Wu Cheng-en - Journey to the West (vol. 3)

Gently and strongly the Buddha pushed off, at which a corpse came floating downstream, to the horror of the venerable elder. “Don't be frightened, Master,” said Monkey. “That's you.”

“It's you, it's you,” said Pig. Friar Sand clapped his hands as he said, “It's you, it's you!”

The boatman gave a call, then also put in, too, “It's you! Congratulations! Congratulations!” The three of them all joined in these congratulations as the ferryman punted the boat quickly and steadily over the immortal Cloud-touching Crossing. Sanzang turned around and sprang lightly ashore on the opposite bank. There is a poem about this that goes:

When the womb-born flesh and body of blood is cast aside,

The primal spirit finds kinship and love.

On this morning of actions completed and Buddhahood attained

The thirty-six kinds of dust from the past are washed away.

This was indeed what is meant by great wisdom, the boundless dharma of crossing to the other bank. When the four of them climbed the bank and looked back the bottomless boat had already disappeared, goodness knew where. Only when Brother Monkey explained that it had been the Welcoming Buddha did Sanzang find enlightenment At once he turned round to thank his three disciples.

“Let's not exchange thanks,” said Monkey. “We've helped each other. You saved us three, Master, and showed us the way to win merit so as to complete the true achievement. And we have protected you, Master, holding to the faith and helping you happily to cast off your mortal body. Master, look at the magnificent scenery ahead. Flowers, grasses, pines and bamboo, as well as phoenixes, cranes and deer. Compare it with those places where evil beings created illusions through transformation. Ask yourself which is beautiful and good, and which ugly and evil.” Sanzang was full of expressions of gratitude. All of them were now light of body and cheerful as they walked up Vulture Peak. Soon the ancient Thunder Monastery could be seen:

Its rooftops touched the heavens,

Its roots joined with the Sumeru range.

Amazing peaks spread out in serried rank;

Craggy rocks formed interlocking shapes.

Under the hanging scar were wonderful plants and flowers;

Beside the winding path grew magic mushrooms and orchids.

Immortal apes were picking the fruit of the peach trees,

Like gold amid burning flames;

White cranes perched in the branches of the pines

As if they were jade creatures amid smoke.

Coloured phoenixes in pairs,

Green phoenixes two by two.

The pairs of coloured phoenixes

Brought blessings on the world as they called to the sun;

The green phoenixes two by two

Danced in the wind, a rare and wonderful sight.

On the gleaming golden tiles were figures of mandarin ducks;

The brilliantly patterned bricks were set with agate.

To East and West

Were flowers of palaces and pearls of gateways;

To North and South

Were endless precious pavilions and high buildings.

The Devaraja Hall streamed with coloured light;

Purple flames rose before the Lokapalas Chamber.

Stupas stood out,

And fragrant were the blossoms of the udumbara tree.

Truly this was a place so fine it might have come from heaven,

Where the days seemed long under leisurely clouds.

Away from the mortal world, all fates came to an end;

All kalpas were complete within the Dharma hall.

As master and disciples walked freely and at their ease up to the summit of Vulture Peak lay people could be seen under the green pines, and pious men and women amid the jade-coloured cypresses. The venerable elder bowed to them politely, whereupon all the lay men and women, monks and nuns all hastened to put their hands together and say to him, “Do not bow to us, holy monk. Come back and talk with us when you have seen Sakyamuni.”

“It's a bit early for that,” replied Monkey with a grin. “Let's go and worship the boss.”

The venerable elder waved his arms and performed a ritual dance as he followed Monkey straight to the gates of the Thunder Monastery, where four great vajrapanis greeted them with the words, “Have you arrived now, holy monk?”

“Yes,” Sanzang replied with a bow, “Your disciple Xuanzang has arrived.” Having given this reply he was about to go in through the gateway.

“Please wait for a moment, holy monk,” the vajrapanis said. “Let us report before you come in.” The vajrapanis sent a report of the Tang Priest's arrival to the four great vajrapanis on the middle gates, who in turn reported it to the inner gates, inside which were divine monks making offerings.

As soon as they heard of the Tang Priest's arrival they all hurried to the Mahavira Hall, where they announced to the Tathagata Sakyamuni Buddha, “The holy monk from the Tang Court has arrived at your noble monastery to fetch the scriptures.”

The Lord Buddha was very pleased. He called together his Eight Bodhisattvas, Four Vajrapanis, Five Hundred Arhats, Three Thousand Protectors, Eleven Heavenly Shiners and Eighteen Guardians, who drew themselves up in two lines and passed on the Buddha's command summoning the Tang Priest to enter. Thus it was that the invitation was sent down from one level to the next: “Let the holy monk come in.” Observing the requirements of ritual, the Tang Priest went in through the gate with Wukong and Wujing, who were leading the horse and carrying the luggage. Indeed:

In the past he had struggled to fulfil his commission

After leaving the emperor at the steps of the throne.

At dawn he had climbed mountains in mist and in dew;

At dusk he had slept on rocks amid the clouds.

He had carried his stick across three thousand rivers,

And climbed up countless crags with his monastic staff.

His every thought had been set on the true achievement,

And today he was finally to see the Tathagata.

As the four of them arrived in front of the Mahavira Hall they all prostrated themselves and kowtowed to the Tathagata, then to their left and right. After they had each completed three rounds of Worship they then knelt before the Buddha to present their passport. When the Tathagata had read it carefully he handed it back to Sanzang, who bowed his head low and reported, “Your disciple Xuanzang has made the long journey to your precious monastery at the command of the Great Tang emperor to beg for the true scriptures that will save all living beings. I implore the Lord Buddha in his goodness to grant them at once so that I may return to my country.”

The Tathagata then opened his compassionate mouth and in the great mercy of his heart said to Sanzang, “Your Eastern land is in the Southern Continent of Jambu. As the sky is lofty there, the soil deep, its products many, and the people multitudinous there is much covetous-ness, murder, debauchery, lying, deception and dishonesty. They do not follow the Buddhist teaching, do not turn towards good destinies, and do not honour the sun, moon and stars or value the five grains. They are not loyal, filial, righteous or kind. In the delusion of their hearts they mislead themselves, cheating on weights and measures, taking life and killing animals, thus creating such boundless evil karma and such a superabundance of sin and evil that they bring the catastrophe of hell on themselves. That is why they must fall for ever into the dark underworld to suffer the torments of being hammered, smashed, ground and pounded, or are reborn as animals. Many of them take the shape of furry, horned creatures to pay back the debts they owe from earlier lives and feed others with their own flesh. It is for such reasons that some fall into the Avici Hell, from which they never emerge to be reborn. Although Confucius established the doctrine of benevolence, righteousness, correct behavior and wisdom, and although successive emperors have applied the penalties of imprisonment, exile strangulation and beheading, none of this affected those stupid, benighted, self-indulgent and unrestrained people. Why? I have Three Stores of scriptures that offer deliverance from suffering and release from disaster. Of these Three Stores one is the Store of Dharma that deals with Heaven; one is the Store of Sastras that deal with the Earth, and one is the Store of Sutras that can save ghosts. There are thirty-five scriptures altogether, in 15,144 scrolls. These are indeed the path to the truth, the gateway to goodness. They include everything about the astronomy, geography, personalities, birds beasts trees, flowers, objects of use and human affairs of the world's four continents. Now that you have come from afar I would present them all to you to take away with you, but the people of your country are stupid and coarse. They are slanderers of the truth who cannot understand the mysteries of our teachings. Ananda, Kasyapa,” he called, “take the four of them to the foot of the jewel tower and give them a vegetarian meal. After the meal open up the pavilion, select a few rolls from each of the thirty-five scriptures in my Three Stores, and tell them to propagate these scriptures in the East, where they may eternally grant their great goodness.”