The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 260 - 237: This Tang Sanzang is Not That Tang Sanzang

Chapter 260: Chapter 237: This Tang Sanzang is Not That Tang Sanzang

Wukong ventured into the Sea of Thunder to refine his Primordial Spirit and, by chance, stumbled upon the City of Thunder left behind by the Ancient Thunder God.

There were one hundred and eight Ancient Thunder Cannons atop the City of Thunder, terrific in power, and truly difficult to subdue.

"There’s plenty of time, let’s take it slow. To refine and subdue all these Ancient Thunder Cannons, it will take no small amount of time!" Daoist Equal to Heaven said in a deep voice, aiding Wukong in channeling the thunder and succeeded in subduing another Ancient Thunder Cannon.

The three worked together in the Sea of Thunder, exerting their strength, and after much time, they finally subdued the City of Thunder.

"The Other Shore’s Kasaya, this is Amitabha Buddha’s kasaya! Unexpectedly, I do not know from where it fell." Daoist Equal to Heaven found the tattered kasaya within the City of Thunder, bloodstained yet still shimmering with radiance, inscribed with profound sutras.

Amitabha Buddha once wore this kasaya to preach and guide beings to the other shore, thus this kasaya is also known as the Other Shore’s Kasaya.

Wrapped in the kasaya, Daoist Equal to Heaven clutched the "Sutra of the Other Shore" and suddenly, Buddha Light shone brightly and his mana surged, leading him to joyfully say, "Wearing this kasaya in a magic combat, I fear I would be invincible! The divine power of this kasaya truly is extraordinary, worthy of being Amitabha Buddha’s treasure!"

This kasaya had drifted out from the endless void. During the battles of the Middle Ancient Times, countless Innate Spiritual Treasures were shattered, Amitabha Buddha’s kasaya included, floating in the endless void. Now, led by fate and drawn out by Wukong, it entered the City of Thunder. Having subdued the City of Thunder, the kasaya naturally became his possession. Daoist Equal to Heaven has already reached the position of True Fruition and could be considered a Buddha Ancestor, capable of achieving Supreme Right Enlightenment; this kasaya in his hands could manifest its greatest effects, so it was only fitting for him to keep it.

Wukong said, "This time I truly encountered a great opportunity. I heard that those from Golden Immortal to Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal would come across good luck; I didn’t expect my own luck to be so good, to have encountered the Ancient Thunder God’s City of Thunder and even this Amitabha Buddha’s Other Shore’s Kasaya! Ha ha, it seems Old Sun really is a person of great fortune!"

The three departed from one another, and Wukong went to wait for Xuanzang at the Five Elements Mountain in Two Realms Pass.

Xuanzang, who also underwent nine reincarnations and cycled through rebirth nine times, had cultivated into the body of a Nine Generations Good Man. However, he was no longer the Golden Cicada of the past, just someone forged by the Heavenly Dao to maintain its intended path—a result of the Heavenly Dao’s inertia.

Xuanzang received instructions from Bodhisattva Guanyin; on his journey, he would encounter destinies, naturally someone would escort him to the Western Heaven to obtain the scriptures, and Xuanzang expressed his gratitude to the Bodhisattva.

Among the tribulations ahead on the Journey to the West, only Zhen Yuanzi’s challenge seemed more difficult; the rest, for Wukong at this time, were just minor issues.

Wukong arrived at Two Realms Pass to wait; with Five Elements Mountain already broken, he was free, and the Meritorious Officials and Jiedi who had been watching over the place had naturally dispersed.

When Xuanzang passed by, Wukong sat squatting on a rock and called out, "Hey, monk, halt your steps! Are you coming from the Great Tang of the Eastern Land to journey to the Western Heaven for the scriptures?"

Xuanzang nodded upon hearing this, joined his hands and said, "Namo Amitabha Buddha, indeed, I am journeying to the Western Heaven to obtain the scriptures! You are..."

He truly did not know how to address a monkey and his words trailed off midway.

"Oh! Old Sun was appointed by the South Sea Guanyin Bodhisattva. Knowing you would pass here, I’ve come especially to escort you. On this westward journey, there are countless demons and ghosts and robbers on the path; without Old Sun, you simply can’t make it," said Wukong, flipping down from the rock.

Upon hearing this, Xuanzang was overjoyed and asked, "So you are the one who will protect me on the westward journey? What is your name?"

Wukong replied, "I am but a monkey, hence my master gave me the Sun surname. Considering seniority, it’s appropriate to have the ’enlightenment’ generation, and with a fate tied to the Buddhist sect, thus I am called Sun Wukong."

Xuanzang joyfully said, "Very good, very good. Such a name indeed shows a connection with Buddhism! If you accompany me to the Western Heaven, you will surely attain true fruition."

This Xuanzang, although no different from the Xuanzang of the previous life, had a spirit composed of entirely different Three Souls and Seven Spirits, not the same person. It was another "Golden Cicada" conjured by the Heavenly Dao to comply with its own inertia, as if forcibly taken from a parallel universe.

Wukong said, "On this journey, there might be many who will block the way; tell me, should we kill them or not?"

Xuanzang replied, "Namo Amitabha Buddha, the journey will be perilous. Naturally, the best would be to enlighten them. If they cannot be enlightened, then simply drive them away. If they are utterly stubborn, we’ll have no choice but to become the Wrathful Vajra and cut them down."

Wukong could not help but chuckle inwardly, thinking, "This Tang Sanzang is not as pedantic as he used to be."

Wukong said, "Your understanding of Buddhism might not be as profound as Old Sun’s. The Bodhisattva meant for me to take you as a master, but it seems unnecessary now. You will have the chance to take disciples later."

Xuanzang, also concerned about facing danger on the journey west that might threat his life, was eager not to let go of such a formidable helper and hastily said, "The highest shall lead. Since you, Wukong, possess great mana and even know more about Buddhism than I, there’s no need for formalities of discipleship."

Wukong joyfully said, "Very good, very good! You are indeed quite reasonable and understanding."

Wukong led the way, with Tang Sanzang riding his horse behind. He knew that they were soon going to encounter robbers. It was likely that these robbers were mere cannon fodder summoned by someone, intended to be struck down by him so that Tang Sanzang would be prompted to send him away, thus adding another ordeal to make up the eighty-one tribulations.

Needless to say, these robbers were all swiftly killed by his cudgel. However, Tang Sanzang was not as pedantic as he was in his previous life. Seeing Wukong slaughtering the robbers, there was a hint of compassion and pity in his heart. He asked Wukong to bury them and then recited a scripture as a rite of deliverance for their souls.

"Why do you not blame me for slaughtering these robbers, Elder?" Wukong asked.

"Alas! Although it is not good to take lives, if we let them go, they would probably harm others. Therefore, you killing them, I don’t blame you. Even the Buddha Ancestor occasionally transforms into the Wrathful Vajra, let alone us who have not achieved Buddhahood. Slaying these robbers, though it involves killing, is still an act of kindness. Namo Amitabha Buddha!" Tang Sanzang said with his palms together as he slowly stood up and sighed, "If it was unintentional harm, it might be excused, but if someone deliberately does something evil against heaven and reason, then naturally, it’s necessary to act on heaven’s behalf!"

Wukong was surprised. This reincarnation of Golden Cicada saw things more clearly. What Buddhism excelled at was indoctrination. In his former life, Tang Sanzang had been completely brainwashed, and if not for Laojun secretly reminding him of the memories of his nine cycles of reincarnation, he might not have been able to awaken. Yet this Tang Sanzang had a clear view. Even though Buddhist teachings stress compassion and forbid killing, when Wukong killed those robbers, he did not say much, nor did he banish him.

Wukong said, "It seems that the Elder understands the principle of things quite well. If it were a more rigid and dogmatic monk, I’m afraid he would have sent me away."

Tang Sanzang replied, "Man does not intend to harm the tiger, yet the tiger is intent on harming man. Although a hungry tiger eats people, that is also natural selection. If a person intends to harm others, he is intolerable! More dreadful than ghosts and spirits is always the human heart. The Buddha was once a mortal; mankind is the Buddha of the future. Humans can become Buddhas as well as demons; it’s all but a thought away. I hope these robbers, having heard my scripture, will be reborn as good people in their next life."

Wukong nodded in agreement and said, "Well said! Although Buddhism emphasizes compassion, it should not be overly rigid. One must know how to adapt flexibly! Otherwise, what difference would there be between these Buddhist teachings and the laws and regulations? This is scholarship, this is wisdom, not a set of laws to restrain people! No matter what the scholarship is, the important thing is to cultivate the mind. When the mind is unobstructed, everything else flows smoothly!"

Tang Sanzang, too, could not help but strongly nod his head. He felt that many of today’s Zen practitioners were too rigid; some even became lost in their cultivation, which was not good.

Tang Sanzang said, "Wukong, what you’ve said is very reasonable. Buddhist Law is not dogmatic law; everything is about cultivating the mind. Some monks eat meat and drink without breaching their Buddhahood; some monks retreat from the world within it, experiencing life’s tribulations; some monks slay evil demons to protect the Buddhist Law. Precepts are merely a baseline for ordinary people. A true cultivator is not confined by these precepts but acts according to their will, doing as their heart leads."

"Does the Elder know what the True Mahayana Sutras that we are seeking to obtain are?" Wukong continued to ask.

"The True Mahayana Sutras are much more profound than the teachings of Hinayana Buddhism, but there are also many things in them that I don’t agree with. When we obtain the Sutras, they will naturally need some editing," replied Tang Sanzang firmly.

"What? But those were created by the Buddha Ancestor!" Wukong said.

"The Buddha was once a mortal, and mankind is the Buddha of the future. One day, I, too, may achieve Buddhahood," Tang Sanzang said with a dignified presence, a sense of inviolability emanating from him.

Wukong immediately expressed his respect, "Indeed, a venerable monk. I am very impressed! On this journey to the West, I will certainly protect you well."

Tang Sanzang said, "Namo Amitabha Buddha, I thank you here!"

Wukong, carrying the Jingu Bang on his shoulder, said, "The path ahead is going to be difficult; we must be careful as we continue our journey to the West."

Wukong knew that neither Buddhism nor Daoism would harm Tang Sanzang’s life, but it was nothing more than a struggle between both sides, overt and covert.

For example, Zhen Yuanzi letting them stay at Wuzhuang Temple was probably by the will of the Three Pure Ones, then causing trouble for Buddhism, to see how Tathagata would resolve this tribulation and revive the Heaven and Earth Spirit Root Ginseng Fruit Tree.

Tang Sanzang laughed and said, "I appreciate Wukong’s protection."

But Wukong retorted, "It’s nothing to worry about, Old Sun caused a great calamity five hundred years ago, so escorting you on your journey to Mount Meru in the West is also my just desert."

Tang Sanzang simply smiled without speaking and shook his head slightly.

Wukong led the way, holding the reins and guiding Tang Sanzang as they continued their journey to the West. In his previous life’s Journey to the West, due to Tathagata’s conspiracy, he nearly died in the Yellow Springs.

This life?

How will their fortune or misfortune unfold? Please listen to the next part for the answer.

PS: Scholars must avoid being impatient and restless. After being pent up all day and reciting "Boundless Heavenly Immortal" a hundred times, flipping through a few pages of the Tao Te Ching after writing a few hundred words, it took another day to produce three thousand words. Difficulty in writing is one thing, but mindset is crucial; the more I yearn to finish in one go, the less I manage to write. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it by giving recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)