txolops Chapter 117 Lotus Cave - Messenger from Pingdingshan
Chapter 117 Lotus Cave - Messenger from Pingdingshan
It is said that Tang Sanzang and his disciples were of one mind and body, and together they went to the Western Paradise. They ate and drank when they were hungry and thirsty along the way, and traveled by day and rested by night. Before they knew it, it was springtime again.
A gentle breeze blows, the willows turn green as silk, and birdsong warms the air as flowers bloom everywhere.
As the master and his disciples were enjoying the scenery, they suddenly came upon a mountain blocking their path. The mountain was majestic and steep, with sharp peaks, deep ravines, and precipitous cliffs, making it extremely dangerous.
Tang Sanzang reined in his horse, frowned, and hurriedly called to his disciples, "Disciples, be careful! The mountain ahead is high and steep; there may be tigers, wolves, and demons blocking our way. Please be cautious."
The pilgrim chuckled and said, "Master, monks shouldn't be afraid. Remember what the monk Wuchao said in the Heart Sutra: 'When the mind is free from attachments, there is no fear.' With me here, even if the sky were to fall, I'd keep you safe. What's there to fear from tigers and wolves!"
The elder sighed and turned his horse back, saying, "Back then, I was ordered to leave Chang'an, with the sole purpose of coming west to worship the Buddha. I have traveled through thousands of mountains and rivers, but I do not know when I will have a moment of leisure."
The pilgrim laughed and said, "Master, what's so difficult about having leisure? Once we've accomplished our mission and obtained the true scriptures, all worldly concerns will be extinguished, and we'll naturally be at ease. For now, we just need to keep on our journey."
Upon hearing this, the elder had no choice but to suppress his worries, spur the horse on, and the master and disciple went up the mountain together.
When they reached the halfway point of the mountain, they suddenly saw a woodcutter standing on Green Sand Slope. Seeing the master and his disciples coming from the east, he stopped his axe and called out loudly, "Elder Westward, please stop for a moment! I have something to tell you."
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang reined in his horse. The woodcutter then shouted sternly, "This mountain is called Flat-Topped Mountain. A band of vicious demons and monsters lurk there, preying on you, a monk on your pilgrimage. You must not trespass!"
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang was terrified, trembling so much he could barely sit on the saddle. He hurriedly called to his disciples, "Listen to what that woodcutter said; there's a vicious monster in this mountain. Who dares to go and inquire further?"
The pilgrim said, "Master, don't worry, I'll go and ask."
Having said that, he strode up the mountain, cupped his hands to the woodcutter, and said, "Brother, I am a monk who went on a pilgrimage from the East to the West. I just heard you mention demons. May I ask what kind of demon or monster this is, and what kind of supernatural powers it possesses? I'd like to send him away."
The woodcutter laughed loudly, "You mad monk! There's a demon lurking on this flat-topped mountain, with great supernatural powers. He draws shadows and images specifically to capture Tang Sanzang, and you dare to spout such nonsense about escorting him?"
The pilgrim laughed and said, "What do I care what kind of demon he is? Heavenly demons are dealt with by the Jade Emperor, and earth demons by the Underworld. I, Old Sun, know many people, so a single decree will suffice."
The woodcutter sneered, "You brash monk, don't boast! That monster is extremely vicious; once you offend the character 'Tang,' you won't even get half a step past!"
The traveler said, "We are from the Tang Dynasty, and we are just about to meet him."
The woodcutter sighed, "He's going to eat you! Be very careful!"
Wukong pretended to laugh and returned to the front of the horse, telling Tang Sanzang that he was just a cowardly mountain dweller bluffing and that there was nothing seriously wrong with him.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the woodcutter vanished. Wukong opened his fiery eyes and looked down from the clouds, only to realize that it was the day's duty officer in disguise delivering the message.
He then caught up with him on a cloud, cursing "You little devil!" a few times, and said, "Why don't you just say what you mean directly? Why do you change your tune like this? Are you trying to act like Old Sun?"
The clerk, flustered, bowed and said, "Great Sage, please forgive the late arrival of the news. There were originally two demons in the mountains, but for some reason, another one came a few days ago. It is extremely powerful and can transform in many ways."
"Just look at your cleverness and resourcefulness; carefully protect your master. If you neglect even the slightest thing, you'll never reach the Western Paradise."
Upon hearing this, Wukong dismissed the clerk and secretly pondered: "My master is timid by nature. If I tell him the truth, he will surely regret it. It would be better to take this opportunity to test Bajie, curb his laziness, and also explore the true strength of the demons."
The Great Sage then put on an act, rubbing his red eyes and feigning tears and sorrow as he walked toward his master.
Seeing this from afar, Pigsy hurriedly called to Sandy, "Brother, quickly put down your load and divide the luggage!"
Sha Wujing asked in surprise, "Second Brother, how are we dividing it?"
Pigsy shouted, "Look at Sun Wukong, such a hero, now he's coming back crying. The demon must be too fierce. We should break up the group. You go back to the Flowing Sand River, and I'll go back to Gao Village. We'll sell the white horse, buy a coffin for our master to take care of in his old age, and then head back to the Western Paradise!"
Tang Sanzang shouted from his horse, "You blockhead, stop talking nonsense!"
Turning to Wukong, he asked, "Wukong, why are you so troubled? Is there really some danger?"
The traveler said, "Master, the messenger who just delivered the message was the duty officer for the day. He said the demons were fierce and the road here was difficult to travel. Indeed, the mountains are high and the road is steep, and we cannot proceed. Let's go another day."
Upon hearing this, the elder was terrified and grabbed his tiger-skin skirt, saying, "Disciple, we have already traveled halfway through the three-stage journey. Why are you talking about backing out?"
The pilgrim said, "I have done my utmost, but I fear the demons are numerous and my strength is weak, leaving me to journey alone. Even if I were a piece of iron, how many nails could I forge in the furnace?"
The elder said, "Disciple, you are right. Indeed, it is difficult even for one person. As the military classics say, 'The few cannot defeat the many.'"
I still have Pigsy and Sandy here, both my disciples. You can use them as your commanders or assistants. Working together, we can clear the mountain path and lead me across the mountain. Wouldn't we all eventually attain enlightenment?
The pilgrim wiped away his tears and said, "Master, if we want to cross this mountain, Pigsy must do two things for me before we can make it three-tenths of the way."
If you do not follow my instructions and cannot help me, you will not get away with anything.
Pigsy said, "If you're not going, then let's disperse the fire. Don't bother me."
The elder said, "Disciple, ask your senior brother what he taught you to do."
The simpleton Zhen Ge asked the pilgrim, "Brother, what will you teach me to do?"
The traveler said, "The first thing is to see my master, and the second thing is to patrol the mountain."
Pigsy said, "When Master is on duty, he sits; when he's patrolling the mountain, he walks. How can I possibly keep track of both things if I'm made to sit for a while and then walk, and walk for a while and then sit again?"
The traveler said, "I'm not telling you to do both at the same time; just take on one and that's enough."
Bajie laughed again, "That's easy to figure out. But I don't know how Master does it, or how patrolling the mountain is done. Tell me about it first, and I'll do it according to what's appropriate."
The pilgrim said, “Look at your master: when he goes to relieve himself, you serve him; when he wants to walk, you support him; when he wants to eat vegetarian food, you beg for alms. If he is a little hungry, you should beat him; if his face is a little sallow, you should beat him; if he is a little thin, you should beat him.”
Bajie panicked and said, "This is difficult! Difficult! Difficult! Serving and supporting is not a big deal, and even carrying him on my back is not difficult;
If I were to go to the countryside to beg for alms, on this journey to the West, they wouldn't recognize me as a monk on a pilgrimage; they would only think of me as a half-grown, half-strong pig from the mountains.
A large group of people, armed with pitchforks and brooms, surrounded the old pig, took it home to slaughter, and preserved it for the New Year. Wouldn't that cause it to contract plague?
The traveler said, "Let's go patrol the mountain."
Pigsy asked, "What about patrolling the mountain?"
The traveler said, "Let's go into this mountain and find out how many monsters there are, what kind of mountain it is, and what kind of cave it is, so we can get through."
Pigsy said, "This little rascal, I'll go patrol the mountain."
The fool then tossed aside his clothes, brandished his rake, and strode proudly into the deep mountains; then, full of vigor, he ran onto the main road.