Journey to the West

78

In Bhiksuland the Hidden Gods Are Sent on an Errand of Mercy

In the Palace the Monster Is Revealed and the Way Discussed

A single thought at once disturbs a hundred monsters; The hardest efforts are all to no avail.

One can only wash away each speck of dust, Tidy everything and polish well.

Sweep all causation away and come to nirvana; Waste no time and destroy the thousand demons. You surely will be free from obstructions, And rise to the Daluo Heaven when your deeds are done.

The story tells how the Great Sage Sun used all his ingenuity to fetch the Tathagata to subdue the demons and rescue Sanzang and the other two disciples, after which they left the city of Leonia and headed West. When they had been travelling for several more months it was winter, and this is what could be seen:

The plum on the ridge was like broken jade As the water in the pond slowly turned to ice. All the red autumn leaves had fallen, And the green of the pine looked fresher than ever. The pale and scudding clouds were on the point of snowing; Flat lay the withered grass upon the hills. As far as the eye could see was chilly brightness As the unseen cold went right into the bone.

Master and disciples braved the cold, sleeping out in the rain and dining off the wind, until as they were walking along another walled and moated city came into sight. "What sort of place is that over there, Wukong?" Sanzang asked Monkey, who replied, "We'll know when we get there. If it's the capital of a Western kingdom we'll have to present our passport to be inspected and returned. If it's a prefecture or county town we'll go straight through." Before master and disciples could finish their conversation they had arrived at the city gates.

Sanzang dismounted and the four of them went in through the curtain wall outside the gates. Noticing an old soldier sleeping shielded from the wind under the South−facing wall, Brother Monkey went up to him, shook him and said, "Sir!"

When the old soldier awoke with a start to open his bleary eyes and see Monkey he fell to his knees to kowtow and say, "My Lord!"

"There's no need for such alarm," said Monkey. "I'm no evil god, so why call me your lord?" "Aren't you Lord Thunder God?" the old soldier asked, kowtowing again.

"What a thing to say," Monkey replied. "We're monks from the East on our way to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven. We've just arrived here. Could I ask what this place is called?" This answer finally eased the old soldier's mind.

With a yawn he got back on his feet, stretched and said, "Please forgive me, reverend gentlemen. This country used to be called Bhiksuland but its name has been changed to Boytown."

"Do you have a king?" Monkey asked. "Yes, yes," the old soldier replied.

Monkey then turned to report to the Tang Priest, "This country used to be called Bhiksuland but the name's been altered to Boytown, though I don't know what the change signifies."

"If it was Bhiksuland before why is it Boytown now?" the Tang Priest wondered.

"I expect there was a King Bhiksu who died," said Pig, "and they changed the name to Boytown when a boy succeeded him."

"Impossible," said the Tang Priest, "impossible. Let's go in and make some enquiries in the street."

"That's right," said Friar Sand. "The old soldier wouldn't have known anyhow, and on top of that elder brother gave him such a fright that he talked nonsense. We'll ask some more questions in the city."

When they had gone through the third pair of gates they came to a great market on a main street. The people were well−dressed and their bearing distinguished.