Wealth, rank, and fame are all predestined by previous lives . Let no one deceive his own heart. Walk in righteousness and light; the fruits of loyalty and goodness run deep. A hint of arrogance brings Heaven’s punishment; though it may not come at once, it waits its hour. Ask the Lord of Spring : why have misfortunes now assailed him? It is only because his heart soared too high, seeking the boundless, and he confused the order of high and low, disrupting all precepts.
Now the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, was escorted by the celestial soldiers to the Demon-Slaying Terrace and bound to the Demon-Subduing Pillar . But neither the hacking of axes and swords, nor the thrusting of spears and blades, could harm him in the slightest. The Star Lord of the Southern Dipper ordered the Fire Gods to burn him, yet the flames could not touch him. He then commanded the Thunder Gods to strike him with thunderbolts, but not even a scratch appeared on his body.
The Great King of the Mighty Ghosts and all the gods reported to the Jade Emperor: “Your Majesty, this Great Sage possesses some protective magic we do not understand. We have tried axes, swords, thunder, and fire, but none can harm him. What shall we do?”
The Jade Emperor frowned and said, “How can this reckless monkey be so... How shall we deal with him?”
The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord immediately stepped forward and said, “That monkey ate the peaches of immortality , drank the royal wine , and stole my elixirs —all five gourds of them, both the raw and the cooked. He swallowed them all and refined them with his Samadhi fire , turning his body into a diamond-hard substance. That is why he cannot be harmed for the moment. Let me take him instead. I will put him into my Eight Trigram Furnace and smelt him with both civil and martial fire . When my lost elixirs are drawn back out, he will naturally be reduced to ashes.”
The Jade Emperor agreed at once. He ordered the Six Ding and Six Jia spirits to untie the Great Sage and hand him over to the Elderly Lord. After the Lord received his decree and departed, the Jade Emperor summoned the True Lord Erlang to the hall. He bestowed upon him a hundred golden flowers, a hundred bottles of royal wine, a hundred pellets of elixir, and rare treasures, bright pearls, and brocades to share with his sworn brothers. Erlang thanked the emperor and returned to the River of Guanjiang . We shall say no more of him for now.
The Elderly Lord returned to the Tushita Palace . He untied the Great Sage’s bonds, removed the cuffs that pierced his collarbone, and pushed him into the Eight Trigram Furnace. He then ordered the furnace-tending acolytes and the fire-stoking lads to fan the flames and begin the smelting. Now this furnace was arranged according to the eight trigrams : Qian, Kan , Gen , Zhen , Xun , Li , Kun, and Dui . The Great Sage took the opportunity to slip into the position of the Xun trigram. Xun represents wind; where there is wind, there is no open flame. However, the smoke stirred up by the wind stung his eyes and turned them red, giving him a chronic eye ailment that would later be known as his “ fiery golden eyes that pierce all illusions .”
Time passed swiftly, and before anyone knew it, forty-nine days had gone by. The Elderly Lord’s smelting fire had reached its peak. One day, the Lord decided to open the furnace and retrieve his elixirs. The Great Sage was just rubbing his eyes and wiping away tears when he heard the sound of the furnace lid being lifted. He suddenly opened his eyes and saw the light. Unable to contain himself, he gave a mighty leap and burst out of the furnace. With a thunderous crash, he kicked over the Eight Trigram Furnace, spun around, and fled.
The furnace-tending and fire-stoking acolytes, along with the Six Ding and Six Jia spirits, rushed forward to stop him, but the Great Sage knocked them all to the ground one by one. He was like a mad white-browed tiger or a rampaging single-horned dragon—none could stand in his way. The Elderly Lord chased after him and tried to grab him, but the Great Sage gave him a shove, sending him tumbling head over heels. Taking advantage of the moment, the Great Sage escaped.
He immediately pulled the As-You-Will Gold-Banded Cudgel from his ear. Shaking it in the wind, it returned to the thickness of a rice bowl. Gripping it in his hand, he began to wreak havoc in Heaven once more, paying no heed to anything. He struck so fiercely that the Nine Luminaries shut their gates and dared not come out, and the Four Heavenly Kings vanished without a trace. What a monkey spirit he was! As the poem testifies:
His body of primal chaos was one with the original Heaven ; through ten thousand kalpas and a thousand trials, he only followed nature. Vast and empty, without striving, he was wholly one with the Great Unity ; motionless and still, he was called the Original Mystery. Long smelted in the furnace, not with lead or mercury; beyond all things, eternal life was his true immortal nature. His transformations were endless, and still he transformed more; of the Three Refuges and Five Precepts, let nothing be said.
Another poem:
A single spark of spiritual light pierced the Great Void; and so did that staff he carried. It could be long or short, as its wielder wished; it could be laid across or set upright, rolled up or spread out at will.
Yet another poem:
The ape’s Dao-body matches the human heart; the heart is the ape—the meaning runs deep. The Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, is no false title; the office of ‘Protector of the Horses’ was a true recognition. Horse and ape together form the heart and will; bind them tight, tie them fast, and seek not outside. The ten thousand phenomena return to truth through a single principle; Thus Come One joins with all, dwelling in the Twin Groves.
This time, the Monkey King paid no heed to rank or station. He swung his iron staff, striking east and blocking west, and no immortal could stop him. He fought his way all the way to the Hall of Universal Brightness and the very gates of the Hall of Miraculous Mist. Fortunately, the assistant of the True Lord You Sheng, the Spirit Official Wang, was on duty in the hall. When he saw the Great Sage charging wildly, he drew his golden whip and blocked his path. “Where do you think you’re going, reckless monkey?” he shouted. “As long as I am here, do not think you can act so arrogantly!”
The Great Sage did not bother to reply. He simply raised his staff and struck. The Spirit Official Wang met him with his whip, and the two clashed in a furious battle before the Hall of Miraculous Mist. This was a truly fierce fight:
One was famed for his loyal and righteous heart; the other had ruined his name by deceiving Heaven. The lowly and the noble met in a desperate struggle; two heroes and champions wagered their all. The iron staff was savage, the golden whip was swift; how could the righteous one endure such insolence? One was the Great Lord of the Thunderclap, responding to all transformations; the other was the Monkey Monster, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. The golden whip and the iron staff were both divine weapons from the celestial palaces. Today, before the Hall of Miraculous Mist, they displayed their might, each one’s heroic skill a wonder to behold. One, with a deceitful heart, sought to seize the Dipper and Bull Palace; the other, with all his strength, defended the realm of the Primordial Sage. They fought bitterly, neither yielding, each displaying his divine powers. The whip and the staff clashed back and forth, and neither could claim victory.
The two fought to a standstill. The True Lord You Sheng quickly sent a message to the Thunder Department, summoning thirty-six Thunder Generals to join the fray. They surrounded the Great Sage, each one displaying his skills in a fierce melee. But the Great Sage showed no fear. He used his As-You-Will Staff to block left and right, parry behind and fend off before. When he saw that the swords, spears, halberds, axes, maces, hammers, battle-axes, golden melons, and crescent-bladed spears of the Thunder Generals were closing in ever more tightly, he shook himself and transformed, sprouting three heads and six arms. He shook his gold-banded staff, which split into three, and with six hands he gripped one staff each. He began to whirl them like a spinning wheel, “whirring” around inside the circle, and none of the Thunder Gods could get near him. Truly it was:
Round and smooth, bright and shining, how could anyone learn what had existed since time immemorial? Fire could not burn it, water could not drown it. It was a single radiant Mani Pearl, which swords, spears, and halberds could not harm. It could be good, and it could be evil; good and evil were all up to it. When good, it became a Buddha or an Immortal; when evil, it grew fur and horns. With endless transformations, it wreaked havoc in Heaven; the Thunder Generals and divine soldiers could not capture it.
At that time, all the gods had the Great Sage surrounded, but none could get close to him. Their chaotic clamoring and fighting soon alarmed the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor immediately issued a decree, ordering the Traveling Spirit Official and the True Lord Yi Sheng to go to the Western Paradise and invite the Buddha to subdue the Great Sage.
The two saints received the decree and went straight to the Holy Land of the Spirit Mountain and the Thunderclap Monastery. They bowed to the Four Vajra Guardians and the Eight Bodhisattvas and begged them to relay their message. The gods immediately went to the foot of the Jeweled Lotus Throne and reported to Thus Come One. Thus Come One summoned them. The two saints circled the Buddha three times in worship and then stood at the foot of the throne.
Thus Come One asked, “What business does the Jade Emperor have, that he troubles you two to come in person?”
The two saints replied, “Previously, a monkey appeared on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. He displayed his divine powers there, gathered a host of monkeys, and threw the world into chaos. The Jade Emperor issued a decree of amnesty, appointing him ‘Protector of the Horses.’ But he thought the office too lowly and rebelled against Heaven. The Jade Emperor sent Heavenly King Li and Prince Nezha to capture him, but they failed. So the emperor issued another amnesty, appointing him ‘Great Sage Equal to Heaven,’ but gave him only the title without any salary. Later, he was put in charge of the Peach Garden, but he stole the peaches. He then went to the Jasper Pool, stole dishes and wine, and disrupted the Peach Festival. Taking advantage of his drunkenness, he sneaked into the Tushita Palace and stole the Elderly Lord’s elixirs, before rebelling against Heaven once more. The Jade Emperor sent a hundred thousand celestial soldiers to capture him, but they could not subdue him.”
“Later, Bodhisattva Guanyin recommended the True Lord Erlang. Together with his sworn brothers, he pursued and attacked the monkey. The monkey was full of tricks, but fortunately the Elderly Lord struck him heavily with his Diamond Snare, and Erlang was able to capture him. When he was brought before the Jade Emperor, the emperor ordered his execution. But neither axes and swords, nor fire and thunder could harm him. The Elderly Lord then petitioned the emperor to take him away for smelting. After forty-nine days, the furnace was opened, but he leaped out of the Eight Trigram Furnace, fought off the celestial soldiers, and fought his way to the Hall of Universal Brightness and the gates of the Hall of Miraculous Mist. The assistant of the True Lord You Sheng, the Spirit Official Wang, stopped him and fought bitterly. Then the thirty-six Thunder Generals were summoned to surround him, but they still could not get close to him. Therefore, the Jade Emperor has specially invited you, Thus Come One, to come and save the throne.”
Upon hearing this, Thus Come One said to the assembled Bodhisattvas, “You all guard the Dharma Hall well here. Do not disturb the order of the Chan ranks. I am going to subdue the demon and rescue the Heavenly Court.”
Thus Come One immediately called for the two venerables, Ananda and Kasyapa, to accompany him. They left the Thunderclap Monastery and went straight to the gates of the Hall of Miraculous Mist. Suddenly, they heard a roar that shook the heavens. It was the thirty-six Thunder Generals surrounding the Great Sage. The Buddha issued a decree: “Let the Thunder Generals stop. Open the encirclement and call the Great Sage out. I wish to ask him what abilities he has.”
The Thunder Generals withdrew as commanded. The Great Sage also retracted his magical form, returned to his original appearance, and stepped forward. He was furious and shouted in a harsh voice, “Where are you from, you good man? How dare you stop the battle and question me?”
Thus Come One smiled and said, “I am the Venerable Sakyamuni of the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss. Namo Amitabha Buddha. I have heard that you are wild and arrogant, and that you have repeatedly rebelled against the Heavenly Palace. I do not know where you were born or in which year you attained the Dao. Why are you so violent and overbearing?”
The Great Sage said, “I am: A spirit immortal born of Heaven and Earth, an old ape from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. The Water Curtain Cave is my home; I sought friends and found a master to comprehend the Great Mystery. I have mastered many arts of eternal life and learned boundless transformations. Finding the mortal world too narrow, I set my heart on dwelling in the Jasper Heaven. The Hall of Miraculous Mist is not for him alone to hold forever; the human kings of every age have had their turns. The strong shall be the honored one—that title belongs to me. Only a hero dares to strive for the lead.”
The Buddha heard this and laughed coldly. “You are nothing but a monkey who has become a spirit. How dare you harbor such foolish ambitions and seek to seize the Jade Emperor’s dragon throne? The Jade Emperor has cultivated himself since childhood, enduring a thousand seven hundred and fifty kalpas of hardship. Each kalpa lasts one hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred years. Calculate for yourself how many years he has cultivated to enjoy this boundless Dao. You are but a beast who has just barely grasped the human way. How dare you utter such arrogant words? It is utterly improper! Utterly improper! It will shorten your lifespan! Surrender now and stop your nonsense! Otherwise, you may suffer a cruel fate and lose your life in an instant. What a pity it would be to waste your original spiritual nature!”
The Great Sage said, “Though he has cultivated for many years, he should not occupy the Heavenly Palace forever. As the saying goes, ‘The emperor’s throne is a revolving seat; next year it will be my turn!’ Let him simply move out and cede the Heavenly Palace to me, and all will be well. If he will not, then I swear I will make the Heavenly Palace eternally unsettled!”
The Buddha asked, “Besides your ability to live forever and your powers of transformation, what other skills do you have that would allow you to seize such a divine and blessed realm as the Heavenly Palace?”
The Great Sage said, “My skills are many! I can perform seventy-two transformations and live forever, never aging through ten thousand kalpas. I can also ride the Somersault Cloud, leaping one hundred and eight thousand miles in a single bound. With these abilities, why should I not be worthy of a seat in the Heavenly Palace?”
The Buddha said, “Let us make a wager. If you have the skill to leap out of my right palm in a single somersault, then you will have won. There will be no need for further fighting. I will ask the Jade Emperor to move to the Western Paradise and cede the Heavenly Palace to you. But if you cannot leap out, then you must return to the mortal world and continue as a demon. Cultivate for a few more kalpas, and when you are qualified, you may come back and contend for the throne.”
The Great Sage heard this and laughed to himself. “This Thus Come One is a fool! Old Sun can fly one hundred and eight thousand miles in a single somersault. His palm is not even a foot across. How could I possibly fail to leap out of it?” He quickly asked, “Since you say so, can you really be the one to make this decision?”
The Buddha said, “I can! I can!” He then stretched out his right hand, which was about the size of a lotus leaf. The Great Sage put away his As-You-Will Staff, mustered his spirit, and with a single leap, stood in the Buddha’s palm. “I’m off!” he cried.
Look at him as he rode his cloud-light, flying away without a trace. The Buddha watched with his wisdom eye and saw the Monkey King spinning like a windmill, flying straight ahead. As the Great Sage flew, he suddenly saw five fleshy pink pillars supporting a mass of blue vapor. He thought to himself, “This must be the edge of Heaven. When I go back now, with Thus Come One as my witness, the Hall of Miraculous Mist will surely be mine.” But then he had another thought. “Wait! I need to leave a mark, or else I won’t be able to argue my case with Thus Come One when I return.”
He plucked a single hair from his body, blew on it with an immortal breath, and shouted, “Change!” The hair immediately turned into a thick-tipped writing brush filled with ink. The Great Sage wrote a line of large characters on the middle pillar: “The Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, was here.” After writing, he put the brush away. But he was still not done. At the base of the first pillar, he left a puddle of monkey urine. Then he turned a somersault and went straight back to the Buddha’s palm. “I’ve been and come back,” he said. “Now tell the Jade Emperor to cede the Heavenly Palace to me.”
Thus Come One scolded him, “You pissing monkey! You never left the palm of my hand at all!”
The Great Sage said, “You don’t know! I flew to the edge of Heaven and saw five fleshy pink pillars supporting the blue vapor. I even left my mark there. Do you dare to come and see for yourself?”
Thus Come One said, “There’s no need to go. Just look down and you will know.”
The Great Sage opened his fiery golden eyes wide and looked down. To his astonishment, on the middle finger of the Buddha’s right hand were written the words, “The Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, was here,” and from the crotch of the thumb came the stink of monkey urine. The Great Sage was horrified. “How can this be? How can this be? I wrote those words on the pillar that holds up Heaven! How did they get onto his finger? Does he have the power of prophecy? I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it! I’ll go again!”
Brave Great Sage! He quickly tensed himself to leap again, but the Buddha turned his palm over and thrust him out of the Western Heavenly Gate. The Buddha transformed his five fingers into five connected mountains, named Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—the Five Elements Mountain. With a gentle press, he pinned the Great Sage beneath it. All the Thunder Generals, along with Ananda and Kasyapa, put their palms together and praised, “Excellent! Excellent!”
In those days, he hatched from an egg and transformed into a man, vowing to cultivate and truly realize the Dao. For ten thousand kalpas, he remained unmoved, dwelling in a blessed realm. But in a single moment of change, his spirit scattered. Deceiving Heaven and defying the throne, he coveted the highest seat; insulting the sages and stealing elixirs, he violated the great order of things. His evil deeds are now full, and retribution has come. Who knows on what day he will turn over and rise again?
Having subdued the demon monkey, Thus Come One called for Ananda and Kasyapa to return with him to the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss. Just then, Tian Peng and Tian You rushed out of the Hall of Miraculous Mist and said, “Please wait a moment, Thus Come One. Our Jade Emperor is on his way!”
The Buddha heard this and turned back to wait. Before long, he indeed saw the Jade Emperor’s carriage of eight scenes and ninefold canopy of light approaching, accompanied by mysterious celestial music and divine hymns, while precious flowers and true incense wafted through the air. The Jade Emperor came before the Buddha and thanked him: “We are deeply grateful that you used your great Dharma to subdue the evil fiend. I beg you, Thus Come One, to stay for one day. I will invite all the immortals to prepare a feast in your honor.”
Thus Come One did not dare to refuse. He put his palms together and thanked the emperor, saying, “This old monk came only at the decree of the Great Heavenly Lord. I possess no great Dharma power. It is all due to the boundless blessings of the Heavenly Lord and all the gods. I dare not trouble you with thanks.”
The Jade Emperor issued a decree, ordering the Thunder Gods to invite the Three Pure Ones, the Four Imperial Lords, the Five Elders, the Six Directors, the Seven Stars, the Eight Extremities, the Nine Luminaries, the Ten Chiefs, and a thousand other true sages and saints to attend the feast and thank the Buddha. He also ordered the Four Heavenly Masters and the Nine Heavens’ Celestial Maidens to open the Golden Gate of the Jade Capital, the Great Mystery Jeweled Palace, and the Cavern Yang Jade Hall. He asked Thus Come One to sit upon the Seven-Jeweled Spiritual Terrace, arranged all the seats in order, and set out dishes of dragon liver and phoenix marrow, along with jade liquor and peaches of immortality.
Before long, the Jade Pure Primordial Lord of Heaven, the Supreme Pure Lord of the Numinous Treasure, the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord, the True Lords of the Five Energies, the Star Lords of the Five Dippers, the Three Officials and Four Saints, the True Lords of the Nine Luminaries, the Left and Right Assistants, Heavenly King Li and Nezha, and all the other gods and immortals arrived. Each one held bright pearls, rare treasures, long-life fruits, and wondrous flowers. They came before the Buddha and bowed: “We thank you, Thus Come One, for your boundless Dharma power in subduing the monkey fiend. We have been summoned by the Great Heavenly Lord to this feast, and we have come specially to express our gratitude. We beg you, Thus Come One, to give this feast a name.”
Thus Come One, entrusted by all the gods, said, “Let this day be named. Let it be called the ‘Assembly for the Pacification of Heaven.’” All the immortals cried out with one voice, “A fine name! ‘The Assembly for the Pacification of Heaven’! A fine name!” Then they all took their seats, passing the wine cups and playing zithers and lutes. This feast was truly a grand affair, as the poem testifies:
The Peach Feast was disrupted by a monkey; the Assembly for the Pacification of Heaven surpassed that very feast. Dragon banners and phoenix carriages shone with auspicious light; jeweled pennants and streamers floated in blessed vapors. Celestial music and mysterious songs were sweet to the ear; phoenix flutes and jade pipes rose high and clear. Precious incense swirled as all the immortals gathered; the universe was at peace as they celebrated the holy court.
As the immortals were joyfully drinking, the Queen Mother of the West arrived with a host of celestial maidens, fairy girls, beauties, and fur-clad maidens. They floated gracefully before the Buddha and bowed. “Earlier, the monkey fiend disrupted the Peach Festival, and we were unable to entertain all the immortals and buddhas to our satisfaction. Now, thanks to Thus Come One’s great Dharma in subduing the stubborn monkey, and with this ‘Assembly for the Pacification of Heaven,’ I have nothing to offer in thanks. I have specially picked a few large peaches of immortality with my own hands to present to you.” These peaches were truly rare:
Half red and half green, they gave forth a sweet fragrance. Beautiful and immortal, their roots had grown for ten thousand years. One might laugh at the peaches of Wuling’s source; how could they compare to those of the Heavenly Palace, which are far more wondrous and strong? With delicate purple patterns, they are rare in all the world; with pale yellow pits, sweet and clear, they are unmatched in the mortal realm. They prolong life and extend years, and can even transform one’s body. Those fortunate enough to eat them become extraordinary indeed.
The Buddha put his palms together and thanked the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother then ordered the celestial maidens and fairy girls to sing and dance. All the assembled immortals praised them profusely. Truly:
Ethereal heavenly fragrance filled the seats; a riot of celestial flowers and immortal blossoms. The Golden Gate of the Jade Capital was resplendent with glory; rare and strange treasures were beyond price. Pairs of them lived as long as Heaven; couples increased their age by ten thousand kalpas. Though the mulberry fields turned to seas and back again, they remained unshaken and untroubled.
As the Queen Mother watched the celestial maidens and fairy girls sing and dance, and the immortals passed their cups in merry exchange, another strange fragrance suddenly filled the air, startling all the star-immortals seated there. They looked up and waited. In the midst of the clouds, an old man appeared, holding a sacred fungus and flying through the auspicious clouds:
His gourd contained ten thousand-year-old elixirs; his precious register recorded a thousand-year lifespan. The universe within his cave was his to command; the sun and moon within his pot were his to shape. He roamed the four seas in leisurely joy; he wandered freely among the ten continents. He had attended the Peach Festival and gotten drunk many times; when he awoke, the bright moon was still the same. With a long head, big ears, and a short body, he was called the Old Man of Longevity from the South Pole.
It was the Star of Longevity. He first bowed to the Jade Emperor and then thanked the Buddha. “At first, I heard that the monkey fiend had been taken by the Elderly Lord to the Tushita Palace for smelting. I thought all would be well. But then he escaped again. Fortunately, you, Thus Come One, have subdued this fiend. The Jade Emperor has prepared a feast to thank you, and I have hurried here. I have nothing to offer but purple magic fungus, jade-green lotus roots, and golden elixir.” The poem says:
The jade-green lotus roots and golden elixir are offered to Sakyamuni. May Thus Come One’s lifespan be as vast as the Ganges sands. In the pure peace and eternal joy of the Three Vehicles’ splendor, in the health and long life of the Nine Grades’ flowers, he is the true Dharma Lord of the Formless Gate. In the Heaven of Form and Emptiness, he is an immortal. Throughout the great earth of the universe, all call him the Patriarch. His sixteen-foot golden body enjoys boundless fortune and longevity.
Thus Come One gladly accepted and thanked him. The Star of Longevity took his seat, and the immortals continued to pass the wine cups. Then the Barefoot Immortal also arrived. He first bowed to the Jade Emperor and then thanked the Buddha. “I am grateful for your Dharma power in subduing the monkey fiend. I have nothing to show my respect, so I have brought two pears of friendship and a few fire-dates as an offering.” The poem says:
The Barefoot Immortal’s dates and pears were fragrant, reverently offered to Amitabha for a long life. His Seven-Jeweled Lotus Throne is as steady as a mountain; his thousand-gold flower seat is adorned like brocade. His lifespan equals Heaven and Earth—these are no false words; his fortune is as vast as the mighty waves—this is no wild talk. Fortune and longevity come as promised, truly so, in the carefree and blissful Western Paradise.
Thus Come One thanked him again. He told Ananda and Kasyapa to carefully store away all the gifts from the immortals. He then took his leave of the Jade Emperor and the feast. All the immortals were thoroughly drunk. At that moment, a patrol spirit official came to report: “That Great Sage has stuck his head out!”
The Buddha said, “No matter, no matter.” He took a slip of paper from his sleeve. On it were written six golden words: “Om Mani Padme Hum.” He handed it to Ananda and told him to paste it on the top of the mountain. Ananda received the slip, left the Heavenly Gate, and went to the top of the Five Elements Mountain. He pressed the slip firmly onto a square rock. The mountain immediately took root and sealed itself, leaving only a crack for the Great Sage to breathe and a space for his hands to reach out and wave. Ananda returned and reported, “The slip has been pasted.”
Thus Come One took his leave of the Jade Emperor and all the gods. He and the two venerables left the Heavenly Gate. Moved by compassion, he recited a true mantra and summoned a local spirit. He ordered this spirit, together with the Five Inspecting Spirits, to dwell on the Five Elements Mountain and keep watch over the Great Sage. When the Great Sage was hungry, they were to feed him iron pellets. When he was thirsty, they were to give him molten copper to drink. When his calamities were fulfilled, someone would naturally come to rescue him. Truly:
The bold monkey fiend rebelled against the Heavenly Palace, but was subdued by the hand of Thus Come One. Thirsty, he drinks molten copper to pass the years; hungry, he eats iron pellets to while away the time. Suffering the bitter hardships of Heaven’s punishment, he endures endless torment. His lot in life is bleak, but he is fortunate to have a long life. If ever this hero is to stretch his limbs again, it will be in a future year when he serves the Buddha and journeys to the West.
Another poem says:
He once flaunted his power and rose in great might, subduing dragons and taming tigers with his clever tricks. He stole peaches and wine, roaming through the Heavenly Palace; he received his register and bounty in the Jade Capital. But when his evil deeds were full, he found himself trapped. Yet his good roots were not entirely severed; his spirit still rose. Truly, he escaped the hand of Thus Come One. Now he must wait until the Tang Dynasty produces a holy monk.
We do not know in what year or month the Great Sage’s calamities will be fulfilled. Listen to the next chapter for the answer.