Ask of the Zen barrier , seek with countless prayers, and often you will end in vain old age. Grinding a brick to make a mirror , piling snow to store as grain—how many youths have been misled? A hair can swallow the great sea ; a mustard seed can hold Mount Sumeru—the Golden-Hued One smiles in enlightenment. When awakening comes, it surpasses the ten stages and three vehicles, dissolving the stagnation of the four births and six paths. Who can hear, before the Cliff of Extinguished Thought , beneath the Tree of No-Shade , the cuckoo’s call at spring dawn? The path to Caoxi is perilous; the clouds over Vulture Peak are deep—here, the voice of an old friend is lost. On a thousand-foot ice cliff, the five-petaled lotus blooms; in the ancient hall, the curtain hangs low, incense curling. At that moment, when the source is seen, you will behold the Three Jewels of the Dragon King .
This lyric, titled “ Slow Song of Su Wu ,” tells how the Buddha Tathagata , after taking leave of the Jade Emperor, returned to his sacred Thunderclap Monastery . No sooner had he arrived at Spirit Mountain than three thousand Buddhas, five hundred Arhats, eight great Vajra Guardians, and countless Bodhisattvas , each holding banners, canopies, rare treasures, and celestial flowers, came to welcome him beneath the twin sal trees of the immortal realm. Tathagata halted his auspicious cloud and said to the assembly, “With my deepest wisdom, I have observed all beings in the Three Realms. The fundamental nature of all things is ultimately pure and still, no different from the void—utterly empty. Previously, when I subdued that mischievous monkey spirit, few in the world understood the true cause—it was the very beginning of the cycle of birth and death, and the natural law of all things in the universe.”
As he spoke, Tathagata’s body emitted the light of the relic, and forty-two white rainbows appeared in the sky, linking north and south. Seeing this, the assembly knelt and bowed in reverence. After a moment, the auspicious clouds gathered, and Tathagata ascended his nine-tiered lotus throne, seating himself upright. The three thousand Buddhas, five hundred Arhats, eight Vajra Guardians, and four Bodhisattvas stepped forward, palms together, and asked, “What kind of demon was it that caused such havoc in Heaven and disrupted the Peach Festival ?”
Tathagata replied, “It was a monkey spirit born on Flower-Fruit Mountain, whose crimes were so great they defy description. All the celestial generals were powerless against him; even when Erlang captured him and the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord refined him in the alchemical furnace, he remained unharmed. When I arrived, he was still strutting among the heavenly troops, showing off his powers. I first halted the battle and asked his origins. He boasted of his divine powers, his ability to transform, and his cloud-somersault that could carry him one hundred and eight thousand miles in a single leap. I made a wager with him, and he could not escape the palm of my hand. So I seized him, turned my five fingers into the Five Elements Mountain , and pressed him beneath it. Later, the Jade Emperor opened wide the Golden Palace and Jasper Pool, inviting me to sit at the head of the table for the ‘Heaven-Pacifying Banquet’ to thank me. I declined the Jade Emperor’s offer and returned.” Hearing this, the assembly was overjoyed and praised Tathagata. After bowing, they each withdrew to their duties, sharing in the bliss of the Western Paradise. Truly:
Auspicious mists filled the Heavenly Kingdom; rainbow light embraced the World-Honored One. In the West, he is called the foremost, the gate of the formless Dharma King. Often one sees dark apes offering fruit, and deer carrying flowers in their mouths; the blue phoenix dances, the colorful phoenix sings; the spiritual tortoise presents longevity, and the immortal crane holds the magic fungus. They peacefully enjoy the Pure Land’s Jetavana Garden, and partake of the Dragon Palace’s sandy realms. Every day flowers bloom; every hour fruit ripens. They cultivate stillness and return to truth; they meditate and realize the true fruit. Neither born nor destroyed, neither increased nor diminished. Mist and rosy clouds drift freely with the comings and goings; cold and heat do not intrude, and the years are forgotten.
A poem says:
Coming and going, free and at ease,
Without fear and without sorrow.
In the field of utmost bliss, all is open and broad,
In the great thousand worlds, there is no autumn or spring.
Tathagata dwelt at the Great Thunderclap Monastery on Spirit Mountain. One day, he summoned the assembly of Buddhas, Arhats, Guardians, Bodhisattvas, Vajra Warriors, monks, and nuns, and said, “Since subduing the mischievous monkey and pacifying the Heavenly Palace, I know not how long has passed here, but it seems some five hundred years have gone by in the mortal world. Now it is the fifteenth day of the first autumn month. I have a jeweled basin filled with a hundred rare flowers and a thousand exotic fruits. I wish to hold an Ullambana Feast with you all. What do you think?” The assembly, palms together, circled the Buddha three times in approval. Tathagata had Ananda hold the jeweled basin while Kasyapa distributed the flowers and fruits among the assembly. All were deeply grateful and each offered a poem of thanks.
The Poem of Fortune:
The star of fortune shines brightly before the World-Honored One,
Fortune received is deep, far-reaching, and ever-lasting.
Fortune’s virtue knows no bounds, enduring as the earth,
Fortune’s fate brings blessings linked to Heaven.
The field of fortune is sown wide, flourishing year after year,
The sea of fortune is deep and vast, firm year after year.
Fortune fills the cosmos, bestowing many blessings,
Fortune increases without measure, eternally complete.
The Poem of Emolument:
Emolument is as heavy as a mountain, the colorful phoenix sings,
Emolument follows the times of peace, praying for long life.
Emolument adds ten thousand bushels, and the body is healthy,
Emolument enjoys a thousand measures, and the world is at peace.
Emolument’s pay equals Heaven, secure and everlasting,
Emolument’s fame is like the sea, clearer and purer.
Emolument’s grace extends far, much admired,
Emolument’s rank is boundless, bringing glory to all nations.
The Poem of Longevity:
The God of Longevity presents his tribute before Tathagata,
The realm of longevity shines bright, opening from this moment.
Longevity fruits fill the plate, giving birth to auspicious mists,
Longevity flowers, freshly picked, are inserted into the lotus throne.
The longevity poem is pure and elegant, full of wonder,
The longevity song is tuned to the music of a talented beauty.
Life is prolonged, equal to the sun and moon,
Longevity is like the mountains and seas, even more leisurely.
After the Bodhisattvas had offered their poems, they earnestly begged Tathagata to expound the fundamental Dharma and point out the source of spiritual cultivation. Tathagata gently began to speak, proclaiming the Great Law and elucidating the true fruit. He spoke of the three vehicles of the wondrous canon and the principles of the five aggregates in the Shurangama Sutra. Celestial dragons gathered around, and heavenly flowers rained down. Truly, “the Zen mind shines clear, like a thousand rivers reflecting the moon; the true nature is pure, encompassing the vast sky for ten thousand miles.”
When Tathagata had finished his sermon, he said to the assembly, “I observe that beings in the four great continents differ in good and evil. The people of Purvavideha honor Heaven and revere the earth, with peaceful hearts. The people of Uttarakuru, though fond of killing, do so only for sustenance; their natures are simple, and they do not commit excessive evil. The people of our Aparagodaniya are neither greedy nor murderous; they cultivate their hearts and minds, and though they lack the highest immortals, everyone enjoys long life. Only the people of Jambudvipa are devoted to pleasure and delight in evil, ceaselessly contending with one another. They are a battlefield of gossip and wrongdoing, an ocean of sin. I now possess the Three Stores of True Scriptures, which can persuade people to do good.”
The Bodhisattvas, hearing this, bowed with palms together and asked, “What are the Three Stores of True Scriptures of the Tathagata?”
Tathagata replied, “I have one store of Dharma, which speaks of the laws of Heaven; one store of Treatises, which explains the principles of all things on Earth; and one store of Sutras, which can liberate the souls of the dead. The Three Stores together comprise thirty-five sections, with one hundred fifty-one thousand one hundred forty-four scrolls. They are the very foundation of cultivating truth and accumulating virtue. I wish to send these True Scriptures to the Eastern Lands, but the beings there are benighted and slander the True Dharma, not understanding the essential meaning of my teachings and despising the path of orthodox cultivation. How can I find someone with spiritual power to go to the Eastern Lands, seek a person of sincere faith, and have him traverse a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers to come here and seek the scriptures? Then the scriptures can be transmitted forever in the East, converting all beings. This would be a great blessing and a deep karmic connection. Who is willing to go?”
At that moment, Bodhisattva Guanyin stepped forward to the lotus throne, bowed three times, and said, “Your disciple, though unworthy, is willing to go to the Eastern Lands to find the scripture-seeker.” The assembly looked up and saw that the Bodhisattva was truly majestic and compassionate:
Her nature is perfectly rounded in the four virtues; her wisdom fills her golden body. Necklaces of pearl and jade hang down; fragrant rings of jeweled light are bound. Her black hair is artfully piled in a coiling-dragon bun; her embroidered sash lightly flutters like a phoenix tail. With jade-green buttons and a white silk robe, an auspicious light envelops her; with a brocade velvet skirt and a golden chain, an auspicious aura welcomes her. Her brows are like a crescent moon; her eyes are like twin stars. Her jade face naturally radiates joy; her vermilion lips are a single spot of red. The sweet dew in her pure vase is ever abundant; the willow branch she wears askance is ever green. She resolves the eight calamities, delivers all beings, and is great in compassion. Thus, she guards Mount Tai and dwells in the Southern Sea, seeking out cries of suffering. Ten thousand calls, ten thousand responses; a thousand holy ones, a thousand efficacies. Her orchid heart delights in the purple bamboo; her gentle nature loves the fragrant vines. She is the compassionate lord of Mount Potalaka, the living Guanyin of the Tide Sound Cave.
Seeing her, Tathagata was filled with joy. “No one else can go,” he said. “Only you, Venerable Guanyin, with your vast spiritual powers, are fit for this task.”
The Bodhisattva asked, “Your disciple is going to the Eastern Lands. What instructions does the Buddha have?”
Tathagata replied, “On this journey, you must personally survey the route. Do not merely fly among the clouds. You must travel half in cloud, half in mist, seeing the mountains and rivers with your own eyes, noting the distances carefully, and giving detailed instructions to the scripture-seeker. I fear the sincere man may find the road difficult. I will give you five treasures.” He then had Ananda and Kasyapa bring forth a robe of brocade and a nine-ringed monastic staff. “This robe and staff,” he said to the Bodhisattva, “are for the scripture-seeker’s personal use. If he can come here sincerely, wearing my robe will prevent him from falling into the cycle of rebirth; holding my staff will protect him from demonic harm.” The Bodhisattva knelt and accepted them.
Tathagata then took out three rings and handed them to the Bodhisattva. “These treasures are called ‘tightening rings.’ Though the three are identical, their uses differ. I have three incantations: ‘gold,’ ‘tight,’ and ‘forbidden.’ If you encounter a demon with vast powers on the road, you must persuade him to do good and have him follow the scripture-seeker as a disciple. If he proves disobedient, place this ring on his head, and it will naturally take root in his flesh. Then recite the corresponding incantation, and his eyes will bulge, his head will ache, and his forehead will split open. This will surely make him submit to the Dharma of my school.”
Hearing this, the Bodhisattva joyfully bowed and withdrew. She immediately called her attendant, Huian the Pilgrim, to accompany her. Huian, carrying a heavy iron staff weighing a thousand catties, followed close by the Bodhisattva, serving as a powerful demon-subduer. The Bodhisattva wrapped up the brocade robe for Huian to carry, hid the golden rings on her person, took up the monastic staff, and descended directly from Spirit Mountain. This journey was truly: “The Buddha’s son returns to fulfill his original vow; the Elder Jinchan wraps himself in sandalwood.”
When the Bodhisattva reached the mountain’s foot, the Golden-Capped Great Immortal of the Jade True Temple was waiting at the temple gate to welcome her. He invited the Bodhisattva in for tea. The Bodhisattva dared not linger. “I am carrying the Tathagata’s decree to the Eastern Lands to find the scripture-seeker,” she said.
The Great Immortal asked, “When will the scripture-seeker arrive here?”
The Bodhisattva replied, “It is hard to say. Perhaps in two or three years, he may come.” With that, she took leave of the Great Immortal and, traveling half in cloud and half in mist, flew eastward, noting the route as she went. A poem attests to this:
Seeking one from ten thousand miles, I speak not of myself,
Yet who can say that the will is easily fulfilled?
If seeking a man is ever like this,
How could my life be mere chance?
To transmit the Way with skill may become empty talk,
To explain it without faith is also vain tradition.
I wish to pour out my heart and liver to find an acquaintance,
I suspect that ahead there must be a karmic bond.
As the master and disciple were flying along, they suddenly saw a stretch of weak water—this was the boundary of the Flowing Sands River. The Bodhisattva said, “Disciple, this is a difficult place to cross. The scripture-seeker is an ordinary mortal of flesh and blood. How can he ford this river?”
Huian asked, “Master, how wide do you think this river is?”
The Bodhisattva stopped her cloud to look more closely. The Flowing Sands River stretched east to the desert, west to the Western Regions, south to the Kingdom of Wuge, and north to the Tartar lands. The river was eight hundred miles wide, and its course stretched for thousands of miles. The current was so violent it seemed the earth had turned over; the waves rose so high they seemed like toppling mountains. Boundless and vast, the roar of the ten-thousand-foot torrent could be heard ten miles away. No immortal’s raft could reach this place; even a lotus leaf could not float here. Withered grass and the setting sun reflected on the winding banks; yellow clouds obscured the sun, darkening the long embankment. No merchants or travelers came here; no fishermen lived here. No wild geese alighted on the sandy shore; only the cries of apes echoed from the distant banks. Only the red smartweed bloomed in profusion, showing a trace of life, while white reeds gave off a faint fragrance, swaying in the wind.
As the Bodhisattva was gazing, suddenly there was a loud splash in the river, and a demon leaped out, hideous in appearance. His complexion was dark and greenish, his face full of gloom; his stature was neither tall nor short, and he was barefoot, his muscles bulging. His eyes flashed like two lamps in a stove; his mouth was twisted like a butcher’s brazier. His fangs were as sharp as sword blades; his red hair was disheveled. A single roar was like thunder; his legs moved as fast as the wind.
In his hand, the demon held a jeweled staff. He leaped ashore and made a grab for the Bodhisattva, but Huian drew his iron staff and blocked him, shouting, “Stop!” The demon raised his staff and struck, and the two began to fight on the banks of the Flowing Sands River. The scene was astonishing. Huian’s iron staff displayed the divine power of a Dharma protector; the demon’s demon-subduing staff used all his strength. The two silver staves writhed like pythons along the riverbank; the two divine monks charged on the shore. The demon showed his might by the Flowing Sands River; Huian performed great deeds to protect Guanyin. The demon stirred up waves and leaped through the billows; Huian spewed mist and blew wind. Stirring waves and leaping billows darkened heaven and earth; spewing mist and blowing wind obscured the sun and moon. The demon’s demon-subduing staff was as fierce as a white tiger coming down from the mountain; Huian’s iron staff was as majestic as a yellow dragon crouching by the road. The demon swung his staff like parting grass to find a snake; Huian danced his staff like a hawk swooping on a pine. They fought until the stars were dim and heaven and earth were hazy. The demon had long dwelt in the weak water and was always fierce; Huian had just come from Spirit Mountain and was establishing his first great merit.
The two went back and forth for several dozen rounds without either gaining the upper hand. The demon blocked the iron staff and asked, “Where are you from, monk, that you dare to fight with me?”
Huian replied, “I am the second prince of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, Mu Zha, also known as Huian the Pilgrim. I am now protecting my master as she goes to the Eastern Lands to find the scripture-seeker. What demon are you, that you dare to block our path?”
Only then did the demon come to his senses. “I remember that you were cultivating with the South Sea Guanyin in the Purple Bamboo Grove. How did you come here?” he asked.
Huian said, “Is that not my master on the bank?”
Hearing this, the demon quickly nodded in apology, put away his staff, and let Huian lead him to see Guanyin. He knelt and kowtowed, saying, “Bodhisattva, forgive my crime, and hear my story. I am no ordinary demon. I was originally the Curtain-Raising General in the Hall of Miraculous Mist, serving the Jade Emperor. But at the Peach Festival, I accidentally broke a crystal cup. The Jade Emperor gave me eight hundred lashes and banished me from Heaven, transforming me into this shape. He also ordered a flying sword to pierce my chest a hundred times every seven days. The pain is unbearable. In my hunger and cold, I have no choice but to leap out of the waves every two or three days and seize a passerby to eat. I did not know that today I would recklessly offend the great and compassionate Bodhisattva.”
The Bodhisattva said, “You committed a crime in Heaven, and after being banished, you continue to harm living beings. This is adding crime to crime. I am now carrying the Tathagata’s decree to the Eastern Lands to find the scripture-seeker. Why not submit to the Dharma of my school and become a disciple of the scripture-seeker? Go with him to the West to pay homage to the Buddha and seek the scriptures. I will have the flying sword stop piercing you. When you have achieved merit in the future, your crime will be pardoned and your original post restored. What do you think?”
The demon said, “I am willing to submit and cultivate the true fruit.” He then stepped forward and added, “Bodhisattva, I have eaten many people here. Before, several scripture-seekers came, and I ate them all. I used to throw the skulls of those I ate into the Flowing Sands River, and they would all sink to the bottom. But the skulls of nine scripture-seekers floated on the surface and would not sink. I found this strange and strung them together with a rope to play with in my idle hours. Now I fear that if the scripture-seeker cannot reach this place, it will delay my future.”
The Bodhisattva replied, “How could he not reach here? Hang those skulls around your neck and wait for the scripture-seeker. They will prove useful in the future.”
The demon said, “If that is so, I am willing to obey your teachings.”
The Bodhisattva performed the rite of ordination, anointing his head. She gave him the surname “Sha” and the Dharma name “Sha Wujing” (Sand Aware of Purity). From then on, Sha Wujing entered the Buddhist order. He escorted the Bodhisattva across the Flowing Sands River, then reformed his heart, ceased harming living beings, and waited specifically for the scripture-seeker.
The Bodhisattva and Huian took leave of Sha Wujing and continued their flight eastward. After flying for some time, they saw a high mountain, thick with demonic miasma, making it impossible to fly directly over. As they were about to go around it on their cloud, a sudden gale arose, and another demon leaped out, ferocious in appearance. He had a dirty, lotus-pod-like snout, ears like palm-leaf fans, and eyes that flashed with golden light. His fangs were sharp as steel files; his wide mouth gaped like a brazier. His golden helmet was tightly fastened with cheek straps; his armor’s silk cords were like a python shedding its scales. In his hand, he held a rake like a dragon’s claw grasping for prey; at his waist hung a curved bow like a half-moon. His imposing manner dared to bully the God of Fate; his lofty spirit could overpower the heavenly spirits.
The demon, without distinguishing friend from foe, raised his rake and struck at the Bodhisattva. Huian quickly blocked him, shouting, “Wicked fiend, have some manners! Take this staff!”
The demon replied, “You monk, you don’t know life from death! Take this rake!”
They fought back and forth at the foot of the mountain, a truly fierce battle:
The demon was fierce; Huian was majestic. The iron staff aimed for the heart; the rake met the face. Dust and sand flew, darkening heaven and earth; stones and gravel scattered, frightening gods and ghosts. The nine-toothed rake flashed with golden light; the double rings clanged loudly. The single staff was jet black and heavy; both hands wielded it as if flying. One was a heavenly prince; the other was a marshal turned spirit. One served as a protector on Mount Potalaka; the other was a fiend in a mountain cave. This encounter was a contest of high and low; none could tell who would win or lose.
As the two were locked in an indecisive struggle, Guanyin, from midair, cast down a lotus flower, which separated the rake and the iron staff. Seeing the lotus flower appear out of nowhere, the demon was startled and shouted, “Where are you from, monk, that you dare to use such illusion to deceive me?”
Mu Zha said, “You fool with your mortal eyes! I am the disciple of the South Sea Bodhisattva. That lotus flower was thrown down by my master. Can’t you even recognize that?”
The demon said, “The South Sea Bodhisattva? Is that the Guanyin Bodhisattva who can sweep away the three calamities and save beings from the eight difficulties?”
Mu Zha replied, “Who else could it be?”
The demon immediately dropped his rake, knelt, and kowtowed, saying, “Old brother, where is the Bodhisattva? Please introduce me to her.”
Mu Zha pointed up into the air. “Isn’t she right there?”
The demon kowtowed repeatedly to the sky, shouting loudly, “Bodhisattva, forgive my crime! Forgive my crime!”
Guanyin descended on her cloud, approached, and asked, “What kind of wild boar spirit are you, causing mischief here and daring to block my path?”
The demon said, “I am no wild boar, nor a domestic pig. I was originally the Marshal Tianpeng of the Heavenly River. Because I got drunk and flirted with the Moon Goddess, the Jade Emperor gave me two thousand hammer blows and banished me to the mortal world. My true soul went to be reborn, but I took the wrong path and entered the womb of a sow, ending up in this form. I bit the sow to death, killed the whole litter of piglets, and took over this mountain, living by eating people. Today, I have inadvertently run into the Bodhisattva. I beg you to save me!”
The Bodhisattva asked, “What is the name of this mountain?”
The demon said, “It is called Fuling Mountain. In the mountain, there is a cave called the Cloud-Stack Cave. The cave originally belonged to a woman named Mao Er. Seeing that I had some martial skills, she took me as her husband. But within a year, she died, and all the property in the cave came to me. I have lived here for a long time with no proper livelihood, so I have to make my living by eating people. I beg the Bodhisattva to forgive my crime.”
The Bodhisattva said, “The ancients said, ‘If you wish for a future, do not do what destroys that future.’ You broke the law in Heaven, and now you still do not repent, continuing to harm living beings and create karma. Is this not adding crime to crime?”
The demon said, “Future? Future! If I listen to you, I will starve to death! As the saying goes, ‘Follow the official law and you’ll be beaten to death; follow the Buddha’s law and you’ll starve to death!’ Forget it, forget it! It’s better to grab a passerby and have a nice, fat, greasy meal. Who cares about two crimes or three, a thousand crimes or ten thousand!”
The Bodhisattva said, “‘If a man has a good wish, Heaven will surely grant it.’ If you are willing to return to the right path, there will naturally be a way to make a living. The world has five grains to fill your belly. Why must you eat people?”
Hearing this, the demon seemed to wake from a dream. He bowed to the Bodhisattva and said, “I wish to walk the right path, but ‘having sinned against Heaven, there is no place to pray.’ What use is it?”
The Bodhisattva said, “I am carrying the Tathagata’s decree to the Eastern Lands to find the scripture-seeker. You can become his disciple and go to the Western Heaven, making amends for your crimes with merit. I will guarantee your deliverance from calamity.”
The demon immediately agreed wholeheartedly. “I am willing! I am willing!”
The Bodhisattva performed the rite of ordination, anointing his head. Based on his form, she gave him the surname “Zhu” and the Dharma name “Zhu Wuneng” (Pig Aware of Ability). From then on, Zhu Wuneng converted to the right path, ate a vegetarian diet, abstained from the five pungent vegetables and the three kinds of meat, and waited specifically for the scripture-seeker to arrive.
The Bodhisattva and Huian took leave of Zhu Wuneng, mounted their clouds and mist, and continued eastward. As they were traveling, they suddenly heard the cry of a jade dragon in the sky. The Bodhisattva approached and asked, “What dragon are you, suffering here?”
The dragon replied, “I am the son of Ao Run, the Dragon King of the Western Sea. Because I set fire to the bright pearl on the palace hall in a fit of rage, my father reported me to Heaven as unfilial. The Jade Emperor has hung me in the air, given me three hundred lashes, and intends to execute me in a few days. I beg the Bodhisattva to save me!”
Hearing this, Guanyin immediately flew with Huian to the Southern Heavenly Gate. The celestial masters Qiu and Zhang were there to greet them. “Where is the Bodhisattva going?” they asked.
The Bodhisattva said, “I wish to see the Jade Emperor.”
The two celestial masters quickly went in to announce her. The Jade Emperor himself came down from the hall to welcome her. The Bodhisattva stepped forward and bowed. “I am carrying the Tathagata’s decree to the Eastern Lands to find the scripture-seeker,” she said. “On the way, I encountered this sinful dragon hanging here. I have come specifically to petition the Jade Emperor to spare his life and give him to me, so that he may serve as a mount for the scripture-seeker.”
When the Jade Emperor heard this, he immediately issued a decree pardoning the jade dragon. He sent a heavenly general to release him and hand him over to the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva thanked the Jade Emperor and departed from the Southern Heavenly Gate. The jade dragon kowtowed in gratitude and expressed his willingness to obey the Bodhisattva’s commands. The Bodhisattva sent him into a deep chasm to wait for the scripture-seeker. When the time came, he would transform into a white horse and accompany the scripture-seeker to the West to earn merit. The jade dragon accepted his orders and went into hiding. Of this, we will say no more for now.
The Bodhisattva, with Huian, passed Fuling Mountain and continued on their way east. Before long, they suddenly saw ten thousand beams of golden light and a thousand strands of auspicious energy ahead. Huian said, “Master, the place that is shining is the Five Elements Mountain. I can also see the Tathagata’s seal on it.”
The Bodhisattva said, “This is where the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, who once disrupted the Peach Festival and caused havoc in Heaven, is now imprisoned.”
Huian said, “Yes! Yes!”
The master and disciple ascended the mountain together and saw the seal, which bore the six golden characters of the true mantra: “Om Mani Padme Hum.” Seeing this, the Bodhisattva could not help but sigh and composed a poem:
How pitiful the monkey spirit who would not serve the public good,
In his youth, he was arrogant, playing the hero.
With a deceitful heart, he disrupted the Peach Festival,
Boldly and secretly, he entered the Tushita Palace.
Among a hundred thousand troops, he had no equal,
In the ninefold heavens, he showed his might.
Since being trapped by our Buddha Tathagata,
When will he stretch forth and again display his merit!
As the master and disciple were speaking, they disturbed the Great Sage beneath the mountain. From the base of the mountain, he shouted loudly, “Who is up there reciting poems and exposing my shortcomings?”
Hearing this, the Bodhisattva went straight down the mountain to look. Beneath the stone cliff, the local spirits, mountain spirits, and the heavenly generals guarding the Great Sage all came to welcome the Bodhisattva and led her before the Great Sage. The Great Sage was pressed inside a stone box. He could speak, but his body could not move.
The Bodhisattva said, “Surnamed Sun, do you recognize me?”
The Great Sage opened his fiery golden eyes, nodded his head, and said loudly, “How could I not recognize you! You are the Nanwu Guanshiyin Bodhisattva of Mount Potalaka in the Southern Sea, who saves the suffering and responds to cries of distress! I am grateful for your regard! Each day here feels like a year. Not even a single acquaintance has come to see me. Where have you come from?”
The Bodhisattva replied, “I am carrying the Tathagata’s decree to the Eastern Lands to find the scripture-seeker. I passed by here and came specifically to see you.”
The Great Sage said, “Tathagata deceived me and has kept me pressed here for over five hundred years. I cannot even move. I beg the Bodhisattva to be merciful and save old Monkey!”
The Bodhisattva said, “Your sins are too deep. If I were to save you, I fear you would cause trouble again, which would not be good.”
The Great Sage said, “I already know I was wrong! I beg the great and compassionate Bodhisattva to show me a clear path. I am willing to cultivate and atone for my sins.”
This is truly:
One thought arises in the human heart,
Heaven and earth know it all.
If good and evil go unrewarded,
Then the universe must be partial.
and cultivate the right fruit, and your sins shall be redeemed." The various deities then returned to their own places, driving the local spirits to temporarily reside in the City God's temple, while the Bodhisattva and Moksha concealed their true forms. Just which scripture-seeker the Bodhisattva would find, you must listen to the next chapter to find out.