Chapter 58: Two Minds Throw Heaven and Earth into Chaos; One Body Is Hard-pressed to Cultivate True Quietude

Chapter 58: Two Minds Throw Heaven and Earth into Chaos; One Body Hard-Pressed to Attain True Tranquility

The Pilgrim and Sha Monk took their leave of the Bodhisattva and rose up on two beams of auspicious light, departing from the Southern Sea. Now the Pilgrim’s cloud somersault was swift, while Sha Monk’s immortal cloud was somewhat slower. The Pilgrim wanted to go on ahead, but Sha Monk pulled him back and said, “Elder Brother, there is no need for this secretive behavior—going ahead to set things in place. Let me go with you.” The Great Sage indeed had a good heart, but Sha Monk harbored suspicions. So the two of them mounted their clouds and went off together. Before long, they indeed saw the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. Bringing their clouds to rest, they looked carefully outside the cave and truly saw a Pilgrim seated high on a stone terrace, drinking wine and making merry with a crowd of monkeys. His appearance was no different from the Great Sage’s: yellow hair and a golden fillet, fiery eyes and golden pupils; he wore a straight cotton robe, tied at the waist with a tiger-skin kilt; in his hand he held a golden-banded iron staff; on his feet he wore a pair of deerskin boots; he also had that hairy face and thunder-god beak, sunken cheeks and protruding earth-star nose, broad forehead and ears, and fangs sticking outward.

This Great Sage grew furious. Letting go of Sha Monk, he drew his iron staff and charged forward, shouting, “What sort of evil fiend are you, that you dare to take on my appearance, occupy my sons and grandsons, usurp my immortal cave, and act so arrogantly and authoritatively?” That Pilgrim, upon seeing him, made no reply at all but also raised his iron staff to meet him. The two Pilgrims fought together, and indeed it was impossible to tell true from false. What a fight it was:

Two staves, two monkey spirits;

This battle was by no means trivial.

Both wished to protect the Tang Emperor’s disciple;

Each exerted his prowess to establish a heroic name.

The true monkey had truly received the teachings of the Sandalwood Gate;

The false monster falsely claimed the status of the Buddha’s son.

Because their magic powers were so changeable,

Neither true nor false, they were evenly matched.

One was the Ape of Primal Chaos, the Sage Equal to Heaven;

The other was a long-refined, thousand-spirit earth-shrinking demon.

This one wielded the As-You-Will Golden-Banded Staff;

That one used the Heart-Following Iron-Rod Weapon.

Blocking and parrying, there was no victory or defeat;

Supporting and resisting, there was no loss or gain.

At first they fought outside the cave;

Soon the struggle rose into midair.

Each of them trod on cloud light and leaped up to battle within the ninefold heavens.

Sha Monk, standing by, dared not strike. Seeing them fight this one bout, he truly found it hard to distinguish true from false. He wanted to draw his blade and help, but feared wounding the real one. After enduring for a long time, he leaped down from the cliff, brandished his demon-subduing treasure staff, and struck near the Water-Curtain Cave’s exterior. There he scattered the crowd of demons, overturned the stone benches, and smashed all the vessels used for drinking wine and eating meat. He searched for their blue felt bundle but found it nowhere at all. Now the Water-Curtain Cave was originally a waterfall and flying spring, which hung down and covered the cave entrance. From afar it looked like a white curtain of cloth; up close it was a stream of water, hence the name Water-Curtain Cave. Sha Monk, not knowing the lay of the land or its origins, found it difficult to locate. So he mounted his cloud and rushed up into the ninefold heavens, but when he raised his treasure staff, he still could not strike. The Great Sage said, “Sha Monk, since you cannot help, go back and report to the Master, telling him that things are thus and so. Let Old Monkey fight this demon to the Southern Sea, to the Bodhisattva’s Potalaka Mountain, and have the true and false distinguished.” After he spoke, that other Pilgrim said the same thing. Sha Monk saw that the two had no difference in appearance or voice, black and white impossible to separate. He had no choice but to follow the instruction, turn his cloud around, and return to report to Tripitaka Tang, of whom we shall not speak.

Now look at those two Pilgrims. As they fought, they traveled until they reached the Southern Sea and went directly to Potalaka Mountain, striking and cursing without cease, their shouts never ending. This alarmed the Dharma-protecting devas, who at once reported into the Tide-Receiving Cave: “Bodhisattva, two Sun Wukongs have indeed come fighting.” The Bodhisattva, along with Mokṣa, the Youthful Good-Will, and the Dragon Girl, descended from the lotus throne, went out the door, and shouted, “Where do you evil beasts think you’re going?” The two of them, each grappling with the other, said, “Bodhisattva, this wretch truly looks like your disciple. We have been fighting since the Water-Curtain Cave, struggling for a long time without victory or defeat. Sha Wujing, with his dull mortal eyes, could not tell us apart; he had strength but could not help. So your disciple told him to return to the Western Road and report to the Master. I have fought this wretch to your precious mountain. Lend us your Bodhisattva’s wise eyes, and recognize the true from the false, distinguishing right from wrong.” After he spoke, that other Pilgrim said the same thing. The devas and the Bodhisattva looked for a long time, but none could recognize them. The Bodhisattva said, “Let go of each other and stand on either side. Let me look again.” They indeed let go and stood on either side. This one said, “I am the real one.” That one said, “He is the fake one.”

The Bodhisattva summoned Mokṣa and the Youthful Good-Will forward and quietly instructed them: “One of you pin down one of them, and let me secretly recite the Tight-Fillet Spell. The one who feels pain will be the real one; the one who feels none will be the false one.” The two of them indeed each held down one. The Bodhisattva secretly recited the true spell, and both of them cried out in pain, clutching their heads and rolling on the ground, shouting, “Don’t recite, don’t recite!” The Bodhisattva stopped reciting, and the two of them again seized each other, resuming their clamor and struggle. The Bodhisattva, having no plan, ordered the devas and Mokṣa to step forward and help. The gods, fearing they might wound the real one, also dared not strike. The Bodhisattva called out, “Sun Wukong,” and both answered. The Bodhisattva said, “In the old days, you were appointed the Protector of the Horses and rebelled against Heaven. The divine generals all recognized you then. Go up to the celestial realm to have this resolved and bring back a reply.” The Great Sage thanked her, and that other Pilgrim also thanked her.

The two of them, pulling and dragging, shouting and fighting without cease, went straight to the Southern Heavenly Gate. This so alarmed the Broad-Visioned Heavenly King, who led the four great generals—Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Guan—and all the gate-guarding gods, large and small, to block the way with their weapons, crying, “Where are you going? Is this a place for fighting?” The Great Sage said, “Because I was protecting Tripitaka Tang on his journey to the West to fetch scriptures, I killed some bandits on the road. That Tripitaka drove me back. I went straight to Potalaka Cliff to see Guanyin Bodhisattva and pour out my grievances. Little did I expect that this demon, some time ago, would change into my likeness, knock down Tripitaka Tang, and steal the bundle. Sha Monk went to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit to seek it, and there he found this demon occupying my lair. Later, he went to Potalaka Cliff to appeal to the Bodhisattva, and there he saw me standing beside the Bodhisattva’s throne. Sha Monk falsely claimed that I had used my cloud somersault to get there first and cover up my tracks. But the Bodhisattva, being clear-sighted, did not believe Sha Monk’s words. She ordered me to go with him to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit to investigate. Indeed, this demon truly looked like Old Monkey. We fought from the Water-Curtain Cave all the way to Potalaka Mountain to see the Bodhisattva, but even the Bodhisattva could not tell us apart. That’s why we have fought here, and I beg you devas to use your keen eyes to recognize the true from the false for me.” After he spoke, that other Pilgrim said the same thing. The celestial gods looked for a long time but could not distinguish them either. The two of them shouted, “Since you cannot recognize us, clear the way and let us go see the Jade Emperor!”

The gods could not hold them back, so they opened the Heavenly Gate, and the two went straight to the Hall of Miraculous Mist. Marshal Ma, along with the four celestial masters—Zhang, Ge, Xu, and Qiu—reported, “Two identical Sun Wukongs from the lower world have burst through the Heavenly Gate, claiming they wish to see Your Majesty.” Before they finished speaking, the two came charging straight in, shouting. The Jade Emperor was so startled that he descended and stood in the hall, asking, “Why are you two making a disturbance in Heaven and shouting before My throne, seeking death?” The Great Sage said, “Long live Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty! Your subject has now submitted himself and received the teachings of the Sandalwood Gate. I dare not again deceive my heart or lie to the high ones. It is only because this demon has changed into my likeness...” And he laid out the whole matter from beginning to end, “I beg that Your Majesty will distinguish the true from the false for me.” That other Pilgrim also laid out the same matter. The Jade Emperor then issued a decree summoning the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li, and ordered: “Bring out the Demon-Reflecting Mirror and shine it on these wretches to see which is true and which is false. Let the false one be destroyed and the true one preserved.” The Heavenly King took the mirror and shone it on them, then invited the Jade Emperor and all the gods to look. In the mirror were the reflections of two Sun Wukongs, golden fillets, clothing, not a hair’s breadth different. The Jade Emperor could not distinguish them either, and drove them out of the hall.

The Great Sage gave a cold, mocking laugh, and that other Pilgrim also laughed with delight. Grabbing each other by the head and neck, they burst out of the Heavenly Gate again and fell down upon the Western Road, saying, “We’ll go see the Master, we’ll go see the Master.”

Now, Sha Monk, after leaving the two of them at the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, traveled for another three days and nights and returned to their village. He told Tripitaka Tang the whole story. Tripitaka, remorseful, said, “At the time I thought it was Sun Wukong who struck me with his staff and stole the bundle. How was I to know it was a demon disguised as the Pilgrim?” Sha Monk also reported, “This demon also changed into a form of an elder, a white horse, and a Zhu Bajie carrying our bundle, and another changed into me. I could not contain my anger and struck him dead with my staff. It turned out to be a monkey spirit. That scattered them, and I went to the Bodhisattva to pour out my grievances. The Bodhisattva ordered me and the elder brother to go again to identify him, and indeed that demon looked exactly like the elder brother. I could not help, so I came back first to report to you, Master.” On hearing this, Tripitaka’s face turned pale with fright. Bajie laughed heartily and said, “Good, good, good! This fulfills what the old woman of that benefactor’s house said: She said there were several groups going for scriptures. Isn’t this another one?”

All the old and young members of that household came to ask Sha Monk, "Where have you been these past few days to get traveling money?" Sha Monk laughed and replied, "I went to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit in the Eastern Continent of Superior Body to seek my elder brother and retrieve the luggage, then I visited Guanyin Bodhisattva at Mount Potalaka in the Southern Sea, and then I went back to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit before returning here." The old man asked again, "How much distance did you cover there and back?" Sha Monk said, "About two hundred thousand miles." The old man exclaimed, "Good heavens! In just a few days you traveled that far—only by riding clouds could you have managed it!" Zhu Bajie said, "If not by riding clouds, how could we cross the sea?" Sha Monk said, "What we did doesn't count as walking; if it were my elder brother, he could make the round trip in just a day or two." Hearing this, the family all said they were immortals. Zhu Bajie said, "Though we aren't immortals, immortals are still our juniors!"

While they were talking, they suddenly heard a clamor and uproar in midair. Startled, everyone went out to look, and there they saw two Pilgrims fighting. When Zhu Bajie saw this, he itched to join in and said, "Let me go and take a look." The good idiot leaped up at once, rose into the air, and shouted loudly, "Elder brother, stop your noise! Old Pig is here!" The two of them answered together, "Brother, come fight the monster! Come fight the monster!" The family was both startled and delighted, saying, "These are several arhats riding clouds and mists who have stopped at our home. Even those who vow to feed monks would never get such good people as this." They no longer bothered about tea and meals but offered even more generous hospitality. They also said, "I'm afraid these two Pilgrims will fight to no good end, overturning heaven and earth and causing disaster!" When Tripitaka saw that the old man was happy in front but worried behind, he spoke up and said, "Don't worry, old benefactor, don't sigh with anxiety. Once I have subdued my disciples and turned them from evil to good, I will naturally thank you." The old man replied profusely, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Sha Monk said, "Benefactor, say no more. Master, you sit here, and let me and Second Brother go. Each of us will grab one and bring them before you. Then you recite that spell, and whichever one feels pain is the real one; the one who doesn't is the fake." Tripitaka said, "That's an excellent idea."

Sha Monk indeed rose into midair and said, "You two, stop fighting. I'll take you before the Master to tell the true from the false." The Great Sage let go, and the other Pilgrim also let go. Sha Monk grabbed one and called out, "Second Brother, you grab the other one too." And they did, seizing them, and descended from the clouds, going straight to the thatched cottage door. When Tripitaka saw them, he recited the Tight-Fillet Spell. The two of them cried out in pain together, "We're fighting so bitterly, and you still curse us like this? Stop reciting, stop reciting." The elder was kind-hearted by nature, so he stopped reciting, but he still couldn't tell the true from the fake. The two of them broke free and resumed their fight. The Great Sage said, "Brothers, protect the Master, and let me fight this creature all the way to King Yama's place to settle the dispute." The other Pilgrim said the same thing. The two of them grappled and tussled, and in a moment they had disappeared again.

Zhu Bajie said, "Sha Monk, since you went to the Water Curtain Cave and saw the fake Zhu Bajie carrying the luggage, why didn't you snatch it back?" Sha Monk said, "When that fiend saw me using my precious staff to strike his fake Sha Monk, they swarmed around to capture me, and I had to flee to save my life. After I reported to the Bodhisattva, I returned to the cave mouth with Pilgrim. The two of them were fighting in midair, and I overturned his stone benches and scattered his little fiends. But I only saw a waterfall pouring down and couldn't tell where the cave entrance was. I couldn't find the luggage, so I came back empty-handed to report to the Master." Zhu Bajie said, "You don't know this. When I went to invite him two years ago, I first met him outside the cave. After I talked him around, he jumped down and went into the cave to change clothes. When he came out, I saw him dive into the water. That waterfall is the cave entrance. I suspect that fiend has stored our bundle inside." Tripitaka said, "Since you know the entrance, while they are both away, you can go into his cave first and retrieve our luggage. Then we'll head for the Western Heaven. Even if he comes later, I won't need him anymore." Zhu Bajie said, "I'll go." Sha Monk said, "Second Brother, there are over a thousand little monkeys in front of his cave. If you go alone, you might not be able to handle them, and that would be bad." Zhu Bajie laughed and said, "No fear, no fear." He hurried out the door, mounted the clouds and mists, and went straight to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit to search for the luggage. We'll leave him for now.

Meanwhile, the two Pilgrims fought and brawled all the way to the back of the Mountain of Darkness. They terrified all the ghosts on the mountain, who trembled and hid themselves. Some of the ghosts who fled first crashed through the gates of the underworld and reported to the Senluo Palace, saying, "Great King, on the Mountain of Darkness there are two Great Sages, Equal to Heaven, fighting their way here." In a panic, the First Hall's King Qinguang sent word to the Second Hall's King Chujiang, the Third Hall's King Songdi, the Fourth Hall's King Biancheng, the Fifth Hall's King Yama, the Sixth Hall's King Pingdeng, the Seventh Hall's King Taishan, the Eighth Hall's King Dushi, the Ninth Hall's King Wuguan, and the Tenth Hall's King Zhuanlun: one hall passed it to the next, and in an instant the ten kings assembled. They also sent someone flying to report to Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva. All gathered at Senluo Hall, mustering the ghost troops to wait and capture the true and false. Then they heard a fierce wind roaring and a dense fog spreading, and the two Pilgrims rolled and tumbled in battle until they reached the foot of Senluo Hall.

The Lord of the Underworld stepped forward to block them and said, "Great Sage, what business do you have disturbing my underworld?" The Great Sage said, "I am protecting the Tang Monk on his journey to the Western Heaven to fetch scriptures. We passed through the Western Liang Kingdom and came to a mountain where strong bandits waylaid my master. Old Sun killed a few of them, but the Master blamed me and drove me away. I then went to the Southern Sea to complain to the Bodhisattva. I don't know how that fiend caught wind of it, but he took my form, knocked down the Master on the road, and stole the luggage. My junior brother Sha Monk went to my mountain to recover the bundle, but this monster pretended to be the Master and declared he would go to the Western Heaven for scriptures. Sha Monk fled to the Southern Sea to see the Bodhisattva, and I happened to be there. He explained everything, and the Bodhisattva ordered me to go with him to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit to look. Sure enough, this scoundrel had occupied my lair. I argued with him all the way to the Bodhisattva's place, but our appearances, speech, and everything were identical, and even the Bodhisattva couldn't tell true from false. Then I fought this creature up to heaven, and all the gods also couldn't distinguish us. Because I saw my master, he recited the Tight-Fillet Spell to test us, and it hurt me just the same. So I have come to disturb the underworld, hoping that the Lord of the Underworld will check the register of life and death for me, to see what origin this fake Pilgrim has. Let him quickly seize his soul, so that this two-hearted chaos can be stopped." The fiend said exactly the same thing. Hearing this, the Lord of the Underworld ordered the clerk-judge to search through the records one by one, but there was no name of a fake Pilgrim. He then looked at the register of hairy creatures. Among the monkeys, there were one hundred and thirty names, but when the Great Sage Sun achieved the Way in his youth and caused havoc in the underworld, he erased the death records with a single stroke. Since then, all monkey-kind had no names recorded. After the search was complete, they reported back to the hall. The Lord of the Underworld, holding his tablet of office, said to Pilgrim, "Great Sage, since there is no name to be found in the underworld, you must go back to the world of the living to settle your dispute."

Just as they were speaking, they heard Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva say, "Wait, wait. Let me have the Earth Listener listen for you to determine the truth." Now, the Earth Listener was a beast that lay beneath the scripture table of Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva. When it lay flat on the ground, in an instant it could examine the mountains, rivers, lands, caves, and blessed realms of the four great continents, and could distinguish good from evil, wisdom from folly among all creatures: shelled beings, scaled beings, hairy beings, feathered beings, insect beings, celestial immortals, earthly immortals, divine immortals, human immortals, and ghost immortals. The beast, following Kshitigarbha's command, prostrated itself on the ground in the Senluo courtyard. In a moment, it raised its head and said to Kshitigarbha, "Though the fiend's name exists, I cannot reveal it face to face, nor can I lend strength to capture him." Kshitigarbha said, "What would happen if you spoke it directly?" The Earth Listener said, "If I spoke directly, I fear the fiend would grow angry, disturb the hall, and cause unrest in the underworld." Kshitigarbha asked again, "Why can't you help capture him?" The Earth Listener said, "The fiend's supernatural powers are no different from the Great Sage Sun's. How much magic power do the gods of the underworld possess? Therefore, they cannot capture him." Kshitigarbha said, "If that's the case, how can he be removed?" The Earth Listener said, "The Buddha's dharma is boundless." Kshitigarbha understood at once and said to Pilgrim, "Your appearances are identical, and your supernatural powers are the same. If you want to distinguish true from false, you must go to the Thunderclap Monastery to see Tathagata Buddha. Only then will it be clear." The two of them shouted together, "Well said, well said. We'll go to the Buddha of the Western Heaven to settle this dispute." The ten kings of the underworld saw them off, thanked Kshitigarbha, and returned to the Emerald Cloud Palace, ordering the ghost messengers to close the passes of the underworld. We'll leave them for now.

Watch the two Pilgrims flying through clouds and mist as they fought their way up to the Western Heaven. There is a poem to prove it. The poem says:

When a man has two hearts, calamity is born,

Doubts and suspicions fill every corner forlorn.

He longs for the steed and the minister's seat,

Yet dreams of the golden hall, a throne so sweet.

South and north, endless campaigns never cease,

East and west, strife without any peace.

The gate of Chan must learn the mindless art,

To nurture the infant and form the sage's heart.

The two of them grappled and wrestled in midair, moving as they fought, until they reached the Western Paradise at the Vulture Peak, outside the Thunderclap Monastery. Soon the Four Great Bodhisattvas, the Eight Vajrapanis, the Five Hundred Arhats, the Three Thousand Guardians, the Bhikshunis, the Bhikshus, the Upasakas, and the Upasikas—all the great saintly hosts—had gathered beneath the Seven-Jeweled Lotus Platform, quietly listening to the Tathagata preach the Dharma. At that moment, the Tathagata was expounding this passage:

"In non-existence there is existence; in non-absence there is absence. In non-form there is form; in non-emptiness there is emptiness. What is not being is being; what is not non-being is non-being. What is not form is form; what is not emptiness is emptiness. Emptiness is just emptiness; form is just form. Form has no fixed form; form is emptiness. Emptiness has no fixed emptiness; emptiness is form. Know that emptiness is not empty; know that form is not form. This is called illumination, and only then does one reach the sublime sound."

All the saints bowed their heads in reverence. As they were reciting and studying this, the Tathagata caused heavenly flowers to descend, scattering in profusion. Then he rose from his seat and said to the assembly, "You are all of one mind. Look now at the two minds coming in strife."

The assembly raised their eyes and indeed saw two pilgrims, shouting at heaven and earth, fighting their way to the Thunderclap sacred precincts. The Eight Vajrapanis hurried forward to block them, saying, "Where are you going?" The Great Sage said, "An evil spirit has taken my form and wants to go beneath the Lotus Platform. I trouble the Tathagata to distinguish truth from falsehood for me." The Vajrapanis could not hold them back, and they clamored all the way to the platform, knelt before the Buddha, and reported in worship: "Your disciple, protecting the Tang Monk, came to the sacred mountain to seek the true scriptures. Along the way, we subdued demons and bound monsters, expending no small amount of energy. Earlier, on the journey, we happened upon bandits robbing us, and indeed your disciple struck and wounded several of them twice. My master blamed me and drove me back, not allowing me to accompany him to see the Tathagata's golden form. Helpless, your disciple had no choice but to go to the Southern Sea to see Guanyin and pour out my grievances. Unexpectedly, this evil spirit impersonated your disciple's voice and appearance, knocked down my master, and stole the luggage. My junior brother Wujing sought me out at my mountain, and this spirit deceived him with clever words, claiming something about a true monk seeking scriptures. Wujing escaped to the Southern Sea and explained the situation in detail. Guanyin, learning of this, commanded your disciple to go with Wujing back to my mountain. Therefore, the two of us compared our authenticity, fought to the Southern Sea, then to the Heavenly Palace, and also before the Tang Monk and the underworld, but none could distinguish us. So we presumptuously came here, earnestly begging you to open the gate of convenience, bestow abundant compassion and mercy, and discern the false from the true for your disciple, so that I may protect the Tang Monk to personally see the golden form, obtain the scriptures, and return to the East, eternally propagating the Great Teaching." The assembly heard two mouths speaking with the same voice, both reciting the same tale, and none could distinguish them. Only the Tathagata knew the truth. Just as he was about to reveal it, he suddenly saw Guanyin coming from the southern clouds to pay homage to the Buddha.

The Buddha pressed his palms together and said, "Venerable Guanyin, look at these two pilgrims—which is the true and which the false?" The Bodhisattva replied, "Formerly, in my humble region, I truly could not distinguish them. They also went to the Heavenly Palace and the underworld, and none could discern them either. I have come especially to report to the Tathagata, and I earnestly beg you to discern them clearly for them." The Tathagata smiled and said, "Your spiritual powers are vast; you can only broadly examine the affairs of the entire cosmos, but you cannot fully identify all the beings in the cosmos, nor can you extensively understand all the species of the cosmos." The Bodhisattva further inquired about the species of the cosmos. The Tathagata then said, "Within the cosmos, there are five kinds of immortals: Heavenly, Earthly, Divine, Human, and Ghostly. There are five kinds of insects: Worms, Scaled, Hairy, Feathered, and Shelled. This creature is not Heavenly, not Earthly, not Divine, not Human, not Ghostly, nor is it a Worm, Scaled, Hairy, Feathered, or Shelled being. There are also four types of monkeys that mingle in the world, not falling within the ten categories." The Bodhisattva said, "May I ask what those four types of monkeys are?" The Tathagata said, "The first is the Bright-Spirit Stone Monkey, who understands transformation, knows the seasons of heaven, understands the advantages of earth, and can shift stars and exchange constellations. The second is the Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey, who comprehends yin and yang, understands human affairs, excels at coming and going, avoids death, and prolongs life. The third is the Long-Armed Gibbon, who can grasp the sun and moon, shrink a thousand mountains, discern good and ill fortune, and manipulate the cosmos. The fourth is the Six-Eared Macaque, who is skilled in hearing sounds, can perceive the principles of things, knows the past and future, and understands all things. These four types of monkeys do not fall within the ten categories and are not named within the two realms. I see that the false Wukong is a Six-Eared Macaque. If this monkey stands in one place, he can know events a thousand miles away. He also knows whatever mortals say. Therefore, he is skilled in hearing sounds, can perceive the principles of things, knows the past and future, and understands all things. The one who shares the same form and voice as the true Wukong is the Six-Eared Macaque."

When the macaque heard the Tathagata reveal his true form, he trembled with fear, leaped up, and tried to flee. Seeing him go, the Tathagata commanded the assembly to act. Already the Four Bodhisattvas, the Eight Vajrapanis, the Five Hundred Arhats, the Three Thousand Guardians, the Bhikshus, the Bhikshunis, the Upasakas, the Upasikas, Guanyin, and Mucilanda had surrounded him. The Great Sage Sun also wanted to step forward, but the Tathagata said, "Wukong, do not move; let me capture him for you." The macaque's fur stood on end; realizing he could hardly escape, he quickly changed his form, turning into a bee and flying upward. The Tathagata threw his golden alms bowl into the air, covering the bee exactly, and it fell down. The assembly, not knowing, thought he had escaped. The Tathagata said with a smile, "Do not be confused, assembly. The evil spirit has not fled; he is now beneath my alms bowl." The assembly came forward together and lifted the bowl, and indeed they saw his true form—a Six-Eared Macaque. The Great Sage Sun could not restrain himself; he swung his iron staff and struck him dead with a single blow to the head, thus ending that species forever. The Tathagata could not bear it and said, "Well done! Well done!" The Great Sage said, "Tathagata, you should not pity him. He wounded my master and stole my bundle. According to the law, for obtaining property and injuring a person, and for daylight robbery, he deserves the punishment of decapitation." The Tathagata said, "Go quickly and protect the Tang Monk to come here and seek the scriptures." The Great Sage kowtowed in gratitude and said, "I respectfully inform the Tathagata: That master of mine will surely not accept me. If I go this time and am not taken back, will it not require another expenditure of effort? I beg the Tathagata to exercise convenience, recite the loosening-band spell, remove this golden band, return it to the Tathagata, and let me return to lay life." The Tathagata said, "Do not indulge in wild thoughts, and by no means be mischievous. I will command Guanyin to escort you, and I am not afraid that he will not accept you. Protect him well, and when your merit is accomplished and you return to the ultimate bliss, you too will sit on the lotus platform."

When Guanyin, who was nearby, heard this, she pressed her palms together in gratitude for the holy grace, led Wukong, and rode away on a cloud. Mucilanda and the White Cockatoo followed closely behind. Soon they reached the thatched cottage on the journey. Sha Wujing saw them and quickly invited his master to bow at the door and welcome them. The Bodhisattva said, "Tang Sanzang, the one who struck you the other day was the false pilgrim, the Six-Eared Macaque. Fortunately, the Tathagata knew it, and he has been killed by Wukong. You must now take Wukong back. The demonic obstacles on the road are not yet dispelled; you must have him protect you before you can reach the Spirit Mountain, see the Buddha, and obtain the scriptures. Do not be angry with him again." Sanzang kowtowed and said, "I reverently obey your teachings."

Just as he was bowing in thanks, a fierce wind rolled in from the east, and Zhu Bajie, carrying two bundles, came riding the wind. When the idiot saw the Bodhisattva, he prostrated himself and said, "Your disciple, the day before yesterday, left my master and went to the Water Curtain Cave on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit to look for the bundles. I indeed saw a false Tang Monk and a false Bajie, and I beat them both to death—they turned out to be two monkey bodies. Then I went inside and found the bundles. I checked them then and there; not a single item was missing. So I rode the wind back here. I do not know what has become of the two pilgrims." The Bodhisattva recounted how the Tathagata had seen through the demon. The idiot was overjoyed and expressed endless thanks. The master and disciples thanked the Bodhisattva, who then returned to the Southern Sea. They all returned to their former harmony and unity, washing away grievances and dissolving anger. They also thanked the villagers, packed up their luggage and horse, and took the main road heading west. Truly:

In mid-journey, parted, chaos in the five elements;

Demons subdued, they gather, primal brightness ascends.

The spirit returns to its heart-chamber, meditation is fixed;

The six senses quelled and banished, the elixir self-completes.

After this journey, we do not know when Sanzang will face the Buddha and seek the scriptures. Let us listen to the explanation in the next chapter.