very single household was most impressed.

By now the smiths had made the three weapons and were kowtowing to Monkey, saying, “My lord, we have finished our work.”

“How heavy are they?” Monkey asked.

“The gold-banded cudgel weighs a thousand pounds,” the smiths replied, “and the nine-toothed rake and the demon-quelling staff each eight hundred pounds.”

“That’ll do,” said Monkey, who then had the three princes asked to come out. As each took his weapon they said to the senior prince, “Your Royal Highness, our weapons have now been finished.”

“They almost cost both your father and yourselves their lives,” the senior prince replied. “Thanks to our divine teachers’ powers,” the young princes said, “we were all saved and the evil spirits have been wiped out. We’ll have no trouble from them in future. Now this really is a world at peace with calm seas and rivers running clear.” The four princes then rewarded the smiths and went to the Gauze Pavilion to thank the teachers.

Sanzang told the Great Sage and the other two to pass on some more martial skills quickly so as not to delay their journey. The three of them all swung their weapons in the palace yard as they taught the secrets one by one. Within a few days the three young princes were all skilled performers. They also mastered all the seventy-two routines of attack, retreat and fast and slow fighting. This was firstly because the princes were all thoroughly determined, and secondly because the Great Sage Sun had given them the divine strength beforehand that enabled them to lift and move the thousand-pound cudgel and the eight-hundred-pound rake and staff. There was all the difference in the world between their present skills and those they had had before, and there is a poem that goes:

When they celebrated their fortune in finding divine teachers

They never expected their studies to alert a lion spirit.

With evil destroyed the country was at peace;

The frontier was settled as all were devoted to the one

Entity. Ninefold Numinosity’s powers lasted through their many clashes

Till the Way was achieved with all-round expertise.

The brilliant teaching would be passed on for ever,

And Yuhua know eternal peace and joy.

The prince then gave another great banquet to thank the three teachers, and a huge dish of gold and silver was brought out as a reward. “Take it straight back inside,” Monkey said with a smile, “take it straight back. We’re monks, and that’s no use to us.”

“We really can’t take gold or silver,” put in Pig who was standing beside him, “but the lion spirits tore our clothes to ribbons. If you could give us a change of clothing that would be very kind of you.” The prince ordered his tailors to fetch some bolts of blue, red and brown brocade and make each of them a garment after the style and colours of their old ones. The three of them were delighted to accept and put on their new brocade tunics, after which they packed up the luggage and set off on their way again. Everyone inside and outside the city, whether young or old, exclaimed that they were arhats and living Buddhas come down to earth. Crowds packed the streets to the sound of drums and music, and banners flew overhead. Indeed:

From the gate of every family the incense smoke arose;

At every household’s door coloured lanterns hung in rows.

The people only went back after seeing them for a long way along their journey. Only then did the four travelers manage to leave the city and head West. By leaving they shook off all thought and immersed their hearts in the True Achievement. Indeed:

Free from thought and worry, the Buddha’s land they seek,

Going faithfully, sincerely, towards the Vulture Peak.

If you do not know how much further the journey was to be or when it was to end, listen to the explanation in the next installment.