The Pilgrimage
St Paul ' s Convent School , Kumar , Kareena Kayla Ordonez - 12
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o mortal has ever survived ." " I would rather die going to the West than live by staying in the East ," the monk said . " You can ' t possibly be thinking about undertaking an overland expedition . Not with the ban against foreign travels issued by Emperor Taizong himself ." " I need better translations ," the monk lifted a scroll of paper . " what they mean ." " You mean to tell me that you are leaving the Jingtu Temple to obtain Buddhist scriptures because Guanyin commanded you to do so in your dream ?" " Yes , and I ' m leaving tonight ." the monk said firmly .
The Sun descended between the mountains of Wuwei . Xuanzang looked down at the semideserted land of ruins and howling wind , waiting for the lit household candles and lanterns to be blown out . When it was dark , he fled into the shadows of the Silk Road .
It had been days since the monk set off for his quest . He soon came across a thick mist , blocking his path . He was about to turn around and head back home when he saw a faint glimmering light through the fog . Curious , he stepped into the haze and followed the light . It led him to a luminous mountain . As he approached the mountain , he heard a chant from underneath : Five hundred years , Buddha interferes , only a pilgrim can save me from here . " Who ' s there ?" Xuanzang called , but was met with silence . Suddenly , the ground began to shake , carvings appeared on the soil . I ' ll make you a deal , and to you I shall kneel , but only if you redeem the golden seal . Having read this , Xuanzang hesitated for he had nothing but a walking staff but decided to climb up anyways . The air was thin when he reach the top . A golden seal sat on the mountain ' s cap . Cautiously , Xuangzang walked towards it , reaching out for the seal . The plateau started to tremble as soon as he touch the seal . Stones and rocks began to fall into the ravine and he began to tremble himself . Cracks appeared from one side to another on the plateau ground . He looked up to the tip of the mountain and noticed it starting to fracture in half . A flash of light bolted from the mountain into the sky . The momentum of the light was so powerful , it knocked him unconscious .
The debris started to settle and Xuanzang began to regain his consiousnes . He struggled to adjust to the light but saw a silhouette of a figure twice his size facing him . " Where am I ? And who ," he blinked his eyes a few times . " What are you ?" A disembodied voice answered him . " You are in the Mount Huaguo , the land of flowers and fruits " As soon as the words were said , the fractured mountain restructured itself into a beautiful landscape . Flowers sprouted from the soil , and vibrant-coloured fruits grew on branches . A waterfall appeared from a gap in the mountain , flowing into the lake below . " And I am Sun Wukong . The Monkey King , the Keeper of Horses and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven ." Sun Wukong looked like he expected some sort of recognition from Xuanzang . But the monk stood there , with a shocked expression on his face , debating whether or not he should run away or kill the creature . But before he could make up mind , Sun Wukong said , " I have been banished underneath the mountain for the last five hundred years . And only a mortal is able to free me . You , brave and young pilgrim , have released me from my prison ." Prison ? Only bad guys get trapped in prison . Did I release a fugitive ? Or worse , a demon ? Xuanzang thought to himself . " And to express my gratitude , I will offer you anything you wish to desire ." Upon hearing this , Xuanzang reconsidered and said , " You will be my disciple to my pilgrimage to India ." The monkey agreed and the two set off for the journey to the West .
On their way , Xuanzang couldn ' t help but ask a few questions that lingered in his head . " If you don ' t mind my asking , why exactly were you banished ?" " Half a century ago , I became guardian of the heavenly peach garden . The peaches bestow immortality to those who eat them . Since I was undefeatable at that time , I was greedy and ate all the peaches ." He continued . " The Buddha intervened and trapped me beneath the mountain ." " Is that who gave you that metal ring ?" Xuanzang asked , pointing to his head . " No , it was placed around my head by the Goddess of Mercey , Guanyin ," he explained . As he said that , the clouds formed some writing in the sky . " Om Rim Jim , Om Rim Jim ," Xuanzang read . As he said the chant , the metal ring around Sun Wukong ' s head began to tighten . He saw the monkey trying to resist the discomfort . When the ring resumed to its original size , the monkey told Xuanzang , " By chanting , you are able to tighten the ring whenever you must chastise me if I am violent or out of control ."