In the year 629 A.D., a very devout monk, T’ang Sung, hoping to achieve
merit by which he might avoid death and that he might become one of the
Eternal Holy Ones, accepted the proposal of his Emperor that he should
go to the west in search of the famous Buddhist Classics.
Alone he set out on his journey to the Yellow River where the caravans
to India were wont to form. On his way he met a wonderful monkey. The
monkey asked the priest where he was going, and on being told, decided
that he would go along with the good priest! “But what can you do? Why
should you go?” asked the monk.
The monkey replied, “I am a famous jumper. With one jump I can touch
the heavens; I can walk on water and on the air; I can change myself
into seventy-two different shapes.” After some more conversation the
monk consented to the company of the monkey, and giving him the name
Sun Hou, he fastened a string to his neck and started on his way. The
monkey was very changeful in his disposition and the monk had a hard
time making him mind. After going a few miles he met a holy man who
said, “If he does not mind you I will tell you something to say to him
which will make his head ache, and he will go quietly with you.” Going
along a few more miles they met a pig, and on hearing from the monkey
where they were going, said he also would go and help find the books.
“What can you do to help?” asked T’ang Sung.
“I can catch thieves and have power to do many strange things,” was the
reply; “and the only trouble with me is that I walk slowly.” The monk
considered the question, and as he did not like to be unkind to a pig
said he could go. Afterward on the road they met a very stupid simple
priest, and he plead so hard to be allowed to join the party that the
monk also consented; thus the four travelled slowly along until they
met a white horse. He asked the errand of the strange company, and
after hearing the story, said he also would go and T’ang Sung might
ride him. The foolish priest carried the baggage, the pig carried the
gun, and the monkey was sent on ahead to make all the arrangements.
On the road to India they had to pass seventy-two caves, where demons
lived, who were ever on the watch for travellers.
One day they travelled till night; all day they had been without food,
and as darkness came on and no village was in sight the monkey said, “I
will jump and see where a village is.” He gave a great jump and saw
they were not far from a village; he heard a great noise which
frightened him; he gave another jump and saw the village was on the
bank of a great river eight hundred yards wide. The monkey returned and
got his companions and led them to the home of the rich man of the
village.
He struck the bell the priest carried, and the servants, on opening the
gate and seeing the queer procession, were very much frightened. Sun
Hou said, “Don’t be afraid. We are from the Emperor, and going to India
to get the sacred books of the great Buddha. We want something to eat
and a place to sleep, as we are very weary.”
The owner of the place replied, “I am able to give what you ask, but
not to-night as I am in great trouble.”
“What is it? Perhaps I can help you,” said the monkey.
Then said the rich man, “For long years a terrible demon has lived in
the river and every year we have to prepare a young boy and a young
girl as an offering for him or he will destroy the village by causing
the river to overflow. To-night is the yearly sacrifice and it falls on
me. I am a large householder, but I have only one little boy and one
little girl, and my heart is breaking with my grief, but I must give
them up to save the lives of the many in the village.” Sun Hou said,
after a moment’s thought, “Don’t be anxious. I have a plan. Get us
something to eat.”
After eating, Sun Hou commanded that the children should be brought
into the room. After looking at them Sun Hou said to the pig, “You
impersonate the girl and I will the boy;” the pig shook himself three
times, and the father said, “Well done.” Soon after the procession,
which had been forming in the village, came for them, with drums
beating and banners flying. They carried the supposed children to the
temple on the river bank. Cooked chicken was placed on the table, the
incense lighted, then all went out and the door was locked.
Then when all was quiet Sun Hou said to the pig, “You take one side and
I will the other and don’t be afraid.” About midnight there was the
sound of a great wind, and then Sun Hou said, “Be careful, the demon,
Yao Ching, is coming.” Immediately the door opened and a great fishlike
being came into the temple. They heard him say, “In the past I have
taken the boy first, but to-night I shall eat the girl first.” With
that he seized the girl, who immediately struck him, and then, with the
help of the boy, fought a terrible battle and injured him so that he
fled, leaving two great fins on the floor.
The river-demon sought out the king of the demons and told him the
story. He said, “You call up a great cold wind, bring snow and ice and
freeze over the river, then when they get half-way over the river, you
call your friends to help you and put your strength together and cause
the ice to give way and precipitate them all into the river.”
The demon was pleased with the plan and in three days the ice was so
thick that farmers could cross in their carts. All this time the four
strange companions were living in great comfort with the rich man of
the house, who gave them many rich presents and much food. On the
fourth day they started on, and when they got to the middle of the
river the ice broke and all went into the water except the monkey, who
gave a great jump and landed on the top of a high mountain. The others
were taken captive, and put in a deep cave by the river-demon to wait
until they had caught Sun Hou, when all should be eaten together. Day
after day, Sun Hou went down on the river bank and reviled them. Many
were the fierce battles they fought but neither could get the victory.
At last one day Sun Hou took a mighty jump and arrived at the home of
the Goddess of Mercy, who was in her palace in the Southern Sea.
“Ah!” said she; “I knew you were coming. I have waited for you.” She
was making a fish-basket of bamboo. When she heard his troubles she
said, “Wait. I am making this great fish-basket to catch him in. He
used to live in my sea, and is my special food fish, but he rebelled
and ran away and for many years has lived in the great river. You go
back and call him and fight again, and I will come and get him in my
basket.” In the terrible battle which followed the Goddess of Mercy let
from Heaven a basket and took him in and up to Heaven.
Then Sun Hou called some of the Heavenly Soldiers to his aid, and they
went with him and found his companions in a cave, but alas! the men
could not swim. While Sun Hou was pondering, a big turtle came along
and said, “I knock my head to you. You are my preserver. Many years ago
this cave was mine, but the river-demons took it, and now, to show my
thanks, if you will all get on my back I will carry you over the
river.” This they did, and on the way the turtle said, “You are going
to India to find out how one can live forever? Will you ask the
merciful Buddha what my after-life is to be like?” Sun Hou promised,
and as they would need help in crossing on their return he was to look
out for them.
As they travelled on they came to the country of Pú Táo. The king asked
them where they were going and also demanded a proof of their Imperial
mission. Now, this king had three famous ministers called Fox, Deer,
and Sheep. They said these persons must first prove their strength
before they could go on their way. To the question as to whether their
contest was to be of military skill or a contest of mind, the monkey
chose the latter. A platform thirty feet high was built. Then Minister
Fox said to T’ang Sung, “We two will go up there and see which can sit
without moving an eyelash for the longest time; the one who moves first
is to be killed.” While thus sitting the sheep changed himself into a
worm and crawled up on the bald head of the priest, and bit his head in
many places. T’ang Sung was most uncomfortable and his face showed it.
Now, Sun Hou saw the look and so changed himself into a bird, flew up
over the monk, and seeing the worm, flew down and in picking it up saw
that it was the “Minister Sheep,” to whom he said, “If this is the
trick I will show you what I can do,” and changed himself into a
centipede, and crawled upon Minister Fox. He entered his nose, got into
his ear, and up into his head, and so distracted did the minister
become that he could not endure the pain, and threw himself from the
platform and thus died. When the “Minister Deer” saw the calamity he
said, “Our great elder brother is dead, I will see what I can do,” so
he said, “Let us see who can cut his head off, throw it away, get it
again and grow it on.” Sun Hou said, “That is good. It is not the
monk’s turn; this is my turn.”
Minister Deer asked, “Who will try first, you or I?”
Sun Hou replied, “I can cut my head off and grow it on again ten
times.” The Deer replied, “I can only once.” So Sun Hou said, “I will
try first,” and immediately cut off his head, upon which Minister Deer
said, “I can only cut mine off once and I won’t do it now.”
“If you don’t, we will fight,” said Sun Hou.
Thus driven, he cut his head off, and the monkey, changing to a dog,
ran away with it and was gone two hours,—so long that the man died
also.
Then said Minister Sheep, “You must conquer me or I shall kill you.”
“Well,” said Sun Hou, “what shall we do? You decide.”
“Well,” said the Sheep, “we will build a fire, put on a big kettle of
oil, and when it boils we will take turns in getting in and staying two
hours. The one who can do it will be the victor.”
So all was ready and Sun Hou got in; before getting in he repeated a
charm to the dragon, who came and changed him into a nail and kept the
oil in the bottom of the kettle cold while it boiled on top. After two
hours Minister Sheep said, “He is dead,” and getting a skimmer he felt
around and brought out a nail, which changed to a man, saying, “Ah, I
was asleep; having such a good rest. Now it is your turn and I shall
not sleep any more.” Thus the Minister Sheep was obliged to get in.
Then Sun Hou called the king and said to him, “Look at your great
ministers; how can you expect the country to grow and improve when your
three greatest ministers are such demons? See what frauds they are, and
how they impose on you and the people.”
To this the king replied, “I see you are great men and wonderful. You
cannot go yet; it is a famine year and you must call down rain for us.”
Sun Hou said, “I will go to Heaven and plead with the great Lord of the
Heaven (Yü Wang).”
With a jump he was in Heaven; to his petition the great God said,
“There is no rain for Thibet for three years.” After much pleading from
Sun Hou the God replied, “I will give you two inches only.”
When the king heard this he said, “That is not enough, I must have
more. If you can get two inches you can get more, and then I will let
you go.” So Sun Hou said, “I will get you two feet.”
“That is too much,” replied the king, “but a little more than we need
is no great matter, only get it.” When Sun Hou told the great God of
Rain, he said, “I will not let them say how much I am to give, I will
give enough.”
When Sun Hou took this message to the king he thanked them and let them
go on their way, promising to entertain them on their return.
They went on their journey; the monk, T’ang Sung, riding the white
horse, the priest praying and reading. At night they came to the foot
of a high mountain where there was a temple where lived a demon. This
temple was called the “Temple of Thunder.” Sun Hou told the priest he
did not think the temple was safe, but the priest said it must be
because it was a temple, and he was sure they would find rest and food.
When they saw the name of the temple they knocked their heads and went
slowly forward until they saw what seemed a great image of Buddha. When
Sun Hou came close to it he said, “That is not the Buddha,” and refused
to knock his head. Just then a voice said, “Why do you not knock your
head?” to which Sun Hou replied, “I do not think you look like Buddha.”
Immediately they heard a bell strike and something was let down from
above and enveloped them in darkness. Sun Hou felt of it; it was hard
like copper. They walked all around it but could not get out. They
exerted all their combined strength but could not remove the darkness.
Then Sun Hou repeated his wonderful charm and twenty-eight soldiers
from the great lord of the Heaven suddenly came in the shape of a great
cow. Sun Hou called to him to make a hole with his horn; this he did,
but when he pulled out his horn the hole closed up; again he did it,
and Sun Hou changed into a mustard seed and was pulled out by the cow.
Then he let the soldiers out of the iron cow—and the great demon got a
great string and bound them and put them in a cave. Sun Hou gradually
grew smaller and his rope loosened and he escaped; with one jump he
reached Heaven and brought down many soldiers from the great God. When
the great demon saw them he said, “I am not afraid of you, even if you
are from Heaven. I will yet eat you.”
Among the Heavenly Soldiers was one very great one, and he wore a wheel
of iron on one foot and a wheel of wind on the other; on his wrist was
a beautiful bracelet and he wore a Heavenly chain. A terrible battle
was fought in the air between the soldiers of the demons and the
Heavenly band. The great demon threw up his charmed lasso and brought
down the bracelet, and again, and brought down the chain. Then Sun Hou
saw him lasso all the Heavenly Soldiers, and just as the string was to
envelope him he gave a jump and turned a somersault—and landed on top
of a mountain. There he gave himself up to despair in a cave. Along
came a man who asked why he was crying and he said, “I promised to take
a monk to India and to protect him. He and his companions are bound and
in a cave. I got twenty-eight servants from the great God, they are
also bound; and now all the Heavenly Soldiers have been defeated and
are bound.”
“You are too impatient,” replied the man. “Do you not remember that a
great iron beam can be rubbed to a fine needle if you but take time?
You go to the demons who live in these caves in the mountains, and find
out what kind of a demon this is.”
Sun Hou went to them all and at last found one who said he knew the
demon of the Thunder temple. He had one time been his servant but had
stolen his treasure and run away. “You can only take him by craft and I
will help you. He is most fond of melons, and we will plant some melons
and test him. I will be the gardener and you go and call him out.”
Then Sun Hou went out and reviled the demon and he came out in great
anger; Sun Hou changed into a fine melon and the demon, seeing him, ate
him. Sun Hou said, “Now I will tear your heart out of you.” In his
great distress the demon pleaded so hard that Sun Hou came out by the
demon’s ear and together they fought all over the melon patch in the
moonlight. After the battle, worn and weary, Sun Hou liberated the
soldiers and his companions, and then looking about him saw there was
no mountain, no temple, but a fine restful road with eating-houses and
rest-houses on the way.
“Ah, monk,” said he, “so it ever is with earth’s power and glory. It is
all vanity—vanity—empty—empty.”
In restful travel they reached their journey’s end and found the book.
On their return journey they had many adventures, but they had all
grown wiser and learned much. When they reached the bank of the river
the turtle was there waiting to carry them across. They got on his back
and when half-way over he asked if they had found the “Book” and seen
the “great Buddha.” “Yes,” they said. Then the turtle asked them if
they had remembered his request, and when they said they had forgotten
it, the turtle was so angry he dropped down from under them and left
them in the water. They had a terrible time getting to the other side,
and as the book was paper all they could rescue of it were the words,
“Ah-me t’on Fo,” and this they told the Emperor was all there was to
the Classic.