Volume 1: Unsayable Chapter 6: Fate Prescribed

A young monk led the Stone Monkey downstairs, guiding him with great respect to bathe and change clothes, then arranging for him to stay in a separate room in the temple. It was the first time the Stone Monkey had ever been served in such a manner. Although the monkeys on Flower-Fruit Mountain respected him, they knew nothing of human customs. It was also the first time the Stone Monkey had ever lived in a proper house. Looking at the antique tables, chairs, beds, and cabinets in the room, he sighed inwardly: Life’s paths are truly unpredictable; a single thought can give rise to an entire world.
In his past life, he was a mortal; now he was a Stone Monkey. If he hadn’t come to this world, Sun Wukong’s life would have been exactly as described in “Journey to the West.” But from now on, the monkey who had gone from rebellion to submission would no longer exist. In his place would be this fake Sun Wukong, who knew the plot of “Journey to the West” well.
After the Stone Monkey left, the Great Sage National Preceptor Wang Bodhisattva pondered in the main hall: Though the intelligent Stone Monkey was an extraordinary being, he wasn’t worth the attention of the Supreme Heavenly God. I must give this Stone Monkey a name—why should he stop me?
He racked his brains but couldn’t figure anything out. No matter how he used his mystical powers, his thoughts grew more confused. Apart from the fact that this Stone Monkey would soon face a trial, everything else seemed like an illusion—visible yet intangible.
Since achieving enlightenment, the Great Sage National Preceptor Wang Bodhisattva had never encountered such a strange matter. How could a monkey’s fate escape even the calculations of the Taiyi Golden Immortal? How strange!
Enough, enough. Continuing to dwell on this would disturb his peace. With a flick of his left hand, he rolled up his sleeve, gently picked up a fig, put it in his mouth, chewed it carefully, and nodded slightly: What an excellent fig. (A fig is also known as “Udumbara.” “Udumbara” is a transliteration from Sanskrit and refers to a flower in Buddhist legends, mentioned in the “Sutra of the Lotus”.)
Walking slowly into the courtyard, the Great Sage National Preceptor Wang Bodhisattva looked up and saw a Udumbara tree by the corridor, radiating a sacred glow—its branches were pure and bright. Then he thought to himself: The “Sutra of the Lotus” states that the Udumbara symbolizes divine omens, appearing once every three thousand years, and when it does, a Golden Wheel King emerges.
Buddhism emphasizes karma and causality—everything is interconnected in mysterious ways. If this Stone Monkey is tied to this fig, could it be that he has some connection to that Golden Wheel King?
Absurd! At that thought, the Bodhisattva shook his head. The Golden Wheel King is one of the thirty-two manifestations of the Cakravartin, who is the most revered king since the creation of the world—the king of kings, the Buddha of Buddhas. How could he possibly be related to this newly born monkey?

He pondered for a while longer but still couldn’t figure it out, so he sighed softly. It seemed that fate was beyond even the power of a Bodhisattva.

Inside the room, the Stone Monkey carefully touched each of the exquisitely carved utensils and decorations, moving extremely slowly, as if he couldn’t bear to part with any of them. Yet his mind never stopped thinking. He had been brought here by the Great Sage National Teacher, King Bodhisattva. Though he had a temporary place to stay, his fate remained uncertain. Judging from King Bodhisattva’s behavior, he seemed to have some intention of taking him in. If he could use his innate talents as a wise Stone Monkey to become his disciple, he might acquire extraordinary skills and perhaps create his own path in the future.

Unfortunately, all this was thwarted by some mysterious figure—definitely not an ordinary deity. It was certain that this person’s status was even higher than that of King Bodhisattva. Moreover, it seemed he knew what was destined for him… Otherwise, why would the fate of a monkey matter to him?

The Stone Monkey guessed various possibilities—Buddha? Laozi? Bodhi? Guanyin? Any of them could be possible, yet he wasn’t sure. After much thought, he gave up. The curtain of this great drama had just been lifted slightly, with hardly any clues. With his limited abilities in this mountain, it was better to save his strength.

That night, the Stone Monkey lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He felt as though unseen eyes were watching him in the darkness—a subtle sensation from which he couldn’t trace the source.

He got up and went outside. Under the eaves of the roof were two bright pearls, illuminating the entire courtyard as if it were day. The courtyard was filled with colorful flowers, exuding a pleasant fragrance.

King Bodhisattva resided in Sizhou, which was still part of the Jambudvipa continent. When Wukong arrived, the mountains were covered in ice and snow at the foot, but it was late spring at the top—truly a divine place, unlike anything ordinary.

Wukong walked under a peach tree. A gentle breeze blew, causing petals to fall slowly, drifting through the air as if their path in the sky represented their entire lives, reluctant to descend.

The Stone Monkey picked up a petal and felt deeply moved. He realized that the petal was dead the moment it fell. How similar were the bustling beings in the world to these peach petals? In life, they gathered together in lively crowds, but upon death, they fell alone, disappearing into the soil—without anyone to accompany them. Life is noisy; death is serene. Isn’t sorrow, too, a form of fortune?

What’s feared is that some kinds of life are worse than death.

The Stone Monkey reflected on the life of the Great Monkey King and couldn’t help but shudder deep in his heart. Emerging from the stone, he set sail to learn skills, retrieved treasures at sea, declared himself equal to heaven, and caused havoc in the heavenly palace… All were glorious deeds. Yet, when glory reaches its peak, it must decline. After being suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain, the Great Monkey King lost his once domineering and bold spirit. He became a subordinate wearing a tight headband, acting cautiously and hesitantly. After enduring many trials, he embarked on a pilgrimage to obtain scriptures and eventually attained Buddhahood.

He attained Buddhahood… But Buddhism meant emptiness, nothingness, complete disappearance. That Great Sage Equal to Heaven was gone; that magnificent Monkey King who caused chaos in the heavens was gone; that eldest disciple, that embodiment of justice who shouted, “Where are you, monsters?” in her tiger-skin skirt, was gone… Even that bare-skinned Stone Monkey, born of stone and earth, was gone. All that remained in the world was a wooden-like Buddha with half-closed eyes, holding prayer beads, moving like a walking corpse—a Buddha devoid of desires, pain, joy, life, death, growth, decline, or attachments.

For the Monkey King, who valued natural exuberance, freedom, and rebellion, was this true enlightenment or destruction?

The more the Stone Monkey thought about it, the more afraid he became. Unconsciously, he crushed the peach blossom petal in his hand. Its fresh juice dripped onto his palm, bringing a brief cool sensation before leaving only a faint, almost invisible trace.

This was fate!

What’s meant to be will come; don’t force what isn’t. The Monkey King’s fate had long been determined—a path recognized by all gods and Buddhas, one no one could reverse or resist.

As for me, I have my own fate. Even if I’m crushed into mud like this petal, I won’t submit to someone else’s path.

That night, it wasn’t just the Stone Monkey who couldn’t sleep.

The Great Sage and National Teacher, Bodhisattva Wang, was in his inner chamber, speaking with Prince Zhang.

“Disciple, what was the Stone Monkey doing when you saw him?” His tone was calm and gentle, just as befitting a Bodhisattva’s serene demeanor.

Prince Zhang stood respectfully. “Master, at that time, the Stone Monkey’s body was stiff, unable to move or speak. It seems he was frozen by Master’s powerful magic.”

“Could you discern his cultivation level?”

“Master, though young, the Stone Monkey already possesses the cultivation of a Human-Immortal first rank. As for his actual cultivation skill, there’s none at all. I find this strange too.”

“Hmm, you observed well.”

“Do you know your own cultivation level?”

“I am at the third rank of Heavenly Immortal,” Prince Zhang replied, lowering his head, with a barely noticeable hint of resentment in his eyes.

“Do you blame me?” the Bodhisattva asked softly.

Prince Zhang was greatly shocked and knelt down on the spot, saying, “My entire life has been a gift from my master. In this life, I regard him as my own father, and I have never dared to think of anything else.”

The Great Sage National Teacher, Bodhisattva Wang, grew slightly solemn in expression but was actually quite pleased. He said, “Get up. What kind of talk is this?” After pondering for a moment, he added, “Since you have followed me for so many years, I will give you the fate of this Stone Monkey.”

Prince Zhang hurriedly thanked him repeatedly. After waiting for a while and seeing that his master no longer spoke, clearly having entered meditation, he slowly retreated, silent as a wandering spirit.

Once Prince Zhang left the room, Bodhisattva Wang slowly opened his eyes and thought to himself: To possess the cultivation level of a Human-Immortal first rank without any actual training must mean he has received some great fortune. If I could uncover this secret, how much benefit would it bring? That Xuantian God seems quite concerned about this Stone Monkey—could it be related? Let Prince Zhang try to find out; it’s none of my business anyway.