Calamities in Journey to the West? My heart and form are both void.

Summary

The passage describes a meeting between Xuan Zang and an old monk at a Zen temple, where tensions rise over discussions of treasures brought from the Tang Dynasty. The monks become increasingly curious and greedy about potential valuable items, causing spiritual conflict. Despite being a sacred place, the temple becomes consumed by materialistic desires, with monks pressuring Xuan Zang to display his possessions. The narrative highlights the irony of Buddhist practitioners momentarily forgetting their spiritual principles in pursuit of worldly treasures, demonstrating how easily human desires can emerge even in religious settings.

Full content