Unknowingly, the Monkey King had lived in the Water Curtain Cave with the other monkeys for several hundred years. One day, while frolicking with the monkeys, a sudden sadness overcame him, and he found himself shedding tears. Seeing him so despondent, the other monkeys rushed to him and asked, "Why are you so sad, my king?"
The Monkey King sighed and replied, "Although I live freely now, I am filled with anxiety about the future." The monkeys, puzzled, asked, "What is there to worry about? We live in a blessed place, free from worry, with abundant food. Isn't that enough for happiness?"
The Monkey King continued, "While we may be free from external constraints, one day, when we grow old and weak, we will eventually be claimed by the God of Death. At that point, even though we will have lived a full life, we will no longer be able to enjoy our carefree existence." Upon hearing this, the monkeys were filled with sorrow and began to weep.
Then, one of the monkeys, a clever primate known as the 'Tongue-back Ape,' stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, you are wise and thoughtful! Indeed, there are three realms in this world—gods, immortals, and sages—who are not under the control of the God of Death. They can escape the cycle of life and death and thus live as long as the heavens and earth."
Hearing this, the Monkey King was filled with hope and declared, "Good! Tomorrow, I will set out and find one of these immortals to learn the secret of eternal life and prevent the God of Death from claiming me." The other monkeys, hearing this, quickly prepared a feast of fruits to send him off.
The next morning, after partaking in the feast and drinking the farewell wine prepared by the monkeys, the Monkey King boarded a raft made from withered pine branches and set sail towards the southern land of the Blessed Isles , After drifting at sea for several days, he finally arrived on shore. There, he encountered a group of fishermen. Seeing this strange, fur-covered creature, the fishermen panicked and ran off. The Monkey King seized one of them, stripped him of his clothes, and donned them. He then headed towards the nearby marketplace.
In the market, the Monkey King imitated the humans' movements and behaviors, all while searching for an immortal. However, after eight or nine years in the Blessed Isles, he still had not encountered any immortals. So, he set out once again, this time heading west towards the land of the Western Bullhead (西牛贺洲).
Upon reaching the Western Bullhead Isles, the Monkey King saw a beautiful and peaceful mountain. As he gazed at the scenery, he suddenly heard a singing voice drifting from the mountain. Excited, he followed the sound and soon found a woodcutter.
Approaching the woodcutter, the Monkey King called out, "Old immortal, I greet you!" and bowed deeply. The woodcutter, startled, quickly replied, "Forgive me! I am but a poor man. How could I dare to call myself an immortal?"
The Monkey King asked, "If you are not an immortal, how do you know the songs of the 'Immortals and Daoists'?" The woodcutter explained, "The truth is, these songs were taught to me by a real immortal. He saw me working hard every day and growing troubled. He taught me these tunes to help me find peace in my heart when I was distressed. I never thought anyone would hear them."
The Monkey King then asked, "Please tell me where this immortal lives. I wish to visit him." The woodcutter replied, "He lives not far from here. There's a mountain called Lingtai Fangcun (灵台方寸山), and atop it, there's a cave called the Slanted Moon Three-Star Cave (斜月三星洞). This immortal, named Bodhi Ancestor (菩提祖师), is the one you're looking for. Follow the road south for seven or eight miles, and you'll reach it."
The Monkey King thanked the woodcutter and, following his directions, walked for several miles. Eventually, he arrived at a secluded cave nestled in the clouds, surrounded by towering pine trees and silence. The faint sound of cranes calling echoed from within. At the entrance stood a large stone tablet inscribed with ten bold characters: "Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, Slanted Moon Three-Star Cave."
The Monkey King understood that this was no ordinary place, and out of respect, he did not dare knock on the door. Instead, he climbed a nearby pine tree and began eating some of the pine nuts.
After a while, a young boy appeared and opened the door. Seeing the empty stone steps, the boy called out, "Who is making noise outside?"
The Monkey King, seeing the boy, jumped down from the tree and said, "I am a disciple seeking to learn the way of immortality. I have come to pay my respects and learn from my master."
The boy, surprised, said, "My master asked me to open the door. He must have been expecting someone like you. Please, come in." The Monkey King followed the boy inside the cave.
Upon meeting the Bodhi Ancestor, the Monkey King knelt before him and said, "Master, I greet you!" The Bodhi Ancestor replied, "Don't be in a hurry to pay respects. First, tell me about your origins, and then we can proceed with your apprenticeship." So, the Monkey King recounted his story. The Bodhi Ancestor asked him if he had parents and a name. The Monkey King replied that he had neither. After thinking for a moment, the Bodhi Ancestor bestowed upon him the name "Sun Wukong." The Monkey King was very pleased with the name and exclaimed, "Good, good, good! From now on, I shall be called Sun Wukong!"
After becoming the Bodhi Ancestor's disciple, Sun Wukong spent his days with his fellow disciples, sweeping the courtyard, tending to flowers and trees, fetching water, collecting firewood, and studying scriptures. Unknowingly, seven years passed.
One day, the Bodhi Ancestor approached Sun Wukong and said, "The Dao has 360 different branches. As long as you dedicate yourself to learning, you can achieve great results. Which one would you like to study?" Sun Wukong answered, "I will follow whatever my master teaches." The Bodhi Ancestor then said, "In that case, I shall teach you the ways of the 'Shu' school. By learning this, you will be able to predict the future and divine the good or bad fortune of others." Sun Wukong thought for a moment and asked, "Will learning this grant me immortality?" The Bodhi Ancestor replied, "No." Sun Wukong then said, "I don't want to learn that!"
The Bodhi Ancestor continued, "Then I will teach you the ways of the 'Liu' school. By learning this, you will be able to meditate, study Buddhist scriptures, and understand the deeper truths of the world." Sun Wukong again asked, "But will this grant me immortality?" The Bodhi Ancestor answered, "No." Sun Wukong replied, "That's not interesting either, I don't want to learn that!"
After several such exchanges, the Bodhi Ancestor, frustrated, struck Sun Wukong's head with a ruler three times and said, "You don't want to learn this, nor that. What exactly do you want to learn?" He then crossed his arms behind his back, closed the middle door, and left in anger.
Seeing that Sun Wukong had angered their master, the other disciples scolded him. However, Sun Wukong secretly felt pleased, for he had understood the Bodhi Ancestor's intention: the three strikes on his head were a hint to be alert at the third watch of the night (around midnight), and the act of crossing his arms behind his back was a reminder to enter through the back door for secret teachings.
At midnight, Sun Wukong quietly dressed and quietly went to the back door of the Bodhi Ancestor's dwelling. Finding the door slightly ajar, he felt pleased and thought, "This must be the master's intention." Sun Wukong slipped inside and approached the Bodhi Ancestor's bedside. The Bodhi Ancestor was asleep, so Sun Wukong knelt silently and waited.
After a while, the Bodhi Ancestor began muttering in his sleep. Sun Wukong knew he had woken up and said, "Master, I have been waiting here for a long time." The Bodhi Ancestor grumbled, "You mischievous monkey, why are you awake in the middle of the night? What brings you here?" Sun Wukong repeated the hints his master had given him earlier, and upon realizing that Sun Wukong had understood his secret signals, the Bodhi Ancestor was pleased and decided to teach him the secret of immortality. Sun Wukong immediately knelt and thanked him, committing the teachings to memory.
Before long, three more years passed. One day, the Bodhi Ancestor warned Sun Wukong about three great disasters: lightning, fire, and wind. Sun Wukong eagerly asked his master how to avoid these disasters. The Bodhi Ancestor, seeing that Sun Wukong's monkey-like appearance was not that of a typical human, believed that such calamities only affected ordinary beings and said there was no need for Sun Wukong to learn methods of avoidance. Sun Wukong, however, was dissatisfied and insisted on learning more skills. Eventually, the Bodhi Ancestor taught him the secret of the Seventy-Two Transformations (七十二变), allowing Sun Wukong to transform into anything he wished.
One evening, the Bodhi Ancestor stood outside the Three-Star Cave and asked Sun Wukong, "How are you progressing with your cloud-surfing skills?" Sun Wukong replied, "Under your guidance, I've learned to fly." He then leapt into the air, did a somersault, and managed to fly about five or six meters high, covering three or four miles in a short time. After watching Sun Wukong's demonstration, the Bodhi Ancestor chuckled and said, "That's not quite 'riding the clouds.' It's more like 'climbing through the clouds.'"
Sun Wukong then asked his master how to travel ten thousand miles in a single day. The Bodhi Ancestor, seeing his determination, said, "Since you're so eager to learn, I will teach you the Somersault Cloud (筋斗云). Once you master it, a single somersault will carry you 108,000 miles." Overjoyed, Sun Wukong eagerly learned the secret and mastered it in one night.
Years passed, and one day, the disciples saw Sun Wukong performing his extraordinary skills. They asked him to transform into a pine tree for them to see. Sun Wukong recited an incantation and transformed into a pine tree. The other disciples clapped in admiration. Hearing the commotion, the Bodhi Ancestor hurried over and asked, "What's going on here?" The disciples, seeing their master's stern face, confessed that Sun Wukong had performed a magic trick.
The Bodhi Ancestor turned to Sun Wukong and said, "Wukong, how can you show off your skills in front of everyone? What if others want to learn from you? If you're afraid of them, you'll have to teach them; but if you refuse, you may invite trouble. Isn't this the trouble you've brought upon yourself? I won't reprimand you for this, but you must leave now."
Sun Wukong, flustered, asked, "Master, where should I go?"
The Bodhi Ancestor said, "Go back to where you came from." Sun Wukong, realizing he had been in the Bodhi Ancestor's care for more than ten years, protested, "Master, you've been so kind to me. How can I just leave like this?" The Bodhi Ancestor replied, "What kindness have I shown you? Just go, and as long as you don't cause trouble, I won't mind. But remember, don't tell anyone that I'm your master, or I'll have to treat you harshly."
Sun Wukong agreed, tearfully bade his master farewell, and left the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain . Mounting his Somersault Cloud, he returned to the Water Curtain Cave in the Flower-Fruit Mountain in less than an hour.