Journey to the West: Starting from Changing Sun Wukong's fate-Chapter 33 - Three Methods to Achieve Saintliness

33: Chapter 33: Three Methods to Achieve Saintliness

33 -33: Three Methods to Achieve Saintliness

At this time, within the Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave, numerous disciples all heard the melodious bell, signaling that Patriarch Bodhi was about to preach.

They promptly left their rooms and hurried over.

Upon arriving, seeing Patriarch Bodhi already sitting atop the meditation cushion, they all couldn’t help but stiffen.

All of them were late; they didn’t know whether Patriarch Bodhi would punish them.

Uneasily, they took their seats on the cushions.

Fortunately, it seemed that Patriarch Bodhi had no intention of punishing them.

His gaze rested on Sun Wukong, his expression sour.

Others didn’t know what had happened and dared not ask.

However, Wang Yang, witnessing the scene, understood.

Clearly, Patriarch Bodhi had wanted to arrive early, but Sun Wukong had come even earlier than Patriarch Bodhi, hence the grim face.

Could his face look pleasant?

He had gone to great lengths, merely to drive away Sun Wukong, yet he still couldn’t find a reason to dismiss him.

This time, Wang Yang kept a distance from Sun Wukong; now that Wukong’s cultivation level had reached that of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, there was no need for him to be close to Sun Wukong.

Naturally, Patriarch Bodhi wasn’t concerned with Wang Yang; his target was Sun Wukong.

Only by sending Sun Wukong away could the Calamity of Measurement in the Journey to the West begin.

If Sun Wukong didn’t leave, how could Buddhism prosper?

So when one strategy failed, Patriarch Bodhi conceived another.

He cleared his throat, saw that all his disciples were seated, and began to speak.

“The Way of Cultivation is to seize the essence of heaven and earth.

Most of you are but Earth Immortals and Heavenly Immortals.

Do you know what is most important for you?”

Upon Patriarch Bodhi’s query, he casually pointed to a disciple, bidding them to answer.

“To report to the Ancestor Master, the most important thing in cultivation is to work hard and persevere, accumulating slowly so that we may advance further on the Way of the Immortals!”

“Hmm, correct.

Cultivation requires effort step by step.

It’s impossible to become an Immortal or a Saint in one leap!”

Patriarch Bodhi nodded and then asked, “Do you know what longevity is?

What is immortality?”

As soon as these words were uttered, the faces of the disciples present all tensed up.

Their cultivation levels were merely Earth Immortals and Heavenly Immortals; how could they know what longevity or immortality was?

They merely knew that the higher the cultivation realm, the longer one could live.

As for immortality, that was even more elusive to them.

Confused, they looked at one another.

Sun Wukong and Wang Yang, of course, knew but as long as Patriarch Bodhi didn’t ask them, they naturally would not volunteer to answer.

Seeing that none of the disciples intended to answer, Patriarch Bodhi slightly furrowed his brows and continued, “To achieve longevity is to transform from mortal to Immortal.

If one reaches the level of a Golden Immortal, one may live for one hundred and twenty-six thousand four hundred years, which is the span of one Kalpa.

And to attain immortality, one must gather the Five Qi within the chest, the Three Flowers atop the head, and forge one’s Great Luo, only then can one leap out of the Three Realms, no longer bound by the Five Elements.”

With a calm expression, Patriarch Bodhi slowly explained.

“Yet, neither longevity nor immortality represents true everlasting life.

Only living as long as heaven, surviving countless Calamities of Measurement without perishing, can one be considered truly perennial.

But how can one attain this?”

Patriarch Bodhi posed questions one after another, delving deeper and beyond the imagination of all disciples present.

They were somewhat puzzled as to why Patriarch Bodhi would ask such profound questions.

At this moment, Wang Yang narrowed his eyes, “It seems the master wants Sun Wukong to be unable to answer, thereby providing a reason to dismiss him!”

Indeed, just as Wang Yang thought this, Patriarch Bodhi turned towards Sun Wukong and said, “Wukong, answer this question!”

Sun Wukong furrowed his brows, somewhat puzzled as to why Patriarch Bodhi was asking these questions, but fortunately, he knew the answer.

Having understood the Cultivation Techniques taught to him by his elder brother, he also knew that only by becoming a Saint can one master one’s own life, live as long as the heavens, and survive through the Calamities of Measurement unscathed.

“Don’t you know?”

A glint flashed in Patriarch Bodhi’s eyes.

If Sun Wukong didn’t know the answer, he would have a reason to make Sun Wukong leave.

“Honorable Master, your disciple believes that only by achieving saintliness can one live as long as the heavens, enduring the Calamity of Measurement without perishing!”

Wukong hastily began to speak, having seen Patriarch Bodhi’s expression, he already knew that Patriarch Bodhi had come specifically for him.

Although this question was difficult, once Wukong spoke, many disciples also showed a look of sudden realization.

After all, the most powerful Saints must certainly be able to live as long as the heavens.

“Correct!”

Upon hearing this, Patriarch Bodhi nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with Wukong’s answer.

Just as Wukong was about to sit down, Patriarch Bodhi continued to ask, “Since you have answered that Saints can live as long as the heavens, let me ask you another question, how can one become a Saint?”

All the disciples present couldn’t help but be dumbfounded, their eyes widening.

The previous question could be answered, but how to answer this one?

They knew that Saints possessed all sorts of great divine powers, but there were only a few Saints in the world, which made the difficulty of becoming a Saint apparent, and they couldn’t possibly know how to achieve saintliness!

Even Wukong was frowning at this moment, not knowing how to answer Patriarch Bodhi.

Achieve Saintliness?

Even in ancient times, there weren’t many who knew, let alone now, it is even rarer.

The reason he asked this was simply to find an excuse to send Wukong away.

“You macaque, you’ve finally met your match, eh?

Let’s see how you stay here now!”

Asking a question that troubled even a Taiyi Golden Immortal like Wukong was like making things difficult on purpose.

The other disciples were also somewhat puzzled.

Why would Patriarch Bodhi ask this question today?

But since they weren’t the ones troubled, they weren’t too worried.

Wukong’s mind was also racking his brains, somewhat puzzled.

As he looked around, when he saw Wang Yang, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him, as though he had thought of something.

Perhaps for the current Three Realms, it was difficult enough to even reach Quasi-Saint, let alone Saint.

But the Nine-Turn Profound Art was, after all, a heritage from Pangu, coupled with the usual discussions with his senior brothers.

“Wukong, do you not know?”

Patriarch Bodhi looked at Wukong, “If you don’t know the answer, don’t blame me for asking you to leave.”

The Calamity of Measurement of Journey to the West can finally begin.

Thinking this, Patriarch Bodhi breathed a sigh of relief.

But before a smile could appear on Patriarch Bodhi’s face, Wukong immediately clasped his fists and said, “Your disciple reports to Honorable Master, according to my understanding, there are Three Methods to Become a Saint!”

Upon hearing this, Patriarch Bodhi’s eyebrows furrowed.

This monkey actually knows the Three Methods to Become a Saint?

Impossible!

“Surely it’s a blind cat running into a dead mouse!”

Patriarch Bodhi frowned and watched Wukong continue, “Let’s hear them then!”

As long as Wukong’s answer was incorrect, he could easily send him away.

If Wukong was correct, naturally, he could not send him away, for while not many knew the Three Methods to Become a Saint, Wukong would inevitably come into contact with them later on.

Being too forceful might affect Wukong’s relationship with Buddhism.

However, the likelihood of Wukong being correct was too low to be within his considerations; mainly because nowadays, very few know of these methods, and practically everyone in the Three Realms had given up on becoming a Saint.

Wukong slowly began, “The Way of Becoming a Saint is…”