Having escaped the perils of thorns and entangled tree spirits, the pilgrims continued westward.
Soon winter came to an end, and spring returned, spreading its presence everywhere. The master and his disciples preferred the languid fragrance of flowers and the soft comfort of meadows.
The Celestial Mountain
Before long, they spotted in the distance a mountain so high it seemed to pierce the sky.
Pointing at it with his whip, the Tang Monk asked:
“Wukong, do you know how tall that mountain is? I have never seen anything like it. It looks as if it pierces the bluish vault of heaven itself.”
The Monkey King replied:
“Now that you mention it, I remember an old poem that said: Heaven covers all, and no mountain can rival its height. Thinking back, those lines must have referred to this very colossus before us. I don’t believe there’s another like it. Still, how is it possible that it reaches into the heavens?”
Bajie retorted:
“If it’s so rare, why do people say that Mount Kunlun props up the sky?”
Sha Wujing laughed aloud and exclaimed:
“Let’s keep going forward. Once we’ve climbed that mountain, we’ll truly know how high it is.”
Wukong cleared a path straight to the summit.
The Little Thunder Monastery
After crossing over, they began descending toward the west, arriving soon at a small plateau bathed in spiritual light, shimmering in many colors. At one end stood a magnificent building from which harmonious bell chimes rang out.
“What place is this?” Tripitaka wondered.
Wukong looked up and realized it was indeed an exceptional place.
The Monkey King said to the Tang Monk:
“As you suspected after carefully inspecting such a remarkable location, it is a monastery. However, for some reason, alongside the aura of holiness that surrounds all places where Zen is cultivated, I sense a certain atmosphere of hostility. Most surprisingly, it reminds me of the Thunder Monastery, though the road leading here is completely different. I think it would be best not to stop here. I detect something sinister that may turn against us at any moment.”
Tripitaka asked excitedly:
“Could it possibly be the Mountain of the Spirit? It wouldn’t be right if you were playing with my impatience and deliberately delaying the completion of our journey.”
“Of course not!” the Monkey King quickly exclaimed.
“I have visited the Mountain of the Spirit several times and can assure you this is not it.”
Bajie concluded:
“In that case, it must be the dwelling of someone truly virtuous.”
Sha Wujing added:
“What’s all this suspicion about? Whether we like it or not, the path leads right past its gate. What difference does it make if it isn’t the Thunder Monastery? The best thing we can do is take a look.”
The master spurred his horse and soon arrived at the gates of the building. Above the main entrance hung a monumental plaque bearing three characters: Thunder Monastery. The impact was so strong that he nearly fell off his horse.
The Tang Monk exclaimed, offended:
“Cursed monkey! You almost got me killed. Why did you try to deceive me when you knew full well this was the Thunder Monastery?”
The Monkey King pleaded with a smile, trying to calm him:
“Please don’t get angry with me. If you look more closely, you will see that inside the door there is another plaque with four characters instead of the three you read here.”
Unable to contain his excitement, the master turned his gaze to where he was being shown and indeed saw another plaque with an extra character, reading: Little Thunder Monastery.
Tripitaka sighed, disappointed:
“It’s only the Little Thunder Monastery! Still, there must be a Buddhist patriarch inside. I wonder which Buddha gives teachings within this monastery. Let’s go in and see who resides here.”
But the Monkey King advised:
“You shouldn’t do that. Although you may not believe me, this place harbors more evil than goodness. If you encounter something unpleasant, don’t blame me.”
Tripitaka replied:
“Even if no Buddha lives here, there should be at least a statue of one. Remember, at the beginning of this journey, I vowed to pay respects to every Buddha I encountered. How could I possibly blame you for what is entirely my own responsibility?”
Then he turned to Bajie and asked him to bring out his embroidered robe and monk’s cap. As soon as he had changed clothes, he headed toward the gate.
Deception Revealed
No sooner had he stepped foot inside the monastery than a voice was heard saying:
“You have come all the way from the Eastern Lands with the purpose of meeting our Buddha. How can you show so little respect after making such a great sacrifice?”
Upon hearing this, Tripitaka immediately prostrated himself face down on the ground, Bajie began bowing repeatedly, and Sha Wujing knelt in deep reverence. Only the Monkey King remained standing, holding the horse and the luggage.
Having thus expressed their respectful submission, they passed through a second gate and entered the Hall of Great Hero (great hall of Tathagata). Outside, just beneath the sacred throne, stood the Five Hundred Arhats, the Three Thousand Protectors of the Faith, the Four Diamond Kings, the begging nuns, the lay devotees, and countless legions of wise monks.
Overwhelmed by such a magnificent sight, the Tang Monk, Bajie, and Sha Wujing did not take a single step without first prostrating themselves face-down and touching the ground with their foreheads.
Only the Monkey King remained standing, watching as his companions slowly approached the spirit’s platform. From atop the lotus throne came a furious voice:
“How dare you not kneel before Tathagata, Sun Wukong?”
But the Monkey King was not intimidated. He looked straight into the eyes of the speaker and discovered that it was a false Buddha.
Defiance and Imprisonment
Leaving aside the horse and the luggage, he seized his iron staff with both hands and shouted furiously:
“Cursed beasts! It is you who should show more respect for the name of Buddha and not desecrate the unreachable sanctity of Tathagata! Don’t try to escape—taste the power of my iron rod!”
Without waiting for a reply, he launched himself into battle. At that very moment, a metallic sound rang out, and two golden cymbals fell upon the Monkey King, forming a kind of hermetic cage from which he could not escape.
Bajie and Sha Wujing tried to grab their weapons, but the false Arhats, protectors, and wise monks rushed at them. Even Tripitaka was captured and shackled like a criminal.
It then became clear that the one pretending to be Buddha was a monster, and all the others were his demon underlings. Once the travelers were captured, the impostors revealed their true forms and imprisoned them without mercy in the rear part of the monastery.
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