After the Pilgrim and Sha Wujing bid farewell to the Bodhisattva, each mounted a beam of auspicious cloud and departed from the Southern Sea. The Pilgrim's somersault cloud was naturally swift, while Sha Wujing's immortal cloud was somewhat slower. The Pilgrim thought to set off first on his own, but Sha Wujing grabbed him and said, " Elder Brother , there's no need for you to sneak ahead and lay your groundwork in secret. Wait for me to go with you." In truth, the Pilgrim harbored no such ulterior motives, yet Sha Wujing's heart was filled with suspicion. So the two of them truly did journey together on their clouds.
Before long, they indeed caught sight of the Flower-Fruit Mountain. They pressed down their clouds and, upon carefully observing outside the cave, truly saw a "Pilgrim" sitting high upon a stone platform, drinking wine and making merry with a troop of monkeys. His appearance was utterly identical to the Great Sage: the same yellow hair, the same golden fillet , the same fiery golden eyes; he wore the same cotton tunic , tied with a tiger-skin kilt at the waist; he held the same golden-banded iron staff in his hand; he wore the same pair of deerskin boots on his feet; even his features were exactly the same—a hairy face with a thunderous beak , prominent cheekbones tinged with earthy hues , large ears, a broad forehead , and fangs protruding outward from his mouth .
The Great Sage's fury blazed up like fire. He shook off Sha Wujing, drew his iron staff, and charged forward, bellowing, "What demon are you, daring to take my form, to usurp my monkey subjects, to occupy my immortal cave without permission, and to throw your weight around like this?" That "Pilgrim," seeing him, did not even reply, but simply raised his own iron staff and met him head-on. The two Pilgrims clashed together, and it was impossible to tell which was real and which was false. This battle was truly fierce beyond measure: Two iron staffs, two monkey spirits—this confrontation was no light matter. Both sought to protect the Tang Emperor's younger brother , each displaying their merits to establish a heroic name. The true monkey had genuinely received the teachings of the Buddhist order ; the false imposter falsely claimed the feelings of the Buddha's son . Because their divine powers were so many and their transformations so numerous, there was neither true nor false—they were evenly matched. One was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, born of primordial unity ; the other was a ground-shrinking fiend , refined through a thousand spirits. One wielded the As-You-Will Golden-Banded Staff ; the other bore the Mind-Following Iron Rod . In blocking and warding off, there was no victory or defeat; in bracing and resisting, there was no loss or gain. At first, they fought outside the cave; before long, their struggle rose into the mid-heavens .
Each trod upon clouds and light, battling their way into the highest layers of the sky. Sha Wujing, standing nearby, dared not intervene. He watched this contest but could not distinguish the true from the false. He wished to draw his blade and help, yet feared he might harm the real Pilgrim. He endured for a long while, then could bear it no longer. He leaped down from the mountain crag, raised his Demon-Subduing Precious Staff, and fought his way to the outside of the Water Curtain Cave. There, he scattered the little demons, overturned the stone benches, and smashed to pieces all the vessels used for drinking wine and eating meat. Then he searched for their blue felt bundle, but though he looked everywhere, he could not find it. It turned out that the Water Curtain Cave was originally blocked by a waterfall of spring water. From afar, it looked like a white cloth curtain; up close, one knew it to be a rushing stream, hence the name "Water Curtain Cave." Sha Wujing did not know the path into the cave, so he could not find the bundle. He immediately mounted his cloud, pursued them into the highest heavens, and raised his precious staff, yet still dared not strike.
The Great Sage said, "Sha Wujing, since you cannot help, go back first and explain the situation clearly to our master. Tell him that this and that has happened. Wait for me to take this fiend before the Bodhisattva at the Southern Sea's Mount Potalaka, so we can distinguish the true from the false." As soon as he finished speaking, that other "Pilgrim" said exactly the same thing. Sha Wujing, seeing that their appearances and voices were exactly the same with not a single difference, truly could not tell right from wrong. So, following their instructions, he turned his cloud around and went back to report to Tang Sanzang. We shall leave that for now.
Now let us speak of those two Pilgrims. As they walked, they fought; as they fought, they argued, all the way to the Southern Sea. They went straight to Mount Luojia, cursing and shouting without pause. This commotion had long since alarmed the heavenly guardians who protected the Bodhisattva. The heavenly guardians immediately entered the Tide Sound Cave to report: "Bodhisattva, two Sun Wukongs have come fighting!" The Bodhisattva, accompanied by the Novice Pilgrim, the Boy Shancai, and the Dragon Maiden, descended from her lotus throne and went out the door, shouting, "You two wretches, where do you think you're going?"
The two Pilgrims grabbed hold of each other and said, "Bodhisattva, this fiend looks exactly like me! We have been fighting since the Water Curtain Cave, for a very long time, with no victory or defeat. Sha Wujing has mortal eyes and cannot tell true from false. He wanted to help but could not. I told him to go back west to find our master, while I fought this fiend all the way to your precious mountain, hoping to borrow the Bodhisattva's wise eyes to help me recognize the true and distinguish the right from the wrong." As soon as he finished, that other "Pilgrim" repeated these words exactly.
The heavenly guardians and the Bodhisattva looked for a long while but could not distinguish them at all. The Bodhisattva said, "Let go of each other first. Stand on opposite sides, and let me look again." The two indeed released their grip and stood on opposite sides. This one said, "I am the real one!" That one said, "He is the fake one!"
The Bodhisattva called the Novice and Shancai forward and quietly instructed them, "Each of you grab hold of one. Wait for me to secretly recite the Tight-Fillet Spell. The one who cries out in pain is the real one; the one who feels no pain is the fake one." The two indeed each grabbed one. The Bodhisattva secretly began to recite the spell. Both Pilgrims cried out in pain together. They both clutched their heads and rolled on the ground, shouting, "Stop! Stop!" The Bodhisattva ceased the spell, and the two immediately grabbed each other again, arguing and fighting just as before.
The Bodhisattva had no choice but to order the heavenly guardians, the Novice, and the others to come forward and help. But the assembled spirits were afraid of harming the real Pilgrim and dared not strike. The Bodhisattva called out, "Sun Wukong!" and both Pilgrims answered together. The Bodhisattva said, "In years past, you were the Protector of the Horses. When you caused the great uproar in Heaven, all the immortals and generals recognized you. Go instead to the Heavenly Realm to be distinguished. Go and explain the situation clearly to the Jade Emperor." This Great Sage thanked the Bodhisattva, and that "Pilgrim" also thanked the Bodhisattva.
The two of them, pulling and tugging, arguing and fighting without cease, went straight to the Southern Heavenly Gate. The Broad-Vision Heavenly King was so startled that he quickly led the Four Heavenly Generals—Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Guan—along with all the great and small guardian spirits of the gate. Each grasped his weapon and blocked their way, saying, "Where are you going? This is no place for fighting!"
The Great Sage said, "Because I was protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to fetch the scriptures, I killed some bandits along the way. Tang Sanzang expelled me, so I went directly to Mount Potalaka to pour out my grievances to Guanyin Bodhisattva. Little did I know that this fiend, I know not when, transformed into my likeness, knocked down Tang Sanzang, and stole our bundle. Sha Wujing went to the Flower-Fruit Mountain to demand the bundle, but he saw this fiend occupying my cave dwelling. Later, Sha Wujing went to Mount Potalaka to report the matter to the Bodhisattva, and there he saw me standing below the Bodhisattva's throne. He mistakenly thought I had used my somersault cloud to get to the Bodhisattva first to cover up my misdeeds. Fortunately, the Bodhisattva was clear-sighted and did not believe Sha Wujing's words. She told me to go back with him to the Flower-Fruit Mountain to investigate. It turned out that this fiend truly looks exactly like me! We fought from the Water Curtain Cave all the way to Mount Potalaka to see the Bodhisattva, and even the Bodhisattva could not distinguish us. That is why we have fought our way here. I beg all you heavenly spirits to use your wise eyes to help me recognize the true from the false." As soon as he finished speaking, that other "Pilgrim" repeated these words exactly as he had said them.
The assembled spirits looked for a long while but could not distinguish them either. The two Pilgrims shouted loudly, "Since you cannot recognize us, get out of the way quickly! We want to see the Jade Emperor!" The assembled spirits could not stop them, so they had to open the Heavenly Gate. The two argued all the way to the Hall of Spiritual Splendor. Marshal Ma quickly, along with the Four Heavenly Masters—Zhang, Ge, Xu, and Qiu—reported to the Jade Emperor, "Two identical Sun Wukongs from the mortal world have broken into the Heavenly Gate and demand to see Your Majesty."
Before the words were finished, the two Pilgrims, shouting and arguing, burst into the hall. The Jade Emperor was so startled that he immediately stood up. Seated upon his throne, he asked, "For what reason do the two of you dare to cause a great uproar in Heaven and come before me with such clamor? Are you seeking death?"
The Great Sage quickly said, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Your subject has now taken refuge in the Buddhist faith, reverently obeying the Buddha's Law, and dares not harbor the slightest thought of deceiving Your Majesty. It is only because of this fiend, who has taken on your subject's appearance..." He then recounted the entire previous matter in detail. "I hope Your Majesty can help your subject distinguish the true from the false!" That other "Pilgrim" also recounted the same words in detail.
The Jade Emperor immediately issued a decree, calling for Heavenly King Li the Pagoda-Bearer. "Quickly bring the Demon-Reflecting Mirror and shine it upon these two fellows. See which is true and which is false. Let the false one vanish and the true one remain." Heavenly King Li immediately took out the Demon-Reflecting Mirror, shone it upon them, and invited the Jade Emperor and all the assembled spirits to look together. But what the mirror revealed were the reflections of two Sun Wukongs—the golden fillets, the clothes, even a single strand of hair were not a bit different. The Jade Emperor could not distinguish them either. He had no choice but to drive them out of the hall.
This Great Sage could not help but let out a cold sneer, while that "Pilgrim" burst into loud laughter. The two grabbed each other by the hair and the neck and once again fought their way out of the Heavenly Gate. They landed on the western road, shouting, "I'm going with you to find our master! I'm going with you to find our master!"
Now let us speak of Sha Wujing. After parting from the two Pilgrims at the Flower-Fruit Mountain, he traveled for another three days and three nights before finally returning to the village where they had been staying. He recounted everything that had happened to Tang Sanzang. Tang Sanzang said regretfully, "At the time, I thought it was Sun Wukong who struck me with his staff and stole our bundle. I never imagined it was a fiend in disguise!"
Sha Wujing further reported, "This fiend also transformed into your likeness, Venerable Master. There was also a white horse, and another 'Zhu Bajie' carrying our bundle, and even an 'I.' I could not contain my anger and struck down that false 'I' with one blow of my staff. It turned out to be a monkey spirit as well. That was why they scared me off, and I went to the Bodhisattva to report the matter. The Bodhisattva told me to go back to the Flower-Fruit Mountain with our elder brother to identify the impostor. That fiend truly looked exactly like our elder brother. I could not be of any help, so I came back first to report to you, Master." When Tang Sanzang heard this, his face turned pale with fright.
Zhu Bajie, however, laughed heartily and said, "Good! Good! Good! This proves the old lady of the benefactor's household was right! Didn't she say there were several groups of scripture seekers? Isn't this another group?"
The old and young of that household all came over to ask Sha Wujing, "Where have you been these past few days to get traveling expenses?" Sha Wujing smiled and said, "I went to the Flower-Fruit Mountain in the Eastern Continent of Superior Body to find my elder brother and demand our luggage. Then I went to the Southern Sea's Mount Potalaka to pay my respects to Guanyin Bodhisattva. After that, I went back to the Flower-Fruit Mountain once more, and now I have returned."
The old man asked again, "How many miles was this round trip altogether?" Sha Wujing said, "Roughly over two hundred thousand miles." The old man exclaimed in amazement, "Heavens above! To travel such a great distance in just a few days, unless one rides on clouds, it would be impossible to get there!" Zhu Bajie said, "Of course we ride on clouds. How else could we cross the sea?" Sha Wujing said, "We are not even that fast. If my elder brother were to go, he could make the round trip in just a day or two." When the people of that household heard this, they all exclaimed that they were immortals. Zhu Bajie said proudly, "We may not be immortals, but immortals have to consider us their juniors!"
Just as they were speaking, they heard a clamor and commotion in the mid-air. Everyone rushed out in panic to look, and there they saw the two Pilgrims fighting their way over. When Zhu Bajie saw them, he could not resist the itch to join in. He said, "Let me go and take a look!" This fool immediately leaped up into the air and shouted loudly, "Elder Brothers, stop arguing! Your Old Zhu is here!"
Both Pilgrims answered together, "Little Brother, come quickly and fight the fiend! Come quickly and fight the fiend!" The people of that household were both startled and delighted. They said, "These people who can ride clouds and mists must be arhats or bodhisattvas staying in our house! Even those who make a vow to feed monks could not hope to feed such excellent ones as these!" They no longer concerned themselves with tea and meals but instead served them with even greater diligence. Someone else said, "If these two Pilgrims keep fighting like this, I'm afraid they will turn heaven and earth upside down and bring disaster upon us here!"
Tang Sanzang saw that the old man, though happy on the surface, was secretly worried, so he spoke up and said, "Old Benefactor, rest assured. Do not worry. After I have subdued my disciple, I will make him abandon evil and follow good. Then I will surely thank you properly." The old man quickly said, "I would not dare! I would not dare!"
Sha Wujing said, "Benefactor, there is no need for such courtesy. Master, you can sit here and wait. My second elder brother and I will go and each pull one of them down. You then recite the Tight-Fillet Spell. See which one cries out in pain—that one is the real one. The one who feels no pain is the fake one." Tang Sanzang said, "These words are most fitting."
Sha Wujing immediately leaped into the mid-air and said, "You two, stop fighting! Come with me before our master to distinguish the true from the false!" This Great Sage let go, and that "Pilgrim" also let go. Sha Wujing grabbed hold of one and shouted, "Second Elder Brother, you grab the other one!" The two indeed each grabbed one, descended from the clouds, and went straight to the outside of the thatched cottage door.
When Tang Sanzang saw them, he immediately began to recite the Tight-Fillet Spell. Both Pilgrims cried out in agony, "We have been fighting so bitterly, and now you recite the spell to torment us? Stop! Stop!" Tang Sanzang was by nature kind-hearted. Hearing them say this, he stopped the spell, but he still could not distinguish the true from the false. The two Pilgrims shook off their hands and began to fight again.
This Great Sage said, "Brothers, protect our master well. Wait for me to fight this fiend to the King of Hell's place to get this settled!" That other "Pilgrim" said the same thing. The two, wrestling and fighting, vanished from sight in no time.
Zhu Bajie asked Sha Wujing, "Since you went to the Water Curtain Cave and saw the false Zhu Bajie carrying our luggage, why didn't you snatch the luggage back?" Sha Wujing said, "When that fiend saw me using my precious staff to strike the false Sha Wujing, he immediately surrounded me to capture me. I had no choice but to flee for my life. Later, I reported the matter to the Bodhisattva and then went back to the entrance of the Water Curtain Cave with our elder brother. By then, the two of them were already fighting in the heavens. I went inside, overturned his stone benches, and scattered the little demons. All I saw was a rushing waterfall. I had no idea where the cave entrance was, so I could not find the luggage. That is why I came back empty-handed to report to you, Master."
Zhu Bajie said, "So you didn't know! The year before last, when I went to invite our elder brother back, I first saw him outside the cave entrance. Later, after I had persuaded him, he jumped down into the cave to change his clothes. I saw him dive straight into the water. That rushing waterfall is the cave entrance! That fiend must have hidden our bundle inside the cave."
Tang Sanzang said, "Since you know where the cave entrance is, and now that they are both away from home, you go first to his cave and retrieve our bundle. We will continue our journey westward. Even if he returns, I will no longer employ him." Zhu Bajie said, "I'll go!"
Sha Wujing said, "Second Elder Brother, there are over a thousand little monkeys in front of his cave. If you go alone, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle them. On the contrary, you will suffer a loss." Zhu Bajie laughed and said, "Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid!" He quickly left the house, mounted his cloud and mist, and went straight to the Flower-Fruit Mountain to retrieve the luggage. We shall leave that for now.
Now let us speak of those two Pilgrims. They argued and fought their way to the back of the Dark Mountain. The countless ghosts on the mountain were so terrified that they trembled with fear and hid themselves. One ghost, who ran particularly fast, dashed headlong into the gate of the Underworld and reported to the Senluo Palace, "Great Kings, on the Dark Mountain, two Great Sages Equal to Heaven have come fighting!"
The First Hall's King Qinguang was so frightened that he quickly passed the news to the Second Hall's King Chujiang, the Third Hall's King Songdi, the Fourth Hall's King Biancheng, the Fifth Hall's King Yanluo, the Sixth Hall's King Pingdeng, the Seventh Hall's King Taishan, the Eighth Hall's King Dushi, the Ninth Hall's King Wuguan, and the Tenth Hall's King Zhuanlun. One hall passed it to the next, and in no time, the Ten Kings had all assembled. They also sent someone to report quickly to the Kshitigarbha King. All the kings gathered in the Senluo Hall, summoned the underworld soldiers, and prepared to capture these two true and false Pilgrims.
Suddenly, they heard a fierce wind rolling and a thick, mournful mist swirling. The two Pilgrims, tumbling and rolling, fought their way to the foot of the Senluo Hall. The King of Hell stepped forward to block them and said, "Great Sage, what business do you have that you must cause such a commotion in my Underworld?"
This Great Sage said, "Because I was protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to fetch the scriptures, we passed by the Western Liang Kingdom and encountered a mountain where bandits robbed my master. I killed a few of those bandits. My master blamed me for taking life and expelled me. I went to the Bodhisattva in the Southern Sea to pour out my grievances. Little did I know that this fiend, somehow learning my manner of speech, transformed into my likeness, knocked down my master on the road, and stole our luggage. My junior brother Sha Wujing went to my Flower-Fruit Mountain to demand the luggage. This fiend even falsely used our master's name, claiming he was going to the West to fetch the scriptures. Sha Wujing escaped to the Southern Sea to see the Bodhisattva. At that time, I was also by the Bodhisattva's side. Sha Wujing recounted the whole matter, and the Bodhisattva told me to go back with him to the Flower-Fruit Mountain to investigate. Indeed, we saw this fiend occupying my cave dwelling. I argued with him and came before the Bodhisattva, but our appearances and tones of voice were completely the same. Even the Bodhisattva could not distinguish us. Later, I fought with this fiend to the Heavenly Palace, and the assembled spirits could not distinguish us either. Afterwards, we saw our master. Our master recited the Tight-Fillet Spell to test us, but we both cried out in pain. That is why I have come to the Underworld. I hope the King of Hell will check the Register of Life and Death for me to see where this false Pilgrim comes from. Quickly capture his soul, and don't let these two hearts throw the universe into chaos." That fiend also repeated the same words.
When the King of Hell heard this, he immediately ordered the Judge in charge of the Register of Life and Death to search it thoroughly from beginning to end. But there was no name for a "false Pilgrim" at all. Then they checked the "Record of Hairy Creatures," which listed beasts, and they discovered that when Sun Wukong had attained the Dao in his youth, he had once caused a great uproar in the Underworld and had erased his own name from the Register of Life and Death. From that time onward, among all creatures of the monkey kind, there were no names left in the Register of Life and Death. After the Judge had finished his search, he reported the results on the spot to the King of Hell.
The Ten Kings, each holding their ceremonial tablets, said to the Pilgrim, "Great Sage, the Register of Life and Death in the Underworld does not contain the name of a false Pilgrim. You had better return to the world of the living to sort this out."
Just as they were speaking, they heard the Kshitigarbha King Bodhisattva speak: "Hold! Hold! Let me call for the Divine Hearing to help you distinguish the true from the false." It turned out that this Divine Hearing was a divine beast that lay beneath the table of the Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva. Whenever this Divine Hearing lay down on the ground, in an instant it could clearly perceive all the mountains, rivers, cave heavens, and blessed lands of the Four Great Continents. Whether they were creatures of the naked, scaly, hairy, feathered, or insect kind, or whether they were celestial immortals, earthly immortals, spirit immortals, human immortals, or ghost immortals, it could distinguish their good and evil and see clearly their worthiness and folly.
Divine Hearing, obeying the command of the Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva, lay down in the courtyard of the Senluo Hall. In a short while, it raised its head and said to the Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva, "I know the origins of this fiend. But I cannot expose him face to face, nor can I help to capture him." The Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva asked, "What would happen if we exposed him face to face?" Divine Hearing said, "If we expose him face to face, I fear this fiend will fly into a rage, cause havoc in the precious hall, and bring unrest to the entire Underworld." The Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva asked again, "Then why can't we help to capture him?" Divine Hearing replied, "This fiend's divine powers are exactly the same as the Great Sage Sun's. The spiritual powers of us beings in the Underworld are limited and we simply cannot capture him." The Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva pressed further, "Then what method should be used to eliminate him?" Divine Hearing answered, "The Buddha's Dharma is boundless. Only by relying on the Buddha can this be done."
The Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva immediately understood and said to Wukong, "The two of you look alike, and your divine powers are no different. To distinguish the true from the false, you must go to the Thunderclap Monastery and find Shakyamuni Tathagata. Only then can the matter be clarified." Both Pilgrims shouted together, "Well said! Well said! I will go with you before the Buddha in the West to get this settled!" The Ten Kings saw them off, thanked the Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva, and returned to the Green Cloud Palace, instructing the ghost attendants to close the passes of the Underworld. We shall leave that for now.
Now look at those two Pilgrims. They mounted their clouds and mists and flew towards the West. There is a poem to prove it: When a person harbors two hearts, disaster is born, and suspicion arises from the ends of the earth to the corners of the sea. One longs for the position of a high minister with a fine steed, and yearns for the golden throne of the first-rank platform. Campaigning south and attacking north without rest, blocking east and warding off west, there is no peace. In the gate of Zen, one must learn the secret of the mindless heart, quietly nurturing the infant to form the sacred fetus.
The two of them, pulling and dragging, wrestling and fighting in the mid-air, argued and battled as they went, all the way to the outskirts of the Thunderclap Monastery on the Spirit Vulture Immortal Mountain in the West. At that time, the Four Great Bodhisattvas, the Eight Great Vajra Guardians, the Five Hundred Arhats, the Three Thousand Revealers, as well as the Bhikshunis, Bhikshus, Upasakas, and Upasikas, and all the other sages and worthies, were below the Seven-Jeweled Lotus Platform, listening to the Tathagata expound the Dharma and preach the scriptures.
The Tathagata happened to be teaching this very point. In non-existence, there is existence; in non-non-existence, there is non-existence. In non-form, there is form; in non-emptiness, there is emptiness. It is not existence that is existence; it is not non-existence that is non-existence. It is not form that is form; it is not emptiness that is emptiness. Emptiness is precisely emptiness; form is precisely form. Form has no fixed form; form is precisely emptiness. Emptiness has no fixed emptiness; emptiness is precisely form. Know that emptiness is not empty; know that form is not form. This is called illumination, and only then does one reach the wonderful sound.
All the assembly kowtowed and paid homage, sincerely taking refuge. Just as they were passing around and reciting the scriptures, the Tathagata caused heavenly flowers to rain down, scattering in profusion. Then he rose from his seat and said to the assembly, "You are all of one heart and one mind. Look quickly, two hearts are coming, locked in strife."
The assembly looked up and indeed saw two Pilgrims, arguing and shouting, as they fought their way to this sacred ground of the Thunderclap Monastery. The Eight Great Vajra Guardians quickly stepped forward to block them. "Where are you going?" This Great Sage said, "There is a fiend who has taken on my appearance. I want to go before the Jeweled Lotus Platform and trouble the Tathagata to help me distinguish the true from the false."
The vajra guardians could not stop them. The two Pilgrims argued all the way to the foot of the lotus platform. They knelt before the Buddha and kowtowed, reporting, "Your disciple was protecting Tang Sanzang and came to this precious mountain to seek the true scriptures. Along the way, we subdued demons and vanquished fiends, expending no small amount of effort. A few days ago, when we reached the halfway point, we encountered bandits who robbed us. Indeed, your disciple struck and wounded several people on two occasions. Our master blamed me for taking life and expelled me, refusing to let me come with him to worship the golden body of the Tathagata. Your disciple had no choice but to go to the Southern Sea to pour out his grievances to Guanyin Bodhisattva. Little did I know that this fiend, impersonating my voice and appearance, knocked down our master and stole our luggage. My junior brother Wujing went to my Flower-Fruit Mountain to look for the luggage. This fiend deceived him with lies, claiming that he himself was the true scripture-seeking monk. Wujing escaped to the Southern Sea and told the whole story to Guanyin. When Guanyin learned of this, she told your disciple to return to the Flower-Fruit Mountain with Wujing. And so, we two have been comparing and fighting over the truth and falsehood. We have fought from the Southern Sea to the Heavenly Palace, and we have also seen Tang Sanzang and gone to the Underworld. But no one could distinguish us. That is why your disciple dares to be so bold as to disturb you. I earnestly beg the Buddha to open wide the gate of convenience and show great compassion. Help your disciple distinguish the right from the wrong, so that I may protect Tang Sanzang and personally come to worship the Buddha's golden body, obtain the true scriptures, and send them back to the Eastern Land, allowing the Buddha's Dharma to be spread forever."
Everyone heard the two mouths speak exactly the same words, and they could not distinguish them. Only the Tathagata had long known the truth. He was about to explain the matter when suddenly he saw, in the southern direction amidst colorful clouds, Guanyin Bodhisattva arriving. She paid homage and bowed to the Tathagata.
The Tathagata pressed his palms together and said, "Venerable Guanyin, look at these two Pilgrims. Which one is true and which one is false?" The Bodhisattva said, "A few days ago, at my Mount Potalaka, I truly could not distinguish them. They also went to the Heavenly Palace and the Underworld, and none could recognize them either. I have come especially to report to the Tathagata and beg you to help distinguish the true from the false."
The Tathagata smiled and said, "Your spiritual powers are indeed vast, and you can see through the affairs of the world. But you cannot recognize all the living beings under heaven, nor can you understand all the species." The Bodhisattva again asked the Tathagata to explain the classification of species under heaven. The Tathagata then said, "Under heaven, there are five kinds of immortals: celestial, earthly, spiritual, human, and ghostly. There are five kinds of creatures: naked, scaly, hairy, feathered, and insect. This fiend is neither a celestial, earthly, spiritual, human, or ghostly immortal, nor does he belong to the naked, scaly, hairy, feathered, or insect kind. Furthermore, there are four kinds of monkeys that cause chaos in the world. They are not included in these ten categories of beings."
The Bodhisattva asked, "May I ask what these four kinds of monkeys are?" The Tathagata replied, "The first is the Bright Stone Monkey, who can transform, understands the seasons of heaven, knows the advantages of earth, and can move the stars and shift the constellations. The second is the Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey, who understands yin and yang, knows human affairs, is skilled in entering and leaving all places, and can avoid death and prolong life. The third is the Long-Armed Ape Monkey, who can lift the sun and moon, shrink a thousand mountains, distinguish good and bad fortune, and manipulate heaven and earth. The fourth is the Six-Eared Macaque, who is skilled at hearing sounds, can understand principles, knows the past and the future, and all things in the world cannot escape his perception. These four kinds of monkeys are not included in the ten categories of beings, nor are they listed in the registers of heaven and earth. In my view, that false Wukong is the Six-Eared Macaque. This monkey, as long as he stays in one place, can know what is happening a thousand miles away. When ordinary people speak, he can also hear them. That is why he is skilled at hearing sounds and understanding principles, knowing the past and future, and understanding all things. The one who looks like the true Wukong and sounds like him is this Six-Eared Macaque."
When the Six-Eared Macaque heard the Tathagata expose his true form, he was so frightened that his courage trembled and his heart quaked. He quickly leaped up and tried to run. When the Tathagata saw him trying to escape, he immediately ordered everyone to act. The Four Great Bodhisattvas, the Eight Great Vajra Guardians, the Five Hundred Arhats, the Three Thousand Revealers, along with the Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas, and Upasikas, plus Guanyin and the Novice, surrounded him in an instant. The Great Sage Sun also wanted to step forward, but the Tathagata said, "Wukong, do not act. I will help you capture him."
athagata said, "Good! Good!" He then opened the alms bowl and saw the Six-Eared Macaque lying dead inside, revealing his true form as a macaque. With the mind restored to its abode, meditation achieved true stillness; with the six senses subdued, the elixir perfected itself. As for this journey, who knew how long it would be before Tang Sanzang could see the Buddha and obtain the true scriptures? Listen to the next chapter for the answer.