Monkey (50 page)

‘Holy priest,’ said the Tathagata, ‘you in a previous existence were my second disciple and were called Golden Cicada. But because you paid no heed to my teaching and scoffed at my doctrine, I caused you to be reborn in the east. But now by the true devotion you have shown in the fetching of my holy scriptures, you have won great merit and I herewith appoint you to be a Buddha, with the title “Buddha of Precocious Merit”.

‘Monkey, because you made trouble in Heaven, it was found necessary to imprison you under the Mountain of the Five Elements. But fortunately, when the time of your retribution was ended, you turned your heart to the Great Faith and your endeavour to the scourging of evil and the promotion of good. Upon your recent journey you distinguished yourself by the subjugation of monsters and demons, and have done, first and last, so well that I hereby promote you to be the Buddha Victorious in Strife.

‘Pigsy, you were once a marshal of the watery hosts of Heaven. But at a peach banquet you drank too much and made free with a fairy maiden. For this you were condemned to be born into the common world, with a shape near to animal.

‘However, when you were haunting the cave of the Cloud Ladder, you were converted to the Higher Religion, eventually became a priest and gave your protection to Tripitaka on his journey. Greed and lust are not yet utterly extinct in you; but remembering that you carried the luggage all the way, I now promote you to be Cleanser of the Altar.’

‘Hey! What’s this ? I don’t understand,’ said Pigsy. ‘You’ve just made the other two into Buddhas. Why aren’t I a Buddha too?’

‘Because,’ said Buddha, ‘your conversation and appearance still lack refinement, and your appetite is still too large. But the number of my worshippers in all the four continents of the Universe is very large, and it will be your job to clean up the altars everywhere and whenever there is a Buddhist
ceremony and offerings are made. So you’ll get plenty of pickings. I don’t see what you’ve got to complain of.

‘Sandy, you were a great Captain of Spirits; but one day at the Peach Banquet you broke a crystal dish and were banished to the common world, where you settled in the River of Flowing Sands and lived by devouring human flesh. Fortunately you were converted, zealously and faithfully carried out your vows and protected Tripitaka. In recognition of the way you got his horse over the mountain passes, I now promote you to the rank of an Arhat, with the title “Golden Bodied Arhat”.’

Then he turned to the white horse. ‘You,’ he said, ‘were a child of the Dragon King of the Western Ocean, but you disobeyed your father and were found guilty of unfilial conduct. Fortunately you were converted to the Faith and became attached to our Order. Because you carried Tripitaka to the west and on the return journey transported the scriptures, your services too must be rewarded, and I hereby promote you to be one of the eight senior Heavenly Dragons.’

The four pilgrims all kow-towed their thanks, and the white horse also made sign of its gratitude. Then by Buddha’s order it was led to the back of the Holy Mountain, to the side of the Pool of Magic Dragons, into the middle of which it was pushed with a splash. After a short while, it began to stretch itself and its coat began to change in appearance. It grew horns upon its head and its body became covered with golden scales, while on its cheeks silver whiskers grew. Its whole form was suffused with magic tints, its four claws rested on prophetic clouds; it soared up out of the pool, wreathed its way in at the gate of the Palace, and circled above the Pillar that Supports Heaven. All the Buddhas burst into exclamations of wonder at this miracle that the Tathagata had wrought.

‘Master,’ Monkey said to Tripitaka, ‘I’m now a Buddha, the same as you. It’s not fair that I should still wear this golden fillet, so that if you choose to recite your spell, you could still plague me. Make haste and say the “Loosing of the Fillet” spell, so that I may get it off and smash it to bits. Otherwise the Bodhisattva may use it to play her jokes on anyone else.’

‘It was put upon you,’ said Tripitaka, ‘at a time when you needed to be kept in hand. Now that you are a Buddha, it has vanished of its own accord. Feel your head and you’ll see.’ Monkey put his hand to his head. What Tripitaka had said was quite true. The fillet was not there.

The promotion of the five saints took place in the presence of all the spirits of Heaven - Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, monks, local deities, and Guardian Spirits. While the newcomers took their appointed places in the great assembly, multitudinous voices rose in prayer: ‘Praise to the Buddha of the Past, Praise to Bhaishajya, Praise to Sakyamuni...’ and so on through all the Buddhas, till finally for the first time they chanted ‘Praise to the Buddha of Precocious Merit, Praise to the Buddha Victorious in Strife.’ Next they invoked the names of all the Bodhisattvas, Kuan-yin, Mahasthamprapta, ManjusrI, Samantabhadra, and the rest, ending with ‘Praise to the Cleanser of the Altar, praise to the Golden Bodied Arhat, praise to the Heavenly Dragon.’

I dedicate this work to the glory of Buddha’s Pure Land. May it repay the kindness of patron and preceptor, may it mitigate the sufferings of the lost and damned. May all that read it or hear it read find their hearts turned towards Truth, in the end.be born again in the Realms of Utter Bliss, and by their common intercession requite me for the ardours of my task.