Journey to the West - Chapter 32 Part 1

0:00 This is an independent project funded by no one else but our listeners. For subtitles, please visit our YouTube channel. To access all the locked content, please consider becoming a paid subscriber for a minimum of three U.S. dollars per month on Spotify, YouTube, Patreon, or drop a donation on Kofi.

0:16 Details are in the descriptions. Thank you. Journey to the West, an audio drama series. Chapter 32 Part 1 We will speak of the tongue monk. Now that he had Swen Xinjo back, Master and disciples united their spirits to head W together. After rescuing the Princess of Precious Elephant Kingdom, the king and his officials sent them off westward.

0:47 There was no end to all the hunger and thirst they suffered along the way. And speak not of the lodging by night and departing by day. Soon they arrived at the fine days of spring, when blossoms covered the roads and birds were most active. They were enjoying the scenery as they walked, when another mountain stood in their way.

1:06 The tongue monk said, Disciples, we must be very careful. There is a high mountain ahead. I'm afraid there will be tigers and wolves in our way, Singja said. Master, those out of the family should stop uttering words you will say in the family. Do you remember that line in the HA Sutra from Chime Master Crows Nest, which says the mind has no hindrance? Without hindrance, No Fear exists. Be far away from every perverted view. It all comes down to this.

1:36 Sweep away the filth in your mind. Wash out the dust from your ears without tasting the most painful of all pains. You cannot become a man among men. Don't you worry. As long as Elder Sun is here, even if the sky falls down, I will make certain you are unharmed. Why should you ever fear tigers and wolves?

1:56 Reining in his horse to turn back, the elder said by edict. I left Chang'an that very year. My only thought was heading West to see Buddha's face in the Kingdom of Shaluru, the golden statue shown every colour on a Buddhist pagoda. Spotted were those divine brows of jade, searching through all the unnamed waters of the world, climbing across all mountains without human trace, chasing after layers of mist and waves.

2:24 When would the spotty find a restful place? Zingda heard that and burst into laughter. Say, Master, how hard would it be to find a restful place once the merit is complete? When all destinies are forgotten and all laws become emptiness, your body will naturally find rest. The elder heard that and let go of his worries at the small joy. Hurrying his White Horse forward, Master and disciples made it onto the mountain.

2:54 What a steep and rugged mountain it was, a fine one. Craggy ridges and sharp peaks. There were deep streams where pythons splashed the lone cliffs where tigers roamed. Look up the fine summits penetrating the Azure skies. Stare behind where the canyons measured as deep as heaven. Upside down, upwards and downwards, ever so strange, coming and going, fearful and hesitant.

3:19 Beasts move in herds. It's sheer height block the sun and stars. With such a confusing path, the horse could barely enter. How could they reach Thunder Clap and see the one and only Buddha? The elder reined the horse to have a better look at the mountain. Just when they were having trouble finding their way across, on a green grassy slope appeared A woodcutter with a worn out hat and a dark short on. He was just enjoying his time cutting some dry wood when he saw the elder coming from the east. In a loud voice, he shouted at the elder elders heading West. There.

3:55 Stop for a moment, for I have something to tell you. There is a group of vile monsters in this mountain who do nothing but eat humans who travel through here like you. The elder heard that, and his soul left the body. Frightened, he could barely stay on his decorated saddle. Hurriedly turning back, he called for his disciples, telling them. You just heard that.

4:17 What Cutter say There is a group of vile monsters in this mountain, which one of you dare go ask him for details? Singjo said. Worry not master, let Eldersung go ask him. Splendid Singjo in white stripes. He made it on the slope and shouted Big Brother at the woodcutter. He greeted the man and the man also returned the gesture to ask. Oh elder, why did you come here?

4:42 Singjo answered. To be honest with you Big Brother, we were sent here from the land of the East to West Heaven for scriptures. The one on the horse is my master. He hasn't got much of A nerve just now. You are reminding us of some vile monsters and heartless beasts. I therefore came over to ask you the following From which year that the monsters originate? From which year that the beasts originate? Are they experts or are they amateurs? If you don't mind Big Brother, tell us the truth. That way I can start ordering the mountain gods and Tullery of soil to escort them away as criminals. The woodcutter heard us and laughed towards the sky, saying you are one crazy monk.

5:22 As it turns out, Sindo said, I'm not crazy. Those are honest words. The wood cutter said. If you really are so honest, how dare you say you can get them escorted away as criminals? Sindo replied. The way you keep boasting about their strengths and blocking our way to give us this incoherent piece of information really makes me wonder if you are related to them.

5:46 If not a relative, then you must be a neighbor. If not a neighbor, you must be their friend. The woodcutter smiled and said, You crazy insolent monk, speak nonsense. I came to explain the situation to you out of goodwill. All I want is for you to be extra cautious when you're on the road by day and by night, and you just blame it all on me to begin with, I have no idea where the master spirits come from.

6:11 Even if I do, why do you have the nerve to escort them away? Where are you escorting them? Sinto answered. If they're a heavenly monster, I will send them to the Jade Emperor. If they're an earthly monster, I will send them to the underground bureaus. Those from the West go to Buddha. Those from the east go to the Sages.

6:30 Those from the north will be sent to the Great Emperor of True Marshall. Those from the South will be sent to the Fire Star. Dragon spirits go to the rulers of the Seas. Ghosts shall be escorted to the Kings of Hell. They all have a place to go. Elderson has acquaintances everywhere. All it takes is 1 court order and they will be transported away as if flying through the night.

6:55 The woodcutter could not stop. But let our cold laughter say, you crazy insolent monk, you must have travelled in divine places and mastered some tricks like writing seals or casting spells in water. All you can do is repel evil spirits and bind ghosts. You have never even encountered monsters as vicious as the ones we have here seemed to ask.

7:18 How vicious are they? The woodcutter answered That mountain is about 600 Li away from here. It's called Ping Ding Sun, the Flat top Mountain. In it lies a cave called Lien Hua Dong, the Lotus Flower Cave. There are two leading monsters in The Cave. They drew up portraits just to capture monks and even had their full names written down in order to find and eat the tongue monk, it would be better if you came from elsewhere.

7:46 Should you have the slightest association with the word tongue, you can give a passing. Just give up, Sinjo answered. We just happen to be from Tang Dynasty, the woodcutter said. Then they are here specifically to eat you, Sinjo said. What great fortune, Great fortune, I wonder how they will eat us, The woodcutter asked. How do you want them to eat you?

8:10 Sinjo explained. If they eat my head first, it would be better if they eat my feet first. That will make things difficult. The woodcutter asked. What happens if they eat the head first? What about the feet? Sinto answered. You have never experienced it. If they eat the head first, I will be dead after one bite. No matter how they stir fry or boil me, I would feel no pain. If they start from the feet, they will crunch my ankles first, then chew up my legs before eating away my waist. I am in no hurry to die, but instead have to suffer in whatever pieces remain of me.

8:46 That is what I consider difficult, the wood cutter said Monk. How do they even have time for that? All they will do is capture you, tie you up and throw you into a steamer. You will be steamed before being swallowed whole. Sinter laughed and said that's better, much better. There won't be much pain to handle.

9:07 All we have to tolerate is some stuffy air, The woodcutter said. Don't you joke around, Monk. Those monsters carry 5 treasures with them, which possess immense powers. Even if you're the Jay pillar supporting the skies and golden beams that keep the seas in place. If you want to get the tongue Monk safely across, you will have to go mad a little bit. Simcha asked.

9:30 For how many times? The woodcutter answered. 3 or 4 times, I guess, Simcha said. That's nothing, nothing at all. We go mad about 7 or 800 times every year. Merely 3 or 4 times will be quite easy on us. We'll just go mad and let it pass. Splendid Gray Sage. He hasn't got any fear at all, but a mind solely focused on protecting the tongue monk.

9:53 So he let go of the woodcutter and turned back in strides, coming straight down the hill where the horse was. He said. Master is nothing big. It's true that there are the few monster spirits around. The people here are so timid that the matter is always on their mind. You've got me. What are you afraid of? Let's get back on the road.

10:12 Let's go. The elder heard that and had no choice but to relax and follow. As they walked, they realized the woodcutter was long gone. The elder asked what is the woodcutter who deliver the message? Gone. Bazia said. We're in bad luck. That's why we came across ghosts in the day, Singer said. I'm guessing he went into the forest to find wood. Let me have a look.

10:37 A splendid Gray sage. He opened his fire eyes and golden pupils and stared across the mountains and ridges, yet not a trace was found. Suddenly, looking up into the clouds, he saw the Chronicler of day, so he unleashed on cloud and caught up to him, calling him Lousy Ghost several times before asking. If you have something to say, why didn't you tell this straight to our faces?

11:01 Why transform like that to deceive Elderson? Panicking, the chronicler bowed to explain Grace Age, I am late with the message. Please forgive me, please forgive me. Those monsters indeed possess immense powers and many transformations. You will have to exercise your wit and apply your intelligence if you wish to carefully keep your master intact.

11:23 Should there be the slightest of negligence, the road to the West will be out of the question. Sinjar took in his words before sending the chronicler away. With every detail on his mind, he descended from the cloud and came straight back on the mountain. Seeing the elder Bazir and Shamanc approaching together, he secretly thought to himself, If I tell Master exactly what the chronicler told me, given how useless he is, he will certainly cry.

11:53 If I don't tell him the truth and bring him forward with his head covered, it will be like what the idiom says, entering a pond of weed without knowing the depth of water. Should the monsters take him, Eldersun will again have to be the one who takes care of things. Let me just give Bazir a bit of a peg and send him out to fight the monster first. If he wins, it will be his feet.

12:17 If he lacks the skills and gets taken by the monsters, it won't be too late for Eldersun to rescue him. And that will show off my famous powers. Just when he was calculating for himself, a question arose. I only fear that Bazier is too lazy to take up the task. Master is rather protective of the weak one.

12:39 Let me just put him in a difficult position instead. Splendid Grace Sage, look at him. Putting up a facade as he rubbed his eyes to produce a few tears. Heading towards his master, he walked straight up. Bazier saw him and quickly caught Xiao Monk. Put down your load and take the luggage out. Let's split what we have between the two of us.

13:00 Xiao Monk asked. Second Elder Brother, why is that? Bazia answered. Split the luggage so you can go back to being a monster in the Flowing Sand River, while the old boar can return to the old GAO Village to visit my wife. Sell the White Horse and buy a coffin from Esther to rest in after he dies.

13:18 Everyone shall head their own way. What's the point of going to West Heaven? The elder heard that on the horse and said, You stuffed creature, we are still moving ahead, why spill nonsense again? Bazia retorted. Only your son is spilling nonsense. Can't you see Swensinger is crying over there? He's a mighty man who can penetrate the skies and enter the earth, and shows No Fear.

13:40 Even if you hack at him with an axe, burn him with fire or throw him into boiling oil, he's now in such great sorrow that he is crying tears. It must be that the mountain is so steep and monsters so vicious that weak people like us cannot enter. The elder said, Don't you blabber nonsense, let me ask him first and see what he has to say. And so he asked Ukon, If you have something to say, just discuss in front of us.

14:08 Why worry about it by yourself? The way you are crying is really frightening me, Xingo replied. Oh, master, the messenger just now is the chronicler of day. He said. The monster is quite vicious, and this place is hard to cross. The mountain is certainly too high and the road too steep for us to move forward. We will have to make the trip another day. The elder heard that and was frozen with fear. Clutching Cinjo's tiger skin skirt, he said, O disciple, we are almost halfway through the journey. Why speak of backing out and regret? Sinto replied.

14:47 I'm never one to not give my best. My only fear is that I might be too inadequate against so many masters and have to fight them off alone. Even if I am a piece of iron, there are only so many pieces of nails that you can forge from me in a furnace, The elder said. Oh disciple, you are quite right.

15:07 It certainly is hard for one person to accomplish. As the military classics say, the few cannot go against the many. I still have Bhaji and Shamrock here as my disciples. You can order them about all you want. They can be your assistants who work in unison with you. Clear the mountain paths and take me across. Wouldn't that bring you all the true fruit? All of Singja's fake back and forth was just to get these few words out from the elder.

15:37 So he wiped his tears and said, Oh master, if we wish to cross this mountain, you Baja will have to agree to two things before we even have three out of ten chances of making it. If he does not follow my words and cannot act as my help, then forget all about passing. Baja said. If elder brother is not going then we might as well split up, don't drag me into this. The elder said to him, Disciple, ask your elder brother 1st and see what he tells you to do.

16:07 The fool did ask Xinja. Big Brother, what do you need me to do? Xinja answered. The first is to look after Master the. 2nd is to. Patrol the mountain, Bazia said, looking after. Master is sitting down. Patrolling the mountain is running around. I cannot be sitting down before running around and then running around before sitting down again. How can I possibly manage both?

16:31 Xinja said. I'm not telling you to do both things at the same time, just pick one task. Bazia laughed and said. That's easier to manage, but I don't know what it means to look after Master and what it means to patrol the mountain. Explain it to me first so I can pick the one that's more fitting.

16:49 Tsingjo answered. To look after Master means the following. When Master goes to relieve himself, you have to be at his service. When he walks on the road, you have to hold his arms to support him. When he wants vegetarian food, you have to get him vegetarian food. If he starves, you will get a beating.

17:06 If his face turns sallow, you will get a beating. If he turns ever slightly skinnier, you will get a beating. The straw? Bazia said. That's too difficult. Too much, way too much serving and supporting him or nothing. Even if you want me to stay by his side and carry him, that is still rather easy. But if you send me to beg for vegetarian food in the villages, the people on the road westward do not know. I am a monk seeking scriptures.

17:32 They will think I am 1/2 grown boar coming out of the mountains. They will gather a crowd with forks, Rakes, and broomsticks before surrounding old boar to put meat down. I will be taken to their homes and slaughter before being made into preserved meat for the new year. That would be the utmost misfortune wouldn't it? Sinter then said go patrol the mountains instead. But he asked how should I patrol the mountain? Sinter answered simply.

17:59 Enter the mountain, gather information about how many monsters are in it and the names of the mountain and cave so we can make it across. Bazier said. That's easy, Old Ball will go patrol the mountain then. The foe thereby straightened his clothes and held up his rake before heading into the mountain row with full energy and might.

18:19 Zinta stood on the side and couldn't help but giggle. The elder scolded. You insolent monkey, there is no love and care at all between you brothers, but instead you're full of envy. You just put up a performance and tricked him with appealing words into patrolling the mountains. Why are you mocking him now?

18:38 Sinjar explained. I'm not mocking him. My laughter has another layer to it. Look, once Dubai sets off, there is no way he will patrol the mountains or see a monster spirit. You just know he will hide for a while before making up a lie to fool us. The elder asked. How can you tell that's what he will do?

18:59 Cinto answered. I only have to guess that he's like that. If you don't believe me, just wait until I follow him to have a closer look and listen. On one hand, I can help him fight monsters, on the other hand, we can see if he is really sincere in Seeking Buddha. The elder answered. Fine, fine, fine, just don't you make fun of him. Sinha agreed before heading straight up the hill. He then shook his body and transformed into a tiny insect. It was so light its waist was smaller than a needle. Once it disappears from sight, not even 1000 eyes can find its whereabouts.

19:42 Journey to the West, an audio drama series, is an independent production by The 5th Monkey. For subtitles, please visit our YouTube channel. To access all the locked content, please consider becoming a paid subscriber for a minimum of three U.S. dollars per month on Spotify, YouTube, Patreon, or drop a donation on Kofi.

19:59 If you are a Patreon member, you will be able to access. Art field pieces. And other exclusive content. Head to www.thefifthmonkey.com for links to all the platforms we're on and support us on social media. Shares, comments, emails, all are welcome. This is Lynn, see you in the next episode.