Journey to the West: Starting with the Hunting of the Three Demons of Twin Fork Ridge

Chapter 67 Testing the Mind of Zen: The Buddha of Divine Light and Joy

The blue-faced monk was overjoyed upon hearing this, saying, "So you are the holy monk from the East! I have long admired your name, and it is truly an honor for our temple to meet you today! Holy monk, you must have had a long and arduous journey. Please come in, please come in!"

Tang Sanzang, having been shown deference by the master, felt his doubts lessen and asked, "Master, I am deeply grateful for your kindness. However, there is still one thing I do not understand, and I humbly request your guidance."

The blue-faced monk said, "Holy monk, please ask."

Tang Sanzang said, "Since your temple is a place for monks to practice, how come there is a female bodhisattva practicing here? I see that this female bodhisattva has not shaved her head and is not a bhikkhuni. How could she live in the temple? I hope the master can enlighten me."

Upon hearing this, the blue-faced monk laughed and said, "Holy monk, you do not know that my temple is different from the others."

Tang Sanzang asked, "What's the difference?"

The blue-faced monk said, "Holy monk, please do not ask first. Please come in and pay homage to the Buddha. The Buddha will explain to the elder."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang was greatly surprised and exclaimed, "Amitabha! Amitabha! This humble monk has been disrespectful. Could it be that your temple is a place of Buddha's teachings?"

The blue-faced monk said, "What the holy monk said is correct. Our temple is indeed a place of Buddhist practice. Just now, when the Buddha was giving a sermon, he said to me, 'A distinguished guest has arrived,' so he instructed me to welcome him."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang was both surprised and delighted. He hurriedly dismounted, disregarding the rugged mountain path, and knelt down, respectfully kowtowing three times towards the temple gate, chanting, "Disciple Tang Sanzang, what virtue or ability do I possess to be favored by the Buddha, who has sent someone to welcome me! Amitabha! Amitabha!"

After bowing, he stood up and hurriedly untied his bundle, took out the brocade cassock, and draped it over his body.

The moment he put on the robe, countless rays of light shone forth, illuminating his radiant face and giving him a solemn and dignified appearance.

Pigsy watched with envy, muttering, "Master usually can't bear to wear this, but he's so eager today. If I had one like this, I'd wear it every day."

Wukong kicked him and yelled, "Idiot, stop talking nonsense!"

So the four of them followed the blue-faced monk through the mountain gate, past the Hall of Heavenly Kings, and headed straight for the main hall.

The blue-faced monk led the way, and after turning through a corridor, the view suddenly opened up before us.

Before the main hall stood two rows of women, all in their late teens or early twenties, with cloud-like hair and beautiful faces, dressed in light gauze, each holding an incense burner, standing on either side.

The temple doors were wide open, and the interior was brightly lit, filled with the aroma of incense, and the faint sound of chanting could be heard.

Upon seeing these women, Tang Sanzang's heart tightened, and his steps involuntarily slowed down by a third.

Wukong looked up and saw only auspicious light and countless streams of auspicious energy within the hall, truly a scene of Buddhist grandeur.

Those women also possessed an ethereal aura. Although Sun Wukong had doubts, he didn't say much and simply followed behind Tang Sanzang, keeping a watchful eye on them.

But Zhu Bajie, who was greedy and lustful, was dazzled by the sight of so many beautiful women.

You see his eyes widen in disbelief, his feet involuntarily moving forward, muttering, "My goodness, how come there are so many female bodhisattvas in this temple? Each one is as beautiful as Chang'e from the moon, truly captivating!"

Sha Wujing quietly tugged at him from behind and whispered, "Second Brother, don't lose your composure! This is a sacred Buddhist site; you mustn't be disrespectful, lest you incur Master's wrath and get beaten by Eldest Brother!"

Bajie then came to his senses, sheepishly shrank his neck, and said with a forced smile, "I, Old Pig, am just looking, I'm not doing anything, I'm not doing anything."

After saying that, he still couldn't help but steal a glance, a sight that made Wukong secretly sneer.

The blue-faced monk led Tang Sanzang into the main hall, put his palms together and said, "Holy monk, please wait here for a moment. This humble monk will go and invite the Buddha to come out and meet you."

Tang Sanzang quickly returned the greeting: "No, no, thank you for your trouble, Master."

After the blue-faced monk turned and left, Tang Sanzang raised his head and carefully examined the scene in the main hall.

The palace was resplendent with gold and jade, its beams and pillars adorned with carved and painted designs. The floor was paved with gold bricks, and jade pillars supported the sky.

In the very center stands a lotus platform, about ten feet high, with layers of lotus petals, its entire surface lustrous, resembling neither jade nor gold, truly a magnificent sight.

Before long, three Buddhist chants were heard from behind the hall, their voices as loud as a bell.

Tang Sanzang quickly straightened his robes and hat, and looked up again. Sure enough, a Buddha was sitting on the lotus platform.

He had a large face and ears, a straight nose and a square mouth, eyes as bright as stars, and a dignified appearance. He was dressed in a golden kasaya, and his body was surrounded by radiant light and auspicious energy.

To Tang Sanzang's utter astonishment, there were five or seven women surrounding the Buddha, some sitting beside the lotus throne, others standing beside him.

Some held bouquets of flowers, others gently waved fans; all were stunningly beautiful, with flowing robes, misty hair, and spring-like eyes. They rubbed against the Buddha intimately.

Tang Sanzang felt a buzzing sound in his forehead, and all the color drained from his face.

He became a monk at a young age, practiced asceticism for many years, and saw countless Buddha statues and temples, but he had never seen such a sight before!

The Buddha was surrounded by bodhisattvas, celestial beings, dragons, and Vajra warriors, all of whom were dignified and respectful. How could a woman be so intimate and affectionate with him?

This is hardly a sacred Buddhist site; it's clearly a place of worldly pleasures!

He was still in shock and doubt, his mind in turmoil, when he suddenly caught sight of a pale-faced monk standing to the left of the lotus platform. His face was as white as powder, and his lips as red as cinnabar, and he had quite a handsome appearance.

However, a woman was also leaning against him. She covered her mouth with one hand and chuckled, while the other hand was on the white-faced monk's shoulder. Her eyebrows were curved and her expression was charming. She was smiling and looking at Tang Sanzang and his disciples.

Tang Sanzang felt dizzy and almost lost his balance.

Seeing this, Wukong quickly stepped forward, helped him up, and whispered, "Master, don't panic, I'm here."

Just as they were wondering what was going on, the Buddha suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Holy monk from the East, you have come a long way and have had a long journey. Please come forward and have a word with me."

Tang Sanzang composed himself, suppressing his shock, straightened his robe, took a few steps forward, and bowed with his palms together: "This humble monk, Tang Sanzang, pays his respects to the Buddha. This disciple is foolish and did not know that the Buddha was here. I beg the Buddha's forgiveness."

Wukong, Bajie, and Sha Wujing also bowed.

The Buddha waved his hand and smiled, "Holy monk, there's no need for such formality. Please sit. You've traveled a long way to seek the scriptures with utmost sincerity; your merit is considerable. What sin have you committed?"

Tang Sanzang dared not sit, and only bowed his head, saying, "This disciple dares to ask my Buddha's name? And this temple? Why...why..."

He got to this point, but then didn't know how to continue.

Seeing the change in his expression, the Buddha chuckled and said, "Holy monk, are you asking why I have so many women around me? Is that right?"

Sweat beaded on Tang Sanzang's forehead as he whispered, "This disciple dares not."

The Buddha said, “Holy monk, there is no need to be hasty or doubtful. The matter you asked is also something that many monks in the world do not understand.”

This old monk is the Buddha of Western Dipankara, and this is my sacred site, named Electric Music Temple, established specifically to guide sentient beings in this world.