Ginseng
Fruit
This is the story of the four travelers to get the
sutras
from India and their encounter with the master of the temple who has
the
special ginseng tree.
The animation opens with the Emperor Tang Taizong
who
admonishes, "We need to listen to the instructions from heaven on
how to treat people."
Below is the dialog of the story. It opens with
Xuanzang
asking the Monkey King Su Wukong to check the direction to make sure
they
are going the right way and to find a good place for them to spend the
night.
Su Wukong: "Master, there is a temple over there."
Wu Zhuang Gwan
Sign on a stone before the temple: "This is a place
of righteousness."
Su Wukong reads the couplet beside the door, "People who believe in Buddhism will be immortal." "This temple is for people who believe in Buddhism so we can stay here like being a home. 500 years ago I went to heaven and even heaven didn't brag that it was as great a place as this temple."
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Xuanzang: "Don't talk nonsense." Two servants appear, "Welcome, please come in." Xuanzang accepts, "Why don't you put a symbol
of
earth on the altar? Why do you only display a symbol of heaven?" Servant #1 "Because the earth deity is a relative of my master's so we only bow to heaven." |
Su Wukong: "You servants, how dare you talk nonsense
about not bowing to the deity of earth. You lack respect."
Xuanzang says to his followers, "Why don't you
fellows
prepare dinner."
Su Wukong "Yes, master."
Xuanzang: "Please tell me your master's name and
where is he now?"
Servant #1: "My master is Ju Yen Dashi. He went to
another temple to study."
Servant #2: "Are you the Xuanzang who is going to the west to get
the sutras?"
Xuanzang replies humbly, "Yes."
Servant
#2 "My
master told us to take care of you until he returns."
The servants get the ginseng fruit.
Servant #2: "This is the ginseng fruit which is
grown
in our temple. Please take and eat it."
Xuanzang: "This is a place of kindness. How can I
eat these fruits that look like children. O mi to fu."
Servant #2: "These two ginseng fruits can quench
your thirst."
Xuanzang: "No, O mi to fu."
The servants discuss his refusal. "The ginseng
fruits
are very good. Everybody wants to eat it but this man is strange, he
doesn't
want to eat it."
Servant #2: "Once we take these 2 fruits from the
tree we can't keep them long so let's just eat them ourselves."
Servant #1: "That's a good idea."
The companions overhear the servants talking.
| Zhu Bajie: "Brother, Brother Monkey!" Su Wukong: "Oh! Is there really such a good
thing
as this fruit? I have been to every corner of the world and I have
tasted
every kind of fruit. I've even eaten the heavenly peaches." Zhu Bajie: "its true but they only offer it to our master not to us. If they don't offer it to me, that's okay but its terrible that they don't offer it to you, Monkey Brother." |
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Su Wukong: "I know what to do. I'll go get some for
us."
Zhu Bajie: "Monkey Brother, I'll wait for you here."
Su Wukong: "So there really such a treasure. it is
strange and rare."
Su Wukong: "That's strange, I saw it drop on the
floor but not it has disappeared. It must have been taken by the earth
god."
He summons the earth god, Tu Di.
Tu Di appears, "You called me. I'm here. Why do you
call me to come here? For what purpose?"
Su Wukong: "Many years ago I went to heaven to get
the heavenly peaches and no one could stop me. why do you keep me from
getting this fruit?"
Tu Di: "No. No.No. I didn't take it."
Su Wukong: "But where is it?"
Tu DI: "Well, there is something that you don't
know.
This fruit stay. It can't touch the five elements. Listen to me. If the
fruit touches water, it becomes liquid. If it touches the ground, it
goes
into the earth. If it touches fire it is instantly consumed. When the
sun
is out, it is visible but when the sun sets it can't be seen. So that
is
why it disappeared."
Su Wukong: "Is that true?"
Tu Di: "Yes. 30 fruit appear every 10,000 years.
If human beings eat it they will live for 47,000 years."
Su Wukong: "Then, I'm sorry. I apologize. Please
go home."
Su Wukong takes some fruit, "Brothers, here they
are."
Zhu Bajie: "You are indeed great brother!"
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Sha Wujing: "Wow! this is the ginseng fruit!"
Su Wukong: "How do you know it is ginseng
fruit?"
Sha Wujing: "Someone is heaven used this fruit
to
feed the fairies." Zhu Bajie: "Shut up! Quick give me one. I want to taste it." He quickly the fruit. |
Zhu Bajie: "Monkey Brother, Sha brother, How does
it taste?
Su Wukong: "You ate it first. Why do you ask us how
it tastes?
Zhu Bajie: "I ate it a little bit too fast. I just
swallowed it so I don't know if it tastes sweet or sour. Please Monkey
Brother, go and get another one so I can really taste it."
Su Wukong: "You are really greedy. In 10,000 years
there are only 30 fruits. You have got one. You are lucky."
Zhu Bajie: "Wa! Ginseng fruit, once you eat it you
can't get enough!"
Servant #2: "That's not good. Some one is stealing
the ginseng fruit."
Servant #1: "Let's go to the garden and check the
tree."
Servant #2 to Xuanzang: "Why didn't you take the
fruit when we offered it to you? Why did you steal it?"
Xuanzang: "When I see that I am scared. Why do you
say that?"
Servant #1: "Even though you didn't steal it. Your
three companions did."
Xuanzang: "Please don't worry, let me talk to them
and see." "Which of you went to steal the ginseng fruit and ate
it?"
Zhu Bajie: "Master, you know I'm always honest. What
ginseng fruit? We got some kind of fruit. I ate only one. I didn't even
taste it. I didn't eat it."
| Servants: "The person who laughed must be the
person
who stole it." Su Wukong: "I'm born with a smiling face. why
do
you accuse me?" Xuanzang: "Brothers, we are god's believers so
we
don't lie. If you ate the fruit then just apologize. don't say you
didn't." Xuanzang: "I said I didn't steal it so I didn't." |
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Su Wukong: "Okay, Master, I went to the garden and
got 3 fruits. We have eaten them. What shall we do now?"
Servant #1: "You stole 4 but you said you have eaten
3. Why do you lie?"
Servant #2: "Why? Why? Tell us! Say it!"
Zhu Bajie: "Wa You stole 4 and you only showed us
3. You took 1 more for yourself!"
Servant #2: "Xuanzang we treated you well. we didn't
expect that you would behave like this. You steal and lie."
Zhu Bajie: "How dare you talk to us like that! Okay,
Monkey Brother, if he says this to me its. okay but how can they accuse
you?"
Servant #2: "What great king are you? You are just a monkey who steals!"
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Servants: "Return our ginseng fruit! If you
behave
like this, how can you be the ones to get the sutras?" Su Wukong: "These good for nothing servants.
How
dare they accuse me! I'll show you how strong I am! Okay, then no one
can
eat any!" Servant #1: "You monkey, You stole the fruit. You have already committed crimes. How dare you destroy the tree. You are too egotistic. You dare to overturn heaven and the tree!" |
Su Wukong: "This is how I am."
Servants: "We won't let you go."
Servants: "Okay. Now you sleep. don't wake up until
I am far away."
Other servants: "Here the music? Master is coming!"
Temple Master: "Don't cry. You don't know him. 500
years ago he almost destroyed the heavenly palace. he is very powerful
and skillful. Since he destroyed the tree, come with me we will go get
him."
Xuanzang: "You bad monkey, you always make trouble.
If you do it again. I will say the magic words that give you pain."
Su Wukong: "Oh! Please Master! Don't say those
words.
Don't say them!
Zhu Bajie: "You monkey did it. You have caused me
trouble. I couldn't sleep all night and I didn't get any taste of the
ginseng
fruit. Now I'm so hungry my stomach growls!" "OH! Look! Trouble!
Trouble! Our enemy comes!"
Servant #2: "The 4 of them are here!"
Master of the Temple: "You 4 pilgrims. Are you those
who came from the temple, who are resting here?"
Zhu Bajie: "No, We've never been to the temple."
Su Wukong; "Humph! You don't care where we are from!"
Temple Master: "You bad monkey. It's you who stole
the ginseng fruit, over turned the tree and escaped to here."
| Zhu Bajie: "Monkey Brother, don't waste your
time.
I'll deal with him!" Xuanzang: "Bajie, Stop!" Su Wukong: "I'm coming!" Xuanzang: "Stop! Come back!" Temple Master: "You are Buddhist. You should
not
use weapon!." to his servants "Just whip them and teach them
a lesson." |
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Servant: "Which one should we beat first?"
Temple Master: "Xuanzang, who is the master who is
supposed to discipline his brothers. He didn't do that. Beat him first."
Su Wukong: "Wait! Beat me first! The one who stole
the fruit is me. The one who destroyed the tree is me. Beat me! why do
you hit my master?"
Temple Master: "It's true. Beat him first. We've
lost 30 fruits so h it him 30 times.... and you should beat Xuanzang
then
because he is not strict with them."
Su Wukong: "Your majesty, you are wrong again. Even
though my master is not strict, it is we who should be beaten instead
of
him."
Temple Master: "Well, he is faithful. so beat him
another 30 times. Su Wukong, I know you are powerful. You are strong.
But
you have done so many wrong things. someday Buddha will punish you."
Su Wukong: "What are you going to do to me?"
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Temple Master: "You restore my tree,
otherwise I
won't set you free." Su Wukong: "You are so selfish. You want me to
restore
the tree. that's easy." Temple Master: "If you can restore my fruit
tree,
I would become your brother." Su Wukong: "Yes, Okay but let my master go. I will go to every corner of the world to find the formula to restore your tree. Are you serious?" |
Temple Master: " Yes ! Unties them!"
Xuanzang: "How long will it take you to return?"
Su Wukong: "I need only 3 days."
Zhu Bajie: "No! Don't let him go!"
Xuanzang: "Why?"
Zhu Bajie: "If he leaves, we won't be allowed to
leave. We'll be hostage!"
Su Wukong: "Stop! Don't talk nonsense. You pig
should
be careful. You shouldn't play these dirty tricks."
Xuanzang: "You go for 3 days. If you don't return
in 3 days I will say the curse."
| Su Wukong "Yes, Master. I'm off." He goes to white Cloud Mountain cave. Su Wukong: "Are you the majesties of this
cave? I'm
Su Wukong" Lao Bo: "Why are you here?" Su Wukong: "I've come to visit you." Lao Bo: "You should be going to the West to
get the
sutras. Why are you taking time to come here and visit us?" |
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Su Wukong: "We did start on our journey to the west but we got into trouble at Wu Zhuang Gwan temple."
Master of the Law: "Oh! I know you stole the ginseng
fruit."
Su Wukong: "You are right but I also destroyed the
fruit tree. I'm here to get your help to restore the tree."
Lao Bo: "this ginseng fruit is from the root of
Buddha's
fairy tree. How can we restore it?"
Master of the Law: "don't worry. If we don't have
that formula maybe someone else can help you."
Su Wukong: "I would rather go to every corner of
the earth but I have only 3 days. If I don't return in that time, my
master
will pronounce the course on me."
Lao Bo: "You go look for the formula. We'll go the
temple and tell your master not to say the words."
At the second temple:
King: "I have only 1 golden ball here. It can cure
people but not restore trees."
At the third temple:
Guanyin: "You, monkey, The ginseng tree is something
useful in heaven and earth. The master of the temple there is someone
important,
even I respect him. How dare you!"
Su Wukong: "The master is good but his servants cursed us and made me angry so I did this foolish thing. For my mistake, to make up for it, I've come to you for help. If I can get a formula from you to restore the tree, then we can resume our journey right away."
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Guanyin: "Since you know you are wrong, you
should
restore the tree. I have a bottle with fairy water in it. go with me to
the temple and we'll save the tree." Su Wukong: "Thank you." Back at the temple: Guanyin: "Hold out your hands." Servant #1: "23, 24, 25, why only 25?"
|
Su Wukong: "Why we have 1 extra! I got only 3. You say I got 4. You must tell the truth. You ate two.
Zhu Bajie: "I'm sorry I said something bad about you. I apologize. I'm just passing wind."
Temple Master: "Everyone come to my temple for a
rest and we'll have s ginseng fruit party to thank everyone for this
help.
Please."
Zhu Bajie: "Oh! You've not forgotten me! Now I can
get the taste of the ginseng root."
Guanyin: "O mi to fu. this a good chance for
everyone
to meet here. Congratulations to the Master and Monkey. They will be
brothers."
Su Wukong: "Thank you Guanyin."
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