Journey to the West: Beginning with the Apprenticeship of Bodhi Patriarch

King Wen pulled his chariot for eight hundred steps, laying the foundation for eight hundred years of Zhou rule.

During the Western Zhou dynasty, Jiang Yuan had a great dream. When he woke, it felt as if lifetimes had passed. He realized that the flowers were no longer flowers, the mist was no longer mist, and he himself was no longer who he once was.

At the age of four, Jiang Yuan resolved to seek the Way, to pursue immortality. Seeing his parents still alive, he buried this intention deep in his heart, telling himself he would serve them for a lifetime before setting out to find the immortals.

At sixteen, after his parents passed away, he decisively dismissed the servants and burned down his old home, embarking on his journey to find the Dao.

At nineteen, he found a Taoist practitioner but, despite his persistence, could not become his disciple.

At twenty-nine, he finally succeeded and was accepted as a student.

“Master, may I ask—what is your Dharma name?”

“Bodhi.”

So this was Journey to the West!

My master was none other than Patriarch Bodhi!