The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 4

by Unknown

  Then the old dragon king gave the command for his troops to track down the other two spirits and lend assistance to the star officers for their capture. When the young prince led his troops forward, they saw Well the Wood Hound had changed into his original form. He had Cold-Deterrent pinned down and was, in fact, devouring him with great bites. “Constellation Well! Constellation Well!” cried Mo’ang. “Don’t bite him! The Great Sage Sun wants him alive, not dead!” He shouted several times, but the monster’s neck had already been bitten through. Mo’ang ordered the shrimp soldiers and crab privates to haul the dead rhinoceros back to the Water Crystal Palace, while he and other soldiers set off in pursuit again with Well the Wood Hound. They ran right into Horn the Wood Dragon, who was chasing Heat-Deterrent back toward them. Ordering the tortoises and turtles to fan out, Mo’ang led his troops to encircle the spirit completely. “Spare my life! Spare my life!” the fiend could only say. Well the Wood Hound walked forward and grabbed one of his ears. Taking away his cutlass, the star officer said, “We’re not going to kill you. We’ll turn you over to the Great Sage Sun for his disposal.” They all lowered their weapons and went back to the Water Crystal Palace, crying, “We’ve caught them all!”

  Pilgrim saw that one of the spirits had been beheaded; still dripping blood, the corpse lay on the ground. Another was pushed to his knees, his ear still grasped by Well the Wood Hound. As he walked forward to look more carefully, Pilgrim said, “It wasn’t a blade that cut this head off!”

  “If I hadn’t yelled out,” said Mo-ang, chuckling, “Star Officer Well would have devoured the body as well!”

  “It’s all right,” said Pilgrim. “Let’s saw off his two horns and skin him. We’ll take those things along, but the meat will be left here for the enjoyment of the worthy dragon king and his prince.”

  A rope was threaded through the iron hook in the nose of Dust-Deterrent, so that Horn the Wood Dragon could lead him. The same treatment was given Heat-Deterrent, and Well the Wood Hound held onto the rope. “Let’s bring them up to see the chief of the Gold-Level Prefecture, so that he can make a thorough investigation of how they have impersonated Buddha to hurt the people all these years. Then we’ll decide what to do with them.” All of them agreed.

  They took leave of the dragon king and his prince and left the Western Ocean, leading the two rhinoceroses. After rejoining Straddler and Dipper, the two stars, they mounted the cloud and fog to return to the Gold-Level Prefecture. Treading the auspicious luminosity, Pilgrim cried aloud in midair: “Chief of the Gold-Level Prefecture, subordinate officials, and all you people of this region, hear me! We are sage monks sent by the Great Tang in the Land of the East to seek scriptures in the Western Heaven. The creatures who pretended to be various Buddhas making their auspicious descent and who demanded sacrifices of the golden lamps each year from the households of this district and prefecture are actually these rhinoceros fiends. When we passed through here and went to look at the lamps on the night of the fifteenth, these fiends abducted both my master and the lamp oil. I, therefore, asked the gods of Heaven to bring them to submission. We have now cleaned up their mountain cave, and all the monstrous demons have been exterminated. From now on your district and prefecture should not make any sacrifice of the golden lamps, for it only taxes the people and drains their wealth.”

  Inside the Mercy Cloud Temple, Eight Rules and Sha Monk had just escorted the Tang Monk through the gate. When they heard Pilgrim speaking up in midair, they abandoned their master and their luggage to mount the wind and cloud and rise to the sky. When they questioned him, Pilgrim said, “One has been bitten to death by Constellation Well, but we have taken along its skin and the sawed-off horns. The two captured alive are here.”

  “We might as well push these two down to the city for the officials and the people to see,” said Eight Rules, “so that they’ll know that we are sages and deities. Moreover, we must trouble the four star officers to lower their clouds to the ground and go with us to the prefectural hall for the disposal of these fiends. The truth and their guilt have been firmly established. There’s nothing more we should discuss!”

  “Of late,” said one of the four stars, “Marshal Heaven Reeds seems to be quite knowledgeable about principles and shows good understanding of the law. That’s marvelous!”

  “Being a priest for some years has taught me a few things!” replied Eight Rules.

  So the various deities pushed the rhinoceroses toward the earth. When they all descended to the prefectural residence on a bouquet of colored clouds, the officials of this district and prefecture along with the populace in and out of the city were so terrified that each household set up incense tables and bowed to receive the gods from Heaven. In a little while, the priests of the Mercy Cloud Temple could be seen entering the prefectural residence also, carrying the elder in a palanquin. When he met Pilgrim, he thanked him profusely.

  “I was beholden to the noble Constellation officers,” said the Tang Monk, “for having us rescued. But not having seen my worthy disciple has caused me unending concern. Now I truly rejoice in your return in triumph. I would like to know, however, where you chased these fiends before they were captured.”

  “Since I took leave of my honored master day before yesterday,” replied Pilgrim, “old Monkey ascended to Heaven to make his investigation. The Gold Star Venus was kind enough to reveal to me that these monstrous demons were actually rhinoceroses, and that I should solicit the help of the Four Wood Creature Stars. Immediately I memorialized to the Jade Emperor, who gave his permission and his decree for the stars to descend to the cave. We fought there and they fled. Dipper and Straddler, the two Constellations, kindly rescued you, while old Monkey joined Well and Horn, the two other Constellations, to pursue the monsters. When we reached the Great Western Ocean, we were also indebted to the assistance of the dragon king, who sent his son to help us with his troops. That’s why we were able to capture them and bring them back for trial.” The elder could not stop his thanksgiving and commendation. They also saw the magistrate of the district and his various subordinate officials, who were all burning tall precious candles and filling their braziers with incense as they bowed to the sky.

  After a little while, Eight Rules became so aroused that he whipped out the ritual razor. With one stroke he cut off the head of Dust-Deterrent and with another, the head of Heat-Deterrent. Then he took up a saw to saw off their four horns. The Great Sage Sun was even more resolute. He at once gave this order: “Let the four star officers take these four rhinoceros horns up to the Region Above and present them as tribute to the Jade Emperor when you hand back the imperial decree. As for the two horns we brought along, we shall deposit one at the prefectural hall, so that it may be used as a perpetual witness to posterity that the lamp-oil levy has been eliminated. We ourselves will take along one horn to present to the Buddhist Patriarch at the Spirit Mountain.” The four stars were enormously pleased. Bowing immediately to take leave of the Great Sage, they mounted the colored clouds to go back.

  The chief official, however, would not permit the master and his three disciples to leave. He ordered a huge vegetarian banquet, and asked various village officials to bear the visitors company. Meanwhile, he issued a public proclamation informing the civil and military population that no golden lamps are permitted for the following year, and that the necessity for oil purchases levied on the big households was forever removed. The butchers, too, were told to slaughter the two rhinoceroses; their hides were to be treated and dried so that they could be used to make armor, while their meat was distributed to both officials and the common people. In addition, he appropriated some of the funds already collected for oil purchases to buy land from the people. A temple commemorating the four stars subjugating the monsters was to be erected, along with living shrines to the Tang Monk and his three disciples. Placards with proper inscriptions were set up, so that their good deeds could forever be transmitted and gratefully acknowledged.

  Since they c
ould not leave at once, master and disciples made up their mind to enjoy themselves. Each of those two hundred and forty lamp-oil households took turns to entertain them; after a banquet was given by one family, another would be offered by a different household without pause. Eight Rules was determined to have complete satisfaction. Stuffing up his sleeve a few of those treasures that he had looted from the monsters’ cave, he used them as tips for each of the vegetarian banquets. They lived there thus for over a month, and still they could not set out on their journey. Finally, the elder gave this instruction: “Wukong, take the rest of the precious jewels and give them all to the priests of the Mercy Cloud Temple as a token of our thanks. Let’s not tell those big households, but let’s slip away tomorrow before dawn. If we indulge in pleasure like this, our enterprise of scripture-seeking will be delayed, and I fear that we shall offend the Buddhist Patriarch and bring on further calamities. That will be most inconvenient.” Pilgrim carried out his master’s instructions one by one.

  By the hour of the fifth watch next morning he was already up, and at once asked Eight Rules to prepare the horse. Having enjoyed his food and drink in great comfort, our Idiot slept so soundly that he was still half-dazed when he said, “Why prepare the horse so early in the morning?”

  “Master tells us to get moving!” snapped Pilgrim.

  Rubbing his face, Idiot said, “That elder should behave himself! All two hundred and forty of those big households have sent us invitations, but we’ve managed to enjoy a full meal barely thirty times. Why does he want to make old Hog endure hunger so soon?” On hearing this, the elder scolded him, saying, “Overstuffed coolie! Stop babbling! Get up quickly! If you keep up this ruckus, I’ll ask Wukong to knock out your teeth with his golden-hooped rod!”

  When Idiot heard that, he became completely flustered. “This time Master has changed!” he cried. “Usually he cares for me, loves me, and, knowing that I am stupid, protects me. Whenever Elder Brother wants to hit me, he pleads for me. Why should he turn so vicious today as to want to beat me?”

  “Because Master’s offended by your gluttony,” said Pilgrim, “which has delayed our journey. Hurry up! Pack the luggage and get the horse ready. You’ll be spared a beating!” As our Idiot was truly fearful of being beaten, he leaped up and put on his clothes. Then he shouted at Sha Monk: “Get up quickly! A beating’s on its way!”

  Sha Monk, too, leaped up, and each of them finished his preparation. Waving his hand, the elder said, “Quiet! Let’s not disturb the temple priests.” He mounted the horse hurriedly. After opening the gate, they found their way and left. As they went forth this time, it was truly like

  Opening the jade cage to let the phoenix out,

  Or breaking the gold lock to set the dragon free.

  We do not know how those households would react by morning; let’s listen to the explanation in the next chapter.

  NINETY-THREE

  At Jetavana Park he asks the aged about the cause;

  At the Kingdom of India he sees the king and meets his mate.

  Memory has to start with love;

  Leniency will beget mishap.

  Why does discernment sort out three estrades?1

  Merit done you’ll end in primal sea.

  Whether you’ll be a god or buddha,

  You must prepare yourself within:

  Be clean, pure, and wholly removed from dust.

  Fruit borne you fly to Realm Above.2

  We were telling you about the priests in the temple, who discovered by dawn that Tripitaka and his disciples had vanished. “We didn’t detain them,” they all said, “we didn’t take leave of them, and we didn’t beg them! And that’s how we allowed a living bodhisattva to walk clean away!”

  As they were saying this, a few members of the wealthy households in the south suburb arrived to deliver their invitations. Clapping their hands, the various priests said, “We were caught off-guard last evening, and they all mounted the clouds and left in the night.” The people all bowed to the sky to express their gratitude. Because of what the monks had said, however, the entire population of the city—officials and commons—all learned of it. They at once requested the wealthy households to purchase the five beasts, flowers, and fruits to sacrifice at the living shrine as an expression of their gratitude. Of this we shall speak no more.

  We tell you instead about the Tang Monk and his disciples, who fed on the wind and slept by the waters as they journeyed peacefully for over half a month. One day they found themselves again before a tall mountain. Growing apprehensive, the Tang Monk said, “Disciples, with that tall rugged mountain before us, we must be careful!” Laughing, Pilgrim said, “This road taking us near the land of Buddha surely does not harbor any monster or deviate. Master, you should relax and not worry.”

  “Disciple,” said the Tang Monk, “it may be true that the land of Buddha is not far away. But remember what the temple priests told us the other day: the distance to the capital of the Kingdom of India is still some two thousand miles. I wonder how far have we gone already.”

  “Master,” said Pilgrim, “could it be that you have quite forgotten again the Heart Sūtra of the Crow’s Nest Chan Master?”

  Tripitaka said, “That Prajñā-pāramitā is like a cassock or an alms bowl that accompanies my very body. Since it was taught me by that Crow’s Nest Chan Master, has there been a day that I didn’t recite it? Indeed, has there been a single hour that I didn’t have it in mind? I could recite the piece backward! How could I have forgotten it?”

  “Master, you may be able to recite it,” said Pilgrim, “but you haven’t begged that Chan Master for its proper interpretation.”

  “Ape-head!” snapped Tripitaka. “How dare you say that I don’t know its interpretation! Do you?”

  “Yes, I know its interpretation!” replied Pilgrim. After that exchange, neither Tripitaka nor Pilgrim uttered another word.

  At their sides, Eight Rules nearly collapsed with giggles and Sha Monk almost broke up with amusement. “What brassiness!” said Eight Rules. “Like me, he began his career as a monster-spirit. He wasn’t an acolyte who had heard lectures on the sūtras, nor was he a seminarian who had seen the law expounded. It’s sheer flimflam and pettifoggery to say that he knows how to interpret the sūtra! Hey, why is he silent now? Let’s hear the lecture! Please give us the interpretation!”

  “Second Elder Brother,” said Sha Monk, “do you believe him? Big Brother is giving us a nice tall tale, just to egg Master on his journey. He may know how to play with a rod. He doesn’t know anything about explaining a sūtra!”

  “Wuneng and Wujing,” said Tripitaka, “stop this claptrap! Wukong’s interpretation is made in a speechless language. That’s true interpretation.”

  As master and disciples conversed like that, they managed to cover quite a distance and walk past several mountain ridges. Then they came upon a huge monastery by the side of the road. “Wukong, that’s a monastery ahead of us,” said Tripitaka. “Look at it. Though

  Not overly big or small,

  It has the roof of glazed green tiles;

  Half old and half new.

  It’s enclosed with red eight-word brick walls.3

  Vaguely one can see the canopies of green pines,

  Aged things of who knows how many hundred or thousand years that havelived till now;

  And one can hear a stream’s soft murmur,

  A waterway dug out in some distant dynasty that has still remained.

  On the gates

  ‘Gold-Spreading Monastery’ in large letters;

  On a hanging plaque

  ‘The Ruins of Antiquity’ is inscribed.”

  Pilgrim replied that indeed he too saw that it was the Gold-Spreading Monastery, and Eight Rules said the same thing.

  “Gold-Spreading, Gold-Spreading,” mused Tripitaka as he rode, “could this be the territory of the Kingdom of Śrāvastī?”

  “This is quite strange, Master!” said Eight Rules. “I have followed you no
w for several years, and I have never known you to recognize the way before. Today you seem to know where you are.”

  “It’s not quite like that,” replied Tripitaka. “It’s just that in studying the sūtras I have frequently read this account, which tells of the Buddha’s experience in the Jetavana Park of the city, Śrāvastī. The park was said to be something that the Elder Anāthapiṇḍika wanted to purchase from Prince Jeta, so that it could be used as the place for Buddha to lecture on the sūtras. The prince, however, said, ‘My park is not for sale. The only way you can buy it is for you to cover the whole park with gold.’ When Elder Anāthapiṇḍika heard this, he took gold bricks and spread them throughout the park. Only then did he succeed in purchasing the Jetavana Park from the prince and in inviting the World-Honored One to expound the Law. When I saw the Gold-Spreading Monastery just now, I thought this could be the one described in the story.”4

  “How fortunate!” said Eight Rules, chuckling. “If indeed it’s the one in the story, we should go and dig up a few bricks to give to people.” They all laughed at this for a while before Tripitaka dismounted.

  When they entered the monastery, they discovered sitting by the main gates a few cartfuls of people—some luggage toters, some cart pushers, and some with bags on their backs. Some were sleeping and others were chatting when they caught sight of master and disciples. The handsome features of the elder along with the hideous ones of his disciples made the people somewhat fearful, and they all stepped aside for the pilgrims to pass through. Fearing that they might stir up trouble, Tripitaka kept calling out, “Gently! Gently!” and all his disciples seemed to be behaving themselves.

  After passing through the Vajra Hall, they were met by a priest whose whole bearing seemed quite devout. Truly

  His face like a full moon shone;

  His body was the wisdom-tree.

  His windswept sleeves hugged his staff

  And sandals trod the pebbled path.