Chapter 15: Worshiping Teacher Bodhi

After arriving at Xiniu Hezhou, the Scholar and the Monkey continued their search for Immortals, but without any success. One day, they reached a high mountain where thousands of peaks thrust upward like spears, and countless cliffs unfolded like screens. The sun's reflection lightly locked the greens in a misty glow, while the retracted rain left the dark hues coldly harboring blue. Ancient vines entwined around old trees and an old crossing marked the secluded path. Exotic flowers and auspicious grass grew alongside tall bamboo and lofty pines. Tall bamboo and lofty pines, millennia old, eternally green, rivaled the Blessed Lands; exotic flowers and auspicious grass, blooming all seasons, outshone the mythical Penglai. Close by, the sound of a mysterious bird calling, clear streams gurgling from the source. Layers of valleys wrapped in orchids and lilies, moss grew everywhere on the cliffs. The dragon veins under undulating mountain heads were auspicious, and surely a venerable hermit was hidden here, unnamed.

There's a saying: a mountain does not need to be high to have an Immortal's charm; waters do not need to be deep to house a dragon's spirit. Lu Yu observed this mountain and sensed deep spiritual charm, as if, beyond the woods, one could see the vast ocean, opening one's mind. It seemed as if a voice inside him was suggesting that the Immortal fate he'd been seeking had finally arrived; he couldn't help but joyously say to the Monkey, "This mountain is so full of Taoist essence, it must be the dwelling of an Immortal!"

At that moment, they suddenly heard a song from afar: "Watching the chess game pieces worn, chopping wood with rhythmic thud, walking calmly near the cloud-lined mountain pass, selling firewood and bartering for wine, laughing madly in self-contentment. The path shrouded in autumn grandeur, he lies by the moon, resting his head on a pine root, waking up at dawn. Recognizing the old forest, ascending cliffs and crossing ridges, with an axe he cuts the dried vines. Bundling them up, he sings along the way to the market, where he trades them for three measures of rice. Free from petty competitions, with fair prices abound, without schemes or clever calculations, no honor or disgrace, tranquilly he prolongs his life. Where he meets others, if not an Immortal, then a Taoist, sitting in tranquil discussion of the Yellow Court Classic."

The minute the Monkey heard this, his spirits lifted immensely and he exclaimed, "Sitting and discussing the Yellow Court Classic—that's truly an Immortal." Having learned much during his time with the Scholar, he knew that the Yellow Court Classic was a true testament of the Taoist sect. Without waiting for Lu Yu, he swiftly leapt forward, leaving Lu Yu standing there, dumbfounded.

Watching the Monkey's retreating figure, Lu Yu smiled and shook his head, then walked forward at a leisurely pace. At this moment, he was certain that the mountain they were on was indeed Mount Fangcun. Unlike the Monkey, he felt less of the fear of missing out.

Soon, he could see the Monkey eagerly talking to a Woodcutter, waving his furry hands and shouting, "Scholar! Scholar! This truly is the dwelling of Immortals, come quickly!" He then rushed towards the mountain summit in haste.

After thanking the Woodcutter, Lu Yu quickened his pace towards the legendary Dojo. He passed through a deep forest to a path paved with green stone slabs, which soon opened up to reveal an Immortal's Cave Mansion right before his eyes.

The surroundings were filled with strange and exotic plants exuding bursts of fragrance; two ancient pines grew lushly, full of character. On a cliff by the Cave Mansion stood a stone tablet inscribed with ten large characters "Mount Fangcun, Crescent Star Cave." Lu Yu thought to himself: indeed, this is the dwelling of an Immortal.

Looking carefully, he couldn't spot the Monkey, but then he suddenly burst out laughing. It turned out that the usually bold Monkey, now at the doorway of the Immortal's dwelling, dared not knock and was instead hiding in a pine tree, snacking on pine nuts and playing around.

"Don't laugh at me, Scholar," said the Monkey as he jumped down from the tree, handing a handful of pine nuts to Lu Yu. "I was just enjoying these tasty pine nuts!" Lu Yu tried one and found it bursting with spiritual energy and delicious flavor, just as the Monkey had claimed.

Just then, with a creaking sound, the once tightly closed doors of the Cave Mansion slowly opened, revealing a small child from inside. The child, dressed in a tailored Taoist Robe, looked adorable and finely sculpted. The Taoist Child, unafraid of strangers, looked at Lu Yu and asked, "Are you the two Cultivators my master spoke of?" Lu Yu quickly turned around and replied, "Yes, it's us, it's us."

"Just now, the master was preaching from the dais and hadn't even retired to rest when he told me to come welcome you two Cultivators," the child said, and then led them into the Cave Mansion.

Beyond the grand entrance, the view opened spectacularly to reveal that the inside of the Cave Mansion was indeed a Cave Heaven of its own; layer upon layer of precious halls and towers, room after room of pearl palaces and shell pavilions, unspeakably serene and secluded dwellings, all the way beneath the Jade Terrace. There they saw the Ancestor Bodhi seated on the platform, thirty young Immortals standing by his side.

Lu Yu secretly observed the ancestor and indeed found him to be a Taoist possessed of a mystical aura who spontaneously created a spiritual charm around him, so compelling that one could forget the mundane world. He quickly pulled the monkey and they both knelt down repeatedly, bowing and saying, "Master, master, your disciple sincerely pays tribute! Sincerely pays tribute!"

Bodhi the patriarch asked, "From whence do you two hail?" "Your disciple is but a scholar from the Chen Kingdom in the southern lands, who, upon hearing of the Immortal Clan, was inspired with a heart for the Tao and has followed the path of seeking immortality and imitating the Tao to come here, hoping that the patriarch will accept him!" After speaking, Lu Yu continued to bow and perform the rituals.

"Good, good, seeking the Tao with such dedication is commendable! And where are you from?" Having praised Lu Yu, he then asked the monkey. The monkey promptly recounted its own origins.

Listening to the conversation between the patriarch and the monkey, Lu Yu then felt as if he were truly in this mythical world and could not help but exhale at life's unpredictability, while on the other hand, the monkey, having been given the name Sun Wukong by the patriarch, was already jubilantly dancing and leaping around. It was only upon being pulled by Lu Yu that he realized his conduct was somewhat unseemly, and he quickly knelt down to thank the patriarch.

As the story goes, Lu Yu and Wukong had taken their vows at the patriarch's guidance, earning their Taoist names, and then stayed in Crescent Star Cave. There they spent their days discussing the scriptures and practicing calligraphy, incense burning, and, in their spare time, sweeping, weeding the gardens, cultivating flowers, pruning trees, collecting firewood, carrying water, and operating the water mill. The patriarch gave lectures on the Tao every five days, discussing content that encompassed everything, effortlessly integrating teachings from both Buddhism and Taoism.

On this particular day, which coincided with the patriarch beginning his lecture, the patriarch was seen seated upon the Jade Terrace, looking down at the many disciples below and saying, "Mortals all envy the immortals' eternal life, but do you know of the classifications of these immortals?" All the disciples shook their heads.

"In this world, there are five types of immortals: heavenly, earthly, human, divine, and ghostly. Each of these types of immortals can achieve eternal life, yet each has its distinctions."

"Dare I ask the patriarch how these five differ?" A disciple from the seats below asked.

"Heavenly immortals gather the Three Flowers at the top and direct the Five Qi towards the primordial. Earthly immortals do not gather the Three Flowers at the top; they unify the Five Qi within the chest to form a Cave Heaven. Human immortals neither gather the Three Flowers at the top nor cultivate the Five Qi within the chest; they only cultivate the Primordial Spirit to achieve yu hua and ascend. Divine immortals rely on Incense Prayer Power or by forging an immortal body; their life span is endless as long as the incense burns. Ghost immortals seek life after death, using Yin energy as their essence, traversing freely through the Netherworld."

When the patriarch concluded his teachings, everyone exited in turn. Just as Lu Yu was about to leave with his fellow disciples, he was suddenly pulled aside by the monkey who said, "Scholar, I have discovered a wonderful place, follow me and you'll find it beneficial!"

Sun Wukong, being the Lingming Stone Monkey, knew the arts of transformation, recognized the auspicious times, and understood the advantages of the land, besides being able to move stars and alter constellations, naturally discovering some fine things. Hearing this, Lu Yu naturally knew that the monkey had again found something worthwhile, and therefore he quietly followed the monkey outside.

It turned out that the monkey had found a peach grove while cutting firewood in the back mountains, and at this time, the peaches were ripe. The monkey then invited Lu Yu to join him for a hearty feast. Coming from Huaguo Mountain which is famous for its abundant flowers and fruits, the monkey knew a tasty fruit when he saw one. The fruits they would eat were definitely spirit fruits, which when consumed over time could enhance bodily health and extend life. Once one embarked on the path of cultivation, eating such fruits was greatly beneficial to one's practice.