Volume 4: The Revelation Unveiled Chapter 493: Meeting Nāgārjuna

This encounter with the Dragon Maiden was slightly different from previous ones. Each time before, Wukong would enter a mysterious state, then either observe from the side or take on Nāgārjuna’s body. He thought to himself, “Could you… let me become Nāgārjuna once more?”

The Dragon Maiden shook her head and said, “I can, but it won’t be of much use.”

Wukong asked, “Why?”

She replied, “The Buddhist scriptures say, ‘In this world, people are trapped in desires, living and dying alone. They must bear their own joys and sorrows; no one can take their place.’ Even if you became Nāgārjuna, it would only be an illusion for a while—what could you do?”

Wukong asked, “Do you know what Nāgārjuna was searching for?”

She said, “I know. He was seeking the profound meaning of the Buddhist scriptures!”

Huh? Is that so? Wukong knew that the scriptures themselves were not at fault; all evil deeds were committed by evil people. But Nāgārjuna spread Buddhism merely to uncover its deeper truths. It seemed that Nāgārjuna wasn’t entirely under the Buddha’s control either. So what should he do? Should he follow Nāgārjuna’s path?

No! The Dragon Maiden’s understanding was limited. What she knew was confined to Nāgārjuna alone. Bound by the world, Nāgārjuna mistakenly believed that what the scriptures said was the ultimate truth of the world. But Wukong was different. He faintly sensed that what Nāgārjuna was actually seeking was a “principle”—the principle of the world, the principle of all things!

Seeing Wukong’s lost expression, the Dragon Maiden thought he was trapped in emotions and said, “The Buddhist scriptures say, ‘All dharmas and all sentient beings are ultimately empty, without distinction.’”

Wukong was stunned. Was she trying to enlighten him? This was a serious misunderstanding. Not only was he not Nāgārjuna, but even if he were, what could he do? There were so many important tasks ahead—where would he find the time for love? With this thought, Wukong wondered: Nāgārjuna was originally a true divine ape created by fate, without fixed nature—how could he develop emotions? He glanced at the Dragon Maiden and thought to himself, Could this girl be unrequited in her feelings?

Wukong smiled at her and said, “What you say makes sense. I’ve traveled high and low in this life, yet I still haven’t completed even the 108,000-mile journey to obtain the scriptures. I really should go and see all the beings in the world; perhaps I’ll gain something from it.”

The Dragon Maiden nodded and said, “The Buddhist scriptures say, ‘All dharmas have no hierarchy; all dharmas have no coming or going.’”

Her words were limited—she always started with “The Buddhist scriptures say.” Wukong grew tired of hearing this and said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving.” She nodded and turned back to her lotus platform.

Watching Wukong’s retreating figure, Guanyin murmured, “That divine ape is truly peculiar.”

“Mm, he is a bit peculiar,” the Dragon Maiden said.

Just after leaving Ling Mountain, he saw Yin and Yang sitting on the clouds waiting for him. Wukong was puzzled—what were the Yin and Yang divine apes doing here? Coincidentally, he also had questions for them, so he stepped forward and asked, “Why didn’t you let me join you in gathering the essences of creation?”
Yin and Yang pointed downward and said, “Look at all these living beings. What are your thoughts?”
Wukong was caught off guard by the question and didn’t know how to respond for a moment. Yin and Yang continued, “You wish to be someone who saves the world, all for the sake of all living beings. But do you know what they truly desire?”
Wukong replied, “One measure of grain feeds many people—how can it be generalized?”
Yin and Yang said, “Go and see this world. Perhaps you won’t have another chance like this in the future.”
With that, Yin and Yang headed straight for Ling Mountain, naturally to seek Guanyin and Maitreya for some essences of creation.
Wukong began to ponder again. Even if Yin and Yang hadn’t mentioned it, he had intended to go to the mortal world anyway. Though his cultivation was high after entering the realm of Yin and Yang, it still took time to solidify it. Going out with them now made him feel somewhat uneasy. Another concern was that, despite his extraordinary experiences and interactions with immortals and sages, he knew that their enlightenment ultimately stemmed from worldly wisdom. The great scholars, monks, and Taoists on earth were actually no less remarkable than the immortals.
Recalling the past, when Laozi was the ruler of the three realms, he too had to abide by the agreement and release Mencius from the realm of good and evil. Although Wukong had helped, he knew that Mencius, known as the “Second Sage,” would eventually become a great scholar sooner or later, regardless of when he encountered the truth. Alas, human life is finite. Hundreds of years must have passed since leaving the three realms, and Mencius was likely already reduced to ashes—this was beyond his control.
With a mind filled with mixed thoughts, Wukong took on a human form and landed at the foot of Ling Mountain.
Back when the Buddha was the ruler of the world, the foot of Ling Mountain was still under the control of Buddhism, and no ordinary person dared to enter. But now, under Maitreya’s rule, one could easily ascend Ling Mountain. At its foot were temples and monasteries, filled with the scent of incense.
Without a specific purpose, Wukong wandered around and soon arrived at a large temple called the “Great Joy Zen Monastery.” Its gates were tightly closed, and many people gathered in front, discussing something animatedly.
Seeing the commotion, Wukong went over to take a look. After listening for a while, he learned the details. This monastery had been built by a monk from the Eastern Land a hundred years ago. That monk was originally an ordinary person and was probably no longer alive by now.
That monk had traveled from the Eastern Land to Ling Mountain to listen to the Buddha’s teachings. One day, he suddenly had an epiphany and settled at the foot of Ling Mountain, building this “Great Joy Zen Monastery” all by himself. He was also known as the “Great Joy Zen Master.”

At that time, the foot of Ling Mountain was still relatively quiet, with few Zen monasteries scattered far apart. Master Dale provided clear explanations of the Buddhist scriptures and teachings. Over time, Master Dale’s Zen monastery grew larger and eventually housed as many as a thousand people. As more monasteries appeared around it, the trend of “discussing and clarifying” Buddhist doctrines also became more prevalent. It should be noted that although the Buddhist scriptures passed down from Ling Mountain all appeared similar, their meanings were profound, and their concise language often led to multiple interpretations. Thus, when different monasteries spread these teachings, discrepancies occasionally arose, not to mention some bold believers who altered the scriptures at will when copying them. If that were all, no problems would arise, but there were those believers who attended lectures at one monastery one day and another the next; after hearing them for a while, they began to notice differences. Having mouths and voices, they naturally wanted to express their doubts. All those with faith were defenders of the true path and could not tolerate its distortion or misinterpretation. Since the various monasteries exchanged information, both openly and secretly, they all turned their attention against Master Dale’s Zen monastery. The reason for this was simple: just as a large tree attracts wind, Master Dale’s monastery was the largest, covered the most land, and was closest to Ling Mountain. Failing to create trouble for it seemed against natural justice. There was another reason as well: it was well known that the hall where Venerable Maitreya resided on Ling Mountain was called the “Hall of Great Compassion.” Since the Venerable himself embodied “great compassion,” how dare they call it “Hall of Great Joy”? It was outright treasonous! Upon hearing this story, Wukong found it somewhat interesting. Buddhist debates were known for their meticulous attention to detail. Let’s see how “great compassion” and “great joy” could be clearly distinguished. At that moment, the gate of “Master Dale’s Zen Monastery” slightly awoke, opening a narrow slit just wide enough for one person to pass through. A young monk emerged from inside. The monk was very polite; upon coming out, he bent down first to pay respects to the monks from the neighboring monastery before straightening up. When Wukong saw this young monk, his mind buzzed—this little monk resembled Nagarjuna to a great extent! If he hadn’t known he was the reincarnation of Nagarjuna, he would have thought another Nagarjuna had appeared in the world. Was this a coincidence, or was there some divine intention at work? Someone beside him said, “It was him yesterday. This monk has already debated for over a hundred days, and no one has been able to defeat him. He’s truly remarkable.” Another person replied, “How do you know? He’s just a young monk in the scripture preservation hall of Master Dale’s monastery. The real master hasn’t shown up yet.” “Is someone from the scripture preservation hall already that good? What’s his name?” someone asked. The other replied, “What was his name again? It’s quite strange… Oh, right, it’s Nagarjuna, Monk Nagarjuna!”

Wukong didn’t need to pay any attention at all; the chirping of insects and singing of birds at the foot of the Spirit Mountain all reached his ears. Upon hearing that this young monk also went by the name Nagarjuna, he was once again surprised. Could this really be Nagarjuna? Wukong used his secret Xuan Kong technique to examine him closely. The young monk had no trace of magical power whatsoever; he was merely an ordinary human being with nothing special about him. Such coincidences in the world were truly astonishing—how extraordinary!

Monk Nagarjuna stood still, while the monks from the other temples lined up behind him. Both sides bowed to each other, clearly signaling that the debate was about to begin.

The first monk, who was chubby and large, stepped forward and stood in front of Monk Nagarjuna. He immediately asked, “In life, is it suffering or happiness?”

Monk Nagarjuna replied, “Happiness!”

“No!” The chubby monk had been prepared for this answer. He knew Nagarjuna would surely respond in that way. He continued, “One must understand that all things flourish in spring and summer but wither in autumn and winter; those who are happy together will eventually part; wealth, vehicles, and horses are divided among the five elements (water, fire, thieves, the government, and unworthy descendants); wives, concubines, and beauty are all sources of love and hatred. Love and pleasure bring worries, while greed brings fear. Without greed, there can be no worries or fears. Ordinary people, in their daily lives, inevitably incur disasters and bring harm to themselves and their families, suffering endless worries and fears. Little do they realize that all the sufferings and hardships in the three realms and eight difficulties stem from greed and love…” He delivered a long speech, talking for a full fifteen minutes, while Monk Nagarjuna listened attentively, his expression unchanged, appearing like a virtuous monk listening to his disciple’s questions.

When the chubby monk finally ran out of breath, he asked one last question, “Is it still happiness?”

Monk Nagarjuna replied calmly, “Still happiness.”

The chubby monk was stunned. He couldn’t help pointing at Nagarjuna and shouting, “The hall of Venerable Maitreya is called ‘Great Compassion.’ How dare you call your small Zen monastery ‘Great Happiness?’ You really don’t know the difference between big and small!”

Nagarjuna replied, “There is no distinction between great and small in the Buddha nature. Although Venerable Maitreya’s hall is called ‘Great Compassion,’ he is always smiling, so where is there any compassion to speak of?”

The chubby monk did resemble Maitreya in appearance, but his knowledge of Buddhism was extremely limited. The first two questions were prepared in advance, and Nagarjuna answered them effortlessly. Left speechless, he retreated angrily and stood in the back row.