Journey to the West

74

Li Changgeng Reports the Demons' Vicious Nature

The Novice Displays His Powers of Transformation

Emotions and desires are in origin all the same; Both emotions and desires are completely natural. Many a gentleman refines himself in the Buddhist faith; When desire and emotions are forgotten, dhyana conies. Don't be impatient; be firm of heart; Be free of dust like the moon in the sky. Make no mistake in your labors and your progress; When your efforts are completed you will be an enlightened immortal.

The story tells how Sanzang and his disciples, having broken through the net of desires and escaped from the prison−house of the emotions, let the horse travel West. Before they had been going for very long the summer was over and the new coolness of early autumn was refreshing their bodies. What they saw was:

Driving rains sweeping away the last of the heat, Alarming the leaf of the parasol tree. At evening glow−worms flew by the sedge path While crickets sang beneath the moon.

The golden mallows opened in the dew; Red knotweed covered the sandbanks. Rushes and willows were the first to lose their leaves As cold cicadas sang in tune.

As Sanzang was travelling along a high mountain appeared in front of him. Its peak thrust up into the azure void, touching the stars and blocking out the sun. In his alarm the venerable elder said to Monkey, "Look at that mountain in front of us. It's very high. I don't know whether the path will take us across."

"What a thing to say, Master," said Monkey with a smile. "As the old saying goes,

However high the mountain there will be a way across; However deep the river there's always a ferryman.

There's no reason why we shouldn't get over it. Stop worrying and carry on." When Sanzang heard this his face broke out in smiles and he whipped his horse forward to climb straight up the high crag.

After a mile or two an old man appeared. His white hair was tangled and flying in the wind while his sparse whiskers were being blown about like silver threads. He wore a string of prayer−beads round his neck and held a dragon−headed walkingstick as he stood far away at the top of the slope shouting, "Venerable gentleman travelling West, stop your worthy steed. Rein in. There is a band of demons on this mountain who have eaten all the people in the continent of Jambu. Go no further!"

At this Sanzang turned pale with terror, and because the horse was not standing steadily and he himself was not well seated in the carved saddle he crashed to the ground and lay in the grass, moaning but unable to move.

Monkey went over to help him to his feet with the words, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I'm here."

"Did you hear the old man up on the crag telling us that there's a band of demons on this mountain who have eaten everyone in the continent of Jambu?" said Sanzang. "Who'll dare go to ask him what this is really all about?"

"Sit there while I go and ask him," Monkey replied.

"With your ugly face and coarse language I'm afraid you may shock him," said Sanzang, "so you won't get the truth from him."

"I'll make myself a bit better looking before questioning him," laughed Brother Monkey.

"Do a change to show me," said Sanzang, and the splendid Great Sage made a spell with his fingers, shook himself, and turned into a very neat little monk, clear−eyed, fine−browed, round−headed and regular of features. He moved in a most refined way and said nothing vulgar when he opened his mouth.

Brushing his brocade tunic he stepped forward and said to the Tang Priest, "Master, have I changed for the better?"

"Yes," said the delighted Sanzang.