第四十二回
第四十二回 大圣殷勤拜南海 观音慈善缚红孩
话说那六健将出洞门，径往西南上依路而走。行者心中暗想道：“他要请老大王吃我师父，老大王断是牛魔王。我老孙当年与他相会，真个意合情投，交游甚厚。至如今我归正道，他还是邪魔。虽则久别，还记得他模样。且等老孙变作牛魔王，哄他一哄，看是何如。”好行者，躲离了六个小妖，展开翅，飞向前边，离小妖有十数里远近，摇身一变，变作个牛魔王；拔下几根毫毛，叫：“变！”即变作几个小妖，在那山凹里，驾鹰牵犬，搭弩张弓，充作打围的样子，等候那六健将。
那一伙厮拖厮扯，正行时，忽然看见牛魔王坐在中间，慌得兴烘掀、掀烘兴扑的跪下道：“老大王爷爷在这里也。”那云里雾、雾里云、急如火、快如风都是肉眼凡胎，那里认得真假，也就一同跪倒，磕头道：“爷爷！小的们是火云洞圣婴大王处差来，请老大王爷爷去吃唐僧肉，寿延千纪哩。”行者借口答道：“孩儿们起来，同我回家去，换了衣服来也。”小妖叩头道：“望爷爷方便，不消回府罢。路程遥远，恐我大王见责。小的们就此请行。”行者笑道：“好乖儿女。也罢，也罢，向前开路，我和你去来。”六怪抖擞精神，向前喝路。大圣随后而来。
不多时，早到了本处。快如风、急如火撞进洞里，报：“大王，老大王爷爷来了。”妖王欢喜道：“你们却中用，这等来的快。”即便叫：“各路头目，摆队伍，开旗鼓，迎接老大王爷爷。”满洞群妖，遵依旨令，齐齐整整，摆将出去。这行者昂昂烈烈，挺着胸脯，把身子抖了一抖，却将那架鹰犬的毫毛，都收回身上；拽开大步，径走入门里，坐在南面当中。红孩儿当面跪下，朝上叩头道：“父王，孩儿拜揖。”行者道：“孩儿免礼。”那妖王四大拜拜毕，立于下手。行者道：“我儿，请我来有何事？”妖王躬身道：“孩儿不才，昨日获得一人，乃东土大唐和尚。常听得人讲，他是一个十世修行之人，有人吃他一块肉，寿似蓬瀛不老仙。愚男不敢自食，特请父王同享唐僧之肉，寿延千纪。”行者闻言，打了个失惊道：“我儿，是那个唐僧？”妖王道：“是往西天取经的人也。”行者道：“我儿，可是孙行者师父么？”妖王道：“正是。”行者摆手摇头道：“莫惹他！莫惹他！别的还好惹，孙行者是那样人哩？我贤郎，你不曾会他？那猴子神通广大，变化多端。他曾大闹天宫，玉皇上帝差十万天兵，布下天罗地网，也不曾捉得他。你怎么敢吃他师父！快早送出去还他，不要惹那猴子。他若打听着你吃了他师父，他也不来和你打，他只把那金箍棒往山腰里搠个窟窿，连山都掬了去。我儿，弄得你何处安身，教我倚靠何人养老！”
妖王道：“父王说那里话，长他人志气，灭孩儿的威风。那孙行者共有兄弟三人，领唐僧在我半山之中，被我使个变化，将他师父摄来。他与那猪八戒当时寻到我的门前，讲甚么攀亲托熟之言，被我怒发冲天，与他交战几合，也只如此，不见甚么高作[1]。那猪八戒刺邪里就来助战，是孩儿吐出三昧真火，把他烧败了一阵。慌得他去请四海龙王助雨，又不能灭得我三昧真火，被我烧了一个小发昏，连忙着猪八戒去请南海观音菩萨。是我假变观音，把猪八戒赚来，见吊在如意袋中，也要蒸他与众小的们吃哩。那行者今早又来我的门首吆喝，我传令教拿他，慌得他把包袱都丢下走了。却才去请父王来看看唐僧活像，方可蒸与你吃，延寿长生不老也。”
行者笑道：“我贤郎啊，你只知有三昧火赢得他，不知他有七十二般变化哩！”妖王道：“凭他怎么变化，我也认得。谅他决不敢进我门来。”行者道：“我儿，你虽然认得他，他却不变大的，如狼犺大象，恐进不得你门；他若变作小的，你却难认。”妖王道：“凭他变甚小的。我这里每一层门上，有四五个小妖把守，他怎生得入！”行者道：“你是不知。他会变苍蝇、蚊子、虼蚤，或是蜜蜂、蝴蝶并蟭蟟虫等项，又会变我模样，你却那里认得？”妖王道：“勿虑！他就是铁胆铜心，也不敢近我门来也。”
行者道：“既如此说，贤郎甚有手段，实是敌得他过，方来请我吃唐僧的肉，奈何我今日还不吃哩。”妖王道：“如何不吃？”行者道：“我近来年老，你母亲常劝我作些善事。我想无甚作善，且持些斋戒。”妖王道：“不知父王是长斋，是月斋？”行者道：“也不是长斋，也不是月斋，唤做‘雷斋[2]’。每月只该四日。”妖王问：“是那四日？”行者道：“三辛逢初六。今朝是辛酉日，一则当斋，二来酉不会客[3]。且等明日，我去亲自刷洗蒸他，与儿等同享罢。”
那妖王闻言，心中暗想道：“我父王平日吃人为生，今活够有一千馀岁，怎么如今又吃起斋来了？想当初作恶多端，这三四日斋戒，那里就积得过来？此言有假，可疑！可疑！”即抽身走出二门之下，叫六健将来问：“你们老大王是那里请来的？”小妖道：“是半路请来的。”妖王道：“我说你们来的快。不曾到家么？”小妖道：“是，不曾到家。”妖王道：“不好了！着了他假也！这不是老大王！”小妖一齐跪下道：“大王，自家父亲，也认不得？”妖王道：“观其形容动静都像，只是言语不像。只怕着了他假，吃了人亏。你们都要仔细：会使刀的，刀要出鞘；会使枪的，枪要磨明；会使棍的使棍；会使绳的使绳。待我再去问他，看他言语如何。若果是老大王，莫说今日不吃，明日不吃，便迟个月何妨！假若言语不对，只听我哏的一声，就一齐下手。”群魔各各领命讫。
这妖王复转身到于里面，对行者当面又拜。行者道：“孩儿，家无常礼，不须拜，但有甚话，只管说来。”妖王伏于地下道：“愚男一则请来奉献唐僧之肉，二来有句话儿上请。我前日闲行，驾祥光直至九霄空内，忽逢着祖延[4]道陵张先生。”行者道：“可是做天师的张道陵么？”妖王道：“正是。”行者问曰：“有甚话说？”妖王道：“他见孩儿生得五官周正，三停[5]平等，他问我是几年、那月、那日、那时出世。儿因年幼，记得不真。先生子平[6]精熟，要与我推看五星。今请父王，正欲问此，倘或下次再得会他，好烦他推算。”行者闻言，坐在上面暗笑道：“好妖怪呀！老孙自归佛果，保唐师父，一路上也捉了几个妖精，不似这厮克剥。他问我甚么家长礼短，少米无柴的话说，我也好信口捏脓[7]答他。他如今问我生年月日，我却怎么知道！……”好猴王，也十分乖巧：巍巍端坐中间，也无一些儿惧色，面上反喜盈盈的笑道：“贤郎请起。我因年老，连日有事不遂心怀，把你生时果偶然忘了。且等到明日回家，问你母亲便知。”
妖王道：“父王把我八个字[8]时常不离口论说，说我有同天不老之寿，怎么今日一旦忘记！岂有此理！必是假的！”哏的一声，群妖枪刀簇拥，望行者没头没脸的扎来。这大圣使金箍棒架住了，现出本像，对妖精道：“贤郎，你却没理。那里儿子好打爷的？”那妖王满面羞惭，不敢回视。行者化金光，走出他的洞府。小妖道：“大王，孙行者走了。”妖王道：“罢！罢！罢！让他走了罢！我吃他这一场亏也！且关了门，莫与他打话，只来刷洗唐僧蒸吃便罢。”
却说那行者搴着铁棒，呵呵大笑，自涧那边而来。沙僧听见，急出林迎着道：“哥阿，这半日方回，如何这等哂笑，想救出师父来也？”行者道：“兄弟，虽不曾救得师父，老孙却得个上风来了。”沙僧道：“甚么上风？”行者道：“原来猪八戒被那怪假变观音哄将回来，吊于皮袋之内。我欲设法救援，不期他着甚么六健将去请老大王来吃师父肉。是老孙想着他老大王必是牛魔王，就变了他的模样，充将进去，坐在中间。他叫父王，我就应他，他便叩头，我就直受。着实快活！果然得了上风！”沙僧道：“哥呵，你便图这般小便宜，恐师父性命难保。”行者道：“不须虑，等我去请菩萨来。”沙僧道：“你还腰疼哩。”行者道：“我不疼了。古人云：‘人逢喜事精神爽。’你看着行李、马匹，等我去。”沙僧道：“你置下仇了，恐他害我师父。你须快去快来。”行者道：“我来得快，只消顿饭时，就回来矣。”
好大圣，说话间躲离了沙僧，纵筋斗云，径投南海。在那半空里，那消半个时辰，望见普陀山景。须臾，按下云头，直至落伽崖上，端肃正行，只见二十四路诸天迎着道：“大圣，那里去？”行者作礼毕，道：“要见菩萨。”诸天道：“少停，容通报。”时有鬼子母诸天来潮音洞外报道：“菩萨得知，孙悟空特来参见。”菩萨闻报，即命进去。大圣敛衣皈命，捉[9]定步，径入里边，见菩萨倒身下拜。菩萨道：“悟空，你不领金蝉子西方求经去，却来此何干？”行者道：“上告菩萨。弟子保护唐僧前行，至一方，乃号山枯松涧火云洞。有一个红孩儿妖精，唤作圣婴大王，把我师父摄去。是弟子与猪悟能等寻至门前，与他交战。他放出三昧火来，我等不能取胜，救不出师父。急上东洋大海，请到四海龙王施雨水，又不能胜火，把弟子都熏坏了，稀乎丧了残生。”菩萨道：“既他是三昧火，神通广大，怎么去请龙王，不来请我？”行者道：“本欲来的，只是弟子被烟熏了，不能驾云，却教猪八戒曾请菩萨。”菩萨道：“悟能不曾来呀。”行者道：“正是。未曾到得宝山，被那妖精假变做菩萨模样，把猪八戒又赚入洞中，现吊在一皮袋里，也要蒸吃哩。”
菩萨听说，心中大怒道：“那泼妖敢变我的模样！”恨了一声，将手中宝珠净瓶往海心里扑的一掼，唬得那行者毛骨竦然，即起身侍立下面，道：“这菩萨火性不退，好是怪老孙说的话不好，坏了他的德行，就把净瓶掼了。可惜！可惜！早知送了我老孙，却不是一件大人事[10]？”
说不了，只见那海当中，翻波跳浪，钻出个瓶来，原来是一个怪物驮着出来。行者仔细看那驮瓶的怪物，怎生模样：
根源出处号帮泥[11]，水底增光独显威。
世隐能知天地性，安藏偏晓鬼神机。
藏身一缩无头尾，展足能行快似飞。
文王画卦曾元卜，常纳庭台伴伏羲。
云龙透出千般俏，号水推波把浪吹。
条条金线穿成甲，点点装成彩玳瑁。
九宫八卦袍披定，散碎铺遮绿灿衣。
生前好勇龙王幸，死后还驮佛祖碑。
要知此物名和姓，兴风作浪恶乌龟。
那龟驮着净瓶，爬上崖边，对菩萨点头二十四点，权为二十四拜。行者见了，暗笑道：“原来是看瓶的。想是不见瓶，就问他要。”菩萨道：“悟空，你在下面说甚么？”行者道：“没说甚么。”菩萨教：“拿上瓶来。”这行者即去拿瓶，——咦！莫想拿得他动。好便似蜻蜓撼石柱，怎生摇得半分毫？行者上前跪下道：“菩萨，弟子拿不动。”菩萨道：“你这猴头，只会说嘴。瓶儿你也拿不动，怎么去降妖缚怪？”行者道：“不瞒菩萨说。平日拿得动，今日拿不动。想是吃了妖精亏，筋力弱了。”菩萨道：“常时是个空瓶。如今是净瓶抛下海去，这一时间，转过了三江五湖，八河四渎，溪源潭洞之间，共借了一海水在里面。你那里有架海的斤量？此所以拿不动也。”行者合掌道：“是弟子不知。”
那菩萨走上前，将右手轻轻的提起净瓶，托在左手掌上。只见那龟点点头，钻下水去了。行者道：“原来是个养家看瓶的夯货！”菩萨坐定道：“悟空，我这瓶中甘露水浆，比那龙王的私雨不同，能灭那妖精的三昧火。待要与你拿了去，你却拿不动；待要着善财龙女与你同去，你却又不是好心，专一只会骗人。你见我这龙女貌美，净瓶又是个宝物，你假若骗了去，却那有工夫又来寻你？你须是留须些甚么东西作当。”行者道：“可怜！菩萨这等多心。我弟子自秉沙门，一向不干那样事了。你教我留些当头，却将何物？我身上这件绵布直裰，还是你老人家赐的。这条虎皮裙子，能值几个铜钱？这根铁棒，早晚却要护身。但只是头上这个箍儿，是个金的，却又被你弄了个方法儿长在我头上，取不下来。你今要当头，情愿将此为当，你念个《松箍儿咒》，将此除去罢。不然，将何物为当？”菩萨道：“你好自在啊！我也不要你的衣服、铁棒、金箍，只将你那脑后救命的毫毛拔一根与我作当罢。”行者道：“这毫毛，也是你老大人家与我的。但恐拔下一根，就拆破群了，又不能救我性命。”菩萨骂道：“你这猴子！你便一毛也不拔，教我这善财也难舍。”行者笑道：“菩萨，你却也多疑。正是‘不看僧面看佛面’。千万救我师父一难罢！”那菩萨：
逍遥欣喜下莲台，云步香飘上石崖。
只为圣僧遭障害，要降妖怪救回来。
孙大圣十分欢喜，请观音出了潮音仙洞。诸天大神都列在普陀岩上。菩萨道：“悟空，过海。”行者躬身道：“请菩萨先行。”菩萨道：“你先过去。”行者磕头道：“弟子不敢在菩萨面前施展。若驾筋斗云呵，掀露身体，恐菩萨怪我不敬。”菩萨闻言，即着善财龙女去莲花池里，劈一瓣莲花，拖在石岩下边水上，教行者：“你上那莲花瓣儿，我渡你过海。”行者见了道：“菩萨，这花瓣儿又轻又薄，如何载得我起！这一翻跌下水去，却不湿了虎皮裙？走了硝，天冷怎穿！”菩萨喝道：“你且上去看！”行者不敢推辞，舍命往上跳。果然先见轻小，到上面比海船还大三分。行者欢喜道：“菩萨，载得我了。”菩萨道：“既载得，如何不过去？”行者道：“又没个篙、桨、篷、桅，怎生得过？”菩萨道：“不用。”只把他一口气吹开吸拢，又着实一口气，吹过南洋苦海，得登彼岸。行者却脚实地，笑道：“这菩萨卖弄神通，把老孙这等呼来喝去，全不费力也！”
那菩萨分付概众诸天各守仙境，着善财龙女闭了洞门，他却纵祥云，躲离普陀岩，到那边叫：“惠岸何在？”惠岸——乃托塔李天王第二个太子，俗名木叉是也，乃菩萨亲传授的徒弟，不离左右，称为护法惠岸行者——即对菩萨合掌伺候。菩萨道：“你快上界去，见你父王，问他借天罡刀来一用。”惠岸道：“师父用着几何？”菩萨道：“全副都要。”
惠岸领命，即驾云头，径入南天门里，到云楼宫殿，见父王下拜。天王见了，问：“儿从何来？”木叉道：“师父是孙悟空请来降妖，着儿拜上父王，将天罡刀借了一用。”天王即唤哪吒将刀取三十六把，递与木叉。木叉对哪吒说：“兄弟，你回去多拜上母亲，我事紧急，等送刀来再磕头罢。”忙忙相别，按落祥光，径至南海，将刀捧与菩萨。
菩萨接在手中，抛将去，念个咒语，只见那刀化作一座千叶莲台。菩萨纵身上去，端坐在中间。行者在旁暗笑道：“这菩萨省使俭用。那莲花池里有五色宝莲台，舍不得坐将来，却又问别人去借。”菩萨道：“悟空，休言语，跟我来也。”却才都驾着云头，离了海上。白鹦哥展翅前飞，孙大圣与惠岸随后。
顷刻间，早见一座山头。行者道：“这山就是号山了。从此处到那妖精门首，约摸有四百馀里。”菩萨闻言，即命住下祥云，在那山头上念一声“唵”字咒语，只见那山左山右，走出许多神鬼，却乃是本山土地众神，都到菩萨宝莲座下磕头。菩萨道：“汝等俱莫惊张，我今来擒此魔王。你与我把这团围打扫干净，要三百里远近地方，不许一个生灵在地。将那窝中小兽，窟内雏虫，都送在巅峰之上安生。”众神遵依而退。须臾间，又来回复。菩萨道：“既然干净，俱各回祠。”遂把净瓶扳倒，唿喇喇倾出水来，就如雷响。真个是：
漫过山头，冲开石壁。漫过山头如海势，冲开石壁似汪洋。黑雾涨天全水气，沧波影日幌寒光。遍崖冲玉浪，满海长金莲。菩萨大展降魔法，袖中取出定身禅。化做落伽仙景界，真如南海一般般。秀蒲挺出昙花嫩，香草舒开贝叶鲜。紫竹几竿鹦鹉歇，青松数簇鹧鸪喧。万叠波涛连四野，只闻风吼水漫天。
孙大圣见了，暗中赞叹道：“果然是一个大慈大悲的菩萨！若老孙有此法力，将瓶儿望山一倒，管甚么禽兽蛇虫哩！”菩萨叫：“悟空，伸手过来。”行者即忙敛袖，将左手伸出。菩萨拔杨柳枝，蘸甘露，把他手心里写一个“迷”字，教他：“捏着拳头，快去与那妖精索战，许败不许胜。败将来我这跟前，我自有法力收他。”
行者领命，返云光，径来至洞口，一只手使拳，一只手使棒，高叫道：“妖怪开门！”那些小妖又进去报道：“孙行者又来了！”妖王道：“紧关了门！莫睬他！”行者叫道：“好儿子！把老子赶在门外，还不开门！”小妖又报道：“孙行者骂出那话儿来了！”妖王只教：“莫睬他！”行者叫两次，见不开门，心中大怒，举铁棒，将门一下打了一个窟窿。慌得那小妖跌将进去道：“孙行者打破门了！”妖王见报几次，又听说打破前门，急纵身跳将出去，挺长枪，对行者骂道：“这猴子，老大不识起倒[12]！我让你得些便宜，你还不知尽足，又来欺我！打破我门，你该个甚么罪名？”行者道：“我儿，你赶老子出门，你该个甚么罪名？”
那妖王羞怒，缠长枪劈胸便刺，这行者举铁棒架隔相还。一番搭上手，斗经四五个回合，行者捏着拳头，拖着棒，败将下来。那妖王立在山前道：“我要刷洗唐僧去哩！”行者道：“好儿子，天看着你哩[13]！你来！”那妖精闻言，愈加嗔怒，喝一声，赶到面前，挺枪又刺。这行者抡棒又战几合，败阵又走。那妖王骂道：“猴子，你在前有二三十合的本事，你怎么如今正斗时就要走了，何也？”行者笑道：“贤郎，老子怕你放火。”妖精道：“我不放火了，你上来。”行者道：“既不放火，走开些。好汉子莫在家门前打人。”那妖精不知是诈，真个举枪又赶。行者拖了棒，放了拳头。那妖王着了迷乱，只情追赶。前走的如流星过度，后走的如弩箭离弦。
不一时，望见那菩萨了。行者道：“妖精，我怕你了。你饶我罢。你如今赶至南海观音菩萨处，怎么还不回去？”那妖王不信，咬着牙，只管赶来。行者将身一幌，藏在那菩萨的神光影里。这妖精见没了行者，走近前，睁圆眼，对菩萨道：“你是孙行者请来的救兵么？”菩萨不答应。妖王捻转长枪，喝道：“咄！你是孙行者请来的救兵么？”菩萨也不答应。妖精望菩萨劈心刺一枪来。那菩萨化道金光，径走上九霄空内。行者跟定道：“菩萨，你好欺伏我罢了！那妖精再三问你，你怎么推聋妆哑，不敢做声，被他一枪搠走了，却把那个莲台都丢下耶！”菩萨只教：“莫言语，看他再要怎的。”此时行者与木叉俱在空中，并肩同看。只见那妖呵呵冷笑道：“泼猴头，错认了我也！他不知把我圣婴当做个甚人。几番家战我不过，又去请个甚么脓包菩萨来，却被我一枪，搠得无形无影去了，又把个宝莲台儿丢了。且等我上去坐坐。”好妖精，他也学菩萨，盘手盘脚的，坐在当中。行者看见道：“好！好！好！莲花台儿好送人了！”菩萨道：“悟空，你又说甚么？”行者道：“说甚！说甚！莲台送了人了！那妖精坐放臀下，终不得你还要哩？”菩萨道：“正要他坐哩。”行者道：“他的身躯小巧，比你还坐得稳当。”菩萨叫：“莫言语，且看法力。”
他将杨柳枝往下指定，叫一声：“退！”只见那莲台花彩俱无，祥光尽散，原来那妖王坐在刀尖之上。即命木叉：“使降妖杵，把刀柄儿打打去来。”那木叉按下云头，将降魔杵如筑墙一般，筑了有千百馀下。那妖精，穿通两腿刀尖出，血深成汪皮肉开。好怪物，你看他咬着牙，忍着疼，且丢了长枪，用手将刀乱拔。行者却道：“菩萨呵，那怪物不怕疼，还拔刀哩。”菩萨见了，唤上木叉：“且莫伤他生命。”却又把杨柳枝垂下，念声“唵”字咒语，那天罡刀都变做倒须钩儿，狼牙一般，莫能褪得。那妖精却才慌了，扳着刀尖，痛声苦告道：“菩萨，我弟子有眼无珠，不识你广大法力。千乞垂慈，饶我性命！再不敢恃恶，愿入法门戒行也。”
菩萨闻言，却与二行者、白鹦哥低下金光，到了妖精面前。问道：“你可受吾戒行么？”妖王点头滴泪道：“若饶性命，愿受戒行。”菩萨道：“你可入我门么？”妖王道：“果饶性命，愿入法门。”菩萨道：“既如此，我与你摩顶受戒。”就袖中取出一把金剃头刀儿，近前去，把那怪分顶剃了几刀，剃作一个太山压顶，与他留下三个顶搭，挽起三个窝角揪儿。行者在旁笑道：“这妖精大晦气！弄得不男不女，不知像个甚么东西！”菩萨道：“你今既受我戒，我却也不慢你，称你做善财童子，如何？”那妖点头受持，只望饶命。菩萨却用手一指，叫声：“退！”“撞”的一声，天罡刀都脱落尘埃，那童子身躯不损。
菩萨叫：“惠岸，你将刀送上天宫，还你父王，莫来接我，先到普陀岩会众诸天等候。”那木叉领命，送刀上界，回海不题。
却说那童子野性不定，见那腿疼处不疼，臀破处不破，头挽了三个揪儿，他走去绰起长枪，望菩萨道：“那里有甚真法力降我！原来是个掩样术法儿！不受甚戒！看枪！”望菩萨劈脸刺来。恨得个行者抡铁棒要打。菩萨只叫：“莫打，我自有惩治。”却又袖中取出一个金箍儿来道：“这宝贝原是我佛如来赐我往东土寻取经人的‘金紧禁’三个箍儿。紧箍儿，先与你戴了；禁箍儿，收了守山大神；这个金箍儿，未曾舍得与人。今观此怪无礼，与他罢。”好菩萨，将箍儿迎风一幌，叫声：“变！”即变作五个箍儿，望童子身上抛了去，喝声：“着！”一个套在他头顶上，两个套在他左右手上，两个套在他左右脚上。菩萨道：“悟空，走开些，等我念念《金箍儿咒》。”行者慌了道：“菩萨呀，请你来此降妖，如何却要咒我？”菩萨道：“这篇咒，不是《紧箍儿咒》咒你的，是《金箍儿咒》咒那童子的。”行者却才放心，紧随左右，听得他念咒。菩萨捻着诀，默默的念了几遍。那妖精搓耳揉腮，攒蹄打滚。正是：一句能通遍沙界，广大无边法力深。毕竟不知那童子怎的皈依，且听下回分解。
[1] 高作：这里借用来比喻武艺的高低。“不见甚么高作”，就是不见有甚么高明的地方。
[2] 雷斋：敬奉雷神辛天君的人所持的斋戒。雷神诞辰日和每月的三个辛日及初六日斋戒，所以下文说“三辛逢初六”。
[3] 酉不会客：由于杜康死于酉日，故某些地方有酉日不会客饮酒的习俗。
[4] 祖延：延，应为“庭”字的刊误。道教对道祖讲经传道的地方叫祖庭。
[5] 三停：相面家认为，人的面部和身体都可分为三个部分，称为上中下三停。传说三停均等的人富贵寿考。
[6] 子平：宋徐子平精通星命之术（参见第四十回注），后因以子平指星命之学。
[7] 捏脓：就是捏造、含胡、说假话。
[8] 八个字：即“八字”。按天干地支纪时法，人的生年、月、日、时均有一干一支，合起来共八个字，星命家称其为“八字”，并据以推算人的命运好坏。
[9] 捉：此处是把握、稳住的意思。
[10] 人事：赠送给人的礼物。
[11] 帮泥：我国古代神话传说，当禹王治水时，黄龙曳尾在前，玄龟负青泥在后相助。所以“帮泥”为龟的代称。
[12] 不识起倒：不知高低，不识好歹。
[13] 天看着你哩：意思说老天有眼，如果做了恶事，会遭到天打雷霹。
CHAPTER 42. The Great Sage diligently calls at South Sea; Guanyin with compassion binds the Red Boy.
We were telling you about those six mighty commanders, who walked out of the cave entrance and followed the road directly toward the southwest. Pilgrim thought to himself, “They wanted to extend an invitation for the Venerable Old King to eat my master, and that Venerable Old King has to be the Bull Demon King. Since old Monkey met him that year, our friendship was a deep one, as ours were the most congenial spirits and sentiments. Now I have returned to the path of rectitude; though he’s still a perverse demon, I can remember his looks despite our lengthy separation. Let old Monkey transform himself into the Bull Monster King and see if they could be deceived.” Dear Pilgrim! He slipped away from those six little fiends; spreading his wings, he flew to a distance of some ten miles ahead. With one shake of his body he changed into the form of Bull Monster King and, pulling off several strands of hair, he cried, “Change!” They changed into several little fiends who were mounting falcons, leading hounds, and brandishing bows and arrows as if they were hunting in the fold of the mountain. There they waited for the six mighty commanders.
As that motley crew shuffled along, they suddenly saw the Bull Monster King seated before them. So startled were Burly-Hurly and Hurly-Burly that they fell to their knees at once, crying, “Venerable Great King is here!” Since Cloud-in-Fog, Fog-in-Cloud, Quick-as-Fire, and Swift-as-Wind were all of fleshly eyes and mortal stock, how could they possibly distinguish between the true and the false? They all knelt down also and kowtowed, saying, “Father, these little ones have been sent by the Great King Holy Child from the Fiery Cloud Cave. We are here to invite Father Venerable Great King to dine on the flesh of the Tang Monk, so that your age will be lengthened a thousandfold.” “Children,” rejoined Pilgrim, “get up. Follow me home; I’ll go with you after I’ve changed my clothes.” Kowtowing again, the little fiends said, “We beg our Father not to stand on ceremony. There’s no need to return to your residence. The distance is great, and we fear that our Great King will chide us for our delay. We beseech you to begin your journey at once.” Laughing, Pilgrim said, “What nice children you are! All right, all right! Clear the way and I’ll go with you.” The six fiends roused their spirits and shouted to clear the way, while the Great Sage followed them.
In no time at all they returned to their own place. Swift-as-Wind and Quick-as-Fire dashed into the cave, crying, “Great King, Father Venerable Great King has arrived.” Delighted, the monster king said, “All of you are quite useful! You’ve returned so quickly!” He at once gave the order for all his captains to arrange their troops and to unfurl the flags and drums to receive the Venerable Great King. The fiends of the entire cave all obeyed this command and they formed an orderly formation all the way out to the entrance. Shaking his body once to retrieve his hairs, who were leading dogs and falcons, Pilgrim with chest thrust forward walked loftily inside in big strides. After he took a seat in the middle facing south, Red Boy faced him and knelt down to kowtow to him. “Father King,” he said, “your child gives you obeisance.” Pilgrim said, “My child is exempted from such ceremonies.” Only after he had prostrated himself four times did the monster king rise from the ground and stand below the seat of Pilgrim.
“My child,” said Pilgrim, “why did you ask me to come here?” Bowing again, the monster king said, “Though your child is not talented, he has managed to capture a certain person yesterday, a monk from the Great Tang in the Land of the East. I have often heard people say that he is someone who has practiced self-cultivation for ten incarnations. If anyone eats a piece of his flesh, this person will enjoy the same age as an immortal from P’êng-lai or Ying-chou. Your foolish boy does not dare eat the Tang Monk by himself. That is why I have invited Father King especially to enjoy with me the flesh of the Tang Monk, so that your age may be lengthened a thousandfold.” When Pilgrim heard these words, he shuddered and said, “My child, which Tang Monk is this?” “The one journeying to the Western Heaven to acquire scriptures,” said the monster king. “My child,” said Pilgrim, “is he the master of Pilgrim Sun?” “Indeed,” said the monster king. Waving his hand and shaking his head, Pilgrim said, “Don’t provoke him! You can provoke others, but you don’t know what sort of person that Pilgrim Sun happens to be! My worthy boy, you haven’t met him, I suppose? That monkey has vast magic powers and knows many ways of transformation. Once when he caused great disturbance in the Heavenly Palace, the Great Jade Emperor sent against him one hundred thousand celestial soldiers, but they did not succeed in capturing him even after they had set up the cosmic nets. How dare you want to eat his master? Quickly, send him back to his disciple, and don’t provoke that monkey. If he finds out that you have eaten his master, he need not come to fight with you; all he has to do is use that golden-hooped rod of his to drill a hole halfway into the mountain and he will shovel it right out of its roots! My child, where will you find shelter then? Who will take care of me when I grow old?”
“Father King,” said the monster king, “what are you saying? You are magnifying the powers of others to belittle the abilities of your son. Though that Pilgrim Sun and his two brothers—altogether three of them—attempted to lead the Tang Monk to cross our mountain, they permitted me to use a transformation to abduct their master back here. Afterwards, he and Zhu Eight Rules searched their way to our door, and he then made some such foolish claim that he was a kin of ours. I grew angry and fought with him, though the several rounds we went through did not indicate that he was such a hot shot! Zhu Eight Rules stepped in from the side to join the fray, and that was when your child spat out his true fire of samādhi and defeated them all at once. They were so frightened, in fact, that they went to ask the Dragon Kings of the Four Oceans to assist them with rain, but the rainwater, of course, could not extinguish my true fire of samādhi. Pilgrim Sun was so severely burned this time that he went into a little coma! Then he told Zhu Eight Rules to seek help from the Bodhisattva Guanyin of the South Sea. I changed into a specious Guanyin and tricked Eight Rules back here; he’s now hung in our compliant bag waiting to be steamed and fed to the little ones. This morning, that Pilgrim returned to our door to make noises once more; when I gave the order to seize him, he was so frightened that he even abandoned a wrap of his and fled. It was then that I decided to invite Father King to come here so that you can see him live before he is steamed for food. My hope is for your age to lengthen, so that you will enjoy long life without ever growing old.”
Chuckling, Pilgrim said, “My worthy boy! You know only that you can overpower him with your true fire of samādhi. You don’t know that he knows seventy-two ways of transformation.” “He can change into whatever he wants to,” said the monster king, “but I can still recognize him. I don’t think he dares enter our door.” “My child,” said Pilgrim, “you may recognize him when he changes into something big, and that will be difficult indeed for him to get inside your door. But if he changes into something small, it will be difficult for you to recognize him.” “Let him!” said the monster king. “Every door of mine here has four or five little fiends standing guard over it. How could he possibly enter?” Pilgrim said, “So you don’t know about this! He is able to change into a fly, a mosquito, a flea, or a bee, a butterfly, a mole cricket, or some such creature. He can even change into a form like me! How could you possibly recognize him?” “Don’t worry!” said the monster king. “Even if he had a gall of iron and a heart of bronze, he wouldn’t dare approach my door.”
“According to what you have told me, my worthy boy,” said Pilgrim, “you certainly are more than able to withstand him, and this explains why you are eager to invite me to come and dine on the Tang Monk’s flesh. Unfortunately, however, I can’t eat it today.” “Why not?” asked the monster king. Pilgrim said, “I’m feeling my age these days, and your mother often tells me to do some good deeds. There’s not much I can do, I thought, but I have decided to keep a vegetarian diet.” The monster king said, “Is Father King keeping a permanent one or a monthly diet?” “Neither,” said Pilgrim, “but mine is called a ‘Thunder Vegetarian Diet,’ and I keep it for only four days in a month.” “Which four?” asked the monster king. Pilgrim said, “During those three days when the celestial stem xin appears in the sexagesimal representations1 and during the sixth day of the month. Today happens to be the day of xinyou: I should maintain a vegetarian diet in the first place, and in the second place, a you day means that I myself should not meet any guests. Therefore, let’s wait until tomorrow; I’ll personally see to it that the Tang Monk is scrubbed clean to be steamed and enjoyed along with all of you.”
When the monster king heard these words, he thought to himself, “My Father King has always fed on humans; that’s been his livelihood, in fact, for over a thousand years. How is it that he has taken up a vegetarian diet now? He has, after all, committed many evil acts. How could three or four days of vegetarian diet atone for them? His words make no sense! Something’s fishy!” He turned at once and walked out the second door, calling together the six mighty commanders to ask them, “Where did you find the Venerable Great King?” The little fiends said, “On our way.” “I remarked that you all returned so quickly,” said the monster king. “Didn’t you reach his house?” “No,” said the little fiends, “we did not.” “That’s bad!” said the monster king. “We have been deceived by him! This is no Venerable Great King.” All those little fiends knelt down immediately, saying, “Great King, can’t you even recognize your own father?” “The features and the gestures seem genuine,” said the monster king, “but he doesn’t talk like him. I fear that we may be deceived by him and become his victim. Take care, all of you: those who use swords unsheath your swords; those who use spears keep your spears sharp; those who use staffs and ropes have them ready. Let me question him some more and see how he talks. If indeed he is the Venerable Great King, we can wait even a month until he is pleased to eat the Tang Monk. But if his words are not right, I’ll give a yell and all of you will attack together.” The various demons obeyed.
This monster king went inside again and bowed once more to Pilgrim. “My child,” said Pilgrim, “there’s no need to stand on ceremony in the family. No need to bow to me. If you have something to say, say it.” Prostrating himself on the ground, the monster king said, “Your foolish boy invited you to come here for two reasons: first, I wanted to present to you the flesh of the Tang Monk, and second, I have a small question to ask you. Some days ago, I was taking a leisure trip; as I mounted the auspicious luminosity to rise to the Ninefold Heaven, I ran suddenly into Master Zhang Daoling, the Daoist Patriarch.”2 “Is he the Celestial Master?” asked Pilgrim. “Yes,” said the monster king. Pilgrim said, “What did he have to say?” “When he saw how well formed my features were,” said the monster king, “and how level were my shoulders, he inquired after the hour, date, month, and year of my birth. Your child, however, was too young to remember the exact time. An expert in astrological divination, the Master wanted to tell my fortune through calculations based on the five planets. That is the reason why I have asked Father King to come here. Please tell me the times of my birth, so that I can ask him to tell my fortune the next time I see him.”
When Pilgrim heard these words, he sat smiling to himself, thinking, “Dear monster! Since old Monkey has returned to the Buddhist fruit, I have caught, as a guardian of Master Tang, several monster-spirits on our way, but none of them matches this one for jugglery! If he asks me about some trivial matters in the household, I can fabricate an answer with whatever comes into my mind. But now he wants to have the date, month, and year of his birth! How could I know?” Dear Monkey King! He was most resourceful indeed! Sitting augustly in the middle, he did not betray the slightest fear; instead, his face beaming with pleasure, he said, smiling, “My worthy boy, please rise. Because of my age, I have been troubled by all sorts of things of late, and I have quite forgotten the exact time of your birth. Let me ask your mother when I return home tomorrow.”
The monster king said to himself, “Father King has never stopped talking about the eight nativity characters3 of my birth, saying that I have an age as lengthy as Heaven’s. How could he forget them today? Nonsense! He has to be false!” He gave a yell, and the various fiends rushed forward to hack at Pilgrim’s head and face with their spears and swords. Using the golden-hooped rod to parry the blows, this Great Sage changed back into his original form and said to the monster-spirit, “My worthy child! How unreasonable you are! How could a son attack his own father?” Filled with embarrassment, the monster king did not even dare look at him, as Pilgrim transformed himself into a beam of golden light and left the cave dwelling. “Great King,” said the little fiends, “Pilgrim Sun has escaped.” The monster king said, “All right, all right! Let him go! I’ll admit defeat this time! Let’s shut the door and say nothing to him. We will wash and scrub the Tang Monk so that he can be steamed and eaten.”
We now tell you about that Pilgrim who held on to his iron rod and walked toward the stream, roaring with laughter. When Sha Monk heard him, he quickly left the woods to meet him, saying, “Elder Brother, you have been gone for nearly half a day, and you have returned laughing. Could it be that you have succeeded in rescuing Master?” “Brother,” said Pilgrim, “though I have not rescued Master, I have won a round.” “What do you mean?” asked Sha Monk. Pilgrim said, “Zhu Eight Rules, you see, was tricked by that fiend, who changed himself into the form of Guanyin. He is caught and hung now in a leather bag. I was trying to devise a plan to rescue him when I heard that these so-called six mighty commanders were sent to invite a Venerable Great King to dine on Master’s flesh. Old Monkey thought that that Great King had to be the Bull Monster King; so I changed into his form, bluffed my way in, and took the seat in the middle. The fiend called me Father King, and I answered him; he kowtowed to me, and I accepted it. It was a pleasure indeed! That was the round I won.”
“Elder Brother,” said Sha Monk, “the way you covet small advantages will make it difficult, I fear, for Master’s life to be preserved.” “Don’t worry,” said Pilgrim. “Let me go and ask the Bodhisattva to come here.” “But your torso is still sore,” said Sha Monk. “Not anymore!” said Pilgrim. “The ancients said, ‘A happy affair cheers one’s spirit.’ You look after the luggage and the horse; let me go.” “You’ve given that monster a grudge against you,” said Sha Monk, “and I fear that he might harm our master. Go and come back quickly.” Pilgrim said, “I’ll come back quickly all right! In the time of a meal, I’ll be back.”
Dear Great Sage! As he was speaking, he slipped away from Sha Monk; using his cloud somersault, he headed straight for the South Sea. It took him much less than half an hour in the air when he saw the scenery of the Potalaka Mountain. In a moment, he lowered his cloud and dropped down on the mountain cliff, where he was met by a group of twenty-four devas who asked, “Where are you going, Great Sage?” After Pilgrim bowed to them, he said, “I want to see the Bodhisattva.” “Wait a moment,” said the devas, “and let us announce you.” Then the deva Hāritī4 went before the Cave of Tidal Sound to announce, “Let the Bodhisattva know that Sun Wukong is here to have an audience with you.” When the Bodhisattva heard the announcement, she ordered him to enter. Straightening out his attire, the Great Sage walked inside solemnly and prostrated himself before the Bodhisattva.
“Wukong, why aren’t you leading Master Gold Cicada to the West to seek scriptures?” asked the Bodhisattva. “Why are you here?”
Pilgrim said, “Permit me to make this known to the Bodhisattva. Your disciple was accompanying the Tang Monk on his journey, when we reached the Fiery Cloud Cave by the Dried Pine Stream at the Roaring Mountain. There is a monster-spirit called Red Boy, whose name is also the Great King Holy Child, and who has abducted my master. Your disciple and Zhu Wuneng found our way to his door and fought with him. He let loose his samādhi fire and we could not prevail against him nor could we rescue Master. I went swiftly to the Great Eastern Ocean and managed to return with the Dragon Kings of the Four Oceans. They gave us rainwater, but we still could not win. In fact, your disciple was burned so badly that he almost lost his life.” The Bodhisattva said, “If his is the samādhi fire and if he has such magic powers, why did you go seek the aid of the Dragon Kings? Why did you not come see me?” “I was about to come,” said Pilgrim, “but your disciple was badly hurt by the smoke, unable to mount the clouds. I therefore told Zhu Eight Rules to come and seek the assistance of the Bodhisattva.”
“But Wuneng never appeared,” said the Bodhisattva. “Indeed he did not reach your treasure mountain,” said Pilgrim, “for he was deceived by that monster-spirit, who changed into your image and has taken Wuneng into his cave. Right now, Wuneng is hanging in a leather bag, about to be steamed and eaten.”
Hearing this, the Bodhisattva grew terribly angry, crying, “How dare that brazen fiend change into my image!” As she cried, she flung into the ocean the immaculate porcelain vase set with precious pearls which she held in her hand. Pilgrim was so startled that his hairs stood on end, and he stood up at once to stand in waiting down below, saying to himself, “This Bodhisattva still has quite a fiery temper! Well, old Monkey should have known better than to speak like that and provoke her into ruining her virtue by smashing the immaculate vase. What a pity! What a pity! If I had known it earlier I would have asked her to give it instead to old Monkey. That would be some gift, wouldn’t it?”
Hardly had he finished speaking when the vase appeared again at the crest of some gigantic waves swelling up in the middle of the ocean. The vase, you see, was borne on the back of a strange creature, which Pilgrim stared at intently. How does this creature look?
The “Helper of Mud” is his primal name,
He adds luster to water to show his might.
Reclusive, he knows the laws of Heav’n and Earth;
Retired, he sees yet the mysteries of ghosts and gods.
Safely he hides once his head and tail withdraw,
But legs outstretched will make him fly and soar.
As King Wen drew trigrams and Zeng Yuan divined,
He frequented, too, the courtyards of Fu Xi.5
His nature displays a thousand charms
When he sports and plays in the rising tide.
His armor’s knit by strands of golden cord;
Spot by spot, that’s how his shell has been adorned.
His robe shows Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces,
And richly ornate is his gown of green.
Brave when he’s living—so he’s loved by Dragon Kings;
The Buddha’s tablet he bears e’en after death.
If you want to know this strange creature’s name,
He’s the fierce black tortoise making winds and waves.
Carrying the vase on his back, the tortoise climbed ashore and nodded his head at the Bodhisattva twenty-four times to indicate that he had given her twenty-four bows.
When Pilgrim saw him, he smiled and thought to himself, “So the guardian of the vase is here. If the vase ever gets lost, I suppose we can ask him for it.” The Bodhisattva said, “Wukong, what are you saying down there?” “Nothing,” said Pilgrim. “Then bring the vase up here,” commanded the Bodhisattva. Pilgrim went forward at once to pick up the vase. Alas! He could not do so at all! It was as if a dragonfly attempted to rock a stone pillar—how could he even budge it? Pilgrim approached the Bodhisattva and knelt down, saying, “Your disciple cannot pick it up.”
“Monkey head,” said the Bodhisattva, “all you know is how to brag! If you can’t even pick up a small vase, how can you subdue fiends and capture monsters?” “To tell you the truth, Bodhisattva,” said Pilgrim, “I might be able to do it ordinarily, but today I just can’t pick it up. I must have been hurt by the monster-spirit, and my strength has weakened.” The Bodhisattva said, “Normally it’s an empty vase, but once it has been thrown into the ocean, it has traveled through the three rivers, the five lakes, the eight seas, and the four big rivers. It has, in fact, gathered together from all the aquatic bodies in the world an oceanful of water, which is now stored inside it. You may be strong, but you don’t possess the strength of upholding the ocean. That’s why you cannot pick up the vase.” Pressing his hands together before him, Pilgrim said, “Yes, your disciple is ignorant of this.”
Walking forward, the Bodhisattva used her right hand and picked up the immaculate vase with no effort at all and placed it on the middle of her left palm. The tortoise nodded his head again before he crawled back into the water. “So this is a coolie who serves the household and looks after the vase!” said Pilgrim. After the Bodhisattva took her seat again, she said, “Wukong, the sweet dew in my vase is not like that unauthorized rain of the Dragon Kings; it can extinguish the samādhi fire of the monster-spirit. I want you to take it with you, but you are unable to pick up the vase. I want the Dragon Girl Skilled in Wealth to go with you, but I fear that you are not a person of kindly disposition. All you know is how to hoodwink people. When you see how beautiful my Dragon Girl is, and what a treasure is my immaculate vase, you will try to steal it. If you succeed, where would I find time to go look for you? You’d better leave something behind as a pledge.”
“How pitiful!” said Pilgrim. “Bodhisattva, you are so suspicious! Since your disciple embraced complete poverty, he has never indulged in such activities. You tell me to leave a pledge, what shall I use? This silk shirt on my body is a gift from you. And this tiger-skin skirt, how much can it be worth? The iron rod—well, I need it for protection night and day. Only this little fillet on my head is made of gold, but you used some tricks to make it grow on my head so that it could not be taken down. If you want a pledge, I’m willing now to give that to you as a pledge. You can recite a Loose-Fillet Spell and remove it from me. Otherwise, what shall I use as a pledge?” “You are rather smug, aren’t you?” said the Bodhisattva. “I don’t want your clothes, your iron rod, or your gold fillet. Pull off one strand of that lifesaving hair behind your head and give it to me.” Pilgrim said, “These hairs were also your gift; I fear that if I pull one off, they will be broken up in such a way that they will no longer be able to save my life.” “You ape!” scolded the Bodhisattva. “You are so stingy that you won’t even uproot one hair!6 That makes it difficult for me also to dispense my Goodly Wealth!” Laughing, Pilgrim said, “Bodhisattva, you are truly suspicious! But as the saying goes, ‘If you don’t have regard for the monk, at least have regard for the Buddha.’ I beg you to save my master from his ordeal.” Then the Bodhisattva
Freely and gladly left the lotus seat
And walked up the rocky cliff with scented steps.
Since the holy monk was threatened with harm,
She would subdue the fiend and give him help.
Highly pleased, the Great Sage Sun followed Guanyin out of the Tidal Sound Cave, as the various devas stood at attention on the Potalaka Peak. “Wukong,” said the Bodhisattva, “let’s cross the ocean.” Pilgrim bowed and said, “Let the Bodhisattva go first.” “You go first,” said the Bodhisattva. Kowtowing, Pilgrim said, “Your disciple dares not display his power before the Bodhisattva. If I use the cloud somersault, my clothes may flip up and reveal my body, and I fear that the Bodhisattva will take offense at my irreverence.”
When the Bodhisattva heard these words, she told the Dragon Girl Skilled in Wealth to pick from the lotus pond one petal of lotus flower and drop it into the ocean below the mountain ridge. Then she said to Pilgrim, “Get up on that lotus flower petal and I’ll send you across the ocean.” Seeing the flower, Pilgrim said, “Bodhisattva, this petal of flower is so light and thin. How could it bear me up? I’ll tumble into the water for sure, and won’t my tiger-skin kilt be soaked? If it loses its tan, how can I wear it when the weather turns cold?” “Get up there and see what happens!” shouted the Bodhisattva. Not daring to disobey, Pilgrim risked his life and jumped onto the flower. At first, it did seem rather light and small, but when he alighted on it, he found that the flower was actually somewhat larger than a small boat. Delighted, Pilgrim said, “Bodhisattva, it should hold me.” “In that case,” said the Bodhisattva, “why can’t you cross the ocean?” Pilgrim said, “There is neither pole nor oar, neither sail nor mast. How could I cross the ocean?” “No need for that,” said the Bodhisattva, who blew a mouthful of air lightly onto the lotus flower and immediately it drifted away from the shore. Another breath of the Bodhisattva sent Pilgrim across the bitter sea of the Southern Ocean7 until he reached the other shore. When his feet touched solid ground again, Pilgrim laughed and said, “This Bodhisattva truly knows how to display her powers! She’s able to summon old Monkey hither and thither with no effort at all!”
The Bodhisattva then gave instructions for all the devas each to stand guard in his station, and for the Dragon Girl Skilled in Wealth to shut the gate of the cave. Mounting the auspicious cloud, she departed from the Potalaka Peak. When she reached the backside of the mountain, she called out, “Hui’an, where are you?” Hui’an, you see, whose common name was Mokṣa, happened to be the second prince of the Pagoda Bearer Devarāja Li, and he, as the pupil taught personally by the Bodhisattva, never strayed from her side. His name was Disciple Hui’an, the Dharma Guardian. Pressing his hands together before him, Hui’an bowed to the Bodhisattva, who said to him, “Go quickly to the Region Above and borrow the Swords of Constellations from your Father King.” “How many swords do you want, Teacher?” asked Hui’an. “The entire set,” said the Bodhisattva.
Obeying her command, Hui’an mounted the clouds and went through the South Heaven Gate to reach the Palace of Cloudy Towers. He kowtowed to his Father King, who asked him, “Why has my son come here?” Mokṣa replied, “Sun Wukong came to ask my teacher to subdue a fiend; she in turn told your child to borrow the Swords of Constellations from Father King.” The devarāja at once asked Naṭa to take out the swords, all thirty-six of them, to hand over to Mokṣa, who said to Naṭa, “Brother, please go and bow to mother. I have urgent business; when I return the swords, I shall kowtow to her then.” They parted hurriedly; Mokṣa mounted the auspicious luminosity and returned to South Sea, where he presented the swords to the Bodhisattva.
After she received them, the Bodhisattva threw them into the air as she recited a spell: the swords were transformed into a thousand-leaf lotus platform. Leaping up, the Bodhisattva sat solemnly in the middle. On one side, Pilgrim snickered to himself, “This Bodhisattva is so prudent and penurious! In that pond of hers she has her own five-colored treasure lotus platform, but she can’t bear to use it. She has to borrow someone else’s things!” “Wukong,” said the Bodhisattva, “stop talking! Follow me!” They all mounted the clouds and left the ocean, the white cockatoo flying ahead while Great Sage Sun and Hui’an followed from behind.
In a moment, they reached the peak of a mountain. “This is the Roaring Mountain,” said Pilgrim, “and from here to the door of the monster-spirit is a distance of approximately four hundred miles.” When the Bodhisattva heard this, she lowered her auspicious cloud and recited a spell that began with the letter, Oṁ. At once, various deities and demons appeared from the left and right of the mountain, all local spirits and mountain deities of the region. They came to kowtow before the Bodhisattva’s treasure lotus seat. “Don’t be alarmed, all of you,” said the Bodhisattva. “I’m here to seize this demon king, but I want you all to sweep this area clean. Not a single living creature is to remain within three hundred miles around here. Take the small beasts in their lairs, the young creatures in their nests, and send them up to the peak so that their lives may be preserved.” The various deities obeyed and left; they returned momentarily to report that their work was done.
The Bodhisattva said, “If the region is cleared, all of you may return to your shrines.” She turned her immaculate vase upside down and all at once a torrent of water thundered forth. Truly it
Surged over the summit,
And dashed over stone walls.
Surging over the summit it seemed the swelling sea;
Dashing over stone walls it seemed the vast ocean.
Black mists arose, damping the entire sky;
Green waves reflecting the sun beamed chilly light.
The whole cliff gushed jadelike sprays;
The whole sea sprouted gold lotus.
The Bodhisattva let loose her awesome might,
Her sleeve revealed the Dharmakāya of Chan.8
This place was changed to Potalaka’s scene,
Truly a perfect image of South Sea.
Udumbara bloomed from lovely rushes;
Fresh palmyra leaves spread from scented grass.
On purple bamboos the cockatoo paused;
Amid some green pines red partridges called.
Waves ten thousand fold and lotus all around,
Hear the wind roar, the water surging up to Heav’n.
When the Great Sage Sun saw this, he marveled to himself, “Truly a Bodhisattva of great mercy and compassion! If old Monkey had this kind of dharma power, he would simply pour the little vase on the mountain. Who cares about fowls and beasts, crawling or winged creatures?” “Wukong,” cried the Bodhisattva, “stretch forth your hand.” Hurriedly rolling up his sleeve, Pilgrim stretched out his left hand. The Bodhisattva pulled out a twig of her willow branch after having dipped it in the sweet dew of her vase and wrote on his palm the word “Delusion.” She said to him, “Hold your fist and go quickly to provoke battle with the monster-spirit. You are permitted not to win but to lose; let him defeat you and chase you back here. I have my power to subdue him.”
Obeying the instruction, Pilgrim turned his cloudy luminosity and headed straight for the entrance of the cave. Holding his left hand in a fist and the iron rod with his right, he shouted, “Fiends, open the door!” Those little fiends again went inside to report, “Pilgrim Sun is here again.” “Shut the door tightly,” said the monster king, “and don’t mind him.” “Dear boy!” shouted Pilgrim. “You chased your old man out the door, and you still wouldn’t open up!” The little fiends reported again: “Pilgrim Sun is using that little something to insult you.” All the monster said was, “Don’t listen to him!” After he had shouted for a couple of times and found the door still tightly shut, Pilgrim became enraged. He lifted the iron rod and with one blow punched a big hole in the door. The little fiends were so terrified that they ran inside, crying, “Pilgrim Sun has smashed our door!” When the monster king heard these reports and discovered that the front door was smashed, he bounded out the door and, holding the lance, yelled at Pilgrim, “You ape! You really don’t know when to stop! I let you take some advantage of me and you are still not content. You dare come again to oppress me by smashing my door. What sort of punishment should you receive?” “My child,” said Pilgrim, “you dare chase your old man out your door. What sort of punishment should you receive?”
Embarrassed as well as enraged, the monster king picked up his lance and stabbed at Pilgrim’s chest, who also lifted his iron rod to parry and return the blow. They fought for four or five rounds when Pilgrim, still making a fist, retreated with his rod trailing behind him. The monster king stood still before the mountain and said, “I’m going to wash and scrub the Tang Monk instead.” “My dear boy,” said Pilgrim, “Heaven is watching you! Won’t you come?” When the monster-spirit heard these words, he grew even more enraged. With a yell, he dashed before Pilgrim and attempted to stab him with the lance once more. Our Pilgrim wielded his iron rod and fought with him for several rounds before retreating again. “Monkey,” scolded the monster king, “you were able to fight before for at least twenty or thirty rounds. Why are you running away now when we are just sett ling down to do battle? Why?” “Worthy child,” said Pilgrim, chuckling, “your old man is afraid that you will start a fire!” The monster-spirit said, “I’m not going to start the fire. You come up here.” “If you are not,” said Pilgrim, “step over here. A gallant fellow should not beat up people in front of his own house.” The monster-spirit, of course, did not know that this was a trick; he lifted his lance and gave chase once more. Dragging his rod, Pilgrim opened up his left fist and the monster king was completely deluded; all he had in mind was to give chase to his adversary. The one running ahead was like a falling meteor; the one chasing from behind was like an arrow leaving the bow.
In less than a moment, they saw the Bodhisattva. Pilgrim said, “Monster-spirit, I’m scared of you. Let me go. You have chased me to the South Sea, the residence of the Bodhisattva Guanyin. Why aren’t you turning back?” The monster king refused to believe it; gritting his teeth, he persisted in his chase. Pilgrim, with one shake of his body, slipped into the divine luminosity that surrounded the body of the Bodhisattva and disappeared. When the monster-spirit suddenly discovered that Pilgrim was gone, he walked up to the Bodhisattva with bulging eyes and said to her, “Are you the reinforcement Pilgrim Sun brought here?” The Bodhisattva did not reply. Rolling the lance in his hands, the monster king bellowed, “Hey! Are you the reinforcement Pilgrim Sun brought here?” Still the Bodhisattva did not reply. The monster-spirit lifted his lance and jabbed at the heart of the Bodhisattva, who at once changed herself into a beam of golden light and rose into the air. Pilgrim followed her on her way up and said to her, “Bodhisattva, you are trying to take advantage of me! The monster-spirit asked you several times. How could you pretend to be deaf and dumb and not make any noise at all? One blow of his lance, in fact, chased you away, and you have even left behind your lotus platform.”
“Don’t talk,” said the Bodhisattva, “let’s see what he will do.” At this time, Pilgrim and Mokṣa both stood in the air shoulder to shoulder and stared down; they found the monster-spirit laughing scornfully and saying to himself, “Brazen ape, you’re mistaken about me! What sort of person do you think that I, Holy Child, happen to be? For several times you could not prevail against me, and then you had to go and fetch some namby-pamby Bodhisattva. One blow of my lance now has made her vanish completely. Moreover, she has even left the treasure lotus platform behind. Well, let me get up there and take a seat.” Dear monster-spirit. He imitated the Bodhisattva by sitting in the middle of the platform with hands and legs folded. When he saw this, Pilgrim said, “Fine! Fine! Fine! This lotus platform has been given to someone else!”
“Wukong,” said the Bodhisattva, “what are you mumbling again?”
“Mumbling what? Mumbling what?” replied Pilgrim. “I’m saying that the lotus platform has been given to someone else. Look! It’s underneath his thighs. You think he’s going to return it to you?”
“I wanted him to sit there,” said the Bodhisattva. “Well, he’s smaller than you,” said Pilgrim, “and it seems that the seat fits him even better than it fits you.” “Stop talking,” said the Bodhisattva, “and watch the dharma power.”
She pointed the willow twig downward and cried, “Withdraw!” All at once, flowers and leaves vanished from the lotus platform and the auspicious luminosity dispersed entirely. The monster king, you see, was sitting actually on the points of those swords. The Bodhisattva then gave this command to Mokṣa: “Use your demon-routing cudgel and strike back and forth at the sword handles.” Dropping from the clouds, Mokṣa wielded his cudgel as if he were demolishing a wall: he struck at the handles hundreds of times. As for that monster-spirit,
Both his legs were pierced till the points stuck out;
Blood spouted in pools as flesh and skin were torn.
Marvelous monster! Look at him! Gritting his teeth to bear the pain, he abandoned the lance so that he could use both hands to try to pull the swords out from his body.
“O Bodhisattva,” said Pilgrim, “that fiendish creature is undaunted by the pain. He’s still trying to pull out the swords.” When the Bodhisattva saw this, she said to Mokṣa, “Don’t harm his life.” She then pointed downward again with her willow twig and recited a spell beginning with the letter, Oṁ. Those Swords of Constellations all changed into inverted hooks, sharp and curved like the teeth of wolves, which could not be pulled out at all. Only then was the monster-spirit overcome by fear. Holding onto the points of the swords, he pleaded pitifully in pain, “Bodhisattva, your disciple has eyes but no pupils, and he could not perceive your vast dharma power. I beseech you to be merciful and spare my life. I’ll never dare practice violence again. I’m willing to enter the gate of dharma to receive your commandments.”
When the Bodhisattva heard these words, she lowered her golden beam and approached the monster-spirit with her two disciples and the white cockatoo. “Are you willing to receive my commandments?” she asked. Nodding his head as tears fell, the monster king said, “If you spare my life, I’m willing to receive the commandments.” The Bodhisattva asked, “You wish to enter my fold?” “If you spare my life,” replied the monster king, “I’m willing to enter the dharma gate.” “In that case,” said the Bodhisattva, “I’ll touch your head and give you the commandments.” She took out from her sleeve a golden razor and approached the fiend. With a few strokes, she shaved his hair off and turned it into the style of the Tai Mountain Crowning the Head: the top was completely bald, but three tufts of hair were left around the edge so that they could be knotted together into three tiny braids. Grinning broadly on one side, Pilgrim said, “How unfortunate for this monster-spirit! He looks like neither boy nor girl! I don’t know what he looks like!” “Since you have received my commandments,” said the Bodhisattva, “I won’t treat you lightly. I’ll call you the Boy Skilled in Wealth. How’s that?” The fiend nodded his head in agreement, for all he hoped for was that his life be spared. The Bodhisattva pointed with her finger and called out, “Withdraw!” The Swords of Constellations dropped to the ground, and the boy did not bear even a single scar on his body.
Then the Bodhisattva said, “Hui’an, you take the swords back to Heaven to return them to your Father King. You needn’t return here to meet me, but go back to the Potalaka Peak to wait for me with the other devas.” Mokṣa obeyed and sent the swords back to Heaven before returning to the South Sea, and we shall speak no more of him.
We tell you now that the wildness in that boy had not been wholly removed. When he saw that his pains were gone and that his thighs had healed and, moreover, that the hair on his head had been made into three tiny braids, he picked up the lance and said to the Bodhisattva, “You don’t have any true dharma power to subdue me! It’s a kind of chicanery, that’s all! I won’t take your commandments! Watch the lance!” He lunged at the face of the Bodhisattva, and Pilgrim was so mad that he wielded his iron rod and was about to strike. “Don’t hit him,” the Bodhisattva cried. “I have my punishment for him.” She took out from her sleeve a golden fillet, saying, “This treasure used to belong to our Buddha, who gave it to me when he sent me to search for the scripture pilgrim in the Land of the East. There were three fillets altogether: the Golden, the Constrictive, and the Prohibitive. The Constrictive Fillet was given to you first to wear, while the Prohibitive Fillet was used to make the guardian of my mountain submit.9 I have been unwilling to part with this Golden Fillet. Now that this fiend is so audacious, I’ll give it to him.”
Dear Bodhisattva! She took the fillet and waved it at the wind once, crying, “Change!” It changed into five fillets, which she threw at the body of the boy, crying, “Hit!” One fillet enveloped the boy’s head, while the rest caught his two hands and two feet. “Stand aside, Wukong,” said the Bodhisattva, “and let me recite for a while the Golden-Fillet Spell.” Horrified, Pilgrim said, “O Bodhisattva, I asked you to come here to subdue a fiend. Why do you want to cast that spell on me?” “This spell,” said the Bodhisattva, “is not the Tight-Fillet Spell, which is the spell cast on you. It is the Golden-Fillet Spell, reserved especially for that boy.” Greatly relieved, Pilgrim stood to one side of her to listen to the Bodhisattva’s recital. Making the magic sign with her fingers, she went through her recitation several times, and the monster-spirit scratched his ears and clawed at his cheeks; he curled himself into a ball and rolled all over the ground.
Truly One word could reach the whole region of sand,
This dharma power so vast, boundless, and deep.
We do not know how that boy manages to make his submission; let’s listen to the explanation in the next chapter.