Chapter 828: Listening to Patriach Subodhi’s Teaching and Hearing Buddha’s Words – Learning from a Sage!
Translator: Noodletown Translations Editor: Noodletown Translations
The Dao taught by Patriarch Subodhi on the Mountain of Mind and Heart had 360 heteronomous divisions which all resulted in Illumination.
Some of them were more powerful than the others.
The first one was Method division, which consisted of summoning immortals and working the planchette of divination by manipulating yarrow stalks, and of learning the secrets of pursuing good and avoiding evil.
The second was the Schools division which included the Confucians, the Buddhists, the Daoists, the Dualists, the Mohists, and the Physicians. They read scriptures or recited prayers, interviewing priests or conjuring up saints and the like.
The third was the Silence division which consisted of quiescence and inactivity, meditation and the art of cross-legged sitting. This division was similar to the hard cultivation in seclusion in this world to achieve a breakthrough.
The fourth was the Action division which included activities such as gathering the yin to nourish the yang and experimentation with alchemical formulas, burning bushes and forging cauldrons.
They were all practices to achieve immortality and Illumination.
[TL Note: Even though in the original novel, these practices can’t achieve immortality.]
After that, two senior brothers led Sun Wukong out of the patriarch’s lecture platform and taught him how to clean, water flowers and trees, and move and speak with courtesy.
Then, Sun Wukong learned the art of language and etiquette, calligraphy, and burning incense from his senior brothers. During other times, he listened to the discussions about the scriptures and the doctrines between his senior brothers.
At this moment, cultivators such as Su Tianji and Gu Tingyun, warriors such as Nalan Hongwu, and even members of the Demon Clan such as Xiaoyue all were watching the Journey to the West together.
“Hiss… Look at that spell!” While the disciples were discussing the scriptures, one of them demonstrated a spell, pushing a flame toward an ancient tree in the courtyard with the force from his palm.
Of course, as a disciple, he didn’t dare to damage the plants on the Mountain of Mind and Heart. The flame only left a small scorched mark on the ancient tree which was then withdrawn, leaving no traces. It didn’t show much power but demonstrated a high-level of control.
“Can we learn this?” Gu Tingyu looked at the spell and murmured, “It looks… not that difficult…”
Although the caster was the disciple of an immortal, this small spiritual spell looked easy to learn.
Gu Tingyu immediately started to copy the move.
On the other side, another disciple was practicing spell casting.
“Master, look at that person!” Fenghua pointed at this disciple and yelled, “What spell is he practicing?”
This disciple seemed to know both spiritual spells and martial arts. He would cast lightning bolts from his palms with great presence.
“Oh. I just heard that the name of the technique is Palm Thunder, which involves casting a thunderbolt from the center of your palm.” Su Tianji looked over and answered.
“Huh? Can we learn it?” Fenghua copied the move and said.
It looked easy.
“That’s easy. Let me demonstrate it…” Su Tianji ran over and copied the moves. “This is a small spell, just like the lightning spells that the beginners learn in our Liuyun Daoist Palace.”
At this moment, warriors such as Nalan Hongwu, Zong Wu, and Song Qingfeng saw that some disciples were practicing fist techniques and halberd skills, and they began to copy these moves. Although they couldn’t cast spells in this virtual reality world in the TV Series, they could still copy the moves.
On the Mountain of Mind and Heart, a monkey imitated the moves happily with a group of cultivators and warriors doing the same beside him.
“Ahey! This technique is intriguing!” Zong Wu imitated the moves twice and said with a laugh.
“Look at Sun Wukong! Hahaha… he was startled into a somersault!” the elves were amused by this scene.
“He picked up a stick to imitate the moves. Hahaha! So funny!”
…
Soon, the first episode ended.
A group of people stood behind Jiang Xiaoyue and asked, “You guys… Is it good or not?!”
“It’s expensive per episode. If it’s not good, I’ll not watch it.”
“Aya! It’s good! It’s good!” Xiaoyue replied impatiently and then eagerly activated the next episode without stopping.
Like the Legend of White Snake, this TV Series also had an opening theme song, which was called Immortal Sound Above Cloud Palace.
Ethereal musical notes rose with animated rhythm…
“Huh… is this the Heavenly Realm?” The scene of the Great Sage, the future title of the Monkey King, getting drunk in Jasper Pool flashed past, and then came the beautiful scenes of the Monkey King swimming in the ocean full of pretty corals.
“Where is this place…?” Before they knew it, they were gradually hooked by the TV Series even though they watched it just to do Mr. Fang a favor.
“I wonder if Sun Wukong will master powerful skills and the way of immortality and then tour the heavens and the bottom of the ocean?” The elves speculated among them.
“The rest of the story is about the Monkey King’s adventures all over the world?” Obviously, they couldn’t be more wrong with their speculation.
…
About seven years passed in the Cave of Slanting Moon and Three Stars.
Finally, they got a chance to see Patriarch Subodhi ascend the platform and take his high seat. Then, he began to lecture on the Great Dao.
As a sage, his words were so florid and eloquent that it seemed like golden lotuses were springing from his tongue. He lectured on every doctrine including Buddhist essence and Daoist truths.
His thunderous voice moved the Ninth Heaven while he lectured on both Daoist and Buddhist doctrines and even touched on Confucianism. The three schools had different practices, but he harmonized them effortlessly.
“This old immortal’s lecture is excellent!”
Su Wukong was so pleased with the lecture that he scratched his ear and rubbed his jaw, grinning widely and doing a little happy dance. The seemingly casual words in the lecture touched their hearts, and the cultivators and warriors also clapped their hands and praised lavishly.
“This true immortal’s lecture on Dao is indeed awesome!”
Of course, listening to the lecture from a true immortal in itself was an awesome thing.
Their goal was quite low since they didn’t have unrealistic ambitions or desires.
After all, most of them would count themselves fortunate if they could hear the lecture from a grand Ascendance Realm master.
At this moment in the Cave of Slanting Moon and Three Stars on the Mountain of Mind and Heart, they listened to the immortal’s lecture just like that described in the song, “Listening to the ethereal Sanqing ethereal’s teaching and hearing Buddha’s words.”
The lecture given by Patriarch Subodhi combined doctrines of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, and it included all the essences from these three schools and all the heteronomous, so the cultivators, warriors, and even non-humans were all enthralled by his words.