The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 4

by Unknown

  Long I taught my mind and spirit to stay put.

  For such sincerity

  I found an immortal mate;

  I nurtured the Baby3

  And married the Fair Girl.

  When my merit reached three thousand,

  My work harmonized the Four Signs,4

  I went beyond Heaven’s bound

  To bow at the mysterious height.

  Made the Great Curtain-Raising Warrior,

  I attended the phoenix-and-dragon chariot

  With appointed rank of general.

  At the Peaches Festival also

  I dropped and broke a crystal chalice,

  For which I was exiled to the Flowing-Sand River.

  My head and features transformed,

  I sinned by taking lives.

  Fortunately the Bodhisattva going far to the Land of the East

  Persuaded me to repent

  And wait for a Buddhist son of the Tang court,

  Who would go seek scriptures at the Western Heaven.

  Henceforth I stood in this renewal

  And sought once more the great awakening.

  I use the river as my surname;

  My religious name’s Wujing,

  And they address me as Monk.

  When the king heard that, he was filled with great joy but also great terror. What brought him joy was the fact that his daughter had taken a living Buddha in for a husband, but what brought him terror was that the man’s disciples were actually three monstrous deities. In that very moment, the chief imperial astronomer arrived to say, “The date of the wedding has been set for the fine day of renzi, the twelfth day of this month in this year. That day ought to be felicitous for the entire family, and it is thus fitting for a marriage to take place.”

  “What day is today?” asked the king.

  “Today is the eighth,” replied the astronomer, “the day of moushen, when the gibbons come to present fruits. It is thus a day appropriate for receiving the worthies and setting appointments.” Exceedingly pleased, the king immediately asked the attendants to sweep out some towered buildings in the imperial garden, so that the royal son-in-law and his three disciples could use them for lodging. Thereafter he asked for the preparation of the wedding banquet so that the princess could get married. All his subjects reverently obeyed. After the king had retired from court, the various officials dispersed, and we shall leave them for the moment.

  We tell you now instead about Tripitaka and his disciples, who went together to the imperial garden. As it was getting late, a vegetarian meal was set out. Delighted, Eight Rules said, “It’s about time we eat after one whole day!” Those in charge toted in whole loads of rice and noodles. Eight Rules ate and ate; the more they brought, the more he ate. He did not stop till his guts were stuffed and his stomach was bloated. In a little while, lights were brought in and bedding spread out for each of them, so that they could sleep.

  When the elder saw that they were by themselves, he shouted angrily at Pilgrim, “Wukong! You wretched ape! You put me in a bind every time! I told you that all I wanted was to have the rescript certified, and I told you not to go near the festooned tower. Why did you insist on taking me there to look? Now, have you seen anything good? We’ve ended up in this pickle. What are we going to do now?”

  Trying to placate him with a smile, Pilgrim said, “The master’s statement that his deceased mother, who also met the person destined for her by the tossing of an embroidered ball, whereupon the two of them became man and wife, seems to indicate a longing for the past. Only because of that did old Monkey lead you to the tower. Moreover, I thought of the words of that abbot from the Benefactor-of-Orphans Gold-Spreading Monastery, and I wanted to use this occasion to examine the true and the false. Just now when I looked at the king, I noticed that his complexion was somewhat dark and swarthy. But I haven’t been able to look at the princess to determine what she was like.”

  “What would you be able to do if you saw the princess?” asked the elder. Pilgrim said, “The moment these fiery eyes and diamond pupils of old Monkey see her face, they will be able to discern truth and falsehood, good and evil, wealth and poverty. Then I will be able to act to distinguish the right from the deviant.”

  With loud giggles, both Eight Rules and Sha Monk said, “Elder Brother must have recently learned the art of physiognomy!”

  “Those physiognomists,” said Pilgrim, “ought to be regarded only as my grandsons!”

  “Stop gabbing!” snapped Tripitaka. “It appears now that they are bent on taking me in. What should we do, really?”

  Pilgrim said, “Let’s wait till the twelfth, the day of the wedding ceremony, when the princess undoubtedly will appear to pay homage to her parents. Let old Monkey take a look at her from the side. If she were a real woman, it wouldn’t be too bad for you to become the royal son-in-law and enjoy the glory of a nation.”

  These words sent Tripitaka into greater fury. “You wretched ape!” he cried. “You still want to injure me! As Wuneng puts it, nine-tenths of our journey has been covered already, and you still stab me with your hot tongue! Stop wagging it, and don’t you dare open that stinking mouth of yours! If you behave with such insolence just one more time, I’ll recite that spell to make life intolerable for you!”

  When Pilgrim heard that he wanted to recite the spell, he was so horrified that he immediately went to his knees and said, “Don’t do that! Don’t do that! If she were a real woman, we’d wait till the time of the mutual bows, and then we would create havoc in the palace and get you out.” As master and disciples conversed, the announcement of the night watches began. Truly

  The palace clock drips slowly;

  The floral scent spreads softly.

  The boudoir drops its pearly screen;

  In empty yards no lights are seen.

  The swings stand idle, showing only their shades;

  All is quiet as a Tangut flute fades.

  The moon on the blossoms confers her grace;

  The stars seem brighter in a treeless space.

  The nightjar ends her song;

  The butterfly-dream is long.

  The Milky Way crosses the sky

  As white clouds to one’s homeland fly:

  A time when travelers feel the keenest pain,

  Saddened by the wind-swept young willow-skein.

  “Master,” said Eight Rules, “it’s late. If there’s anything important, discuss it tomorrow. Let’s go to sleep! Let’s go to sleep.” Master and disciples indeed enjoyed a restful night.

  Soon the golden rooster announced the arrival of dawn, and the king ascended the main hall for his early audience. You see

  The palace open, the purple aura high;

  Wind-blown, royal music rends the blue sky.

  Clouds move the leopard’s-tails5 and banners shake;

  The sun hits carved dragons6 and girdle-jades quake.

  Fragrant mist heightens the palace willow green;

  Dew drops moisten the flowers’ imperial sheen.

  Midst shouts and dances the ministers stand,

  For peace and harmony reign o’er the land.

  After the hundred officials, both civil and military, had paid their homage, the king gave this order: “Let the Court of Imperial Entertainments prepare the wedding banquet for the twelfth. For today, however, let us make ready some spring wine and entertain our royal son-in-law in the imperial garden.” He also instructed the Director of the Bureau of Ceremonies to take the three worthy kinsmen back to the College of Interpreters. There they would be served a vegetarian feast by the Court of Imperial Entertainments. The staff from the Office of Music would be asked to play at both the college and the garden, so that all could be entertained while they spent time enjoying the sight of spring.

  When Eight Rules heard all this, he at once spoke up and said, “Your Majesty, since we, master and disciples, made each other’s acquaintance, we have not been separated for a single moment. Today, if you plan to eat a
nd drink in the imperial garden, take us along and let us play for a couple of days. That’s the way for you to make my master your royal son-in-law. Otherwise, I fear that you may find it hard to carry out this scheme.”

  The king had already noticed Eight Rules’s hideous appearance and vulgar manner of speech. And when he saw him sticking out his snout and wagging his ears, constantly twisting his head and kneading his neck, he thought the speaker was showing signs of madness. Fearing that the marriage might be ruined, the king had no choice but to agree to the demands. “Prepare two tables,” said the king, “in the Eternal Pacification of the Chinese and Barbarian Loft, where we shall sit with our royal son-in-law. Three other tables are to be set up in the Spring-Detaining Arbor for those three guests. Master and disciples, we fear, may not find it convenient to sit together.” Only then did our Idiot bow and say, “Thank you!” before each person withdrew. The king also issued this order that the official in charge of the inner palace prepare another banquet, so that the queen and the consorts of three palaces and six chambers could assist the princess in putting on her headgear and present her with her dowry, in anticipation of the fine match set for the twelfth.

  By about the hour of the Serpent,7 the king called for his carriage and invited the Tang Monk and his companions to go to the imperial garden. As they looked around, they saw a marvelous place indeed.

  The path’s made of colored stones—

  The railings bear carved patterns—

  The path’s made of colored stones,

  By the side of which rare blossoms grow.

  The railings bear carved patterns,

  Within and beyond which strange flora flourish.

  Lush peaches bewitch the kingfishers;

  Young willows display the orioles.

  A walk brings quiet fragrance to fill your sleeves;

  A stroll makes much pure scent cling to your robe.

  A phoenix terrace and a dragon pool;

  A bamboo garret and a pine arbor.

  On the phoenix terrace,

  A flute bids phoenixes to come courteously;8

  In the dragon pool,

  Fishes raised there change into dragons to leave.

  The bamboo garret has poems,

  All lofty rhymes composed with utmost skill;

  The pine arbor has essays,

  A noble collection of pearl and jade.

  Green rocks form artificial hills;

  The winding stream’s azure and deep.

  The true-peony arbor,

  The cinnamon rose props,

  Seem like thick damask and brocade spread out;

  The moli9 fence,

  The pyrus patch,

  Appear as mist or jade piled up.

  The peony has exotic scent;

  The Sichuan mallow shows rare glamour;

  White pears vie with red apricots for fragrance;

  Purple orchids strive with gold daylilies for brilliance.

  The lichun flower,

  The “wood-brush” flower,

  And the azalea

  Are all fresh and fiery;

  The crape-flower,

  The fengxian flower,

  And the “jade-pin” flower

  Are all tall and trembly.

  Each spot of red ripeness seems like moistened rouge;

  Each clump of dense fragrance is a brocade round.

  A joy’s the east wind recalling the warm sun;

  The whole garden’s lit up and with charms o’errun.

  The king and his several guests viewed this scenery for a long time. Then the Director of Ceremonies came to invite Pilgrim and his two brothers to go to the Spring-Detaining Arbor, while the king took the Tang Monk to the Chinese and Barbarian Loft, each party being served separately. The music and dance, the decorations and appointments, were quite extraordinary. Truly

  The Heaven-gate’s10 rugged in the morning light.

  On dragon towers auspicious mists alight.

  The soft hues of spring the flora adorn;

  Silk robes shimmer, struck by the rays of dawn.

  Like feastings of gods pipes and songs resound;

  With juices of jade the cups make their rounds.

  Joined in their fun are both subjects and king;

  A world at peace must prosperity bring.

  When the elder saw what great esteem the king showed him, he had little choice but to force himself to participate in the revelry. Truly he showed delight without but harbored anxiety within.

  At the place where they were sitting, there were four gilded screens hanging on the wall, on which were painted the scenes of the four seasons. Inscribed on these paintings were poems, all compositions by noted scholars of the Hanlin Academy.11

  The Poem of Spring says:

  The cycle of nature has made its turn.

  The great earth quickens and all things seem new.

  Plums vie with peaches in their beauteous blooms;

  Swallows pile on carved beams their scented dust.

  The Poem of Summer says:

  The south wind blows to cause our thoughts delay;

  The sun beams on k’uei12 and pomegranate.

  A jade flute’s soft notes stir our midday dream,

  When scent of water lily spreads to the drapes.

  The Poem of Autumn says:

  Of golden wells’ pawlonia one leaf’s yellow.13

  Draw not the pearl screen for the night has frost.

  The swallows know it’s time to leave their nests,

  As wild geese depart for another land.

  The Poem of Winter says:

  The rain clouds make the sky both dark and cold,

  And wind blows the snow to build a thousand hills.

  The palace, of course, has a warm, red stove

  When plum blossoms o’erlay with jade the rails.

  When the king saw how intently the Tang Monk was staring at the poems, he said, “If the royal son-in-law finds the flavor of poetry so attractive, he too must be skilled in the art of chanting and composition. If you are not parsimonious with your pearl and jade, please give a reply in kind to each of the poems, using the same rhymes. Will you do that?”

  Now the elder was someone who could lose himself in such scenery, for his mind was enlightened by the vision of seeing the Buddha-nature in all things. When he heard the king favoring him with such a request, he blurted out the sentence, “The sun melts the ice as the great earth turns.” Exceedingly pleased, the king said to one of the palace attendants, “Bring out the library’s four treasures.14 Record the poetic replies of our royal son-in-law, so that we may slowly savor them.” The elder did not refuse. In delight he took up the brush to write

  A Reply to the Poem of Spring:

  The sun melts the ice as the great earth turns.

  This day the king’s garden blossoms anew.

  The people are blessed with such clement clime,

  For rivers and seas are rid of worldly dust.

  A Reply to the Poem of Summer:

  The dipper points south to cause the day’s delay.

  Ablaze are the huai15 and pomegranate.

  Orioles and swallows midst the willow sing

  And send their lovely duet through the drapes.

  A Reply to the Poem of Autumn:

  Fragrant’s the orange—green and yellow.

  The verdant pine and cypress love their frost.

  Brocadelike, the crysanthemum’s half in bloom.

  Our songs resound through cloud and water land.

  A Reply to the Poem of Winter:

  The snow has stopped but still the air is cold,

  When jagged rocks like jade surround the hills.

  The stove’s beast-shaped charcoals have warmed the milk. 16

  We sing, hands in sleeves, and lean on the rails.

  The king read the poems and he could not have been more pleased. “What a marvelous line!” he chanted. “‘We sing, hands in sleeves, and lean on the rails!’” At once he aske
d the Office of Music to set the poems to music and perform them. They spent the day that way before dispersing.

  Meanwhile, Pilgrim and his two companions also abandoned themselves to enjoyment at the Spring-Detaining Arbor. Growing somewhat tipsy from the several cups of wine they each consumed, they were about to leave to look for the elder when they spotted him in a distant room with the king. His silly nature aroused, Eight Rules shouted, “What great fun! What comfort! Today I’ve had my enjoyment! As long as I’m full, it’s time to take a snooze!”

  “Second Elder Brother,” said Sha Monk, chuckling, “that’s not very dignified of you! With such a full stomach, how can you sleep?” Eight Rules said, “You wouldn’t know about this. The proverb says,

  If after a meal you don’t lie flat,

  Your belly won’t get fat!”

  The Tang Monk took leave of the king and went to the arbor, where he rebuked Eight Rules, saying, “You coolie! You’re getting rowdier! What sort of a place is this that you dare to shout and holler? If the king takes offense, you may lose your life!”

  “It’s nothing! It’s nothing!” replied Eight Rules. “After all, we are related to him as in-laws, properly speaking, and he can’t be offended by us. As the saying goes,

  You can’t cut off your kin with beating,

  Nor can you your neighbor with scolding.

  We’re all having some fun. Why worry about him?”

  “Bring that Idiot over here!” snapped the elder. “Let me give him twenty strokes with my priestly staff!” So Pilgrim pulled him over and bent him down, while the elder raised his staff to strike.

  “Father royal son-in-law!” cried Idiot. “Please pardon me! Please pardon me!”

  Those officials who had borne them company during the party persuaded the Tang Monk to stop. Scrambling up, our Idiot could be heard muttering, “Dear honored man! Dear royal son-in-law. The wedding hasn’t even taken place, and you’re administering royal law already!” Putting his hand over Eight Rules’s mouth, Pilgrim said, “Stop jabbering! Stop jabbering! Hurry and go to sleep!” They spent another night in the Spring-Detaining Arbor, and by dawn, they feasted once more.

  They passed three or four days in such pleasure, and the auspicious day of the twelfth arrived. The officials from the three departments of the Court of Imperial Entertainments came to say, “Since receiving your decree on the eighth, your subjects have now finished building the royal son-in-law’s residence, though we are still waiting for the dowry to furnish the place. The wedding banquet, too, is prepared. Altogether, both vegetarian and nondietary, there are some five hundred tables.” Delighted, the king wanted to ask his son-in-law at once to attend the banquet, when an official of the inner palace suddenly appeared and said, “Your Majesty, the queen wishes to have an audience.”