The Bodhisattva ordered the Monkey King:
“Go and confront that monster once more. You must allow yourself to be defeated and lure him to follow you here. I myself will make sure he gets what he deserves.”
Taunts and Broken Gates
Without hesitation, the Monkey King headed toward the entrance of the Fiery Cloud Cave. He clenched his left hand into a fist while gripping his iron rod in his right and shouted:
“Open this door at once!”
The demons guarding it ran off in fear to report to their master:
“It’s Sun Wukong again outside, demanding we open the door!”
“Bar the door tightly and pay no attention to him,” the Red Boy commanded.
“Don’t be like that, son!” the Monkey King continued shouting.
“It isn’t right to refuse to open the door to your own father after you’ve driven him from his home.”
A little later, the demons returned to their master and said:
“Sun Wukong won’t stop insulting you.”
“Don’t listen to him,” the Red Boy replied once more.
Seeing that no one responded to his shouts, the Monkey King lost patience. He raised his iron bar above his head and brought it down hard on the door, shattering it into a thousand pieces.
Enraged, the Red Boy hurled a mighty spear directly at the Pilgrim’s chest, but the Monkey King managed to block it with his iron bar. Thus began a fierce battle, in which the Monkey King appeared to be getting the worst of it.
The Chase to Potalaka
“What’s wrong with you, monkey?” the Red Boy sneered as he saw him retreating.
“Last time you fought me for thirty rounds—why are you running away so fast today?”
The Monkey King confessed:
“To be honest, I really don’t like your fire magic.”
The Red Boy replied:
“Don’t worry. This time I won’t use fire at all.”
Wukong concluded:
“In that case, you’d better step back a bit from your doorstep. After all, it’s not very polite to beat someone right in front of your own home.”
Of course, the Red Boy didn’t realize this was a trap. He rushed out in pursuit of his opponent, while the Monkey King dragged his iron bar behind him as though defeated.
Before long, they came within sight of the Bodhisattva. Turning his head, the Monkey King pleaded with her:
“Please give up your pursuit and let me go. I admit I’ve been made a fool of—again! Don’t you see that your chase has brought me all the way to the Southern Seas, where Bodhisattva Guanyin resides? Why not turn back?”
Furious and grinding his teeth, the Red Boy refused to believe him. He approached the Bodhisattva and, eyes wide with astonishment, asked her:
“Are you the reinforcement Sun Wukong went to fetch?”
Silence and Steel
The Bodhisattva did not reply. That only emboldened the monster further. He waved his spear before her and shouted even more rudely:
“I asked if you’re the reinforcement he went to get. Haven’t you heard me?”
Still, the Bodhisattva remained silent. The Red Boy raised his spear and struck at her heart.
Fortunately, at that very moment, the Bodhisattva transformed into a beam of light and rose swiftly upward, followed closely by the Monkey King, who scolded her:
“May I ask what you’re doing? That monster asked you a question, and you pretended to be deaf and dumb. Why are you fleeing too, leaving your lotus throne behind?”
The Bodhisattva advised him:
“Stop talking and follow me. Let’s see what that beast does next.”
The Thousand-Bladed Lotus
The Red Boy burst into laughter and said:
“How foolish that monkey is! Unable to defeat me, he goes and fetches a second-rate bodhisattva who’s good for nothing. What’s more surprising is that she didn’t even have time to take her lotus throne with her. Well then, it’s mine now, and I think I’ll take possession of it as soon as possible.”
The Red Boy climbed onto the lotus seat and sat cross-legged, hands folded just like a bodhisattva.
Surrender Through Suffering
Pointing her willow branch downward, the Bodhisattva cried:
“Retreat!”
Instantly, the leaves, petals, and radiant aura surrounding the throne vanished.
The Red Boy was startled to find himself sitting on the sharp tips of swords.
Blood spurted forth, revealing torn flesh and skin. Gritting his teeth to endure the pain, the beast dropped his spear and tried to pull the swords out of his body with both hands.
Again, the Bodhisattva pointed her willow branch at the monster and recited an incantation. The swords instantly transformed into hooks as sharp as wolf teeth—curved and nearly impossible to remove. The monster realized he was doomed and stopped struggling.
Overcome with pain, he raised his voice and said:
“Though I have eyes, I am truly blind. I failed to recognize the extraordinary power of your magic. I beg you to show mercy upon my ignorance and spare my life. If you do, I promise never to kill again and to become your disciple.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“Will you accept the precepts?”
“Yes, if you spare my life,” answered the monster, his eyes brimming with tears.
“Do you wish to become my disciple?” she asked again.
“If you spare my life, I assure you I will walk through the gates of the Dharma,” repeated the monster.
Satisfied, the Bodhisattva pointed at him and shouted:
“Retreat!”
At once, the constellation swords fell to the ground; the monster bore not a single wound.
Golden Bands of Obedience
However, the Red Boy’s evil instincts had not disappeared. As soon as he felt the pain leave his body and realized nothing held him down anymore, he grabbed his spear and threatened the Bodhisattva:
“You have no power to control me! All you’ve shown until now is mere trickery. Why would I need your precepts?”
The Red Boy launched another terrifying spear strike at the Bodhisattva’s face.
The Monkey King grew furious and reached immediately for his iron bar. But the Bodhisattva stopped him from pursuing vengeance, ordering:
“Do not strike him. I have a subtler punishment in mind.”
She pulled a golden band from her sleeve.
Shaking the band just once while facing the wind, the Bodhisattva cried:
“Transform!”
Instantly, the band became five Golden Hoops, which the Bodhisattva hurled at the Red Boy’s body. One attached itself to his head, while the other four fastened around his wrists and ankles.
The Bodhisattva made a magical gesture with her fingers and repeated a spell several times. The monster felt such unbearable pain that he began scratching his ears wildly and clawing at his face.
Realizing resistance against the Dharma was futile, he had no choice but to bow his head and accept defeat.
Waters Withdrawn, Mission Complete
Then the Bodhisattva recited a few magical words and gently shook the vase. The ocean waters flowed back into it—not a single drop was wasted.
An immense ocean poured from the porcelain vase of Bodhisattva Guanyin.
The Bodhisattva said to the Monkey King:
“As you can see, this monster has now been subdued. Go to the cave and finally rescue your Master.”
Wukong respectfully bowed to the Bodhisattva before taking his leave.
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