Journey to the West

14

The Mind−Ape Returns to Truth

The Six Bandits Disappear Without Trace

Buddha is the mind, the mind is Buddha, Mind and Buddha have always needed things.

When you know that there are no things and no mind Then you are a Buddha with a true mind and a Dharma body.

A Dharma−bodied Buddha has no form; A single divine light contains the ten thousand images. The bodiless body is the true body. The imageless image is the real image.

It is not material, not empty, and not non−empty; It does not come or go, nor does it return. It is not different nor the same, it neither is nor isn't. It can't be thrown away or caught, nor seen or heard.

The inner and outer divine light are everywhere the same; A Buddha−kingdom can be found in a grain of sand. A grain of sand can hold a thousand worlds; In a single body and mind, all dharmas are the same.

For wisdom, the secret of no−mind is essential, To be unsullied and unobstructed is to be pure of karma. When you do no good and do no evil, You become a Kasyapa Buddha.

The terror−stricken Liu Boqin and Sanzang then heard another shout of "My master's come." "That must be the old monkey who lives in a stone cell under this mountain shouting," said the servants. "Yes, yes," said the high warden.

"What old monkey?" asked Sanzang, and the high warden replied, "This mountain used to be called Five Elements Mountain, and its name was only changed to Double Boundary Mountain when our Great Tang Emperor fought his Western campaign to pacify the country. I once heard an old man say that in the days when Wang Mang usurped the Han throne, Heaven sent down this mountain and crushed a monkey under it. This monkey doesn't mind heat or cold and neither eats nor drinks. He's guarded by a local tutelary god who gives him iron pellets when he's hungry and molten copper when he's thirsty. Although he's been there since ancient times, he hasn't died of cold or hunger. It must have been him shouting; there's nothing for you to be afraid of, venerable sir. Let's go down and have a look." Sanzang had to follow him, leading his horse down the mountain.

A mile or two later they saw that there really was a monkey poking out his head out of a stone cell, and making desperate gestures with his outstretched hands as he shouted, "Master, why didn't you come before? Thank goodness you're here, thank goodness. If you get me out of here I guarantee that you'll reach the Western Heaven."

Do you know what the venerable monk saw when he went forward for a closer look?

A pointed mouth and sunken cheeks, Fiery eyes with golden pupils. His head was thick with moss, And climbing figs grew from his ears. By his temples grew little hair but a lot of grass, Under his chin there was sedge instead of a beard. Dirt between his eyebrows, And mud on his nose Made him an utter mess; On his coarse fingers And thick palms Was filth in plenty.

He was so happy that he rolled his eyes And made pleasant noises. Although his tongue was nimble, He couldn't move his body.

He was the Great Sage of five hundred years ago, Who today could not escape the net of Heaven.

High warden Liu showed great courage in going up to him, pulling away the grass that was growing beside his temples and the sedge under his chin, and asking, "What have you got to say?"

"I've got nothing to say," the monkey replied. "You just tell that monk to come over here while I ask him a question."

"What question do you want to ask me?" said Sanzang.

"Are you the fellow sent to the Western Heaven by the Emperor of the East to fetch the scriptures?" asked the monkey.

"Yes, I am," Sanzang replied. "Why do you ask?"