As the story unfolds, the Great Sage Sun Wukong, seething with both anger and humiliation, hovered in midair, his heart heavy with indecision. He thought: If I return to the Water Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain, I fear the little demons there will mock me for breaking my word—having just left my master only to slink back. That would not be the act of a true man. If I seek refuge in the Heavenly Court, I doubt they would tolerate my presence for long. If I hide away on some island in the sea, I would be too ashamed to face the immortals there. If I go to the Dragon Kings , I cannot bear to humble myself and beg for their help. After turning these thoughts over and over, he could only sigh and say, “Enough, enough! I will go back to my master. Only by following him can I achieve true enlightenment and complete my spiritual journey.”
So he descended upon his cloud, flew straight to where Tang Sanzang sat on his horse, and stood there respectfully, saying, “Master, forgive me this once! From now on, I swear I will never harm anyone rashly again. I will heed all your teachings. Please, I beg you, let me continue to protect you on your journey to the Western Heaven!”
But when Tang Sanzang saw him, he would not even acknowledge him. He reined in his horse and immediately began reciting the Band-Tightening Spell. He chanted it over and over, more than twenty times in total, until the Great Sage was writhing on the ground in agony, the golden band around his head squeezing so tightly that it sank over an inch into his flesh. Only then did the master stop and say, “If you refuse to leave, why do you keep pestering me?”
The Pilgrim was in such pain that he could only cry out, “Stop! Stop chanting! I can make a living anywhere, but without me, you will never reach the Western Heaven!”
Tang Sanzang snapped back in anger, “You murderous macaque! Do you have any idea how much trouble you have caused me? I have truly had enough of you now! Whether I reach the Western Heaven or not is none of your concern! Leave at once! If you delay even a moment longer, I will recite the spell again, and this time I will not stop until I squeeze your brains right out of your skull!”
The Great Sage was in such unbearable torment that, seeing his master was utterly unmoved and would not change his mind, he had no choice but to mount his somersault cloud and fly back into the sky. Then a sudden thought struck him: “This monk has completely betrayed my devotion. I might as well go to Mount Potalaka on the Southern Sea and seek justice from the Bodhisattva Guanyin!”
A fine idea! The Great Sage turned his cloud around and, in less than an hour, reached the vast Southern Ocean. He brought his auspicious cloud to a halt and flew straight to Mount Potalaka, charging into the Purple Bamboo Grove . Suddenly, he saw the attendant Moksha coming to greet him with a bow. “Great Sage, where are you headed?”
The Pilgrim replied, “I wish to see the Bodhisattva.”
Moksha led the Pilgrim to the entrance of the Tide Sound Cave , where the boy Sudhana also bowed and asked, “Great Sage, what business brings you here?”
The Pilgrim said, “I have a grievance to bring before the Bodhisattva.”
When Sudhana heard the word “grievance,” he laughed. “You monkey still have such a sharp tongue! Do you still remember how you bullied me back when I captured Tang Sanzang? Our Bodhisattva is the living embodiment of great compassion and mercy, the savior from all suffering. What has she ever done to wrong you, that you would come to accuse her?”
The Pilgrim, already full of pent-up bitterness, grew even more furious at these words. He let out a thunderous roar that made Sudhana stumble back a step. “You ungrateful little wretch! You are utterly deluded! Back when you were causing havoc as a demon, it was I who asked the Bodhisattva to subdue you and turn you to the path of righteousness. Now you enjoy eternal life, freedom, and a lifespan as long as heaven itself. You do not thank me for that, and yet you dare to treat me with such disrespect! I have come to seek the Bodhisattva’s help, so how can you call it ‘bringing a grievance’?”
Sudhana quickly forced a smile and said, “You still have such a fiery temper. I was only joking with you—why take it so seriously?”
As they were speaking, a white parrot came flying past, a sign that the Bodhisattva was calling for them. Moksha and Sudhana then led the Pilgrim to the foot of the Jeweled Lotus Throne . When the Pilgrim saw the Bodhisattva, he knelt down and kowtowed, unable to hold back his tears any longer. They streamed down his face like a spring, and he burst into loud sobs.
The Bodhisattva instructed Moksha and Sudhana to help him up. “Wukong, what sorrowful matter troubles you? Speak calmly. Do not cry, do not cry. I will help you resolve it.”
The Pilgrim wiped his tears and kowtowed again. “In all the years I have lived, when have I ever suffered such humiliation? Ever since the Bodhisattva saved me and ordered me to follow Tang Sanzang to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures, I have risked my life to fight demons for him. It has been as difficult as snatching meat from a tiger’s jaws or ripping scales from a dragon’s back. I had hoped to earn merit and atone for my past sins. But this elder has forgotten all kindness, cannot tell right from wrong, and has falsely accused me!”
The Bodhisattva said, “Tell me the whole story from beginning to end. Let me hear it.”
So the Pilgrim recounted the entire incident of killing the bandits, from start to finish—how Tang Sanzang, resentful over the many deaths he had caused, had indiscriminately recited the Band-Tightening Spell, driven him away multiple times, and now left him with no place to go in heaven or on earth, forcing him to come and beg the Bodhisattva for justice.
The Bodhisattva said, “Tang Sanzang has been commanded by imperial decree to journey to the Western Heaven. His heart is set on being a virtuous monk, and he would never harm anyone without cause. With all your great power, why did you have to kill so many bandits? Though they were wicked men, they were still human beings. They should not have been killed—this is not the same as slaying demons or monsters. Killing demons is your merit, but killing humans is an act of cruelty. It would have been enough to drive them away, and that alone would have saved your master. In my view, you were in the wrong.”
The Pilgrim kowtowed again, tears streaming from his eyes. “Even if I was in the wrong, he should have given me a chance to make up for my mistake with good deeds. He should not have driven me away so mercilessly! I beg the Bodhisattva to show compassion. Please recite the Band-Loosening Spell , take this golden band back from me, and let me return to the Water Curtain Cave!”
The Bodhisattva smiled and said, “The Band-Tightening Spell was passed down to me by the Tathagata Buddha. When he sent me to the East to find the scripture-seeker, he bestowed upon me three treasures: the Brocade Kasaya , the Nine-Ringed Monk’s Staff, and three golden bands—the Gold Band , the Tight Band , and the Forbidden Band . He also taught me three spells. There is no such thing as a Band-Loosening Spell.”
The Pilgrim said, “If that is the case, then I must take my leave of the Bodhisattva.”
The Bodhisattva asked, “If you take your leave, where will you go?”
The Pilgrim replied, “I will go to the Western Heaven to find the Tathagata Buddha and beg him to recite the Band-Loosening Spell!”
The Bodhisattva said, “Wait a moment. Let me examine the omens of fortune and misfortune for you.”
The Pilgrim said, “There is no need to look. With such bad luck, it can only be misfortune!”
The Bodhisattva said, “I am not looking for your fortune, but for Tang Sanzang’s.”
So the good Bodhisattva sat upon her lotus throne, concentrated her spirit, and gazed into all directions of heaven and earth with her wisdom eye. After a short while, she spoke: “Wukong, your master is about to encounter great danger. He will soon come looking for you. Stay here and wait. I will speak with Tang Sanzang and persuade him to let you continue on the journey to fetch the scriptures, so that you may both achieve true enlightenment.”
The Great Sage Sun Wukong had no choice but to obey. He stood quietly at the foot of the Jeweled Lotus Throne and waited, and we shall leave him there for now.
Let us turn instead to Elder Tang Sanzang. After driving the Pilgrim away, he ordered Zhu Bajie to lead the horse and Sha Wujing to carry the pole. The four of them—the man, the two disciples, and the horse—had traveled less than fifty leagues westward when Tang Sanzang reined in his horse and said, “Disciples, we left the village before dawn, and then that wretched Monkey King angered me so. After half a day of hunger and thirst, can one of you go and beg some food for me to eat?”
Zhu Bajie said, “Master, please dismount first. Let me look around to see if there is a village nearby where I can beg for alms.”
Tang Sanzang dismounted. The Fool mounted a cloud and looked carefully from midair, but all he saw were mountains stretching in every direction, with no human dwellings in sight. He descended and reported to Tang Sanzang, “There is no place to beg for alms. As far as the eye can see, it is all mountains. There is not a single village.”
Tang Sanzang said, “If you cannot find food, then at least find some water to quench my thirst.”
Zhu Bajie said, “Let me go to the southern mountain stream to fetch some water.”
Sha Wujing quickly took out the alms bowl and handed it to him. Carrying the bowl, Zhu Bajie mounted his cloud and departed.
The elder sat by the roadside and waited for a long time, but Bajie did not return. His mouth was parched and his throat was dry, and he was suffering greatly. There is a poem to prove this:
To preserve the spirit and nurture the vital energy is the true essence of life. The inner nature and the passions are originally one and the same. When the mind is disturbed, the spirit grows confused, and illness follows. When the body weakens and the essence fails, the Dao itself suffers loss. The Three Flowers gathered atop the crown were not yet fully cultivated, and all efforts were wasted in vain. Wood, Earth, Metal, and Water—the four primal elements—were all out of harmony. To cultivate the Dharma-body under such conditions is a task of supreme difficulty!
Sha Wujing, seeing his master tormented by both hunger and thirst, and Zhu Bajie still nowhere to be found, could only set down the luggage securely and tie up the white horse. He said, “Master, wait here. Let me go and urge Bajie to bring the water quickly.”
The elder, with tears in his eyes, said nothing and simply nodded. Sha Wujing quickly mounted a cloud and flew southward as well.
Now the master was left all alone, suffering from an unbearable thirst. Just as he was growing desperate, he suddenly heard a clattering sound. Startled, the elder looked up—and there was Sun Wukong, kneeling by the roadside, holding a porcelain cup in both hands. “Master,” he said, “without me, you cannot even get a drink of water. Please drink this cup of cool water to quench your thirst. Then I will go and beg some food for you.”
The elder said, “I will not drink your water! Even if I die of thirst, I will have nothing to do with you! Be gone!”
The Pilgrim said, “Without me, you will never reach the Western Heaven!”
Tang Sanzang retorted, “Whether I reach it or not is none of your concern! You wretched macaque, stop pestering me!”
At this, the Pilgrim’s face suddenly changed. He flew into a rage and cursed, “You heartless bald donkey! You look down on me too much!” With these words, he threw down the porcelain cup, raised his iron staff, and struck the elder on the back.
The elder immediately fell unconscious to the ground, unable to speak. This “Pilgrim” then picked up the two blue felt bundles, mounted his somersault cloud, and vanished to who knows where.
Meanwhile, Zhu Bajie was carrying the alms bowl and walking along the southern mountain slope when he suddenly spotted a house nestled in a hollow. It turned out that when he had looked from the sky earlier, the mountains had blocked it from view. Now that he was on the ground, he could see the village. The Fool thought to himself, “With my ugly face, people will surely be afraid of me and refuse to give me alms. I had better change my appearance!”
So the good Fool made a hand seal and silently recited a spell. He shook his body seven or eight times and transformed into a gaunt, sickly monk with a sallow complexion, groaning and moaning as he shuffled slowly to the door. “Good benefactor,” he said, “do you have any leftover rice in your house? There is a starving monk on the road. I have come from the East and am on my way to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures. My master is suffering from hunger and thirst on the road. If you have any leftover rice or crusts, I beg you to give me a little to save us in our emergency.”
As it happened, all the men in the household had gone to the fields to transplant rice seedlings. Only two women were at home. They had just finished cooking lunch and had filled two pots to send to the fields, but there was still some rice and crusts left in the pot. Seeing him in such a sickly state and hearing him speak of going to the Western Heaven for scriptures, they feared that he was delirious from illness and talking nonsense. They also worried that he might collapse and die on their doorstep. So they quickly filled the alms bowl to the brim with leftover rice and crusts and handed it to him.
The Fool took the bowl, transformed back into his true form, and started back. As he was walking, he heard someone calling his name. “Bajie!” He looked up and saw Sha Wujing standing on a cliff, waving and shouting, “Over here! Over here!”
Zhu Bajie descended the cliff, and Sha Wujing came up to him and said, “There is plenty of clear water in this stream. Why did you go all the way over there?”
Zhu Bajie laughed and said, “I found a house in the hollow and managed to beg this bowl of dry rice.”
Sha Wujing said, “The rice is good, but the master is terribly thirsty. Where is the water?”
Zhu Bajie replied, “Water is easy to come by. You carry the rice in the fold of your robe, and I will use the bowl to scoop up some water.”
The two of them returned cheerfully, but when they reached the roadside, they were stunned into silence. Tang Sanzang was lying face down on the ground, unconscious in the dust. The white horse had broken free of its reins and was neighing and prancing about nearby. The luggage was gone.
Zhu Bajie stamped his feet in panic and shouted, “There is no need to guess! It must be one of Wukong’s accomplices who came and beat the master to death and stole the luggage!”
Sha Wujing said, “First, tie up the horse!” Then he cried out in desperation, “What are we to do! What are we to do! This is truly a case of giving up halfway! The whole scripture-seeking mission is ruined!” He cried out, “Master!” and tears streamed down his face as he wept bitterly.
Zhu Bajie said, “Brother, stop crying. Forget about the scripture-seeking mission now. You watch over the master’s corpse. I will ride the horse to the nearest town, sell it for a few silver pieces, buy a coffin to bury the master, and then we can each go our separate ways. We might as well disband.”
But Sha Wujing could not bear to do that. He turned Tang Sanzang over and pressed his face against the master’s, weeping and crying, “My poor master!” Suddenly, he felt that the master’s mouth and nose were still warm, and his chest was also warm. He quickly shouted, “Bajie, come quick! The master is still alive!”
The Fool then came forward and helped Tang Sanzang to his feet. The elder slowly regained consciousness. He groaned for a while and then cursed, “That wretched macaque has beaten me to death!”
Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie asked urgently, “Which macaque?”
The elder did not answer at first. He only sighed. After drinking a few mouthfuls of water that Zhu Bajie had fetched, he finally said, “As soon as you two left, Wukong came and pestered me. I firmly refused to take him back, and so he struck me on the back with his iron staff and stole my luggage bundles.”
When Zhu Bajie heard this, he ground his teeth in fury. “That vicious monkey! How dare he be so insolent!” Then he said to Sha Wujing, “You take care of the master. I am going to his Flower-Fruit Mountain to demand our luggage back!”
Sha Wujing said, “Do not be so hasty. Let us first help the master to that house, ask for some hot soup, heat up the rice we begged, and let the master eat something. Then we can go after him.”
Zhu Bajie agreed. He helped the master onto the horse, carried the bowl and the cold rice himself, and they all went to the door of the house. An old woman was the only one at home, and she quickly hid when she saw them.
Sha Wujing put his palms together and said, “Elderly lady, we have been sent by the Tang Emperor in the East to fetch scriptures from the Western Heaven. Our master is feeling unwell, and we would like to beg for a bowl of hot soup and some rice from your house.”
The old woman said, “Just a little while ago, a sickly monk came by. He also said he was from the East and begged for alms. Now another group has shown up? There is no one else at home. Go to another house.”
When the elder heard this, he leaned on Zhu Bajie as he dismounted, bowed, and said, “Elderly lady, I have three disciples who protect me on my journey to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures. It is only because my eldest disciple, Sun Wukong, is too violent and refuses to behave that I drove him away. I never expected that he would sneak back, strike me with his staff, and steal my luggage. Now I want to send one of my disciples to retrieve it. We have nowhere to rest on the road, and I beg to stay in your house for a short while. Once the luggage is recovered, we will leave immediately and not trouble you for long.”
The old woman said, “That sickly monk who came earlier said he was also going to the Western Heaven. How is it that another group has appeared?”
Zhu Bajie could not help but laugh. “That sickly monk was me! I was afraid that my long snout and big ears would frighten you and that you would refuse to give me alms, so I changed my appearance. If you do not believe me, my brother here is still carrying some of your crusts in the fold of his robe!”
The old woman looked and saw that it was indeed the rice she had given. She no longer refused them and let them into the house to sit down. She also boiled a pot of hot tea and handed it to Sha Wujing to soak the rice. Sha Wujing soaked the cold rice in the hot tea and handed it to his master. The master ate a few mouthfuls, recovered some strength, and then asked, “Who will go and retrieve the luggage?”
Zhu Bajie said, “Two years ago, when the master drove him away, I went to Flower-Fruit Mountain to look for him. I know the way. I will go! I will go!”
The elder said, “You cannot go. That macaque has never gotten along with you, and you are too rough in your speech. If you say the wrong thing, he will beat you. It is better to let Wujing go.”
Sha Wujing agreed. “I will go. I will go.”
The elder then instructed Sha Wujing, “When you get there, assess the situation. If he is willing to give you the bundles, thank him and bring them back. If he is not willing, do not argue with him. Go directly to the Southern Sea to find the Bodhisattva, tell her the whole story, and ask her to go and demand the luggage from him.”
Sha Wujing agreed to everything and then said to Zhu Bajie, “I am going to retrieve the luggage. Do not cause any trouble. Take good care of the master. Do not be rude to this family, or they may refuse to give us food. I will be back soon.”
Zhu Bajie nodded. “I understand. Whether you succeed or not, come back quickly. Do not end up like a carrying pole that drops both loads—losing the luggage and leaving the master unattended.”
Sha Wujing made a hand seal, mounted his cloud, and flew straight east toward the Divine Continent of the East. Truly, it was a case of: When the mind is not at ease, the spirit cannot be calm; without the proper kindling, the elixir cannot be refined. Sha Wujing left his master to seek Wukong, while Zhu Bajie tended to the master with a face full of worry. Who knew when this one would return, or whether this journey would end in success? The Five Elements were not in harmony; all they could do was wait for Wukong to rejoin the group.
Sha Wujing flew through the air for three days and three nights before he finally reached the Eastern Ocean. Suddenly, he heard the roar of the waves. He looked down and saw a pitch-black mist that blotted out the sky and sun, carrying a chill that made even the daylight feel cold. He had no heart to admire the sea scenery. Following the immortal mountains, he flew past Yingzhou and continued eastward until he was near Flower-Fruit Mountain. Riding the sea breeze and treading the waves, he flew for a while longer until he finally saw the towering peaks rising like spears and the steep cliffs hanging like screens.
He halted his cloud on the mountaintop, found a path down, and headed toward the Water Curtain Cave. As he drew near, he heard a great commotion—countless monkeys in the mountain were chattering and shouting. Sha Wujing crept closer and took a careful look. There, sitting high on a stone platform, was a “Sun Wukong,” holding a piece of paper in both hands and reading it aloud in a loud voice:
“By the decree of the Great Tang Emperor Li, the imperial brother, the holy monk Chen Xuanzang, is commanded to journey to the Western Heaven, to the land of Tianzhu, to the Vulture Peak of the Spirit Mountain, and to the Great Thunderclap Monastery, to worship the Tathagata Buddha and seek the scriptures. The Emperor, having been afflicted by a sudden illness and having wandered in spirit through the Underworld, was fortunate that his allotted years were not yet spent. Moved by the King of the Underworld to be sent back to life, he held a great assembly of kindness and established a grand ceremony to save the souls of the departed. He was greatly favored by the appearance of the golden body of the compassionate and merciful Bodhisattva Guanyin, who saved him from suffering, and who directed him to the Western Heaven, where there is a Buddha and scriptures that can save the souls of the dead and bring them to liberation. Therefore, the monk Xuanzang is specially commissioned to travel across a thousand mountains to seek the sutras and gathas. Should he pass through the various kingdoms of the Western lands, let them not extinguish this good affinity, and let them act in accordance with this passport.”
“Issued on an auspicious day in the autumn of the thirteenth year of the Zhenguan reign of the Great Tang. Since leaving the great kingdom, the bearer has passed through many states and has, on the way, taken in the eldest disciple, Sun Wukong the Pilgrim; the second disciple, Zhu Wuneng, also known as Bajie; and the third disciple, Sha Wujing the Monk.”
He finished reciting it once and then began again from the beginning. Sha Wujing recognized it as the travel passport, and he could not help but step forward and shout, “Elder Brother, what are you doing reciting the master’s official document?”
The “Pilgrim” heard the voice and looked up. Not recognizing Sha Wujing, he shouted, “Seize him! Seize him!” Immediately, a horde of monkeys swarmed around, grabbing and pulling Sha Wujing until they dragged him before the platform. They demanded, “Who are you? How dare you trespass into our immortal cave!”
Sha Wujing, seeing that the “Pilgrim” had changed his face and did not recognize him, could only bow to the figure on the stone platform and say, “Let me tell you the truth, Elder Brother. It was indeed the master’s fault earlier. He was too impatient and wronged you, reciting the Band-Tightening Spell several times before driving you away. Partly it was because we did not try hard enough to persuade him, and partly because the master was hungry and thirsty. I and Bajie had gone to look for water and food. We never expected that you, Elder Brother, would return out of kindness, only to become angry that the master would not keep you, and so you struck him down, stole the luggage, and left. Later, we revived the master and have come specially to your place to beg for the luggage. If you no longer hold a grudge against the master and still remember the kindness he showed when he rescued you from under the mountain, then come back with me and bring the luggage to see the master. Let us all go to the Western Heaven together and cultivate to achieve true enlightenment. But if your hatred is deep and you are unwilling to travel together, then at least give me the bundles. You can stay in the mountains and enjoy a peaceful old age. That would be a perfect solution for both sides.”
When the “Pilgrim” heard this, he gave a cold laugh. “Worthy Brother, what you say is wrong. I struck Tang Sanzang and stole the luggage not because I do not wish to go to the Western Heaven, nor because I am content to stay here. I have now memorized this document thoroughly. I am going to the Western Heaven myself to worship the Buddha and seek the scriptures, and then deliver them to the Great Tang in the East. I will claim all the merit for myself! Then the people of Jambudvipa will honor me as their patriarch, and my fame will be passed down from generation to generation!”
Sha Wujing laughed and said, “Elder Brother, what you say is wrong. I have never heard of such a thing as ‘Sun Wukong seeking the scriptures’! Our Tathagata Buddha left behind the Three Stores of True Scriptures. He originally commanded the Bodhisattva Guanyin to go to the East to find a scripture-seeker. We were to cross a thousand mountains and rivers, pass through many kingdoms, and protect that scripture-seeker. The Bodhisattva said that the scripture-seeker is the Tathagata’s own disciple, named the Elder Jinchan. Because he did not listen attentively when the Buddha preached, he was banished to the East to be reborn. He must achieve enlightenment in the Western Heaven and cultivate the Great Way anew. On this journey, he is destined to suffer these trials, and it is for this purpose that we three were rescued to serve as his protectors. Elder Brother, without Tang Sanzang, how could the Tathagata possibly transmit the scriptures to you? Wouldn’t all your efforts be in vain?”
The “Pilgrim” said, “Worthy Brother, you are still confused. You only know one side of the matter, not the other. You say that you have a Tang Sanzang and that you protect him. Do you think I do not have a Tang Sanzang as well? I have already chosen a true monk of great spiritual cultivation here. Old Sun will protect him alone and go to the Western Heaven. What is wrong with that? I am preparing to set out tomorrow! You do not believe me? Let me call him out for you to see!”
With that, he shouted, “Little ones! Quickly invite the venerable master out!”
The monkeys immediately ran inside and led out a white horse, followed by a “Tang Sanzang,” and behind him, a “Zhu Bajie” carrying the luggage, and a “Sha Wujing” holding the monk’s staff.
When Sha Wujing saw this, he flew into a towering rage. “I, Old Sha, never change my name whether I am walking or sitting. Where has this other Sha Monk come from? Stop this trickery! Take my staff!”
The good Sha Wujing raised his demon-subduing staff with both hands and brought it down with all his might on the head of the fake Sha Monk, killing him instantly. It turned out that he was just a monkey spirit in disguise. The “Pilgrim” grew furious, swung his golden-banded staff, and led a horde of monkeys to surround Sha Wujing. Sha Wujing charged left and right, fought his way out, mounted a cloud, and fled, shouting as he went, “This vicious monkey is utterly shameless! I am going to report him to the Bodhisattva!”
The “Pilgrim,” seeing that Sha Wujing had killed one of his monkey spirits and escaped, did not give chase. He returned to the cave and ordered the little monkeys to drag the dead monkey spirit aside, skin it, and fry its flesh for a meal. He then brought out coconut wine and grape wine and feasted with his monkey horde. Afterward, he selected another monkey spirit that knew how to transform, ordered it to change into a new Sha Wujing, and taught it how to act the part, preparing to set out for the Western Heaven the next day. We shall leave them there for now.
Sha Wujing mounted his cloud and left the Eastern Sea. He flew for a day and a night until he reached the Southern Sea. As he flew, he saw Mount Potalaka not far in the distance. He quickly slowed his cloud and looked down carefully. What a magnificent place it was!
Truly, it was a place that embraced all the mysteries of heaven and earth and contained all the spiritual energy of the cosmos. A hundred rivers converged here, and the sun and stars seemed to bathe in the waters. All the streams flowed into this sea, and the winds carried the gentle light of the moon. When the tide rose, one could see the great Kun fish transform. When the waves surged, it seemed as though giant turtles were swimming. The waters connected to the Northwestern Sea, and the waves merged with the Eastern Ocean. The four seas were linked, connecting the veins of the earth, and on the immortal islands, each had its own celestial palace. Let us not even speak of the myriad lands of Penglai; just the cloud caves of Mount Potalaka were beautiful enough! The rosy clouds on the mountaintop shimmered with spiritual light, and the auspicious winds beneath the rocks carried the radiance of the moon. Peacocks flew through the Purple Bamboo Grove, and parrots called from the green willow branches. The jade flowers and immortal herbs flourished year after year, and the jeweled trees and golden lotuses bloomed season after season. White cranes often came to pay homage at the mountain summit, and blue phoenixes frequently flew to the mountain pavilions. Even the swimming fish understood cultivation, leaping through the waves and swimming through the currents to listen to the Bodhisattva preach the sutras.
Sha Wujing slowly made his way up Mount Potalaka, admiring the immortal realm. Suddenly, he saw the attendant Moksha coming toward him. “Sha Wujing, why are you not protecting Tang Sanzang on his scripture-seeking journey? What brings you here?”
Sha Wujing bowed and said, “I have an urgent matter and must see the Bodhisattva. I beg you to announce me.”
Moksha knew in his heart that he was looking for Wukong, but he did not reveal this. He went inside and reported to the Bodhisattva, “Outside, there is Tang Sanzang’s youngest disciple, Sha Wujing, who wishes to see you.”
When the true Wukong, who was standing at the foot of the throne, heard this, he smiled and said, “It must be that Tang Sanzang has run into trouble, and Sha Monk has come to ask the Bodhisattva for help.”
The Bodhisattva instructed Moksha to go to the entrance and call Sha Wujing in. Sha Wujing entered, knelt down, and kowtowed. After finishing his kowtow, he looked up and was about to state his business when he suddenly caught sight of the true Wukong standing nearby. Without waiting to speak, he raised his demon-subduing staff and struck at Wukong’s face. The true Wukong did not fight back; he simply dodged to the side.
Sha Wujing cursed wildly, “You vicious monkey who has committed the ten heinous crimes! You dare to come and deceive the Bodhisattva again!”
The Bodhisattva stopped him with a shout: “Wujing, do not be violent! If you have something to say, speak it first.”
Sha Wujing put away his staff, kowtowed again at the foot of the throne, and said in a furious tone to the Bodhisattva, “This monkey has been committing murder and arson all along the way, doing nothing but evil! A few days