Chapter 17: The 8th Precept of Compassion
Chapter 17: Bajie's Compassion
It is said that after Sun Wukong defeated the White Bone Demon for the third time, he was driven back to the Flower and Fruit Mountain by Tang Monk. But Tang Monk soon fell into trouble in the Kingdom of Precious Elephant and was turned into a tiger by the Yellow Robe Monster. Bajie had no choice but to go to the Flower and Fruit Mountain to seek the help of the Monkey King. After much persuasion, he finally persuaded the Monkey King to come out of the mountain to be his master.
The Monkey King used his somersault cloud to fly with Bajie, complaining, "Master is so heartless. He wrote a letter of demotion and is determined not to have me as his disciple. After I rescue the old monk, I will return to my Flower-Fruit Mountain and live a carefree life."
Bajie said, "Brother Monkey, you are wrong. Master is actually a sentimental person, and he loves you very much. But he is a truly compassionate master, not like others who are falsely compassionate."
Wukong said, "Oh, what do you mean? How come others are just pretending to be compassionate, but Master is truly compassionate?"
Bajie said, "Thinking back to the time when I was demoted to the mortal world and reborn as a pig, my old friends in heaven said all kinds of things. Some gloated over my misfortune, while others said I was pitiful. But none of those who said I was pitiful stood up to plead for mercy when I was demoted? Why do you think that was? They only knew how to protect themselves and didn't want to offend the Jade Emperor. When they saw others were pitiful, they only said it with their mouths. But they would never stand up and help those pitiful people. How can such people really have sympathy for others?"
"Our master is different. He really cares about others. He doesn't want to hurt any grass, tree, flower or insect. Although he has wronged you, it is understandable for him to be a mortal! You said that the man was a monster, and he had doubts. He is the kind of person who would rather be hurt than hurt others. Since I became his apprentice, I have truly felt cared for. Isn't it the same for you, Monkey Brother? When the master rescued you from the Five Finger Mountain, he climbed to the top of the mountain step by step and took off the sticker of the Tathagata Buddha. Can you imagine how much suffering he, a mortal, has endured? Since I followed the master, he taught us the truth every day. He also knows that I have a big appetite. When I eat vegetarian food, I never eat more, just to leave more for my fellow apprentices. Monkey Brother, you know this. Think about it, has anyone cared about us so much before? The master really treats us like family members, and he loves you deeply and blames you very much..."
"Monkey brother, although you have extraordinary abilities and everyone calls you the Great Sage, all those guys in Heaven see is the stick in your hand. Which one of them is truly on your side? Master is different! Now, I, Old Pig, do not regret leaving that heartless and ungrateful place in Heaven. I have long been tired of living like a puppet every day. Although the journey to the West was a bit hard, it warmed my heart. Sometimes we want to break up, but we are not sincere. Without Master, where would we go? I dare to tell you, if one day we really obtain the true scriptures and achieve the right results, I don’t know how jealous and resentful those gods in Heaven will be!"
Wukong's eyes welled up with tears when he heard this. He cried, "Stop talking, stop talking! As long as Master wants me to be his disciple, how can I be unwilling? No matter how difficult it is, I will protect him to the West!"
Sun Xingzhe went to Baoxiang Kingdom and subdued the yellow-robed monster. He then used his magic to transform Tang Sanzang back into human form. He knelt down and cried, "It was my fault!"
Tang Seng also cried, "It is my fault! My fault!"
After the four masters and apprentices reconciled, they went through many hardships and finally obtained the true scriptures and achieved the right result.
On this day, the Heavenly Palace held another Peach Festival, inviting all the Buddhas, Arhats and Bodhisattvas to attend the banquet. Tang Monk and his four disciples were also among the invited guests.
The four masters and apprentices came to the meeting on five-colored clouds and covered in colorful clouds. The Jade Emperor personally came down to greet them. When the gods saw them, they all muttered in their hearts: "I didn't expect that Pig Head and Juanlian would really achieve enlightenment. Now they are more powerful than us. It's really absurd." "Tianpeng is obviously a pig, but he can become a Bodhisattva? Humph! It's really laughable!"
"Even if you achieve enlightenment, you're still a pig demon!"
The ones who said these words in their hearts were precisely the gods who had said that Tianpeng was pitiful.
The four masters and apprentices have now achieved success and have long possessed telepathy, knowing exactly what the gods are thinking.
Fighting Buddha suppressed his anger, his expression changed. The altar purifier quickly used the secret method of mind-to-mind communication to say, "Brother Monkey, I am here to eat, please don't let me go back hungry!"
Upon hearing this, Fighting Buddha sighed and replied to Bajie using a secret method: "Bajie, you are right! How can these guys understand what compassion is? When they see others in trouble, they can only stand by and say it's pitiful. But once others are better off than them, they become resentful and jealous. They wish that others could return to their previous pitiful state. The Heavenly Palace is already rotten and hopeless, why not find an opportunity to make a big fuss about it?"
Bajie said, "Brother Monkey, you are so impatient and have forgotten to be compassionate. It is other people's business what happens to them. We should always have compassion in our hearts!"
The Sandalwood Merit Buddha praised him, "Bajie has already realized compassion, but Wukong still needs to work harder!"
Fighting Buddha said: "Master, you are on Bajie's side again! He obviously can't change his bad habit of being greedy! Buddha is merciful and has the means to subdue demons! I think this kind of immortal has stayed in heaven for too long, and it's time for him to come down to earth to experience some experience."
The golden arhat laughed and said, "Big Brother, you can't change your hatred of evil. If you could change, you wouldn't be Big Brother anymore!"
The four masters and apprentices were chatting and laughing here, but the gods in heaven were completely unaware of this and were still harboring many evil thoughts in their hearts...
(End of this chapter)