Chapter 44: The Dharma Body's Primal Fortune Meets the Strength of the Carts; the Right Mind Crosses the Spine Gate

A verse says:

Seeking the scriptures, one breaks through obstacles and goes westward;
countless famous mountains still do not let one rest.
The rabbit runs, the crow flies, and day and night drive each other on;
birds cry, flowers fall, and spring and autumn come and go.
From the eye of the dust, three thousand worlds are small;
beside the monk's staff, four hundred states lie wide.
Sleeping by water, eating the wind, climbing the Purple Road,
one cannot yet tell which day will be the turn back home.

Tripitaka, thanks to the dragon prince's subduing of the monster and the Black Water River god's guidance, had crossed the river with his disciples and taken the great road west. They went on in wind and snow, by moonlight and starlight. After a long march, they came to the early spring weather.

It was a time when:

The three yang powers were turning the season, and all things shone with new life.
The whole sky opened into a bright painted scene; the earth spread flowers like brocade.
A few last snowflakes still clung to the plum blossoms; the wheat was swelling into clouds across the fields.
The ice was breaking and the mountain springs were running; the hidden buds had all pushed through the frost scars.
It was just as the old lore says: Taihao rides the east, and Goumang drives the spring.
The wind carried flower scent, the air grew warm, the clouds thinned, the sun shone anew;
on the road, the willows stretched out green eyes, and nourishing rain watered the world into spring.

The master and disciples were traveling, admiring the scenery and letting the horse take its easy pace, when they suddenly heard a cry rise up ahead. It sounded like ten thousand people shouting all at once.

Tripitaka was frightened and pulled back on the reins so hard he could not go forward. He turned at once and cried, "Wukong, where is that great noise coming from?"

Bajie said, "It sounds like the earth has cracked open and a mountain has fallen."

Sha Wujing said, "It is like thunder rolling."

Tripitaka said, "It sounds like men shouting and horses neighing."

Sun Wukong laughed. "None of you has guessed it. Wait here while Old Sun goes to look."

The Great Sage leaped up, rode the cloud, and rose into the air. He opened his eyes and looked far off. Ahead he saw a city. Looking closer, he saw a faint and peaceful glow, with no sign of killing air or evil miasma. Wukong thought to himself, "This should be a good place. Why then is there a noise that shakes the ears? There are no banners or spears in the city, nor any sound of cannon. Why should it sound like men and horses in uproar?"

While he was still wondering, he saw a sandy open place outside the city gate. There were many monks crowded there, pulling carts. They were hauling brick, tile, timber, and sun-dried clay. The road at the top of the embankment rose into a narrow spine-like pass, with two great gates. The road below the gates was all sheer cliff, so how could a cart ever be dragged up? Though the weather was mild, those men were dressed in rags, and they looked miserably pressed.

Wukong guessed, "This must be a temple under construction. They cannot find hired labor in a year of good crops, so these monks are doing the work themselves."

While he was still guessing, two young Taoist priests came swaggering out from the city gate. Look at how they were dressed: star crowns on their heads, brocade robes over their shoulders, cloud-toed shoes on their feet, silk sashes at their waists. Their faces were full and bright as the moon, and they looked like handsome guests from heaven.

The monks saw the priests and were struck with fear. They doubled their effort and dragged the carts with all their might.

Wukong understood at once. "Aha. These monks must be afraid of the Taoists. Why else would they strain themselves like that? I have heard that somewhere along the Western road there is a place where Taoists are honored and monks are put down. This must be it. I should hurry back and tell Master, but the matter is not yet clear. If I return in confusion, he may blame me and say that such a clever fellow could not even bring back a straight answer. Better that I go down and ask plainly."

Whom did he go to ask? The Great Sage lowered his cloud and came to the city foot, shook himself, and changed into a wandering Taoist priest. He hung a water-and-fire basket from his left arm, beat a fish drum with one hand, and sang a Taoist chant as he drew near the gate. Bowing to the two priests, he said, "Reverend lords, this poor Taoist offers his respects."

The priests returned the bow. "Where does the master come from?"

Wukong said, "Your disciple has wandered at the world's edge and strayed at the sky's rim. Today I have come here and wish to ask a favor from a benevolent household. May I inquire which street in this city is most hospitable, and which alley most kind, so that I may go beg a bowl of alms?"

The priests laughed. "Reverend sir, why do you speak such unlucky words?"

Wukong said, "Why unlucky?"

The priests said, "To ask for alms is already unlucky."

Wukong said, "A monk begs for food to live. If he does not beg alms, how is he to eat?"

The priests laughed again. "You are from far away, so you do not know the affairs of this city. Here not only the civil and military officials love the Dao, and the rich and honored families revere the worthy, but even the grown men and women all come to bow before us and offer fasting meals. The first and foremost is that our king himself loves the Dao and honors the worthy."

Wukong said, "I am young and newly arrived from a distant place, so I truly know nothing. Please tell me the name of this city and the story of how the king came to love the Dao and honor the worthy. Then I will know I have met fellow seekers."

The priests said, "This city is called Chechi Kingdom.

"And our relationship with the king begins in the palace itself."

Wukong laughed. "So the Taoists have become emperors?"

They said, "No. It was twenty years ago. A terrible drought came. The sky gave not a drop, and the earth produced no grain. Whether king or commoner, noble or low, every household bathed and burned incense, and every gate prayed to Heaven for rain.

"At the very moment when everyone was hanging upside down by the ankles, three immortal masters suddenly descended from Heaven and saved the living creatures below."

Wukong asked, "Who were those three immortals?"

The priests said, "They are our masters.

"The first is Tiger Power Immortal. The second is Deer Power Immortal. The third is Goat Power Immortal."

Wukong asked, "How much power do those three reverend masters have?"

The priests said, "My masters can summon wind and rain with a turn of the hand; they can point water into oil and touch stone into gold as easily as one turns one's body. With such power they seize the workings of Heaven and Earth and change the hidden subtlety of the stars. The king and the ministers respect them, and the king has become closely allied with us."

Wukong said, "Then this king is richly blessed. As the old saying goes, 'Skill can move ministers and dukes.' If the masters have such ability and have made a family alliance, they are really not at a loss.

"Ah, I wonder whether this poor Taoist might have the least little bit of fate, so that I could meet those masters once."

The priests laughed. "If you want to see our masters, what is hard about that? We are their flesh-and-blood disciples, and our masters love the Dao and honor the worthy. If they hear the word 'Dao,' they will come out the front gate at once. If we lead you in, it is as easy as brushing away ashes."

Wukong bowed deeply. "Many thanks for the recommendation. Then I will go in with you."

The priests said, "Wait here a moment. Sit down. We must first finish our business and then take you inside."

Wukong said, "A monk has no leash or burden. He is free and at ease. What business do you mean?"

The priests pointed toward the monks on the sandy flat. "Those men are doing our house work. We fear they will slack off, so we go count them and then come back."

Wukong laughed. "Reverend lords, you are mistaken. Monks and Taoists are both people who have left home. Why should they work for us while we count them?"

The priests said, "You do not know. When we prayed for rain in those years, the monks stood in one place worshiping Buddha, and the Taoists stood in another place making their petitions. Both groups received state grain.

"But the monks were useless. They only mouthed empty sutras and could not help matters. Later, when our masters arrived, they summoned wind and rain and lifted the common people out of misery. The court was angered and said the monks were worthless. It tore down their gatehouses, smashed their Buddha images, took back their ordination certificates, would not let them return to their hometowns, and then graciously gave them to our house to labor, just like servants.

"The fire tenders are monks. The sweepers are monks. The gate keepers are monks. Since there is still work in the rear quarters not yet finished, these monks have been put to pulling bricks and tiles and hauling timber to raise the new buildings. We only fear they will be lazy and refuse to pull the carts, so we have come to check on them."

When Wukong heard this, he clutched the priest's arm and wept. "I said I had no fate, and I truly have no fate. I cannot even see the face of the master himself."

The priests said, "Why say you cannot meet him?"

Wukong said, "I am a wandering Taoist from the farther regions. I travel for two reasons: for my life, and also to look for a relative.

"I have an uncle who became a monk as a child and shaved his head. In those famine years, he too went abroad to beg. For several years now he has not returned home. I remember the kindness of my ancestors and have come here, conveniently enough, to look for him. He must surely be detained in some place like this and unable to leave. If I can find him and see him once, then I may come into the city with you."

The priests said, "That is easy enough. Sit here a while. We trouble you to go out to the sandy flat and count for us. If you can identify your uncle among the five hundred men, that will be enough. If indeed he is there, then for the sake of Daoist fellowship we will let him go, and you can enter the city. What do you say?"

Wukong thanked them again and again, made a deep bow, left the priests, and beat the fish drum as he went straight to the sandy flat.

He crossed the two gates and turned down the spine path. At once the monks all knelt and knocked their heads. "Grandfather, we have not been lazy. Not one of the five hundred is missing. We are all here pulling carts."

Wukong looked and laughed to himself. "These monks have been beaten into fear by the Taoists. They see me dressed as a fake Taoist and are frightened like this. If I were a real Taoist, they probably would not even stay alive."

He waved them up. "Do not kneel. Do not be afraid. I am not the overseer. I have come to look for a relative."

The monks heard that and, hearing the word "relative," packed around him at once. One after another they craned their necks, coughed, and clucked, eager to be recognized.

"I wonder which one is his relative," they said.

Wukong looked over them for a while and laughed.

The monks said, "If the master does not recognize his relative, why is he laughing?"

Wukong said, "Do you know what I am laughing at? I am laughing that none of you monks have any backbone. Your parents had you because your fate was bound up with a canopy star; perhaps you brought trouble to your father and harm to your mother, or perhaps you were simply not meant to have brothers and sisters, so you were cut loose and sent to the monastery. Yet you do not keep the Three Treasures, do not honor the Buddha's Law, do not sit in meditation or chant repentance. Instead you work for Taoist priests and let them use you as servants."

The monks said, "Master, you are shaming us. You must be from outside, so you do not know how fierce this place is."

Wukong said, "If I am from outside, then I truly do not know what is so fierce here."

The monks wept. "Our king is biased and lawless. He likes your kind of people and hates us Buddhists."

Wukong asked, "Why?"

The monks said, "It began with the three immortals who came here and destroyed us by summoning wind and rain. They deceived the king into trusting them, had our monasteries torn down, took back our ordination papers, would not let us return home, and would not let us do the duties of the state. Instead they gave us over to their own households for labor, and the suffering is beyond bearing. Whenever a wandering Taoist arrives here, he is invited in and rewarded by the king. If it is a monk, then whether near or far he is seized and sent to work for the immortal masters."

Wukong said, "They must have some clever trick to seduce the king. If all they can do is summon wind and rain, that is only a minor side path of art. How could it move a king's heart?"

The monks said, "They know how to grind sand and refine mercury, how to sit in meditation and preserve the spirit, how to point water into oil and touch stone into gold. Now they have raised a great Three Pure Ones Temple and, day and night, recite scripture and repent before Heaven and Earth, praying that the king may live ten thousand years. That is how they turned his heart."

Wukong said, "So that is how it is. Then all of you should just run away."

The monks said, "Master, we cannot escape.

"The immortals petitioned the king and had our likenesses painted. Those portraits are hung everywhere. This Chechi Kingdom is broad, and in every prefecture, county, village, and market there is a picture of a monk with the imperial inscription above it. If an official catches one monk, he is promoted three ranks. If a common man catches one, he gets fifty taels of silver. That is why we cannot get away.

"Not only monks, but even men with clipped hair, bald heads, or thinning locks can hardly escape. The constables are numerous, and the police patrols are everywhere. No matter what you do, it is hard to slip out. We have no choice but to suffer here."

Wukong said, "If that is so, then you might as well die."

The monks said, "Master, some have died. There are more than two thousand monks seized here from all over the place. They cannot endure the suffering, cannot bear the roasting, cannot stand the cold, cannot adapt to the local water and soil. Six or seven hundred have died; seven or eight hundred have hanged themselves. Only these five hundred have not died."

Wukong said, "Why not?"

The monks said, "The rope breaks when they hang themselves. The knife does not hurt when they cut their throats. When they throw themselves in the river, they float up and do not sink. When they take poison, it does not harm them."

Wukong said, "Then you are blessed. Heaven has granted you long life."

The monks said, "Master, you are missing one word. It should be 'long suffering.' We eat only three meals a day, and it is all coarse rice turned into thin gruel. At night we sleep on the sandy bank in the open air. Every time we close our eyes, divine beings come to protect us."

Wukong said, "Then you have been working too hard and seen ghosts?"

The monks said, "Not ghosts. They are the Six Ding and Six Jia, the guardian gods of the Buddhist teaching. They come every night to protect us. Anyone who wants to die is kept from dying."

Wukong said, "Those gods are unreasonable. They ought to let you die early so you can be reborn in heaven. Why protect you?"

The monks said, "They comfort us in dreams and tell us not to seek death, but to keep enduring until the holy monk from Great Tang reaches the Western Heaven to seek the scriptures. Under him is a disciple, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, whose powers are vast and whose heart is loyal and upright. He takes special charge of setting wrongs right among men, helping the poor and protecting the weak, pitying the orphan and remembering the widow. They say only when he arrives will he show his divine power, destroy the Taoists, and restore honor to your Buddhist teachings."

Wukong heard this and laughed inwardly. "Do not say Old Sun has no skill. My name has already been spread by heaven before I even arrive."

He turned at once, beat the fish drum, took leave of the monks, and went straight back to the city gate, where he met the two priests.

The priests greeted him. "Sir, which one is your relative?"

Wukong said, "All five hundred are my relatives."

The two priests laughed. "How do you have so many relatives?"

Wukong said, "A hundred are my neighbors on the left, a hundred my neighbors on the right, a hundred are my father's people, a hundred are my mother's people, and a hundred are my sworn friends. If you are willing to release all five hundred, then I will go in with you. If not, I will not go."

The priests said, "You must have some wind sickness. At this moment you are talking nonsense.

"Those monks are the king's own gift. If we release even one or two, we still must submit a report to our masters and file a death notice before we can replace them. How can we release them all? That makes no sense. And it is not only a matter of our own household needing workers. The court would also blame us. There are frequent inspectors, and sometimes the royal carriage itself comes to check. How could we dare let them go?"

Wukong said, "You will not let them go?"

The priests said, "We will not!"

Wukong asked three times, and then he flared with rage. He drew the iron staff from his ear, pinched it in the wind until it was only as thick as a bowl, and swung it once across the priests' faces. The poor fellows were beaten to bloody pulp, their heads split, their necks broken, their brains spilled out, and they collapsed on the ground.

The monks on the sandy flat saw from afar that he had killed two priests and dropped the carts. They rushed up shouting, "It is over! It is over! He has killed royal kin!"

Wukong said, "Which one is royal kin?"

The monks packed around him again and said, "Their masters do not pay respects to the king in the palace and do not bow even when leaving it. The court always calls them the 'Master Brothers of the Nation.' How could you come here and stir up trouble? Their disciples were only there to inspect the labor. It had nothing to do with you. Why did you beat them to death? The immortals will not say you killed them; they will say they were killed while overseeing the work. If we are blamed for causing their deaths, what are we to do? Come into the city with us and make your case after the matter is known."

Wukong laughed. "Everyone, keep quiet. I am not really a wandering Taoist. I have come to save you."

The monks said, "You killed men and harmed us and only made our burden heavier. How is that saving us?"

Wukong said, "I am Sun Wukong, disciple of the Great Tang sacred monk. I came specially to save your lives."

The monks said, "No, no. We know the one you mean."

Wukong said, "You never met him. How do you know him?"

The monks said, "In our dreams we once saw an old man who said he was the Gold Star of the West. He often instructed us and told us what Sun Wukong looks like, so that we would not mistake him."

Wukong said, "What did he tell you?"

The monks said, "He said the Great Sage has:

a bony forehead and bright golden eyes, a round head and a hairy face, no cheeks at all;
a strange temper, a pointed snout and a fierce way of acting.
He is used to wielding the golden fillet and the iron staff, and once smashed open the gates of Heaven.
Now he has returned to the right path and protects the monks,
saving the people from disaster and from harm."

Wukong heard that and was both angry and pleased. Pleased that Old Sun's name had been spread abroad. Angry that the old man had blabbed out his true shape to these common people.

Then he cried out, "Everyone, if you truly do not recognize me as Sun Wukong, then I am only Sun Wukong's disciple, come here to make trouble for fun. Is that not Sun Wukong over there?"

He pointed eastward with his hand, tricking the monks into turning their heads. At that instant he resumed his true form. Only then did the monks recognize him. One and all, they bowed flat to the ground.

"Grandfather," they cried, "our mortal eyes did not know that it was Grandfather in disguise. We beg you to clear away our revenge and our disaster, and to enter the city quickly and bring down the evil to restore the right way."

Wukong said, "Follow me."

The monks stayed close at his sides.

The Great Sage went straight to the sandy flat, worked a spell, and pulled the carts across the two gates, through the spine pass, and then lifted them up and smashed them to pieces. He threw the brick, tile, and timber down the slope. Then he shouted to the monks, "Scatter. Do not linger around me.

"Tomorrow I will see the king and destroy those Taoists."

The monks said, "Grandfather, we do not dare go far. We fear the officers may catch us and drag us back, and then we will be beaten and forced to pay ransom all over again. That would only bring more trouble."

Wukong said, "Since that is so, I will give you a body-protecting spell."

The Great Sage plucked a handful of hairs, chewed them to a fine powder, and gave one hair to each monk. He told them, "Hold it in the nail of your ring finger, clench your fist, and keep walking. If no one dares catch you, so much the better. If anyone does catch you, grip your fist tight and cry out 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven,' and I will come protect you."

The monks said, "Grandfather, if we go far away and cannot see you, what if we call and you do not answer?"

Wukong said, "Do not worry. Even if you are ten thousand li away, nothing will happen to you."

One bold monk clenched his fist and whispered, "Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"

At once a Thunder Lord stood before him with an iron staff in hand. Even if ten thousand soldiers and horses had come, they could not have reached him. When a hundred monks called out, there were a hundred Great Sages guarding them.

The monks bowed and said, "Grandfather, it is truly effective."

Wukong ordered them again, "If you cry out 'Silence,' I will take it back."

And so, at the word "Silence," the hairs again sat in the fingernail cracks as before.

The monks were then overjoyed to have escaped alive and all went their separate ways. Wukong said, "Do not go too far. Wait for news from the city. If a notice goes up inviting monks, then come and return my hairs."

The five hundred monks went east, west, north, and south, some walking, some standing, and the matter passed on.

Now then: Tripitaka had waited by the road for Wukong to return with news. He told Bajie to lead the horse westward, and they met some of the monks running in confusion. Near the city they saw Wukong still there with a dozen monks who had not yet dispersed. Tripitaka drew up the horse and said, "Wukong, why have you been gone so long just to ask after a sound?"

Wukong led the dozen monks forward and had them bow before the horse. Then he told the whole story.

Tripitaka was shocked. "Then what are we to do?"

The dozen monks said, "Master, be at ease. Great Sage Sun is a god sent down from Heaven, with vast powers. He will surely keep you safe. We are monks from the imperial-built Zhiyuan Temple in this city. Since this temple was built by the former king's ancestor, the old king's ancestral image still stands inside and has not been torn down. Every other monastery in the city, large and small, has already been destroyed. We beg you to hurry into the city and rest in our barren mountain. Tomorrow morning, when the court assembles, Great Sage Sun will surely have some plan."

Wukong said, "What you say is right. Very well, let us go into the city at once."

The elder then dismounted and went on under the city gate. By this time the sun was already sinking in the west. He crossed the drawbridge and went through the third gate. The people in the street, seeing the monks of Zhiyuan Temple leading the horse and carrying bundles, all drew aside.

As they walked on, they came to the mountain gate. Above it hung a large golden-lettered plaque: "Imperially Built Zhiyuan Temple." The monks pushed open the gate, passed through the Vajra Hall, and opened the door to the main hall.

Tripitaka drew up his cassock, bowed to the golden body, and only then entered. The monks called out, "The housekeeper!"

An old monk came out. Seeing Wukong, he bowed at once. "Grandfather, you have come?"

Wukong said, "You recognize me as some grandfather, and you bow like that?"

The old monk said, "I know you are Sun Wukong. We see you every night in our dreams. The Gold Star of the West often comes to us in dreams and says that only when you arrive will we have our lives back. Today your true face is just like the one in our dreams. Grandfather, it is a blessing that you have come early. If you had come even one or two days later, all of us would have become ghosts."

Wukong laughed. "Rise, rise. Tomorrow there will be a clear answer."

The monks arranged a vegetarian meal, and the master and disciples ate it. They then cleaned out the abbot's quarters and slept there for the night.

At the second watch, Sun Wukong was troubled and could not sleep. He heard music and beating off somewhere. He quietly got up, dressed himself, and leaped into the air to look. In the south there was a bright glow of lamps and candles. He lowered the cloud and looked carefully. It was the Taoists of the Three Pure Ones Temple performing a star-warding rite.

Look at the place:

A lofty hall in a spiritual land; a true chamber in a blessed realm.
That lofty hall stood majestic as the Isles of the Immortals;
that true chamber of blessing lay hidden and clear as a palace of transformed joy.
On both sides, Taoist priests played pipes and reeds;
at the center, the high priests held up jade tablets.
They recited disaster-clearing repentance rites and lectured on the Dao De Jing.
Dust was raised, talismans were passed, and each word bent the listeners' heads.
Water-spells were cast, and the candle flames trembled upward to Heaven;
stars were counted, the Dipper arranged, and incense smoke rose thick to the clear sky.
The offerings on the altar were fresh and bright;
the banquet tables were full and plentiful.

Before the temple gate hung a pair of yellow brocade couplets, embroidered with twenty-two large characters:

"May wind and rain be in due order, and may we pray the Heavenly Worthy for boundless law;
may the rivers be clear and the seas at peace, and may the ten thousand years of His Majesty be prolonged."

Wukong saw the three old priests dressed in ritual robes and guessed they must be Tiger Power Immortal, Deer Power Immortal, and Goat Power Immortal. Beneath them stood seven or eight hundred attendants, in charge of drums, bells, incense, and proclamations, all lined up on both sides.

Wukong thought to himself, "I would like to go down there and stir them up a little, but one thread does not make a rope and one hand cannot clap by itself. I had better go back and bring Bajie and Sha Wujing, then we can play a little."

He lowered the cloud and went straight back to the abbot's quarters. As it happened, Bajie and Sha Wujing were sleeping with their feet crossed. Wukong first called Wujing. Sha Wujing woke and said, "Brother, you have not slept yet?"

Wukong said, "Get up. I will show you something to enjoy."

Sha Wujing said, "It is the middle of the night. My mouth is dry and my eyes are sore. What is there to enjoy?"

Wukong said, "This city truly has a Three Pure Ones Temple. The Taoists are performing rites, and on the hall there are plenty of offerings: big mantou as large as a peck measure, burned pastries fifty or sixty jin apiece, many trays of side dishes, and fresh fruit too. Come enjoy it with me."

Bajie heard the word "food" in his sleep and woke at once. "Brother, why not take me along too?"

Wukong said, "Brother, if you want to eat, keep your voice down. Do not wake Master. Come with me."

The two of them put on their clothes quietly and went out to the front gate. Following Wukong, they stepped onto the cloud and rose into the air. The fool saw the lights and wanted to rush in at once. Wukong pulled him back. "Do not hurry. Wait until they have dispersed, then we can go down."

Bajie said, "They were just in high spirits. Why would they disperse?"

Wukong said, "I will work a little trick, and then they will disperse."

The Great Sage pinched a spell formula, muttered a charm, drew in one breath from the southeast, and blew it out. At once a fierce wind rushed straight into the Three Pure Ones Hall, and the vases, candlesticks, and all the merit banners hanging on the walls were knocked over at once. The lamps went out, and the Taoists were filled with terror.

Tiger Power Immortal said, "Disciples, disperse. This divine wind has passed through and blown out the lamps, candles, and incense flowers. Go back to sleep. Tomorrow get up early and recite a few more rolls of scripture to make up the count."

The Taoists all withdrew as ordered.

Then Wukong led Bajie and Sha Wujing down from the cloud and rushed up into the Three Pure Ones Hall. The fool did not ask whether the pastries were raw or cooked. He grabbed one and bit into it at once. Wukong drew the iron staff and struck as soon as he saw it.

Bajie snatched back his hand and dodged. "I have not even tasted it yet, and you are beating me."

Wukong said, "Do not act like a petty household thief. First pay your respects, then eat."

Bajie said, "How shameless. You are stealing food and still want to pay respects.

"If they had invited us in, what would you say then?"

Wukong said, "What sort of deities are seated up there?"

Bajie laughed. "You do not even know the Three Pure Ones, and you want to know what deities?"

Wukong said, "The Three Pure Ones?"

Bajie said, "The one in the middle is the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. The one on the left is the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure. The one on the right is the Supreme Lord Lao."

Wukong said, "They have all had to change into this sort of shape before they can eat in peace."

The fool grew impatient. The fragrant offerings were too tempting. He climbed onto the high platform and shoved the Supreme Lord Lao off the seat with a mouthful. "Old fellow, you have sat long enough. Let me, Old Pig, take a turn."

Bajie changed into the Supreme Lord Lao, Wukong changed into the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, and Sha Wujing changed into the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure. They pushed the original images down and out of the way.

When they sat down, Bajie immediately grabbed the big mantou and ate. Wukong said, "Do not rush."

Bajie said, "Brother, now that we have changed ourselves like this, why would we wait to eat?"

Wukong said, "Brother, eating is a small matter. Leaking heaven's secret is the big one.

"If we leave the sacred images lying on the floor and some Taoist rises early to ring the bell and sweep the floor, or trips over them, won't the whole business be exposed? Hide them somewhere."

Bajie said, "I do not know this place. Where could I hide them?"

Wukong said, "When I came in just now, there was a small door under the right side. The place stinks of people and filth, so it must be the chamber where the five grains return. Take them there."

The fool had brute strength. He leaped down, lifted the three sacred images onto his shoulders, and carried them away. There he opened the door with his foot and looked inside. It turned out to be a large privy. He laughed. "That Zhu Bajie who calls himself Marshal of Heaven is certainly good at talking. He has even given the latrine a Taoist name and called it the chamber where the five grains return."

He did not drop the images at once, but muttered a prayer while carrying them on his shoulder:

"Three Pure Ones, Three Pure Ones, listen to me speak: from far away I have come here, and I am used to wiping out demons. You want to enjoy the offerings, but there is nowhere safe to sit. Let me borrow your seats and rest a little while. You have sat long enough yourselves, so go and take a turn in the privy. In ordinary days you enjoy endless comfort and play the clean and pure deities; today you must taste a little filth and become deities who smell some stink!"

After the prayer, he gave them a hard shove inward. With a splash, he spattered half his coat with foul water, and then he came back up into the hall.

Wukong asked, "Did you hide them well?"

Bajie said, "I did hide them well enough, but I splashed a little water on myself and dirtied my clothes. They smell a bit foul. Do not be disgusted."

Wukong laughed. "Very well. Come and enjoy it."

So Bajie changed back into the Supreme Lord Lao, and the three of them sat down and ate to their hearts' content. First they ate the big mantou. Then they ate the side dishes, the rice, the pastries, the hanging snacks, the fried cakes, the steamed sweets. They did not care whether anything was hot or cold. They ate as they pleased.

As for Sun Wukong, he did not eat much cooked food. He only ate a few fruits to keep them company.

The meal flew by like stars chasing the moon and like wind sweeping away clouds. Soon there was nothing left to eat. Yet they still did not leave. They lingered there, talking idly and digesting their food for fun.

And then, strangely enough, in the eastern corridor a little Taoist who had just gone to sleep suddenly woke up and said, "I left my hand bell on the hall. If it is lost, Master will blame me tomorrow." He said to the one sleeping beside him, "You stay asleep. I will go find it."

In his haste he had not even put on underclothes. He only threw on a robe and went straight into the main hall to look for the bell. He groped here and there until he found it. Just as he turned to leave, he heard a sound of breathing. The Taoist was frightened and rushed out. Somehow he stepped on a lychee pit, slipped, and fell flat. With a clatter the bell broke to pieces.

Bajie could not hold back and burst into laughter.

The little Taoist was so frightened that his three souls and seven spirits fled. He stumbled and fell step after step until he reached the outside of the abbot's quarters and banged on the door. "Master, trouble! Disaster!"

The three old Taoists were still awake. They opened the door and asked, "What disaster?"

He trembled and said, "This disciple forgot his hand bell. I went to the hall to look for it, and I only heard someone laughing out loud. It nearly scared me to death."

When the old Taoists heard that, they immediately called, "Bring a lamp. Let us see what sort of evil thing this is."

At that command the priests in both corridors were stirred. Big and small, they all crawled up, lit lamps and fire, and went to look in the main hall.

What happened next is another matter; listen to the next chapter for the full account.