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

A Poem as Evidence

Across the earth, the clouds and mists hang over high trees,
The Buddha’s child of Tang travels with great labor.
He begs for a single bowl of rice from a thousand households,
And wears a robe stitched with a thousand needles.
Keep the horse of the will tethered tight, let it not run wild,
Do not let the ape of the heart be unruly or scream.
When emotion and nature are settled, all conditions unite,
The moon fills the golden flower, condensing the mercury.

Sanzang traveled along the western road for a month in peace. Having crossed the borders of U-Si-Zang, he suddenly looked up and saw a high mountain. Sanzang pulled on the reins and said, "Wukong, Wuneng, the mountain ahead is high. You must be careful. Be careful." Bajie said, "It is nothing. This mountain is called Mount Futu. There is a Bird's Nest Chan Master in the mountain, practicing here. Old Zhu has met him before." Sanzang asked, "Does he have any sort of practice?" Bajie replied, "He has some spiritual attainment. He once tried to persuade me to follow him and practice, but I did not go." That was that. As the master and disciples spoke, they soon arrived at the mountain. It was a fine mountain, for one could see: