They passed rows and rows of lofty towers and huge alcoves, of pearly chambers and carved arches. After walking through innumerable quiet chambers and empty studios, they finally arrived beneath the Jade Platform, the Monkey King saw Patriarch Subodhi (Master Subhuti) seated solemnly, flanked by thirty young immortals.
An immortal of great ken and purest mien,
Master Subodhi, whose wondrous form of the West
Had no end or birth by work of the Double Three.
His whole spirit and breath were with mercy filled.
Empty, spontaneous, it could change at will,
His Buddha-nature able to do all things.
The same age as Heaven had his majestic frame.
Fully tried and enlightened was this grand priest.
The Monkey King’s Initiation
He prostrated himself repeatedly, crying, “Master! Master! I crossed oceans and wandered for over a decade to find you. Please accept me as your disciple!”
The patriarch asked, “Where is your home? What is your name?”
The Monkey King replied, “I hail from the Water Curtain Cave on Flower and Fruit Mountain in the Aolai Kingdom of the Eastern Continent. I have no name or parents—I was born from stone. I beg you to grant me a name!”
“Rise and walk,” commanded the patriarch. The Monkey King leapt up and shuffled about.
The patriarch chuckled, “Your form is rough, like a pine-nibbling macaque. Your surname shall be Sun (‘Monkey’), and your Dharma name Wukong (‘Awakened to Emptiness’).”
Overjoyed, Sun Wukong bowed deeply in gratitude.
Outside, he paid respects to his senior disciples. From the next day onward, he studied etiquette, scripture, debate, writing, and rituals with them. In his free time, he swept courtyards, tended gardens, watered plants, carried firewood, and fetched water—mastering every chore in the mountain.
Sun Wukong also trained in martial arts. While his peers brandished swords, spears, and staffs with skill, his own prowess eclipsed theirs. His blade dances blotted out the sun and moon; his swordplay streaked like meteors.
The patriarch’s disciples marveled at the stone-born prodigy who moved with the grace of storms and the precision of stars.
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