Chapter 14: Heart and Monkey Return to Righteousness Six Thieves Vanish

The poem states:The Buddha is mind, and mind is Buddha;Mind and Buddha have always been essential things.If one understands neither substance nor mind,That is the true Dharmakaya Buddha.

The Dharmakaya Buddha has no form;A single orb of light encompasses all phenomena.The body without body is the true body;The form without form is the real form.

Neither color nor emptiness nor non-emptiness;Neither coming nor going nor turning back.Neither different nor same, neither being nor non-being;Hard to abandon, hard to grasp, hard to perceive.

The spiritual light is the same everywhere, inside and out;A single Buddha-land exists within a grain of sand.A single grain of sand contains a myriad worlds;A single body and mind are one with all phenomena.

To know this, one must understand the "mindless" secret;Neither defiled nor clinging, this is pure karma.Thousands of good and evil acts, yet nothing is done;This is Namo Shakyamuni.

Now, Liu Boqin and Tang Sanzang were greatly alarmed when they heard a voice shout, "Master is here!" The servants said, "That cry must be from the old ape in the stone casket at the foot of the mountain." The protector exclaimed, "It's him, it's him!" Sanzang asked, "What old ape?" The protector replied, "This mountain was formerly called the Five Elements Mountain. When our Great Tang King conquered the West and established the nation, it was renamed the Two Realms Mountain. Years ago, I heard the elders say that during Wang Mang's usurpation of the Han dynasty, this mountain descended from the sky, pinning down a divine monkey. He was impervious to cold and heat, ate no food or drink, and was guarded by a local earth spirit who made him eat iron pellets when hungry and drink molten copper when thirsty. From then until now, he has not died of cold or starvation. This cry must be his. Elder, do not be afraid; let us go down the mountain and see." Sanzang had no choice but to agree. Leading his horse, he descended the mountain. After walking a few *li*, he saw a monkey within the stone casket, its head exposed, its hands outstretched, wildly beckoning and shouting, "Master, why have you only just arrived? It's good you're here, it's good! Save me, and I will escort you to the Western Heaven!" The elder approached for a closer look. What, you ask, did he look like?

He had a pointed mouth and sunken cheeks, fiery golden eyes. His head was covered in moss, and kudzu vines grew from his ears. Sparse hair at his temples was overgrown with green grass, and under his chin, instead of a beard, there was green sedge. Dirt caked his brows, mud filled his nostrils, making him look utterly disheveled. His fingers were thick, his palms calloused, and he was covered in grime. Yet, happily, his eyes darted about, and his voice was clear. Though his words were sharp and quick, his body was utterly immobile. This was none other than Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, from five hundred years ago, now finally freed from the heavenly snare.

The protector, indeed bold, stepped forward and pulled away the grass from his temples and the sedge from under his chin, then asked, "What do you have to say?" The monkey said, "I have nothing to say; let that Master come up, and I will ask him something." Sanzang asked, "What do you want to ask me?" The monkey said, "Are you the one sent by the Great Tang Emperor from the Eastern Lands to retrieve scriptures from the Western Heaven?" Sanzang replied, "I am. Why do you ask?" The monkey said, "I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago. Because I committed the crime of deceiving my superiors, the Buddha suppressed me here. Earlier, Guanyin Bodhisattva received the Buddha's decree and went to the Eastern Lands to seek a scripture-retriever. I asked her to save me, and she advised me to stop acting violently, to convert to Buddhism, and diligently protect the scripture-retriever on his journey to the West to worship the Buddha. She said that after the task is accomplished, there would be rewards. Therefore, I have been anxious day and night, waiting for a Master to come and free me. I am willing to protect you on your scripture-retrieving journey and become your disciple." Hearing this, Sanzang was overjoyed and said, "Although you have this good intention, and have been instructed by the Bodhisattva to enter the Buddhist order, I have no axes or chisels. How can I possibly free you?" The monkey said, "No need for axes or chisels. If you are willing to save me, I can free myself." Sanzang asked, "If I save you, how will you get out?" The monkey said, "On top of this mountain is a golden seal-charm from our Buddha, the Tathagata. You only need to go up the mountain and remove that charm, and I will be free." Sanzang agreed. Turning, he pleaded with Liu Boqin, "Protector, I would like to go up the mountain with you." Boqin said, "I don't know whether this is true or false!" The monkey loudly declared, "It's true! I would never deceive you!" Boqin had no choice but to call his servants and lead the horses. He then helped Sanzang, and they ascended the high mountain again, climbing vines and grasping creepers. When they reached the very summit, they indeed saw ten thousand rays of golden light and a thousand streams of auspicious aura. There was a large square stone, and on it was pasted a charm bearing the six golden characters: "Om Mani Padme Hum."

Sanzang knelt before the stone, gazing at the golden characters. He bowed several times, then prayed towards the West: "Your disciple, Chen Xuanzang, has specially received a decree to seek scriptures. If it is truly destined for me to have a disciple, may I be able to remove these golden characters, free the divine monkey, and together reach the Spiritual Mountain. If there is no such destiny, and this being is merely a fierce, unruly monster trying to deceive me, leading to no good fortune, then I shall not be able to remove it." After praying, he bowed again. When he finished bowing, he stepped forward and gently peeled off the six golden characters. Immediately, a gust of fragrant wind arose, snatching the charm into the air. A voice called out, "We are the custodians of the Great Sage. Today his period of tribulation is complete. We shall return to see the Tathagata and present this charm!" Sanzang and Boqin's party were so frightened that they bowed towards the sky. They then descended the high mountain straight to the stone casket and said to the monkey, "The charm has been removed; can you come out now?"

The monkey, delighted, shouted, "Master, please move back a little so I can come out without startling you!" Hearing this, Boqin led Sanzang and their party immediately back towards the east. After walking five or seven *li*, they heard the monkey shout again, "Walk further, walk further!" Sanzang walked even further, down the mountain. Then they heard a loud crash, truly a sound of earth cracking and mountains crumbling. Everyone was terrified, but then they saw the monkey already before Sanzang's horse, kneeling naked and dripping, saying, "Master, I'm out!" He bowed four times to Sanzang, then quickly stood up and, giving a deep bow to Boqin, said, "Many thanks, elder brother, for escorting my Master, and for pulling the grass from my face." After thanking them, he went to gather the luggage and saddle the horses. The horse, seeing him, had weak loins and stunted hooves, trembling so much it could not stand still. This was because the monkey was originally the Bimawen, the Stable-Keeper of Heavenly Horses, and had a certain authority over horses, which is why ordinary horses feared him.

Sanzang, seeing his sincere good intentions and his resemblance to a monastic figure, asked, "Disciple, what is your surname?" The Monkey King said, "My surname is Sun." Sanzang said, "I shall give you a monastic name, so you can be properly called." The Monkey King said, "No need for Master's kindness; I already have a monastic name, called Sun Wukong." Sanzang was pleased and said, "That perfectly fits our sect! Your appearance is just like a young ascetic. I shall also give you a nickname, 'Xingzhe' (Pilgrim), how about that?" Wukong said, "Good, good, good!" From that moment, he was also called Sun Xingzhe. Boqin, seeing Sun Xingzhe diligently preparing to depart, turned to Sanzang and bowed, saying, "Elder, you are fortunate to have found such a good disciple here. This is truly cause for great joy; this person is certainly capable of going. I must now take my leave." Sanzang bowed respectfully and thanked him, saying, "You have gone to great trouble, for which I am immensely grateful. Please convey my deepest regards to your esteemed mother and your virtuous wife upon your return. This poor monk has caused much inconvenience at your residence; I shall express my full gratitude upon my return." Boqin returned the bow, and thus they parted ways.

As for Sun Xingzhe, he invited Sanzang to mount the horse. He walked ahead, carrying the luggage, naked and with an awkward gait. Not long after, they crossed the Two Realms Mountain, when suddenly a fierce tiger, roaring and swishing its tail, rushed towards them. Sanzang was startled on his horse. Xingzhe, standing by the roadside, said happily, "Master, do not fear him; he is bringing me clothes." He put down the luggage, pulled a needle from his ear, and waved it in the wind. It transformed into an iron staff, as thick as a bowl. Holding it in his hand, he chuckled, "This treasure, I haven't used it for over five hundred years. Today I'll bring it out to earn myself some clothes to wear." See him stride forward to meet the fierce tiger, shouting, "Vile beast, where are you going?" The tiger crouched, prostrate in the dust, not daring to move. But with a single blow to its head, he splattered its brains into a thousand points of peach-red, and its teeth burst out like pearls and jade. Chen Xuanzang was so frightened that he tumbled from his saddle, bit his finger, and cried, "Heavens, heavens! The striped tiger that Protector Liu fought the other day took him half a day. Today, Sun Wukong, without any struggle, smashed this tiger to a pulp with one blow! Truly, there are always stronger hands among the strong!"

Xingzhe dragged the tiger over and said, "Master, please sit for a moment while I strip off its clothes and put them on for our journey." Sanzang asked, "Where does it have any clothes?" Xingzhe said, "Master, don't worry about me; I have my own way." The splendid Monkey King plucked a single hair from his body, blew a breath of immortal *qi* upon it, and commanded, "Change!" It transformed into a bull-eared dagger. He used it to slice open the tiger's belly, then peeled down the hide, removing the whole skin. He chopped off its claws and head, then cut out a square piece of tiger skin. He held it up, measured it, and said, "It's a bit wide; one piece can make two." He took the knife again and cut it into two pieces. He put one piece away and wrapped the other around his waist. He plucked a kudzu vine from the roadside, tied it tightly, covering his lower body, and said, "Master, let's go, let's go! When we reach a home, we can borrow some needles and thread to sew it properly; there's no rush." He twirled the iron staff, and it shrunk back into a needle, which he put into his ear. Then, carrying the luggage, he invited his Master to mount the horse.

As they advanced, the elder asked from his horse, "Wukong, where is the iron staff you used to strike the tiger? I don't see it." Xingzhe chuckled, "Master, you don't know. This staff of mine was originally obtained from the Dragon Palace in the Eastern Ocean. It's called the Divine Iron of the Milky Way's Depths, and also the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod. It was instrumental when I rebelled against the Heavenly Palace. It can transform with my body, becoming as large as I wish or as small as I wish. Just now, it transformed into the shape of an embroidery needle and is stored in my ear. I can only take it out when I need to use it." Sanzang was secretly pleased to hear this. He then asked, "Why did that tiger, upon seeing you just now, not move at all, allowing you to strike it at will? What's the explanation?" Wukong said, "To tell you the truth, Master, let alone a tiger, even a dragon would not dare to disrespect me upon seeing me. I, your old Sun, possess the means to subdue dragons and tigers, and the divine power to overturn rivers and stir seas. I can discern appearance and disposition, perceive reason from sound. When large, I measure the universe; when small, I can be contained within a hair! My transformations are endless, and my appearances are unfathomable. What's so special about stripping this tiger's hide? When we encounter true difficulties, then you will see my real abilities!" Hearing these words, Sanzang felt even more at ease and free from worry, urging his horse forward. Master and disciple walked and talked, unaware that the sun was setting. They saw—

Fiery, slanting rays reflected back,Clouds returned to the horizon's edge.Birds in a thousand mountains chirped frequently,Seeking roosts, forming flocks in the woods.

Wild beasts, in pairs and twos,Returned to their dens in groups and clans.A crescent moon pierced the twilight,Myriad stars formed a shimmering halo.

Xingzhe said, "Master, let's walk a little faster; it's getting late. Over there, the trees are dense; it must be a human dwelling or estate. Let's hurry to seek lodging." Sanzang indeed urged his horse forward, heading straight for the dwelling. When they reached the estate gate, he dismounted. Xingzhe dropped the luggage, stepped forward, and called out, "Open the door, open the door!" From within, an old man, leaning on a staff, swung the door open. Seeing Xingzhe's fierce appearance, with a tiger skin wrapped around his waist, looking like the God of Thunder, he was so frightened his legs turned to jelly and his body went numb. He babbled, "A ghost, a ghost!" Sanzang stepped closer and, supporting him, said, "Venerable donor, do not be afraid. He is this poor monk's disciple, not a ghost or monster." The old man looked up, and seeing Sanzang's clear and extraordinary features, finally steadied himself and asked, "From which temple do you come, monk, bringing this fierce man to my door?" Sanzang said, "This poor monk is from the Tang Dynasty, journeying to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and seek scriptures. We happened to pass through here as night fell, and specifically came to your esteemed residence to beg for a night's lodging. We will depart early tomorrow morning before dawn. We humbly hope you can accommodate us." The old man said, "Though you are a Tang man, that fierce one is certainly not." Wukong shouted in a stern voice, "You old man, you have no discernment at all! The Tang man is my Master, and I am his disciple! I am not some sweet or honeyed person; I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven! There are people around here who recognize me; I have seen you too!" The old man asked, "Where did you see me?" Wukong said, "When you were a child, didn't you gather firewood in front of me? Didn't you pick vegetables from my face?" The old man said, "This fellow is talking nonsense! Where do you live? Where do I live? That I would come before you to gather firewood and pick vegetables!" Wukong said, "My son is talking nonsense! You no longer recognize me. I am the Great Sage who was trapped in the stone casket in the Two Realms Mountain. Look closely again." Only then did the old man realize, "You do resemble him somewhat, but how did you get out?" Wukong then explained in detail to the old man about how the Bodhisattva advised him to do good, and instructed him to wait for the Tang Monk to remove the charm and free him. Only then did the old man bow down and invite the Tang Monk inside. He immediately called his old wife and children to come and meet them. He related the entire story, and everyone was overjoyed. He then ordered tea to be served. After tea, he asked Wukong, "Great Sage, you are quite old now, aren't you?" Wukong asked, "How old are you this year?" The old man said, "I have foolishly lived to be one hundred and thirty years old." Xingzhe said, "Then I am your great-great-grandson! I don't remember when I was born, but I have been at the foot of this mountain for over five hundred years already." The old man said, "Yes, yes, that's true. I remember my great-grandfather saying that this mountain descended from the sky and pinned down a divine monkey. Only now have you been freed. When I was a child and saw you, you had grass on your head and mud on your face, and I wasn't afraid of you then. Now that there's no mud on your face and no grass on your head, you look a bit thinner, but with that large tiger skin around your waist, how different are you from a ghost or monster?"

The whole family burst into laughter upon hearing these words. The old man was quite virtuous and immediately ordered a vegetarian meal to be prepared. After the meal, Wukong asked, "What is your family name?" The old man said, "My humble family name is Chen." Hearing this, Sanzang immediately stepped down and bowed, saying, "Venerable donor, you and this poor monk share a common ancestry." Xingzhe asked, "Master, your surname is Tang, how can you share a common ancestry with him?" Sanzang said, "My secular surname is also Chen. I am from Juxian Village in Hongnong Commandery, Haizhou Prefecture, during the Tang Dynasty. My monastic name is Chen Xuanzang. It is only because Emperor Taizong of the Great Tang bestowed upon me the title of 'Imperial Brother Sanzang' and granted me 'Tang' as a surname that I am known as the Tang Monk." The old man was even more delighted to hear they shared the same surname. Xingzhe said, "Old Chen, we've troubled your household quite a bit. I haven't had a bath in over five hundred years. Could you please prepare some hot water for my Master and me to bathe? We'll thank you all at once before we leave." The old man immediately ordered water to be heated and basins brought, and lights to be lit. After the Master and disciple bathed, they sat before the lamp. Xingzhe said, "Old Chen, one more thing to trouble you with: do you have any needles and thread I could borrow?" The old man said, "Yes, yes, yes." He immediately told his wife to bring the needles and thread and handed them to Xingzhe. Xingzhe, being observant, noticed that when his Master bathed, he took off a short, white, unadorned monk's robe but hadn't put it back on. He immediately pulled it over and put it on. Then he took off the tiger skin, joined the two pieces, made a pleated 'horse-face' fold, wrapped it around his waist, tied it with a vine, and went before his Master, saying, "How does your old Sun's attire today compare to yesterday's?" Sanzang said, "Good, good, good! This way, you truly look like a pilgrim." Sanzang continued, "Disciple, if you don't mind it being old and worn, you can wear that robe." Wukong bowed, saying, "I am honored by your gift, honored!" He then went to find some fodder and fed the horse. At this point, all tasks were completed, and the Master, disciple, and the old man each retired for the night.

The next morning, Wukong arose and invited his Master to begin their journey. Sanzang dressed, and told Xingzhe to pack the bedding and luggage. Just as they were about to bid farewell, they saw the old man had already prepared washing water and a vegetarian meal. After the meal, they finally departed. Sanzang mounted his horse, and Xingzhe led the way. Unconsciously, they ate when hungry, drank when thirsty, rested at night, and traveled at dawn. It was now early winter. They saw—

Frost withered red leaves, a thousand forests grew thin,A few pines and cypresses stood out on the ridge.Unopened plum buds diffused a subtle fragrance;The day was short and warm, a small spring season.Chrysanthemums faded, lotuses withered, camellias flourished.Cold bridges, ancient trees, branches intertwining.Curving streams, trickling springs flowed.Faint clouds promising snow floated across the sky.A sudden north wind, tugging at sleeves.How could one endure the evening's severe cold?

Master and disciple had been traveling for some time when suddenly, from the roadside with a whistle, six men emerged. Each held a long spear, a short sword, a sharp blade, or a strong bow. They roared, "Monk, where are you going? Quickly leave your horses and put down your luggage, and we will spare your lives!" Sanzang was so terrified that his soul nearly left his body. He fell from his horse, unable to speak. Xingzhe helped him up, saying, "Master, rest assured, there's nothing to worry about. These are all delivering clothes and travel expenses to us." Sanzang said, "Wukong, are you a little deaf? He told us to leave our horses and luggage, yet you ask him for clothes and travel expenses?" Xingzhe said, "You guard the clothes, luggage, and horses. Let your old Sun contend with them for a while and see what happens." Sanzang said, "A good hand cannot contend against two fists; two fists are not as good as four hands. There are six strong men, and you are just one small person; how dare you contend with them?"

Xingzhe's courage was naturally great; he allowed no further discussion. He stepped forward, cupped his hands to his chest, and bowed to the six men, saying, "Gentlemen, for what reason do you obstruct this poor monk's path?" The men said, "We are the Kings of the Intercepting Path, the benevolent mountain masters. Our great names are long-renowned; you surely don't know them. Quickly leave your possessions and we will let you pass. If you utter half a 'no,' we will break your bones and smash your body!" Xingzhe said, "I am also a king by ancestral tradition, a mountain master of many years, yet I have never heard of any great names belonging to you all." The men said, "You don't know, so I'll tell you: one is called Eye-Seeing-Joy, one is called Ear-Hearing-Anger, one is called Nose-Smelling-Love, one is called Tongue-Tasting-Thought, one is called Mind-Wishing-Desire, and one is called Body-Bearing-Worry." Wukong chuckled, "So, you are the six hairy ruffians! You don't recognize that I, a monk, am your true master, yet you come to block my way. Hand over the treasures you've plundered; I'll share seven-tenths with you, and then I'll spare you!" Hearing this, some of the bandits were pleased, some enraged, some filled with love, some with thought, some with desire, and some with worry. They all rushed forward, shouting, "This monk is rude! You have nothing at all, yet you come to demand a share of our possessions!" They swung spears and brandished swords, surging forward and wildly hacking at Xingzhe's head. There was a clatter and clang as they struck him seventy or eighty times. Wukong stood still in the middle, acting as if nothing was happening. The bandits exclaimed, "What a monk! His head is truly hard!" Xingzhe chuckled, "It's just tolerable! You've tired your hands from hitting, so now it's time for your old Sun to take out a needle and play around." The bandits said, "This monk must be a transformed acupuncturist! We have no illnesses, so why talk about using needles?" Xingzhe reached into his ear, pulled out an embroidery needle, and waved it in the wind. It instantly became an iron staff, as thick as a bowl. Holding it in his hand, he said, "Don't run! Let your old Sun try a strike with this staff!" The six bandits were so frightened that they scattered and fled. But he strode forward, circled around, caught up with them, and beat every single one to death. He stripped them of their clothes, took their travel money, and walked back smiling, saying, "Master, please continue. Your old Sun has exterminated those bandits."

Sanzang said, "You have truly caused a disaster! Although they were highwaymen and strong thugs, even if they were caught by the authorities, they wouldn't deserve the death penalty. Even with your abilities, you should have just repelled them. How could you beat them all to death? This is wanton killing of human lives; how can you be a monk? A monk, sweeping the ground, fears harming an ant; cherishing moths, covers the lamp with gauze. How could you, without distinguishing right from wrong, beat them all to death in one go? You have no compassion or benevolence whatsoever! It's fortunate that this is in the wilderness where no one can investigate. If we were in a city, and someone accidentally bumped into you, and you acted violently, wielding your staff and indiscriminately injuring people, what would I, a mere guest, do? How could I escape?" Wukong said, "Master, if I hadn't killed them, they would have killed you!" Sanzang said, "I, a monk, would rather die than act violently. If I died, it would only be one life, but you killed six people. How can that be justified? If this matter were reported to the authorities, even if your own father were an official, he couldn't justify it!" Xingzhe said, "To tell you the truth, Master, five hundred years ago, when your old Sun reigned as a monster king on Flower-Fruit Mountain, I don't know how many people I killed. If it were like you say, reported to the authorities, I would indeed have accumulated quite a few lawsuits!" Sanzang said, "It was precisely because you were unruly and unrestrained, rampaging through the human world, deceiving Heaven and tricking your superiors, that you suffered this tribulation five hundred years ago. Now that you have entered the Buddhist order, if you still act violently and indiscriminately kill, you will never reach the Western Heaven and cannot be a monk. Too evil, too evil!"

The monkey, it turned out, could never tolerate being lectured. Seeing Sanzang rambling on and on, he couldn't suppress the anger in his heart and burst out, "Since that's how it is, and you say I can't be a monk or reach the Western Heaven, there's no need for you to keep harassing and scolding me like this. I'll just go back!" Sanzang didn't even have a chance to reply. He threw a tantrum, leaped into the air, and declared, "Your old Sun is off!" Sanzang quickly looked up, but he was already gone. He only heard a whoosh as he headed back east. The elder was left all alone, nodding and sighing to himself, filled with endless sorrow and resentment. He said, "This scoundrel, so unwilling to be taught! I only said a few words to him, and how could he just vanish without a trace and go back? Oh well, oh well, oh well! It must be my fate not to have disciples or followers! Now, I want to find him, but there's nowhere to look; I want to call him, but he won't answer. Let's go, let's go!" Truly, one must sacrifice one's life and strive to go west; do not rely on others to make your own decisions.

The elder had no choice but to pack his luggage, load it onto the horse, and, instead of riding, leaned on his staff with one hand and clutched the reins with the other. Melancholy, he continued westward. After walking for a short while, he saw an elderly woman ahead on the mountain path, carrying a cotton robe and a floral cap on top of it. Seeing her approach, Sanzang hastily led his horse aside and stood on the right to let her pass. The old woman asked, "Elder, where do you come from, walking so forlornly and alone here?" Sanzang said, "This disciple is from the Great Tang of the Eastern Lands, commissioned by imperial decree to journey to the Western Heaven to worship the living Buddha and seek true scriptures." The old woman said, "The Western Buddha is in the Great Thunderclap Temple, in the land of India, which is one hundred and eight thousand *li* from here. How can you, traveling alone with a single horse, without companions or disciples, possibly get there?" Sanzang said, "This disciple recently took on a disciple, but he was unruly and violent. I lectured him a few times, and he refused to be taught, then vanished and departed." The old woman said, "I have this cotton monk's robe and a gold-embroidered floral cap, which my son used. He was a monk for only three days, then unfortunately died prematurely. I just went to his temple, cried for a while, bade farewell to his master, and brought these two items as a keepsake. Elder, since you have a disciple, let me give you these clothes and cap." Sanzang said, "I am honored by your generous gift, venerable mother, but my disciple has already left, so I dare not accept them." The old woman asked, "Where did he go?" Sanzang said, "I heard a whoosh, and he returned to the east." The old woman said, "My home is not far to the east; he must have gone there. I also have an incantation there, called the 'Mind-Settling True Mantra,' also known as the 'Fillet-Tightening Mantra.' You must secretly memorize it and keep it firmly in your heart, never revealing it to anyone. I will go and catch up with him, tell him to come back and follow you. Then you can give him these clothes and cap to wear. If he disobeys your command, you just silently recite this mantra, and he will never dare to act violently or run away again." Hearing this, Sanzang bowed his head in thanks.

The old woman transformed into a streak of golden light and returned to the east. Sanzang realized then that it was Guanyin Bodhisattva who had imparted this true mantra. He hastily gathered earth to burn incense, and earnestly prostrated himself towards the east. After bowing, he put away the clothes and cap, hiding them in the middle of his bundle. He then sat by the roadside and began to recite the Mind-Settling True Mantra. He recited it several times until he had thoroughly memorized it and embedded it firmly in his mind.

Now, as for Wukong, after leaving his Master, he made a somersault cloud and went straight to the Eastern Ocean. He pressed down on the cloud, parted the waters, and went directly to the Crystal Palace. The Dragon King was quickly alerted and came out to greet him, leading him inside the palace to sit. After the courtesies, the Dragon King said, "I recently heard that the Great Sage's tribulation has ended; forgive my belated congratulations! I presume you are reorganizing your immortal mountain and returning to your ancient cave." Wukong said, "I did have that intention, but I have become a monk again." The Dragon King asked, "What kind of monk?" Xingzhe said, "Thanks to the South Sea Bodhisattva's persuasion for good, she guided me to true enlightenment. I am now following the Tang Monk from the Eastern Lands to the West to worship the Buddha, having taken refuge in the Buddhist order, and am now called a 'pilgrim'." The Dragon King said, "This is truly cause for congratulations, congratulations! This is what it means to turn from evil to good and to cultivate a benevolent heart. Since this is the case, why are you not going west, but have returned east?" Xingzhe chuckled, "That Tang Monk doesn't understand human nature. A few hairy ruffians blocked our path, and I killed them. Then the Tang Monk rambled on and on, listing many of my faults. Do you think your old Sun can endure such grievances? So I abandoned him and intended to return to my original mountain. That's why I came to see you first and ask for a cup of tea." The Dragon King said, "You honor us with your presence, you honor us!" Immediately, dragon princes and grandsons brought fragrant tea to offer.

After tea, Xingzhe looked back and saw a painting titled "Iqiao Presenting the Sandal" hanging on the back wall. Xingzhe asked, "What scene is this?" The Dragon King said, "Great Sage, you existed before this event, so you do not recognize it. This is called 'Three Times Presenting the Sandal at Iqiao Bridge'." Xingzhe asked, "What is 'Three Times Presenting the Sandal'?" The Dragon King said, "This immortal is Huang Shigong (Yellow Stone Elder), and this young man is Zhang Liang of the Han Dynasty. Huang Shigong was sitting on Iqiao Bridge when he suddenly dropped his sandal under the bridge and called Zhang Liang to retrieve it. The young man immediately retrieved it and knelt to present it to him. This happened three times, and Zhang Liang showed not the slightest hint of arrogance or negligence. Huang Shigong admired his diligence, and at night, he imparted a celestial book to him, instructing him to assist the Han dynasty. Afterwards, Zhang Liang indeed strategized from within the tent and won battles a thousand *li* away. After peace was established, he abandoned his office and returned to the mountains, wandering with Chisongzi and achieving immortality. Great Sage, if you do not protect the Tang Monk, if you do not diligently serve, and if you do not accept his teachings, you will ultimately remain a demonic immortal, and you can forget about achieving true enlightenment." Wukong listened, then pondered in silence for a long while. The Dragon King said, "Great Sage, you must decide for yourself. Do not seek freedom for yourself and jeopardize your future." Wukong said, "Say no more. Your old Sun will go back and protect him." The Dragon King was pleased and said, "Since that is the case, I dare not detain you further. Please, Great Sage, show your compassion soon and do not neglect your Master for too long." Seeing him urged to depart, Xingzhe quickly leaped up, left the sea treasury, rode his cloud, and bade farewell to the Dragon King.

As he traveled, he met Guanyin Bodhisattva from the South Sea. The Bodhisattva said, "Sun Wukong, why do you not accept teaching and not protect the Tang Monk? What are you doing here?" Xingzhe, flustered, bowed in the clouds and said, "Thanks to your kind words, Bodhisattva, a Tang monk indeed arrived, removed the charm, and saved my life. I followed him and became his disciple. But he blamed me for being fierce and unruly, so I slipped away for a moment. Now I am going back to protect him." The Bodhisattva said, "Hurry back, don't miss this opportunity." With that, they each departed.

In an instant, Xingzhe saw the Tang Monk sitting forlornly by the roadside. He went forward and said, "Master! Why aren't you walking? What are you still doing here?" Sanzang looked up and said, "Where have you been? You left me here, unable to walk or move, just waiting for you." Xingzhe said, "I went to the old Dragon King's palace in the Eastern Ocean for some tea." Sanzang said, "Disciple, a monk should not lie. You left me for less than an hour, and you're claiming to have gone to the Dragon King's palace for tea?" Xingzhe chuckled, "To tell you the truth, Master, I can ride the somersault cloud. One somersault covers one hundred and eight thousand *li*, which is why I can go and come back instantly." Sanzang said, "I spoke a little harshly, and you resented me, threw a tantrum, and left me. Someone as capable as you can go get tea; but someone like me, who can't go anywhere, just has to endure hunger here. Don't you feel bad about that?" Xingzhe said, "Master, if you are hungry, I will go beg for some vegetarian food for you to eat." Sanzang said, "No need to beg for food. I still have some dry rations in my bundle, given by Protector Liu's mother. Go get the alms bowl and find some water, so I can eat a little and then we can continue our journey."

Xingzhe went to untie the bundle. In the middle of the package, he found several coarse wheat cakes, which he took out and handed to his Master. He also saw a dazzling cotton monk's robe and a gold-embroidered floral cap. Xingzhe asked, "Were these clothes and cap brought from the Eastern Lands?" Sanzang, without thinking, replied, "I wore these when I was a child. If you wear this cap, you won't need to be taught scriptures; you'll automatically recite them. If you wear these clothes, you won't need to be taught etiquette; you'll naturally know how to act respectfully." Xingzhe said, "Good Master, let me wear them then." Sanzang said, "I'm just afraid they might not fit. If they do, then go ahead and wear them." Xingzhe then took off his old white cloth robe and put on the cotton robe. It fit him as if it had been tailored for his body. He then put on the cap. As soon as Sanzang saw him wearing the cap, he stopped eating his dry rations and silently recited the Fillet-Tightening Mantra once. Xingzhe cried out, "My head hurts, my head hurts!" The Master continued to recite it several more times without stopping, making Xingzhe roll on the ground in pain, tearing the gold-embroidered floral cap. Sanzang, fearing he might break the golden fillet, stopped reciting. When he stopped, the pain ceased. He reached up to feel his head and found something like a golden thread, tightly bound there. He couldn't take it off, couldn't tear it, and it had seemingly taken root. He took the needle from his ear, inserted it into the fillet, and wildly pried outwards. Sanzang, fearing he might break it, began reciting the mantra again. He was again in excruciating pain, writhing and tumbling, his ears red, face flushed, eyes bulging, and body numb. Seeing him in such distress, the Master, unable to bear it, stopped reciting again, and his head no longer hurt. Xingzhe said, "My head, it turns out, was cursed by my Master!" Sanzang said, "I was reciting the Fillet-Tightening Sutra, how could I be cursing you?" Xingzhe said, "Recite it again and see." Sanzang actually recited it again, and Xingzhe was truly in pain again, crying out, "Don't recite, don't recite! If you recite, I hurt! What is this about?" Sanzang said, "Now, will you listen to my teachings?" Xingzhe said, "I will listen!" "Will you be unruly again?" Xingzhe said, "I wouldn't dare!"

Although he agreed verbally, his heart still held ill intent. He waved the needle, which became as thick as a bowl, and was about to strike the Tang Monk. The elder, in a panic, recited the mantra two or three more times, and the monkey fell to the ground, dropping his iron staff, unable to lift his hands, only crying out, "Master! I understand now! No more, no more!" Sanzang said, "How dare you deceive me and try to strike me?" Xingzhe said, "I didn't dare to strike! I ask Master, who taught you this spell?" Sanzang said, "An old woman just now taught it to me." Xingzhe became furious and said, "No need to explain! That old woman was undoubtedly Guanyin! How could she harm me like that? I'm going to the South Sea to fight her!" Sanzang said, "Since she imparted this spell to me, she must surely know it herself. If you go looking for her, and she recites it, wouldn't you be dead?" Xingzhe saw the logic in this and indeed did not dare to move. He had no choice but to change his mind, kneel down, and plead, "Master! This is her way of compelling me to follow you to the West. I will not provoke her, and you must not recite it casually. I am willing to protect you, and I have no intention of retreating or regretting anymore." Sanzang said, "Since that is the case, help me mount the horse." Only then did Xingzhe wholeheartedly settle down. He roused his spirits, tidied his cotton monk's robe, saddled the horse, packed the luggage, and continued westward. What happened next on this journey remains to be seen. Let us await the next chapter for the full account.