Not long after, a group of people came to inquire about your background. Knowing you couldn't hide any longer, you revealed your purpose.
Those people were all smiles, and they even showed you the way.
After much wandering, you arrived at Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. On the mountain is a cave called Xieyue Sanxing Cave, where you've heard that the Bodhi Patriarch, a deity, lives.
You climbed Fangcun Mountain and followed the path to a Taoist temple.
Looking at the mountain gate, you stepped forward and knocked. A young boy came out, and after explaining the situation, you were led into the Taoist temple.
[Layer upon layer of deep pavilions and towers, entrance upon entrance to palaces and pavilions, countless quiet and secluded dwellings, all leading to the foot of the Jade Terrace. There one sees the Bodhi Patriarch seated on the terrace, with thirty lesser immortals standing below on either side.]
Seeing your monkey-like appearance, they all sneered.
You ignored him, and looking at the old man on the high seat, you knew that this was the one plotting against you. But now that you were on someone else's turf, you could only feign politeness and bow down.
He said, "Master, I have come here to become your disciple and learn martial arts."
The patriarch said, "Where are you from? State your hometown and name clearly, then bow again."
Looking at the pretentious old man, you feel contempt. He was the one who secretly plotted against you, the one who pushed you to learn the craft, and now that you're here, you still have to put on airs. But to play the part completely, you have to follow his lead.
You began by saying, "This disciple is from the Water Curtain Cave of Flower and Fruit Mountain in Aolai Country, Eastern Victory Divine Continent."
The patriarch roared, "Get him out! He's a charlatan, a fraudster; he's no match for any spiritual attainment!"
You chuckled inwardly, then continued with feigned sincerity, "This disciple speaks the truth, there is absolutely no deception."
The Patriarch said, "Since you are honest, why do you mention Dongsheng Shenzhou? That place is separated from me by two great seas and the Nanzhanbuzhou. How could you have gotten here?"
You continued, "This disciple has traveled across oceans and wandered the world for over a decade before finally arriving here."
The patriarch said, "Since you've come this far gradually, so be it. What's your surname?"
Without hesitation, you replied, "I have wandered the mortal realm for several years and have seen that everyone has a name, so I have given myself the surname Zhang and the given name Mu."
[The Bodhi Patriarch looked surprised; he hadn't expected you to choose such a name.]
[This is yet another unexpected variable; clearly, he does have ideas about naming you.]
The patriarch said, "This name is merely something you chose arbitrarily and should not be taken seriously. Everyone's name is given by their parents. Since you have become my disciple, I am also your parent. How about I give you a proper name?"
You wouldn't have expected them to pull something like this. It's just a name, right? Is there some hidden meaning behind it?
Although he didn't understand the reason, he knew he should follow the other party's lead, so he nodded.
The Patriarch smiled broadly upon seeing this: "Though your body is ugly, you resemble a monkey that eats pine cones. I will take a surname from your body, meaning I will give you the surname 'Monkey'. Remove the beast radical from the character 'Monkey', and it becomes 'Ancient Moon'."
"Ancient means old; moon means yin. Old yin cannot nurture, so let's name you 'Sun' instead. Remove the animal radical from 'Sun' and you have 'Zi' (子). 'Zi' means son; 'Xi' means infant. This perfectly matches the nature of an infant. Let's name you 'Sun' instead."
You nodded in agreement.
The Patriarch continued, “Our sect has twelve characters: Guang, Da, Zhi, Hui, Zhen, Ru, Xing, Hai, Ying, Wu, Yuan, Jue. You are the tenth generation disciple in this lineage. Your name corresponds to the character ‘Wu.’ How about I give you the Dharma name ‘Sun Wukong’?”
You said, "Thank you, Master, for bestowing this name upon me."
[You have become a disciple of the Bodhi Patriarch and begun your spiritual practice.]
[I thought the Bodhi Patriarch would teach me some great supernatural power or the way to immortality, after all, he had been scheming against me, leading me here to become his disciple.]
But as it turned out, the Bodhi Patriarch only taught you how to sweep and clean, how to deal with people, how to advance and retreat, and how to practice calligraphy and burn incense, doing this every day.
You're speechless, but since the other party arranged it this way, they must have had their reasons. You've started your retirement life... Anyway, you're not in a hurry, but there are others who are more anxious than you...
In his spare time, he would sweep the floor, hoe the garden, tend the flowers, prune the trees, gather firewood, and fetch water. He had everything he needed.
Spring came and autumn went, and six or seven years passed unnoticed in the cave.
[Bodhi Patriarch, who had been secretly observing you, was puzzled by your behavior. Seeing that you weren't in any hurry, he couldn't wait any longer. One day, he gave a sermon, and you and your fellow disciples listened attentively from below the platform.]
Suddenly, the Patriarch spoke up: "Wukong, how long have you been in the cave?"
"Seven years."
The Bodhi Patriarch feigned emotion: "Seven years have passed... What path do you wish to learn from me now?"
You chuckled inwardly, thinking, "The old man can't hold back any longer, can he?" Without showing any emotion, you replied, "I've learned from your teachings, Master. Even if it only contains a little bit of Daoist energy, I'll accept it."
The Bodhi Patriarch smiled and said, "Within the 'Tao' school, there are 360 side schools, and each side school leads to enlightenment. I wonder which school you wish to study?"
"I will obey your wishes wholeheartedly, Master."
The Bodhi Patriarch said, "How about I teach you a method within the art of 'technique'?"
You are somewhat puzzled: "What does 'the way of the arts' mean?"
The patriarch said, "The arts of divination involve summoning spirits, consulting oracles, and divining with yarrow stalks to understand how to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune."
[You might not like this explanation, but since you've already been tricked, you naturally need to learn some real skills.]
"Is it possible to achieve immortality through this?" you asked.
Bodhi Patriarch smiled and shook his head: "No...no..."
You said, "I won't learn! I won't learn!"
The Bodhi Patriarch continued, "How about I teach you the way of 'stillness'?"
You asked, "What true enlightenment is attained within the 'Quiet' school?"
[The Bodhi Patriarch continued to shake his head with a smile: "This refers to abstaining from grains and guarding the valley, practicing tranquility and non-action, meditating, observing vows of silence and fasting, or practicing sleeping meditation, or standing meditation, and entering a state of deep meditation."]
You hear that and think, "Wow, this is basically becoming a monk!"
You asked, "Can this really lead to immortality?"
Bodhi Patriarch shook his head: "No...no..."
"I won't learn! I won't learn!" you immediately exclaimed.
The Bodhi Patriarch continued, "How about I teach you the way of 'movement'?"
You asked, "But what about the way to move the door?"
The Bodhi Patriarch said, “This involves conscious effort, such as absorbing yin to replenish yang, practicing archery and crossbow techniques, massaging the navel to expel qi, using various methods of preparation, burning thatch and smelting cauldrons, adding red lead, refining autumn stones, and consuming women's milk.”
You were a little stunned. "Why are all these skills so mediocre? Is this Bodhi Patriarch even capable?"
You asked in bewilderment, "Does this also grant immortality?"
Bodhi Patriarch continued to shake his head: "No...no..."
[“Then I won’t learn it! I won’t learn it!” you immediately refuse.]
But this time, Bodhi Patriarch abandoned his smiling demeanor, jumped down from the platform, held a ruler in hand, pointed at you, and said, "You monkey, you won't learn this, you won't learn that, what are you going to do?"
[He hit you on the head three times, then walked inside with his hands behind his back, closed the middle door, and left the crowd behind.]
You nonchalantly shrug, not taking it seriously. Your fellow disciples scold you, but you ignore them and happily go back to sleep.
[You were fast asleep at night, unaware that Patriarch Bodhi was still quietly waiting for your arrival in his room, completely oblivious to your failure to decipher his coded message.]
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