Journey to the West (vol. 2)

by Wu Cheng-En

  Mists obscured the world,

  Fog shrouded heaven and earth.

  A whistling evil wind sent sand and pebbles rolling;

  Towering wrath had the ocean's waves breaking.

  With a newly-sharpened pair of swords,

  And a body encased in armor once more,

  His hatred was deeper than the sea,

  And loathing made his fury greater than ever.

  In his pursuit of glory the Great Sage Equaling Heaven

  No longer regarded the other as an old friend.

  Pig was using his might to obtain the fan

  While the gods and protectors tried to capture the Bull.

  Neither of the Bull King's hands could rest

  As he blocked to left and right with heavenly skill.

  Birds folded their wings, unable to fly past;

  Fish stopped leaping and sank to the bottom.

  Ghosts wept, gods howled; the earth and sky were dark;

  Dragons and tigers were terrified and the sun was dimmed.

  The Bull Demon King fought over fifty rounds for all he was worth till he abandoned the field and fled North, unable to hold out any longer. He was soon blocked by the Vajrapani Bofa from the Hidden Demon Cave on Mount Wutai whose magical powers were very extensive. “Bull Monster,” he shouted, “Where are you going? I have been commanded by the Lord Sakyamuni Buddha to spread out heaven-and-earth nets and arrest you here.”

  As he spoke the Great Sage, Pig and all the gods caught up. In his desperation the demon king turned and fled South only to find his way blocked by the Vajrapani Shenzhi of the Cave of Cool Purity on Mount Emei, who shouted, “I am here on the Buddha's orders to take you.”

  The Bull Demon King was now so terrified and exhausted that he turned and fled East, only to be blocked by the Vairocana monk, the Vajrapani Dali of Mo'er Cave on Mount Sumeru, who shouted, “Where are you going, Old Bull? I am on a secret mission from the Tathagata to catch you.”

  The Bull Demon King withdrew in terror once more, this time to the West, where he came up against the imperishable king, the Vajrapani Yongzhu from the Golden Brightness Ridge on Mount Kunlun, shouting, “Where are you going, damn you? I have been personally instructed by the venerable Buddha of the Thunder Monastery in the Western Heaven to cut off your escape this way. Nobody will let you pass.”

  The Old Bull was now trembling with fear, but it was too late for regrets. On all sides he was surrounded by the Buddha's troops and heavenly generals. It really was as if he were caught in a high net from which there was no escape. In his despair he heard Monkey coming after him at the head of his forces, so he sprang on his cloud and went up.

  At just that moment Heavenly King Li the Pagoda-carrier was encamped in the sky with Prince Nezha, the Fish-bellied Yaksa and the Mighty Miracle God.

  “Not so fast,” he shouted, “not so fast. I am here on the mandate of the Jade Emperor to exterminate you.” In his extremity the Bull Demon King shook himself, turned back into the giant white bull, and tried to gore the Heavenly King with his iron horns, while the Heavenly King hacked at him with his sword. Soon Brother Monkey arrived.

  “Great Sage,” Prince Nezha shouted at the top of his voice, “I can't greet you properly as I'm in armor. Yesterday my father and I went to see the Tathagata Buddha, who sent a note to the Jade Emperor. It said that the Tang Priest was held up by the Fiery Mountains and that you couldn't subdue the Bull Demon King, Great Sage. The Jade Emperor then ordered my father to bring his forces here to help.”

  “But this damned creature's magical powers are tremendous,” Monkey replied, “and he's turned himself into this. What are we going to do about him?”

  “Have no doubts,” replied Nezha with a smile. “Watch me catch him.”

  The prince then shouted, “Change!” gave himself three heads and six arms, and took a flying leap upon the Bull Demon King's back. With one swing of his demon-beheading sword he had the bull's head off before he even realized he had done it. The Heavenly King threw down his sword and went to meet Monkey. But another head grew out from the Bull Demon King's throat, its mouth breathing black vapors and its eyes flashing golden light. Nezha cut again, but as the head fell a new one appeared. Nezha's sword cut a dozen heads off and a dozen new heads immediately grew again. Nezha then hung his fire-wheel on the bull's horns, blew on the magic fire, and made it blaze so fiercely that the Bull Demon King bellowed in desperate pain, shaking his head and tail and trying for all he was worth to escape.

  Just when he was about to do another transformation and get away his true image was fixed in Heavenly King Li's demon-revealing mirror. Now he could make no more changes and he had no way of escape.

  He could only call out, “Spare my life! I wish to be converted to the Buddhist faith.”

  “If you value your life, hand the fan over at once,” said Nezha. “My wife is looking after it,” the Bull Demon King replied.

  Hearing this reply, Nezha undid his demon-binding rope and slipped it round his neck, then took him by the nose, ran the rope through it, and led him along by hand. Monkey meanwhile gathered together the four vajrapanis, the Six Dings, the Six Jias, the Guardians of the Faith, Heavenly King Li, the Mighty Miracle God, Pig, the local god and the spirit soldiers to crowd around the white bull and lead him back to the entrance to the Plantain Cave.

  “Wife,” Old Bull called, “bring the fan out and save my life.” As soon as she heard this Raksasi took off her jewelry and bright-coloured clothing, dressed her hair like a Taoist nun and put on a white silk habit like a Buddhist one.

  She came out through the doors carrying the twelve-foot fan with both hands, and at the sight of the vajrapanis, the gods, the Heavenly King and Nezha she fell to her knees in terror, kowtowing in worship and saying, “I beg you Bodhisattvas to spare my husband and me. I present the fan to my brother-in-law Monkey for him to win his glory with.” Monkey went forward, took the fan, and rode back East by auspicious cloud with the others.

  Sanzang and Friar Sand had been waiting a very long time, sometimes sitting and sometimes standing, for Monkey to come back. They were extremely anxious by the time the sky was suddenly filled with auspicious clouds and the earth was lit up by blessed light as all the gods came whistling through the air towards them. “Wujing,” said the venerable elder in terror, “whose divine soldiers are coming from over there?”

  “Master,” said Friar Sand, who could recognize them, “it's the four vajrapanis, the Golden-headed Protector, the Six Jias, the Six Dings, the Guardians of the Faith and all the other passing gods. The one leading the bull is Prince Nezha, and there's Heavenly King Li the Pagoda-carrier holding a mirror. My eldest brother is carrying the plantain fan, and that's second brother and the local god behind him. The others are all escort troops.”

  Hearing this, Sanzang put on his Vairocana mitre and his cassock then went with Friar Sand to welcome the gods and thank them with these words: “What merits do I, your disciple, have that I put all you holy ones to the trouble of coming down to earth?”

  To this the four vajrapanis replied, “Congratulations, holy monk. The great task has now been achieved. We were sent to help you on the Buddha's orders. You must now continue your self-cultivation and not slacken for a moment.” Sanzang replied amid kowtows that he accepted their commands.

  The Great Sage Sun took the fan close to the Fiery Mountains, waved it as hard as he could, and put the flames out. Their glare disappeared. He waved the fan again and the rustle of a cool breeze could be heard; and at the third wave the sky was overcast with cloud and a fine rain began to fall. There is a poem that bears witness to this:

  For hundreds of miles the mountains of fire

  Lit heaven and earth with notorious flames.

  When fire roasts the five passions the elixir cannot be made.

  When flame burns the three passes the Way is not pure.

  To borrow the plantain fan and bring down rain,

  Heavenly gods had to help with the
ir spiritual power.

  When the bull is led to the Buddha it must stop being evil;

  When water and fire are allied the nature is calm.

  Having been relieved of his cares Sanzang stopped worrying. All the hosts then reverently thanked the vajrapanis, who all returned to their mountains, and the Six Dings and Six Jias went back into the sky to give their protection. The deities who had been passing by all went on their way; and the Heavenly King and Nezha led the bull back to hand him over to the Buddha. This left only the local mountain god waiting there with Raksasi under his guard.

  “Why aren't you on your way, Raksasi?” Monkey asked. “What are you standing there waiting for?”

  “I beg you in your mercy, Great Sage,” she replied, “to give me back the fan.”

  “You've got a cheek, damned bitch,” roared Pig. “We've spared your life and that should be enough for you. What do you want the fan for? When we've crossed the mountains we'll be able to sell it for food. Do you think we're going to give it to you after all the trouble and effort we've been to? It's raining, so be off home with you.”

  She bowed again and said, “But the Great Sage promised to give it back when he'd put the fire out. I'm very sorry about all that has happened. It was only because I was feeling so upset that I put you to all that trouble. We too have learned to live like human beings. The only thing is that we had not been converted to the pursuit of the true achievement. Now our true bodies have turned to the West, and we will not dare do anything wicked again. I beg you to return the fan so that I can reform and cultivate myself.”

  “Great Sage,” said the local deity, “let us make full use of this woman's knowledge of the art of extinguishing fire to put these fires out for good, and give her back her fan. Then I will be able to live here in peace, help the people who live here, and be given offerings of blood and food. This would truly be a great kindness to me.”

  “I heard the local people saying that when the fan puts the flames out in these mountains they can only gather one harvest before they start burning again,” said Monkey. “How are we going to be able to put them out forever?”

  “All you have to do to put the flames out forever,” said Raksasi, “is wave the fan forty-nine times. Then they'll never burn again.”

  Now that Brother Monkey knew this he took the fan and fanned the mountains with it forty-nine times as hard as he possibly could, whereupon heavy rain began to pour down. The fan really was a treasure: where there were flames it rained, and where there were not the sky was clear. By standing where there no flames master and disciples avoided getting wet. After spending the night sitting there they got the horse and luggage ready the next morning and returned the fan to Raksasi.

  “If I don't give it back to you,” Monkey said, “people might say I don't keep my word. Take the fan with you, go back to your mountain and don't make any more trouble. As you've achieved human form I'll spare your life.” Taking the fan from him Raksasi said the words of the spell, pinched the thread so that it shrank back to the size of an apricot leaf and put it in her mouth. She then thanked them all and prepared to cultivate her conduct as a hermit. Later she too achieved the true reward and her name was made eternally famous through the scriptures. Raksasi and the local god expressed their deep gratitude to the four sages and escorted them along their way. As Monkey, Pig and Friar Sand escorted Sanzang along his way their bodies felt cool and the ground under their feet was pleasantly damp. This was indeed a case of

  With the help of trigrams Kan and Li the primal is compounded;

  When fire and water are balanced the Great Way is completed.

  If you don't know how many years it was till they returned to the East, listen to the explanation in the next installment.

  Chapter 62

  Cleansed and with a Washed Heart He Sweeps the Pagoda

  The Devils Are Captured and Converted; the Body Is Cultivated

  Through all the hours it must never be forgotten:

  When success is won all time will be put away.

  For five years and sixty thousand miles

  Do not let the holy water dry up,

  Do not allow the fire to flag.

  When water and fire are in balance no harm will arise;

  The Five Elements are joined as if with hooks.

  Ying and Yang in harmony climb the cloud tower,

  Riding the phoenix to the purple palace,

  And flying on the crane to magical Yingzhou.

  This lyric is set to the tune Lin jiang xian. It tells how Tang Sanzang and his disciples with the help of water and fire cooled their natures and borrowed the fan that was pure Yin to blow out the flames on the distant mountains. It took them many days to cover the 250 miles as they made their way West feeling relaxed and free of care. It was now the time when late autumn was becoming early winter, and this is what they saw:

  The petals of wild chrysanthemums wilting,

  The tender new blossom of the plum.

  In all the villages crops are gathered in;

  Delicious broth is everywhere enjoyed.

  As the trees are stripped of leaves distant forests can be seen;

  Ravines are thickly frosted and the quiet valleys pure.

  In response to the cold season

  The silkworms are put away to hibernate.

  In pure Yin and Yang

  The moon rules over the primal ocean;

  Where water is at the full

  Shun's sun shines with merciful brightness.

  Earth vapors sink,

  Sky vapors rise.

  The rainbow is no more to be seen,

  While slowly ice forms over the pond.

  Flowers fall from the creepers on the cliff,

  While bamboo and pine show still greener in the cold.

  When the four of them had traveled a lot further they approached a walled and moated city. Reining in the horse the Tang Priest spoke to his disciples: “Wukong, what sort of place is that with all those tall and magnificent buildings?” Monkey looked and saw that the city was like this:

  A wall of bronze, shaped like a dragon,

  And in the form of a crouching tiger,

  From all directions fine carriages approach

  And many a wheel has smoothed the roads to it.

  Amazing beasts are carved on the balustrades of marble;

  Statues of great men stand on pedestals of gold.

  This is indeed a blessed capital,

  A true metropolis.

  Its vast domains are firmly held;

  The dynasty has flourished for a thousand years.

  To the monarch's goodness the barbarians submit;

  Here is the holy gathering from islands and from sea.

  Before the palace steps is purity;

  Peace reigns on the highways.

  The bars are full of noise and song;

  Bliss is found in the houses of pleasure.

  Outside the palace grow trees of eternal spring

  Where phoenixes sing their greetings to the dawn.

  “Master,” said Monkey, “that city is a royal capital.”

  “The world is full of prefectural cities and county seats,” laughed Pig. “What makes you so sure that this is a royal capital?”

  “You don't seem to realize that royal capitals are different from prefectural cities and county towns,” Monkey replied. “Just look. It's got over ten gates and the wall must measure twenty or thirty miles around. Those towers are so high they disappear into the clouds. How could anything except a royal capital be as grand as that?”

  “You're right, brother,” said Friar Sand, “it is a royal city. But what's it called?”

  “How can I tell?” Monkey replied. “There aren't any signs or banners. We'll have to go into it and ask.”

  The venerable elder whipped on his horse and was soon at a gate, where he dismounted to cross the bridge and go in to look. They saw the six main streets and the three markets, where commerce was flourishing, as wel
l as the imposing clothes of the noble and great. Then as they were walking along they saw a dozen or so Buddhist monks in chains and cangues, heavy boards locked round their necks, begging from door to door. They were dressed in rags.

  “The fox mourns for the death of the hare,” sighed Sanzang. “All things are sorry for their own kind. Go and ask them, Wukong, why they are being punished like that.”

  Doing as he had been told, Monkey asked, “What monastery are you from, monks? Why are you in cangues and chains?”

  “My lord,” said the monks, all falling to their knees, “we are from the Golden Light Monastery and we have been wronged.”

  “Where is the Golden Light Monastery?” Monkey asked.

  “Just round the corner,” they replied.

  Monkey led them to the Tang Priest and asked them, “How have you been wronged? Tell me.”

  “We don't know where you're from, but you look a little familiar to us, my lords,” the monks replied. “We don't dare talk here. Please come to our poor monastery where we can tell you our woes.”

  “Very well,” said the venerable elder, “we shall go to their monastery and ask them all the details.” They went with them to the monastery gate, over which was a board on which was written in letters of gold

  NATION-PROTECTING GOLDEN LIGHT MONASTERY

  FOUNDED BY ROYAL COMMAND

  When master and disciples went inside to look around this is what they saw:

  Cold were the lamps in the ancient hall;