Seeing that Monkey had disappeared, the evil spirit went up to the Bodhisattva, glared at her, and asked, “Are you reinforcements sent for by Monkey?” The Bodhisattva did not answer.
The demon king then twirled his spear and roared, “Hey! Are you reinforcements sent for by Monkey?” The Bodhisattva again did not answer.
The demon king then thrust his spear straight at the Bodhisattva's heart, at which she turned into a beam of golden light and rose straight up to the highest heavens. Monkey went up with her and complained, “Bodhisattva, you've tricked me again. Why did you act deaf and dumb and say nothing when that demon kept asking you? One thrust from his spear and you ran away. You've even ditched your lotus throne.”
“Keep quiet,” the Bodhisattva said, “and see what he does next.”
Monkey and Moksa stood next to each other up there watching while the demon said with a derisive jeer, “Insolent ape, you didn't know who you were up against. You didn't realize what sort of person I am. You fought me and lost several times, and then you sent for that putrid Bodhisattva. One thrust from my spear and she's disappeared. She's even left her lotus throne behind. Well, I'm going to sit on it now.” The evil spirit then sat cross-legged in the middle of the throne, imitating the Bodhisattva.
“That's just marvellous,” said Monkey. “Now you've given your lotus throne away.”
“What are you saying now, Wukong?” the Bodhisattva asked.
“What am I saying?” Monkey replied. “I'm saying you've given your lotus throne away. That fiend has just sat himself down on it. Would you care to get it back?”
“But I want him to sit on it,” the Bodhisattva said. “He's so small he'll sit on it much more safely than you did,” Monkey replied.
“Stop talking,” said the Bodhisattva, “and watch the power of the Dharma.”
She pointed downwards with her sprig of willow and called. “Turn back.” The colours and auspicious glow of the lotus sea all disappeared, leaving the demon king sitting on the points of swords. “Drive the swords in by hitting their handles with the demon-quelling pestle,” she ordered Moksa.
Moksa then took his cloud straight down and struck over a thousand times with the demon-quelling pestle as if he were ramming down earth to build a wall. The demon was now pouring with blood from his open wounds as the points of two swords both came out through his thighs. Watch the demon as he grits his teeth against the agony. Throwing his spear down he pulled furiously at the swords.
“Bodhisattva,” exclaimed Monkey, “that monster's not afraid of pain. He's trying to pull the swords out.”
Seeing this she called to Moksa, “Don't kill him.” She then pointed her sprig of willow down once more, said the magic word “Om,” and turned all Pole Star swords into halberds with inverted barbs like wolf's teeth that could not be pulled out. This finally made the demon desperate.
Trying to bend the sword-points he pleaded in his agony, “Bodhisattva, your disciple was blind. I failed to recognize your great Dharma powers. I beg you in your mercy to spare my life. I shall never do evil again, and I vow to become a Buddhist and observe the rules of conduct.”
On hearing this the Bodhisattva went down on her golden light with Moksa, Monkey and the white parrot till she was in front of the evil spirit. “Will you really accept my rules of conduct?”
The demon king nodded and said amid tears, “I will accept the rules if you spare my life.”
“Will you join my faith?” the Bodhisattva asked.
“If you spare my life I swear I will,” said the demon king.
“In that case,” said the Bodhisattva, “I shall lay my hands on your head and administer the vows.” From her sleeve she produced a golden razor, with a few strokes of which she shaved the demon's head into a Mount Tai tonsure, leaving him with a topknot and with three little tufts.
“Poor evil spirit,” laughed Monkey. “Now you can't tell whether he's a boy or a girl. Goodness knows what he's meant to be.”
“As you have accepted my rules of conduct,” said the Bodhisattva to the demon, “I will not mistreat you. I shall call you Page Sudhana. Do you accept?” The demon bowed in assent, wanting only to have his life spared. The Bodhisattva then pointed at him and called, “Withdraw!” With a crashing sound the Pole Star swords all fell into the dust. The boy was now unharmed.
“Huian,” said the Bodhisattva, “will you take the swords back to the Heavenly Palace and return them to His Majesty your father? You need not come back to meet me: wait with all the devas on the Pota Crag.” As instructed, Moksa took the swords back to Heaven then returned to the Southern Sea.
Now the boy's savage nature had not yet been tamed. When he realized that the pain in his legs had gone, that his backside was no longer wounded, and that he had three little tufts of hair on his head he ran over to grab his spear and said to the Bodhisattva, “You don't have any real Dharma powers that can put me down. It was all just an illusion. I refuse to accept your rules. Take this!”
He jabbed at her face with his spear, making Monkey so angry that he struck at the boy with his cudgel. “Don't hit him,” the Bodhisattva called out.
“I have a way of punishing him.” From her sleeve she produced a gold band and continued, “This treasure is one of the three bands-a golden one, tightening one, and a prohibition one-that the Tathagata Buddha gave me when I went to the East to find the pilgrim who would fetch the scriptures. You are wearing the tightening band. The prohibition band was used to subdue the great god guarding the mountain. I have not been able to bring myself to give the golden one away before, but as this demon is being so outrageous he shall have it.”
The splendid Bodhisattva then waved the band in the wind, shouted “Change!” and turned it into five band that she threw at the boy with the command “Fix!” One went over his head, two on his hands, and two on his feet. “Stand clear, Wukong,” the Bodhisattva ordered, “while I say the Gold-band Spell.”
“Bodhisattva,” pleaded Monkey in panic, “I asked you here to subdue the demon, so why ever are you putting a curse on me?”
“But this will not be the Band-tightening Spell that affects you,” the Bodhisattva explained. “It will be the Gold-band Spell that works on the boy.” Monkey felt easier in his mind as he stood beside the Bodhisattva and listened to her saying the spell. She made magic with her hands and recited the words silently several times over. The evil spirit twisted and tugged at his ears and cheeks, stamped his feet and rolled around. Indeed,
One phrase unites all the words without number;
Boundless and deep is the strength of the Dharma.
If you don't know how the boy was finally converted, listen to the explanation in the next installment.
Chapter 43
At the Black River a Monster Carries Off the Priest
The Dragon Prince of the West Captures an Alligator
The story tell how the Bodhisattva recited the spell several times before stopping. Only then did the evil spirit's agony cease. When he recovered, stood up and looked at himself he found that he had gold bands rounds his neck, hands and feet. They were painfully tight, and try as he would he could not move them at all. The treasures had already taken root in his flesh, and the more he rubbed them the more they hurt.
“There, there, little darling,” mocked Monkey. “The Bodhisattva's put a lucky amulet ring round your neck to make sure you grow up safely.”
This jibe infuriated the boy, who grabbed his spear once more and started lunging wildly at Monkey. Monkey nimbly avoided it and went behind the Bodhisattva, yelling, “Say the spell, say the spell.”