The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 2 (9 page)

    
(As green phoenixes flew

    
And red phoenixes soared).

    
Their sleeves sent a scented breeze to sweep the earth;

    
Their staffs, like hanging dragons, brought laughter gay;

    
Their beards swayed before them like medals of jade.

    
Their blithe, youthful features showed no grief or care;

    
Their strong, healthy frames were those of the blessed.

    
They held tallies of stars

    
To fill up the sea-mansions;

    
From their waists hung the gourds and precious scrolls.

    
Ten thousand decades—so grand was their age.

    
On the Three Islands and Ten Islets they freely lived.

    
They came to this world often to grant their boons

    
And increase man’s blessings a hundredfold.

    
The whole, wide world

    
Bright with glory and wealth!

    
To have now endless blessing and endless life!

    
Three elders riding on halos saw the Immortal Great:

    
What boundless peace and blessing filled the hall!

When an immortal lad saw this, he ran to make the report, “Master, the Three Stars from the sea have arrived.” Master Zhenyuan was just chatting with the Tang Monk and his disciples. Hearing the announcement, he went down the steps into the courtyard to receive the visitors. When Eight Rules saw the Star of Longevity, he grabbed him and said with a laugh, “You blubbery old codger! I haven’t seen you for a long time, and you still look so dashing! Why, you didn’t even bring along a hat!” Taking off his own monk’s cap, he plopped it on the head of the Star, clapped his hands, and roared with laughter. “Fine! Fine! Fine!” he cried. “As the saying goes, ‘Put
on
the cap to increase riches!’
” Throwing away the cap, the Star of Longevity snapped back, “You stupid coolie! You have absolutely no manners!” “I’m no coolie,” said Eight Rules, “but you are all knaves.” “You are indeed a stupid coolie,” said the Star of Blessing, “and you even dare to call people knaves?” “If you are not the knaves of some household,” said Eight Rules again, laughing, “how is it that you come bearing the names ‘Increase Age,’ ‘Increase Blessing,’ and ‘Increase Wealth’?”

At that moment, Tripitaka ordered Eight Rules to step back while he straightened his clothes quickly to greet the Three Stars, who in turn saluted the Great Immortal as a senior colleague before they dared take a seat. After they were seated, the Star of Wealth said, “We apologize for not coming to pay our respects for such a long time. We came now especially to see you since we learned that the Great Sage Sun had caused some disturbance here.” “Has Pilgrim Sun been to Penglai already?” asked the Great Immortal. “Yes,” said the Star of Longevity. “As he had damaged the cinnabar tree of the Great Immortal, he came to our place to seek a cure. When he found out that we didn’t have any, he went elsewhere in search of it. He was afraid, however, that he would exceed the time limit of three days set by the holy monk and provoke him to recite the Tight-Fillet Spell. That is the reason why we came to see you and to ask you for an extension of the limit.” When Tripitaka heard this, he said repeatedly, “I won’t recite it! I won’t recite it!”

As they talked, Eight Rules came running in again to tug at the Star of Blessing. Demanding that he be given some fruits to eat, he began to give the Star a complete search, poking into his sleeves, frisking his waist, and even lifting up the hem of his robe. “What sort of bad manners is that, Eight Rules?” asked Tripitaka with a laugh. “I’m not ill-mannered,” said Eight Rules. “This is called ‘Every Turn’s a Blessing.’
” Tripitaka again ordered him to leave. As he slogged toward the door, Idiot turned and stared fiercely at the Star of Blessing. “Stupid coolie!” said the Star. “How have I offended you that you should be so mad at me?” “I’m not mad at you,” said Eight Rules. “I’m just doing what they call ‘Turning Your Head to Look for Blessing’!” When Idiot went out of the door, he ran into a little lad holding four teaspoons while searching in the hall for the cups with which he could present tea. Eight Rules grabbed the spoons and ran into the main hall; picking up a sonorous stone, he began to strike it wildly with the spoons as he pranced about. “This monk,” said the Great Immortal, “is becoming more and more undignified!” “I’m not undignified,” said Eight Rules, laughing. “This is called the ‘Joyful Festivities of Four Seasons.’
”
⁵

We shall now stop telling you about the pranks of Eight Rules and turn instead to Pilgrim, who mounted the auspicious clouds to leave Penglai and soon arrived at the Fangzhang Mountain. It was a lovely mountain indeed, for which we have the following testimonial poem.

    
The
soaring Fangzhang, a Heaven itself,

    
The primal palace where immortals meet:

    
Purple towers light up the three pure paths;

    
Floral scent floats up with five-colored mists.

    
Gold phoenixes oft pause on the pearly arch.

    
Who floods with jade cream
⁶
the agaric fields?

    
Pink peaches and purple plums newly ripened

    
Announce an aeon’s change among the gods.

Pilgrim lowered his cloud, but he was in no mood to enjoy the scenery. As he proceeded, he was met by a gentle scented breeze and by the sounds of black cranes. Then he saw in the distance an immortal, from whom

    
Ten thousand motley beams lit up the sky;

    
Colored mists soared in endless shafts of light.

    
His red phoenix’s mouth held flowers fresh;

    
His green phoenix flew with canorous cries.

    
With luck like the sea and age like a mount,

    
He looked like a boy of sound, healthy frame.

    
His vase kept the cave-heaven’s ageless drug;

    
A seal old as the sun hung from his waist.

    
He brought blessings to mankind severally

    
And saved the world a few times from distress.

    
King Wu summoned him to add to his age.

    
He always attended the Festival of Peach.

    
He taught the monks to break their worldly ties,

    
Revealing like lightning a great way to them.

    
He crossed the seas to wish a man long life,

    
And saw Buddha often at Spirit Mount.

    
His holy title: Grand Thearch of the East,

    
First of the immortals midst smoke and mist.

Somewhat shamefacedly, Pilgrim Sun met him and said, “Grand Thearch, I’m raising my hands!” The Grand Thearch hastened to return the salutation, saying, “Great Sage, forgive me for not going to meet you. Please come to my place and let me serve you tea.” He then took the hands of Pilgrim and led him inside. It was truly a divine palace, where there were countless arches studded with pearl-oyster shells, jasper pools, and jade terraces. As they sat down to wait for their tea, a little lad stepped out from behind the jade screen. “How was he dressed?” you ask.

    
His body wore a Daoist robe of lustrous hues;

    
A bright silk sash was tied around his waist;

    
He trod the Dipper wearing a silk head wrap;
⁷

    
His
feet shod straw sandals to tour fairy haunts.

    
Refining the pristinely real

    
He shed his original shell.

    
Merit achieved, he could do as he pleased.

    
He learned the source of spirit, sperm, and breath

    
As a master would know without mistake.

    
He fled from fame, now owning ageless life—

    
The months, the seasons had no hold on him.

    
Passing winding corridors

    
To ascend royal towers,

    
He palmed from Heaven gods’ peaches three times.

    
In colored mist he left the kingfisher screens,

    
This lowly immortal named Dongfang Shuo.
⁸

When Pilgrim saw him, he laughed and said, “So, this little crook is here! But there’s no peach at the Grand Thearch’s place for you to steal and eat.” Dongfang Shuo bowed to him and replied, “Old burglar! Why did you come? There’s no divine elixir at my master’s place for you to steal and eat.”

“Stop blabbering, Manqian,” cried the Grand Thearch. “Bring us some tea.” Manqian, you see, was the religious name of Dongfang Shuo. He hurried inside to fetch two cups of tea. After they had finished drinking, Pilgrim said, “Old Monkey came here to ask of you a favor. Will you grant me that?” “What favor?” said the Grand Thearch. “Please tell me.” “I recently became guardian of the Tang Monk on his westward journey,” said Pilgrim. “We were passing by the Abbey of Five Villages at the Long Life Mountain, where we were insulted by two young lads. My anger of the moment made me topple their Ginseng Fruit Tree, which led to the Tang Monk being detained for the time being. That’s why I came to ask you for a cure. I hope you’ll be generous about the matter.”

“You ape,” said the Grand Thearch. “You have no care for anything except to cause trouble everywhere. Master Zhenyuan of the Abbey of Five Villages, with the holy title of ‘Lord, Equal to Earth,’ happens to be the patriarch of earthbound immortals. How did you manage to offend someone like him? That Ginseng Fruit Tree of his, you know, is the grass of the reverted cinnabar. If you had stolen it and eaten it, you would be guilty already. Now you have gone so far as to knock the tree down. You think he’ll let you get away with that?” “Exactly,” said Pilgrim. “We did escape, but he caught up with us and scooped us up in his sleeve as if we were handkerchiefs. It’s a troublesome affair: since I could not prevail, I had to promise him that the tree would be cured. That’s why I came to beg you.”

The Grand Thearch said, “I have one grain of the Great Monad Elixir of Nine Reversions. It can cure all the sentient creatures in the world, but it
cannot
cure trees. For trees are the spirits of earth and wood, nourished by Heaven and Earth. Moreover, the Ginseng Fruit Tree is no tree of the mortal world; if it were, you might find a cure for it. But the Long Life Mountain happens to be a Heavenly region, and the Abbey of Five Villages is a cave-heaven of the West Aparagodānīya Continent. And the Ginseng Fruit Tree produced there is a spiritual root that came into existence at the time of creation. How could it be healed? I have no cure, none whatever!”

“If you have no cure, old Monkey will take his leave,” said Pilgrim. The Grand Thearch would have liked to offer him a cup of jade nectar, but Pilgrim said, “This is emergency business; I dare not linger.” He then mounted the clouds to proceed to the island of Yingzhou. This, too, was a lovely place, for which we have a testimonial poem. The poem says:

    
The elegant pearl tree
⁹
aglow in purple mists;

    
Yingzhou’s arches and towers touching the sky;

    
Green hills, blue waters, and fair coralline blooms;

    
Jade nectar, red steel,
¹⁰
and the hard iron stone.

    
The five-colored cock crows at the sea’s sunrise;

    
The red phoenix, ageless, breathes in scarlet mists.

    
In vain mortals would seek this gourd-held scene,
¹¹

    
An endless spring beyond the world of forms.

Our Great Sage arrived at Yingzhou, where before the red cliffs and beneath the pearl trees sat several figures with luminous white hair and beards, immortals of youthful complexion. They were playing chess and drinking wine, telling jokes and singing songs. Truly there were