The immortals followed the proper etiquette of sweeping, cleaning, and social interaction. Wukong went outside and greeted his fellow disciples before settling into his sleeping quarters in the corridor. The next morning, he learned speech and manners from his fellow disciples, discussed scriptures and doctrines, practiced calligraphy, and burned incense—a routine he maintained daily. In his spare time, he swept the floor, tended the garden, cultivated flowers and pruned trees, gathered firewood, and fetched water. Everything he needed was provided. Six or seven years passed in the cave without him realizing it.

One day, the Patriarch ascended the altar and sat high, summoning all the immortals to expound the Great Dao. Truly—heavenly flowers rained down, and golden lotuses sprang from the earth. He subtly expounded the Three Vehicles of Teaching, encompassing all the subtle and profound methods. He slowly shook his whisk, scattering pearls and jade, the sound resounding like thunder that shook the nine heavens. He spoke of the Dao for a while, and of Zen for a while; the three schools complemented each other perfectly. He revealed the single word "enlightenment," guiding people to the truth of non-birth and the profound mystery of one's true nature.

This Bodhi Patriarch was an incarnation of Zhunti. Zhunti had listened to the teachings in Zixiao Palace back then. Although he was not the most powerful among the saints, he excelled in the breadth of his knowledge. His senior brother Jieyin transformed into Amitabha and expounded the Mahayana Buddhist doctrines. Zhunti and Jieyin were of the same ilk and combined the two teachings of Buddhism and Taoism into one, but they were ultimately incompatible. Later, he transformed into another body, named Bodhi Daoren, and transformed his original body that practiced Taoism to complete this matter.

There is a reason for this. When Amitabha established a separate Buddhist sect, he severed ties with the Xuanmen sect. Zhunti naturally followed Amitabha, but Zhunti was different from Amitabha. Jieyin had great wisdom. He was the same when he listened to the Dao at Zixiao Palace. Although he studied under Hongjun and learned the eight hundred unorthodox methods, he was a person with great perseverance. He was devoted to Buddhism and sought enlightenment in other ways. Although it was an unorthodox method, it was derived from the great Dao of Xuanmen, but it was still different. Jieyin's cultivation was entirely based on Buddhism. Even his method of attaining enlightenment was very different from that of the Xuanmen sect.

Zhunti, however, was different. Although he possessed great wisdom, he was somewhat unsettled. This wasn't to say he lacked willpower or concentration; those who achieve sainthood are invariably exceptionally resolute, their resolve unwavering. Rather, it was that Zhunti's obsessions ran too deep. For the sake of the Western Paradise and the flourishing of Buddhism, Zhunti had too many concerns and too deep an obsessions. He single-mindedly devoted himself to the prosperity of the Buddhist order, and thus, compared to other saints, Zhunti spent less time cultivating and attaining enlightenment, and was not as composed as others.

However, Zhunti's ability to become a saint also shows his great wisdom. Seeing that his cultivation had fallen behind others, Zhunti panicked and eventually came up with another plan. Taking advantage of the opportunity to discuss the Dharma with Xuantian, he merged the great laws of Buddhism and Taoism, cultivating both simultaneously, and finally achieved the status of a saint. This also shows Zhunti's brilliance.

However, this was ultimately a shortcut. Later, Jieyin established a separate Buddhist sect, calling himself Amitabha. Zhunti naturally followed Jieyin and entered the Buddhist sect as well. However, since he practiced both Buddhism and Taoism, his identity was difficult to manage. In the end, he manifested two incarnations. One was his golden Buddhist body, which called him "Amitabha Buddha," representing his Buddhist identity. The other was an incarnation of "Bodhi Patriarch." This was to repay the Taoist karma and also to prepare for educating Sun Wukong. After all, if Sun Wukong were to do certain things in the future, it would be undesirable if he were taught by a Buddhist, which would give others leverage against him.

Sun Wukong, listening to the lecture, was so delighted that he scratched his ears and cheeks, his eyebrows and eyes beaming with joy, unable to resist gesturing wildly. Suddenly, the Patriarch saw this and called out to Sun Wukong, "Why are you dancing so wildly in the class, not listening to my lecture?" Wukong replied, "This disciple was sincerely listening to the lecture, and when I heard the wonderful sounds of the Master, I was overjoyed, hence my uncontrollable leaping. I beg the Master's forgiveness!" The Patriarch said, "Since you recognize the wonderful sounds, let me ask you, how long have you been in the cave?" Wukong said, "This disciple was originally ignorant and doesn't know how long. I only remember that there was no fire under the stove, so I often went to the back of the mountain to gather firewood. I saw a mountain with beautiful peach trees, and I ate my fill of peaches there seven times." The Patriarch said, "That mountain is called Rotten Peach Mountain. Since you ate seven times, it must have been seven years. What kind of Dao do you want to learn from me now?" Wukong said, "I will learn whatever you teach, Master. Even just some Daoist energy is enough for this disciple."

The Patriarch said, “Within the ‘Dao’ school, there are three hundred and sixty side schools, all of which lead to enlightenment. Which one do you wish to learn?” Wukong replied, “I will wholeheartedly follow your instructions, Master.” The Patriarch said, “How about I teach you a method from the ‘Shu’ school?” Wukong asked, “What is the method of the Shu school?” The Patriarch said, “The Shu school involves invoking spirits, consulting oracles, and divining with yarrow stalks, which allows one to understand the principles of seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune.” Wukong asked, “Can one attain immortality through this?” The Patriarch said, “No, no!” Wukong said, “I won’t learn it, I won’t learn it!”

The Patriarch then asked, "How about I teach you the Way of the 'Flowing' School?" Wukong asked again, "What are the principles of the 'Flowing' School?" The Patriarch replied, "The 'Flowing' School encompasses Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Yin-Yang School, Mohism, and medicine; it involves reading scriptures, chanting Buddha's name, and even seeking divine intervention." Wukong asked, "Can one attain immortality through such means?" The Patriarch said, "To achieve immortality is like placing a pillar in a wall." Wukong said, "Master, I'm an honest man and don't know slang. What does 'placing a pillar in a wall' mean?" The Patriarch said, "When people build houses, they want them to be sturdy, so they put a pillar between the walls. If the house collapses one day, the pillar will also decay." Wukong said, "According to this, it won't last long either. I won't learn it!"

The Patriarch said, "How about I teach you the Way of 'Quiet'?" Wukong asked, "What is the true attainment of 'Quiet'?" The Patriarch replied, "It involves abstaining from grains and guarding the valley, practicing stillness and non-action, meditating, observing vows and fasting, or practicing sleeping meditation, or standing meditation, and entering a state of deep concentration." Wukong asked, "Can this lead to longevity?" The Patriarch said, "It's like clay bricks in a kiln." Wukong laughed, "Master, you're quite something! You always say I don't know how to speak properly. How do you mean 'clay bricks in a kiln'?" The Patriarch said, "Just like the blanks for making bricks and tiles in a kiln, although they're formed, they haven't been tempered by water and fire. If a heavy rain comes, they'll surely crumble." Wukong said, "That's not sustainable either. I won't learn it!"

The Patriarch said, "How about I teach you the Way of the 'Movement' School?" Wukong asked, "What is the Way of the Movement School?" The Patriarch replied, "It involves action and activity, absorbing Yin to replenish Yang, practicing archery and crossbow techniques, massaging the navel to expel Qi, using various methods, burning thatch and striking cauldrons, ingesting red lead, refining autumn stone, and consuming women's milk." Wukong asked, "Can this lead to immortality?" The Patriarch said, "This desire for immortality is like trying to catch the moon's reflection in water." Wukong said, "Master, here we go again. What does 'trying to catch the moon' mean?" The Patriarch said, "The moon is in the sky, and its reflection is in the water. Although you can see it, there's nowhere to grasp it; ultimately, it's all in vain." Wukong said, "I won't learn it! I won't learn it!"

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