Journey to the West (vol. 3)

by Wu Cheng-En

  When achievements are complete it is right to bathe;

  The fundamental nature has been trained into innate truth.

  Many thousand troubles and today:

  The nine prohibitions and triple surrender lead to renewal.

  The monsters all done with, they climb to the Buddha land;

  With disasters ended they see the Sramana.

  Dirt and filth now washed away, they are wholly pure;

  Returning to the fundamental, their bodies are imperishable.

  By the time master and disciples had bathed the day was drawing to a close. They spent the night in the Jade Truth Temple.

  The next morning the Tang Priest changed into his brocade cassock, put on his Vairocana mitre and grasped his monastic staff in his hand to climb the steps of the main hall and take his leave of the Great Immortal. “Yesterday you were in rags,” the Great Immortal said with a smile, “but today you are dressed in splendor. I can see from your appearance that you are indeed a son of the Buddha.” Sanzang then bowed in farewell.

  “Wait a moment,” the Great Immortal said. “I will see you off.”

  “There's no need for you to see us off,” Monkey replied. “I know the way.”

  “What you know,” said the Great Immortal, “is the way by cloud. The holy monk has never gone by cloud. He must go by the overland way.”

  “You're right,” replied Monkey. “Although I've been here several times I've always come and gone by cloud. I've never come here on foot. If there's an overland route I'll trouble you to see us along it. My master is very serious about worshipping the Buddha, so I'd be very grateful if you could hurry up about it.” The Great Immortal chuckled as he took the Tang Priest by hand and led the Incense to the gate of the Dharma. The way led not out by the temple's front entrance but through the main hall and out through the back gate.

  Pointing towards Vulture Peak, the Great Immortal said, “Holy monk, do you see the auspicious light of many colours and the richly textured aura in the sky? That is the summit of Vulture Peak, the holy territory of the Lord Buddha.” As soon as he saw it the Tang Priest bowed low.

  “Master,” said Brother Monkey with a smile, “we haven't got to the place for bowing yet. As the saying goes, 'The mountain may be in view, but your horse will collapse before you get there.' We're still quite a long way from the place, so why start bowing now? If you bow all the way from here to the top, however many times will you have to hit your head on the ground?”

  “Holy monk,” said the Great Immortal, “You, the Great Sage, Marshal Tian Peng, and the Curtain-raising General have now reached the blessed land and seen Vulture Peak. I am going back now.” Sanzang took his leave of the Great Immortal and continued on his way.

  The Great Sage led the Tang Priest and the others slowly up Vulture Peak. Within a couple of miles they reached a river of mighty rolling waves some three miles wide. There was no sign of anyone anywhere around.

  “Wukong,” said Sanzang with alarm, “we have come the wrong way. I wonder if the Great Immortal misdirected us. This river is so wide and the waves so big, and there are no boats to be seen. How are we to cross it?”

  “He didn't send us the wrong way,” replied Monkey with a smile. “Look over there. That's a bridge, isn't it? Once we're over that we'll have completed the true achievement.” When the venerable elder and the others went closer to look they saw a tablet beside it on which were written the words CLOUDTOUCHING CROSSING. Now this bridge was only a single log. Indeed:

  From afar it seemed to span the void like a beam of jade;

  Seen closer, the bridge was but a withered spar crossing the water.

  To bind a river and frame the sea is easier

  Than walking along the trunk of a single tree.

  The glow of a myriad rainbows spread out all around;

  A thousand lengths of fine white silk stretched to the edge of the sky.

  It was narrow, slippery and hard to cross,

  Unless one was a god who could walk on coloured clouds.

  “Wukong,” said Sanzang in fear and trembling, “no mortal man could cross that bridge. Let us look elsewhere to find the way.”

  “But this is the way,” replied Monkey with a smile, “this is the way.”

  “Nobody's going to dare cross that even if it is the right way,” said Pig with alarm. “The river's so wide, and there are those terrible waves, and all there is is that narrow, slippery tree-trunk. We couldn't take a single step.”

  “You all stand there while I go on it to show you,” replied Monkey.

  The splendid Great Sage strode forward and sprang on the single-trunk bridge. He quickly ran across to the other side, swaying as he went, and called out, “Come over, come over.” The Tang Priest waved in refusal, while Pig and Friar Sand bit their fingers and said, “It's much too hard.”

  Monkey then ran back again from the far side and pulled at Pig. “Come with me, you idiot,” he said, “come with me.”

  “It's too slippery, it's too slippery,” said Pig, lying down on the ground. “I could never cross it. Please spare me that and let me cross by wind and mist.”

  Monkey held him down as he replied, “This is no place for you to be allowed to go riding wind and mist. You can only become a Buddha by crossing this bridge.”

  “Brother,” said Pig, “I'll never make it. Honestly, I can't walk across.”

  As the two of them were pulling at each other and fighting, Friar Sand went over to talk them round. Only then did they let go of each other. Sanzang then looked round to see a man poling a boat towards them from downriver and shouting, “Ferry! Come aboard.”

  “Stop fooling around, disciples,” said a delighted venerable elder. “There is a ferry-boat coming.” The other three sprang to their feet and all watched together as the boat drew closer. It was a bottomless craft.

  Monkey had already spotted with the golden pupils in his fiery eyes that this was the Welcoming Lord Buddha, who is also known as Ratnadhvaja, the Royal Buddha of Brightness, but instead of giving this away he just kept calling, “Over here, punt, over here.”

  A moment later the ferryman had punted his boat up to the bank and was again shouting, “Ferry! Come aboard!” Sanzang was once more alarmed at the sight. “Your boat has no bottom,” he said, “so however could you ferry anyone across?”

  “This boat of mine,” the Buddha said,

  “Has been famous since Chaos was first divided,

  And been punted by me without any changes.

  It is stable in wind and stable in waves,

  Enjoying great peace with no start and no end.

  Untouched by the six types of dust, it returns to the One,

  Carries on calmly through all kinds of calamity.

  Hard it is for a bottomless boat to cross the oceans,

  But since ancient times it has ferried all creatures.”

  The Great Sage Monkey put his hands together in front of his chest and thanked him with the words, “I am grateful to you for your generosity in coming to welcome my master. Step aboard, Master. That boat of his may have no bottom, but it's stable, and won't capsize even in wind and waves.” The venerable elder was still very doubtful, but Monkey seized him by the arms and pushed him forward. Unable to keep on his feet, the master tumbled into the water, where the ferryman grabbed hold of him at once and stood him on the boat. The master shook his clothes and stamped his feet, complaining about Monkey, who led Friar Sand and Pig to stand on board bringing the luggage and the horse with them.

  Gently and strongly the Buddha pushed off, at which a corpse came floating downstream, to the horror of the venerable elder. “Don't be frightened, Master,” said Monkey. “That's you.”

  “It's you, it's you,” said Pig. Friar Sand clapped his hands as he said, “It's you, it's you!”

  The boatman gave a call, then also put in, too, “It's you! Congratulations! Congratulations!” The three of them all joined in these congratulations as the ferryman punted the
boat quickly and steadily over the immortal Cloud-touching Crossing. Sanzang turned around and sprang lightly ashore on the opposite bank. There is a poem about this that goes:

  When the womb-born flesh and body of blood is cast aside,

  The primal spirit finds kinship and love.

  On this morning of actions completed and Buddhahood attained

  The thirty-six kinds of dust from the past are washed away.

  This was indeed what is meant by great wisdom, the boundless dharma of crossing to the other bank. When the four of them climbed the bank and looked back the bottomless boat had already disappeared, goodness knew where. Only when Brother Monkey explained that it had been the Welcoming Buddha did Sanzang find enlightenment At once he turned round to thank his three disciples.

  “Let's not exchange thanks,” said Monkey. “We've helped each other. You saved us three, Master, and showed us the way to win merit so as to complete the true achievement. And we have protected you, Master, holding to the faith and helping you happily to cast off your mortal body. Master, look at the magnificent scenery ahead. Flowers, grasses, pines and bamboo, as well as phoenixes, cranes and deer. Compare it with those places where evil beings created illusions through transformation. Ask yourself which is beautiful and good, and which ugly and evil.” Sanzang was full of expressions of gratitude. All of them were now light of body and cheerful as they walked up Vulture Peak. Soon the ancient Thunder Monastery could be seen:

  Its rooftops touched the heavens,

  Its roots joined with the Sumeru range.

  Amazing peaks spread out in serried rank;

  Craggy rocks formed interlocking shapes.

  Under the hanging scar were wonderful plants and flowers;

  Beside the winding path grew magic mushrooms and orchids.

  Immortal apes were picking the fruit of the peach trees,

  Like gold amid burning flames;

  White cranes perched in the branches of the pines

  As if they were jade creatures amid smoke.

  Coloured phoenixes in pairs,

  Green phoenixes two by two.

  The pairs of coloured phoenixes

  Brought blessings on the world as they called to the sun;

  The green phoenixes two by two

  Danced in the wind, a rare and wonderful sight.

  On the gleaming golden tiles were figures of mandarin ducks;

  The brilliantly patterned bricks were set with agate.

  To East and West

  Were flowers of palaces and pearls of gateways;

  To North and South

  Were endless precious pavilions and high buildings.

  The Devaraja Hall streamed with coloured light;

  Purple flames rose before the Lokapalas Chamber.

  Stupas stood out,

  And fragrant were the blossoms of the udumbara tree.

  Truly this was a place so fine it might have come from heaven,

  Where the days seemed long under leisurely clouds.

  Away from the mortal world, all fates came to an end;

  All kalpas were complete within the Dharma hall.

  As master and disciples walked freely and at their ease up to the summit of Vulture Peak lay people could be seen under the green pines, and pious men and women amid the jade-coloured cypresses. The venerable elder bowed to them politely, whereupon all the lay men and women, monks and nuns all hastened to put their hands together and say to him, “Do not bow to us, holy monk. Come back and talk with us when you have seen Sakyamuni.”

  “It's a bit early for that,” replied Monkey with a grin. “Let's go and worship the boss.”

  The venerable elder waved his arms and performed a ritual dance as he followed Monkey straight to the gates of the Thunder Monastery, where four great vajrapanis greeted them with the words, “Have you arrived now, holy monk?”

  “Yes,” Sanzang replied with a bow, “Your disciple Xuanzang has arrived.” Having given this reply he was about to go in through the gateway.

  “Please wait for a moment, holy monk,” the vajrapanis said. “Let us report before you come in.” The vajrapanis sent a report of the Tang Priest's arrival to the four great vajrapanis on the middle gates, who in turn reported it to the inner gates, inside which were divine monks making offerings.

  As soon as they heard of the Tang Priest's arrival they all hurried to the Mahavira Hall, where they announced to the Tathagata Sakyamuni Buddha, “The holy monk from the Tang Court has arrived at your noble monastery to fetch the scriptures.”

  The Lord Buddha was very pleased. He called together his Eight Bodhisattvas, Four Vajrapanis, Five Hundred Arhats, Three Thousand Protectors, Eleven Heavenly Shiners and Eighteen Guardians, who drew themselves up in two lines and passed on the Buddha's command summoning the Tang Priest to enter. Thus it was that the invitation was sent down from one level to the next: “Let the holy monk come in.” Observing the requirements of ritual, the Tang Priest went in through the gate with Wukong and Wujing, who were leading the horse and carrying the luggage. Indeed:

  In the past he had struggled to fulfil his commission

  After leaving the emperor at the steps of the throne.

  At dawn he had climbed mountains in mist and in dew;

  At dusk he had slept on rocks amid the clouds.

  He had carried his stick across three thousand rivers,

  And climbed up countless crags with his monastic staff.

  His every thought had been set on the true achievement,

  And today he was finally to see the Tathagata.

  As the four of them arrived in front of the Mahavira Hall they all prostrated themselves and kowtowed to the Tathagata, then to their left and right. After they had each completed three rounds of Worship they then knelt before the Buddha to present their passport. When the Tathagata had read it carefully he handed it back to Sanzang, who bowed his head low and reported, “Your disciple Xuanzang has made the long journey to your precious monastery at the command of the Great Tang emperor to beg for the true scriptures that will save all living beings. I implore the Lord Buddha in his goodness to grant them at once so that I may return to my country.”

  The Tathagata then opened his compassionate mouth and in the great mercy of his heart said to Sanzang, “Your Eastern land is in the Southern Continent of Jambu. As the sky is lofty there, the soil deep, its products many, and the people multitudinous there is much covetous-ness, murder, debauchery, lying, deception and dishonesty. They do not follow the Buddhist teaching, do not turn towards good destinies, and do not honour the sun, moon and stars or value the five grains. They are not loyal, filial, righteous or kind. In the delusion of their hearts they mislead themselves, cheating on weights and measures, taking life and killing animals, thus creating such boundless evil karma and such a superabundance of sin and evil that they bring the catastrophe of hell on themselves. That is why they must fall for ever into the dark underworld to suffer the torments of being hammered, smashed, ground and pounded, or are reborn as animals. Many of them take the shape of furry, horned creatures to pay back the debts they owe from earlier lives and feed others with their own flesh. It is for such reasons that some fall into the Avici Hell, from which they never emerge to be reborn. Although Confucius established the doctrine of benevolence, righteousness, correct behavior and wisdom, and although successive emperors have applied the penalties of imprisonment, exile strangulation and beheading, none of this affected those stupid, benighted, self-indulgent and unrestrained people. Why? I have Three Stores of scriptures that offer deliverance from suffering and release from disaster. Of these Three Stores one is the Store of Dharma that deals with Heaven; one is the Store of Sastras that deal with the Earth, and one is the Store of Sutras that can save ghosts. There are thirty-five scriptures altogether, in 15,144 scrolls. These are indeed the path to the truth, the gateway to goodness. They include everything about the astronomy, geography, personalities, birds beasts trees, flowers, objects of use and human affai
rs of the world's four continents. Now that you have come from afar I would present them all to you to take away with you, but the people of your country are stupid and coarse. They are slanderers of the truth who cannot understand the mysteries of our teachings. Ananda, Kasyapa,” he called, “take the four of them to the foot of the jewel tower and give them a vegetarian meal. After the meal open up the pavilion, select a few rolls from each of the thirty-five scriptures in my Three Stores, and tell them to propagate these scriptures in the East, where they may eternally grant their great goodness.”

  Acting on the orders of the Buddha the two arhats then led the four pilgrims to the bottom of the tower, where no end of rare and wonderful jewels and treasures were set out. Here the divinities who made offerings set out a vegetarian banquet, with immortal food, immortal delicacies, immortal tea, immortal fruit, and every kind of culinary delight not to be found in the mortal world. Master and disciples bowed their heads to the ground in thanks for the Buddha's kindness and proceeded to eat to their hearts' content. Indeed

  Precious flames and golden light dazzled the eye,

  While the rare incense and delicacies were marvelously fine.

  The thousand-storied golden pavilion was infinitely lovely,

  And pure sounded immortals' music on the ear.

  Meatless food and magic flowers of the sort that are rare on earth,

  Fragrant teas and exotic dishes that give eternal life.

  After a long period of enduring a thousand kinds of suffering,

  Today comes the glorious happiness of the Way completed.

  This was a piece of good fortune for Pig, and a great, benefit to Friar Sand as they ate their fill of the food in the Buddha's land that gave eternal life and new flesh and bones for old. The two arhats kept the four of them company till the meal was over, after which they went to the treasure pavilion, where the doors were opened for them to go in and look. Over this all was a thousandfold aura of coloured light and auspicious vapors, while brilliant mists and clouds of good omen wafted all around. All over the scripture shelves and on the outside of the cases were pasted red labels on which were neatly written the titles of the scriptures. They were the