For three to five hundred years, the Handsome Monkey King had enjoyed this insouciant existence.
In the spring they gathered flowers for food and drink.
In the summer they went in quest of fruits for sustenance.
In the autumn they amassed taros and chestnuts to ward off time.
In the winter they searched for yellow-sperms to live out the year.
The Fear of Death
Then one day, he suddenly grew troubled, tears streaming down his face. When the monkeys asked why, he lamented, “Though I am very happy at the moment, one day I will age and die.” Hearing this, the monkeys covered their faces and wept mournfully, sharing his dread.
A bareback monkey suddenly stepped forward and said, “If the Great King is so farsighted, it may well indicate the sprouting of his religious inclination. They are the Buddhas, the immortals, and the holy sages; these three alone can avoid the Wheel of Transmigration as well as the process of birth and destruction, and live as long as Heaven and Earth, the mountains and the streams. You must seek them out and learn their secrets.” “Where do they live?” asked the Monkey King. “In ancient caves on immortal mountains,” replied the elder monkey.
Overjoyed, the Monkey King ordered his subjects to prepare for his journey: felling pine trees to build a raft, crafting bamboo poles for oars, and gathering fruits for provisions. He vowed to roam the ends of the earth, seeking the immortals to master the art of immortality.
The next day, the monkeys laid out rare peaches, exotic fruits, fragrant herbs, and good wines on stone tables. They seated the Monkey King upon his throne, feasting and toasting him in turn, celebrating through the day.
At dawn, the Monkey King boarded his raft alone. With a push of his pole, he drifted into the vast sea. The monkeys lingered on the shore, wiping tears as they bid their king farewell.
The Heaven-born monkey, strong in magic might,
He left the mount and rode the raft to catch fair wind:
He drifted across the sea to seek immortals’ way,
Determined in heart and mind to achieve great things.
It’s his lot, his portion, to quit earthly zeals:
Calm and carefree, he’ll face a lofty sage.
He’d meet, I think, a true, discerning friend:
The source disclosed, all dharma will be known.
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