Journey to the West: Life Simulation of Sun Wukong

Sun Wukong arrived at the entrance of the Three-Star Cave and saw:

A thousand ancient cypresses, half-veiled in the drizzling rain, green and lush; tens of thousands of tall bamboos, shrouded in mist, their color a vast expanse of grey.

Outside the gate, exotic flowers spread like brocade, by the bridge, fragrant grasses exuded their scent.

The stone cliffs abrupt and covered with moist green moss, the sheer walls high and adorned with hanging verdant ferns.

At times, the cry of immortal cranes was heard; now and then, phoenixes were seen soaring.

Only the cave's entrance was tightly shut, with no one in sight.

Just as Sun Wukong was about to knock, the door opened, and out walked a child with a heroic stature and a strikingly unique appearance.

"Why is it a monkey?"

The child, looking at Sun Wukong who was dressed as a scholar, frowned slightly.

Sun Wukong smiled and said, "Immortal child, I am here in search of immortality and the Way; I hope to go in and report my presence to the Ancestral Master."

The child, surprised, said, "My master was giving a lecture and suddenly stopped, telling me to come out because a seeker of the Way had arrived. Could it be you?"

A seeker of the Way?

Sun Wukong rejoiced and said, "It's me, it's me."

"Then follow me inside."

Entering the cave, indeed there was another world within.

Layer upon layer of tall pavilions and jeweled towers, each progression more exquisite than the last, leading to indescribable quiet rooms and secluded dwellings, all the way to the foot of a jade platform.

Master Puti sat upright on the platform, flanked by thirty little immortals standing at the base.

Upon seeing Ancestral Master Subhuti, Sun Wukong bowed deeply, knowing that although his abilities were not directly learned from this true Subhuti, but through an emulator, this was still the origin of his learned skills, and he could not afford to neglect it.

"Master, your disciple offers a sincere salutation!"

A sincere salutation is an expression of the utmost sincere heart, symbolizing undivided devotion.

The master looked up and was taken aback; the creature before him was none other than a Primordial Taiyi Golden Immortal of the ultimate level, having realized the Buddha's rank, now sincerely bowing before him.

"Stand up! Stand up!"

The master hurriedly left his jade platform and approached Sun Wukong, helping him to his feet, puzzled, he asked, "May I know where you attained enlightenment and why have you come to my domain?"

He had previously sensed someone outside, presumably in search of immortality and the Way.

He had not expected it to be a figure of Primordial level.

There are five categories of immortals: those of heaven, earth, humanity, deities, and ghosts.

The Heavenly Immortal represents the pinnacle of immortality.

Depending on the school, they have different titles.

The followers of the Three Purities call them 'Great Luo,' secondary sects use 'Taiyi,' and within Buddhism, they are called 'Golden Immortals.'

To those who have achieved the Primordial level, the word 'Primordial' is prefixed to their titles.

For example: Primordial Great Luo Immortal, Primordial Taiyi Immortal, Primordial Golden Immortal.

To be more specific, like the monkey before him, his being free from impurity and leakage, possessing eternal primordial Qi, and having realized the Buddha's rank, he is exalted as the Primordial Taiyi Golden Immortal Above All.

"Master, it was you who taught me," Sun Wukong said, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing to Subhuti, determined to acknowledge their teacher-student relationship.

The master, feeling helpless as the monkey had already kowtowed and heaven and earth had witnessed it, he could not refuse to acknowledge it even though the monkey forced it.

"Since it is so, I shall shamelessly accept you," the master sighed and then asked discreetly, "I do not know from whence you come, what is your surname?"

"Your disciple's name is Sun Wukong, from Shuilian Cave in Huaguo Mountain of Ao Lai country. I venture forth this time in search of eternal life," Sun Wukong replied.

The master wore a bewildered expression.

Having achieved the Primordial realm, the world vast and unbounded, where could you not go, and what need do you have for eternal life?

Calculating silently, he realized that this monkey truly did have a predestined teacher-student connection with him.

Did he make a miscalculation?

Or was there a disturbance in the universe?

Moreover, Sun Wukong, the name Sun referring to the macaque, and Wukong meaning 'awakened to emptiness,' falls perfectly within the generation named "Awakened."

Such a fateful coincidence!

With a thought, the master made his decision, "Very well, then you shall stay."

With this disciple having realized the Primordial Dao, who knows what heights he might reach under his guidance.

The master looked at Sun Wukong and asked, "Having achieved Primordial status, what do you wish to learn from me?"

"I am fully obedient to Master's teachings!"

Sun Wukong bowed and revealed his true thoughts, "I simply wish that as your disciple I could enjoy the utmost freedom and comfort, and be able to give Tathagata a good thrashing – that's all."

Although the Sun Wukong in the simulator brought about his own demise, he himself also wanted to give Tathagata a beating.

However.

Once these words were spoken, they were shocking as a bolt from the blue.

Master Puti was horrified.

"You..."

"Do you know what you are saying?"

Almost losing his voice, the Master felt that if he had known this earlier, he would have never allowed this individual to step foot into his domain.

Tathagata is the ancestor of ten thousand Buddhas!

Encompassing the whole universe!

Boundless in all the heavens!

Although he, Subhuti, was proficient in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism and was a figure at the Mixed Yuan level, his Taoism was not comparable to the Supreme, his Buddhism did not surpass Tathagata, and his Confucianism was not equivalent to Confucius.

He did not have the ability to defeat Tathagata.

"Forget it," the Master sighed, looking at Sun Wukong, "To defeat Tathagata, I do not have that assurance, it will all depend on whether your wisdom is sufficient."

Beings like the Supreme and Tathagata measured their strength not by martial might, but by wisdom.

The Buddha's wisdom allowed him to slightly smile and then understand the profound mysteries of all dharmas; the Supreme's wisdom could transform into Pangu and Nvwa, creating and mending the heavens, with their way spreading across all worthies.

In terms of wisdom, he was inferior to these two.

Naturally, the Master could not teach Sun Wukong this wisdom, he could only let him stay in Three Star Cave to see what great wisdom he could enlighten himself with.

Fortunately, the Buddha became enlightened under the Bodhi Tree.

Now, this Sun Wukong was also cultivating under his, Subhuti's, guidance – perhaps he really might enlighten himself with wisdom surpassing that of the Buddha.

As for Sun Wukong ultimately surpassing himself...

The Master did not care in the slightest; a disciple need not be inferior to the master, nor must a master be wiser than the disciple. Seeking the Way had its own order; that was all.

"I humbly ask for Master's guidance."

Sun Wukong knelt down, a thirst for knowledge in his eyes.

The Master laughed, "I have a technique, called Bodhi."

"Bodhi?"

"Bodhi, which is wisdom," the Master explained, "This technique lies in one word, 'understanding'. The world's myriad things, the rolling clouds, the ebbing tides, all are manifestations of wisdom."

"It's perfectly suited to your name."

"Once understood, you become a true sage of this world. Even the Buddha and the Supreme when seeing you, must utter 'how marvelous'."

"Without understanding, the primordial is eternal."

Upon hearing the marvels of Bodhi, Sun Wukong was overjoyed and said, "Master, I wish to learn."

The Master said, "This technique is a thousand times, ten thousand times more difficult than capturing the creation of heaven and earth or grasping the celestial secrets of the sun and moon. I myself have not perfected it, do you still want to learn it?"

Sun Wukong grasped the Master's sleeve and said, "Master, no matter how difficult, I wish to learn."

The Master, moved, said, "Well, well, well, I'll impart it to you."

However, what puzzled Sun Wukong was that, thereafter, the Master did not teach him the technique. Instead, he was made to peruse various scriptures inside the cave – classics from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, the knowledge of the Hundred Schools of Thought, all of which he committed to memory.

As time went on, Sun Wukong seemed to understand something.

Bodhi must be found within the books!

Reading was the greatest wisdom!

In the blink of an eye, seven years hurried by.

During these seven years, Sun Wukong not only read extensively but also took on all the chores in the cave: carrying water, watering flowers, chopping wood, washing clothes.

Seeing Sun Wukong, a figure of the Primordial level, performing these chores, the other disciples followed suit but gradually stopped upon realizing it wasted their meditation and Qi Cultivation time. They left these chores to the newly joined disciples.

Gradually, Sun Wukong realized the essence of Bodhi. A point of spiritual light formed in his heart, intangible and invisible, yet truly existing within him.

This was the wisdom Sun Wukong had gained over seven years – the heart of Bodhi.

And above Sun Wukong's head materialized three blue lotuses, the fruit of the Way.

Now, Sun Wukong had obtained the fruit of both Buddha and the Way; if he could grasp the fruit of Confucianism, he would be a figure akin to Ancestral Master Subhuti.

However, the fruit of Confucianism required enlightenment from the human world.

On the mountain, it could not be found.