Let us set aside for a moment the trials of the Tang Monk. The three demon kings, united in purpose, were locked in a desperate battle with the Great Sage and his two brothers on the eastern slopes of the city. This fight was a true contest of equals, a clash of iron against iron, each side giving as good as it got. The battle raged with ferocious intensity:
Six bodies, six weapons, six forms of life, six kinds of temper. Six evils, six roots of perception, all born of six worldly desires. They gambled their lives in the six paths of reincarnation , a contest of life and death. The thirty-six palaces of heaven seemed to watch, indifferent, as the six forms struggled, each nursing a deep and bitter grudge. Here, the Golden-Banded Staff danced with a thousand variations; there, the Square-Heavenly Halberd gleamed with a hundred deadly forms. Pigsy’s rake was fierce and savage, while the second demon’s long spear was both graceful and deadly. Sha Monk’s staff was no ordinary weapon, and he fought with a will to kill. The old demon king’s steel blade was swift and merciless, striking without a shred of pity. Three were the invincible guardians of the true monk; the other three were the savage, lawless fiends who defied Heaven. At first the battle was even, but it grew ever more brutal. All six used techniques to soar into the sky, tumbling and wrestling amidst the clouds. In an instant, they spewed fog and spat clouds, darkening the heavens and the earth, until only the roar of their battle could be heard.
The six of them fought for a very long time. The sky grew dark, and a wind arose, bringing with it a thick fog that soon plunged everything into pitch-blackness. Pigsy, whose large ears flopped down and blocked his vision, could barely see. Already slow and clumsy, he was soon overwhelmed. He dragged his rake and fled in defeat. The old demon king swung his blade at him, nearly taking his life. Pigsy managed to dodge the blow to his head, but the sword sliced through several bristles on the back of his neck. The old demon gave chase, opened his massive maw, and clamped his jaws around Pigsy’s neck, dragging him back into the city. He threw him to the lesser imps, who bound him in the main hall of the Golden Palace . The old demon then mounted his cloud again and flew back to the battle.
Seeing the dire situation, Sha Monk feigned a strike with his staff, then turned and fled. But the second demon king opened his trunk, let out a thunderous snort, and wrapped it around Sha Monk, staff and all, dragging him back into the city as well. The imps bound him beside Pigsy in the hall. The three demon kings then soared back into the sky to capture the Pilgrim. Seeing both his brothers captured, the Pilgrim knew he could not hold out alone. He let out a great shout, used his staff to parry the weapons of all three demons, and then launched himself away on his somersault cloud.
When the third demon saw the Pilgrim escape on his cloud, he shook his body and revealed his true form: a massive Roc. Spreading his two wings, he gave chase to the Great Sage. How could he possibly catch him? In the old days, when the Pilgrim had caused havoc in Heaven, a hundred thousand celestial soldiers could not capture him, all because of his somersault cloud, which could travel one hundred and eight thousand miles in a single leap. No god could catch him. But this great Roc could fly ninety thousand miles with a single flap of his wings. With two flaps, he caught up. He seized the Pilgrim and held him tight in his claws. The Pilgrim struggled with all his might, but to no avail. He tried to change his form or use magic to escape, but it was impossible. When he grew larger, the Roc loosened his grip; when he shrank, the Roc tightened it. In the end, he was carried back to the city and thrown to the ground. The Roc ordered the lesser imps to bind him in the same way as Pigsy and Sha Monk. The old demon and the second demon came down to welcome their brother, and the three demon kings ascended the throne together. Ah! This capture was not the Pilgrim's doom, but rather a chance for escape delivered right into their hands.
It was now the second watch of the night. After the lesser demons had paid their respects to their kings, they pushed the Tang Monk down from the hall. In the lamplight, the elder saw his three disciples bound on the ground. He crawled over to the Pilgrim and wept: "Disciple! In times past, when we were in danger, you could still use your magic outside to find help and subdue the demons. But now you are captured too. How can this old monk survive?" When Pigsy and Sha Monk heard their master’s bitter lament, they too began to wail.
The Pilgrim, however, gave a faint smile. "Master, do not worry. Brothers, do not cry. No matter what they do to us, we will surely be safe. Just wait until the old demon is sound asleep, and then we will leave."
"Elder Brother," said Pigsy, "you are tricking us again! The ropes are tied so tightly, and even if they were loose, they have been soaked in water. Your skinny body might not feel it, but my fat frame is suffering! Look at my arm—the rope has cut two inches into my flesh! How are we supposed to get out of this?"
The Pilgrim laughed. "Don't talk about hempen ropes . Even if they were palm ropes as thick as a bowl, they would mean nothing to me, like an autumn breeze whistling past my ears!"
As the master and disciples were talking, they heard the old demon king say, "Third Brother, with your skill and wisdom, you have indeed captured the Tang Monk with your plan!" He then shouted, "Minions! Five of you, go fetch water! Seven of you, scrub the pots! Ten of you, light the fires! Twenty of you, bring the iron steamer ! We are going to steam these four monks until they are cooked. We brothers will feast on them, and we will give a few pieces to you as well, so that you all may attain immortality!"
When Pigsy heard this, he trembled with fear. "Elder Brother, did you hear that? The fiends want to steam us and eat us!"
"Do not be afraid," said the Pilgrim. "Let me see if these are novice fiends or veteran fiends ."
"Elder Brother!" wept Sha Monk. "Stop boasting! We are already at the gates of the underworld. What difference does it make whether they are 'novices' or 'veterans'?"
Before he could finish, they heard the second demon say, "Zhu Bajie will be hard to steam properly."
"Amitabha!" cried Pigsy, delighted. "Who is that virtuous soul who says I am hard to steam?"
The third demon said, "If he is hard to steam, then skin him first before putting him in the pot."
Pigsy was horrified. "Don't skin me! I may be fat, but I will be tender enough after a good boiling!"
The old demon said, "If he is hard to steam, put him on the very bottom rack ."
The Pilgrim laughed. "Pigsy, don't be afraid. They are novices, not veterans."
"How can you tell?" asked Sha Monk.
The Pilgrim explained: "Whenever you steam something, it cooks from the top down. Anything that is hard to cook should be placed on the top rack , with a strong fire beneath it. The steam will rise and cook it thoroughly. If you put it at the bottom, the steam will never reach it, and it won't be cooked even if you burn the fire for half a year. They said he was hard to steam, and then they put him on the bottom! If that isn't a novice, what is?"
"Elder Brother," said Pigsy, "if that's the case, I am even more doomed! What if they see it isn't cooking and turn me over to burn the fire again? Then both sides will be cooked, and the middle won't be raw!"
As they were speaking, another little imp came to report: "The water is boiling!" The old demon king ordered the iron steamer to be brought. All the lesser demons rushed forward. They lifted Pigsy and placed him on the bottom rack, and Sha Monk on the second rack. When the Pilgrim guessed it was his turn, he prepared his escape. "This is the perfect moment, with the lamplight!" He plucked a hair from his body, blew on it with a magical breath, and cried, "Change!" The hair transformed into a false Pilgrim, who was then bound by the imps. The real Pilgrim slipped free from his ropes and flew up into the air to watch from above.
The little imps, not knowing it was a fake, picked up the false Pilgrim and put him on the third rack. Then they dragged the Tang Monk over, tied him up, and placed him on the fourth rack. After that, they piled up dry firewood and lit a great blaze. Steam began to rise thickly. The Great Sage sighed in the clouds. "My Pigsy and Sha Monk can withstand a few rolls of boiling water, but my master is a mortal man. One good steam and he will be cooked! If I don't use magic to save him, he will be dead in no time!"
The good Pilgrim, hovering in mid-air, made a hand seal and recited a spell: "Om, the pure realm of the Dharma! Qian, Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen!" He summoned the Dragon King of the Northern Sea. A dark cloud appeared in the sky, and from within it, the Dragon King spoke in a loud voice: "Ao Shun, the Little Dragon King of the Northern Sea, pays his respects to the Great Sage!"
"Rise! Rise!" said the Pilgrim. "I wouldn't dare trouble you without good reason. My master and I have come to this place, and we have been captured by fiends who want to steam us in an iron basket. I need you to go down there and protect the steamer. Don't let them cook my master."
The Dragon King immediately transformed himself into a cold wind and blew down to the bottom of the pot, coiling around it to keep the fire from getting too hot. Thus, Pigsy, Sha Monk, and the Tang Monk were not scalded.
As the third watch of the night was drawing to a close, they heard the old demon king give orders: "My minions, we have used our wits and strength to capture Tang Sanzang and his disciples. We have also seen them off on their journey for a stretch, and we haven't slept well for four days and nights. Now they are all bound in the iron steamer and cannot escape. Keep a careful watch. Have ten little imps take turns feeding the fire. We will return to our bedchambers to rest for a while. When the fifth watch approaches and the sky begins to lighten, they should be well steamed. Then prepare the garlic, salt, and vinegar, and wake us up so we can eat on an empty stomach." The lesser demons all assented, and the three demon kings each returned to their own chambers to sleep.
The Pilgrim heard everything clearly from his position in the clouds. He descended a little lower, but he could not hear anyone speaking from within the iron steamer. "The steam is rising, so it must be very hot in there," he thought. "Why aren't they afraid? Why don't I hear a single groan? Could they already be cooked? Let me get closer and listen."
The good Great Sage stepped on his cloud and shook his body, transforming himself into a black fly. He landed on the outside of the iron steamer to listen. He heard Pigsy say from inside, "Bad luck! Bad luck! I wonder if this is a covered steam or an open steam."
"Second Brother," asked Sha Monk, "what is a 'covered steam' and an 'open steam'?"
"A covered steam is when they put the lid on," Pigsy replied. "An open steam is when they leave it off."
The Tang Monk, who was on the top rack, answered, "Disciple, the lid is not on."
"Good fortune!" said Pigsy. "We won't die tonight! It's an open steam!"
Hearing that all three were still alive and talking, the Pilgrim flew over and gently placed the lid back on the steamer.
"Disciple!" cried the Tang Monk in panic. "They've put the lid on!"
"It's all over!" wailed Pigsy. "This is a covered steam! We are surely going to die tonight!" Sha Monk and the elder began to weep softly again.
"Don't cry yet," said Pigsy. "It's about time for the fire-tenders to change shifts."
"How do you know?" asked Sha Monk.
"When they first put me in here," said Pigsy, "I was actually quite happy. I have a touch of rheumatism, and the steam felt good. But now, a cold draft is coming up. Hey! Brother fire-tender, what's wrong with adding a little more wood? It's not like it will cost you your life!"
The Pilgrim heard this and couldn't help but laugh to himself. "This fool! A little cold is bearable, but too much heat would be the end of him. If he keeps talking, he'll give us away. I need to save them quickly. But wait! To save them, I have to reveal my true form. If I do, those ten little imps tending the fire will see me and start shouting, which will alert the old demon. That will be a lot of trouble. I need to play a trick on them first..."
Then he remembered: "When I was the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, I used to play finger-guessing games with the Guardian Heavenly King at the Northern Heavenly Gate. I won a few Sleepy Bugs from him, and I still have them. I'll give a few to these imps." He felt around his waist and found twelve of them. "I'll give ten of them away and keep two as seeds." So saying, he threw the Sleepy Bugs into the air. They scattered and landed on the faces of the ten little imps, crawling into their nostrils. One by one, the imps began to yawn and nod off, until they were all fast asleep. Only one imp, who was holding a fire poker, was not fully asleep. He rubbed his head and his face, sneezing continuously.
"This one is about to wake up," said the Pilgrim. "I'd better give him a double dose." He threw another Sleepy Bug onto his face. "With two bugs, one going in the left nostril and out the right, and the other going in the right and out the left, at least one of them is bound to work." The little imp yawned two or three huge yawns, stretched his back, dropped his fire poker, and fell to the ground with a thud, not to wake again.
"This method really works!" said the Pilgrim. He immediately revealed his true form, walked up to the iron steamer, and called out, "Master!"
Hearing him, the Tang Monk said, "Wukong, save me!"
"Elder Brother," said Sha Monk, "are you calling us from outside?"
"If I weren't outside," said the Pilgrim, "would I be in there suffering with you?"
"Elder Brother," said Pigsy, "you slipped away quickly enough. We are all suffering in your place, being steamed alive in here!"
The Pilgrim laughed. "Stop your complaining, fool. I've come to save you."
"Elder Brother," said Pigsy, "if you are going to save us, do it properly. Don't just rescue us and then let us get caught and put back in the steamer!"
The Pilgrim lifted the lid. First, he freed his master. Then he gave the hair that had become his double a shake, and it returned to his body. Next, he freed Sha Monk and Pigsy, one by one. The moment the fool was free, he was desperate to run away immediately.
"Don't be in such a hurry! Don't be in such a hurry!" said the Pilgrim. He recited a spell to dismiss the Dragon King, then said to Pigsy, "On our journey west, there are still many high mountains and steep ridges. Our master cannot walk without a mount. Let me go and fetch the horse."
Watch him as he tiptoes to the main hall of the Golden Palace. He saw that all the lesser and greater imps were sound asleep. He untied the horse's reins without making a sound. The horse was, of course, a dragon-horse. If a stranger had tried to lead it, it would have kicked and neighed. But the Pilgrim had once been the Protector of the Horses in Heaven, and he was an old friend of the dragon-horse. So the horse did not kick or neigh, and was led away quietly. The Pilgrim tightened the girth, put on the saddle, and invited the master to mount. The elder, trembling with fear, climbed onto the horse, eager to be gone.
"Still, don't be in such a hurry," said the Pilgrim. "On our way west, we will have to pass through many kingdoms. We will need the travel documents. Without them, how will we get through? Let me go and find our luggage."
"I remember," said the Tang Monk, "that when we entered the gate, the imps put our luggage on the left side of the main hall. The carrying pole is there too."
"I see," said the Pilgrim. He immediately jumped up to the main hall to look. Suddenly, he saw a light flashing. The Pilgrim knew it was the luggage. How? Because the Tang Monk's brocade cassock was studded with luminous pearls, which gave off light. He hurried over and saw that the carrying pole had not been touched. He picked it up and gave it to Sha Monk to carry.
Pigsy led the horse, and the Pilgrim led the way, heading straight for the main gate. But as soon as they reached the gate, they heard the sound of clappers and bells. The gate was locked, and the lock was sealed with a strip of paper.
"It's so tightly secured," said the Pilgrim. "How are we going to get past?"
"Let's go out the back gate," said Pigsy.
The Pilgrim led them to the back gate, but there too, they heard the sound of clappers and bells. The gate was also locked and sealed. "What are we going to do?" said the Pilgrim. "If it weren't for our master being a mortal, the three of us could just ride a cloud and leave. But our master has not yet transcended the Three Realms and is still within the Five Elements. His body is the mortal flesh given by his parents. He cannot ride a cloud, and he cannot escape."
"Elder Brother," said Pigsy, "stop deliberating! Let's find a place with no clappers or bells, where no one is watching, and lift our master over the wall."
The Pilgrim laughed. "That won't do! We can't do that now. And when we return from obtaining the scriptures, you, foolish blabbermouth, will go around telling everyone that we were monks who climbed over walls. How shameful!"
"At a time like this," said Pigsy, "who cares about saving face? Let's just save our lives first!"
The Pilgrim had no other choice, so he agreed. They went to a clean section of the wall, preparing to climb over it.
Ah! They never expected that the Tang Monk's calamities were not yet over. The three demon kings were sleeping in their chambers when they suddenly woke with a start, suspecting that the Tang Monk had escaped. They hurriedly threw on their clothes and rushed to the main hall, asking, "How many rolls have the Tang Monk been steamed?"
The little imps tending the fire were all under the spell of the Sleepy Bugs, sleeping like the dead. Even beating them would not wake them. A few of the other imps who were not working were startled awake and answered in a panic, "Sev...sev...sev...seven rolls!" They ran to the pot and saw the racks of the iron steamer scattered on the ground, the fire-tenders still fast asleep. They ran back in a panic and reported, "Great King, they've...they've...they've...escaped!"
The three demon kings descended from the hall and went to the pot to see for themselves. The racks were indeed scattered on the ground, the soup in the pot was cold, and there was not even a spark of fire left. The fire-tending imps were still snoring away like lumps of mud. The demons were terrified and shouted together, "Catch the Tang Monk! Catch the Tang Monk!" The shout spread, waking up all the little fiends, great and small, from every corner. They grabbed their weapons and swarmed to the main gate. Seeing that the lock was undisturbed and the clappers were still sounding, they asked the imps on night patrol, "Which way did the Tang Monk escape?" The night patrol all said, "We didn't see anyone come out."
The fiends then rushed to the back gate, only to find the lock and clappers just as they were at the front gate. Then, in a great commotion, they raised their lanterns and torches, turning the night sky as bright as day. In the clear light, they could plainly see the Tang Monk and his three disciples just as they were climbing the wall! The old demon king rushed forward and roared, "Where do you think you're going!" The elder's legs gave way from fear, and he fell from the wall, where he was caught by the old demon. The second demon caught Sha Monk, and the third demon captured Pigsy. The lesser fiends seized the luggage and the horse. Only the Pilgrim escaped.
Pigsy grumbled and complained, cursing the Pilgrim under his breath: "Damned monkey! I told you to save us properly. Now we'll be thrown back into the steamer!"
The fiends dragged the Tang Monk to the main hall, but they did not steam him immediately. The second demon ordered Pigsy to be tied to a pillar in front of the hall, and the third demon ordered Sha Monk to be tied to a pillar behind the hall. Only the old demon king held onto the Tang Monk and would not let him go. The third demon said, "Elder Brother, why are you holding him? Are you going to eat him alive? That wouldn't be any fun. This Tang Monk is no ordinary mortal. Catching him is a rare opportunity. He is a treasure from the East. Let's wait for a cloudy day when we have nothing to do. Then we'll clean him up, set out some wine, play some music, and eat him slowly and enjoyably."
The old demon laughed and said, "Wise words, Brother. But what if Sun the Pilgrim comes back to steal him?"
The third demon said, "In our palace, there is a Fragrant Cassia Pavilion, and inside that pavilion is an iron chest. My idea is this: we hide the Tang Monk in the iron chest, lock the pavilion, and then spread a rumor that we have already eaten the Tang Monk raw. Let the little imps spread the word throughout the city. That Pilgrim will surely come to investigate, and when he hears the news, he will give up and leave. After three to five days, when he stops causing trouble, we can bring the Tang Monk out and enjoy him at our leisure. What do you think?"
The old demon and the second demon were overjoyed. "Right! Right! Right! Brother, your plan makes sense!" Poor Tang Monk was taken that very night to the Fragrant Cassia Pavilion, locked inside the iron chest, and the pavilion itself was sealed tight. The fiends spread the rumor, and soon the whole city was buzzing with the news that the Tang Monk had been devoured. We will leave this story for now.
As for the Pilgrim, he had fled alone on his cloud in the middle of the night, unable to save his master. He went first to the Lion-Camel Cave, where he used his golden-banded staff to slaughter tens of thousands of the lesser fiends. By the time he hurried back, the sun was rising in the east. When he reached the Lion-Camel City, he did not dare to challenge the fiends to battle, for a single strand of silk does not make a thread, and one hand cannot clap. He landed his cloud, shook his body, and transformed himself into a little imp, blending into the city to gather information. All the little imps in the city were saying, "The Tang Monk was eaten raw by the Great King." It was the same story everywhere he went, and the Pilgrim's heart was filled with dread.
He walked to the front of the Golden Palace and saw many fiends inside. They were all wearing leather-gold caps and yellow cloth robes, carrying red-lacquered clubs and wearing ivory nameplates on their belts, bustling to and fro. "These must be the fiends on duty in the palace," thought the Pilgrim. "I'll change into their form and go inside to investigate." The good Great Sage did exactly that, taking on their exact appearance, and blended into the palace gates.
As he walked, he saw Pigsy tied to a pillar in front of the hall, groaning. The Pilgrim went up to him and called, "Wuneng." The fool recognized the voice. "Elder Brother, you've come? Save me quickly!" said Pigsy. "I can save you," said the Pilgrim, "but do you know where the master is?" "The master is gone," said Pigsy. "He was eaten raw by the fiends last night." Hearing this, the Pilgrim could not contain himself. He burst into loud wails, and tears streamed down his face like a fountain. "Elder Brother, don't cry," said Pigsy. "I only heard this from the little imps. I didn't see it with my own eyes. Don't jump to conclusions. Go and ask around some more."
The Pilgrim stopped his tears and went further inside. He saw Sha Monk tied to a pillar in the back hall. He went up to him, touched his chest, and called, "Wujing." Sha Monk also recognized the voice. "Elder Brother, you've transformed and come in? Save me quickly!" he said. "It's easy to save you," said the Pilgrim, "but do you know where the master is?" Sha Monk's tears fell as he said, "Elder Brother! The master couldn't wait to be steamed, so they ate him raw!"
Hearing the same story from both of them, the Great Sage felt as if a knife were twisting in his heart. Tears streamed from his eyes without stopping. He quickly leaped up into the air, not bothering to save Pigsy and Sha Monk first. He went straight to the eastern mountain outside the city, landed his cloud, and burst into loud wails. "Master! I regret that I, who once rebelled against Heaven, am now trapped in a net. You came to save me from my deep affliction. With a single mind, we were to see the Buddha, to cultivate our bodies and vanquish demons together. Who would have thought that today you would meet with such a poisonous sting, and I could not protect you on your journey to the Western Paradise. We will never reach that sacred land. Your spirit is scattered, your soul is gone. What can I do?"
The Pilgrim muttered to himself in misery, thinking, "This is all the fault of my Buddha, Tathagata, who, having nothing better to do in his Paradise, created those Three Stores of scriptures! If he truly wanted to encourage people to do good, he should have just sent the scriptures directly to the East, so they could be passed down for all eternity. But he was too stingy to send them, and instead made us come to fetch them. We have crossed a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers, and now today, our master has died here! Enough! Enough! Enough! I, Old Sun, will ride my somersault cloud to see Tathagata. I will tell him the whole story from beginning to end. If he is willing to send the scriptures to the East, then in one stroke, the good fruit will be spread, and in another, our wish will be fulfilled. If he is not willing, then let him recite the Band-Tightening Spell, take the band off my head, and give it back to him. I will return to my Flower-Fruit Mountain, become king again, and live a life of pleasure!"
The good Great Sage immediately turned over and mounted his somersault cloud, heading straight for the Heavenly Kingdom of India. In less than an hour, he could see that Vulture Peak was not far away. He quickly landed his cloud and went to the foot of the mountain. Looking up, he saw the Four Great Vajra Guardians blocking his way. "Where do you think you're going?" they demanded. The Pilgrim bowed and said, "I have business to see Tathagata."
The one at the head, the Indestructible and Honored King Vajra Guardian of the Golden Glow Peak of Mount Kunlun, shouted, "This reckless ape is too rude! In the past, when you were trapped by the Bull Demon King, we even helped you. Today you come to see Tathagata without even making a proper bow! If you have business, you must first have it announced, and then wait until you are summoned before you can enter. This is not the Southern Heavenly Gate, where you can come and go as you please! Hah! Be off with you!"
The Great Sage was already agitated, and this reprimand made him furious. He began to shout and roar, and soon the commotion reached Tathagata.
The Buddha Tathagata was sitting on his nine-tiered jeweled lotus throne, expounding the Dharma to the eighteen Arhats of the Wheel of Ages. He said, "Sun Wukong has come. Go out and welcome him in." The Arhats obeyed the decree. Holding banners and canopies on both sides, they went out of the mountain gate and announced, "Great Sage Sun, Tathagata has decreed that you may enter." The Four Great Vajra Guardians at the mountain gate then made way and let the Pilgrim enter.
The Arhats led the Pilgrim to the foot of the jeweled lotus throne. The Pilgrim knelt down and kowtowed to Tathagata, his face streaming with tears. Tathagata said, "Wukong, what troubles you so?"
The Pilgrim replied, "Disciple, having received the teachings of the Buddha, I have taken refuge in the Buddhist faith. Since returning to the right path, I have been protecting the Tang Monk, honoring him as my master. We have suffered untold hardships along the way! Now we have arrived at the Lion-Camel Cave in the Lion-Camel Mountain of the Lion-Camel City, where three poisonous demons—the Green Lion King, the White Elephant King, and the Great Roc—have captured my master. Even I was caught and bound with him in a steamer, suffering the torment of boiling water and fire. I managed to escape and summoned the Dragon King to save my master and brothers. But when we tried to steal away that night, our calamity was not yet over, and we were captured again. By dawn, I went into the city to investigate, and I found that those fiends were so cruel that they had eaten my master raw last night! Now there is not even a bone left! Furthermore, my brothers, Pigsy and Sha Monk, are still tied up there, and they will soon lose their lives as well. Disciple is at his wit's end. I have come especially to see the Buddha, to beg the World-Honored One to show his mercy and recite the Band-Tightening Spell. Take this band from my head and give it back to you, and let me return to my Flower-Fruit Mountain to live a life of pleasure!" As he spoke, tears gushed forth like a fountain, and his sobs would not cease.
Tathagata smiled and said, "Wukong, do not be distressed. That fiend has vast magical powers. It is because you cannot defeat him that you are so grieved."
The Pilgrim knelt on the ground and beat his chest. "To be honest with the Buddha," he said, "in the days when I made havoc in Heaven and was the Great Sage, I have never suffered a defeat since I was born. But this time, I have fallen into the hands of this poisonous fiend!"
Hearing this, Tathagata said, "Do not be so full of hate just yet. I know that fiend."
The Pilgrim suddenly blurted out, "Tathagata! I have heard people say that that fiend is a relative of yours!"
"This impudent monkey!" said Tathagata. "Why do you say that the fiend is my relative?"
The Pilgrim laughed. "If he weren't a relative, how would you know him?"
Tathagata said, "I know him because I saw him with my wisdom eye. The old demon and the second demon both have masters." He then called out, "Ananda! Kasyapa! Come here! You two ride your clouds to Mount Wutai and Mount Emei and invite the Bodhisattvas Manjusri and Samantabhadra to come see me." The two honored ones obeyed the decree and left.
Tathagata continued, "These two are the masters of the old demon and the second demon. As for the third demon, well, I do have a bit of a connection to him."
"Is it on your father's side or your mother's side?" asked the Pilgrim.
Tathagata said, "In the beginning, after the primordial chaos had separated, Heaven was formed at the hour of Zi, Earth was formed at the hour of Chou, and Man was born at the hour of Yin. Then Heaven and Earth intermingled again, and all things were born. Among the beasts, the Qilin is the chief; among the birds, the Phoenix is the chief. The Phoenix received the essence of the intermingling of Heaven and Earth and gave birth to the Peacock and the Great Roc. The Peacock was the most ferocious from birth and could devour people. It could suck in anyone within a radius of forty miles in one gulp. When I had cultivated the sixteen-foot golden body on the Snowy Peak, it swallowed me into its belly. I wanted to come out through its anus, but I was afraid of defiling my body. So I cut open its back and leaped onto Vulture Peak. I originally wanted to kill it, but the other Buddhas persuaded me: 'Killing the Peacock would be like killing your own mother.' So I spared its life and made it the Buddha-Mother, the Great and Bright Peacock King Bodhisattva, at the assembly on Vulture Peak. The Great Roc was born of the same mother, so he is a relative of mine."
When the Pilgrim heard this, he laughed. "Tathagata, from what you say, you are