Journey 012: Demons, Tigers, Monkeys, Oh My
Everybody kept telling me how dangerous the journey to the West was, but seriously how bad can it possibly … oh my god what are those things and what are they doing to my men?!!!
Transcript
Welcome to the Chinese Lore Podcast, where I retell classic Chinese stories in English. This is episode 12 of Journey to the West.
Before we get back into the story, I just want to say thank you to everyone who’s been checking out the podcast. If you’re enjoying the show, consider giving it a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening. Also, if you want to support the show financially, there’s a link to do that on the website at chineselore.com. And as always, I’m grateful for your support, whether that’s in the form of a monetary gift, a positive review, a comment or email, or just a listen.
Alright, back to the show. Last time, the monk Xuanzang, now known as San Zang, volunteered to go West to fetch the three collections of sacred texts that the Buddha was offering to the East. The Tang emperor was so delighted by this that he became sworn brothers with San Zang, and gave him a horse and two attendants to help him on his journey. They traveled for some days and arrived at the Western border of the Tang kingdom. Then, they rose before the break of dawn and hit the road, crossing the border.
It was late autumn, and San Zang was so eager to continue his trip that he miscalculated the time on this morning. Even though the roosters had crowed, it was still only about 3 a.m., and it was still dark. San Zang and his two attendants traveled under a frosty, bright moon. After a while, they came upon a mountain and had to find their way through some difficult, confusing terrain. Before long, they were no longer sure if they were heading the right way.
Just as they were getting concerned, the ground suddenly gave out from under them, and all three men, plus San Zang’s horse, fell into a pit. They then heard voices shouting above, “Bring them out! Bring them out!”
About 60 little demons appeared out of seemingly nowhere. They pulled San Zang and his attendants out of the pit, and brought them in front of their demon king. Trembling, San Zang stole a few glances at this demon king, who looked very vicious.
San Zang was scared out of his mind, and his two attendants were paralyzed with fear. The demon king ordered his lackeys to tie them up. The demons were preparing to eat their prisoners when a hubbub arose outside, and a lackey reported, “The Bear Mountain Lord and the Steer Hermit have arrived.”
Hearing this, San Zang looked up and saw two figures enter. The one in front was swarthy and stout, while the one in the back was chubby and had horns on his head. They swaggered in, and the resident demon king hurriedly welcomed them. The visitors congratulated the host, and they all traded some niceties, like demons always do when they get together and party.
As they talked, the swarthy demon heard the moans and sobs of San Zang’s attendants, who had been tied up.
“Where did you find these three?” the swarthy demon asked.
“They delivered themselves right to my door,” the host demon replied.
The Steer Hermit chuckled, “Will you treat your guests?”
“Of course, of course!” the host demon said.
But the Steer Hermit then suggested, “We shouldn’t eat them all yet. Let’s eat two of them, and save the third for later.”
So the host demon king ordered his lackeys to cut open the two attendants, remove their organs, and cut their bodies to pieces. He then offered their heads and their organs to his guests, while he himself feasted on their limbs. The rest of the corpses were distributed to the lackeys. Within moments, they had devoured the two attendants, while San Zang nearly died of fright as he witnessed his men’s gruesome fate.
While San Zang fretted, dawn had slowly crept in, and the two visiting demons took their leave. Soon, the sun was high in the sky, but San Zang was unconscious by now. But then, suddenly, an old man appeared with a walking stick in hand. He approached San Zang, waved his hand, and the ropes binding the monk snapped. He then blew on San Zang’s face, and San Zang regained consciousness.
Kneeling to the old man, San Zang thanked him for saving his life. The old man said, “Get up. Are you missing anything?”
“My attendants have already been devoured by the demons. I don’t know where my luggage and horse are.”
“Are those your horse and two bundles?” the old man pointed with his stick and said.
San Zang looked and saw that they were indeed his possessions. He then asked the old man, “What is this place, and how did you come to be here?”
“This is Two-Prong Peak, a really dangerous place. How did you end up here?”
“I got on the road with the cock’s crow and crossed the border. But I left too early, got lost, and stumbled into this place. I saw a vicious demon king, who tied up me and my two attendants. Then came a swarthy man called the Bear Mountain Lord and a fat man named the Steer Hermit. The three of them ate my attendants before parting at dawn. Who knew I would be so lucky as to have you rescue me.”
The old man told him, “That Steer Hermit is a wild ox demon. The Mountain Lord is a bear demon. And the demon king is a tiger demon. All their lackeys are demonic animals, trees, and rocks. But because of your primal purity, they could not devour you. Follow me. I will lead you back to the road.”
San Zang was immensely grateful. So he put his bundles on his horse, took the horse by the reins, and followed the old man out of the pit and back onto the main thoroughfare. He then leashed the horse and turned around to thank his savior. But the old man suddenly turned into a gust of clear wind, hopped onto a soaring white crane, and flew into the sky. In his wake, a piece of paper wafted down to San Zang. It said:
I am the Spirit of Venus from the West.
I came specifically to save your life.
Going forward you shall have divine disciples to help you.
Do not blame the scriptures for the obstacles ahead.
San Zang now bowed to heaven to thank Venus for helping him escape. He then took his horse, and pressed forward, now completely alone in the mountain wilderness. The terrain did not get any easier, but he struggled on, doing his best to navigate the mountain roads. After half a day, he still did not see any sign of other human beings. He was getting hungry, and the terrain was uneven. Just then, he saw two fierce tigers roaring ahead, while behind him several long serpents lurked. Surrounded by wild animals, San Zang had no choice but to leave his fate in heaven’s hands. And then, just to add to his troubles, his horse lied down and refused to get up, no matter how much he prodded and pulled it.
Just as things were looking dire, the tigers suddenly darted off, and the serpents slithered away. San Zang looked up and saw a man appear around a hill. He wore a spotted leopard hat, a wool jacket, a lion belt, and a pair of deer-skin boots. His eyes were big and round. He wielded a steel pitchfork, and a set of bow and arrows hung from his waist.
As this stout man approached, San Zang kneeled on the side of the road, put his palms together in a gesture of prayer, and shouted, “Oh king, save me! Save me!”
Now, he was calling this guy king because that was the title that leaders of bandit gangs liked to use. But this guy put down his pitchfork, helped San Zang to his feet and said, “Venerable elder, have no fear. I’m no outlaw. I am a hunter in these mountains. My name is Liu Boqin (2,1), with the nickname Senior Guardian of the Mountains. I was coming here to hunt some game for food and didn’t expect to run into you. Please pardon me.”
San Zang said, “I am a monk sent by the Tang emperor to go to the West to meet the Buddha and obtain the sacred scriptures. I was passing through here and found myself surrounded by wild beasts and could not go forward. But then when you showed up, they all ran away. You saved me! Thank you so much!”
“I live here,” Liu Boqin said. “I make my living hunting the wild beasts, so they all fear me. Since you’re from the Tang kingdom, we are fellow countrymen. This is still Tang territory, and I am a citizen of the Tang. Don’t worry. Come with me. You can rest at my house, and tomorrow I will escort you on your way.”
San Zang was quite happy at his good fortune, so he followed Lliu Boqin on foot, leading his horse by the reins. When they went around the hill, they suddenly felt a strong wind whip up.
“Elder, just stay here,” Guardian Liu said. “The wind is a sign that a mountain cat is coming. Let me catch it so I can treat you.”
San Zang was once again too scared to take a single step. But Guardian Liu gripped his pitchfork and stomped forward. Suddenly, he came upon a tiger. As soon as the tiger saw him, it turned and ran. But Guardian Liu roared like thunder, “Stop, you beast! There’s nowhere to run!”
Cornered, the tiger turned and pounced, and Guardian Liu raised his pitchfork and squared off against the beast, while San Zang collapsed onto a patch of grass in sheer terror. Guardian Liu and the tiger fought for two hours at the foot of the hill, and then the tiger slowed down for a second, and Guardian Liu’s pitchfork pierced its heart.
Momentarily, Guardian Liu walked back to San Zang, dragging a bloody tiger behind him. With no sign of exertion, Guardian Liu said to San Zang, “What good luck! This cat is enough to feed you for a few days.”
Umm, yeah, about that. I guess we can discuss the finer points of Buddhist dietary prohibitions later. For now, San Zang just praised Guardian Liu, calling him a mountain god. But Guardian Liu waved it off.
“It’s nothing, certainly not worthy of your praise. This is your good fortune. Let’s go. I’ll skin it and cook some of its meat for you.”
So holding his pitchfork in one hand and dragging the tiger in the other, Guardian Liu led the way, and San Zang followed with his horse. They went around another hill and came upon a residence. Guardian Liu tossed the dead tiger in front of the gate and shouted, “Where are my helpers?!”
A few young servants came out, all looking rather odd and vicious. They pulled the tiger into the house while Guardian Liu told them, “Hurry up and skin it, and prepare it for our guest.”
He then invited San Zang into his home, where they greeted each other properly and San Zang again thanked him for his rescue.
“We’re fellow countrymen; it’s nothing!” Guardian Liu said.
Once they sat down and had tea, Guardian Liu’s mother and wife came in. He introduced them to San Zang, and told them that their guest was on his way to the West on the Tang emperor’s command. His mother was particularly excited to have this special guest.
“This is perfect,” she said. “Tomorrow is the anniversary of your father’s death. We can ask this elder to read some scripture and perform some ceremonies for his soul, and then you can escort him on his way the day after.”
Guardian Liu was a filial son, so he did as she instructed. He prepared the sacrificial fake money for burning and asked San Zang to stay an extra day. By now, it was getting late, and the servants set up for dinner. They brought out several platters of steaming hot tiger meat and put them in front of San Zang, inviting him to dig in.
Putting his palms together in front of his chest, San Zang said to Guardian Liu, “Mercy! To tell you the truth, I’ve been a monk ever since my birth. I’ve never eaten meat.”
Now this stumped Guardian Liu. He thought for a long time and said, “Elder, my family has never been vegetarian. Even if we have some bamboo shoots, wood ear fungus, or tofu, we would be cooking them in animal fat. And both of our woks are soaked through with animal oil. What can we do? I’m sorry for this shabby offering.”
“Please, don’t worry for me and help yourself,” San Zang said. “I can go a few days without eating, but I cannot break my vegetarian diet.”
“But what if you starve to death?” Guardian Liu fretted.
“You saved me from the teeth of wild beasts,” San Zang said. “Even if I starve to death, it would be better than being eaten by a tiger.”
Uhh, that’s a nice sentiment, I guess? But still, the dude can’t have you starve to death in his house. But Guardian Liu’s mother now intervened.
“My child,” she said, “there’s no need for you to speak nonsense with the elder. I have some vegetarian food that he can eat.”
“Where did you get that?” he asked.
“Never you mind. I’ll take care of it,” she said. She then told her daughter-in-law to take the smaller of their two woks, burn off the grease stain with fire, and then scrub and wash it really well. She then put the wok back on the stove and heated up some water. First, she put in some leaves from elm trees on the mountain to make a soup, and then she added some millet and steamed it. She also cooked some pickled vegetables.
She put this food in two bowls and put them on the table, telling San Zang, “Elder, please have dinner. My daughter-in-law and I personally cleaned all our utensils and prepared this vegetarian food.”
San Zang thanked her and sat down to dinner. Next to him, Guardian Liu sat down to platters of tiger meat, musk deer venison, snake meat, fox meat, rabbit meat, and minced deer meat buns, all prepared without any seasoning or sauce.
But just as Guardian Liu was ready to dig in, he saw San Zang put his palms together and start to recite Buddhist incantations. Guardian Liu didn’t know what to do, so he quickly put down his chopsticks and stood to the side respectfully. After uttering a few lines, San Zang asked his host to sit down to dinner.
“So you recite short scriptures?” Guardian Liu asked.
“Oh that wasn’t scripture. That was just a prayer we say before meals,” San Zang explained.
“You men of religion,” Guardian Liu said, “you have so many customs. You even have to mumble something before eating.”
After dinner, Guardian Lilu led San Zang out of the main parlor to stretch his legs in the back of the residence. They came upon a thatched hut, opened the door, and went in. On the walls hung several strong bows and a few quivers of arrows. Draped across the rafters were a couple blood-stained tiger skins. Along the walls stood numerous weapons. In the center of the hut were two chairs, and Guardian Liu invited San Zang to sit down.
Surrounded by these instruments of death, San Zang did not dare to linger long and soon left the hut. They then walked farther into the back and came upon a large garden, with seemingly no end of golden chrysanthemums and crimson maple trees.
Then, with a loud rustle, a dozen or so fat deer and a herd of musk deer scampered out, and they showed no sign of fear when they saw the humans.
“Are these your herds?” San Zang asked.
Guardian Liu replied, “Well, in your capital, those with money store up wealth, and those with land store up grain. We’re hunters, so we just store up some animals for a rainy day.”
They chatted as they walked around the estate, and soon it was dusk. So they turned in for the night.
The next morning, the family got up and prepared breakfast for San Zang and then asked him to recite scripture for the soul of Guardian Liu’s deceased father. San Zang washed his hands, burned incense at the family’s altar, and beat his wooden fish, which was a block that Buddhists struck with a stick as they chanted scripture. He then recited three volumes of scripture before lunch. After lunch, he recited three more volumes. Then they burned incense, and various other sacrificial items for the dead before calling it a day.
That night, the spirit of Guardian Liu’s father appeared to his son in a dream, telling him, “I had struggled to ascend from perdition. But thanks to the sage monk’s recitation of scription, my sins have been expiated, and the kings of the underworld have sent me to the rich land of the Central Kingdom, where I will be reincarnated into a wealthy family. Please thank the elder properly. Don’t mistreat him! I’m off.”
When the family woke up the next day, Guardian Liu, his wife, and his mother compared notes and discovered that they all had the same dream. So they celebrated and thanked San Zang profusely. He of course deflected their effusive compliments, but shared in their joy when Guardian Liu told him of the dream.
After breakfast, Guardian Liu tried to give San Zang a tael of silver as thanks, but San Zang steadfastly refused. The family pleaded with him to accept their gratitude, but he still declined to accept any money and said, “If you are compassionate enough to escort me for a bit, that would be thanks enough.”
So the family relented, but Guardian Liu’s mother and wife hurriedly prepared some rough biscuits, which San Zang happily accepted. Then, Guardian Liu and a couple of his servants each grabbed a weapon and set off to accompany San Zang for a bit. Along the way, they feasted their eyes on the beautiful mountain scenery.
They traveled for half a day and saw a huge mountain across the way, with its peaks reaching into the clouds. After they made their way half way up that mountain, Guardian Liu bowed and said, “Elder, please go on ahead. I must take my leave of you now.”
San Zang dismounted and thanked him for the escort. Guardian Liu then explained, “Elder, you don’t understand. This mountain is called Twin Borders Mountain. The eastern half is in the jurisdiction of the Tang kingdom. But the western half is the territory of the Tartars. The beasts on that side don’t fear me. Also, I’m not allowed to cross the border, so you must go on by yourself.”
Those words made San Zang worry, and he took hold of Guardian Liu, and his tears rolled as he struggled to say goodbye to the man who had saved him from the kind of dangers that apparently waited for him up ahead. But just then, they heard a voice ring out from the foot of the mountain like thunder.
“My master is here! My master is here!”
San Zang was frozen in his tracks, and even Guardian Liu was taken aback. And then the voice rang out again: “My master is here!”
Then, the servants who tagged along said, “This must be the old monkey trapped in the rocks at the foot of the mountain.”
“Right! That must be him!” Guardian Liu said.
Monkey? What monkey? San Zang asked.
“This mountain used to be called Five Elements Mountain,” Guardian Liu explained. “Then, when the Tang waged a campaign to pacify its western border, it was renamed the Twin Borders Mountain. I’ve heard old people say that during the middle of the Han dynasty, this mountain descended from the sky. A magical monkey was pinned under it. It’s not affected by the elements and doesn’t need to eat or drink. There are earth spirits guarding it and making it eat steel pellets and drink melted copper, and it’s still alive today. This must be him calling out. Elder, fear not. Let’s go have a look.”
San Zang had no choice but to consent, so they went down to the foot of the mountain. After a couple miles, they indeed found a monkey, poking its head and hands out from a crevice in the rock.
“Master, master, what took you so long?” the monkey shouted as it waved frantically. “But it’s all good now that you’re here. Help me out of here, and I’ll protect you on your way to the West!”
San Zang cautiously approached and took a close look. He saw a monkey with a pointy snout and hollow cheeks. His eyes were golden and fiery. His head was covered with lichen and from his ear wisteria had grown. By his temples there was more green grass than hair. Beneath his chin, there was moss instead of a beard. With mud on his brow and earth in his nose, he looked pitiful. His coarse fingers and calloused palms were caked in filth and dirt. But his eyes still darted back and forth, and his apish tongue was still articulate.
Showing more courage, Guardian Liu now walked up to the monkey pulled aside the grass and leaves that had grown on him, and asked, “What do you want to say?”
“I’ve got nothing to say, but tell that master to come over. I have a question for him,” the monkey replied.
“What do you want to ask me?” San Zang said.
“Were you sent by the king in the East to go West to fetch the scriptures?”
“I am. Why do you ask?”
“I am the Great Sage who rocked heaven 500 years ago,” the monkey said. “Because of my offense, the Buddha pinned me here. But then the Bodhisattva Guanyin was going East on the Buddha’s command to find a scripture pilgrim. I begged her to save me, and she told me to stop my vicious ways, give myself over to Buddhism, do my utmost to protect the scripture pilgrim as he goes West to see the Buddha. She said I would be rewarded when that mission is successfully completed. So I’ve been waiting eagerly for you to come rescue me. I am willing to protect you on your pilgrimage and be your disciple.”
San Zang was elated when he heard this, but he said, “Even though you harbor this devotion and you were instructed by Guanyin to join the Buddhist school, I have neither ax nor chisel. How can I free you?”
“You don’t need ax or chisel,” the monkey said. “As long as you’re willing to save me, I can get out by myself.”
“I’m willing to save you, but how will you get out?”
“At the top of the mountain, the Buddha attached a piece of paper to keep the mountain down. You just need to go up and peel it off, and then I can get out.”
San Zang now turned to Guardian Liu and said, “Let’s go up the mountain and take a look.”
“Is it really there?” Guardian Liu said skeptically.
“Oh it’s real! I would never lie!” the monkey shouted.
So Guardian Liu told his servants to watch San Zang’s horse, while he helped San Zang back up the mountain. Holding on to vines, they scaled to the peak. There, they indeed saw a large, square rock, from which a golden glow emanated. On the rock was a piece of paper with six golden characters.
San Zang approached the rock, kneeled, read the characters on the paper, kowtowed a few times, and prayed toward the West. He said, “Your disciple Chen Xuanzang is going to fetch sacred scriptures on the emperor’s command. If I was destined to have this disciple, then allow me to remove these golden characters and free the magical monkey. If I’m not destined to have him as a disciple, then he must be a vicious demon trying to deceive me. If that’s the case, then I will not be able to peel the characters off.”
After his prayer, he bowed again. Then, he stepped forth and pulled on the piece of paper. It came off easily. A fragrant breeze now blew through and swept the paper into the sky, where a voice echoed, “We are the overseers of the Great Sage’s imprisonment. He has fulfilled his term of suffering today. So we have reported back to the Buddha and removed this paper.”
San Zang, Guardian Liu and the servants were all startled, and then they fell to their knees and kowtowed toward the sky. They then descended the mountain and went back to the monkey, telling him, “The paper has been removed. You can come out now.”
Ecstatic, the monkey said, “Master, please step back a good distance. I’m coming out, and I don’t want to startle you.”
So Guardian Liu led San Zang and his servants back about 2 miles toward the East. But they heard the monkey yell to them to go even farther. So they kept going until they were completely off the mountain.
Then, they heard a loud rumble that sounded like the earth splitting and a mountain collapsing, which made all their hairs stand up on end. In a few moments, the monkey , all naked, landed in front of San Zang’s horse, said, “Master, I’m out!”, and kowtowed four times to San Zang.
The monkey then got up and bowed deeply to Guardian Liu , saying, “Thank you brother for escorting my master, and for removing the lichen and grass from my face.”
He then went to pack up the luggage and put it on the horse. As soon as that horse saw him, however, it began to tremble and could barely stand still. That’s because the monkey was once the overseer of the heavenly stables, so even horses in the mortal realm feared him.
Seeing that this monkey did seem like a good sort of person, San Zang asked him for his name.
“My last name is Sun,” the monkey said.
“Then let me give you a Buddhist name to make it easier to call you,” San Zang said.
“Oh thank you master, but no need. I have a Buddhist name. I’m called Sun Wukong.”
San Zang liked that name. “That does fit with our denomination,” he said. “And you look like a little traveling monk. How about I give you a nickname and call you Pilgrim?”
“Great! Great!” Sun Wukong exclaimed. So from this point out, aside from Great Sage and the Beautiful Monkey King, he was also often referred to as Pilgrim Sun.
Guardian Liu now congratulated San Zang on collecting a disciple and took his leave. San Zang thanked him profusely again and they parted ways. Sun Wukong now asked San Zang to mount his horse while he carried the luggage and walked in front, still buck naked.
Soon, they were leaving the mountain behind. But suddenly, a ferocious tiger leaped out and sprinted toward them. To see how Sun Wukong will handle this threat, 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
- “The Quiet Aftermath by Sir Cubworth (from YouTube audio library)
- “Comfortable Mystery 3 – Film Noire” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100536; Artist: http://incompetech.com/)
