Monkey – Journey to the West
– Chapter 4
Appointed to the post of
Pi-ma, how can he be
satisfied?
Though his name is Equal to
Heaven, he is still
discontented.
The Gold Star of Venus left
the depths of the cave dwelling with the Handsome Monkey King, and together
they rose by mounting the clouds. But the cloud-somersault of Wu-k’ung, you
see, is no common magic; its speed is tremendous. Soon he left the Gold Star
far behind and arrived first at the South Heavenly Gate. He was about to
dismount form the cloud and go in when the Devaraja Virudhaka, leading P’ang,
Liu, Klou, Pi, Teng, Hsin, Chang, and T’ao, the various divine heroes, barred
the way with spears, scimitars, swords, and halberds and refused him entrance.
The Monkey King said, “What a deceitful fellow that Gold Star is! If old Monkey
has been invited here, why have these people been ordered to use their swords
to bar my entrance?” He was protesting loudly when the Gold Star arrived in
haste. “Old man,” said Wu-k’ung angrily to his face, “why did you deceive me?
You told me that I was invited by the Jade Emperor’s decree of pacification.
Why then did you get these people to block the Heavenly Gate and prevent my
entering?” “Let the Great King calm down,” the Gold Star said, laughing. “Since
you have never been to the Hall of Heaven before, nor have you been given a
name, you are quite unknown to the various Heavenly guardians. How can they let
you in on their own authority? Once you have seen the Heavenly Deva, received
an appointment, and had your name listed in the Immortal Register, you can go
in and out as you please. Who would then obstruct your way?” “If that’s how it
is,” said Wu-k’ung, “it’s all right. But I’m not going in by myself.” “Then go
in with me,” said the Gold Star, pulling him by the hand.
As they approached the gate, the Gold Star called out
loudly, “Guardians of the Heavenly Gate, lieutenants great and small, make way!
This person is an immortal from the region below, whom I have summoned the
imperial decree of the Jade Emperor.” The Devaraja Virudhaka and the various divine
heroes immediately lowered their weapons and stepped aside, and the Monkey King
finally believed what he had been told. He walked slowly inside the Gold Star
and looked around. For it was truly
His first ascent to the Region Above,
His sudden entrance into the Hall of Heaven,
Where ten thousand shafts of golden light whirled as a
coral rainbow,
And a thousand layers of hallowed air diffused mist of
purple,
Look at that South Heavenly Gate!
Its deep shades of green
From glazed tiles were made;
Its radiant battlements
Adorned with treasure jade.
On two sides were posted scores of celestial
sentinels,
Each of whom, standing tall beside the pillars,
Carried bows and clutched banners.
All around were sundry divine being in golden armor,
Each of then holding halberds and whips,
Or wielding scimitars and swords.
Impressive may be the outer court;
Overwhelming is the sight within!
In the inner halls stood several huge pillars
Coiled around with red-whiskered
dragons whose scales of gold gleamed in the sun.
There were moreover a few long bridges
Above them crimson-headed phoenixes circled with
soaring plumes of many hues.
Bright mist shimmered in the light of the sky.
Green fog descending obscured the stars.
Thirty-three heavenly mansions were found up here,
With names like the Scattered Cloud,
the Vaisravana, the Panacavidya, the Suyama, the Nirmanarati…
On the roof of every mansion the ridge held a stately
golden beast.
There were also the seventy-two treasure halls,
With names like the Morning Assembly, the Transcendent
Void, the Precious Light, the Heavenly King, the Divine Minister…
In every hall beneath the pillars
stood rows of jade unicorn.
On the Platform of
There were flowers unfading in a thousand millennia;
Beside the oven for refining herbs
There were exotic grasses growing green for ten
thousand years.
He went before the
Where he saw robes of royal purple gauze
Brilliant as stars refulgent,
Caps the shape of hibiscus,
Resplendent with fold and precious stones,
And pins of jade and shoes of pearl,
And purple sashes and golden ornaments.
When the golden bells swayed to their striking,
The memorial of the three Judges would cross the
vermilion courtyard;
When the drums of Heaven were sounded,
Ten thousand sages of the royal audience would honor
the Jade Emperor.
HE went, too, to the Treasure Hall of Divine Mists
Where nails of old penetrated frames of jade,
And colorful phoenixes danced atop scarlet doors.
Here were covered bridges and winding corridors
Displaying everywhere openwork carvings most elegant;
And eaves crowding together in layers three and four,
On each of which reared up phoenixes and dragons.
There was high above
A round dome big, bright, and
brilliant-
Its shape, a huge gourd of purple gold,
Below which guardian goddesses hung out their fans
And jade maidens held up their immortal veils.
Ferocious were the sky marshals overseeing the court;
Dignified, the divine officials
protecting the throne.
There at the center, on a crystal platter,
Tablets of the Great Monad Elixir were heaped;
And rising out of the cornelian vases
Were several branches of twisting coral.
So it was that
Rare goods of every order were found in Heaven’s Hall,
And nothing like them on Earth could ever be seen-
Those golden arches, silver coaches, and that heavenly
house,
Those coralline blooms and jasper plants with their
buds of jade.
The jade rabbit passed the platform to adore the king.
The golden crow flew by to worship the sage.
Blessed was the Monkey King to come to this heavenly
realm,
He who was not mired in the filthy
soil of a man.
The Gold Star of Venus led
the Handsome Monkey King to the Treasure Hall of Divine Mists, and, without
waiting for further announcement, they went into the imperial presence. While
the Star prostrated himself, Wu-k’ung stood erect by him. Showing no respect,
he cocked his ear only to listen to the report of the Gold Star, “According to
your decree,” said the Gold Star, “you or subject has brought the bogus
immortal.” “Which one is the bogus immortal?” “Which one is the bogus
immortal?” asked the Jade Emperor graciously. Only then did Wu-k’ung bow and
reply, “None other than old Monkey!” Blanching with horror, the various divine
officials said, “That wild ape! Already he has failed to prostrate himself
before the Throne, and now he dares to come forward with such insolent reply as
‘None other than old Monkey’! He is worthy of death, worthy of death! “ “That fellow Sun Wu-k’ung is a bogus immortal from the
region below,” announced the Jade Emperor, “and he has only recently acquired
the form of a human being. We shall pardon him this time for his ignorance of
the court etiquette.” “Thank you, our Majesty,” cried the various divine
officials. Only then did the Monkey King bow deeply
with folded hands and utter a cry of gratitude. The Jade Emperor then ordered
the divine officials, both civil and military, to see what vacant appointment
there might be for Sun Wu-k’ung to receive. From the side came the Star Spirit
of Wu-chu, who reported, “In every mansion and hall everywhere in the
The Monkey King went happily with the Star Spirit of
Jupiter to the stables in order to assume his duties. The Star Spirit then
returned to his own mansion. At the stables, he gathered together the deputy
and assistant supervisors, the accountants and stewards, and other officials
both great and small and made through investigation of all the affairs of the
stables. There were about a thousand celestial horses, and they were all
Hua-lius
and Ch’I-chis
Lu-erhs
and Hsien-lis
Consorts
of Dragons adnPurple Swallows,
Folded
Wings and Su-hsiangs,
Chueh-t’is
and Silver Hooves,
Yao-niaos
and Flying Yellows,
Chestnuts
and Faster-than-Arrows,
Red
Hares and Speedier-than-Lights,
Leaping
Lights and Vaulting Shadows,
Rising
Frogs and Triumphant Yellows,
Wind
Chasers and Distance Breakers,
Flying
Pinions and Surging Airs,
Rushing
Winds and Fiery Lightnings,
Copper
Sparrows and Drifting Clouds,
Dragonlike
piebalds and Tigerlike pintos,
Dust
Quenchers and Purple Scales,
And Ferghanas from the
Like
the Eight Steeds and Nine Stallions
They
have no rivals within a thousand miles!
Such
are these find horses.
Every one of which neighs like the wind and gallops
like a thunder to show a mighty spirit.
They
tread the mist and mount the clouds with unflagging strength.
Our Monkey King went through the
lists and made a thorough inspection of the horses. Within the imperial
stables, the accountants were in charge of getting supplies; the stewards
groomed and washed the horses, chopped hay, watered them, and prepared their
food; and the deputies and assistants saw to the overall management. Never
resting, the pi-ma oversaw the care of the horses, fussing with them by day and
watching over them diligently by night. Those horses that wanted to sleep were
stirred up and fed; those that wanted to gallop were caught and placed in the
stalls. When the celestial horses saw him, they all behaved most properly and
they were so well cared for that their flanks became swollen with fat. More
than half a month soon went by, and on one leisurely morning, the various department
ministers gave a banquet to welcomes him and congratulate him.
While they were drinking happily, the Monkey King
suddenly put down his cup and asked: “What sort of rank is this pi-ma-wen of
mine?” “The rank and the title are not the same,” they said. “But what
ministerial grade is it?” “If it does not have a grade,” said the Monkey King.
“I suppose it must be the very highest.” “Not at all,” they replied,” it can
only be called ‘the unclassified’!” The Monkey King said, “What do you mean by
‘the unclassified’?” “It is really the meanest level,” they said. “This kind of
minister is the lowest of the low ranks; hence he can only look after horses.
Take the case of Your Honor, who, since your arrival, have
been so diligent in discharging your duties. If the horses are fattened, you
will only earn yourself a ‘Fairly Good!’ If they look at all thin, you will be
roundly rebuked. And if the are seriously hurt, or
wounded, you will be prosecuted and fined.” When the Monkey King had heard
this, he fire leaped up from his heart. “So that’s the kind of contempt they
have for old Monkey!” he cried angrily, gnashing his teeth. “At the
In a
moment, he lowered the direction of his cloud and returned to the
As they were drinking wine and conversing happily,
someone came to report: “Great King, there are two one-horned demon kings
outside who want to see you.” “Show them in,” said the Monkey King. The demon
kings straightened out their attire, ran into the cave, and prostrated themselves. “Why did you want to see me?” asked the Handsome
Monkey King. “We have long heard that the Great King is receptive your
audience. Now we learn that our Great King has received a divine appointment
and has returned in success and glory. We have come, therefore, to present the
Great King with a red and yellow robe for his celebration. If you are not
disdainful of the uncouth and the lowly and are willing to receive us
plebeians, we shall serve you as dogs or as horses.” Highly pleased, the Monkey
King put on the red and yellow robe while the reset of them lined up joyfully
and did homage. He then appointed the demon kings to be the Vanguard Commanders,
Marshals of the Forward Regiments. After expressing the their thanks, the demon
kings asked again, “Since our Great King was in Heaven for a long time, may we
ask what king of appointment he received?” “The Jade Emperor belittles the
talented,” said the Monkey King. “He only made me something called the
pi-ma-wen.” “Hearing this, the demons kings said again, “Great King has such
divine powers! Why should you take care of horses for him? What is there to
stop you from assuming the rank of the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven?” When the
Monkey King heard these words, he could not conceal his delight, shouting
repeatedly, “Bravo! Bravo!” “Make me a banner immediately,” he ordered the four
mighty commanders, “and inscribe on it in large letters, “’The Great Sage, Equal
to Heaven.’ Erect a pole to hang it on. From now on, address me only as the
Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, and the title Great King will no longer be
permitted. The Monster Kings of the various caves will also be informed so that
is will be known to all.” Of this we shall speak no further.
We now refer to the Jade Emperor, who held court the next
day. The Heavenly Preceptor Chang was seen leading the deputy and the assistant
of the imperial stables to come before the vermilion courtyard. “Your Majesty,”
they said prostrating themselves, “the newly appointed pi-ma-wen, Sun Wu-k’ung,
objected to his rank as being too low and left the
Deva
King Li and Nata kowtowed to take leave and went back to their own mansion.
After reviewing the troops and their captains and lieutenants, they appointed
Mighty-Spirit God to be Vanward Commander, the Fish-Belly General to bring up
the rear, and the General
of the Yaksas to urge the
troops on. In a moment they left by the South Heavenly Gate and went straight to the
The gold cuirass worn on his
body was brilliant and bright;
The gold cap on Ills head
also glistened in the light.
In his hands was a staff,
the golden-hooped rod,
That well became the
cloud-treading shoes on his feet.
His eyes glowered strangely
like burning stars.
Hanging past his shoulders
were two ears. forked and hard.
His remarkable body knew
many ways of change,
And his voice resounded like
bells and chimes.
This pi-ma-wen of pointed
mouth and gaping teeth
Set high his aim to be the
Sage, Equal to Heaven.
"You lawless ape,"
cried the Mighty-Spirit God with a powerful roar, "do
you recognize me?" When the Great Sage heard these words, he asked quickly, "What
sort of dull-witted deity are you? Old Monkey has yet to meet you! State
your name at once!" "You fraudulent simian," cried the
Mighty-Spirit, "what do you mean, you don't recognize me! I am the
Celestial General of Mighty-Spirit, the Van-ward Commander and subordinate to
Devaraja Li, the Pagoda Bearer, from the divine empyrean. I have come by the imperial decree of the Jade Emperor to
receive your submission. Strip yourself of your apparel immediately and
yield to the Heavenly grace, so that this mountainful of creatures can avoid execution.
If you dare but utter half a 'No,' you will be reduced to powder in seconds!" When the Monkey King heard the
saying, he was filled with anger. "Reckless simpleton!" he cried. "Stop bragging and wagging your tongue! I would have killed you with
one stroke of my rod, but then I would have no one to communicate my message. So,
I'll spare your life for the moment. Get back to Heaven quickly and inform the
Jade Emperor
that he has no regard for talent. Old Monkey has unlimited abilities. Why did he ask me
to mind horses for him ? Take a good look at the words on this
banner. If
The rod was named Compliant;
The ax was called Spreading
Flower.
The two of them, meeting
suddenly,
Did not yet know their
weakness or strength;
But ax and rod
Clashed left and right.
One concealed secret powers
most wondrous;
The other vaunted openly his
vigor and might.
They used magic-
Blowing out cloud and puffing up fog;
They stretched their hands,
Splattering mud and spraying sand
The might, of the celestial battler had its
way:
But the Monkey King's power of change knew no
bounds.
The cudgel uplifted seemed a dragon playing in
water;
The ax arrived as a phoenix slicing through
flowers.
Mighty-Spirit, though his name was known
throughout the world,
In prowess truly could not match the other
one.
The Great Sage whirling lightly his iron staff
Could numb the body with
one stroke on the head.
The Mighty-Spirit God could
oppose him no longer and allowed the Monkey King to aim a mighty blow at his head,
which he hastily sought to parry with his ax. With a crack the ax handle split in two, and Mighty-Spirit turned
swiftly to flee for his life. "Imbecile! Imbecile !" laughed the Monkey
King, "I've already spared you. Go and report my message at once!"
Back at the camp, the Mighty-Spirit God went
straight to see the Pagoda Bearer Devaraja. Huffing and puffing, he knelt down saying, "The pi-ma-wen indeed
has great magic powers! Your unworthy warrior cannot prevail against him. Defeated,
I have come to beg your pardon." "This fellow has blunted our will to
fight," said Devaraja Li angrily. "Take him out and have him executed!"
From the
side came Prince Nata, who said, bowing deeply, "Let your anger subside,
Father and King, and pardon for the moment the guilt of Mighty-Spirit. Permit your
child to go into battle once, and we shall know the long and short of the matter."
The Devaraja heeded the admonition and ordered Mighty-Spirit to go back to his camp and await trial.
This Prince Nata, properly
armed, leaped from his camp and dashed to the
Two boyish tufts barely
cover his skull.
His flowing hair has yet to
reach the shoulders.
A rare mind, alert and
intelligent.
A noble
frame, pure and elegant.
He is indeed the unicorn son
from Heaven above,
Truly
immortal as the phoenix of mist and smoke.
This seed of dragon has by
nature uncommon features.
His tender age shows no
relation to any worldly kin.
He carries on his body six
kinds of magic weapons.
He flies, he leaps; he can
change without restriction.
Now by the golden-mouth
proclamation of the Jade Emperor
He is appointed to the
Assembly: its name, the Three Platforms.
Wu-k'ung came near and asked, "Whose little
brother are you. and what do you want, barging
through my gate?" "Lawless monstrous monkey !" shouted Nata.
"Don't you recognize me? I am Nata, third son of the Pagoda Bearer
Devaraja. I am under the imperial commission of the Jade Emperor to come and
arrest you." "Little prince," said Wu-k'ung laughing, "your baby teeth
haven't even fallen out, and your natal hair is still damp! How dare you talk so big? I'm going to spare your life,
and I won't fight you. Just take a look at the words on my banner and
report them to the Jade Emperor above.
Grant me this title, and you won't need to stir your
forces. I will submit on my own. If you don't satisfy my cravings, I will surely
fight, my way up to the Treasure Hall of Divine Mists." Lifting his head
to look,
Nata saw the words "Great Sage, Equal to Heaven." "What great power does this
monstrous monkey possess," said Nata. "that he dares claim such a title?
Fear not! Swallow my sword." "I'll just stand here quietly,"
said Wu-k'ung, "and you can take a few hacks at me with your sword."
Young Nata grew angry. "Change!" he yelled loudly, and he
changed at once into a fearsome person having three heads and six arms. In
his hands he held six kinds of weapons: a monster-stabbing sword, a monster-cleaving
scimitar, a monster-binding rope, a monster-taming club, an embroidered ball,
and a fiery
wheel. Brandishing these weapons, he mounted a frontal attack.
"This little brother does know a few tricks !" said Wu-k'ung, some-what alarmed by what he
saw. "But don't be rash. Watch my magic!" Dear Great Sage! He
shouted, "Change!" and he too transformed himself into a creature with
three heads and six arms. One wave of the golden-hooped cudgel and it became three
staffs, which were held with six hands. The conflict was truly earth-shaking and made the very mountains tremble. What
a battle!
The six-armed Prince Nata.
The heaven-born Handsome
Stone Monkey King.
Meeting, each met his match
And found each to be from
the same source.
One was consigned to come
down to Earth.
The other in guile disturbed
the universe.
The edge of the
monster-stabbing sword was quick;
The keen, monster-cleaving
scimitar alarmed demons and gods;
The monster-binding rope was
like a flying snake;
The monster-taming club was
like the head of a wolf;
The lightning-propelled
fiery wheel was like darting flames;
Hither and thither the
embroidered ball rotated.
The three compliant rods of
the Great Sage
Protected the front and
guarded the rear with care and skill.
A few rounds of bitter
contest revealed no victor,
But the prince's mind would
not so easily rest.
He ordered the six kinds of
weapon to change
Into
hundreds and thousands of millions, aiming for the head.
The Monkey King, undaunted,
roared with laughter loud,
And
wielded his iron rod with artful ease:
One turned to a thousand, a
thousand to ten thousand,
Filling the sky as a swarm
of dancing dragons,
And
shocked the Monster Kings of sundry caves into shutting their doors.
Demons and monsters all over
the mountain hid their heads.
The angry breath of divine
soldiers was like oppressive clouds.
The golden-hooped iron rod
whizzed like the wind.
On this side,
The battle cries of celestial
lighters appalled everyone;
On that side,
The banner-waving of monkey
monsters startled each person.
Growing fierce, the two
parties both willed a test of strength.
We know not. who was stronger and who weaker.
Each displaying his divine
powers, the Third Prince and Wu-k'ung battled for thirty rounds. The six weapons of
that Prince changed into a thousand and ten thousand pieces; the golden hooped rod of Sun
Wu-k'ung into ten thousand and a thousand. They clashed like raindrops and meteors in the
air, but victory or defeat was not yet determined. Wu-k'ung, however, proved to be
the one swifter of eye and hand. Right in the midst of the confusion, he plucked a piece of hair and shouted, "Change !" It changed into a copy of him, also wielding a rod in its hands
and deceiving Nata. His real person leaped behind Nata and struck his left shoulder with
the cudgel. Nata, still performing his magic, heard the rod whizzing through the air and tried
desperately to dodge it. Unable to move quickly enough, he took the blow and fled in pain.
Breaking off his magic and gathering up his six weapons, he returned to his camp in
defeat.
Standing in front of his
battle line, Devaraja Li saw what was happening and was about to go to his son's
assistance. The prince, however, came to him first and gasped, "Father and King! The pi-ma-wen is truly powerful.
Even your son of such magical strength is no match for him! He has wounded me in the
shoulder." "If this fellow is so powerful," said the Devaraja, turning pale with
fright, "how can we beat him?" The prince said, "In front of his
cave lie has set up a banner bearing the words 'The Great Sage, Equal to
Heaven.' By his own mouth he boastfully asserted that if the Jade Emperor
appointed him to such a title, all troubles would cease. If he were not given this name,
he would surely fight his way up to the Treasure Hall of Divine Mists!"
"If that's the case," said the Devaraja, "let's not fight with
him for the moment. Let us return to the region above and report these words.
There will be lime then for us to send for more celestial soldiers and take this fellow on all
sides." The prince was in such pain that he could not do battle again; he therefore went back to
Heaven with the Devaraja to report, of which we speak no further.
Look at that Monkey King
returning to his mountain in triumph! The monster kings of seventy-two caves
and the six sworn brothers all came to congratulate him, and they feasted jubilantly in the blessed cave dwelling. He
then said to the six brothers, "If little brother is now called the
Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, why don't all of you assume the title of Great Sage
also?" "Our worthy brother's words are right!" shouted the Bull
Monster King from their midst, "I'm going to be called the Great Sage,
Parallel with Heaven." "I shall be called the Great Sage, Covering the
Ocean," said the Dragon Monster King. "I shall be called the Great
Sage, United with Heaven," said the Garuda Monster King. "I shall be called the Great Sage,
Mover of Mountains," said the Lion Monster King. "I shall be called the Fair Wind Great
Sage," said the Female Monkey King. "And I shall be called the
God-Routing Great Sage," said the Giant Ape Monster King. At that moment,
the seven Great Sages had complete freedom to do as they pleased and to call
themselves with whatever titles they liked. They had fun for a whole day and then dispersed.
Now we return to the
Devaraja Li and the Third Prince, who, leading the other commanders,
went straight to the Treasure Hall of Divine Mists to give this report:
"By your holy decree your subjects led the expeditionary force down to the
region below to subdue the baneful immortal, Sun Wu-k'ung. We had no idea of his enormous power, and we could not
prevail against him. We beseech Your Majesty to give us reinforcements to wipe
him out." "How powerful can we expect one baneful monkey to be,"
asked the Jade Emperor, "that reinforcements are needed?" "May
Your Majesty pardon us from an offense worthy of death!" said the prince, drawing closer.
"That baneful monkey wielded an iron rod; he defeated first the
Mighty-Spirit God and then wounded the shoulder of your subject. Outside the
door of his cave he had set up a banner bearing the words "The Great Sage,
Equal to Heaven.' He said that if he were given such a rank, he would lay
down his arms and come to declare his allegiance. If not, he would fight his way up
to the Treasure Hall of Divine Mists." "How dare this baneful monkey
be so insolent!" exclaimed the Jade Emperor, astonished by what he had heard. "We must order the generals to
have him executed at once!" As he was saying this, the Gold Star of Venus came
forward again from the ranks and said, "The baneful monkey knows how to make a speech, but he has no idea what's
appropriate and what isn't. Even if reinforcements are sent to fight him, I don't
think he can be subdued right away without taxing our forces. It would be better if Your Majesty were greatly to
extend your mercy and proclaim yet another decree, of pacification. Let him indeed be
made the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven; he will be given an empty title, in short, rank without compensation."
"What do you mean by rank without compensation ?" said the Jade Emperor. The
Gold Star said, "His name will be Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, but he will not be
given any official duty or salary. We shall keep him here in Heaven so that we may put his perverse mind at rest and
make him desist from his madness and arrogance. The universe will then be calm and
the oceans tranquil again." Hearing these words, the Jade Emperor said, "We shall
follow the counsels of our minister." He ordered the mandate to be made up and the Gold Star to bear
it hence.
The Gold Star left through the South
Heavenly Gate once again and headed straight for the
The Gold Star strode forward
and entered the cave. He stood facing south and declared,
"Now I inform the Great Sage. Because the Great Sage has objected to the
meanness of his previous appointment and absented himself from the imperial stables,
the officials of that department, both great and small, reported the matter to
the Jade Emperor. The proclamation of the Jade Emperor said at first, 'All appointed officials advance from lowly
positions to exalted ones. Why should he object to that arrangement?' This led to the
campaign against you by Devaraja Li and Nata. They were ignorant of the Great Sage's power and therefore suffered
defeat. They reported back to Heaven that you had set up a banner which
made known your desire to be the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven. The various martial
officials still wanted to deny your request. It was this old man who, risking offense, pleaded the case of the Great Sage,
so that he might be invited to receive a new appointment, and without the use of
force. The Jade Emperor accepted my suggestion; hence I am here to invite
you." "I caused you trouble last time," said Wu-k'ung, laughing, "and now I
am again
indebted to you for your kindness. Thank you! Thank you! But is there really such a
rank as the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, up there?" "I made certain that this
title was approved," said the Gold Star, "before I dared come with the
decree. If there is any mishap, let this old man be held responsible."
Wu-k'ung was
highly pleased, but the Gold Star refused his earnest invitation to stay
for a banquet. He therefore mounted the hallowed cloud with the Gold Star and went to
the South Heavenly Gate, where they were welcomed by the celestial generals and guardians with hands folded
at their breasts. Going straight into the Treasure Hall of Divine Mists, the Gold Star
prostrated himself and memorialized, "Your subject, by your decree, has summoned here Pi-ma-wen Sun
Wu-k'ung." "Have that Sun Wu-k'ung come forward," said the Jade
Emperor. "I now proclaim you to be the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, a position of the highest rank. But you must indulge no more in your
preposterous behavior." Bowing deeply, the monkey uttered a great whoop of
thanks. The Jade Emperor then ordered two building officials, Chang and Lu, to erect the official residence of
the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, to the right of the
Truly
His name divine, forever
recorded in the Long-Life Book
And kept from falling into
samsara, will long be known.
We do not know what took
place hereafter, and you must listen to the explanation in the next chapter.