第十七回
第十七回 孙行者大闹黑风山 观世音收伏熊罴怪
话说孙行者一筋斗跳将起去，唬得那观音院大小和尚并头陀、幸童、道人等一个个朝天礼拜道：“爷爷呀！原来是腾云驾雾的神圣下界，怪道火不能伤！恨我那个不识人的老剥皮，使心用心，今日反害了自己！”三藏道：“列位请起，不须恨了。这去寻着袈裟，万事皆休；但恐找寻不着，我那徒弟性子有些不好，汝等性命不知如何，恐一人不能脱也。”众僧闻得此言，一个个提心吊胆，告天许愿，只要寻得袈裟，各全性命不题。
却说孙大圣到空中，把腰儿扭了一扭，早来到黑风山上。住了云头，仔细看，果然是座好山。况正值春光时节，但见：
万壑争流，千崖竞秀。鸟啼人不见，花落树犹香。雨过天连青壁润，风来松卷翠屏张。山草发，野花开，悬崖峭嶂；薜萝生，佳木丽，峻岭平岗。不遇幽人，那寻樵子？涧边双鹤饮，石上野猿狂。矗矗堆螺排黛[1]色，巍巍拥翠弄岚光。
那行者正观山景，忽听得芳草坡前有人言语。他却轻步潜踪，闪在那石崖之下，偷睛观看。原来是三个妖魔，席地而坐：上首的是一条黑汉，左首下是一个道人，右首下是一个白衣秀士。都在那里高谈阔论。讲的是立鼎安炉，抟砂炼汞，白雪黄芽[2]，傍门外道。正说中间，那黑汉笑道：“后日是我母难之日[3]，二公可光顾光顾？”白衣秀士道：“年年与大王上寿，今年岂有不来之理？”黑汉道：“我夜来得了一件宝贝，名唤锦襕佛衣，诚然是件玩好之物。我明日就以他为寿，大开筵宴，邀请各山道官，庆贺佛衣，就称为‘佛衣会’如何？”道人笑道：“妙！妙！妙！我明日先来拜寿，后日再来赴宴。”行者闻得佛衣之言，定以为是他宝贝。他就忍不住怒气，跳出石崖，双手举起金箍棒，高叫道：“我把你这伙贼怪！你偷了我的袈裟，要做甚么‘佛衣会’！趁早儿将来还我！”喝一声：“休走！”抡起棒，照头一下。慌得那黑汉化风而逃，道人驾云而走，只把个白衣秀士一棒打死。拖将过来看处，却是一条白花蛇怪。索性提起来，捽做五七断，径入后山，找寻那个黑汉。转过尖峰，抹过峻岭，又见那壁陡崖前，耸出一座洞府，但见那：
烟霞渺渺，松柏森森。烟霞渺渺采盈门，松柏森森青绕户。桥踏枯槎木，峰巅绕薜萝。鸟衔红蕊来云壑，鹿践芳丛上石台。那门前时催花发，风送花香。临堤绿柳转黄鹂，傍岸夭桃翻粉蝶。虽然旷野不堪夸，却赛蓬莱山下景。
行者到于门首，又见那两扇石门关得甚紧，门上有一横石板，明书六个大字，乃“黑风山黑风洞”。即便抡棒，叫声：“开门！”那里面有把门的小妖，开了门出来问道：“你是何人，敢来击吾仙洞？”行者骂道：“你个作死的业畜！甚么个去处，敢称仙洞！‘仙’字是你称的？快进去报与你那黑汉，教他快送老爷的袈裟出来，饶你一窝性命！”小妖急急跑到里面，报道：“大王！佛衣会做不成了！门外有一个毛脸雷公嘴的和尚，来讨袈裟哩！”那黑汉被行者在芳草坡前赶将来，却才关了门，坐还未稳，又听得那话，心中暗想道：“这厮不知是那里来的，这般无礼！他敢嚷上我的门来！”教：“取披挂！”随结束了，绰一杆黑缨枪，走出门来。这行者闪在门外，执着铁棒，睁睛观看，只见那怪果生得凶险：
碗子铁盔火漆光，乌金铠甲亮辉煌。
皂罗袍罩风兜袖，黑绿丝绦[4]穗长。
手执黑缨枪一杆，足踏乌皮靴一双。
眼幌金睛如掣电，正是山中黑风王。
行者暗笑道：“这厮真个如烧窑的一般，筑煤[5]的无二！想必是在此处刷炭[6]为生，怎么这等一身乌黑？”那怪厉声高叫道：“你是个甚么和尚，敢在我这里大胆？”行者执铁棒，撞至面前，大咤一声道：“不要闲讲！快还你老外公的袈裟来！”那怪道：“你是那寺里和尚？你的袈裟在那里失落了，敢来我这里索取？”行者道：“我的袈裟，在直北观音院后方丈里放着。只因那院里失了火，你这厮趁哄掳掠，盗了来要做佛衣会庆寿，怎敢抵赖？快快还我，饶你性命！若牙迸半个‘不’字，我推倒了黑风山，平了黑风洞，把你这一洞妖邪，都碾为虀粉！”
那怪闻言，呵呵冷笑道：“你这个泼物！昨夜那火就是你放的！你在那方丈屋上行凶招风，是我把一件袈裟拿来了，你待怎么！你是那里来的？姓甚名谁？有多大手段，敢那等海口浪言！”行者道：“是你也认不得你老外公哩！你老外公乃大唐上国驾前御弟三藏法师之徒弟，姓孙，名悟空行者。若问老孙的手段，说出来，教你魂飞魄散，死在眼前！”那怪道：“我不曾会你，有甚么手段，说来我听。”行者笑道：“我儿子，你站稳着，仔细听之！我：
自小神通手段高，随风变化逞英豪。
养性修真熬日月，跳出轮回把命逃。
一点诚心曾访道，灵台山上采药苗。
那山有个老仙长，寿年十万八千高。
老孙拜他为师父，指我长生路一条。
他说身内有丹药，外边采取枉徒劳。
得传大品天仙诀，若无根本实难熬。
回光内照宁心坐，身中日月坎离交。
万事不思全寡欲，六根清净体坚牢。
返老还童容易得，超凡入圣路非遥。
三年无漏成仙体，不同俗辈受煎熬。
十洲三岛还游戏，海角天涯转一遭。
活该三百多馀岁，不得飞升上九霄。
下海降龙真宝贝，才有金箍棒一条。
花果山前为帅首，水帘洞里聚群妖。
玉皇大帝传宣诏，封我齐天极品高。
几番大闹灵霄殿，数次曾偷王母桃。
天兵十万来降我，层层密密布枪刀。
战退天王归上界，哪吒负痛领兵逃。
显圣真君能变化，老孙硬赌跌平交。
道祖观音同玉帝，南天门上看降妖。
却被老君助一阵，二郎擒我到天曹。
将身绑在降妖柱，即命神兵把首枭。
刀砍锤敲不得坏，又教雷打火来烧。
老孙其实有手段，全然不怕半分毫。
送在老君炉里炼，六丁神火慢煎熬。
日满开炉我跳出，手持铁棒绕天跑。
纵横到处无遮挡，三十三天闹一遭。
我佛如来施法力，五行山压老孙腰。
整整压该五百载，幸逢三藏出唐朝。
吾今皈正西方去，转上雷音见玉毫[7]。
你去乾坤四海问一问，我是历代驰名第一妖！”
那怪闻言笑道：“你原来是那闹天宫的弼马温么？”行者最恼的是人叫他弼马温，听见这一声，心中大怒，骂道：“你这贼怪！偷了袈裟不还，倒伤老爷！不要走！看棍！”那黑汉侧身躲过，缠[8]长枪，劈手来迎。两家这场好杀：
如意棒，黑缨枪，二人洞口逞刚强。分心劈脸刺，着臂照头伤。这个横丢阴棍手，那个直捻急三枪。白虎爬山来探爪，黄龙卧道[9]转身忙。喷彩雾，吐毫光，两个妖仙不可量：一个是修正齐天圣，一个是成精黑大王。这场山里相争处，只为袈裟各不良。
那怪与行者斗了十数回合，不分胜负。渐渐红日当午，那黑汉举枪架住铁棒道：“孙行者，我两个且收兵，等我进了膳来，再与你赌斗。”行者道：“你这个业畜，叫做汉子？好汉子半日儿就要吃饭？似老孙在山根下，整压了五百馀年，也未曾尝些汤水，那里便饿哩？莫推故！休走！还我袈裟来，方让你去吃饭！”那怪虚幌一枪，撤身入洞，关了石门，收回小怪，且安排筵宴，书写请帖，邀请各山魔王庆会不题。
却说行者攻门不开，也只得回观音院。那本寺僧人已葬埋了那老和尚，都在方丈里伏侍唐僧。早斋已毕，又摆上午斋，正那里添汤换水。只见行者从空降下，众僧礼拜，接入方丈，见了三藏。三藏道：“悟空，你来了？袈裟何如？”行者道：“已有了根由。早是不曾冤了这些和尚。原来是那黑风山妖怪偷了。老孙去暗暗的寻他，只见他与一个白衣秀士，一个老道人，坐在那芳草坡前讲话。也是个不打自招的怪物，他忽然说出道：后日是他母难之日，邀请诸邪来做生日；夜来得了一件锦襕佛衣，要以此为寿，作一大宴，唤做‘庆赏佛衣会’。是老孙抢到面前，打了一棍，那黑汉化风而走，道人也不见了，只把个白衣秀士打死，乃是一条白花蛇成精。我又急急赶到他洞口，叫他出来与他赌斗。他已承认了，是他拿回。战够这半日，不分胜负。那怪回洞，却要吃饭，关了石门，惧战不出。老孙却来回看师父，先报此信。已是有了袈裟的下落，不怕他不还我。”
众僧闻言，合掌的合掌，磕头的磕头，都念声：“南无阿弥陀佛！今日寻着下落，我等方有了性命矣！”行者道：“你且休喜欢畅快，我还未曾到手，师父还未曾出门哩。只等有了袈裟，打发得我师父好好的出门，才是你们的安乐处；若稍有些须不虞，老孙可是好惹的主子！可曾有好茶饭与我师父吃？可曾有好草料喂马？”众僧俱满口答应道：“有！有！有！更不曾一毫怠慢了老爷。”三藏道：“自你去了这半日，我已吃过了三次茶汤，两餐斋供了。他俱不曾敢慢我。但只是你还尽心竭力，去寻取袈裟回来。”行者道：“莫忙！既有下落，管情拿住这厮，还你原物。放心，放心！”
正说处，那上房院主又整治素供，请孙老爷吃斋。行者却吃了些须，复驾祥云，又去找寻。正行间，只见一个小怪，左胁下夹着一个花梨木匣儿，从大路而来。行者度[10]他匣内必有甚么柬札，举起棒，劈头一下，可怜不禁打，就打得似个肉饼一般；却拖在路旁，揭开匣儿观看，果然是一封请帖。帖上写着：
“侍生熊罴顿首拜，启上大阐金池老上人丹房：屡承佳惠，感激渊深。夜观回禄之难，有失救护，谅仙机必无他害。生偶得佛衣一件，欲作雅会，谨具花酌[11]，奉扳[12]清赏。至期，千乞仙驾过临一叙。是荷。先二日具。”
行者见了，呵呵大笑道：“那个老剥皮，死得他一毫儿也不亏！他原来与妖精结党！怪道他也活了二百七十岁。想是那个妖精，传他些甚么服气的小法儿，故有此寿。老孙还记得他的模样，等我就变做那和尚，往他洞里走走，看我那袈裟放在何处。假若得手，即便拿回，却也省力。”
好大圣，念动咒语，迎着风一变，果然就像那老和尚一般，藏了铁棒，拽开步，径来洞口，叫声：“开门。”那小妖开了门，见是这般模样，急转身报道：“大王，金池长老来了。”那怪大惊道：“刚才差了小的去下简帖请他，这时候还未到那里哩，如何他就来得这等迅速？想是小的不曾撞他。他断是孙行者呼他来讨袈裟的。管事的，可把佛衣藏了，莫教他看见。”
行者进了前门，但见那天井中，松篁交翠，桃李争妍，丛丛花发，簇簇兰香，却也是个洞天之处。又见那二门上有一联对子，写着：“静隐深山无俗虑，幽居仙洞乐天真。”
行者暗道：“这厮也是个脱垢离尘，知命的怪物。”入门里，往前又进，到于三层门里，都是些画栋雕梁，明窗彩户。只见那黑汉子，穿的是黑绿纻丝袢袄，罩一领鸦青花绫披风，戴一顶乌角软巾，穿一双麂皮皂靴；见行者进来，整顿衣巾，降阶迎接道：“金池老友，连日欠亲。请坐，请坐。”行者以礼相见。见毕而坐，坐定而茶。茶罢，妖精欠身道：“适有小简奉启，后日一叙，何老友今日就下顾也？”行者道：“正来进拜，不期路遇华翰[13]，见有佛衣雅会，故此急急奔来，愿求见见。”那怪笑道：“老友差矣。这袈裟本是唐僧的，他在你处住札，你岂不曾看见，反来就我看看？”行者道：“贫僧借来，因夜晚还不曾展看，不期被大王取来。又被火烧了荒山，失落了家私。那唐僧的徒弟，又有些骁勇，乱忙中，四下里都寻觅不见。原来是大王的洪福收来，故特来一见。”
正讲处，只见有一个巡山的小妖来报道：“大王！祸事了！下请书的小校，被孙行者打死在大路旁边，他绰着经儿[14]，变化做金池长老，来骗佛衣也！”那怪闻言，暗道：“我说那长老怎么今日就来，又来得迅速，果然是他！”急纵身，拿过枪来，就刺行者。行者耳朵里急掣出棍子，现了本相，架住枪尖，就在他那中厅里跳出，自天井中，斗到前门外，唬得那洞里群魔都丧胆，家间老幼尽无魂。这场在山头好赌斗，比前番更是不同。好杀：
那猴王胆大充和尚，这黑汉心灵隐佛衣。语去言来机会巧，随机应变不差池。袈裟欲见无由见，宝贝玄微真妙微。小怪巡山言祸事，老妖发怒显神威。翻身打出黑风洞，枪棒争持辨是非。棒架长枪声响亮，枪迎铁棒放光辉。悟空变化人间少，妖怪神通世上稀。这个要把佛衣来庆寿，那个不得袈裟肯善归？这番苦战难分手，就是活佛临凡也解不得围。
他两个从洞口打上山头，自山头杀在云外，吐雾喷风，飞砂走石，只斗到红日沉西，不分胜败。那怪道：“姓孙的，你且住了手。今日天晚，不好相持。你去，你去！待明早来，与你定个死活。”行者叫道：“儿子莫走！要战便像个战的，不可以天晚相推。”看他没头没脸的，只情使棍子打来，这黑汉又化阵清风，转回本洞，紧闭石门不出。
行者却无计策奈何，只得也回观音院里。按落云头，道声：“师父。”那三藏眼儿巴巴的，正望他哩，忽见到了面前，甚喜；又见他手里没有袈裟，又惧；问道：“怎么这番还不曾有袈裟来？”行者袖中取出个简帖儿来，递与三藏道：“师父，那怪物与这死的老剥皮，原是朋友。他着一个小妖送此帖来，还请他去赴佛衣会。是老孙就把那小妖打死，变做那老和尚，进他洞去，骗了一钟茶吃。欲问他讨袈裟看看，他不肯拿出。正坐间，忽被一个甚么巡风的，走了风信，他就与我打将起来。只斗到这早晚，不分上下。他见天晚，闪回洞去，紧闭石门。老孙无奈，也暂回来。”三藏道：“你手段比他何如？”行者道：“我也硬不多儿，只战个手平。”三藏才看了简帖，又递与那院主道：“你师父敢莫也是妖精么？”那院主慌忙跪下道：“老爷，我师父是人。只因那黑大王修成人道，常来寺里与我师父讲经，他传了我师父些养神服气之术，故以朋友相称。”行者道：“这伙和尚没甚妖精，他一个个头圆顶天，足方履地，但比老孙肥胖长大些儿，非妖精也。你看那帖儿上写着‘侍生熊罴’，此物必定是个黑熊成精。”三藏道：“我闻得古人云：‘熊与猩猩相类。’都是兽物，他却怎么成精？”行者笑道：“老孙是兽类，见做了齐天大圣，与他何异？大抵世间之物，凡有九窍者，皆可以修行成仙。”三藏又道：“你才说他本事与你手平，你却怎生得胜，取我袈裟回来？”行者道：“莫管，莫管，我有处治。”
正商议间，众僧摆上晚斋，请他师徒们吃了。三藏教掌灯，仍去前面禅堂安歇。众僧都挨墙倚壁，苫搭窝棚，各各睡下，只把个后方丈让与那上下院主安身。此时夜静，但见：
银河现影，玉宇无尘。满天星灿烂，一水浪收痕。万籁声宁，千山鸟绝。溪边渔火息，塔上佛灯昏。昨夜阇黎钟鼓响，今宵一遍哭声闻。
是夜在禅堂歇宿，那三藏想着袈裟，那里得稳睡？忽翻身见窗外透白，急起叫道：“悟空，天明了，快寻袈裟去。”行者一骨鲁跳将起来，早见众僧侍立，供奉汤水。行者道：“你等用心伏侍我师父，老孙去也。”三藏下床，扯住道：“你往哪里去？”行者道：“我想这桩事都是观音菩萨没理。他有这个禅院在此，受了这里人家香火，又容那妖精邻住。我去南海寻他，与他讲三讲，教他亲来问妖精讨袈裟还我。”三藏道：“你这去，几时回来？”行者道：“时少只在饭罢，时多只在晌午，就成功了。那些和尚，可好伏侍，老孙去也。”
说声去，早已无踪。须臾间，到了南海。停云观看，但见那：
汪洋海远，水势连天。祥光笼宇宙，瑞气照山川。千层雪浪吼青霄，万叠烟波滔白昼。水飞四野，浪滚周遭。水飞四野振轰雷，浪滚周遭鸣霹雳。休言水势，且看中间：五色朦胧宝叠山，红黄紫皂绿和蓝。才见观音真胜境，试看南海落伽山。好去处！山峰高耸，顶透虚空。中间有千样奇花，百般瑞草。风摇宝树，日映金莲。观音殿瓦盖琉璃，潮音洞门铺玳瑁。绿杨影里语鹦哥，紫竹林中啼孔雀。罗纹石上，护法威严；玛瑙滩前，木叉雄壮。
这行者观不尽那异景非常，径直按云头，到竹林之下。早有诸天迎接道：“菩萨前者对众言大圣归善，甚是宣扬。今保唐僧，如何得暇到此？”行者道：“因保唐僧，路逢一事，特见菩萨，烦为通报。”诸天遂来洞口报知。菩萨唤入。行者遵法而行，至宝莲台下拜了。菩萨问曰：“你来何干？”行者道：“我师父路遇你的禅院，你受了人间香火，容一个黑熊精在那里邻住，着他偷了我师父袈裟，屡次取讨不与，今特来问你要的。”菩萨道：“这猴子说话，这等无状！既是熊精偷了你的袈裟，你怎来问我取讨？都是你这个业猴大胆，将宝贝卖弄，拿与小人看见，你却又行凶，唤风发火，烧了我的留云下院，反来我处放刁！”行者见菩萨说出这话，知他晓得过去未来之事，慌忙礼拜道：“菩萨，乞恕弟子之罪，果是这般这等。但恨那怪物不肯与我袈裟，师父又要念那话儿咒语，老孙忍不得头疼，故此来拜烦菩萨。望菩萨慈悲之心，助我去拿那妖精，取衣西进也。”菩萨道：“那怪物有许多神通，却也不亚于你。也罢，我看唐僧面上，和你去走一遭。”行者闻言，谢恩再拜。即请菩萨出门，遂同驾祥云，早到黑风山。坠落云头，依路找洞。
正行处，只见那山坡前，走出一个道人，手拿着一个玻璃盘儿，盘内安着两粒仙丹，往前正走；被行者撞个满怀，掣出棒，就照头一下，打得脑里浆流出，腔中血迸撺。菩萨大惊道：“你这个猴子，还是这等放泼！他又不曾偷你袈裟，又不与你相识，又无甚冤仇，你怎么就将他打死？”行者道：“菩萨，你认他不得。他是那黑熊精的朋友。他昨日和一个白衣秀士，都在芳草坡前坐讲：后日是黑精的生日，请他们来庆佛衣会。今日他先来拜寿，明日来庆佛衣会，所以我认得。定是今日替那妖去上寿。”菩萨说：“既是这等说来，也罢。”行者才去把那道人提起来看，却是一只苍狼。旁边那个盘儿底下却有字，刻道“凌虚子制”。
行者见了，笑道：“造化！造化！老孙也是便益，菩萨也是省力。这怪叫做不打自招，那怪教他今日了劣[15]。”菩萨说道：“悟空，这教怎么说？”行者道：“菩萨，我悟空有一句话儿，叫做将计就计，不知菩萨可肯依我？”菩萨道：“你说。”行者说道：“菩萨，你看这盘儿中是两粒仙丹，便是我们与那妖魔的贽见[16]；这盘儿后面刻的四个字，说‘凌虚子制’，便是我们与那妖魔的勾头。菩萨若要依得我时，我好替你作个计较，也就不须动得干戈，也不须劳得征战，妖魔眼下遭瘟，佛衣眼下出现；菩萨要不依我时，菩萨往西，我悟空往东，佛衣只当相送，唐三藏只当落空。”菩萨笑道：“这猴熟嘴！”行者道：“不敢，倒是一个计较。”菩萨说：“你这计较怎说？”行者道：“这盘上刻那‘凌虚子制’，想这道人就号做凌虚子。菩萨，你要依我时，可就变做这个道人，我把这丹吃了一粒，变上一粒，略大些儿。菩萨你就捧了这个盘儿，两粒仙丹，去与那妖上寿，把这丸大些的让与那妖。待那妖一口吞之，老孙便于中取事，他若不肯献出佛衣，老孙将他肚肠，就也织将一件出来。”
菩萨没法，只得也点点头儿。行者笑道：“如何？”尔时菩萨乃以广大慈悲，无边法力，亿万化身，以心会意，以意会身，恍惚之间，变作凌虚仙子：
鹤氅仙风飒，飘摇欲步虚。
苍颜松柏老，秀色古今无。
去去还无住，如如自有殊。
总来归一法，只是隔邪躯。
行者看道：“妙啊！妙啊！还是妖精菩萨，还是菩萨妖精？”菩萨笑道：“悟空，菩萨、妖精，总是一念；若论本来，皆属无有。”行者心下顿悟，转身却就变做一粒仙丹：
走盘无不定，圆明未有方。
三三勾漏合，六六少翁商。
瓦铄黄金焰，牟尼白昼光。
外边铅与汞，未许易论量。
行者变了那颗丹，终是略大些儿。菩萨认定，拿了那个玻璃盘儿，径到妖洞门口，看时，果然是：
崖深岫险，云生岭上；柏苍松翠，风飒林间。崖深岫险，果是妖邪出没人烟少；柏苍松翠，也可仙真修隐道情多。山有涧，涧有泉，潺潺流水咽鸣琴，便堪洗耳；崖有鹿，林有鹤，幽幽仙籁动闲岑，亦可赏心。这是妖仙有分降菩提，弘誓无边垂恻隐。
菩萨看了，心中暗喜道：“这业畜占了这座山洞，却是也有些道分。”因此心中已此有个慈悲。
走到洞口，只见守洞小妖，都有些认得道：“凌虚仙长来了。”一边传报，一边接引。那妖早已迎出二门道：“凌虚，有劳仙驾珍顾，蓬荜有辉。”菩萨道：“小道敬献一粒仙丹，敢称千寿。”他二人拜毕，方才坐定，又叙起他昨日之事。菩萨不答，连忙拿丹盘道：“大王，且见小道鄙意。”觑定一粒大的，推与那妖道：“愿大王千寿！”那妖亦推一粒，递与菩萨道：“愿与凌虚子同之。”让毕，那妖才待要咽，那药顺口儿一直滚下。行者在肚里现了本像，理起四平[17]。那妖滚倒在地，连声哀告，乞饶性命。菩萨亦现了本相，道：“业畜，若要性命，快将袈裟出来。”那妖便忙叫小妖取出。行者早已从鼻孔中出去，取了袈裟在手。菩萨又怕那妖无礼，却把一个箍儿丢在那妖头上。那妖起来，提枪要刺，行者、菩萨早已起在空中。菩萨将真言念起，那怪依旧头疼，丢了枪，满地乱滚。半空里笑倒个美猴王，平地下滚坏个黑熊怪。
菩萨道：“业畜！你如今可皈依么？”那怪满口道：“心愿皈依，只望饶命！”行者道：“耽搁了工夫。”意欲就打。菩萨急止住道：“休伤他命。我有用他处哩。”行者道：“这样怪物，不打死他，反留他？在何处用他？”菩萨道：“我那落伽山后，无人看管，我要带他去做个守山大神。”行者笑道：“诚然是个救苦慈尊，一灵不损。若是老孙有这样咒语，就念上他娘千遍！这回儿就有许多黑熊，都教他了帐！”
却说那怪苏醒多时，公道[18]难禁疼痛，只得跪在地下哀告道：“但饶性命，愿皈正果！”菩萨方坠落祥光，又与他摩顶受戒，教他执了长枪，跟随左右。那黑熊才一片野心今日定，无穷顽性此时收。菩萨分付道：“悟空，你回去罢。好生伏侍唐僧是，休懈惰生事。”行者道：“深感菩萨远来，弟子还当回送回送。”菩萨道：“免送。”行者才捧着袈裟，叩头而别。菩萨亦带了熊罴，径回大海。有诗为证。诗曰：
祥光霭霭凝金像，万道缤纷实可夸。
普济世人垂悯恤，遍观法界现金莲。
今来多为传经意，此去原无落点瑕。
降怪成真归大海，空门复得锦袈裟。
毕竟行者得了袈裟，此去如何，且听下回分解。
[1] 堆螺排黛：形容山色青翠。螺黛，一种青黑色的颜料，古代女子常用以画眉。
[2] 立鼎安炉、抟砂炼汞（ɡǒnɡ）、白雪黄芽：道教的说法，按照一种“仙方”，把朱砂、汞、铅，化合在一起烧炼成丹，人吃此丹，就可成仙。鼎、炉是炼丹用的锅灶，砂是朱砂，汞和白雪都指水银，黄芽指铅。
[3] 母难之日：指自己的生日。
[4] （duǒ）：下垂。
[5] 筑煤：古代制墨的一道工序。古人制墨，烧松枝或桐油等积成烟灰，这烟灰就叫煤。把煤用杵捣碎，就叫“筑煤”或者“捣煤”。
[6] 刷炭：古代制墨的一道工序，即把松枝或桐油燃烧后的烟灰从附着物上刷下来。
[7] 玉毫：指佛眉间的白毫。此代指佛祖。
[8] 缠：古代枪术或刀术中的一个动作。
[9] 黄龙卧道：这段韵语中的阴棍手、急三枪、白虎探爪、黄龙卧道等，都是使用枪、棍的不同手法。
[10] 度（duó）：估计，推测。
[11] 花酌：饮宴时赏花饮酒叫花酌。
[12] 奉扳（pān）：敬辞，意为攀附对方。扳，同“攀”。
[13] 华翰：对别人文章和书信的敬称。
[14] 绰着经儿：循着线索、顺着绺儿、乘着劲儿。
[15] 了劣：犹了帐、了结。
[16] 贽见：初次拜见长辈所送的礼物，后泛指见面时的礼物。
[17] 理起四平：又称“跌四平”，一种武术动作。
[18] 公道：确实，实在。
CHAPTER 17. Pilgrim Sun greatly disturbs the Black Wind Mountain; Guanshiyin brings to submission the bear monster.
We now tell you that when Pilgrim Sun somersaulted into the air, he so terrified the monks, the dhūtas, the young novices, and the attendants at the Guanyin Hall that every person bowed to the sky, saying, “O, Father! So you are actually an incarnate deity who knows how to ride the fog and sail with the clouds! No wonder fire cannot harm you! That ignorant old carcass of ours—how despicable he was! He used all his intelligence only to bring disaster on his own head.” “Please rise, all of you,” said Tripitaka. “There’s no need for regret. Let’s hope that he’ll find the cassock, and everything will be all right. But if not, I would fear for your lives; for that disciple of mine has a bad temper, and I’m afraid that none of you will escape him.” When the monks heard this, they were all panic-stricken; they pleaded with Heaven for the cassock to be found so that their lives would be preserved, but we shall say no more about them for the moment.
We were telling you about the Great Sage Sun. Having leaped up into the air, he gave one twist of his torso and arrived at once at the Black Wind Mountain. Stopping his cloud, he looked carefully and saw that it was indeed a magnificent mountain, especially in this time of spring. You see
Many streams potently flowing,
Countless cliffs vying for beauty.
The birds call but no man is seen;
Though flowers fall, the tree’s yet scented.
The rain passes, the sky’s one moist sheet of blue;
The wind comes, the pines rock like screens of jade.
The mountain grass sprouts,
The wildflowers bloom
On hanging cliffs and high ranges.
The wisteria grows,
The handsome trees bud
On rugged peaks and flat plateaus.
You don’t even meet a recluse.
Where can you find a woodsman?
By the stream the cranes drink in pairs;
On the rocks wild apes madly play.
Augustly the branches spread their luscious green,
Basking their splendor in bright mountain mist.
Pilgrim was enjoying the scenery when suddenly he heard voices coming from beyond a lovely grass meadow. With light, stealthy steps, he inched forward and hid himself beneath a cliff to have a peep. He saw three monsters sitting on the ground: a swarthy fellow in the middle, a Daoist to the left, and a white-robed scholar to the right. They were in the midst of an animated conversation, discussing how to establish the tripod and the oven, how to knead the cinnabar and refine the mercury, the topics of white snow and yellow sprout,1 and the esoteric doctrines of heterodox Daoism. As they were speaking, the swarthy fellow said, laughing, “The day after tomorrow will be the date of my mother’s labor. Will you two gentlemen pay me a visit?” “Every year we celebrate the Great King’s birthday,” said the white-robed scholar. “How could we think of not coming this year?” “Last night I came upon a treasure,” said the swarthy fellow, “which may be called a brocaded robe of Buddha. It’s a most attractive thing, and I think I’m going to use it to enhance my birthday. I plan to give a large banquet, starting tomorrow, and to invite all our Daoist friends of various mountains to celebrate this garment. We shall call the party the Festival of the Buddha Robe. How about that?” “Marvelous! Marvelous!” said the Daoist, laughing. “First I’ll come to the banquet tomorrow, and then I’ll bring you good wishes on your birthday the day after.”
When Pilgrim heard them speaking about a robe of Buddha, he was certain that they were referring to his own treasure. Unable to suppress his anger, he leaped clear of his hiding place and raised high the golden-hooped rod with both hands, shouting, “You larcenous monsters! You stole my cassock. What Festival of the Buddha Robe do you think you are going to have? Give it back to me at once, and don’t try to run away!” Wielding his rod, he struck at their heads. In panic, the swarthy fellow fled by riding the wind, and the Daoist escaped by mounting the clouds. The white-robed scholar, however, was killed by one stroke of the rod, and he turned out to be the spirit of a white-spotted snake when Pilgrim pulled his body over for closer examination. He picked up the corpse again and broke it into several pieces before proceeding deep into the mountain to look for the swarthy fellow. Passing pointed peaks and rugged ridges, he found himself in front of a hanging cliff with a cave dwelling below it. You see
Mist and smoke abundant,
Cypress and pine umbrageous.
Mist and smoke abundant, their hues surround the door;
Cypress and pine umbrageous, their green entwines the gate.
Flat, dried wood supports a bridge.
Wisterias coil round the ridge.
Birds carrying red petals reach the cloudy gorge.
And deer tread on florets to comb the rocky flats.
Before that door
The flowers bloom with the season
As the wind wafts their fragrance.
Atop the dyke-shading willows orioles sing;
O’er the bank’s sweet peaches butterflies flit.
This rustic spot, though no cause for much praise,
Still rivals the3 beauty of Mount Penglai.2
Pilgrim went to the door and found that the two stone doors were tightly closed. On top of the door was a stone tablet, on which was plainly written in large letters, “Black Wind Mountain, Black Wind Cave.” He lifted his rod to beat at the door, crying, “Open the door!” A little demon who stood guard at the door came out and asked, “Who are you, that you dare beat at our immortal cave?” “You damnable beast!” scolded Pilgrim. “What sort of a place is this, that you dare assume the title of ‘immortal’? Is the word ‘immortal’ for you to use? Hurry inside and tell that swarthy fellow to bring out your venerable father’s cassock at once. Then I may spare the lives of the whole nest of you.” The little demon ran swiftly inside and reported: “Great King! You won’t have a Festival of the Buddha Robe. There’s a monk with a hairy face and a thunder-god mouth outside demanding the cassock.”
That swarthy fellow, after being chased by Pilgrim from the grass meadow, had just managed to reach the cave. He had not even been able to sit down when he again heard this announcement, and he thought to himself: “I wonder where this fellow came from, so arrogant that he dared show up making demands at my door!” He asked for his armor, and, after putting it on, he walked outside holding a lance with black tassels. Pilgrim stood on one side of the gate, holding his iron rod and glaring. The monster indeed cut a formidable figure:
A bowl-like helmet of dark burnished steel;
A black-gold cuirass that shone most bright.
A black silk robe with wide wind-bagging sleeves,
And dark green sashes with long, long tassels.
He held in his hands a black-tasseled lance.
He wore on his feet two black-leather boots.
His eyes’ golden pupils like lightning flashed.
He was thus in this mountain the Black Wind King.
“This fellow,” said Pilgrim, smiling to himself, “looks exactly like a kiln worker or a coal miner. He must scrub charcoal here for a living! How did he get to be black all over?” The monster called out in a loud voice, “What kind of a monk are you that you dare to be so impudent around here?” Rushing up to him with his iron rod, Pilgrim roared, “No idle conversation! Return the cassock of your venerable grandfather at once!” “What monastery are you from, bonze?” asked the monster, “and where did you lose your cassock that you dare show up at my place and demand its return?” “My cassock,” said Pilgrim, “was stored in the back room of the Guanyin Hall due north of here. Because of the fire there, you committed robbery by taking advantage of the confusion; after making off with the garment, you even wanted to start a Festival of the Buddha Robe to celebrate your birthday. Do you deny this? Give it back to me quickly, and I’ll spare your life. If you but mutter half a ‘no,’ I’ll overturn the Black Wind Mountain and level the Black Wind Cave. Your whole cave of demons will be pulverized!”
When the monster heard these words, he laughed scornfully and said, “You audacious creature! You yourself set the fire last night, for you were the one who summoned the wind on top of the roof. I took the cassock all right, but what are you going to do about it? Where do you come from, and what is your name? What ability do you have, that you dare mouth such reckless words?” Pilgrim said, “So you don’t recognize your venerable grandfather! He is the disciple of the Master of the Law, Tripitaka, who happens to be the brother of the Throne in the Great Tang Nation. My surname is Sun, and my given name is Wukong Pilgrim. If I tell you my abilities, you’ll be frightened out of your wits and die right on the spot!” “I won’t,” said the monster. “Tell me what abilities you have.” “My son,” said Pilgrim, laughing, “brace yourself! Listen carefully!3
Great since my youth was my magic power;
I changed with the wind to display my might.
Long I trained my nature and practiced Truth
To flee the wheel of karma with my life.
With mind sincere I always sought the Way;
Seedlings of herbs I plucked on Mount Lingtai.4
There was in that mountain an old immortal.
His age: one hundred and eight thousand years!
He became my master most solemnly
And showed me the way to longevity,
Saying that in my body were physic and pills
Which one would work in vain to seek outside.
He gave me those high secrets of the gods;
With no foundation I would have been lost.
My inner light relumed, I sat in peace
As sun and moon mated within myself.5
I thought of nothing—all my desires gone,
My body strengthened, my six senses cleansed.
From age back to youth was an easy boon;
To join transcendents was no distant goal.
Three years without leaks6 made a godlike frame,
Immune to sufferings known to mortal men.
Playing through the Ten Islets and Three Isles,
I made the rounds at Heaven’s very edge.
I lived like that for some three hundred years,
Though not yet ascended to the Ninefold Heaven.
Taming sea dragons brought me treasure true:
The golden-hooped rod I did find below.
As field marshal at the Flower-Fruit Mount,
Monsters I gathered at Water-Curtain Cave.
Then the Jade Emperor gave to me the name,
Equal to Heaven—such, the rank most high.
Thrice I caused havoc in Divine Mists Hall;
Once I stole peaches from the Mother Queen.
Thus came a hundred thousand men divine
To curb me with their rows of spears and swords.
The Devarāja was beaten back to Heaven,
While Naṭa in pain led his troops and fled.
Xiansheng Master7 knew transformations well;
With him I waged a contest and I fell.
Laozi, Guanyin, and the Jade Emperor
All watched the battle at South Heaven Gate.
When Laozi decided to lend his help,
Erlang brought me to Heaven’s magistrate.
To the monster-routing pillar I was tied;
The gods were told to have my head cut off.
Failing to harm me with either sledge or sword,
They would blast and burn me with thunderclaps.
What skills indeed did this old Monkey have,
Who was not even half a whit afraid!
Into Laozi’s brazier they sent me next,
To have me slowly cooked by fire divine.
The day the lid was opened I jumped out
And ran through Heaven brandishing a rod.
Back and forth I prowled with none to stop me,
Making havoc through all thirty-six Heavens.
Then Tathāgata revealed his power:
Under Mount Five Phases he had me clamped,
And there I squirmed for a full five hundred years
Till by luck Tripitaka left the Tang court.
Now I go West, having yielded to Truth,
To see Jade Eyebrows at Great Thunderclap.8
Go and ask in the four corners of the universe:
You’ll learn I’m the famous ranking daimon of all time!”
When the monster heard these words, he laughed and said, “So you are the BanHorsePlague who disturbed the Celestial Palace?” What most annoyed Pilgrim was when people called him BanHorsePlague. The moment he heard that name, he lost his temper. “You monstrous rogue!” he shouted. “You would not return the cassock you stole, and yet you dare insult this holy monk. Don’t run away! Watch this rod!” The swarthy fellow jumped aside to dodge the blow; wielding his long lance, he went forward to meet his opponent. That was some battle between the two of them:
The compliant rod,
The black-tasseled lance.
Two men display their power before the cave:
Stabbing at the heart and face;
Striking at the head and arm.
This one proves handy with a death-dealing rod;
That one tilts the lance for swift, triple jabs.
The “white tiger climbing the mountain” extends his paws;
The “yellow dragon lying on the road”9 turns his back.
With colored mists flying
And bright flashes of light,
Two monster-gods’ strength is yet to be tried.
One’s the truth-seeking, Equal-to-Heaven Sage;
One’s the Great Black King who’s now a spirit.
Why wage this battle in the mountain still?
The cassock, for which each would aim to kill!
That monster fought with Pilgrim for more than ten rounds until about noon, but the battle was a draw. Using his lance to halt the rod for a moment, the swarthy fellow said, “Pilgrim Sun, let us put away our weapons for the time being. Let me have some lunch first, and then I’ll wage a further contest with you.” “Accursed beast!” said Pilgrim. “You want to be a hero? Which hero wants to eat after fighting for merely half a day? Consider old Monkey, who was imprisoned beneath the mountain for altogether five hundred years and he hadn’t even tasted a drop of water. So, what’s this about being hungry? Don’t give me any excuses and don’t run away! Give me back my cassock, and I’ll allow you to go and eat.” But that monster only managed to throw one more feeble thrust with his lance before dashing into the cave and shutting his stone doors. He dismissed his little demons and made preparations for the banquet, writing out invitation cards to the monster kings of various mountains, but we shall say no more about that.
We must tell you that Pilgrim had no success in breaking down the door and so had to return to the Guanyin Hall. The clerics of that monastery had already buried the old monk, and they were all gathered in the back room to minister to the Tang Monk, serving him lunch soon after he had finished breakfast. As they were scurrying about fetching soup and hauling water, Pilgrim was seen descending from the sky. The monks bowed courteously and received him into the back room to see Tripitaka. “Wukong,” said Tripitaka, “so you’ve returned. How is the cassock?” “At least I found the real culprit,” said Pilgrim. “It was a good thing that we did not punish these monks, for the monster of Black Wind Mountain did steal it. I went secretly looking for him, and saw him seated on a beautiful grass meadow having a conversation with a white-robed scholar and an old Daoist. He was, in a sense, making a confession without being tortured, saying something about the day after tomorrow being his birthday, when he would invite all the other griffins for the occasion. He also mentioned that he had found an embroidered Buddha robe last night, in celebration of which he was planning to throw a large banquet, calling it the Festival of the Buddha Robe. Old Monkey rushed up to them and struck out with his rod; the swarthy fellow changed into the wind and left, and the Daoist also disappeared. The white-robed scholar, however, was killed, and he turned out to be a white-spotted snake who had become a spirit. I quickly chased the swarthy fellow to his cave and demanded that he come out to fight. He had already admitted that he took the cassock, but we fought to a draw after half a day of battle. The monster returned to his cave because he wanted to eat; he closed his stone doors tightly and refused to fight anymore. I came back to see how you were and to make this report to you. Since I know the whereabouts of the cassock, I’m not worried about his unwillingness to give it back to me.”
When the various monks heard this, some of them folded their hands while others kowtowed, all chanting, “Namo Amitābha! Now that the whereabouts of the cassock is known, we have a claim to our lives again.”
“Don’t celebrate yet,” said Pilgrim, “for I have not yet recovered it, nor has my master left. Wait until we have the cassock so that my master can walk peacefully out of this door before you start cheering. If there’s the slightest mishap, old Monkey is no customer to be provoked, is he? Have you served some good things to my master? Have you given our horse plenty of hay?”
“We have, we have, we have!” cried the monks hastily. “Our service to the holy monk has not slackened in the least!” “You were gone only half a day,” said Tripitaka, “and I have been served tea three times and have had two vegetarian meals. They didn’t dare slight me. You should therefore make a great effort to get back the cassock.” “Don’t rush!” said Pilgrim. “Since I know where he is, I shall certainly capture this fellow and return the garment to you. Relax! Relax!”
As they were speaking, the abbot brought in some more vegetarian dainties to serve to the holy monk Sun. Pilgrim ate some and left at once on the hallowed cloud to search for the monster. As he was traveling, he saw a little demon approaching from the main road, who had a box made of pear tree wood wedged between his left arm and his body. Suspecting that something important was inside the box, Pilgrim raised his rod and brought it down hard on the demon’s head. Alas, the demon could not take such a blow! He was instantly reduced to a meat patty, which Pilgrim tossed to the side of the road. When he opened the box, there was indeed an invitation slip, on which was written:
Your student-servant, the Bear, most humbly addresses the Exalted Aged Dean of the Golden Pool. For the gracious gifts you have bestowed on me on several occasions I am profoundly grateful. I regret that I was unable to assist you last night when you were visited by the God of Fire, but I suppose that Your Holy Eminence has not been adversely affected in any way. Your student by chance has acquired a Buddha robe, and this occasion calls for a festive celebration. I have therefore prepared with care some fine wine for your enjoyment, with the sincere hope that Your Holy Eminence will be pleased to give us a visit. This invitation is respectfully submitted two days in advance.
When Pilgrim saw this, he roared with laughter, saying, “That old carcass! He didn’t lose anything by his death! So he belonged to a monster’s gang! Small wonder that he lived to his two hundred and seventieth year! That monster, I suppose, must have taught him some little magic like ingesting his breath,10 and that was how he enjoyed such longevity. I can still remember how he looked. Let me change myself into that monk and go to the cave to see where my cassock is located. If I can manage it, I’ll take it back without wasting my energy.”
Dear Great Sage! He recited a spell, faced the wind, and changed at once into an exact semblance of that old monk. Putting away his iron rod, he strode to the cave, crying, “Open the door!” When the little demon who stood at the door saw such a figure, he quickly made his report inside: “Great King, the Elder of the Golden Pool has arrived.” Greatly surprised, the monster said, “I just sent a little one to deliver an invitation to him, but he could not possibly have reached his destination even at this moment. How could the old monk arrive so quickly? I suppose the little one did not run into him on the way, but Pilgrim Sun must have asked him to come here for the cassock. You, steward, hide the cassock! Don’t let him see it!”
Walking through the front door, Pilgrim saw in the courtyard pines and bamboos sharing their green, peaches and plums competing in their glamour; flowers were blooming everywhere, and the air was heavy with the scent of orchids. It was quite a grotto-heaven. He saw, moreover, a parallel couplet mounted on both sides of the second doorway that read:
A deep mountain retreat without worldly cares.
A divine cave secluded—what joy serene.
Pilgrim said to himself, “This fellow is also one who withdraws from dirt and dust, a fiendish creature who knows his fate.”11 He walked through the door and proceeded further; when he passed through the third doorway, he saw carved beams with elaborate ornaments and large windows brightly decorated. Then the swarthy fellow appeared, wearing a casual jacket made of fine dark-green silk, topped by a crow-green cape of figured damask; he wore a head-wrap of black cloth and was shod in a pair of black suede boots. When he saw Pilgrim entering, he tidied his clothes and went down the steps to receive him, saying, “Golden Pool, old friend, we haven’t seen each other for days. Please take a seat! Please take a seat!” Pilgrim greeted him ceremoniously, after which they sat down and drank tea.
After tea, the monster bowed low and said, “I just sent you a brief note, humbly inviting you to visit me the day after tomorrow. Why does my old friend grant me that pleasure today, already?” “I was just coming to pay my respects,” said Pilgrim, “and I did not anticipate meeting your kind messenger. When I saw that there was going to be a Festival of the Buddha Robe, I came hurriedly, hoping to see the garment.” “My old friend may be mistaken,” said the monster, laughing. “This cassock originally belonged to the Tang Monk, who was staying at your place. Why would you want to look at it here, since you must surely have seen it before?” “Your poor monk,” answered Pilgrim, “did borrow it, but he did not have the opportunity last night to examine it before it was taken by the Great King. Moreover, our monastery, including all our belongings, was destroyed by fire, and the disciple of that Tang Monk was rather bellicose about the matter. In all that confusion, I couldn’t find the cassock anywhere, not knowing that the Great King in his good fortune found it. That is why I came specially to see it.”
As they were speaking, one of the little demons out on patrol came back to report: “Great King, disaster! The junior officer who went to deliver the invitation was beaten to death by Pilgrim Sun and left by the wayside. Our enemy followed the clue and changed himself into the Golden Pool Elder so that he could obtain the Buddha robe by fraud.” When the monster heard that, he said to himself, “I was wondering already why he came today, and in such a hurried manner too! So, it’s really he!” Leaping up, he grabbed his lance and aimed it at Pilgrim. Whipping out the rod from his ear, Pilgrim assumed his original form and parried the lance. They rushed from the living room to the front courtyard, and from there they fought their way out to the front door. The monsters in the cave were frightened out of their wits; young and old in that household were horror-stricken. This fierce contest before the mountain was even unlike the last one. What a fight!
This Monkey King boldly posed as a monk;
That swarthy chap wisely concealed the robe.
Back and forth went their clever repartee,
Adapting to each instant perfectly.
He would see the cassock but had no means:
This runic treasure’s a mystery indeed!
The small imp on patrol announced mishap;
The old fiend in anger showed his power.
They fought their way out of the Black Wind Cave,
The rod and the lance forced a trial by might.
The rod checked the lance, their noise resounding;
The lance met the rod, causing sparks to fly.
The changes of Wukong, all unknown to men;
The monster’s magic skills, so rare on earth.
This one wanted for his birthday fete a Buddha robe.
Would that one with no cassock go home in peace?
The bitter fight this time seemed without end.
Even a live Buddha descending could not break them up!
From the entrance of the cave the two of them fought up to the peak of the mountain, and from the peak of the mountain they fought their way up to the clouds. Belching wind and fog, kicking up sand and rocks, they fought until the red sun sank toward the west, but neither of them could gain the upper hand. The monster said, “Hey, Sun! Stop for a moment! It’s getting too late to fight any more. Go away! Come back tomorrow morning, and we’ll decide your fate.” “Don’t run away, my son,” cried Pilgrim. “If you want to fight, act like a fighter! Don’t give me the excuse that it’s getting late.” With his rod, he rained blows indiscriminately on his opponent’s head and face, but the swarthy fellow changed once more into a clear breeze and went back to his cave. Tightly bolting his stone doors, he refused to come out.
Pilgrim had no alternative except to go back to the Guanyin Hall. Dropping down from the clouds, he said, “Master.” Tripitaka, who was waiting for him with bulging eyes, was delighted to see him; but when he did not see the cassock, he became frightened again. “How is it that you still have not brought back the cassock?” he asked. Pilgrim took out from his sleeve the invitation slip and handed it over to Tripitaka, saying, “Master, the monster and that old carcass used to be friends. He sent a little demon here with this invitation for him to go to a Festival of the Buddha Robe. I killed the little demon and changed into the form of the old monk to get inside the cave. I managed to trick him into giving me a cup of tea, but when I asked for the cassock, he refused to show it to me. As we were sitting there, my identity was leaked by someone on patrol in the mountain, and we began to fight. The battle lasted until this early evening and ended in a draw. When the monster saw that it was late, he slipped back into the cave and tightly bolted up his stone door. Old Monkey had no choice but to return here for the moment.”
“How’s your skill as a fighter when compared with his?” asked Tripitaka. “Not much better,” said Pilgrim. “We are quite evenly matched.” Tripitaka then read the invitation slip and handed it to the abbot, saying, “Could it be that your master was also a monster-spirit?” Falling to his knees, the abbot said, “Old Father, my master is human. Because that Great Black King attained the way of humanity through self-cultivation, he frequently came to the monastery to discuss religious texts with my master. He imparted to my master a little of the magic of nourishing one’s spirit and ingesting breath; hence they address each other as friends.”
“This bunch of monks here,” said Pilgrim, “don’t have the aura of monsters: each one has a round head pointing to the sky and a pair of feet set flat on the earth. They are a little taller and heavier than old Monkey, but they are no monsters. Look at what’s written on the slip: ‘your student-servant, the Bear.’ This creature must be a black bear who has become a spirit.” Tripitaka said, “I have heard from the ancients that the bear and the ape are of the same kind. They are all beasts, in other words. How can this bear become a spirit?” “Old Monkey is also a beast,” said Pilgrim, laughing, “but I became the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven. Is he any different? All the creatures of this world who possess the nine apertures can become immortals through the art of self-cultivation.” “You just said that the two of you were evenly matched,” said Tripitaka again. “How can you defeat him and recover my cassock?” “Lay off! Lay off!” said Pilgrim. “I know what to do.” As they were discussing the matter, the monks brought in the evening meal for master and disciple. Afterwards, Tripitaka asked for lamps to go to the Chan hall in front to rest. The rest of the monks reclined against the walls beneath some temporary awnings and slept, while the back rooms were given to accommodate the senior and junior abbots. It was now late. You see
The Silver Stream aglow;
The air perfectly pure;
The sky full of bright and twinkling stars;
The river marked by receding tide.
All sounds are hushed;
All hills emptied of birds.
The fisherman’s fire dies by the brook;
The lamps grow faint on the pagoda.
Last night ācāryas sounded drums and bells.
Only weeping is heard throughout this night!
So they spent the night in the Chan hall, but Tripitaka was thinking about the cassock. How could he possibly sleep well? As he tossed and turned, he suddenly saw the windows growing bright. He arose at once and called: “Wukong, it’s morning. Go find the cassock quickly.” Pilgrim leaped up with a bound and saw that the monks were bringing in washing water. “All of you,” said Pilgrim, “take care to minister to my master. Old Monkey is leaving.” Getting up from his bed, Tripitaka clutched at him, asking, “Where are you going?” “Come to think of it,” said Pilgrim, “this whole affair reveals the irresponsibility of the Bodhisattva Guanyin. She has a Chan hall here where she has enjoyed the incense and worship of all the local people, and yet she can permit a monster-spirit to be her neighbor. I’m leaving for the South Sea to find her for a little conversation. I’m going to ask her to come here and demand that the monster return the cassock to us.” “When will you be back?” asked Tripitaka. “Probably right after breakfast,” answered Pilgrim. “At the latest, I should be back around noon, when everything should be taken care of. All of you monks must take care to wait on my master. Old Monkey is leaving.”
He said he was leaving, and the next instant he was already out of sight. In a moment, he arrived at the South Sea, where he stopped his cloud to look around. He saw
A vast expanse of ocean,
Where water and sky seemed to merge.
Auspicious light shrouded the earth;
Hallowed air brightened the world.
Endless snow-capped waves surged up to Heaven;
Layers of misty billows washed out the sun.
Water flying every where;
Waves churning all around.
Water flying every where rolled like thunderclaps;
Waves churning all around boomed like cannonade.
Speak not merely of water;
Let’s look more at the center.
The treasure-filled mountain of five dazzling colors:
Red, yellow, green, deep purple, and blue.
If this be Guanyin’s scenic region true,
Look further at Potalaka of South Sea.
What a splendid place!
The tall mountain peak
Cut through airy space.
In its midst were thousands of rare flowers,
A hundred kinds of divine herbs.
The wind stirred the precious trees;
The sun shone on the golden lotus.
Glazed tiles covered the Guanyin Hall;
Tortoiseshell spread before the Tidal-Sound Cave.
In the shades of green willow the parrot spoke;
Within the bamboo grove the peacock sang.
On rocks with grains like fingerprints,
The guardians fierce and solemn.
Before the cornelian foreshore,
Mokṣa strong and heroic.
Pilgrim, who could hardly take his eyes off the marvelous scenery, lowered his cloud and went straight to the bamboo grove. The various deities were there to receive him, saying, “The Bodhisattva told us some time ago about the conversion of the Great Sage, for whom she had nothing but praise. You are supposed to be accompanying the Tang Monk at this moment. How do you have the time to come here?” “Because I am accompanying the Tang Monk,” said Pilgrim, “I had an incident on our journey about which I must see the Bodhisattva. Please announce my arrival.” The deities went to the mouth of the cave to make the announcement, and the Bodhisattva asked him to enter. Obeying the summons, Pilgrim went before the bejeweled lotus platform and knelt down.
“What are you doing here?” asked the Bodhisattva. “On his journey my master came across one of your Chan halls,” said Pilgrim, “where you receive the services of fire and incense from the local people. But you also permitted a Black Bear Spirit to live nearby and to steal the cassock of my master. Several times I tried to get it back but without success. I have come specifically to ask you for it.” The Bodhisattva said, “This monkey still speaks insolently! If the Bear Spirit stole your cassock, why did you come to ask me for it? It was all because you had the presumption, you wretched ape, to show off your treasure to sinister people. Moreover, you had your share of evildoing when you called for the wind to intensify the fire, which burned down one of my way stations down below. And yet you still want to be rowdy around here?” When Pilgrim heard the Bodhisattva speaking like that, he realized that she had knowledge of past and future events. Hurriedly he bowed with humility and said, “Bodhisattva, please pardon the offense of your disciple. It was as you said. But I’m upset by the monster’s refusal to give us back our cassock, and my master is threatening to recite that spell of his at any moment. I can’t bear the headache, and that’s why I have come to cause you inconvenience. I beseech the Bodhisattva to have mercy on me and help me capture that monster, so that we may recover the garment and proceed toward the West.”
“That monster has great magical power,” said the Bodhisattva, “really just as strong as yours. All right! For the sake of the Tang Monk, I’ll go with you this time.” When Pilgrim heard this, he bowed again in gratitude and asked the Bodhisattva to leave at once. They mounted the blessed clouds and soon arrived on the Black Wind Mountain. Dropping down from the clouds, they followed a path to look for the cave.
As they were walking, they saw a Daoist coming down the mountain slope, holding a glass tray on which there were two magic pills. Pilgrim ran right into him, whipped out his rod, and brought it down squarely on his head, with one blow causing the brains to burst and blood to shoot out from the neck. Completely stunned, the Bodhisattva said, “Monkey, you are still so reckless! He didn’t steal your cassock; he neither knew nor wronged you. Why did you kill him with one blow?”
“Bodhisattva,” said Pilgrim, “you may not recognize him, but he is a friend of the Black Bear Spirit. Yesterday he was having a conversation with a white-robed scholar on the grass meadow. Since they were invited to the cave of the Black Bear Spirit, who was going to give a Festival of the Buddha Robe to celebrate his birthday, this Daoist said that he would first go to celebrate his friend’s birthday today and then attend the festival tomorrow. That’s how I recognized him. He must have been on his way to celebrate the monster’s birthday.” “If that’s how it is, all right,” said the Bodhisattva. Pilgrim then went to pick up the Daoist and discovered that he was a gray wolf. The tray, which had fallen to one side, had an inscription on the bottom: “Made by Master Transcending Void.”
When Pilgrim saw this, he laughed and said, “What luck! What luck! Old Monkey will benefit; the Bodhisattva will save some energy. This monster may be said to have made a confession without torture, while the other monster may be destined to perish today.” “What are you saying, Wukong?” said the Bodhisattva. “Bodhisattva,” said Pilgrim, “I, Wukong, have a saying: plot should be met with plot. I don’t know whether you will listen to me or not.” “Speak up!” said the Bodhisattva.
“Look, Bodhisattva!” said Pilgrim. “There are two magic pills on this little tray, and they are introductory gifts that we shall present to the monster. Beneath the tray is the five-word inscription ‘Made by Master Transcending Void,’ and this shall serve as our contact with the monster. If you will listen to me, I’ll give you a plan that will dispense with weapons and do away with combat. In a moment, the monster will meet pestilence; in the twinkling of an eye, the Buddha robe will reappear. If you do not follow my suggestion, you may go back to the West, and I, Wukong, will return to the East; the Buddha robe will be counted as lost, while Tripitaka Tang will have journeyed in vain.”
“This monkey is pretty clever with his tongue!” said the Bodhisattva, laughing. “Hardly!” said Pilgrim. “But it is a small plan!” “What’s your plan?” asked the Bodhisattva. “Since the tray has this inscription beneath it,” said Pilgrim, “the Daoist himself must be this Master Transcending Void. If you agree with me, Bodhisattva, you can change yourself into this Daoist. I’ll take one of the pills and then change myself into another pill—a slightly bigger one, that is. Take this tray with the two magic pills and present them to the monster as his birthday gift. Let the monster swallow the bigger pill, and old Monkey will accomplish the rest. If he is unwilling to return the Buddha robe, old Monkey will make one—even if I have to weave it with his guts!”
The Bodhisattva could not think of a better plan and she had to nod her head to show her approval. “Well?” said Pilgrim, laughing. Immediately the Bodhisattva exercised her great mercy and boundless power. With her infinite capacity for transformation, her mind moved in perfect accord with her will, and her will with her body: in one blurry instant, she changed into the form of the immortal Master Transcending Void.
Her crane-down cloak swept by the wind,
With airy steps she’d pace the void.
Her face, aged like cypress and pine,
Shows fair, fresh features never seen.
She moves with freedom without end,
A special self-sustaining Thus!
In sum all return to one Form,
But from bodies perverse set free.
When Pilgrim saw the transformation, he cried, “Marvelous, Marvelous! Is the monster the Bodhisattva, or is the Bodhisattva the monster?” The Bodhisattva smiled and said, “Wukong, the Bodhisattva and the monster—they both exist in a single thought. Considered in terms of their origin, they are all nothing.” Immediately enlightened, Pilgrim turned around and changed at once into a magic pill:
A rolling-pan steadying pearl—
Round, bright, of no known recipe.
Fused “three time three”12 at Mount Goulou;13
Forged “six times six,” with Shao Weng’s14 help.
Like glazed tiles and yellow gold flames
It shines with sun and mani’s light.
Its coat of mercury and lead
Has power not with ease assessed.
The pill into which Pilgrim had changed was slightly larger than the other one. Making a mental note of it, the Bodhisattva took the glass tray and went straight to the entrance of the monster’s cave. She paused to look around and saw
Deep gorges, parlous cliffs,
Clouds rising from the peaks;
Green pines and cypresses,
And wind rustling in the woods.
Deep gorges, parlous cliffs:
A place truly made for monsters and not for man!
But green pines and cypresses
Might seem fit for pious recluse to seek the Way.
The mountain has a stream,
And the stream has water,
Its current murmurs lightly as a lute
Worthy to cleanse your ears.
The cliff has deers,
The woods have cranes,
Where softly hums the music of the spheres
To lift your spirit.
So it was the bogus immortal’s luck that Bodhi came:
To vouchsafe boundless mercy was her vow.
After looking over the place, the Bodhisattva was secretly pleased and said to herself, “If this cursed beast could occupy such a mountain, it might be that he is destined to attain the Way.” Thus she was already inclined to be merciful.
When she walked up to the cave’s entrance, some of the little demons standing guard there recognized her, saying, “Immortal Transcending Void has arrived.” Some went to announce her arrival, while others greeted her. Just then, the monster came bowing out the door, saying, “Transcending Void, you honor my humble abode with your divine presence!” “This humble Daoist,” said the Bodhisattva, “respectfully submits an elixir pill as a birthday gift.” After the two of them had bowed to each other, they were seated. The incidents of the day before were mentioned, but the Bodhisattva made no reply. Instead, she took up the tray and said, “Great King, please accept the humble regard of this little Daoist.” She chose the large pill and pushed it over to the monster, saying, “May the Great King live for a thousand years!” The monster then pushed the other pill over to the Bodhisattva, saying, “I wish to share this with Master Transcending Void.” After this ceremonial presentation, the monster was about to swallow it, but the pill rolled by itself right down his throat. It changed back into its original form and began to do physical exercises! The monster fell to the ground, while the Bodhisattva revealed her true form and recovered the Buddha Robe from the monster. Pilgrim then left the monster’s body through his nose, but fearing that the monster might still be truculent, the Bodhisattva threw a fillet on his head. As he arose, the monster did indeed pick up his lance to thrust at Pilgrim. The Bodhisattva, however, rose into the air and began reciting her spell. The spell worked, and the monster felt excruciating pain on his head; throwing away the lance, he rolled wildly all over the ground. In midair, the Handsome Monkey King nearly collapsed with laughter; down below the Black Bear Monster almost rolled himself to death on the ground.
“Cursed beast.” said the Bodhisattva, “will you now surrender?” “I surrender,” said the monster without any hesitation, “please spare my life!” Fearing that too much effort would have been wasted, Pilgrim wanted to strike at once. Quickly stopping him, the Bodhisattva said, “Don’t hurt him; I have some use for him.” Pilgrim said, “Why not destroy a monster like him, for of what use can he be?” “There’s no one guarding the rear of my Potalaka Mountain,” said the Bodhisattva, “and I want to take him back there to be a Great Mountain-Guardian God.” “Truly a salvific and merciful goddess,” said Pilgrim, laughing, “who will not hurt a single sentient being. If old Monkey knew a spell like that, he’d recite it a thousand times. That would finish off as many black bears as there are around here!”
So, we shall tell you about the monster, who regained consciousness after along time. Convinced by the unbearable pain, he had no choice but to fall on his knees and beg: “Spare my life, for I’m willing to submit to Truth!” Dropping down from the blessed luminosity, the Bodhisattva then touched his head and gave him the commandments, telling him to wait on her, holding the lance. So it was with the Black Bear:
Today his vaulting ambition is checked;
This time his boundless license has been curbed.
“You may return now, Wukong,” instructed the Bodhisattva, “and serve the Tang Monk attentively. Don’t start any more trouble with your carelessness.” “I’m grateful that the Bodhisattva was willing to come this far to help,” said Pilgrim, “and it is my duty as disciple to see you back.” “You may be excused,” said the Bodhisattva. Holding the cassock, Pilgrim then kowtowed to her and left, while the Bodhisattva led the bear and returned to the great ocean. We have a testimonial poem:
Auspicious light surrounds the golden form:
What maze of colors so worthy of praise!
She shows great mercy to succor mankind,
To reveal gold lotus as she scans the world.
She comes all because of scripture seeking;
Then she withdraws, as ever chaste and pure.
The fiend converted, she leaves for the sea;
A Buddhist regains a brocade-cassock.
We do not know what happened afterwards; let’s listen to the explanation in the next chapter.