The mist and clouds often shine upon it, and auspicious omens always rise in its air. The pines and bamboos flourish year after year, and wondrous flowers bloom anew each day.
The monkeys were overjoyed. They all said, "You go first, lead us in, come in!" But the stone monkey closed his eyes, squatted down, and jumped in, shouting, "Come in with me, come in!" The bolder monkeys jumped in; the timid ones stretched their necks, scratched their ears and cheeks, and shouted loudly. After a while, they all went in. They jumped over the bridge and started grabbing bowls and plates, fighting over stoves and beds, moving things around. Because of their mischievous nature, there was never a moment of peace. They only stopped when they were exhausted. The stone ape sat atop it and said, “My lords, what good is a man without integrity? You said that whoever could enter and leave without injury would be made king. I have now entered and left, left and entered again, finding this cave where you can all sleep peacefully and enjoy the blessings of family life. Why not make me your king?” Upon hearing this, the monkeys immediately bowed and obeyed without question, lining up according to their age and paying homage, all calling him “Great King of a Thousand Years.” From then on, the stone ape ascended the throne, concealing the word “stone,” and became known as the Handsome Monkey King. A poem testifies to this: “The three yangs unite to produce all life, the immortal stone contains the essence of the sun and moon. Borrowing an egg, a monkey is born to complete the Great Dao, using its name to create the elixir.”
Inner contemplation reveals no form, yet outward coherence reveals a tangible reality. This applies to all people throughout history, from kings to sages, who roam freely and unrestrainedly.
The Monkey King led a group of monkeys, macaques, and gibbons, assigning them roles as ruler, ministers, and assistants. They roamed Flower Fruit Mountain by day and slept in the Water Curtain Cave by night, living in perfect harmony and affection. They did not associate with birds or beasts, reigning alone and enjoying boundless joy. Thus—in spring they gathered flowers for food, in summer they sought fruits for sustenance, in autumn they harvested taro and chestnuts to prolong the season, and in winter they searched for golden needles to mark the passing of the year.
The Monkey King, carefree and joyful, lived for three to five hundred years. One day, during a joyous feast with his monkey troop, he suddenly became troubled and tears streamed down his face. The monkeys hurriedly bowed and asked, "Your Majesty, what troubles you?" The Monkey King replied, "Although I am happy, I have some worries about the future, hence my troubles." The monkeys laughed and said, "Your Majesty is so ungrateful! We enjoy ourselves every day in this blessed land of immortals, in this ancient cave and divine continent, free from the rule of the Qilin, the Phoenix, and the constraints of human kings. We are free and unrestrained, which is a boundless blessing. Why do you worry about the future?" The Monkey King said, "Although I am not subject to the laws of human kings today, nor do I fear the might of beasts, in the future, when I grow old and my blood weakens, the King of Hell will secretly be watching over me. Once I die, wouldn't it be a waste of my life to have lived in this world and not be able to linger among the celestial beings for long?"
Upon hearing this, the monkeys covered their faces and wept, all fearing the impermanence of life. Suddenly, a gibbon leaped out from the ranks, shouting loudly, "Your Majesty, if you are so farsighted, you truly have awakened your Daoist heart! Among the five kinds of beings, only three are not under the jurisdiction of King Yama." The Monkey King asked, "Do you know which three kinds of beings?" The gibbon replied, "They are Buddhas, Immortals, and Saints, who have escaped reincarnation, are neither born nor die, and live as long as heaven and earth." The Monkey King asked, "Where do these three reside?" The gibbon replied, "They reside only in the ancient caves and immortal mountains of the Jambudvipa world." Hearing this, the Monkey King was overjoyed and said, "Tomorrow I will bid farewell to you all and descend the mountain, traveling to the ends of the earth, to find these three and learn immortality, so that I may always escape the calamities of King Yama!" Alas! These words instantly freed him from the cycle of reincarnation, leading to his becoming the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. The monkeys clapped and cheered, saying, "Excellent! Excellent! Tomorrow we will cross the mountains and climb the hills to find plenty of fruit and hold a grand feast to send off our king."
The next day, the monkeys went to gather immortal peaches, pick exotic fruits, dig up yams, and collect Solomon's seal, fragrant orchids, and rare herbs and flowers. Everything was neatly arranged on stone benches and tables, with immortal wine and delicacies laid out. There were golden, pearl-like fruits, red and plump. Golden, pearl-like ripe cherries, truly sweet; red and plump ripe plums, fragrant and sour. Fresh longans, sweet flesh and thin skin; fiery lychees, small seeds and red sacs. Green crabapples offered on branches; loquats, with yellow buds and leaves. Rabbit-head pears and chicken-heart dates, quenching thirst, relieving vexation, and curing hangovers. Fragrant peaches and ripe apricots, sweet and delicious like jade nectar; crisp plums and bayberries, sour and juicy like cream and cheese. Red-sacred, black-seeded ripe watermelons; four-lobed, yellow-skinned persimmons. Pomegranates cracked open, revealing cinnabar-like pearls; taro and chestnuts split open, revealing hard, golden agate-like lumps. Walnuts and ginkgo nuts could be used to make tea; coconuts and grapes could be made into wine. Hazelnuts, pine nuts, and torreya nuts fill the plate; oranges, sugarcane, tangerines, and citrus fruits adorn the table. Stewed yams are cooked thoroughly; simmered polygonatum is boiled until tender. Crushed poria and coix seeds are added; a stone pot simmers gently over a low flame to make a soup. Though there are delicacies in the human world, none can compare to the joy and peace of the mountain monkeys!
The monkeys revered the Monkey King and sat on the throne, each lining up below according to their age and rank. They took turns offering him wine, flowers, and fruit, and drank heartily all day. The next day, the Monkey King rose early and instructed, "My little ones, gather some dry pine branches and weave them into a raft. Get a bamboo pole for a pole, and prepare some fruit and other offerings. I am going." The Monkey King boarded the raft alone, pushed off with all his might, and drifted along, heading straight for the vast ocean, taking advantage of the winds to cross to the land of Jambudvipa.
When the two or three sages first clashed, the monkey asked questions everywhere.
Now, the monkey, seeking the path to immortality, had a group of wild monkeys build a bamboo raft. He bid farewell to the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain and headed towards the Southern Continent. And so it was—a celestial monkey, his cultivation splendid, left the mountain, sailed on a raft, and rode the heavenly winds. He crossed oceans to seek the path to immortality, determined to dedicate himself to great achievements.
Those with affinity and destiny can set aside worldly desires and find peace and tranquility with Yuanlong. They will surely meet a kindred spirit, who will explain the origins and flow of all things.
Perhaps even the laws of Heaven are unfair; it is always more difficult for extraordinary beings to attain enlightenment than for humans, and even the pursuit of enlightenment requires enduring more hardships.
Although the monkey was born intelligent, it was ultimately ignorant of things, unaware of the changes in the heavens, and unable to discern the secrets of heaven. In its ignorance, it drifted on the vast ocean with a heart seeking immortality and enlightenment. Although it had a heart that yearned for the Dao, it was inevitable that it would encounter tribulations. Even mortals have to endure three calamities and nine tribulations, let alone someone born with intelligence and a destiny bestowed upon them.
The monkey traveled on the sea for less than a month when it encountered a hurricane that stirred up huge waves. Amidst the dark clouds, lightning, and thunder, towering waves surged. How could a spirit like the monkey, who had not yet attained supernatural powers, compare to such a sky? Seeing the unpredictable might of the heavens, the monkey was filled with fear and trembled with terror. It fainted from fright and did not know what to do.
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