Journey 011: Divine Mission

Guanyin crashes the emperor’s Buddhist party and tells all the monks of the East what she really thinks of their scriptures.

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Welcome to the Chinese Lore Podcast, where I retell classic Chinese stories in English. This is episode 11 of Journey to the West.

Last time, we wrapped up a multi-episode digression into the backstory of the monk Xuanzang (2,4), who was presently the Master of Ceremonies at this Grand Mass in the capital that the Tang emperor was hosting, which gathered esteemed Buddhist monks from across the kingdom. 

There were a total of 1,200 venerable monks of name at this event, divided into three tiers. The mass kicked off on the third day of the ninth month of the year and would go on for 49 days. The emperor, his officials, and his relatives would all attend, offer incense, and listen to lectures by the monks. The event kicked off with much pomp and circumstance, which the novel spills some ink on but which I will just skip past. In any case, the emperor was quite impressed with the proceedings on day 1 and promised to give all the monks handsome rewards at the end. After the first day, the emperor decamped back to his palace, with plans to come back for the main event in 7 days, and all his officials left as well.

Meanwhile, remember that the Bodhisattva Guanyin was in the capital at this time, on a mission from the Buddha to look for a devout Buddhist monk from the East to head West to fetch the sacred scriptures that would enlighten the masses in this land of ignorance. She had been scouting in the capital for many days but had not found the right person. Then, she heard that the emperor was hosting this huge mass with esteemed monks from all over. And then she found out that the Master of Ceremonies was Xuanzang, the guy who drifted down the river as an infant, and Guanyin was like, oh yeah, I know him.

See, as it turns out, Xuanzang wasn’t just some mortal with an unlikely backstory. He was actually a reincarnation of a Bodhisattva named Master Golden Cicada, who was supposedly the Buddha’s second disciple. But for some slight or another, he was banished to the mortal realm to live out 10 lifetimes before he became pure enough again to return to the side of the Buddha. And Guanyin was the one who led him to this latest reincarnation. 

Delighted at this discovery, Guanyin now took out the cassock, or Buddhist cloak, and the Buddhist staff that the Buddha had told her to bring as gifts for whomever she ended up choosing as the scripture pilgrim. Guanyin transformed herself into a scab-ridden monk who was barefoot, bald-headed, and dressed in rags. Thus disguised, she and her disciple Muzha took to the streets of the capital and began to hawk the two treasures.

They came across a monk who wasn’t holy enough to be selected as a participant in the Grand Mass. BUT, while he was short on Buddhist knowledge, he had some pocket change. So when he saw these two shabby-looking monks walking the streets, selling a cassock and a Buddhist staff, this monk went up and asked for the sticker price.

“The cassock is worth 5,000 taels of silver, while the staff is worth 2,000,” Guanyin replied.

The monk laughed, “You two scab-ridden monks are crazy! What idiots! How can these two shoddy items be worth 7,000 taels of silver? What, do you become immortal when you put them on? Even if they turn you into a Buddha, they aren’t worth this much! No deal! Be on your way.”

Guanyin didn’t bother to argue or haggle with him, and just continued walking the streets. After a while, they made their way to one of the gates of the imperial palace, where they ran into the entourage of Prime Minister Xiao (1) Yu (3) as he was heading home after the imperial court had adjourned. The entourage was shouting for everyone to make way for the VIP, as you might expect from underlings whose egos have been inflated by being in the service of someone powerful. But Guanyin did not step aside. Instead, she held up the cassock and greeted the prime minister.

Xiao Yu stopped his horse and took a look. He saw that the cassock was glimmering, so he instructed his underlings to ask for the price. Guanyin repeated her prior asking price, which prompted Xiao Yu to ask why these things were worth so much.

“There’s something good about the cassock, and something bad as well,” Guanyin replied. “For some people it will cost a lot, for others nothing at all.”

“What’s good about it? And what’s bad?” Xiao Yu asked.

“Whoever wears this cassock will not fall into perdition, will not suffer in hell, will not encounter violence, and will not meet wild beasts. Those are the good points. But if you’re a foolish monk who relishes pleasures and rejoices in iniquities, or disobeys Buddhist prohibitions and commandments, or insults the sutras and slanders the Buddha, then you won’t even get to see my cassock. That’s the bad part.”

Xiao Yu then asked, “And what do you mean, ‘For some people it will cost a lot, for others nothing at all’?”

“If someone who doesn’t obey or respect Buddhist teachings insists on buying the cassock and staff, then I will charge them 7,000 taels of silver. But if someone who respects Buddhist ways, takes pleasure in good deeds, follows the teachings of the Buddha, and is worthy, then I am willing to make a gift of these two items to them.”

Xiao Yu was delighted at hearing this, as it suggested to him that this monk was a good person. So he dismounted, exchanged proper greetings with Guanyin, and said, “Venerable elder, please pardon my offense. Our Tang emperor is very religious, and all his officials are similarly devout. Right now, he’s hosting a Grand Mass of Land and Water. This cassock would be perfect for the Master of Ceremonies, Hierarch Xuanzang. Please come with me to see the emperor.”

Guanyin consented and followed him inside the palace gates. The gatekeeper announced them, and the emperor summoned them in. So Xiao Yu led these two scab-ridden monks into the main hall, where the emperor held court, and they stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to the throne.

When the emperor asked Xiao Yu what business he had, he kneeled and said, “When I exited the palace gates, I ran into two monks selling a cassock and a Buddhist staff. I thought that these would be perfect for Hierarch Xuanzang, so I brought the monks to see you.”

The emperor was delighted and asked for the sales price. Guanyin and Muzha stood at the bottom of the steps but did not bow or kneel. When they were asked about the price, Guanyin repeated the amount, and the emperor asked why they were worth so much. 

Guanyin replied, “”A dragon that wears but one shred of this cassock will dodge the woe of being devoured by the great roc. A crane that wears but one thread of it will transcend this world and reach the place of the gods. Sit in it, and 10,000 gods will salute you. Move with it on, and seven Buddhas will follow you! This cassock was made of silk drawn from ice silkworm and threads spun by skilled craftsmen, and fairies and immortal maids did the weaving. …”

And she went on and on for a while, extolling the virtues of the cassock. And then the emperor asked what’s so great about the Buddhist staff. And this time Guanyin was much more succinct. She said,

“My staff has on it
Nine joined-rings made of iron and set in bronze,
And nine joints of vine immortal ever young.
When held, it scorns the sight of aging bones;
It leaves the mount to return with fleecy clouds.
It roamed through Heaven and broke Hell’s gate. 
Unsoiled by the filth of this mortal world,
It gladly trails the divine monk up the Jade Mountain.

After that impressive sales pitch, the emperor had to take a closer look. He examined the cassock and found it to indeed be a fine object. He said to Guanyin, “Venerable elder, to tell you the truth, I am currently hosting a grand mass. Many monks are gathered at the Temple of Transformation to perform the sutras. Among them is an immensely virtuous monk named Xuanzang. I would like to purchase these two treasures for him. How much would you ask for them?”

Now, the emperor was expecting to haggle over the price of the objects, because hey this is China and we haggle over everything. But Guanyin and Muzha simply put their palms together, uttered the name of the Buddha, bowed and said, “Since he is a virtuous monk, I am willing to make a gift of these items to him. I will not accept any money.”

At that, they turned to go. The emperor quickly asked Xiao Yu to pull them back. He then rose from his throne and asked, “You said you wanted 5,000 for the cassock and 2,000 for the staff. But then when I said I would buy them, you refused payment. Are you implying that I’m trying to bully you into giving me your stuff? That won’t do. I will pay your original asking price. You cannot decline.”

Guanyin raised her hand to stop him and explained, “I had previously stated my wish. I said that if someone respects Buddhist ways, takes pleasure in good deeds, and follows the teachings of the Buddha, then I am willing to make a gift of these two items to them. Just now, I saw that your highness is wise, virtuous, and religious, and that you respect our Buddhist sect. Also, this esteemed monk is virtuous and devout and is spreading the Buddha’s teachings. So it’s only right that I should make a gift of these objects, and I refuse to be paid. I am willing to leave these items and take my leave.”

Moved by her insistence, the emperor was delighted and relented to her wishes. He then ordered a huge feast to be held to thank the monks for their gifts, but Guanyin again declined and simply took her leave. She and Muzha then returned to the temple of the local earth spirit where they had taken up residence.

Back in the palace, the emperor held court and sent his top minister with an edict to summon Xuanzang. Xuanzang was leading the monks in chants and recitations when he got the summon. So he accompanied the minister back to the palace. There, the emperor told him, “I haven’t had anything to give you as thanks for your labor in leading this mass. Earlier today, Minister Xiao Yu encountered two monks who were willing to make a gift of a cassock and a Buddhist staff, both uncommon treasures. I would like for you to take them.”

Xuanzang kowtowed to thank the emperor, who then asked him to try on the gifts. So Xuanzang threw the cassock over himself, held the staff in one hand, and stood in front of the steps. The emperor and all his officials were quite impressed by the air he exuded, and they cheered aloud. The emperor then arranged for two rows of escorts, as well as many officials, to see him out through the palace gates and instructed them to parade through the main thoroughfare all the way back to the monastery, as though he were a scholar who just aced the imperial exam. 

Xuanzang thanked him and did as instructed. On the main street, people of all stripes crowded the sides of the road to gawk, and they all praised Xuanzang, saying, “What a hierarch! He’s like an arhat reborn, a real Bodhisattva descending.”

When Xuanzang arrived back at the monastery where the mass was being held, the other monks came to greet him. When they saw his new get-up, they all compared him to one of the four main bodhisattvas and stood in attendance. Xuanzang then offered incense to the Buddha and recounted to everyone how he got these gifts from the emperor. They then returned to their respective seats, and dusk was already descending.

Before you knew it, it was the seventh day of the mass, and it was time for the main event. So Xuanzang wrote a petition inviting the emperor to grace the mass with his presence. So the emperor, his court, and his empress and relatives all came to the monastery. Civilians of all social classes also crowded into the monastery to hear Xuanzang deliver the keynote lecture. 

Amid this hubbub, the Bodhisattva Guanyin told her disciple Muzha, “Today is the formal celebration of the Grand Mass, the first of seven such celebrations. Let’s go mix in with the crowd. We can check out the mass, see if Golden Cicada is deserving of our treasures, and hear what scriptures he is preaching.”

So they went to the monastery in their monk disguises. The monastery was a truly lofty setting, and it resounded with divine music and Buddhist chants. They went directly to the side of the main platform, and saw Xuanzang seated atop it, delivering his lecture. He recited from the Sutra of Life and Deliverance for the Dead, then lectured on the Heavenly Treasure Chronicle for Peace in the Nation, and then preached on the Scroll on Merit and Self-Cultivation. 

But during that last portion, Guanyin suddenly smacked the platform and shouted sternly, “Hey monk, you are just preaching the teachings of the Little Vehicle. Do you know the teachings of the Great Vehicle?”

Far from being annoyed at this disruption, Xuanzang was delighted and he immediately hopped off the platform, bowed to the monk, and said, “Venerable master, pardon me for not welcoming you sooner. The monks who came before me all preached the Small Vehicle, and I don’t know what the Great Vehicle is like.”

Guanyin replied, “The doctrines of your Little Vehicle cannot save the damned and lead them up to heaven. They can only mislead and confuse mortals. I have in my possession three collections of the Great Vehicle Laws of Buddha. These are able to send the lost to Heaven, deliver the afflicted from their sufferings, fashion ageless bodies, and break the cycles of coming and going.”

While they were thus conversing, one of the officials working the event had rushed off to tell the emperor that the hierarch’s keynote lecture was being disrupted by two scab-ridden monks who were seemingly spouting nonsense. So the emperor ordered that these intruders be apprehended. When the two monks were taken to a hall in the back to see the emperor, they neither bowed nor even lifted a hand to greet him. Instead, they just looked straight at him and said, “What’s up?”

The emperor, of course, recognized them from a few days earlier. So he asked them, “If you’re here to listen to the lecture, you should just have some food. Why did you disrupt the hierarch and our ceremonies with your nonsensical ravings?”

Guanyin replied, “Your hierarch was only preaching the doctrines of the Small Vehicle, which cannot lead the souls of the dead to heaven. I have three collections of the Great Vehicle, which can lift the dead, relieve suffering, cultivate eternal bodies, and break the cycles of coming and going.”

The emperor was impressed and asked where those three collections of sacred texts could be found. Guanyin told him, “They are with the Buddha, at the Great Thunderclap Temple in India in the Great Western Heaven. They can end the causes of all enmities and dispel unexpected misfortunes.”

“Do you remember their contents?” the emperor asked. Guanyin replied in the affirmative, so the emperor said, “Please follow the hierarch, ascend the platform, and recite some of it.”

But Guanyin was like, no, I have some other way to convince you that I’ve got the real goods. In the blink of an eye, she and Muzha flew to the top of the platform, and then they rose into the clouds, reverting to their true forms, with Guanyin holding her vase with a willow twig and Muzha standing by her side, wielding his staff. 

Instantly, everyone in the monastery, from emperor on down, fell to their knees and prayed to Guanyin, repeatedly calling her name. The emperor immediately ordered an artist to make a painting of Guanyin’s likeness. Before long, though, she flew out of sight. In her wake, a piece of paper slowly drifted down from the sky. On it were these lines:

Greetings to the great ruler of Tang.
Scripts most sublime lie in the West.
The distance: a hundred and eight thousand miles.
This Bodhisattva earnestly seeks.
These Books, should they reach your fair state,
Can redeem damned spirits from Hell.
If someone is willing to go,
He’ll become a Buddha of gold.

After reading this message, the emperor told all the gathered monks, “Let’s stop the mass for now. Once I have sent someone to go fetch the doctrines of the Great Vehicle, then we can resume.”

He then asked all those in the monastery, “Who is willing to carry my edict and go to the West to ask the Buddha for the scriptures?”

Before he finished his question, the hierarch Xuanzang stepped forth, kneeled, and said, “I may be untalented, but I am willing to do all I can to help your highness obtain the sacred scriptures, so as to ensure that your empire stands forever.”

The emperor was delighted. He helped the hierarch to his feet and said, “If you can carry out such a loyal act and do not fear the great distance or the geographic obstacles, then I am willing to become sworn brothers with you.”

Xuanzang thanked him for this immense honor, and the emperor immediately went to the statue of the Buddha in the monastery. There, he and Xuanzang bowed four times to the Buddha and he called Xuanzang “my imperial brother, the sage monk.”

“Your highness, what virtue or talent do I possess, that I could receive such immense kindness from you?” Xuanzang said. “On this journey, I will do my utmost and sacrifice my body to reach the West. If I cannot get there and obtain the sacred scriptures, then I will not dare to return, and would rather spend eternity in hell.”

He then offered incense to the Buddha’s statue and swore an oath to that effect. Delighted, the emperor ordered his entourage to return to the palace and declared that he would select an auspicious date for Xuanzang to set out on his journey.

When Xuanzang returned to his monastery, the many monks there, along with a few of his disciples, had already heard what transpired, so they gathered and asked him, “Did you really swear to go to the West?”

“Indeed I did,” he replied.

His disciples lamented, “Oh master, we’ve often heard that it’s a long journey to the West, fraught with wild beasts and demons. It will be dangerous, and we fear you won’t make it back alive.”

“But I’ve already sworn an oath that if I do not obtain the sacred scriptures, I will rather spend eternity in hell. And the emperor has shown me immense kindness, so I must do my utmost to repay the kingdom. I know that I’m heading into the unknown, with an uncertain outcome.”

He then told his disciples, “Once I leave, in two to three years, or five to seven years at most, if you see the branches of the pine trees within our gates pointing east, then you will know that I am about to return. If not, then I will not be coming back.”

His disciples took those instructions to heart. The next morning, the emperor held court, wrote up the official paperwork for the mission, and stamped it with his imperial seal. The court astrologist then informed him that today was an auspicious day, perfect for embarking on this journey. The official at the gate then reported that Xuanzang was waiting outside the palace. 

The emperor summoned Xuanzang and said to him, “Brother, today is a good day to depart. Here is your passport. I’m also giving you a bowl made of purple gold, to be used for soliciting alms. I will also assign two attendants to accompany you, and a horse to serve as your mount. You may set off.”

Xuanzang thanked him for the gifts and showed no hesitation. The emperor and his officials then saw him off outside the gates of the city. There, the monks of Xuanzang’s monastery and his disciples were waiting with his clothing for all seasons. 

The emperor told his men to prepare the luggage and horse while he raised a cup of wine and asked Xuanzang, “Brother, what is your honorific name?”

“I am a monk, so I don’t have an honorific name,” Xuanzang said.

“The Bodhisattva said that there are three collections of sacred scriptures in the West, so what if you use that as your honorific and call yourself San (1) Zang (4)?” the emperor suggested.

So a quick timeout here to talk about this name. The name San Zang consists of Chinese characters that mean the Three Storehouses. They refer to the Sanskrit term Tripitaka, which means Triple Basket. Tripitaka is a term that refers to the three main divisions of ancient Buddhist canons. In most English translations of Journey to the West, Xuanzang’s new name from here on out is translated as Tripitaka. I went back and forth on which version of the name to use, and I’ve settled on using the Chinese name, San Zang. 

There are a couple reasons for this decision. One, the Journey to the West is a work of Chinese literature, and I think using the Chinese names for characters helps retain that essence. A number of other characters we’ve met in this novel also have Sanskrit names as well. Some English translations have used the Sanskrit names, some have retained the Chinese names, and some have played fast and loose with the naming conventions depending on the character. For instance, Anthony C. Yu’s translation refers to Guanyin by her Chinese name even though that particular Bodhisattva has a Sanskrit name. But then the same translation refers to her disciple Muzha by his Sanskrit name.

And the second reason I’m using San Zang instead of Tripitaka is that I’m using the Chinese name for all the other characters in the novel, so it would just feel kind of out of place to drop a Sanskrit name in there amid all the Chinese names.

So anyway, from now on, this podcast will be referring to the monk formerly known as Xuanzang as San Zang. Just know that this is the same character as Tripitaka, for those of you who have read English translations of the novel. And of course, just to add to the naming fun, the novel also frequently refers to him as Tang Zeng (1), which means “Tang monk” since he’s a monk from the kingdom of Tang. Oh, and he is still referred to as Xuanzang from time to time as well. But I will try to stick with San Zang from here on out.

Now then, back to the narrative. The emperor had just suggested San Zang as the honorific name for his sworn brother, and of course the monk accepted. San Zang thanked the emperor but tried to decline the cup of wine, saying, “Your highness, alcohol is the first prohibition for Buddhists. And I can’t drink anyway.”

But the emperor would not hear of it. “Today’s parting is not like other occasions,” he said. “And this is weak wine. Just drink one cup, so that I may fully say goodbye.”

Well when you put it that way, San Zang had no choice but to accept. But before he could bring the cup to his lips, the emperor stopped him, bent down to pick up a pinch of soil from the ground, and sprinkled it into the wine.

San Zang watched this with an expression of befuddlement. The emperor smiled and said, “Brother, when will you return from this journey to the West?”

“I will be back in three years.”

“It will be a long time and a long journey,” the emperor said. “Please drink this wine and always remember: A pinch of your native soil is more precious than 10,000 taels of foreign gold.”

Catching his meaning, San Zang drank the wine, thanked the emperor, and set off on his journey with his two attendants. 

After a couple days on the road, he arrived at the Temple of the Law Gate. The abbot and the 500-some monks there lined up to welcome him inside and offered him tea and dinner. By then, it was getting late. Under the light of lanterns, the monks gathered to discuss Buddhist doctrines and the reasons for going West to seek the sacred scriptures. Some talked about how far the journey would be, some talked about how the path was laden with wild beasts, some talked about the treacherous terrain, and some talked about the demons and monsters one might encounter. 

San Zang, however, said nothing but merely pointed at his heart and nodded a few times. The other monks did not understand his meaning and asked him to explain. San Zang said, “When the mind is active, all kinds of demons come into existence. But when the mind is extinguished, all the demons will be extinguished. I have already made a vow to the Buddha at the Temple of Transformation, so I must do my utmost. On this trip, I MUST reach the West, see the Buddha, and request the scriptures, so that we may receive the truth of the Buddha and our lord’s kingdom will endure forever.”

When they heard that, all the monks couldn’t help but praise aloud his loyalty, courage, and determination. They then saw him to bed. The next day, at the cocks’ crow, the monks rose, prepared tea and breakfast for San Zang, and he put on his cassock, went to the main hall, and prayed before the statue of the Buddha. He said:

“Your disciple Chen Xuanzang is heading West to obtain the sacred scriptures. I am but a foolish mortal and cannot recognize the true form of the Buddha. I now swear this oath: On this trip, I will burn incense at every monastery I come across, pray to every statue of the Buddha I encounter, and sweep every Buddhist pagoda I pass by. I pray that the Buddha will be merciful and show me his golden form soon and bestow upon me the sacred scriptures so that their teaching may be spread across the East.”

This done, San Zang ate breakfast, his two attendants saddled his horse, and they set off again. All the monks at the temple saw him off for 3 miles before bidding him a teary goodbye.

A few days later, they arrived at Gongzhou (3,1) Prefecture, where the local prefect welcomed them. After spending the night, they traveled a few more days and arrived at Hezhou (2,1) District, which marked the western boundary of the Tang kingdom. The local commander was friendly with the local monks, so he was quite reverential toward San Zang, given the purpose of his quest. The commander sent San Zang to a local monastery to rest and have dinner. Before dawn broke the next day, San Zang and his attendants got up, had breakfast, and crossed over the border, leaving the relatively safe confines of his homeland.

So San Zang was now officially off into the wilderness. To see what he will find there, tune in to the next episode of the Chinese Lore Podcast. Thanks for listening!

Music in This Episode

• “Luỹ Tre Xanh Ngát Đầu Làng (Guzheng) – Vietnam BGM” by VPRODMUSIC_Asia_BGM
• “Ravines” by Elphnt (from YouTube audio library)
• “Loneliest Road in America (US 50)” by Jesse Gallagher (from YouTube audio library)