李卓吾先生批評西遊記 (Journey to the West), Vol. 8

the cups to offer to Heaven and Earth, then presented one to Sanzang. Sanzang said, "I will not hide it from you, Elder: I am a vegetarian from birth and have never touched meat since childhood." Old Gao said, "I know of your purity, Master. I would not dare offer meat. This wine is also vegetarian. Having a cup will do no harm." Sanzang replied, "I cannot drink alcohol either. Wine is the first prohibition of our monastic order." Wuneng panicked and said, "Master, I observed the fast, but I never cut off wine." The Pilgrim said, "Old Sun has a low capacity, but while I cannot drink more than a cup or two, I have never given up wine either." Sanzang said, "Since that is the case, you two brothers may have some vegetarian wine, but you are not allowed to drink to excess and neglect your duties." The two of them took their first cups and sat down as before. The vegetarian feast was set out, with an abundance of dishes. After the master and disciples finished, Old Gao brought out a red-lacquered tray containing two hundred taels of broken gold and silver to offer to the three elders for their journey expenses, along with three cotton robes to serve as outer garments. Sanzang said, "We are itinerant monks..."