第34章 学习是人生的需要（7）

　　孙悟空：东胜神洲，有个傲来国。国近大海，海中又座名山，唤为花果山。那山正当顶上，有一块仙石，四周更无树木遮阴，左右倒有芝兰相衬。盖自开辟以来，每受天真地秀，日精月华，感之既久，遂有灵通之意，内育仙胎。一日迸裂，产一石卵，似圆球样大，因见风，化作一石猴，五官俱备，四肢皆全。当石猴学会爬走，他拜了四方，很快就能在山中行走跳跃，食草木，饮涧泉，采山花，觅树果。真是“山中无甲子，寒尽不知年”。古云：

　　“禽有禽言，兽有兽语”。众猴来到一股瀑布飞泉前，拍手称扬道：“好水！好水！原来此处远通山脚之下，直接大海之波。”又道：“那一个有本事的，钻进去寻个源头出来不伤身体者，我等即拜他为王。”连呼三声，忽见丛杂中跳出一个石猴，应声高叫道：“我进去！ 我进去！”他瞑目蹲身，将身一纵，径跳入瀑布泉中，忽睁眼抬头观看，那里边却无水无波，明明朗朗的一架桥梁。他向周围仔细观看多时，跳出水外，打了两个呵呵道：“大造化！大造化！”众猴把他围住问道：“里面怎么样？水有多深？”石猴道：“没水！没水！原来是一座铁板桥。桥那边是一座天造地设的家当。”众猴道：“怎见得是个家当？”石猴笑道：

　　“这股水乃是桥下冲贯石窍，倒挂下来遮闭门户的。桥边有花有树，乃是一座石房。房内有石锅石灶、石碗石盆、石床石凳，中间一块石碣上，镌着‘花果山福地，水帘洞洞天’。

　　真个是我们安身之处。里面且是宽阔，容得千百口老小。我们都进去住，也省得受老天之气。”众猴听得，个个欢喜，都道：“你还先走，带我们进去！”石猴瞑目蹲身，往里一跳，叫道：“都随我进来！”在众猴都跳进去后，石猴端坐上面道：“列位呵，人而无信，不知其可。你们才说有本事进得来、出得去不伤身体者，就拜他为王。我如今进来又出去，出去又进来，寻了这一个洞天与列位安眠稳睡，各享成家之福，何不拜我为王？”众猴听说，即拱伏无违，一个个序齿排班，朝上礼拜，都称“千岁大王”。自此，石猴高登王位，将石字儿隐去了，遂称美猴王。

　　Monkey (Sun Wukong)： On the Eastern Continent of Superior Body， there is a country called Aolai.

　　This country is next to an ocean， and in the middle of the ocean is a famous island called the Mountain ofFlowers and Fruits. There was once a magic stone on the top of this mountain. There were no trees aroundit to give shade， but magic fungus and orchids clung to its sides. Ever since Creation began it had beenreceiving the truth of Heaven， the beauty of Earth， the essence of the Sun and the splendour of the Moon；and as it had been influenced by them for so long it had miraculous powers. It developed a magic womb，which burst open one day to produce a stone egg about the size of a ball. When the wind blew on this eggit turned into a stone monkey， complete with the five senses and four limbs. When the stone monkey hadlearnt to crawl and walk， he bowed to each the four quarters. On this mountain the monkey was soon ableto run and jump， feed from plants and trees， drink from brooks and springs， pick mountain flowers and lookfor fruit. As the saying so rightly goes，“There is no calendar in the mountains， and when winter’s over youdon’t know the time of year.”There is also an old saying，“Binds have bird language， and animals haveanimal talk.”When the monkeys came to a waterfall cascaded from a spring， they clapped their hands andexplained with delight，“What lovely water. It must go all the way to the bottom of the mountain and jointhe waves of the sea.”Then one monkey made a suggestion：“If anyone is clever enough to go through thefall， find the source， and come out in one piece， let’s make him our king.”When this challenge had beenshouted three times， the stone monkey leapt out from the crowd and answered at the top of his voice，“I’ll go，I’ll go.”He shut his eyes， crouched， and sprang， leaping straight into the waterfall. When he opened his eyesand raised his head to look round， he saw neither water nor waves. A bridge stood in front of him， as largeas life. He took a long， careful look round the bridge， and leapt back through the waterfall.“We’re in luck，we’re in luck，”he said with a chuckle. All the other monkeys crowded round him asking.“What’s it likein there？ How deep is the water？”“There’s no water， none at all，”replied the stone monkey.“There’san iron bridge， and on the other side of the bridge there’s a house that must have been made by Heaven andEarth.”“How ever could you see a house there？”the other monkeys asked. The stone monkey chuckledagain.“The water here comes under the bridge and through the rocks， and it hides the gateway to the bridgefrom view. There are flowers and trees by the bridge， and a stone house too. Inside the house are stone rooms，a stone stove， stone bowls， stone plates， stone beds， and even stone benches. In the middle of it all is a tabletwhich says‘Happy Land of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit， Cave Heaven of the Water Curtain’. It’s justthe place for us to settle down in—there’s room there for thousands. Let’s all move in， then we won’t have toput up with any more nonsense from heaven.”The other monkeys were all so delighted to hear this that theysaid，“You go first and take us with you.”The stone monkey shut his eyes， crouched， and leapt in again，shouting，“Follow me in.”After the monkeys all jumped through， the stone monkey sat himself in the mainseat and said，“Gentlemen，‘A man who breaks his word is worthless.’Just now you said that if anyonewas clever enough to come in here and get out again in one piece， you’d make him king. Well， then. I’ve comein and gone out， and gone out and come in. I’ve found you gentlemen a cave heaven where you can sleep inpeace and all settle down to live in bliss. Why haven’t you made me king？”On hearing this all the monkeysbowed and prostrated themselves， not daring to disobey. They lined up in groups in order of age and paid theirhomage as at court， all acclaiming him as the“Great King of a Thousand Years”. The stone monkey thentook the throne， made the word“stone”taboo， and called himself Handsome Monkey King.

　　一日，美猴王与群猴喜宴之间，忽然忧恼，堕下泪来，众猴慌忙罗拜道：“大王何为烦恼？”猴王道：“我虽在欢喜之时，却有一点儿远虑。今日虽不归人王法律，不惧禽兽威服，将来年老血衰，暗中有阎王老子管着，一旦身亡，可不枉生世界之中，不得久住天人之内？”众猴闻此言，一个个掩面悲啼，俱以无常为虑。只见那班部中，忽跳出一个通背猿猴，厉声高叫道：“如今五虫之内，惟有三等名色，不伏阎王老子所管。乃是佛与仙与神圣三者，躲过轮回，不生不灭，与天地山川齐寿。”猴王道：“此三者居于何所？”猿猴道：

　　“他只在阎浮世界之中，古洞仙山之内。”猴王闻之，满心欢喜道：“我明日就辞汝等下山，云游海角，远涉天涯，务必访此三者，学一个不老长生，常躲过阎君之难。”次日，美猴王早起，教：“小的们，替我折些枯松，编作筏子，取个竹竿作篙，收拾些果品之类，我将去也。”果独自登筏，尽力撑开，飘飘荡荡，径向大海波中，趁天风来渡南赡部洲地界。

　　持篙试水，偶得浅水，弃了筏子，跳上岸来，只见海边有人捕鱼打雁，罥蛤淘盐。他走向人群，学习人的言语行为，学成人像，学着穿衣穿履，朝戈夜宿，一心里访问佛仙神圣之道，觅个长生不老之方。猴王参访仙道，无缘得遇，在于南赡部洲，串长城，游小县，不觉八九年余。忽行至西洋大海，他想着海外必有神仙，独自个依前作筏，又飘过西海，直至西牛贺洲地界。登岸遍访多时，忽见一座秀丽高山。猴王问一樵夫，得知此山叫做灵台方寸山，山中有座斜月三星洞，那洞中有个神仙，称名须菩提祖师。猴王一见祖师，倒身下拜，磕头不计其数，口中只道：“师父！师父！弟子志心朝礼！弟子漂洋过海，登界游方，有十数个年头，方才访到此处。”祖师道：“与你起个法名叫做‘孙悟空’，好么？”猴王笑道：

　　“好！好！好！自今就叫做孙悟空也！”那祖师即命大众引孙悟空出二门外，教他洒扫应对，进退周旋之节。孙悟空到门外，又拜了大众师兄，就于廊庑之间，安排寝处。次早，与众师兄学言语礼貌，讲经论道，习字焚香，每日如此。闲时即扫地锄园，养花修树，寻柴燃火，挑水运浆，凡所用之物，无一不备，在洞中不觉倏六七年。一天，祖师问悟空：“你今要从我学些什么道？”“术字门中之道如何”？“流字门中之道如何？”“静字门中之道如何？”“动字门中之道如何？”每问悟空都回问“似这等也得长生么？”每次祖师都答“不能”，悟空就说“不学”。那天夜里，悟空静悄悄地去到祖师床前跪着。当祖师醒来，悟空就说：“望师父大舍慈悲，传与我长生不老之道罢，永不忘恩！”祖师道：“你今有缘，我亦喜说。既识得盘中暗谜，你近前来，仔细听之，当传与你长生之妙道也。”悟空勤学苦练，学会了地煞数七十二般变化，能躲避雷灾、火灾、风灾三灾之害；能与天地同寿；能隐身遁身，起法摄法；天上有路，入地有门，步日月无影，入金石无碍，水不能溺，火不能焚。悟空昼夜殷勤，学会了筋斗云，一个筋斗能行十万八千里，能享受长生之美。由于悟空在人前卖弄他的变化，他被师父逐回他来的地方。他“离家有二十年矣”。

　　One day the Handsome Monkey King suddenly felt depressed during a banquet with his monkeyhost， and he started to weep. The startled monkeys crowded round， bowed to him and asked，“What’s thematter， Your Majesty？”“Although I’m happy now，”the Monkey King replied，“I’m worried about thefuture. Today， we don’t have to submit to the laws and regulations of human kings， and we don’t live in terrorof the power of birds and beasts. But the time will come when we are old and weak， and the underworld iscontrolled by the King of Hell. When the time comes for us to die， we won’t be able to go on living among theBlessed， and our lives will have been in vain.”All the monkeys covered their faces and wept as everyoneof them thought about death. Suddenly a gibbon jumped out from their ranks and shrieked in a piercingvoice，“Now of the Five Creatures， there are only three that do not come under the jurisdiction of the Kingof Hell. They are the Buddhas， the Immortals and the Sages. They are free from the Wheel of Reincarnation.

　　They are not born and they do not die. They are as eternal as Heaven and Earth， as the mountains and therivers.”“Where do they live？”the Monkey King asked，“Only in the human world，”the ape replied，“inancient caves on magic mountains.”The Monkey King was delighted to hear this.“I shall leave you alltomorrow，”he said，“and go down the mountain. If I have to， I’ll roam the corners of the oceans and go tothe edge of the sky to find these three kinds of beings and discover the secret of eternal youth that will keepus out of the clutches of the King of Hell for ever.”The next morning the Handsome Monkey King got upearly and ordered，“Children， tear down some old pines and make me a raft. Find a bamboo pole to puntwith and load it up with fruit. I’m going.”He went aboard the raft all by himself， pushed off with all hismight， and floated off towards the waves of the ocean. He intended to sail with the wind and cross over tothe Southern Jampu Continent. Testing the depth of the water with this pole he found that it was shallow， sohe abandoned the raft and jumped ashore. He saw humans by the coast， fishing， hunting geese， gatheringclams， and extracting salt. He went up to them， learning human behavior and human speech， teachinghimself to take human form and to wear clothes and boots. Whether he was eating his breakfast or going tobed at night he was always asking about Buddhas， Immortals and Sages， and seeking the secret of eternalyouth. Although he asked about the way of the Immortals， the Monkey King was unable to meet one. Hespent eight or nine years in the Southern Jampu Continent， going through its great walls and visiting its littlecounties. When he found that he had reached the Great Western Ocean he thought that there must be Sagesand Immortals on the other side of it， so he made himself another raft like the last one， and floated across theWestern Ocean until he came to the Western Continent of Cattle-gift. He went ashore and made extensiveand lengthy enquiries until one day he came upon a high and beautiful mountain. By asking a woodcutter， theMonkey King was told，“This mountain is the Spirit Tower Heart Mountain， and in it there is the Cave of theSetting Moon and the Three Stars. In that cave lives an Immortal called the Patriarch Subhuti. As soon as theMonkey King saw the Patriarch Subhuti he bowed low and knocked his head on the ground before him manytimes， saying，“Master， master， your disciple pays his deepest respects. He sailed across seas and oceans，crossed frontiers and wandered through many countries for over ten years before he arrived here.”ThePatriarch said，“We can give you the Dharma-name‘Sun Wukong’. Will that do？”“Marvellous，marvellous，”said the smiling Monkey King.“From now on my name will be Sun Wukong.”The Patriarchthen ordered the others to take Sun Wukong out through the double doors and teach him how to sprinkle andsweep the floor， answer orders， and deport himself properly. When Sun Wukong was outside the doors hebowed to all his spiritual elder brothers and laid out his bed on the verandah. The next morning and everyfollowing day Wukong studied language and deportment under his spiritual elder brothers， expounded theures， discussed the Way， practiced calligraphy， and burnt incense. When he had any spare time hewould sweep the grounds， dig the vegetable patch， grow flowers， tend trees， look for kindling， light the fire，carry water， and fetch soy. Everything he needed was provided. Thus six or seven years slipped by in the cavewithout his noticing them. One day the Patriarch asked Wukong：“What sort of Way do you want to learnfrom me？”“How about the Way of Magic Arts？”“How about the Way of Sects？”“How about the Wayof Silence？”“How about the Way of Action then？”Wukong replied every question by asking“Can doingthings like that make me live for ever？”Every time the Patriarch answered“No”and Wukong said“No，shan’t learn that.”That night， Wukong went quietly to the Patriarch’s bed and knelt in front of it. Whenthe Patriarch woke up， Wukong said，“Master， I hope that in your great mercy you will teach me the Wayof Immortality. If you do， I’ll always be grateful to you.”“You are predestined，”the Patriarch said，“soI shall be happy to tell you. Since you understood my cryptic message， come over here and listen carefullywhile I teach you the miraculous Way of Immortality”. Wukong studied diligently and trained hard， havinglearnt the seventy-two earthly transformations so that he could avoid the three disasters of thunderbolt，hidden fire and monster wind and live as long as Heaven and Earth. He could conceal himself and vanish，make spells and end them. He could reach the sky and find his way into the earth， travel under the sun ormoon without leaving a shadow， or go through metal or stone freely. He could not be drowned by water orburned by fire. Wukong practiced and trained day and night， having learned the“Somersault Cloud”. Withone somersault he could go 108，000 li (i.e. sixty thousand miles) and enjoy the delights of immortality. He wasdriven back to where he had come from because of his showing off his transformation in front of people. Hehas been away from home for twenty years.

　　孙悟空按下云头，直至花果山，叫道：“孩儿们，我来了！”千千万万的猴子把猴王围在当中，叩头叫道：“大王，我们望你诚如饥渴！近来被一妖魔在此欺虐，强要占我们水帘洞府，是我等舍死忘生与他争斗。这些时，被那厮抢了我们家火，捉了许多子侄，教我们昼夜无眠，看守家业。幸得大王来了！大王若再年载不来，我等连山洞尽属他人矣！”悟空闻说，心中大怒道：“是甚么妖魔？待我寻他报仇。”众猴叩头道：“告上大王，那厮自称混世魔王，住在三界坎源山五行水脏洞。”猴王纵起筋斗云，径到坎源山，找到水脏洞。他夺其大刀，剿了混世魔王，得胜回府。他也带回了所有被混世魔王捉去的猴子猴孙。为了“守护山场，保泰长久”，孙悟空使个分身法从傲来国一城池的兵器馆武库中搬出许多如弓弩叉矛等武器，武装众猴。孙悟空从东海龙王敖广处求得“如意金箍棒，重一万三千五百斤”，同时得到了北海龙王敖顺奉上的一双藕丝步云履，西海龙王敖闰奉上的一副锁子黄金甲，南海龙王敖钦奉上的一顶凤翅紫金冠。一天，猴王分付他的四健将安排筵宴，请他的六个义兄弟赴饮，俱吃得酩酊大醉。猴王睡里见两人拿一张批文，上有“孙悟空”三字，走近身不容分说，套上绳就把猴王的魂灵儿索了去，踉踉跄跄，直带到一座城边。那城上有一铁牌，牌上有三个大字，乃“幽冥界”。猴王顿然醒悟道：“幽冥界乃阎王所居，何为到此？”那两人道：“你今日阳寿该终，我两人领批，勾你来也。”猴王听说，道：“我老孙超出三界外，不在五行中，已不伏阎王管辖，怎么朦胧又敢来勾我？”那两个勾死人只管扯扯拉拉，定要拖他进去。那猴王恼起性来，耳朵中掣出宝贝，幌一幌碗来粗细，略举手，把两个勾死人打为肉酱，自解其索，丢开手，轮着棒，打入城中。唬得那牛头鬼东躲西藏，马面鬼南奔西跑。慌得那十代冥王急整衣来看。猴王问道：“怎么差人来勾我？”阎王道：“不敢！不敢！想是差人差了。”猴王又问道：“你等是什么官位？”阎王躬身道：“我等是阴间天子十代冥王。上仙息怒。普天下同名同姓者多，敢是那勾死人错走了也？”悟空要求道：“你快取生死簿子来我看！”阎王即命掌案的判官取出文簿来查。悟空亲自检阅，直到那魂字一千三百五十号上，方注着孙悟空名字，乃天产石猴，该寿三百四十二岁，善终。悟空道：

　　“我也不记寿数几何，且只消了名字便罢！取笔过来！”那判官慌忙捧笔，饱掭浓墨。悟空拿过簿子，把猴属之类，但有名者一概勾之。扔下簿子道：“了帐！了帐！今番不伏你管了！”一路棒打出幽冥界。那十王不敢相近，都去翠云宫，同拜地藏王菩萨，商量启丧，奏闻上天。

　　Sun Wukong put away his cloud and headed straight to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit，shouting“Children， I’m back.”Monkeys in their thousands and tens of thousands all crowded round theMonkey King， kowtowed and said，“Your Majesty， we’ve been desperate for you to come back. A demon hasbeen mistreating us terribly. He’s occupied our Water Curtain Cave， and we’ve been fighting for our liveswith him. Recently he’s been stealing our things and carrying off many of our youngsters. We’ve had to stayawake all night to guard our families. Thank goodness you’ve come back！ Another year without you， YourMajesty， and every one of us would be under his control， cave and all.”Wukong was furious，“Who is thisdemon？ I’ll go and give him what’s coming to him.”The monkey host kowtowed again and said，“YourMajesty， the wretch calls himself the Demon King of Confusion. He lives in the Cave in the Belly of the Waterthat nourishes the Five Elements on the Mountain from which the Three Worlds spring.”The Monkey Kingjumped up into the air and somersaulted straightly to the Mountain and found the Cave in the Belly of theWater. He triumphantly returned home， bringing a large sword he had captured when he killed the DemonKing of Confusion. He also took home all the monkeys the Demon King had carried off from their WaterCurtain Cave. In order to defend their mountain and give them long-term security， Sun Wukong used themagic for dividing up his body and removed the weapons such as bows， crossbows， forks， spears， etc. fromthe arsenal and military stores in a city of Aolai Country to his Water Curtain Cave to arm his monkeys. SunWukong begged the as-you-will cold-banded cudgel： weight 13，500 pounds from Ao Guang， the Old DragonKing of the Eastern Sea. At the same time Wukong got a pair of lotus-root cloud-walking shoes presented byAo Shun， the Dragon King of the Northern Sea， a suit of golden chain mail presented by Ao Run， the DragonKing of the Western Sea， a phoenix-winged purple gold helmet presented by Ao Qin， the Dragon King of theSouthern Sea. One day， the Monkey King instructed his four Stalwart Generals to arrange a feast for his sixsworn brothers. They drank themselves blotto. In his sleep the Monkey King saw two men approach him witha piece of paper in their hands on which was written“Sun Wukong”. Without allowing any explanationsthey tied up his soul and dragged it staggering along till they reached a city wall. There was an iron plateon the wall on which was inscribed WORLD OF DARKNESS in large letters. In a flash of realization theMonkey King said，“The World of Darkness is where King Yama lives. Why have I come here？’“Yourlife in the world above is due to end now，”his escorts said，“and we were ordered to fetch you.”To thisthe Monkey King replied，“I have gone beyond the Three Worlds， and I am no longer subject to the FiveElements. I don’t come under King Yama’s jurisdiction. How dare you grab me， you idiots？”But the fetchersof the dead just went on tugging at him， determined to drag him inside. The Monkey King lost his temper，pulled his treasure out of his ear， and gave it a shake. It became as thick as a rice bowl. It only took a slightmovement of his arm to smash the two fetchers of the dead to pulp. He untied his bonds， loosed his hands， andcharged into the city whirling his cudgel， so terrifying the ox-headed and horse-faced devils that they fledin all directions for cover. Stricken by panic， the Ten Kings who sit in the ten palaces， hurriedly straightenedtheir clothing and went out to look. The Monkey King asked them，“Why did you send men to bring mehere？”“We wouldn’t dare do such a thing.”Replied the Ten Kings，“The messagers must have madea mistake.”“What are your posts？”the Monkey King asked again. To this the ten kings replied，“Weare the ten kings. Please don’t be angry， lofty Immortal. Many people in the world share the same name， soperhaps the fetchers of the dead went to the wrong place.”“Go and get the Register of Life and Deathfor me to see.”demanded Wukong. The Ten Kings then ordered the presiding judge to fetch the register.

　　Wukong looked through the register himself. Under“Soul No. 1350”was the name of Sun Wukong， theHeaven-born stone monkey， who was destined to live to the age of 342 and die a good death.“I won’t writedown any number of years，”said Sun Wukong.“I’ll just erase my name and be done with it. Bring me abrush.”The judge hastily handed him a brush and thick， black ink. Wukong took the register， crossed outall the names in the monkey section， and threw it on the floor with the words，“The account’s closed. That’san end of it. We won’t come under your control any longer.”Then he cudgeled his way out of the Worldof Darkness. The Ten Kings dared not go near him， and they all went to the Azure Cloud Palace to bow inhomage to the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and discussed the report they would sent up to Heaven.