demon beat his breast and stamped his feet,crying, “Heavens! And we say that only human life has not changed in theworld!Evenatreasurelikethisisafraidofhermate:whenthefemalemeetsthemale,itceasestobeeffective!”“Why don’t you put yours away,” said Pilgrim, laughing, “for it’s old

Monkey’s turn to call you.” Swiftly somersaulting into the air, he turned thegourd upside down and took aim at the demon, crying, “Great King SilverHorn!”Notdaringtoclosehismouth,thefiendmadehisreply,andinstantlyhewas sucked into the gourd, which was then sealed by Pilgrim with the tapebearing the words, “May Laozi Act Quickly According to This Command.”Secretlypleased,Pilgrimsaid,“Mychild,youaregoing to try somethingnewtoday!”Hedescendedfromthecloud,holdingthegourd,andheadedstraightforthe

Lotus-FlowerCave,everythoughtofhissetonrescuinghismaster.Theroadonthat mountain, you see, was pockmarked with holes, and he, moreover, wassomewhat bowlegged.As he scurried along, the gourdwas shaken repeatedly,andsoontherecamefromwithinaloudswashingsoundcontinuously.“Howisitthat it swashesalready?”youask.TheGreatSage,yousee,hadabodywhichhadbeensothoroughlyrefinedthathecouldnotbedissolvedspeedily.Ontheother hand, the fiend might know some such paltry magic as mounting theclouds and riding the fog, but he had not been completely delivered from hismortal constitution. The moment he was sucked into the treasure, he wasdissolved.Pilgrim,however,didnotquitebelievethatthathadbeenthecase.“Omychild,”hesaid,laughing,“Idon’tknowwhetheryouarepissingorgargling!ButthissortofbusinessismostfamiliartooldMonkey.Notuntilaftersevenoreightdays,whenyouhavebecomethinliquid,willIliftthecovertolook.Why

hurry?What’stherush?WhenIthinkofhoweasilyIgotout,Iwouldn’tspyonyouforathousandyears!”Asheheldthegourdandtalkedtohimselflikethat,hesoonarrivedattheentranceofthecave.Hegavethegourdashakeanditwasswashing even more loudly. “This sounds like the rattle of a fortune-tellingtube,” he said. “OldMonkey shouldmake an inquiry to seewhenMaster cancomeoutofthisdoor.”Lookathim!Heshookthethinginhishandconstantlywhile reciting, “TheClassic of Change of KingWen, Great Sage Confucius,MasterZhouofLadyPeach-Blossom,3MasterGhostValley.”4Whenthelittlefiendsinthecavesawthat,theycried,“GreatKing,disaster!

SunPilgrimhas storedupourSecondGreatKing in thegourdandhe’susingthatforfortune-tellingnow.”Whentheoldfiendheardthesewords,hewassohorrified that his spirit left himandhis soul fled, his bonesweakenedandhistendons turned numb. He fell on the ground and began to wail, crying, “OWorthyBrother!WhenyouandIlefttheRegionAboveinsecretandfoundourlives in thismortalworld, our hopewas to enjoy together riches andglory aspermanentlordsofthismountaincave.HowcouldIknowthat,becauseofthismonk,your lifewouldbe takenawayandour fraternalbondbebroken?”Thevariousfiendsoftheentirecaveallbegantowailaloud.WhenZhuEightRules,hangingthereonthebeam,heardthewailingof the

wholefamily,hecouldnotrefrainfromcallingout,“Monster,don’tcry!LetoldHogtellyousomething.ThePilgrimSunwhoarrivedfirst,theGrimpilSunwhocamenext,andfinallytheSunPilgrimwhocamelast—allthreeofthemareinfactasingleperson,myelderbrother.Heisveryversatile,knowingseventy-twowaysoftransformation.Itwashewhostoleyourtreasureandhadyourbrotherstoredup.Sinceyourbrotherisnowdead,thereisnoneedforyoutomournlikethat. You should clean up your pots and pans quickly and fix up some driedmushrooms, fresh butt onmushrooms, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, soybeancakes,wheatglutens,woodears,andvegetables.Inviteusmasteranddisciplesforameal,andwewillbepleasedtoreciteforyouoncetheReceiveLifeSūtra.”Infuriatedbywhatheheard,theolddemonsaid,“IthoughtZhuEightRules

wasaguilelessperson,buthe’sactuallymostsassy.Hedarestomakefunofmeat thismoment!Little ones, stopmourning.UntieZhuEightRules and steamhimuntilhe’ssoftandtender.Letmehaveafullstomachfirst,andthenI’llgocatch Pilgrim Sun to avengemy brother.” Turning to Eight Rules, ShaMonkchidedhim,saying,“Isn’t thatnice?I toldyounot to talksomuch!Nowyourtalkingmeansthatyou’llbesteamedandeaten.”Idiothimselfbecamesomewhatalarmed,buta little fiend thenspokeup, saying,“GreatKing, it’snotgood tosteamZhuEightRules.” “AmitābhaBuddha!” saidEightRules. “Whichelderbrother is trying topileupsecretmerits?I’mindeednogoodif I’msteamed.”

Anotherfiendsaid,“Afterhe’sskinned,he’llthenbegoodtosteam.”Horrified,EightRulessaid,“I’mall right! I’mall right!Thoughmybonesandskinsarecoarse,I’llbetenderthemomentthewaterboils.”Astheywerespeaking,anotherlittlefiendcamefromthefrontdoortoreport,

“SunPilgrimisrevilingusatourdoor!”“Thisfellow,”saidastartledolddemon,“abuses us because he thinks there is nobody here.” He then gave the order,“Little ones, hang up Zhu Eight Rules as before, and find out how manytreasures thereare still in thehouse.”A little fiend,whowas thehousekeeper,said,“Thereare three treasuresyet in thecave.”“Which three?”asked theolddemon. “The sword of seven stars,” said the housekeeper, “the palm-leaf fan,and the pure-jade vase.” “That vase is useless!” said the old demon. “It wassupposedtostoreupanyonewhoansweredwhenhisnamewascalled,but theformulawassomehowpassedontothatPilgrimSunandnowourownbrotherhas been put away. Iwon’t use the vase; leave it here at home.Bringme theswordandthefan,quickly.”Thehousekeeperhandedoverthetwotreasurestotheolddemon,who stuck the fan intohis collarbehindhisneckandheld theswordinhishand.Hethencalledupaboutthreehundredmonsters,youngandold,andtoldallofthemtoarmthemselveswithspears,clubs,ropes,andknives.Theolddemonhimselfalsoputonhelmetandcuirass,coveredwithaflamingred silk cape. As the monsters rushed out the door, they lined up in battleformation, intent on catching the Great Sage Sun. Knowing by now that thesecond demon had been dissolved in the gourd, the Great Sage fastened thegourdtothebeltaroundhiswaistwhilehishandsheldhighthegolden-hoopedrodtoprepareforcombat.Asredbannersunfurled,theoldfiendleapedoutthedoor.Howwashedressed?Hishelmet’stassleshimmeredonhishead,Andfromhisbeltfresh,radiantcolorsrose.Heworeacuirassknitlikedragonscales,Toppedwithalongredcapelikecracklingflames.Hisroundeyesopenedwideandlightningflashed;Wirywhiskersflaredupliketurbidfumes.Hishandheldlightlytheseven-starsword,Hisshoulderhalf-hiddenbythepalm-leaffan.Hemovedlikecloudsrushingpasttheocean’speaks;Likethunderhisvoiceshookmountainsandstreams.AnawesomeHeaven-defyingwarrior,Leadingmanymonsters,hestormedoutofthecave.

After ordering the little fiends to take their battle stations, the old demonshouted, “You ape! You are utterly wretched! You murdered my brother andbrokeupourfraternalbond.Youaretrulydespicable!”

“Monster,youaretheonewho’saskingfordeath!”repliedPilgrim,“Doyoumeantotellmethatonelifeofamonster-spiritisworthmorethanthoseoffourcreatureslikemymaster,myyoungerbrothers,andthewhitehorse?Youthinkthat Icanbear the thoughtof theirbeinghungup in thecaveat thismoment?ThatIwouldagreetothat?Bringthemoutatonceandreturnthemtome.Youcan add also some travel expenses and send off oldMonkey amiably. Then Imightsparethiscur-likelifeofyours!”Thefiend,ofcourse,wouldnotpermitany furtherexchanges; liftinghis treasuresword,heslashedat theheadof theGreatSage,whomethimwithupliftedironrod.Thiswasquiteabattleoutsidetheentranceofthecave.Aha!Theseven-starswordandthegolden-hoopedrodClashed,andsparksflareduplikelightningbright;ThespreadingcoldairbroughtoppressivechillAsvastdarkcloudsconcealedthepeaksandcliffs.ThisonebecauseofhisfraternalbondWouldnotletupabit.ThatoneonaccountofthescripturemonkWouldnotslowdownonewhit.Eachonehatedwiththesamekindofhate;Bothpartiescherishedsuchhostility.TheyfoughttillHeavenandEarthdarkened,scaringgodsandghosts;Thesundimmed,thesmokethickened,asdragonsandtigersquaked.Thisonegroundhisteethlikefilingdownjadenails;Thatonegrewsomadthatflamesleapedouthiseyes!Backandforththeyshowedtheirheroicmight,Andkeptonbrandishingbothswordandrod.

The old demon fought with the Great Sage for twenty rounds, but neithercould gain the upper hand. Pointing with his sword, the old demon shouted,“Littlefiends,comeuptogether!”Thosethreehundredmonster-spiritsrusheduptogetherandcompletelysurroundedPilgrim.DearGreatSage!Not in the leastafraid,hewieldedhisrodandlungedleftandright,attackingwithitinfrontandprotectinghimselfintherear.Thoselittlefiends,however,allhadsomeabilities;the longer they fought, the more ferocious they became—like cotton flossstickingtoone’sbody,theytackledPilgrimatthewaistandtuggedathislegs,refusingtobebeatenback.Alarmed,theGreatSageresortedtothemagicoftheBodybeyond theBody.Hepluckedoff a handful of hairs fromunder his leftarm,chewedthemtopieces,andspatthemout,crying,“Change!”Everypieceof thehair changed intoaPilgrim.Lookat allof them!The talloneswieldedrods, the short ones boxed with their fists, and the tiniest ones grabbed themonsters’shanksandbegantognawonthem.Theyfoughttillallthefiendswerescatteredineverydirection,crying,“GreatKing,we’refinished!Wecan’tfightanymore!ThemountainisfullofPilgrimSuns!”ThemagicoftheBodybeyond

theBodythussenttheflockofmonstersintoahastyretreat:onlyanolddemonwasleftinthemiddle,surroundedonallsides,sorelypressedbutwithnowaytorunatall.Terribly frightened, thedemon switched the treasure sword tohis left hand;

with his right, he reached behind his neck and pulled out the palm-leaf fan.Facing the direction of due south (which is the direction of fire), he made asweeping motion with the fan from the left and fanned at the ground once.Flames leaped up instantly from the ground. The treasure, you see, couldproducefirejustlikethat.Anunrelentingperson,thefiendfannedatthegroundfor seven or eightmore times, and a fierce fire raged everywhere.Marvelousfire!ThefirewasneitherthefireofHeavenNorthefireofabrazier;NeitherthewildfireonthemeadowsNorthefireinsideanoven.ItwasasparkofspirituallighttakennaturallyfromtheFivePhases.Thefanalsowasnocommonthinginthemortalworld,Norwasitmadebyanyhumanskill.Itwasatruetreasureformedsincethetimechaosparted.Whenthefanwasusedtostartthisfire,Brightandbrilliant,Itwasliketheredboltsoflightning;Clearandablaze,Itseemedmistsiridescent.Therewasnotevenastrandofbluesmoke,Onlyamountainfullofscarletflames.Itburnedtillthesummitpinesbecamefiretrees,Andcedarschangedintolanternsbeforethecliff.Thebeastsofthecaves,eagertolive,Dashedtotheeastandthewest;Thebirdsofthewoods,zealousfortheirfeathers,Flewhighandretreatedwide.Thisdivine,air-fillingholocaustBurnedtillrocksbroke,riversdriedup,andallthegroundturnedred!

WhentheGreatSagesawhowferocious thefirewas,he, too,becamequiteshaken,crying,“It’sbad!Icanstanditmyself,butmyhairsarenogood.Oncethey fall into the fire, they will be burned up.” Shaking his body once, heretrievedallhishairsexceptonepiece,whichheusedtochangeintoaspeciousform of himself, pretending to flee the fire. His true body, making the fire-resistingsignwithhisfingers,somersaultedintotheairandleapedclearoftheblaze. He then headed straight for the Lotus-Flower Cave with the intent ofrescuinghismaster.Ashespeduptotheentranceofthecaveandloweredthedirectionofhiscloud,hesawahundred-oddlittlefiendsoutsidethedoor,everyoneof themwithheadwoundsorbroken legs,with lesions andbruises.They

were theones injuredbyhismagicof theBodybeyond theBody,all standingthere whimpering and in pain.When the Great Sage saw them, he could notsuppressthesavageryinhisnature;liftinguptheironrod,hefoughtallthewayinside.HowpitifulitwasthatheshouldbringatoncetonothingThefruitsofbitterexercisetoacquirehumanforms!Theyallbecameagainoldpiecesofhairandhide!

After theGreat Sage had finished off all the little fiends, he raced into thecavewith the intentofuntyinghismaster.Just thenhesawagainafieryglowinside,andhebecameterriblyflustered,crying,“Undone!Undone!Ifthisfireisstarting again even at the back door, old Monkey will find it hard to saveMaster.”Ashewasthusinalarm,helookedagainmorecarefully.Ah!Itwasnotthe glow of fire, but actually a beam of golden light. Composing himself, hewalkedinsidetohaveanotherlookandfoundthatthesourceoftheglowwasthepuremutton-jade vase. Filledwith delight, he said to himself, “What a lovelytreasure! This vase was glowing also when the little fiends took it up themountain. Then oldMonkey got it, only to have it taken away again by themonster.It’shiddenhereandtodayit’sstillglowing.”Lookathim!Hestolethevaseatonceandturnedquicklytowalkoutofthecave,notevenbotheringtotryto rescuehismaster.As soon as he cameout thedoor, he ran into thedemonreturningfromthesouth,holdingthetreasureswordandthefan.TheGreatSagedidnothave time tohidehimself, and thedemon liftedhis sword instantly toslashathishead.Mountinghiscloudsomersault,theGreatSageleapedupandvanishedimmediately.Whenthefiendarrivedathisowndoor,hesawcorpseslyingeverywhere,all

themonster-spiritsunderhiscommand.HewassostrickenthatheliftedhisfacetowardHeavenandsighedloudlybeforeburstingintotears,crying“Omisery!Owhatbitterness!”Forhimwehaveatestimonialpoem,andthepoemsays:Hatefularetheslyapeandthefrowardhorse!Theseedsdivinewhocametotheworldofdust,ForoneerringthoughtofleavingHeaven,Fellonthismountainanddestroyedthemselves.Whatbittergriefwhenflocksofbirdsbreakup!Howtearsflowwhenmonstertroopsarewipedout!Whenwillthescourgeend,thechastisementcease,Thattheymayreturntotheirprimalforms?

Overbornebygrief,theolddemonwailedstepbystepintothecave;hesawthatthefurnitureandotherbelongingsremained,butnotevenasinglepersonwasinsight.Inthistotalsilence,hebecamesadderthanever:ashesatallbyhimselfinthe cave, heplacedhis headon a stone table, his swordhe leaned against thetable,andthefanhestuckbackintohiscollar.Soon,hefell intoadeepsleep,

justastheproverbsays:Yourspiritisfullwhenyouarehappy;Oncedejectedyoutendtobesleepy!

We tell younowabout theGreatSageSun,who turned thedirectionofhiscloudsomersaultaroundandstoodbeforethemountain,thinkingagainoftryingto rescue hismaster. Fastening the vase tightly to his belt, he returned to theentranceof thecavetoseewhatwashappening.Thetwodoorshefoundwideopen,butnotasoundcouldbeheard.Withlight,stealthystepsheslippedinsideand discovered the demon sleeping soundly, leaning on the stone table. Thepalm-leaffanwasstickingoutofhiscollar,halfcoveringthebackofhishead,whiletheswordofsevenstarswasplacedagainstthetable.Hetiptoednearthedemon,pulledoutthefan,andturnedatoncetofleeoutside.Thefan,however,scrapedagainstthehairofthefiendwhenitwaspulledout,rousinghimfromhissleep.WhenheliftedhisheadtolookandfoundthathisfanhadbeenstolenbyPilgrimSun,hegavechaseatoncewiththesword.TheGreatSageleapedoutthedoorand,havingstuckthefanintohiswaist,metthefiendwithbothhandswieldingtheironrod.Thiswasamarvelousbattle!Themaddeneddemonking,Hiscapraisedbyangryhair,Wantedtoswallowwithonegulphisfoe—Bute’enthatwasnorelief!Hereviledthemonkeythus:“Youmockmefartoomuch!Youtookourmanylives.Youstealmytreasurenow.ThistimeI’llnotspareyou,I’llseethatyouaredead!”TheGreatSagerappedthedemon:“Youdon’tknowwhat’sgoodforyou!AstudentwantstofightoldMonkey?Howcouldaneggsmashuparock?”Thetreasureswordcame,Theironrodmoved:Thetwowouldnolongercherishkindness.Againandagainacontesttheywaged;Overandovertheyusedtheirmartialskill.BecauseofthescripturemonkWhosoughtatSpiritMountaplace,BringingdiscordtoMetalandFire,TheFivePhases,confused,losttheirpeace.Theyshowedtheirawe-inspiring,magicpower;Theykickedupdustandstonestoflaunttheirmight.Theyfoughttillthesunwasabouttosink:Thedemongrewweakandretreatedfirst.

ThedemonfoughtwiththeGreatSageformorethanthirtyrounds;whenthesky

darkened,thedemonfledindefeatandheadedforthesouthwestinthedirectionoftheCrush-DragonCave.Weshallspeaknomoreofhimforthemoment.Lowering the direction of his cloud, theGreat Sage dashed into the Lotus-

FlowerCaveanduntiedtheTangMonk,EightRules,andShaMonk.Aftertheywere freed, they thanked Pilgrim while asking, “Where did the demons go?”“Theseconddemonhasbeenstoredupinthegourd,”saidPilgrim,“andhemustbecompletelydissolvedbynow.Theolddemonwasdefeatedbyme justnowandhe fled toward theCrush-DragonCave in the southwest.Over half of thelittle fiends of the cave have been killed by the body-division magic of oldMonkey,andtherestwhoweredefeatedhavealsobeenwipedoutbyme.Onlyafter that could I come in here to rescue and free all of you.” Profoundlygrateful, theTangMonksaid,“Disciple,youmusthaveworkedawfullyhard!”“Indeed,”saidPilgrim,laughing,“thoughallofyouhadtobearthepainofbeinghungup,oldMonkeyhasn’tbeenableeventoresthislegs!Ihadtobeonthegoevenmorefrequentlythanthepostalmessenger:cominginandgettingout,therewasneveramoment’spause.Onlyafterhavingmanaged to stealhis treasurescouldIdefeatthedemons.”“ElderBrother,”saidZhuEightRules,“takeoutthegourdand letushavea look inside.The seconddemon, I suppose,musthavebeendissolvedbynow.”TheGreatSagefirstuntiedthepurevase;hethentookoutthegoldropeandthefanbeforeheheldthegourdinhishands.Thenhesaid,“Don’tlook!Don’tlook!JustnowhehadoldMonkeystoredup,andonlyafterIdeceivedhimintoopeningthelidbyfeigningsomegarglingnoisedidIescape.We must not, therefore, lift up the lid, for he may still pull some tricks andescape.” Thereaftermaster and disciples happily searched the cave and foundsomeof themonsters’ rice,noodles,andvegetables;afterheatingandwashingsome of the pots and pans, they prepared a vegetarianmeal and ate their fill.Theyrestedinthecaveforthenightandsoonitwasmorningagain.Wetellyounowaboutthatolddemon,whowentstraighttotheCrush-Dragon

Mountain and gathered together all the female fiends, to whom he gave athoroughaccountofhowhismotherwasbeaten todeath,howhisbrotherwassucked into the gourd, howhismonster soldierswerewipedout, andhowhistreasures had been stolen.The female fiends all burst into tears,wailing for alongtime.Thentheolddemonsaid,“Stopcrying,allofyou.Istillhavewithmetheswordofsevenstars,andIplantogowithallofyou,femalesoldiers,totheback of this Crush-Dragon Mountain to borrow some more troops from mymaternal relative. I’m determined to capture that Pilgrim Sun to exactvengeance.”Before he had even finished speaking, a little fiend came from the door to

report, saying, “Great King, your Venerable Maternal Uncle from behind the

mountainhas ledhis troopshere.”When theolddemonheard this,hequicklychanged intomourning garments of plainwhite silk and bowed to receive hisvisitor.TheVenerableMaternalUncle,yousee,wastheyoungerbrotherofhismotherwhowentbythename,GreatKingFoxNumberSeven.BecausehehadalreadyreceivedthereportfromsomeofhismonstersoldiersoutonpatrolthathiseldersisterwasbeatentodeathbyPilgrimSun,whothenchangedintotheformofhissistertoswindletreasuresfromhisnephew,andthattherehadbeenfighting for several days on the Level-TopMountain, he called up some twohundredsoldiersfromhisowncavetoofferhisassistance.Hestoppedfirstathissister’shometofindoutwhetherindeedshehaddied.Themomenthewalkedinthedoor,however,hesawtheolddemoninmourninggarments,andthetwoofthemburstintoloudwailing.Aftersometime,theolddemonkneltdowntogiveacompleteaccountofwhathadtakenplace.Growingveryangry,NumberSevenorderedtheolddemontotakeoffhismourninggarments,topickuphistreasuresword,andtocallupall thefemalemonsters.Togethertheymountedthewindandthecloud,speedingtowardthenortheast.TheGreatSage just thenwas tellingShaMonk topreparebreakfast so that

they could journey after the meal, when suddenly he heard the sound of thewind.Walking out the door, he found a horde of fiendish troops approachingfrom the southwest.Somewhat startled,Pilgrimdashed inside,calling toEightRules,“Brother,themonster-spirithasbroughtfreshtroopstohelphim.”WhenTripitakaheard thesewords,hepaledwithfright,saying,“Disciple,whatshallwedo?”“Relax,relax!”saidPilgrim,chuckling.“Givemeallofhistreasures.”TheGreat Sage fastened the gourd and the vase to hiswaist, stuffed the goldropeintohissleeve,andstuckthepalm-leaffanintohiscollar.Wieldingtheironrodwithbothhands,hetoldShaMonktostandandguardtheirmastersittinginthecave,whileheandEightRulesholdingthemuckrakewentouttomeettheiradversaries.The fiendishcreatures ranged themselves inbattle formation,and theoneat

theveryforefrontwastheGreatKingNumberSeven,whohadajadelikeface,alongbeard,wiryeyebrows,andknifelikeears.Heworeagoldenhelmetonhisheadandaknittedcuirassonhisbody;hishandshelda“square-sky”halberd.5Inaloudvoiceheshouted,“Youaudacious,lawlessape!Howdareyouoppresspeople like that! You stole our treasures, slaughtered our relatives, killed oursoldiers,andyouevenhad thenerve to takeoverourcavedwelling.Stickoutyourneckquicklyandacceptdeath, so that Icanavengemysister’smurder!”“Yourecklesshairylump!”criedPilgrim.“Youdon’tknowwhatyourGrandpaSun can do! Don’t run away! Take a blow frommy rod!” The fiend steppedasidetododgetheblowbeforeturningagaintomeethimwiththehalberd.The

twoofthemfoughtbackandforthonthemountainforthreeorfourrounds,andthefiendgrewweakalready.Ashefled,Pilgrimgavechaseandencounteredtheolddemon,whoalsofoughtwithhimforthreerounds.ThentheNumberSevenFoxturnedaroundandattackedoncemore.WhenEightRulesonthissidesawhim,hequicklystoppedhimwiththenine-prongedrake;so,eachofthepilgrimstookonamonsterandtheyfoughtforalongtimewithoutreachingadecision.Theolddemonshoutedforallthemonstersoldierstojointhebattlealso.WetellyounowabouttheTangMonk,whowasseatedinthecavewhenhe

heard earth-shaking cries coming fromoutside. “ShaMonk,” he said, “go andsee how your brothers are doing in the battle.” Lifting high his fiend-routingstaff, ShaMonk gave a terrific cry as he raced outside, beating back at oncemany of the monsters. When Number Seven saw that the tide was turningagainstthem,hespunaroundandran,onlytobecaughtupbyEightRules,whobroughttherakedownhardonhisback.Thisoneblowcausedninespotsofbrightredtospurtout;Pityonespirit’struenaturegoingtotheworldbeyond.

WhenEightRulesdraggedhimasideandstrippedoffhisclothes,hefoundthattheGreatKing,too,wasafoxspirit.When the old demon saw that his maternal uncle was slain, he abandoned

PilgrimandattackedEightRuleswiththesword.EightRulesblockedtheblowwiththemuckrake;astheyfought,ShaMonkchargednearandstruckwithhisstaff.Unabletowithstandthetwoofthem,thedemonmountedwindandcloudtofleetowardthesouthwithEightRulesandShaMonkhardonhisheels.WhentheGreatSagesawthat,heswiftlyleapedintotheair,untiedthevase,andtookaimattheolddemon,crying,“GreatKingGoldenHorn!”Thefiendthoughtthatitwasoneofhisdefeated littledemonscallinghim,andhe turned togivehisreply. Instantly he was sucked also into the vase, which was then sealed byPilgrimwiththetapebearingthewords,“MayLaoziActQuicklyAccordingtoThisCommand.”Theswordofsevenstarsdroppedtothegroundbelowandit,too,becamethepropertyofPilgrim.“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,comingup to meet Pilgrim, “you’ve got the sword. But where’s the monster-spirit?”“Finished!”saidPilgrim,chuckling,“He’sstoredupinthisvaseofmine.”Whentheyheardthis,ShaMonkandEightRuleswereutterlydelighted.Aftertheyhadcompletelywipedouttheogresandmonsters,theywentback

to the cave to present the good news to Tripitaka, saying, “Themountain hasbeen purged of all monsters. Let Master mount up so that we may journeyagain.”Highlypleased,Tripitakafinished themorningmealwithhisdisciples,whereupon theyput inorder the luggageand thehorseandfound theirway to

theWest.Astheywalked,ablindmansuddenlyappearedfromthesideof theroadandcaughtholdofTripitaka’shorse,saying,“Monk,whereareyougoing?Give me back my treasures!” Horrified, Eight Rules cried, “We are finished!Here’sanotheroldmonstercomingtoaskforhis treasures!”Pilgrimlookedatthemancarefullyand saw thathewasactuallyLaozi.Hurriedlyhedrewnearand bowed, saying, “Venerable Sir, where are you going?” The old patriarchswiftly mounted his jade throne, which rose and stopped in midair. “PilgrimSun,” he said, “return my treasures.” The Great Sage also rose into the airsaying,“Whattreasures?”“Thegourd,”saidLaozi,“iswhatIusetostoreelixir,while thepurevase ismywatercontainer.The treasuresword Iuse tosubduedemons, the fan is for tendingmy fires, and the rope is actually a belt ofmygown.ThosetwomonstershappentobetwoDaoistyouths:onelooksaftermygoldenbrazier,whiletheothermysilverbrazier.Iwasjustsearchingforthem,for they stole the treasures and left theRegionAbove.Now you have caughtthem,thiswillbeyourmerit.”TheGreat Sage said, “Venerable Sir, you are not very honorable!That you

wouldpermityourkintobecomedemonsshouldmakeyouguiltyofoversightinthegovernanceofyourhousehold.”“It’s reallynotmyaffair,” saidLaozi, “sodon’tblamethewrongperson.TheseyouthswererequestedbytheBodhisattvafromtheseathreetimes;theyweretobesenthereandtransformedintodemons,totestallofyouandseewhethermasteranddisciplesaresincereingoingtotheWest.”WhentheGreatSageheardthesewords,hethoughttohimself,“Whatarogue

isthisBodhisattva!AtthetimewhenshedeliveredoldMonkeyandtoldmetoaccompany the Tang Monk to procure scriptures in theWest, I said that thejourneywouldbeadifficultone.Sheevenpromisedthatsheherselfwouldcometorescueuswhenweencountergravedifficulties,butinstead,shesentmonster-spiritsheretoharassus.Thewayshedouble-talks,shedeservestobeaspinsterfortherestofherlife!”HethensaidtoLaozi,“IfVenerableSirdidn’tshowuppersonally,Iwouldneverhavereturnedthesethingstoyou.Butsinceyouhavemade the appearance and told me the truth, you can take them away.” Afterreceivingthefivetreasures,Laoziliftedthesealsofthegourdandthevaseandpoured out two masses of divine ether. With one point of his finger hetransformedtheetheragainintotwoyouths,standingonhisleftandright.TenthousandstrandsofpropitiouslightappearedasTheyalldriftedtowardtheTushitaPalace;FreelytheywentstraightuptoHeaven’scanopy.

Wedonotknowwhathappens thereafter,how theGreatSunaccompanies the

TangMonk,oratwhat time they reach theWesternHeaven; let’s listen to theexplanationinthenextchapter.

THIRTY-SIX

WhenMindMonkeyisrectified,thenidānascease;1Smashthroughthesidedoor2toviewthebrightmoon.

WeweretellingyouaboutPilgrim,wholoweredthedirectionofhiscloudandpresentedtohismasterathoroughaccountofhowtheBodhisattvarequestedfortheyouthsandhowLaozitookbackhistreasures.Tripitakawasdeeplygrateful;he redoubled his efforts and determination to go to theWest at all costs. Hemounted the horse oncemore;while ZhuEightRules poled the luggage, ShaMonktookholdofthebridle,andPilgrimSuntookuphisironrodtoleadthewaydownthetallmountain.Astheyproceeded,wecannottellyouinfullhowthey rested by thewaters anddined in thewind, how theywere coveredwithfrostandexposedtothedew.Masteranddisciplesjourneyedforalongtimeandagaintheyfoundamountainblockingtheirpath.“Disciples,”saidTripitakaloudlyonthehorse,“Lookhowtallandruggedis

thatmountain.We should bemost careful, for I fear that theremay be somedemonic miasmas coming to attack us.” Pilgrim said, “Stop thinking foolishthoughts, Master. Compose yourself and keep your mind from wandering;nothingwillhappentoyou.”“O Disciple,” said Tripitaka, “why is it so difficult to reach the Western

Heaven?IrememberthatsinceleavingthecityChang’an,springhascomeandgoneonthisroadseveraltimes,autumnhasarrivedtobefollowedbywinter—atleastfourorfiveyearsmusthavegoneby.Whyisitthatwestillhaven’treachedourdestination?”“It’stooearly!It’stooearly!”saidPilgrim,roaringwithlaughter.“Wehaven’t

even left themain door yet!” “Stop fibbing,ElderBrother,” saidEightRules.“There’sno suchbigmansion in thisworld.” “Brother,” saidPilgrim, “wearejustmovingaroundinoneofthehallsinside.”Laughing,ShaMonksaid,“ElderBrother, stop talking so big to scare us. Where could you find such a hugehouse?Evenif therewere,youwouldn’tbeabletofindcrossbeamsthatwerelongenough.”“Brother,”saidPilgrim,“fromthepointofviewofoldMonkey,this blue sky is our roof, the sun andmoon are ourwindows, the five sacredmountains our pillars, and the whole Heaven and Earth is but one largechamber.” When Eight Rules heard this, he sighed, “We’re finished! We’refinished!All right,movearoundsomemoreandwe’llgoback.”“Noneedfor

thiskindofsillychatter,”saidPilgrim.“JustfollowoldMonkeyandmove.”DearGreatSage!Placingtheironrodhorizontallyacrosshisshoulders,heled

the TangMonk firmly up themountain road andwent straight ahead. As themasterlookedaroundonthehorse,hesawsomelovelymountainscenery.TrulyTheruggedsummitstouchthedipperstars,Andtreetopsseemtojointheskyandclouds.WithinpilesofbluemistApecriesoftarisefromthevalley;IntheshadesofriotousgreenYouhearcranescallingbeneaththepines.HowlingmountainspritesrearupinthestreamsTomockthewoodsman;AgedfoxspiritssitbesidethecliffTofrightenthehunter.Marvelousmountain!Lookhowsteepitisonallsides,Howprecipitouseverywhere!Strangeknottypinestoppedbygreencanopies;Dried,agedtreesdanglingcreepersandvines.Thestreamsurges,Itspiercingcoldchillse’enthehairsofman;Thepeakshootsup,Itseye-smartingclearwindmakesoneskittish.Frequentlyyoulistentobigcatsroar;Nowandthenyouhearmountainbirdscall.Flocksoffallowdeercutthroughthebrambles,Leapinghereandthere;HordesofriverdeerseekingfoodofthewildsStampedebackandforth.Standingonthemeadow,Onecan’tseeanytraveler;WalkinthecanyonsAndtherearewolvesonallsides.It’snoplaceforBuddhatomeditate,Whollythedomainofdartingbirdsandbeasts.

Withfearandtrembling,themasterentereddeepintothemountain.Growingmoremelancholy,hestoppedthehorseandsaid,“OWukong!OnceIwasresolved3tomakethatmountain4trip,Tosendmefromthecitythekingdidnotwait.Imetonthewaythethree-corneredsedge;Ipushedhardmyhorsedeckedwithbridlebells.TofindscripturesIsearchedsteepslopesandstreams;TobowtoBuddha’sspiritIscaledthepeaks.IfmyselfIguardtocompletemytour,WhenmayIgohometobowtothecourt?”

When the Great Sage heard these words, he roared with laughter, saying,“Master, don’t be so anxious and impatient. Relax and push forward. In due

time,Iassureyouthat‘successwillcomenaturallywhenmerit’sachieved.’”Asmasteranddisciplesenjoyedthemountainscenerywhiletheywalkedalong,theredorbsoonsanktowardthewest.TrulyNotravelerwalkedbytheten-milearbor,Butstarsappearedintheninefoldheavens.Boatsofeightriversreturnedtotheirpiers;Seventhousandtownsandcountiesshuttheirgates.Thelordsofsixchambersandfivebureausallretired;Fromfourseasandthreeriversfish-lineswithdrew.Gongsanddrumssoundedontwotalltowers;Oneorbofbrightmoonfilledtheuniverse.

Ashepeeredintothedistanceonthebackofthehorse,themastersawinthefoldof themountainseveralmultistoriedbuildings.“Disciples,”saidTripitaka,“it’sgetting latenowandwearefortunate tofindsomebuildingsover there. Ithink itmustbeeitheraDaoist abbeyoraBuddhistmonastery.Let’sgo thereand ask for lodging for the night, and we can resume our journey in themorning.”Pilgrimsaid,“Master,youareright.Let’snothurry,however;letmeexaminetheplacefirst.”Leapingintotheair,theGreatSagestaredintentlyandfoundthatitwasindeedaBuddhistmonastery.HesawEight-wordbrickwall5paintedmuddyred;Doorsontwosidesstuddedwithnailsofgold;Rowsoftiered-terraceshelteredbythepeak;Buildings,multistoried,hiddeninthemount.BuddhasAlcove6facedtheTathāgataHall;TheMorning-SunTowermettheGreatHero7Gate.Cloudsrestedonaseven-tieredpagoda,AndgloryshonefromthreehonoredBuddhas.8MañjuśrīPlatformfacedthemonastichouse;MaitreyaHalljoinedtheGreatMercyRoom.BluelightdancedoutsidetheMount-ViewingLodge;PurplecloudsbloomedabovetheVoid-TreadingTower.Pineretreatsandbamboocourts—fresh,lovelygreen.AbbotroomsandZencommons—cleaneverywhere.Gracefully,quietlyserviceswereheld.Solemnbutjoyfulpriestswalkedthegrounds.ChanmonkslecturedintheChanclassrooms,Andinstrumentsblaredfrommusichalls.UdumbarapetalsdroppedfromtheWondrous-HeightTerrace;Pattra9leavesgrewbeneaththeLaw-ExpoundingPlatform.SoitwasthatwoodsshelteredthislandoftheThreeJewels,AndmountainsembracedthishomeofaSanskritPrince.Halfawalloflampswithflickeringlightsandsmoke;Arowofincenseobscuredbyfragrantfog.

Descending from his cloud, theGreat Sage Sun reported to Tripitaka, saying,“Master,it’sindeedaBuddhistmonastery.Wecangotheretoaskforlodging.”

Themasterurgedhishorseonandwentstraightuptothemaingate.“Master,”saidPilgrim,“whatmonasteryisthis?”“Thehoofsofmyhorsehavejustcometoastop,andthetipsofmyfeethaveyettoleavethestirrups,”saidTripitaka,“and you askmewhatmonastery this is? How thoughtless you are!” Pilgrimsaid, “You, your venerable self, have been amonk since your youth, and youmusthavestudiedtheConfucianclassicsbeforeyouproceededtolectureonthedharma sūtras.Youmust havemastered both literature and philosophy beforeyoureceivedsuchroyalfavorsfromtheTangEmperor.Therearebigwordsonthedoor of thismonastery.Why can’t you recognize them?” “Impudent ape!”snappedtheelder.“Youmouthsuchsenselesswords!IwasfacingthewestasIrodeandmyeyesweremomentarilyblindedbytheglareofthesun.Theremightbewordsonthedoor,buttheyarecoveredbygrimeanddirt.That’swhyIcan’tmakethemout.”WhenPilgrimheardthesewords,hestretchedhistorsoandatoncegrewtoovertwentyfeettall.Wipingawaythedirt,hesaid,“Master,pleasetake a look.” There were seven words in large characters: “Precious GroveMonasteryBuilt by ImperialCommand.”After Pilgrim changed back into hisnormalsize,hesaid,“Master,whichoneofusshouldgointoaskforlodging?”“I’ll go inside,” said Tripitaka, “for all of you are ugly in your appearance,uncouth inyour speech,andarrogant inyourmanner. Ifyouhappen tooffendthelocalmonks,theymayrefuseourrequest,andthatwon’tbegood.”“Inthatcase,”saidPilgrim,“letMastergoinatonce.Noneedforwordsanymore.”Abandoninghispriestlystaffanduntyinghiscloak,theelderstraightenedout

hisclothesandwalkedinsidethemaingatewithfoldedhands.TherehefoundbehindredlacqueredrailingsapairofVajra-guardians,10whosemoltenimageswerefearsomeindeed:Onehasanironfaceandsteelwhiskersasifalive;Onehasbushybrowsandroundeyesthatseemreal.Ontheleft,thefistboneslikerawironjutout;Ontheright,thepalmsarecraggedlikecrudebronze.Goldenchainarmorofsplendidluster;Brighthelmetsandwind-blownsashesofsilk.OfferingsintheWesttoBuddhaarebounteous:Instonetripodstheincensefiresglowred.

WhenTripitakasawthis,henoddedandgavealengthysigh,saying,“IfinourLand of the East there are enough people who would mold such hugebodhisattvas with clay and worship themwith fires and incense, this disciplewould have no need to go to theWesternHeaven.”As hewas saying this tohimself,he reached thesecondgate,wherehediscovered inside the imagesoftheFourDevarājas:Dhṛtarāṣṭra,Vaiśravaṇa,Virūḍhaka,andVirūpākṣa.Eachofthem,stationedaccordingtohispositionintheeast,north,south,andwest,was

also symbolic of his powers to make the winds harmonious and the rainsseasonal.Afterheenteredthesecondgate,hesawfourtallpines,eachofwhichhadaluxurianttopshapedlikeanumbrella.Asheraisedhishead,hediscoveredthathehadarrivedbeforethePreciousHalloftheGreatHero.Foldinghishandswith complete reverence, the elder prostrated himself and worshipped;afterwards,hearoseandwentpast theBuddhaplatformtoreach thereargate.TherehefoundtheimageoftherecliningGuanyin,whoproffereddeliverancetothecreaturesofSouthSea.11On thewallswere carvings—alldoneby skillfulartisans—of shrimps, fishes, crabs, and turtles; sticking out their heads andflapping their tails, they were frolicking in the billows and leaping over thewaves.Theelderagainnoddedhisheadfourorfivetimes,sighingloudly,“Whatapity!EvenscalycreatureswouldworshipBuddha!Whyisitthathumansareunwillingtopracticereligion?”As hewas thus speaking to himself, aworker emerged from the third gate.

When he saw the uncommon and handsome features of Tripitaka, he hurriedforwardandbowed,saying,“Wheredidthemastercomefrom?”“Thisdisciple,”saidTripitaka,“wassentbytheThroneoftheGreatTangintheLandoftheEasttogototheWesternHeavenandseekscripturesfromBuddha.Itwasgettinglatewhenwearrivedatyourhonoredregion,andIcametoaskforlodgingforonenight.”“Pleasedonotbeoffended,Master,”saidtheworker,“butIcan’tassumeresponsibilityhere.I’mjustamanuallaborerinchargeofsweepingthegroundsand tolling the bell. There’s an old master inside who is the head of thehousehold.Letmegoinandreporttohim;ifhewishestoaskyoutostay,I’llcomeouttogiveyoutheinvitation;ifnot,Idarenotdetainyou.”Tripitakasaid,“Sorryforallthatinconvenience.”The worker hurried to the abbot chamber and reported, “Venerable Father,

there’s someone outside.” The monk-official arose immediately, changed hisclothes,adjustedhisVairocanahat,andputonacassockbeforehewenttoopenthe door to receive his visitor. “Whatman has arrived?” he asked theworker,whopointedwithhisfingerandreplied,“Isn’tthatamantherebehindthemainhall?”Bald-headed,wearingaBodhidharmagownthatwasinshredsandapairofsandalsmuddyandwet,Tripitakawasrecliningbythedoor.Whenthemonk-official saw him, he became enraged, saying, “Worker, you deserve to beflogged! Don’t you know that a monk-official like me would come out andreceiveonlythegentlemenfromthecitieswhocomeheretoofferincense?Forthissortofamonk,whydidyougivemeaphonyreportandaskmetoreceivehim?Justlookathisface!Hecan’tbeanhonestman!Hehastobesomekindofmendicant who wants to sleep here now that it’s getting late. You think I’mgoing to permit him tomess up our abbot chamber? Tell him to squat in the

corridor.Whybotherme?”Heturnedaroundandleftimmediately.When the elder heard these words, tears filled his eyes and he said, “How

pitiful!Howpitiful!Truly‘amanawayfromhomeischeap!’Thisdisciplelefthomefromhisyouthtobecomeamonk.IdidnotDopenancewhileeatingmeatwithwickedglee,OrreadscripturesinwrathtosoilthemindofChan.

NordidICasttilesandstonestodamageBuddha’shall,Orripdownthegoldfromanarhat’sface.

Alas, how pitiful! I don’t knowwhich incarnation it was that I had offendedHeavenandEarth,sothatIhavetomeetunkindpeoplesofrequentlyinthislife.Monk, ifyoudon’twant togiveuslodging, that’sallright.Butwhymustyousaysuchnastythings,tellingustogoandsquatinthecorridors?I’dbetternotrepeatthesewordstoPilgrim,forifIdid,thatmonkeywouldcomeinandafewblows of his iron rod would break all your shanks. All right! All right! Theproverbsays,‘Manmustputproprietyandmusicfirst.’Letmegoinsideandaskhimoncemoreandseewhathereallyintendstodowithus.”Followingthe tracksof themonk-official, themasterwentup to thedoorof

theabbotchamber,wherehefoundthemonk-officialwho,havingtakenoffhisoutergarments,wassittinginside,stillpantingwithrage.Hewasnotrecitingthesūtras,norwashedrawingupanyserviceforafamily;alltheTangMonkcouldseewasapileofpapersonatablebesidehim.Notdaringtowalkinsideabruptlybut standing instead in the courtyard, Tripitaka bowed and cried out, “OldAbbot, thisdisciplesalutesyou.”Somewhatannoyedby thefact thatTripitakafollowed him inside, the monk only pretended to return the greeting, saying,“Wheredidyoucomefrom?”“Thisdisciple,”repliedTripitaka,“hasbeensentby theThroneof theGreat

Tang in theLandof theEast togo to theWesternHeavenand seek scripturesfrom theLivingBuddha. Ipassed throughyourhonored region, itwasgettinglate, and I came to ask for lodging for one night. Tomorrow, I’ll leave beforedaybreak.IbeseechtheOldAbbottograntmethisrequest.”Onlythendidthemonk-official get up from his seat and say, “Are you that Tripitaka Tang?”Tripitaka said, “Yes.” “If you are going to the Western Heaven to acquirescriptures,” said themonk-official, “how is it that you don’t even know yourway?” Tripitaka said, “Your disciple has never passed through your honoredregionand that’swhyhedoesn’tknow thewayhere.”“Duewestofhere,”hesaid, “about four or five miles is a Thirty-Mile Inn, in which there is alsosomeonesellingfood.Itwillbeconvenientforyoutostaythere,whereasit’snot

convenienthereformetoentertainamonklikeyourselfwhohascomefromagreatdistance.”“Abbot,” said Tripitaka with hands folded, “the ancients declared that ‘A

DaoistabbeyoraBuddhistmonasteryallmaybeconsideredalodgeforapriest,whohas a claim for three percent of the food themoment he sees the templegate.’ Why do you refuse me?” “You mendicant monk!” shouted the monk-official angrily. “All youknow is how to cajole andwheedle!”Tripitaka said,“What do you mean by cajole and wheedle?” The monk-official said,“Rememberwhattheancientssaid?Atigercomestotown;Eachhousewillshutthedoor.Thoughnooneisbitten,Itsname’salreadypoor!”

“Whatdoyoumeanby‘Itsname’salreadypoor’?”askedTripitaka.“Afewyearsago,”saidthemonk-official,“therewasagroupofmendicants

whoarrivedandsatinfrontofourmonasterygate.Itookpityontheirhardshipwhen I saw how destitute they were, every one of them bald-headed andbarefooted,shoelessandinrags.SoIinvitedthemintotheabbotchamber,gavethemhonoredseats,andfedthemavegetarianmeal.Moreover,Ievengaveeachof themanold suit of clothes towear andasked them to stay for a fewdays.HowwouldIknowthattheycouldbecomesogreedyforeasyfoodandclothingthat they would remain for seven or eight years, never giving a thought toleavingagain?Ididn’tmindeventheirstaying,buttheyindulgedinallsortsofshabbyactivities.”“What kind of shabby activities?” asked Tripitaka. The monk-official said,

“Justlistentomytale:Idle,theythrewtilesbythepale;Bored,theypullednailsoffthewall.Inwintertheyfedfireswithrippedwindowpanes,Leavingtorndoors,whenhot,ontheroad.

Theypulledbannerstomakeleggings;Gluttonous,theystoleourturnips.Fromglassvasestheyoftenpouredouroil,Gamingbygrabbingbowlsanddishes!”12

WhenTripitaka heard thesewords, he said to himself, “Howpitiful! Is thisdisciple thatkindof spinelessmonk?”Hewasabout tocry,buthe fearedalsothat theoldmonk in themonasterywould laughat him.Swallowinghisprideandhisannoyancewhilewipingawayhistearssecretlywithhisrobe,hewalkedoutquicklyandmethisthreedisciples.WhenPilgrimsawhowangryhismasterlooked,hewentforwardtoask,“Master,didthemonksinthemonasterystrike

you?”“Theydidn’t,”saidtheTangMonk.“Theymusthavedoneso,”saidEightRules, “for if they haven’t,why is your voice cracking?” “Have they scoldedyou?” asked Pilgrim. The Tang Monk said, “They haven’t either.” “If theyhaven’tstruckyou,”saidPilgrim,“orscoldedyou,whyareyouupset?Youmustbegettinghomesick.” “Disciples,” said theTangMonk, “they say that it’snotconvenient here.” “Theymust be Daoists here, then?” said Pilgrim, laughing.“OnlyaDaoistabbeyhasDaoists,”saidtheTangMonk,raging.“Thereareonlymonksinamonastery.”Pilgrimsaid,“Youareuseless!Iftherearemonkshere,theyarethesameaswe.Theproverbsays,GatheredinBuddha’sassemblyAreallmenofaffinity.

Yousithere,andletmegoinsidetolookaround.”DearPilgrim!Givingthefilletonhisheadasqueezeandtighteningtheskirt

around hiswaist, hewent straight up to the PreciousHall of theGreatHero,holdinghis iron rod.Therehepointedat the statuesof the threeBuddhas andsaid,“Youareactuallyidolsmoldedwithclayandadornedwithgold.Youdon’tpossess one whit of efficacy inside! Or do you? Old Monkey, who isaccompanying theTangMonk to go to theWesternHeaven and seek the truescriptures from Buddha, has come here tonight specially to ask for lodging.You’dbetterhurryandannouncemyarrival.Ifyoudon’tputusup,myrodwillsmashthegoldenbodiesandrevealyouroriginalformsofmud!”As the Great Sage was making his threats and intimidations, a worker in

chargeofvespersarrivedwithseveralsticksof lighted incense tobeplaced intheurnbefore the imagesofBuddha.OnesnarlofPilgrimsenthim tumbling;whenhescrambledupandsawtheface,hefelldownagain.Stumblingallover,hefledintotheabbotchamberandmadethereport,saying,“HolyFather,there’samonkoutside.”“All of youworkers deserve to be flogged!” said themonk-official. “I told

you people before that they should be sent to squat in the corridors up front.Why make another announcement? One more word and I’ll give you twentylashes!”“HolyFather,”saidtheworker,“thismonkisnotthesameastheotherone; he’s mean and fierce looking.” “How does he look?” asked the monk-official.Theworkerreplied,“He’ssomeonewithroundeyes,forkedears,afacefull of hairs, and a beak like the thunder god’s. He has a rod in his hands,furiouslygrindinghisteethtofindsomeonetobeat.”“Letmegooutandhavealook,”saidthemonk-official.Themomentheopenedthedoor,hesawPilgrimbargingin.Itwasahideous

sight indeed! A bumpy, scabrous face, a pair of yellow eyeballs, a sunken

forehead,and long,protruding fangs—heseemedvirtuallyanovercookedcrabwithmeatinsideandcartilageoutside!Sopanic-strickenwastheoldmonkthathe slammed shut the door of the abbot chamber at once. Pilgrim, however,rushedup to it and smashed it topieces, crying, “Hurryup and cleanout onethousandrooms!OldMonkeywantstotakeanap!”Asheattemptedtohideintheroom,themonk-officialsaidtotheworker,“No

wonderhe’ssougly!Talkingbighascausedhimtoendupwithafacelikethat!Ourplacehere,includingabbotchambers,Buddhahalls,bell-and-drumtowers,andthetwocorridors,hasbarelythreehundredrooms.Hewantsathousandforhimtotakeanap.Wherearewegoingtogettheserooms?”“Master,”saidtheworker,“I’mamanwhosegallhasbeenbustedbyfear.I’llletyouanswerhimanywayyouplease.”Tremblingallover,themonk-officialsaidinaloudvoice,“The elderwhowants lodging, pleasehearme. It’s truly inconvenient for thissmall,humblemonasteryofourstoentertainyou.Pleasegosomewheretostay.”Pilgrimtransformedhisroduntilithadthecircumferenceofabasin’s;thenhe

stuckitstraightupinthecourtyard.“Monk,”hesaid,“ifit’sinconvenient,youmove out.” Themonk-official said, “We have lived here since our youth; ourgrand-masters passed the place on to ourmasters, and they in turn to us.Wewanttogiveittoourheirs.Whatsortofapersonishethathewouldsorashlyaskustomove?”“VenerableFather,”saidtheworker,“wecan’tmuddlethroughlike this.Whynotmoveout?Thatpoleofhis isgoing tocomesmashing in!”“Stop babbling!” said the monk-official. “We have altogether five hundredmonks here, old and young.Where arewe going tomove to? Even ifwe domoveout,wehavenootherplacetostay.”Hearingthis,Pilgrimsaid,“Monk,ifyouhavenoplacetomove,oneofyoumustcomeoutandbecaned.”Theoldmonksaid to theworker,“Yougooutand take thecaningforme.”

Horrified, theworkersaid,“OFather!With thathugepole,andyouaskme totake the caning!” The old monk said, “As the proverb says, ‘It may take athousanddays to feedanarmy,butonlyoneday touse it.’Whydon’tyougoout?”“Don’tspeakofbeingcanedbythathugepole,”saidtheworker.“Evenifitjustfallsonyou,you’llbereducedtoameatpatty.”“Yes,”saidtheoldmonk,“let’snot speakof fallingonsomeone. If it remains standing in thecourtyard,one can crack his head bumping into it at night if one forgets it’s there.”“Master,”saidtheworker,“ifyouknowthat’showheavyitis,whydoyouaskmetogooutandtakethecaningforyou?”Afterheaskedthisquestion,thetwoofthembegantoquarrelbetweenthemselves.Hearingallthatnoise,Pilgrimsaidtohimself,“Theyreallycan’ttakeit.IfI

kill each of them with one blow of my rod,Master will accuse me again ofworkingviolence.LetmefindsomethingtostrikeatandshowthemwhatIcan

do.”Heliftedhisheadanddiscoveredastonelionoutsidethedooroftheabbotchamber.Raisinguptherod,heslammeditonthelionandreducedittopowder.The monk caught sight of the blow through a tiny hole in the window and,almostparalyzedwithfear,begancrawlingunderthebedwhiletheworkertrieddesperately tocreepinto theopeningof thekitchenrange,yellingall the time:“Father! The rod’s too heavy! The rod’s too heavy! I can’t take it! It’sconvenient! It’s convenient!” Pilgrim said, “Monk, I won’t hit you now. I’maskingyou,howmanymonksarethereinthismonastery?”Shakingallover,themonk-officialsaid,“Therearetwohundredandeighty-fivechambersbackandfront, andwehave altogether five hundred certifiedmonks.” “Goquickly andcallupeveryoneofthosefivehundredmonks,”saidPilgrim.“Tellthemtoputon their long robes and receive my master in here. Then I won’t hit you.”“Father,”saidthemonk-official,“ifyouwon’thitus,we’llbegladeventocarryhim inside.” “Go now!” said Pilgrim. The monk-official said to the worker,“Don’t tell me that your gall has been busted by fear. Even if your heart isbusted,youstillhavetogoandcallupthesepeopletowelcometheHolyFatherTang.”With no alternative at all, the worker had to risk his life. He dared not,

however,walkoutthedoor,butcrawledoutinsteadinthebackthroughthedogholefromwherehewenttothemainhallinfront.Hebeganstrikingthebellonthewestandbeatingthedrumontheeast.Thesoundsofthesetwoinstrumentssoonarousedallthemonkslivingintheirquartersalongthetwocorridors.Theyarrivedat themainhall andasked,“It’s still early.Whydoyoubeat thedrumandstrike thebell?”“Changeyourclothesquickly,”said theworker,“andlineyourselvesuptofollowOldMastertogooutofthegateinordertowelcomeaHoly Father from the Tang court.” The various monks indeed arrangedthemselvesinordertogooutofthegateforthereception;someofthemputontheircassocks,whileothersputontheirtogas.Thosewhohadneitherworelong,bell-shapedgowns,whilethepoorestonesfoldeduptheirskirtsanddrapedthemoverboththeirshoulders.WhenPilgrimsawthem,heasked,“Monks,whatkindof clothes do you have on?” When the monks saw how fierce and ugly helooked, they said, “Father, don’t hit us.Let us tell youwhatwehaveon.Theclothwasdonatedtousbythefamiliesinthecity.Aswedon’thaveanytailoraroundhere,wehave tomakeourownclothes.Thestyle iscalledAWrapofWoe.”Smiling silently tohimselfwhenheheard thesewords,Pilgrimguarded the

monksandsawtoit thateachoneof themwalkedoutof thegateandkneeleddown.Afterhekowtowed,themonk-officialcriedout:“VenerableFatherTang,pleasego to the abbot chamber and take a seat.”WhenEightRules sawwhat

washappening,hesaid,“Masterissoincompetent!Whenyouwalkedinsidejustnow,youreturnednotonlywith tears,butyouwerepoutingsomuch thatyoulooked as if two flasks of oil had been hung on your lips.Now,what sort ofcunningdoesElderBrotherhavethatmakesthemkowtowtoreceiveus?”“YouIdiot!” saidTripitaka.“Youdon’tknowwhat’sgoingon!As theproverbsays,‘Evenghostsareafraidofnastypeople.’”WhentheTangMonksawthemkowtowing,hewasveryembarrassedandhe

approachedthem,saying,“Pleaserise,allofyou.”Thevariousmonkscontinuedtokowtow,saying,“If theVenerableFathercouldspeakonourbehalf toyourdiscipleandaskhimnottohituswiththatpole,wewouldbewillingtokneelhereforawholemonth.”“Wukong,”criedtheTangMonk,“don’thitthem.”“Ihaven’t,”saidPilgrim,“forifIdid,theywouldhavebeenexterminated.”Onlythendidthosemonksgetup;somewenttoleadthehorsewhileotherstookupthepoleofluggage.TheylifteduptheTangMonk,carriedEightRules,andtookholdofShaMonk—all crowded inside themonasterygate andheaded for theabbotchamberintheback.After the pilgrims took their seats, themonks came again to do obeisance.

“Abbot,pleaserise,”saidTripitaka.“There’snoneedforyoutogothroughsuchceremonyanymore,oryourpoormonkwillfinditmuchtooburdensome.Youand I, after all, are all disciples within the gate of Buddha.” “The VenerableFather,”saidthemonk-official,“isanimperialenvoyofanoblenation,andthishumblemonk has not properlywelcomedyouwhen you reached our desolatemountain. Our vulgar eyes could not recognize your esteemed countenance,though it was our good fortune that we should meet. Permit me to ask theVenerableFathertotellmewhetherhewaseatingmeatorvegetarianfoodontheway. We can then prepare your meal.” “Vegetarian food,” said Tripitaka.“Disciples,”said themonk-official,“thisHolyFatherprefersvegetarianfood.”Pilgrimsaid, “We, too,havebeeneatingvegetarian food.Wehavemaintainedsuchadiet,infact,evenbeforewewereborn.”“O Father!” exclaimed thatmonk. “Such violentmenwould eat vegetarian

food, too?”Anothermonk,whowas slightlymore courageous, drewnear andasked again, “If theVenerable Fathers prefer vegetarian food, howmuch riceshould we cook?” “You cheapskates!” said Eight Rules. “Why ask? For ourfamily, cook a picul of rice.” Themonks all became frightened; theywent atoncetoscrubandwashthepotsandpansandtopreparethemeal.BrightlampswerebroughtinastheysetthetabletoentertaintheTangMonk.Aftermaster and disciples had eaten the vegetarian dinner, themonks took

away the dishes and the furniture. “OldAbbot,” saidTripitaka, thanking him,“wearegreatlyindebtedtoyouandyourhospitality.”“Notatall,notatall,”said

themonk-official,“wehaven’tdoneanythingforyou.”Tripitakaasked,“Whereshould we sleep?” “Don’t be impatient, Venerable Father,” said the monk-official.“Thishumbleclerichaseverythingplanned.”Hethenasked,“Worker,doyouhavesomepeopletherewhoarefreetowork?”“Yes,Master,”saidtheworker.Themonk-official instructedthem,saying,“TwoofyoushouldgoandgetsomehaytofeedthehorseofVenerableFatherTang.TherestcangotothefrontandcleanupthreeoftheChanhalls;setupbeddingandmosquitonetssothattheVenerableFatherscantaketheirrest.”The workers obeyed and each of them finished the preparation before

returning to invite theTangMonk togo takehis rest.Masteranddisciples ledthehorseandtotedtheluggage;theylefttheabbotchamberandwenttothedooroftheChanhalls,wheretheysawinsidebrightlylitlampsandfourrattanbedswithbeddingalllaidout.Pilgrimaskedtheworkerwhobroughtthehaytohaulit inside theChanhalls,where they tiedup thewhitehorse also.Theworkerswerethentold to leave.AsTripitakasatdownbeneath the lamps, tworowsofmonks—allfivehundredofthem—stoodonbothsidesandwaiteduponhim,notdaring to leave. Tripitaka got up and said, “Please go back, all of you. Thishumble cleric can then rest comfortably.”Themonks refused to retire, for themonk-officialhadgiventhemthisinstruction:“WaitupontheVenerableFatheruntilheretires.Thenyoumayleave.”OnlyafterTripitakasaid,“I’mallcaredfor,pleasegoback,”didtheydaredisperse.The TangMonk stepped outside the door to relieve himself, and he saw a

brightmoonhighinthesky.“Disciples,”hecalledout,andPilgrim,EightRules,andShaMonkallcameouttowaitonhim.Movedbythebright,purelightofthemoon—aroundorbloftilyhungtoilluminethegreatEarth—andfilledwithlongingforhishomeland,Tripitakacomposedorallyalongpoemintheancientstyle.Thepoemsaid:Thebrightsoul,mirror-like,hangsinthesky,Herradiancepervadesthewhole,vastworld:Purelightfillsjaspertowersandjadehalls;Crispairswathsanicetray,asilverpan.Tenthousandmilesareallmadeluminous;Herbeamstonightarethisyear’sbrightest—Likeacakeoffrostleavingdarkbluesea,Oranice-wheelhungonthejade-greensky.Whenoneguestpinesbyaninn’scoldtransoms,Oranoldmansleepsinamountainlodge,ShecomestotheHancourttoshockgreyhair13

Andhastenslatemakeup,reachingtowersofQin.14

ForherYuLiang15hasverseforHistoryofJin,AndYuanHong16staysuptosailhisriverskiff.Floatingoncuprimsshe’sacold,weakgleam;

Lightingtheyard,she’sbrilliantasgod.Byeachwindowonecansingofwhitesnow17

Andpressineveryhousetheicystrings.18Nowherpleasurecomestoamonastery.Whenwillshejoinmetoreturnbackhome?

WhenPilgrim heard thesewords, he approached him and said, “Master, allyouknowis that themoonlightfillsyouwith longingforhome,butyoudon’tunderstand that themoonmay symbolize the rules and regulations of nature’smanymodesand forms.19When themoon reaches the thirtieth day, themetal[phase]initsyangspiritiscompletelydissolved,whereasthewater[phase]ofitsyinsoulisfilledtothebrimoftheorb.ThisisthereasonforthedesignationofthatdaywiththetermObscure,20 forthemooniscompletelydarkandwithoutlight.Itisatthismomentalsothatthemooncopulateswiththesun,andduringthe time of the thirtieth day and the first day of the month, it will becomepregnantbythelightofthesun.Bythethirdday,one[stroke]21oftheyangwillappear,andtwo[strokes]oftheyangwillbebornbytheeighthday.Atthistime,themoonwillhavehalfof itsyangspirit in themiddleof itsyin soul,and itslowerhalf is flat like a rope.That is the reasonwhy the timeof themonth iscallledtheUpperBow.Bythefifteenthday,allthree[strokes]oftheyangwillbeready,andperfectunionwillbeachieved.ThatiswhythistimeofthemonthiscalledToFace.22On thesixteenthday,one [stroke]of theyinwillbeborn,andthesecondstrokewillmakeitsappearanceonthetwenty-secondday.Atthattimehalfof theyinsoulwillbe in themiddleof theyangspirit,and itsupperhalfisflatlikearope.ThatisthereasonwhythistimeofthemonthiscalledtheLowerBow.Bythethirtiethday,allthree[strokes]oftheyinwillbeready,andthe moon has then reached the state of obscurity once more. All this is thesymbolof theprocessofcultivationpracticedbynature. Ifwecannourish theTwoEights23untilwereachtheperfectionofNineTimesNine,24thenitwillbesimpleforusatthatmomenttoseeBuddha,andsimplealsoforustoreturntoourhome.Thepoemsays:AftertheFirstQuarterandbeforetheLast:Medicinewell-blended,theoutlook’sperfect.Whatyouacquirefrompicking,smeltinthestove—Determination’sfruitisWesternHeaven.”25

When the elder heard what he said, he was immediately enlightened andunderstoodcompletelythesewordsofrealizedimmortality.Filledwithdelight,hethankedWukongrepeatedly.Ononeside,ShaMonksmiledandsaid,“ThoughElderBrotherspokemost

appropriatelyconcerninghowthefirstquarterofthemoonbelongedtotheyang

andthelastquarterbelongedtotheyin,andhowinthemidstofyinandinthemiddleofyangonecouldobtainthemetalofwater,hedidnotmentionWaterandfiremixed—eachtotheotherdrawn—DependonEarthMothertomakethismatch.Threepartiesthusfusedfacenowarorstrife:26Water’sinLongRiver,themoon’sinthesky.”

Whentheelderheardthat,hisdullmindwasagainopenedup.ThusitwasthatTruth,graspedbytheheart’sonehole,clearsupathousand.Onceyousolvetheriddleofnobirth,youareagod.

ThenEightRuleswalkeduptotheelderandtuggedathim,saying,“Master,don’tlistentoalltheirbabblingsanddelayyoursleep.Thismoon,Afteritwanes,willsoongrowroundagain.Likemeitwasbornnonetooperfectly!AtmealsI’mdislikedfortoolargeamaw;Idrooltoomuch,theysay,onbowlsIhold.Theyhavetheirblessingsearnedthroughcleverness;Ihaveaffinitystockedbyfoolishness.ItellyouthatFetchingscriptureswillendyourthreekarmicpaths.Waggingheadandtailyou’llgouptoHeav’n!”

“Allright,Disciples,”saidTripitaka,“youmustbetiredfromallthisjourneying.Youmaygotosleepfirst,andletmemeditateonthisrollofscripture.”“Master, youmust bemistaken,” said Pilgrim. “You left the family in your

youthtobecomeamonk.Howcouldyounotbecompletelyfamiliarwithallthescripturesyoustudiedwhenyouwereyoung?ThenyoureceivedthecommandfromtheTangemperortogototheWesternHeavenandseeBuddhafortheTrueCanonofMahāyāna.Butatthismoment,yourmerithasnotbeenperfected,youhavenotseentheBuddha,andyouhavenotyetacquiredthescriptures.Whichroll of scripture do you want to meditate on?” Tripitaka said, “Since I leftChang’an, I havebeen travelingday andnight, and I fear that the scriptures Ilearnedinmyyouthmightslipawayfromme.Tonightthere’salittletime,andIwant to do some reviewing.” “In that case,” said Pilgrim, “we’ll go to sleepfirst.”The threedisciples indeed laydownon threeof therattanbeds.Closingthedoor of theZenhall and turningup the lamp, the elder openedhis roll ofscriptureandbegantoreadandmeditateinsilence.TrulyitwasthatFirstwatchstruckfromatower,humanbustleceased,Whenfishing-boatfiresbywildbankswentout.

Wedon’tknowhowthatelderwilldepartfromthemonastery;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

THIRTY-SEVEN

TheghostkingvisitsTripitakaTangatnight;Wukong,throughwondroustransformation,leadsthechild.

We were telling you about Tripitaka sitting in the Chan hall of the PreciousGrove Monastery. He meditated for awhile beneath the lamps on theWaterLitanyofKingLiang,1andhereadforawhiletheTrueSūtraofthePeacock.Notuntilaboutthehourofthethirdwatchdidhewrapupthescripturesagaininhisbag.Hewas just about toget up andwalkover tohisbedwhenheheard theweirdmoanofastronggustoutsidethedoor.Fearingthatitmightblowoutthelamp,hetriedhurriedlytoshadeitwiththesleeveofhisgown.Whenhesawthelamp flicker, he began to tremble, but at the same time, hewas overcome byfatigueandsoondozedoffwithhisheadrestingonthereadingdesk.Thoughhiseyeswereclosed,hestillseemedtobehalfconscious,abletohearallthetimethecontinuoussighingofthedarkwindoutsidehiswindow.Whatawind!TrulyitWhistledandwhiffled—Itswayedandscattered—Itwhistledandwhiffledasfallenleavesflew;Itswayedandscatteredthefloatingclouds.Heaven’sstarsandplanetswerealldarkened;ThewholeEarth’sdustandsandwerestrewnafar.Forawhileitwasfierce;Forawhileitwasmild.Whenmild,bamboosandpinesbeatouttheirpurerhymes;Whenfierce,wavesoflakesandriversheavedandchurned.Itblewtillmountainbirdsgrewrestless,theirvoiceschoked,Andseafisheshadnopeaceastheytossedandturned.Windowsanddoorsfelloffinbotheastandwesthalls;Godsandghostsgloweredinhallwaysfrontandback.TheBuddhaHall’sflowervasewasblowntotheground;Theoilchalicetumbledandwisdom-lampgrewfaint;Theincenseurnturnedoverandashesspilledout;Thecandlesticksweretiltedasflameschangedtosmoke.Banners,sacredcanopieswereallawry.Bell-and-drumtowerswereshakentotheroots!

Inhisdreamtheelderseemedtohear,afterthewindhadpassed,afaintvoiceoutsidetheChanhallcrying,“Master!”Heraisedhisheadinhisdreamtolookanddiscoveredamanstandingoutside thedoorwhowassoakedfromhead to

toe.Astearsrolleddownfromhiseyes,hekeptcalling,“Master!”Tripitakaroseupandsaid,“Couldyoubeagoblinoraghost,afiendorademon,comingtomockmeatthedepthofnight?Iamneitherarapaciousnorawrathfulperson,butratheranhonestanduprightpriest.HavingreceivedtheimperialdecreefromtheGreatTangintheLandoftheEast,IamonmywaytotheWesternHeaventoseekscriptures fromBuddha. Ihave threedisciplesundermycommand,allvaliantmenabletotametigersandsubduedragons,heroicwarriorscapableofrepellingdemonsandextirpatingmonsters.Iftheyseeyou,youwillbereducedto powder and dust.Take note, therefore, ofmy compassionate intent andmymindwhichknowshowtouseskillfulmeans.2Leavethisplace,gosomewherefar awaywhile there’s still time, and don’t come up to the door of our Chanhall.”Recliningfirmlybythedoorofthehall,themansaid,“Master,wearenota

demonormonster,norareweagoblinorbogie.”“Ifyouarenotthatkindofacreature,” saidTripitaka,“whyareyouhereso late in thenight?”“Openwideyoureyes,Master,” said theman,“and lookatus.”Theelder indeed fixedhisgazeonhisvisitor.Ah!Hisheadhadonitarising-to-Heavencap;Agreen-jadebelthetiedaroundhiswaist.Heworeonhisbodyareddishbrownrobewithdancingphoenixesandflyingdragons;Hisfeettrodonapairofcarefreebootsofembroideredcloudpattern;Hishandsheldawhitejadetokenadornedwithplanetsandstars.HisfaceseemedtheimmortalKingofTaiMountain;HisformwaslikethecivilizedLordWenchang.3

WhenTripitakasawthisfigure,hepaledwithfrightandhurriedlybowedlowbefore his visitor, shouting, “Which dynasty do you belong to,YourMajesty?Pleasetakeaseat.”Hethentriedtotakeholdofhisvisitor’shands,onlytofindthathesucceededingraspingnothingbutthinair.Spinningaround,hesatdownandlooked:therewasthemanagain.Theelderaskedoncemore,“YourMajesty,inwhatregionareyouaking?Ofwhatempireareyouaruler?Coulditbethatthereisstrifeinyourkindgomandyouaresooppressedbytreacherousministersthatyouhavetofleeforyourlifeandarrivehereatnight?Whatdoyouhavetosay?Pleasetellme.”Onlythendidtheman,Astearsrolleddownhischeeks,describeeventsofold;Assorrowknittedhisbrow,disclosetheformercause.

“Master,” he said, “our home is located duewest of here, only about fortymilesaway,wherethereisacity,theplacewefoundedourkingdom.”“Whatisits name?” asked Tripitaka. “To tell you the truth,” said the man, “when weestablishedourreign,wegaveitthenameBlackRoosterKingdom.”

“Why is it thatYourMajesty seems so frightened,” saidTripitaka, “and forwhat reason did you come to this place?” Theman replied, “OMaster! Fiveyearsagowehadadroughthere,soseverethatnovegetationcouldgrowandthepeoplewereallstarvingtodeath.Itwasdreadful.”WhenTripitakaheardthesewords,henoddedandsmiled,saying,“YourMajesty, theancientssaid, ‘Whenthekingdomisupright, theneventheMindofHeavenisagreeable.’Youmustnothavebeentreatingyoursubjectswithcompassion.Ifthereweredroughtandfamine in the land, how could you forsake your domain? You should haveopened up yourwarehouses in order to bring relief to the people; you shouldrepentofallthesinsyouhavecommittedandtrytodogoodhenceforth.Whenyouhavefreedandpardonedthosewhowereunjustlyaccusedandcondemned,then the Mind of Heaven will be pacified and the winds and the rains willbecometimelyandauspiciousoncemore.”“Thewarehousesinmykingdom,”saidtheman,“wereallemptyandbothour

revenueandfoodwereexhausted.Thesalariesforourcivilandmilitaryofficialshadtobestopped,andtherewasnotmeatinourroyaldiet.IattemptedtoimitatethewayKingYu conquered the flood, by sufferingwith our people, by ritualcleansing,maintaining a vegetarian diet, and practicing abstinence. Night anddayweofferedprayersandincensetoHeaven.Thiswentonforthreeyears,butallwehadasa resultwereparched riversanddriedwells.Aswe reachedourmostdesperatemoment,therecametoussuddenlyfromZhongnanMountainaDaoistoftheCompleteTruthOrder,4whowasabletosummonthewindandcallforrain,totransformrockintogold.5Hefirstpresentedhimselftothecivilandmilitaryofficials,andthenhemetwithus.We,ofcourse,invitedhimtoascendthe liturgicalplatformandofferprayers,whichwere indeedefficacious.Ashestruck aloud his ritual placard, torrential rain came down in a moment. Wethoughtthatthreefeetofrainwouldbequitesufficient,buthesaidthatsincethedroughthadbeensosevereforsuchalongtime,hewouldaskforanextratwoinches.Whenwesawhowmagnanimoushewas,wewentthroughtheceremonyofEightBowswithhimandbecamebond-brothers.”“This,” saidTripitaka,“had tobe thegreatest joy forYourMajesty.”“What

joywasthere?”askedtheman.Tripitakasaid,“If theDaoisthadthatkindofabilities,youcouldtellhimto

makerainwhenyouwantedrain,andtomakegoldwhenyouwantedgold.Whatneedwastherethatmadeyouleavethecityandcomeherenow?”“Indeed,we became so intimatewith him thatwe shared our food and rest

togetherfortwoyears,”saidtheman,“whenitwasthetimeofspringagain.Asflowersbloomedseductivelyontheapricotandpeachtrees,everyhouseholdin

thekingdomwasgoingout to enjoy the lovely scenery.At the timewhenourofficialsretiredtotheirresidencesandourconsortstotheirchambers,wewalkedhand-in-handwiththeDaoistintotheimperialgarden.Whenwecamenearourwellwithoctagonalmarblewalls,hethrewsomethinginitthatemittedmyriadshaftsofgoldenlightandtrickedusintoapproachingthesideofthewelltoseewhatsortoftreasurewasinit.Movedtotreacheryallatonce,hepushedusintothewell,which he then coveredwith a slab of stone.He sealed off the entirewellwithmudanddirt,andheeventransplantedaplantaintreeonit.Alas,pityus!Wehavebeendeadnowforthreeyears,6aghostwholosthislifeinthewellandwhosewronghasyettobeavenged.”WhentheTangMonkheardthatthemanwasinfactaghost,heturnednumb

withfearashishairsstoodonend.Hehad,however,nochoicebuttoquestionhis visitor further, saying, “YourMajesty, there is something unreasonable inwhatyouhavejustsaid.Ifyouhaveindeedbeendeadforthreeyears,howcouldthosecivil andmilitaryofficials, thoseconsortsof threepalaces,notmissyouandseekyouwhentheyhadtoattendcourtonceeverythirdmorning?”Theman said, “Master, when one speaks of the Daoist’s abilities, they are

truly rare in theworld. Since hemurdered us, he shook his body once in thegarden and transformed himself into an exact image of us. Then and there hetookoverourempireandusurpedourkingdom.Ourtwodivisionsofcivilandmilitary officials—some four hundred court ministers—and the consorts andladiesofthreepalacesandsixchambersnowallbelongtohim.”“YourMajesty,”saidTripitaka,“youaretootimid.”“Whytimid?”askedthe

man. Tripitaka said, “YourMajesty, that fiend indeedmust have somemagicpowersinordertochangeintoyourformandusurpyourkingdom.Thecivilandmilitary officialsmight not recognize him, and the consortsmight not realizewhathashappened.Butyouunderstand,eventhoughyouhavedied.Whydidn’tyoufilesuitagainsthimbeforeKingYamaintheRegionofDarkness?Youcanatleastgiveanaccountofthewrongsperpetrated.”“Hismagicpowersaregreatindeed,”saidtheman,“andhe’sintimatewithmostofthedivineofficials.Thecity’stutelaryguardiandrinkswithhimfrequently;theocean’sdragonkingsarehis relatives;Equal-to-Heavenof theTaiMountain7 ishisdear friend, and theTenKingsofHellhappentobehisbond-brothers.That’swhywehavenoplacetogoeventofilesuit.”Tripitaka said, “Your Majesty, if you cannot bring suit against him in the

RegionofDarkness,whydoyoucomeheretotheWorldofLight?”“OMaster,”saidtheman,“youthinkthat thisslipofawrongedsoulwould

dare approach your gate?Before thismonastery you have the various tutelary

devas, theSixGodsofDarkness and theSixGodsofLight, theGuardiansofFiveQuarters,theFourSentinels,andtheEighteenGuardiansoftheFaith,allofthemcloselywatchingoveryouandyourhorse.JustnowitwastheNightPatrolGodwhobroughtusinherewithagustofdivinewind.Hesaidthatourwaterordeal of three years is now fulfilled, and that we should come to seek anaudience with you. He told us that you have under your command a seniordisciple,theGreatSage,EqualtoHeaven,whoisabletoslayfiendsandsubduedemons.Wehavecomewithallsinceritytopleadwithyou.Webeseechyoutogo to our kingdom and seize the demon, so that the true and the deviate canproperly be distinguished. To repay the kindness of Master, we shall imitatethosewhoexpresstheirgratitudebyweavinggrassropesorholdingbraceletsinthemouth.”8“YourMajesty,”saidTripitaka,“soyoucamehere toaskmydisciple toget

ridofthosemonstersforyou?”“Exactly!Exactly!”saidtheman.Tripitakasaid,“Mydisciplemaynotbegood indoing somethingelse,but ifyouaskhim tosubdue demons and catch fiends, the work will suit him to a tee. But YourMajesty,thoughyoumayorderhimtoseizethemonster,Ifearthathemayfinditdifficulttocarryout.”“Whyshoulditbedifficult?”askedtheman.Tripitakareplied,“Ifthatfiendindeedpossessessuchgreatmagicpowersthat

he hasmanaged to transform himself into an exact image of you, then itwillmean also that all the civil and military officials of the court and all yourconsorts have been nothing but friendly and amiable toward him.Thoughmydisciplemaybeable,hewouldnotengageinwarfarerecklessly.Forifwewerecaught by the officials,who should accuse us of plotting against the kingdomandchargeuswith thecrimeof treason,wewouldbe imprisoned inyourcity.Wouldn’toureffortsthenbelikethefailedattemptofdrawingatigerorcarvingaheronandturningitintoanothercreature?”9“Istillhavesomeoneinthecity,”saidtheman.Tripitakasaid,“That’sgood,

that’s good! He must be, I suppose, an hereditary prince of the first order,dispatchedtoacommandpostsomewhere.”“No,”saidtheman,“Ihaveinthepalace a prince, an heir apparent ofmyownbegetting.” “Has the prince beenbanishedbythedemon?”askedTripitaka.“Notyet,”saidtheman,“buthehasbeenaskedtoremainintheHallofGoldenChimes,eithertodiscusstheclassictextswithoneofthesecretaries,ortositonthethronewiththeDaoist.Forthesethreeyears, theprincewas forbidden toenter thepalaceandunable to seehismother.”Tripitakaasked,“Forwhatreason?”Themansaid,“Thiswasaplanofthatfiend,forhefearedthatifmotherandsonhadachancetomeet,theircasual

conversationsmightleadthemtodiscoverthetruth.”“Though your ordeal no doubt has been preordained of Heaven,” said

Tripitaka,“itisnonethelesssimilartowhatIhadtoundergo.Longagomyfatherwaskilledbyapirate,whoalso tookmymotherbyforce.After threemonths,shegavebirthtome,andIescapedwithmylifeinthewaters.ItwasmygoodfortunethatagraciousmasterattheGoldMountainMonasteryrearedmetillIwasgrown.Cometothinkofit,IhadneitherfathernormotherwhenIwasyoung,Andtheprinceatthisplacehaslosthisparents.

Howpitiful indeed!But letmeaskyou, thoughyoumayhaveaprincestill incourt, how can I possibly get to meet him?” “Why not?” asked the man.Tripitaka said, “He’s now guarded by the demon, and he cannot even see hisown mother. I’m only a monk. For what reason would I be able to have anaudiencewithhim?”Themansaid,“Butheisleavingthecourttomorrow.”“What for?” asked Tripitaka. The man said, “During the time of the early

courttomorrow,theprinceplanstoleadthreethousandmenandhorses,togetherwithfalconsanddogs,togohuntingoutsidethecity.Masterwillcertainlyhaveachancetomeethim;whenyoudoandifyouarewillingtotellhimwhatItoldyou,hewillbelieveyou.”“He’s of fleshly eyes and mortal stock,” said Tripitaka. “Having been

deceivedbythedemonintoremaininginthehall,wasthereadaywhenhedidnotaddressthespuriousrulerasfatherking?Howcouldhepossiblybelievemywords?”“Ifyouareafraid thathewon’tbelieveyou,”said theman,“weshallleavewithyouasign to indicate thatyouare telling the truth.”“Whatkindofsign?”askedTripitaka.Themanputdownthewhitejadetokeninlaidwithgoldhehadinhishandsandsaid,“Thisthingcanbeasign.”“What’sthesignificanceofthisthing?”askedTripitaka.Themansaid,“AftertheDaoisthadchangedintoourform,allhelackedwasthistreasure.Whenheenteredthepalace,heclaimedthat therain-makingDaoisthadrobbedhimof this jadetoken,whichfor threeyearsnowhehadnotbeenabletorecover.Ifourprinceseesit,thesightofthethingwillremindhimofitstrueowner,andourwrongswillbeavenged.”“Allright,”saidTripitaka,“letmehaveit,andI’llaskmydiscipletotakecare

ofyou.Willyouwaithere?”“We dare not,” said theman. “We plan to ask theNight PatrolGod to use

anothergust of divinewind and sendus into the innerpalace,wherewe shallappear in a dream to our true queen of the central palace.Wewant to makecertain that mother and son will be of one mind with all of you.” Tripitaka

noddedinagreementandsaid,“Pleasego.”Thewrongedsoulbowedto takeleaveofTripitaka,whowastryingtowalk

outsidetosendhimoff.Somehowhetrippedandfell,andwhenTripitakawokeupwithastart,itwasalladream.Ashefacedthedim,flickeringlampinfear,hecriedrepeatedly,“Disciples!Disciples!”“What’s all this hollering for the local spirit?”10 mumbled Eight Rules,

beginningtostir.“Iusedtobeamanofmightdedicatedtopassingmydaysbydevouring humans, and I loved the taste of blood andmeat.What enjoyment!Youhavetoleavethefamilyandaskustoprotectyouonajourney.IthoughtIwas to be amonk, but in fact I’m a slave!During the day I have to pole theluggageandleadthehorse,whileatnight,Ihavetocarrythenightpotandsmellsomeone’s stinky feet by sharing his bed. And even at this hour, you are notasleep!Whatareyoucallingdisciplesfor?”“Disciples,”saidTripitaka,“justnowIfellasleeponthetableandhadaweird

dream.”Leapingupallatonce,Pilgrimsaid,“Dreamsarisefromyourthoughts.Before you ascended a mountain, you were afraid of monsters already. YouworriedoverthedistancetoThunderclap,whichyouhaveyettoreach;youalsothought ofChang’an andwonderedwhen youwould be able to return.Whenyourmindisrestless,youhavemanydreams.ButlookatoldMonkey!Withtruesingle-mindednessIseektoseeBuddhaintheWest,andthat’swhyIdon’thaveeventhetiniestdream!”Tripitakasaid,“Disciple,thisdreamofmineisnotahomesickdream.WhenI

closedmy eyes just now, a violent gust ofwind brought intomyview a kingstandingoutside thedoorofourchamber.Hesaid thathewas the rulerof theBlack Rooster Kingdom, but his whole body was dripping wet and he wasweeping.”HethenproceededtogiveathoroughaccountoftheirconversationinthedreamtoPilgrim.“Noneedtosayanythingmore,”saidPilgrim,chuckling.“Ifheappearsinthisdreamofyourstoyou,he’splainlytryingtotakecareofoldMonkeybygivingmesomebusiness.Theremustbeafiendtheretryingtousurp the throne and seize the kingdom. Letme distinguish the true from thefalseforthosepeople.Whenmyrodreachesthatplace,successisassured.”“Butdisciple,”saidTripitaka,“hesaidthatthefiendhasgreatmagicpower.”

“Don’t be afraid ofwhatever greatness he has!” said Pilgrim. “Just rememberthatwhenoldMonkeyarrives,he’llhavenoplacetorun.”Tripitakasaid,“Ialsorememberthatheleftussomethingasasign.”“Master,don’tfoolaround,”saidEightRules. “It’s just a dream.Why keep up this chit-chat?” ShaMonk said,“Asthesayinggoes,Don’tbelievethehonestyofthehonest;Guardagainsttheunkindnessofthekind.

Let us fetch some torches and open our door, then we can see what hashappened.”Pilgrimindeedopenedthedoor,andastheylookedtogether,theysawin the

lightof thestarsandmoontherewas trulyawhite jade token inlaidwithgoldplacedonthesteps.EightRuleswalkedforwardandpickeditup,saying,“ElderBrother,whatisthis?”“Thisisatreasureusuallyheldbyaking,”saidPilgrim,“andit’scalledajadetoken.Master,sincewedohavesuchathing,thematterofyourdreamhastobetrue.YoucandependentirelyonoldMonkeyforcatchingthefiendtomorrow.ButIwantyoutofacethreeunluckythings.”“Fine!Fine!Fine!”saidEightRules.“It’senoughtohaveadream.Youhave

to tell him about it, too! Since when has this fellow failed to play tricks onpeople?Nowhewants you to face three unlucky things.”As hewalked backinside, Tripitaka asked, “What three things?” Pilgrim said, “Tomorrow Iwantyou to take theblame, takeabuse,andcatch theplague.”“Justoneof these isbad enough,” said Eight Rules, laughing. “How could one bear all three ofthem?”TheTangMonk,afterall,wasan intelligentelder.He thereforeasked,“Disciple, can you tellmemore aboutwhat these three things involve?” “Noneedtotellyou,”saidPilgrim,“butfirstletmegiveyouthesetwoobjects.”DearGreat Sage! Pulling off one of his hairs, he blew on it amouthful of

divinebreathandcried,“Change!”Itchangedinstantlyintoaredlacqueredboxplated in gold. After he placed the white jade token inside the box, he said,“Master, in themorning, you should hold this thing in your hands andput onyourbrocadecassock.Thengosit in themainhalland recitesomesūtras.Letmegofirsttothecitytohavealook;ifthereisindeedafiend,I’llslayhimsothatwecanachievesomemeritatthisplace.Butifthereisnofiend,weoughtnottoincurcalamityonourselves.”“Exactly!Exactly!”saidTripitaka.Pilgrimsaid,“Iftheprincedoesn’tleavethecity,thentheremaynotbemuchthatIcando.Butifheindeedcomesoutofthecityinaccordancewithyourdream,Iwillcertainlybringhimheretoseeyou.”“Whatshall I say tohimwhenI seehim?”askedTripitaka.Pilgrimreplied,

“Whenhearrives,letmefirstcomeinandannouncehim.Youcanthenpullthecoverof theboxopen slightly, and I shall change into a tinymonkabout twoinchestallsothatI, too,canbeplacedinsidethebox.Youcanholdthewholethinginyourhands.Whentheprinceentersthemonastery,hewillmostcertainlywanttopayhomagetoBuddha.Lethimbowallhewants,butdon’tyoupayhimanyattention.Whenheseesthatyoudonotevenrisebeforehim,hewillsurelyorder you seized. Let him do that—in fact, let him beat you, tie you up, orexecute you.” “Hey!” said Tripitaka. “He’s capable of issuing a highmilitaryorder.Ifhetrulywantstohavemeexecuted,whatshallIdo?”

“Nofear,forI’maround,”saidPilgrim.“Whenyougettothecrucialmoment,I’llbetheretoprotectyou.Ifheaskswhoyouare,youcanidentifyyourselfasamonksentbyimperialdecreefromtheLandoftheEasttopresenttreasurestoBuddha and to acquire scriptures fromhim in theWesternHeaven. If he askswhat sortof treasureyouhave,youcan tell himabout thebrocadecassockofyours. Say to him, however, that it is only a third-class treasure, and that youhaveinyourpossessiongoodthingsthatbelongtothefirstandsecondclasses.Whenheasksyousomemore,youcanthentellhimthat there isa treasure inthisbox,whichhasknowledgeof thepast fivehundredyears, thepresent fivehundred years, and the future five hundred years. All in all, this treasure hascompleteknowledgeoftheeventsofpastandfutureforaperiodofonethousandfivehundredyears.Let oldMonkey comeout then, and I shall tell the princewhatyouheardinyourdream.Ifhebelievesme,I’llgocatchthedemon,sothathis father kingmay be avenged and our reputationmay be established at thisplace. Ifhedoesn’tbelieveme,wecan thenshowhim thewhite jade token. Ifearthathemightbeabityoungeventorecognizethetoken.”WhenTripitakaheardthesewords,hewasverypleased,saying,“ODisciple,

thisisamostmarvelousplan!Buttalkaboutthesetreasures,onewillbecalledbrocadecassockandtheotherwhitejadetoken.Whatshallbethenameofthattreasureyouwillchangeinto?”“Let’scallhimKing-MakingThing,”saidPilgrim.Tripitakaagreedandkept thesewords inhisheart.Thatwholenightmaster

and disciples did not, of course, have any sleep. Impatiently waiting for thedawn,theywishtheycouldBynoddingtheirheadscallforththeeasternsun,AndwithonebreathdisperseallHeaven’sstars.

In a little while, the eastern sky paled with light. Pilgrim thereupon gave thefollowing instruction toEightRulesandShaMonk,“Don’tdisturb themonks,sothattheywon’tbemillingaboutinthemonastery.WhenIhaveaccomplishedwhat I must do, then we’ll journey again.” He took leave of them andsomersaultedatonceintotheair.OpeningwidehisfieryeyestolooktowardtheWest, he discovered that there was indeed a city. “How could he see it soreadily?”youask.Thefactofthematterwasthatthecity,aswetoldyoubefore,wasonlyfortymilesaway.So, themomentPilgrimrose into theair,hesawitimmediately.As Pilgrim drew near the city and stared at it carefully, he saw that it was

shrouded by unending layers of eeriemists and battered by constant gusts ofdemonicwind.Sighingtohimselfintheair,Pilgrimsaid,

Ifatruekingascendshispreciousthrone,Auspiciouslightandcloudswillthisplaceenfold.Sinceafiendhasusurpedthedragonseat,Risingblackmistsealsupthedoorsofgold.

Hewasthusspeakingtohimselfwhenheheardtheloudboomsofcannons.Asthe eastern gate swung open, a troop of men and horses appeared, indeed ahuntingcorpsmostfearsomeinappearance.Youseethem:Leavingthecapitalatdawn,Theygotohuntonthemeadow.Brightbannersunfurlinthesun;Whitestallionsraceagainstthewind.Thelizard-skindrumsrollandrollAstasseledlancesstrikeinpairs.Thefalconersareferocious,Andwhippers-inbothmeanandstrong.FirecannonsrattletheheavensAndbirdlimepolesglowinthesun.Eachonepropsuphisarrows;Everymanwearshiscarvedbows.Spreadingtheirnetsbeneaththeslope,Theypulltauttheropesinthepaths.Atonecracklikeathunderclap,Athousandsteedschargeleopardsandbears.Trickyharescannotsavetheirlives;Wilydeerareattheirwits’end;Foxesarefatedtoexpire;Antelopesperishinthemidst.Ifpheasantscan’tflytoescape,Couldwildfowlsfindrefugefromharm?Allofthemransackthemountainrangetocapturewildbeasts,Andcutdowntheforesttoshootatflyingthings!

Afterthosepeoplehadcomeoutofthecity,theyspreadoutinthecountrysidetowardtheeast,andinalittlewhiletheyreachedthericefieldsonthehighlandsometwentymilesaway.Inthemidstofthetroopstherewasayoungwarrior,whoWoreahelmetAndacuirass;Acummerbund,too,Ofeighteenlayers.

Hishandsheldatreasureswordofbluesteelandherodeabrownwarhorse.Afullystrungbowalsohungfromhiswaist.TrulyHeseemedfaintlylikeaking,Arulerwithnoblelooks.Hisfeatureswerenotuncouth:Likeatruedragonhemoved.

Secretlypleasedintheair,Pilgrimsaidtohimself,“Thatonehastobethecrown

prince.Letme teasehima little.”DearGreatSage!He loweredhiscloudanddartedstraight into thearmyof theprince.Shakinghisbodyonce,hechangedinstantly into a littlewhite rabbit, scampering about before the prince’s horse.Whentheprincesawit,hecouldnothavebeenmoredelighted.Pullingoutanarrow,hestretchedhisbowtothefullestandshottherabbitsquarelywithit.The Great Sage, of course, hadmade it possible for the prince to hit him;

beingquickofhandandeye,heactuallyhadcaught thearrow.Afterdroppingsomeofthearrow’sfeathersontheground,heturnedandspedaway.Whentheprincesawthearrowhadfounditsmarkontherabbit,heurgedhishorseontogive chase all by himself. He did not realize that he was being led awaydeliberately:when thehorsegalloped,Pilgrim ran like thewind,butwhen thehorse slowed down, Pilgrim also took up a more leisurely pace just to stayslightlyaheadofhim.Mileaftermile itwenton like this,until theprincewasluredrightuptothegateofthePreciousGroveMonastery.Changingbackintohis true form (the rabbit thus disappeared and only the hawk-feathered arrowwas stuck on the doorpost), Pilgrim raced inside yelling to the Tang Monk,“Master, he’s here, he’s here!” He changed again, this time into a tinymonkabouttwoinchestall,andcrawledatonceintotheredbox.We now tell you about the prince, who chased his prey right up to the

monasterygate;hecouldnotfindthewhiterabbit,buthesawaneagle-plumedarrowstuckon thedoorpost.Greatly startledand turningpale, theprincesaid,“Strange!Strange!Iclearlyshotthewhiterabbitwithmyarrow.Howcouldtherabbitdisappear,andonlythearrowbeseenhere?Itmustbethatafteryearsandmonths, therabbithasturnedintoaspirit.”Hepulledout thearrowandraisedhishead to look: thereon topof thegateof themonasterywerewrittensevenwords in large characters, “Precious Grove Monastery Built by ImperialCommand.”“NowIknow,”saidtheprince.“Yearsagomyfatherking,Irecall,didsendsomeofficialsfromtheHallofGoldenChimestotakesomegoldheresothatthemonkscouldredecoratetheimagesandthehalls.Ididn’texpectthatIwouldbeheretoday.Truly,There,inabamboo-shadedwalk,WithagoodmonkIfelltotalk.SointhistediousmortalroundOneafternoonofpeaceIfound.11

Letmegoinsideforawalk.”Leapingdown from the horse, the princewas about to enter themonastery,

when those three thousandmen and horseswhowere accompanying him alsoarrived.Astheycrowdedintothemonastery,theresidentmonkshurriedlycamekowtowingtoreceivethemintothemainhallsothattheycouldpayhomageto

the images of Buddha. Afterwards, they raised their eyes to look about,intending to tour the corridors and enjoy the scenery, when they suddenlydiscovered that there was a monk sitting right in the middle of the hall.Becomingenragedatonce,theprincesaid,“Thismonkisterriblyrude!Halfathrone of this dynasty has entered this monastery. Though I have issued nodecree for this visit so that he has been spared from meeting us at a greatdistance,heshouldnowatleastgetupwhensoldiersandhorsesareatthedoor.Howdarehesitthereunmoved?Seizehim!”Hesaid“Seize,”andtheguardsonbothsidesimmediatelyattemptedtocatch

holdoftheTangMonksothattheycouldbindhimwithropes.Sittinginthebox,Pilgrimrecited in silencea spell, saying,“YouvariousGuardiansof theFaith,theSixGodsofDarknessandtheSixGodsofLight,Iamdrawingupaplantosubdueafiend.Thisprince, ignorantof thematter, isabout tohavemymasterboundwithropes.Allofyoumustprotecthim.Ifhe’sreallybound,youallwillbefoundguilty.”WhentheGreatSagegavesuchanorderinsecret,whowoulddaredisobeyhim!ThedeitiesindeedgaveprotectiontoTripitakainsuchawaythatthosepeoplecouldnoteventouchhisbaldhead.Itwasasifabrickwallhadcomebetweenthem,sothattheycouldnotapproachhimatall.“Wheredidyoucome from,monk,” said theprince, “thatyoudareuse this

magicofbodyconcealment tomockme?”Tripitakawalkedup tohim insteadand saluted him, saying, “This poormonk does not know anymagic of bodyconcealment.IamtheTangMonkfromtheLandoftheEast,apriestgoingtopresent treasures toBuddhaand toacquire scriptures fromhim in theWesternHeaven.”Theprincesaid,“ThoughyourLandoftheEastisactuallythecentralplains, it is incomparably poor.What kind of treasures do you have?You tellme!”“ThecassockIhaveonmybody,”saidTripitaka,“isatreasureofthethirdclass.But I have in addition thoseof the first and secondclasses aswell, andtheyareevenbetter things.”“Thatgarmentofyours,” said theprince,“coversonlyone sideofyourbody,whileyour arm sticksouton theother side.Howmuchcoulditbeworththatyoudarecallitatreasure?”Tripitakasaid,“Thoughthiscassockdoesnotcompletelycoverthebody,Ihaveseverallinesofapoemwhichwillrevealitsexcellence.Thepoemsays:TheBuddha’sgown’sahalfrobe,there’snoneedtosay.IthideswithintheReal,freeofworldlydust.Countlessthreadsandstitchesperfectthisrightfruit;Eighttreasuresandninepearlsfusewiththeprimalsoul.MaidensdivinedidmakeitreverentlyTogivetoamonktocleansehissulliedframe.It’sallrighttoseebutnottogreettheThrone.Butyou,yourfather’swrongunrequited,havelivedinvain!”

Whentheprinceheardthesewords,hegrewveryangry,saying,“ThisbrazenChanmonkistalkingrubbish!Yourclevermouthandslipperytonguemayboastallyouwillofthathalfapieceofgarment.ButsincewhenhaveInotrequitedmyfather’swrong?Youtellme.”Takingastep forward,Tripitaka foldedhishandsandsaid,“YourHighness,

howmanyfavorsdoesamanreceiveashelivesinthisworld?”“Fourfavors,”saidtheprince.“Whichfour?”askedTripitaka.“Thefavorofshelterandsupportprovided by Heaven and Earth,” said the prince, “the favor of the luminouspresenceofthesunandthemoon,thefavorofprovisionsfromtherulerandhisland,andthefavorofhisparents’breedingandnurture.”Withasmile,Tripitakasaid, “The words of Your Highness are not quite right. A man has only theshelterandsupportofHeavenandEarth,theluminouspresenceofthesunandthemoon,andtheprovisionsfromthe landofhisking.Wheredoeshegethisparent’sbreedingandnurture?”“This monk,” said the prince angrily, “is an idle and ungrateful man, who

shaveshishaironly tocommit treason! Ifamanhasnoparentalbreedingandnurture,wheredoeshisbodycomefrom?”“Your Highness,” said Tripitaka, “this humble monk does not know the

answer,but insidethisredboxisatreasurecalledtheKing-MakingThing.Hehasknowledgeofeventsofthepastfivehundredyears,thepresentfivehundredyears, and the future five hundred years. All in all, he knows completely theeventsofpastandfutureforaperiodofonethousandfivehundredyears,andheknowsthatthereisnosuchfavorofparentalbreedingandnurture.Itishewhohasorderedyourpoormonktowaithereforyouforalongtime.”Hearing this, the prince gave the order, “Bring him here for me to see.”

Tripitakapulledopenthebox’scover;Pilgrimleapedoutandbegantohobbleallovertheplace.Theprincesaid,“Thislittlemidget!Whatcanheknow?”WhenPilgrim heard this remark about his size, he at once resorted to magic.Straighteninguphis torso,hegrewabout threeandahalf feet instantly.“Ifhecangrowthat rapidly,”said thesoldiers,highlystartled,“itwillonlybea fewdays before he pierces the sky.” When Pilgrim reached his normal height,however,hestoppedgrowing.Thentheprinceaskedhim,“King-MakingThing,thisoldmonkclaims thatyouhave theknowledgeofpastand future,ofgoodandevil.Doyoudivinebythetortoiseshell,bythestalksofplants,ordoyouusebookstodeterminehumanfortunes?”“Noneofthese,”saidPilgrim,“forIneedmythree-inchtonguesolely,WhenIknowallthingscompletely.”

“This fellow, too, isbabbling!”said theprince.“Since the timeofantiquity,

thebook,ClassicofChange of theZhoudynasty,hasproved tobe supremelymarvelousindeterminingthroughouttheworldgoodandevilformantoseekoravoid.Thereforetortoiseshellsorplantstalksareusedfordivination.Butifonereliessolelyonyourwords,whatevidenceisthere?Youremptywordsonluckormisfortunecanonlyvexthemindsofpeople.”Pilgrimsaid,“Pleasedonotbehasty,YourHighness.Youareactuallyaprince

begottenoftheKingoftheBlackRoosterKingdom.Fiveyearsago,youhadaseveredroughthereandallthepeoplewereinsuchgreatsufferingthatyourkingandhissubjectshadtoofferferventprayers.Thoughnotadropofraincame,aDaoistarrivedfromtheZhongnanMountain,whowasanexpertinsummoningwindandrainandintransformingstoneintogold.Thekingwassofondofhimthathebecamehisswornbrother.Isallthistrue?”“Yes,yes,yes!”saidtheprince.“Saysomemore.”Pilgrimsaid, “After threeyears, theDaoistdisappeared, andwho ishenow

who uses the royal ‘we’?”The prince said, “Therewas indeed aDaoist,withwhomfatherkingswore tobehisbrother. In fact, theyate togetherandrestedtogether. Three years agowhen theywere enjoying the sights of the imperialgarden,theDaoistusedagustofmagicwindandtransportedbacktoZhongnanMountainthegoldinlaidwhitejadetokenthatfatherkinghadinhishands.Evennow, however, father king still misses him, and because of his absence, hascloseddownthegardenforthreeyears.Butwhoisnowruling,ifnotmyfatherking?”WhenPilgrimheardthesewords,hebegantosnicker.Theprinceaskedhim again, but instead of replying, he only continued to snicker some more.“Whydon’tyouspeakwhenyoushould?”saidtheprinceangrily.“Whydoyousnicker like that?” “I still have plenty to say,” said Pilgrim, “but there are somanypeoplearoundandit’snotconvenientformetospeakup.”Whentheprincesawthattheremightbesomereasonforsuchastatement,he

waved his sleeve once to dismiss the soldiers. The captain of the guardsimmediatelygavetheordertohavethethreethousandmenandhorsesstationedoutside themonastery gate. The hallwas thus nearly emptied of people,withonlytheprincesittinginthemiddle,theelderstandingbeforehim,andPilgrimtohisleft.Aftereventheresidentmonksretired,thenPilgrimwentforwardandsaidtohimsoberly,“YourHighness,theonewholeftwiththewindisactuallyyour true father, but the onewho occupies the throne now is theDaoist whomaderain.”“Nonsense!Nonsense!” said the prince. “Since the departure of theDaoist,

myfatherhasgovernedsowellthatthewindandrainareseasonal,thecountryis prosperous, and thepeople are secure.But ifwhat you say is true, then thepresentrulerisnotmyfatherking.It’sagoodthingthatIamyoungandIcanbe

somewhattolerant.Ifmyfatherkinghearssuchtreasonouswordsfromyou,hewill haveyou seized andhewn to pieces.”HedismissedPilgrimwith a snort.Turning to the Tang Monk, Pilgrim said, “You see? I said that he wouldn’tbelieveme,andindeedhedoesnot.Takethetreasurenowandpresentittohim.Aftercertifyingourrescript,wecanproceedtotheWesternHeaven.”TripitakahandedtheredboxovertoPilgrim,whohavingreceivedit,shookhisbodyandtheboxdisappeared.Itwas,yousee,actuallythetransformationofhishairthatwasretrievedbyhim.Withbothhands,Pilgrimpresentedthewhitejadetokentotheprince.Whenhe saw theobject, theprince shouted,“Whatamonk!Whatamonk!

YouweretheDaoistoffiveyearsagowhocametocheatourhouseholdofthistreasure.Nowyouaredisguisedasamonktopresentitbacktous?Seizehim!”Whenheshoutedtheorderlikethat,theelderwassofrightenedthathepointedatPilgrimandsaid,“YouBanHorsePlague!Youhaveaspecialknackforcausingtroubleandbringingcalamityonme!”“Don’tshout!”saidPilgrim,walkingupto the prince to stop him. “Don’t let this thing leak out. I’m not calledKing-MakingThing, for I have a real name.” “You come up here!” said the princeangrily.“AnswermewithyourrealnamesothatIcansendyoutothebureauofjusticetosentenceyou.”Pilgrimsaid,“I’mtheseniordiscipleof thiselder,andmynameisWukong

PilgrimSun.BecausemymasterandIwereonourwaytoacquirescripturesintheWesternHeaven,wearrived lastnight and found lodginghere.Mymasterwasreadingthesūtrasinthenight,andataboutthehourofthethirdwatch,hedreamed that your father appeared to him. Your father claimed that he washarmedbythatDaoist,whopushedhimintotheoctagonalwellwiththemarblewallintheimperialgarden.TheDaoistchangedintotheformofyourfather,andthiswasnotknown to anyof the courtofficialsnor toyou sinceyouwere soyoung.Youwere forbidden to enter the innerpalace, and thegardenwas shutdownsothatthetruthcouldnotbediscovered,Isuppose.Yourfatherkingcamespeciallyinthenighttoaskmetosubduethisdemon.Atfirst,Iwasafraidthatthemurdererwasnotademon,butwhenIsurveyedthecityinmidair,Icouldseethattherewasamonster-spiritallright.Iwasabouttoseizehimwhenyoucame out of the city to hunt. Thewhite rabbit that you shotwith your arrowhappenedtobethisoldMonkey,wholedyouheretothemonasterytoseemymaster.Everywordthatwehavesaidtoyouisthetruth.Ifyoucouldrecognizethiswhitejadetoken,howcouldyoupossiblynotthinkofyourfather’scareandloveandseekvengeanceforhim?”When the prince heard these words, he became grief stricken, thinking to

himselfsorrowfully,“EvenifIdon’tbelievehim,hiswordsseemtohaveatleast

thirtypercenttruth.ButifIbelievehim,howcouldIfacethefatherkingnowinthepalace?”ThisiswhatwecallToadvanceorretreatishard,sothemindasksthemouth;Tothinkthrice,tohavepatience—asthemouthasksthemind.

When Pilgrim saw how perplexed he was, he said again, “Your Highness,there’snoneed forperplexity.LetYourHighness return toyourkingdom,andmake inquiryofyourqueenmother.Askherwhether the feelingsbetweenherandherhusbandare thesameas threeyearsbefore.Just thisonequestionwillrevealthetruth.”Persuadedbythis,theprincesaid,“Yes,letmegoandinquireofmymother.”Leapingup,hetookholdofthewhitejadetokenandwantedtoleave.Pilgrim,however, tuggedathim,saying,“Ifall thesemenandhorsesofyours returnwith you, someone is bound to leak out information, and it’ll behard forme tosucceed.Youmust, therefore,gobackalone,anddon’tmakeashowofyourself.Don’t go through theCentralGateof theSun, but enter thepalacethroughtheRearGateoftheServants.Whenyougettoseeyourmotherinthepalace,youmustremembernottospeakloftilyorloudly;youmustspeakquietly and in a subdued manner. For I fear that the fiend has great magicpowers, and if he ever getswind of the news, it’ll be difficult to preserve thelivesofyouandyourmother.”Theprinceobeyedthis instruction;walkingoutthedoor,hegavethisordertotheofficers;“Stayandcamphere.Don’tmove.Ihave something to attend to. When I return, we shall go back to the citytogether.”Lookathim!Hegavehistroopstheordertopitchtheircamp,Andspedtohiscityonaflyinghorse.

Asheleft,wedonotknowwhattheyhavetosaywhenheseeshismother;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

THIRTY-EIGHT

Thechildquerieshismothertolearnofdeviancyandtruth;MetalandWood,reachingthedeep,seethefalseandthereal.

ImeetyoutospeakjustonthecauseofbirthThat’llmakeyouoneofBuddha’sassembly.OnecalmthoughtseesHiminthisrealmofdust;Thewholeworldwatchesthegodwhosubdues.Ifyou’dknowtoday’strue,enlightenedlord,Youmustaskyourmotherofformeryears.There’sanotherworldyouhaveneverseen,Foreachstepinlifemaybringsomethingnew.

WeweretellingyouabouttheprinceoftheBlackRoosterKingdom,who,afterhe took leave of theGreat Sage, soon returned to his city. Indeed, he did notapproach the gate of the court, nor did he dare announce his arrival. GoinginsteadtotheRearGateoftheServants,hefoundthatitwasguardedbyseveraleunuchs.When theysawtheprinceapproaching,however, theydarednotstophim and let himpass.Dear prince! Pressing his horse, he galloped inside andwent straight up to the Brocade Fragrance Pavilion, in which the queen wasseated, with scores of palace maidens waving their fans on both sides. Thequeen, however, was reclining on the carved railings of the pavilion andshedding tears.Whywas she shedding tears, you ask? For at the hour of thefourthwatch,yousee,shetoohadadream,butshecouldrememberonlyhalfofit.Shewastryingveryhardtorecalltheotherhalfwhentheprincedismountedand knelt beneath the pavilion, saying, “Mother!” Forcing herself to appeardelighted,thequeencriedout,“Son,whatjoy!Whatjoy!Forthesetwoorthreeyears,youhavebeenstayingin thefrontpalace tostudywithyourfatherkingandIhavenotbeenabletoseeyou.HowIhavethoughtofyou!Howisitthatyouhavetheleisuretodaytocomeseemeinstead?Thisistrulymygreatestjoy,mygreatestjoy!Oson,whydoyousoundsosad?Yourfatherking,afterall,isgettingoninhisyears.Therewillbeadaywhenthedragonreturnstothejade-green sea and the phoenixwill go back to the scarlet heavens. Youwill theninheritthethrone.Whatcouldtherepossiblybetomakeyouunhappy?”Theprincekowtowedbeforehesaid,“Mother,permitmetoaskyou:whois

hethatisonthethronenow?Whoisthemanwhousestheroyal‘we’?”Whenthequeenheardthis,shesaid,“Thischildhasgonemad!Theonewhoisrulingis your father king.Why do you ask such questions?” Again kowtowing, theprince said, “I beseechmymother to grant her son a pardon first. Only thenwould I dare present a further question. If you do not, I’ll dare not ask.”“Betweenmother and son,” said the queen, “how could there be any criminaloffense?OfcourseI’llpardonyou.Speakup,quickly!”Theprincesaid,“Letmeaskyouthis:areyourrelationswithyourhusbandjustaswarmandintimateasthreeyearsbefore?”Whenthequeenheardthisquestion,herspiritleftherandhersoulfled.She

dashedoutofthepavilionandembracedtheprincetightlyastearsfellfromhereyes.“Mychild,”shesaid,“Ihaven’tseenyouforsuchalongtime.Whydoyoucome to the palace today and ask this question?” “Mother,” said the prince,becomingirritated.“Ifyouhavesomethingtosay,sayit.Ifyoudon’tspeakup,youmightjeopardizeaveryimportantaffair.”Onlythendidthequeendismissallherattendantsandspoke,quietlyweeping,“Thismatter,ifyou,son,didnotaskme,wouldneverhavecometolightevenwhenIreachedtheNineSprings1downbelow.Sinceyouhaveaskedme,listentowhatIhavetosay:Threeyearsagohewaslovingandwarm;Forthreeyearsnowhehasbeencoldasice.BythepillowsI’vepressedhimlongandhard;Hesaid,‘I’mold,I’mfrail,Ican’tmakethatsomethingrise’!”

Whentheprinceheardthesewords,heatoncestruggledfreeandmountedhishorseoncemore.Clutchingathimdesperately,thequeensaid,“Child,whatareyou doing?Why do you leave before we finish speaking?” Again the princekneltonthegroundandsaid,“Mother,Idarenotspeak,thoughImust!Duringthe timeof theearlycourt thismorning, Iwentoutby imperialdecree tohuntwithfalconsanddogs.BychanceImetaholymonksentbytheThroneintheLandof theEast tofetchscriptures.Hehasunderhimaseniordiscipleby thenameofPilgrimSun,whoisanexpert in thesubjugationoffiends. Iwas toldthatmyreal fatherkinghadbeenmurdered in the imperialgarden;hedied, infact,inthewellwiththeoctagonalmarblewalls.ItwastheDaoist,whofalselychanged into the form of father king and usurped his dragon seat. Last night,fatherkingappearedtothemonkinadreamandaskedhimtosendhisdiscipleto thecity tocatchthisfiend.YourchilddidnotdarebelievethemcompletelyandthatwaswhyIcamespeciallytoquestionyou.Nowthatmotherhasspokenlikethis,Iknowthattheremustbeamonster-spirithere.”“O son,” said the queen, “how could you take the words of some stranger

outside as the truth?” The prince said, “I did not, but father king left them a

sign.”When thequeenaskedwhatsortofsign itwas, theprince tookout thatwhite jade token inlaidwithgold andhanded it toher.Recognizingat once itwasatreasurethathadbelongedtotheking,thequeencouldnotholdbackthetorrentsoftears.“Mylord!”shecried.“Howcouldyounotcometoseemefirst,ifyouhadbeendeadfor threeyears?Howcouldyougotoseethesagemonkfirst,andthentheprinceafterwards?”“Mother,”saidtheprince,“whatareyousaying?”Thequeensaid,“Mychild,Ialsohadadreamlastnightatabout thehour of the fourth watch. I dreamed that your father king stood before medrippingwet,andhetoldmehimself thathewasdead.Hisspirit,hesaid,hadgonetopleadwiththeTangMonktosubduethespeciouskingandtosavehisformerbody.Iclearlyrecallthesewords,butthereisanotherhalfofthedreamwhichIjustcannotremember.Iwasspeculatingjustnowbymyselfwhenyouarrivedwithyourquestionsandthistreasure.Letmeputawaythejadetokenforthe moment. You should go and ask the sage monk to do what he must doquickly,sothatthedemonicmiasmamaybedispelledandtheperverseandtruecanbedistinguished.That’sthewayyoucanrepayyourfatherking’skindnessinrearingyou.”Swiftly mounting his horse, the prince went out of the Rear Gate of the

Servantsandslippedawayfromthecity.TrulyHoldingbackhistears,hekowtowedtoleavethequeen;IngriefhewenttobowagaintotheTangMonk.

Inalittlewhile,hewasoutofthecitygateandwentstraighttothegateofthePrecious Grove Monastery, where he dismounted. As the soldiers came toreceivehim,thesunbegantoset.Theprincegavetheorderfor thesoldiers toremain where they were stationed. Again by himself, he walked inside afterstraighteningouthisclothestosolicitPilgrim’sassistance.JustthentheMonkeyKingswaggeredoutfromthemainhall,andtheprince

atoncewenttohisknees,saying,“Master,I’vereturned.”Pilgrimwentforwardto raise him, saying, “Please rise. Did you ask anyonewhen you reached thecity?” “I did,” said the prince, and he gave a complete account of theconversationwithhismother.Smilinggently,Pilgrimsaid,“Ifheisthatcold,hemustbethetransformationofsomekindofcoldbloodedcreature.Don’tworry!Don’tworry!LetoldMonkeygetridofhimforyou.But it’sgettinglatenow,and I can’t move. You go back first, and I’ll arrive tomorrow morning.”Kowtowingrepeatedly,theprincesaid,“Master,I’llstayheretowaituponyouuntiltomorrow,andthenIcantravelwithyou.”“That’snogood,”saidPilgrim.“Ifweenter thecity together, the fiendwouldbecomesuspicious; insteadofachancemeeting, he’ll think that you have gone somewhere especially to fetch

me.Thewholearrangementwillmakehimblameyou,willitnot?”“EvenifIgobacknow,”saidtheprince,“hewillstillblameme.”“Why?”askedPilgrim.Theprincesaid,“Iwascommandedduringtheearlycourttoleadthisnumberofmenandhorses,of falconsanddogs, to leave thecity.ButwhenIgoback today, Ihavenogametopresenttothethrone.IfheaccusesmeofbeingincapableandhasmejailedinYouli,2whomwouldyourelyonwhenyouenterthecityinthemorning?Thereisnoone,afterall,intherankswhoknowsaboutthis.”“That’snothing!” saidPilgrim.“Youshouldhave toldmeearlier about this,

andI’dhavefoundsomegame.”DearGreatSage!Lookatthewayheshowsoffbefore theprince!With aboundhe leaped straightup to the clouds,made themagic sign, and recited the spell, LetOṃ andRam purify theDharma-realm,whichsummonedamountaingodandalocalspirit.Theyarrivedandbowedtohiminmidair,saying,“GreatSage,whatisyourwishwhenyoucommandthesehumble deities to appear?” Pilgrim said, “Old Monkey arrives here in thecompany of the Tang Monk, and he now intends to catch a wicked demon.Unfortunately, theprincedidnotcatchanygameduring thehuntandhedarednotreturntothecourt.Iam,therefore,goingtoaskyouforasmallfavor.Pleasefindforussomefallowdeer,antelopes,wildhares,andfowls—afewpiecesofeachkind—sothatwecansendhimoff.”Notdaringtodisobeywhentheyheardthis instruction, themountaingodandthe localspirit inquiredas tohowmanyheadsofwildgamewereneeded.“Itdoesn’tmatter,”saidtheGreatSage,“justbring us some.” The two deities, leading the demon soldiers under theircommand, calledup a stronggust of darkwind to roundup thewild animals.Theycaughtsomegrouseandpheasants;horneddeerandfatfallowdeer;foxes,badgers,andhares; tigers, leopards,andwolves—all inall, severalhundredofthesewhichtheybroughtbeforePilgrim.Pilgrimsaid,“OldMonkeyhasnoneedofthese.Pullouttheirlegtendonsandplacethemonbothsidesoftheforty-mileroadleadingbacktothecity.Thosepeoplewillthenbeabletotakethembackwithouthavingtousefalconsanddogs,andthiswillbecountedasyourmerit.”The deities obeyed; calming the dark wind, they placed the game beside theroad.Pilgrimdroppeddownfromthecloudsandsaidtotheprince,“YourHighness,

pleasegoback.Thereisgameontheroadthatyoumaycollect.”AfterhavingseenthekindofpowerPilgrimdisplayedontopoftheclouds,theprincehadnodoubtswhatever.Hekowtowed to take leaveofPilgrimbeforewalkingoutofthemonasterygatetoorderthesoldierstoreturntothecity.Astheyjourneyed,they found indeed a large number ofwild game laid out on both sides of theroad.Without releasing falcons and dogs, the soldiers caught them bymerelyliftingtheirhands.Allofthem,therefore,shoutedbravosandcongratulatedthe

prince, saying that it was his great luck that brought them the game, but notknowing,ofcourse,thatitwasthemightofoldMonkey.Listentotheirsongsoftriumphastheyproceededbacktothecity!Pilgrim,meanwhile, returned toprotectTripitaka.When thosemonks in the

monastery saw how intimate the pilgrims had become with the prince, howcouldtheydarenotbereverent?TheyagainpreparedavegetarianmealtoservetotheTangMonk,whothenrestedoncemoreintheZenhall.Byaboutthehourof thefirstwatch,Pilgrim,whohadsomethingonhismind,wasunable tofallasleep.Rollingoffhisbed,hedasheduptotheTangMonkandcried,“Master.”Theelderatthistimeactuallywasnotyetasleep,butknowingthatPilgrimcouldbe rather restless and frenetic, he pretended that hewas and did not respond.Pilgrim caught hold of his bald head and started to shake it violently, crying,“Master,howisitthatyouarealreadyasleep?”“Yourascal!”saidtheTangMonk,growingangry.“Youaren’tgoingtosleep

atthishour?Whatareyouclamoringfor?”“Master,”saidPilgrim,“IhavealittlematterthatIwanttodiscusswithyou.”

“Whatmatter?”askedtheelder.Pilgrim said, “During the day I boasted to the prince thatmy abilitieswere

higherthanamountainandgreaterthananocean.Tocatchthatmonster-spirit,Isaid,wasaseasyasreachingforsomethinginmypocket—allIhadtodowastostretchforthmyhandandtakeit.NowIcan’tsleep,andwhenIthinkaboutthematter,Ifindthatthere’ssomedifficulty.”“Ifyousaythatit’sgoingtobedifficult,”saidtheTangMonk,“thenlet’snot

try to catch him.” “We still have to,” saidPilgrim, “butwe cannot justify ouraction.”TheTangMonk said, “This ape is babbling again!Themonster-spirithasusurpedthethroneofaruler.Whatdoyoumeanthatwecannotjustifyouraction?”Pilgrim said, “Your venerable self only knows how to recite sūtras and

worshipBuddha, how to sit andmeditate.Sincewhenhaveyou ever seen thelegalcodesestablishedbyXiaoHe?3Theproverbsays,‘Ifyouarrestathief,youmustseizehimwiththestolengoods.’Thatfiendhasbeenakingforthreeyears,buthehasnotpermittedhissecrettoleakoutinanyway.Hehassleptwiththeladiesofthethreepalaces,andhehasruledamiablywithhistworowsofcivilandmilitaryofficials.EvenifoldMonkeyhastheabilitytoarresthim,itwillnotbeeasytoconvicthimofhiscrime.”“Whynot?”askedtheTangMonk.Pilgrimsaid,“Evenifheisamouth-less

gourd, hewill have a rowwith you for awhile.Can’t you hear him? ‘I’m theking of the Black Rooster Kingdom. What offense against Heaven have Icommitted that you dare come to arrest me?’What evidence do I have with

which I can arguewithhim?” “Whatdoyouplan todo, then?” said theTangMonk.Withachuckle,Pilgrimsaid,“TheplanofoldMonkeyisalreadymade,but

oneobstacleIhave tofacerightnowis thatyou,DearSir,havea tendency todote on people.” “What do you mean?” asked the TangMonk. Pilgrim said,“EightRulesisratherstupid,butyouaresomewhatpartialtohim.”“HowamIpartialtohim?”askedtheTangMonk.“Ifyouarenot,”saidPilgrim,“thenyoushouldtrytobemorecourageousandstayherewithShaMonk.LetoldMonkeyandEightRulestakethisopportunitynowtogointotheBlackRoosterKingdomfirstandfindtheimperialgarden.Wewillbreakopenthemarblewellandfishoutthecorpseofthetrueking,whichwewillwrapinourbags.Whenweenterthecitytomorrow,wewon’tbotherwithhavingourrescriptcertified;assoonaswe see the fiend, I’ll attackhimwithmy rod. If hehas anything to say,we’llshowhimtheskeletonandtellhim,‘Youkilledthisman!’Wecantelltheprincetocomeoutandmournhisfather,thequeentogiverecognitiontoherhusband,and the various officials to see their true lord. OldMonkey and the brothers,meanwhile, can lift our hands to fight. Now, that’s what I call a worthwhilelitigationbecausethere’ssomethingwecangoon!”Secretly pleased by what he heard, the TangMonk nevertheless said, “My

only fear is that Eight Rules is unwilling to go with you.” “You see!” saidPilgrim,laughing.“Itoldyouthatyoudotedonhim!Howdidyouknowthathewouldbeunwillingtogo?Perhapsyouthinkthathe’llbelikeyouwhenIcalledyoujustnow,andafterhalfanhour,Iwouldgiveup.Butwatchme!Ifyouletme go near him, I’ll use onlymy healthy, three-inch tongue to persuade him.NevermindthatheisZhuEightRules;evenifhewereZhuNineRules,Iwouldhavetheabilitytomakehimgowithme.”“Allright,”saidtheTangMonk,“youmaygoandrousehim.”Walkingawayfromhismaster,Pilgrimwentstraightup to thesideofEight

Rules’sbedandshouted,“EightRules!EightRules!”Idiot,afterall,wasamanovercomebytravelfatigue:onceheputhisheaddown,hesnoredsohardthatnothingcouldwakehim.Pilgrim finallygrabbedhisearsand tookholdofhisbristles; giving a terrific pull, he yankedEightRules right upwhile shouting,“Eight Rules!” Idiot was still shuddering when Pilgrim hollered again. Idiotmumbled,“Let’ssleep!Don’tplayaround!Wehaveto travel tomorrow.”“I’mnot playing,” saidPilgrim. “There’s somebusiness that you and Imust attendto.”“Whatbusiness?”askedEightRules.Pilgrimsaid,“Didyouhappen tohear

what theprincesaid?”“Ihaven’tevenseenhim,”saidEightRules.“Ihaven’theard what he had to say.” “The prince told me,” said Pilgrim, “that that

monster-spirit had in his possession a treasure that could overwhelm tenthousandwarriors.Whenweenterthecitytomorrow,wecan’tavoiddoingbattlewithhim;but if thatfiendbringsouthis treasureanddefeatsus, thatwon’tbegood.So, I thought that ifwecouldn’tvanquishhim,weshoulddosomethingfirst.YouandI,infact,shouldgoandstealhistreasure.Isn’tthatmuchbetter?”“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“youaretryingtopersuademetobeathief!Well,Iknowthissortofbusiness,soIcanbeyourcustomer.Butletmesaythistoyouclearlyfirst:whenwehavestolenthetreasureandsubduedthemonster-spirit,Iwon’tputupwiththisniggardlypracticeofdividingtheloot.I’mgoingtokeep the treasure.”“What for?”askedPilgrim.“I’mnoteloquent likeallofyou,”saidEightRules,“andit’snoteasyformetobegforfood.ThisbodyofoldHogissluggish,andhiswordsaredull.Moreover,Ican’tevenrecitesūtras.WhenIgettothosewild,uninhabitedplaces,IhavehopesthatIcanexchangethe treasure for food.” Pilgrim said, “Old Monkey is only concerned withacquiringareputation,notatreasure.OfcourseI’llgiveittoyou.”WhenIdiotheardthatitwastobegiventohim,hewasdelightedandscrambledupatonce.Climbingintohisclothes,heleftwithPilgrim.Trulyasthesayinggoes:Evenclearwinereddensaman’sface,AndyellowgoldmovesthemindofDao.

The two of them opened the door stealthily and slipped away fromTripitaka;mountingtheauspiciousluminosity,theyheadedstraightforthecity.Ina littlewhile, theyreachedtheirdestination;as theyloweredtheirclouds,

theyheard thesoundof thesecondwatchstruck froma tower.“Brother,” saidPilgrim,“it’s the secondwatch.”“Just right!” saidEightRules. “Everybody issleepingsoundlyinside.”InsteadofheadingfortheCentralGateoftheSun,thetwoof themwent to theRearGateof theServants,where theyheardalso thesoundoftherattlestruckbyguardsonpatrol.“Brother,”saidPilgrim,“thefrontand rear gates are all tightly guarded.How canwe get in?”EightRules said,“Haveyouever seena thiefwalking throughadoor?Let’s just jumpover thewall.”Pilgrimagreedandleapedatonceontothepalacewall,followedbyEightRules.Sneaking inside, the twoof themsearchedfor theirway to the imperialgarden.As theywalkedalong, theycameupona toweredgatewith tripleeavesand

flyingwhitebanners.Paintedontopofthegatewerethreelargewordsthatwereluminescent in the light of the stars andmoon: “The ImperialGarden.”WhenPilgrim drew near and saw that the gate was locked and sealed with severallayersofcrossedstripsofpaper,hetoldEightRulestogotowork.Idiotlifteduphisironrakeandbroughtitdownonthegateashardashecould:thegatewas

pulverizedatonce.Pilgrimledthewaytoenterthegarden,butnosoonerhadhestepped insidewhen he began to jump up and down,whooping and howling.Eight Ruleswas so startled that he ran forward to tug at him, saying, “ElderBrother,youscaremetodeath!Ihaveneverseenathiefbellowinglikethat!Ifyouwakeupthepeopleandtheycatchusandsendustocourt,evenifwearenotexecutedwewouldbebanishedtoournativeprovinceformilitaryservice.”“Brother,”saidPilgrim,“youmaywonderwhyI’mmakingsuchafuss.Just

lookatthoseCarvedandpaintedrailingsinruin;Bejeweledshedsandtowerscrumbling;Banksofsedgesandsmart-weedsallburiedindirt;Peoniaandtumi4bothwilted.Thescentofjasminesandrosesisslight;Tree-peoniasandliliesbloomvainly.Hibiscus,afewkinds,givewaytobushesandshrubs;Rareflowersandplantsallperish.

Artificialrockmountainscollapse;Pondsdryupandfishesdecline.Greenpines,purplebamboos—they’relikedriedfirewood;Wormwoodandartemisiagrowrankonthepaths.Fromcassiaandpeachtreestwigsbreakoff;Rootsofpearandplumtreesareupturned.There’sgreenmossonthebridge-head’swindingpath:Thesceneofthisgarden’sdesolate!”5

“Why waste your breath in this lamentation?” said Eight Rules. “Let’s gofinishourbusinessquickly.”ThoughPilgrimwassaddenedbywhathesaw,healso thought of the dream of the TangMonk,when hewas told that thewellcould be found only beneath a plantain tree.As theywalked along, they sawindeed such a tree,whose luxuriant growthwas quite different from the otherplants.TrulysheisAfine,spiritualrootofakind,Heremptyself’s6Heaven-endowed.Everybranchisthinlikepaper;Everyleafcanfoldlikeapetal;AthousandfinestrandsofgreenEncloseonecinnabarheartwithin.ShegrieveswhensaddenedbynightrainAnddroopsforfearofautumn’swind.ShegrowsintheprimalstrengthofHeav’n;Hernurture’stheworkofCreation.Aparchmentformsherwondroususage;Asafanshemakesraremerit.Howcouldphoenixplumesapproximateher?Coulde’enphoenixtailsresembleher?Bathedindropletsoflightdew,

Swathedinslenderwispsofsmoke,Hergreenshadeshroudswindowsanddoors;Hergreenshadowmountscurtainsandscreens.Wildgeesearen’tallowedtoperchhere,Normayhorsesbetiedtoher.Afrigidskywillmakeherdejected,Amoonlitnighthercolorsfaint.ShecanonlydispelhighheatAndprotectsfromthescorchingsun.Bashfulforlackingthepeachandpear’scharm,Shestandsaloneeastofthewhitewall.

“EightRules,” saidPilgrim, “let’s get started.The treasure’s buriedbeneaththeplantaintree.”Idiotliftedhisrakewithbothhandsandtoppledtheplantaintree,afterwhichheusedhissnouttoburrowintotheground.Afterdiggingupsome three or four feet of dirt, he discovered a slab of stone.Delighted, Idiotsaid,“ElderBrother,we’relucky!There’sindeedatreasurehere,coveredbyaslabofstone.Iwonderifit’scontainedinajarorabox.”“Liftthestoneupandtakealook,”saidPilgrim.Idiot indeed used his snout to give the slab of stone a shove; immediately,

glimmeringshaftsoflightshotup.Laughing,EightRulessaid,“Lucky!Lucky!Thetreasure’sglowing.”Hewentforwardtotakeanothercarefullookandsawthat itwas actually theglowof the stars andmoon reflected in thewaterof awell.“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“whenyouwant todosomething,youought to get to the bottomof it.” “How so?” askedPilgrim.EightRules said,“Thisisawell.Ifyouhadtoldmeinthemonasterythatthetreasurewouldbefoundinawell, Iwouldhavebroughtalongthose tworopesweuse to tieourbags.ThenwewouldhavebeenabletofindawaytoloweroldHogdownthere.Nowwe’reempty-handed.Howcouldwegodown there to fetch the thinguphere?” “Youwant to go down there?” asked Pilgrim. “Of course,” said EightRules,“butwehavenoropes.”“Takeoffyourclothes,”saidPilgrim,“andI’llgive you themeans.” EightRules said, “I don’t have any good clothes!All Ihavetodoisuntiethisshirt.”DearGreatSage!Hetookouthisgolden-hoopedrodandgavebothitsendsa

pull,crying,“Grow!”Itgrewtoaboutseventyoreightyfeetlong.“EightRules,”he said, “you grab hold of one end, and I’ll let you down the well.” “ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“youcandothat,butwhenwereachthesurfaceofthewater,youstop.”“Iknow,”saidPilgrim.Idiotthenwrappedhimselfaroundtherodatoneend,andwithnoeffortatallPilgrimpickedhimupandloweredhimintothewell.Inalittlewhile,theyreachedtheedgeofthewaterandEightRulessaid,“We’retouchingwater.”WhenPilgrimheardthat,hegavetherodaplunge downward and with a loud splash Idiot fell into the water headfirst.

Abandoningtheironrod,hebeganatoncetotreadwater,mutteringtohimself,“Damnhim!Itoldhimtostopwhenwereachedwater,buthegavemeaplungeinstead.” Pilgrim retrieved his rod and said, laughing, “Brother, is there anytreasure?”“Whattreasure?”saidEightRules,“onlyawellofwater!”Pilgrimsaid,“The treasurehassunkdeep into thewater.Whydon’tyougo

belowandfeelaround?”Idiotindeedknewwellthenatureofwater;heduckedhisheadunderthesurfaceanddovestraightdown.Ah,thewellwasextremelydeep!Heplungedhard a second timebeforeopeninghis eyes to lookaround,andhesawallatonceatowerededifice,onwhichwerewrittenthethreewords,“WaterCrystalPalace.”Highly shaken,EightRules said,“Undone!Undone! Igotonthewrongway.Imusthavefallenintotheocean,foronlytheoceanhasaWaterCrystalPalace.Howcouldtherebeoneinawell?”EightRules,yousee,didnotknowthatthishappenedtobethepalaceoftheWellDragonKing.AsEightRuleswasspeakingtohimself,ayakṣaonpatrolopenedthegateof

the palace.When he sawwhat he saw, he ran inside to report, saying, “GreatKing,disaster!Fromthewellabovefellamonkwithalongsnoutandhugeears,starknakedandwithoutastitchofclothing.Heisn’tdeadyet,andheistalking.”WhentheWellDragonKingheard this,hewasgreatlystartled.“ThismustbetheMarshalofHeavenlyReeds.Lastnight theNightPatrolGodcameherebyimperial decree from above to take the soul of the king of theBlackRoosterKingdom to see the TangMonk. They were to ask the Great Sage, Equal toHeaven, to subdue a fiend. This has to be theGreat Sage and theMarshal ofHeavenly Reeds. We should not treat them rudely. Hurry, we must welcomethem.”Straighteningouthisclothes, thedragonking ledhiswaterkinsmenout the

doorandcriedinaloudvoice,“MarshalofHeavenlyReeds,pleasetakeaseatinside.” Eight Rules became very pleased and said to himself, “So there’s afriendhere!”Withoutregardforetiquetteordecency,IdiotwalkedrightintotheWater Crystal Palace and, still stark naked, took the honored seat above.“Marshal,” said the dragon king, “I heard recently that your life was sparedwhenyouembracedtheBuddhistfaithtoaccompanytheTangMonktoacquirescripturesintheWesternHeaven.Forwhatreasonhaveyoucomehere?”“Iwasjustabout to tellyou that,” saidEightRules.“Myelderbrother,SunWukong,wantedtosendyouhismostearnestgreetings.Hetoldmetocometoaskyouforacertaintreasure.”“That’spitiful!”saidthedragonking.“WheredoIhaveanytreasurearound

here?I’mnotlikethoseotherdragonkingsofsuchbigriversastheYangzi,theYellowRiver, theHuai,andtheJi.Whentheycanflyandsoar throughtheair

mostof the time to transform, theywillhave treasures. Ihavebeenstuckherefora long time;Ican’tevenget tosee thesunand themoonregularly.Wherewould Igetany treasures?”“Don’t refuseme,”saidEightRules. “Ifyouhaveany,bringthemout.”“Idohavejustonetreasure,”saidthedragonking,“butIcan’t bring it out.TheMarshal himselfwill have to go and take a look.Howabout it?” “Wonderful!Wonderful!Wonderful!” saidEightRules. “I’ll go andtakealook.”Thedragonkingwalkedinfront,whileIdiotfollowed.TheypassedtheWater

CrystalPalaceandcameuponalongcorridor,insideofwhichtheyfoundasix-footcorpse.Pointingwithhisfinger, thedragonkingsaid,“Marshal, that’s thetreasure.”EightRuleswentforwardtolookatit.Ah,itwasactuallyadeadking;still wearing a rising-to-Heaven cap, a reddish brown robe, a pair of carefreeboots, and a jade belt, he lay there stiff as a board. “Hard!Hard!Hard!” saidEightRules,chuckling.“Thiscan’tbeconsideredatreasure!WhenIrecallthetimewhen oldHogwas amonster in themountain, this thingwas frequentlyusedasfood.Don’taskmehowmanysuchthingsIhaveseen—evenasfaraseatingwasconcerned,Ihaveconsumedcountlessnumbers.Howcouldyoucallthisatreasure?”“Soyoudon’tknow,Marshal,”said thedragonking,“thathe isactually the

corpseofthekingoftheBlackRoosterKingdom.Sincehereachedthewell,Ihaveembalmedhimwithafeature-preservingpearlsothathewon’tdeteriorate.IfyouarewillingtocarryhimoutofhereonyourbacktoseetheGreatSage,EqualtoHeaven,who,bytheway,mayhavethewishtorevivehim,don’tspeakoftreasures—youcanhaveanythingyouwant.”“Inthatcase,”saidEightRules,“I’llcarryhimoutonmybackforyou.Buthowmuchcartageareyougoingtopayme?”Thedragonking said, “I don’t have anymoney.” “Youwant to usepeople free!” said Eight Rules. “If you really don’t have anymoney, I won’tcarryhim.”“Ifyoudon’t,”saidthedragonking,“pleasego.”EightRulesleftatonce.Thedragonking,however,orderedtwopowerfulyakṣastohaulthecorpseoutoftheWaterCrystalPalace’sgate.Theythrewhimdown,tookoffthewater-repellingpearl,andwaterbegantocloseinonallsidesnoisily.Turningaroundquickly to look,EightRulescouldno longersee thegateof

theWaterCrystalPalace.Whenhestretchedouthishands,allhecouldlayholdofwasthecorpseoftheking,thetouchofwhichmadehislegsweakenandhistendonsturnnumbwithfear.Hedarteduptothesurfaceofthewater;withhishandsclingingtothewallofthewell,heshouted,“ElderBrother,stickyourroddownheretosaveme!”“Isthereanytreasure?”askedPilgrim.EightRulessaid,“Thereisn’tany!Beneaththewater,however,there’saWellDragonKing,whotoldmetocarryadeadmanonmyback.Iwouldn’tdoit,andhesentmeoutthe

door;thatwaswhenhisWaterCrystalPalacedisappearedalso.WhenIfeltthatcorpse,Iwassoscaredthatmyhandsgrewweakandmytendonsturnednumb;Icouldhardlymove.ElderBrother,forgoodorillpleasesaveme.”“That’s precisely the treasure,” saidPilgrim. “Whywon’t you carry himup

here?”EightRulessaid,“Hemusthavebeendeadforquiteawhile.WhyshouldIcarryhimonmyback?”“Ifyouwon’t,”saidPilgrim,“I’llgoback.”“Where?”askedEightRules.“I’m going back to the monastery,” said Pilgrim, “to get some sleep with

Master.”“YoumeanIcan’tgowithyou?”saidEightRules.Pilgrim said, “If you can climbup here, I’ll take youbackwithme; if you

can’t,wellthat’sit!”EightRuleswashorrified,forhowcouldhepossiblyclimbup the well. “Take a look,” he yelled. “Even the city wall was hard to scalealready,whereas thiswell is largedownbelowwithasmallmouthon top.Allaround thecircularwall isstraightupanddown.Moreover, ithasbeensuchalong time since anyone has bailedwater from thiswell that it’s coveredwithmoss everywhere. It’s terribly slippery. How could I possibly climb it? ElderBrother,let’snotupsetourfraternalfeelings,letmegoandcarryhimuponmyback.” “Exactly,” said Pilgrim. “Do it quickly, and I’ll go back with you tosleep.”Idiotputhisheadunderwateragainanddovestraightdown;afterhefoundthe

corpse, hepulled it ontohisback and shotbackup to the surface.Supportinghimself on the wall of the well, he cried, “Elder Brother, I’m carrying him.”Pilgrimstared into thewellandsawthat thebodywas indeedplacedonEightRules’sback.Onlythendidhelowerthegolden-hoopedrodintothewell.Amanwhohadbeensorelytried,Idiotopenedhismouthandheldontothetipoftheironrodwithhisteeth;hewasthenliftedupoutofthewellbyPilgrimwithnoeffortatall.Puttingdownthecorpse,EightRulesgrabbedhisownclothesandput them

on.WhenPilgrimtookalook,hefoundthatthefeaturesofthedeadkinghadnotalteredintheslightest—itwasasifhewerestillalive.“Brother,”saidPilgrim,“thismanhasbeendeadforthreeyears.Howcouldhisfeaturesnotdeteriorate?”“Youhavenoideaaboutthis,”saidEightRules.“ThisWellDragonsaidtomethathehadembalmedthecorpsewithafeature-preservingpearl,andthat’swhyithasnotdeteriorated.”“Lucky!Lucky!” saidPilgrim.“Thishas tomean thathiswronghasyettoberequited,andthatwearefatedtosucceed.Brother,puthimonyourbackagainquicklyandwe’llleave.”“Wheredoyouwantmetocarryhim?”askedEightRules.“ToseeMaster,”saidPilgrim.EightRulesbegan togrumble, saying,“HowamIgoing to livewith this? I

wassleepingnicelywhenthismonkeyfooledmewithhisclevertalkintodoingthis so-called business with him. It turns out to be this sort of enterprise—carryingadeadmanonmyback!WhenIcarryhim,someputridstinkingfluidisboundtodriponmeandsoilmyclothes,andthereisnoonereadytowashandstarchthemforme.Thefewpatchesonmygarmentmayeventurndampagainwhentheskyisgrey.HowcanIwearthem?”“Look,youjustcarryhim,”saidPilgrim,“andwhenwegettothemonastery,

I’llexchangeclotheswithyou.”“Aren’tyouashamedofyourself?”askedEightRules. “You have hardly anything to wear, and you are going to exchangeclothes with me?” Pilgrim said, “Oh, you are so smart mouthed! You aren’tgoingtocarryhim?”“No!”saidEightRules.“Stickoutyourshanksthen,”saidPilgrim, “and I’ll give you twenty strokes ofmy rod!”Horrified, EightRulessaid,“ElderBrother, that’saheavy rod! Ifyougiveme twenty strokes, I’dbelikethisking!”“Ifyouareafraidofbeingbeaten,”saidPilgrim,“thenhurryupandputhimonyourbacksothatwecanleave.”EightRuleswasindeedafraidofbeingbeaten;ratherlistlessly,heyankedthecorpseoverandputitonhisbackbeforeturningtowalkoutofthegarden.DearGreatSage!Making themagicsignwithhis fingers,he reciteda spell

and sucked in amouthful of air facing the ground in the southwest.When heblew it out, aviolentgust immediately aroseand liftedEightRulesoutof thepalace. They left the city instantly; as the wind subsided, the two of themdroppedtothegroundandproceededslowlyonfoot.Nursinghisrageinsilence,Idiot planned to repay Pilgrim in kind, saying to himself, “This monkey haspulledaniceprankonme,butwhenIgettothemonasteryI’mgoingtopulloneonhim,too.I’mgoingtopersuadeMastertoinsistonrestoringthekingbacktolife. If thatmonkey can’t do it, I’llmakeMaster recite that Tight-Fillet Spelluntil this monkey’s brains burst. That will give me some relief!” He walkedalongandthoughtfurthertohimself,“Nogood,nogood!Ifyoumakehimhealtheman,allhehastodoistogoandaskKingYamaforthesoul,andthemanwillliveagain.Imustsettheconditionssothathewon’tbepermittedtogototheRegionofDarkness;thekinghastoberestoredtolifethroughsomemeansfoundintheWorldofLight.Onlysuchaplanisgood.”Hardlyhadhefinishedspeakingtohimselfwhentheyreachedthegateofthe

monastery.EightRuleswalkedright through itandwentup to thedoorof theChanhall,wherehethrewdownthecorpseandcried,“Master,getupandlookat this.” Unable to sleep, Tripitaka was just chatting with ShaMonk on howPilgrim had deceived Eight Rules into goingwith him, and how they did notreturnafter sucha long time.Whenheheard thecall, theTangMonkquicklyaroseandsaid,“Disciple,whatdoyouwantmetolookat?”

“ThegrandpaofPilgrim,”saidEightRules,“whomoldHoghasbroughtbackonhisback.”“Youpie-eyedIdiot!”saidPilgrim.“WheredoIhaveagrandpa?”“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“ifheisn’tyourgrandpa,whydidyouaskoldHogtobearhimhere?Youdon’tknowhowmuchenergyI’vewasted!”TheTangMonkandShaMonkopenedthedoortolook,andtheydiscovered

that thecountenanceof thekinghadnotalteredatall.Turningsadallatonce,the elder said, “Your Majesty, in which previous existence did you incur anenemywhohadtocatchupwithyouinthisoneandcauseyoutoloseyourlife?Alas, you left yourwife and your child, unknown to all the civil andmilitaryofficials!Pityyourwifewho’sstill inthedark!Whowillburnincenseorpourtea for you?”Hewas so broken up that he could not speak anymore as tearsraineddownhischeeks.“Master,” saidEightRules, laughing, “what does his death have to dowith

you?Heisn’toneofyourancestors.Whyweepforhim?”“Odisciple!”saidtheTangMonk,“thefundamentalprincipleoflifeforthosewhohaveleftthefamilyiscompassion.Howcouldyoubesohardhearted?”“I’mnothardhearted,”saidEightRules,“forElderBrother toldme thathecould restorehim to life. Ifhecouldn’t,Iwouldn’thavecarriedhimbackhere.”Thiselder,afterall,hadaheadfullofwater!ShakenbythesefewwordsofIdiot,hesaidatonce,“Wukong,ifyou indeed have the ability to restore this king to life, you would haveaccomplishedsomethinggreater thanbuildinga seven-storied stūpa.Andevenwewould have been benefited as if we hadworshippedBuddha in the SpiritMountain.”Pilgrimsaid,“Master,howcouldyoubelievethenonsenseofthisIdiot!When

amandies,hecanpass through theperiodsof three timessevenor five timesseven;atmost,hemaywaitforsevenhundreddays,whenafterhavingsufferedforallthesinscommittedintheWorldofLight,hewillthenproceedtothenextincarnation. This man here died three years ago. How could I revive him?”WhenTripitakaheardthesewords,hesaid,“Oh,allright!”Stillbitterlyresentful,however,EightRulessaid,“Master,don’tbelievehim.

He’salittlesickinhisbrain!Justrecitethatlittlesomethingofyours,andyouare certain to get a living man.” The Tang Monk indeed began to recite theTight-FilletSpell,andthemonkeyhadsuchaheadachethathiseyesbulged.Wedo not know how he managed to heal the dead king; let’s listen to theexplanationinthenextchapter.

THIRTY-NINE

OnepelletofcinnabarelixirfoundinHeaven;Aking,deadthreeyears,livesagainonEarth.

We were telling you about the Great Sage Sun, who could hardly bear hisheadache.“Master,”hepleadedpitifully,“stopreciting!Stopreciting!Letmetrytohealhim.”“How?”askedtheelder.Pilgrimsaid,“AllIneedtodoistogototheRegionofDarknessand findout inwhichof theTenKings’chambershissoul is residing. I’ll fetch it and he’ll be saved.” “Master, don’t believe him,”said Eight Rules. “He toldme originally that he needn’t go to the Region ofDarkness,thathisrealabilitycouldnotbeseenunlessacurewasfoundintheWorldofLight.”Believinginsuchperversetattle, theelderbegantorecitetheTight-Fillet Spell once more. Pilgrim was so horrified that he had to sayrepeatedly,“I’llfindsomemeansintheWorldofLight!I’llfindsomemeansintheWorldofLight!”“Don’tstop,”saidEightRules,“justkeepreciting!”“Youidiotic cursedbeast!” chidedPilgrim. “Youare just trying to coaxMaster intoputtingthatspellonme!”Laughinguntilhenearlycollapsed,EightRulessaid,“OElderBrother!Youonlyknowhowtopulltricksonme,butyoudon’trealizethatIcandothesameonyou.”“Master,pleasestop,”saidPilgrim,“andletoldMonkeyfindacureintheWorldofLightfortheking.”“WherewouldyoufinditintheWorldofLight?”askedTripitaka.“Withasinglecloudsomersault,”saidPilgrim, “I shall penetrate theSouthHeavenGate,but I’ll notgo into theBigDipperPalacenor into theDivineMistsHall. Instead, I shallgostraightup totheThirty-thirdHeaven,totheTushitaPalaceoftheGrieflessHeaven.WhenIseeLaozi there, I shall beg him for one pellet of his Soul-RestoringElixir ofNineReversions,whichwillcertainlymakethismanliveagain.”WhenTripitakaheardthesewords,hewasverypleasedandsaid,“Goquickly

andcomeback.” “It’s about thehourof the thirdwatch at thismoment,” saidPilgrim, “but by the time I get back, it’ll be dawn.The troublewith thismansleepingherelikethisisthatthewholeatmosphereseemssodullandheartless.Someonehere shouldmournhimand that’llbemore like it.”“Itgoeswithoutsaying,”saidEightRules,“thatthismonkeywouldlikemetomourntheking.”“Yes, but I’mafraid that youwon’t,” saidPilgrim. “If youwon’t, I can’t healhimeither!”“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“youmaygo. I’llmournhim.”Pilgrimsaid,“Thereareseveralwaysofmourning:whenyoumerelyopenyourmouthtomakenoises,that’scalledhowling;whenyousqueezeoutsometears,

that’sweeping.Whenyoumournwithbothtearsandfeelings,thenwemaycallthatwailing.”“I’llgiveyouanexampleofhowIcanwail!” saidEightRules,whopulledoutascrapofpaperfromsomewhereandrolleditintoathinstrip,whichhestuckintohisnostrilstwice.Lookathim!Aftersneezingafewtimes,tears and snivel all came out and he began to wail, mumbling andmutteringprotests all the timeas if someone inhis familyhad actuallydied.Hebawledlustily, andwhen his passion rose to a terrific pitch, even the Tang elderwasmovedtotears.“That’sthesortofgriefIwantyoutoshow,”saidPilgrimwithalaugh,“andyouarenotpermitted tostop.For ifyou, Idiot, think thatyoucanquitmourningafterIleave,youaremistaken,forIcanstillhearyou.You’llbeall right if you keep this up, but the moment I discover that your voice hasstopped,yourshankswillbegiventwentystrokes.”“Yougo!”saidEightRules,chuckling. “Once I start tomourn, itwill takemea coupleofdays to finish.”WhenShaMonkheardhow sternPilgrim’s reprimandofEightRuleswas, hewent and lit a few sticks of incense to bring to offer to the dead king. “Fine!Fine!Fine!” saidPilgrim, laughing. “When thewhole family shows reverencelikethat,oldMonkeycanthenexerthisefforts.”Dear Great Sage! At this hour of midnight, he took leave of master and

disciples, thethreeofthem;mountingthecloudsomersault,heenteredatoncetheSouthHeavenGate.Indeed,hedidnotgobeforetheTreasureHallofDivineMists, nor did he ascend to the Big Dipper Palace. Treading on his cloudyluminosity,hewent straight to theGrieflessHeaven, theTushitaPalaceof theThirty-third Heaven. The moment he walked inside the door, he discoveredLaozisittingintheelixirchamber:intheprocessofmakingelixir,heandafewdivine youthswere tending the fireswith plantain fans.When he sawPilgrimapproaching,heimmediatelyinstructedtheyouthswiththesewords:“Takecare,eachofyou.Thethiefwhooncestoleourelixirishere.”Bowingtohim,Pilgrimsaidwith laughter,“VenerableSir,don’tbesosilly!Whytakesuchprecautionagainstme?Idon’tdothosethingsanymore!”“Monkey,”saidLaozi,“whenyoucaused great disruption in Heaven five hundred years ago, you stole andconsumed countless efficacious elixirs of mine. And when we sent the LittleSageErlangtoarrestyouandbringyoutotheRegionAbove,youweresenttobe refined inmyelixirbrazier for forty-ninedaysandmademesquanderwhoknowshowmuchcharcoal.YouwereluckytohaveregainedyourfreedomwhenyouembracedtheBuddhistfruitandresolvedtoaccompanytheTangMonktotheWesternHeaven toacquire scriptures.Buteven then,youwerestillgivingme a hard timewhen I askedyou formy treasures after youhad subdued thedemons some time ago on theLevel-TopMountain.What are you doing heretoday?”“Ididn’tgiveyouahardtime,”saidPilgrim.“OldMonkeyatthetime

gave you back your five treasures without delay. Why are you still sosuspicious?” “Why aren’t you on the road then?” askedLaozi. “Why did yousneakintomypalace?”Pilgrimsaid,“Afterweparted,weproceededtowardtheWestuntilwecame

totheBlackRoosterKingdom.Thekingtherehadbeenmurderedbyamonster-spiritmasqueradingasaDaoistabletosummonwindandrain.Themonsterthenchangedhimselfintotheformoftheking,andnowhesitsintheHallofGoldenChimes. When my master read the sūtras during the night before last in thePrecious Grove Monastery, the king’s spirit appeared to him and requestedearnestly for old Monkey to subdue the fiend for him. Because old Monkeyconsideredtheproblemofevidence,hewent to the imperialgardenwithEightRules to look for the burial site.Within awell of octagonalmarblewalls,wefishedouttheking’scorpse,soperfectlypreservedthatneitherhiscolornorhisappearance had changed. When we brought him back to my master, he wasmoved by compassion and wanted me to revive him. The condition was set,however,thatIcouldnotgototheRegionofDarknesstofetchhissoul,andthatImust find somemeans to revivehim in theWorldofLight. I concluded thattherewasnootherremedyavailable,andthatwaswhyIcameespeciallytoseeyou. I beseech the Patriarch of Tao to bemerciful and lendme one thousandtabletsofyourSoul-RestoringElixirofNineReversions,sothatoldMonkeycansavetheking.”“This ape is babbling!” said Laozi. “What are you saying—one thousand

tablets,twothousandtablets!Youeatthemlikerice?Youthinktheyarekneadedwithmud?Thateasy?No!Goquickly!Ihavenone!”“Allright,”saidPilgrim,chuckling,“howaboutahundredtablets?”“Idon’thaveany,”saidLaozi.“Justten tablets, then,” said Pilgrim. “This wretched ape is an absolute pest!” saidLaoziangrily.“Idon’thaveany.Getout!Getout!”“Youreallydon’thaveany?”saidPilgrim,laughing.“I’llgosomewheretolookforhelpthen.”“Go!Go!Go!”shoutedLaozi.Turningaround,theGreatSagestrodeoutatonce.Laozisuddenlythoughttohimself,“Thismonkeyissucharogue!WhenItold

himtogo,heleft,butIfearthathemightsneakbackinandstartstealing.”HeorderedadivineyouthtocallPilgrimbackatonce,saying,“Youape,youhaveitchy hands and feet! I’ll give you one tablet of my Soul-Restoring Elixir.”“VenerableSir,”saidPilgrim,“ifyouknowthetalentofoldMonkey,youwillbring out your golden elixir at once and divide up what you have with meequitably. That’ll be your good fortune! Otherwise, I’m going to swipe themclean for you.”Taking out his gourd, the patriarch turned it upside down andpoured out one pellet of golden elixir. He handed it over to Pilgrim, saying,“That’sallIhave.Takeit,takeit!I’mgivingittoyou,youknow,andwhenthat

kingisrevived,it’llbecountedasyourmerit.”Pilgrimtookitandsaid,“Let’snothurry!I’mgoingtohaveatasteofitfirst,forI’mnotgoingtobedupedbysomeboguspill!”Hepoppeditintohismouthatonce.TheoldpatriarchwassostartledthathedashedforwardandgrabbedtheskinonPilgrim’shead.Holdinghigh his fist, he shouted, “Youwretched ape! If you dare swallow it, I’ll killyou!”“Shameonyou!”saidPilgrim,laughing.“Don’tbesopetty!Who’sgoingto eat your stuff!Howmuch could it beworth, this flimsy stuff? Isn’t it righthere?”Themonkey,yousee,hada littlepouch justbeneathhis jowl, and thatwas where he kept the golden elixir. After the patriarch had felt it with hisfingers, he said, “Go away! Don’t botherme here anymore!” Then the GreatSagethankedtheoldpatriarchandlefttheTushitaHeavenPalace.Lookathim!Incountlesshallowedbeamsheleftthearchesofjade;Onmyriadauspiciouscloudshewenttotheworldofdust.

Inamoment,helefttheSouthHeavenGatebehindand,asthesuncameup,hedropped from the clouds and arrived at the gate of the Precious GroveMonastery.Eight Rules’s weeping could still be heard when he approached, crying,

“Master.”“Wukonghasreturned,”saidTripitaka,delighted.“Doyouhaveanyelixirormedicine?”“Ido,”saidPilgrim.“Hecouldn’tpossiblynothaveit!”saidEightRules.“Hewouldhavebroughtbacksomethingevenifhehadtostealit!”“Brother,”saidPilgrim,chuckling,“youcangetoutoftheway,Idon’tneedyouanymore.Wipeawayyourtears,oryoucangosomewheretoweep.ShaMonk,pleasefetchmesomewater.”ShaMonkhurriedtothewellintherearwheretherewasabucketnearby.He

bailedouthalfanalmsbowlofwaterandbroughtittoPilgrim.Afterhetookit,Pilgrim spat out the elixir and placed it inside the lips of the king.Thenwithbothhands,hepulledthejawsofthekingapart,andusingamouthfulofcleanwater,heflushedthegoldenelixirdowntotheking’sstomach.Afterabouthalfanhour,loudgurglingnoisescamefromthebellyoftheking,althoughhisbodyremained immobile. “Master,” said Pilgrim, “even my golden elixir seemsunabletorevivehim!CoulditbethatoldMonkey’sgoingtobefinishedoffbyblackmail?” Tripitaka said, “Nonsense! There’s no reason for him not to live.Howcouldheswallowthatwaterifhehadbeenonlyacorpsedeadforalongtime?Ithadtobethedivinepowerofthatgoldenelixir,whichentranceintohisstomachnowcauses the intestines togrowl.When that happens, itmeans thatcirculationandpulseareinharmoniousmotiononcemore.Hisbreath,however,isstillstoppedandcannotflowfreely.Butthat’stobeexpectedwhenamanhasbeen submerged in a well for three years; after all, even raw iron would be

completely rusted. That’s why his primal breath is all used up, and someoneshouldgivehimmouth-to-mouthresuscitation.”EightRuleswalkedforwardandwasabouttodothiswhenhewasstoppedby

Tripitaka.“Youcan’tdoit,”hesaid.“Wukongstillshouldtakeover.”Thatelderindeedhadpresenceofmind,forZhuEightRules,yousee,hadbeenacannibalsince his youth, and his breath was unclean. Pilgrim, on the other hand, hadpracticedself-cultivationsincehisbirth, the foodsustaininghimbeingvariousfruits andnuts, and thus his breathwaspure.TheGreatSage, therefore,wentforwardandclampedhisthundergodbeaktothelipsoftheking:amightybreathwasblownthroughhisthroattodescendthetieredtowers.1Invadingthebrighthall, itreachedthecinnabarfieldandthejetting-springpointsbeyondbeforeitreverseditsdirectionandtraveledtothemud-pillchamberofthecrown.Withaloudswoosh, theking’sbreathcametogetherandhisspirit returned;he turnedoverandatonceflexedhishandsandfeet,crying,“Master!”Goingthentohisknees,hesaid,“Iremembermysoulasaghostdidseeyoulastnight,butIdidnotexpectthismorningmyspiritwouldreturntotheWorldofLight.”Tripitakahurriedly tried to raise him, saying, “YourMajesty, I didn’t do anything.Youshouldthankmydisciple.”“Master,whatareyousaying?”saidPilgrimwithlaughter.“Theproverbsays,

‘Ahouseholddoesnothavetwoheads.’Youshouldaccepthisbow.”Greatlyembarrassednonetheless,Tripitakaraisedthekingupwithbothhands

andtheywenttogetherintotheChanhall.ThekinginsistedongreetingPilgrim,EightRules,andShaMonkbeforehewouldtakeaseat.Theresidentmonksofthemonasteryhadjustfinishedpreparingthemorningmealandtheywereabouttopresentitwhentheydiscoveredakingwithsoakingwetgarments.Everyonebecame frightened; each of them began to speculate. Pilgrim Sun, however,leapedintotheirmidstandsaid,“Monks,don’tbesoalarmed.ThisisinfactthekingoftheBlackRoosterKingdom,thetruerulerofallofyou.Threeyearsagohewasmurderedbyafiend,butoldMonkeyrevivedhimlastnight.Weplantogowithhimtothecitypresentlytodistinguishtheperversefromthetrue.Ifyouhave some vegetarian food prepared, bring it here, so that we can start ourjourneyafterweeat.”Themonksthenpresentedhotwateralsosothatthekingcould wash up and change his clothes. The royal reddish brown robe wasdiscarded, and he put on instead two cloth shirts given to him by themonk-official.Theytookoffthejadebeltandtiedhimupwithayellowsilksash;afterthecarefreebootswereremoved,hewasgivenapairofoldmonksandals.Thentheyhadtheirvegetarianbreakfastbeforegoingtosaddlethehorse.“EightRules,”saidPilgrim,“howheavyisyourluggage?”“I’vebeentotingit

everyday,”saidEightRules,“andIreallydon’tknowhowheavyitis.”Pilgrim

said,“Divideoneandletthekingtakeuptheotherone.Weshouldgettothecityearly to do our work.” Delighted, Eight Rules said, “Lucky! Lucky!When Ibroughthimhereonmyback,Iusedupalotofmystrength.Ihadnoideathathe could be my substitute after he had been healed.” Resorting at once tomischief, Idiotdivided the luggage;hecarried the lighter loadwitha flatpolethat he acquired from themonastery,whereas the heavier load he gave to theking to pole. “YourMajesty,” said Pilgrimwith a chuckle, “I hope you don’tmindourtreatment,dressingyouinthatmannerandaskingyoutopickupapoletofollowus?”Kneelingdownimmediately,thekingsaid,“Master,youarelikeparentswhohavegivenmeanewbirth.Don’tmention anything aboutpolingsomeluggage.I’mevenwillingtopickupthewhipandholdthestirrupstolookaftertheVenerableFatherandfollowhimallthewaytotheWesternHeaven.”Pilgrim said, “There’s no need for you to do that, but I have a reason for

makingyoudothisatthemoment.Youcanhelpuscarrytheluggageforthesefortymiles untilwe have entered the city and caught themonster-spirit. Thenyoucanbecomeakingagain,andwewillgoandfetchourscriptures.”Hearingthis, Eight Rules said, “In that case, he is going to pole for only fortymiles.After that, old Hog will remain as a long-term laborer!” “Brother, no morefoolishtalk!”saidPilgrim.“Getoutthereandleadtheway.”EightRulesindeedwalkedwiththekinginfront toleadtheway,whileSha

Monk helped his master to mount the horse and Pilgrim took up the rear.Arranged in an orderly formation, the five hundred monks of that monasteryfollowed them all the way to the gate, playing and blowing their musicalinstruments. Smiling, Pilgrim said, “Noneed for youmonks to accompanyusanyfurther.Ifearthatifanyofthisisleakedtotheofficials,ourenterprisewillbe ruined. Go back quickly! Go back quickly! Only see to it that the king’sclothing and belt are cleaned and prepared. Send them to the city either latetonight or early tomorrow morning. I’ll ask for some reward for you.” Themonksobeyedandreturnedtotheirquarters,whilePilgriminbigstridescaughtupwithhismastertoproceedwithhim.SoitisthatTheWesthasmystery,it’sgoodtoseekthetruth.WoodandMetalinconcord,thenspiritcanberefined.Theelixirmotherrecallsinvainafoolishdream;Thechilddeploresdeeplyhowpowerlessheis.Youmustseekatawell’sbottomtheenlightenedlord,AndthenbowtoLaoziintheHallofHeaven.Backtoyourownnatureonceyouseeform’semptiness,2You’rethustrulyaBuddha-ledmanofaffinity.

Itdidnottakemasteranddisciplesevenhalfadayontheroadwhentheysawacityapproaching.“Wukong,”saidTripitaka,“IsupposethatmustbetheBlack

Rooster Kingdom ahead of us.” “Exactly,” said Pilgrim. “Let’s enter the cityquicklysothatwecandoourbusiness.”Aftertheyenteredthecity,masteranddisciples found the population well-mannered and engaged in a great deal ofbustling activities. As they walked along, they soon came upon the phoenixbowersanddragontowers,exceedinglygrandandornateedificesforwhichwehaveatestimonialpoem.Thepoemsays:Theseoutlandbuildingsarelikethesovereignstate’s;3LikethoseofoldTang,peoplesinganddance.Flowersgreetjeweledfanstrailedbyroseateclouds;Freshrobes,sun-lit,glimmerinjade-greenfog.Peacockscreensopenandfragrantmistpoursout;Pearlyshadesrollupascoloredflagsunfurl.Apictureofpeacemostworthyofpraise:Quietrowsofnoblesbutnomemorials.

“Disciples,”saidTripitakaashedismounted,“wemightaswellgorightintothecourt to have our rescript certified and not be bothered by some bureaucraticoffice.”“That’sreasonable,”saidPilgrim.“Webrotherswillgoinwithyou;it’seasiertotalkwhenyouhavemorepeopleonyourside.”TheTangMonksaid,“If all of you are going inside, youmust not be rowdy. Let’s go through theproperceremonyofgreetingarulerbeforewedoanytalking.”“Ifyouwanttogo through that,” said Pilgrim, “itmeans that you have to prostrate yourself.”“Exactly,” said theTangMonk, “wehave toundertake thegrandceremonyoffivebowsandthreekowtows.”“Master,youaretooinsipid!”saidPilgrimwithachuckle.“It’ssounwiseof

youtowanttopayhomagetothatcharacter!Letmegoinfirst,forIknowwhatI’mgoingtodo.Ifhehasanythingtosaytous,letmeanswerhim.IfIbow,youall can bowwithme; if I crouch, you crouch also.”Look at thatmischievousMonkey King! He went straight up to the gate of the court and said to theguardian official, “Wehave been sent by theThrone of theGreatTang in theLandof theEast togoworshipBuddha in theWesternHeavenand toacquirescriptures fromhim.Having arrived in this region,wewould like to haveourrescriptcertified.Maywetroubleyoutoreportthistothekingsothattheactofvirtuous fruitwill not bedelayed.”TheCustodianof theYellowGatewent atonce to the gate of the main hall and knelt before the vermilion steps tomemorialize, saying,“Thereare fivemonksoutside thegateof thecourt,whoclaim that theyhavebeensentby imperialdecree from theTangnation in theLandoftheEasttogotoseeBuddhaforscripturesintheWesternHeaven.Theywouldliketohavetheirrescriptcertified,buttheydarenotenterthecourt,andtheyawaityoursummons.”The demon king at once gave the order to summon them inside. The Tang

Monk then proceeded towalk inside the court followed by the kingwho hadbeen revived. As they walked, the king could not stop the tears from rollingdownhischeeks,thinkingtohimself,“Howpitifulindeed!Mybronze-guardedempire, my iron-clad domain, had been secretly taken over by him.” “YourMajesty,”saidPilgrimsoftly,“youmustnotshowyoursorrowatthismoment,forwemayrevealeverything.Therodinmyearisgettingratherrestless.Inamoment,itwillachieveagreatmeritbybeatingademontodeathandbanishingall perversity.Your empirewill soon be returned to you.”The king dared notdisobey;pullinguphisrobetowipeawaythetears,hefollowedthemresolutelyuptotheHallofGoldenChimes.Therowsofcivilandmilitaryofficials,somefourhundredofthem,allstood

therewithgreatsobrietyandnoblelooks.PilgrimledtheTangMonkuptothewhite jade steps; he then stood still and remained erect. All those officialsbeneaththestepsbecameterrified,saying,“Thismonkismostfoolishandbase!Whenheseesourking,whydoeshenotprostratehimself,nordoesheexpresshispraise?Hedoesnotevengiveabow!Howaudaciousandrude!”Before theyeven finished speaking, thedemonkingasked, “Wheredid this

monkcomefrom?”Pilgrimrepliedboldly,“IamfromtheGreatTangnationinthe Land of the East, in the South Jambūḍvīpa Continent, someone sent byimperial decree to go seek the living Buddha in the Great ThunderclapMonasteryofIndiaintheWesternTerritoriesfortruescriptures.Havingreachedthis region, I donotwant topass through itwithouthavingour travel rescriptcertified.”Whenthedemonkingheardwhathesaid,hebecameangry,saying,“Sowhat

ifyouarefromtheLandoftheEast?Wearenotpayingtributeinyourcourt,norhaveweanyintercoursewithyournation.Howdareyouneglectyouretiquetteandnotbowtous?”Laughing,Pilgrimsaid,“OurcelestialcourtintheLandoftheEastwasestablishedinantiquity,andourshadbeencalledthesuperiorstatefor a long time.Yours is only a state of the hinterlands in an inferior region.Haven’tyouheardoftheancientsaying?ThekingofthesuperiorstateIsfatherandruler;ThekingoftheinferiorstateIssonandsubject.

Youhaven’tevenreceivedmeproperly,andyoudarechidemefornotbowingtoyou?” Infuriated, the demon king shouted to the civil and military officials,“Seizethiswildmonk!”Whenhesaid,“Seize,”alltheofficialssurgedforward.Pointingimmediatelywithhisfinger,Pilgrimcried,“Cease!”That,yousee,wasthemagicofimmobilization,whichmadethevariousofficialsunabletomoveat

all.TrulyThecaptainsbeforethestepslookedlikeidolsofwood,Andmarshalsinthepalaceresembledmenofclay.

When the demon king saw how Pilgrim had rendered immobile all theofficials, he leaped up from the dragon couch andwas about to seize Pilgrimhimself.Secretlypleased, theMonkeyKing thought, “Good!ExactlywhatoldMonkeywanted!Themomentyoucomenear, yourhead, even if it’smadeofrawiron,isgoingtohaveagapingholewhenmyrodfindsit.”Hewasabouttostrike,whensuddenlyasavingstarappearedfromoneside.“Whowasit?”youask.Itwasnoneother thantheprinceof theBlackRoosterKingdom.Dashinguptotugatthedemonking’sgarment,theprincekneltbeforehimandsaid,“Lettheangeroffatherkingsubside.”“Whatdoyouwanttosay,mychild?”askedthemonster-spirit.“Letmereportthistofatherking,”saidtheprince.“ThreeyearsagoIheard

alreadythattherewasasagemonksentbytheThroneoftheTangintheLandoftheEast to seek scriptures fromBuddha in theWesternHeaven, but I did notexpect that he would arrive this day. The honored nature of father king ispowerful and ferocious, I know. But if you seize this monk and have himexecuted, thegreatTangcouldbegreatly angered if ever they should learnofthisoneday.RememberthatLiShimin4who,sinceheestablishedhisthrone,didsucceedinunitinghisempire.Stillnotcontent,hewentonvariousexpeditionsofconquesttoforeignlands.Ifhediscoversthatourkinghasmurderedthesagemonk,hisbond-brother,hewillmostcertainlycalluptroopsandhorsestowarwithus.Whenwerealizethenhowsmallisourarmyandhowweakourgeneralsare,itwillbetoolateforregrets.Letthefatherkingapprovethememorialofhisson, let him make a thorough investigation of the background of these fourmonks.Wemustfirstestablishwhytheywouldnotpayhomageto theThronebeforeweconvictthem.”Thisentirespeech,yousee,wasmotivatedbytheprince’scaution,whofeared

thattheTangMonkmightbehurtandthatwaswhyhedeliberatelystoppedthedemon. The prince, of course, did not know that Pilgrimwas about to strike.Consentingindeedtothewordsoftheprince,thedemonkingstoodbeforethedragon couch and loudly asked, “When did this monk leave the Land of theEast?ForwhatreasondidtheTangemperoraskyoutoseekscriptures?”Again Pilgrim replied boldly, “My master is the bond-brother of the Tang

emperor,andhishonorificisTripitaka.ThereisaprimeministerbeforetheTangthrone whose name is Wei Zheng, and who has by the decree of Heavenbeheaded an old dragon of the Jing River. Because of this, the Great Tang

emperoralsohadtotourtheRegionofDarknessinhisdream,andafterhewasrevived,heopenedwidetheplotoftruthbygivingaGrandMassofLandandWater to redeem thewronged souls and damned spirits.Asmymaster recitedandperformedthesūtrastomagnifythepowerofcompassion,theBodhisattvaGuanshiyinofSouthSearevealedtohimsuddenlythatheshouldjourneytotheWest.Makingagrandpromise,mymasteracceptedthecommissionfreelyandgladlytoservehisnation,andthatwaswhentheemperorbestowedonhimtherescript. On the third day before the fifteenth, during the ninth month of thethirteenthyearintheZhenguanperiodoftheGreatTang,helefttheLandoftheEast.Whenhe reached theMountainofTwoFrontiers, he acceptedme ashisdisciple.MysurnameisSun,andmynameisWukongPilgrim.Next,wearrivedat theGao FamilyVillage of theQocoKingdom,wheremymastermade hisseconddisciple;hissurnameisZhu,andhisnameisWunengEightRules.AttheFlowingSandRiver, the thirddisciple joined thefold;hissurnameisSha,andhis name is Wujing Monk. The day before yesterday at the Precious GroveMonasteryBuiltbyImperialCommand,wenewlyacquiredamendicantworker5whonowhelpsuswithpolingtheluggage.”After the demon king heard this speech, he found it difficult to turn up an

excuseforexaminingtheTangMonkfurther,anditwasevenmoredifficultforhim to try to overwhelm Pilgrim with deceptive interrogation. Glowering, hesaid, “You,monk!When you first left the Land of the East, youwere all byyourself,butthenyouacceptedallthesefourpersonsintoyourcompany.Thosethree monks may be all right, but this worker looks most suspicious. Thismendicantmusthavebeenkidnappedfromsomewhere.Whatishisname?Doeshe have a certificate of ordination? Bring him up here and let him make adeposition.”Tremblingallover,thekingsaid,“OMaster!HowshallImakethisdeposition?”Givinghimapinch,Pilgrimsaid,“Don’tbeafraid.Letmedoitforyou.”Dear Great Sage! He strode forward and said to the fiend in a loud voice,

“YourMajesty,thisoldworkerisnotonlydumb,butheisalsosomewhatdeaf.WetookhimonbecauseheknewthewaytotheWesternHeaven,havinggonethere himself in his younger days. I know everything about him—hisbackground,hisorigin,hisriseandfall.IbegyourMajesty’spardon,butletmemake the deposition for him.” “Do it quickly and truthfully,” said the demonking,“lesthebeconvictedofaseriousoffense.”Pilgrimsaid,Ofthisdepositionthemendicant’squiteold;Deaf,dumb,anddim-witted,he’salsopoor!Amanwhosenativehomewasinthisplace,Hemetdefeatandruinfiveyearsago.

Withnorainfromthesky,Folksturnedshriveledanddry.Kingandsubjectsallfastedandabstained;TheybathedandburnedincensetopraytoHeav’n,Butnocloudwasseenfortenthousandmiles.Whilepeoplestarvedasthoughhungupsidedown,TherecamefromZhongnanaCompleteTruthfiendWhocalledupwindandraintoshowhispower,Andthentookinsecrettheking’sownlife.Thevictimwaspusheddownagardenwell;Thedragonseatwastakenunknowntoman.LuckilyIcame.Mymeritwasgreat:Nosnagitwastobringlifebackfromdeath.Willingtosubmitasamendicant,HewouldfollowthemonktofacetheWest.ThatspeciouskingisaDaoistinfact;Thisworkerisintruththerightfulking.

When thatdemonkingon theHallofGoldenChimesheard this speech,hebecamesofrightenedthathisheartpoundedlikethefeetofayoungdeerandhisfacewasflushedwithredclouds.Hewantedtorunawayatonce,buthedidnotevenhaveaweaponinhishands.Turningaround,hesawoneofthecaptainsofpalace guards, who had a scimitar buckled to his waist and who had beenrendered a dumb and stupid person standing there by Pilgrim’s magic ofimmobilization.Dashinguptohim,thedemonkingtookthisscimitarandthenimmediatelymountedthecloudstoescapeintheair.ShaMonkandZhuEightRulesweresoannoyedbythisturnofeventsthattheyscreamedatPilgrim,“Youimpatientape!Whydidyouhavetosayallthosethingsatonce?Youcouldhavetricked him into staying if you had used a slower approach.Now that he hasmountedthecloudsandescaped,wherewouldyougotosearchforhim?”“Don’tscreammadlylikethat,brothers,”saidPilgrimwithlaughter.“Letme

ask the prince to come out and bow to his father and the queen to greet herhusbandfirst.Letmethenreciteanotherspelltoreleasethoseministersfrommymagicsothattheycanlearnthetruthaboutwhathashappenedandpayhomageto the real king.Then I can go look for him.”DearGreatSage!After he haddisposedofeverythinghesaidhewoulddo,hetoldEightRulesandShaMonk,“Takecaretoguardrulerandsubjects,fatherandson,husbandandwife,andourmaster.I’moff!”Hardlyhadhefinishedspeakingbeforehewascompletelyoutofsight.RisingstraightuptothecloudsoftheNinefoldHeaven,Pilgrimopenedwide

hiseyes tostareallaround: thedemonking,havingescapedwithhis life,wasfleeing toward thenortheast.Pilgrimcaughtupwithhim inno time, shouting,“Fiend,whereareyougoing?OldMonkey’shere.”Swiftlyturningaround, the

demonkingbroughtouthisscimitarandsaidwitha loudvoice,“PilgrimSun,whatarogueyouare!Itookthethroneofanotherman,butthatdidn’tconcernyou. Why did you have to be involved in someone’s affairs and reveal mysecret?”Roaringwithlaughter,Pilgrimsaid,“Youaudacious,lawlessfiend!Youthink

you ought to be permitted to be a king? If you recognized oldMonkey, youshouldhavefledattheearliestopportunitytothefarthestplace.Howdareyoutry to givemymaster a hard time, asking for that so-called deposition? ThatdepositionIgaveyoujustnow,wasthataccurateornot?Don’trunawaynow!Ifyou’reaman,haveatasteofoldMonkey’srod!”Thedemonkingsteppedasideto dodge the blow before he wielded the scimitar to meet his opponent. Themomenttheirweaponsjoined,itwasamarvelousbattle.TrulyTheMonkeyKingisfierce,Thedemonkingisstrong—Rodandscimitardareeachotheroppose.ThisdaytheThreeRegionsarebedimmedbyfog,Allforaking’srestorationtohiscourt.

After the two of them fought for a few rounds, the demon king could nolongerwithstandtheMonkeyKingandfledinsteadbackintothecityonthewayhecame.Hurlinghimselfintothetworowsofcivilandmilitaryofficialsbeforethewhitejadesteps,thedemonkinggavehisbodyashakeandchangedintoanexact imageofTripitakaTang, both of them standinghand-in-handbefore thesteps. TheGreat Sage arrived andwas about to strike with the rodwhen thefiend said, “Disciple, don’t hit me! It’s I!” Pilgrim turned the rod toward theotherTangMonkwhoalsosaid,“Disciple,don’thitme!It’sI!”Therewere twoTangMonks exactly alike andmost difficult to distinguish.

Thinking to himself, “If I kill themonster spirit with one blow of the rod, itwouldbemymerit,allright;butwhatwouldIdoifthatblowhappenstokillmytruemaster?”PilgrimhadtostopandaskEightRulesandShaMonk,“Whichisthe fiendandwhich isourmaster?Pointhimout tomeso that I can strikeathim.” “You two were yelling and fighting in midair,” said Eight Rules, “andwhenIblinkedmyeyes,Isawtwomastersthenextmoment.Idon’tknowwhoisrealandwhoisfalse.”WhenPilgrimheardthesewords,hemadethemagicsignwithhisfingersand

recitedaspell,whichcalledtogetherthevariousdevaguardians,theSixGodsofDarknessand theSixGodsofLight, theGuardiansofFiveQuarters, theFourSentinels,theEighteenGuardiansoftheFaith,thelocalspirit,andthemountaingodofthatregion.Hesaidtothem,“OldMonkeyistryingtosubdueamonsterhere,whohaschangedhimself intothelikenessofmymaster.Both their form

andsubstanceseemexactlythesameandit’sdifficulttotellthemapart.Butyoumaybe able todistinguish them in secret; if so,makemymasterwalkup thestepsintothemainhallsothatIcancatchthisdemon.”Thefiend,yousee,wasaccomplished in magic; when he heard these words of Pilgrim, he quicklyboundedinto theHallofGoldenChimes.Pilgrimraisedhisrodandbrought itdownhardon theTangMonk.Alas! If ithadnotbeen fordesperateeffortsofthoseseveraldeitiessummonedtothisplace,theblowwouldhavereducedeventwentyTangMonkstomeatpatties!Fortunatelythevariousdeitiesmanagedtoblocktheblow,saying,“GreatSage,thefiendknowshismagic.Hehasgoneuptothehallfirst.”Pilgrimgavechaseatonce,andthedemonkingranoutsidethehall to catch hold of the Tang Monk once more in the crowd. After thisconfusion,theyagaincouldnotbedistinguished.Pilgrimwashighlydispleased,andwhenhesaw,moreover, thatEightRules

wassnickeringononeside,hebecameenraged,saying,“What’sthematterwithyou,stupidcoolie?Nowyouhavetwomasterswhosecallsyoumustanswerandwhomyoumustserve.Areyouoverjoyed?”Laughing,EightRulessaid,“ElderBrother, you say I’mdumb;well, you’re evendumber! If you can’t recognizewhoistherealmaster,whywasteallthisenergy?YoutrytoendurealittlepainonyourheadforamomentandaskMastertorecitethatlittlesomethingofhis.ShaMonkand Iwill eachholdon tooneof themand listen: thatpersonwhodoesnotknowhowtorecite thespellmustbe themonster.What’ssodifficultaboutthat?”“Thank you, Brother,” said Pilgrim. “You’ve got it. That little something

indeed is known only to three persons: born of the verymind of ourBuddhaTathāgata,itwastransmittedtotheBodhisattvaGuanshiyin,whothenimpartedit tomymaster. There is no other personwho has knowledge of it.All right,Master,startyourrecital.”IntruththeTangMonkbegantorecite,buthowcouldthedemonkingknowwhattodo?Allhecoulddowasmumblesomething,andEightRulessaid,“Thisonemumblingisthemonster!”Heletgoandraisedhismuckraketostrikeatthedemonking,wholeapedupandtriedtoflee,treadingtheclouds.DearEightRules!Withashout,hemountedthecloudsalsotogivechase.Sha

MonkhurriedlyabandonedtheTangMonkandbroughtouthispreciousstafftodobattle.Only thendid theTangMonkstop recitinghis spell; theGreatSageSun,enduringhisheadache,draggedhisironroduptomidair.Ah,lookatthisbattle!Threefiercemonkshavesurroundedabrazendemon!Thedemonking,yousee,wasattackedleftandrightbyEightRuleswithhis

rakeandShaMonkwithhis staff.Chuckling tohimself,Pilgrimsaid,“If Igoattackhimfacetoface,hewilltrytoescapeasheisalreadysomewhatafraidof

me.LetoldMonkeygetuphigherandgivemeagarlic-poundingblowfromthetopdown.That’llfinishhimoff!”Mounting the auspicious luminosity, the Great Sage rose to the Ninefold

Heavenandwasabouttoshowhisdecisivehandwhenaloudvoicecamefromapetal of colored cloud in the northeast: “Sun Wukong, don’t do it!” WhenPilgrimturnedtolook,hediscoveredtheBodhisattvaMañjuśrī.Quicklyputtingaway his rod, he drew near and bowed, saying, “Bodhisattva, where are yougoing?” “I came,” said Mañjuśrī, “to put away this fiend for you.” Pilgrimthankedhimandsaid,“I’mgreatlyobliged.”Takingoutanimp-reflectingmirrorfrom his sleeve, the Bodhisattva aimed it at the fiend and the image of itsoriginalformbecamevisibleatonce.PilgrimcalledEightRulesandShaMonkto come to greet the Bodhisattva and to look into the mirror. Exceedinglyferociousinappearance,thatdemonkinghadEyeslikelargegobletsofglass;Aheadlikeacookingvat;Abodyofdeepsummergreen;Andfourpawslikeautumn’sfrost;Twolargeearsthatflippeddownward;Atailaslongasabroom;Greenhairfulloffightingardor;Redeyesemittinggoldbeams;Rowsofflatteethlikejadeslabs;Roundwhiskersrearinguplikespears.ThetrueformseeninthemirrorWasMañjuśrī’slionking.

“Bodhisattva,” said Pilgrim, “so this is the green-haired lionwho serves asyourbeastofburden.Howwasitthathehadbeenturnedloosesothathecouldbecomeaspirithere?Aren’tyougoingtomakehimsubmittoyou?”“Wukong,”saidtheBodhisattva,“hewasnotturnedloose.HehadbeensentbythedecreeofBuddhatocomehere.”Pilgrimsaid,“Youmeanthatthisbeast’sbecomingaspirittousurpthethroneofakingwasadecreeofBuddha?Ifthat’sthecase,oldMonkey,whoisaccompanyingtheTangMonkthroughallhistrials,shouldhavebeengivenseveralimperialdocuments!”TheBodhisattva said, “You don’t know that this king of theBlackRooster

Kingdom was dedicated to virtue and to the feeding of monks at first. TheBuddha sentme to lead him to return to theWest so that he could attain thegoldenbodyofanarhat.Icouldnot,ofcourse,revealmyselftohiminmytrueform,andsoIchangedmyselfintoanordinarymortalmonktobegsomefoodfromhim.Duringourconversationafewwordsofmineputhimonthespot;notrealizingthatIwasagoodmanafterall,hetiedmeupwitharopeandsentmeintotheimperialmoat.IsoakedinthereforthreedaysandnightsbeforetheSix

Gods of Darkness rescuedme back to theWest. Tathāgata therefore sent thiscreature here to push him down the well and have him submerged for threeyears, in order to exact vengeance formywater adversity of three days.Thus‘notevenasuporabiteisnotforeordained,’andwehadtowaitforallofyoutoarriveandachievethismerit.”“Youmighthaverepaidtheprivategrievanceofyourso-calledonesuporone

bite,” said Pilgrim, “but who knows how many human beings that fiendishcreaturehasharmed.” “Hehasnot,” said theBodhisattva. “In fact, these threeyearsafterhisarrivalhaveseennothingbutwindsandrainsinseason,prosperityfor the kingdom, and peace for the inhabitants. Since when has he harmedanyone?”“Evenso,”saidPilgrim,“thoseladiesofthethreepalacesdidsleepwithhim

and rise with him. His body has defiled many and violated the great humanrelations countless times. And you say that he has not harmed anyone?” TheBodhisattva said, “He has not defiled anyone, for he’s a gelded lion.”WhenEightRulesheardthis,hewalkednearandgavethecreatureapat,sayingwithachuckle,“Thismonster-spirit is trulya‘rednosewhodoesn’tdrink’!Hebearshisnameinvain!”“Allright,”saidPilgrim,“takehimaway.IftheBodhisattvadidnotcomehere

himself, Iwouldnever have sparedhis life.”Reciting a spell, theBodhisattvashouted, “Beast, how long are you going to wait before you submit to theRight?”Thedemonkingatoncechangedbacktohisoriginalform,afterwhichtheBodhisattva released the lotus flower seat to be placed on the back of thelion.Hethenmountedthelion,whotrodontheauspiciousluminosityandleft.Aha!HewentstraighttotheWutaiMountain;6Tohearsūtrasexplainedbeforethelotusseat.

WedonotknowfinallyhowtheTangMonkandhisdisciplesleavethecity;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

FORTY

Thechild’splayfultransformationsconfusetheChanMind;Ape,Horse,Spatulagone,WoodMother,too,islost.

We were telling you about the Great Sage Sun and his two brothers, wholoweredtheircloudsandreturnedtothecourt.Theyweremetbytheking, thequeen,and their subjects—allof them linedup in rows tobowand toexpresstheirthanks.PilgrimthengaveacompleteaccountofhowtheBodhisattvacametosubduethemonster,andalltheofficialsincourttouchedthetopoftheirheadsto the ground in adoration. As theywere thus rejoicing, the Custodian of theYellow Gate arrived to announce, “My lord, there are four more monks whohavearrivedatthegate.”Alittleapprehensive,EightRulessaid,“ElderBrother,coulditbethatthemonster-spirit,havingusedmagictodisguisehimselfastheBodhisattvaMañjuśrī todeceiveus,hasnowchangedagain intosomekindofmonk to match wits with us?” “How could that be?” said Pilgrim, who thenaskedthatthemonksbesummonedinside.After the civil and military officials transmitted the order and the visitors

entered,PilgrimsawthattheyweremonksfromthePreciousGroveMonastery,who came bearing the rising-to-Heaven cap, the green-jade belt, the brownishyellow robe, and the carefree boots. Highly pleased, Pilgrim said, “It’swonderfulthatyou’vecome!”Heaskedthemendicantworkertostepforward:his head-wrap was taken off and the rising-to-Heaven cap was placed on hishead;theclothgarmentwasstrippedoffandheputonthebrownishyellowrobeinstead;afterheuntiedthesilksashandtookoffthemonksandals,hebuckledonthejade-greenbeltandclimbedintothecarefreeboots.Theprincewasthentoldtobringoutthewhitejadetokensothatthekingmightholditinhishands,and he was asked to ascend the main hall to be the king once more. As theancientproverbsaid,“Thecourtshouldnotbeonedaywithoutaruler.”Butthekingabsolutelyrefusedtositonthethrone;weepingprofusely,hekneltonthestepsandsaid,“I’vebeendeadfor threeyears,andI’mindebtedtoMasterformakingmereturntolife.HowcouldIdareassumesuchhonoragain?Letoneofthesemastersbetheruler;I’llbeperfectlycontenttogowithmywifeandchildoutsidethecitytoliveasacommoner.”Tripitaka,ofcourse,wouldhavenoneofthis,forhewasintentongoingtoworshipBuddhaandtoacquirethescriptures.

ThekingthenturnedtoPilgrim,whosaidtohim,smiling,“Totellyouthetruth,if oldMonkey wanted to be a king, he would have been one throughout themyriadkingdomsintheworld.Butallofusareusedtotheleisurelyandcarefreeexistenceofmonks.IfIbecomeaking,Iwillhavetoletmyhairgrowagain;Iwon’tbeabletoretirewhenit’sdark,norwillIbeabletosleepbeyondthehourofthefifthwatch.I’llbeanxiouswhenreportsfromthebordersarrive;I’llhaveendlessworrieswhentherearedisastersorfamines.HowcouldIlivewiththesethings?So,youmayaswellbetheking,andweshallcontinuetobemonkstocultivateourmerit.”Afterpleadingwiththembitterlytonoavail,thekinghadnochoicebuttoascendthetreasurehalloncemoretofacesouthandresumetheuseoftheroyal“we.”Aftergivingageneralpardonthroughouthisempire,healso bestowed huge rewards on the monks of the Precious GroveMonasterybeforetheyleft.ThenheopeneduptheeasternpalacetogiveabanquettohonortheTangMonk; at the same time, painterswere summoned into the palace tomakeportraitsofthefourpilgrims,sothatthesecouldbepermanentlyreveredintheHallofGoldenChimes.After they had securely established the kingdom, master and disciples,

reluctanttostaytoolong,wereabouttotakeleaveofthethronetofacetheWest.The king, the queen, the prince, and all their subjects took out the crowntreasurestogetherwithgold,silver,andsilktopresenttothemasterastokensofgratitude,butTripitakarefusedtoacceptanyofthese.Allhewantedwastohavehis travel rescript certified so that he could tell Wukong and his brothers tosaddle the horse and leave. Feeling very keenly that he had not expressed hisgratitude in an adequate manner, the king called for his imperial chariot andinvited theTangMonk tosit in it.The two rowsofcivilandmilitaryofficialsweretoldtoleadthewayinfront,whilehe,theprince,andtheladiesofthethreepalacespushedthechariotthemselves.Onlyaftertheyhadgoneoutofthecitywallwas theTangMonkpermitted todescendfromthedragonchariot to takeleave.“OMaster,”saidtheking,“whenyouhavereachedtheWesternHeavenand retrace your stepswith your scriptures, youmust pay our region a visit.”“Your disciple obeys you,” said Tripitaka, and the kingwent back to the citytearfullywithhissubjects.TheTangMonkandhisthreedisciplesagaintookupthelabyrinthinepath,theirmindsintentonlyonbowingattheSpiritMountain.Itwasnowtheseasonoflateautumnandearlywinter,andtheysawFrostblightingthemaplestomakeeachforestsparse,Andrain-ripenedmillet,plentyeverywhere.Warmedbythesun,summitplumsspreadtheirmorninghues;Rockedbythewind,mountainbamboosvoicetheirchillyplaint.

After they left the Black Rooster Kingdom, master and disciples journeyed

duringthedayandrestedatnight;theyhadbeenontheroadformorethanhalfamonthwhentheycameuponanothertallmountain, trulyHeaven-touchingandsun-obstructing.Growingalarmedon thehorse,Tripitakaquicklypulled inhisreinstocallPilgrim.“Whatdoyouwanttosay,Master?”askedPilgrim.“Lookat thathugemountainwith thoseruggedcliffsbeforeus,”saidTripitaka.“Youmusttakecautionandbeonyourguard,forIfearthatsomedeviatecreatureallofasuddenwillcometoattackmeagain.”“Justgetmoving,”saidPilgrimwithachuckle.“Don’tbesuspicious.OldMonkeyhashisdefense.”Theelderhadtobanishhisworries andurgedhishorse to enter themountain,whichwas trulyrugged.Yousee,Whethertallornot,1Itstopreachesthebluesky;Whetherdeepornot,AstreamwithdepthlikeHelldownthere.BeforethemountainAreoftenseenringsofwhitecloudsrisingAndboilingwavesofdarkfog;Redplumsandjadelikebamboos;Verdantcedarsandgreenpines;BehindthemountainAresoul-rendingcliffstenthousandyardsdeep,Behindwhicharestrange,grotesque,demon-hidingcaves,Inwhichwaterdripsdownfromrocksdropbydrop,Leadingtoawinding,twistingbrookletdownbelow.Youseealsofruit-bearingapesprancingandleaping,Anddeerwithhornsforkedandzigzagged;Dullanddumblystaringantelopes;Tigersclimbingthehillstoseektheirdensatnight;Dragonschurningthewavestoleavetheirlairsatdawn.Whenstepsatthecave’sentrancesnapandcrackle,Thefowlsdartupwithwingsloudlybeating.Lookalsoatthesebeastspawingnoisilythroughthewoods.Whenyouseethishordeofbirdsandbeasts,Youwillbestrickenwithheart-poundingfear.TheDue-to-FallCavefacestheDue-to-FallCave;ThecavefacingtheDue-to-FallCavefacesagod.Greenrocksaredyedlikeathousandpiecesofjade;Blue-greengauzeenshroudstenthousandpilesofmist.

Asmaster and disciples becamemore andmore apprehensive, they saw a redcloud rising up from the fold of themountain ahead of them; after it reachedmidair, itcondensedandtookontheappearanceofafireball.Greatlyalarmed,PilgrimranforwardtocatchholdofoneoftheTangMonk’slegsandpulledhimfromthehorse,crying,“Brothers,stop!Amonsterisapproaching!”EightRulesand Sha Monk quickly took out their muckrake and precious staff andsurroundedtheTangMonk.

Letusnowtellyouthattherewasindeedamonster-spiritinsidetheballofredlight.SeveralyearsagoheheardpeoplesayingthattheTangMonksentfromtheLand of the East to acquire scriptures from the Western Heaven was theincarnationoftheelder,GoldCicada,agoodmanwhohadpracticedausteritiesfor ten existences.Anypersonwho could taste a pieceof his flesh, they said,wouldbeabletoprolonghislifeuntilitbecamethesameasHeavenandEarth.Everymorning,therefore,hewaitedinthemountain,andsuddenlyhefoundthatthepilgrimhad arrived.Ashewatched inmidair, he saw that theTangMonkbesidethehorsewassurroundedbythreedisciples,allreadytofight.Marvelingtohimself,thespiritsaid,“Dearmonk!Thiswhite-faced,chubbyclericridingahorse was just coming into my view, when all of a sudden these three uglymonkshadhim surrounded.Lookat them!Everyone is rollinguphis sleeves,stretchingouthisfistsandwieldinghisweapon—asifheisabouttofightwithsomeone. Aha! One of them with some perception, I suppose, must haverecognizedme.Well, if it’s going to be like this, it’ll be difficult for anyonetrying to get a taste of the Tang Monk’s flesh.” As he thought to himself,questioninghismindwithmindlikethat,hesaid,“IfItrytooverpowerthem,Imaynotevengetnearthem,butifItrytousethegoodtodeceivethem,Imaysucceed.AslongasIamabletobeguiletheirminds,Icantrickthemevenwiththegood.ThenI’llcatchthemforsure.Letmegodownandteasethemalittle.”Dearmonster!Hemade thered lightdisperseand loweredhiscloud toward

thefoldofthemountain.Shakinghisbody,hechangedimmediatelyintoalittlemischievous boy, about seven years of age and completely naked, who wasboundby a rope and suspended from the topof a pine tree. “Help!Help!”hecriedwithoutceasing.Wewerejust tellingyouabouttheGreatSageSun,whoraisedhisheadand

foundthattheredcloudhadcompletelydissipatedandtheflamesallvanished.He therefore said, “Master, pleasemount up again for the journey.” “You justtoldus that therewasafiendapproaching,”said theTangMonk.“Dowedareproceednow?”“A littlewhileago,”saidPilgrim,“I sawa redcloud risingupfromtheground,andbythetimeitreachedmidair,itcondensedintoaflamingballoffire.Ithadtobeamonster-spirit.Butnowtheredcloudhasdissipated,and so it must be a monster who’s a passerby and who does not dare harmpeople.Let’sgo.”“ElderBrotheristrulycleverwithwords,”saidEightRules,chuckling.“Even

monster-spiritscanbepassersby!”“Howwould you know?” asked Pilgrim. “If some demon king of a certain

caveinacertainmountainhassentoutinvitationstospiritsofsundrymountainsand caves to attend a festival,monster-spirits from all quarters—north, south,

east, and west—would respond. Perhaps he’s just interested in going to thefestivalandnotinharmingpeople.That’samonster-spiritwho’sapasserby.”WhenTripitaka heard thesewords, hewas only half-convinced, but he had

littlealternativeotherthantoclimbonhissaddletojourneyintothemountain.As they proceeded, they heard suddenly repeated cries of “Help!” Highlystartled, the elder said, “O Disciples! Who’s calling out in the midst of thismountain?” Pilgrim walked forward and said to him, “Master, keep moving.Don’tharponsuchthingsashumancarriage,2donkeycarriage,opencarriage,orreclining carriage. Even if there were a carriage in a place like this, therewouldn’t be anyone to carry you.” “I’m not talking about carriages,” said theTangMonk.“I’mreferringtosomeonecallingus.”“Iknow,”saidPilgrimwithlaughter,“butmindyourownbusiness.Let’smoveon.”Tripitaka agreed and urged his horse forward once more. Before they had

traveledamile,theyheardagainthecall,“Help!”“Disciple,”saidtheelder,“thesoundofthiscallcan’tbethatofademonoragoblin,forifitwere,therewouldbenoecho.Just listen to it: therewasacallamomentago,andnowwehaveanotherone.Itmusthavecomefromamanindiredifficulty.Let’sgoandhelphim.” Pilgrim said, “Master, please put away your compassion just for today!Whenwe have crossed thismountain, you can be compassionate then. If youknow those stories about strangeplants andpossessedvegetations, you shouldknow that everythingcanbecomea spirit. Inmost cases, theymaynotbe toodangerous, but if you should run into something like a python, which hasbecome an evil spirit after prolonged self-cultivation, you’d be in trouble. Aspiritlikethatcanevenpossessknowledgeofaperson’snickname.Ifheshouldcallout,hidinginthebushesorinthefoldofthemountain,apersonmaygetbyifhedoesnotanswerhim,butifhedoesanswer,thespiritcansnatchawayhisprimal soul,orhecan follow thatpersonand takehis life thatnight.Let’sgetaway!Let’sgetaway!Astheancientssaid,‘Ifyouescape,justthankthegods.’Pleasedon’tlistentothiscall.”The elder had little alternativebut to agree andhewhippedhis horse to go

forward. Pilgrim thought to himself, “I wonder where this brazen fiend ishollering. Let old Monkey give him a taste of ‘Cancer in opposition toCapricornus’sothatthetwowillnevermeet.”DearGreatSage!HesaidtoShaMonk, “Hold on to the horse andwalk slowly.OldMonkey’s going to take aleak.”Lookathim!HelettheTangMonkwalkslightlyaheadandthenrecitedaspelltoexercisethemagicofshorteningthegroundandmovingthemountain.He pointed his golden-hooped rod backward once, and master and disciplesimmediately went past the peak of the mountain, leaving behind the fiendishcreature.Inbigstrides,theGreatSagecaughtupwiththeTangMonkandthey

proceeded. Just then Tripitaka heard again a call coming from the mountainbehindhim,crying“Help!”Theeldersaid,“ODisciple!Thatpersoninadversitytrulyhasnoaffinity,forhehasnotrunintoanyofus.Wemusthavepassedhim,foryoucanhearthatheiscryingoutfromthemountainbehindus.”“Orhemaybe still ahead of us,” said Eight Rules, “but perhaps the wind has changed.”“Nevermindwhether thewind has changed or not,” said Pilgrim. “Just keepmoving.”Asaresult,everyonefellsilentandconcentratedontryingtopassthemountain,andweshallspeaknomoreofthemforthemoment.Wetellyouinsteadaboutthatmonster-spiritinthemountainvalley:hecried

outforthreeorfourtimesbutnooneappeared.Hethoughttohimself,“WhenIsawtheTangMonkjustnow,hecouldn’thavebeenmorethanthreemilesaway.I’vebeenwaitingforhimallthistime.Whyhasn’thearrived?Coulditbethathehadtakenanotherroaddownthemountain?”Shakinghisbody,heloosenedthe rope at once and mounted the red light once more to rise into the air.UnwittinglytheGreatSageSunwaslookingbackwithheadupturned,andwhenhe saw the light, he knew that it was the fiendish creature. Once more hegrabbed the legs of the Tang Monk and pushed him off the horse, crying,“Brothers,takecare!Takecare!Thatmonster-spiritisapproachingagain!”EightRulesandShaMonkweresoalarmed that theywielded their rakeandstaff tosurroundtheTangMonkasbefore.When thatspirit sawwhathappened inmidair,hecouldnotstopmarveling,

sayingtohimself,“Dearmonks!Ijustsawthatwhite-facedpriestridingonthehorse.Howis it thathe isnowsurroundedagainby the threeof them?NowIrealize,afterwhatI’veseen,thatImustoverthrowtheonewhohasperceptionbeforeIcanseizetheTangMonk.Ifnot,MyexertionsarevainforIcan’tgetmything;Myeffortsnotwithstanding,allisnothing!”

Heloweredhiscloudandtransforminghimselfasbefore,hehunghimselfhighontopofapinetree.Thistime,however,hepositionedhimselfonlyabouthalfamileaway.WetellyounowabouttheGreatSageSun,whowhenheraisedhisheadand

found that the red cloud had dispersed, requested once more that his mastermountupandproceed.“Youjusttoldusthatthemonster-spiritwasapproachingagain,” saidTripitaka. “Whydoyouaskme tomoveon?”Pilgrimsaid, “Thismonster-spirit isapasserby.Hedoesn’tdarebotherus.”Theeldergrewangryandsaid,“Youbrazenape!You’rejustplayingwithme!Whenthereisademon,you say it’s nothing. Butwhenwe are in this peaceful region, you are out tofrightenme,yellingallthetimeaboutamonster-spirit.There’smorefalsehood

than truth inyourwords,andwithout regardforgoodor ill,yougrabmylegsand throwmeoff thehorse.Nowyoucomeupwithanexplanationabout thismonster-spiritwho’saso-calledpasserby!IfIgothurtfromthefall,wouldyoubeabletolivewithyourself?You,you...”“Pleasedon’tbeoffended,Master,”saidPilgrim.“Ifyourhandsandfeetgothurt fromthefall,wecouldstill takecareofyou,butifyouwereabductedbyamonster-spirit,wherewouldwegotolookforyou?”Enraged,TripitakawouldhaverecitedtheTight-FilletSpellhadnotShaMonkdesperatelypleadedwithhim.Finallyhemountedhishorseandproceededoncemore.Beforehecouldevensitproperlyonthesaddleheheardanothercry:“Master,

pleasehelpme!”Ashelookedup,theelderfoundthatitcamefromalittlechild,completelynaked,whowassuspendedon topofa tree.Hepulled in the reinsand began to berate Pilgrim, saying, “Youwretched ape! How villainous youare!Youdon’thavethetiniestbitofkindnessinyou!Everythoughtofyoursisbentonmakingmischiefandworkingviolence!Itoldyouthatitwasahumanvoicecallingforhelp,butyouhavetospendcountlesswordstoclaimitwasamonster.Look!Isn’tthatapersonhangingonthetree?”Seeinghowthemasterwasputtingtheblameonhimandalsotheformbeforehisface,theGreatSageloweredhisheadanddarednotreply,for therewasnothinghecoulddoat themomentandhewasafraidthathismasterwouldrecitetheTight-FilletSpell.Hehad little choice, in fact, but to permit the Tang Monk to approach the tree.Pointingwith hiswhip, the elder asked, “Which household do you belong to,child?Whyareyouhunghere?Tellme,sothatIcanrescueyou.”Alas! Clearly this is a monster-spirit who has transformed himself in this

manner, but thatmaster is amanof fleshly eyes andmortal stock, completelyunabletorecognizewhathesaw.When that demon heard the question, he became even more bold in his

chicanery.With tearswellingup in his eyes, he said, “OMaster!West of thismountainthereisaWitheredPineBrook,bythesideofwhichthereisavillagewheremyfamilyislocated.Mygrandfather’snameisRed,andbecausehehasamassedahugefortune,hewasgiventhenameRedMillions.Hehas,however,beendeadforalongtimeafterhavinglivedtoaripeoldage,andhisestatewasleft to my father. Recent business reversals have gradually fribbled away ourpossessions, and my father for that reason has changed his name to RedThousands.Hehasbeen,yousee,befriendingmanymenofvalor, towhomhehad lent gold and silver with the hope of reaping some profits. Little did herealize that these were all rootless men out to swindle him, and he lost bothprincipaland interest.Myfather thereforevowedthathewouldnever lendoutanother penny, but those borrowers, after having squandered what they had,

banded togetherandplunderedourhouse inbroaddaylight,holding lit torchesandstaffs.Notonlydidtheyrobusofallourmoneyandpossessions,buttheykilled my father also. And when they saw that my mother was somewhatattractive,theydecidedtoabductherandtakeherwiththemtobesomekindofcamplady.Unwillingtoabandonme,mymothercarriedmealonginherbosomand,weeping, followedthe thieves to thismountain,where theywanted tokillmealso.Fortunately,mymotherpleadedwiththemandIwassparedtheknife;Iwastiedwithropesandhungheretodieofhungerandexposureinstead.Idon’tknowwhatsortofmeritI’veaccumulatedinanotherexistencethatbringsmetheluckofmeetingMasterhere.IfyouarewillingtobecompassionateandsavemylifesothatIcanreturnhome,IshalltrytorepayyourkindnessevenifIhavetosellmyself.Evenwhen theyellowsandcoversmyface, Iwillnot forgetyourkindness.”When Tripitaka heard these words, he thought they were the truth and

immediately asked Eight Rules to loosen the ropes and rescue the child. Notknowinganybettereither,IdiotwasabouttoactwhenPilgrimononesidecouldnot restrain himself any longer. “You brazen thing!” he shouted. “There’ssomeoneherewhorecognizesyou!Don’tthinkyoucanuseyourhumbuggerytohoodwinkpeople!Ifyourpossessionswerestolen,ifyourfatherwaskilledandyourmothertakenbythieves,towhomwouldweentrustyouoncewerescuedyou?Withwhatwouldyouthankus?Yourfablesdon’taddup!”When the fiend heard thesewords, he became frightened, realizing that the

GreatSagewasanablemantobereckonedwith.Tremblingallover,thefiendspoke as tears floweddownhis face, “Master, thoughmyparents are lost andgone, and though the wealth of our family is reduced to nothing, I still havesomelandandrelatives.”“Whatsortofrelativesdoyouhave?”askedPilgrim.The fiend said, “The household of my maternal family lives south of thismountain,whilemyauntiesresidenorthofthepeak.LiFourattheheadofthebrook is the husband ofmymother’s sister, and Red Three in the forest is adistant uncle. I have, moreover, several cousins living here and there in thevillage. If Venerable Master is willing to save me and take me to see theserelatives at the village, I shall certainly give thema thorough account of yourkindness,andyouwillbehandsomelyrewardedwhenwesellsomeofourland.”WhenEightRulesheardwhathesaid,hepushedPilgrimaside,saying,“Elder

Brother, this isonlyachild!Whykeepon interrogatinghim?Whathe tolduswas that the thieveshadrobbed themof their liquidassets.Theycouldn’t taketheirhousesandland,couldthey?Ifhewillspeaktohisrelatives,wemayhavehugeappetites,butwecan’teatupthepriceoftenacresofland.Let’scuthimdown.”Idiot,ofcourse,thoughtonlyoffood;hehadnofurtherregardforgood

or ill, and using the ritual razor, he ripped open the ropes to free the fiend.Facing theTangMonk tearfully, the fiendkneltbeneath thehorseandkeptonkowtowing.A compassionateman, the elder called out, “Child, get up on thehorse. I’ll takeyou there.”“OMaster,” said the fiend,“myhandsand feetarenumbfromthehanging,andmytorsohurts.Moreover, I’maruralpersonandnotused toridinghorses.”TheTangMonkatonceaskedEightRules tocarryhim,but thefiend,afterglancingat Idiot,said,“Master,myskin is frostbitten,andIdarenotletmyselfbecarriedbythismaster.Hehassuchalongmouthandlargeears,andthehardbristlesbehindhisheadcanbefrightfullyprickly!”“LetShaMonkcarryyouthen,”saidtheTangMonk.Afterglancingathimalso,thefiendsaid,“Master,whenthoserobberscametoplunderourhouse,eachoneofthem had his face painted; they wore false beards and they held knives andstaffs. Iwas terribly frightenedby them,andnowwhen I see thismasterwithsuchagloomycomplexion,I’mevenmoreintimidated.Ijustdon’tdaretoaskhimtocarryme.”TheTangMonkthereforetoldPilgrimSuntoputthefiendonhisback.Laughinguproariously,Pilgrimsaid,“I’llcarryhim!I’llcarryhim!”Secretly pleased, the fiendish creature gave himself willingly to Pilgrim to

carry.WhenPilgrimpulledhimupfromthesideoftheroadtotesthisweight,hefoundthatthefiendweighednomorethanthreecattiesandtenounces.“Youaudaciousfiend!”saidPilgrim,laughing.“Youdeservetodietoday!HowdareyoupulltricksbeforeoldMonkey?Irecognizeyoutobe‘thatsomething.’”“I’mtheoffspringofagoodfamily,”saidthefiend,“anditismymisfortunetofacethis great ordeal. What do you mean by ‘that something’?” “If you are anoffspringofagoodfamily,”saidPilgrim,“whyareyourbonessolight?”“Theyaresmall,”saidthefiend.“Howoldareyounow?”saidPilgrim,andthefiendsaid, “I’msevenyearsold.” “Even ifyouputononlyonecattyofweightperyear,”saidPilgrim,“youshouldnowweighsevencatties.Howisitthatyouarenotevenafullfourcatties?”“Ididn’tgetenoughmilkwhenIwasababy,”saidthe fiend. Pilgrim said, “All right, I’ll carry you, but if youwant to piss, youmust tellme.”Tripitaka thenwalked in frontwithEightRulesandShaMonk,while Pilgrim followed behindwith the child on his back.As they proceededtowardtheWest,wehaveapoemasatestimony,andthepoemsays:Thoughvirtue’slofty,demonicblocksarehigh.Chanpromotesstillness,butstillnessbreedsfiends.LordoftheMind’supright,hetakesthemiddleway;WoodMother’s3naughty,hewalksawaywardpath.HorseoftheWill’ssilent,nursingwantandgreed;YellowDame’swordless,feelinghisunease.Guest-Errorsucceedsbuthisjoysarevain—Theywill,atlast,bemeltedbytheRight.

AstheGreatSageSuncarriedthedemononhisback,hebegantobroodoverhis resentment toward theTangMonk, thinking tohimself, “Master trulydoesnotknowhowdifficultitistotraversethisruggedmountain;it’shardenoughtodo so when you are empty-handed, but he has to ask old Monkey to carrysomeoneelse,nottomentionafellowwho’samonsternoless.Evenifhewereagoodman, itwouldbeworthless tocarryhimalong, sincehehadalready lostbothparents.Towhomwouldwecarryhim?Imightaswellsmashhimdead!”Atonce the fiendishcreaturebecameawareofwhatPilgrimwas thinkingandhe,therefore,resortedtomagic:takingfourdeepbreathsfromthefourquarters,heblew themonto thebackofPilgrim,andhisbearer immediately feltas ifaweightofathousandpoundswereonhim.“Mychild,”saidPilgrim,chuckling,“youareusingtheheavy-bodymagictocrushyourvenerablefather?”Whenthefiendheardthosewords,hebecameafraidthattheGreatSagemightharmhim.He liberatedhimself fromhis corpse andhis primal soul rose into the air andstoodthere,whiletheweightonPilgrim’sbackgrewheavier.Growingangry,theMonkeyKinggrabbedthebodyonhisbackandhurleditagainstsomerocksatthesideoftheroad;thebodywasreducedtoameatpatty.Fearingthatitwouldstillberesistant,Pilgrimtoreoffthefourlimbsandsmashedthemtopieces,alsobytheroad.Whenthefiendsawclearlywhathappenedinmidair,hecouldnotrestrainthe

fire leaping up in his heart, saying to himself, “This monkey monk! Howvillainousofhim!EvenifIamademonplottingtoharmyourmaster,Ihaveyettoraisemyhand.Howcouldyouseektoinflictonmesuchinjury?It’sagoodthing that I have enough foresight to leavewithmy spirit; otherwise, Iwouldhaveunwittingly lostmy life. Imight aswellmakeuseof this opportunity toseizetheTangMonk,forifIdelayanyfurther,hemightgetevensmarter.”Dearmonster! He at once caused to rise in midair a truly fierce whirlwind, whichthrewuprocksandkickedupdirt.Marvelouswind!Angrilyitwhippedupcloudsandwatersrank,Asrisingblacketherblottedoutthesun.Allsummittreeswerepulledoutbytheirroots;Wildplumswerewhollyleveledwiththeirbranches.Yellowsanddimmedtheeyes,somencouldnotwalk.Strangerocksbatteredtheroad,howcoulditbesmooth?ItchurnedandtossedtodarkenalltheplainsWhilebirdsandbeastshowledthroughoutthiswholemount.

ThewindblewuntilTripitakacouldhardlystayonthehorse,untilEightRulesrefusedtolookupandShaMonkloweredhisheadandcoveredhisface.OnlytheGreatSageSunknewthatitwasawindsentupbythefiend,butwhenheranforward to try to catchupwith theothers, the fiend ridingon theheadof the

wind had already caught hold of the Tang Monk and whisked him away.Instantlytheyvanishedwithoutatrace,sothattherewasnowayforthedisciplestoknowevenwheretolookforthem.Inalittlewhile,thewindbegantosubsideandsunlightappearedoncemore.

Pilgrimwalkedforwardandsawthatthewhitedragonhorsewasstilltremblingandneighinguncontrollably.Theloadofluggagewasthrownbytheroad,EightRuleslaysprawledbeneathaledgemoaning,andShaMonkwasmakingnoiseswhilecrouchingontheslope.“EightRules!”shoutedPilgrim.WhenIdiotheardthevoiceofPilgrimandlookedup,theviolentwindhadcalmed.HescrambledupandtuggedatPilgrim,saying,“OElderBrother,whata terrificwind!”ShaMonk also came up and said, “Elder Brother, this is a whirlwind.” Then heasked,“Where’sMaster?”EightRulessaid,“Thewindwassostrongthatweallhidourheadsandcoveredoureyes,eachtryingtofindshelter.Masterseemedtohave put his head down also on the saddle.” “But where is he now?” askedPilgrim.“Hemusthavebeenmadeof straw,” saidShaMonk,“andgotblownaway!”Pilgrim said, “Brothers, it’s time for us to disband.” “Exactly,” said Eight

Rules,“whilethere’sstilltime.It’sbetterforeachofustofindourownwayoff.ThejourneytotheWesternHeavenisendlessandlimitless!Whenwillweeverget there?” When Sha Monk heard these words, he was so shocked that hiswholebodybegantoturnnumb.“ElderBrother,”hesaid,“howcouldyousaysomething like that? Because we committed crimes in our previous lives, wewere lucky tobeenlightenedby theBodhisattvaGuanshiyin,who touchedourheads, gave us the commandments, and changed our names so that we couldembracetheBuddhistfruit.WewillinglyacceptedthecommissiontoprotecttheTang Monk and follow him to the Western Heaven to worship Buddha andacquire scriptures, so that ourmeritswould cancel out our sins.Todaywe arehereandeverythingseemstocometoanendabruptlywhenyoucantalkabouteachofusfindingourownwayoff,forthenwewouldmarthegoodfruitsoftheBodhisattvaanddestroyourvirtuousact.Moreover,wewouldprovokethescornofothers,sayingthatweknowhowtostartbutnothowtofinish.”“Brother,”saidPilgrim,“whatyousayisright,ofcourse,butwhatareweto

dowithMaster,whorefusestolistentopeople?I,oldMonkey,canwiththispairoffieryeyesanddiamondpupilsdiscerngoodandevil.Justnowthiswindwascalledupbythatchildhangingonthetree,forIcouldtellthathewasamonster-spirit.Butyoudidn’tknow,nordidMaster; allofyou thought thathewasanoffspring of some good family and told me to carry him along instead. OldMonkeywasplanning to takecareofhimwhenhe tried to crushmewith theheavy-bodymagic. Then I smashed his body to pieces, but he resorted to the

magicoftheliberationofthecorpseandkidnappedMasterwiththewhirlwind.BecauseMaster so frequently refused to listen tomywords, Ibecame terriblydiscouragedandthatwaswhyIsaidweshoulddisband.Nowthatyou,WorthyBrother,haveshownsuchfaithfulness,oldMonkeyfindsitdifficulttomakeuphismind.Well,EightRules,whatexactlydoyouwanttodo?”EightRulessaid,“Iwasstupidenoughjustnowtomouthsomefoolishwords,butwetrulyshouldnotdisband.Wehavenochoice really,ElderBrother,but to listen toYoungerBrotherShaandtrytofindthemonsterandsaveMaster.”Brighteningupallatonce,Pilgrimsaid,“Brothers,weshalluniteourmindstodowhatwemust;afterwehavepickeduptheluggageandthehorse,weshallascendthismountaintofindthemonsterandsaveMaster.”Pulling at creepers andvines, descending into ravines andcrossing streams,

thethreeofthemjourneyedforsomeseventymileswithoutturningupanything.Thatmountaindidnothaveasinglebirdorbeast, thougholdcedarsandpineswereoftensighted.Growingmoreandmoreanxious,theGreatSageSunleapedup to the summit with a bound and shouted, “Change!” He changed intosomeonewith three heads and six arms, just as he did when he caused greatdisturbanceinHeaven.Wavingthegolden-hoopedrodonce,hechangeditintothreerods,whichhewieldedandbegantostrikeoutmadlyinbothdirectionsofeastandwest.WhenEightRulessawhim,hesaid,“ShaMonk,thisisbad!ElderBrotherissomadbecausehecan’tfindMasterthathe’shavingafit.”After awhile, the mock combat of Pilgrim brought out a band of indigent

deities,alldressedinrags;theirbreecheshadnoseatsandtheirtrousershadnocuffs.Kneelingbeforethemountain,theycried,“GreatSage,themountaingodsandthelocalspiritsareheretoseeyou.”Pilgrimsaid,“Howisitthattherearesomanymountaingodsandlocalspirits?”Kowtowing,thevariousdeitiessaid,“Let us report to the Great Sage, this mountain has the name of RoaringMountain of the Six-Hundred-Mile Awl-Head Peak.4 There are one mountaingodandonelocalspiritforeachten-miledistance;altogetherwehave,therefore,thirtymountaingodsandthirtylocalspirits.WeheardyesterdayalreadythattheGreatSagehadarrived,but sincewecouldnot assemble all at once,weweretardyinourreceptionandcausedtheGreatSagetobeangry.Pleasepardonus.”“I’ll pardon you for themoment,” said Pilgrim, “but letme ask howmany

monster-spiritsthereareinthismountain?”“OFather!”saidthedeities,“there’sonlyonemonster-spirit,andhehasjust

aboutwornourheadsbald!Hehasbeensuchaplaguethatwehavelittleincenseandnopapermoney,andwearecompletelywithoutofferings.Everyoneofushas hardly enough clothes towear and food for ourmouths.Howmanymoremonster-spirits could we stand?” Pilgrim said, “Where is this monster-spirit

living,beforeorbehindthemountain?”“Neitherplace,”saidthedeities,“forinthismountain is a stream,which has the name of Dried Pine Stream. By thestreamisacave,whichhasthenameofFieryCloudCave.Inthecavethereisademonkingofvastmagicpowers,who frequentlyabductsus local spirits andmountaingodstheretodosuchmenialtasksforhimastendingfire,guardingthedoor,beatingtherattle,andshoutingpasswordsatnight.Thelittlefiendsunderhimalsoaskusfrequentlyforpayola.”“You are the immortals of the Region of Darkness,” said Pilgrim. “Where

wouldyouhavemoney?”“Exactly,”saidthedeities.“Wedon’thaveanymoneytogivethem,andallwecandoistocatchafewmountainantelopesorwilddeertopayoff thisgangofspiritsnowand then. Ifwedon’thaveanypresents forthem, theywill come towreck our temples and strip our garments, giving ussuchharrassment thatwecan’tpossibly leadapeacefulexistence.WebeseechtheGreat Sage to stamp out thismonster for us and rescue the various livingcreaturesonthismountain.”“Ifallofyouareunderhisthumbsothatyouhaveto be in his cave frequently,” said Pilgrim, “youmust know the name of thismonster-spiritandwhereheisfrom.”“Whenwespeakofhim,”saidthedeities,“perhaps even the Great Sage knows of his origin. He is the son of the BullDemonKing, reared byRākṣasī.After he had practiced self-cultivation at theBlazingFlameMountain for three hundred years, he perfected the true fire ofSamādhi andhismagicpowersweregreat indeed.TheBullDemonKing toldhimtocomeandguardthisRoaringMountain;hischildhoodnameisRedBoy,buthisfancytitleisGreatKingHolyChild.”Highly pleased by what he heard, Pilgrim dismissed the local spirits and

mountaingodsandchangedbackintohisoriginalform.Leapingdownfromthesummit, he said toEightRules and ShaMonk, “Brothers, youmay relax.Noneedtoworryanymore.Masterwon’tbeharmed,forthemonster-spiritisrelatedtooldMonkey.”“ElderBrother,”saidEightRuleswithalaugh,“don’tlie!Yougrewup in theEastPūrvavidehaContinent, but this place here belongs to theWestAparagodānīyaContinent.Thedistanceisgreat,separatedbytenthousandwatersandathousandhills,andbyatleasttwooceans.Howcouldheberelatedto you?” Pilgrim said, “Just now this bunch of deities that appeared to mehappen to be the local spirits and mountain gods of this region. When Iquestionedthemontheoriginofthemonster,theytoldmethathewasthesonoftheBullDemonKingrearedbyRākṣasī.HisnameisRedBoy,andhealsohasthe fancy title of Great KingHoly Child. I remember that when oldMonkeycausedgreatdisturbanceinHeavenfivehundredyearsago,ImadeagrandtouratthetimeofthefamousmountainsintheworldtosearchfortheheroesofthisgreatEarth.TheBullDemonKingatonetimejoinedoldMonkeyandothersto

forma fraternalallianceof seven;of the some fiveor sixdemonkings in thisalliance,onlyoldMonkeywasquitesmallinsize.Thatwasthereasonwhyweaddressed theBullDemonKingasbigbrother.Since thismonster-spirit is theson of the Bull Demon King, who is an acquaintance of mine, I should beregardedashisolduncleifwebegintotalkaboutrelations.Howwouldhedareharmmymaster?Let’sgettohisplacequickly.”Withlaughter,ShaMonksaid,“OElderBrother!Astheproverbsays,Threeyearsnotshowingatthedoor,Arelativeisonenomore.

Youwerepartedfromhimforfive,perhapssixhundredyears;youhaven’tevendrunkacupofwinewithhim,norhaveyouexchangedinvitationsorseasonalgifts.Howcouldhepossiblythinkofhimselfasyourrelative?”“Howcouldyoumeasurepeoplethisway?”saidPilgrim.“Astheproverbsays,Iflotusleafcantotheoceanflow,Wherewouldpeoplenotmeetastheycomeandgo?

Evenifhedoesn’tadmitthefactthatwearerelatives,itwillstillbeunlikelythathewouldharmmyMaster.Ifwedon’texpecthimtogiveusabanquet,wemostcertainlymayexpecthim to return tous theTangMonkwhole.”So, the threebrothersinallearnestnessledthehorse,whichcarriedtheluggageonitsback,andfoundthemainroadtoproceed.Without stopping night or day, they came upon a pine forest after having

traveled for over a hundred miles. Inside the forest was a winding brook inwhich clear greenwater swiftly flowed.At the head of the brook therewas astone-slab bridge, which led directly up to the entrance of a cave dwelling.“Brothers,” said Pilgrim, “look at that craggy cliff over there with all thoserocks.Itmustbethehomeofthemonster-spirit.Letmediscussthematterwithyou:whichofyou isgoing to standandguard the luggageand thehorse, andwhich of you will follow me to subdue the fiend?” Eight Rules said, “ElderBrother,oldHogcan’tsitstillfortoolong.Letmegowithyou.”“Fine!Fine!”saidPilgrim.“ShaMonk,hidetheluggageandthehorsedeepintheforest,andguardthemcarefully.ThetwoofuswillgouptheretosearchforMaster.”ShaMonkagreed;EightRulesthenfollowedPilgrimtomoveforward,eachofthemholdinghisweapon.TrulyThechild’snotsmeltedanddemonicfiretriumphs,ButWoodMotherandMindMonkeyhavemutualsupport.

Wedon’tknowwhatwillbe theoutcomewhentheywalkupto thecave; let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

FORTY-ONE

MindMonkeyisdefeatedbyfire;WoodMotheriscapturedbydemons.

Goodandevil—amoment’sfalsethoughts;Shameandhonor,neitherconcernsyou.Failureorsuccess,letitcomeandgo;Liveasyouneed,withinyourlot.

Composed,you’vepeacedeepandlasting;Muddled,you’rebesiegedbydemons.FivePhaseshobbledwreckthegroveofChan,Certainasrisingwind’sfrigid.1

Wewere telling you about theGreat Sage Sun,who, alongwith EightRules,tookleaveofShaMonk.LeapingovertheDriedPineStream,theywentbeforeaclifffullofstrangerocksanddiscoveredthattherewasindeedacavedwelling.Thesceneryallaroundwasmostunusual.YouseeAwindingoldpathsilentandremote;E’enwindandmoonheedtheblackcranessinging.Whitecloudspartandtheriver’sfulloflight;Waterflowspastabridge—whatascenedivine.ApesandbirdscallamidrareflowersandplantsAndrocksentwinedbycreepersandorchidsfair.Thecliff’srustlinggreenscattersmistandsmoke;Verdantpinesandbamboosthephoenixbeckon.Distantsummitsriselikeverticalscreens.Frontingstreamandmountain’satruedivinecave,ItssourcecomingfromtheKunlunranges,Tobeenjoyedonlybyoneordained.

When theywentup to theentranceof thecave, they founda slabof stoneonwhichaninscriptionwaswritteninlargeletters:“FieryCloudCave,DriedPineStream, Roaring Mountain.” Before the entrance was a mob of little impsprancing aroundwith swords and spears. In a loud voice, theGreat SageSuncriedout,“Youpunks!Goquicklyandreportthistoyourcavemaster.TellhimtosendoutourTangMonkatonce,sothatthelivesofallthesespiritsinyourcavemaybespared.Ifyouwhisperbuthalfa‘No,’I’lloverturnyourresidenceand level your cave!”When those little fiends heard thesewords, they turnedanddashedinsidethecave,slammingshutthetwodoorsofstone.Thentheyrantomakethisreport:“GreatKing,disaster!”We now tell you about that fiend,who captured Tripitaka and brought him

backtothecave.Themonkwasstrippedofhisgarments,hog-tiedwithallfourlimbsbehindhisback,andleftintherearyard.Thelittlefiendswereorderedtoscrub him cleanwithwater so that hemight be steamed and eaten.When theannouncement of disaster was suddenly heard, the demons stopped theiractivitiesandwenttothefronttoask,“Whatdisasteristhere?”“Amonkwithahairyfaceandathunder-godbeak,”saidoneofthelittlefiends,“leadinganothermonkwith large ears and long snout, is demanding the return of theirmaster,someonebythenameoftheTangMonk,infrontofourcave.Ifwebutwhisperhalf a ‘No,’ they said, theywould overturnour residence and level our cave.”Smilingscornfully,thedemonkingsaid,“ThesetwohappentobePilgrimSunandZhuEightRules.Theytrulyknowwheretolook!FromthespothalfwayinthemountainwhereIcaughttheirmastertoourplaceisadistanceofsomeonehundredandfiftymiles.Howdidtheymanagetofindourdoorsoquickly?”Hethen gave this order: “Little ones, those of youwho look after the carts, pushthemout!”Severalof the little fiendsopened thedoor andpushedout five small carts.

Whenhesawthem,EightRulessaid,“ElderBrother,thesemonster-spiritsmustbeafraidofus.Theyhavehauledouttheircartstomovetoanotherplace.”“No,” saidPilgrim, “look at theway they are placing the carts over there.”

The little fiends indeed placed the carts at five locations corresponding to theFivePhasesofmetal,wood,water,fire,andearth;fiveofthefiendsstoodguardbeside the carts while five others went inside again to make their report.“Everythingset?”askedthedemonking.“Allset,”theyreplied.“Bringmemylance,” he ordered. Those fiends who looked after weapons had two of themcarry out an eighteen-foot fire-tipped lance to hand over to themonster king.Withnootherarmorexceptabattlekiltofembroideredsilkandwithnakedfeet,themonsterkingtookupthelanceandwalkedoutside.WhenPilgrimandEightRulesraisedtheirheadstolook,theyfoundafiendishcreaturewhohadAfaceasifithadbeenpowderedwhite,Andlipssoruddy,theyseemedbrushedwithpaint.Nodyecouldcreatesuchdark,lovelyhair;Hiseyebrowscurvedlikenewmoonscarvedwithknives.Phoenixanddragoncoiledonhisbattlekilt;MorehuskythanNata’saframehehad.WithairimposinghelifteduphislanceAndwalkedoutthedoor,swathedinhallowedlight.Heroaredlikethunderinthetimeofspring;Hisstrikingeyesflashedlikelightningbright.Ifonewouldknowhistrueidentity,RememberRedBoy,anameoflastingfame.

AfterthatRedBoymonsterhademergedfromthedoor,heshouted,“Whois

here making all these noises?” Smiling as he drew near, Pilgrim said, “Myworthynephew!Stopfoolingaround!Thismorningwhenyouwerehunghighon top of a pine tree by themountain road, you presented yourself as a thin,frightenedboywithjaundiceanddeceivedmymaster.Icarriedyouonmybackwith all good intention, you know, but you used a little wind to abduct mymasterhere.Eventhoughyouappearbeforemenowlikethis,youthinkIcan’trecognizeyou?Youmight aswell sendmymasteroutquickly.Stopbehavinglikeacallowyouthandtakecarenottoupsetthefeelingsofkinship.ForIfearthatifyourfathergetswindofthis,hemightblameoldMonkeyforoppressingyouthwithage,andthatwouldn’tbequiteright.”Enraged by the words he heard, the fiend shouted back, “You brazen ape!

WhatfeelingsofkinshipdoIsharewithyou?Whatsortofbalderdashareyoumouthingaroundhere?Who’syourworthynephew?”“Obrother!”saidPilgrim.“Youwouldn’t know,wouldyou?At the timewhenyour father and Ibecamebond-brothers, we didn’t even knowwhere you were.” “This ape is babblingmorenonsense!”saidthefiend.“Wheredoyoucomefrom,andwheredoIcomefrom?Thinkaboutthis!Howcouldmyfatherandyoubecomebond-brothers?”“Ofcourse,youwouldn’tknowaboutthis,”saidPilgrim.“IamSunWukong,

theGreatSage,EqualtoHeaven,whogreatlydisturbedtheHeavenlyPalacefivehundredyearsago.ButbeforeIcausedsuchdisturbance,ImadeextensivetoursofalltheFourGreatContinents,andtherewasnotaspotonEarthorinHeaventhat I did not set foot on, for Iwasmost eager to befriend all the valiant andheroic persons. Your father, the Bull Monster King, called himself the GreatSage,ParallelwithHeaven.HeandoldMonkey formeda fraternalallianceofseven,andweallmadehimthebigbrother.2TherewerealsoaDragonMonsterKing,whocalledhimself theGreatSage,CoveringtheOcean,andbecamethesecondbrother;aGarudaMonsterKing,whocalledhimselfGreatSage,UnitedwithHeaven, and became the third brother; aLionMonsterKing,who calledhimself theGreatSage,MoverofMountains,andbecamethefourthbrother;aFemaleMonkeyKing,whocalledherselftheFairWindGreatSageandbecamethefifthmember;andaGiantApeMonsterKing,whocalledhimselftheGod-RoutingGreatSageandbecamethesixthbrother.OldMonkey,theGreatSage,EqualtoHeaven,wasrathersmallinsize,andsohewasnumberseven.Atthetimewhenweoldbrotherswerehavingfun,youweren’tevenborn!”Refusingtobelieveawordheheard,thefiendlifteduphisfire-tippedlanceto

stabatPilgrim.Anexpert,astheysaid,wouldnotbeexercised,andPilgrimatonce stepped aside to dodge the blow before striking out with his iron rod,yellingatthesametime,“Youlittlebeast!Youdon’tknowwhat’sgoodforyou!Watchmy rod!” Themonster-spirit also parried the blow, yelling at the same

time, “Brazen ape! You are so ignorant of the ways of the world!Watchmylance!” The two of them thus refused to give any consideration for kinshiprelation; changing colors all at once, they used theirmagic and leaped to theedgeoftheclouds.Whatafight!Pilgrimenjoyedgreatfame;Thedemonkinghadvastpowers.Oneraisedupthegolden-hoopedrodsideways;Onelungedforwardwiththefire-tippedlance.MistspreadouttoshroudtheThreeRegions;Cloudsspewedforthtohidethefourquarters.Violentairandsavagenoisedidfillthesky;Thesun,themoon,thestars—alllosttheirlight.Notonekindwordwasspoken,Theyfeltsuchhatredandscorn.Thatone’scontemptmadehimloseallmanners;Thisone’swrathkilledallregardforrelations.Therodstruckwithincreasingmight;Thelancecamewithgrowingfury.Onewastheprimordial,trueGreatSage;OnewasChildSudhana3oftherightfruit.Theydrovethemselves,eachtryinghardtowin,AllfortheTangMonk,whowouldgreetthedharmaking.

The demon and the Great Sage Sun fought for more than twenty roundswithoutreachingadecision.Standingononeside,ZhuEightRulessawclearlywhatwasgoingon:althoughthemonster-spiritwasnotabouttobedefeated,hewasonlyparryingtheblowsleftandright,anddidnotattackhisopponentatall;and,althoughPilgrimdidnotseemabletoprevailallatonce,hewas,afterall,suchanadroitandskillfulwarrior that therodbackandforthneverseemedtoleavethevicinityofthemonster’shead.EightRulesthoughttohimself,“That’sgood!Pilgrimissotricky!Hecouldfakesomethinganddeceivethedemonintodrawing closer.One blowof that iron rod thenwouldwipe outmy chance ofmakinganymerit!”Lookathim!Herousedhisspirit,lifteduphisnine-prongedrake,andbroughtitdownhardonthemonster-spirit’shead.Terrifiedbywhathesaw, the fiend quickly turned around and fled, dragging his lance behind him.“Chasehim!Chasehim!”shoutedPilgrimtoEightRules.Thetwoofthemgavechaseuptotheentranceofthecave,wheretheysawthe

monster-spiritstandinginoneofthefivecarts,theonesetupinthemiddle.Withonehandheheldontohisfire-tippedlance;withtheotherfist,hegavehisownnose a couple of punches. Laughing, Eight Rules said, “Shame on him! Thisfellow’s indulging in roguery! He wants to bust his own nose, make himselfbleeda little,andsmearhis face redso thathemaygosomewhere to file suitagainstus.”

After that demon gave himself two punches, he recited a spell andimmediatelyflamesshotout fromhismouthas thicksmokesproutedfromhisnose.Inaninstant,flamesdartedupfromallfivecarts.Thedemonopenedhismouthafewmoretimesandahugefireshotuptothesky,burningsofiercelythattheentireFieryCloudCavewashiddenfromsightbytheflamesandsmoke.Horrified, Eight Rules said, “Elder Brother, it’s getting sticky! Once we arecaught in that fire, we are finished. Old Hogwill be roasted, and after somespicesareadded,theycanjustenjoyme!Quickly!Run!”Hesaidhewouldrun,andthenextmomenthehadalreadycrossedthestreamwithoutanyregardforPilgrim.Pilgrim, however, had vastmagic powers;making the fire-repellent sign by

kneading together his fingers, he hurled himself into the fire to search for thefiend.Whenthefiendsawhimapproaching,hespatoutafewmoremouthfulsofflameandthefiregrewevenmoreintense.Marvelousfire!Torridandfierce,ablazereachingthesky;Hotandbrilliant,itreddensthewholeearth.It’slikeafierywheelflyingupanddown,Likecharcoalsaglowdancingeastandwest.ThisfireisnotfromSuiren4drillingwood,OrfromLaoziroastingcinnabar;It’snotfirefromHeaven,Norisitawildfire.It’stherealizedsamādhifire5bornofthedemon’sself-cultivation.ThefivecartsconformtotheFivePhasesThatgrowandtransformtobegettheflame.Theliver’swood6canmaketheheart’sfirestrong;Theheart’sfirecancalmtheearthofthespleen;Thespleen’searthbegetsmetal,whichchangesintowater;Watercanbegetwood,thusthemagic’scomplete.Growthandtransformation,allarecausedbyfire,Forallthingsflourishwhenfirefillsthesky.7Thefiend,longenlightened,summonssamādhi.HerulestheWestforeverasnumberone.

Becausethefireandsmokeweresointense,Pilgrimcouldnotevenseethewaybefore the cave’s entrance and therefore he could not search for the fiend.Turningquickly,heleapedclearoftheblazeatonce.Havingseenclearlywhattookplacebeforehisowncave, themonster-spirit retrievedhis fireequipmentafterPilgrim left,and led thevarious fiendsback inside.After thestonedoorswereshut,thelittlefiendsweretoldtoprepareforajoyousvictorycelebration,andweshallspeaknomoreofthemforthemoment.We tellyou insteadaboutPilgrim,whovaultedover theDriedPineStream.

Ashedroppedfromtheclouds,heheardEightRulesandShaMonkconversing

loudly in thepine forest. “You idiot!” shoutedPilgrimasheapproachedEightRules. “You haven’t one whit of manliness! You could be so terrified by thedemonicfirethatyouwouldabandonoldMonkeytofleeforyourownlife.It’sagoodthingthatIcanstilltakecareofmyself!”“ElderBrother,”saidZhuEightRules,chuckling,“whatthatmonster-spiritsaidofyouwascertainlycorrect,foryou truly are ignorant of the ways of the world. The ancients said, ‘He whoknowsthewaysoftheworldshallbecalledahero.’Themonster-spiritdidnotwanttotalkkinshipwithyou,butyouinsistedonpresentingyourselfashiskin.Whenhefoughtwithyouandlet loosethatkindofruthlessfire,youwouldn’trunbutstillwantedtotanglewithhim.”“How’s the fiend’s ability compared with mine?” asked Pilgrim. “Not as

good,”saidEightRules.“Howabouthisskillwiththelance?”“Nogood,either,”saidEightRules.“WhenoldHogsawthathehadahard

timewithstandingyou,Icametolendyoualittleassistancewithmyrake.LittledidIexpectthathewassopunythathewouldretreatindefeatatonceandstartthe fire in such an unconscionable way.” Pilgrim said, “Indeed you shouldn’thavesteppedforward.Iwasabouttofindawaytogivehimablowwithmyrodafter a few more rounds. Wouldn’t that have been better?” The two gavethemselves entirely to discussing the ability of the monster-spirit and theviciousnessofhis fire,butShaMonk, leaningon the trunkofapine tree,waslaughingsohardthathecouldbarelystandup.“Brother,”saidPilgrim,afterhenoticedhim,“whyareyoulaughing?Ifyou

hadtheabilitytocapturethatdemonanddestroyhisfiredefense,thatwouldbeabenefittoallofus.Astheproverbsays,afewfeatherswillmakeaball.Ifyoucouldseizethedemonandrescueourmaster, itwouldbeyourgreatmerit.”“Idon’thavethatkindofability,”saidShaMonk,“norcanIsubduethefiend.ButIamlaughingbecausebothofyouaresoabsentminded.”“Whatdoyoumean?”askedPilgrim.ShaMonksaid,“Neithertheabilityofthatmonster-spiritnorhisskillwith the lance canbe amatch foryou,but theonly reasonwhyyou twocannotprevailagainsthimisbecauseofhisfire.IfIhaveanythingtosayaboutthis, I’ll say that you should overcome him bymutual production andmutualconquest.8What’ssodifficultaboutthat?”WhenPilgrimheardthesewords,heroaredwithlaughterandsaid,“Brother,

you are right! Indeed,we are absentminded, andwe have forgotten about thewhole matter. If we consider the principles of mutual production and mutualconquest,thenitiswaterthatcanovercomefire.Wemustfindwatersomewheretoputoutthisdemonicfire.WewouldbeabletorescueMasterthen,wouldn’twe?”“Exactly,”saidShaMonk.“Noneedforfurtherdelay.”Pilgrimsaid,“Stay

here,thetwoofyou,butdon’tfightwithhim.LetoldMonkeygototheGreatEasternOceanandrequestsomedragonsoldiers tocomewithwater.Afterwehave put out the demonic fire, we will rescueMaster.” “Elder Brother,” saidEightRules,“feelfreetogo.Wecanlookafterourselveshere.”DearGreatSage!Mounting the clouds to leave thatplace, he arrivedat the

EasternOceaninamoment.Hewastoobusy,however,tolingerandenjoythescenery; using thewater-divisionmagic, he opened up a pathway for himselfthrough thewaves.As he proceeded, he ran into ayakṣa onpatrol.When theyakṣa saw that itwas theGreatSageSun,hewentquicklyback to theWater-CrystalPalace to report to theoldDragonKing.Aoguang immediately led thedragonsonsandgrandsonstogetherwithshrimpsoldiersandcrablieutenantstomeethisvisitor outside thegate.Pilgrimwas invited to take a seat inside andalsotea.“Noneedfortea,”saidPilgrim,“butIdohaveamatterthatwillcauseyousometrouble.Mymaster,who’sonhiswaytotheWesternHeaventoseekscripturesfromBuddha,happenstobepassingthroughtheFieryCloudCaveattheDriedPineStreamoftheRoaringMountain.ARedBoymonster-spirit,withthefancytitleoftheGreatKing,HolyChild,hascapturedmymaster.WhenoldMonkeymadehissearchuptohisdoorandfoughtwithhim,heletoutsomefirewhichwecouldn’tputout.Sincewethoughtofthefactthatwatercouldprevailover fire, I came especially to ask you for some water. You can start a bigrainstorm forme to put out that fire so that theTangMonkwill be deliveredfromthisordeal.”“You are mistaken, Great Sage,” said the Dragon King, “for if you want

rainwater, you shouldn’thave come to askme.” “Youare theDragonKingofFourOceans, the principal superintendent of rain anddew. If I don’t askyou,whomshould Iask?”TheDragonKingsaid,“ThoughI’m inchargeof rain, Ican’t dispense it as I will. We must have the decree of the Jade Emperor,specifyingwhereandwhen, thenumberoffeetand inches,and thehourwhentherainistobegin.Moreover,threeofficialshavetoraisetheirbrushestodraftthedocument,whichthenmustbedispatchedbytheNorthStar.Thereafter,wemust also assemble theThunderGod, theLightningMother, theWindUncle,and the Cloud Boy, for as the proverb says, ‘The dragon can’tmovewithoutclouds.’”“I have no need forwind, cloud, thunder, or lightning,” saidPilgrim, “only

somerainwater toputoutafire.”“In thatcase,”said theDragonKing,“Istillwouldnotbeabletohelpyouallbymyself.Letmybrothersgiveyouahandtoachievethismeritforyou.Howaboutthat?”“Whereareyourbrothers?”askedPilgrim.TheDragonKingsaid,“TheyareAoqin,DragonKingoftheSouthernOcean;Aorun,DragonKingoftheWesternOcean;andAoshun,DragonKingof

theNorthernOcean.”Laughing,Pilgrimsaid,“IfIhavetogoandtourthethreeoceans, Imightaswellgo to theRegionAbove toaskfor theJadeEmperor’sdecree.”TheDragonKingsaid,“There’snoneedfortheGreatSagetogothere.Allwehavetodohereistobeatourirondrumandsoundthegoldenbell,andthey will arrivemomentarily.” Hearing this, Pilgrim said, “Old Dragon King,pleasebeatthedrumandsoundthebell.”Inamoment,thethreeDragonKingsrushedinandasked,“BigBrother,why

didyousummonushere?”Aoguangsaid,“TheGreatSageSunishereaskingforourassistance;heneedsraintosubdueafiend.”ThethreebrotherswereledtogreetPilgrim,whothengaveanaccountofwhyheneededwater.Eachoneofthedeitieswaswillingtooblige.TheyatoncecalledupTheshark,soferocious,toleadthetroops,Andthebig-mouthedshadtobethevanguard.Thecarpmarshalleapedthroughthetideandwaves;Thebreamviceroyspewedforthwindandfog;Themackerelgrandmarshalscreamedpasswordsintheeast;Theculter-fishcommanderurgedthetroopsinthewest;Red-eyedmermaidsdancedalonginthesouth;Black-armoredgeneralsrushedforwardfromthenorth;Thesturgeonsergeanttookcommandatthecenter;Soldiersoffivequarterswereallvaliant.Astuteandclever,thesea-turtlelordchancellor;Shrewdandsubtle,thetortoisecounselor;Fullofplotsandwisdom,theiguanaminister;Agileandable,thesand-turtlecommander.Wieldinglongswords,crabwarriorswalkedsideways;Stretchingheavybows,shrimpamazonsleapedstraightup.Thesheatfishvice-directorcheckedhisbookswithcareTocallupthedragonsoldierstoleavethewaves.

Wehavealsoatestimonialpoemthatsays:DragonKingsoffourseasarepleasedtohelpAttheGreatSage,EqualtoHeaven’srequest;WhenTripitakameetsanordealontheway,Waterissoughttoputoutthefieryred.

Leadingthosedragontroops,PilgrimsoonarrivedattheDriedPineStreamonthe Roaring Mountain. “Worthy Ao Brothers,” said Pilgrim, “I’m sorry foraskingyoutotraversesuchadistance.Thisisthehabitatofthedemon.Pleaseremainforthemomentintheairanddonotrevealyourselves.LetoldMonkeygofightwithhim;ifIwin, there’snoneedforyoutocatchhim,andevenifIlose,there’snoneedforallofyoutohelpme.OnlywhenhestartshisfirewillIcall on you, and then you can send down your rain.” The Dragon Kings allagreedtoheedhiscommand.Pilgrim lowered his cloud and went straight into the pine forest, where he

shouted “Brothers” toEightRules andShaMonk. “ElderBrother,” saidEightRules,“you’ve returnedveryquickly.Haveyoubeenable to fetch theDragonKings?”“Theyareallhere,”saidPilgrim.“Youtwohadbetterbecarefulnottolet the luggage get wet by the torrential rain. OldMonkeywill go fight withhim.” Sha Monk said, “Go right ahead, Elder Brother, we’ll take care ofeverythinghere.”Leapingover the stream,Pilgrimdashedup to the entranceof the cave and

shouted,“Openthedoor!”Thelittlefiendswentatoncetoreport,“GreatKing,PilgrimSunishereagain.”Raisinghishead,RedBoylaughedaloudandsaid,“Thatmonkey,Isuppose,hasnotbeenburnedbythefireandthat’swhyhehasreturned.Well, I’ll not spare him this time, for I won’t stop until his skin ischarredandhis flesh is seared.”Ashe leapedup to takeholdofhis lance,hegavetheorder:“Littleones,pushoutthecarts!”Afterherushedoutthedoor,hesaid toPilgrim,“Whyareyouhereagain?”“Returnmymaster,” saidPilgrim.“Monkeyhead,”saidthefiend,“youareindeedobtuse!IftheTangMonkcanbeyourmaster, can’t he also be our hors d’oeuvre forwine? Forget him! Forgethim!” When Pilgrim heard these words, he was infuriated; pulling out hisgolden-hooped rod, he struck at the fiend’s head. The monster-spirit quicklyraisedhisfire-tippedlancetoparrytheblow,andtheirbattle this timewasnotthesameastheirslasttime.Marvelousbattle!Thewilddemon,greatlyenraged;TheMonkeyKing,highlyincensed.Thisonejustwishedtosavethescripturemonk;ThatonewouldeatTripitakaTang.Changedmindsquelledallkinshipfeelings;Estranged,theyallowednoconcession.Thisonewishedhecouldbecaughtandskinnedalive;Thatonewishedhecouldbeseizedanddippedinsauce.Trulysoferocious!Indeedsostrongandfierce!Therodblockedbythelance,thusthecontestraged;Thelancemetbytherod,eachstrovetowin.Theyraisedtheirhandstofightfortwentyrounds,Bothpersons’abilitieswerejustthesame.

ThedemonkingfoughtPilgrimforsometwentyrounds,andwhenhesawthathecouldnotprevail,hemadeafakethrustwithhislanceandturnedquicklytogivehisownnosetwopuncheswithhisfist.Fireandsmokepouredoutatoncefromhiseyesandmouthasahugeblazeleapedupfromthecartssetbeforethecave’s entrance. Turning his head skyward, the Great Sage Sun shouted,“Dragon Kings, where are you?” Leading their aquatic kin, the Dragon Kingbrotherssentatorrentialdownpourofraintowardthefireofthemonster-spirit.Marvelousrain!Truly

Drizzlingandsprinkling—Pouringandshowering—Drizzlingandsprinkling,It’slikethemeteorsfallingfromthesky;Pouringandshowering,It’slikewaveschurninginaseaupturned.Atfirsttheraindropsseemthesizeofafist;Inawhiletheyfallbythebucketsandpans.Thewholeearth’so’erflowedwithduck-headgreen,9

AndtallmountainsarewashedbluelikeBuddha’shead.10Waterfliesdownthecanyonlikesheetsofjade;Thestreamswellsinathousandsilverstrands.Roadsforkedthreewaysareallfilledup;Soisariverwhichhasninebends.TheTangMonkfacinganordealishelpedbydragonsdivineWhoo’erturnHeaven’sriverandpouritdown.

Theraindescendedintorrentsbutitcouldnotextinguishthefiend’sfireatall.ThefactofthematterwasthatwhattheDragonKingsletloosehappenedtobeunauthorizedrain,capableofputtingoutworldlyfires.Howcoulditextinguishthe true fire of samādhi cultivated by thatmonster-spirit? It was, in fact, likeaddingoiltothefire,makingtheblazeallthemoreintense.“Letmemakethemagicsign,”saidtheGreatSage,“andpenetratetheflames.”Wieldingtheironrod,hesearchedforthefiend.Whenthefiendsawhimapproaching,heblewamouthfulof smoke right athis face.Pilgrim tried to turn away swiftly,buthewas so dazed by the smoke that tears fell from his eyes like rain. ThisGreatSage,yousee,couldnotbehurtbyfirebuthewasafraidofsmoke.Forduringthatyearwhenhegreatlydisturbed theHeavenlyPalace,hewasplaced in theeight-trigrambrazierofLaozi,wherehehadbeensmeltedforalongtime.11Hemanagedtocrawl into thespacebeneath thecompartmentwhichcorrespondedto the Sun trigram andwas not burned. The smokewhipped up by thewind,however, gave him a pair of fiery eyes and diamond pupils, and thatwas thereasonwhyevennowhewasafraidofsmoke.Oncemore,thefiendspatoutamouthfulofsmokeandtheGreatSagecouldno longerwithstand it.Mountingtheclouds,he fledhurriedlywhile thedemon retrievedhis fireequipmentandreturnedtohiscave.His whole body covered by flame and smoke, the Great Sage found the

intenseheatunbearableandhedovestraight intothemountainstreamtotrytoputoutthefire.Littledidheanticipatethattheshockofthecoldwaterwassogreat that the heat caused by the firewas forced inward into his body and hefaintedimmediately.Alas!Hisbreathcaughtinhischest,histongueandthroatgrewcold;Hisspiritfled,hissoulleft,andhislifewasgone!

ThoseDragonKingsoftheFourOceansweresoterrifiedthattheyputastoptothe rain and yelled loudly, “Marshal Heavenly Reeds and Curtain-RaisingCaptain!Stophidingintheforest!Startlookingforyourelderbrother!”WhenEightRulesandShaMonkheardthattheywereaddressedbytheirholy

titles, they quickly untied the horse and poled the luggage to dash out of theforest.With no regard for themud and slush, they began searching along thebanks of the stream when the bubbling currents swept down from above thebodyofaperson.WhenShaMonksawit,heleapedintothewaterfullyclothedandhauledthebodybacktoshore.ItwasthebodyoftheGreatSageSun.Alas,lookathim!Hisfourlimbswerebentandtheycouldnotbestretched;Hiswholebodyupanddownwascoldasice.

“ElderBrother,”saidShaMonk,astearsfilledhiseyes,“whatapityyouhavetogolikethat!YouwereSomeonewhoneveragedthroughcountlessyears.Nowyouhavediedyounginthemiddleoftheway.”

Withachuckle,EightRulessaid,“Brother,stopcrying.Thisapeispretendingtobedead,justtoscareus.Feelhimalittleandseeifthere’sanywarmthleftinhisbreast.”“Thewholebodyhas turnedcold,” saidShaMonk.“Even if therewerealittlewarmthleft,howcouldyourevivehim?”EightRulessaid,“Ifheiscapable of seventy-two transformations, he has seventy-two lives. Listen, youstretch out his legs while I take care of him.” ShaMonk indeed straightenedPilgrim’slegswhileEightRulesliftedhisheadandstraightenedhisuppertorso.They thenpushedhis legsupandfolded themaround thekneesbefore raisinghim into a sitting position.Rubbing his hands together until theywerewarm,Eight Rules covered Pilgrim’s seven apertures and began to apply a Chanmethodofmassageonhim.Thecoldwater,yousee,hadhadsucha traumaticeffectonPilgrimthathisbreathwascaughtinhiscinnabarfield12andhecouldnotutterasound.Hewas lucky, therefore, tohaveall that rubbing,squeezing,andkneadingbyEightRules,forinamomenthisbreathwentthroughthethreepasses,13invadedthebrighthall,14andburstthroughhisapertures.“OMaster,”hebegantosay.ShaMonk said, “ElderBrother,whenyouwerealive,you lived forMaster,

andhisname’sonyourlipsevenwhenyouaredead!Wakeupfirst.Weareallhere.”Openinghiseyes,Pilgrimsaid,“Areyouhere,Brothers?OldMonkey’saloserthistime!”“Youfainted,”saidEightRulesZhu,chuckling,“andifoldHoghadn’t saved you, you would have been finished. Aren’t you going to thankme?” Pilgrim got up slowly and raised his head, saying, “The Ao Brothers,

where are you?” The Dragon Kings of Four Oceans replied in midair, “Yourlittledragonswaituponyouhere.”“Iamsorrytohavecausedyoutotravelallthisdistance,”saidPilgrim,“butwehavenotaccomplishedourmerit.Pleasegoback first and I shall thank you again in another day.”TheDragonKings ledtheir large group of followers to return to their residences, which need notconcernushere.ShaMonkthensupportedPilgrimandledhimbackintothepineforesttosit

down. In a little while, Pilgrim felt more collected and his breathing becamemore even, but he could not restrain the tears from rolling down his cheeks.Againhecriedout,“OMaster!ThinkofyourleavingtheGreatTangthatyear,Whenyousavedmefromwoebeneaththatmount.Onwatersandhillswefacedemonicfoes;Ourbowelsaretornbytenthousandpains.Weeatwithanalmsbowl,whetherbareorfilled;Inhousesorwoodswemeditateatnight.Ourheartsaresetonachievingtherightfruit.HowcouldIknowIwouldbehurtthisday?”

ShaMonksaid,“ElderBrother,pleasedonotworry.LetusdeviseaplansoonandseewherewecangotoaskforhelptorescueMaster.”“Whereshallwegotoseekhelp?”askedPilgrim.ShaMonksaid,“IrememberwhentheBodhisattvafirstgaveustheinstructionthatweshouldaccompanytheTangMonk,shealsogaveusthepromisethatwhenwecalledonHeaven,Heavenwouldrespond,orwhenwecalledonEarth,Earthwouldreply.Wejusthavetodecidewhereweshould go to seek help.” “When I caused great disturbance in the HeavenlyPalace,”saidPilgrim,“allthosedivinesoldierswerenomatchforoldMonkey.Thismonster-spirit,however,hasconsiderablemagicpowers,andsoourhelpermustbe someone stronger thanevenoldMonkey.Neither thegods inHeavennorthosedeitiesonEarthwillbeadequate.Ifwewanttocatchthisdemon,wemust go to ask the Bodhisattva Guanyin. But unfortunately, my bones andmuscles are sore andmy torso isweak. I can’t performmy cloud somersault.Howcan I go?” “If youhave any instruction,” saidEightRules, “tellme. I’llgo.”Smiling,Pilgrimsaid,“Allright!Youcango,butwhenyouappearbeforetheBodhisattva,don’tstareatherface.Youmustloweryourheadandbowwithreverence,andwhensheasksyou,youmaythentellherthenamesofthisplaceand the fiend and beseech her to come to rescueMaster. If she’swilling, thefiendish creature will, of course, be taken.” After Eight Rules heard this, hemountedthecloudsandmistsatonceandheadedtowardthesouth.We now tell you about that demon king, who was celebrating in his cave.

Merrilyhesaidtohissubjects,“Littleones,PilgrimSuntrulyhassufferedloss

this time.Thoughhemaynotdie,hewillbe inabigcoma!Holla! I fear thattheymightwanttogofindhelpsomewhere.Openthedoorsquickly!Letmeseewheretheyaregoing.”Thefiendsopenedthedoorsandwhenthemonster-spiritroseintotheairtolookallaround,hediscoveredEightRulesheadingtowardthesouth. The south, the monster-spirit thought to himself, couldmean only onething: Eight Rules was going to seek the help of the Bodhisattva Guanyin.Droppingquicklyfromtheclouds,thefiendcried,“Littleones,findthatleatherbagofmineandtake itout. Ithasn’tbeenusedforquitesometimeandIfearthattheropearounditsmouthisnotstrongenough.Changetheropeformeandplace thebagbeneath the seconddoor.Letmego and captureEightRulesbydeception;whenheisbroughtbackhere,we’llstorehiminthebag.Thenhe’llbe steameduntil he’s flaky so that all of youmay enjoyhimwithwine.”Themonster-spirit, you see, had a compliant leather bag, which those little fiendstookoutandfastenedanewropetoitsmouth.Theyplaceditbeneaththeseconddoorastheyweretold,andweshallspeaknomoreofthem.Wetellyouinsteadaboutthatdemonking,whohadlivedinthisplacefora

long time; thewhole region, in fact,was familiar to him, and he knewwhichroutetoSouthSeawastheshorteroneandwhichthelonger.Takingtheshorterroute,hemountedthecloudsandatoncewentpastEightRules.Hethenloweredhimselfontoatallridge,satdownsolemnly,andchangedintoaspeciousformofGuanshiyintowaitforEightRules.Treading his clouds, Idiot was on his way when he saw suddenly the

Bodhisattva. He could not, of course, distinguish the true from the false; likefoolishmenoftheworld,heregardedallimagesasrealBuddhas!Stoppinghiscloud, Idiot bowed low and said, “Bodhisattva, your disciple Zhu Wunengkowtowstoyou.”Themonster-spiritsaid,“Whyaren’tyouprotectingtheTangMonkonhiswaytofetchscriptures?Whyhaveyoucometoseeme?”“ItwasbecauseyourdiscipleandhismastermetontheirwayaRedBoymonster-spirit,whoresided in theFieryCloudCaveby theDriedPineStreamin theRoaringMountain.Heabductedourmaster,butyourdisciplesfoundthewaytohisdoorandfoughtwithhim.Hehappenedtobesomeonewhoknewhowtostartafire;duringourfirstbattle,wecouldnotprevail,andduringoursecondone,wecouldnotextinguish the fireevenafterweasked theDragonKings toassistuswithrain. SinceElderBrother suffered burns so severe that he could notmove, heaskedmetocometopleadwiththeBodhisattva.Webegyoutobemercifulandsaveourmasterfromhisordeal.”“ThatmasteroftheFieryCloudCave,”saidthemonster-spirit,“isnotprone

totakehumanlives.Itmustbethatyouhaveoffendedhim.”“NotI,”saidEightRules,“butElderBrotherdidoffendhim.Thefiendchangedhimselfatfirstinto

asmallchildhungona tree to testMaster.OurMaster,ofcourse,hadamostkindlydisposition;hetoldmetountiethechildandElderBrothertocarryhimfor a distance. ElderBrotherwanted to dash him to the ground, and thatwaswhenheabductedMaster.”Themonster-spiritsaid,“Getupandfollowmeintothe cave to see the cave-master. I’ll speak on your behalf, and you can salutehim;thetwoofuswillaskhimthentoreleaseyourmaster.”“OBodhisattva,”saidEightRules.“Ifhe’swillingtoreturnourmaster,I’llbegladtokowtowtohim.”“Followmethen,”saidthedemonking.Idiot,ofcourse,didnotknowanybetter; insteadofproceedingto theSouth

Sea,he followed the fiendrightback to theentranceof theFieryCloudCave.Whentheyreachedthecave,themonster-spiritproceededtowalkinside,saying,“Don’tbesuspicious,forhe’smyacquaintance.Youcomein,too.”Idiothadnochoicebut to stride insidealso.Witha terrific shout, thevarious fiends seizedhimall at once and stuffedhim into the leatherbag.After the rope around itsmouthwaspulled tight, thebagwasdrawnuphigh toabeamandhungthere.Changingback into his true form, themonster-spirit took a seat in themiddleand said, “Zhu Eight Rules, what sort of abilities do you have that you dareaccompany the Tang Monk to acquire scriptures? That you dare go ask theBodhisattvatosubdueme?Openyourpairofeyes,takeagoodlook,andseeifyou recognizeme, theGreatKingHolyChild!Nowyouarecaught,you’llbehungforfourorfivedaysbeforeyou’llbesteamedandservedashorsd’oeuvreto my little fiends for their wine.” When Eight Rules heard these words, hebeganscreaminginsidethebag,saying,“Youbrazenfiend!Don’tyoudarebesoinsulting!So,you’veplottedandplannedtodeceiveme,butifyoudareeatme,everyoneofyouwillbestrickenwiththeHeaven-sentplagueofswollenhead!”Idiot thuspersisted inhisexpostulation fora long time,butweshall speaknomoreofhimforthemoment.WetellyouinsteadabouttheGreatSageSunwhosatintheforestwithSha

Monk. A gust of putrid wind blew past and, sneezing immediately, he said,“Bad! Bad! This wind betokens misfortune more than good luck! Zhu EightRules, I think,must have taken thewrongway.” “If he did,” said ShaMonk,“couldn’theasksomeone?”Pilgrimsaid,“Hemusthaverunintothemonster-spirit.”“Ifheranintothemonster-spirit,”saidShaMonk,“couldn’therunbacktous?”“It’snotright,”saidPilgrim.“Yousithereandguardourbelongings.Letmedashover the streamand findoutwhat’sgoingonover there.”ShaMonksaid,“Yourbodyisstillsore,ElderBrother,andIfearthatyou’llbehurtevenmorebyhim.Letmego.”“Youwon’tdo,”saidPilgrim,“letmegoinstead.”DearPilgrim!Grittinghisteethtoendurethepain,hetookuphisironrodand

ran across the stream to reach the entrance to the FieryCloudCave. “Brazen

monster!” he cried, and those fiends guarding the door ran inside to report,“PilgrimSunisshoutingagainatthedoor!”Thedemonkinggavetheorderforhim to be seized, and all those little fiends, teemingwith spears and swords,rushedout thedoor shouting,“Seizehim!Seizehim!”Pilgrim indeedwas tooweaktofightandhedarednotopposethem.Divingtoonesideoftheroad,herecited a spell, crying, “Change!” He changed at once into a cloth wrapperadornedwithgold.Whenthelittlefiendssawit,theytookitinsideandreported,“GreatKing,PilgrimSunisscared.Whenheheardtheword‘seize,’hewassofrightened that he dropped this wrapper and fled.” Laughing, the demon kingsaid,“Thatwrapperisnotworthmuch!Allitcontainsmustbethetornshirtsofthose monks and their old hats. Bring it in and wash it clean; the piece ofmaterial can be used for mending or lining.” One of the little fiends put thewrapperonhisbacktocarryitinside,notknowingthatitwasthetransformationofPilgrim.Pilgrimsaid,“That’sgood!That’showyououghttocarrythisclothwrapper adornedwithgold!”Not thinkingmuch about the thing, themonster-spiritleftitinsidethedoor.DearPilgrim!Eveninthemidstoffalsehoodheknewgreaterfalsehood,and

eachfakeryofhisproducedmorefakery!Hepulledoffonepieceofhishaironwhichheblewamouthfulofdivinebreath:itchangedatonceintothewrapper,whilehistruebodytookontheformofatinyflythatalightedonthedoorpost.Then he heard Eight Rules moaning and muttering somewhere in a muffledvoice,somewhatlikeahogstrickenwithplague!Withabuzz,Pilgrimflewuptolookaroundandsawatoncethattherewasaleatherbaghunghighonthebeam.Whenhealightedonthebag,heheardEightRulesexpostulatingthedemoninall sorts of vile language. “Wretched fiend,” he said, “how dare you changeyourself intoa speciousBodhisattvaGuanyin to trickmehere?Howdareyouhangmeupandwanttoeatme?Oneday,whenmyElderBrotherUseshisboundlesspower,equaltoHeav’n,Allmonstersofthismountainwillthenbecaught.WhenI’mfreedafterthisleatherbag’suntied,I’llrakeyouathousandtimesbeforeIstop!”

When Pilgrim heard these words, he laughed silently, saying to himself,“Thoughtheidiotmustbesuffocatinginthere,hehasn’tdroppedhisbannerorspearyet!OldMonkeymustcatchholdofthisfiend!IfIdon’t,I’llnotbeabletoridmyselfofmyhostility!”HewasjusttryingtothinkofaplantorescueEightRuleswhenheheardthe

callof thedemonking:“Whereare thesixmightycommanders?”Therewere,you see, six little fiends who became special friends of his, and these spiritsreceived the appointment ofmighty commander.Their nameswere:Cloud-in-

Fog, Fog-in-Cloud, Quick-as-Fire, Swift-as-Wind, Hurly-Burly, and Burly-Hurly.The sixmightycommanderswent forwardandkneltdown.Thedemonking asked, “Do you all know the way to the house of the Venerable GreatKing?”“Wedo,”theyreplied.Thedemonkingsaid,“Goatonce,andjourneyinthenightifyouhaveto,togivethisinvitationtotheVenerableGreatKing.TellhimthatIhavecaughttheTangMonk,whowillbesteamedandservedforhimtoeatsothathisagemaybelengthenedathousandfold.”Obeyingthisorder,thesix fiends swarmed out of the door and left.With a buzz, Pilgrim flew awayfromthebagandfollowedthosefiendstoleavethecave.Wedonotknowwhothey want to invite to come here; let’s listen to the explanation in the nextchapter.

FORTY-TWO

TheGreatSagediligentlycallsatSouthSea;GuanyinwithcompassionbindstheRedBoy.

Weweretellingyouaboutthosesixmightycommanders,whowalkedoutofthecave entrance and followed the road directly toward the southwest. Pilgrimthoughttohimself,“TheywantedtoextendaninvitationfortheVenerableOldKingtoeatmymaster,andthatVenerableOldKinghastobetheBullDemonKing.SinceoldMonkeymethim thatyear,our friendshipwasadeepone, asourswerethemostcongenialspiritsandsentiments.NowIhavereturnedtothepathofrectitude;thoughhe’sstillaperversedemon,Icanrememberhislooksdespiteourlengthyseparation.LetoldMonkeytransformhimselfintotheBullMonsterKingandseeiftheycouldbedeceived.”DearPilgrim!Heslippedawayfromthosesix little fiends;spreadinghiswings,heflewtoadistanceofsometenmilesahead.Withoneshakeofhisbodyhechanged into the formofBullMonsterKingand,pullingoffseveralstrandsofhair,hecried,“Change!”Theychanged into several little fiendswhoweremounting falcons, leadinghounds,and brandishing bows and arrows as if they were hunting in the fold of themountain.Theretheywaitedforthesixmightycommanders.Asthatmotleycrewshuffledalong,theysuddenlysawtheBullMonsterKing

seatedbeforethem.SostartledwereBurly-HurlyandHurly-Burlythattheyfelltotheirkneesatonce,crying,“VenerableGreatKingishere!”SinceCloud-in-Fog, Fog-in-Cloud,Quick-as-Fire, and Swift-as-Windwere all of fleshly eyesandmortalstock,howcouldtheypossiblydistinguishbetweenthetrueandthefalse?Theyallkneltdownalsoandkowtowed,saying,“Father,theselittleoneshavebeensentbytheGreatKingHolyChildfromtheFieryCloudCave.Wearehere to invite Father Venerable Great King to dine on the flesh of the TangMonk,sothatyouragewillbelengthenedathousandfold.”“Children,”rejoinedPilgrim, “get up. Follow me home; I’ll go with you after I’ve changed myclothes.” Kowtowing again, the little fiends said, “We beg our Father not tostandonceremony.There’snoneedtoreturntoyourresidence.Thedistanceisgreat,andwefear thatourGreatKingwillchideusforourdelay.Webeseechyoutobeginyourjourneyatonce.”Laughing,Pilgrimsaid,“Whatnicechildrenyouare!Allright,allright!ClearthewayandI’llgowithyou.”Thesixfiendsrousedtheirspiritsandshoutedtocleartheway,whiletheGreatSagefollowedthem.

Innotimeatall theyreturnedtotheirownplace.Swift-as-WindandQuick-as-Firedashedintothecave,crying,“GreatKing,FatherVenerableGreatKinghas arrived.” Delighted, the monster king said, “All of you are quite useful!You’ve returned soquickly!”He at oncegave theorder for all his captains toarrange their troopsand tounfurl theflagsanddrumstoreceive theVenerableGreat King. The fiends of the entire cave all obeyed this command and theyformedanorderly formationall thewayout to theentrance.Shakinghisbodyoncetoretrievehishairs,whowereleadingdogsandfalcons,Pilgrimwithchestthrust forwardwalked loftily inside in big strides.After he took a seat in themiddle facing south, Red Boy faced him and knelt down to kowtow to him.“Father King,” he said, “your child gives you obeisance.” Pilgrim said, “Mychildisexemptedfromsuchceremonies.”OnlyafterhehadprostratedhimselffourtimesdidthemonsterkingrisefromthegroundandstandbelowtheseatofPilgrim.“Mychild,”saidPilgrim,“whydidyouaskmetocomehere?”Bowingagain,

themonster king said, “Though your child is not talented, he hasmanaged tocaptureacertainpersonyesterday,amonkfromtheGreatTangintheLandoftheEast. I have often heard people say that he is someonewho has practicedself-cultivation for ten incarnations. If anyone eats a piece of his flesh, thisperson will enjoy the same age as an immortal from P’êng-lai or Ying-chou.Your foolish boy does not dare eat theTangMonk by himself. That iswhy Ihave invited Father King especially to enjoy with me the flesh of the TangMonk,sothatyouragemaybelengthenedathousandfold.”WhenPilgrimheardthesewords,heshudderedandsaid,“Mychild,whichTangMonkisthis?”“Theone journeying to theWesternHeaven to acquire scriptures,” said themonsterking.“Mychild,”saidPilgrim,“ishethemasterofPilgrimSun?”“Indeed,”saidthemonsterking.Wavinghishandandshakinghishead,Pilgrimsaid, “Don’tprovokehim!Youcanprovokeothers,butyoudon’tknowwhatsortofpersonthat Pilgrim Sun happens to be! My worthy boy, you haven’t met him, Isuppose? That monkey has vast magic powers and knows many ways oftransformation.OncewhenhecausedgreatdisturbanceintheHeavenlyPalace,theGreatJadeEmperorsentagainsthimonehundredthousandcelestialsoldiers,buttheydidnotsucceedincapturinghimevenaftertheyhadsetupthecosmicnets. How dare you want to eat his master? Quickly, send him back to hisdisciple,anddon’tprovokethatmonkey.Ifhefindsoutthatyouhaveeatenhismaster,heneednotcometofightwithyou;allhehastodoisusethatgolden-hoopedrodofhistodrillaholehalfwayintothemountainandhewillshovelitrightoutofitsroots!Mychild,wherewillyoufindshelterthen?WhowilltakecareofmewhenIgrowold?”

“Father King,” said the monster king, “what are you saying? You aremagnifyingthepowersofotherstobelittletheabilitiesofyourson.ThoughthatPilgrimSunandhistwobrothers—altogetherthreeofthem—attemptedto leadtheTangMonktocrossourmountain,theypermittedmetouseatransformationtoabducttheirmasterbackhere.Afterwards,heandZhuEightRulessearchedtheirwaytoourdoor,andhethenmadesomesuchfoolishclaimthathewasakin of ours. I grew angry and foughtwith him, though the several roundswewent through did not indicate that he was such a hot shot! Zhu Eight Rulessteppedinfromthesidetojointhefray,andthatwaswhenyourchildspatouthistruefireofsamādhianddefeatedthemallatonce.Theyweresofrightened,infact,thattheywenttoasktheDragonKingsoftheFourOceanstoassistthemwith rain, but the rainwater, of course, could not extinguish my true fire ofsamādhi.PilgrimSunwassoseverelyburnedthistimethathewentintoalittlecoma!ThenhetoldZhuEightRulestoseekhelpfromtheBodhisattvaGuanyinof the South Sea. I changed into a speciousGuanyin and tricked Eight Rulesbackhere;he’snowhunginourcompliantbagwaitingtobesteamedandfedtothe littleones.Thismorning, thatPilgrim returned toourdoor tomakenoisesoncemore;whenIgavetheordertoseizehim,hewassofrightenedthatheevenabandonedawrapofhisandfled.ItwasthenthatIdecidedtoinviteFatherKingto come here so that you can see him live before he is steamed for food.Myhope is foryourage to lengthen, so thatyouwill enjoy long lifewithoutevergrowingold.”Chuckling, Pilgrim said, “My worthy boy! You know only that you can

overpowerhimwithyour true fireof samādhi.Youdon’tknow thatheknowsseventy-twoways of transformation.” “He can change intowhatever hewantsto,”saidthemonsterking,“butIcanstillrecognizehim.Idon’tthinkhedaresenter our door.” “My child,” said Pilgrim, “you may recognize him when hechangesintosomethingbig,andthatwillbedifficultindeedforhimtogetinsideyourdoor.Butifhechangesintosomethingsmall,itwillbedifficultforyoutorecognizehim.”“Lethim!”saidthemonsterking.“Everydoorofmineherehasfouror five little fiendsstandingguardover it.Howcouldhepossiblyenter?”Pilgrimsaid,“Soyoudon’tknowabout this!Heisable tochangeintoafly,amosquito,aflea,orabee,abutterfly,amolecricket,orsomesuchcreature.Hecanevenchangeintoaformlikeme!Howcouldyoupossiblyrecognizehim?”“Don’tworry!”saidthemonsterking.“Evenifhehadagallofironandaheartofbronze,hewouldn’tdareapproachmydoor.”“According towhat you have toldme,myworthy boy,” said Pilgrim, “you

certainly aremore than able towithstand him, and this explainswhy you areeager to inviteme tocomeanddineon theTangMonk’s flesh.Unfortunately,

however,Ican’teatittoday.”“Whynot?”askedthemonsterking.Pilgrimsaid,“I’mfeelingmyagethesedays,andyourmotheroftentellsmetodosomegooddeeds. There’s not much I can do, I thought, but I have decided to keep avegetarian diet.”Themonster king said, “IsFatherKingkeeping a permanentoneoramonthlydiet?”“Neither,”saidPilgrim,“butmineiscalleda‘ThunderVegetarianDiet,’ and I keep it for only fourdays in amonth.” “Which four?”askedthemonsterking.Pilgrimsaid,“Duringthosethreedayswhenthecelestialstemxinappearsinthesexagesimalrepresentations1andduringthesixthdayofthe month. Today happens to be the day of xinyou: I should maintain avegetariandietinthefirstplace,andinthesecondplace,ayoudaymeansthatImyself should not meet any guests. Therefore, let’s wait until tomorrow; I’llpersonally see to it that the TangMonk is scrubbed clean to be steamed andenjoyedalongwithallofyou.”Whenthemonsterkingheardthesewords,hethoughttohimself,“MyFather

Kinghas always fedonhumans; that’s beenhis livelihood, in fact, for over athousandyears.How is it thathehas takenupavegetariandietnow?Hehas,afterall,committedmanyevilacts.Howcouldthreeorfourdaysofvegetariandietatoneforthem?Hiswordsmakenosense!Something’sfishy!”Heturnedatonce and walked out the second door, calling together the six mightycommanderstoaskthem,“WheredidyoufindtheVenerableGreatKing?”Thelittle fiendssaid,“Onourway.”“I remarked thatyouall returnedsoquickly,”saidthemonsterking.“Didn’tyoureachhishouse?”“No,”saidthelittlefiends,“wedidnot.”“That’sbad!”saidthemonsterking.“Wehavebeendeceivedbyhim! This is no Venerable Great King.” All those little fiends knelt downimmediately,saying,“GreatKing,can’tyouevenrecognizeyourownfather?”“The features and the gestures seem genuine,” said themonster king, “but hedoesn’t talk like him. I fear thatwemaybe deceived by him andbecomehisvictim.Takecare,allofyou:thosewhouseswordsunsheathyourswords;thosewho use spears keep your spears sharp; those who use staffs and ropes havethemready.Letmequestionhimsomemoreandseehowhetalks.IfindeedheistheVenerableGreatKing,wecanwaitevenamonthuntilheispleasedtoeattheTangMonk.Butifhiswordsarenotright,I’llgiveayellandallofyouwillattacktogether.”Thevariousdemonsobeyed.Thismonsterkingwent insideagainandbowedoncemore toPilgrim.“My

child,” said Pilgrim, “there’s no need to stand on ceremony in the family.Noneedtobowtome.Ifyouhavesomethingtosay,sayit.”Prostratinghimselfontheground, themonsterkingsaid,“Yourfoolishboyinvitedyoutocomeherefortworeasons:first,IwantedtopresenttoyouthefleshoftheTangMonk,andsecond,Ihaveasmallquestiontoaskyou.Somedaysago,Iwastakingaleisure

trip;asImountedtheauspiciousluminositytorisetotheNinefoldHeaven,IransuddenlyintoMasterZhangDaoling,theDaoistPatriarch.”2“IshetheCelestialMaster?”askedPilgrim.“Yes,”said themonsterking.Pilgrimsaid,“Whatdidhehave to say?”“Whenhe sawhowwell formedmy featureswere,” said themonster king, “and how level were my shoulders, he inquired after the hour,date, month, and year of my birth. Your child, however, was too young toremember the exact time. An expert in astrological divination, the Masterwantedtotellmyfortunethroughcalculationsbasedonthefiveplanets.ThatisthereasonwhyIhaveaskedFatherKingtocomehere.Pleasetellmethetimesofmybirth,sothatIcanaskhimtotellmyfortunethenexttimeIseehim.”WhenPilgrimheard thesewords, he sat smiling tohimself, thinking, “Dear

monster!SinceoldMonkeyhasreturnedtotheBuddhistfruit,Ihavecaught,asaguardianofMasterTang,severalmonster-spiritsonourway,butnoneofthemmatches this one for jugglery! If he asksme about some trivialmatters in thehousehold, I can fabricate an answerwithwhatever comes intomymind.Butnow he wants to have the date, month, and year of his birth! How could Iknow?”DearMonkeyKing!Hewasmostresourcefulindeed!Sittingaugustlyinthemiddle,hedidnotbetray the slightest fear; instead,his facebeamingwithpleasure, he said, smiling, “Myworthyboy, please rise.Becauseofmy age, Ihavebeentroubledbyallsortsof thingsof late,andIhavequiteforgotten theexacttimeofyourbirth.LetmeaskyourmotherwhenIreturnhometomorrow.”The monster king said to himself, “Father King has never stopped talking

about the eight nativity characters3 of my birth, saying that I have an age aslengthyasHeaven’s.Howcouldheforgetthemtoday?Nonsense!Hehastobefalse!”Hegaveayell,andthevariousfiendsrushedforwardtohackatPilgrim’shead and face with their spears and swords. Using the golden-hooped rod toparrytheblows,thisGreatSagechangedbackintohisoriginalformandsaidtothemonster-spirit,“Myworthychild!Howunreasonableyouare!Howcouldasonattackhisownfather?”Filledwithembarrassment,themonsterkingdidnoteven dare look at him, as Pilgrim transformed himself into a beam of goldenlightandleftthecavedwelling.“GreatKing,”saidthelittlefiends,“PilgrimSunhasescaped.”Themonsterkingsaid,“Allright,allright!Lethimgo!I’lladmitdefeatthistime!Let’sshutthedoorandsaynothingtohim.WewillwashandscrubtheTangMonksothathecanbesteamedandeaten.”Wenowtellyouabout thatPilgrimwhoheldon tohis iron rodandwalked

towardthestream,roaringwithlaughter.WhenShaMonkheardhim,hequicklyleft the woods to meet him, saying, “Elder Brother, you have been gone fornearly half a day, and you have returned laughing. Could it be that you have

succeeded in rescuing Master?” “Brother,” said Pilgrim, “though I have notrescuedMaster, Ihavewonaround.”“Whatdoyoumean?”askedShaMonk.Pilgrimsaid,“ZhuEightRules,yousee,wastrickedbythatfiend,whochangedhimselfintotheformofGuanyin.Heiscaughtandhungnowinaleatherbag.IwastryingtodeviseaplantorescuehimwhenIheardthat theseso-calledsixmighty commanders were sent to invite a Venerable Great King to dine onMaster’s flesh. OldMonkey thought that that Great King had to be the BullMonsterKing;soIchangedintohisform,bluffedmywayin,andtooktheseatin the middle. The fiend called me Father King, and I answered him; hekowtowedtome,andIacceptedit.Itwasapleasureindeed!ThatwastheroundIwon.”“ElderBrother,” said ShaMonk, “theway you covet small advantageswill

make itdifficult, I fear, forMaster’s life tobepreserved.”“Don’tworry,”saidPilgrim.“LetmegoandasktheBodhisattvatocomehere.”“Butyourtorsoisstillsore,”saidShaMonk.“Notanymore!”saidPilgrim.“Theancientssaid,‘Ahappyaffaircheersone’sspirit.’Youlookaftertheluggageandthehorse;letmego.”“You’vegiventhatmonsteragrudgeagainstyou,”saidShaMonk,“andIfear thathemightharmourmaster.Goandcomebackquickly.”Pilgrimsaid,“I’llcomebackquicklyallright!Inthetimeofameal,I’llbeback.”DearGreatSage!Ashewasspeaking,heslippedawayfromShaMonk;using

hiscloudsomersault,heheadedstraightfortheSouthSea.IttookhimmuchlessthanhalfanhourintheairwhenhesawthesceneryofthePotalakaMountain.In amoment, he lowered his cloud and dropped down on themountain cliff,wherehewasmetbyagroupoftwenty-fourdevaswhoasked,“Whereareyougoing,GreatSage?”AfterPilgrimbowed to them, he said, “Iwant to see theBodhisattva.”“Waitamoment,”saidthedevas,“andletusannounceyou.”Thenthe deva Hāritī4 went before the Cave of Tidal Sound to announce, “Let theBodhisattva know that Sun Wukong is here to have an audience with you.”When the Bodhisattva heard the announcement, she ordered him to enter.Straightening out his attire, the Great Sage walked inside solemnly andprostratedhimselfbeforetheBodhisattva.“Wukong,why aren’t you leadingMasterGoldCicada to theWest to seek

scriptures?”askedtheBodhisattva.“Whyareyouhere?”Pilgrimsaid,“PermitmetomakethisknowntotheBodhisattva.Yourdisciple

wasaccompanying theTangMonkonhis journey,whenwe reached theFieryCloud Cave by the Dried Pine Stream at the Roaring Mountain. There is amonster-spiritcalledRedBoy,whosenameisalso theGreatKingHolyChild,andwhohasabductedmymaster.YourdiscipleandZhuWunengfoundourwaytohisdoorandfoughtwithhim.Heletloosehissamādhifireandwecouldnot

prevail against him nor could we rescue Master. I went swiftly to the GreatEastern Ocean and managed to return with the Dragon Kings of the FourOceans.Theygaveusrainwater,butwestillcouldnotwin.Infact,yourdisciplewasburnedsobadlythathealmostlosthislife.”TheBodhisattvasaid,“Ifhisisthesamādhifireandifhehassuchmagicpowers,whydidyougoseektheaidoftheDragonKings?Whydidyounotcomeseeme?”“Iwasabouttocome,”saidPilgrim, “but your disciplewas badly hurt by the smoke, unable tomount theclouds.IthereforetoldZhuEightRulestocomeandseektheassistanceoftheBodhisattva.”“ButWunengneverappeared,”saidtheBodhisattva.“Indeedhedidnotreach

your treasuremountain,” said Pilgrim, “for hewas deceived by thatmonster-spirit,whochangedintoyourimageandhastakenWunengintohiscave.Rightnow,Wunengishanginginaleatherbag,abouttobesteamedandeaten.”Hearing this, the Bodhisattva grew terribly angry, crying, “How dare that

brazenfiendchangeintomyimage!”Asshecried,sheflungintotheoceantheimmaculateporcelainvasesetwithpreciouspearlswhichsheheldinherhand.Pilgrimwassostartled thathishairs stoodonend,andhestoodupatonce tostandinwaitingdownbelow,sayingtohimself,“ThisBodhisattvastillhasquiteafiery temper!Well,oldMonkeyshouldhaveknownbetter than tospeak likethatandprovokeher into ruininghervirtuebysmashing the immaculatevase.Whatapity!Whatapity! If Ihadknown it earlier Iwouldhaveaskedher togiveitinsteadtooldMonkey.Thatwouldbesomegift,wouldn’tit?”Hardlyhadhefinishedspeakingwhenthevaseappearedagainatthecrestof

somegiganticwavesswellingupinthemiddleoftheocean.Thevase,yousee,was borne on the back of a strange creature,which Pilgrim stared at intently.Howdoesthiscreaturelook?The“HelperofMud”ishisprimalname,Headdslustertowatertoshowhismight.Reclusive,heknowsthelawsofHeav’nandEarth;Retired,heseesyetthemysteriesofghostsandgods.Safelyhehidesoncehisheadandtailwithdraw,Butlegsoutstretchedwillmakehimflyandsoar.AsKingWendrewtrigramsandZengYuandivined,Hefrequented,too,thecourtyardsofFuXi.5HisnaturedisplaysathousandcharmsWhenhesportsandplaysintherisingtide.Hisarmor’sknitbystrandsofgoldencord;Spotbyspot,that’showhisshellhasbeenadorned.HisrobeshowsEightTrigramsandNinePalaces,Andrichlyornateishisgownofgreen.Bravewhenhe’sliving—sohe’slovedbyDragonKings;TheBuddha’stablethebearse’enafterdeath.Ifyouwanttoknowthisstrangecreature’sname,

He’sthefierceblacktortoisemakingwindsandwaves.

Carryingthevaseonhisback,thetortoiseclimbedashoreandnoddedhisheadat theBodhisattva twenty-four times to indicate that hehadgivenher twenty-fourbows.WhenPilgrimsawhim,hesmiledandthoughttohimself,“Sotheguardianof

thevaseishere.Ifthevaseevergetslost,Isupposewecanaskhimforit.”TheBodhisattvasaid,“Wukong,whatareyousayingdownthere?”“Nothing,”saidPilgrim. “Then bring the vase up here,” commanded the Bodhisattva. Pilgrimwentforwardatoncetopickupthevase.Alas!Hecouldnotdosoatall!Itwasasifadragonflyattemptedtorockastonepillar—howcouldheevenbudgeit?Pilgrim approached the Bodhisattva and knelt down, saying, “Your disciplecannotpickitup.”“Monkeyhead,” said theBodhisattva,“allyouknow ishow tobrag! Ifyou

can’t even pick up a small vase, how can you subdue fiends and capturemonsters?”“Totellyouthetruth,Bodhisattva,”saidPilgrim,“Imightbeabletodo itordinarily,but today I just can’tpick itup. Imusthavebeenhurtby themonster-spirit, and my strength has weakened.” The Bodhisattva said,“Normallyit’sanemptyvase,butonceithasbeenthrownintotheocean,ithastraveledthroughthethreerivers,thefivelakes,theeightseas,andthefourbigrivers.Ithas,infact,gatheredtogetherfromalltheaquaticbodiesintheworldanoceanfulofwater,whichisnowstoredinsideit.Youmaybestrong,butyoudon’tpossess thestrengthofupholding theocean.That’swhyyoucannotpickup thevase.”Pressinghishands togetherbeforehim,Pilgrim said, “Yes, yourdiscipleisignorantofthis.”Walking forward, the Bodhisattva used her right hand and picked up the

immaculatevasewithnoeffortatallandplaceditonthemiddleofherleftpalm.The tortoisenoddedhisheadagainbeforehecrawledback into thewater.“Sothisisacooliewhoservesthehouseholdandlooksafterthevase!”saidPilgrim.AftertheBodhisattvatookherseatagain,shesaid,“Wukong,thesweetdewinmyvaseisnotlikethatunauthorizedrainoftheDragonKings;itcanextinguishthesamādhifireofthemonster-spirit.Iwantyoutotakeitwithyou,butyouareunabletopickupthevase.IwanttheDragonGirlSkilledinWealthtogowithyou,butIfearthatyouarenotapersonofkindlydisposition.Allyouknowishowtohoodwinkpeople.WhenyouseehowbeautifulmyDragonGirl is,andwhata treasure ismyimmaculatevase,youwill try tosteal it. Ifyousucceed,where would I find time to go look for you? You’d better leave somethingbehindasapledge.”“Howpitiful!”saidPilgrim.“Bodhisattva,youaresosuspicious!Sinceyour

disciple embraced complete poverty, he has never indulged in such activities.

Youtellmetoleaveapledge,whatshallIuse?Thissilkshirtonmybodyisagiftfromyou.Andthistiger-skinskirt,howmuchcanitbeworth?Theironrod—well,Ineeditforprotectionnightandday.Onlythislittlefilletonmyheadismadeofgold,butyouusedsometricks tomakeitgrowonmyheadsothat itcouldnotbetakendown.Ifyouwantapledge,I’mwillingnowtogivethattoyou as a pledge. You can recite a Loose-Fillet Spell and remove it fromme.Otherwise,what shall I use as a pledge?” “You are rather smug, aren’t you?”said the Bodhisattva. “I don’t want your clothes, your iron rod, or your goldfillet.Pulloffonestrandofthatlifesavinghairbehindyourheadandgiveittome.”Pilgrimsaid,“Thesehairswerealsoyourgift;IfearthatifIpulloneoff,theywillbebrokenupinsuchawaythattheywillnolongerbeabletosavemylife.” “You ape!” scolded the Bodhisattva. “You are so stingy that you won’tevenuprootonehair!6ThatmakesitdifficultformealsotodispensemyGoodlyWealth!”Laughing,Pilgrimsaid,“Bodhisattva,youaretrulysuspicious!Butasthesayinggoes,‘Ifyoudon’thaveregardforthemonk,atleasthaveregardfortheBuddha.’Ibegyoutosavemymasterfromhisordeal.”ThentheBodhisattvaFreelyandgladlyleftthelotusseatAndwalkeduptherockycliffwithscentedsteps.Sincetheholymonkwasthreatenedwithharm,Shewouldsubduethefiendandgivehimhelp.

Highlypleased,theGreatSageSunfollowedGuanyinoutoftheTidalSoundCave,as thevariousdevasstoodatattentiononthePotalakaPeak.“Wukong,”said theBodhisattva,“let’scross theocean.”Pilgrimbowedandsaid,“Let theBodhisattvagofirst.”“Yougofirst,”saidtheBodhisattva.Kowtowing,Pilgrimsaid,“YourdiscipledaresnotdisplayhispowerbeforetheBodhisattva.IfIusethecloudsomersault,myclothesmayflipupandrevealmybody,andIfearthattheBodhisattvawilltakeoffenseatmyirreverence.”WhentheBodhisattvaheardthesewords,shetoldtheDragonGirlSkilledin

Wealthtopickfromthelotuspondonepetaloflotusfloweranddropitintotheoceanbelowthemountainridge.ThenshesaidtoPilgrim,“GetuponthatlotusflowerpetalandI’llsendyouacrosstheocean.”Seeingtheflower,Pilgrimsaid,“Bodhisattva,thispetalofflowerissolightandthin.Howcoulditbearmeup?I’lltumbleintothewaterforsure,andwon’tmytiger-skinkiltbesoaked?Ifitlosesitstan,howcanIwearitwhentheweatherturnscold?”“Getupthereandsee what happens!” shouted the Bodhisattva. Not daring to disobey, Pilgrimriskedhislifeandjumpedontotheflower.Atfirst,itdidseemratherlightandsmall, but when he alighted on it, he found that the flower was actuallysomewhat larger than a small boat. Delighted, Pilgrim said, “Bodhisattva, itshouldholdme.”“Inthatcase,”saidtheBodhisattva,“whycan’tyoucrossthe

ocean?”Pilgrimsaid,“Thereisneitherpolenoroar,neithersailnormast.HowcouldIcrosstheocean?”“Noneedforthat,”saidtheBodhisattva,whoblewamouthful of air lightly onto the lotus flower and immediately it drifted awayfromtheshore.AnotherbreathoftheBodhisattvasentPilgrimacrossthebittersea of the Southern Ocean7 until he reached the other shore. When his feettouched solid ground again,Pilgrim laughed and said, “ThisBodhisattva trulyknowshowtodisplayherpowers!She’sabletosummonoldMonkeyhitherandthitherwithnoeffortatall!”TheBodhisattvathengaveinstructionsforallthedevaseachtostandguardin

hisstation,andfortheDragonGirlSkilledinWealthtoshutthegateofthecave.Mountingtheauspiciouscloud,shedepartedfromthePotalakaPeak.Whenshereachedthebacksideofthemountain,shecalledout,“Hui’an,whereareyou?”Hui’an,yousee,whosecommonnamewasMokṣa,happened tobe thesecondprinceofthePagodaBearerDevarājaLi,andhe,asthepupiltaughtpersonallybytheBodhisattva,neverstrayedfromherside.HisnamewasDiscipleHui’an,theDharmaGuardian.Pressinghishandstogetherbeforehim,Hui’anbowedtotheBodhisattva,whosaidtohim,“GoquicklytotheRegionAboveandborrowtheSwords ofConstellations fromyour FatherKing.” “Howmany swords doyouwant,Teacher?”askedHui’an.“Theentireset,”saidtheBodhisattva.Obeying her command, Hui’an mounted the clouds and went through the

SouthHeavenGatetoreachthePalaceofCloudyTowers.HekowtowedtohisFather King, who asked him, “Why hasmy son come here?”Mokṣa replied,“SunWukongcametoaskmyteacher tosubdueafiend;she in turn toldyourchildtoborrowtheSwordsofConstellationsfromFatherKing.”ThedevarājaatonceaskedNaṭa to takeout the swords, all thirty-sixof them, tohandover toMokṣa,whosaidtoNaṭa,“Brother,pleasegoandbowtomother.Ihaveurgentbusiness;when I return the swords, I shall kowtow to her then.” They partedhurriedly;MokṣamountedtheauspiciousluminosityandreturnedtoSouthSea,wherehepresentedtheswordstotheBodhisattva.Aftershereceivedthem,theBodhisattvathrewthemintotheairassherecited

a spell: the swords were transformed into a thousand-leaf lotus platform.Leaping up, theBodhisattva sat solemnly in themiddle.On one side, Pilgrimsnickered to himself, “This Bodhisattva is so prudent and penurious! In thatpondofhersshehasherownfive-coloredtreasurelotusplatform,butshecan’tbear to use it. She has to borrow someone else’s things!” “Wukong,” said theBodhisattva,“stoptalking!Followme!”Theyallmountedthecloudsandlefttheocean, the white cockatoo flying ahead while Great Sage Sun and Hui’anfollowedfrombehind.In a moment, they reached the peak of a mountain. “This is the Roaring

Mountain,” saidPilgrim, “and fromhere to the door of themonster-spirit is adistanceofapproximatelyfourhundredmiles.”WhentheBodhisattvaheardthis,she loweredherauspiciouscloudandrecitedaspell thatbeganwith the letter,Oṁ.Atonce,variousdeitiesanddemonsappearedfromtheleftandrightofthemountain, all local spirits and mountain deities of the region. They came tokowtowbefore theBodhisattva’s treasure lotus seat. “Don’t be alarmed, all ofyou,”saidtheBodhisattva.“I’mheretoseizethisdemonking,butIwantyouallto sweep this areaclean.Nota single livingcreature is to remainwithin threehundred miles around here. Take the small beasts in their lairs, the youngcreaturesintheirnests,andsendthemuptothepeaksothattheirlivesmaybepreserved.”The various deities obeyed and left; they returnedmomentarily toreportthattheirworkwasdone.TheBodhisattvasaid,“Iftheregioniscleared,allofyoumayreturntoyour

shrines.”Sheturnedherimmaculatevaseupsidedownandallatonceatorrentofwaterthunderedforth.TrulyitSurgedoverthesummit,Anddashedoverstonewalls.Surgingoverthesummititseemedtheswellingsea;Dashingoverstonewallsitseemedthevastocean.Blackmistsarose,dampingtheentiresky;Greenwavesreflectingthesunbeamedchillylight.Thewholecliffgushedjadelikesprays;Thewholeseasproutedgoldlotus.TheBodhisattvaletlooseherawesomemight,HersleeverevealedtheDharmakāyaofChan.8ThisplacewaschangedtoPotalaka’sscene,TrulyaperfectimageofSouthSea.Udumbarabloomedfromlovelyrushes;Freshpalmyraleavesspreadfromscentedgrass.Onpurplebamboosthecockatoopaused;Amidsomegreenpinesredpartridgescalled.Wavestenthousandfoldandlotusallaround,Hearthewindroar,thewatersurginguptoHeav’n.

WhentheGreatSageSunsawthis,hemarveledtohimself,“TrulyaBodhisattvaofgreatmercyandcompassion!IfoldMonkeyhadthiskindofdharmapower,hewouldsimplypourthelittlevaseonthemountain.Whocaresaboutfowlsandbeasts, crawling or winged creatures?” “Wukong,” cried the Bodhisattva,“stretchforthyourhand.”Hurriedlyrollinguphissleeve,Pilgrimstretchedouthis left hand. The Bodhisattva pulled out a twig of her willow branch afterhavingdippedit in thesweetdewofhervaseandwroteonhispalmtheword“Delusion.”She said tohim,“Holdyour fist andgoquickly toprovokebattlewiththemonster-spirit.Youarepermittednottowinbuttolose;lethimdefeat

youandchaseyoubackhere.Ihavemypowertosubduehim.”Obeying the instruction, Pilgrim turned his cloudy luminosity and headed

straightfortheentranceofthecave.Holdinghislefthandinafistandtheironrodwithhisright,heshouted,“Fiends,openthedoor!”Thoselittlefiendsagainwentinsidetoreport,“PilgrimSunishereagain.”“Shutthedoortightly,”saidthe monster king, “and don’t mind him.” “Dear boy!” shouted Pilgrim. “Youchasedyour oldmanout thedoor, andyou stillwouldn’t openup!”The littlefiendsreportedagain:“PilgrimSunisusingthatlittlesomethingtoinsultyou.”All the monster said was, “Don’t listen to him!” After he had shouted for acoupleoftimesandfoundthedoorstilltightlyshut,Pilgrimbecameenraged.Heliftedtheironrodandwithoneblowpunchedabigholeinthedoor.Thelittlefiendswereso terrified that they ran inside,crying,“PilgrimSunhassmashedourdoor!”When themonsterkingheard these reports anddiscovered that thefrontdoorwassmashed,heboundedoutthedoorand,holdingthelance,yelledatPilgrim,“Youape!Youreallydon’tknowwhentostop!Iletyoutakesomeadvantageofmeandyouarestillnotcontent.Youdarecomeagaintooppressmebysmashingmydoor.Whatsortofpunishmentshouldyoureceive?”“Mychild,”saidPilgrim,“youdarechaseyouroldmanoutyourdoor.Whatsortofpunishmentshouldyoureceive?”Embarrassed as well as enraged, themonster king picked up his lance and

stabbed atPilgrim’s chest,who also liftedhis iron rod to parry and return theblow. They fought for four or five rounds when Pilgrim, still making a fist,retreatedwithhisrodtrailingbehindhim.Themonsterkingstoodstillbeforethemountainandsaid,“I’mgoingtowashandscrubtheTangMonkinstead.”“Mydearboy,”saidPilgrim,“Heaveniswatchingyou!Won’tyoucome?”Whenthemonster-spirit heard thesewords, he grew evenmore enraged.With a yell, hedashedbeforePilgrimandattemptedtostabhimwiththelanceoncemore.OurPilgrim wielded his iron rod and fought with him for several rounds beforeretreating again. “Monkey,” scolded themonster king, “youwere able to fightbeforeforatleasttwentyorthirtyrounds.Whyareyourunningawaynowwhenwe are just sett ling down to do battle?Why?” “Worthy child,” said Pilgrim,chuckling,“youroldmanisafraidthatyouwillstartafire!”Themonster-spiritsaid,“I’mnotgoingtostartthefire.Youcomeuphere.”“Ifyouarenot,”saidPilgrim,“stepoverhere.Agallantfellowshouldnotbeatuppeopleinfrontofhisownhouse.”Themonster-spirit,ofcourse,didnotknowthatthiswasatrick;heliftedhislanceandgavechaseoncemore.Dragginghisrod,Pilgrimopeneduphisleftfistandthemonsterkingwascompletelydeluded;allhehadinmindwas to give chase to his adversary. The one running aheadwas like a fallingmeteor;theonechasingfrombehindwaslikeanarrowleavingthebow.

In less than a moment, they saw the Bodhisattva. Pilgrim said, “Monster-spirit,I’mscaredofyou.Letmego.YouhavechasedmetotheSouthSea,theresidence of the Bodhisattva Guanyin. Why aren’t you turning back?” Themonster king refused tobelieve it; grittinghis teeth, hepersisted inhis chase.Pilgrim, with one shake of his body, slipped into the divine luminosity thatsurrounded the body of the Bodhisattva and disappeared.When the monster-spirit suddenly discovered that Pilgrim was gone, he walked up to theBodhisattva with bulging eyes and said to her, “Are you the reinforcementPilgrimSunbroughthere?”TheBodhisattvadidnotreply.Rollingthelanceinhishands,themonsterkingbellowed,“Hey!AreyouthereinforcementPilgrimSunbroughthere?”StilltheBodhisattvadidnotreply.Themonster-spiritliftedhislanceandjabbedattheheartoftheBodhisattva,whoatoncechangedherselfintoabeamofgoldenlightandroseintotheair.Pilgrimfollowedheronherwayupand said toher, “Bodhisattva,youare trying to takeadvantageofme!Themonster-spirit askedyouseveral times.Howcouldyoupretend tobedeafanddumbandnotmakeanynoiseatall?Oneblowofhislance,infact,chasedyouaway,andyouhaveevenleftbehindyourlotusplatform.”“Don’t talk,” said theBodhisattva, “let’s seewhathewilldo.”At this time,

PilgrimandMokṣabothstoodintheairshouldertoshoulderandstareddown;theyfoundthemonster-spiritlaughingscornfullyandsayingtohimself,“Brazenape,you’remistakenaboutme!What sortofpersondoyou think that I,HolyChild, happen to be? For several times you could not prevail againstme, andthenyouhadtogoandfetchsomenamby-pambyBodhisattva.Oneblowofmylance now has made her vanish completely. Moreover, she has even left thetreasurelotusplatformbehind.Well,letmegetupthereandtakeaseat.”Dearmonster-spirit. He imitated the Bodhisattva by sitting in the middle of theplatform with hands and legs folded.When he saw this, Pilgrim said, “Fine!Fine!Fine!Thislotusplatformhasbeengiventosomeoneelse!”“Wukong,”saidtheBodhisattva,“whatareyoumumblingagain?”“Mumbling what? Mumbling what?” replied Pilgrim. “I’m saying that the

lotusplatformhasbeengiventosomeoneelse.Look!It’sunderneathhisthighs.Youthinkhe’sgoingtoreturnittoyou?”“Iwanted him to sit there,” said the Bodhisattva. “Well, he’s smaller than

you,” saidPilgrim, “and it seems that the seat fits him even better than it fitsyou.”“Stoptalking,”saidtheBodhisattva,“andwatchthedharmapower.”Shepointed thewillow twigdownwardandcried, “Withdraw!”All atonce,

flowers and leaves vanished from the lotus platform and the auspiciousluminositydispersedentirely.Themonsterking,yousee,wassittingactuallyonthepointsofthoseswords.TheBodhisattvathengavethiscommandtoMokṣa:

“Use your demon-routing cudgel and strike back and forth at the swordhandles.”Dropping from the clouds,Mokṣawielded his cudgel as if he weredemolishing a wall: he struck at the handles hundreds of times. As for thatmonster-spirit,Bothhislegswerepiercedtillthepointsstuckout;Bloodspoutedinpoolsasfleshandskinweretorn.

Marvelous monster! Look at him! Gritting his teeth to bear the pain, heabandonedthelancesothathecouldusebothhandstotrytopulltheswordsoutfromhisbody.“O Bodhisattva,” said Pilgrim, “that fiendish creature is undaunted by the

pain.He’s still trying topull out the swords.”When theBodhisattva saw this,shesaidtoMokṣa,“Don’tharmhislife.”Shethenpointeddownwardagainwithherwillowtwigandrecitedaspellbeginningwiththeletter,Oṁ.ThoseSwordsofConstellationsallchangedintoinvertedhooks,sharpandcurvedliketheteethofwolves,whichcouldnotbepulledoutatall.Onlythenwasthemonster-spiritovercomebyfear.Holdingontothepointsoftheswords,hepleadedpitifullyinpain, “Bodhisattva, your disciple has eyes but no pupils, and he could notperceive your vast dharma power. I beseech you to bemerciful and sparemylife. I’ll never dare practice violence again. I’m willing to enter the gate ofdharmatoreceiveyourcommandments.”When theBodhisattvaheard thesewords, she loweredhergoldenbeamand

approached the monster-spirit with her two disciples and the white cockatoo.“Areyouwillingtoreceivemycommandments?”sheasked.Noddinghisheadastearsfell,themonsterkingsaid,“Ifyousparemylife,I’mwillingtoreceivethecommandments.”TheBodhisattvaasked,“Youwishtoentermyfold?”“Ifyousparemy life,” replied themonsterking,“I’mwilling toenter thedharmagate.”“Inthatcase,”saidtheBodhisattva,“I’lltouchyourheadandgiveyouthecommandments.”She tookout fromhersleeveagolden razorandapproachedthefiend.Withafewstrokes,sheshavedhishairoffandturneditintothestyleoftheTaiMountainCrowningtheHead:thetopwascompletelybald,butthreetuftsofhairwereleftaroundtheedgesothattheycouldbeknottedtogetherintothreetinybraids.Grinningbroadlyononeside,Pilgrimsaid,“Howunfortunateforthismonster-spirit!Helookslikeneitherboynorgirl!Idon’tknowwhathelooks like!” “Since you have received my commandments,” said theBodhisattva,“Iwon’t treatyou lightly. I’llcallyou theBoySkilled inWealth.How’sthat?”Thefiendnoddedhisheadinagreement,forallhehopedforwasthathis lifebespared.TheBodhisattvapointedwithher fingerandcalledout,“Withdraw!”TheSwordsofConstellationsdroppedtotheground,andtheboy

didnotbearevenasinglescaronhisbody.Then theBodhisattva said, “Hui’an,you take the swordsback toHeaven to

return them to your FatherKing.You needn’t return here tomeetme, but gobacktothePotalakaPeaktowaitformewiththeotherdevas.”Mokṣaobeyedandsent theswordsbacktoHeavenbeforereturningto theSouthSea,andweshallspeaknomoreofhim.Wetellyounowthatthewildnessinthatboyhadnotbeenwhollyremoved.

When he saw that his pains were gone and that his thighs had healed and,moreover, that the hair on his head had beenmade into three tiny braids, hepicked up the lance and said to the Bodhisattva, “You don’t have any truedharmapowertosubdueme!It’sakindofchicanery,that’sall!Iwon’ttakeyourcommandments!Watchthelance!”HelungedatthefaceoftheBodhisattva,andPilgrimwassomadthathewieldedhisironrodandwasabouttostrike.“Don’thithim,”theBodhisattvacried.“Ihavemypunishmentforhim.”Shetookoutfrom her sleeve a golden fillet, saying, “This treasure used to belong to ourBuddha,whogaveittomewhenhesentmetosearchforthescripturepilgriminthe Land of the East. There were three fillets altogether: the Golden, theConstrictive,andtheProhibitive.TheConstrictiveFilletwasgiventoyoufirsttowear,whiletheProhibitiveFilletwasusedtomaketheguardianofmymountainsubmit.9 I have been unwilling to part with this Golden Fillet. Now that thisfiendissoaudacious,I’llgiveittohim.”DearBodhisattva!She took thefilletandwaved itat thewindonce,crying,

“Change!”Itchanged intofivefillets,whichshe threwat thebodyof theboy,crying,“Hit!”Onefilletenvelopedtheboy’shead,whiletherestcaughthistwohandsand two feet. “Standaside,Wukong,” said theBodhisattva, “and letmerecite for a while the Golden-Fillet Spell.” Horrified, Pilgrim said, “OBodhisattva,Iaskedyoutocomehere tosubdueafiend.Whydoyouwant tocastthatspellonme?”“Thisspell,”saidtheBodhisattva,“isnottheTight-FilletSpell, which is the spell cast on you. It is the Golden-Fillet Spell, reservedespecially for that boy.” Greatly relieved, Pilgrim stood to one side of her tolisten to theBodhisattva’s recital.Making themagicsignwithher fingers, shewent through her recitation several times, and themonster-spirit scratched hisearsandclawedathischeeks;hecurledhimselfintoaballandrolledallovertheground.TrulyOnewordcouldreachthewholeregionofsand,Thisdharmapowersovast,boundless,anddeep.

Wedonotknowhowthatboymanagestomakehissubmission;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

FORTY-THREE

AnevildemonatBlackRivercapturesthemonk;TheWesternOcean’sdragonprincecatchestheiguana.

We were telling you about the Bodhisattva, who went through her recitationseveral times before she stopped. As the pain subsided, the monster-spiritcollected himself and sat up to discover that therewere golden fillets claspedtightlyaroundhisneck,hiswrists,andhisankles.Hewantedtotakethemoff,buthecouldnotevenmovethemonewhit.Thetreasure,yousee,hadtakenrootintheflesh,andthemorehetriedtoloosenthefillets,themorepainfullytighttheyfelt.Laughing,Pilgrimsaid,“Darlingboy!TheBodhisattvafearsthatyoucan’t be reared. That’s why she has made you wear a necklace and somebracelets!”Enragedbythisremark,theyouthpickedupthelanceoncemoreandstabbed madly at Pilgrim. Dashing immediately behind the back of theBodhisattva,Pilgrimcried,“Recitethespell!Recitethespell!”TheBodhisattvadippedherwillowtwiginthesweetdewandsprinkleditat

theyouth,crying,“Close!”Lookathim!Hedroppedthelanceallatonce,andhistwohandswerepressedtogethersotightlybeforehischestthathecouldnotmovethemapartatall.Thisisthustheoriginofthe“GuanyinTwist,”apostureassumedbytheattendantoftheBodhisattvawhichyoucanseeinportraitsandpaintingstothisday.Whentheyouthfoundthathecouldnotusehishandsnorcould he pick up the lance, he realized at last how deep and mysterious thedharma powerwas.He had no alternative but to bowhis head in submission.The Bodhisattva then recited somemagic words as she tilted the immaculatevasetooneside;theoceanfulofwaterwasretrievedentirelyandnothalfadropwasleftbehind.ShesaidtoPilgrim,“Wukong,thismonster-spiritisvanquished,buthisunrulinesshasnotbeencompletelyeliminated.Letmemakehimtakeabowwitheachstepof theway—all thewayback to thePotalakaMountain—beforeIcalloffmypower.Goquicklynowintothecavetorescueyourmaster.”Turningtokowtowtoher,Pilgrimsaid,“IthanktheBodhisattvafortakingthetroubleof travelingforsogreatadistance.Yourdiscipleshouldescortyouforpartofthejourney.”“Noneedforthat,”saidtheBodhisattva,“forIdon’twanttojeopardizemaster’slife.”WhenPilgrimheardthesewords,hewasdelightedand kowtowed again to take leave of theBodhisattva. Themonster-spirit thusreturnedtotherightfruit;withfifty-threebows,hemadesubmissiontoGuanyin.WetellyounomoreabouttheBodhisattva’smakingadiscipleoftheyouth.

Instead,wespeakofShaMonk,whosatinthewoodsforalongtimeandwaitedinvainforPilgrimtoappear.Atlast,heputtheluggageonthebackofthehorse,andwithonehandholdingthereinsandtheotherthefiend-routingtreasurestaff,heleftthepineforesttolooktowardthesouth.Momentarily,hefoundahappyPilgrim approaching. Sha Monk went forward to meet him, saying, “ElderBrother,whydidittakeyouuntilnowtoreturnfromyourtriptoseekassistancefrom theBodhisattva? I almost died from the anxiouswaiting!” “You are stilldreaming!” said Pilgrim. “OldMonkey has not only brought the Bodhisattvahere, but she has also subdued the fiend already.” Then he gave a thoroughaccountoftheBodhisattva’sexerciseofherdharmapower,andShaMonkwasexceedinglypleased,saying,“Let’sgothentorescueMaster!”Thetwoofthemleapedacrossthestreamanddasheduptothecaveentrance.

After tyingup thehorse, they lifted theirweapons together andbroke into thecave to exterminate all the fiends. They then lowered the leather bag to freeEightRules.“ElderBrother,”saidIdiotafterhavingthankedPilgrim,“whereisthatmonster-spirit?Letmerakehima few times, just to relievemyfeelings!”Pilgrimsaid, “Let’s findMaster first,”The threeof themwent to the rear andfound theirmaster bound in the courtyard, all naked andweeping. ShaMonkhurriedlyuntiedtheropesandPilgrimbroughtforthclothesforhimtowear.Thethreeofthemthenkneltdownandsaid,“Master,youhavesuffered!”Tripitakathanked them, saying, “Worthy disciples, you’ve worked hard! How did youmanagetosubdue thedemon?”Pilgrimagaingavea thoroughaccountofhowthe Bodhisattva came to make submission of the youth, and when Tripitakaheard this, he quickly knelt down to bow toward the south. Pilgrim said, “Noneedtothankher,forwealsohavebeeninstrumentalinprovidingherwiththeblessing ofmaking submission of a young boy.” This is thus the basis of thestory that we hear even today, about the boy who gave fifty-three bows toGuanyin,1andwhowasgiventhevisionofBuddhaafterthreebows.Thereafter,ShaMonkwastoldtopickupallthetreasuresstoredinthecave,

whiletherestofthedisciplesfoundsomericetopreparefortheirmaster.ThatelderRetainedhislife,AllbecauseoftheGreatSageSun;Andacquiredtruescriptures,HelpedbytheHandsomeMonkey-Spirit.

Masteranddisciples,afterleavingthecave,foundtheirwayagainandheadedsteadfastlytowardtheWest.Theyhadtraveledformorethanamonthwhenallat once the sound of flowing water filled their ears. “O disciples!” criedTripitaka,highlystartled,“whereisthissoundofwatercomingfrom?”“Youold

Master!”saidPilgrim,chuckling,“youaresofullofworries!Therearefourofusaltogether,butonlyyouhappentohearsomesortofwatersound.YouhavequiteforgottenagaintheHeartSūtra.”“TheHeartSūtra,”saidtheTangMonk,“was imparted to me orally by the Crow’s Nest Zen Master of the PagodaMountain.2 It has fifty-four sentences, all in all, two hundred and seventycharacters. Imemorized it at the time and up till now, I have recited it often.WhichsentencedoyouthinkIhaveforgotten?”Pilgrimsaid,“OldMaster,youhaveforgottentheoneabout‘noeye,ear,nose,

tongue,body,ormind.’Thoseofuswhohaveleftthefamilyshouldseenoformwithoureyes,shouldhearnosoundwithourears,shouldsmellnosmellwithour noses, should taste no taste with our tongues; our bodies should have noknowledgeofheatorcold,andourmindsshouldgathernovainthoughts.ThisiscalledtheexterminationoftheSixRobbers.3Butlookatyounow!Thoughyoumay be on your way to seek scriptures, your mind is full of vain thoughts:fearingthedemonsyouareunwillingtoriskyourlife;desiringvegetarianfoodyouarouseyourtongue;lovingfragranceandsweetnessyouprovokeyournose;listening to soundsyoudisturbyourears; lookingat thingsandeventsyou fixyoureyes.Youhave,insum,assembledalltheSixRobberstogether.HowcouldyoupossiblygettotheWesternHeaventoseeBuddha?”WhenTripitakaheardthese words, he fell into silent thought for a long time before he said, “Odisciple!SinceIleftoursagerulerthatyear,I’vemovedmostdiligentlynightandday:Mysandalssweepopenthemountainmists;Mycoirhatburststhroughthesummitclouds.Atnighttheapeswailtomakemesigh;Igrievetohearinmoonlightthebirdcries.WhenwillIendtheworkofDoubleThree4AndacquireTathāgata’swondrousscripts?”

When Pilgrim heard this, he could not refrain from clapping his hands androaringwithlaughter,saying,“SoMasterjustcan’tgetridofhishomesickness!If youwant to complete thework ofDoubleThree, there’s no difficulty! Theproverb says, ‘Success will come when meritorious service is done.’” “ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“ifwehavetofacealltheseevilbarriersandwickedmiasmas,we’llneverfinishourmeritoriousserviceevenafterathousandyears!”ShaMonksaid,“SecondElderBrother,youandIareverymuchalike,andweshouldn’t rubBigBrother thewrongwaywith our foolish tongues and stupidmouths.Justconcentrateoncarryingtheloadsonourbacks;therewillbeadaywhentheserviceiscompleted.”Asmaster and disciples conversed, they proceeded steadily when they saw

beforethemallatonceahugebodyofsurgingblackwaterblockingthepathofthehorse.Standingat the shore, the fourof themstaredat thewater carefullyandtheysawTiersofdensebillows;Layersofturbidwaves;Tiersofdensebillowslikedarksapspilling;Layersofturbidwaveslikeblackoilrolling.Noreflectionappearswhenyouwalknear;Notreesorwoodsyoucanseefromafar.Boiling,anearthfullofink!Rippling,athousandmilesofashes!Likepilesofcharcoalwaterbubblesfloat;Likeo’erturnedcoalsthebreakersundulate.Cattleandsheepwillnotdrinkhere;Crowsandmagpiescannotflyover.Cattleandsheepwon’tdrink,disdainingtheblack;Crowsandmagpiescan’tfly,fearingtheopaque.Onlytheshore’sreedsandrushesknowtheseasons,Andthebank’sflowersandgrassdisplaytheirgreen.Therearelakes,streams,andriversinalltheworld,Andmanybrooksandlagoonsbothgreatandsmall,Whichoneinone’slifemaycomeupon.ButwhohasseentheBlackRiveroftheWest?

Dismounting, the TangMonk said, “Disciples,why is thewater so black?”EightRules said, “Some familiesmust have overturned their dye barrels!” “Ifnot,”saidShaMonk,“ithastobesomeonewashinghisbrushesandink-stones.”Pilgrim said, “Stop speculating and babbling, both of you!We have to find away to getMaster across.” “If old Hogwants to cross this river,” said EightRules, “it’s not difficult: all I need to do is to mount the clouds or tread thewaters,andIshallcrossitinthetimeofameal.”“IfyouaskoldSand,”saidShaMonk,“I,too,needonlytomountthecloudsorridethewaters,andI’llcrossitin no time.”Pilgrim said, “Of course, it’s easy for us, but it’ll be difficult forMaster.” “Disciples,” saidTripitaka, “howwide is the river?” “Approximatelyten miles,” said Eight Rules. Tripitaka said, “You three had better determinewhichofyouwillcarrymeacross.”Pilgrimsaid,“EightRulescandoit.”“No,Ican’t,” saidEightRules. “For if I carryhimonmybackand try tomount theclouds, I can’t even rise three feet from the ground. As the proverb says, ‘Amortalisheavierthanamountain!’IfIcarryhimandtreadwater,hewillpushmedownbelowwithhim.”While master and disciples were having this discussion by the river, they

suddenlysawamanapproachingfromtheupperreachoftheriverandrowingasmallboat.Delighted,theTangMonksaid,“Disciples,wehaveaboat.Askhimtotakeusacross.”Shoutingloudly,ShaMonkcalled,“Boatman,comeandferry

usacrossthisriver.”Themanintheboatsaid,“Idon’thaveaferryboat.Howcould I take you across?” ShaMonk said, “In Heaven or on Earth, the mostimportantthingistoperformdeedsofkindnesstoothers.Thoughyoursmaynotbeaferryboat,wearenotpeoplewhowilloftenbotheryou.WearethesonsofBuddhasentbyimperialcommandinthelandoftheEasttoacquirescriptures.Pleasebekindtousandtakeusacrosstheriver.Youwillhaveourgratitude.”Whenthemanheardthesewords,herowedtheboatneartheshoreand,holdinghisoar,hesaid,“Master,myboatissmallandtherearemanyofyou.HowcouldItakeyouallacross?”When Tripitaka walked closer and took a look, he saw that the boat was

actuallyacanoedugoutofalog,anditshullcouldatmostseatonlytwopersonsbesidestheboatman.“Whatshallwedo?”saidTripitaka.“Withthisboat,”saidSha Monk, “we will have to take two trips.” Always sly and slothful, EightRulesimmediatelysaid,“Wujing,youandBigBrothercanremainheretowatchthe luggageand thehorse.LetmeescortMasterandcrossover first.Then theboatcanreturntotakeyouandthehorse.BigBrothercansimplyleapacross.”Nodding,Pilgrimsaid,“Youareright.”AfterIdiothadhelpedtheTangMonkintotheboat, theboatmanpuntedthe

boat away from shore and began rowing it forward. As they approached themiddleoftheriver,aviolentgustofwindsuddenlyarosewitharoar,whippingupthewavestodarkentheskyandthesun.Marvelouswind!Inmidairabandofdarkcloudsrisesup;Inmidstreamblackwavessurgeathousandtierstall.Atbothbanksflyingsandblotsoutthesun;OnallsidestreesfalltothisHeav’n-shakinghowl.Seasandriverso’erturned,dragongodstakefright;Mudanddirtflownup,plantsandflowersfade.Thewindroarslikethunderintimesofspring,Andgrowlslikeafamishedtigeronandon!Crabs,turtles,shrimps,andfishesbowtheirheads;Fowlandbeasthavealllosttheirnestsandlairs.ThesailorsofFiveLakesarevictimsall;ThehouseholdsofFourSeasallfearfortheirlives.Iffishersinthestreamcan’tlowertheirhooks;Howcouldtheriver’sboatmenpunttheirpoles?Withtilesandbricksupturnedthehousesfall;WithHeavenandEarthshaken,MountTaiquakes.

Thiswind,yousee,wascalledupbythemanrowingtheboat,whohappenedtobeafiendishcreatureinthisBlackRiver.ThedisciplessawwiththeirowneyesthattheTangMonkandZhuEightRules,alongwiththeboat,weresinkingintothewater.Innotimeatall,theyvanishedwithoutatrace.Deeplydismayedontheshore,ShaMonkandPilgrimcried,“Whatshallwe

do?Theoldmasterfacesadversityeverystepoftheway.Hejustescapedfromone demonic ordeal and journeyed safely for a littlewhile before he is in theclutchesagainoftheseblackwaters.”ThenShaMonksaid,“Coulditbethattheboathascapsized?Perhapsweshouldsearchforthemdownstream.”“No,”saidPilgrim,“itcouldn’tbe,foriftheboathadcapsized,EightRuleswithhisaquaticskillscouldeasilyhavepickedupMasterandtrodwater tocarryhimout.Justnow I thought I saw something perverse about that boatman. I suppose thatfellowmust have called up thewind and draggedMaster beneath thewater.”When ShaMonk heard these words, he said, “Elder Brother, why didn’t youspeakupearlier?Youwatchtheluggageandthehorse.Letmegointothewaterto search for them.”Pilgrim said, “The color of thiswater is hardlynormal. Idon’t think you should go in there.” “You think thiswater’smore formidablethanmyFlowing-SandRiver?”askedShaMonk.“Icango!Icango!”Dearmonk!Takingoffhisshirtandhissocks,he lifteduphis fiend-routing

treasurestaffanddoveintothewaveswithasplash.Openingupthewaterbeforehim,hewentforwardinbigstrides.Justashewaswalking,heheardthesoundofsomeonespeaking.ShaMonkstepped tooneside to sneakaglancearoundand he discovered ahead of him a pavilion; across its front doorwerewrittentheselargecharacters:“HengyangRavine,ResidenceoftheBlackRiverGod.”Then he heard the fiendish creature, sitting in the pavilion, say, “I have gonethroughsomehardtimesandonlynowhaveIfoundsomethingnice.Thismonkisagoodmanwhohaspracticedself-cultivationfortenincarnations.IfImanagetoeatapieceofhisflesh,I’llbeamanoflongevitywhonevergrowsold.Ihavewaited for him long enough, and today I have realizedmyhopes.Little ones,bringouttheironcagesquickly.Steamthesetwomonkswhole,whileIpreparean invitation card to be sent to our second uncle. We want to celebrate hisbirthdayforhim.”WhenShaMonkheardthesewords,hecouldnotrestrainthefireleapingup

in his heart. Lifting his treasure staff, he banged madly at the door, crying,“Brazencreature!Sendoutquicklymymaster,theTangMonk,andmybrotherEightRules.”The littledemons standingguard at thedoorwere so frightenedthattheydashedinsidetoreport,“Disaster!”“Whatsortofdisaster?”askedtheold fiend. The little fiends said, “There’s a monk with gloomy complexionoutside.He’sbangingonourdooranddemandingthereturnofsomemonks.”Whenthefiendheardthesewords,heatonceaskedforhisarmor,whichwas

broughtoutbythelittlefiends.Aftertheoldfiendsuitedhimselfupproperly,hetookupinhishandsasteelridingcropwithbamboo-likejoints.5Ashewalkedoutthedoor,helookedmeanandviciousindeed!Yousee

Asquarefaceandroundeyesflashingcolorsbright;Curledlipsandamouthlikeabloodybowl.Afewsparsewhiskerswavelikeironwires;Histemple’sflankedbyhairlikecinnabar.HehastheformofJupiterrevealedAndthefaceofathundergodinrage.Hewearsasuitofironflower-adorned,Agoldhelmetwithjewelsthicklyset.Heholdsthesteelcropwithbamboo-likejoints,Andviolentwindchurnsashewalksalong.Atbirthhewasacreatureofthewaves;Heshedhisorigin.Whatfearsomechange!Youaskforthisfiend’strueidentity:Smalliguana-dragonishisformername.

“Who is beating on my door?” bellowed the fiend. Sha Monk said, “Youignorantbrazen fiend!Howdareyouuseyourpaltrymagicandchange intoaferrymantoabductmymasterherewithyourboat?Returnhimatonce,andI’llspare your life.”The fiend roaredwith laughter and said, “Thismonkdoesn’tcareabouthislife!Yourmasterhasbeencaughtbyme,allright,andnowI’mabouttohavehimsteamedtobeservedtomyinvitedguests.Youcomeuphereandmatch strengthwithme. If you canwithstandme for three rounds, Iwillreturnyourmaster. Ifyoucan’twithstandme,I’llhaveyousteamedandeatenalso. Don’t bother to dream about your going to the Western Heaven!”Maddenedbywhatheheard,ShaMonkbroughtthetreasurestaffdownonthefiend’s head, but the latter raised his steel crop to parry the blow.The two ofthemthusbeganafiercebattleatthebottomoftheriver.Withfiend-routingstaffandcropofbamboojointsTwomen,growingenraged,bothstrovetowin.One,theBlackRiver’sthousand-year-oldfiend;One,aformerimmortalofDivineMists.ThisonelongedtoeatTripitaka’sflesh;ThatonewouldguardtheTangMonk’spiteouslife;Attheriver’sbottomtheymettofight,Eachcravingsuccessandnothingelse.Theyfoughttillpairsofshrimpandfishconcealedthemselves,Tillcrabsandturtlesintwoswithdrewtheirheads.Hearthewater-home’sfiendsallbeattheirdrumsAndmonstersshoutingmadlybeforetheirgate.ThisdearWujing—whatatrueBuddhistpriest—Didshowallalonehisprowessandstrength!WavestossedandchurnedandtheyfoughttoadrawAsthecropmetandtangledwiththestaff.Thinkofit!ItwasallforthemonkofTangWho’dseekscripturesandbowinBuddha’sHeav’n.

The twoof themfought forsome thirty roundsandneitherproved tobe thestronger. ShaMonk thought to himself, “This fiendish creature is indeed my

match.SinceIcannotprevail,Imayaswellenticehimoutofthewaterssothatmyelderbrothercanbeathim.”Makingonefinalfeebleblow,ShaMonkturnedquicklyandranwiththestafftrailingbehindhim.Themonster-spirit,however,didnotgivechaseandsaid instead,“Youmaygo! I’mnotgoing to fightwithyouanymore,forIhavetoprepareacardtoinviteaguest.”Pantingheavily,ShaMonkleapedoutofthewaterandsaidtoPilgrim,“ElderBrother,thiscreatureisunruly!”“Sinceyouweredownthereforquiteawhile,didyoufindoutwhatsortofmonsterheis?”askedPilgrim.“HaveyouseenMaster?”“There’sapaviliondown there,” saidShaMonk,“andacross the topof the

gateoutsidearewrittentheselargecharacters:HengyangRavine,ResidenceoftheBlackRiverGod. Isneakedup to itandheardhimspeaking inside, tellinghislittleonestowashandscrubsomeironcagessothatMasterandEightRulescanbesteamedalive.Healsowantedtoinvitehisuncletocomeforabirthdaycelebration. I got mad and pounded at the door; that was when the fiendishcreaturecameoutwithasteelcropwithbamboo-likejoints.Hefoughtwithmeforthishalfaday,aboutthirtyroundsinall,anditwasadraw.Ifakeddefeat,thinking that I could lure him out here so that you could help me. But thatfiendishcreaturewasquitesmart.Herefusedtochaseme;allhewantedtodowastopreparehiscardtoinvitehisguest.Icamebackupthen.”“Whatsortofamonsterishe?”askedPilgrim.ShaMonkreplied,“Helookslikeabigturtle,orelsehehastobeaniguana.”“Iwonder,”saidPilgrim,“whoishisuncle?”Hardly had he finished speaking when a man emerged from a bend

downstream.Kneelingdownatadistance,hecried,“GreatSage,thewatergodoftheBlackRiverkowtowstoyou.”“Couldyoubethatmonsterwhorowedtheboat,” said Pilgrim, “returning to deceiveme again?”The oldmankowtowedandwept,saying,“GreatSage,I’mnotamonster.I’mthetruegodofthisriver.Itwasthefifthmonthoflastyearduringhightidethatthismonster-spiritarrivedfromtheWesternOcean,andheimmediatelywagedabattleagainstme.Anoldand feeble person like myself could not withstand him, of course, and hetherefore took by forcemy official residence, theHengyangRavine. Since hehadalsotakenthelivesofmanyofmywaterkin,Ihadnochoicebuttofilesuitagainst him in theocean. I didn’t expect that theDragonKingof theWesternOceanwashismaternaluncle,whothrewoutmyplaintandtoldmeinsteadthatI should allow themonster to stay inmy home. Iwanted to go toHeaven tobringcharges,butahumbledeityandminorofficial likemewouldnotgetanaudiencewiththeJadeEmperor.WhenIheardthattheGreatSagehadarrived,Icameespeciallytoseeyou.IbegtheGreatSagetoexerthisgreatpoweronmybehalfandavengemywrongs.”WhenPilgrimheardthesewords,hesaid,“Accordingtowhatyouhavesaid,

theDragonKingof theWesternOcean is definitelyguilty.Now thismonster-spirithasabductedmymasterandmyyoungerbrother,boastingthathewantstohavethemsteamedandservedtohismaternaluncleforhisbirthday.Iwasaboutto try to seize this fiendwhen luckilyyoucame to informme.All right, rivergod,youstayhereandstandguardwithShaMonk.Letmegointotheoceantobring theDragonKing here so that he can capture the creature.” “I’m deeplyindebted to the Great Sage’s kindness,” said the river god. Pilgrim at oncemounted the clouds and went straight to theWestern Ocean. He stopped hissomersaultand,makingthewater-repellentsignwithhisfingers,hedividedthewavesandwalkedrightin.Ashetraveled,heranintoablackfish-spirit,holdingagoldenboxanddartinguplikeanarrowfromthedepthsdownbelow.Pilgrimwhippedouthisironrodandgavehisheadaterrificblow:alas,thebrainsburstoutandthejawbonescrackedopen.Withaswish, thecorpsedrifteduptothewatersurface.WhenPilgrimopenedthebox,hesawaninvitationcardinsideonwhichthismessagewaswritten:Your foolish nephew, Clean Iguana, touches his head to the ground a hundred times to inform you,VenerableMr.Ao,myesteemedSecondUncle.FrequentlyIhaveenjoyedyourgoodlygifts,forwhichIammostgrateful.Ihaverecentlyacquiredtwocreatures,whohappentobemonksfromtheLandoftheEast.Sincetheyareraretreasuresintheworld,yournephewdaresnotenjoythembyhimself.AsIrecallthatUncle’ssacredbirthdayisnear,Ihavespeciallypreparedasmallbanquettowishyoutheadditionofathousandyears.Itismyearnesthopethatyouwillhonoruswithyourpresence.

“This fellow,” saidPilgrimchuckling tohimself, “hashandedovera formalcomplaint first to oldMonkey!”He put the card in his sleeve and proceeded.Soon a yakṣaonpatrol sawhimanddartedquicklyback to theWater-CrystalPalacetomakethereport:“GreatKing,FatherGreatSage,EqualtoHeaven,hasarrived.” TheDragonKingAoshun at once led his water kinsmen out of thepalace to receive his visitor. “Great Sage,” he said, “please enter this smallpalace and take a seat, so that wemay present you with tea.” “I haven’t yetdrunkyourtea,”saidPilgrim,“butyouhavedrunkmywinefirst.”Smiling,theDragonKing said, “Since theGreat Sage hasmade submission in the gate ofBuddha,henolongertouchesmeatorwine.Sincewhenhaveyouinvitedmetodrink?” “You haven’t gone to drink wine,” said Pilgrim, “but you havecommitted a crime of drinking nonetheless.” Greatly startled, Aoshun said,“Whatkindofcrimehasthissmalldragoncommitted?”Takingthecardoutofhissleeve,PilgrimhandeditovertotheDragonKing.WhentheDragonKingreadit,hisspiritlefthimandhissoulfled.Hurriedly

goingtohisknees,hekowtowedandsaid,“GreatSage,pleasepardonme!Thatfellow is theninthchildofmysister.Becausemybrother-in-lawhadmadeanerrorinadministeringwindandrainbynotreleasingtheprescribedamount,theHeavenlyJudgeissuedadecreeandhewasbeheadedbythehumanjudge,Wei

Zheng, during a dream.6 My sister had no place to go and it was your littledragonwhobroughtherhereandhadhercaredfor.Yearbeforelastshediedofillness,but sinceher sondidnothaveahome, I toldhim to stayat theBlackRiver where he could nourish his nature and cultivate the arts of realizedimmortality. I did not expect him to commit such wicked crimes. This littledragonwillsendsomeoneimmediatelytoarresthim.”“Howmanysonsdidyoursisterhave?”askedPilgrim.“Aretheyallmonsters

somewhere?” TheDragonKing said, “My sister has nine sons altogether, buteightof themaregoodones.Thefirst,LittleYellowDragon, lives in theHuaiRiver; the second, Little BlackDragon, lives in the Ji River; the third, Blue-BackedDragon, lives in theYangziRiver; the fourth,Red-WhiskeredDragon,lives in the Yellow River; the fifth, Futile Dragon, strikes the bell for theBuddhistPatriarch; thesixth,Reclining-BeastDragon,guardstheroofbeaminthe palace of the Daoist Patriarch; the seventh, Reverent Dragon, guards theimperial commemorative arches for the Jade Emperor; and the eighth, Sea-SerpentDragon,remainsattheplaceofmyelderbrotherandguardstheTaiyueMountainofShanxiProvince.Theninthson is the IguanaDragon;becauseofhisyouth and lackofofficial appointment, hewas told last year to live in theBlack River to nourish his nature. When he acquired a name, I would havetransferred him to another post. I didn’t anticipate that he would disobeymydecreeandoffendtheGreatSage.”WhenPilgrimheard thesewords,hesmiledandsaid,“Howmanyhusbands

didyoursisterhave?”“Onlyone,”saidAoshun,“andhewastheDragonKingoftheJingRiverwhowasbeheaded.Mysisterlivedhereasawidowanddiedyearbefore last.” “One husband and one wife,” said Pilgrim. “How could theymanagetoproducesomanydifferentkindsofoffspring?”Aoshunsaid,“Thisiswhattheproverbmeanswhenitsaysthat‘Adragonwillproduceninespecies,andeachspeciesisdifferentfromtheothers.’”Pilgrimsaid,“JustnowIwassovexedthatIwasabouttousetheinvitation

cardas evidenceand file suit againstyouat theHeavenlycourt, chargingyouwithconspiracywitha fiendandkidnapping.But according towhatyouhavetoldme, it’s really the fault of that fellowwhodisobeysyour instructions. I’llpardon you this time—for the sake of my relationship with you and yourbrothers,andonaccountofthefactthatthatdragonisyoungandignorantafterall.Andalso,youhavenoknowledgeofthatmatter.Quicklydispatchsomeonetoarresthimandrescuemymaster.We’llthendecidewhattodonext.”Aoshun at once gave this command to the prince, Moang: “Call up

immediately five hundred young soldiers of shrimps and fishes; arrest thatiguanaandbringhimbackhereforindictment.Meanwhile,letuspreparesome

wine and a banquet as our apology to the Great Sage.” “Dragon King,” saidPilgrim,“youneedn’tbesoedgy.ItoldyoujustnowthatIwouldpardonyou.Whybothertopreparewineandfood?Imustgonowwithyourson,forIfearthatMastermaybeharmedandmybrotheriswaitingforme.”Unabletodetainhisguestwithevendesperatepleadings,theolddragonasked

one of his daughters to present tea. Pilgrim drank one cup of the fragrant teawhilestandingupandthentookleaveoftheolddragon.HeandMoangledthetroops from theWesternOcean and soon arrived in theBlackRiver. “WorthyPrince,”saidPilgrim,“takecaretocatchthefiend.I’mgoingashore.”“Havenoworry,GreatSage,”saidMoang.“Thislittledragonwillarresthimandtakehimupherefor theGreatSagetoconvicthimofhiscrime.OnlyafteryourmasterhasbeensentupalsowillIdaretakehimbacktotheoceantoseemyfather.”Verypleased,Pilgrimlefthimandmadethewater-repellentsignwithhisfingersto leapoutof thewaves.Ashereachedtheeasternshore,ShaMonk(wholedtherivergodtomeethim)said,“ElderBrother,youleftbytheairbutwhydidyoureturnfromtheriver?”Pilgrimgaveathoroughaccountofhowheslewthefish-spirit, acquired the invitation card, confronted the Dragon King, and ledtroopsbackwith thedragonprince.ShaMonkwasexceedinglypleased;allofthemthenstoodonthebanktowaittoreceivetheirmaster,andweshallspeaknomoreofthemforthemoment.WetellyounowaboutPrinceMoang,whosentasoldierofhistogobefore

thewater residence andmake this announcement to the fiend: “PrinceMoanghasbeensenthereby theVenerableDragonKingof theWesternOcean.”Thefiendwassittinginsidewhenheheardthisreportandthoughttohimself,“Isenttheblack fish-spirit topresentan invitationcard tomysecondmaternaluncle,andIhaven’treceivedanyanswersince.Whyisitthatmyunclehasnotcome?Why has he sentmy elder cousin instead?”As hewas thus deliberatingwithhimself,alittlefiendsentouttopatroltheriveralsoreturnedtomakethisreport:“GreatKing, there is a regimentof soldiers stationed to thewestofourwaterresidence, and one of the banners has these words clearly written: YoungMarshal Moang, Crown Prince of theWestern Ocean.” “This elder cousin isindeed arrogant,” said the fiend. “I supposemyuncle cannot come, and that’swhy the prince has been sent in his place to attend our banquet. But if he’scoming forabanquet,whybringalongsoldiersandwarriors?Aha! I fear thatthere’sanotherreasonbehindthis.Littleones,bringoutmyarmorandhavemysteelcropready,forIfear thathemayturnviolentsuddenly.Letmegoout toreceivehimandseewhat’shappening.”Havingreceivedthisinstruction,allthelittlefiendsrubbedtheirfiststopreparethemselves.Whentheiguana-dragonwalkedoutofthedoor,hesawthattherewasintruth

aregimentofmarinesoldiersencampedontheright.HesawBannerswithsashesaflutter;Halberdsarrangedinbrightmists;Treasureswordsamassingluster;Longlancestwirlingflowertassels;Curvedbowslikemanynewmoons;Arrowsaswolves’teethstuckup;Scimitarsbigandgleaming;Shortcudgelsbothroughandhard.Seaserpents,oysters,andwhales,Crabs,turtles,fishes,andshrimps—Bigandsmalltheystoodinorder,Theirweaponsdenseandthicklikehemp.Ifthegen’raldidnotcommandit,Who’ddarestepoutoflineonebit?

The iguana fiendwent before the gate of the camp and cried out in a loudvoice,“BigCousin,youryoungerbrotherawaitsyourespectfully.Pleasecomeout.”Asnailonpatrol in thecampwenthurriedly to themiddle tent toreport,“YourHighness, the iguana-dragon is outside calling for you.” Pressing downthegoldenhelmetonhisheadandtighteningthetreasurebeltaroundhiswaist,the prince picked up a three-cornered club7 and ran out of the camp in greatstrides. “Why did you ask me to come out?” he asked. Bowing, the iguana-dragon said, “Your younger brother sent an invitation card to Uncle thismorning.ButIsupposehehasdeclinedmyinvitationandsentyouinstead.IfmyBigCousinishereforthebanquet,whyhaveyoucalledupthetroops?Youdidnotenterthewaterresidencebutyoupitchedcamphereinstead.Andyouevenputonarmorandheldaweapon.Why?”“Whydidyouinviteyouruncletocome?”askedtheprince.Thefiendreplied,“Itwashiskindnesswhichbestowedthisplaceonmeasa

residence,butIhavenotseenhimforalongtimenorhaveIhadanopportunitytoexpressmyfilial loveforhim.YesterdayIhappenedtohavecaughtamonkfromtheLandoftheEastwho,soIhaveheard,possessesanoriginalbodythathaspracticedself-cultivationfor ten incarnations. Ifapersoneatshim,hisagewillbelengthened.IwashopingtoaskVenerableUncletolookthismonkoverbeforeIputhiminanironcageandhavehimsteamedforVenerableUncletocelebratehisbirthday.”“Youare sodim-witted!” shouted theprince. “Whodoyou think thismonk

is?”“HeisamonkfromtheTangcourt,”saidthefiend,“apriestonhiswaytotheWesternHeaventoacquirescriptures.”Theprincesaid,“YouknowonlythatheistheTangMonk,butyoudon’tknowhowformidablehisdisciplesare.”Thefiend said, “Hehas under himamonkwith a long snout,whosename isZhu

EightRules.IhavecaughthimalsoandamabouttohavehimsteamedandeatentogetherwiththeTangMonk.ThereisanotherdiscipleofhisbythenameofShaMonk, a fellow rather dark in color and gloomy in complexion who uses atreasurestaff.Yesterdaythismonkmadeademandinfrontofmydoorfor thereturnofhismaster,butIcalledouttherivertroopstofacehim.Severalblowsfrommysteelcropmadehimfleeforhislife.Idon’tseehowhecouldbecalledformidable!”“You are ignorant!” said the prince. “The Tang Monk still has another

disciple, his eldest, who happens to be the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, agolden immortal of the GreatMonad who did cause great disturbance in theCelestial Palace five hundred years ago. Now he is the guardian of the TangMonkonhiswaytoacquirescripturesintheWesternHeaven,andhisnamehasbeenchangedtoPilgrimSunWukongatthetimeofhisconversionbythegreatandmerciful Bodhisattva Guanyin of the Potalaka Peak. Don’t you have anyother thing todobut tocausesuchagreatdisasteras this? Itwas thatPilgrimSunwhoranintoyourmessengerinourocean;hetookyourinvitationcardandwentstraightintotheWater-CrystalPalace,chargingusfatherandsonwiththecrimes of ‘conspiracy and kidnapping.’You’d better send theTangMonk andEightRulesback to the shoreof the river immediately and return them to theGreatSageSun.Youcanthenrelyonmyapologiestohimtopreserveyourlife.Butifyouutteronlyhalfa‘No,’youmightaswellforgetaboutyourlifeoranyfurtheropportunitytoliveinthisplace!”Whenthefiendheardthisstatement,hegrewterriblyangry,saying,“I’man

intimatefirstcousinofyours.Howcouldyousidewithsomeoneelse?IfIlistentoyou, I’ll have to sendout theTangMonk—just like that!You think there’ssuch an easy thing in thiswholewideworld?Youmay be afraid of that SunWukong,butyouthinkI’mafraidofhim,too?Ifhehasanyability,lethimcometothefrontofmywaterresidenceandfightwithmeforthreerounds.I’llreturnhismasterthen,butifhecan’twithstandme,I’llcapturehimalsoandhavehimsteamedtogetherwithhismaster.Iwon’trecognizeanyrelative,norwillIinviteanymoreguests!I’llshutmydoorandaskmylittleonestosinganddance.I’lltakethehonoredseatabovetoenjoymyself.YoubetI’lleathismother’s!”Whentheprinceheardthis,heopenedhismouthwideandexpostulated,“You

brazendemon!Youaretrulyaudacious!Let’snotasktheGreatSageSuntofaceyou.Do you dare hold a contestwithme?” “If Iwant to be a hero,” said thefiend,“you thinkI’llbeafraidofanycontest?”Heshouted tohis little fiends,“Bringmemyarmor!”Hiscryimmediatelymadethoselittlefiendsonhis leftandrightbringuphisarmorandthesteelcrop.Changingtheircolorsallatonce,the two of them unleashed their strength and gave the order for the drums to

sound on both sides. This battlewas quite different from the previous one inwhichShaMonktookpart.YousawFlagsandbannersluminous;Spearsandhalberdsablaze.Onthatsidethecampswerequicklybroken;Onthissidethedoorswerewidelyopen.PrinceMoangheldhighhisgoldenclub,Metbyfiendiguanawieldinghiscrop.Thecannon’soneboommaderiversoldiersfierce;Threestrokesofthegongarousedmarinetroops.Shrimpsfoughtwithshrimps;Crabsstrovewithcrabs;Thewhaleswallowedtheredcarp;Thebreamdownedtheyellowzhang;8Thesharkdevouredthemulletandthemackerelfled;Therockoystercaughttheclamandthemusselpanicked.Hardlikeanironrodwasthestingray’swhip;Sharplikearazorwastheswordfish’sjaw.Thesturgeonchasedthewhiteeel;Thewhitebaitseizedtheblackpomfret.Ariverfullofwaterfiendstookupthefight;DragontroopsonbothsidesdidjointhefrayAndbrawledforalongtimeasbillowschurned.MightyasIndrawastheprinceMoang,WhowithacrybroughtdownhisgoldenclubAndcaughtthekingofmischief,theiguanafiend.

Holding his three-cornered club, the prince feigned an opening and themonster-spirit, not realizing that it was faked, lunged forward to attack.Sidestepping quickly from his opponent’s charge, the prince brought the clubdownhardonthemonster-spirit’srightarmandknockedhimtotheground.Theprincerusheduptohimandgavehimanotherkickthatsenthimsprawling.Themarine soldiers all surged forward to pin themonster-spirit to the ground; hisarmswerehog-tiedbehindhisbackandhischestbonewaspiercedandboundwithanironchain.HewastakenuptotheshoretoappearbeforePilgrimSun,astheprincesaid,“GreatSage,your littledragonhascaught themonster iguana.LettheGreatSagedecidewhatshallbedonewithhim.”When Pilgrim saw this, he said to the monster-spirit, “You have been

disobedient to what you were told. When your Venerable Uncle gave youpermission to livehere,he intendedforyoutonourishyournature topreserveyourbody.At the timewhenyou acquired aname, hewouldhave transferredyoutoanotherpost.Howdareyouuseforcetooccupytheresidenceofthewatergodandabusethekindnessofyourelders?Howdareyouexerciseyourpaltrymagictodeceivemymasterandmyyoungerbrother?Iwouldliketogiveyouastrokeofmyrod,butthisrodofoldMonkeyisquiteheavy.Oneslighttouchand

your lifewill be finished.Letmeaskyou instead,wherehaveyouplacedmymaster?” Kowtowing without ceasing, the fiend said, “Great Sage, this littleiguana has no knowledge of theGreat Sage’s reputation. Just now, I violatedreasonandmoralitytoresistmyeldercousin,whohadmearrested.NowthatIhaveseenyou,IameternallygratefultotheGreatSageforsparingmylife.Yourmasterisstilltiedupinthewaterresidence.IbegtheGreatSagetoloosenmyironchainanduntiemyhands.Letmegointotheriverandescorthimouthere.”On one side Moang said, “Great Sage, this is a rebellious fiend and mostdevious. If you turn him loose, I fear that hemayplot somethingwicked.” “Iknowhisresidence,”saidShaMonk,“letmegoandfindMaster.”He and the river god at once leaped into the waves andwent to the water

residencedownbelow,where they found thedoorswideopenbutnota singlelittlefiend.Whentheywalkedinsidetoreachthepavilion,theyfoundtheTangMonk and Eight Rules still bound there and completely naked. Sha MonkhurriedlyuntiedhismasterastherivergodloosenedtheropesonEightRules,afterwhichtheyplacedthefreedprisonersontheirbacksanddartedbacktothesurface of the water. When Eight Rules discovered the monster-spirit on theshoreall tiedupwith ropesandchains,he liftedhis rakeandwanted to strikehim,crying,“Youperversebeast!Youstillwant toeatme?”Pilgrimtuggedathim, saying, “Brother, let’s sparehim.Have regard for the feelingsofAoshunand his son.” Bowing,Moang said, “Great Sage, your little dragon dares notlingeranylonger.Sincewehavesucceededinrescuingyourmaster,Imustbringthisfellowbacktoseemyfather.ThoughtheGreatSagehassparedhislife,myfatherwillmostcertainlynotpermithimtogounpunished.Hewilldisposeofhiminsomeway,I’msure,andthenweshallreporttotheGreatSagealongwithourapologiesoncemore.”“Inthatcase,”saidPilgrim,“youmaytakehimandleave.Pleasebowtoyour

HonoredFatherformeandIshallthankhiminpersonanothertime.”Theprinceatonceledthemarinesoldiersandthemonster-spiritintothewater,wheretheyfoundtheirwaydirectlybacktotheGreatWesternOceanandweshallspeaknomoreofthem.WetellyounowabouttherivergodoftheBlackRiver,whogavethanksto

Pilgrim,saying,“IamdeeplyindebtedtotheGreatSagefortherecoveryofmywaterresidence.”TheTangMonksaid,“Disciples,wearestillstrandedontheeastern shore.How shallwe cross this river?”The river god said, “VenerableFather,pleasedonotworryandmountyourhorse.Thishumbledeitywillopenup a path forVenerableFather to cross the river.”Themaster indeed climbedonto the white horse, while Eight Rules held the reins, Sha Monk poled theluggage,andPilgrimtookuptherear.Therivergodthenexercisedhismagicof

blockingthewater;astheupperreachesoftheriverweredammedup,thelowerpartoftheriversoonturneddry,andawideroadwasthuscreated.Masteranddiscipleswalked safely to thewestern shore and, after thanking the river god,theyproceededtohighgroundtosetoutagainontheirway.SoitwasthatWithhelptheChanmonkcouldnowfacetheWest;Withnowavesonearth,theycouldcrossBlackRiver.

WedonotknowhowfinallytheymanagetoseeBuddhaandacquirescriptures;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

FORTY-FOUR

Thedharma-bodyinprimalcyclemeetstheforceofthecart;Themind,rightingmonstrousdeviates,crossesthespine-ridgepass.

Thepoemsays:ToseekscripturesandfreedomtheygototheWest,Anendlesstoilthroughcountlessmountsoffame.Thedaysflybylikedartingharesandcrows;Aspetalsfallandbirdssingtheseasonsgo.Alittledust—theeyerevealsthreethousandworlds;Thepriestlystaff—itsheadhasseenfourhundredisles.Theyfeedonwindandrestondewtoseektheirgoal,1Notknowingwhichdaytheymayallreturn.

WeweretellingyouaboutTripitakaTangandhisdisciples,whofoundthemainroad to theWest. Truly they had to face the wind and brave the snow, to becappedby themoonandcloakedby the stars.They journeyed for a long timeandsoonitwasthetimeofearlyspring.YouseeThecycledreturnoftripleyang;2Theradianceofallthings.ThecycledreturnoftripleyangMakesallHeavensbeguilinglikeapaintedscroll;TheradianceofallthingsMeansflowersspreadbrocadethroughalltheearth.Theplumsfadetoafewspecksofsnow;Thegrainsswellwiththevalleyclouds.Icebreaksgraduallyandmountainstreamsflow;Seedlingssproutcompletelyandunparched.TrulyitisthatTheGodoftheYearridesforth;TheGodoftheWoodstakesadrive.Warmbreezeswaftfloralfragrance;Lightcloudsrenewthelightofthesun.Willowsbythewaysidespreadtheircurvategreen;Therainsgivelife;allthingsbearthelooksofspring.

Asmasteranddisciplestraveledslowlyalongtheroad,enjoyingthesceneryasthey proceeded, they suddenly heard a loud cry that seemed the roar of tenthousandvoices.TripitakaTangwassostartledthatheimmediatelypulledinhisreinsandrefusedtogoforward.Turningback,hesaid,“Wukong,wheredidthat

terribledincomefrom?”“Yes,itsoundedasiftheearthweresplittingapartandthemountainsweretoppling,”saidEightRules.“MorelikethecrackofthunderI’dsay,”saidShaMonk.Tripitakasaid,“Istillthinkit’smenshoutingorhorsesneighing.” With a chuckle, Pilgrim Sun said, “None of you has guessedcorrectly.StophereandletoldMonkeygotakealook.”Dear Pilgrim! He leaped up at once and rose into midair, treading on the

cloudy luminosity. He peered into the distance and discovered amoated city;when he looked more carefully, he saw that it was veiled by auspiciousluminosityafterallandnotbyanybalefulvapor.“Thisisaniceplace,”Pilgrimthought tohimself.“Whyshould therebesuchanear-splittingroar?Therearenobannersorspearsinsightinthecity,andwhatweheardcouldn’tpossiblybetheroarofcannons.Whyisitthenthatwehearthishubbubofmenandhorses?”Ashewasthusthinkingtohimself,alargegroupofmonkscameintohissight:onasandybeachoutsidethecitygatetheyweretryingtopullacartupasteepridge.Astheystrainedandtugged,theycriedoutinunisontocallonthenameof theBodhisattvaKingPowerful forhelp,and thiswas thenoise that startledtheTangMonk.Pilgrimloweredhiscloudgraduallytotakeacloserlook.Aha!Thecartwasloadedwithbricks,tiles,timber,earthclods,andthelike.Theridgewasexceedinglytall,andleadinguptoitwasasmallspine-likepathflankedbytwo perpendicular passes,withwalls like two giant cliffs.How could the cartpossibly be dragged up there? Though it was such a fine warm day that onewouldexpectpeopletodresslightly,whatthemonkshadonwerevirtuallyrags.Theylookeddestituteindeed!Pilgrimthoughttohimself,“Isupposetheymustbetryingtobuildorrepairamonastery,andsincearegionlikethisundoubtedlyyieldsabountifulharvest,itmustbedifficultforthemtofindpart-timelaborers.That’s why these monks themselves have to work so hard.” As he was thusspeculating,hesawtwoyoungDaoistsswaggeroutofthecitygate.“Howweretheydressed?”youask.Starcapscrownedtheirheads;Brocadesdrapedtheirbodies;Luminousstarcapscrownedtheirheads;Colorfulbrocadesdrapedtheirbodies.Cloud-headedboots3helduptheirfeet;Finesilksashestieduptheirwaists.Likefullmoonstheirfaceswerehandsomeandbright;Theyhadthefairformsofjade-Heavengods.

WhenthemonkssawthetwoDaoists,theywereterrified;everyoneofthemredoubledhiseffort topulldesperatelyat thecart.“So, that’s it!”saidPilgrim,comprehendingthesituationallatonce.“ThesemonksmustbeawfullyafraidoftheDaoists,for ifnot,whyshouldtheybetuggingsohardat thecarts?Ihave

heardsomeonesaythatthereisaplaceontheroadtotheWestwhereDaoismisreveredandBuddhismissetfordestruction.Thismustbetheplace.IwouldliketogobackandreportthistoMaster,butIstilldon’tknowthewholetruthandhemightblamemeforbringinghimsurmises,sayingthatevenasmartpersonlikemecan’tbecountedonforareliablereport.LetmegodownthereandquestionthemthoroughlybeforeIgiveMasterananswer.”“Whomwouldhequestion?”youask.DearGreatSage!Heloweredhiscloud

andwithashakeofhistorso,hechangedatthefootofthecityintoamendicantDaoist of theCompleteTruth order,with an exorcist hamper hung on his leftarm.StrikingahollowwoodenfishwithhishandsandchantinglyricsofDaoistthemes,hewalkeduptothetwoDaoistsnearthecitygate.“Masters,”hesaid,bowing, “thishumbleDaoist raiseshishand.”Returninghis salute,oneof theDaoists said, “Sir, where did you come from?” “This disciple,” said Pilgrim,“haswandered to the cornersof the seaand to theedgesofHeaven. I arrivedhere this morning with the sole purpose of collecting subscriptions for goodworks.MayIaskthetwomasterswhichstreetinthiscityisfavorabletowardtheDao,andwhichalleyisinclinedtowardpiety?ThishumbleDaoistwouldliketogo there andbeg for somevegetarian food.”Smiling, theDaoist said, “OSir!Why do you speak in such a disgraceful manner?” “What do you mean bydisgraceful?”askedPilgrim.“Ifyouwant tobeg forvegetarianfood,”said theDaoist, “isn’t thatdisgraceful?”Pilgrimsaid, “Thosewhohave left the familylivebybegging.IfIdidn’tbeg,wherewouldIhavemoneytobuyfood?”Chuckling, the Daoist said, “You’ve come from afar, and you don’t know

anything about our city. In this city of ours, not only the civil and militaryofficialsarefondoftheDao,therichmerchantsandmenofprominencedevotedtopiety,but even theordinarycitizens,youngandold,will bow topresentusoncetheyseeus.Itis,infact,atrivialmatter,hardlyworthmentioning.What’smost importantaboutourcity is thatHisMajesty, theking, isalsofondof theDaoanddevotedtopiety.”“Thishumbleclericisfirstofallquiteyoung,”saidPilgrim, “and second, he is indeed from afar. In truth I’m ignorant of thesituationhere.MayI trouble the twomasters to tellme thenameof thisplaceandgivemeathoroughaccountofhowthekinghascometobesodevotedtothe cause of Dao—for the sake of fraternal feelings among us Daoists?” TheDaoistsaid,“ThiscityhasthenameoftheCartSlowKingdom,andtheruleronthepreciousthroneisarelativeofours.”When Pilgrim heard these words, he broke into loud guffaws, saying, “I

supposethataDaoisthasbecomeking.”“No,”saidtheDaoist.“Whathappenedwasthattwentyyearsago,thisregionhadadrought,soseverethatnotasingledropofrainfellfromtheskyandallgrainsandplantsperished.Thekingandhis

subjects, the rich aswell as the poor—every personwas burning incense andpraying to Heaven for relief. Just when it seemed that nothing else couldpreservetheirlives,threeimmortalssuddenlydescendedfromtheskyandsavedusall.”“Whoweretheseimmortals?”askedPilgrim.“Ourmasters,”saidtheDaoist.“What are their names?” asked Pilgrim. The Daoist replied, “The eldest

masteriscalledtheTiger-StrengthGreatImmortal;thesecondmaster,theDeer-StrengthGreat Immortal;and the thirdmaster,Goat-StrengthGreat Immortal.”“What kinds of magic power do your esteemed teachers possess?” askedPilgrim. The Daoist said, “Summoning the wind and the rain formymasterswouldbe as easy as flippingover one’spalms; theypoint atwater and itwillchangeintooil;theytouchstonesandchangethemintogold,asquicklyasoneturnsover inbed.Withthiskindofmagicpower, theyarethusabletorobthecreative genius of Heaven and Earth, to alter the mysteries of the stars andconstellations.The king and his subjects have such profound respect for themthatallofusDaoistsareclaimedasroyalkin.”Pilgrimsaid,“Thisrulerislucky,allright.Afterall,theproverbsays,‘Magic

movesministers!’Hecertainlycan’tlosetoclaimkinshipwithyouroldmasters,if they possess such powers.Alas! Iwonder if I had even the tiniest spark ofaffinity,suchthatIcouldhaveanaudiencewiththeoldmasters.”Chuckling,theDaoistreplied,“Ifyouwanttoseeourmasters,it’snotdifficultatall.Thetwoofusare theirbosomdisciples.Moreover,ourmastersaresodevoted to theWayandsodeferential to thepious that themerementionof theword‘Dao’wouldbringthemoutofthedoor,fullofwelcome.Ifwetwoweretointroduceyou,wewould need to exert ourselves no more vigorously than to blow away someashes.”Bowingdeeply,Pilgrimsaid,“Iamindebtedtoyouforyourintroduction.Let

usgointothecitythen.”“Let’swaitamoment,”saidoneoftheDaoists.“Yousitherewhilewetwofinishourofficialbusinessfirst.Thenwe’llgowithyou.”Pilgrimsaid,“Thoseofuswhohaveleftthefamilyarewithoutcaresorties;weare completely free. What do you mean by official business?” The Daoistpointedwithhisfingeratthemonksonthebeachandsaid,“Theirworkhappenstobethemeansoflivelihoodforus.Lesttheybecomeindolent,wehavecometocheckthemofftherollbeforewegowithyou.”Smiling,Pilgrimsaid,“Youmustbemistaken,Masters.BuddhistsandDaoistsareallpeoplewhohaveleftthe family. For what reason are they working for our support?Why are theywillingtosubmittoourrollcall?”TheDaoistsaid,“Youhavenoideathatintheyearwhenwewereallpraying

for rain, themonksbowed toBuddhaononesidewhile theDaoistspetitionedthePoleStarontheother,allforthesakeoffindingsomefoodforthecountry.Themonks,however,wereuseless,theiremptychantsofsūtraswhollywithoutefficacy.Assoonasourmastersarrivedonthescene,theysummonedthewindand the rain and the bitter afflictionwas removed from themultitudes. Itwasthen that the court became terribly vexed at themonks, saying that theywerecompletelyineffectiveandthattheydeservedtohavetheirmonasterieswreckedandtheirBuddhaimagesdestroyed.Theirtravelrescriptswererevokedandtheywerenotpermittedtoreturntotheirnativeregions.HisMajestygavethemtousinsteadandtheyweretoserveasbondsmen:theyaretheoneswhotendthefiresinourAbbey,whosweepthegrounds,andwhoguardthegates.Sincewehavesome buildings in the rear that are not completely finished, we have orderedthesemonkshere tohaulbricks, tiles, and timber for theconstruction.But forfear of their mischief, indolence, and unwillingness to pull the cart, we havecometoinvestigateandmaketherollcall.”When Pilgrim heard that, he tugged at the Daoists as tears rolled from his

eyes.“IsaidthatImightnothavethegoodaffinitytoseeyouroldmasters,”hesaid,“andtrueenoughIdon’t.”“Whynot?”askedtheDaoist.“ThishumbleDaoistismakingawidetouroftheworld,”saidPilgrim,“both

for the sake of eking out a living and for finding a relative.” “What sort ofrelative do you have?” asked theDaoist. Pilgrim said, “I have an uncle, whosincehisyouthhadleftthefamilyandshornhishairtobecomeamonk.Becauseof famine some years ago he had to go abroad to beg for alms and hadn’treturned since. As I remembered our ancestral benevolence, I decided that Iwouldmakeaspecialefforttofindhimalongtheway.It’sverylikely,Isuppose,thatheisdetainedhereandcannotgohome.Imustfindhimsomehowandgetto see him before I can go inside the city with you.” “That’s easy,” said theDaoist.“Thetwoofuscansitherewhileyougodowntothebeachtomaketherollcallforus.Thereshouldbefivehundredofthemontheroll.Takealookandseeifyouruncleisamongthem.Ifheis,we’lllethimgoforthesakeofthefactthatyou,too,areafellowDaoist.Thenwe’llgoinsidethecitywithyou.Howaboutthat?”Pilgrim thanked them profusely, andwith a deep bow he took leave of the

Daoists.Strikinguphiswoodenfish,heheadeddowntothebeach,passingthedoublepassesashewalkeddownthenarrowpathfromthesteepridge.Allthosemonkskneltdownatonceandkowtowed,sayinginunison,“Father,wehavenotbeenindolent.Notevenhalfapersonfromthefivehundredismissing—weareallherepullingthecart.”Snickeringtohimself,Pilgrimthought,“ThesemonksmusthavebeenawfullyabusedbytheDaoist.Theyareterrifiedevenwhenthey

seeafakeDaoistlikeme.IfarealDaoistgoesnearthem,theywillprobablydieof fear.”Wavinghishand,Pilgrimsaid, “Getup, anddon’tbe afraid! I’mnotheretoinspectyourwork,I’mheretofindarelative.”Whenthosemonksheardthathewaslookingforarelative,theysurroundedhimonallsides,everyoneofthem stickingout his head and coughing, hoping that hewould be claimed askin.“Whichofusishisrelative?”theyasked.Afterhehadlookedat themforawhile,Pilgrimburstintolaughter.“Father,”saidthemonks,“youdon’tseemtohavefoundyourrelative.Whyareyoulaughinginstead?”Pilgrim said, “You want to know why I’m laughing? I’m laughing at how

immature youmonks are! It was because of your having been born under anunluckystarthatyourparents,forfearofyourbringingmisfortuneuponthemorfornotbringingwithyouadditionalbrothersandsisters, turnedyououtof thefamilyandmadeyoupriests.HowcouldyouthennotfollowtheThreeJewelsand not revere the law of Buddha? Why aren’t you reading the sūtras andchanting the litanies?Whydoyouserve theDaoistsandallowthemtoexploityouasbondsmenandslaves?”“VenerableFather,”saidthemonks,“areyouheretoridiculeus?Youmusthavecomefromabroad,andyouhavenoideaofourplight.” “Indeed I’m from abroad,” said Pilgrim, “and I truly have no idea ofwhatsortofplightyouhave.”Astheybegantoweep,themonkssaid,“Therulerofourcountryiswicked

andpartial.All he cares for are those persons like you,VenerableFather, andthosewhomhehatesareusBuddhists.”“Whyisthat?”askedPilgrim.“Becausethe need for wind and rain,” said one of the monks, “caused three immortalelders to comehere.Theydeceivedour ruler andpersuadedhim to teardownourmonasteries and revoke our travel rescripts, forbidding us to return to ournativeregions.Hewouldnot,moreover,permitustoserveeveninanysecularcapacityexceptasslavesinthehouseholdofthoseimmortalelders.Ouragonyisunbearable! If any Daoist mendicant shows up in this region, they wouldimmediatelyrequestthekingtogranthimanaudienceandahandsomereward;butifamonkappears,regardlessofwhetherheisfromnearbyorafar,hewillbeseizedandsenttobeaservantinthehouseoftheimmortals.”Pilgrimsaid,“Could itbe that thoseDaoistsare truly inpossessionofsome

mighty magic, potent enough to seduce the king? If it’s only a matter ofsummoningthewindandtherain,thenitismerelyatrivialtrickofheterodoxy.How could it sway a ruler’s heart?” The monks said, “They know how tomanipulatecinnabarandrefinelead,tositinmeditationinordertonourishtheirspirits. They point to water and it changes into oil; they touch stones andtransform them intopiecesof gold.Now they are in theprocessofbuilding ahugeabbeyfortheThreePureOnes,4inwhichtheycanperformritestoHeaven

andEarthandreadscripturesnightandday,totheendthatthekingwillremainyouthfulfortenthousandyears.Suchenterpriseundoubtedlypleasestheking.”“Sothat’showitis!”saidPilgrim.“Whydon’tyouallrunawayandbedone

with it?” “Father, we can’t!” said the monks. “Those immortal elders haveobtainedpermissionfromthekingtohaveourportraitspaintedandhungupinall four quarters of the kingdom. Although the territory of this Cart SlowKingdomisquitelarge,thereisapictureofmonksdisplayedinthemarketplaceofeveryvillage,town,county,andprovince.Itbearsontoptheroyalinscriptionthat any official who catches a monk will be elevated three grades, and anyprivatecitizenwhodoes sowill receivea rewardof fifty taelsofwhite silver.That’swhywecanneverescape.Let’snotsaymonks—buteventhosewhohavecuttheirhairshortoraregettingbaldwillfinditdifficulttogetpasttheofficials.They are everywhere, the detectives and the runners!Nomatterwhat you do,yousimplycan’tflee.Wehavenoalternativebuttoremainhereandsuffer.”“Inthatcase,”saidPilgrim,“youmightaswellgiveupanddie.”“Venerable

Father,”saidthemonks,“manyofushavedied.Therewerealtogethersometwothousandmonks caught andbrought here: some six or sevenhundredof themhaveperishedbecausetheycouldnotbearthesufferingandthepersecution,orbecausetheycouldnotendurethecoldoradjusttotheclimate.Anothersevenoreighthundredcommittedsuicide.Onlywefivehundredfailedtodie.”“Whatdoyoumean by that?” asked Pilgrim. Themonks said, “Whenwe tried to hangourselves, the ropes snapped;whenwe tried to cut ourselves, the bladeswereblunt;whenwehurledourselvesintotheriver,wefloatedbackupinstead;andwhen we took poison, nothing happened to us.” Pilgrim said, “You are verylucky!Heavenmustbedesirousofprolongingyourlives!”“Thelastwordisnotquiteright,VenerableFather,”saidthemonks,“forsurelyyoumeanprolongingourtorments!Ourdailymealsarethingruelmadeofthecoarsestgrains,andatnight,wehavenowheretorestbutthisexposedpieceofsandybeach.Whenwecloseoureyes,however,therewillbedeitiesheretoprotectus.”“Youmeanthehardwork during the day,” said Pilgrim, “causes you to see ghosts at night.”“Notghosts,”saidthemonks,“buttheSixGodsofDarknessandtheSixGodsofLight,togetherwiththeGuardiansofMonasteries.Whennightfalls,theywillappeartoprotectusand,infact,preventthosewhowanttodiefromdying.”Pilgrimsaid,“Thesegodsareratherunreasonable.Theyshouldratherletyou

die early so thatyoucould reachHeavenatonce.Whyare theyguardingyoulikethat?”Themonkssaid,“Theytrytocomfortusinourdreams,tellingusnottoseekdeathbuttoendureoursufferingforawhileuntilthearrivaloftheholymonkfromtheGreatTangintheLandoftheEast,thearhatwhoisjourneyingtotheWestern Heaven to acquire scriptures. Under him, we are told, there is a

disciple who is the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, and who has vast magicpowers. He is, moreover, a person of rectitude and kindness, one who willavengetheinjusticesoftheworld,assistthosewhoareneedyandoppressed,andcomforttheorphansandthewidows.Wearetoldtowaitforhisarrival,forhewillrevealhispoweranddestroytheDaoists,sothattheteachingofChanandcompletepovertywillbehonoredoncemore.”WhenPilgrimheardthesewords,hesaidsilentlytohimself,smiling,“Don’tsayoldMonkeyhasnocompetence,Forgodsproclaimearlyhiseminence.”

Turningquicklyandstrikingupagain thewoodenfish,he left themonks toreturntothecitygatetomeettheDaoists.“Sir,”saidtheDaoistsastheygreetedhim,“whichofthemisyourrelative?”“Allfivehundredofthemarerelativesofmine,”saidPilgrim.Laughing,thetwoDaoistssaid,“Howcouldyouhavethatmanyrelatives?”“Onehundredareneighborstomyleft,”saidPilgrim,“andonehundredareneighborstomyright;onehundredbelongtomyfather’sside,andonehundredbelongtomymother’sside.Finally,onehundredhappentobemybond-brothers. If you arewilling to let these five hundred persons go, I’ll bewillingtoenterthecitywithyou.Ifyouarenot,Iwon’tgowithyou.”TheDaoistssaid,“Youmustbealittlecrazy,forallatonceyouarebabbling!

Thesemonkshappentobegiftsfromtheking.Ifwewanttoreleaseevenoneortwoofthem,wewillhavetogofirstbeforeourmasterstoreportthattheyareill.Then,wehave to submit adeathcertificatebeforewecanconsider thematterclosed.Howcouldyouaskus to release themall?Nonsense!Nonsense!Why,nottospeakofthefactthatwewouldbeleftwithoutservantsinourhousehold,buteventhecourtmightbeoffended.Thekingmightsendsomeofficialstolookintotheworkhereorhehimselfmightcometoinvestigate.Howcouldwedareletthemgo?”“Youwon’treleasethem?”saidPilgrim.“No,wewon’t!”saidtheDaoists.Pilgrimaskedthemthreetimesandhisangerflaredup.Whippingouthisironrodfromhisear,hesqueezeditonceinthewindandithadthethicknessof a rice bowl. He tested it with his hand before slamming it down on theDaoists’heads.Howpitiful!ThisoneblowmadeTheirheadscrack,theirbloodsquirts,theirbodiessinklow;Theirskinsplit,theirneckssnap,theirbrainsoutflow!

Thosemonksonthebeach,whentheysawinthedistancethathehadslaintheDaoists, all abandoned the cart and ran toward him, crying, “What disaster!You’vejustkilledroyalkin.”“Whatroyalkin?”askedPilgrim.Themonkshadhimcompletely surrounded, crying, “Theirmasterswouldnotbow to thekingwhentheywalkintocourt,andwhentheywalkout,theyneednottakeleaveof

thelord.HisMajestyaddressesthemconstantlyasMessrs.PreceptorsofState,ElderBrothers.How could you come here and cause such a terrible disaster?Their disciples came out to this place to supervise ourwork and they did notoffendyou.Howcouldyoubeatthemtodeath?Ifthoseimmortaleldersclaimedthatyouwerehereonly tosuperviseour laborand thatwewere theoneswhotooktheirlives,whatwouldhappentous?Wemustgointothecitywithyouandhave you confess your guilt first.” “Stop hollering, all of you,” said Pilgrim,laughing.“IamnomendicantDaoistof theCompleteTruthorder. I’mhere tosaveyou.”“Youhavemurderedtwomen,”saidthemonks,“andwearelikelytobeblamedforit.Lookwhatyouhaveaddedtoourburdens!Howcouldyoubeoursavior?”Pilgrimsaid,“IamPilgrimSunWukong,thediscipleoftheholymonkofthe

Great Tang. I have come especially to save your lives.” “No! No!” cried themonks.“Youcan’tbe,forwecanrecognizethatvenerablefather.”“Youhaven’tevenmet him,” said Pilgrim, “so how could you recognize him?”Themonkssaid,“WehavemetinourdreamsanoldmanwhoidentifiedhimselfastheGoldStarVenus.He toldusoverandoveragainhowPilgrimSunwas supposed tolooksothatwewouldn’tmakeamistakeinidentifyinghim.”“Whatdidhetellyou?”askedPilgrim.Themonkssaid,“HesaidthattheGreatSagehasAbumpybrow,andgoldeneyesflashing;Aroundheadandahairyfacejowl-less;Gapingteeth,pointedmouth,acharactermostsly;Helooksmorestrangethanthundergod.

Usingagolden-hoopedironrod,HeoncebrokeHeaven’sgatesapart.HenowfollowsTruth,protectingamonk,Andsaveshumankindfromdistress.”5

WhenPilgrimheardthesewords,hewasbothpleasedandannoyed;pleased,becausethegodshadspreadwidehisfame,butalsoannoyed,becausethoseoldrogues,hethought,hadrevealedtomortalshisprimalform.Heblurtedoutallatonce,“IndeedallofyoucanseethatIamnotPilgrimSun,butIamadiscipleofhis,justlearninghowtocausesometroubleforfun!Lookoverthere!Isn’tthatPilgrimSunwho is approaching?”He pointed to theEastwith his finger andtrickedthemonksintoturningtheirheads.Astheydidso,herevealedhistrueform,whichthemonksrecognizedimmediately.Everyoneofthemwenttohisknees,saying,“Father,weareoffleshlyeyesandmortalstock,andwefailedtoknow thatyouappeared tous in transformation.WebegFather to avengeourwrongsanddispelourwoesbyenteringthecityquicklyandexterminatingthedemonic ones.” “Follow me,” said Pilgrim, and the monks all followed himclosely.

TheGreatSagewalkedtothebeach.Exertinghismagicpower,heyankedthecart through the two passes and up the spine ridge before picking it up andsmashingit topieces.Hethentossedall thosebricks, tiles,andtimberdownaravine.“Goaway!”hebellowedtothemonks.“Don’tcrowdaroundme.Letmesee the king tomorrow and destroy those Daoists.” “O Father!” said thosemonks.“Wedarenotgoveryfaraway,forwefearthatwemightbecaughtbytheofficials.Thenwewouldbebroughtbackforbeatingsandforransom,andtherewouldbenoend toourwoes.”“In thatcase,”saidPilgrim,“letmegiveyousomemeansofprotection.”DearGreat Sage!He plucked a handful of hairs that he chewed into small

pieces.Toeachofthemonkshegaveapiecewiththeinstruction:“Stickitintothenailofyourfourthfingerandthenmakeafist.Youcanwalkasfarasyouwant.Don’t do anything if no one comes to seize you, but if there should besomeone trying to arrest you, hold your fist up tightly and cry, ‘Great Sage,EqualtoHeaven.’Iwillcomeatoncetoprotectyou.”“Father,”saidthemonks,“ifwewalk too farawayandyoucan’tseeorhearus,whatgoodwill itdo?”“Relax,”saidPilgrim,“forevenifyouaretenthousandmilesaway,Iguaranteethatnothingwillhappentoyou.”Oneofthemonkswhowassomewhatcourageousindeedhelduphisfistand

whispered, “Great Sage, Equal to Heaven.” At once a thunder spirit stood infront of him, holding an iron rod. He looked so formidable that not even athousandcavalrywoulddarechargenearhim.Severalscoresofthemonksmadethe call also, and several scores ofGreat Sages at once appeared. Themonkskowtowed,crying,“Father,trulyanefficaciousmanifestation!”“Whenyouwantit todisappear,”saidPilgrim,“allyouhave tosay is theword, ‘Cease.’”Theycried, “Cease!” and the hairs appeared again in their nails. The monks wereoverjoyed and began to disperse. “Don’t go too far away,” said Pilgrim, “butlistenfornewsofmeinthecity.Ifaproclamationrequestingformonkstoreturntothecityispublished,youmaythenenterthecityandgivemebackmyhairs.”Thosefivehundredmonksthenscatteredinalldirections,andweshallspeaknomoreofthemforthemoment.We tell you now instead about the Tang Monk by the wayside. While he

waitedinvainforPilgrimtocomebackwithareport,hetoldZhuEightRulestolead the horse forward toward the West. As they proceeded, they met somemonkshurryingby,andwhentheydrewnearthecity,theysawPilgrimstandingtherewith a dozen or somonkswho had not dispersed.Reining in his horse,Tripitakasaid,“Wukong,youweresentheretofindoutaboutthestrangenoise.Whydidittakeyousolongandstillyoudidn’treturn?”LeadingthosemonkstobowbeforetheTangMonk’shorse,Pilgrimgaveathoroughaccountofwhathad

happened.Horrified,Tripitakasaid,“Ifthisisthesituation,whatshallwedo?”“Pleasehavenofear,VenerableFather,”said thosemonks.“FatherGreatSageSun is an incarnation of a Heavenly god, and his vast magic powers will nodoubt prevent you from coming to any harm.We are priests of theWisdomDepthMonasteryof thiscity,anedificebuiltby imperialcommandof the lateking,thefatherofthepresentruler.Sincetheimageofthelatekingisstillinsidethemonastery, it hasnotbeen torndownalongwithall theothermonasteries,bigandsmall,of thecity.Letus invite thevenerable father togo into thecityand rest in our humble dwelling.We are certain that theGreat Sage Sunwillknowwhattodobythetimeofthemorningcourttomorrow.”“Whatyousayisquiteright,”saidPilgrim.“Allright!Wemightaswellenterthecityfirst.”Theelderdismountedandwentuptothecitygate.Thesunwassettingasthey

walked across the drawbridge and inside the triple gates.When people on thestreetssawthatpriestsfromtheWisdomDepthMonasteryweretotingluggageand leading a horse, they all drew back and avoided them. Before long theyreachedtheentranceofthemonastery,wheretheysawhanginghighabovethegate a hugeplaqueonwhichwaswritten ingold letters: “TheWisdomDepthMonastery,BuiltbyImperialCommand.”Pushingopenthegates,themonksledthem through theVairocanaHall.They thenopened thedoor to themainhall;theTangMonkdrapedthecassockoverhisbodyandprostratedhimselfbeforethegoldenimage.OnlyafterhehadpaidhomagetoBuddhainthismannerdidhewalkinsidethemainhall.“Hey,youwhoarelookingafterthehouse!”criedthemonks,andanoldpriestemerged.WhenhesawPilgrim,hefellonhiskneesat once and cried, “Father, have you arrived?” “Who am I?” asked Pilgrim.“Whyshouldyouaddressmeandhonormeinthismanner?”“Irecognizeyoutobe the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, the Father Sun,” said the priest. “Everynightwedreamofyou,fortheGoldStarVenusfrequentlyappearstousinourdreams, telling us that we can preserve our lives onlywhen you come to us.Today,Icantellimmediatelythatyouaretheonewhomwesawinourdreams.OFather,I’msogladthatyouhavearrivedintime.Afteroneortwomoredays,we may all become ghosts!” “Please rise! Please rise!” said Pilgrim withlaughter.“Tomorrowyouwillseesomeresults!”Themonksallwenttopreparefor themavegetarianmeal,afterwhich theysweptclean theabbot’s residenceforthepilgrimstorest.Pilgrim,however,wassopreoccupiedthathecouldnotsleepevenbythetime

ofthesecondwatch.Fromsomewherenearbyalsocamethesoundofpipesandgongs,andhebecamesoarousedthatherosequietlyandslippedonhisclothes.Heleapedintomidairtohaveabetterlookandatoncediscoveredthattherewasthebrightglareoflampsandtorchesduesouthofhim.Loweringhiscloud,he

peeredintentlyandfoundthat theDaoistsof theThreePureOnesAbbeyweremakingsupplicationstothestars.HesawThespiritualrealmofatallchamber;Theblessedplaceofamagichall.Thespiritualrealmofatallchamber,AugustlikethefeaturesofMountPenglai;Theblessedplaceofamagichall,ImmaculatelikethePalaceofTransformedJoy.Daoistsonbothsidesplayedtheirstringsandpipes;Mastersatthecenterhelduptheirtabletsofjade.TheyexpoundedtheWoe-DispellingLitany;TheylecturedontheClassicoftheWayandVirtue.Toraisedust6afewtimestheywroteouttheircharms;Tomakethesupplicationtheyprostratedthemselves.WithspellandwatertheysentadispatchAsflamesoftorchesshotuptotheRegionAbove.TheysoughtandquestionedthestarsAsfragrantincenserosethroughtheazuresky.Beforethestandswerefreshofferings;Ontopoftableswerevictualssumptuous.

Onboth sides of the hall’s entrancewas hung a pair of yellow silk scrolls onwhichthefollowingparallelcoupletinlargecharacterswasembroidered:Forwindandrainindueseason,WeinvoketheCelestialWorthies’7boundlesspower.Astheempire’speacefulandprosperous,Mayourlord’sreignexceedtenthousandyears.

There were three old Daoists resplendent in their ritual robes, and Pilgrimthought they had to be the Tiger-Strength, Deer-Strength, and Goat-StrengthImmortals.BelowthemtherewasamotleycrewofsomesevenoreighthundredDaoists;lineduponoppositesides,theywerebeatingdrumsandgongs,offeringincense,andsayingprayers.Secretlypleased,Pilgrimsaidtohimself,“Iwouldliketogodownthereandfoolwiththemabit,butastheproverbsays,Asilkfiberisnothread;Asinglehandcannotclap.

LetmegobackandalertEightRulesandShaMonk.Thenwecan returnandhavesomefun.”Puttinghisauspiciouscloudonadescendingpath,heheadedstraightbackto

theabbot’shall,wherehefoundEightRulesandShaMonkasleepheadtofootinonebed.PilgrimtriedtowakeWujingfirst,andashestirred,ShaMonksaid,“ElderBrother,youaren’tasleepyet?”“Getupnow,”saidPilgrim,“foryouandI are going to enjoyourselves.” “In the dead of night,” saidShaMonk, “howcouldwe enjoyourselveswhenourmouths are dried andour eyeswon’t stay

open?”Pilgrimsaid, “There is indeed in this city anAbbeyof theThreePureOnes.RightnowtheDaoistsintheAbbeyareconductingamass,andtheirmainhall is filledwith all kindsofofferings.Thebuns arebig asbarrels, and theircakes must weigh fifty or sixty pounds each. There are also countless ricecondimentsandfreshfruits.Comewithmeandwe’llgoenjoyourselves!”WhenZhuEightRulesheardinhissleepthattherewereniceedibles,heimmediatelywoke up, saying, “Elder Brother, aren’t you going to take care of me, too?”“Brother,” said Pilgrim, “if you want to eat, don’t make all these noises andwakeupMaster.Justfollowme.”The two of them slipped on their clothes and walked quietly out the door.

They trodon thecloudwithPilgrimand rose into theair.When Idiot saw theflareoflights,hewantedimmediatelytogodowntherehadnotPilgrimpulledhimback.“Don’tbeso impatient,”saidPilgrim.“Wait till theydisperse.Thenwecangodownthere.”EightRulessaid,“Butobviouslytheyarehavingsuchagood time praying. Why would they want to disperse?” “Let me use a littlemagic,”saidPilgrim,“andtheywill.”DearGreatSage!Hemadethemagicsignwithhisfingersandrecitedaspell

beforehedrew inhisbreath facing theground toward the southwest.ThenheblewitoutandatonceaviolentwhirlwindassailedtheThreePureOnesHall,smashingflowervasesandcandlestandsandtearingupalltheex-votoshangingonthefourwalls.Aslightsandtorcheswereallblownout,theDaoistsbecameterrified. Tiger-Strength Immortal said, “Disciples, let’s disperse. Since thisdivine wind has extinguished all our lamps, torches, and incense, each of usshouldretire.Wecanriseearliertomorrowmorningtoreciteafewmorescrollsofscripturesandmakeupforwhatwemisstonight.”ThevariousDaoistsindeedretired.Our Pilgrim, leading Eight Rules and ShaMonk, lowered their clouds and

dasheduptotheThreePureOnesHall.Withoutbotheringtofindoutwhetheritwas raw or cooked, Idiot grabbed one of the cakes and gave it a fierce bite.Pilgrimwhipped out the iron rod and tried to give his hand awhack.Hastilywithdrawinghishandtododgetheblow,EightRulessaid,“Ihaven’tevenfoundoutthetasteyet,andyou’retryingtohitmealready?”“Don’tbesorude,”saidPilgrim.“Let’ssitdownwithpropermannersandthenwemaytreatourselves.”“Aren’t you embarrassed?” asked Eight Rules. “You are stealing food, youknow,andyoustillwantpropermanners!Ifyouwereinvitedhere,whatwouldyoudothen?”Pilgrim said, “Who are these bodhisattvas sitting up there?” “What do you

mean by who are these bodhisattvas?” chuckled Eight Rules. “Can’t yourecognize the Three Pure Ones?” “Which Three Pure Ones?” asked Pilgrim.

“The one in the middle,” said Eight Rules, “is the Celestial Worthy ofCommencement;theoneontheleftistheDaoistLordofNuminousTreasures;andtheoneontherightistheMostHighAgedLord,Laozi.”Pilgrimsaid,“Wehavetotakeontheirappearances.Onlythencanweeatsafelyandcomfortably.”Whenhecaughtholdofthedeliciousfragrancecomingfromtheofferings,Idiotcouldwaitnolonger.Climbingupontothetallplatform,hegavethefigureofLaoziashovewithhissnoutandpushedittothefloor,saying,“Oldfellow,youhave sat here long enough!Now let oldHog take your place for awhile!” SoEightRuleschangedhimselfintoLaozi,whilePilgrimtookontheappearanceoftheCelestialWorthyofCommencementandShaMonkbecametheDaoistLordofNuminousTreasures.Alltheoriginalimageswerepusheddowntothefloor.Themoment theysatdown,EightRulesbegan togorgehimselfwith thehugebuns.“Couldyouwaitonemoment?”saidPilgrim.“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“wehavechangedintotheirforms.Whywaitanylonger?”“Brother,”saidPilgrim,“it’sasmallthingtoeat,butgivingourselvesawayis

nosmallmatter!TheseholyimageswepushedonthefloorcouldbefoundbythoseDaoistswhohad to rise early to strike thebell or sweep thegrounds. Iftheystumbledoverthem,wouldn’toursecretberevealed?Whydon’tyouseeifyoucanhidethemsomewhere?”EightRulessaid,“Thisisanunfamiliarplace,andIdon’tevenknowwheretobegintolookforahidingspot.”“Justnowwhenweenteredthehall,”Pilgrimsaid,“Ichancedtonoticealittledooronourright.Judgingfromthefoulstenchcomingthroughit,I thinkitmustbeaBureauofFive-GrainTransmigration.Sendtheminthere.”Idiot, in truth, was rather good at crude labor! He leaped down, threw the

threeimagesoverhisshoulder,andcarriedthemoutofthehall.Whenhekickedopenthedoor,hefoundahugeprivyinside.Chucklingtohimselfhesaid,“ThisBanHorsePlague truly has a way with words! He even bestows on a privy asacred title! The Bureau of Five-Grain Transmigration, what a name!” Stillhaulingtheimagesonhisshoulders,Idiotbegantomumblethisprayertothem:“OPureOnesThree,I’llconfideinthee:Fromafarwecame,Staunchfoesofbogies.We’dlikeatreat,Butnowhere’scozy.WeborrowyourseatsForawhileonly.You’vesattoolong,Nowjointheprivy.Intimespastyou’veenjoyedcountlessgoodthingsBybeingpureandcleanDaoists.Todayyoucan’tavoidfacingsomethingdirty

WhenyoubecomeCelestialWorthiesMostSmelly!”

Afterhehadmadehis supplication,he threw them insidewitha splashandhalfofhisrobewassoiledbythemuck.Ashewalkedbackintothehall,Pilgrimsaid,“Didyouhidethemwell?”“Wellenough,”saidEightRules,“butsomeofthefilthstainedmyrobe.Itstillstinks.Ihopeitwon’tmakeyouretch.”“Nevermind,”saidPilgrim,laughing,“youjustcomeandenjoyyourself.Iwonderifwecould all make a clean getaway!” After Idiot changed back into the form ofLaozi, the three of them took their seats and abandoned themselves toenjoyment.Theyatethehugebunsfist;thentheygobbleddownthesidedishes,the ricecondiments, thedumplings, thebakedgoods, thecakes, thedeep-frieddishes,andthesteamedpastries—regardlessofwhetherthesewerehotorcold.PilgrimSun,however,wasnot toofondofanythingcooked;allhehadwereafewpiecesoffruit,justtokeeptheothertwocompany.MeanwhileEightRulesandShaMonkwentaftertheofferingslikecometschasingthemoon,likewindmopping up the clouds! In no time at all, the foodwas completely devoured.Whentherewasnothing left for themtoeat, insteadof leaving, theyremainedseatedtheretochatandwaitforthefoodtodigest.Alas!Thiswaswhathadtohappen!Therewas,yousee,intheeastcorridora

youngDaoist,who,justwhenhehadlaindown,scrambledupagainallatoncewhen he thought to himself, “I left my handbell in the hall. If I lost it, themasterswouldrebukemetomorrow.”Hesaidtohiscompanion,“Yousleepfirst.I’vegot togofindsomething.”Withoutevenputtingonhisundergarments,hethrewashirtonhimselfandwenttothemainhalltosearchforhisbell.Gropingthiswayandthatinthedarkness,hefinallyfoundit.Ashewasturningtoleave,hesuddenlyheardsoundsofbreathing.Terriblyfrightened,theDaoistbegantorushoutof thehall,andashedidso,hesteppedona lycheeseed,whichsenthimcrashingtothefloorandthebellwassmashedtopieces.Unabletorestrainhimself,ZhuEightRulesburstintoroarsoflaughter,frighteningthelittleDaoistout of hiswits. He scrambled up only to fall down oncemore; stumbling allover,hemanagedtoreachthemasterresidence.“Grand-Masters,” he screamed as he pounded on the door, “It’s terrible!

Disaster!”ThethreeoldDaoistshadnotyetfallenasleep.Theyopenedthedoorto ask, “What disaster?” Trembling all over, the young Daoist said, “Yourdiscipleleftbehindhishandbell,andhewenttothemainhalltosearchforit.Iheard someone roaring with laughter, and it almost frightened me to death.”WhentheoldDaoistsheardthesewords,theycried,“Bringsomelight.Let’sseewhatkindofperversecreature is around.”TheDaoists sleepingalong the twocorridors,oldandyoung,wereallaroused,andtheyatoncescrambleduptothemain hallwith lamps and torches.We do not knowwhatwas the result; let’s

listentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

FORTY-FIVE

AttheThreePureOnesAbbeytheGreatSageleaveshisname;AttheCartSlowKingdomtheMonkeyKingshowshispower.

WenowtellyouabouttheGreatSageSun,whousedhislefthandtogiveShaMonk a pinch, and his right to give Zhu Eight Rules a pinch. Immediatelyunderstandingwhathemeant, the twoof themfell silentandsatwith loweredfacesontheirhighseats.TheyallowedthoseDaoiststoexaminethembackandfrontwithupliftedlampsandtorches,butthethreeofthemseemednomorethanidolsmadeofclayandadornedwithgold.“There are no thieves around,” said theTiger-Strength Immortal, “but then,

whyarealltheofferingseaten?”“It definitely looks as if humans have eaten them,” said the Deer-Strength

Immortal.“Lookhowthefruitsareskinnedandtheirstonesspatout.Whyisitthatwedon’tseeanyhumanform?”“Don’tbetoosuspicious,ElderBrothers,”saidtheGoat-StrengthImmortal.“I

think thatourpietyandsincerityof recitingscripturesandsayingprayersherenight and day, all in the name of the court, must have aroused the CelestialWorthies.TheVenerableFathersoftheThreePureOnes,Isuppose,musthavedescendedtoearthandconsumedtheseofferings.Whydon’twetakeadvantageof the fact that their holy train and crane carriages are still here and makesupplicationtotheCelestialWorthies?WeshouldbegforsomegoldenelixirandholywaterwithwhichwemaypresentHisMajesty.Wouldn’thislonglifeandperpetualyouthbeinfactourmerit?”“Youareright,”saidtheTiger-StrengthImmortal.“Disciples,startthemusic

andrecitethescriptures.Bringusourritualrobes.Letmetreadthestarstomakeour supplication.” Those little Daoists all obeyed and lined themselves up onbothsides.Atthesoundofthegong,theyallrecitedinunisonthescrollofTrueScriptures of the YellowCourt.After having put on his ritual robe, the Tiger-StrengthImmortalheldhighhis jade tabletandbegantokickup thedustwithdancing.Intermittentlyhewouldfall tothegroundandprostratehimself.Thenheintonedthispetition:“Infearanddread,

Webowmosthumbly.TostirupourfaithWeseekPurity.VilepriestswequellTohonortheWay.ThishallwebuildThekingtoobey.Dragonflagsweraise,Andoff’ringsdisplay;Torchesbynight,Incensebyday.OnethoughtsincereDothHeavensway.ChariotsdivineNowcometostay.Grantuntoussomeelixirandholywater,WhichwemaygivetoHisMajestyThathemaygainlongevity.”

WhenEightRulesheardthesewords,hewasfilledwithapprehension.“Thisisourfault!We’veeatenthegoodsandshouldbeonourway.Now,howshallweanswersuchsupplication?”Pilgrimgavehimanotherpinchbeforesuddenlyopening his mouth and speaking out loud, “You immortals of a youngergeneration,pleasestopyourrecitation.WehavejustreturnedfromtheFestivalofImmortalPeaches,andwehavenotbroughtalonganygoldenelixirorholywater. In another day we shall come to bestow them on you.” When thoseDaoists,oldandyoung,heardthattheimagehadactuallyspoken,everyoneofthemtrembledviolentlytilleventheirgarmentsquaked.“OFathers!”theycried,“thelivingCelestialWorthieshavedescendedtoearth.Wemustnotletthemgo.Wemustinsistontheirgivingussomesortofmagicformulaforeternalyouth.”ThentheDeer-StrengthImmortalwentforwardalsotoprostratehimselfand

intonethissupplication:“Ourheadstothedust,Weprayearnestly.YoursubjectssubmitTothePureOnesThree.Sincewecamehere,TheWaywassetfree.ThekingispleasedToseeklongevity.ThisHeavenlyMassChantsscripturesnightly.WethanktheCelestialWorthiesForrevealingtheirpresenceholy.Ohearourprayers!Weseekyourglory!Doleavesomeholywaterbehind,Thatyourdiscipleslonglifemayfind!”

ShaMonkgavePilgrimapinchandwhisperedfiercely,“ElderBrother!Theyare at it again! Just listen to the prayer!” “All right,” said Pilgrim, “let’s givethemsomething.”“Wherecouldwefindit?”mutteredEightRules.“Justwatchme,”saidPilgrim,“andwhenyousee that Ihave it,you’llhave it too!”AfterthoseDaoistshadfinishedtheirmusicandtheirprayers,Pilgrimagainspokeoutloud,“Youimmortalsofayoungergeneration,there’snoneedforyourbowingandprayinganylonger.Iamratherreluctanttoleaveyousomeholywater,butIfear thenthatourposteritywilldieout.IfIgaveyousome,however, itwouldseem to be too easy a boon.”When thoseDaoists heard thesewords, they allprostrated themselves and kowtowed. “We beseech the Celestial Worthies tohaveregardforthereverenceofyourdisciples,”theycried,“andwebegyoutoleave us some.We shall proclaim far and near theWay andVirtue.We shallmemorializetothekingtogiveaddedhonorstotheGateofMystery.”“Inthatcase,”saidPilgrim,“bringussomevessels.”TheDaoistsalltouchedtheirheadsto theground togive thanks.Being thegreediest, theTiger-Strength Immortalhauled inahugecisternandplaced it in thehall.TheDeer-Strength Immortalfetchedanearthenwaregardenvaseandputitontopoftheofferingtable.TheGoat-StrengthImmortalpulledouttheflowersfromaflowerpotandplaceditinthemiddleoftheothertwovessels.ThenPilgrimsaidtothem,“Nowleavethehall and close the shutters so that theHeavenlymysterieswill not be seen byprofaneeyes.Weshallleaveyousomeholywater.”TheDaoistsretreatedfromthehallandclosedthedoors,afterwhichtheyallprostratedthemselvesbeforethevermilionsteps.Pilgrimstoodupatonceand,liftinguphistiger-skinkilt,filledtheflowerpot

withhisstinkingurine.Delightedbywhathesaw,ZhuEightRulessaid,“ElderBrother,youandIhavebeenbrothersthesefewyearsbutwehaveneverhadfunlikethisbefore.SinceIgorgedmyselfjustnow,Ihavebeenfeelingtheurgetodothis.”Liftinguphisclothes,ourIdiotletloosesuchatorrentthatitsoundedasiftheLüliangCascade1hadcrashedontosomewoodenboards!Hepissedtillhefilledthewholegardenvase.ShaMonk,too,leftbehindhalfacistern.Theythen straightened their clothes and resumed their seats solemnly before theycalledout,“Littleones,receiveyourholywater.”Pushingopentheshutters,thoseDaoistskowtowedrepeatedlytogivethanks.

Theycarriedthecisternoutfirst,andthentheypouredthecontentsof thevaseandthepotintothebiggervessel,mixingtheliquidstogether.“Disciples,”saidthe Tiger-Strength Immortal, “bring me a cup so that I can have a taste.” AyoungDaoistimmediatelyfetchedateacupandhandedittotheoldDaoist.Afterbailingoutacupof itandgulpingdownahugemouthful, theoldDaoistkeptwipinghismouthandpuckeringhislips.“ElderBrother,”saidtheDeer-Strength

Immortal,“isitgood?”“Notverygood,”saidtheoldDaoist,hislipsstillpouted,“the flavor is quite potent!” “Let me try it also,” said the Goat-StrengthImmortal, and he, too, downed a mouthful. Immediately he said, “It smellssomewhat like hog urine!” Sitting high above them and hearing this remark,Pilgrimknewthathecouldnolongerfoolthem.Hethoughttohimself,“Imightaswelldisplaymyabilities and leave themournames too.”Hecriedout in aloudvoice,“ODaoists,Daoists,Youaresosilly!WhichThreePureOnesWouldbesoworldly?LetourtruenamesBetoldmostclearly.MonksoftheGreatTangGoWestbydecree.WecometoyourplaceThisfinenightcarefree.Yourofferingseaten,Wesitandplay.YourbowsandgreetingsHowcouldwerepay?Thatwasnoholywateryoudrank.’Twasonlytheurinewepissedthatstank!”

The moment the Daoists heard this, they barred the door. Picking uppitchforks, rakes, brooms, tiles, rocks, andwhatever else they could put theirhandson, theysent thesehurtling inside themainhall toattack the impostors.DearPilgrim!UsinghislefthandtocatchholdofShaMonkandhisrighttotakehold of Eight Rules, he crashed out of the door and mounted the cloudyluminosity to go straight back to the Wisdom Depth Monastery. When theyarrivedattheabbot’sresidence,theydarednotdisturbtheirmaster;eachwenttobedquietlyandsleptuntil the thirdquarterof the fifthwatch.At that time,ofcourse, thekingbegan toholdhismorningcourt,where tworowsofcivilandmilitaryofficials—somefourhundredofthem—stoodatattention.YouseeBrightlampsandtorchesmidstpurplegauze;Fragrantcloudsrisingfromtreasuretripods.

AssoonasTripitakaTangwokeup,hesaid,“Disciples,helpmetogoandhaveourtravelrescriptcertified.”Risingquickly,Pilgrim,ShaMonk,andEightRulesslippedontheirclothesandstoodtoonesidetowaitontheirmaster.Theysaid,“LetitbeknowntoourmasterthatthiskingtrulybelievesonlytheDaoistsandiseagertoexalttheWayandtoexterminatetheBuddhists.Wefearthatanyill-spokenwordmay cause him to refuse to certify our rescript. Let us thereforeaccompanyMastertoenterthecourt.”

Highlypleased,theTangMonkdrapedthebrocadedcassockonhimselfwhilePilgrimtookoutthetravelrescript;WujingwastoldtoholdthealmsbowlandWunengtotakeupthepriestlystaff.Theluggageandthehorsewereplacedinthe careof themonksof theWisdomDepthMonastery.Theywentbefore theFive-Phoenix Tower and saluted the Custodian of the Yellow Gate. Havingidentified themselves, theydeclared that theywere scripturepilgrims from theGreat Tang in the Land of the East, who wished to have their travel rescriptcertified andwould therefore like the custodian to announce their arrival.Theofficial of the gate went at once into court and prostrated himself before thegoldenstepstomemorializetotheking,saying,“TherearefourBuddhistmonksoutsidewho claim that they are scripture pilgrims from theGreatTang in theLandoftheEast.Theywishtohavetheirtravelrescriptcertified,andtheynowawaitYourMajesty’sdecreebeforetheFive-PhoenixTower.”Whenthekingheardthis,hesaid,“Thesemonkshavenowheretocourtdeath

and,ofallplaces,theyhavetodoithere!Whydidn’tourconstablesarrestthemat once and bring them here?” A Grand Preceptor before the throne steppedforwardandsaid,“TheGreatTangintheLandoftheEastislocatedintheSouthJambūdvīpaContinent; it’s thegreatnationofChina, some ten thousandmilesfromhere.As theway is infestedwithmonstersandfiends, thesemonksmusthaveconsiderablemagicpowersortheywouldnotdareundertakethiswestwardjourney.IimploreYourMajestytoinvitetheminandcertifytheirrescriptsothattheymayproceed,forthesakeofthefactthattheyarethedistantmonksfromChinaandforthesakeofnotdestroyinganygoodlyaffinity.”Thekinggavehisconsentandsummoned theTangMonkandhis followers

beforetheHallofGoldenChimes.Aftermasteranddisciplesarrivedbeforethesteps,theypresentedtherescripttotheking.Thekingopenedthedocumentandwas about to read it, when the Custodian of the Yellow Gate appeared toannounce, “The three Preceptors of State have arrived.” The king was soflustered thatheputaway the rescripthurriedlyand left thedragonseat.Afterhavingorderedhisattendantstosetoutsomeembroideredcushions,hebenthisbodytoreceivehisvisitors.WhenTripitakaandhisfollowersturnedaroundtolook, they saw those three great immortals swagger in, followed by a youngacolytewithtwotousledpigtails.Notdaringeventolifttheireyes,thetworowsofofficialsallboweddeeplyastheywalkedby.AftertheyascendedtheHallofGoldenChimes,theydidnotevenbothertosalutetheking.“StatePreceptors,”saidtheking,“wehavenotinvitedyou.Howisitthatyou

arepleasedtovisitustoday?”“Wehavesomethingtotellyou,”saidoneoftheoldDaoists,“andthat’swhywe’rehere.Thosefourmonksdownthere,wheredotheycomefrom?”Thekingsaid,“TheyweresentbytheGreatTangintheLand

oftheEasttofetchscriptures,andtheypresentedthemselvesheretohavetheirtravel rescript certified.”Clapping theirhands together, the threeDaoistsburstout laughing and said, “We thought they had fled. So they are still here!”Somewhat startled, the king said, “What do youmean, Preceptors?Whenwefirstheardoftheirarrival,wewantedtoarrestthemandsendthemtoserveyou,hadnotourGrandPreceptorondutyintervenedandpresentedamostreasonablememorial. Since we had regard for the fact that they had traveled a greatdistance,andsincewedidnotwishtodestroyourgoodlyaffinitywithChina,wesummonedtheminheretoverifytheirrescript.Wedidnotexpectyoutoraiseanyquestionaboutthem.Coulditbethattheyhaveoffendedyouinsomeway?”“YourMajestywouldn’tknowaboutthis,”saidoneoftheDaoists,chuckling.

“Hardlyhadtheyarrivedyesterdaywhentheyslewtwoofourdisciplesoutsidetheeasterngate.ThefivehundredBuddhistprisonerswereallreleasedandthecartwas smashed to pieces.As if thatweren’t enough, they sneaked into ourtemple last night, vandalized the holy images of the Three Pure Ones, anddevoured all the imperial offerings.Wewere fooled by them at first, thinkingthat the Celestial Worthies had descended to Earth. We therefore even askedthemtogiveussomegoldenelixirandholywaterwithwhichwemightpresentYour Majesty, so that you would be blessed with eternal youth. We hardlyexpected that theywould trick us by leaving us their urine.We found out allright,aftereachofushadtastedamouthful!Justwhenwewereabouttoseizethem,theymanagedtoescape.Wedidn’tthinkthattheywoulddareremainheretoday.Astheproverbsays,‘Theroadforfatedenemiesisnarrowindeed’!”Whenthekingheardthis,hebecamesoiratethathewouldhavehadthefour

priestsexecutedatonce.Pressinghispalmstogether, theGreatSageSuncriedoutinaloudvoice,saying,“YourMajesty,letyourthunderlikewrathsubsideforthemomentandpermit thismonktopresenthismemorial.”“YouoffendedtheStatePreceptors!”saidtheking.“Doyoudareimplythattheirwordsmightbeerroneous?”Pilgrimsaid,“Heclaimedthatyesterdayweslaughteredtwoofhisdisciples outside the city. But who could be a witness? Even if we were toconfesstothiscrime,andthatwouldbeagrossinjustice,onlytwoofusneedbeaskedtopaywithourlives,andtwoofusshouldbereleasedsothatwemightproceedtoacquirethescriptures.HeclaimedfurtherthatwewreckedtheircartandreleasedtheirBuddhistprisoners.Again,thereisnowitness,andmoreover,thisishardlyamortaloffenseandonlyoneofusshouldbepunishedforthisifitweretrue.Finally,hechargeduswithvandalizingtheimagesoftheThreePureOnesandcausingdisturbanceintheirtemple.Thisisclearlyatraptheysetforus.”“Howcouldyousaythatit’satrap?”askedtheking.“Wemonks are from the Land of the East,” said Pilgrim, “and we’ve just

arrivedinthisregion.Wecan’teventellonestreetfromanother.Howcouldweknowabout theaffairsof their temple,andatnightno less? Ifwecould leavethemoururine,theyshouldhavebeenabletoarrestusrightthenandthere.Whydidtheywaituntilthismorningtoaccuseus?Inthiswholewideworld,therearecountlesspeoplewhousefalseidentities.Howcouldtheyknowforcertainthatweareguilty?IbegYourMajestytowithholdyourangerandmakeathoroughinvestigation.”Theking,afterall,hadalwaysbeenrathermuddle-headed.WhenheheardthislengthyspeechbyPilgrim,hebecamemoreconfusedthanever.Just then, the Custodian of the Yellow Gate again came to make this

announcement: “YourMajesty, there are outside the gate many village elderswhoawaityoursummons.”“Forwhatreason?”askedtheking.Heorderedthembrought in, and thirty or forty village elders came before the hall. “YourMajesty,”theysaidastheykowtowed,“therehasbeennorainthisyearfortheentirespring,andwefear that therewillbeafamineif it remainsdrylikethisthrough summer. We have come especially to request that one of the HolyFathers, thePreceptorsofState, pray for sweet rain thatwill succor the entirepopulation.” The king said, “Let the village elders withdraw. Rain will beforthcoming.”Thevillageeldersgavethanksandleft.Thenthekingsaid,“You,priestsoftheTangcourt,whydoyouthinkthatwe

honortheDaoandseektodestroyBuddhism?Itwasbecauseinyearspast,themonks of this dynasty attempted to pray for rain, and they could not produceeven a single drop. It was our good fortune that these Preceptors of StatedescendedfromHeavenandsavedusfromourbitteraffliction.Nowallofyouhaveoffended thePreceptorsofStateno sooner thanyouarrived fromagreatdistance,andyoushouldbecondemned.Weshallpardonyoufor themoment,however,andaskwhetheryoudaretohavearainmakingcompetitionwithourPreceptors. If yourprayers couldbringus the rain to assuage theneedsof thepeople,wewouldpardonyou,certifyyourrescript,andpermityoutojourneytotheWest. Ifyoufail inyourcompetitionandnoraincomes,allofyouwillbetaken to the block and beheaded publicly.”With a laugh, Pilgrim said, “Thislittlepriesthassomeknowledgeofprayers,too!”Whenthekingheardthis,heatonceaskedforanaltartobebuilt.Meanwhile,

healsogavethecommandthathiscarriagebebroughtout.“Wewantpersonallyto ascend theFive-PhoenixTower towatch,”he said.Manyofficials followedthecarriageupthetowerandthekingtookhisseat.TripitakaTang,followedbyPilgrim,ShaMonk,andEightRules, stoodatattentiondownbelow,while thethreeDaoistsalsoaccompaniedthekingandtooktheirseatsonthetower.Inalittlewhile,anofficialcameridingwiththereport,“Thealtarisready.LetoneoftheFatherPreceptorsofStateascendit.”

Bowingwithhishands foldedbeforehim, theTiger-Strength Immortal tookleave of the king andwalked down the tower. “Sir,” said Pilgrim, barring hisway, “where areyougoing?” “Toascend the altar andpray for rain,” said theGreat Immortal. “You do have a sense of self-importance,” said Pilgrim,“absolutelyunwillingtodefertousmonkswhohavecomefromagreatdistance.All right!As the proverb says, ‘Even a strong dragon is nomatch for a localworm!’ But if the master insists on proceeding first, then he must make astatement first before the king.” “What statement?” asked theGreat Immortal.Pilgrimsaid,“BothyouandIaresupposedtoascendthealtartoprayforrain.When it comes, how could anyone tell whether it’s your rain or mine?Whocould tell whose merit it is?”When the king above them heard this, he wassecretlypleasedandsaid,“Thewordsofthislittlepriestarequitegutsy!”WhenSha Monk heard this, he said to himself, smiling, “You don’t know that hisstomach’sfullofgutsiness!Hehasn’tshownmuchofityet!”TheGreatImmortalsaid,“There’snoneedformetomakeanystatement.His

MajestyisquitefamiliarwithwhatIamabouttodo.”“Hemayknowit,”saidPilgrim,“butIamamonkwhocamefromadistantregion.IhavenevermetyouandI’mnot familiarwithwhatyouareabout todo. Idon’twantus toendupaccusingeachotherlater,forthatwouldn’tbegoodbusiness.Wemustsettlethisfirst beforewe act.” “All right,” said theGreat Immortal, “when I ascend thealtar, I shallusemy ritual tablet as a sign.When Ibang it loudlyon the tableonce,windwillcome;thesecondtime,cloudswillgather;thethirdtime,therewill be lightning and thunder; the fourth time, rainwill come; and finally thefifth time, rainwill stopandcloudswilldisperse.”“Marvelous!” saidPilgrim,laughing.“Ihaveneverseenthisbefore!Pleasego!Pleasego!”Withgreatstrides,theGreatImmortalwalkedforward,followedbyTripitaka

andtherest.Astheyapproachedthealtar,theysawthatitwasaplatformaboutthirtyfeet tall.Onallsideswereflownbannerswiththenamesof theTwenty-EightConstellationswrittenonthem.Therewasatableontopofthealtar,andonthetablewassetanurnfilledwithburningincense.Onbothsidesoftheurnweretwocandlestandswithhuge,brightlylitcandles.Leaningagainst theurnwasatabletmadeofgold,carvedwiththenamesofthethunderdeities.Beneaththe table were five huge cisterns full of clear water and afloat with willowbranches.To thebrancheswas attacheda thin sheetof iron inscribedwith thecharms used to summon the agents of the Thunder Bureau. Five huge pillarswerealsosetuparoundthetable,andwrittenonthesepillarswerethenamesofthebarbarian thunder lordsofFiveQuarters.Therewere twoDaoists standingonbothsidesofeachpillar;eachoftheDaoistsheldanironbludgeonusedforpounding on the pillar. Therewere alsomanyDaoists drawing up documents

behindthealtar.Beforethemthereweresetupabrazierforburningpapersandseveralstatues,allrepresentingthemessengersofcharms,thelocalspirits,andpatrondeities.TheGreatImmortal,withoutaffectingtheslightestdegreeofmodesty,walked

straightuptothealtarandstoodstill.AyoungDaoistpresentedhimwithseveralcharmswrittenonyellowpapersanda treasuresword.Holding thesword, theGreatImmortalrecitedaspellandthenburntacharmontheflameofacandle.DownbelowseveralDaoistspickedupadocumentandastatueholdingacharmandhadtheseburnedalso.WithabangtheoldDaoisthighabovebroughtdownhisritualtabletonthetableandatonceabreezecouldbefeltintheair.“Odear!Odear!”mutteredEightRules.“ThisDaoistiscertainlyquitecapable!Hebangshistabletonceandindeedthewind’srising.”“Bequiet,Brother,”saidPilgrim.“Don’tspeaktomeanymore.JuststandguardoverMasterhereandletmedomybusiness.”DearGreatSage!Hepulledoff apieceofhair andblewon it his immortal

breath, saying, “Change!” It changedatonce intoa spuriousPilgrim, standingnext to the TangMonk.His true body rosewith his primal spirit intomidair,whereheshouted,“Whoisinchargeofthewindhere?”HesostartledtheOldWomanoftheWindthatshehuggedherbagwhiletheSecondBoyoftheWindpulled tight the rope at themouth of the bag. They stepped forward to salutePilgrim,whosaid,“IamaccompanyingtheholymonkoftheTangcourttogotoacquire scriptures in theWesternHeaven.Wehappen topass through theCartSlow Kingdom and are now waging a rainmaking contest with that deviantDaoist.HowcouldyounothelpoldMonkeyandassistthatDaoistinstead?I’llpardonyouthistime,butyou’dbettercallinthewind.Ifthere’sjustthetiniestbreezetomakethewhiskersoftheDaoistflutter,eachofyouwillreceivetwentystrokesoftheironrod!”“Wedarenot!Wedarenot!”saidtheOldWomanoftheWind,andso,therewasnosignofanywind.Unabletocontainhimself,EightRules began to holler, “You Sir, please step down! You’ve banged aloud thetablet.Howisitthatthere’snowind?Youcomedown,andletusgoupthere.”Holding high his tablet, the Daoist burned another charm before bringing

downhistabletoncemore.Immediately,cloudsandfogbegantoforminmidair,but theGreat SageSun shouted again, “Who is spreading the clouds?”He sostartled theCloud-PushingBoyand theFog-SpreadingLad that theyhurriedlycameforwardtosalutehim.AfterPilgrimhadgivenhisexplanationasbefore,theCloudBoyandtheMistLadremovedtheclouds,sothatThesuncameoutandshonemostbrilliantly;Theskywascloudlessfortenthousandmiles.

Laughing,EightRulessaid,“Thismastermaydeceive thekingandbefoolhissubjects. But he hasn’t any real abilities!Why, the tablet has sounded twice!Whyisitthatwedon’tseeanycloudsforming?”Becomingratheragitated, theDaoist loosenedhishair,pickeduphissword,

andrecitedanotherspellasheburnedacharm.Oncemorehebroughtdownhistabletwithabang,and immediately theHeavenlyLordDengarrived fromtheSouth Heaven Gate, trailed by the Squire of Thunder and the Mother ofLightning.WhentheysawPilgriminmidair,theysalutedhim,andhegavehisexplanationasbefore.“Whatpowerfulsummons,”hesaid“broughtyouallhereso quickly?” The Heavenly Lord said, “The proper magic of Five ThunderexercisedbythatDaoistwasnotfaked.2Heissuedthesummonsandburnedthedocument,whichalertedtheJadeEmperor.TheJadeEmperorsenthisdecreetotheresidenceof thePrimordialCelestialWorthyofAll-PervadingThunderclapin the Ninefold Heaven.We in turn received his command to come here andassistwith the rainmakingbyproviding thunderand lightning.”“In thatcase,”said Pilgrim, “just wait amoment. You can help oldMonkey instead.” Therewas,therefore,neitherthesoundofthundernortheflashoflightning.Insheerdesperationnow,thatDaoistaddedmoreincense,burnedhischarms,

recitedmore spells, and struckhis tabletmore loudly thanever. Inmidair, theDragonKingsofFourOceans all arrived together, only tobemet byPilgrim,whoshouted,“Aoguang,wheredoyouthinkyou’regoing?”Aoguang,Aoshun,Aoqin, and Aorun all went forward to salute him, and Pilgrim gave hisexplanationasbefore.HethankedtheDragonKingsmoreover,saying,“Ineededyourhelpintimespast,butwehavenotyetreachedourgoal.Today,Imustrelyon your assistance once more to help me achieve this merit right now. ThatDaoist has struck his tablet four times, and it’s now oldMonkey’s turn to dobusiness.But Idon’tknowhow toburncharms, issue summons,or strikeanytablet.Soallofyoumustplayalongwithme.”TheHeavenly Lord Deng said, “If the Great Sage gives us the order, who

woulddaredisobey?Youmust,however,giveusasign,sothatwemayfollowyourinstructionsinanorderlymanner.Otherwise, thunderandrainmaybeallmixedup,andthatwillnotbetothecreditoftheGreatSage.”Pilgrimsaid,“I’llusemyrodasthesign.”“ODearFather!”criedtheSquireofThunder,horrified.“Howcouldwetaketherod?”“I’mnotgoingtostrikeyou,”saidPilgrim.“AllIwantfromyouistowatch

therod.IfIpointitupwardsonce,you’llmakethewindblow.”“We’llmake thewindblow!” snapped theOldWomanof theWindand the

SecondBoyoftheWindinunison.“Whentherodpointsupwardasecondtime,you’llspreadtheclouds.”“We’ll

spread theclouds!We’ll spread theclouds!”cried theCloud-PushingBoyandtheMist-SpreadingLad.“When I point the rod upwards for the third time, I want thunder and

lightning.” “We’ll provide the service! We’ll provide the service!” said theSquireofThunderandtheMotherofLightning.“WhenIpoint therodupwardsthefourthtime,Iwantrain.”“Weobey!We

obey!”saidtheDragonKings.“Andwhen I point the rodupwards the fifth time, Iwant sunshine and fair

weather.Don’tmakeanymistake!”After he had given all these instructions, Pilgrim dropped down from the

cloudsandretrievedhishairbacktohisbody.Beingoffleshlyeyesandmortalstock,howcouldthosepeopleknowthedifference?Pilgrimthencriedoutwithaloud voice, “Sir, please stop!You have struck aloud the tablet four times, butthere’snottheslightestsignofwind,cloud,thunder,orrain.Youshouldletmetakeover.”TheDaoisthadnochoicebuttoleavehisplaceandcomedownthealtarforPilgrimtotakehisturn.Pouting,hewentbacktothetowertoseethethrone. “Letme follow him,” said Pilgrim, “and seewhat he has to say.”HearrivedandheardthekingaskingtheDaoist,“Wehavebeenlisteningheremosteagerlyforthesoundsofyourtablet.Fourtimesitstruckandtherewasneitherwindnorrain.Whyisthat?”TheDaoistsaid,“Todaythedragondeitiesarenothome.”Pilgrimshoutedwithaloudvoice,“YourMajesty,thedragondeitiesarehome all right, but the magic of your National Preceptor is not efficaciousenough to bring themhere.Allowus priests to summon themhere for you tosee.”“Ascend thealtaratonce,”said theking,“andweshallwait for the rainhere.”Havingreceivedthisdecree,Pilgrimdashedbacktothealtarandtuggedatthe

TangMonk,saying,“Master,pleasegouptothealtar.”“Disciple,”saidtheTangMonk, “I don’t knowhow to pray for rain.” “He’s trying to set you up,” saidEightRules,laughing.“Ifthere’snorain,they’llputyouonthepyreandfinishyouoffwithafire.”Pilgrimsaid,“Thoughyoumaynotknowhowtoprayforrain, you know how to recite scriptures. Let me help you.” The elder indeedascendedthealtarandsolemnlytookaseatontop.Withcompleteconcentration,he recited silently the Heart Sūtra. Suddenly an official came galloping on ahorsewiththequestion,“Whyareyoumonksnotstrikingthetabletandburningcharms?”Pilgrimansweredinaloudvoice,“Noneedforthat!Oursisthequietworkofferventprayers.”Theofficiallefttogivethisreplytotheking,andweshallmentionhimnofurther.WhenPilgrimheardthathisoldmasterhadfinishedrecitingthesūtra,hetook

outhisrodfromhisearandonewaveofitinthewindgaveitalengthoftwelve

feetandthethicknessofaricebowl.Hepointeditupwardsintheair;whentheOldWoman of theWind saw it, she immediately shook loose her bag as theSecondBoyoftheWinduntiedtheropearounditsmouth.Theroarofthewindcouldbeheardinstantly,astilesandbricksflewupalloverthecityandstonesanddusthurtledthroughtheair.Justlookatit!Itwastrulymarvelouswind,notatallsimilartoanyordinarybreeze.YousawSnappedwillowsandcrackedflowers;Fallentreesandtoppledwoods;Nine-layeredhallswithchippedandbrokenwalls;AFive-PhoenixTowerofshakenpillarsandbeams;TheredsunlosingitsbrightnessinHeav’n;TheyellowsandtakingwingsonEarth;Alarmedwarriorsbeforethemartialhall;Frightenedministersinthelettersbower;Girlsofthreepalaceswithfrowzylocks;Beautiesofsixchamberswithtousledhair.Tasselsdroppedfromgoldcapsofmarquisandearls;Theprimeminister’sblackgauzedidspreaditswings.Attendantshadwordsbuttheydarednotspeak;TheYellowGateheldpapersthatcouldnotbesent.Goldfishesandjadebeltsstoodnotinrows;Ivorytabletsandsilkgownshadbrokenranks.Coloredroomsandturquoisescreenswerealldamaged;Greenwindowsandscarletdoorswerealldestroyed.TilesofGoldenChimesHallflewoffwithbricks;CarveddoorsofBrocade-CloudHallallfellapart.Thisviolentwindwasviolentindeed!Itblewtillkingandsubjects,fathersandsons,couldnotmeet,Tillallstreetsandmarketswereemptiedofmen,Anddoorsoftenthousandhomesweretightlyshut.

Asthisviolentgustofwindarose,PilgrimSunfurtherrevealedhismagicpower.Givinghisgolden-hoopedrodatwirl,hepointeditupwardsasecondtime.YousawTheCloud-PushingBoy,TheFog-SpreadingLad—TheCloud-PushingBoyrevealedhisgodlypowerAndamurkymassdroppeddownfromHeaven;TheFog-SpreadingLaddisplayedhismagicmightAnddense,soaringmistscoveredtheEarth.Thethreemarketsallgrewdim;Thesixavenuesallturneddark.WithwindcloudslefttheseasAndKunlun,trailingtherain.SoontheyfilledHeav’nandEarthAndblackenedthisworldofdust.’Twasopaquelikechaosofyore;NonecouldseePhoenixTower’sdoor.

Asthickfoganddensecloudsrolledin,PilgrimSungavehisgolden-hoopedrodanothertwirlandpointeditupwardsathirdtime.YousawTheSquireofThunderraging,TheMotherofLightningirate—TheSquireofThunder,raging,RodeafierybeastbackwardtodescendfromHeaven’spass;TheMotherofLightning,irate,WieldedgoldsnakesmadlyasshelefttheDipperHall.Hu-la-lacrackedthethunder,ShatteringtheIronForkMountain;Xi-li-liflashedthescarletsheets,FlyingoutoftheEasternOcean.Loudrumblesofchariotscameonandoff;Likefiresandfamesthegrainsandriceshotup.Myriadthingssprouted,theirspiritsrevived.Countlessinsectswerefromdormancyaroused.3Kingandsubjectsbothwereterrified;Tradersandmerchantswereawedbythesound.

Ping-ping, pang-pang, the thunder flashed and roared so ferociously that itseemed as if mountains were toppling and the earth was splitting apart. Soterrifiedwerethecity’s inhabitants thateveryhouselightedincense, thateveryhomeburnedpapermoney.“OldDeng,”shoutedPilgrim.“Takecaretolookoutforthosegreedyandcorruptofficials,thosechurlishanddisobedientsons.Strikedownmanyofthemformetowarnthepublic!”Thepealofthundergrewlouderthanever.Finally,PilgrimpointedtheironrodoncemoreandyousawThedragonsgaveorder,Andrainfilledtheworld,StrongasHeavensriverspillingo’erthedikes,Quickasthecloudsrushingthroughachannel.Itpatteredontopoftowers;Itsplashedoutsidethewindows.TheSilverStreamrandownfromHeaven,Andwhitecapssurgedthroughthestreets.Itspurtedlikevasesupturned;Itgushedforthlikebasinspouredout.Withhousesalmostdrownedinhamlets,Thewaterrosetoruralbridges’height.Trulymulberryfieldsbecamevastoceans,Andbillowsalltoosoonracedthroughtheland.DragongodscametolendahelpinghandByliftinguptheYangziandthrowingitdown!

Thetorrentialrainbeganinthemorninganddidnotstopevenafterthenoonhour.SogreatwasthedownpourthatallthestreetsandgulleysoftheCartSlowKingdomwerecompletelyflooded.Thekingthereforeissuedthisdecree:“Therain’s enough! Ifwehadanymore, itmightdamage the crops and thatwould

havemadethingsworse.”AnofficialmessengerbelowtheFive-PhoenixToweratoncegallopedthroughtheraintomakethisannouncement:“Holymonk,wehaveenoughrain.”WhenPilgrimheardthis,hepointedthegolden-hoopedrodupwardsoncemoreand, instantly, the thunder stoppedand thewind subsided,therainendedandthecloudsdispersed.Thekingwasfilledwithdelight,andnotone of the various civil and military officials could refrain from marveling,saying, “Marvelous priest! This is truly that ‘for the strong, there’s someonestronger still!’EvenwhenourPreceptorsofStatewere capableofmaking therain, a fine drizzle would go on for virtually half a day before it stoppedcompletely.Howisitthattheweathercanturnfairthemomentthepriestwantsittobefair?Look,thesuncomesoutinstantlyandthereisnotaspeckofcloudanywhere!”Thekinggavethecommandforthecarriagetobereturnedtothepalace,for

he wanted to certify the travel rescript and permit the Tang Monk to passthrough.Justashewasabouttousehistreasureseal,thethreeDaoistsallwentforwardandstoppedhim,saying,“YourMajesty, thisdownpourofraincannotberegardedasthemonk’smerit,foritstillowesitsorigintothestrengthoftheDaoistGate.”Thekingsaid,“YoujustclaimedthattheDragonKingswerenothomeand thatwaswhy itdidn’t rain.Hewalkedup there, exercisedhisquietworkofferventprayers,andraincamedownatonce.Howcouldyoustrivewithhimforcredit?”TheTiger-StrengthImmortalsaid,“Iissuedmysummons,burnedmycharms,

and struck my tablets several times after I ascended the altar.Which DragonKingwoulddarenotshowup? Ithad tobe that someoneelsesomewherewasalso requesting their service, and that was the reason that the Dragon Kingsalongwiththeofficersof theotherfourbureaus—ofwind,cloud, thunder,andlightning—didnotappearatfirst.Oncetheyheardmysummons,however,theywereinahurrytogethere,andbythattimeithappenedthatIwasleavingthealtar already.Thepriest, of course,madeuse of the opportunity and it rained.Butifyouthoughtaboutthematterfromthebeginning,thedragonswerethosewhichIsummonedhereandtherainwasthatwhichwecalledfor.Howcouldyouregardthis,therefore,astheirmeritoriousfruit?”Whenthatdim-wittedkingheardthesewords,hebecameallconfusedagain.Pilgrim walked one step forward, and pressing his palms together he said,

“Your Majesty, this trivial magic of heterodoxy is hardly to be consideredanythingof consequence.Let’snotworryaboutwhether it’shismeritorours.Letmetellyouinsteadthat thereare inmidairrightnowtheDragonKingsoftheFourOceans;becauseIhavenotdismissedthem,theydarenotwithdraw.Ifthat Preceptor of State could order the Dragon Kings to reveal themselves, I

wouldconcede that thiswashismerit.”Verypleased, thekingsaid,“Wehavebeen on the throne for twenty-three years, but we have never laid eyes on alivingdragon.Bothofyoucanexerciseyourmagicpower, regardlesswhetheryouareamonkoraDaoist.Ifyoucouldaskthemtorevealthemselves,itwouldbeyourmerit;ifyoucouldn’t,itwouldbeyourfault.”ThoseDaoists,ofcourse,hadnosuchpowerorauthority.Eveniftheywereto

givetheorder,theDragonKingswouldneverdareshowthemselvesonaccountofthepresenceoftheGreatSage.Thus,theDaoistssaid,“Wecan’tdothis.Whydon’tyoutry?”Lifting his face toward the air, the Great Sage cried out in a loud voice:

“Aoguang,whereareyou?Allofyoubrothers, showyour trueselves!”WhenthoseDragonKingsheardthiscall,theyatoncerevealedtheiroriginalforms—four dragons dancing through clouds and mists toward the Hall of GoldenChimes.YouseethemSoaringandtransforming,Encirclingcloudsandmists.Likewhitehooksthejadeclawshang;Likebrightmirrorsthesilverscalesshine.Whiskersfloatlikewhitesilk,eachstrand’sdistinct;Hornsriseruggedly,eachprongisclear.Thosecraggyforeheads;Thosebrilliantroundeyes.They,hiddenorseen,can’tbefathomed;They,flyingorsoaring,can’tbedescribed.Prayforrain,andraincomesinstantly;Askforfairsky,andit’shereatonce.Onlythesearethetruedragonforms,mostpotentandholy,Theirgoodaurasurroundsthecourtprofusely.

Thekinglightedincenseinthehall,andthevariousofficialsboweddownbeforethe steps. “Itwasmostkindofyou to showusyourprecious forms,” said theking. “Please go back, and we shall say a special mass another day to thankyou.” “All of you deities may now retire,” said Pilgrim, “for the king haspromisedtothankyouwithaspecialmassonanotherday.”TheDragonKingsreturnedtotheoceans,whiletheotherdeitiesallwentbacktoHeaven.ThusthisisThetruemagicmight,soboundlessandvast;Heresy’spiercedbynatureenlightened.

We don’t know how the deviant is finally exorcised; let’s listen to theexplanationinthenextchapter.

FORTY-SIX

Heresyflauntsitsstrengthtomockorthodoxy;MindMonkeyinepiphanyslaysthedeviates.

Wewere telling you thatwhen the king sawPilgrimSun’s ability to summondragons and command sages, he immediately applied his treasure seal to thetravelrescript.HewasabouttohanditbacktotheTangMonkandpermithimtotake up the journey once more, when the three Daoists went forward andprostratedthemselvesbefore thestepsof theHallofGoldenChimes.Thekingleft his dragon throne hurriedly and tried to raise themwith his hands. “StatePreceptors,”hesaid,“whydoyouthreegothroughsuchagreatceremonywithus today?” “Your Majesty,” said the Daoists, “we have been upholding yourreignandprovidingsecurityforyourpeoplehereforthesetwentyyears.Todaythispriesthasmadeuseofsomepaltrytricksofmagicandrobbedusofallourcreditandruinedourreputation.Justbecauseofonerainstorm,YourMajestyhaspardonedeventheircrimeofmurder.Arewenotbeingtreatedlightly?LetYourMajestywithhold their rescript for themoment and allowusbrothers towageanothercontestwiththem.Weshallseewhathappensthen.”Thatkingwasintruthaconfusedman:hewouldsidewiththeeastwhenthey

mentioned east, andwith thewestwhen theymentionedwest. Indeed, puttingawaythetravelrescript,hesaid,“StatePreceptors,whatsortofcontestdoyouwish to wage with them?” “A contest of meditation,” said the Tiger-StrengthGreatImmortal.“That’snogood,”saidtheking,“forthemonkisrearedinthereligionofmeditation.Hemustbewelltrainedinsuchmysteriesbeforehedaresreceivethedecreetoacquirescriptures.Whydoyouwanttowagesuchacontestwithhim?”“Thiscontest,”saidtheGreatImmortal,“isnotanordinaryone,forithasthenameoftheEpiphanyofSaintlinessbytheCloudLadder.”“Whatdoyoumean by that?” asked the king. The Great Immortal said, “We need onehundred tables, fiftyofwhichwillbemade,bypilingoneon topof theother,intoanaltarofmeditation.Eachcontestantmustascendtothetopwithoutusinghishandsoraladder,butonlywiththehelpofacloud.Weshallalsoagreeonhowmanyhoursweshallremainimmobilewhilesittingonthetopofthealtar.”When he learned that itwas to be such a difficult contest, the king put the

questiontothepilgrims,saying,“Hey,monks!OurStatePreceptorwouldliketowagewithyouacontestofmeditation,calledtheEpiphanyofSaintlinessbytheCloudLadder.Cananyoneofyoudoit?”WhenPilgrimheardthis,hefellsilent

and gave no reply. “ElderBrother,” saidEightRules, “why aren’t you sayinganything?”“Brother, to tell you the truth,” saidPilgrim, “I’mquite capableofperforming such difficult feats as kicking down the sky or overturning wells,stirringupoceansorupendingrivers,carryingmountainsorchasingthemoon,and altering the course of stars and planets. I’m not afraid, in fact, of evenhavingmyheadsplitopenorcutoff,ofhavingmystomachrippedapartandmyheartgougedout,orofanysuchstrangemanipulations.Butifyouaskmetositandmeditate, I’ll lose thecontestevenbefore Ibegin!WherecouldI, tellme,acquire thenature tositstill?Even ifyouwere tochainmetoan ironpillar, Iwouldstilltrytoclimbupanddown.Icannevermanagetositstill.”“ButIknowhowtositandmeditate,” theTangMonkblurtedoutsuddenly.

“Marvelous!Justmarvelous!”saidPilgrim,highlypleased.“Howlongcanyoudo this?” “Imet some loftyChanmasterswhen Iwas young,” saidTripitaka,“who expounded to me the absolutely crucial foundation of quiescence andconcentrationinordertopreservemyspirit.Shutupaloneintheso-calledLife-and-DeathMeditativeConfinement, Ihadmanaged to sit still for twoor threeyears at least.” “If you do that,Master,” said Pilgrim, “we won’t need to goacquirescriptures!Atmost, Idon’t thinkitwillbenecessaryforyoutosit formore than three hours here before you will be able to come down.” “ButDisciple,”saidTripitaka,“Ican’tgetupthere.”“Youstepforwardandacceptthechallenge,”saidPilgrim.“I’llsendyouupthere.”Indeed,theelderpressedhispalmstogetherbeforehischestandsaid,“Thishumblepriestknowshowtositinmeditation.”Thekingatoncegavetheorderforthealtarstobebuilt.Truly,anationhasthestrengthtotopplemountains!Inlessthanhalfanhour,twoaltarswerebuiltontheleftandrightoftheHallofGoldenChimes.Coming down from the hall, theTiger-StrengthGreat Immortalwent to the

middle of the courtyard. He leaped into the air and at once a mat of cloudsformed under his feet and took him up to the altar to thewest, where he satdown. Pilgrim meanwhile pulled off one strand of his hair and caused it tochange into a spurious form of himself, standing down below to accompanyEightRulesandShaMonk.HehimselfchangedintoanauspiciouscloudoffivecolorstocarrytheTangMonkintotheairandlifthimtositonthealtartotheeast.HethenchangedhimselfintoatinymolecricketandflewtoalightonEightRules’s ear towhisper to him, “Brother, look up andwatchMasterwith care.Don’tspeaktothesubstituteofoldMonkey!”Laughing,Idiotsaid,“Iknow!Iknow!”We tell you now about the Deer-Strength Great Immortal sitting on the

embroideredcushioninthehall,wherehewatchedthetwocontestantsforalongtime and found them quite equally matched. This Daoist decided to give his

elderbrothersomehelp:pullingastubbypieceofhairfromthebackofhishead,he rolled itwithhis fingers intoa tinyballand filliped itonto theheadof theTangMonk.Thepieceofhairchangedintoahugebedbugandbegantobitetheelder.Atfirst,theelderfeltanitch,afterwhichitchangedtopain.Now,oneoftherulesinmeditationisthatonecannotmoveone’shands;whenonedoes,itisan immediate admission of defeat.As the elder found the itch and pain to bequiteunbearable,hesoughttofindreliefbywrigglinghisheadagainstthecollarofhisrobe.“Ohdear!”saidEightRules.“Masterisgoingtohaveafit!”“No,”said ShaMonk, “hemight be having a headache.”Hearing this, Pilgrim said,“My master is an honest gentleman. If he said he knew how to practicemeditation, he would be able to do it. A gentleman does not lie! Stopspeculating,thetwoofyou,andletmegouptotakealook.”DearPilgrim!HebuzzedupthereandalightedontheheadoftheTangMonk,

where he discovered a bedbug about the size of a bean biting the elder.Hurriedly,heremoveditwithhishand,andthenhegavehismasterafewgentlescratches.Hisitchandpainrelieved,theelderoncemoresatmotionlessonthealtar.“Thebaldheadofapriest,”thoughtPilgrimtohimself,“can’tevenholdalouse!How could a bedbug get into it? Itmust be, I suppose, a stunt of thatDaoist, trying toharmmymaster.Ha!Ha!Since theyhaven’tquite reachedadecisionyetinthiscontest,letoldMonkeygivehimatasteofhisowntricks!”Flyingupintotheairuntilhereachedaheightbeyondtheroofofthepalace,heshook his body and changed at once into a centipede at least seven inches inlength.ItdroppeddownfromtheskyandlandedontheDaoist’supperlipbeforehisnostrils,where itgavehima terrificbite.Unable tosit stillany longer, theDaoistfellbackwardsfromthealtarheadoverheelsandalmostlosthislife.Hewasfortunateenoughtohavealltheofficialsrushforwardtopullhimup.ThehorrifiedkingatonceaskedtheGrandPreceptorbeforetheThronetohelphimgo to thePavilionofCulturalFlorescence tobewashedand combed.Pilgrim,meanwhile,changedhimselfagainintotheauspiciouscloudtocarryhismasterdowntothecourtyardbeforethesteps,wherehewasdeclaredthewinner.Thekingwantedtoletthemgo,buttheDeer-StrengthGreatImmortalagain

said to him, “Your Majesty, my elder brother has been suffering from asuppressedchill;whenhegoesuptoahighplace,thecoldwindhe’sexposedtowill bring on his old sickness. That was why themonk was able to gain theupperhand.Letmenowwagewiththemacontestofguessingwhat’sbehindtheboards.”“Whatdoyoumeanbythat?”askedtheking.Deer-Strengthsaid,“Thishumble Daoist has the ability to gain knowledge of things even if they wereplacedbehindboards.Let’sseeifthosemonksareabletodothesame.Iftheycouldoutguessme,letthemgo;butifnot,thenletthembepunishedaccording

toYourMajesty’swishessothatourfraternaldistressmaybeavengedandthatourservicestothekingdomforthesetwentyyearsmayremainuntainted.”Trulythatkingisexceedinglyconfused!Swayedbysuchfraudulentwords,he

atoncegavetheorderforaredlacqueredchesttobebroughttotheinnerpalace.Thequeenwasasked toplacea treasure in thechestbefore itwascarriedoutagain and set before thewhite-jade steps.Theking said to themonks and theDaoists, “Let both sides wage your contest now and see who can guess thetreasure inside the chest.” “Disciple,” said Tripitaka, “how could we knowwhat’sinthechest?”Pilgrimchangedagainintoamolecricketandflewuptotheheadof theTangMonk.“Relax,Master,”hesaid,“letmego takea look.”Dear Great Sage! Unnoticed by anyone, he flew up to the chest and found acrack at the base, through which he crept inside. On a red lacquered tray hefound a set of palace robes: they were the empire blouse and cosmic skirt.Quicklyhepickedthemupandshookthemloose;thenhebitopenthetipofhistongueandspatamouthfulofbloodontothegarments,crying,“Change!”Theychangedinstantlyintoatornandworn-outcassock;beforeheleft,however,hesoaked itwithhisbubblyandstinkingurine.Aftercrawlingoutagain throughthecrack,heflewbacktoalightontheTangMonk’searandsaid,“Master,youmayguessthatitisatornandworn-outcassock.”“Hesaidthatitwassomekindof treasure,” said Tripitaka. “How could such a thing be a treasure?” “Nevermind,”saidPilgrim,“forwhat’simportantisthatyouguesscorrectly.”AstheTangMonktookastepforwardtoannouncewhatheguessedwasin

the chest, the Deer-Strength Great Immortal said, “I’ll guess first. The chestcontainsanempireblouseandacosmicskirt.”“No!No!”criedtheTangMonk.“There’sonlya tornandworn-outcassock in thechest.”“Howdarehe?” saidtheking.“Thispriestthinksthatthereisnotreasureinourkingdom.What’sthisworn-outcassockthathespeaksof?Seizehim!”Thetworowsofpalaceguardsimmediatelywantedtoraisetheirhands,andtheTangMonkbecamesoterrifiedthat he pressed his palms together and shouted, “YourMajesty, please pardonthishumblepriestforthemoment.Openthechest;ifitwereindeedatreasure,thishumblepriestwouldaccepthispunishment.Butifitwerenot,wouldn’tyouhave wrongly accused me?” The king had the chest opened, and when theattendanttothethroneliftedoutthelacqueredtray,sittingonitwasindeedonetorn andworn-out cassock! “Who put this thing here?” cried the king, highlyincensed,andfrombehindthedragonseatthequeenofthethreepalacescameforward.“Mylord,”shesaid,“itwasIwhopersonallyplacedtheempireblouseandthecosmicskirtinsidethechest.Howcouldtheychangeintosomethinglikethis?”“Letmy royalwife retire,” said theking, “forwearewell awareof thefact that all the things used in the palace are made of the finest silk and

embroideredmaterials.Howcouldtherebesuchashabbyobject?”Hethensaidtohisattendants,“Bringusthechest.Weourselveswillhidesomethinginitandtryagain.”Thekingwenttohisimperialgardenintherearandpickedfromhisorcharda

hugepeach,aboutthesizeofaricebowl,whichheplacedinthechest.Thechestwasbroughtoutandthetwopartiesweretoldtoguessoncemore.“Disciples,”saidtheTangMonk,“hewantsus toguessagain.”“Relax,”saidPilgrim.“Letmegoandtakeanotherlook.”Withabuzz,heflewawayandcrawledinsidethechestasbefore.Nothingcouldhavebeenmoreagreeable tohim thanwhathefound:apeach.Changingbackintohisoriginalform,hesatinthechestandatethe fruit so heartily that everymorsel on both sides of the groovewas pickedclean.Leavingthestonebehind,hechangedbackintothemolecricketandflewback onto the TangMonk’s ear, saying, “Master, say that it’s a peach’s pit.”“Disciple,”saidtheelder,“don’tmakeafoolofme!IfIweren’tsoquickwithmymouthjustnow,Iwouldhavebeenseizedandpunished.Thistimewemustsayit’ssomekindoftreasure.Howcouldapeach’spitbeatreasure?”“Havenofear,”saidPilgrim.“You’llwin,andthat’sallthatmatters!”TripitakawasjustabouttospeakwhentheGoat-StrengthGreatImmortalsaid,

“This humble Daoist will guess first: it is a peach.” “Not a peach,” saidTripitaka, “but a fleshless peach’s pit.” “It’s a peach we put in ourselves,”bellowed the king. “How could it be a pit? Our third Preceptor of State hasguessed correctly.” “YourMajesty,” saidTripitaka, “please open the chest andsee for yourself.” The attendant before the thronewent to open the chest andliftedupthetray:itwasintruthapit,entirelywithoutanypeelorflesh.Whenthe king saw this, he became quite frightened and said, “O State Preceptors,don’twageanymorecontestswiththem.Letthemgo!Thepeachwaspickedbyourownhands,andnowitturnsouttobeapit.Whocouldhaveeatenit?Thespiritsandgodsmustbegivingthemsecretassistance.”WhenEightRulesheardthewords,hegrinnedsardonicallytoShaMonk,saying,“Littledoesherealizehowmanyyearsofpeacheatingarebehindthis!”Justthen,theTiger-StrengthGreatImmortalwalkedoutfromthePavilionof

CulturalFlorescenceafterhehadbeenwashedandcombed.“YourMajesty,”hesaidashewalkedup thehall, “thismonkknows themagicofobject removal.Givemethechest,andI’lldestroyhismagic.Thenwecanhaveanothercontestwithhim.”“Whatdoyouwanttodo?”askedtheking.Tiger-Strengthsaid,“Hismagic can removeonly lifeless objects but not a humanbody.Put thisDaoistyouth in the chest, andhe’ll never be able to removehim.”Theyouth indeedwashiddeninthechest,whichwasthenbroughtdownagainfromthehalltobeplacedbefore thesteps.“You,monk,”said theking,“guessagainwhatsortof

treasurewehaveinside.”Tripitakasaid,“Hereitcomesagain!”“Letmegoandhaveanother look,”saidPilgrim.Withabuzz,he flewoffandcrawled inside,wherehe foundaDaoist lad.MarvelousGreatSage!What readinessofmind!TrulySuchagilityisrareintheworld!Suchclevernessisuncommonindeed!

Shaking his body once, he changed himself into the formof one of those oldDaoists,whisperingasheenteredthechest,“Disciple.”“Master,” said the lad, “how did you come in here?” “With the magic of

invisibility,” said Pilgrim. The lad said, “Do you have some instructions forme?” “The priest saw you enter the chest,” said Pilgrim, “and if hemade hisguessaDaoist lad,wouldn’twe lose tohimagain?That’swhyIcamehere todiscuss the matter with you. Let’s shave your head, and we’ll thenmake theguess that you are a monk.” The Daoist lad said, “Do whatever you want,Master,justsothatwewin.Forifwelosetothemagain,notonlyourreputationwill be ruined, but the court also may no longer revere us.” “Exactly,” saidPilgrim. “Come over here, my child. When we defeat them, I’ll reward youhandsomely.”Hechangedhisgolden-hoopedrodintoasharprazor,andhuggingthelad,hesaid,“Darling,trytoendurethepainforamoment.Don’tmakeanynoise! I’ll shave your head.” In a little while, the lad’s hair was completelyshorn,rolledintoaball,andstuffedintooneofthecornersofthechest.Heputawaytherazor,andrubbingthelad’sbaldhead,hesaid,“Mychild,yourheadlookslikeamonk’sallright,butyourclothesdon’tfit.Takethemoffandletmechangethemforyou.”WhattheDaoistladhadonwasacrane’s-downrobeofspring-onionwhite silk, embroideredwith the cloudpattern and trimmedwithbrocade.When he took it off, Pilgrim blew on it his immortal breath, crying,“Change!”Itchangedinstantlyintoamonkshirtofbrowncolor,whichPilgrimhelpedhimputon.Hethenpulledofftwopiecesofhairwhichhechangedintoawoodenfishandatap.“Disciple,”saidPilgrim,ashehandedoverthefishandthe tap to the lad, “youmust listencarefully. Ifyouhear someonecall for theDaoistyouth,don’teverleavethischest.Ifsomeonecalls‘Monk,’thenyoumaypush open the chest door, strike up thewooden fish, andwalk out chanting aBuddhist sūtra.Then it’llbecompletesuccess forus.”“Ionlyknow,”said thelad,“howtorecitetheThreeOfficialsScripture,theNorthernDipperScripture,ortheWoe-DispellingScripture.Idon’tknowhowtoreciteanyBuddhistsūtra.”Pilgrimsaid,“CanyouchantthenameofBuddha?”“YoumeanAmitābha,”saidthelad.“Whodoesn’tknowthat?”“Goodenough!Goodenough!”saidPilgrim.“Youmaychant thenameofBuddha. It’ll spareme fromhaving to teachyou

anything new. Rememberwhat I’ve told you. I’m leaving.”He changed backintoamolecricketandcrawledout,afterwhichheflewbacktotheearof theTangMonkandsaid,“Master,justguessit’samonk.”Tripitakasaid,“ThistimeI know I’ll win.” “How could you be so sure?” asked Pilgrim, and Tripitakareplied, “The sūtras said, ‘The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha are theThreeJewels.’Amonkthereforeisatreasure.”As they were thus talking among themselves, the Tiger-Strength Great

Immortalsaid,“YourMajesty,thisthirdtimeitisaDaoistyouth.”Hemadethedeclaration several times, but nothing happened nor did anyone make anappearance.Pressinghispalmstogether,Tripitakasaid,“It’samonk.”Withallhis might, Eight Rules screamed, “It’s a monk in the chest!” All at once theyouth kicked open the chest and walked out, striking the wooden fish andchanting the name of Buddha. So delighted were the two rows of civil andmilitary officials that they shouted bravos repeatedly; so astonished were thethree Daoists that they could not utter a sound. “These priestsmust have theassistancefromspiritsandgods,”saidtheking.“HowcouldaDaoistenterthechest and come out amonk?Even if he had an attendantwith him, hemighthavebeenabletohavehisheadshaved.HowcouldheknowhowtotakeupthechantingofBuddha’sname?OPreceptors!Pleaseletthemgo!”“YourMajesty,”saidtheTiger-StrengthGreatImmortal,“astheproverbsays,

‘Thewarriorhasfoundhispeer, thechessplayerhismatch.’Wemightaswellmakeuseofsomemartialartswe learned inouryouthatZhongnanMountainandchallengethemtoagreatercompetition.”“Whatsortofmartialartsdidyoulearn?” asked the king. Tiger-Strength replied, “We three brothers all haveacquiredsomemagicabilities:cutoffourheads,andwecanputthembackonournecks;openourchestsandgougeoutourhearts, and theywillgrowbackagain; insideacauldronofboilingoil,wecan takebaths.”Highlystartled, theking said, “These three things are all roads leading to certain death!” “Onlybecausewehavesuchmagicpower,”saidTiger-Strength,“dowedaremakesoboldaclaim.Wewon’tquituntilwehavewagedthiscontestwith them.”Thekingsaidinaloudvoice,“YoupriestsfromtheLandoftheEast,ourPreceptorofStatesareunwillingtoletyougo.Theywishtowageonemorecontestwithyouinheadcutting,stomachripping,andgoingintoacauldronofboilingoiltotakeabath.”Pilgrimwasstillassumingtheformofthemolecricket,flyingbackandforth

tomakehissecretreport.Whenheheardthis,heretrievedhishairthathadbeenchanged intohis substitute, andhehimself changed at onceback intohis trueform.“Lucky!Lucky!”hecriedwith loudguffaws.“Businesshascometomydoor!”“Thesethreethings,”saidEightRules,“willcertainlymakeyouloseyour

life.Howcouldyousaythatbusinesshascometoyourdoor?”“Youstillhavenoideaofmyabilities!”saidPilgrim.“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“youarequite clever, quite capable in those transformations. Aren’t those skillssomethingalready?Whatmoreabilitiesdoyouhave?”Pilgrimsaid,“CutoffmyheadandIstillcanspeak,Severmyarms,Istillcanbeatyouup!Mylegsamputated,Istillcanwalk.Mybelly,rippedopen,willhealagain,Smoothandsnugasawontonpeoplemake:Atinypinchandit’scompletelyformed.Tobatheinboilingoiliseasierstill;Likewarmliquidcleansemeofdirtitwill.”

When Eight Rules and Sha Monk heard these words, they roared withlaughter.Pilgrimwentforwardandsaid,“YourMajesty,thisyoungpriestknowshowtohavehisheadcutoff.”“Howdidyouacquiresuchanability?”askedtheking. “When Iwaspracticingausterities inamonastery someyearsago,” saidPilgrim, “I met a mendicant Chan master, who taught me the magic of headcutting.Idon’tknowwhetheritworksornot,andthat’swhyIwanttotryitoutrightnow.”“Thispriestissoyoungandignorant!”saidtheking,chuckling.“Isheadcuttingsomethingtotryout?Theheadis,afterall,theveryfountainofthesixkindsofyang energies inone’sbody. Ifyoucut itoff,you’lldie.”“That’swhatwewant,” saidTiger-Strength. “Only thencanour feelingsbe relieved!”BesottedbytheDaoist’swords,thefoolishrulerimmediatelygavethedecreeforanexecutionsitetobeprepared.Once thecommandwasgiven, three thousand imperialguards tookup their

positionsoutsidethegateofthecourt.Thekingsaid,“Monk,goandcutoffyourheadfirst.”“I’llgofirst!I’llgofirst!”saidPilgrimmerrily.Hefoldedhishandsbefore his chest and shouted, “State Preceptors, pardon my presumption fortakingmy turn first!”He turned swiftly andwas about to dash out.TheTangMonkgrabbedhim,saying,“ODisciple!Becareful!Whereyouaregoingisn’taplayground!”“Nofear!”saidPilgrim.“Takeoffyourhands!Letmego!”TheGreatSagewentstraighttotheexecutionsite,wherehewascaughthold

ofbytheexecutionerandboundwithropes.Hewasthenledtoatallmoundandpinneddownontopofit.Atthecry“Kill,”hisheadcameoffwithaswishingsound. Then the executioner gave the head a kick, and it rolled off like awatermelontoadistanceofsomefortypacesaway.Noblood,however,spurtedfromtheneckofPilgrim.Instead,avoicecamefrominsidehisstomach,crying,“Come,head!”SoalarmedwastheDeer-StrengthGreatImmortalbythesightofsuchabilitythatheatoncerecitedaspellandgavethischargetothelocalspiritand patron deity: “Hold down that head.When I have defeated themonk, I’ll

persuadethekingtoturnyourlittleshrinesintohugetemples,youridolsofclayintotruebodiesofgold.”Thelocalspiritandthegod,yousee,hadtoservehimsince he knew the magic of the Five Thunders. Secretly, they indeed heldPilgrim’s head down. Once more Pilgrim cried, “Come, head!” But the headstayedonthegroundasifithadtakenroot;itwouldnotmoveatall.Somewhatanxious,Pilgrimrolledhishandsintofistsandwrenchedhisbodyviolently.Theropesallsnappedandfelloff;atthecry“Grow,”aheadsprangupinstantlyfromhisneck.Everyoneoftheexecutionersandeverymemberoftheimperialguardsbecameterrified,while theofficer inchargeof theexecutiondashedinsidethecourttomakethisreport:“YourMajesty,thatyoungpriesthadhisheadcutoff,butanotherheadhasgrownup.”“ShaMonk,”saidEightRules,giggling,“wetruly had no idea that Elder Brother has this kind of talent!” “If he knowsseventy-twowaysof transformation,”saidShaMonk,“hemayhavealtogetherseventy-twoheads!”Hardly had he finished speakingwhen Pilgrim camewalking back, saying,

“Master.”Exceedinglypleased,Tripitakasaid,“Disciple,didithurt?”“Hardly,”saidPilgrim,“it’ssortoffun!”“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“doyouneedointmentforthescar?”“Touchme,”saidPilgrim,“andseeifthere’sanyscar.”Idiot touched him and he was dumbfounded. “Marvelous! Marvelous!” hegiggled.“Ithealedperfectly.Youcan’tfeeleventheslightestscar!”Asthebrotherswerechattinghappilyamongthemselves,theyheardtheking

say,“Receiveyourrescript.Wegiveyouacompletepardon.Goaway!”Pilgrimsaid,“We’lltaketherescriptallright,butwewantthePreceptorofStatetogothereandcuthisheadofftoo!Heshouldtrysomethingnew!”“GreatPreceptorofState,”saidtheking,“thepriestisnotwillingtopassyouup.Ifyouwanttocompetewithhim,please trynot to frightenus.”Tiger-Strengthhadnochoicebuttogouptothesite,wherehewasboundandpinnedtothegroundbyseveralexecutioners.Oneofthemliftedtheswordandcutoffhishead,whichwasthenkickedsomethirtypacesaway.Blooddidnotspurtfromhistrunkeither,andhe,too, gave a cry, “Come, head!” Hurriedly pulling off a piece of hair, Pilgrimblew on it his immortal breath, crying, “Change!” It changed into a yellowhound,whichdashedintotheexecutionsite,pickeduptheDaoist’sheadwithitsmouth,andrantodropitintotheimperialmoat.TheDaoist,meanwhile,calledforhisheadthreetimeswithoutsuccess.Hedidnot,yousee,havetheabilityofPilgrim,andtherewasnopossibilitythathecouldproduceanotherhead.Allatonce,brightcrimsongushedoutfromhistrunk.Alas!Thoughforwindandrainhecansendandcall,’Gainstaright-fruitgodhe’snomatchatall.

Inamoment,hefelltothedust,andthosegatheredabouthimdiscoveredthathewasactuallyaheadlesstigerwithyellowfur.The officer in charge of the execution went again to memorialize. “Your

Majesty,”hesaid,“theGreatPreceptorofState’sheadwascutoff,butitcouldnotgrowbackagain.Heperishedinthedustandthenhebecameaheadlesstigerwith yellow fur.”On hearing this, the king paledwith fright and stared at theremaining two Daoists with unblinking eyes. Rising from his cushion, Deer-Strengthsaid,“MyElderBrothermusthavebeenfatedtodieat thisparticularmoment. But how could he be a yellow tiger? This has to be that monk’sroguery.Heisusingsomekindofdeceptivemagictochangemyelderbrotherintoabeast.Iwon’tsparehimnow.Iinsistonhavingacompetitionofstomachrippingandheartgouging.”Whenthekingheardthis,hecalmeddownandsaid,“Littlepriest,ourSecond

PreceptorofStatewantstowageanothercontestwithyou.”“Thislittlepriest,”saidPilgrim,“hasnoteatenmuchpreparedfoodforalongtime.TheotherdaywhenwewerejourneyingtotheWest,akindpatronkeptaskingustoeatandIstuffedmyselfwithmore pieces of steamed bread than I should have taken. Ihavebeenhavingastomachachesince,andIfearthatImayhaveworms.Thiscontest, therefore, can’tbemore timely, for Iwantverymuch toborrowYourMajesty’sknifetoripopenmystomach,sothatImaytakeoutmyvisceraandclean outmy stomach and spleen before I dare proceed to seeBuddha in theWesternHeaven.”Whenthekingheardthis,hegavetheorder,“Takehimtotheexecutionsite.”AthrongofcaptainsandguardscameforwardtopullandtugatPilgrim,whopushed themback, saying, “Idon’tneedpeople toholdme. I’mgoingtowalktheremyself.There’sonething,however.Idon’twantmyhandstied, for Iwant towashandcleanoutmyviscera.”Thekingatoncegave theorder,“Don’ttiehishands.”Withaswagger,Pilgrimwalkeddowntotheexecutionsite.Leaninghimself

onahugepillar,heuntiedhis robeandrevealedhisstomach.Theexecutionerusedaropeandtiedhisnecktothepillar;downbelow,anotherropestrappedhistwolegsalsotothepillar.ThenhewieldedasharpdaggerandrippedPilgrim’schestdownward,allthewaytohislowerabdomen.Pilgrimusedbothhishandstopushopenhisbelly,and thenhe tookouthis intestines,whichheexaminedonebyone.Afteralongpause,heputthembackinside,coilforcoilexactlyasbefore. Grasping the skins of his belly and bringing them together with hishands,heblewhismagicbreathonhisabdomen,crying,“Grow!”Atoncehisbelly closedupcompletely.Soastonishedwas theking thathepresentedwithbothhishandstherescripttoPilgrim,saying,“Holymonk,pleasedonotdelayyourwestwardjourneyanyfurther.Takeyourrescriptandleave.”“Therescript

isasmallmatter,”saidPilgrim,chuckling.“HowaboutaskingSecondPreceptorofState togo throughwith thecuttingand ripping?”“Don’tput theblameonus,” said the king toDeer-Strength. “It’s youwhowanted to be his opponent.Pleasego!Pleasego!”“Relax!”saidDeer-Strength.“Idon’tthinkI’lleverlosetohim!”Lookathim!HeevenimitatedtheswaggerofPilgrimSunasheheadedfor

the execution site. There hewas boundwith ropes, and then his stomachwasalsorippedopenbythedaggeroftheexecutioner.He,too,tookouthisgutsandmanipulatedthemwithhishands.Pilgrimatoncepulledoffapieceofhishair,onwhichheblewamouthfulofhisdivinebreath,crying,“Change.”Itchangedintoahungryhawk;spreadingitswingsandclaws,itflewuptotheDaoistandsnatchedhimcleanof his guts.Then it flewoff somewhere to enjoy its catchleisurely,whiletheDaoistwasreducedtoOftornbellyandemptytrunkaghostsodrippy,Withlessinnardsandnogutsasoulmostditsy!

Kickingdownthepillar,theexecutionerdraggedthecorpseovertohaveacloserlook.Ah!Itwasactuallyawhite-coateddeerwithhorns.Theofficerinchargeoftheexecutionagainranhurriedlytomakethereport:

“SecondPreceptorofState ismostunlucky!Ashis stomachwas rippedopen,hisvisceraweresnatchedawaybyahungryhawk.Afterheperished,hisoriginalformwas awhite-coated deerwith horns.”More andmore alarmed, the kingasked, “How could he turn into a deerwith horns?” TheGoat-StrengthGreatImmortalsaid,“Yes,howcouldmyelderbrotherdieandturnintotheformofabeast?Ithastobethemagicofthatmonk,usedbyhimtoplotagainstus.Letmeavenge the deaths ofmy elder brothers.” “With whatmagic can you triumphoverhim?”askedtheking,andGoat-Strengthreplied,“I’mgoingtowagewithhimthecontestofbathinginacauldronofhotoil.”Thekingindeedsentforahugecauldronfilledwithfragrantoilandtoldthemtobeginthecontest.“Ithankyouforyourkindness,”saidPilgrim,“forthisyoungpriesthasnothadabathforalongtime.Myskin,infact,hasbeenratherdriedanditchythesepasttwodays,andImusthaveitscaldedtotakeawaytheirritation.”Theattendantbefore the throne indeed lightedagreat fireonahugepileof

wood,andtheoilinthecauldronwasheatedtoboiling.Whenhewasaskedtostepintoit,Pilgrimpressedhispalmstogetherinfrontofhimandasked,“Willitbeaciviloramilitarybath?”“What’sthedifference?”askedtheking.Pilgrimsaid,“AcivilbathmeansthatIshallnotremovemyclothing.Withmyhandsonmyhips,I’lljumpinandjumpoutagainafteronelittleroll,soswiftly,infact,thattheclothesarenotpermittedtobesoiled.Ifthere’sthetiniestspeckofoilon

thegarments,Ilose.Amilitarybath,however,willrequireaclothesrackandatowel.I’llundressbeforeIdivein,andIshallbepermittedtoplayinthereasIwish, including doing somersaults and cartwheels.” The king said to Goat-Strength,“Howdoyouwanttocompetewithhim?Aciviloramilitarybath?”“Ifwetake thecivilbath,”saidGoat-Strength,“I fear thathis robesmayhavebeentreatedsothatoilwillslideoffhim.Let’shavethemilitarybath.”Steppingforwardinstantly,Pilgrimsaid,“Pardonmeagainforthepresumptionoftakingmyturnfirst.”Lookathim!Hetookoffhisshirtanduntiedhistiger-skinkilt.Withabound,he leapedstraight into thecauldron, splashingand frolicking intheboilingoilasifhewereswimminginit.WhenEightRulessawthis,hebithisfingerandsaidtoShaMonk,“Wetruly

have misjudged this ape! During those sarcastic exchanges and the banterbetweenusallthistime,Ithoughthewassimplyjoking!LittledidIrealizethathereallyhadsuchability!”Theycouldhardlyrefrainfromtheirmarveling,butwhen Pilgrim saw them whispering back and forth to each other, he becamehighly suspiciousand thought tohimself, “That Idiotmustbe laughingatme!Thisiswhattheproverbmeans:‘Intelligencehasitsworkandincompetenceitsleisure.’OldMonkeyhastogothroughallthis,andhe’squitecomfortableoverthere!Letmeputsomeropesonhimandseewhetherhe’llbemorecautious!”Ashebathedhimself,hesuddenlydovetowardthebottomofthecauldronwithasplash.Therehechangedhimselfintoasmalltackandallbutdisappeared.The officer in charge of the proceedings went forward again to make the

report: “YourMajesty, the youngpriest has been fried to death by the boilingoil.”Delighted,thekinggavetheorderforthebonestobefishedoutforhimtosee,andtheexecutionerwentforwardtoraketheoilwithanironstrainer.Theholes in the strainer, however, were quite large, whereas the tack into whichPilgrim had changed himselfwas very tiny, and repeatedly, it fell through theholesafterithadbeenscoopedup.Theofficerhadnochoicebuttocomebackwiththisword:“Thepriest’sbodyistenderandhisbonesarefrail.Heseemstohavemeltedcompletely!”The king at once shouted, “Seize those three monks!” Seeing how savage

were the looksofEightRules, thepalaceguardsrushedathimfirstand threwhim to the ground, tying both of his hands behind his back. Tripitakawas soterrified that he cried out in a loud voice, “YourMajesty, please pardon thishumbleclericforthemoment.Sincethatdiscipleofmineembracedourfaith,hehasmademeritagainandagain.TodayhisaffronttothePreceptorofStatehasled to his death in a cauldron of oil, and this humble cleric certainly has nodesiretoclingtomyownlife.Moreover,justastheofficialsarerulingoverthepeople,soareyoutheruleraboveall,andifyouaskingaskme,yoursubject,to

die,howcouldIdarenotdie?Buttheonewhodiedfirsthasalreadybecomeaspirit,andthisisthereasonIbegyouforamoment’sgrace.Grantmehalfacupofcoldwaterorabowlofthingruel;givemealsothreepaperhorsesandpermitmetogobeforethecauldrontopresenttheseofferingsandtoexpressmyregardforhimasadisciple.ThenIwillacceptwhateverpunishmentyouhaveforme.”Onhearing this, thekingsaid,“All right!TheChineseareavery loyalpeopleindeed!”HeaskedthattheTangMonkbegiventhericegruelandpapermoney.TheTangMonkrequestedthatShaMonkgowithhimbelowthesteps,while

afewoftheguardsdraggedEightRulesbytheearsuptothecauldron.Facingit,theTangMonkofferedthefollowinginvocation:“Mydeardisciple,SunWukong!SincetakingpreceptsatthegroveofChan,Whatloveyoushowedmeonourwestwardway.WehopedjointlytoperfecttheGreatDao.HowcouldIknowyouwouldperishthisday!Youlivedforfindingscriptureswhenalive;IndeathyourmindfromBuddhamustnotstray.YourgallantsoulafarshouldwaittoriseToThunderclapasghostfromHades’darksway.”

On hearing this prayer, Eight Rules said, “Master, that’s not the properinvocation.ShaMonk,holdup the riceoffering forme.Letmepray!”Boundandpinnedtotheground,Idiotgaspedoutthesewords:“Youbrazen,disaster-courtingape!YouignorantBanHorsePlague.Youbrazen,death-deservingape!Youdeep-friedBanHorsePlague!Monkeyisbumpedoff!HorsePlague’suprooted!”

PilgrimSunwas,ofcourse,still in thebottomofthecauldron.Whenheheardthese castigations from Idiot, he could no longer restrain himself and at oncechangedbackintohisoriginalform.Standingupstarknakedinthecauldron,heshouted,“Youoverstuffedcoolie!Whomareyoucastigating?”“Disciple,”saidtheTangMonkwhenhesawPilgrim,“youalmostfrightenedmetodeath!”ShaMonk said, “ElderBrother simply loves to play dead!”The civil andmilitaryofficialsallrushedupthestepstoreport:“YourMajesty,thatpriestdidnotdie.Hehasemergedagainfromthecauldron.”Fearingthathemightbefoundguiltyofmaking a false report to the throne, theofficer in chargeof execution said,“Heisdeadallright.Buttodayhappenstobearatherinauspiciousdayandtheghostofthatyoungpriestisnowmanifestingitself.”Maddenedbywhatheheard,Pilgrimleapedoutofthecauldron,driedhimself

from theoil, and threwonhis clothes.Dragging thatofficerover,hewhipped

outhisironrodandoneblowontheheadreducedhimtoameatpatty.“Whatghost is this who’s manifesting itself?” he huffed. Those officials were soterrified that theyfreedEightRulesatonceandknelton theground,pleading,“Pardonus!Pardonus!”Theking,too,wantedtoleavehisdragonthrone,buthewas caught by Pilgrim, who said, “YourMajesty, don’t walk away. Tell yourthird Preceptor of State to go into the cauldron also.” Trembling all over, thekingsaid,“ThirdPreceptorofState,saveourlife.Gointothecauldronquicklysothatthemonkwon’thitus.”Goat-StrengthwentdownthestepsfromthehallandtookoffhisclotheslikePilgrim.Leapingintothecauldronofboilingoil,hebegantocavortandbathehimself.Letting go of the king, Pilgrim approached the cauldron and told the fire

tenderstoaddmorewoodwhileheputhishandintotheoil.Aha!Thatboilingoilfelticecold.Hethoughttohimself:“ItwasveryhotwhenItookthebath,butfeel how cold it is now that he’swashing in there. I know. It has to be somedragonkingwhoisgivinghimprotectionhere.”Leapingintotheair,herecitedaspellthatbeganwiththeletterOṁandinstantlysummonedtheDragonKingoftheNorthernOceantohisside.“Youhorn-growingearthworm!”saidPilgrimtohim.“Youscalylizard!HowdareyouassistthatDaoistbycoilingacolddragonaroundthebottomofthecauldron?Youwanthimtodisplayhispowerandgaintheupperhandonme?”Terribly intimidated, the Dragon King stammered out his answer: “Aoshun

daresnotdothat!PerhapstheGreatSagehasnoknowledgeofthis:thiscursedbeast did go through quite an austere process of self-cultivation, to the pointwherehewasabletocastoffhisoriginalshell.Hehasacquiredthetruemagicofthe Five Thunders, while the rest of the magic powers he has are all thosedevelopedbyheterodoxy,nonefittoleadhimtothetruewayoftheimmortals.TheperformanceofthisrightnowisalsopartoftheGreatRipoff,whichhehaslearned in theLittleMaoMountain,1 but themagic of his two associates hadalreadybeendestroyedby theGreatSageand theyhad to reveal theiroriginalforms. This cold dragon which he has managed to cultivate by himself maydeceive worldly folks, but how could it ever deceive the Great Sage? I shallarrestthatcolddragonatonce,andyoucanbecertainthathewillbedeep-fried—bones,skins,andall!”“Takehimaway,”saidPilgrim,“andyou’llbesparedawhipping!” Changing into a violent gust of wind, the Dragon King swoopeddowntothecauldronanddraggedthecolddragonbacktotheocean.Pilgrim dropped down from the air and stood again before the steps with

Tripitaka,EightRules,andShaMonk.TheysawthattheDaoistwasbobbingupand down in the oil, but his desperate efforts to get out were all to no avail.Everytimeheclimbedupthewallofthecauldron,hewouldslipbackdown;in

no timeat all, his fleshdissolved,his skinwascharred, andhisbones lefthisbody. “YourMajesty,” another officer in charge of executionwent forward toreport,“theThirdPreceptorofStatehaspassedaway!”Astearsstreamedfromhis eyes, the king clutched at the imperial table before him and sobbeduncontrollably,crying:“Thehumanformishard,hardindeed,toget!Makenoelixirwhenthere’snotrueguide.YouhavecharmsandwatertosendforgodsButnotthepilltomakeyourlifeabide.

Ifperfection’sundone,CouldNirvāṇabewon?Yourlife’sprecarious,youreffortsarevain.Ifyouknewbeforesuchhardshipsyou’dmeet,Whynotstaysafelyinthemount?Abstain!”2

TrulyTotouchgold,tosmeltlead—ofwhatusearethey?Tosummonwind,tobeckonrain—stillallisvain!

We do not knowwhat will happen tomaster and disciples; let’s listen to theexplanationinthenextchapter.

FORTY-SEVEN

Theholymonk’sblockedatnightatHeaven-ReachingRiver;MetalandWood,incompassion,rescuelittlechildren.

Wewere tellingyou that theking,whowas leaningonhisdragon table,weptwithout ceasing until night fell, his tears gushing forth like a stream. FinallyPilgrimwentuptohimandshouted,“Howcouldyoubesodimwitted?Lookatthecorpsesof thoseDaoists:onehappens tobe thatofa tigerand theother,adeer.Goat-Strengthwas, in fact, an antelope. If you don’t believeme, let hisbonesbebailedoutforyoutosee.Howcouldhumanshaveskeletonslikethat?ThesethreeDaoistswereallmountainbeastswhichhadbecomespirits,unitedintheireffortstocomehereandplotagainstyou.Whentheysawthatyournodalfatewasstillinstrongascendancy,1theydarednotharmyouasyet.Aftertwoormoreyearswhenyournodalfatedeclines,theywouldhavetakenyourlifeandyourentirekingdomwouldhavebeen theirs. Itwas fortunate thatwecame intimetoexterminatethesedeviatesandsaveyourlife.Andyouarestillweeping?Whatfor?Bringusourrescriptatonceandsendusonourway.”Onlywhenhehad heard this from Pilgrim did the king return to his senses. The civil andmilitaryofficialsalsowent forward to report tohim,saying,“Thedead indeedturnout tobeawhitedeerandayellow tiger,whilebones in thecauldrondobelongtoanantelope.Itisunwisenottolistentothewordsoftheholymonk.”“Inthatcase,”saidtheking,“wearegratefultotheholymonk.It’slatealready.Let the Grand Preceptor escort the holy monks back to Wisdom DepthMonastery to rest.During early court tomorrow,we shall openup theEasternPavilionandcommand theCourtof ImperialEntertainments toprepareahugevegetarian banquet to thank them.” The priests were escorted back to themonastery.Atthetimeofthefifthwatchthefollowingmorning,thekingheldcourtfor

manyofficials.He at once issued a decree to summon theBuddhistmonks toreturntothecity,andthisdecreewastobepostedoneveryroadandonallfourgates.Afteralsogivingtheorderforthepreparationofahugebanquet,hesenthis imperial chariot to the Wisdom Depth Monastery to invite Tripitaka andfollowersbacktotheEasternPavilionforthefeast,andweshallspeaknomoreofthat.

Wetellyounowinsteadaboutthosemonkswhosucceededinescapingwiththeir lives.When theyheardof thedecree thatwaspromulgated,everyoneofthemwasdelightedandbegantoreturntothecitytosearchfortheGreatSageSun,tothankhim,andtoreturnhishairs.Meanwhile,theelder,afterthebanquetwasover,obtainedtherescriptfromtheking,wholedthequeen,theconcubines,and tworowsofcivilandmilitaryofficialsout thegateof thecourt tosee thepriestsoff.Astheycameout,theyfoundmanymonkskneelingonbothsidesoftheroad,saying,“FatherGreatSage,Equal toHeaven,weare themonkswhoescapedwithourlivesonthebeach.WhenweheardthatFatherhadwipedoutthedemonsandrescuedus,andwhenwefurtherheardthatourkinghadissuedadecreecommandingourreturn,wecameheretopresenttoyouthehairsandtothank you for your Heavenly grace.” “Howmany of you came back?” askedPilgrim, chuckling. They replied, “All five hundred.None’smissing.” Pilgrimshook his body once and immediately retrieved his hairs. Then he said to theking and the lay people, “Thesemonks indeedwere released by oldMonkey.ThecartwassmashedafteroldMonkeymoveditbeyondthedoublepassesandthroughtheinterlockingspinalridge,anditwasMonkeyalsowhobeattodeaththosetwoperverseDaoists.Aftersuchpestilencehasbeenexterminatedthisday,youshouldrealizethatthetruewaybelongstothegateofChan.Hereafteryoushouldneverbelievefoolishlyinanydoctrinethatcomesalong.Ihopeyouwillhonor the unity of the Three Religions: revere the monks, revere also theDaoists,andtakecaretonurturethetalented.Yourkingdom,Iassureyou,willbesecureforever.”ThekinggavehisassentandhisthanksrepeatedlybeforeheescortedtheTangMonkoutofthecity.Andso,theirjourneyhadasitspurposeAdiligentsearchforthethreecanons;Astrenuousquestfortheprimallight.

Astheyproceeded,theywalkedbydayandrestedbynight;theydrankwhentheywerethirstyandatewhentheywerehungry.Springended,summerwaned,and soon itwas again the timeof autumn.Oneday toward evening, theTangMonkreinedinhishorseandsaid,“Disciples,whereshallwefindshelterforthenight?”“Master,”saidPilgrim,“amanwhohasleftthefamilyshouldnotspeakas onewho remains in the family.” Tripitaka said, “Howwould aman in thefamilyspeak?Andhowwouldamanwhohas left the familyspeak?”“In thistimeoftheyear,”saidPilgrim,“amanwhoremainsinthefamilywillenjoythebenefitsofawarmbedandsnugblankets;hehashischildreninhisbosomandhiswifenexttohislegs.That’showcomfortablyhewillsleep!Now,howcouldwewhohaveleftthefamilyexpecttoenjoysuchthings?Wemustbecloakedby

thestarsandwrappedbythemoon;wemustdineonthewindsandrestbythewaters.Wemoveon if there’s a road, andwe stop onlywhenwe come to itsend.”“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“youknowonlyonething,butyoucan’tseeitsimplications.Lookhowtreacherousisthisroadwe’rewalkingon!Ihavesuchaheavy loadonmethat I find itdifficulteven towalk.PleasefindsomeplacewhereIcanhaveagoodnight’srestandregainmystrength.Bymorning,Ican face the loadoncemore.Otherwise, I’lldieof fatigue!”“Let’smoveonalittle further then in thismoonlight,” saidPilgrim, “andwe can stopwhenwereachsomeplacewhere therearehouses.”MasteranddiscipleshadnochoicebuttofollowPilgrimforward.They did not journey long before they heard the sound of rushing water.

“Finished!” said Eight Rules. “We’ve come to the end of the road!” “We areblockedby a torrent ofwater,” saidShaMonk.TheTangMonk asked, “Howcouldwegetacross?”“Letmetestittodiscoverhowdeepitisfirst,”saidEightRules.Tripitakasaid,“Wuneng,don’tspeaksuchnonsense!Howcouldyoutestthedepthorshallownessofwater?”“I’llfindanegg-shapedpebble,”saidEightRules,“andthrowitin:ifitsplashesandfoamcomesup,it’sshallow;ifitsinksdownwithagurglingsound,thenit’sdeep.”“Goandtestit,”saidPilgrim.OurIdiotgropedonthegroundandfoundastone,whichhethrewintothewater;alltheyheardwasagurglingsoundasiffisheswerereleasingbubblesasthestonesank down to the bottom. “Deep!Deep!Deep!” he said. “We can’t cross it!”“Thoughyoumayhavediscovereditsdepth,”saidtheTangMonk,“youmaynotknowhowwideitis.”“Indeednot!Indeednot!”saidEightRules.Pilgrimsaid,“Letmehavealook.”DearGreatSage!Hesomersaultedatonceintotheairandfixedhisgazeonthewater.HesawThemoonsoakedinvastsheensoflight;Thesky’simagedrenchedinthedeep;Aspiritbranchgulpingmountains;Alongriverfeedinghundredstreams;Athousandfoaminglayerschurn;Tenthousandfoldsofmountlikewaves;(Nofisher-fireslitupthebanksButegretsrestedbythebeach.)Anoceanlikevastexpanse,Withnoboundariesinsight.

He dropped down quickly from the clouds to the bank of the river, saying,“Master, it’sverywide!Verywide!Wecan’tget across!These fiery eyes anddiamondpupilsofoldMonkeycandiscerngoodandeviluptoathousandmilesduring the day, and even at night, they can cover a distance of four or fivehundredmiles.JustnowIcouldn’tevenseetheothershore.HowcouldItellthewidthoftheriver?”

Horrified,Tripitakacouldnotsayawordforalongtime.Thenhesobbedout,“ODisciple!What shall we do?” “Master, please don’t cry,” said ShaMonk.“Look over there! Isn’t that aman standing by thewater?” Pilgrim said, “Hecould be a fisherman lowering his nets, I suppose. Let me go and ask him.”Holdinghisironrod,hesprintedforwardtohaveacloserlook.Ah!Itwasnotaman, but only a stonemonument, onwhichwerewritten three largewords inseal script and two rowsof smallerwordsdownbelow.The three largewordswere:Heaven-ReachingRiver.Thetworowsofsmallerwordsread:AwidthofeighthundredmilesWhichfew,fromdaysofold,havecrossed.

“Master,” Pilgrim called out, “come and look.” When Tripitaka saw themonument, tears rolled down his cheeks, saying, “O Disciple! When I leftChang’anthatyear,IthoughtthatthewaytotheWesternHeavenwasquiteeasy.HowcouldIknowof theobstaclesofdemonsandmonsters, the longdistanceovermountainsandwaters!”“Master,”saidEightRules,“listenforamoment.Isn’tthatthesoundofdrums

andcymbalscomingfromsomewhere?Itmustbe thatsomefamily is feastingthe monks. Let’s go over there and beg for some vegetarian food and makeinquiryconcerningthepossibilityoffindingaboattotakeusacrosstomorrow.”Cocking his ears as he rode, Tripitaka indeed heard the sound of drums andcymbals.“ThesearenotthemusicalinstrumentsofDaoists,”hesaid.“Ithastobe some religious service conducted by us Buddhists. Let us go over there.”Pilgrimledthehorseinfrontandallofthemproceededtowardwherethemusicwascomingfrom.Therewasactuallynoroadforthemtowalkon,onlyarollingsandybeach.Presently,theysawagroupofwell-builthouses,aboutfourorfivehundredofthemaltogether.TheysawthatthesehouseswereClosebythehillandtheroads,Nexttotheshoresandthestream.Everywherethewoodenfenceswereshut;Thebambooyardofeachhousewasclosed.Egretsrestingonsandduneshadpeacefuldreams;Birdsnestingonwillowsvoicedtheirchillytunes.Theshortflutesweresilent;Thewashingflailshadnorhythm.Redsmartweedtwigsquakedinmoonlight;Yellowrushleavesbattledthewind.Avillagedogbarkedthroughsparsefieldfences;Anoldfishersleptonhisford-mooredboat,Wherelightswerelow,Andhumanbustles,quiet.Thebrightmoonseemedamirrorhungintheair,ThescentofduckweedblossomsallatonceWassentbythewestwindfromthefarshore.

As Tripitaka dismounted, he saw a house at the head of a path; before thehousewaserectedapolewithabannerflying,whiletheinsidewasablazewithlamps and candles and filledwith fragrant incense. “Wukong,” saidTripitaka,“whatwehavehereiscertainlybetterthaneitherthefoldofthemountainortheedgeoftheriver.Atleasttheeavesoftheroofcanprovidesomeshelterfromthenightmists, andwe can rest without fears. You, however, should stay behindfirst,andletmegouptothatpatron’sdoortomakeknownourrequest.Ifheiswillingtoletusstay,I’llcallforyou;butifhe’sunwilling,allofyouarenottolet looseanymischief.Youare,afterall,quiteuglyinyourappearances,andIfearthatyoumayfrightenthem.Offendingthesepeoplemaymeanthatweshallhavenowhereatalltostay.”“Whatyousayisquiteright,”saidPilgrim.“Pleasegofirst,Master,andwe’llwaitforyouhere.”Takingoffhisbroad-brimmedbamboohat, theeldershookthedirt fromhis

clericalrobeandwentuptothedoorof thehouse,holdingthepriestlystaff inhishands.Hefoundthedoorhalf-closed;notdaringtoenterwithoutpermission,theelderstoodstillandwaitedforabriefmoment,whenanoldman,withsomebeadshangingaroundhisneck,emergedfromthehouse,chantingthenameofBuddha as he walked. Seeing that the old man was about to shut the door,however, the elder hurriedly pressed his palms together and cried out, “OldBenefactor,thishumblepriestsalutesyou.”Returninghisgreeting,theoldmansaid, “Youare too late,monk.” “Whatdoyoumean?” saidTripitaka. “Imeanthatyouwon’tgetanythingbecauseyouarelate,”saidtheoldman.“Ifyouhadcomeearlier,youwouldhavefoundthatwewerefeastingthemonks.Afteryouhave eaten your fill, you would then be given an additional three ounces ofcookedrice,abaleofwhitecloth,andtenstringsofcopperpennies.Whydoyoucomeatthishour?”“OldBenefactor,”saidTripitaka,bowing,“thishumblepriestisnotheretobe

feasted.”“Ifyouarenot,” said theoldman,“thenwhyhaveyoucomehere?”Tripitakasaid,“IamsomeonesentbyimperialdecreeoftheGreatTangintheLandoftheEasttoacquirescripturesintheWesternHeaven.Itwaslatewhenwearrivedatyourregion.Whenweheardthesoundofdrumsandcymbalsfromyour house, we came to ask you for one night’s lodging. We’ll leave bymorning.”“Monk,”saidtheoldman,wavinghishandgently,“amanwhohasleft the family should not lie. The distance between our place here and yourGreatTang in theLandof theEasthappens tobe fifty-four thousandmiles.Asingleperson likeyou,howcouldyoucomehere all byyourself?” “That’s anexceptionally accurate observation,OldBenefactor,” said Tripitaka, “but I amnot alone. I have three disciples, who have opened up a path through themountainsandbuiltbridgeswhenwecameuponthewaters.Itwasbecauseof

theirbeingmyescorts that I couldarrivehere today.”“Ifyouhavedisciples,”saidtheoldman,“whyhaven’ttheycomewithyou?Pleaseinvitethemforthatonce!Myhousehasenoughroomforallofyou.”Turningaround,Tripitakasaid,“Disciples, come here.” Now, Pilgrim was by nature rather impulsive, EightRules was born without manners, and Sha Monk, too, happened to be veryimpetuous. Themoment the three of them heard theirmaster beckoning, theyrushed like a cyclone toward the house, dragging the horse and the luggagealong.Whentheoldmancaughtsightofthem,hewassoterrifiedthathefellontheground,cryingrepeatedly,“Monstersarehere!Monstersarehere!”Raisinghimwithhis hands,Tripitaka said, “Don’t be afraid,Benefactor.They are notmonsters.Theyaremydisciples.”Tremblingallover,theoldmansaid,“Suchahandsomemaster!Whydidyoutakesuchuglydisciples?”“Thoughtheyarenotgoodtolookat,”saidTripitaka,“theyarequiteknowledgeableintamingtigersand subduing dragons, in seizing monsters and capturing fiends.” Not fullybelievingwhatheheard,theoldmansupportedhimselfontheTangMonkandwalkedslowlywithhiminside.We tell you now about those three rogues,whodashed into the hall,where

theydroppedtheirluggageandtiedupthehorse.Therewereatthattimeseveralpriests in the hall reciting sūtras. Sticking out his long snout, Eight Rulesshoutedat them,“Heymonks!Whichsūtraareyoureciting?”Onhearingthis,thosemonksraisedtheirheadsandallatonceTheysawavisitor,Withlongsnoutandhugeears,Athickframeandwideshoulders,Avoicethatboomedlikethunder.ButPilgrimandShaMonkWereinlookse’enuglier.OfthosepriestsinthehallNonewasnotinterror.TheytriedtokeeprecitingButwerestoppedbytheirleader.TheylefttheirstonesandbellsAndforsookthegravenBuddhas.Thelampswereallblownout,Andtorchesallsmothered.Theyscrambledandtheystumbled,Thedoorsillsfallingover.Likegourdswhenpropsweredown,Theirheadsbumpedoneanother.Apure,sereneplotofritualBecameacauseofgreatlaughter!

Whenthethreebrotherssawhowthosepriestsstumbledandfellallover,theyclapped their hands and roared with laughter. More terrified than ever, those

priestsbangedintooneanotherastheyfledfortheirlivesanddesertedtheplace.Tripitakaledtheoldmanupthehall,butthelightsandlampswerecompletelyout, while the three of them were still in guffaws. “You brazen creatures!”scolded theTangMonk. “Youare sowicked!Haven’t I taughtyoueveryday,admonishedyoueverymorning?Theancientssaid,Tobevirtuouswithoutinstruction,Isthisnotsagacity?Tobevirtuousafterinstruction,Isthisnotnobility?Tobevirtuelessevenafterinstruction,Isthisnotstupidity?

Thewayyouhaveperpetratedmischiefhasjustshownyoutobepeopleofthegreatest baseness and stupidity! You barged into someone’s door without anymanners! You have frightened the old Benefactor and scattered the priestsrecitingthesūtras,completelyspoilingthegoodworksofothers.Wouldn’tIbeblamedforallthis?”Hespokewithsuchvehemencethattheydarednotutterawordinreply,andonlythendidtheoldmanbecomeconvincedthattheywerehisdisciples.HeturnedquicklytobowtoTripitaka,saying,“VenerableFather,itdoesn’t matter! It doesn’t matter! They were putting out the lights just nowbecausetheceremonywasalmostdoneanyway.”“Ifit’sover,”saidEightRules,“bringouttheend-of-servicefeastsothatwecanenjoyitandsleep.”“Bringoutthelights!Bringoutthelights!”criedtheoldman.Someofthemembersofhishousehold,when theyheardhim,began tocomplain to themselves,“Thereareenoughcandlesalreadyinthehallforthereligiousservice.Whyishecallingforlights?”Afewhouseboyscameouttoseeforthemselvesandtheyfoundthehallin complete darkness. Returning hurriedly with torches and lanterns, theysuddenlysawtheformsofEightRulesandShaMonk.Soterrifiedbythesighttheywerethattheydroppedtheirtorchesanddashedinside,slammingshutthemid-leveldoor and shouting all the time, “There aremonstershere!There aremonstershere!”Pickinguponeofthetorches,Pilgrimrelit thelampsandthecandlesbefore

hepulledachairtothemiddleofthehallfortheTangMonktositon.Thenheandhisbrotherssatdownonbothsidesandtheoldmantookaseatinfrontofallof them.As they sett led into their seats, they heard the inner door open andanother old man walked out, supporting himself on a staff. “What kind ofperversedemonsareyou,”hesaid,“thatyoudareenter thedoorofavirtuousfamily in thedarkofnight?”Theoldman,whowasseated,quicklyaroseandmethimbehindthescreens,saying,“Noneedtoclamor,ElderBrother.Theyarenoperversedemons,butarhats sent toacquire scripturesby theGreatTang intheLandoftheEast.Thoughtheylookvicious,theyareactuallyquitegentle.”

Onlythendidtheotheroldmanputdownhisstaffandbowtogreetallfourofthevisitors,afterwhich,healsotookaseatinthefrontofthehall.“Bringoutthetea,” he cried, “and prepare us some vegetarian food.”He had to call severaltimes before several houseboys, still trembling, emerged, though they still didnotdarewalknearthevisitors.Unabletocontainhimself,EightRulessaid,“Oldman,whyareyourservants

millingaboutonbothsides?”“Itoldthemtobringoutsomevegetarianfoodtoserve to the Venerable Fathers,” said the old man. Eight Rules asked, “Howmanyaretheretoserveus?”“Eightofthem,”saidtheoldman.“Whichofusaretheygoingtoserve?”saidEightRules.“Why,allfourofyou!”saidtheoldman.EightRulessaid,“Thatpale-facedmasterrequiresonlyonepersontoservehim;theonewith thehairy faceand thunder-godbeakneedsonly two.But theonewith the gloomy complexionwill have to have eight persons, and, as forme,nothinglessthantwentyattendantswilldo.”“IfIunderstandyoucorrectly,”saidthe old man, “you are trying to tell me that you have a large appetite.” “It’spassable,passable,”saidEightRules.“Well,”saidtheoldman,“thereareplentyofpeoplehere.”Youngandold,hemanagedtosummonthirtyservantstocomeout.Asthetwooldmenspokeamiablywiththemonks,therestofthehousehold

feltmoreatease.AtablewassetupinthemiddleofthehallandtheTangMonkwasaskedtotakethehonoredseat.Threeothertablesweresetuponbothsidesforthedisciples,whilethetwooldmenwereseatedatanothertablefacingallofthem.Fruits and vegetableswere presented first, afterwhich they brought outglutenousrice,plainrice,sidedishes,andsoupwithvermicelli.After thefoodwaslaidoutproperly, theelderTangliftedhischopsticksandrecitedtheFast-BreakingSūtra.OurIdiot,however,wasanimpulsiveeaterforonething,andhewas hungry for another. Without waiting for the Tang Monk to finish hisrecitation, he grabbed one of the red lacquered wooden bowls and hurled awholebowlfullofriceintohismouth.Everygrainofitimmediatelyvanished!Oneoftheyoungattendantsonthesidesaid,“ThisVenerableFatherisnotverysmart!Ifyouwanttosnatchsomethingandhideitinyoursleeve,whydon’tyoutakesomesteamedbuns?Whydoyousnatchabowlof rice instead?Won’t itsoilyourclothing?”“Ididn’tputitinmysleeve,”saidEightRules,chuckling.“Iateit!”“Youhavehardlymovedyourmouth,”saidtheyoungman.“Howcouldyouhaveeaten it?”“Onlyyoursonwould lie!”saidEightRules.“OfcourseIate it! Ifyoudon’tbelieveme, I’lleat somemore foryou tosee!”Theyoungman indeedpickedup thebowl, filled itwith rice oncemore, andhanded thebowltoEightRules.Idiottookit,andinstantlyhegulpeditalldownwithaflickofhishand.Whenthehouseboyssawthis,theycried,“OFather!Youmusthave

a throat linedwithpolishedbricks! It’sso levelandsmooth!”Before theTangMonkhadfinishedrecitingonesūtra,Idiothaddownedfiveorsixbowlsofrice.Afterthat,theyraisedtheirchopstickstoenjoytheotherkindsoffood.Withoutregard for whether they were fruits, rice, glutenous rice, or side dishes, Idiotsimply scooped them all up with his hands and stuffed them into his mouth,callingallthetime,“Morerice!Morerice!Whereareyoualldisappearingto?”“WorthyBrother,”saidPilgrim,“pleasedon’teatsomuch!Wearealreadymuchbetter off than trying to endure hunger in the fold of themountain. It’s goodenoughifyouarehalf-filled.”“Nevermind,”saidEightRules.“Astheproverbsays,Thepriesthalf-fedIsworsethandead!”

“Takeawaythehousewares,”saidPilgrim.“Don’tmindhim!”Bowing,thetwooldmensaid,“Totellyouthetruth,thereisnoproblemwhateverifitisduringtheday,forwecaneasilyfeedoverahundredpriestslikeourbig-belliedelderhere.Butit’slatenow.Wehaveputawaytheleftovers,andwehavemanagedtosteamonlyonestoneofglutenousriceandfivebarrelsofplainricetogetherwithafewtablefulsofvegetarianfood.Wewereabout to inviteafewneighbors todisperse the blessings with the priests. When all of you arrived, the priestsbecamefrightenedandleft,andwedarednotevenaskourneighborsorkin tocomehere.Everythingthathadbeenpreparedwasalreadypresentedtoyou.Butifyouarenotyetfilled,wecansteamsomemore.”“Steamsomemore!Steamsomemore!”saidEightRules.After they finished eating, the tables and dishes were put aside. Tripitaka

stood up and bowed to the two oldmen to thank them for the feast. Then heasked,“OldBenefactors,whatisyourhonoredname?”Oneofthemsaid,“Oursurname is Chen.” Pressing his palms together, Tripitaka said, “We share thesame illustrious ancestors.” “So theVenerable Father also has the surname ofChen?”askedoneoftheoldmen.“Yes,”saidTripitaka,“thatisthenameofmysecular home.May I ask what kind of religious service was held just now?”“Whydoyouask,Master?”saidEightRules,laughing.“Can’tyouguess?Ithasto be a service for harvest, or for peace, or for the completion of a building.Nothingmore!”“No,no,”saidtheoldman.“Truly,whatwasitforthen?”askedTripitaka again. The old man replied, “It’s a preparatory mass for the dead.”Laughing so hard that he could hardly remain seated, Eight Rules said,“Grandpa,youaren’tveryperceptive!Weareexperts inhalf-truths,mastersofhumbug!Howcouldyouhopetodeceiveuswiththatfraudulenttitle?Youthinkthat monks are ignorant of masses and religious services? You may hold a

preparatorymassforthetransferenceofmerit,orforthepresentationofavotiveoffering.Sincewhenwasthereeverapreparatorymassforthedead?Thereisnooneinyourhousewhohasdied.Howcouldyouhaveamassforthedead?”When Pilgrim heard these words, he was secretly pleased and thought to

himself,“ThisIdiotisgettingsmarter!”Thenhesaid,“OldGrandpa,youmusthave been mistaken.What is this preparatory mass for the dead?” Instead ofreplyingatonce,thetwooldmenbowedandsaid,“Howdidallofyouturnfromthemainroadtoacquirescripturesandarriveatourplace?”Pilgrimsaid,“Wewerewalkingalongthemainroad,butitwasbarredbyatorrentofwaterandwecouldnotcrossit.Thenweheardthesoundofcymbalsanddrums,andthatledushere to askyou for a night’s lodging.” “Whenyou reached the edgeof thewater,” said the oldman, “did you see anything?” “Only a stonemonument,”saidPilgrim,“withthethree-wordinscription,Heaven-ReachingRiver.Belowit,therewerethewords:AwidthofeighthundredmilesWhichfew,fromdaysofold,havecrossed.

Therewasnootherthing.”“Ifyouhadgoneaboutamileinlandfromthemonument,”saidoneoftheold

men, “you would have come upon a temple of the Great King of NuminousPower.Butyoudidn’tseeit?”“Wedidnot,”saidPilgrim.“Tellus,oldGrandpa,whatisthisNuminousPower?”At once the two old men began to shed tears as they said, “O Venerable

Father!ThatGreatKingwasPotenttomoveoneplacetobuildhisshrine;Numinoustoblesspeoplefarandnear.Hesendsussweetrainsfrommonthtomonth,Andauspiciouscloudsfromyeartoyear.”

Pilgrim said, “Sending sweet rains and auspicious clouds indicate goodintentions, but you are so sad and dejected. Why?” Beating their chests andstampingtheirfeet,theoldmensigheddeeplyandsaid,“OVenerableFather!Thoughfavorsabound,there’salsospite.Hewouldhurtlifeevenwhenheiskind.Forhislovetoeatvirginboysandgirls,Heisnopatentgodofrighteousmind!”

“Sohelikestodevourvirginboysandgirls?”askedPilgrim.“Yes,”saidtheoldmen.Pilgrimsaid, “I suppose it’syour family’s turnnow?”“Indeed it is,”saidoneoftheoldmen.“Ourvillagehereconsistsofoveronehundredfamilies,anditbelongstotheYuanhuiCountyoftheCartSlowKingdom.ThenameofthisvillageofoursistheChenVillage.EveryyearthisGreatKingrequiresthe

sacrificeofavirginboyandavirgingirl inaddition to theofferingofvariouskindsoflivestocklikehogsandsheep.Whenhehasdevouredallofthesetohissatisfaction,hewouldblessuswithwindandrainindueseason.If thereisnosuchsacrificeforhim,hewillinflictuponusallkindsofcalamity.”“Howmanyesteemedsonsdoyouhave inyourfamily?”askedPilgrim.“Alas!Alas!”saidthe older of the twomen, beating his breast. “Whymention ‘esteemed sons’?Thetermwouldonlyembarrassustodeath!Thisismybrother,ChenQing,andIamcalledChenCheng.2Heisfifty-eightandIamsixty-three,bothbadlyoffforchildren.SinceIhadnochildrenevenwhenIwasfifty,friendsandrelativesurgedmetotakeaconcubine.Ihadnochoicebuttodosoandagirlwasbornlater.HernameisOneLoadofGold,andsheisbarelyeightthisyear.”“Whatanexpensivename!”saidEightRules.“Whywasshegivenit?”Theoldmansaid,“Since Iwas childless for somany years, I persisted in repairing bridges androads, in erecting temples and stūpas, and in the feasting of monks. I kept arecord of all I spent—a fewounces here and a fewounces there—and by thetimemy daughterwas born, I had spent exactly thirty pounds of gold. Thirtypoundsmakeoneload,andthatwashowshegothername.”“Anddoeshehaveason?”askedPilgrim.Theoldmansaid,“Hehas,indeed,

asonbornalsoofaconcubine.Heisonlysevenyearsold,andhisnameisChenGuanbao.”3“Whysuchaname?”askedPilgrim,andtheoldmansaid,“Becauseour familyworships theHoly FatherGuan, and the childwas conceived afterprayerswereoffered to theHolyFather.That’swhyhehas such a name.Thejoint age ofmybrother andme is over one hundred and twenty, butwe haveonlythesetwochildrentoperpetuateourfamilies.Howcouldweeveranticipatethat the turn to provide the victimswould fall on us!We dare not, of course,refuse,butitisdifficulttogiveupourpreciouschildren.Itwasforthewelfareoftheirsoulsthatweestablishedthisplotofritualinadvance,andthatwasthereasonInameditthepreparatorymassforthedead.”WhenTripitakaheardthesewords,hecouldnotrestrainthetearsfromrolling

downhischeeksandhesaid,“Trulyit’slikewhattheproverbsays:Insteadofyellowplumsonlygreenplumsdrop.OldHeaven’sdoublyharshtoachildlessman!”

Pilgrim, however, smiled and said, “Let me question him a bit more. OldGrandpa, howmuch property do you have?” The two old men said together,“Quiteabit.Wehaveatleastsomesevenhundredandfiftyacresofpaddyfieldsand over a thousand acres of dry fields. There must be some ninety pasturefields,threehundredwaterbuffalos,somethirtyhorsesandmules,andcountlessnumbers of hogs, sheep, chickens, and geese. There is more grain in our

warehousesthanwecanconsumeandmoreclothinginourhousesthanwecanwear.Ourproperty andourwealth, asyoucan see, arequite sizable.” “Ifyouownsomuch,”saidPilgrim,“it’spatheticthatyouaresostingy!”“Howdidyoucometothatconclusion?”saidoneoftheoldmen.Pilgrimsaid,“Ifyouaresowell-off,howcouldyoupermityourownchildrentobesacrificed?Throwawayfiftyouncesofsilverandyoucanbuyavirginboy;throwawayanotherhundredouncesandyoucanbuyavirgingirl.Youneedspendnomorethantwohundredouncesofsilverforallexpensesandyouwillpreserveposterityforyouandyourfamily.Isn’tthatmuchbetter?”Sheddingcopioustears,thetwooldmensaid,“VenerableFather!Youaren’t

aware of the fact that the Great King is truly so powerful that he knowseverything.Why,heevencomesfrequently to thefamilieshere.”Pilgrimsaid,“Whenhe came through,didyoueverdiscoverhowhe lookedorhow tall hewas?”“Wehaveneverseenhisform,”saidthetwooldmen.“Butwheneverwefeltafragrantbreeze,itwasasignthattheFatherGreatKinghadarrived.Thenwehadtoburnhurriedlylotsofincenseandallofus,youngandold,hadtobowtowardthewind.Heknowseverythingthereistoknowofourfamilieshere;hecan remember even the birth dates and hours of young and old. He will notconsideritatreatunlesshecandevourchildrenwhoaretrulyours.Don’tspeakof two or three hundred ounces of silver; even if we were to spend severalthousandounces,wehadnowheretopurchaseaboyoragirlofexactlythesameappearanceandage.”“So, that’show it is!” saidPilgrim. “All right, all right!Bringoutyour son

andletmetakea lookathim.”ChenQingwent insideatonceandcarriedhissonGuanbaoout to the fronthall,placinghimbefore the lamps.Thechild,ofcourse,waswhollyunawareof thedisaster thatwasabout todescendonhim.Withtwosleevesstuffedwithpreservedfruitsandcandies,hedancedaboutashemunchedonthegoodies.Onseeinghim,Pilgrimrecitedaspellsilentlyandshookhisbody:atoncehechangedintoaboywiththeexactappearanceofthatchildGuanbao.Nowthereweretwoboysholdinghandsanddancingbeforethelamps!Theoldmanwassostartledthathefellonhisknees,causingtheTangMonk to cry out, “Venerable Father, this is blasphemy!Blasphemy!” The oldman said, “But this Venerable Father was just speaking to us. How did hemanagetotakeontheappearanceofmychildallatonce?Look,yougivethemacall, andbothof themanswer together!We are the oneswho are notworthy!Please showyour true form!Please showyour true form!”WithawipeofhisownfacePilgrimchangedbackintohistrueform.Remainingonhisknees,theoldmansaid,“SotheVenerableFatherhasthiskindofability!”“DidIlooklikeyourson?”askedPilgrim,laughing.“Verymuch!Verymuch!”saidtheoldman.

“Youhadexactly the same features, the samevoice, the sameclothes, and thesameheight!”“Youhaven’tevenexaminedmeclosely,”saidPilgrim.“BringoutthescaleandseeifI’mofthesameweightashis.”“Yes!Yes!Yes!”saidtheoldman.“Icouldtellthatyouwereexactlyofthesameweight.”“YouthinkIcouldserveasthesacrifice?”askedPilgrim.“It’smarvelous!Justmarvelous!”saidtheoldman.“Ofcourse,youcouldserveasthesacrifice.”Pilgrim said, “I’ll exchange my life for your boy’s so that your family’s

posteritywillbepreserved.I’llpresentmyselfasasacrificetothatGreatKing.”Kowtowingashekneltontheground,ChenQingsaid,“Ifinyourcompassionyou arewilling to present yourself as a substitute, I shall present FatherTangwith a thousand ounces of white silver as his travel expenses to theWesternHeaven.”“AndyouarenotgoingtothankoldMonkey?”saidPilgrim.“Ifyouareasacrificialsubstitute,”saidtheoldman,“youwillbefinished.”“Whatdoyoumeanfinished?”saidPilgrim.“TheGreatKingwilldevouryou,”said theoldman,andPilgrimsaid,“Doeshedare?”“Ifhedoesn’teatyou,”saidtheoldman,“itwillonlybebecauseyouaretoosmellyforhistaste.”“MayHeaven’swillbedone!”saidPilgrim,chuckling.“Ifheeatsme,it’llmeanthatIamtodieyoung; if he does not, it’s my luck. Anyway, I shall be your sacrificialsubstitute.”ChenQing not only kowtowed to thank him, but also promised to give the

monks an additional five hundred ounces of silver. Chen Cheng, however,neither kowtowed nor gave thanks; leaning on one of the screens, he weptprofusely. Understanding his plight, Pilgrim went up to tug at him and said,“NumberOne,youarenotpromisingmeanythingnorareyou thankingme. Isupposeyoumustfeelterribleaboutpartingwithyourdaughter?”Goingtohiskneesatonce,ChenChengsaid,“No,Ican’tpartwithher.Iamindebtedtoyou,VenerableFather,foryourkindness,anditshouldbeenoughthatyouhavesavedournephew.But thisoldmoronhasnootherchildrenexcepthisdaughter. If Ishoulddie,shewouldweepbitterly,too!HowcouldIeverpartwithher?”“Thengoquicklyandsteamfivemorebarrelsofrice,”saidPilgrim.“Preparesomefinevegetariandishesalsoandletthatlong-snoutmasterofoursenjoyhimself.Thenwecanaskhimtochangeintotheformofyourdaughter,andwetwobrotherswillbeyoursacrificialsubstitutes.Bysavingthelivesofyourdaughterandson,weshallaccruetoourselvessecretmerit.Howaboutthat?”Horrifiedbywhatheheard,EightRulessaid,“ElderBrother,youcanshow

offyourenergyasyouplease!Butdon’tdragmeintothisventurewithoutanyregard formy life!” “WorthyBrother,” said Pilgrim, “the proverb says, ‘Evenchickenscaneatonlyfoodtheyworkfor!’Themomentweenteredtheirhouse,they feteduswithahugebanquet,whileyouwerecomplaining thatyouwere

onlyhalf-filled!Howcouldyoubeunwillingtoassistthemintheirdifficulties?”“O Elder Brother,” said Eight Rules, “I don’t know anything abouttransformation.” “What do you mean?” said Pilgrim. “You know thirty-sixmodesoftransformation.”“Wuneng,”criedTripitaka,“whatyourelderbrotherhasjustsaidiscertainlyright,andwhathehasproposedismostappropriate.Theproverbsays,‘Thesavingofonelifeisbetterthantheconstructionofaseven-tieredpagoda.’Inthefirstplace,weshouldrepaytheirgreatkindnesstous; inthe second, we should make merit whenever possible by the performance ofgoodworks.Sincethereisnootherthingyoumustattendtointhiscoolnight,you and your brother can go and have some fun.” “Look at the wayMastertalks!”saidEightRules.“Imayknowhowtochangeintoamountain,atree,arock, a scabby elephant, a water buffalo, or a stout fellow. But it’ll be ratherdifficultformetochangeintoasmallyounggirl!”“Don’tbelievehim,NumberOne,” said Pilgrim. “Bring out your precious daughter.” Chen Cheng dashedinsideandbroughtouthischild,OneLoadofGold.Atthesametime,hiswholefamily,includinghiswifeandhisconcubine,youngandold,allcameouttothefronthalltokneelbeforethemonksandkowtow,beggingthemtosavethegirl’slife.The girl was wearing on her head a patterned emerald fillet with dangling

pearlandpreciousstonependants;shehadonacoatofredsilkshotwithyellow,covered by a cape of mandarin green satin with chess-board patterned collar.Aroundherwaistwastiedasilkskirtwithbrightredflowers.Shealsohadonapairofgold-kneedtrousersandapairoflightpinktoad’s-headpatternedshoesmade of hemp thread. And she, too, was munching on some fruits. “EightRules,”saidPilgrim,“that’s thegirl.Change intoher formquickly, so thatwecanbesacrificed.”“OBrother!”saidEightRules.“She’ssodelicateandlovely!HowcouldIdoit?”“Quick!”saidPilgrim.“Don’taskforabeating!”Alarmed,Eight Rules said, “Elder Brother, don’t beat me! Let me try and see whathappens!”ThisIdiotrecitedaspellandshookhisheadseveraltimes,crying,“Change!”

Indeed,hisheadtookonthefeaturesofthelittlegirl,buthisbellyremainedasbigaseversothathishulkingframeborehardlyanyresemblancetothegirl’s.“Changesomemore!”criedPilgrim,laughing.“Youcanbeatmeallyouwant,”saidEightRules, “but I can’t changeanymore.What am I todo?”“Youcan’ttakeontheheadofagirl,”saidPilgrim,“andthebodyofapriest!Youwouldbeneitherboynorgirl,andthatwouldn’tbegood,wouldit?Whydon’tyouassumethestarpostureandseewhatIcandoforyou?”HeblewamouthfulofmagicbreathontoEightRules,whosebodyatoncetookontheformofthelittlegirl.ThenPilgrimsaidtothetwooldmen,“Pleasetakeyourrelatives,yourson,and

yourdaughterinsidesothatwewillnotbeconfusedwiththem.Ifearthatafterawhile,mybrothermaybecomeslothfulandsneakinside,anditwillbedifficultforyou to tell themapart.Giveyourchildrenplentyofnicefruitsandcandiesandmakecertainthattheydon’tcry.Idon’twantthatGreatKingtogetwindofourplans.Wetwowillhavesomefunandbeoff.”DearGreatSage!HegaveinstructionsforShaMonktostandguardoverthe

Tang Monk, while he and Eight Rules assumed the exact forms of ChenGuanbao and One Load of Gold. After the two of them made all thepreparations, Pilgrim asked, “How are we to be presented, trussed up or justbound? Steamed or chopped to pieces?” “Elder Brother,” said Eight Rules,“don’tpullanymoretricksonme!Idon’thavethatkindofability!”“No,No!”saidoneoftheoldmen.“Allweneedaretworedlacqueredtrays,onwhichwewillaskbothofyoutosit.Thetrayswillbeplacedontopoftwotables,whichwillthenbecarriedtothetemplebysomeofourhouseboys.”“Fine!Fine!”saidPilgrim. “Bring out the trays and let us try them.” The oldman took out thelacqueredtrays;PilgrimandEightRulessatinthem,afterwhichfourhouseboyslifted up two tables and walked into the courtyard. Delighted, Pilgrim said,“Eight Rules, a couple of turns like this and we shall be priests who haveascended the tray-platform!” “If they carry us inside,” said Eight Rules, “andcarry us out again, I won’t be afraid even if they go back and forth untiltomorrowmorning.But once they take us into the temple,we’ll be devoured,and that’s no game!” “Justwatchme,” saidPilgrim. “Whenhe seizesme andtriestoeatme,youcanflee.”“ButhowwouldIknowwhomhewilleatfirst?”askedEightRules.“Ifheeatsthevirginboyfirst,Icanflee,ofcourse.Butifhewantstoeatthevirgingirlfirst,whatamItodo?”“Duringoneofthesacrificessome years ago,” said the old man, “a few people courageous enough hidthemselvesbehind the templeorbeneath theoffering tables.They saw thatheatetheboyfirstbeforehedevouredthegirl.”EightRulessaid,“That’smyluck!That’smy luck!”As thebrotherswere talking,a louddinofgongsanddrumscouldbeheardoutside thehouse,nowlitupalsoby the lightofmany torchesand lamps. The people of the same village came to pound at the front gate,crying,“Bringoutthevirginboyandthevirgingirl!”Astheoldmenweptandwailed, the fourhouseboys lifted the tablesandcarried the twoof themaway.Wetrulydonotknowwhathappenedtotheirlives;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

FORTY-EIGHT

Thedemon,raisingacoldwind,sendsagreatsnowfall;Themonk,intentonseeingBuddha,walksonlayeredice.

We tell you nowabout thoseworshippers from theChenVillage,who carriedPilgrimandEightRules,alongwithvariousofferingsoflivestock,straighttotheTempleofNuminousPower.Thevirginboyandgirlwereplacedontopoftheofferings.Pilgrimturnedhisheadandsawthattherewereincense,flowers,andcandles on the offering tables, in themiddle ofwhich therewas also a tabletinscribed in gold letters with the title: “God of the Great King of NuminousPower.”Therewasnoother imageofanydeity.After theworshippershadsetout everything properly, they knelt down and kowtowed toward the tablet,sayinginunison,“GreatKingFather,inthisyear,thismonth,thisday,andthishour,ChenCheng, the one in charge of the sacrifice and the leader of all thefaithfulsoftheChenVillage,youngandold,doesfollowourannualcustomandoffertoyouavirginboybythenameofChenGuanbaoandavirgingirlbythenameofOneLoadofGold.Hogsandsheepinthesamenumberarepresentedtoyoualsoforyourenjoyment.Wepraythatyouwillgrantusrainandwindindueseason and a richharvest of the fivegrains.”After theymade this invocation,theyburnedpapermoneyandhorsesbeforereturningtotheirhouses.When Eight Rules saw that the people had dispersed, he said to Pilgrim,

“Let’sgohome,too.”“Where’syourhome?”askedPilgrim.EightRulessaid,“Iwant togoback tooldChen’shouse to sleep.” “Idiot,” saidPilgrim, “youarebabblingagain!Ifyouhaveagreedtodothisforhim,youhavegottofinishthejob.” “Youcallmean idiot,” saidEightRules. “Aren’tyou the real idiot?WeweresupposedtohavesomefunwiththeChensandfoolwiththemabit.Youcan’t be serious that you want us sacrificed?” “If we help someone,” saidPilgrim, “we must help him to the end. We must wait until that Great Kingarrivesanddevoursusbeforewecanconsideraperfectendtoourefforts!Ifhehasnosacrifice,hewillsendcalamitiestothevillage,andthatwillnotberight.”Ashespoke, theyheard thewindhowloutside.“Odear!”saidEightRules.

“Whenthewindblowslikethat,itmustmeanthatthethingishere!”“Shutup!”criedPilgrim.“Letmedothetalking!”Inamoment,afiendarrivedatthedoorofthetemple.Lookatthewayheappears:Goldhelmetandcuirassbothbrightandnew;Atreasuresashlikeredcloudswrappedhiswaist.

Hiseyesseemedbigstarsblazinginthenight;Histeethresembledthoseofaheavysaw.Wavesofmistsdidencirclebothhislegs,Andsteamyfogsurroundedallhisframe.Hewalkedandacoldwindstirredrepeatedly;Hestoodandbalefulauraroseintiers.HelookedliketheCurtain-RaisingCaptainOrthegreatgodofamonastery’sgate.

Standing right at the doorway, the fiend asked, “Which family this year isprovidingthesacrifice?”Laughingmerrily,Pilgrimsaid,“Thankyouforasking!Those inchargeareChenChengandChenQing.”Puzzledby thisanswer, thefiend thought tohimself,“Thisvirginboy isnotonlybold,butalsoarticulate.Usuallythevictimsinthepastcouldnotevenreplytothefirstquestion,andtheywould be frightened out of theirwits at the second one.By the time I seizedthemwithmyhands,theywouldalreadybeasgoodasdead.Howisitthatthisvirginboytodaycanstillrespondsointelligently?”Notboldenoughtoseizehisprey immediately, the fiendaskedoncemore,“Whatare thenamesof theboyand the girl?” With a laugh, Pilgrim said, “The virgin boy is called ChenGuanbao,andthevirgingirliscalledOneLoadofGold.”“Thissacrifice,”saidthefiend,“happenstobeanannualcustom.Nowthatyouhavebeenofferedtome,I’mgoingtoeatyou.”“Idarenotresistyou,”saidPilgrim.“Pleasefeelfreeto enjoy yourself.”When the fiendish creature heard this, he was even morereluctant to raisehishands.Standing there in thedoorway,heshouted,“Don’tyou dare be impudent! In years past Iwould eat the virgin boy first.But thisyear, I’mgoing to eat thevirgingirl first.” “OGreatKing,” saidEightRules,horrified,“pleasefollowtheoldway!Don’teatbybreakingausualcustom!”Without permitting further discussion, the fiend stretched out his hands to

seizeEightRules.WithaboundIdiot leapeddownfromtheofferingtableandchangedbackintohistrueform.Whippingouthisrake,hebroughtitdownhardonthehandsofthefiend.Thefiendretreatedhurriedlyandtriedtoflee,butnotbeforetheblowofEightRulessentsomethingtothegroundwithaclang.“I’vepunctured his armor!” shouted Eight Rules.As he changed back into his trueformalso,Pilgrimsteppedforwardtohavealookandfoundthatthereweretwofishscalesaboutthesizeoficedishes.“Chasehim!”heyelled,andthetwoofthemleapedintotheair.Sincethatcreaturethoughthewascomingtoafeast,hebroughtnoweaponalong.Withbarehandshestoodon theedgeof thecloudsandasked,“Monks,wheredidyoucomefrom?Howdareyoucometooppressmehere,robmeofmyofferings,andruinmyname?”“So,you’reanignorant,brazen creature!” said Pilgrim. “We are disciples of the holy monk TripitakafromtheGreatTangintheLandoftheEast,whowassentbyroyaldecreetogo

totheWesternHeavenforscriptures.WhenwestayedwiththeChenfamilylastnight,weheardthattherewasaperversedemonwhofalselyassumedthetitleofNuminous Power. Every year he demands a virgin boy and a virgin girl assacrifice. In compassion wewanted to save lives and arrest you, you lawlesscreature.Confessatonce.HowmanyyearshaveyoucalledyourselfGreatKingof this place, and how many boys and girls have you devoured? Give us adetailed account, and we may spare your life.” When that fiend heard thesewords,heturnedandfledimmediately.EightRulestriedtostrikeathimagainwiththemuckrakebutdidnotsucceed,forthefiendchangedintoaviolentgustofwindthatfadedintotheHeaven-ReachingRiver.“No need to chase him anymore,” said Pilgrim. “This fiend has to be a

creatureoftheriver.Let’swaittilltomorrowbeforewetrytocatchhimandaskhim to take Master across the river.” Eight Rules agreed and both of themreturned to the templeandhauledall theofferingsand livestock, including thetablesonwhichtheywereladen,backtotheChenhouse.Atthattime,theelder,ShaMonk,andtheChenbrotherswereallwaitingforsomenewsofthem,whensuddenly, they saw the two disciples dumping the sacrificial animals andofferings in the courtyard. “Wukong,” said Tripitaka, going forward to meetthem,“howdidthesacrificego?”Pilgrimgaveathoroughaccountofhowtheyrevealedtheirnamesandhowthefienddisappearedintotheriver.Thetwooldmenweremostpleased,andtheyatoncegavetheorderforroomstobemadereadyandbeddinglaidoutformasteranddisciplestorest.Thereweshallleavethemforthemoment.Wetellyouinsteadaboutthatfiend,whoescapedwithhislifeandwentback

tohiswaterpalace.Afterhesatdown,hefellcompletelysilentforsuchalongtime that his watery kinsfolk, young and old, all gathered about him to ask,“Great King, you are usually quite happy when you come home after thesacrifice.Why is it thatyou seemsoannoyed thisyear?” “After I’ve satisfiedmyselfinpastyears,”saidthefiend,“Iusuallymanagedtobringsomeleftoversforyoutoenjoy.Today,however,notevenImyselfgotanythingtoeat.IwassounluckythatIranintoanadversaryandalmostlostmylife.”“Whichadversarywasthat,GreatKing?”theyasked.Thefiendsaid,“AdiscipleofaholymonkoftheGreatTangintheLandof theEast,whowasonhiswaytoseekscripturesfromBuddhaintheWesternHeaven.Hetookontheformofavirgingirl,whileanotherdisciplebecametheboy,bothsittinginthetemple.Whentheychangedbackintotheiroriginalforms,Iwasnearlykilledbythetwoofthem.IhavelongheardthatTripitakaTanghappenedtobeagoodmanwhohadbeenpracticingself-cultivation for ten incarnations. To eat even one piece of his fleshwouldprolong one’s life indefinitely, but I didn’t realize that he had such disciples

under him. Not only has my reputation been ruined by them, but also theofferingsduemeweretakenaway.IwouldlikeverymuchtocatchholdofthatTangMonk,butIfearthatImaynotbeableto.”From among thewatery kinsfolk stepped a stripe-coated perch-motherwho

wriggledandbowedtowardthefiend,sayingwithasmile,“GreatKing,ifyouwanttocatchtheTangMonk,itisn’tdifficultatall.ButIwonderifyouwouldbewillingtorewardmewithsomewineandmeatonceyoucatchholdofhim.”“IfyoucoulddeviseaplanandsucceedincapturingtheTangMonk,”saidthefiend,“Iwouldbecomeyourbond-brother.Wetwoshallsharethesametabletofeastonhim.”Afterthankinghim,theperch-mothersaid,“I’veknownforalongtimethattheGreatKingpossessesthemagictosummonwindsandrainsandtostir up seas and rivers. May I ask whether you are able to cause snow todescend?”“Ofcourse,”saidthefiend.Sheaskedagain,“Howaboutmakingiceandcausing things to freezeover?”Thefiendsaid,“Certainly.”“In thatcase,”said the perch-mother, clapping her hands and laughing, “it’s most easy! It’smosteasy!”“Tellmewhatitisthat’smosteasy,”saidthefiend.The perch-mother said, “When it is about the hour of the third watch this

night,theGreatKingshouldexercisehispowerwithoutanyfurtherdelay.Callup a cold wind and send down a great snowfall so that the entire Heaven-Reaching River will be solidly frozen. Those of us capable of transformationwill assume human forms: carrying luggage, holding umbrellas, and pushingcarts, we will follow the direction of the main road to the West and walkcontinuously on the ice on top of the river. That TangMonk must be ratherimpatient toget to the scriptures, andwhenhe seespeoplewalkingabout likethat,hetoowillwant tocross theriverbywalkingontheice.TheGreatKingcansitquietlyat theheartof the river; as soonasyouhear the soundof theirfootsteps,crackopentheicesothatheandhisdiscipleswillfallintothewater.Allofthemwillbecapturedthen.”Whenthatfiendheardthesewords,hewasexceedingly pleased. “Marvelous!Marvelous!” he cried, and he left hiswaterresidenceatoncetoriseintotheair.Therehebegantoraiseupacoldwindtobringsnowand tocauseeverything to freezeup,butweshallmentionhimnofurther.We tell you now instead about theTang elder and his disciples, the four of

them, sleeping in theChenhousehold. Just before dawn, all of thembegan tofeelthechilleveninsidetheirblanketsandtheirpillowsturningcold.Sneezingand shivering, Eight Rules could no longer sleep, and he called out, “ElderBrother, it’sverycold!”“Idiot,whydon’tyougrowup!”saidPilgrim.“Thosewhohaveleftthefamilycannotbetouchedbyheatorcold.Howcouldyoubeafraidofthecold?”Tripitakasaid,“Disciple,itisindeedcold.Look!Eventhe

Heavyquiltsprovidenowarmth,Andhandsinsleevesfeellikeice.Presentlyfrostbudsdanglefromwitheredleaves,Andicybellsformonthehoarypines.Thegroundcracksfortheseverecold;Thepond’slevelasthewater’sfrozen.Nooldfisherisseenonanyboat,Noramonkatthemountaintemple.Woodisscarceandthewoodman’ssad;Charcoalsadded,andthenoble’sglad.Thesoldier’sbeardislikeiron;Thepoet’sbrushisallhardened.Aleathercoatstillseemstoothin;Afurrobefeelseventoolight.Onstrawmatsoldprieststurnstiff;Bypaperscreensnotravelercansleep.Thoughbrocadecoversareheavy,Yourwholebodyshiversandshakes!”

Neithermasternordisciplescouldsleepany longer; theyscrambledup,andafterputtingon their clothes theyopened thedoor to lookoutside.Ah! Itwascompletelywhite,foritwassnowing.“Nowonderyouwerecomplainingofthecold,” said Pilgrim. “It’s snowing heavily!” The four of them stared at it.Marveloussnow!YouseeDarkcloudsdenselyformed—Grayfogthicklygathered—Darkcloudsdenselyformed,Asafrigidwindhowlsthroughoutthesky;Grayfogdenselygathered,Asagreatsnowfallcoverstheearth.TrulyitislikeAflowerthatbloomssixtimes,Eachpetalapreciousjasper;Orathousand-treeforest,Eachplantbedeckedwithjade.Inamoment:pilesofflour!Inaninstant:heapsofsalt!Thewhiteparrothaslostitsessence;Thefrostycranecan’tboastofitscost.YouaddtoallriversofWuandChuOrpressdownplumblossomsofthesoutheast.Nowitseemslikevanquishedjadedragons,somethreemillionstrong—Indeedliketornscalesandrippedarmorflyingthroughtheair.WherecanonefindDongguo’sshoes,1

YuanAn’srestingplace,2

OrtheglowbywhichSunKangstudied?3

NorcanoneseeZiyou’sboat,4

WangGong’srobe,5

OrblanketswhichfedSuWu.6

Allyouhavearesomevillagehutsofsilverbricks,Andacountrysidekneadedoutofjade.Marveloussnow—Willowfleeceso’erspreadingbridges;Pearblossomscoatinghouses.Willowfleeceso’erspreadingbridgesAsafisherhangsuphiscoir-coatbythebridge;PearblossomscoatinghousesAswildcodgersburntreerootsinhouses.Theguestsfindithardtobuywine;Theoldservantcan’tfindtheplums.Flittingandflutteringlikebutterflywings;Driftingandsoaringlikegoosedown;Churningandrollingitfollowsthewind;Inheapsandmoundsithidestheroads.Inwavesthechillymightpiercesthescreens;Soughing,thecoldairpenetratesthedrapes.Agoodyear’sfineomensdropfromtheskyTowishhumansintheiraffairssuccess.

That snow came down fluttering, like flying threads of silk and finely cutchips of jade. Aftermaster and disciples gazed at it for awhile, admiring itsbeauty, they saw the elder Chen approaching as two houseboys swept open apath. Two more brought along hot water for them to wash their faces, afterwhichotherspresentedhotteaandmilkcakes.Thentheycarriedcharcoalfiresinto theparlorandinvitedmasteranddisciples tosit inside.“OldBenefactor,”asked theelder,“mayI inquirewhether theseasonsofyourregionaredividedinto spring, summer, autumn, andwinter?”With a smile, the elderChen said,“Thoughoursisaratherout-of-the-wayregion,onlyourpeopleandourcustomsaredifferentfromthoseofanoblenation.ButallthegrainsandlivestocksharethebenefitsofthesameHeavenandthesamesun.Howcouldthefourseasonsbelacking?”“Ifso,”saidTripitaka,“howisitthatwehavesuchagreatsnowfallatthistimeoftheyearandsuchaterriblecold?”TheelderChensaid,“Thoughthis isonly theseventhmonth,we justpassedWhiteDew7yesterday,and thatmeansthatweareapproachingtheeighthmonth.Inthisplaceofours,wehavefrostandsnowduringtheeighthmonth.”“That’squitedifferentfromourLandof the East,” said Tripitaka, “forwe never have snow back there until winteractuallyarrives.”Astheyconversed,theservantscameforwardoncemoretosetthetablesfor

themtodineonricegruel.Afterthemeal,thesnowfellevenmoreheavily,andsoon it was two feet deep on the ground. Growing more and more anxious,Tripitakabegantoweep.“VenerableFather,pleasedonotworry,”saidtheelderChen. “Please don’t let the deep snow bother you.We have stored up in ourhouseaconsiderableamountoffood,and,Idaresay,sufficienttofeedallofyou

for quite a long time.” Tripitaka said, “You don’t understandmy sorrow,OldBenefactor. In that past yearwhen Iwas entrustedwith the decree to acquirescriptures,HisMajestypersonallyescortedmeoutsidethecapital.Withhisownhandholdingthegoblettotoastme,theTangemperoraskedme,‘Whencanyoureturn?’ Not having any idea of the dangers of mountains and waters, thishumblepriestrepliedrathercasually,‘AfterthreeyearsIshallbeabletoreturnto our nationwith the scriptures.’ Sincewe parted, it has been seven or eightyears, and Ihaveyet to see the faceofBuddha. Ihavegreat fear that Imighthaveexceeded the imperial limit,and Ialsoamtroubledby theviciousnessofdemonsandmonsters.Todayitismygoodfortunetoliveinyourgreatmansion.After the small service rendered you bymy foolish disciples last night, I hadhopes that Icouldaskyouforaboat tocross theriver.LittledidIexpect thatHeavenwould senddown thisgreat snowfall toblockandcoverall the roads.NowIwonderwhenIwouldattainmygoalandbeabletoreturnhome.”“Relax,VenerableFather,”saidtheelderChen,“forafterall,manydaysofyourjourneyhavepassedalready.Itdoesnotmatterifyouspendafewmoredayshere.Whentheweatherclearsandtheicemelts,thisoldmoronwillseetoitthatyoucrosstheriver,evenifIhavetoexhaustmywealthtodoit.”Justthen,ahouseboycametoinvitethemtobreakfast.Aftertheyfinishedthat

inthefronthall,theyhardlyhadtimetoconversewhenlunchwasservedalso.Troubledby the sight of the elaboratelypreparedmeal,Tripitaka said in greatearnestness,“Ifyouarekindenoughtotakeusin,youmusttreatusasordinarymembers of the family.” “Venerable Father,” said elder Chen, “we are deeplyindebted to you for saving our children’s lives. Even if wewere to feast youeveryday,wecouldneverrepayyousufficiently.”Thereafter the snow stopped, and people soon began to come and go once

more.WhentheelderChensawhowunhappyTripitakaappearedtobe,heaskedthat the garden be swept out. After a huge brazier with fire was sent for, heinvited thewhole party to spend some time in a snow cave. “This old fellowdoesn’t quite use his head!” said Eight Rules, laughing. “One can admire thegardeninthesecondorthethirdmonthduringthetimeofspring.Butaftersuchabigsnowfall,andit’ssocoldnow,what’sthereforustoadmire?”Pilgrimsaid,“Idiot,youare ignorant!Thesceneryofsnowquitenaturallyhasamysteriouscalm, somethingwhichnotonlywecanenjoybutwhichalsocanconsoleourmaster.”“Exactly!Exactly!”saidtheelderChen.Followinghisbeckoning,theywenttothegardenandtheysawAsceneryoflateautumn,WhenprospectsofLa8appeared.Jadelikebudsformedonhoarypines;

Silverbloomshungonlifelesswillows.Jade-mossbeneaththestepsheapeduppowder;Bamboosbeforethewindowsproutedjasperroots.Onartificialmountains—Indomesticfishponds—OnartfulrockeriesPointedpeakswererangedlikeshootsofjade;IngardenfishpondsTheclear,runningwaterbecameicetrays.BythebanksthecolorofhibiscusfadedAndtheirtendertwigsalldroopedneartheridge.BegoniaplantsWerecompletelycrushed;Winter-plumtreesBroughtforthnewbranches.Thepeonyarbor,Thepomegranatearbor,Andthecassiaarbor—Everyarborwaspiledhighwithgoosedown;Theplaceofenjoyment,Theplaceofentertainment,Theplaceofamusement—Eachplacewascoveredwithbutterflywings.Twofencesofchrysanthmum:whitejadeframedingold;Afewmapletrees:lovelyredlinedwithwhite.Sincecountlesscourtyardsweretoocoldtoreach,Youmightadmirethesnowcavechillyasice.Insidesatabeast-facebrazierwithelephantlegs,Inwhichahotcharcoalfirehadjustbegun.AllaroundweresomelacqueredarmchairsdrapedwithtigerskinsBythepaperwindowssetsowarmandsoft.

Insidethecave,therewerehungonwallsseveraloldpaintingsbyfamoushands,thethemesofwhichallhadtodowithSevenworthiesgoingthroughthepass,9

Acoldriver’slonelyfisher,10Thescenesofsnow-boundmountainplateaus;SuWufeedingonhisblanket,Breakingaplum-twigforthemailman,11Andfrigidartwroughtbytreesandplantsofjade.Youcan’tbegintodescribeThehousebythewaterswherefishesareeasilybought,Orhowscarceiswinewhensnowburiestheroads.Trulythisisaplacemostworthytolingerin.Thinkofit,andyouneedn’tvisitPenghu.12

Aftertheyhadadmiredthesceneryforalongwhile,theysatdowninthesnowcave and chattedwith some of the aged neighbors on thematter of acquiringscriptures.Whentheyfinisheddrinkingsomefragranttea,theelderChenaskedagain, “Would the several Venerable Fathers take somewine?” “This humble

clericdoesnotdrink,”saidTripitaka,“butmydisciplesmaydrinkafewcupsofvegetarianwine.”Delighted,theelderChenatoncegavetheorder:“Bringfruitsandvegetables,andwarmthewine.Wewouldliketohelpourguestswardoffthe chill.”Thehouseboys and servants brought forth tables and small braziersfor heating the wine. The pilgrims and the neighbors each drank a few cupsbeforetheutensilsweretakenaway.Soonitwasdusk,andtheyweretakenbacktothefronthallagainfordinner.

Just then, someone walking on the street was heard saying, “What chillyweather!EventheHeaven-ReachingRiverisfrozen!”Onhearingthis,Tripitakasaid, “Wukong, if the river is frozen,what shallwe do?” “This sudden cold,”saidtheelderChen,“musthavefrozenonlytheshallowpartsof therivernearthe bank.” But themanwalking on the streetwas saying, “All eight hundredmiles across the river are so solidly frozen that its surface is smooth like amirror. Even people arewalking on it.”WhenTripitaka heard that therewerepeoplewalkingontheriver,heimmediatelywantedtogoandlook.“Pleasebepatient, Venerable Father,” said the elder Chen, “for it’s getting late now.Weshall go tomorrow.” They took leave of the neighbors, and after dinner, theyrestedintheparlorsastheyhadthenightbefore.Whentheyarosethenextmorning,EightRulessaid,“ElderBrother,lastnight

wasevencolder.Theriver,Isuppose,mustbesolidlyfrozen.”Facingthedoor,Tripitaka knelt down and bowed toward Heaven, saying, “All you greatGuardians of the Faith, your disciple has with complete sincerity resolved tojourney to the West to see Buddha. Throughout the bitter experience oftraversing mountains and streams, I have never once complained. Havingreachedthisplace,IthankHeavenforprovidingassistancebyfreezingtheriver.Yourdisciplesthereforewishtoofferyouourthanksgivingfirst.Afterwehaveacquiredthescriptures,weshallinformtheTangemperorsothathemayrepaythisfavorofyourswithallduereverence.”Afterhefinishedpraying,heorderedWujing immediately to saddle the horse so that they couldwalk on the ice tocross the river.“Pleasebepatient,” said theelderChenagain.“Wait fora fewdaysuntilthesnowandicemeltaway.Thisoldmoronwillprepareaboattotakeyou across.” “I don’t think we should settle on staying or leaving,” said ShaMonk, “forwhatwehear isnot as reliable aswhatwe see.Letme saddle thehorse, butMaster should go personally to the river to have a look.” “You areright,” said theelderChen.“Littleones,goandsaddlesixhorsesatonce.Butdon’tsaddleFatherTang’shorseyet.”With six houseboys following, all of themwent to the bank of the river to

look.TrulytherewereSnowpilesrisinguplikehills,

Assunlightbrokeupthecloudsofdawn.Thesouthernborderfrozetoturnbarrenallpeaks;Iceformedtomakelakesandriversflatandsmooth.Thewindwascoldandbiting;Thegroundwashardandslippery.Pondfishescuddleddenseweeds;Wildbirdshuggeddeadbranches.Travelersabroadalllosttheirfingers;Theriverboatman’steethmadlychattered.Snakebelliessplit;Birdfeetsnapped.Trulytheicebergsroseathousandfeettall.Coldsilverfloatedincountlessravines;Thewholeriverseemedonecoldpieceofjade.TheEastmightthinkthattheyproducedsilkworms,ButtheNorthintruthhadtheircavesofrats.HereWangXianglay;13

HereGuangwucrossed.14Inonenighte’entheriverbottomallhardened!Thewindingstreamformedjaggedlayers;Thedeepriverturnedfrozenblocks.Notaripplethroughoutthewater’swidth,Itseemedaroadonland,justbrightandsmooth.

WhenTripitakaandtheotherscameupto theriver’sedge, theystoppedthehorsestolook,andtrueenough,therewerepeoplewalkingontotheicefromthemain road. “Benefactor,” saidTripitaka, “where are thosepeoplegoingon theice?”TheelderChensaid,“OnthefarsideoftheriveristheWesternKingdomofWomen,andthesepeoplemustbetraders.Thingsworthahundredpenniesonour side can fetch a hundred timesmore over there, and their thingsworth ahundredpenniescansimilarlyfetchahandsomepriceoverhere.Inviewofsuchheavyprofits,itisunderstandablethatpeoplewanttomakethisjourneywithoutregardforlifeordeath.Usually,fiveorsevenpeople,andthenumbermayevenswelltomorethanten,willcrowdintoaboattocrosstheriver.Whentheyseethattheriverisfrozennow,theyareriskingeverythingtotrytocrossitonfoot.”“Profitandfame,”saidTripitaka,“areregardedasmostimportantintheaffairsoftheworld;forprofit,menwouldgiveuptheirownlives.Butthefactthatthisdisciple strives so hard to fulfill the imperial decreemay also be taken as hisquestforfame.AmIsodifferentreallyfromthosepeople?”Heturnedaroundandsaid,“Wukong,goquicklybacktoourBenefactor’shomeandpack.Saddleup the horse, too. Let’smake use of the ice and leave for theWest at once.”Smilingbroadly,Pilgrimobeyed.“OMaster,”saidShaMonk,“theproverbsays,‘Inathousanddays,youonly

eatathousandpecksofrice.’YouarealreadyindebtedtothehospitalityofMr.Chen.Whynotstayafewmoredaysandwaituntil theweather turnswarmer,

whenwecancrosswithaboat?Otherwise,Ifearthatallthishurrymaycauseustomakemistakes.”“Wujing,”saidTripitaka,“howcouldyoubesounthinking?If this were during the second month of the year, one might well expect theweathertowarmupdaybydayandthesnowtomelteventually.Butthisisafteralltheeighthmonth,anditwillgrowcolderandcolderfromnowon.Howcouldyouexpecttheicetobreaksoreadily?Ifweweretowait,wouldn’tourtripbedelayed,perhapsevenuptohalfayear?”Leapingdownfromthehorse,EightRulessaid,“Stoparguing,allofyou,and

letoldHogtest it toseewhat’s the thicknessof the ice.”“Idiot,”saidPilgrim,“you threw a stone the other night and succeeded in testing the depth of thewater. But the ice now is solid and heavy. How could you test it?” “ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“youdon’trealizethatIcangivetheiceablowwithmyrake.Ifitbreaksopen,itwillbetoothinforustowalkon,butifitdoesnot,it will be thick enough. There’s no reason for us not to want to walk on it.”“Yes,”saidTripitaka,“whatyousaidisquitereasonable.”Hitchinguphisrobeand walking forward in great strides, Idiot went to the edge of the river. Heraised the muckrake high with both hands and brought it down with all hismight.A loud thudcouldbeheard andninewhitemarkswere left on the ice,whileIdiot’shandsweremomentarilynumbedbytheimpact.“Youcanwalkonit!Youcanwalkonit!”saidhe,laughing.“Eventhebottomissolid!”WhenTripitakaheardthis,hewasverypleased.Hewentbackhurriedlytothe

Chenhouseholdandallhecouldsaywasthattheyhadtoleaveatonce.Whenthosetwooldmenfoundthatalltheirearnestpleasforhimtoremainfellonlyon deaf ears, they had no alternative but to prepare some such dried food asbakedbiscuitsandbreadstogivetothepilgrims.Asthewholefamilycameouttokowtowtothem,theoldmenalsobroughtoutatrayofgoldandsilver.Goingtotheirknees,theysaid,“Wethankyouagain,VenerableFathers,forsavingourchildren.Please take this, just for amealonyourway.”Shakinghisheadandwavinghishand,Tripitakarefusedtoacceptit,saying,“Thishumblemonkisapersonwhohasleftthefamily.Ihavenoneedofmoney.EvenifIweretokeepit, I wouldn’t dare use it on our way, for begging is our proper means oflivelihood.It ismorethanenoughforustotakethedriedgoods.”Thetwooldmenpleadedwithhimagainandagain;soPilgrimstuckhisfingerintothetrayandliftedupatinypiece,approximatelyasheavyasfourorfivedrams,whichhehandedovertotheTangMonk,saying,“Master,keepitas theirofferingsothatthesetwowillnotbetoodisappointed.”Theythussaidfarewellandthepilgrimswenttotheriver,butwhenthehorse

steppedontotheice,itbegantoslipandslideandTripitakawasalmostthrownoffitsback.“Master,”shoutedShaMonk,“wecan’tgo!”“Stopforamoment,”

saidEightRules, “and let’s askMr.Chen for somestraw.”“What for?”askedPilgrim.EightRulesreplied,“Youwouldn’thaveanyideaaboutthis!Thestrawwillbeusedtowrapupthehoofsofthehorse,sothatMasterwon’tfalldown.”WhentheelderChenheardontheshorewhatEightRulessaid,hetoldsomeoneto fetch the straw at once. After the Tang Monk returned to the bank anddismounted,EightRuleswrappedallfourhoofsofthehorsewithstrawandthatenabledittostepontheicewithoutslipping.HavingtakenleaveoftheChenclanattheedgeoftheriver,theyproceeded

fornomore than threeor fourmileswhenEightRuleshanded thenine-ringedpriestly staff to theTangMonk, saying, “Master, put this across your saddle.”“Idiot,” said Pilgrim, “don’t be so sly! You’re supposed to carry this priestlystaff.WhyareyouaskingMaster todo it?”“Sinceyouhavenoexperience inwalkingonice,”saidEightRules,“youwillnotthinkofthis.Eventhethickestoficehasholes;stepononeofthemandyouwillplungeintothewater.Withoutsomething like this held crosswise, youwill sink rapidly while the ice aboveclosesinlikeahugewokcover.Youcannevercrawloutagainunlessyouhavesomethinglikethistostopyourfall.”Snickering,Pilgrimsaidtohimself,“ThisIdiotmusthavewalkedon iceforyears!”So,allof themfollowedwhatEightRules told them to do: the elder held the staff crosswise across his saddle;PilgrimandShaMonkeachcarriedhis iron rodandhis fiend-routing treasurestaffacrosshisshoulders.EightRules,whowaspolingtheluggage,tiedtherakesidewaysathiswaist.Masteranddisciplesthenfeltperfectlysafetoproceed.They journeyeduntilevening;aftereatingsomedriedgoods, theydarednot

stopatall.Asthestarsandthemoonlighteduptheice,turningitintobrilliantpatchesofwhite,theypressedforward.Indeed,thehorseneverstoppedtrottingfor the entire night; master and disciples never once closed their eyes. Bymorning, they ate somemore of their provisions and again set out toward theWest.Astheyjourneyed,arendingsoundcamefromthebottomof the ice,sofrighteningthewhitehorsethatitalmostfell.Greatlyastonished,Tripitakasaid,“ODisciples,whywas there such a sound?” “This river is so solidly frozen,”saidEightRules, “that the ice formed from top tobottommust begrating theriverbed.Thatmaybethesoundweheard.”Astonishedbutpleasedbywhathewastold,Tripitakaurgedhishorseonandtheystartedoutoncemore.We now tell you about that fiend, who led various spirits from the water

residence and sat waiting for a long time beneath the ice. Finally, when thesoundofthehorse’shoofsbecameaudible,heatonceexercisedhismagicpowerandcausedtheicetobreakopen.TheGreatHolySunmanagedtoleapatonceinto theair,buthis threecompanionsand thewhitehorseallplunged into thewater.

After catching hold of Tripitaka, the fiend led the spirits back to thewaterresidence, where he shouted aloud, “Where are you, perch-sister?” The oldperch-mother met him at the door, bowing, and said, “Great King, I’m notworthyofit!”“WorthySister,whydoyousaythat?”saidthefiend.“For‘Evenateamofhorsescannotovertakethewordthathasleftmymouth!’IpromisedyouthatifyourplancouldenablemetocatchtheTangMonk,Iwouldbecomeyourbond-brother. Today yourmarvelous plan didmaterialize, and theTangMonkhad been caught. You think I would retract my promise?” He then gave theorder,“Littleones,bringoutthetablesandthesharpknives.Cutupthismonk:takeouthisheart, skinhim,anddebonehim.Meanwhile, start themusic. I’mgoingtosharehimwithmyworthySister,sothatbothofuswillgainlongevity.”“GreatKing,” said the perch-mother, “let’s not eat him yet, for I fear that hisdisciplesmayspoilourparty should theycomehere to search forhim.Waitacoupleofdays,andifnooneappears,wecanthencuthimup.GreatKingcantakeyourhonoredseat,whilethewaterykinsfolkcansurroundyouwithsinginganddancing.Hisfleshwillbepresentedtoyou,andyoucantakeyourtimetoenjoyyourfeast.Isn’tthatmuchbetter?”Thefiendagreed;theTangMonkwasplaced ina lidded stoneboxabout six feet longwhichwas thenhidden in therearofthepalace,andweshallspeaknomoreofhimforthemoment.WetellyounowaboutEightRulesandShaMonk,whomanagedtorecover

theluggageinthewater.Aftertheyhadplaceditonthewhitehorse,theyopenedupapathinthewaterandtrodonthewavestorisetothesurface.Pilgrimsawthem from midair and asked at once, “Where is Master?” “He changed hisfamilynametoSink,”15saidEightRules,“andhisgivennameisTo-the-Bottom.Wedon’tknowwheretolookforhim.Let’sgettoshorebeforewedecidewhattodo.”EightRules,yousee,happened tobe the incarnationof theMarshalofHeavenly Reeds, who in past years was a commander of eighty thousandmarines stationed in the Heavenly River. ShaMonk came from the Flowing-SandRiver,andthewhitehorse,too,wasthedescendantofDragonKingoftheWesternOcean.Thatwaswhyallofthemfeltsocomfortableinthewater.LedbytheGreatSageintheair,theysoonreturnedtotheeasternshore,wheretheybrusheddownthehorseandstrippedthemselvesoftheirwetgarments.AftertheGreat Sage dropped down from the clouds, they went together to the ChenVillage.Atonce someonewent tomake this report to the twooldmen:“FourFatherswent to seek the scriptures, but only three have comeback.”The twobrotherswentquicklyoutthedoortoreceivethem,andtheyfoundtheclothingofthepilgrimsstilldrippingwet.“VenerableFathers,”theysaid,“wepleadedwithyoutostayandyourefused.

Youwouldstoponlywhenyoucametothis!Now,whereisFatherTripitaka?”

EightRulessaid,“He’snolongernamedTripitaka,forhehaschangedittoSinkTo-the-Bottom.”Astearsfell,thetwooldmensaid,“Howpitiful!Howpitiful!We saidwewouldprepare aboat forhim to cross the river, buthe absolutelyrefused and that cost him his life.” “Old fellow,” said Pilgrim, “it’s no useworryingforthedead.ButIhaveahunchthatMasterisgoingtoliveforalongtimeyet.OldMonkeyknows!IthastobethatGreatKingofNuminousPower,whohasplannedallthisandabductedhim.Don’tworrynow.Washourclothesforusanddryourrescript.Makesureourwhitehorseisfed,andletusbrothersgoandfindthatfellow.Wewillnotonlyrescueourmaster,butwewillrootoutalso thisevil foryourentirevillage,so thatyouwillbeable to livepeacefullyforever.”When the two brothers heard these words, they were delighted andaskedforfoodforthepilgrimsatonce.Afterthethreebrothershadabigmeal,theygavethehorseandtheluggageto

theChenfamilytolookafter.Eachwieldinghisownweapon,theywentstraighttotherivertosearchfortheirmasterandseizethefiend.TrulyWrongtowalkonthickice,natureishurt.What’sperfectionwhengreatelixirleaks?

Wedonotknow inwhatway theysucceeded in rescuing theTangMonk,andyoumustlistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

FORTY-NINE

Tripitakameetsdisasterandsinkstoawaterhome;Tobringsalvation,Guanyinrevealsafishbasket.

WeweretellingyouabouttheGreatSageSun,EightRules,andShaMonk,whotookleaveoftheelderChenandwenttotheedgeoftheriver.“Brothers,”saidPilgrim, “the two of youmust decidewhich onewill go first into thewater.”EightRules said, “ElderBrother,neitherofus isparticularly capable.Youarethe one who should enter the water first.” “To tell you the truth, WorthyBrother,”saidPilgrim,“ifthiswereamonster-spiritinamountain,therewouldbenoneedforbothofyoutoexertyourselves.ButIcan’tquitedobusinessinwater.IfIweretogointotheoceanorwalkinariver,Iwouldhavetomakethewater-repellingsignwithmyfingers,orelseIwouldhavetochangeintoafishoracrabbeforeIcouldgoin.SinceIhadtomakethesign,Iwouldnotbeabletousemyironrodproperlytoattackthefiend.Butbothofyouareusedtowater,andthat’swhyIamaskingyoutogo.”“ElderBrother,”saidShaMonk,“wecangoinallright,butwedon’tknowwhattoexpectoncewereachtheriverbottom.Ithinkweshouldallgoin;youcanchangeintosomekindofcreature,andIcancarryyoualongas Iopenupapath in thewater.Oncewe find the lairof thefiend, you can then go inside and scout the place. If Master is still thereunharmed,wecanbeginourassaultatoncewithallourmight.Butifitwerenotthisfiendwhousedthemagic,orifMasterhadbeendrownedoreatenalreadybyhim, then therewouldbenoneed forus to engage in this bitter quest.Wemight as well go off in another direction as quickly as possible. How aboutthat?” “What you said, Worthy Brother,” said Pilgrim, “is most reasonable.Which one of you will carry me?” Secretly pleased, Eight Rules thought tohimself,“Idon’tknowhowmanytimesthisapehasmadeafoolofme!Sohedoesn’tknowhowtohandlehimself inwater.LetoldHogcarryhimandgivehimatasteofhistricks!”Laughingamiably,Idiotsaid,“ElderBrother,I’llcarryyou.”Atonceperceivinghis intentions,Pilgrimnonethelessplayedalongwithhim,saying,“Allright,that’sfine.YourarmsmightbeevenabitstrongerthanWujing’s.”ThusEightRulescarriedPilgrimonhisback.AsShaMonkdividedthewatertomakeapath,thethreebrothersallplunged

into the Heaven-Reaching River. After journeying for over a hundred milestowardthebottom,thatIdiotwasabouttoplayatrickonPilgrim,whoatoncepulled off a piece of hair, which he changed into a spurious form of himself

clingingtothebackofEightRules.Histrueselfwaschangedintoahoglousesecurely lodged inoneofEightRules’sears.AsEightRuleswalkedalong,hesuddenlyanddeliberatelystumbledsothatPilgrimwassentflyingoverhishead.Thespuriousform,however,wasonlya transformedpieceofhair;once it leftthe back of Eight Rules, it drifted away with the current and soon vanished.“Second Elder Brother,” said ShaMonk, “howwould you explain this?Whydidn’tyouwalkmorecarefully?Itwouldhavebeenallrightifyouhadfalleninthemud.Now the jolt has sent Big Brother off towho knowswhere!” EightRules said, “That monkey can’t even stand a fall: just once and he’s meltedalready.Brother,don’tworrywhetherhe’sdeadoralive.YouandIcangosearchforMaster.”“It’snogood,”saidShaMonk,“forwemusthavehim.Thoughhemaynotfeelathomeinwater,heisfarmoreagilethanwe.Ifhe’snotaround,Ishall not go with you.” Unable to contain himself any longer, Pilgrim insideEightRules’searshoutedwithaloudvoice,“Wujing,oldMonkey’srighthere!”Onhearingthis,ShaMonklaughedandsaid,“Odear!ThisIdiotisasgoodasdead!Howdaredyoutrytoplayatrickonhim?Nowyoucanhearhimbutyoucan’tseehim.Whatareyougoingtodo?”EightRulesbecamesofrightenedthathewenttohiskneesinthemudandkowtowed,saying,“ElderBrother,it’smyfault!WaittillwerescueMaster,andIshallapologizetoyouoncemoreontheshore.Where are youmaking all this noise from? I’m scared to death!Pleaserevealyouroriginalform.I’llcarryyou,andI’llneverdareoffendyouagain.”Pilgrim said, “You are still carryingme, all right! Iwon’t trick you.Let’s getgoingquickly!”Stillmutteringhisapologies,IdiotscrambledupandproceededwithShaMonk.They journeyed for another hundred miles or so when they came upon a

toweredbuildingallatonce,onwhichtherewas,inlargeletters,theinscription:“Sea-TurtleHouse.”“Thismustbetheresidenceofthemonster-spirit,”saidShaMonk, “butwe don’t know that for sure.Howcouldwe go up to the door toprovokebattle?”“Wujing,”saidPilgrim,“is thereanywateraroundthegate?”ShaMonksaid,“No.”“Inthatcase,”saidPilgrim,“thetwoofyougoandhideonbothsidesofthedoor.LetOldMonkeygoandscoutaround.”DearGreatSage!CrawlingfreeofEightRules’sear,heshookhisbodyonce

andchangedagainintoashrimp-motherwithlonglegs.Withtwoorthreeleaps,heboundedrightinsidethegate.Ashelookedaround,hesawthefiendsittingup therewhile hiswatery kinsfolk stood in two rowsbeneath him.Therewasalso a striped-coated perch-mother sitting by his side. Theywere all having adiscussiononhowtoeattheTangMonk.Pilgrimlookedleftandrightwithgreatcare, but he could not find his master at all. Just then he saw a large-belliedshrimp-mothercomeoutandstandstill in thewesterncorridor.Pilgrim leaped

uptoherandgreetedher,saying,“Mama,theGreatKingisdiscussingwiththeothers how to eat the Tang Monk. But where is the Tang Monk?” “He wascapturedyesterday,”saidtheshrimp-mother,“aftertheGreatKingbroughtdownthesnowandcreatedtheice.Heisnowimprisonedinastoneboxattherearofthepalace.Ifbytomorrowhisdisciplesdonotshowuptocauseanytrouble,wewillmakemusicandfeastonhim.”Afterheheardthis,Pilgrimchattedfurtherwithherforawhilebeforemoving

towardtherearofthepalace.Helooked,andsureenoughtherewasastonebox,somewhatlikeapigstythatpeopleuseinapigpenorastonecoffin.Measuringit,hefoundittobeapproximatelysixfeetinlength.Hecrawledontopofitandsoon heard the pitiful sound of Tripitaka’s weeping coming from inside. Notuttering a word, Pilgrim cocked his ear to listen. Grinding his teeth in sheerfrustration,themastersaid:IloatheRiverFloat,alifeplaguedbywoes!Howmanywaterperilsboundmeatbirth!Ileftmymother’swombtobetossedbywaves;Iplumbedthedeep,seekingBuddhaintheWest.ImetdisasteratBlackRiverbefore;Nowinthisice-break,mylifewillexpire.Iknownotifmypupilscancomehere,OrifwithtruescripturesIcangohome.

Pilgrim could not refrain from calling out, “Master, don’t be annoyed. TheWater-CalamityBooksays,EarthisthemotheroftheFivePhases;Butwateristheirverysource.Withoutearththereisnolife;Withoutwaterthereisnogrowth.

OldMonkeyhasarrived!”Onhearing this,Tripitakasaid,“ODisciple!Pleasesaveme!”“Trytorelax,”saidPilgrim.“Waittillweseizethemonster-spiritandyouwillbefreedfromyourordeal.”“Getmovingquickly!”saidTripitaka.“Onemore day and I’ll suffocate!” “That won’t happen! That won’t happen!” saidPilgrim.“I’moff!”Turningaround,heleapedrightoutofthegateandchangedbackintohisoriginalform.“EightRules!”heshouted.IdiotandShaMonkdrewnear,saying,“ElderBrother,whatdidyoufindout?”“Itwasthisfiendallright,”saidPilgrim,“whocapturedMaster.Heisnotyethurt,butheisimprisonedinastonebox.ThetwoofyoushouldprovokebattleatonceafteroldMonkeyhasgonebackuptothesurfaceofthewater.Ifyoutwocancapturehim,doso;butifyoucan’t,feigndefeatandenticehimouttothesurface.I’llattackhimthen.”“Havenoworry,ElderBrother,”saidShaMonk.“Youleavefirstandletussizeup the situation.” Making the water-repelling sign with his fingers, Pilgrim

dartedoutoftheriverandstoodonthebanktowaitforthem.LookhowviolentthatEightRulescouldbecome!Dashinguptothegate,he

shouted in a severe voice, “Brazen fiend! Send my master out!” The littlemonsters inside the gate were so alarmed that they went hurriedly to report,“GreatKing,someoneatthegateisdemandinghismaster.”“Thatmustbeoneof those brazen monks,” said the monster. “Bring out my armor!” The littlefiendstookitoutquickly.Afterhewasproperlysuitedup,themonsterpickeduphisweaponandwalkedoutthegate.FacinghimontheleftandontherightwereEightRulesandShaMonk,whostaredintentlyathim.Dearmonster!Lookathim!Hisheadworeagleaminghelmetofgold.Agoldcuirasshehadthatflashedredlight.Pearl-andjade-studded,abeltwrappedhiswaist.Hisfeetworestrangebootsoftobaccobrown.Thebridgeofhisnoserosehighlikearidge.Hisforeheadseemedlikeadragon’s,broadandwide.Bothroundandfiercehisblazingeyeswouldglare.Histeeth,likesteelswords,wereevenandsharp.Histousledshorthairdidshootuplikeflames.Hislongbeardwasgroomedlikeagoldenawl.Hismouthheldapondweed,tenderandgreen.Hishandsgrippedanine-groovedredbronzemallet.Asthegatesswungwideopenwithacreak,Hebellowedlikethethunderoftriplespring.Featureslikehisarerareinhumanworld.Hencehe’scalledGreatKingofNuminousPower.

Afterthefiendwalkedoutofthegates,aboutahundredlittleimps,allwieldinglances and swords, followed him out and stood in two columns behind him.“Fromwhichmonasteryhaveyoucome,”heaskedEightRules,“andwhyareyou causing a disturbancehere?” “Youbrazen creature!” shoutedEightRules.“Youwerealmostbeatentodeath!Youarguedwithmetheothernight,andyetyoudareplayignorantandaskmeagaintoday?Iamadiscipleofaholymonkfrom theGreatTang in theLand of theEast, and a pilgrim journeying to seeBuddha in theWesternHeaven for scriptures.Be-fooling thepeoplewithyourempty magic, you are even audacious enough to call yourself Great King ofNuminousPowerandindulgeindevouringvirginboysandgirlsfromtheChenvillage. I am One Load of Gold from the family of Chen Qing. Can’t yourecognizeme?”“Monk,” said the monster, “you are quite unreasonable! For taking on the

form of One Load of Gold, you should be charged with the crime of falseidentity.NotonlydidInoteatyou,butthebackofmyhandwasalsowoundedbyyou.Ihaveyieldedtoyoualready.Howdareyoucomeseekingtroubleright

uptomydoor?”“Ifyouhadyielded,”saidEightRules,“thenwhydidyouraiseupthecoldwindandsenddownthegreatsnowfall?Whydidyoumaketheicetotrapmymaster?Sendhimoutquicklyandallwillbewell.Ifbuthalfa‘No’escapes from your teeth, I’ll never spare you! Just look at this rake in myhands!”Onhearingthis,thefiendsmiledsarcasticallyandsaid,“Monk,youarewaggingyourtongueandbragging!ItwasI,indeed,whobroughtthesnowandfroze the river to abduct yourmaster.Nowyouare clamoring atmydoor anddemanding his return, but this time, I fear, is not quite the same as the timebefore.Previously,IbroughtnoweaponwithmeasIthoughtIwasattendingafeast,andyoutookadvantageofme.Don’trunawaynow,becauseI’mgoingtofight with you for three rounds. If you can withstand me, I will return yourmaster;ifyoucannot,I’lleatyoualso.”“My darling child!” said Eight Rules. “That’s the way to talk! Take care,

watchmyrake!”“Soyoubecameamonkmidwayinyourlife,”saidthefiend.EightRulessaid,“Mydearboy,youdohavealittleNuminouspower!Howdidyouknow that I became amonkmidway inmy life?” “Sinceyou are using arake,”saidthefiend,“youmusthavebeenhiredasagardenersomewhere,andnowyouhave stolen evenyourmaster’s rake!” “Son,” saidEightRules, “thisrakeofmineisnogardentool.Look!Thehugeteethareforgedlikedragonclaws;Itshandle,white-goldwrapped,isserpentshaped.Whenit’susedinbattle,coldwindswoopsdown;Whenit’sputtocombat,brightflamesspringup.Abletosmitefiendsfortheholymonk,Itcatchesmonstersonthewestwardway.WhenImoveit,misthidesthesunandmoon.WhenIuseit,bright,coloredlightswillshine.MountTai’stoppled,andathousandtigerscringe.Thesea’supturned,tenthousanddragonsfear.ThoughyoumayhaveNuminouspower,Oneblowwillgiveyouninebig,gapingholes!”

That fiend, of course, would not take such words seriously! He raised hisbronzemalletandbroughtitdownonEightRules’shead.Usinghismuckraketoparry theblow,EightRulessaid,“Youbrazencreature!So,you too,becameaspiritmidwayinyourlife!”“HowcouldyoutellthatIbecameaspiritmidwayinmy life?” asked the fiend. “If you knowhow to use a bronzemallet,” saidEightRules,“youmusthavebeenalaborerhiredbysomesilversmithtotendthefires.Youtookadvantageofhimandstolehismallet!”Thefiendsaid,“Thisisnomalletforforgingsilver.Look!Ninesegmentsformedlikepetalsofaflow’r;Thoughhollowthestem’smadeofevergreen.It’snotanythingofthismortalworld,

Ithasitsbirthandnameinthehouseofgods.Greenseedsandcasesagedinthejasperpool;Purescentandnaturebornofajade-greenpond.SinceItoiledtotemperandrefineit,It’schargedwithmagicandit’shardassteel.Swords,halberds,andspears—allcan’trivalit.Axesandlances—nonecanwithstandit.Thoughyourrakemaybelikeasharp-edgedsword,Mymalletwillbreakitasitbreaksanail!”

WhenShaMonk saw how the two of them engaged in such exchanges, hecouldno longer restrainhimself fromapproaching themand shouting, “Fiend!Stopthisboasting!Theancientssaid,‘What’sspokenprovesnothing;onlydeedsarevisible!’Don’trunaway.Haveatasteofmystaff!”Usingthemallettoparrytheblow,thefiendsaid,“So,youalsoaresomeonewhobecameamonkmidwayinyourlife!”“Howdidyouknow?”askedShaMonk.“Thewayyoulook,”saidthe fiend, “you resemble someone who used to work in a pastry shop.” ShaMonksaid,“HowcouldyoutellthatIusedtoworkinapastryshop?”“Ifyoudidn’tworkthere,”saidthefiend,“howcouldyoulearntousearollingpin,liketheonetheymadenoodleswith?”“Youcursedthing!”scoldedShaMonk.“Ofcourse,youhaven’tseenanythinglikethisbefore!Thiskindofweaponisrareintheworld;That’swhyyoudon’tknowthetreasurestaff’sname.Itcamefromthemoon—theshadowlessspot—Carvedfromapieceofdivineśālawood.Outsideit’sdeckedwithjewelsluminous;Within,ahubofgold’smostglorious.Inbygonedaysitattendedroyalfeasts;NowitfollowsRightandguardstheTangMonk.FewmayknowitonthewaytotheWest;GreatfameithasintheRegionAbove.It’scalledthefiend-routingtreasurestaff:Oneblowanditwillsurelycrackyourskull!”

In nomood to talk further, the fiend chargedhim; the three of them turnedferociousallatonceandbeganafiercebattleatthebottomoftheriver.Bronzemallet,treasurestaff,andmuckrake:WunengandWujingbothengagedthefiend.OnewasHeavenlyReedsdescendingtoearth;Onewasadivinewarriorcomingfromthesky.Bothattackedthewaterfiend,showingtheirpower.Thisonewithstoodalonethegod-monks—alaudableshow!ProperaffinitycanperfectthegreatDao:MutualgrowthorconquestholdsGanges’sand.Earthconquerswater,Andthebottom’sseenwhenwaterdriesup;WaterbegetswoodWhich,flourishing,willbloomlikeflowers.

ChanandDao,nurtured,leadtothesameessence;Elixir,refinedandforged,tamesthethreeparties.EarthismotherSproutinggoldenshoots;Goldbegetsdivinewaterandthebaby’sborn.Water’sthesourceTomoistenwood.Andwood,thriving,bringsforthstrong,brightfire.TheconjoinedFivePhaseswillalldiffer:That’swhytheystrive,eachchangingcolors.Look!Eachpetalofthatbronzemalletwasfineandbright;Thetreasurestaffwaswrappedinathousandstrandsofsilk.Therake,madeaccordingtoyin-yangandthestars,Dealtsundryblowswithoutstyleornumber.Theyriskedtheirlivesforthemonk’sordeal;TheycourteddeathforŚākyamuni’ssake.Thebronzemalletwaskeptbusyallthetime,Blockingstaffontheleftandrakeontheright.

The three of them fought for some two hours underneath the water and nodecision could be reached. Supposing that they could not prevail against him,EightRuleswinkedatShaMonk,and the twoof thematonce feigneddefeat.Theyturnedandfled,theirweaponstrailingbehindthem.“Littleones,”orderedthefiend,“stayhere.Letmecatchupwiththesefellowsandbringthembackforyoutoeat.”Lookathim!Likethewindblowingdeadleavesandtherainbeatingdownthewitheredflowers,hepursuedthemrightuptothesurfaceofthewater.On the eastern shore, the Great Sage Sun was staring at the water with

unblinkingeyes.Suddenlyhugewavesaroseintheriverandtherewereshoutsandroars.EightRuleswasthefirst toleapashore,crying,“He’scoming!He’scoming!” ShaMonk, too, rushed up to the bank, crying, “He’s coming! He’scoming!”Hewaspursuedbythefiend,whoyelled,“Whereareyourunningto?”No sooner did he clear the water, however, than he was met by Pilgrim,shouting,“Watch therod!”Quicklyswerving tododge theblow, thefiendmethimwithupraisedmallet.Oneof themchurnedup thewavesnear theedgeofthe river, while the other showed forth his power on the bank. Before theyreachedeventhreeroundsaftertheyclosedin,thefiendhadalreadyweakened.Withasplashheplungedbackintotheriveranddisappeared;thewindandthewavesthussubsided.Pilgrimwent back to high ground and said, “Brothers, you’veworked very

hard!”“ElderBrother,”saidShaMonk,“thismonster-spiritmightnotdosowellon land, buthewasquite formidablebeneath thewater.SecondElderBrotherandIattackedhimleftandrightandbothofuscouldonlymanagetofighthimto a draw. What shall we do to rescue Master?” “Let’s not dillydally,” saidPilgrim,“forIfearthathemayharmMaster.”“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,

“we’llgoandtrytoenticehimtocomeoutagain.Youbequietandwaitforhiminmidair.Once his head emerges, you give himone of those garlic-poundingblowssquarelyonthetopofhisskull.Evenifyoudon’tkillhim,you’llknockhim dazed. Old Hog can then finish him off with one blow of the rake.”“Exactly!Exactly!”saidPilgrim.“That’swhatwecallmutualcooperation.Onlythatcanaccomplishanything.”Thetwoofthemdoveintothewateragain,andweshallleavethemforthemoment.We tell you now about that fiend, who fled in defeat and returned to his

residence.Asthevariousfiendsmethim,theperch-motherwentuptohimandsaid,“GreatKing,wheredidyouchasethosetwomonksto?”Thefiendsaid,“Ididn’t realize that those monks have another helper, who, when they leapedashore,triedtohitmewithanironrod.Idodgedtheblowandfoughtwithhim.Godknowshowheavythatrodofhisis!Mybronzemalletcouldnotstanduptoitatall.Beforewefinishedthreerounds,Ihadtofleeindefeat.”“GreatKing,”saidtheperch-mother,“canyourememberhowthathelperlooked?”“Hehasahairyfaceandathunder-godbeak,”saidthefiend,“forkedearsandbrokennose.Amonkwithfieryeyesanddiamondpupils.”Whentheperch-motherheardthis,she shuddered and said, “OGreatKing! Itwas smart of you to flee, and youescapedwithyourlife!Threemoreroundsandyouwon’tliveatall!Iknowwhothatmonkis.”“Whoishe?”askedthefiend.“SomeyearsbackIwaslivingintheGreatEasternOcean,” said theperch-mother, “and I heard theoldDragonKingtalkingabouthimandhisreputation.ThismonkistheGreatSage,EqualtoHeaven, the HandsomeMonkey King who is a golden immortal of the greatmonadandoftheprimalchaosintheRegionAbove.Fivehundredyearsago,hecausedgreathavocintheCelestialPalace,butnowhehasembracedBuddhismtoaccompanytheTangMonktogototheWesternHeavenforscriptures.Hehaschanged his name to Pilgrim SunWukong.He has tremendousmagic powersandknowsmanywaysoftransformation.GreatKing,howcouldyoutanglewithhim?Fromnowon,youmustnotfightwithhimatall.”Hardlyhadshefinishedspeakingwhenoneofthelittleimpsdashedintoreport,“GreatKing,thosetwomonksarehere again toprovokebattle.”Themonster-spirit said, “Myworthysister’sopinionisverysound!I’mnotgoingtofacethemagain.Seewhattheycando!”Hegavehurriedlythisorder,“Littleones,shutthegates.Astheproverbsays,Youmaycalloutsidethedoor;YourcriesI’llwhollyignore!

Theymay even stay here for a couple of days, butwhen they get tired of it,they’llleave.ThenwecanfreelyandleisurelyenjoytheTangMonk.”Allthose

little fiends started to haul rocks and mud to seal up the entrance to theresidence. When Eight Rules and Sha Monk shouted repeatedly withoutreceivinganyreply,Idiotinperturbationbegantobatterthegateswithhisrake.Thegates,ofcourse,weretightlyshut,butafewblowsoftherakebrokethemdown.Inside thegates,however,wasasolidwallofmudandrockspiledsky-high. When Sha Monk saw it, he said, “Second Elder Brother, this fiend isterriblyafraid,andthat’swhyheshutshimselfupandrefusestocomeout.YouandIshouldgobackuptoshoreanddiscussthematterwithBigBrother.”EightRulesagreedandtheyreturnedtotheeasternshore.Halfwaybetweencloudand fog,Pilgrimstoodwaitingandholdinghis iron

rod.When he saw the two of them emergewithout the fiend, he lowered hiscloudandmetthemonthebank.“Brothers,”heasked,“howisitthatthatthinghas not come up?” ShaMonk said, “The fiend has shut his doors tightly andrefusedtocomeouttomeetus.WhenSecondElderBrotherbrokethedoors,weranintoasolidwallofmudandrocksinside.That’swhywecouldnotevendobattlewithhim.WedecidedtoreturntotalktoyouandseehowwecouldmakeplanstorescueMaster.”“Ifthat’showhebehaves,”saidPilgrim,“it’squitehardto think of anything to overcomehim.You twohadbetter patrol the banks tomakecertainthathedoesn’tescapetoanotherplace.Letmemakeatrip.”“ElderBrother,”saidEightRules,“whereareyougoing?”Pilgrimsaid,“I’mgoingtothePotalakaMountaintomakeinquiryoftheBodhisattva.Iwanttofindouttheoriginofthismonster,hisname,andhowImaysearchouthisancestralhome.AfterIhaveseizedhiskinsfolkandallhisrelations,IcanreturnheretorescueMaster.”Withalaugh,EightRulessaid,“ElderBrother,thewayyoudothingswillwastea lotof timeandenergy!”“Iwon’twasteanytimeorenergy!”saidPilgrim.“Igo,andI’llbebackatonce!”DearGreatSage!Mountingtheauspiciousluminosityquickly,helefttheriver

and headed straight for the South Sea. In less than half an hour, the PotalakaMountaincame intosightashe loweredhiscloudandwentup to thesummit.TheTwenty-fourdevas,theGreatMountain-Guardian,thediscipleMokṣa,ChildSudhana, and the Pearl-Bearing Dragon Girl all came forward to greet him.“WhydidtheGreatSagecomehere?”theyasked,andPilgrimsaid,“ImustseetheBodhisattva.”“TheBodhisattvaleftthecavethismorning,”saidthedeities,“andforbadeanyonetofollowher.Shewentbyherselfintothebamboogrove,thoughsheleftwordthatyouwouldarrivetodayandthatweshouldbeheretoreceive you. She said shewould not be able to see you immediately and sheaskedyoutobeseatedbeforethecliffforawhileandwaitforhertocomeout.”Pilgrim obeyed and before he had even taken a seat, the Child Sudhana

approachedhimbowingandsaid,“GreatSageSun, Imust thankyouforyour

pastkindness.TheBodhisattvawasgracious enough to takeme in and Ihavebeenherconstantcompanion,waitinguponherbeneathherlotusplatform.Shehas,infact,shownmegreatfavors.”RecognizingthathewasformerlytheRedBoy, Pilgrim said with a laugh, “In the past you were gripped by demonicdelusions.Nowthatyouhaveattained theright fruit,youmustrealize thatoldMonkeyisagoodperson!”Afterhavingwaitedforalongtime,Pilgrimgrewveryanxious,andhesaid,

“Pleasemaketheannouncementforme,allofyou.Ifthere’sfurtherdelay,Idofearformymaster’slife.”“Wedarenot,”saidthedeities,“fortheBodhisattvagavespecific instruction thatyoushouldwait forher tocomeout.”Ashehadalwaysbeenimpulsive,Pilgrim,ofcourse,couldstanditnolongeranddashedallatonceintothebamboogrove.Aha!ThisHandsomeMonkeyKingWasbynaturemostimpulsive.ThedevascouldnotdetainhimWhenhewishedtogoinside.Deepintothegrovehestrode,Hisopeneyesstealingaglance.TherethesalvificHonored-OneSat,cross-legged,onbambooleaves.CarefreeandwithoutmakeupShelookedsogentleandmild.Hertresses,undone,floweddown;Shehadnoheadgearwithfringes.Herbluerobeshedidnotwear,Butonlyasmallwaistcoat.Asilkskirtwrappedroundherwaist.Hertwofeetwerebothnaked.Hercloak’ssilksashwasuntied;Hertwoarmswerecompletelybare.HerjadelikehandheldupaknifeWithwhichshepeeledoffbambooskin.

When Pilgrim saw her, he could not refrain from calling aloud, “Bodhisattva,your disciple, Sun Wukong, pays you sincere homage.” “Wait outside,”commanded the Bodhisattva. Pilgrim went to his knees to kowtow, saying,“Bodhisattva,mymasterisfacingaterribleordeal.Icameespeciallytoaskyouconcerning the origin of the fiend atHeaven-ReachingRiver.” “Goout of thegrove,”saidtheBodhisattva,“andwaittillIcomeout.”Notdaringtoforceher,Pilgrimhadnochoicebuttowalkoutofthebamboo

grove.Hesaidtothevariousdevas,“TheBodhisattvaseemstobeallwrappedup today in her domestic affairs.Why is shenot sitting at her lotus platform?Whyisshenotmadeup?Whydoesshelooksogloomy,makingbambooslipsinthe grove?” “We don’t know,” said the deities. “When she left the cave this

morning,shewentatonceintothegrovebeforeshewasevenproperlydressed.ShetoldusalsotowaitfortheGreatSage,andshemustbedoingsomethingforyouraffairs.”Pilgrimcoulddonothingbutwait.After awhile, the Bodhisattva emerged from the grove holding a purple-

bamboo basket. “Wukong,” she said, “I’ll go with you to rescue the TangMonk.”Kneeling down hurriedly, Pilgrim said, “Your disciple dares not pressyou.Let theBodhisattva dress and ascend her seat first.” “Noneed to dress,”saidtheBodhisattva.“Icangowithyoujust likethis.”Abandoningthedevas,theBodhisattvamountedtheauspiciouscloudsimmediatelyandroseintotheair.GreatSageSunhadtofollowher!In a moment, they arrived at the Heaven-Reaching River. On seeing them,

EightRules said toShaMonk, “ElderBrother is so impulsive! Iwonderwhatsort of wild clamor he made at South Sea that forced an undressed andunadornedBodhisattva to come here!”Hardly had he finished speakingwhenthe Bodhisattva landed on the bank. Bowing, the two disciples said,“Bodhisattva,wehaveintrudeduponyou.Pleaseforgiveus!”Untyinghersashfromhervest,theBodhisattvafastenedittothebasketandrosehalfwayintotheairontheclouds.Sheheldthesashandloweredthebasketintotheriver,pullingittowardtheupperreach.Thensherecitedaspell,saying,“Thedeaddepart;theliving remain! The dead depart, the living remain!” She repeated this seventimesandthenliftedupthebasket.Insidewasashinygoldfish,stillblinkingitseyesandtossingabout.“Wukong,”criedtheBodhisattva,“gointothewaterquicklyandrescueyour

master.”“Butwehavenotyetcapturedthefiend,”saidPilgrim.“Howcouldwerescue

Master?”“Isn’t thefiendinthebasket?”askedtheBodhisattva.Bowing,EightRulesandShaMonksaid,“Howcouldthelittlefishgettobesopowerful?”“Heisagoldfishrearedinmylotuspond,”saidtheBodhisattva.“Everyday,

hewould floatwith thecurrent to the surface to listen tomy lectures, andhispowerswereacquiredfromhisself-cultivation.Thatnine-petaledbronzemalletis a stalk supporting an unopened lotus bud, which the process of his magiccultivationhasmadeintoaweapon.Idon’tknowwhichdayitwaswhenhightidecarriedhimtothisplace.WhenIwatchedmyflowersleaningontherailingthismorning,thisfellowdidnotcomeouttogreetme.Imadecalculationsthenbyconsultingthegroovesonmyfingersandlearnedthathehadbecomeaspirithere,seekingtoharmyourmaster.ThatwaswhyIdidnotevenbothertoputonmy clothes or jewels, for I was exercising my divine powers to fashion thisbaskettocatchhim.”“Bodhisattva,”saidPilgrim,“pleaseremainhereforamoment.Letmegoand

calltogetherthebelieversintheChenvillagesothattheymaygazeuponyourgolden visage. Thiswill be your great favor toward them, and,moreover, theaccount of howyouhave captured the fiendwill help thesemortal humans tobecome your devoutworshippers.” “All right,” said theBodhisattva. “Go andcall them together quickly.” Eight Rules and Sha Monk sprinted back to thevillage, screaming,“Come,allofyou, tosee the livingBodhisattvaGuanyin!”Theinhabitantsoftheentirevillage,youngandold,allrushedtotheedgeoftheriver.Withoutregardforthemudandwater,theyallkneltdownandkowtowed.Someoneskilledinpaintingamongthematoncemadeaportraitofthegoddess,and that was how the picture of the Guanyin with a fish basket came about.Thereafter,theBodhisattvareturnedtoSouthSea.Openingapathinthewater,EightRulesandShaMonkwentstraight tothe

Sea-TurtleHouse to search for theirmaster.Thewatery fiends and fish spiritsinsidewerealldead.Theywent to therearof thepalaceandopened thestonebox.ThentheycarriedtheTangMonktoleavethewavesandtobereunitedwiththe others on the shore. ChenQing and his brother in gratitude kowtowed tothem,saying,“VenerableFather,youshouldhavelistenedtoourpleadingsandyou would not have had to undergo such suffering.” “No need to say thatanymore,”saidPilgrim.“Youpeopleherewillhavenoneedtomakeanymoresacrificesnextyear,fortheGreatKinghasbeendoneawaywith.Hewilltakenomorelives.Mr.Chen,nowwemustcountonyoutofindaboattotakeusacrosstheriver.”“Wehaveone!Wehaveone!”saidChenQing.Heatoncegavetheorder to build a boat;when the villagers heard this, everyone respondedwithenthusiasm. One of them said that he would purchase the mast and anothervolunteeredtogettheoars.Someofthemwantedtobringtheropes,whilestillotherspromisedtohirethesailors.As they were making such clamor by the bank of the river, they suddenly

heardthiscrycomingfromthemiddleofthewater:“GreatSageSun,thereisnoneedforaboat thatwillonlybeawasteofmoneyandmaterials.I’ll takeyoufouracrosstheriver.”Whenthepeopleheardthis,theyweresofrightenedthatthetimidonesfledbacktothevillage,whilethemorecourageousamongthem,tremblingallover,stoleglancesatwherethevoicewascomingfrom.Instantly,outcrawledastrangecreaturefromthedepths.“Howdidhelook?”youask.HeisAsquare-headeddivinenotofthisworld;Hisname:awatergodmostsubtleandshrewd.Histailcanlifeprolongathousandyears;Hehideshimselfinahundredriversdeep.Vaultingonwavesandcurrentshecomestoshore;Facingthesunandwindheliesonthebeach.

Trulyenlightenedhenourisheshisbreath,Anoldturtle,scabbyheadedandwhiteshelled.

“GreatSage,”criedtheoldsea-turtleagain,“don’tbuildtheboat.I’lltakeallofyou,master anddisciples, across the river.”Raisinghighhis iron rod,Pilgrimsaid,“Cursedcreature!Ifyoudareapproachme,I’llkillyouwithoneblowofmyrod!”“Iamgrateful tothekindnessof theGreatSage,”saidtheoldturtle,“and that’swhy Iwant tohelpallofyouwith thebest intention.Whydoyouwanttohitmeinstead?”“WhatkindnesshaveIshownyou?”askedPilgrim.Theoldturtlesaid,“GreatSage,youdon’trealize that theSea-TurtleHouse

downbelowhappenstobemyresidence,aplacemyancestorshandeddowntome from generation to generation. Since I had awakened to my source andorigin,Isucceededinnourishingmynuminousbreathtoenablemetopracticeself-cultivation here. The house had been rebuilt by me and named the Sea-TurtleHouse.Nineyearsago,thatfiendarrivedduringahugetidalwave,andatonceheletloosehisviolenceandfoughtwithme.Heslewmanyofmychildrenandrobbedmeofmanyofmykinsfolk.Iwasnomatchforhim,andmyhousewastakenawaybyforce.NowIamtrulyindebtedtotheGreatSage,whoinhisattempttorescuehismaster,hassucceededinbringingtheBodhisattvaGuanyinhere to disperse all the fiendish miasma.With the monster seized, the housebelongstomeonceagain.NowIcanbereunitedwithmykin,youngandold;Ican occupymy old home againwithout having to rest on earth or recline onmud.Thisfavorofyoursisindeedgreatasamountainanddeepasthesea.ButitisnotjustImyselfwhoamindebtedtoyou.Theentirevillageherehasbeenexempted from ever having to make the annual sacrifice, and countlesschildren’slivesarespared.Thisisindeedacaseofthedoublegainwithasinglemove.DareInotshowmygratitudeandtrytorepayyou?”Secretly pleased bywhat he heard, Pilgrim put away his iron rod and said,

“Areyoureallysincereaboutthis?”Theoldturtlesaid,“I’marecipientoftheGreatSage’sprofoundkindness.HowdareIplayfalse?”“SweartoHeaventhatyouaretellingthetruth,”saidPilgrim.Openingwidehishugeredmouthtowardthesky,theoldturtlesaid,“IfIdonottrulyintendtosendtheTangMonkacrosstheHeaven-Reaching River,maymy body turn into blood!” “You come herethen,”saidPilgrim,chuckling.Swimmingtotheedgeoftheriver,theoldturtlethencrawledupthebank.Whenthepeoplegatheredabouthimtotakealook,theyfoundahugewhiteglobeofashell,aboutfortyfeet in itscircumference.“Master,” said Pilgrim, “we can get on him and cross over.” Tripitaka said,“Disciple,even that thick icebeforegaveusdifficulty. Iwonder if this turtle’scarapaceissafeatall.”“Pleasedonotworry,Master,”saidtheoldturtle,“I’mmuch safer than that thick ice! If I make even one slip, I’ll not achieve my

merit.”“OMaster!”saidPilgrim.“Itisnotlikelyforacreaturewhohasacquiredhumanspeechtolie.Brothers,bringusthehorse!Quick!”Astheywenttotheedgeoftheriver,theentireChenvillage,youngandold,

allcametobowtothem.AfterPilgrimledthehorseupontothebackoftheoldturtle,heaskedtheTangMonktostandtotheleftofthehorse’sneck,ShaMonkto the right, andEightRulesat theback.Pilgrimhimself stood in frontof thehorse.Fearingthattheturtlemightcausetroublenevertheless,heuntiedthesashofhistiger-skinkiltandfastenedittothenoseoftheturtle,pullingituplikearein.Heplacedonefootontheturtle’sbackandtheotherfootonitshead;onehandheldtheironrodwhile theotherheldtherein.“OldTurtle,”saidhe,“goslowly.Onewrongmove and I’ll give your head a blow!” “I dare not! I darenot!” said the old turtle. Stretching forth his four legs, the turtle trod on thesurface of thewater as smoothly as if hewerewalking on level ground. Thepeople on shore all burned incense andkowtowed, everyone chanting, “NamoAmitābha!” It was truly as if real arhats were descending to earth and livingBodhisattvas revealing themselves.Thepeopleworshippeduntil theycouldnolonger see the pilgrims before they dispersed, andwe shall speak nomore ofthem.Wetellyouinsteadaboutthemasterridingonthewhiteturtle;inlessthana

day,theycrossedtheHeaven-ReachingRiverofeighthundredmiles.Withdryhands and feet, they went ashore, As Tripitaka landed, he pressed his palmstogether to give thanks, saying, “I have troubled you, old Turtle, but there isnothing I can give you. Letme acquire the scriptures first, andwhen I comeback,I’ll thankyouthenwithagift.”Theoldturtlesaid,“There’snoneedforanygiftfromyou,oldMaster.ButIhaveheardthattheBuddhistPatriarchintheWesternHeavenhasnotonlytranscendedtheprocessofbirthanddeath,buthehasalsotheknowledgeofpastandfuture.Ihavepracticedself-cultivationhereforafullthirteenhundredyears.ThoughIhavelengthenedmyageandlightenedmy body, and I have also acquired the knowledge of human speech, I find itdifficult toshedmyoriginalshell.WhenyougettotheWesternHeaven,IbegtheoldMastertoinquireoftheBuddhistPatriarchandseewhenImaycastoffmyoriginalshell toacquireahumanbody.”Tripitakasaid,“Ipromisetoask.”Then the old turtle turned around and plunged back into the water. PilgrimhelpedTangMonktomountthehorse,EightRulespoledtheluggage,andShaMonktookuptherear.MasteranddisciplesfoundthemainroadandstartedoutagaintowardtheWest.ThusitwasthatTheholymonksoughtBuddhabydecreeThroughavastdistanceandmanyordeals.Hismindwassteadfast,undauntedbydeath;

HecrossedHeavenRiveronaturtle’sback.

Wedon’t knowexactlyhow far they still have togo, orwhether goodor evilbefallsthem;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

FIFTY

Naturefollowsconfusedfeelingsthroughlustanddesire;Faintspiritandmovedmindmeetademonchief.

Thepoemsays:Sweepoftenthegroundsofthemind;Wipecleanthedustofaffections.LetnotthepitensnareyourBuddha-self.Onlywhenessentialself’scleanMayyouyourprimalsourceconvene.

Youmustliftandtrimnature’swickTobreathethusfreelyatCaoxi.1Keepthehorseandtheapefromsoundingharsh:ThroughnightanddayabreathsereneWillletallyourtechniquebeseen.

ThetuneofthislyricpoemiscalledASouthernBranch.Itismeanttodescribethe Tang Monk and how he escaped from his ordeal of ice in the Heaven-ReachingRiverandhowheascendedtheothershorebystandingonthewhiteturtle.Masterandthedisciples,thefourofthem,followedthemainroadandsetoutagaintowardtheWest.Itwasthetimeofmidwinter,andtheysawFaintoutlinesofwoodlandsinthemists,Clearframesofbaremountainsinthestream.

Asmasteranddiscipleswalkedalong, theyagaincameuponahugemountainblockingtheirway.Theroadturnedexceedinglynarrowandthecliffsweretall;moreover,thereweremanyrocksandtheridgesweresosteepthatitwouldbedifficultforhumansorhorsestoproceed.Reininginhishorse,Tripitakacalledout, “Disciples.” Pilgrim ledZhuEightRules andShaMonk forward, saying,“Master,whatdoyouhavetosay?”“Lookhowtallthemountainisaheadofus,”said Tripitaka. “I fear that tigers and wolves might run rampant up there, orstrangebeastsmightcomeout toattackus.Becareful!”“Pleasedonotworry,Master,”saidPilgrim.“WethreebrothersareunitedinasingleefforttoembracetheRight and seek theReal.Wewill exercise our power to dispersemonstersandsubduefiends.Youneedn’tbeafraidofanytigersorwolves!”Onhearinghiswords,Tripitakafeltmoreassuredandurgedhishorseforwardtoascendthecliff.Astheydidso,theyglancedaroundandsawthatitwasquiteamountainindeed.Ruggedandsoaring—

Pointedandtowering—Ruggedandsoaringitrisestothesky;Pointedandtoweringitblockstheblueheavens.Strangerockspiledhighliketigerssitting;Hoarypinesaslantlikedragonsflying.Atopthepeakabirdsingsaprettysong;Beforetheclifftheplumswaftastrong,sweetscent.Thebrookswellsandsurges,itswatercold;Thecloudsassailthesummit,denseanddark.Youalsofeelthedriftingsnow,Thebitingwind,Andthemountain’sroaring,famishedtiger.Jackdawspickthroughthetreesbutfindnonest;Wilddeersearchinvainforaplacetorest.Pitythetravelers,whocanhardlywalk:Crestfallen,downcast,theycovertheirheads!

Master and disciples, the four of them, braved the snow and cold to scale,shivering, the rugged peak. After they passed it, they saw in the distance atowered building in the fold of the mountain and some charming buildingsnearby.Delighted,theTangMonksaidonhishorse,“ODisciples,Ifeelsocoldandhungrytoday!It’sagoodthingthatthereareinthefoldofthemountainthatbuildingandthehouses.Ithastobeeitheravillage,amansion,anabbey,oramonastery.Let’s go andbeg for some food.We canmoveon afterwehave ameal.”WhenPilgrimheardthis,heopenedwidehiseyestolookandsawthatthe place was shrouded with baleful clouds and diabolical air. “Master,” heturned to speak to the Tang Monk, “that’s not a good place.” “There arebuildingsandhouses,”saidTripitaka.“Whyisn’titagoodplace?”“OMaster,”saidPilgrimwithasnicker,“howcouldyouknow?ThereareplentyofmonstersanddemonsonthewaytotheWest,andtheyaremostcapableofdevising2someformofhousesordwellings.Itdoesn’tmatterwhetheritisatoweredbuildingorapavilion,orsomesuchedifice;anyoneofthesecanbemerelyatransformationtodeceivepeople.Youhaveheardof thesaying that ‘adragoncanbegetninekindsofoffspring.’Oneofthemisthegiantclam;3thebreaththiscreatureemitsis luminous and takeson the appearanceofbuildings andhouses.Whenabigriveriscaughtininclementweather,that’swhenthegiantclamproducessuchamirage.Ifsomebirdsorcrowshappentoflybyanddecidetoresttheirwingsonthese specious buildings, the clam will swallow them with one gulp. It’s avicioustrap.WhenIseehowbalefultheauraisoverthere,Imusttellyounottoapproachit.”“Sowecan’tgooverthere,”saidTripitaka,“butI’mreallyhungry!”“Ifyou

are,Master,pleasedismount,”saidPilgrim.“Sithereonlevelgroundandletmegosomewheretobegsomevegetarianfoodforyoutoeat.”Tripitakaconsented

anddismounted.AfterEightRulestookholdofthereins,ShaMonkputdownthe luggage and untied the wrap to take out the alms bowl to hand over toPilgrim. Taking it in his hand, Pilgrim gave this instruction to Sha Monk:“WorthyBrother, don’t go forward. Just stand guard overMaster sitting here.WaituntilIcomebackwiththefoodandwecanthensetoutagaintotheWest.”ShaMonkobeyed,andPilgrimsaidoncemoretoTripitaka,“Master,thatplacein front of us betokens more evil than good. Don’t ever leave here and goelsewhere.OldMonkeyisoff tobegforfood.”“Don’t talkanymore,”saidtheTangMonk. “Just go quickly and come back. I’llwait for you here.” Pilgrimturned and was about to leave, but he walked back again to say, “Master, Irealizeyoucan’tsitstillforverylong.Letmeprovideyouwithsomemeansofsafety.”Hetookouthisgolden-hoopedrodanddrewonthelevelgroundalargecircle.TheTangMonkwasaskedtositinitsmiddle,whileEightRulesandShaMonkstoodbyeithersideofhim.Thehorseandtheluggage,too,wereplacednear them.ThenPilgrimpressedhispalmstogether tobowto theTangMonk,saying,“ThecircledrawnbyoldMonkeyhereisasstrongasanironwall.Nomatter what they are—tigers, wolves, ogres, or demons—they will not darecomenearyou.Butyoumustnotstepoutofthecircle.Remainseatedinsideandnoharmwillcometoyou.Butifyouleavethecircle,youwillinalllikelihoodmeet with danger. Please take heed of my words! Please take heed of mywords!”Tripitakaagreedandallthreeofthemsatdownsolemnlyinthecircle.Mountingtheclouds,Pilgrimwentsouthtosearchforaplacetobegforfood.

Suddenlyhesawsometall,agedtrees,nearwhichwasavillage.Heloweredhiscloudandtookacarefullook.HesawSnowabusingweakwillowsAndicefrozeninthesquarepond;Sparsebambooswavingtheirblue;Densepinetreesholdingtheirgreen;Afewthatchedhutshalfdeckedwithsilver;Asmall,slantedbridgepowder-dusted;Half-bloomednarcissusbythefence;Longiciclesdanglingbeneaththeeaves.Thepiercingcoldwindwaftedararescent,Butsnowhidtheplacewhereplumflowersbloomed.

AsPilgrim admired the scenery of the village, he heard one of thewoodengatesopenwith a creakandoutwalkedanoldman,whoworea lamb’s-woolhat, a long robe full of holes, and a pair of grass sandals. Supporting himselfwithastaff,helookeduptotheskyandsaid,“Ah,thenorthwestwindisrising.It’llbe fair tomorrow.”HardlyhadhefinishedspeakingwhenaPekingeseranoutfrombehindhimandbarkedfuriouslyatPilgrim.Onlythendidtheoldmanturnaround.

Pilgrim stood before him holding the alms bowl and bowed, saying, “OldBenefactor, this priest happens to be someone sent by imperial decree of theGreatTangintheLandoftheEasttotheWesternHeaventoseekscripturesfromBuddha.Wearepassing throughyour regionandmymaster ishungry. I havecometoyourhonorableresidencetobegyouforsomevegetarianfood.”Whentheoldmanheard this,heshookhisheadandstruck thegroundseveral timeswithhisstaff,saying,“Elder,youshouldn’tbegforfoodjustyet,foryouhavetakenthewrongroad.”“Ihavenot,”saidPilgrim.Theoldmansaid,“Themainroad to theWesternHeaven isduenorthofhere,over a thousandmilesaway.Youshouldgoandfindthatroadatonce.”Pilgrimlaughedandsaid,“Yes,itisdue north of here, and my master right now is sitting beside that road andwaitingformetobegforfood.”“Thismonkisbabbling!”saidtheoldman.“Ifyourmasterisindeedwaitingatthemainroadforyoutobegforfood,adistanceofathousandmileswillrequiresixorsevendaysoftravelingoneway,evenifyouhappentobeanexceptionallyadroittraveler.Whenyougobacktohim,itwill take another week or so. By then, he would be long starved to death,wouldn’the?”Pilgrimlaughedagainandsaid,“Totellyouthetruth,OldBenefactor,I left

mymasternotlongago,andittookmenomorethanthetimeofdrinkingacupofteatogettothisplace.OnceIsucceedinbeggingsomefood,Ishallrushbackto serve it to him for lunch.” On hearing this, the old man became terriblyfrightened, thinking to himself, “This priest is a ghost! A ghost!” He turnedaround and began to dash inside. Pilgrim made a grab at him and said,“Benefactor,whereareyougoing?Ifyouhavesomefood,donateittous.”“It’snot convenient! It’s not convenient!” said the old man. “Go to some otherfamily.”“Benefactor,”saidPilgrim,“youaren’tveryconsiderate!Asyousaid,thisplaceisoverathousandmilesawayfromthemainroad.IfIgotoanotherfamily, it may take another thousand miles. Wouldn’t my master be reallystarvedtodeaththen?”“To tell you the truth,” said the oldman, “there are altogether six or seven

peopleinmyfamily,andwehavejustwashedandplacedthreepintsofriceinthecauldron. It’snotevenfullycookedyet.Pleasegosomewhereelse to lookfor your food.” Pilgrim said, “As the ancients said, ‘Walking to three otherhouses is not like sitting in one.’ This humble priest will sit here and wait.”WhentheoldmansawhowpersistentPilgrimwas,hebecameangry;liftinghisstaff,hestruckoutatPilgrim.Nottheleastintimidated,Pilgrimallowedtheoldman to hit his bald head seven or eight times without a flinch—it was as ifsomeonewerescratchinganitchforhim!“Thisisapriestwithacollision-proofhead!”saidtheoldman.“VenerableSir,”saidPilgrim,chuckling,“youcanhit

meallyouwant.Butyou’dbetterrememberthenumberofblowsyougiveme:oneblowwillcostyouonepintofrice!Youcantakeyourtimeandmeasureit!”On hearing this, the old man quickly dropped his staff and ran inside. Heslammedthedoorshut,yelling,“Aghost!Aghost!”Theentirehouseholdwassoterrifiedthatboththefrontandthebackdoorswereatoncetightlybolted.WhenPilgrimsawthatthedoorswereshut,hethoughttohimself,“Thisold

rogue said that they had just washed the rice and placed it in the cauldron. Iwonderifhewastellingthetruth.Astheproverbsays,‘TheDaoistsbegfromtheworthiesbuttheBuddhistsfromthefools.’LetoldMonkeygoinandtakealook.”DearGreatSage!Hemadethemagicsignwithhisfingersandusedthemagicof invisibility towalk straight into thekitchen: steamwas indeed risingfromthecauldron,fortherewasinsideithalfacauldronofdriedrice.Hestuffedthealmsbowlintothecauldronandgaveitastrongscooptofillthealmsbowlwithrice.Hethenmountedthecloudstogobacktohismaster,andweshallnotspeakofhimforthemoment.WetellyounowinsteadabouttheTangMonksittinginthecircle.Hewaited

foralongtimewithoutseeingPilgrimreturning.Halfrising,hesaiddejectedly,“Wheredidthatapegotobegforfood?”“Whoknows!”saidEightRulesononeside,snickering.“Hemusthavegonesomewheretoplayaround!Youthinkhe’sgoingtobegforfood?Hejustwantsusimprisonedhere!”“Whatdoyoumeanbyimprisoned?”askedTripitaka.“Don’tyouknow,Master?”saidEightRules.“Theancientsdrewonthegroundtoestablishajail.That’swhathedid!Hedrewacirclewithhisrod,andheclaimedthatitwasstrongerthanawallofiron.Butifsometigersorferociousbeastsreallyshowedup,howcouldthiscircleprotectus? We might as well give ourselves to them for food!” “Wuneng,” saidTripitaka, “what do you propose to do?” Eight Rules said, “This place can’tshelter us from the wind or the cold. If you agree with old Hog, we shouldfollow this road and start out toward the West once more. If Elder Brothermanagestogetsomefood,hewillnodoubtreturnquickly,ridingonhiscloud.Heshouldhavenodifficultycatchingupwithus,andwhenthereisfood,wecanstopandeat firstbeforewemoveon.Sittinghereall this timewillonlymakeourfeetgrowcold!”Itwas thebad luckofTripitaka tohaveheard thesewords!Heagreedwith

Idiotandallof themwalkedoutof thecircle.EightRules led thehorsewhileSha Monk poled the luggage; the elder did not even climb on the horse.Followingtheroad,hewalkedrightuptothetoweredbuildingandfoundthatitwas an edifice facing south. Outside the doorwas a brickwall paintedwhitewith corners like the word eight, which connected with a small towered-gatedecoratedwith carvings of lovebirds hung upside down and paintedwith five

colors.Thedoorof thebuildingwashalfclosed.EightRules tied thehorse tooneofthestonewaredoorwedges,andShaMonkputdownhispole.Ashewassensitive to the coldwind,Tripitaka sat on the threshold. “Master,” saidEightRules,“thismustbetheresidenceofanoblemanoranofficial.Ifwecan’tseeanyone near the front door, all the inhabitants must be inside warmingthemselvesby the fire.You twosithere,and letmego inside to takea look.”“Takecare!” said theTangMonk.“Don’toffendpeople!” Idiot said, “Iknow!Since I was converted and entered the gate of Chan, I have acquired somemanners!I’mnotlikeoneofthosevillagefools!”Tyingthemuckraketohiswaist,Idiotstraightenedouthisbluesilkshirtand

walked inside in a civil manner. He saw three large front halls with all thecurtainsdrawnup;thewholeplacewasquietandwithoutatraceofanyhumaninhabitant. There were neither furniture nor utensils. Passing the screens, hewalkedfurther insideandcameupona longcorridor,behindwhichwasa tall,two-story building.Thewindows on topwere half opened, and one could seepartsofasetofyellowsilkcurtainsintheroom.“Thepeoplemustbeafraidofthe cold,” said Idiot to himself. “They are still sleeping!”With no regard formanners,Idiotstroderightuptothesecondstoryofthebuilding.Whenhedrewthe curtains apart to take a look, hewas so startled that he stumbled and fell.Insidethecurtains,yousee,andlyingontopofanivorybedwasaskeletonofsicklywhite.Theskullwasbigasajarandthelegbones,straightaspoles,wereaboutfourorfivefeetlong.Afterhehadcalmeddown,Idiotcouldnotrestrainthetearsrollingdownhischeeks.Shakinghisheadandsighing,hesaid to theskeleton,“IwonderyouareTheremainsofamarshalofwhichnation,Orofwhichdomainorstateagreatgeneral.Onceyouwereaherostrivingtowin;Todayhowpiteouslyyoushowyourbones.Yourchildrenandwifearen’theretoserveyou;Nosoldiersburnincensetohonoryou.Youaretrulymostlamentableasight:You,whousedtoseekrulebymightorright!”

As Eight Rules thus lamented, he suddenly saw a flare of light behind thecurtains.“Someonemustbehereafteralltoofferincensetohim,”saidIdiot.Hewent behind the curtains hurriedly to look and found that rays of light werecoming throughsomescreenssetup inaside room.Behind thescreenswasalacqueredtable,onwhichtherewereseveralgarmentsmadeofembroideredsilkbrocade.WhenIdiotpickedthemup,hesawthattheywerethreesilkvests.Withoutregardforgoodorill,hetookthevestsandcamedownthebuilding.

Hewent back through the front halls towalk out the door. “Master,” he said,

“there’snotraceofanyonelivinginside.It’sinfactaresidenceofthedeceased.OldHogwent inside andwalkedupstairs to the tall tower,where therewas askeleton inside someyellowsilkcurtains. Ina side room therewere three silkvests,whichI’vebroughtwithme.Thishastobeourluck,atleastalittleofit!Sinceit’sturningcoldnow,wecanmakegooduseofthem.Master,takeoffyouroutergarmentandputononeofthosevests.Enjoy,soyouwon’tfeelthecoldsomuch.” “No! No!” said Tripitaka. “For theCode Book says, ‘To take things,whether inopenor in secret, is thievery.’ If someone foundoutandcaughtupwithus,theofficialswouldundoubtedlychargeuswiththecrimeoftheft.Takethembackandputthemattheplaceyoufoundthem.Wecansithereforawhiletoescapefromthewind,andwhenWukongarrives,we’llmoveon.Thoseofuswhohaveleftthefamilyshouldnotbesocovetousofsmallgains!”EightRulessaid,“There’snotasinglepersonaround,evendogsorchickensareunawareofourpresence.Onlyweknowwhatwehavedone.Whowillfilechargesagainstme?Whowillbeawitness? Itwasas if Ihadpickedup thesevests from theroad.Whatdoyoumeanby taking inopenor in secret?”“Youact foolishly!”saidTripitaka. “Thoughmanmaynot know it,willHeaven be ignorant of it?Xuandileftthisinstruction:Hemayconscienceslylydespise,Butlikelightningarethegod’seyes.4

Returnthemquickly!Don’tbegreedyforthingswhichdonotbelongtoyou.”Idiot, of course, refused to listen. Laughing, he said to the TangMonk, “O

Master!SinceIbecameahuman,Ihavewornseveralvests,butnonemadewithsuch lovelybrocade. Ifyouwon’twant toput iton, letoldHogput iton. I’mgoing to try something new, and I want towarmmy back a bit.When ElderBrotherarrives,I’lltakeitoffandwe’llmoveon.”“Ifthat’sthewayyouputit,”saidShaMonk,“I’lltryone,too!”Thetwoofthemtookofftheirshirtsandputonthevests.Theywerejusttryingtotightenthestrapswhenallofsuddentheycould no longer stand up and tumbled to the ground. The vests, you see,somehowturnedout tobe like twostraitjackets; inan instant, the twoof themhadtheirarmstwistedbackwardsandfirmlyboundbehindtheirbacks.Tripitakawas so taken aback that he stamped his feet and chided them; he then wentforwardtotrytountiethem,butitwasalltonoavail.Asthethreeofthemmadecontinuousclamoroverthere,ademonwassoonalerted.Thattoweredbuilding,yousee,hadindeedbeendevisedbyamonster-spirit,

whohadspentthedaysensnaringpeopleattheplace.Ashesatinhisowncave,hesuddenlyheardnoisesofcomplaintandexpostulation.Whenhehurriedouttohavealook,hefoundtwovictimsalltiedup.Thedemoncalleduphislittleimps

quicklyanddidawaywiththebuildingsandtowers.TheTangMonkwasseized,along with the white horse and the luggage. Then they herded all of them,includingEightRulesandShaMonk,intothecave.Aftertheolddemontookhisseat high in the middle, the little fiends pushed the TangMonk forward andforcedhim tokneeldown. “Wheredidyoucome from,monk?”asked theolddemon.“Howdareyoubesoboldastostealmygarments?”Astearsrolleddown,theTangMonksaid,“Thispoormonkissomeonesent

by theGreatTang in theLandof theEast toacquirescriptures in theWesternHeaven.Strickenwithhungerjustnow,Itoldmyseniordiscipletogotobegforfoodandhehasn’treturned.Hetoldustoremainseatedinthemountain,andifwehad listened to him,wewould not have trespassedyour immortal court tofind shelter from the coldwind. Itwas here that these twoyoungdisciples ofmine grew covetous of small things after they found your clothes. Your poormonkcertainlyhadnoevil intentions,andtheyweretoldtoreturnthevests towheretheywerefound.Refusingtolistentome,theywantedtowearthemjusttowarmtheirbacks,andthatwashowtheyfell into the trapssetbytheGreatKing.Sinceyouhavecaughtme,Ibegyoutobemercifulandsparemylifesothat Imayproceed toacquire the truescriptures. Ishallalwaysbegrateful foryour grace and kindness, which I shall forever proclaimwhen I return to theLandoftheEast.”“Ihaveoftenheard,”saidthedemon,chuckling,“thatifanyoneeatsapiece

oftheTangMonk’sflesh,hiswhitehairwillturnblack,andhisfallenteethwillgrowbackoncemore.Todayitismygoodfortunethatyouhavearrivedwithoutmybeckoning.Andyoustillexpectmetospareyou?Whatisthenameofyourbigdisciple?Wheredidhegotobegforfood?”Onhearingthequestion,EightRulessaidloudlyandboastfully,“MyElderBrotherisSunWukong,theGreatSage,Equal toHeaven,whocausedgreathavoc inHeavenfivehundredyearsago.”When the demon heard that declaration, he became rather apprehensive.

Thoughhedidnotutteraword,hethoughttohimself,“Ihaveheardforalongtime that that fellowhasvastmagicpowers. Ididn’t expect that Iwouldmeethimbychancelikethis.”Thenhegavetheorder:“Littleones,tiethemupalsowithtwonewropes.Putthemall intherear.WaituntilIhavecaughttheirbigdisciple. Then we can steam them all together to eat them.” The little fiendsobeyedwithashoutandtiedupallthreeofthembeforetheywerecarriedtotherear.Thewhitehorsewaschainedinthestableandtheluggagewasleft in thehouse. Then the various monster-spirits began sharpening their weapons topreparetocatchPilgrim,andweshallleavethemforthemoment.WetellyounowaboutPilgrimSun,whoafterhehadstolenanalmsbowlful

of rice from the village in the south,mountedhis cloud to return towhere hebegan.Bythetimehereachedtheslopeofthemountainandloweredhiscloud,hesawthattheTangMonkwasgone.Thecirclehedrewwithhisrodcouldbeseenontheground,butneitherthepeoplenorthehorsewereanywhereinsight.Hequicklyturnedhisheadtolooktowardthetoweredbuildingsandfoundthatthese,too,haddisappeared.Allhesawwerestrangerocksandmountainridges.Aghast,Pilgrimsaid,“That’sit!Theymusthavefallenintodanger!”FollowingthetracksofthehorsehehurriedalongtheroadtowardtheWest.He journeyed for about fiveor sixmiles, andashebecamemoreandmore

dejected,heheardallatoncesomeonespeakingonthenorthernslope.Whenhelooked,hesawthatitwasanoldman,whohadonathickwoolenrobe,andhisheadwascoveredbyawarmhat.Onhisfeethehadonapairofhalf-newleatherbootswhichhadbeennicelywaxed.Hesupportedhimselfwithastaffthathadadragon head, and he was followed by a young houseboy. The old man alsocarriedatwigofwinter-plumblossomsinhishand,andashewalkeddowntheslope,hewashummingsomekindofsong.Puttingdownhisalmsbowl,Pilgrimfaced him and bowed, saying, “OldGrandpa, this humble priest salutes you.”Returning his bow, the old man said, “Where did you come from, elder?”Pilgrimsaid,“WecamefromtheLandoftheEast,onourwaytoseekscripturesfromBuddhaintheWesternHeaven.Masteranddisciples,therewerealtogetherfourofus.Becausemymasterwashungry,Iwassenttobegforsomevegetarianfood.I toldthethreeofthemtositonalevelspotbythemountainslopebacktheretowaitforme.BythetimeIcameback,however,theyhaddisappeared.Idon’tknowwhich road they took.May Iask,OldGrandpa,whetheryouhaveseen them?”When the oldman heard this, he snickered and said, “Was theresomeonewithalongsnoutandhugeearsamongthosethree?”“Yes!Yes!Yes!”saidPilgrim.“Was there also someonewith a gloomy complexion tugging awhite horse

andleadingapale-facedstoutishmonk?”“Yes!Yes!Yes!”saidPilgrim.Theoldmansaid,“Youhavetakenthewrongroad,allofyou!Don’tbothertolookforthem.Eachofyoushouldfleeforyourlife!”Pilgrimsaid,“Thepale-facedoneismymaster,andthosestrange-lookingpriestsaremyyoungerbrothers.TheyandIwereunited inourdetermination togo to theWesternHeaven for scriptures.HowcouldInotgotosearchforthem?”“Ipassedthroughthisregionsometimeago,” said theoldman, “and I saw them taking thewrong road,whichhad tolead them straight into the mouth of demons.” “Old Grandpa,” said Pilgrim,“pleasetellmewhatkindofademonthereisandwheredoeshelive,sothatImaydemandtheirreturnathisdoor.”Theoldmansaid,“ThismountainisnamedtheGoldenHelmetMountain,and

in it there isaGoldenHelmetCave.Themasterof thecave is theGreatKingOne-HornedBuffalo,whohasvastmagicpowersandwhoismostcapableinthemartialarts.Your threecompanions this timemusthave lost their lives,and ifyou go there to search for them, I fear that you, too,may get yourself killed.Perhapsit’sbetterforyounottogo.Idon’twanttokeepyoufromgoing,butIcertainlyamnotgoingtoencourageyoueither.It’syourdecision.”Bowingagainandagaintothankhim,Pilgrimsaid,“IamgratefultotheOld

Grandpaforhisinstructions.ButIcannotpossiblygiveupmysearch!”Hewasabouttopouroutthericethathetookfromthevillageinthesouthtogivetotheoldmansothathecouldputawaytheemptybowlwhentheoldmanlaydownhisstaffandtookawaythealmsbowl.Allatoncethehouseboyandtheoldmanbothrevealedtheirtrueformsandwenttotheirkneestokowtow.“GreatSage,”theycriedinunison,“thesehumbledeitiesdarenothideanythingfromyou.Weare themountaingod and the local spirit of this region, andwehave come toreceiveyouhere.Letuskeepthebowlandthericeforthemoment,sothattheGreatSagecanexercisehispower.WhentheTangMonkisrescued,thericewillthenbepresentedtohimandhewillappreciatewhatreverenceanddevotiontheGreatSagehasshownhim.”“Youareaskingtobebeaten,clumsyghosts!”bellowedPilgrim.“Ifyouknew

thatIhadarrived,whydidn’tyoushowupearlier tomeetme?Whymustyoucomeinshabbydisguises?”“TheGreatSageisratherimpetuous,”saidthelocalspirit, “and this humble deity dares not confront you directly. That’s whywecamouflageourselvestoreporttoyou.”Calmingdownmoreandmore,Pilgrimsaid, “I’ll onlymake a note of your beating this time!Take care of that almsbowlforme,and letmegoandcatch thatmonster-spirit.”The localspiritandthemountaingodobeyed.Tighteninghissashonhistiger-skinkiltwhichhehitchedup,ourGreatSage

dashedintothemountaintolookforthefiend’scave,holdinghighhisgolden-hoopedrod.Hepassedoneofthecliffsandsawmorestrangebouldersandtwostone doors just beneath a green ledge. In front of the doorsweremany littleimps,wieldinglancesandwavingswords.TrulytherewereMistsinauspiciousfolds;Mossinbluishclumps;Strangeruggedrocksstoodinarray;Roughwindingpathscoiledroundandround.Apescriedandbirdssanginthislovelyscene;Phoenixes,maleandfemale,dancedasinPeng-Ying.5Afewplums,facingtheeast,begantobloom;Warmedbythesun,thebamboosdisplayedtheirgreen.Beneaththesteepridge—Withinthedeepbrook—

Beneaththesteepridgesnowpiledhighlikepowder;Withinthedeepbrookwaterfrozeasice.Pinesandcedarsfreshforathousandyears;Bunchesofmountainteaallglowingred.

Ashedidnotgotheremerelytoadmirethescenery,ourGreatSagestrodeuptothedoorsandcriedoutinaseverevoice,“Littleimps!GoinsidequicklyandtellyourcavemasterthatIamSunWukong,theGreatSage,EqualtoHeaven,andthe disciple of the holy monk from the Tang court. Tell him to send out mymasterquicklysothatallofyourlivesmaybespared.”That group of fiends dashed inside to report, “GreatKing, there is a hairy-

facedpriestwithacurvedbeakoutside.HecallshimselfSunWukong,theGreatSage,Equal toHeaven, andhehas come todemand the returnofhismaster.”When he heard this announcement, the demon kingwas delighted. “I wantedhimtocome!”hesaid.“SinceIleftmyformerpalaceanddescendedtoearth,Ihaveneverhadachancetopracticemartialart.Todayheishereandhewillbeaworthyopponent.”Hegavetheorderatonceforhisweapontobebroughtout,andeveryoneofthosefiends,youngandold,inthecavearousedhimself.Theyhurriedlyhauledoutatwelve-foot-longspotted-steellancetopresenttotheoldfiend.Then theold fiendgave this order: “Little ones, all of youmust followorders. Those who advance will be rewarded; those who retreat will beexecuted.” The fiends all obeyed and followed the old demon,who,when hewalked out of the cave, asked aloud, “Who is Sun Wukong?” On one sidePilgrimtookalookatthatdemonkingandsawthathewasuglyandferociousindeed:Ajagged,singlehorn;Apairofgleamingeyes;Coarseskinswellingupfromhishead;Darkfleshglowingbeneathhisears.Alongtongueoft’lickinghisnose;Awidemouthfullofyellowteeth.Hishideislikeindigoblue;Histendonsaretoughassteel.Rhino-like,thoughhecan’tlightupthestream;6Steer-like,thoughhecan’tplowthefields.Hehasnouseatallfortillingthesoil,ThoughhehasthestrengthtoshakeHeav’nandEarth.Histwodyed-bluehandswithtendonsbrownGraspfirmlythelong,straight,spotted-steellance.You’llseewhy,ifyoustareathisfierceform,He’scalledGreatKingOne-HornedBuffalo.

PilgrimSunwalkeduptohimandsaid,“YourGrandpaSunishere!Givemebackmymasterquickly,andyouwillsuffernoharm.Utterbuthalfa‘No,’andI’ll see to it thatyoudie faster thanyoucan selectyourburialground!”“You

audacious, brazenmonkey-spirit!” shouted the demon. “What abilities do youhavethatyoudareindulgeinsuchtalltalk?”“Youbrazenfiend,”saidPilgrim,“it’sonlyyouwhohasneverseentheabilitiesofoldMonkey!”Thedemonsaid,“YourmasterstolesomegarmentsofmineandIcaughthimallright.AndnowIam justabout tohavehimsteamedandeaten.Whatkindofawarriorareyouthat you dare demand his return at my door?” “My master is an honest anduprightpriest,”saidPilgrim.“It’simpossiblethatheshouldwanttostealthingsfromafiendlikeyou!”Thedemonreplied,“Icreatedanimmortalvillagebesidethemountain,andyourmastersneakedintooneof thebuildings.Whathesawhecoveted,andhetookthreeofmyvestsofsilkbrocadeandputthemon.Ihadproof derived from both the stolen goods and witnesses, and that was why Iseizedhim.Ifyouindeedareable,youshouldtryyourhandwithme.Ifyoucanwithstandmefor threerounds, Iwillspareyourmaster’s life. Ifyoucan’t, I’llsendyoutotheRegionofDarkness!”Withalaugh,Pilgrimsaid,“Brazencreature!Noneedforthisbravado!Ifyou

speakoftryingmyhand,youareafteroldMonkey’sownheart.Comeuphereandhave a tasteofmy rod!”The fiendish creature, of course,was innowiseafraidofanycombat.Raisinghis lance,hestabbedatPilgrim’sface.Thiswasquiteamarvelousbattle!LookatThegolden-hoopedrodupraised—Thelong-shaftedlancegoingout—Thegolden-hoopedrodupraisedIsbrilliantasthegoldensnakesoflightning.Thelong-shaftedlancegoingoutIsradiantlikeadragonleavingtheink-darksea.ThelittleimpsbeatthedrumsbeforethedoorAstheyspreadinformationtohelpthefight.OverhereourGreatSageuseshismightToreveal,backandforth,hisabilities.Onthatsidethereisalance,Alertandspirited;Onoursidethereisarod—Suchloftyartofcombat!Trulyaherohasmetaherotrue;Afoehasfoundanotherworthyfoe.Thatdemonkingbelchespurplebreathlikelightningcoils;ThisGreatSage’seyesflashforthrayslikebrocadeclouds.BecauseaGreatTangMonkfacesanordeal,They,withoutforbearance,strivebitterly.

Closing again and again for more than thirty times, they could not reach adecision.WhenthatdemonkingsawhowperfectWukong’sstylewasinusinghisrod,howtherewasnoteventheslightestfalsemove,hewassopleasedthathe shouted bravos repeatedly, saying, “Marvelous ape! Marvelous ape! Truly

abilitiesliketheseareworthytocausehavocinHeaven!”ThatGreatSage,too,wasalsopleasedby themethodicalway inwhich thedemonkingwieldedhislance:asheparried leftandright,everyblowandevery thrustwere inperfectform.“Marvelousspirit!Marvelousspirit!”criedtheGreatSagealso.“Trulyademoncapableofstealingelixir!”Thetwoofthemthereforefoughtfortwentymorerounds.Usingthetipofhislancetopointattheground,thedemonkingshoutedfor

the little imps to attack together. All those brazen fiends, wielding swords,scimitars, staffs, and spears, rushed forward at once and surrounded theGreatSage Sun completely. Entirely undaunted, Pilgrim only cried, “Welcome!Welcome!That’sexactlywhatIwant!”Heusedhisgolden-hoopedrodtocoverhisfrontandback,toparryblowseastandwest,butthatgangoffiendsrefusedtobebeatenback.Growingmoreagitated,Pilgrimtossedhisrodupintotheair,shouting,“Change!”Itchangedimmediatelyintoironrodsbythehundredsandthousands; like flying snakes and soaring serpents, they descended onto thefiends from the air. When those monster-spirits saw this, everyone wasfrightenedoutofhiswits.Coveringtheirheadsandnecks,theyfledtowardtheircavefortheirlives.Theolddemonking,however,stoodstilland,laughingwithscorn, said,“Monkey,don’tbe impertinent!Watchmy trick!”Heatonce tookoutfromhissleeveawhite,shinyfilletandtosseditupintheair,crying,“Hit!”Withaswish,all theironrodschangedbackintoasinglerod,whichwasthensuckedupby thefillet.TheGreatSageSun,completelyempty-handed,had tousehissomersaultdesperatelyinordertoescapewithhislife.ThusThedemon,invictory,returnedtohiscave,ButPilgrim,inadaze,knewnotwhattodo.

TrulyitisthatTheDaoisonefootbutdemonsaretenfeettall.Naturereels,feelingsfaint—thewronghomeyoufind.Dharma-self,alas,hasnoproperseat:Hisactthattimestemsfromafaultymind!

Wedonotknowwhatistheendofallthis;let’slistentotheexplanationinthenextchapter.

Notes

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

1.ThefirsttwolinesofthispoemarebuiltonideographicelementsofthetwoChinesegraphs,renandnai ,whichmeanpatience.Inaddition,thegraphrenismadeoftwowords:ren ,meaningaknifeorsword,andxin ,meaningtheheartormind.Thesecondgraph,nai,isalsomadeoftwowords:er ,meaningand/ornevertheless,andcun ,meaninganinch.Thesecondlineofthepoemthusreads,literally,“inyourconductrememberthe‘nevertheless’besidethe‘inch.’”SincethisisnonsenseinEnglish,Ihavetranslatedthelinewithanalogies.2.“Thenoblest”:literally,the“highesttypeofscholar(shangshi ),”anallusiontotheDaodejing41.3.“Thesagelovesvirtue”:anallusiontoAnalects4.11,wherethelineactuallyreads,“theprincelyman

orgentlemanthinksconstantlyofvirtue .”4.ThisepisoderelatesSunWukong’sextendedtourofthethreefamousparadisiacalislandsofChinese

mythologythatarethoughttobefoundintheEasternOceanorEasternSea .Seeentryon“Penglai”inET2:788–90.5.EightRulesispunninghereonthewordqing ,asonorousstoneusedforreligiousrituals.Another

phoneme,qing ,meansfestivityorcelebration.6.Accordingtothe“ClassicofWestMountain ”intheClassicofMountainandSea ,the

“jadecream ”comesbubblingandgushingoutofariverflowingfromacertainMountMi .ThemythicYellowEmperordrankithimselfanduseditforsacrifices.SeeShanhaijingjiaozhu ,ed.andannotatedYuanKe (Shanghai,1980),p.41;RémiMathieu,Étudesurlamythologieetl’ethnologiedelaChineancienne,TraductionannotéeduShanhaijing(2vols.Paris:CollègedeFrance,1983),1:80–81.7.TreadingtheDipper:theXYJtexthereliterallyreads,“heworeasilkheadwrapspreadwiththe

dipperstars ,”buttheword“spread,bu ,”ishomophonouswithbu (towalk,tread,orpace),andIhavereadthelineaccordingtothissenseoftheword.ThemovementsimpliedareallactionscrucialtocertainDaoistritualsofwalkingordancingtocosmicpatterns,includingthoseoftheconstellationsandplanets.Seetheentryon“Bugang or ,”inET1:237–38.8.DongfangShuo :reputedtobeafavoritecourt-jesterinthereignofHanWudi(r.141–87).Even

inhislifetime,Dongfangwasnicknamed“zhexian,orbanishedimmortal.”Hesufferedthisfatebecause,liketheMonkeyinourpresentnovel,hestolepeachesfromtheLadyQueenMotheroftheWest.Accountsofhisexploitscouldbefoundinbothcanonicalhistory(i.e.,theRecordsoftheHistorian ,j126,andHanshu,j65)andotheranecdotalornoncanonicalwritings.Inlatecenturies,aseriesofstageworksfurtherdramatizedhisstory.SeetheentryunderhisnameinET1:366–67.9.Pearltree:amythicaltreefoundinthelandofimmortals,withthewoodofthetrunklikethatofcedar

butwithleavesofpearl.10.Redsteel:gunwu ,akindofredsteelthenameofwhichisderivedfromkunwu .Asword

madeofthissteelcan“slicethroughjadeasifitweremud,”accordingtotheLiezi ,5.11.Gourd-heldscene:literally,thescenewithinthegourd,huzhongjing .Thegourd,orhulu,is

oftenusedforabottle,flask,vase,orcontainerofdrugsandliquidsformedicinalandalchemicalpurposes.Fortune-tellersalsousethegourdtostoretheirdivinitorysticksordices.Metaphorically,thegourdalsoreferstothecaveorgrotto-heaven,dongtian ,whereadeptsandreclusesresideandpracticetheirart.“Thescenewithinthegourd”thusservesfurtherasametaphorforanotherrealm,atranscendentworldaccessibleonlythroughesotericaction.12.Abook’sone...leaf:literally,yipin ,ahighestclassorasinglegrade.Butthewordpincan

alsorefertovarga,adivisionofasūtraoroftheBuddhistcanon.Thislattermeaningseemsmoreappropriateinthepresentcontext.

13.FourNobleTruths:literally,inChinese,sisheng wouldlikelyrefertothefoursagesorfourkindsofholymen—śravakas,pratyeka-buddhas,bodhisattvas,andbuddhas.Ifthisisthereferencehere,thepoeticlinewouldreadsomethinglike:“Whenthefoursagesaretaught[shou ],theywillhearrightfruit.”Butsishengcanalsorefertosishengdi orcatvāriārya-satyāni,thefourcardinaldoctrinesofBuddhismonsuffering,itscauses,itsend,anditsdeliverance.Ihavechosenthesecondmeaningforthetranslationhere.14.Sixstages:thedifferentoptionsofrebirthforordinarymortals.15.Younggrove:inChinese,shaolin ,atermnamingafamousBuddhistmonasteryonMountSong()intheDengfengCounty( )ofmodernHenan( )province,establishedduringtheendofthe

fifthcentury.BuddhistlorerecountshowBodhidharma,thelegendaryfounderofChanBuddhism,accomplishedhisincomparablefeatofmeditationfacingawallonsitefornineyears.Bodhidharmainpopularlegendswasalsohonoredasthepatriarchofaparticularformofmartialarts,pittingbarefistsorbamboorodsandwoodenstaffsagainstmetalweapons.Inlatercenturies,threeothermonasterieswiththesamenamewereallegedlyfoundedinthesoutheasterncoastalregions.AlthoughpopularfictioncelebratesallfourtemplesascentersoftheShaolintraditionofmartialarts,theHenanlocationwasindisputablytheofficialone,beingsodesignatedandhonoredincontemporaryChina.Alegendtoldthroughthecenturiesrelateshow“monksoldiers( )”wereledtovictorybyoneVajrapāṇi(wielderofthethunderbolt),andthismayindicateprogressiveassociationwithAvalokiteśvara,theIndianandTibetanGuanyin.FordiscussionofGuanyin’srelationstoChan,seeYü,passim.,butesp.pp.360–64onthecultofGuanyininthecoastalregionofHangzhou.Foranauthoritativestudyofthemonastery,seeMeirShahar,TheShaolinMonastery:History,ReligionandtheChineseMartialArts(Honolulu,2008).16.Jade-browed:yuaho ,thejade-whitecurls,ūrnā,betweentheeyebrowsofBuddhahimselffrom

whichhebeamsforthtoalltheworldhisilluminatinglight,buthere,thepoemhasgiventhisphysicalmarkofsacralitytoGuanyinaswell.17.Aselfwhichcando:youweishen .ThislineissupposedtodepictaBuddhistdeity,butit

actuallyinvokesQuanzhenlanguage.BuildingfromtheirunderstandingofLaozi’sfamousdoctrineonno-ornonaction,wuwei ,theQuanzhenmasterswentontoemphasizeintheirteachingstheabilitytodoandtoact:youzuo,youwei , ,becausesomuchoftheiralchemicalactivityconsistedingalvanizingthementalandphysiologicalprocesses.ThusthepatriarchZhangBoduanwroteinPoem42ofthe“Wuzhenpian ”inXiuzhenshishu (DZ263,4:733–34):“ ,(Ifyouonlyseenotdoingasmostmarvelous,/Howcouldyouknowdoingisthefoundation?).”

CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN

1.Haitong :Chinesefloweringapple,malusspectabilis.2.AquotationfromAnalects4.19.3.“MagicofReleasingtheCorpse”:theXYJtextusesperhapsadeliberatelymodifiedtermof“jieshifa

,”whichsimplyinvertsthecommonterm,shijie .ThisnomenclaturemostfamiliartostudentsofDaoismisalsooneofthemostpuzzling,anditsmeaninghasyettobecompletelyexploredandunderstoodinongoingscholarship.Thetermmaybetranslatedas“releaseordeliverancebymeansofacorpse[orsomethinglikeacorpse],”andthegeneralmeaningstemsfromthelong-heldconvictionbyDaoiststhatwhenatranscendentdepartsthisworld,histruespiritmayleavebutthecorporalformleftbehindmayormaynotbehisphysicalbody.Itmaylooklikeacorpse,butitmayalsobesomethingelse(i.e.,atransformedobject)usedorappropriatedbythepersonattainingrealizedimmortality.AsGeHong(283–343CE)wroteinBaopuzi ,j2,6a(SBBY),thetermhastodowiththemeaningofhowthehumanbodyis“exuviatedorsloughedoff(shuiyi ).”Thecreaturefrequentlyimplicatedinthemetaphoristhecicadathatcastsitsshell(i.e.,chanshui ),invokedtoindicatehowdeathseparatestheformfromthespirit(xingshenfenli )orindifferenttransformation(fenhua ).SeeSCC,2(1974):141;5/2(1983):106;Campany,pp.52–60,andentryon“shijie”inET2:896–97.ThedifferentinterpretationsoftheconceptrunsthroughmanytextsoftheDaoistCanon,butthemostextensivediscussionoftheterminmedievalDaoismIknowofisfoundintherelevantsectionsofYunjiqiqian ,j84–86inDZ22:593–608,wherethevarioussubstitutesforthephysicalbodyrangefromartifactslikeaswordandastaffto

naturalelementslikefireandwater.ThisgroupoftextssotitledintheCanonwascompiledbyZhangJunfang (961–1042?)asatributetotheSongemperorZhenzong.4.Pengzu ,theMethuselahofChina.AnofficialinthereignofthelengendaryKingYao(ca.third

centuryBCE),hewassupposedtohavelivedforover800years.5.Ajadestone:thatis,asonorousstone(qing),orhummingearsafflictingtheveryoldperson.6.“Whenthebirdsvanish...”:aslightlyabbreviatedformofafamousstatementattributedtoFanLi,whousedtowarnhisfriendZhong aboutthecharacterofKingGoujian oftheStateofYue

intheWarringStatesera(468–221BCE).AfterGoujiandefeatedhisrival,KingFucha oftheStateofWu ,hedemandedthesuicideofaministerlikeZhongwhoservedhimfaithfullyandassistedhimincomingtopower.Thestatementisthusoftenusedtoindicateamaster’singratitudeandtreachery.SeetheRecordsoftheHistorian,j41,inErshiwushi1:0146c–d.7.Thatis,thedeepestlayerofBuddhisthell.

CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT

1.Dragon-drivers:thatis,immortalsorgodswhocantravelastridemythicalcreatures.2.Sixkindsoftreesarelistedinthisline.Theyare:thechun(Cedrelaodorata),theshan(thecommon

pine,Cryptomeriajaponica),thehuai(Sophorajapnica),thekui(Chinesejuniper,Juniperuschinensis),theli(thechestnuttree,Castaneavulgaris),andthetan(sandalwood,Santalumalbum).3.Wolf-teetharrows:akindofarrowwithasharpheadshapedlikethefangofwolves,firstintroducedin

thereignoftheSongemperorShenzong(1067–1085).SeetheSongshi ,“Bingzhi ,”j150,inErshiwushi6:4974b.4.Firecannons:somekindoffirearmusinggunpowerwasalreadyinuse,onbothlandandseaduring

theSong.SeetheSongshi,“Bingzhi,”j150,inErshiwushi6:4973d.SeealsoSCC,IV/3(1971):476;V/6(1994):167–69,229–30;V/7(1986),theentirevolumeofwhichfocuseson“militarytechnology.”ForMingusesofrocketsandothernewfire-weapons,seepp.13–37;307–332.5.Thislyric,writtentothetuneof“MoonOverWestRiver”withanextrasyllabletaggedoninthelast

line,isconstructedbymeansofpunsonthenamesofvariouskindsofherbs.Thenamesareusedfortheirlitealmeaningsortheborrowedmeaningsfromtheirhomophones.Thus,line1:darkheads,wutou(literallyblackhead),itisalsoAconitumcarmichaeli,aChineseaconitetubercollectedinspringtime.Line2:thewingedhorses,haima (literally,seahorse),itisalsoHippocamus,usedintraditionalChinesemedicineandalsoalegendaryhorsewithwings.Line3:lordsandnobles,renshen andguanguiarePanaxginsengandCinnmomumcassia,respectively.Inthetranslation,renshenreadas ,gentry,andguanguias ,nobleofficial.Line4:cinnabar,zhusha ,HgS,ormercurysulfide.Line5:fathersandsons,fuzi (alsoAconitumcarmichaeli),aChineseaconitetuberharvestedintheautumn.Inthetranslation,itisreadas .Line6:finemen,binlang ,readintranslationas ,cultivatedyoungman.Line7:felltothedust,qingfen ,HgCl2,ormercurychloride,calomel.Inthetranslation,itisreadforqingfeng ,“fall[tothe]dust.”Line8:rougedladies,hongniangzi ;literally,redlady,itisalsotheHuechys,aninsectbelongingtothecicadafamilyandusedformedicinalpurposes.ForpoemsofasimilarnatureinanothermonumentalworkofChinesefictionofthesameperiod,seeThePlumintheGoldenVase,chapters33and61.Iowethelasttworeferencestomycolleague,ProfessorDavidT.Roy.6.Drilliceforfire:thatis,todotheimpossible.7.Themoonhadnoroot:thatis,itisonlyareflection.8.Nonetheless:literally,thewordsarefenming ,meaning“quiteclearly.”Butthereishardlyany

descriptioninthepoemtojustifythedesignationof“anevilplace.”Hencetheminoremendationinmytranslation.9.Themoonhisthirdfriend:anallusiontoafamouspoembytheTangpoet,LiBo (701–762).In

“DrinkingAlonebeneaththeMoon,”Liwrote:

Apotofwineamongtheflowers;Idrinkalone,nokithorkinnear.Iraisemycuptoinvitethemoontojoinme;

Itandmyshadowmakeapartyofthree.

SeeSunflowerSplendor:ThreeThousandYearsofChinesePoetry,coeditedbyWu-chiLiuandIrvingLo(Bloomington,IN,1975),p.109.10.Spirit-SoothingPillar:aeuphemismforthestickusedtotiesomeonefacingexecution.

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

1.Thisisalyricwrittentothetuneof“MoonOverWestRiver.”2.Thenameofthecountry,Baoxiang ,canmeaneitherpreciousimageorpreciouselephant.Both

readingsarestrongintheirBuddhistassociation.3.Nolessprosperous:thatis,thantheTangnation.4.Anallusiontothephrasejinchengtangchi ,metalrampartsandmoatsofscaldingliquid,

metaphorsforafortifiedcity.5.GreatUltimateHall,etc.:thenamesofthesehallsandpalacesaretakenfromactualbuildings

constructedinvariousperiodsofChinesehistory.SeeG.Combaz,“lestemplesimpériauxdelaChine,”AnnalesdelaSociétéRoyaled’Archéologie(Brussels)21(1907):381ff.;andOswaldSirén,theImperialPalacesofPeking,3vols.(ParisandBrussels,1927).6.ThethreelinesofthepoemherealludetotheChineseidiom,yijianshuangdiao ,meaning,

literally,downingtwohawkswithasinglearrow.ButlikeitsEnglishcounterpart—“hittingtwobirdswithonestone”—theChineseidiomcanalsomeananysortofdoubleortwofoldachievement.Ingenderedlanguage,itoftenreferstoamangainingtwomistresses,orawifeandaconcubine.7.Necessary...document:aconventionalphraseusedfrequentlyattheendofanofficial

communication.8.HanlinAcademy:theHanlinyuan wastheCollegeofLiteratureinthecapital.IntheMing,it

washeadedbyaChancellor(xueshi ),arankconsiderablylowerthantheGrandSecretary(daxueshi),andthereferencehereinthenarrativemighthavebeeneithercarelessnessorignoranceonthepart

oftheXYJauthor.AccordingtoCharlesO.Hucker,“GovernmentalOrganizationoftheMingDynasty,”HJAS21(1958):37,theAcademy“providedliteraryandscholarlyassistanceofallkindstotheEmperorandthecourt.Itspersonneldraftedandpolishedproclamationsandotherstatedocuments,compiledimperiallysponsoredhistoriesandotherworks,readandexplainedtheclassicsandhistoriestotheEmperor,andparticipatedinstateceremoniesandtosomeextentingovernmentaldeliberations.”9.Fragrantwind:usually,demonkingsormonstersarenotaccompaniedbyfragrantwindorauspicious

luminosity(xiangfeng andxiangguang ),butthisparticularoneisnoordinarymonster.Seechapter31forhiscelestialorigin.10.Rattle:bang ,apieceofslightlyconvexwood,withaslitatthetopandhollowedout.Itisstruck

bythewatchmanorbythebuglereitherasanalarmsignalorasasignthatthebattleisover.

CHAPTERTHIRTY

1.Seconddisciple:inthenovel,ShaMonkis,ofcourse,thethirddiscipleofTripitaka,butsincethemonsterhasnoknowledgeofSunWukonguptothispoint,itisonlynaturalthatShaMonkissoidentified.TheemendationbytheJapanesetranslatorsinSaiyūki1:256andnote1on264arethusunwarranted,becausetheyfailtotakeintoaccountthissimpleauthorialuseofpointofview.Throughoutthelongnovel,thenarrator’srepeatedattemptstoinformthereadersthatdifferentcharactersatdifferenttimesandplaceshavealsodifferentformsofknowledge,aswellashisconsistentintrusionintothenarrativeitselfthroughcommentaryordirectaddresstothereader,shouldindicateagrowingandsophisticatedawarenessoftheconstraintsandpossibilitiesoffictivenarration.2.Zijian :thestyleofCaoZhi (192–232),thirdsonoftheministerandwarlordCaoCao(155–

220).Hewasanaccomplishedwriterandpoet,andalegendarystorytoldofhisabilitytofinishcomposingapoemaftertakingsevensteps.3.PanAn:PanYue ,styleAnren (247–300),oneoftheforemostpoetsoftheJinperiod.Hewas

reputedlysohandsomethatwomenwouldlinethestreetsandthrowfruitsathimwhenhewentout.See

Jinshu ,j55,inErshiwushi2:1229c.4.Redthreads:theOldManintheMoon,themarriagebrokerinChinesemythology,issupposedtotie

thefeetoffatedloverswithscarletthreadsformarriage.5.Pipa :alute-likefrettedinstrumentwithfourstringsandashortneck.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE

1.Elixirsource:theChinesetermisdanyuan ,butitisonlyanothernamefortheresidentgodordeity(shen )oftheheartandmind(xin ),accordingtotheHuangtingneijingyujingzhu,inDZ401,6:502.Chapter8ofthisscripturebearsthetitleof“XinshenorGodoftheMind-and-Heart,”anditscontentconsistsoflinesofverseondifferentdeitiesofthevisceralorgans.Thefirstlinereads:“TheMind-HeartGod[as]theelixirsourceisstyledGuardingtheNuminous .”2.Gateofundividedtruth:thegateisthedharma-paryāya,theteachingsofBuddharegardedasthe

entrancetoenlightenment.Undividedtruthreferstoadvaya,theoneandundividedunityofallthings,nondualityor,inChinese,buer .3.Anunfilialact:aquotationfromchapter11oftheClassiconFilialPiety ,traditionallyattributed

toZengShen,adiscipleofConfucius.TheFivePunishments(wuxing ),accordingtoancientreckoning(e.g.,ClassicofDocuments ,j6),refertotattooingtheface,cuttingoffthenose,cuttingoffthefeet,castration,anddeath.SinceaboutthesixthcenturyCE,however,thephrasemeanscaning,whipping,penalservitude,exile,anddeath.Stillmorerecently,ithasmeantmonetaryfines,hardlaborofasetperiod,penalservitudeofasetperiod,lifeimprisonment,anddeath.4.“Omyfather”:thesefourlinesarequotationsoflinesfromapoemtitled“TarrogonorLiao’e ,”in

theXiaoya sectionoftheClassicofPoetry.Forthecompletepoem,seeSSJZS1:459–60;foranEnglishtranslation,seeTheBookofSongs,TheAncientChineseClassicofPoetry(NewYork,1996),pp.184–85.5.Śarīra:therelicorashesofaBuddhaorasaintafterthepersonhasbeencremated.6.Wood-WolfStar:intheChinesestellardivisions,constellationnumber15,kui (Revatī),hasthe

correspondingelementofwoodandthecorrespondinganimalofwolf.Henceitsname.Theconstellationiscomposedoftheasterismbēta(Mirach),délta,epsīlon,zēta,ēta,mū,nū,pēAndromeda,sīgma(2),tau,nū,phī,chī,psīPiscesatlongitude17°48’12.”

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

1.Applecourt:theplantisthehaitang ,ChinesefloweringappleMalusspectabilis.2.Purplepaths:roadsintheimperialcityarefrequentlyreferredtoas“purplepaths”inclassicalChinese

verse.Theseriesofimageshereisoftenusedinpoetrycelebratingtheenjoymentofflowersinthetimeofspring.See,forexample,LiuYuxi (772–841),“ ”:

, .SeeQTSj365in6:4114.3.Thislyriciswrittentothetuneof“ASeductiveGlance.”4.SeeJW1,chapter19,forthecompletetextofthisBuddhistscripture.5.Nidānas:thetwelveconditionsofcausation,accordingtoMahāhāyanaBuddhism,whichgiveriseto

allthings,allphenomena.6.ThreeStars:thatis,theStarsofLongevity,Blessing,andWealth.Seechapter26.7.ForZhenwu,seeJW1,chapter2,note9;ET2:1266–67.8.Mars:reveredinChinaastheGodofFire.9.“Cleverwordsandaningratiatingappearanceareseldomfoundinthebenevolentperson.”Acitation

ofAnalects1.3.10.Thisisalyricwrittentothetuneof“ImmortalbytheRiver.”11.Thislyriciswrittentothetuneof“MoonOverWestRiver.”12.AllthephrasesinSilverHorn’srhetoricalquestionsrefertoactsofinternalalchemy.13.Swordofsevenstars:oneofthefivecelestialtreasurespossessedbythetwomonsters,allofDaoist

origin.Seechapter34.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE

1.BlueBuffaloDaoist: ,anicknameorsobriquetofFengHeng ,styledJunda ,becausehewasoftenseenridinganoxorbuffaloofthatbluish-greencolor.Hewasknowntobeanexpertpractitionerofvariousesoterictechniques,includingsexualgymnastics.SeeCampany,p.149.ThetextoftheXYJhasatypographicalerrorherebecausethecolorblue-green(qing )ismisprintedasclear(qing).2.WhiteTabletMaster:theXYJtextmayhaveanothermisprintinthetext.WhatappearsisSujuan

xiansheng ,whichisanimpossibletitle,becausethesecondgraphjuanissimplyanarchaicformof ,meaningtired,fatigued,weary.Ihavethusemendedthewordtoquan ,whichmeansabond,acontract,oradeedwritten(inantiquity)onatabletofwoodorbamboo,witheachpartyinvolvedinthebusinesstransactionholdinghalfthedocument.Thewhitedeedortabletmayrefertothecharmsorjudgmentswrittenindivinationandfortune-telling.Alternately,thephrasecouldreadsujuan ,awhitevolume,anothernameofsushu ,bothreferringtowritingsonslipsofsilk.3.IntheDaoistCanon,therearemanytextswiththetermNorthernDipper, ,intheirtitles.Monkey

maybeusingageneralnametoindicateanyDaoistscripture.4.EmeiMountain: ,afamoussacredmountaininmodernSichuanprovince.5.ThreeWorms:seeJWI,chapter15,n.1.6.Sevenapertures:theeyes,theears,thenostrils,andthemouth.7.ThesewordsarefrequentlyusedinDaoistritualsofexorcismandhealing.Theyarealsowrittenin

variouscharmsandincantations.8.ThislastrhetoricalquestionaddressedtoHeavenisaparodyofthedyingwordsofthestrategist-

general,ZhouYu ,whoservedthestateofWuinthenovel,TheThreeKingdoms.ThoughheandZugeLiang,themasterstrategistassistingLiuBei,weretemporaryalliesintheirfamousRedCliffcampaignagainstCaoCao,ZhouwascompletelyoutwittedbyZhuge,atleastinthenovelisticaccount.WhenZhoudiedasaresultofarrowwoundsandthefrustrationofnotbeingabletooutmaneuverZhugeLiang,heasked,“If[you,Heaven]gavebirthtoYu,whydidyoualsogivebirthtoLiang?”Seechapter57ofthenovel.9.Bamboofish:agongmadeofahollowpieceofbambooshapedlikeafish,tobetappedin

accompanimenttotherecitationofscripturesorreligiouslyrics.10.ThisisLüDongbin ,highlypopularbutsemilegendaryfigureoflateTangorearlySong

period.“EarlySongliterarysourcesportray[him]asapoet,calligrapher,soothsayer,healer,alchemist,exorcist,andrecluseposessingswordtechniques.”SeeentryinET1:712–14.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR

1.Nine-tailedfox:amythicalanimalwhich,inlaterlegendandfiction,frequentlytakesontheformofabeautifulwomantoseducepeople.Forthereferencetotheanimal,see“Haiwaidongjing ,”inShanhaijingjiaozhu,j9,p.256;Mathieu,Mythologieetl’ethnologie(2vols.,Paris,1983),1:434.2.Boshanurn:anincenseurnshapedlikeamountainousislandontop,withadishatthebottomthatis

filledwithhotwaterwhentheincenseisburned.Thesteamwillthusminglewiththerisingincensefragrance.3.Facingsouth:accordingtolongheldritualspecification,apersonwiththegreatestseniorityand

authorityineitherstateorfamilywilltakeaseatatthenorthendofatableorhall,facingsouth.Thisistruefortheemperordowntothepatriarchormatriarch(ifsheisawidow)inacommonhousehold.4.LordofLibationStream:thatis,thegodErlang,whoseculticcenterwaslocatedatGuankou .5.ThisistheMighty-SpiritGod ofJW,chapter4.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE

1.“Supreme...Patriarch”:thatis,Laozi.2.Nüwa,alternatelyNügua :anancientmythologicalgoddessoftenmentionedastheconsortofthe

godFuxi .ThestonereliefsattheancientWuliangshrinesdepictthetwoashavinghumanupperbodies

andlowerbodiesentwinedastailsofserpents.IntheearlyHantextHuainanzi ,j6:7a(SBBY),thereisthefamousstoryofherrepairingtheheavensbysmeltingfive-coloredstones(thepassingreferenceherebyMonkey),amotifthatalsoprovidedpartofthecrucialmthologicalframeworkfortheQingnovel,StoryoftheStone.InDaoistmythology,thegoddess,alongwithFuxiandShennong ,formoneofseveraldesignationsoftheThreeSovereigns (ETII:836–37).InearlyDaoism,sheisalsodrawnreadilyintotheworkofcosmologicalandhumancreationbythedeifiedLaozi.SeeLiviaKohn,GodoftheDao:LordLaoinHistoryandMyth(AnnArbor,1998),pp.202–04.Inthistradition,LaozihimselfcreatedmostoftheprominentdeitiesoftheDaoistpantheonthroughepiphanictransformations(huashen ),includingNüwa.3.MasterZhou...:LadyPeach-Blossom isthenameofaYuandrama,whichtellsthestoryofa

womanexorcistbythesamenamewhosheoutwitsthetricksofadeviousfortune-teller,MasterZhou.4.MasterGhostValley:Guiguzi.SeeJW1,chapter10,n.18.5.“Square-sky”halberd:theweaponisafiguredhalberdwithsideblades,andthewholeheadresembles

theChinesegraph,tian ,meaningsky.Thesemblanceprobablyprovidedthename.SeeZhou,plate83,14.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX

1.Nidānascease:inBuddhistdoctrine,thereisthecycleoftwelvelinkedcausesinexistence(shi’eryinyuan ),fromwhichitisthereligion’saimtosetmenfree.“Cease”literallyisfu ,tofallprostrate,toyield,tosubmit,andtobesubdued.Thecycleofcausesconsistsofignorance(avidyā,wuming

),whichcausesthephenomenonoftheaggregates(saṁskāra,xing ),whichcausesthephenomenonofconsciousness(vijñāna,shi ),whichcausesthephenomenonofnameandform(nāmarūpa,mingse

),whichcausesthephenomenonofthesixsenses(ṣaḍāyatana,liuru ),whichcausesthephenomenonofcontact(sparśa,chu ),whichcausesthephenomenonofsensations(vedanā,shou ),whichcausesthephenomenonofdesire(trṣnā,ai ),whichcausesthephenomenonofgrasping(upādāna,qu ),whichcausesthephenomenonofcomingintoexistence(bhava,you ),whichcausesthephenomenonofbirth(jāti,sheng ),whichcausesthephenomenonofoldageanddeath(jarāmaraṇa,laosi ),whichagaincausesignorance.2.Sidedoor:pangmen ,oftenpairedwith“theleftway,zuodao ”toformthetwofavored

metaphorsforheresyorheterodoxy.3.Likethepoeminchapter28,thisheptasyllabicregulatedpoemisalsowrittenbymeansofpunson

variousnamesofherbs.Thenameswouldeitherbeusedfortheirliteralmeaningsortheirborrowedmeaningsfromhomophones.Thus:

Line1—resolved,yizhi ,alpiniasp.,isreadas ,determined,singlemindedness.Line2—thekingdidnotwait,literally,thekingdidnotaskmetoremain,wangbuliuxing ,vaccariapyramidata.Line3—threecorneredsedge:sanlengzi ,scirpusyagara.Line4—bridlebells,madouling ,alsoaristolochiadebilis.Line5—scriptures,jingjie ,nepetajaponica,isreadasjingjie ,sūtrasandrules.Line6—Buddha’sspirit,fuling ,poriacocos,isreadasfu[o]ling .Line7—myselfIguard,fangji ,stephaniatetrandra;completemytour,z[h]uli ,bamboooil,isreadaszuli ,tofinishajourneyorcompleteapreordainedexperience.Forthislastparticularline,IthankDr.ChowTse-tsung(lateprofessoroftheUniversityofWisconsin)forsuggestingtheinterpretation.Line8—gohome,huixiang ,foeniculumvulgare,isreadashuixiang .ForscientificnamesoftheChineseherbs,IhavefollowedthekindsuggestionandassistancebyDr.Tai-loiMatoconsulttheZhongyaozhi ,preparedbyZhongguoyixuekexueyuanyaowuyanjiusuo(4vols.,Beijing,1959–61).

4.Mountain:thatis,theSpirit(Garuḍa)Mountain,theabodeofBuddha.

5.Eight-wordbrickwall:thismaybeareferencetotheconstructionofatypeofwallwithcutawaycornerssothatitresemblestheChinesegraphforeight,ba .6.BuddhasAlcove:literally,analcovewithtenthousandimagesofBuddha,wanfoge .7.GreatHero:daxiong ,atitleofBuddha,whichsignifieshisgreatpowerandwisdomtoovercome

alldemonicbarriers.8.ThreehonoredBuddhas:thatis,Śākyamuniandhistwomostbeloveddisciples.9.Pattraleaves:fromtheBorassusflabelliformispalmleavesusedforwriting.10.Vajra-guardians:KarlL.ReicheltinTruthandTraditioninChineseBuddhism(Shanghai,1927),p.

195,classtheseguardiandeities“cherubs,”buttheirappearanceshardlyresemblethoseoftheirWesterncounterparts.11.ThisimageofGuanyinisassociatedwithoneofherepiphanicmanifestations,asthe“Fish-basket

Guanyin .”Foranauthoritativeaccount,seeYü,pp.419–38;39–48.Themanifestationformspartofthe“SouthSea”mythologydevelopedforthegoddessandhercultthatisalsopervasiveofthisnovel.Inanotherepisodeofthisvolume(chapters47–49),the“Fish-basketGuanyin”willbeprominentlyfeatured.12.Thispoemisanotherlyricwrittentothetuneof“MoonOverWestRiver.”13.Greyhairisliterally“autumnalhair ,”aseasonalmetaphorforhairturningwhite,mademore

conspicuousbythemoonlight.ThereferencetotheHancourtrefersbyimplicationtothequartersoftheimperialharem,wherethepalacemaidensareparticularlyanxiousaboutanysignofagingthatmaydiminishtheirattractiveness.14.TowersofQin :acommonnameforbrothels.15.YuLiang: (289–340),anofficialoftheJinperiodandapassionatepoet.SeeJinshu ,j73,in

Ershiwushi2:1272b–c.16.YuanHong: (328–76),anotherJinofficialandpoet.SeeJinshu,j92,inErshiwushi2:1321d–

1322e.17.Whitesnow:thereferencehereistothewhitenessofthemoonlightandtoasongortunebysucha

name.ThecompletetitleisYangchunbaixue ,atunesoloftyandrarefiedthatitwasknownonlytoafewpersons.SeeSongYu ,“DuiChuWangwen ,”inXiaoTong ,Wenxuan 2vols.(HongKong,1936;reprint1974),j45,2:981.18.Icystrings:bingxian ,referstoalute(i.e.,pipa)broughtbackfromtheregionofShu(themodern

Sichuan)byoneBaiXiuzhen andpresentedtotheTangemperor,Xuanzong,intheKaiyuanperiod(713–42).TheinstrumentoriginatedasanarticleoftributefromtheterritoryofSinkiang(modern,Xinjiang),thestringsofwhichweresaidtobemadefromthesilkoficesilkworms;hencethecolorandname.19.ForsomeoftheideasunderlyingWukong’sdiscoursehere,seetheZhouyiCantongqi ,DZ

999,20:63–96,esp.j10and41;SCC2:329–35.20.Obscure:thatis,hui ,obscure,dark,butitisalsotheofficialnameofthelastdayinthelunar

month,whenthemoonhastheleastlight.21.Stroke:inthewritingsofJingFang (77–37BCE)andYuFan (164–233CE),twoearly

alchemicaltheorists,thestagesofthelunarmovementarecorrelatedwiththeeighttrigrams(gua)developedinthediscourseofYijingorClassicofChange.Accordingtothestandardinterpretationofthetradition,thebrokenlinesofthetrigramssymbolizetheyin,whereastheunbrokenlinesbetokentheyang.Thusthezhen trigram,associatedwiththethirddayofthemonthandfirstquarterofthemoon,isdepictedbythesymbol ,whichhasoneunbrokenoryangstroke.Thedui trigram,associatedwiththeeighthday,hasthesymbol ,inwhichthetwounbrokenlineswouldindicatetheascendencyoftheyang.Forachartofthecompletecorrelation,seeLiuTs’un-yan,“TaoistSelf-CultivationinMingThought,”inSelfandSocietyinMingThought,ed.Wm.TheodoredeBary(NewYorkandLondon,1970),pp.302–03.22.Toface:thatis,wang .Thefullmoononthefifteenthdayofthelunarmonthisthoughttobe

facingthesunperfectly.23.TwoEights:erba .ThefundamentalsourceforthistermmaybefoundinapoemoftheZhouYi

cantongqi ,DZ999,20:76.Thepoemreads:

WhenTwoQuartersfusetheiressence,Thecosmicbodyisthusformed.TwoEightswillmakeuponecatty:TheWayofChangeisrightandlasting.

, , , .

ThecommentarybytheSongNeo-Confucianphilosopher,ZhuXi (1130–1200),intheZhouYicantongqikaoyi ,11a(SBBY)interpretsthenumbersasthetwoperiodsofeightdaysduringthefirstandthelastquarterofthemonth(seen.21),thusagreeingwithonepartofSunWukong’sexpositioninthenovel.ManyDaoistcommentatorsintheDaozangandelsewhere,however,tendtofollowtheliteralmeaningofline3andreaderbaasreferringtotwoeight-ounceunitsofmedicineorchemicals.Thetwoportionsadduptoonecatty(orChinese“pound”)ofmaterialsusedinalchemy.Forexample,twolinesofanotherheptasyllabicregulatedpoem(#32)byZhangBoduan,theSongQuanzhenpatriarch,intheWuzhenpianofDZ263:730,read:

Medicine,weighingonecatty,requiresTwoEights;Regulating“firetimes”dependsonyin-yang.

, .

“Firetimes”(morerecentlytranslatedas“firephasing”)referstothetemporalregulationofheatintheprocessofbothexternalandinternalalchemy.AccordingtoSCC2:330,thefamiliartermmayindicateeither“therightmomentsforcarryingoutthechemicaloperations”or“thestrengthoftheheating”insuchesotericprocesses.Seealsotheentryunder“huohou”inET1:526–31.Inthemodernvernacular,thetermisusedincookbooksandbychefsforfoodpreparation.24.NineTimesNine:theproductiseighty-one,whichinthenarrativerepresentsthenumberof

perfection.Seechapter99ofXYJ(p.1116),whereGuanyinexplicitlydeclaresthat“inthegateofBuddha,NineTimesNinewillleadonetoreturntothereal(guizhen )orauthenticity.”ThestatementresonatesmorewithQuanzhenDaoismthanBuddhism.However,eighty-oneasanumbermayreferalsototheeighty-onespeciesofillusionormisleadingthoughtsarisingfrompride,folly,wrath,anddesire.Thereareninegradesofsuchillusion,accordingtoBuddhistteachings,ineachoftheninerealmsofdesire.Overcomingthem,oneisonthepathtotrueenlightenment.25.Asnotedinitem9ofintroductionIIIinJW1,thefirstthreelinesofthisregulatedquatrainare

verbatimquotationsfrompoem32inZhangBoduan’s“Wuzhenpian,”inDZ263,4:730.ThelastlineofZhang’spoemreadsinstead:“ ,Thewarmnourishmentyouhavesmelted[orforged]islikesomethingyoumaycookorfry.”26.Threeparties:thatis,sanjia .AsdiscussedinintroductionIVinrelationtoJW,chapter1,this

termcanhavemultiplereferences.Intheimmediatecontext,ShaMonk’sdictionmaypointtothethreedisciples.Theyintheirsymbolicrolesandmeaningsmaycorrelatefurtherwithdifferentphasalenergeticsandphysiologicalelementslikejing,qi,shen(i.e.,spermalessence,pneumatics,andspiritorenergy),crucialtointernalalchemyandrepeatedlymentionedintheteachingsofPatriarchSubhodi,Monkey’sfirstteacherinchapters1and2.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN

1.WaterLitany:aviciousandenviouswomanwhenshewasalive,thewifeoftheruler,LiangWudi(502–49),appearedtohiminhisdreamsasagreatserpentordragonaftershedied.Forher,the

emperorhadtenscrollsoflitanyperformed,afterwhichhiswifebecameadevī,thankedhim,andascendedtoHeaven.See“WudeChihuanghou ,”Nanshi ,j12,inErshiwushi3:2576;andtheYuanBuddhisttext,Shishijigulue ,j2(2vols.,Taipei,1972).2.“Mind...means”:fangbianzhixin ,themindorintelligencewhichusesskillfulmeans(i.e.,

Upāya)toassistorsaveothers.3.LordWenchang:WenchangDijun ,alsonamedZitongDijun ,“wasrevered

throughoutlateimperialChinaasthepatronsaintofliterature,guardianofmoralityandgiverofsons.”Seeentryon“Wenchang”inET2:1033–34,andthefocusedstudybyTerryKleemaninAGod’sOwnTale:The

BookofTransformationsofWenchang,theDivineLordofZitong(Albany,1994).4.CompleteTruthOrder:Quanzhen ,thereferencetothisparticularsegmentoforganizedDaoism

shouldbefamiliartothereadersofthenovel.ThedepictionoftheDaoistmaybeinpartsatirical,but,asinotherinstancesalreadynoted,thetermQuanzhencouldalsobeagenericmetaphorforDaoist.5.OnaurificationinChina,seeSCC5/2(1974):2–14,62–71,188–223.6.Threeyears:thenovelistictimescheme(chronotope)ofthisepisodeisnotthemostconsistent.Asthe

narrativehasit,itshouldhavebeeneightyearsagowhenthedroughtbegan.Thedroughtlastedforthreeyears:thencametheDaoist,whothenmurderedtheruleraftertwoyears.ThreemoreyearselapsedbeforethedeadkingappearedtoTripitaka.Ihavenot,however,triedtoemendthetextofXYJ.7.Equal-to-Heaven:althoughthesacralityofthismountaininnortheasterncoastalregionofChinawas

firmlyestablishedinantiquity(seeRecordoftheHistorian,j28,inErshiwushi1:0114d–0115a),itwasintheTangthattheworshipthereofgainedmomentum.Thetitle,KingEqual-to-Heaven ,wasconferredinthethirteenthyearoftheKaiyuanperiod(726)tothemountaindeity.ThattitlemighthaveinspiredthenovelisticauthortouseitonSunWukong.8.“Weavinggrassropes...mouth”:anallusiontotwoclassicstoriesonhowtorepaythekindnessof

others.Inthefirststory,acertainWeiKe intheSpringandAutumnperiodhadbeentoldbyhisfatherthathisfavoriteconcubineshouldbeallowedtoremarrytosomeoneshouldhedie.Later,whenthefatherbecameseriouslyill,themanreversedhisdecisionandwantedtheconcubineburiedalivewithhim.Reasoning,however,thatheshouldobeyhisfather’ssanecommandgivenwhenhewaswellratherthanthewishmadeinhisdelirium(“illnessbringsdisorder;Ishallfollowhissanity , ”),WeiKepreventedtheburialandmarriedofftheconcubine.Hardpushedinbattleafterwards,Weiwasassistedbyanoldman,whoentangledhisfoe’scavalrywithropeswovenofgrass.Inhisdreamthatnight,hewastoldthattheoldmanwastheconcubine’sfather.SeeZuoCommentary ,DukeXuan ,Year15(SSJZS2:1888).Inthesecondstory,oneYangBao wasonlynineyearsoldwhenherescuedayellowbirdinthemountainfromattackbykitesandhawks.AfterstayingwithYangforoverthreemonthsandhavingfullyrecovered,thebirdflewaway.Thatnight,ayellow-robedyouthappearedtoYang,bowingrepeatedlyandsaying,“I’mthemessengeroftheLadyQueenMotheroftheWest.Ingratitudeforyourkindnessandassistance,pleaseacceptthesefourwhitejadebracelets,whichshouldpreserveyourdescendantsfromviceandbringthemprosperityandsuccess.”ThesourcemaybefoundintheXuQixieji (Shanghai,1937).ThetwostoriesprovidetheformationoftheChineseidiom,jiecaohanhuan ,aphrasesignifyingdeepandproperrepaymentofkindness.9.“Drawing...heron”:referencestoacommonsaying,originatingfromthefamousHangeneralMa

Yuan ,whocoinedthemaximtocautionhisnephewsfromindulginginfutilepoliticaldiscussionswithflippantcompanions.SeeHouHanshu ,j54,“MaYuanzhuan,”inErshiwushi1:0748.Ma’smaximsays:“whenonefailsinthedrawingatiger,itwilllooklikeadog;and,whenonefailsinthecarvingofaheron,itwilllooklikeaduck.”10.Localspirit:apunonthetermtudi (disciple),whichishomophonoustolocalspirit,tudi .11.AquotationofthelasttwolinesofaregulatedquatrainbytheTangpoet,LiShe .Thereisasmall

mistakeintheXYJtext,fortheDaoyuan (Daoistcourtyard,althoughthedaographherecouldbeinterpretedtomean“religious”)ofthefirstlineshouldbezhuyuan (bamboocourtyard).Ourtranslationfollowstheoriginal.See“TiHelinsisengshe ,”inQTS,j477,7:5429.TheEnglishtranslationisthatbyJohnA.Turner,S.J.,inhisAGoldenTreasuryofChinesePoetry,comp.anded.JohnH.Deeney(HongKong,1976),p.191.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-EIGHT

1.NineSprings:aliteraltranslationofjiuquan ,butmostChineselexiconsdefineitasthesameasjiuyuan ,thenameofburialsitesreservedinantiquityforministersoftherankofdafu .Incommonusage,thetermhasbecomeametaphorforHadesordeath.2.Youli: ,thenameofplacewhereKingWenofZhouwasimprisonedforprivatemisgivingsover

thetyrannicalpoliciesofKingZhou ,lastruleroftheYin,aswellasforhisreputedvirtue.SeeRecordsoftheHistorian ,j3,inErshiwushi1:0012.

3.XiaoHe: (?–193BCE),whohelpedthefirstemperoroftheHantounitythenationashisprimeminister,wastheauthorofmanylaws.SeetheHanshu ,j39,inErshiwushi1:456–458.4.Tumi ,or ,theRubuscommersonii.5.Thislyriciswrittentothetuneof“MoonOverWestRiver,”butitisararetourdeforcebecauseitis

oneofdoublestanzasgoverned,intheoriginalChinese,byasinglerhymescheme.6.Empty-self:thestalkoftheplantishollow,andthusitsverynature(tixing )ismadeasymbolof

emptinessorvacuity(kong ).

CHAPTERTHIRTY-NINE

1.Tieredtowers:forthemeaningofthistermandthosethatfollowinthetext,seeJW1,chapter22,n.6,andchapter19,nn.6–9.2.Form’semptiness:“formisemptinessandemptinessisform”arethefamousopeningwordsofthe

HeartSūtra.SeeJW1,chapter19forthefulltext.3.Sovereignstate:shangguo orshangbang ,sovereignorsuperiorstatehasbeenused

traditionallyasaeuphemistictermforChina,particularlyinrelationtothesurroundingstatesbeyondtheborders.Onoccasion,however,thetermcouldalsobeusedtorefertoone’sownstate,inperiodswhentherewasmorethanonecontendingstateinChina.4.LiShimin: ,thenameofemperorTaizong.Asnotedinourintroduction,thehistoricalXuanzang

leftChinaindefianceofimperialproscriptionagainsttravelingabroadbecausetheempirehadnotbeenfullyunitedorsecureintheverybeginningoftheemperor’sreign.Thenovelisticauthor,whetherbydeliberateinventionorunquestioningcompliancewiththeoneemergingfromtheTripitakalegendinantecedenttaleordrama,continuestonarrateadifferentchronologyandstateofaffairsbetweenrulerandthepilgrimpriortoandduringthescripturejourney.5.Mendicantworker:xingtongdaoren .ThetermfromthelasttwoChinesegraphsmaylook

exactlythesameasthetermforaDaoist,butinBuddhistorders,aworkerhasbeennamedadaorensinceantiquity.Mytranslationfollowsthepropermeaningthatseemstoobtainincontext,therebysacrificingthenicepuninthelasttwolinesofWukong’ssubsequentversedeposition.6.WutaiMountain: [alternately, ] .AfamousmountainnearthenortheasternborderofShansi

province,thepatronsaintofwhichisMañjuśrī.

CHAPTERFORTY

1.Omittingonlyfourshortlinesattheverybeginningandwithminoralterationsindictionandsyntax,thislongdescriptivepoemrepeatsalmostverbatimtheonefoundinJW1,chapter20.2.Humancarriage:theChinesewordisjiao ,whichisahomophonetojiao .TheTangMonk’s

questionon“whathumanpersoniscalling(renjiao)”thuswasregardedbyhisdiscipleasapun.3.WoodMother:thetextofXYJherehasthephrase,benmu ,meaning“originalmother,”which

makeslittlesense.MytranslationthusfollowsthetextsoftheXiyouzhenquan,Xiyouyuanzhi,andXinshuoXiyouji(themajorQingeditions),andconstruesthecorrecttermtobemumu .ItisonemetaphorthatisconsistentlyusedonEightRulesthroughoutthenovel.4.RoaringMountain:aHaoShan canbefoundin“Xicisijing ,”inClassicofMountain

andSea,j2.SeeShanhaijingjiaozhu,p.60;Mathieu,1:119.

CHAPTERFORTY-ONE

1.Thisisanotherlyricwrittentothetuneof“MoonOverWestRiver.”2.SeeJW1,chapters3and4.3.ChildSudhana:Shancaitongzi ,theBoySkilledinWealth,sonamedbecauseallkindsofrare

jewelsandtreasuresappearedwithhimatthetimeofhisbirth.InBuddhisticonography,heandtheGirlSkilledinWealth(Shancaitongnü)areoftenseenastheattendantsoftheBodhisattvaGuanyin(seechapter42).FortheaccountsofSudhana,seetheHuayanjing ,theAvataṁsakasütra,ofwhichtherearethreemajortranslationsinthehistoryofChineseBuddhism.Thelastsectionofthislengthyscriptureis

named“EntryintotheRealmofReality”orRufajiepin ,thebulkofwhichisdevotedtothestoryofSudhana’squestforenlightenment.Inthisepisodeofthenovel,however,theXYJauthorissayingthattheChildSudhanapriortohissubmissiontoBuddhismwasthedemon,RedBoy,thoughthisparticularlineofthepoemalreadyanticipateshisconversionandelevation.ForaconvenientmoderncriticaleditionwithannotationsoftheRufajiepin,seeXinyiYuayanRuFajiepin ,translatedandannotatedbyYangWenzhong ,2vols.(Taipei,2004).ForanEnglishtranslationofthesūtraitself,seeThomasCleary,TheFlowerOrnamentScripture:ATranslationoftheAvatamsakaSutra,3vols.(Boulder,1984–1987).ForanilluminatingstudyofHuayanBuddhism’scontributiontoChinesefiction,specificallytothenovelXYJ,seeQianchengLi,FictionsofEnlightenment,pp.21–48,49–89.4.Suiren: ,themythologicalfigurewhoinventedfireinChinabydrillingwood.5.Samādhifire:seeJW1,chapter7,n.3.ForfurtherexplanationoftheterminDaoism,seeentryon

“Sanmeizhenhuo ,”inZHDJDCD,p.1191.6.Liver’swood:ashasbeenrehearsedinourintroductioninJW1,whenwediscussedtheprefacetothe

1592editionofthenovel,thefiveviscera(heart,liver,spleen,lung,andkidney)areoftencorrelatedwiththeFivePhasesinthediscourseofinternalalchemyandtraditionalChinesemedicine.Thiscorrelationindicatesthatthephasalenergeticsoffire,forexample,isresidentintheliver,thatofearthinthespleen,andsoon.Whatthepoemseemstoexpressintheselineshereisthe“productivesequence[i.e.,xiangsheng

]”oftheFivePhases,inwhicheveryEvolutivePhase,inthewordsofManfredPorkert,p.51,is“conceivedastheproductor‘child’(tzǔ )oftheprecedentE.P.,whichinturnisconsideredits‘mother’(mu ).”7.Firefillsthesky:thatis,thesun.8.Mutualproductionandmutualconquest:xiangshengxiangke .Thesearetwooftheseveral

traditionalviewsofhowtheFivePhasesoperate,eitheronephaseactingasaparentofanother(mutualproduction)orasthatovercomesorvanquishesanotherphase(mutualconquest).SeeSCC2(1970):255–61;Porkert,pp.51–54.9.Duck-headgreen:thebrightgreenfeathersoftenseenaroundacertainpartofaduck’sneck,usedto

describethecolorofwater.HencealsothenameoftheYaluJiang ,theriverborderingnortheasternChinaandKorea.10.Buddha’shead:Buddha’shairissaidtohavethecolorofultramarine.Thenovel’slineofpoemis

alsoanadaptationofanotherlinebytheSongpoetLiBu (967–1028).Seehiscompositiononthe“WestLake ”: , ,inLinHejingshiji (Shanghai,1938),p.21.11.SeeJW1,chapter7.12.Cinnabarfield:dantian,alternately,elixirfield.Generallyregardedasareferencetothelower

abdomen.Forfurtherdiscussion,seeJW1,chapter19,n.9.13.Threepasses:sanguan ,traditionallyunderstoodastheupper,middle,andlowerpartsofthe

body.SeetheHuangTiNeiChingSuWênorTheYellowEmperor’sClassicofInternalMedicine,trans.anded.IlzaVeith(Berkeley,1972),pp.186–93,foradescriptionofthedivisionandsubdivisionsoftheseregions.14.Brighthall:seeJW1,chapter22,n.4,forexplanationofthisterm.

CHAPTERFORTY-TWO

1.Intheday-countoftraditionalChineseculture,acyclicsystemofsixtydaysisestablishedbyvariousalternatecombinationsmadeoftheseriesoftencelestialstems(tiangan )andtwelveearthlybranches(dizhi ).Thecyclebeginsanewaftersixtycombinationsarereached.Inanythirty-dayperiod,therefore,itislikelythatthestemxin ,whichistheeighthofthetencelestialstems,willappearthreetimesinvariouscombinationswiththebranches.Forfurtherdiscussionofthisimportantcalendricalschemefromantiquitycrucialforseveralformsoftraditionalreligiouscalendarsandtheirunderstandingoftime,seetheentryon“ganzhi”andbibliographyinET1:435–37.2.ZhangDaoling: .MasteralchemistandDaoisttheocratofthesecondcenturyCE(fl.156),he

hadacquiredsomanyfollowersthathewasabletoestablishforabriefperiodasemiautonomous

governmentatthebordersofSichuanandShaanxiprovinces.Seeentryon“ZhangDaoling”inET2:1222–23.TheXYJtexthasanothertypographicalerrorherebyprintingling forling .3.Eightnativitycharacters:bazi ,eightgraphs,madeupofthevariouscombinationsofthestems

andbranches,whichdesignatethehour,date,month,andyearoftheperson’sbirth.4.Hāritī:Guizimu ,themotherofdemons,arākṣasīunderavowtodevourchildrenbutconverted

toBuddhism.Shebecameaguardianofnunneriesandprotectorofchildren.5.FuXi:asnotedinchapter35,FuXiwasalegendarymonarchofhighantiquityandthehusbandof

Nüwainmythology.AmonghismajorcontributionstoChineseculturewashisshareinthediscoveryoftheeighttrigrams(bagua)onthebackofatortoisethatbecamethebasisforthecompilationanddiscourseoftheClassicofChange.KingWen,oftheprecedinglineinthepoem,wasalsocreditedinlegendswiththedevelopmentoftheuseofthetrigramsfordivinationandforplastromancy.TheZengYuanoftheprecedinglinemaynotbethesonofthefamousdiscipleofConfucius,ZengShen,butaSongofficial(fullname,ZengYuanzhong or )andareputedexpertonthecalendarandtheClassicofChange.Forfurtherdiscussionofplastromancyandrelatedsubjects,seeTheCambridgeHistoryofAncientChina:FromtheOriginsofCivilizationto221B.C.,ed.MichaelLoeweandEdwardL.Shaughnessy(Cambridge,1999),pp.852–60.6.Uprootonehair:Guanyin’sremarksarebuiltonrepeatedpuns.Thisparticularobservationabout

WukongexploitsthecommonChineseidiomforextremestinginess,yimaobuba .Theterm“GoodlyWealth”inthefollowingsentenceisactuallyapunonthesametermfor“SkilledinWealth,”shancai ,butGuanyin’ssentencealtersthedictionandsyntax,andthusthemeaningaswell,ofshanfromshanyu (skilledin)toshanliang (goodorvirtuous).Thepunningofhersentenceisskillfullydouble-edged:shancainanshe assertsliterallythat“itwillbedifficultformetopartwithShancai[nameofthedragongirl]inordertoexpendmygoodwealthonyou[Wukong].”7.BitterseaoftheSouthernOcean: .ThereisnointrinsicreasonwhytheSouthernOcean,

howeverdefinedgeographically,alsoshouldbenamedthebittersea.Thenarratorinthenovel,however,seemseagertorepresentmostinstancesofriveroroceancrossingasalsoanallegoricalenactmentoftheBuddhistteachingonthetraversalofsaṁsāra,theendlessroundsofexistence,toreach“theothershore,bi’an ornirvāṇa.”See,forexample,theendofchapter22inJW1,chapters49–50inJW2,andchapter98inJW4.8.DharmakāyaofChan:dingshenChan ortheDharmakāyaofmeditation,oneofthefive

attributesofthe“spiritualbody(pañca-dharmakāya)ofTathāgata,theBuddha.Theformofthemeditationindicateshisquiescentortranquilnatureandhistranscendenceofallfalseideas.Asinpreviouspoeticeulogies,thepoemherecelebratesGuanyin’sspiritualattainmentascomparedwiththatoftheBuddhahimself.9.SeeJW1,chapter17.

CHAPTERFORTY-THREE

1.Fiftythreebows:anallusiontothestoryofhowChildSudhana,afterhavingheardthediscourseofMañjuśrī,obeyshisinstructiontogainenlightenmentbyvisitingfifty-threewiseones.SeetheTaipei’smoderneditionoftheHuayanjingrufajiepin,1:117ff.2.SeeJW1,chapter19.3.SixRobbers:seeJW1,chapter14.4.TheworkofDoubleThreeorThreetimesThree:seeJW1,chapter15,n.16.5.Forasketchofthisweapon,seeZhou,plate63.6.ThenarrativeisalludingtoeventsinJW1,chapter10.7.Three-corneredclub:itisactuallycalledthejian ,classifiedbyZhou,plate63,alsoasawhipora

crop.Sinceawhipusuallyimpliessomethingpliant,andthisweaponisclearlysomethinghardandfirm,Ihavetranslateditasaclub(actually,aswordlikecudgelwithahandleinZhou’sillustration).Theillustrationinthe1592editionconfirmstheaccuracyofZhou’ssketch.See1592,500:1096.8.Zhang :alarge,yellowfishdescribedashavinghornsandabletofly.

CHAPTERFORTY-FOUR

1.Theirgoal:literally,purplepath,theonesonamedintheimperialcapital.Themetaphormakesclearthatthesuccessofthepilgrimagehasbothreligiousandpoliticalsignificance.2.Tripleyang:ametaphorforthefirstmonthofthelunarcalendar,itissonamedbecauseofits

correlationwiththeqian (2)trigramofthreeunbrokenlinesfoundintheClassicofChange.Aseveryunbrokenlinesymbolizestheyang,theentiresymbolisthusnamedtripleyang.3.Cloud-headedboots:areferencetothepatternedembroideryontheirboots,thetopsofwhicharemade

ofsilk.4.ThreePureOnes:seeJW1,chapter5,n.1.5.Thisisanotherlyricwrittentothetuneof“MoonOverWestRiver.”6.Raisedust:yangchen ,areferencetotheabilityofimmortalsof(literally)“kickingupdust”inthe

midstofabodyofwater—thatis,transformingwaterintoland.ThephrasealludestoastoryintheShenxianzhuan whenthegoddessMagu toldanotherimmortal,WangYuan (styledFangping ),thatshehadwitnessedtheEasternSea transformedinto“mulberryfields”threetimes.“‘WhenIwasjourneyingtoPenglairecently,’shesaid,‘Inoticedthatthewaterhadrecededbymorethanhalf.Coulditbethattheoceanisturningintolandagain?’Withlaughter,Wangreplied,‘Afterall,theSageshaddeclaredthatdustwouldflyup(yangchen)intheocean.’”SeeLiexianquanzhuan (fasc.ed.Taipei,1974),j3,25b;Campany,pp.259–68.Thistaleprovidesthebasicsourcefortheidiom,canghaibiansangtian (theblueseahaschangedintomulberryfields,andviceversa),whichmayhavebeenfirstusedasametaphorforthenaturalchangecausedbytime(NeedhaminSCC,3[1970]:599–600).Inthecontextofthenovel’spoem,however,thephrasereferstotheDaoists’magicpowersoftransformation,whetherliteralorsymbolic,throughritualdancing.7.CelestialWorthies:thetitleTianzun isreservedforthetrioofthehighestdeitiesintheDaoist

pantheon.Literally,thetitlemaybetranslatedastheHeavenlyHonoredOnes.Ifollowherethetranslationstandardizedintheentryon“sanqing”or (variouslyrenderedasThreeClarities,ThreePurities,orThreePureOnes)inET2:840–44.

CHAPTERFORTY-FIVE

1.LüliangCascade: ,afamousdoublewaterfalllocatedinJiangsuprovince,southeastofthecountyTongshan .2.MagicofFiveThunder: .ThisisareferencetooneoftheDaoistritualsdevelopedinthe

Song.SeeEdwardL.Davis,SocietyandtheSupernaturalinSongChina(Honolulu,2001),pp.24–44.3.Thelastfourlinesofthepoemalludetothephenomenonofspringstorm;hencethethunderis

associatedwith“arousingthetorpid(jingche ),”thethirdofthetwenty-foursolarterms(approx.March5–20)wheninsectscomeoutoftheirdormancyorwinterquartersasthespringequinoxapproaches.

CHAPTERFORTY-SIX

1.LittleMaoMountain: ,oneofthreemountains,alsobearingthenameGouqu ,inJiangsuprovince.LegendhasitthatoneMaoYing ,alsoknownasLordMao ,oftheHanperiodcametothemountainandbecameanimmortal.Hewasfollowedbytwobrotherswhoalsopracticedausteritiesintheregion.ThemountainisthusnamedtheThreeMaoMountain:Big,Middle,andSmall.Seeentryon“Maojun”inET2:733–35.2.Thispoemutteredbythekingisactuallyalyricwrittentothetuneof“ThePartridgeSky.”

CHAPTERFORTY-SEVEN

1.Nodalfate:qishu ,literally,thefateordestinyofanindividualorgroupbasedonitscorrelationwiththepneumaticsignificance(presumablymeasurableinsomemannertothediscerningeyeormind)oftheyear’scalendricalnodalperiods(jie ,atermderivingdirectlyfromthesuccessiveknotsonabamboostalk),eachwithitsdistinctivecharacter.Itishencecommonpractice,inbothhistoriographyandfiction,to

decipherorinterpretthefatetoriseordeclineofaperson,ahousehold(e.g.,theXimenorJiaclans),oradynasticstatewiththeconcept.2.ThenamesofthetwobrothersaremadeupofthecommonChinesephrase,chengqing ,meaning

tocleanoutorclarifycompletely,toscourclean.3.Guanbao: ,literally,blessedorprotectedbyGuan.ThenamereferstoGuanYu ,styled

Yunchang ,therenownedwarriorandbond-brotherofLiuBeiintheThreeKingdoms.Guanhasbeendeifiedasapopulargodandisworshippedforhisrectitudeandgallantry,especiallyamongbusinesscommunitiesandinstitutions.

CHAPTERFORTY-EIGHT

1.TheshoesofDongguo:areferencetothestoryofMr.Dongguo intheRecordoftheHistorian.Beforehewasmadeanofficial,hewassopoorthathedressedinragsandworeshoesthathadonlythetopsbutnobottomswhenhewalkedthroughsnow.SeetheShiji,j126inErshiwushi1:0271c.2.YuanAn: ,amanofEasternHan.WhenagreatsnowstorminLuoyangdrovemanyofits

inhabitantsouttothestreetstobegforfood,Yuanrefusedtodemeanhimselfinsuchamannerandremainedathomeinbedinstead.Thecity’smagistratelaterfoundhimnearlystarvedtodeathandbestowedonhimthecommendationof“Xiaolian (FilialandIncorrupt),”ahighlyprizedrecommendationcategoryfordistinguishedpersonstobeconsideredattheimperialcapitalforfurtherappointment.SeetheHouHanShu,j75inErshiwushi1:0797d–0798c.3.SunKang: ,ascholaroftheJinperiod(265–420CE),whowassopoorthathestudiedatnight;he

hadtoreadbythesnow’sreflectedlight.4.Ziyou’sboat:anallusiontoWangZiyou ,sonofthefamouscalligrapher,WangXizhi(4th

century).Ziyouwassuchanunpredictablepersonthatheoncetookaboatinasnowynighttoseeafriend.Ashereachedthedoorofhisfriend’shouse,however,heturnedbackatonce.Whenaskedwhy,Ziyoureplied,“IfeltlikecomingtoseehimwhenIstarted,butasIarrived,Inolongerhadthefeeling.There’snoreasonthereforeformetoseehim!”SeeJinShu,j80,inErshiwushi2:1291d.5.WangGong’srobe:anallusiontothestoryof ,anofficialoftheJin,reputedlysohandsomethat

whenhewalkedthroughthesnowinacrane-featheredgown,afriendexclaimed,“Trulyoneoftheimmortals.”SeeJinShu,j84,inErshiwushi2:1300b.6.SuWu: (2ndcenturyBCE),anemissarywhospentnineteenyearsincaptivityamongtheHuns.

Banishedbytheirleadertobeashepherd,Suhadtodrinkmeltedsnowandeathisblankettokeepfromstarvation.SeetheHanShu,j54,inErshiwushi1:0492c.7.WhiteDew:bailu,oneofthetwenty-foursolartermsnamingthesuccessivestagesofthecalendrical

lunaryear.SeeJW1,chapter1,n.7foracompletelist.8.La: ,theso-calledPeople’sNewYear,whichoccursonthethirdxudayafterwintersolstice

(January16–27).Foranaccountofthisannualbeginninganditsrituals,seeDerkBodde(Princeton,NJ,andHongKong,1975),pp.49–138.9.Sevenworthies...: ,acommonthemeforpaintingsofsnow.Theidentityoftheseven

worthiesisnonethelesscontroversial,thoughtheyareusuallythoughtofastheSevenWorthiesoftheBambooGrove .SeetheJinShu,j49inErshiwushi,2:1214a–17a;Shishuoxinyu ,j6,28a(SBBY);ANewAccountofTalesoftheWorld,trans.RichardB.Mather(Minneapolis,1976),pp.371–91.10.A...fisher:thephrasealludestoamostfamiliarpentasyllabicquatrainoftheTangpoet,Liu

Zongyuan (773–819)inhisdepictionoffishinginwintersnow.Thepoemsays:“O’erthousandmountainsbirdflightshadceased./Oncountlesspathshumantracksvanished./Ofoneboatacoir-hattedoldie/Incoldriversnowalonehefished , , , .”11.Breakingaplumtwig:anallusiontothestoryofoneLuKai (–501CE?)oftheNorthernWei

duringtheThreeKingdomsperiod,whosentwithhisletteratwigofplumtohisgoodfriendFanHua ,stationedatthenorthwesternfrontier(ofthepresentGansuprovince).Thepoemsays:“BreakingtheplumImetthemailman,/Whichhe’dtooneatthefrontierbring./There’snothinghereinRiverSouth/Formetogivesaveonesprigofspring , , , .”

12.Penghu:anothernameforPenglai.13.WangXiang: ,oneofthetwenty-fourpersonsinChineseanecdotesfamousfortheirexemplary

actsoffilialpiety.Becausehismotherwasfondofeatingfreshcarpseveninthedeadofwinter,Wangwenttoafrozenpondandlaythereuntiltwocarpsleapedout.SeeJinShu,j33,inErshiwushi2:1175b.14.Guangwu: ,firstemperor(25–58CE)oftheLaterHanperiod.Thisisanallusiontotheepisode

whenGuangwucameuponariverduringoneofhisexpeditions.Noboatswereavailable,buttheiceintheriverdriftedtogetherandthatwashowheandhisfollowerswentacross.SeeHouHanShu,j1,pt.1,inErshiwushi1:0648a.15.SinkTo-the-Bottom:apunonthehomophonesChen ,thesurnameofXuanzang,andchen ,

meaning“tosink.”

CHAPTERFIFTY

1.Caoxi:astreaminGuangdongprovincewhere,intheTang,thesixthpatriarchofChanBuddhism,Huineng,taught.ThegeographicalallusiontooneofthemostcelebratedsitesofChanBuddhismmakesclearalsoitscontinuousappropriationasakeytropebyQuanzhendiscourseoninternalormeditativealchemyhere.Asnotedintheintroduction,partII,JW1,thispoemisanearverbatimreproductionofonecollectedintheDaoistcanon.2.Devising:thetechnicalreligioustermusedhereintheXYJtextisdianhua thatcontemporary

scholarshiphasrenderedas“projection.”Literally,itmeans“pointortouchthatitmaytransform.”Thesignficanceofthenomenclatureistwofold:the“projection”isnotmerelyamagicaltransformationassuch,butthisdevicewillalsotransformtoenlightenthepersonwhoexperiencesit.Itisatermfirstusedinthenovelinchapter21fordescribingtheillusoryhousescreatedbythevariousdeitiestotestthepilgrims.Seealsotheentryon“Dianhua”inET1:357–58.Itisapparent,however,thattheXYJauthorhereisnotjustemphasizingthepositivemeaningofthe“projection”buttheperilousimplicationsofillusionaswell.3.Giantclam:thelegendaryshen ,whosebreathwouldcreateawaterymirageofbuildingsinthesea

orocean.SeeHanShu,j26,inErshiwushi1:0402b.4.Xuandi: ,anabbreviatedformofXuantianshangdi ,anothernameforZhenwu,the

PerfectedWarriordeifiedintheearlyTang.Seetheentryon“Zhenwu”inET2:1266–67.5.Peng-Ying:thatis,themythicalislandsinhabitedbyimmortals;PenglaiandYing-zhou.SeeJW,

chapter26.6.“Rhino-like...stream”:anallusiontothestoryofWenJiao oftheJin,whoinoneofhis

militarycampaignscametoariver,thedepthofwhichwastoodeeptobemeasured.Hewastold,moreover,thattherewasanabundanceofweirdcreaturesinit.WhereuponWenJiaoburnedsomerhinoceroshornstoilluminethewaterand,soonafter,hedidcatchsightofmanystrangerwatercreaturesattemptingtoputoutthefire.SeeJinShu ,j67,inErshiwushi2:1259c.

Index

Boldfacetypedenotesvolumenumber.Thisindexisprincipallyoneofpropernamesandplacesalongwithtitlesofsomescripturaltextsreferencedinthenovel.Thenames,nicknames,andallegoricalnomenclaturesoftheFivePilgrimsaretoonumeroustobeincluded.

AbbeyofFiveVillages.SeeFiveVillagesAbbeyAbbeyofImmortalAssembly.SeeImmortalAssemblyAbbeyAbhijit,3:3AbortionStream,3:35,37,39,48Āditya,1:169AgedStaroftheSouthPole,4:56–60Aiai,1:440(532n.2),445,447AllSaints,Princess,3:172,182,190,192AllSaintsDragonKingoftheGreenWaveLagoon,3:172,176,180Amitābha,2:24–25,136,305;4:19–20,184AmitāyusSūtra,1:304Ānanda,1:193,195–96,199,203;4:29–30,349,351,353–54,372Anāthapiṇḍika,4:266–67Anurādhā,3:3Ao,2:260Aoguang,DragonKingoftheEasternOcean,1:133–38,141–42,157,201,220–21,228,238–48,317–18;2:187–89,223,227,293,294,298;3:277;4:178

AolaiCountry,1:100,102,114,124,131–32;3:59,351;4:373Aoqin,DragonKingoftheSouthernOcean,1:136,137,142;2:228,293,294Aorun,DragonKingoftheWesternOcean,1:136,137,142,326,436;2:228,293,294Aoshun,DragonKingoftheNorthernOcean,1:136,137,142;2:228,260–62,267,293,294,313;4:20ApricotGarden,3:232ApricotImmortal,3:208–10Arhats,Eighteen,3:25,27,113,116;4:27–28,348Arhats,FiveHundred,1:409;3:113,116,215,351;4:348,385Aśoka,1:2AuspiciousCliff,Templeof,3:232AvengingMinisters,Kingof,1:140;3:110AvīciHell,1:258;2:27(375n.7),38;4:349AxeltreetheWaterEarthworm,3:223

Ba(monkeygeneral),1:138,167;2:31,32BabyBoy,Doctrineofthe,1:86–88,115,424Bāhu,3:3(381n.5)Baize,4:216(397n.6),218–19Bamboo-KnotMountain,4:209,214,222,225,227–28BaoShuya,4:92(391n.13)BarrenstheSunRat,3:223BasetheEarthBadger,3:223BeaktheFireMonkey,3:223BearMountainLord,1:296–97BeginningRiver,Kingofthe,1:140;3:110BenboKingdom,3:167

Beng(monkeygeneral),1:138,167;2:31,32BhikṣuKingdom(YoungMasters’City),4:34,36–40,49,51,54–55,58,190,374Bhikṣuṇi,HonoredOne,3:24Bi,1:145;3:10;4:298Bianji,1:5BigDipperPalace.SeeDipperPalaceBigPlan(monk),1:340,345,346BimbānaKingdom,4:67–68(390n.4)Bincheng(city),3:231,232BitterSea,2:246(388n.7)BlackBearSpirit,1:361,362,365BlackRiver,2:257–60(god),261,267BlackRoosterKingdom,2:164,168,175,178,182–84,188,194,196,197,200,205,208;3:59;4:374BlackWindGreatKing,1:351BlackWindMountain,1:343,347,349,355,362,367;2:10BlazingFlameMountain,2:219BlessedMound,Mountainof,1:212Blessing,Starof.SeeSlantingMoonandThreeStars,CaveofBloodyBowl,Realmof,1:260Blue-BackedDragon,2:261BlueBridge,4:110(392n.14)Bo,3:3Bodhidharma,1:274;2:152;3:68BookofaHundredFamilyNames,4:176BookofCalendar,1:100BookofOdes,3:203(392–93n.12)Boqin,1:299–305,306–9;2:27BottomlessCave,4:91,94,98,117,124BovineGreatKing,3:16,20,25BoySkilledinWealth.SeeSudhana(alsoknownasBoySkilledinWealth)BrambleRidge,3:196–98,208BrazierofEightTrigrams,1:188BrightLightTravelCourt,4:322BrightMoon,1:453,455–57,463–64,465,470–71;2:13BrightSunPalace,2:49Broad-EyedDevarāja.SeeVirūpākṣa,DevarājaBrocade-CloudHall,2:295BrocadeFragrancePavilion,2:178;4:25Broken-Peak,Joined-RingCave,4:159BronzeEstradePrefecture,4:310,323,325BrothersofPlumMountain.SeePlumMountainBubbleBusy,3:172–73,177Buddha(alsoknownasBuddhistPatriarch,Tathāgata),1:57,192–93,194–97,201–6,214–15,279,287,308,346–47,353,419–20,454;2:16,149,204,206,254;3:23–27,29,31,65,72,100,113,114–17,214;4:27–31,33,82,85,97,121,163,174,321,347–48,354–57,363,367,371,381–82

Buddha,Conductor(LightofRatnadh-vaja),4:345–46Buddha-bhadra,1:3Buddha-carita-kāvyaSūtra,4:366BuddhaMother,3:313BuddhaofMedicine,4:39–40(388n.5)BuddhasAlcove,2:149(382n.6)BullDemonKing(alsoknownasBullMonsterKing),1:138–39,156(511n.11);2:219–20,223,237–42;

3:39,43,122,124–25,127,130,133,135–47,148–58,172,185;4:27(388n.13)Burly-Hurly,2:236,237BusyBubble,3:172–73,177

CadaverMonster,1:8CandanaMerit,Buddhaof,4:381,383CandidQuestions,3:269Cangwu,1:122Caoxi,1:201;2:360(392n.1)CarefulConduct,Hallof,4:51(389n.4)CartSlowKingdom,1:16,88,89,91;2:270,274,292,297,325;3:59;4:374CasseroleMountain,Current-MoonCave,2:41,48,50,60,65,85CassiaHall,4:298Caturdiśgaḥ,1:286(523n.27)CelestialMasters,1:174,178,213;2:84;3:2,4,107;4:118,179–85,255CelestialPalace,1:379(stream);2:21,75,85,353;3:179(river);4:18,28,82,123,178,215,298–99,373

CelestialWorthies.SeeThreePureOnes(highestDaoistdeities)CentralGateoftheSun,2:177,184;4:24ChambertheSunHare,3:223Chan,Dharmakāyaof,2:247Chang’an,1:4,5,216,217–19,231,233,238,279–80,348;2:27,89,161,168;3:78,168;4:14,81,100,106,370–72,380

Chang’e.SeeMoon,GoddessoftheChanHall,2:196;3:166ChanMaster,1:388–91ChenCheng,2:325,327,328,331;4:365–67Cheng,King,3:259(396n.5)ChengTang(founderofShangdynasty),3:259(396n.4)ChenGuanbao,2:325(390n.3),326,329,330;4:367ChenGuangrui,1:18,21,57,217–21,226–30,275Chengweishilun,1:5ChenQing,2:325,326,327,331,348,356ChenVillage,2:325,330,343;4:365–66,370ChenWei,1:1ChessImmortal,1:245–46ChiCity,1:180Child-and-MotherRiver,3:34,35,37,38,64ChildBlueFace,4:214,221,222–23ChildDestructionCave,3:35,37,122ChildSudhana.SeeSudhana(alsoknownasBoySkilledinWealth)ChronicleofDeliverancesinTripitakaTang’sJourneytotheWest,1:18Chu,songsof,3:363(403n.3)Chumaidens,4:290(401n.18),295ChuRiver,1:233Ci’enMonastery,1:5Citrā,3:3CityoftheDead,1:260–61,266CityMarkets,Kingof,1:140;3:110ClassicofChange,1:99(506n.3),100;2:136,175ClassicofChess,1:245ClassicofMedicalProblems,The,3:269ClassicoftheNorthernDipper,2:108

ClassicoftheWayandVirtue,2:279CleanIguana.SeeIguanaDragonClearBreeze,1:453,454–58,463–64,465,470–71;2:13ClearBrightness,4:3(387n.2),68CliffofMysteriousDemons,3:159Cloud-BrushingDean,3:199,201,202–9Cloud-in-Fog,2:236,38CloudPalaceoftheGoldenArches,1:101,141Cloud-PushingBoy,2:293,294,296Cloud-TouchingCave,3:133,135–36,152,154Cloud-TowerPalace,2:246;4:118Cloud-TranscendingFerry,4:344,346,362,367CloudyPathsCave,1:212,376,380;4:373,382CobwebRidge(andCobwebMountainandCave),3:323,334,339,340Cock-CrowPass,4:268,270Cold-Deterrent,GreatKing,4:242–43,246–47,252,254–56,259–60CollegeofInterpreters,3:257,260,266,277;4:276Compassionate-Heaven,4:239CompleteChange,Kingof,1:140;3:110CompleteTruthOrder.SeeQuanzhenOrder(ofDaoism)ConductorBuddha,4:345Confucius,2:150;3:205,207(394n.27)Constellations,PalacesoftheNine,1:101Constellations,Twenty-Eight,1:160,169–70(512n.19);2:84;3:66,84,217–21,228;4:153CourtofImperialEntertainments,3:54,57,177,258,260,278;4:45–46,53,59,144,285,289,373Crow’sNestZenMaster,2:88,254;4:144,264–65Crush-DragonCave(andCrush-DragonMountain),2:121,142–43CrystalStream,3:232CuiJue,1:253–56,262,265–66CulturalFlorescencePavilion,2:302,304Current-MoonCave,2:41,45,48,50,54,60,76,85Curtain-RaisingCaptain.SeeShaWujing

DaHui,1:274Daji,3:206(394n.25)DameofLiShan,1:448;3:344–45(404n.5)Daoists,1:110,111,117(school’sdivision)DaoistsoftheCompleteTruthOrder,2:164(384n.4),270,276.SeealsoQuanzhenOrder(ofDaoism)DarkHorse,4:166(394n.1)Darkness,Regionof,1:139,141–42,251,253–54,256,261–64,267–73,304;2:48,129,165,190,192,194,200,219,371;3:111,260,351;4:82–83,156,335,338–39

DarkVastnessPalace,3:10DaTangSanzangqujingshihua,1:7DaTangXiyuji,1:5DayPatrolGod,2:116DaySentinel,2:9394,115DeanoftheGoldenPool,1:356Deep-SandGod,1:8Deer-StrengthGreatImmortal,2:271,279,284–87,300,302–3,309–10DemonLordofaHundredEyes,3:344,348DengHua,thundersquire,1:145;2:84,293,296;3:4,6–7,72DevaKings,1:163,169,186DevarājaHall,4:79,92,347

DevarājaLi.SeeLiJing(alsoknownasPagodaBearerDevarāja)Devarājas,Four,1:160(511n.5),169,171–73,179,185,189;2:151;3:3–4,84;4:116Dharma-DestroyingKingdom,4:127,131–32,139,144,374DharmaDiffusion(DiamondGuardian),3:159Dharma-HonoringKingdom,4:144Dharmakshema,1:3Dhotarāṣṭra,4:298Dhṛtarāṣṭra,Devarāja,2:151;4:22(387n.8),118,179,180,182–83DiamondGuardians,3:24(382n.5),159,160–61;4:27–28DiamondKings,EightGreat,3:113–14,116DiamondSūtra,1:304,468DīpaṁkaraBuddha,1:7,166;4:351,384DipperPalace,1:191;2:193;3:28,66,72;4:255DippertheWoodUnicorn,3:223;4:255–58DivineDragons,Five,3:228–31DivineMaidensofNineHeavens,1:196DivineMinister,1:146,168–69DivineMistsHall,1:101,141,147,154,157,174,178,185,190–91,193,422;2:84,116,119;3:1,3–4,8,28,107,172,192;4:2,179,221

DivineWindofSamādhi,1:413DongfangShuo,2:8(373n.8)Dongguo,2:335Donghuadijun,4:59(389n.7),60DongXian,3:207(394n.28)Double-ForkRidge,1:297DoubleNinth,1:237(519n.11)DoubleThree,1:114Dragon-FlowerTree,3:345DragonGirlSkilledinWealth,2:244–46DragonKingsofFourOceans,1:136,169;2:34,228,229–32,234,239,242–44,293,298–99.Seealsospecifickings

DragonMonsterKing,1:138,157;2:223DragonPalace,1:133,220,310Dragon-PhoenixPalace,2:49DragonSteeds,4:138(393n.4)Dragon-SubduingMonastery,3:193,194Dragon-TransformingPool,4:382DriedPineStream,2:219,221,226,227,234,242;3:39,125,138Dualists,1:117(school’sdivision)Duanxi,1:239(520n.19)Due-to-FallCave,1:399(530n.5);2:209Dust-Deterrent,GreatKing,4:243,246–47,253,254–56,259,262

EagleGriefStream,1:321,324,326,329,331,437;4:374Earth,Palaceofthe,2:91Ear-TouchingRidge,3:159EasternMountain,Palaceof,3:232EastFlowerGate,3:173EastHall,3:57(384n.7)EastHeavenGate,3:72–73;4:226EastPūrvavideha(oneoffourgreatBuddhistcontinents),1:100(506n.5),102,114,124–25,142,174,204,384,395;2:219;3:59,98,108,243;4:163,279,314,373

EastSummitAbbey,4:318

Eight-and-Ten,Squire,3:198(391n.1),199,202–9EightClassesofSupernaturalBeings,4:382EighteenfoldHell,1:257EightGuardsofAkṣobhya,1:409EightImmortals,4:86EightPoles,1:196EightTrigrams,1:101EldersoftheFiveQuarters.SeeFiveQuarters,GuardiansofElephant-Baiter,4:216,218–19,221Embroidered-UniformGuard,3:175,177–78,265;4:47–48,49EmeiMountain,2:109(379n.4);3:159,214;4:29EpangPalace,1:343EqualRanks,Kingof,1:140;3:110Equal-to-Heaven,2:165(384n.7)Erlang,ImmortalMaster(alsoknownasLordofLibationStream),1:178–79(513n.2),180–85,186,353(526n.7),407(530n.2);2:30,127(380n.4),193;3:4,187–91

EstradeNumina,3:54(384n.5),204(393n.14)EverAbiding(DiamondGuardian),3:159–60;4:27Excesses,Starsof,3:3

Fair-WindEar,1:102,143Faming,Monk,1:222,224,225,230FangzhangMountain,2:6,7Fast-BreakingSūtra,2:322Faxian,1:3FemaleMonkeyKing,2:223Fengfou,3:232FengHeng(BlueBuffaloDaoist),2:106(379n.1)Ferghanas(Khokand),1:148(510n.7)FieryCloudCave,2:219,221,225,227,234,242;3:39,123,125,138FieryVirtue,Starof,3:7–8,9–10,13–14,17,19,23,25,29Fish-BellyGeneral,1:151FiveBlessings,Hallof,1:334;4:75FiveBureausoftheThreeRealms,3:84(385n.6)Five-GrainTransmigration,Bureauof,2:281FiveGrandDeities,3:84(385n.5)FiveLakes,2:256FiveLodgesofPenetratingBrightness,1:196FiveMilitaryCommissions,Commanderof,4:45,46FiveMiracles,Shrineof,3:232FivePhases,1:126(509n.16),139,140,195(mountain),199(mountain),306(mountain),353(mountain);2:72,142,225,351;3:117,138(mountain),287;4:298,371,381(mountain)

Five-PhoenixTower,1:132,252;2:288,291,295,296,297;3:49,57,193,258FivePlagues,1:169(512n.18)FivePlatforms,Mountainof,3:159,214;4:29FiveQuarters,Guardiansof,1:160(511n.7),163,169(512n.15),196,199;2:43,84,111–12,116,166,203,292;3:216–18,220–23;4:39,61,103,228,253,358,383

FiveThunders,2:293,308,313FiveVillagesAbbey,1:453,456,469;2:2–4,11Flames,Mountainof,3:120–21,124,127,138,143,146–47,150,162FloriateCanopy,4:76(390n.7)Flower-FruitMountain,1:100,101,102,104(507n.9),105,106,114,115,124–27,132–34,149–50,166,169,170;2:23,28–29,34,70;3:91,98,103,104,105,107–10;4:28,98,373

FlowingSandRiver,1:207(516n.24),208,209,421–23,428,431;2:201,257;3:59,234,378;4:98,374,382

Fog-in-Cloud,2:236,238Fog-SpreadingLad,2:293,294,296FormlessnessSchool.SeeMādhyamikaSchoolFormulasofthePulse,3:269FourGrandMarshals,3:1,10,28,72FourGreatBodhisattvas,3:113FourGreats,3:94(386n.3)FourGreatThings,Hallof,3:204(393n.18)FourImages(orSigns):3:287(399n.5)FourRivers,2:84FourSentinels,1:322,341;2:43,62,166,203;4:39,61,103,242,247,250,254,383FourWhite-HairedOnes,3:200(392n.4)FourWood-CreatureStars,4:255–57Fragrance-DrapingHall,4:180,181,183,185Freaky-and-Shifty,4:208–9,211,216,218,221,223FulingMountain,1:372,376,379,389;4:373,382FutileDragon,2:261FuXi,2:243(388n.5)FuYi,1:273,274FuyuanTemple,1:295

Ganges,2:43,351GaoCai,1:369–74,381–82,386–88,442GaoVillage,1:369,442;2:67,93,201;3:378;4:98,149,373GarlandSūtra,4:316GarudaMonsterKing,1:39,138–39,157;2:223GateofSand,1:210(517n.28)Gauze-DryingPavilion,4:194–98,200,202,205,213,216,229–30GeHong(CelestialMaster),1:27,95,142(510n.8);3:1–3,107;4:118,179,255GeneralsoftheFiveQuarters,1:160(511n.4)GhosttheGoldRam,3:223GiantApeMonsterKing,2:223Gibbon-Lion,4:216(397n.4),218,221GinsengGarden,1:457Goat-StrengthGreatImmortal,2:271,279,284–87,304,310–11,315GodofDayPatrol,2:116–17GodofNightPatrol,2:116,166–67,187GodoftheNewYear,1:456GodoftheWoods,2:268GodoftheYear,2:268GodPowerful,3:22GodsofDarknessandLight,1:322,341;2:43,62,166,173,203,206,274;3:157,161–62,217,223–24;4:39,61,225,228,253,358,383

GodsoftheFiveMountains,2:84GodsoftheTenQuarters,3:84(56n.7)GoingandComing,3:291,294–95,299–300GoldCicada,1:207,275,276,286,454;2:17,101,105,210,242;3:100;4:66,82,381GoldenBeamSummit,3:160;4:27GoldenCarriage,TreasureHallof,1:265GoldenChimesHall,1:218,269,276;2:77,85,166,172,194,199,202,204,208,288–89,295,298,300,301;3:56,59,174,278,291,297;4:16,18,23,26,45,143,274

GoldenCourtPavilionLodge,1:267,269GoldenDhūta,1:201GoldenHead,GreatImmortalof,1:207;4:342Golden-HeadedGuardian,1:326;3:157,161,217,223,228;4:225GoldenHelmetMountain,2:368–69;3:1,2,5,7,19,26,29GoldenHorn,GreatKing,2:100–101,145Golden-LampBridge,4:239,244,254GoldenLightMonastery,3:166–67,174–75,177,180,183,191–92Golden-NosedWhite-HairedRodent-Spirit,4:121GoldenPavilionPostalStation,4:35,45,52GoldenPool,1:356–58Golden-RobedYouth,4:338–39GoldenSageLady,3:281(palace),284(palace),285,290,295–99,302–14Gold-LevelPrefecture,4:242–44,249,254,260,374GoldMountainTemple,1:222,223,225,229,230;2:167Gold-SpreadingMonastery,4:266–67,273,283,304–8GoldStarVenus(alsoknownasLong-LifeLi),1:144,145,147,157–58,417;2:276;3:355–57;4:118–20,122–24,254

Gold-ValleyGarden,4:234(398n.6)GongSui,4:325(404n.3)Gongzhou,1:295Gou,1:341;3:10;4:298Goulou,Mount,1:364(526n.13)GrandAssemblyofThreePlatforms,3:7GrandHarmony,Palaceof,3:227,228–29GrandMonad,4:69GreatBlessing,Templeof,1:290;4:244,372,376GreatCanopy,4:33(388n.2)GreatHeroHall,2:149(382n.7);4:75,233GreatImmortaloftheGoldenHead,4:342GreatKingHolyChild.SeeRedBoyGreatKingofSouthMountain,4:163–65GreatKingPeacock,3:313(401n.8)GreatKingsCold-Deterrent,Heat-Deterrent,andDust-Deterrent,4:242–47,251–62GreatMercyRoom,2:149GreatMountainGuardian,2:10GreatSageChanMonastery,1:7;3:232GreatStrength(DiamondGuardian),3:159GreatTangEmpire,1:295GreatThunderclapMonastery,1:354,394;2:72,90,168,199GreatWesternOcean,1:109GreatWisdom(monk),1:340,346GreenCloudPalace,1:141GreenDragonMountain,4:242–43,247,249–50,254GreenOrchid,1:372–73GreenWaveLagoon,3:140,146,153,172,176,180,184GrieflessHeaven,2:193Guangjin,King,4:382Guangwu(Hanemperor),2:339(392n.14)GuanPrefecture,1:178Guanshiyin,2:201,204,217,234;3:60,71,99,177;4:103,119,244Guanyin,Bodhisattva(Avalokiteśvara),1:3,9,174,175,178,185–86,205–6,209–14,221,248,279–87,

307,316,325–31,335,362,430–31;2:10–14,116,123,151,233,236,239,241,242–51,252–53,264;3:39,73,75,100,107,108,114,116–17,125,127,138,214,312–14;4:36,128,193,342,358,371,373

GuanyinChanHall,1:335–45,349,352,355,358,360,361GuanyinSūtra,1:304,468GuanZhong(Marshal),3:1,106;4:92(391n.13)Guanzizai.SeeGuanyin,Bodhisattva(Avalokiteśvara)GuardiansofFivePoints(alsoknownasGuardiansofFiveQuarters),1:322,414;2:43,111,112,116,166,203;3:216–18,220–23;4:39,61,103,228,253,358

GuardiansofMonasteries,Eighteen.SeeVihārapālasGuidethroughtheForestofAffairs,A,4:314(403n.4)Guigu,1:239(520n.18)GuizimuKingdom,1:7,8GullettheGoldDragon(constellation),3:218(395n.8),222–23,228GuoPu,1:239(520n.20)

Haizhou,1:217,220HamilKingdom,1:336HanguPass,1:186HanlinAcademy,2:49(377n.8);4:287(401n.11),380HanwuKing,3:207(394n.26)Hāritī,2:242HarvestertheGoldHound,3:223Havoc,MonstrousKingof,1:126–29HearttheMoonFox,3:223HeartSūtra,1:6,7,72–73,389–90,393,401;2:88,254,294;4:144,264HeavenlyDevaoftheGreatMonad,1:163HeavenlyLadle,1:122,376(527n.3);3:368HeavenlyRiver(MilkyWay),1:135(509n.3),136,137,160(511–12n.8);2:53HeavenlyTribunal,1:326Heaven-ReachingRiver,2:318,333,338,345,355,358,360;4:362,364Henan,1:1Heng,3:232HengyangRavine,2:257,259–60HezhouDistrict,1:295,297Hill-PawingTiger,2:121,122,124–25Hoard-ThunderMountain,3:133–34,150,152,156Homage,Towerof,1:146HongfuMonastery,1:5.SeealsoGreatBlessing,TempleofHongRiver,1:219–20HoraryBranches,Twelve,1:160(511n.6),169;2:84;4:153HorntheWoodDragon,3:223;4:255–57,260HouYi,3:325HuaiRiver,2:187,261;3:232,233–34HuaMountain,1:181,403(530n.7);3:36,232,248,320HuangBa,4:325(404n.3)HuangGong,1:295HuangShigong,1:318(524n.13)Hui’an.SeeMokṣa-deva(CelestialBeingofDeliverance)Huiyan,1:3HuJingde,1:244,262,267,273HundredFamilyNames,3:307HundredFlowers’Shame,2:44–46,49–50,57–60,76–79

Hundred-LegsMountain,4:268Hurly-Burly,2:236,237

IguanaDragon,2:260,261,263–64,266ImmortalAssemblyAbbey,3:35,37,39,41ImmortalIron-Fan,3:121–22,127,130,135,137.SeealsoRākṣasīImmortalPeaches,Gardenof,1:159,160,162ImperialBoardofAstronomy,4:275ImperialEntertainments,Courtof,2:315;3:57,177,278;4:45,46,59,144,285ImperialTranscription,Templefor,4:380India,Kingdomof,1:4,60,287,316;4:173,174–79,191,234,244,254,264–65,272,301–3India,Kingof,4:269,273,303–8India,Princessof,4:269,301–8Indra,2:266InfiniteBlessingTemple,1:230InvestigativeHearing,3:112Iron-Fan,Immortal,3:121–22,127,130IronForkMountain,2:296IslesoftheBlest,1:110

JadeCapital,1:196JadeCloudMountain,3:121–22,126,130,135,142,146–47,158–59JadeCloudPalace,3:112;4:75,338JadeCountenance,Princess,3:133,136–37,140,143–45,152,154JadeEmperor,1:101,102,141–43,146–48,150,151(510n.8),157–59,161,168,174,176–78;2:84–86,89,91,116–18,227–28,238,260,293;3:1–4,10,25,66,73,77,84,107,160,179,217,225,228,276,379;4:118–19,122–26,179–80,183–85,257

Jade-FlowerDistrict,4:191–92,197–98,211–12,214–15,225,232,374JadeLiquidofTransmigration,4:228JadePerfectionAbbey,4:342–43,363,367JadeSagePalace,3:281,314JadeTerrace,3:255JanitoroftheAltars,4:382–83JasperPool,1:164,167,174,176–77,379;3:56JetavanaPark,1:203(516n.18),286,334;4:84,266–67JiaMo,1:439–46Jiancheng,1:254JiangKunsan,4:335JiangQianyi,4:335Jiangzhou,1:218,220,223,227JianzhangPalace,3:178JingRiver,1:231,241–45;2:200,262;4:244Jingyan,4:272(400n.10)JiRiver,2:187,261Jisi,1:217JiuTangshu,1:5Jizi,3:212Joined-RingCave,4:159Jupiter,StarSpiritof,1:148Jupiter’sRival,3:281,285–86,292,301

Kāśyapa,1:193,195–96,199,203;4:29–30,349,351,353–54,372KehanBureau,3:3(381n.3),7

Ketu,Starof,1:169;3:3KingdomofWomen.SeeWesternLiangKingKṣitigarbha,1:285;4:338,339King-MakingThing,2:170,174–76KingPowerful,3:133KingPureJoy,3:227KingsofFiveQuarters,1:382KingsofFourQuarters,1:456KinshipofThree,4:361(406n.3)KnottyVirtue,3:199–200,202–4,209Koguryǒ,1:4KongtheSage,4:163Kou,Squire,4:310,313,321,323,330,341KouDong,4:314,317,323–24KouLiang,4:314,323–25,330KouMing,4:333Kōzanji,1:7Kṣitigarbha,King,1:141,142;3:111–12;4:338–39KunlunMountain,1:182,451(533n.2);2:134,135,221,296;3:127,160,212;4:27,88

LadyofPeach-Blossom,2:136LadyQueenMotheroftheWest,1:161(512n.10),163,167–68,174,185–86,197;3:172,192,276,359,379

LadyWaterMother,3:231LadyWhite(moongoddess),4:302(402n.7),304LadyWhiteBone(CadaverDemon),2:26,68Langyuan,4:55(389n.5),109Laozi(alsoknownasSupremePrimordialOldLord),1:166,167,168,171,174,185–86,188–89,333,342,382,384;2:12,85,111,114,134(380n.1),135,145–46,193–97,225,231,281;3:27,28–30,31,66,133–34,179,379;4:228

Law-ExpoundingPlatform,2:150LawGate,Templeofthe,1:293;3:168LeiHuan,4:90Leopard’s-HeadMountain,4:203,206–7,212,227Level-TopMountain,2:91,122,143,193Leviathan,3:365(404n.1)Liang,King,4:84Lianlian,1:440(532n.2),445,447Libations,Riverof,1:178,180,184LiBiao,1:220,228LiCuilian,1:268,269–71LiDing,1:231–37Liezi,3:201Life-SavingMonastery,4:367,370LiFour,2:214Light,Worldof,2:190,191,192,194,196LightofRatnadhvaja.SeeConductorBuddhaLiJing(alsoknownasPagodaBearerDevarāja),1:151(510–11n.9),152,154,156,157,169–72,175–76,179,184,186,209;2:246;3:4–8,10,13–14,16–17,19,23,25–30,107–8,160;4:66,90,116–24

LiMountain,1:336Lingbao,3:202Lingji,Bodhisattva,1:416–18;3:127–28Lingling,1:122

Lingxuzi,1:75LingyanTower,1:275,289Lion-CamelRidge,3:353,354,360–62;4:25,28,30,33,153–54LionMonsterKing,2:223LisheShrine,1:330,332–33LiShimin,2:200(386n.4).SeealsoTaizong(emperorofTangdynasty)LittleBlackDragon,2:261LittleMaoMountain,2:313(390n.1)LittleSumeruMountain,3:127LittleWesternHeaven,3:219LittleWindCutters,3:358–62,365–67,371–72LittleYellowDragon,2:261LittleZhang.SeeZhang,PrinceLittleLiu(monkeymarshal;divinehero),1:138,145;2:31,32;4:298LiuBei,1:250(520n.36)LiuBoqin,1:302;2:27LiuCuicui,3:10,69(385n.2)LiuHong,1:220,221,224–25,227–28LiuQuan,1:267–68,269–71LiuXiaoer,1:219,225–26,229LiVillage,3:243–44LiYuan,1:253,254LiYuying(sisterofemperorTaizong),1:259,268,269–71Lokājyeṣṭha,1:203(516n.20),278(522n.14)LonesomeRectitude,Squire,3:199,202–9Longevity,Starof.SeeSlantingMoonandThreeStars,Caveof;StarofLongevity(alsoknownasStarofLongLife)

Long-LifeLi.SeeGoldStarVenus(alsoknownasLong-LifeLi)LongLifeMountain,1:175(star),204(star),453,469;2:3,11,14Longmen,1:236(519n.10)LongPitandtheGreatSerpentRange,1:7LordsofOceans,2:91Lotus-FlowerCave,2:91,100,110,122,125,135,140,142LotusPlatform,Treasure,1:191LotusPool,1:431LotusSūtra,1:304,418,468;4:84LüDongbin(Mr.Lü),1:471(534n.2);2:113(380n.10)LuGong,4:325(404n.4)LüliangCascade,2:286LuminescentPalace,3:72–73LunarPalace,4:298(402n.5),302,304LuoBo(Mahāmaudgalyāyana),1:283(523n.20)Luoyang,1:1,2,4;2:47LüQian,4:90Lute,Caveofthe,3:62,65,73,76LynxKing,Giant,1:138–39,157

Ma(monkeymarshal),1:138;2:31,32;3:1,106–7MādhyamikaSchool,1:198–99(515n.20),202(516n.17)MagpiePalace,4:293,300Mahābāli(thedemonking),1:177–78,185,187,188Mahābrahmā,1:7,8Mahāprajnā-parāmitāhṛ-dayaSūtra,4:67

MahārājaMayūra,4:29(388n.14)Mahāyāna-deva(CelestialBeingoftheGreatVehicle),1:4;2:161;4:84MaitreyaHall,2:149;3:236–40MaleReceptionPost-house,3:34,35,48–49,50,55Male-UndoingMountain,3:35,37,41,122ManetheSunRooster,3:223Manjuśrī(Boddhisattva),1:409,448;2:205,206(386n.6),207,253(389n.1);3:24(382n.6),214,315(401n.11);4:29,30,31,384,385

ManjuśrīHall/Platform,2:149,205,207;3:214;4:29–30,75Many-EyedFiend.SeeDemonLordofaHundredEyesMaoQiang,4:290(401n.17)Mars,2:91MassofLandandWater,1:43,57,261–62,266,273,276,281;4:244,381MasterofAdjuvantHoliness,1:190–92MengKe(Mencius),1:239(519n.14)MercyCloudTemple,4:232,242,244,247,254,258–59,261,263MessengerofDirectTalismans,4:183–85MiddleLand,3:200(392n.6),362(403n.2)Mighty-SpiritGod,1:127(380n.5),151–54,157;3:161MightyWind,1:122MiluoPalace(HeavenofHighestClarity),1:453,456;3:76(stream)MindandHeart,Mountainof,1:112,113Ming(emperorofLaterHan),1:274(522n.5)Mist-ConcealingMountain,4:159MistressGround-Rushing,4:121Mo’ang,Prince,2:262–67;4:259–60Mohists,1:117Mokṣa-deva(CelestialBeingofDeliverance),1:4,174–76,177,207,208–10,211,213,214,283,326,431–33;2:10,246,249–51,354;3:92,102,106,116;4:119

MonkeyoftheMind(MindMonkey),1:13,27,29,42,65,70,73(498n.140),74,76,84,94,174(513n.1),188,190,306,385,388;2:34,57,66,72,119,133,147,220,221,300;3:1(381n.1),17,47,76,98,154,157,186,220,364;4:63,79,112,113,142,190,359,360

MonsterKings,1:138–39,151,156.SeealsoYin,GeneralMoon,Goddessofthe,1:212(517n.30),379(529n.16);3:324;4:88,100,149,281,290,302–3MorningAssembly,1:146Morning-SunTower,2:149MotherofLightning,2:293,294,296;4:184–85MountainGuardian.SeeBoqinMountainLord,1:296–97Mountain-RiverAltar,1:275MountofNorthernSpring,1:127Mount-ViewingLodge,2:149Mūlabarhaṇī,3:3Muslims,1:333MysteriousFlowerCave,4:242–43,247,249–50,258MythicBeast,Caveof,3:281,285,293–94,314

NakedFeet,Immortalof,1:164(512n.12),174–75,199NālandāMonastery,1:4Naṭa,Prince(ThirdPrinceofLiJing),1:151,154–57,169,172,175,185;2:116–17,246;3:4–7,13,19,23,160–61;4:116–17,119–21,126

Needle-PusherZhang,4:333–34NettheMoonCrow,3:223

NightPatrolGod,2:116,166,167,187Nine-BendsCurvateCave,4:214,220,222,225,227NinefoldDarkness,1:125NinefoldHeaven,2:202,293;3:4,170,180,230;4:172,183,364Ninefold-NuminaPrimalSage,4:213–14,217,225,229Nine-Heads,3:172,176,180,183,187,191NineHeroes,1:163NineLuminaries,1:160(511n.3),169,171,189,196;2:84;3:84;4:153NineSprings,2:179(385n.1)NineStreams,3:226(395n.1)NingQi,3:9(382n.8)Nirmāṇarati,1:146(510n.1)Nirvāṇa,1:3,43,44,45,46,48,50,63,190,275,278,328,390;2:24,314;3:104,116,201,204;4:43,44,377

NirvāṇaSūtra,1:3Niṣṭyā,3:3No-OptionBridge,1:259–60;4:338(404n.5)NorthernDipper,sevenheadsof,3:2NorthernDipperScripture,2:108(379n.3),305NorthernSpring,Mountof,1:127NorthHeavenGate,2:116–17;3:9–10;4:22(387n.8)NorthUttarakuru(oneoffourgreatBuddhistcontinents),1:100(506n.5),204;3:228NumberSeven,GreatKingFox(alsoknownasVenerableMaternalUncle),2:143–44,266NuminousEarthDistrict,4:310,323,335–36NuminousPower,GreatKingof,2:324–27,330–33,343,348NuminousTerraceofSevenTreasures,1:196Nüwa,2:134,135(380n.2)

OldGaoVillage.SeeGaoVillageOldLi,3:243–44,251–53OldMadam,2:121,122–26,132Old-TimeSūtra,1:468;2:2OldWomanoftheWind,2:292,294,295OṃandRam,2:181;3:216;4:20(387n.7)One-HornDemonKing,1:171–73One-HornedBuffalo,2:369,370OneLoadofGold,2:328–29,330–31,348;4:367OrangutanKing,1:138–39,157Orionis,StarLord,3:72–75,347–48OuyangXiu,1:5,6OxtheGoldBull,3:223

PagodaMountain,1:388;2:254Palm-LeafCave,3:121–23,135,137,142,145–47,149,153,157,161PanAn,2:59(378n.3)Pāncavidyā,1:146(510n.1)Pang(divinehero),1:145,341;2:84;3:10;4:92(391n.14),298PanGu(thefirsthuman),1:99(506n.1),100PeachBlossomCave,4:210(397n.2)PeacockSūtra,1:304,468;4:316Pearl-BearingDragonGirl,2:354PeiofLu,3:259(396n.6)Peng.SeePenglaiIsland(andPenglaiMountain)

Penghu,2:338PenglaiIsland(andPenglaiMountain),1:351(525n.2),409(531n.6);2:2(373n.4),6,14,37,70,114,120,238,279;3:101,123,141,320;4:55(389n.6),109,236

Peng-Ying(collectivenameoftheThreeIsles),2:369(392n.5);3:136(389n.5)Pengzu,2:24(375n.4)PerfectLight,Hallof,1:164,174,187;4:118,179,183,185,255PerpetualShadeMountain,1:256–58;3:110Phoenix-DownSlope,3:312Phoenix-ImmortalPrefecture,4:177–79,183–85,190,374Physicians,1:117PlatformofCanopus,1:146(510n.2)PlumMountain,1:178–82;2:30;3:187Polestar,Palaceofthe,1:101,102,174Poluo,1:7PomegranatePavilion,3:281PoolofWangmu(QueenMotheroftheWest),1:7PotalakaMountain,1:174,206,279,326,329,333,360,365;2:10,14,242,245,247,252,264;3:92,101–2,105,107

Prajnā-pāramitā,1:66,146(510n.1),418Pralambā,3:344(404n.4),345,346–48PreciousFlowerMountain,4:307–8PreciousGroveMonastery,2:150,162,172,180,194–95,201,207–8PreciousHalloftheGreatHero,2:151,154PreciousImageKingdom,2:44(377n.2),46–47,54,60,73,79;3:59;4:374PreciousLight,1:146PreciousPermanenceSūtra,4:367PregnancyReflectionStream,3:34,48PrimalSecret,TreasurePalaceof,1:196PulpyPersimmonAlley,3:242,250,252Pure-CoolCave,3:159PureFlorescenceVillage,4:53–55,57PureLandMonastery,1:2PurgationStream,3:336,340PurpleCloudMountain,3:344,345PurpleTenuityHall,3:141(389n.11)Pūrva-Aṣādhā,3:3Pūrva-Prosṭḥapada,3:3

Qi,3:3Qin,Towerof,2:159(382n.14)Qinguang,King,1:140,142,143;3:110QinQiong(QinShubao),1:244,246,262,264Qiu(CelestialMaster,alsoknownasQiuHongzhi),1:141,174,213;3:1–2,107;4:118,179,255Qi-Yu,3:205(393n.20)QocoKingdom,1:369,442;2:201;3:59,167;4:373QuanzhenOrder(ofDaoism),1:453;2:113,164(384n.4),175;4:405n.5QueenBeauty,4:36,51,58QueenMotheroftheJadePool.SeeLadyQueenMotheroftheWestQuick-as-Fire,2:236,238

Rāhu,Starof,1:169;3:3Rākṣasī,2:219;3:122(388n.8),123–32,133,138,142–47,149,158,161–63.SeealsoImmortalIron-FanRearGateoftheServants,2:177–78,180,184;4:23,24

ReceiveLifeSūtra,2:136Reclining-BeastDragon,2:261RedAuraPalace,3:7,10RedBoy,2:219,223,227,229,235,237–38,242,354;3:122(388n.9),125,127,130RedCliff,3:9(382n.9)RedMillions,2:213RedMoundElixirPlatform,1:166RedPine,1:318(524n.16)RedThousands,2:213Red-WhiskeredDragon,2:261Revatī(alsoknownasWood-WolfStarandGreatKingYellowRobe),2:84–85,86ReverentDragon,2:261RipePeachMountain,1:117,180RisingSun,StarGodofthe,3:72RiverFloat(Xuanzang),1:222(518n.6)RiverJin,3:135RiverofLibations,1:178,184,186,189RoaringMountain,2:218,219,221,227,229,234,242,246;3:39,125,138RocofTenThousandCloudyMiles,3:360RooftheMoonSwallow,3:223

SacrificeKingdom,3:170,179,194;4:374Ṣaḍ-varṣa,1:286(523n.25),334Śākya,1:198;4:84Śākyamuni,2:149(382n.8);3:112;4:347–48.SeealsoMahārājaMayūraŚālaTrees,1:201SalvificRainMonastery,4:188,225–26Samādhi,1:413(wind);2:219,230,239,242,244Saṁsāra,1:3SanlunSchool.SeeMādhyamikaSchoolŚārī-land,2:89Śārīputra,1:282,390,409(531n.3)Śatabhiṣā,3:3Scarlet-PurpleKingdom,3:256,262,267,290,298,306,309;4:374ScatteredCloud,1:146(510n.1)Scattered-RocksMountain,3:140,149,153,172,176,180,183Scripture-WatchTower,4:370–71Sea-LollingDragon,2:121–22,124–25,131–32,261Sea-PacifyingChanGroveMonastery,4:76,79,106Sea-TurtleHouse,2:346,356–57SecondBoyoftheWind,2:292,294,295SerpentCoilMountain,1:321,326;3:369(404n.2);4:374SevenExtremes,Mountainof,3:242,250,252,254SevenRegulators,3:3SevenStars,1:196SevenWorthies,2:338(391n.9);3:199(392n.2)ShaanxiProvince,1:217ShadowlessTree,1:201Shangguan,4:175–76(395n.3),180ShanxiProvince,2:261ShaoKangjie,1:99(506n.3)ShaoWeng,1:364(526n.14)ShaoYong,1:99(506n.3)

ShaWujing,1:41,78,79,83,433;2:55;3:48,49,80,86,99,102,106;4:52,382Shengjiaoxu(PrefacetotheHolyReligion),1:5;4:379Shifty-and-Freaky,4:208–9,211,216,218,221,223Shimin.SeeTaizong(emperorofTangdynasty)Shizong,1:6ShoulingMonastery,1:6ShrineofSylvanImmortals,3:202,209Shu,1:256(521n.8)Shun(sageking),1:244(520n.28),277;3:226(395n.4),259Silabhadra,1:4Silver-HeadedGuardian,3:223SilverHorn,2:100–101,135SilverPeacePalace,2:62–65,67,74,79SilverSagePalace,3:281,314SilverStream,1:359Sink,2:343(392n.15)SixChambers,4:51Six-DiagramGods,1:383SixHermits,3:(392n.3)Six-Hundred-MileAwl-HeadPeak,2:218SixRobbers,1:13,66,73,306(523n.1),315;2:254(389n.3);3:76SixWomenOfficials,1:196(514n.12)Sizhou,3:231SkinningPavilion,3:303,307SlantingMoonandThreeStars,Caveof,1:112,113,119,122;2:2–6,12,13,14,90SlimyShitAlley,3:242SlyDevil,2:111,114–17,119–20SnowLion,4:216,218,221SnowMountain,4:29Sōma,1:169SongEmperor,Kingofthe,1:140;3:110,232SouthAdventMonastery,4:318SouthHeavenGate,1:102,144–46,149,151,158,185,213,341,344,353,425,469;2:84,116–18,192,193,195,246,293;3:1,4,7,28,106,217,289,359;4:2,27,118,124

SouthJambūdvīpa(oneoffourgreatBuddhistcontinents),1:100(506n.5),107,108–9(borders),114,129,205,255;2:48,199,288;3:50,100,173–74,225,226,228,231;4:271,274,314–15,348,356

SouthMountain,4:163,164–65SouthSeamythology,2:151(382n.11)SpiritMountain(alsoknownasGaruḍaorSpiritVulturePeak),1:11,201,207,209,308,327,419–20,452;2:142,148(381n.4),208;3:23–25,56,99–100,170,214,351;4:27,29,81,89,91,121,145,174;4:174,234,262,271,313,314,342–44,346–47,363,372,381,382,383

SpreadIncenseHall,2:85SpreadtheMoonDeer,3:223SpringGrace,3:303–6Śramaṇa,4:349Śravaṇā,3:3ŚrāvastīKingdom,4:266–67,373Śraviṣṭha,3:3StarLordofSupremeYin(GodoftheMoon),4:302–6StarofLongevity(alsoknownasStarofLongLife),1:175,198,199,204;2:2,3–6.SeealsoSlantingMoonandThreeStars,Caveof

StarRiver,1:293

StarSpiritofJupiter,1:148StarSpiritofSouthPole,1:221StarSpiritofWuqu,1:148StarSpiritsofFivePoles,1:159(511n.12),160,163,169,188,198,221,255StartheSunHorse,3:223SteerHermit,1:296–97StewardWang,4:130–32StiffBristlesHog,1:376,379;3:189StomachtheEarthHog,3:223StraddlertheWoodWolf,3:223;4:255–58Suanyi,4:216(397n.5),218–19Subodhi,Patriarch,1:112,114,115,116–20,129Sudatta,4:269Sudhana(alsoknownasBoySkilledinWealth),2:224(386–87n.3),227,253(389n.1),354;3:39,92,106,125,138;4:128

Suiren,1:342(525n.4);2:225(387n.4)SuiWendi,1:2SumeruMountain,1:4,146(510n.1),201,417;2:108;3:159SunChu,3:207(394n.29)SunKang,2:335(391n.3)SupremeRuleroftheEast.SeeDonghuadijunSupremeYin,StarLord,4:302–6ŚūrangamāSūtra,1:204,468SūryaKingdom,3:118–19(388n.6)SūtrafortheSalvationoftheDead,1:304Suvarnaṭa,4:119SuWu,2:335Suxiang,4:138(393n.4)Suyāma,1:146(510n.1)Swift-as-Wind,2:236,238

TaihangMountain,3:287(400n.8)TailtheFireTiger,3:223TaiMountain,1:138,140(king),206;2:102,109,116,163,165,250,256,349;3:84,110(king),157,232;4:194

TaiyueMountain,2:261Taizong(emperorofTangdynasty),1:3,5,217(517n.2),218,243,246,248–51,252–67,271,275,279,287–91;2:200;3:79,83;4:81,156,272(399–400n.9),370,373–76,381

Tao(divineDaoistgeneral),1:145;3:72–73Tartars,1:208,305Tathāgata(BuddhistPatriarch).SeeBuddha(alsoknownasBuddhistPatriarch,Tathāgata)TenIslets,1:100,198(514n.17),353;2:2,5;4:37TenQuarters,3:84(386n.7)TenThousandFlowersInn,1:219,225,229Thearchs,1:100(506n.4),160(511n.2);2:7,8–9ThirdPneumaoftheSouth,3:7,9Thirty-MileInn,2:153Thirty-sixHalls,4:17(387n.5)ThoughtlessCliff,1:201Thousand-CharacterTreatise,3:307ThousandFlowersCave,3:344–48Thousand-MileEye,1:102,143Thousand-StepCorridor,1:246

ThreeAugustOnes,1:100(506n.4)ThreeCharitiesGrandAssembly,4:119ThreeDukes,3:113(387n.5)ThreeForbiddenEnclosures,3:3(381n.4)ThreeForces,4:2(387n.1)ThreeIslands,1:100(origin),353;2:2,5,37;4:37ThreeJudges,1:146(510n.3)ThreeKings,1:273ThreeMountainsPhoenixcap,1:180ThreeOfficialsScripture,2:305ThreePalaces,Queenofthe,2:49ThreePureOnes(highestDaoistdeities),1:160(511n.1),163,196;2:273–74(389n.4),279–80,281–82,284–89;3:334

ThreeRegions,1:127,139,140ThreeStars.SeeSlantingMoonandThreeStars,CaveofThreeTribunes,1:253ThreeWains,3:76(385n.2)ThreeWorms(alsoknownasThreeCorpses),1:324(524n.1);2:109;4:46Thunder,Squireof,2:293,294,296;4:184ThunderBureau,2:292ThunderclapMonastery,1:192–93,201,203,287,316,335;3:56,65,72,97,99,112,127,160,174,214,217,219,227,229,233,258,297;4:31,76,143,145,174–75,244,271,346,352

Tiantaimountain,3:36,136(389n.4),333(402–3n.1)Tianyou,1:196Tianzhu(India),1:202(516n.16)Tibet,1:14,369,388,422;2:201;3:59,167.SeealsoQocoKingdomTidalSoundCave,1:206,361,431;2:242,245;3:92,106Tiger’s-MouthCave,4:203,206,208,210,217,227Tiger-StrengthGreatImmortal,2:271,279,280,284–87,291–92,298,300,304,306TigerVanguard,1:401–2,404–6ToadPalace,4:298(402n.4),302,305ToxicFoeMountain,3:62,65,73TranscendentVoid,1:146,362–65Transformation,Templeof,1:276,294TransformedJoyPalace,2:279TranslucentPalace,1:141Transmigration,SixfoldPathof,1:261,266Transmigration,Wheelof,1:107,142,255,468;3:368;4:85,101TransmigrationHall,4:75TriastertheWaterApe,3:223Trimsika,1:5Triratna,4:40TriumphantVirtue,Queen,3:227TrueImmortalCompliant,3:35,37–38,39,43TrueScripturesoftheYellowCourt,2:284TrueSūtraofthePeacock,2:162TrueWarrioroftheNorth.SeeZhenwuTuoluoVillage,3:251,254TurningWheel,Kingof,1:140;3:110TurtleandSerpent,3:228–33,240TurtleMountain,Monasteryof,3:232TushitaPalace,1:166,189,192,198,214,469;2:85,86,146,192,193,195;3:27–28,30,133,309,311;

4:149TwoFrontiers,Mountainof,1:304,306,309,312,336;2:16,21,27,111,123,201;4:100,218,373

UltimateBliss,1:193;4:174,192Underworld,TenKingsofthe,1:139–41,142,255–56,265,268;2:72,165,192;3:84,111–12,351–52;4:82,338

UnicornMountain,3:177(hall),281,285,293,314UniversalSweetDew,Hallof,4:228Upāsakas,3:113,116;4:347Upāsikās,3:113,116;4:347UtpalaFlowers,1:7Uttara-Aṣādhā,3:3Uttara-Proṣṭhapada,3:3

Vairocana,1:62,276(hat)(522n.10),285(hat),336;2:152(hat),278;3:161,173(hat);4:40(hat),273,293,295,343,355,384

Vaiśravaṇa,Devarāja,1:146(510n.1);2:151;3:10VajraGuardians,1:192;2:150–51(382n.10);4:266(hall),347–48,353,358,361–62,369,370–71,380–81

Vajrayakṣa,3:160;4:119VastColdPalace.SeeLunarPalaceVasubandhu,1:5VictoriousUltimate(DiamondGuardian),3:159Vihārapālas,1:407(530n.1),414;2:43,62,166,173,203,274;3:113,116,157,161,217,223;4:39,61,253,348,358,383

Virūḍhaka,Devarāja,1:145,151(511n.5);2:151;4:254Virūpākṣa,Devarāja,1:341,344;2:151;3:1,7,106;4:226Viśākhā,3:3Viśvabhadra,1:409,448;3:214;4:29–30Void-Entrapping,Mount,4:91,94,98,117,124Void-Surmounting,Master,3:199,202–6,209Void-TreadingTower,2:149VulturePeak,1:201,293(523n.1);3:24

WalltheWaterPorcupine,3:223WangChongyang(WangZhe,foundingpatriarchofQuanzhenDaoism),1:28,43,91,485,499WangGong,2:335WangMang,1:306(524n.4)Wangmu,1:8WangNuminousOfficer(InspectorGeneral),1:190(514n.8),379(529n.17)WangQiang,3:135(388n.2)WangWei,1:239;3:212WangXiang,2:339(392n.13)WangZiyou,3:205(393–94n.23)Water-BellyCave,1:127,129Water-CalamityBook,2:347WaterCrystalPalace,1:134,135,220,238,317;2:187–88,227,261;4:259–60Water-CurtainCave,1:104(507n.9),105,106,114,124–27,152,154,172,182;2:23,28,34,71;3:91,93,98,103,107–10;4:99(391n.2),373

WaterLitanyofKingLiang,2:162(384n.1);4:84WaterLord.SeeYellowRiverGod(alsoknownasWaterLord)WateryVirtue,Starof,3:9–10,25WeakWater,1:207(516n.24),209

WeiRiver,1:262WeiyangPalace,3:165(391n.6)WeiZheng,1:217(517n.4),243–47,250–51,255,265,271,284;2:261;3:260;4:244WellDragonKing,2:187–89WelltheWoodHound,3:223;4:255–57,259–60Wen,KingofZhou,2:136,243;3:1,38(383n.6),106WenchangDijun,2:163(384n.3)Wenjun,Zhuo,3:135(388–89n.3)WestAparagodānīya(oneoffourgreatBuddhistcontinents),1:100(506n.5),109,129,204;2:9,219;3:59,227,262;4:314

WesternLiang,2:340(KingdomofWomen);3:34(383n.5),47,50,54–55,62,63,66,73,75,167;4:374Western-PeacePass,4:370WestHeavenGate,1:166,195;3:257,258;4:23,64,82,131,179,180,254–55,298–301WheelofLaw,1:294(523n.2)White-CloudCave,2:2–3WhiteDew,2:335(391n.7)White-HairedOnes,3:200(392n.4)WhiteHeroicHonoredOne,4:352–53WhiteTabletMaster,2:106(379n.2)WhiteTigerMountain,1:8,251,262;2:18–19,34,68WidowZhao,4:133–37Wildcat,4:216,218–19,221Wild-GoosePagodaTemple,4:380,381WillowSlope,4:53,54WillowtheEarthAntelope,3:223WilyWorm,2:111,114–17,119–20WingtheFireSerpent,3:223WinnowertheWaterLeopard,3:223WisdomDepthMonastery,2:278,287,288,315WitheredPineBrook,2:213Woe-DispellingScripture,2:279,305WomantheEarthBat,3:223Wondrous-CliffPalace,4:225–26,229Wondrous-HeightTerrace,2:150Wood-CreatureStars,4:255–57Wood-WolfStar.SeeRevatī(alsoknownasWood-WolfStarandGreatKingYellowRobe)WrongfulDeath,Cityof,4:157,338WudangMountain,3:225(395n.11),226,228–29,231,233,240WuDaozi,1:289WuGang,1:428(532n.7)WulingSpring,1:197(514n.15)Wuqu,StarSpiritof,1:148WutaiMountain,2:206WuWeitree,1:99Wuyi,1:207(516n.25)

XiangguoTemple:1:273(522n.1)XiangLiang,1:272–73XianglinMonastery,1:7Xiansheng,Master,1:353(526n.7)XiaoHe,2:182(385n.3)XiaoYu,1:274,280;4:380Xin,1:145;3:72–73;2:84;4:184

XiShi,3:55(384n.6)69Xizi:1:445(532n.4)Xuandi,2:366XueTao,3:135(388–89n.3)XuJingyang(CelestialMaster),1:160(512n.9),263;3:1–2,4,107;4:118,179,255XuJingzong,1:244,263XuMougong,1:246,249,250,262,263XuShizhi,1:244–45XuyiMountain,3:231–32

Yama(KingoftheUnderworld),1:106,107,109,139–40,267,270–71,304,409;2:33,91,165;3:89,110,351;4:9,19,81,88,333–36

YangJian(onesecularnameforErlang),1:2YangziRiver,2:187,261Yao(sageking),1:244,277YellowBrows,3:219,229,233YellowFlowerAbbey,3:333,340,343,346YellowGate,Custodianof,2:198,207,288,290,295;3:49,173,258;4:41,49,274,279YellowLion,4:218,221,223YellowRiver,1:324;2:187,261;3:57(385n.8),319YellowRiverGod(alsoknownasWaterLord),3:10–11,14,23,29–30YellowRobe,2:41–42,44–45,48,49–50,53–56,57–59,74–75,77–84,85.SeealsoRevatī(alsoknownasWood-WolfStarandGreatKingYellowRobe)

YellowSpring,4:298YellowWay,3:287(399–400n.6)YellowWind,GreatKing,1:412;3:127YellowWindRidge,1:397,400–406(king),408,412,416,419,421;3:127YiBridge,1:318Yin,General,1:295–97Ying.SeeYingzhouYing-chou,2:238Yingzhou,2:9,10(NineElders);3:123,164;4:55(389n.6),222,236YinWenjiao(motherofXuanzang),1:218–22,224,226–30Yizong,Emperor,4:272Yoga,1:205,327Youli,2:181(385n.2)YoungMasters’City,4:34,36–37Yu,Great(king,founderofXiadynasty),1:135(509n.4);2:164;3:226,375;4:201YuLiang,2:159(382n.15)YuanAn,2:335YuanHong,2:159(382n.16)Yuanming,3:164(390–91n.5)YuanShoucheng,1:240–42YuanTiankang,1:240YuchiGong,1:249,272–73Yue,King,3:69YueMountains,3:226YuetuoKingdom,3:167

ZengYuan,2:243Zhang,PrinceLittle,3:231,233–35,240ZhangBoduan(Ziyang),1:13(485n.44),44,45,50,73(498n.141),306(542n.3),378(529n.13);3:315(401n.10)

ZhangDaoling(CelestialMaster),1:145,213;2:240(388n.2);3:1–2,72,107;4:118,179,255ZhangDaoyuan,1:274ZhangFan,3:4,6–7ZhangLiang,1:318(524n.14)ZhangShao,1:231–37ZhangShiheng,1:274ZhangWang,4:333ZhangZiyang(canonizednameofZhangBoduan),3:315(401n.10).SeealsoZhangBoduan(Ziyang)Zhao,3:1,106ZhaoyangPalace,4:290Zhenwu,2:91,116–18,409(531n.4);3:225(395n.10),227–28,231Zhenying,4:119Zhenyuan,Master,1:453(533n.5),454,469–78;2:1–4,11,14Zhenzhen,1:440(532n.2),445,447Zhili,Gulfof,2:117ZhongnanMountain,2:164,175,202Zhongtu.SeeMiddleLandZhou,Dukeof(ZhouGong),1:447(519n.14)ZhouYu,2:136;3:9(382n.9)ZhuGanglie,1:376.SeealsoStiffBristlesHogZhugeLiang,1:250(520n.36)ZhuoMao,4:325(404n.4)ZhuShixing,1:1Zijian,2:59(378n.2)Zitong,1:409(531n.5)Ziyou,2:335