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

Acting on the orders of the Buddha the two arhats then led the four pilgrims to the bottom of the tower, where no end of rare and wonderful jewels and treasures were set out. Here the divinities who made offerings set out a vegetarian banquet, with immortal food, immortal delicacies, immortal tea, immortal fruit, and every kind of culinary delight not to be found in the mortal world. Master and disciples bowed their heads to the ground in thanks for the Buddha's kindness and proceeded to eat to their hearts' content. Indeed

Precious flames and golden light dazzled the eye,

While the rare incense and delicacies were marvelously fine.

The thousand-storied golden pavilion was infinitely lovely,

And pure sounded immortals' music on the ear.

Meatless food and magic flowers of the sort that are rare on earth,

Fragrant teas and exotic dishes that give eternal life.

After a long period of enduring a thousand kinds of suffering,

Today comes the glorious happiness of the Way completed.

This was a piece of good fortune for Pig, and a great, benefit to Friar Sand as they ate their fill of the food in the Buddha's land that gave eternal life and new flesh and bones for old. The two arhats kept the four of them company till the meal was over, after which they went to the treasure pavilion, where the doors were opened for them to go in and look. Over this all was a thousandfold aura of coloured light and auspicious vapors, while brilliant mists and clouds of good omen wafted all around. All over the scripture shelves and on the outside of the cases were pasted red labels on which were neatly written the titles of the scriptures. They were the

Nirvana sutra 748 rolls

Bodhisattva sutra 1,021 rolls

Akasagarbha sutra 400 rolls

Surangama sutra 110 rolls

Collection of sutras on the meaning of grace 50 rolls

Determination sutra 140 rolls

Ratnagarbha sutra 45 rolls

Avatamsaka sutra 500 rolls

Sutra on Worshipping Bhutatathata 90 rolls

Mahaprajnaparamita sutra 916 rolls

Mahaprabhasa sutra 300 rolls

Adbhuta-dharma sutras 1,110 rolls

Vimalakirti sutra 170 rolls

The Three Sastras 270 rolls

Diamond sutra 100 rolls

Saddharma sastra 120 rolls

Buddhacaritakavya sutra 800 rolls

Pancanaga sutra 32 rolls

Bodhisattva-vinaya sutra 116 rolls

Mahasamnipata sutras 130 rolls

Makara sutra 350 rolls

Saddharma-pundarika sutra 100 rolls

Yoga sutra 100 rolls

Precious Eternity sutra 220 rolls

Sutra on the Western Heaven 130 rolls

Samghika sutra 157 rolls

Samyukta-Buddhadesa sutra 1,950 rolls

Mahayana-sraddhotpadasa sutra 1,000 rolls

Great Wisdom sutra 1,080 rolls

Ratna-prabhava sutra 1,280 rolls

Original Pavilion sutra 850 rolls

Principal vinaya sutra 200 rolls

Ananda and Kasyapa led the Tang Priest to read the titles of all the scriptures.

“You have come here from the East, holy monk,” they said to him. “Have you brought us any presents? Hand them over right now, then we can give you the scriptures.”

When Sanzang heard this he said, “Your disciple Xuanzang has come a very long way, and I did not bring any with me.”

“That's very fine,” the two arhats said with a laugh. “If we hand the scriptures over for nothing, they'll be passed down through the ages and our successors will have to starve to death.” Monkey could not stand hearing them talking tough like this and refusing to hand the scriptures over, so he shouted, “Let's go and report them to the Tathagata, Master. We'll get him to give me the scriptures himself.”

“Shut up!” said Kasyapa. “Where do you think you are, acting up like this? Come here and take the scriptures.” Pig and Friar Sand, who were keeping their own tempers under control, calmed Monkey down. They turned back to accept the scriptures, which were packed one by one into the luggage. Some of it was put on the horse's back, and the rest tied up as two carrying-pole loads that Pig and Friar Sand shouldered. They all then returned to the Buddha's throne, kowtowed, thanked the Tathagata and went straight out. They bowed twice to every Buddha and every Bodhisattva they met. When they reached the main entrance they bowed to the bhiksus, the bhiksunis, the laymen and the laywomen, taking their leave of each one. Then they hurried back down the mountain.

The story tells not of them but of the Ancient Buddha Dipamkara, who had been quietly listening in the library when the scriptures were handed over. He understood perfectly well that Ananda and Kasyapa had handed over wordless scriptures. “Those stupid monks from the East didn't realize that those were wordless scriptures,” he thought with a smile to himself. “The holy monks journey across all those mountains and rivers will be a complete waste. Who is in attendance here?” he called, and the arhat Suklavira stepped forward. “Use your divine might,” Dipamkara instructed him, “and go after the Tang Priest like a shooting star. Take the wordless scriptures from him and tell him to come back to fetch the true scriptures.” The arhat Suklavira then flew off on a storm wind that roared away from the Thunder Monastery as he gave a great display of his divine might. That splendid wind really was

A warrior from the Buddha's presence,

Greater than the two wind gods of the Xun quarter.

The angry roars from his divine orifices

Were more powerful by far than the puffs of a young girl.

This wind made

Fish and dragons lose their dens,

While the waves flowed backwards in rivers and seas.

Black apes could not present the fruit they carried;

Yellow cranes turned back to the clouds as they sought their nests.

Ugly rang the song of the red phoenix;

Raucous were the calls of the multicolored pheasants.

The branches of hoary pines were broken

As the flowers of the udumbara blew away.

Every cane of green bamboo bowed low;

All the blooms of golden lotus swayed.

The sound of the bell was carried a thousand miles

While the chanting of sutras flew lightly up the ravines.

Ruined was the beauty of flowers under the crag;

The tender shoots of plants were laid low by the path

The brilliant phoenixes could hardly spread their wings;

White deer hid beneath the cliffs.

The heavens were heavy with fragrance

As the clear wind blew right through the clouds.

The Tang Priest was walking along when he smelt the fragrant wind, but he paid no attention to it, taking it for an auspicious sign of the Lord Buddha. Then a noise could be heard as a hand reached down from midair to lift the scriptures lightly off the horse's back, which gave Sanzang such a shock that he beat his chest and howled aloud. Pig scrambled along in pursuit, Friar Sand guarded the carrying-poles loaded with scriptures, and Brother Monkey flew after the arhat. Seeing that Monkey had almost caught up with him, and frightened that the merciless cudgel would make no bones about wounding him badly, the arhat tore the bundle of scriptures to shreds and flung it into the dust. When Monkey saw the bundle falling in pieces that were being scattered by the fragrant wind he stopped chasing the arhat and brought his cloud down to look after the scriptures. The arhat Suklavira put the wind and the clouds away, then went back to report to Dipamkara.

When Pig, who was also in pursuit, saw the scriptures falling he helped Monkey to collect them up and carry them back to the Tang Priest. “Disciples,” the Tang Priest exclaimed, tears pouring from his eyes, “even in this world of bliss evil demons cheat people.” After gathering up the scattered scriptures in his arms Friar Sand opened one of them up and saw that it was as white as snow: not a word was written on it.