18.2.5 Die with Eyes Open
Shamanic Monk (i.e., Aztlan, Gold Boy) was warmly received in Quicksand River. Soon, he found that although the place was remote and desolate, the social security is good, the people live in peace and happiness, all trades are well organized. He also found that young women shunned him; confused by this.
As the days went by, Shamanic Monk got acquainted with the people around him and asked them about it. A friend told him, “You are the beloved of the seventh princess Chalchiuhtlicue; people still have to avoid suspicion!”
Shamanic Monk said, "I am a monk, and I haven't had contact with her for more than a year. I have nothing to do with her!"
The friend replied, “I have heard all about it and do not understand your spiritual world. For us earthly people, you are a man and a woman during a marriage love. People say that the king banished you here as a training exercise, and that it won't be long before he sends out a transfer order and sends you back!”
Shamanic Monk discovered to his amazement that in the land of Nahuatl no places is far for king; that he had gone out of the Dragon's Pit but into the Tiger's Den, several years of planning and endeavor had been for naught.
2 Specially Beat Those Who Don't Have Eyes
One day, Shamanic Monk went to a village to inspect education. On the way, he saw a group of masked men in black beating people. He went over to ask. Those black-clad men left reluctantly. Someone whispered to him: "Those people don't steal or rob. They say everywhere: They don't beat the diligent, they don't beat the lazy, they only beat those who don't have eyes."
Shamanic Monk asked: "What kind of people don't have eyes?"
A passerby said: "I can see that you are a foreigner! I heard that a few months ago, the boyfriend of the seventh princess Chalchiuhtlicue was sent down to our place for training. The county magistrate said to the sheriffs (police, officials) that he is a big bachelor and a gentleman. If he is frightened here, or if he is taught badly by some questionable woman, my life will be difficult, and you don't have to think about it. I will send all of you to the war frontier to make achievements. Just like that, the sheriffs closed all the brothels in our area, and such a group of black-clad men came out."
3 A Little Good Impression
One day, a matchmaker between Aztlan (aka. Peccary Eight Precepts, Shamanic Monk) and Chalchiuhtlicue came to see Shamanic Monk and said, "Why don't you write to Chalchiuhtlicue as a friend and admit your fault to her. After a long time, who knows, she might be able to speak well of you and let you return to mundane life. Otherwise, your case was decided by king Turquoise Prince, it's hard to change it!"
Shamanic Monk replied angrily: "I admit fault to her! When did I offend her!"
The matchmaker replied: "Everyone in the capital knows about you and her. You smashed the Green Jade Lotus Lamp, which made her lose face! And she even spoke well of you. Otherwise, you would have gone to heaven teaching, how could you live a leisurely life here!"
Shamanic Monk asked, "Who told you to say that?"
The matchmaker said, "Some time ago, a prince from the Celestial Dragon country, who was called Unicorn King (see fig. 18.2.5-2), came to propose to Princess Chalchiuhtlicue. After seeing him, she said, ‘Not even as good as Aztlan!’ Turquoise Prince and Coatlicue were immediately angry, 'What! He's a doctor, not even as good as a dumb’! Later, the old couple thought about it and were amused. The Unicorn King is indeed talented and handsome, but she said he's not as good as you, doesn't that mean she has some feelings on you! This made the king and queen very happy. Chalchiuhtlicue has been on blind dates for hundreds of times, but she only has such a good impression of you."
Shamanic Monk replied: "She has high expectations! I can't meet her wishes! We are not a good match. If I communicate with her, our relationship will be even more unclear, I won't be able to find a wife even if I return to mundane life!"
The two discussed for a long time, and finally concluded: just drag it out like this and think of a solution after a few years when Chalchiuhtlicue gets married.
4 Popular Trade in Quicksand River Area
One night, a sheriff who had become acquainted with Shamanic Monk came to invite him to drink alcohol. Shamanic Monk replied: "Out of household life people, I don't drink. I won't cause you any trouble!"
The sheriff said: "The county magistrate has instructed that you can drink freely behind closed doors, but don't get drunk and act crazy on the street!"
During the banquet, Shamanic Monk asked: "Do you have a tradition of producing sheriffs in your area? It seems that the people here respect sheriffs very much!" The sheriff said: "We have a vast land and sparse population, and we are poor. In the past, sheriffs had no future and were not respected. After you came, the county magistrate began to pay attention to public security. Half a year ago, the governor came to inspect and said that our public security work was good, and the sheriffs were capable, so the county captain was promoted to the province. In the past two months, more than 30 sheriffs in our county have been promoted, so police have suddenly become a popular trade, and many people want to become a policeman. Blessed by you! Tomorrow I will be the head of the sheriff team in our township!"
Shamanic Monk said, "Congratulations on your promotion! How does your promotion have anything to do with me?"
The sheriff said, "This place has changed since you came! I heard that the governor will come to inspect next month, so we have to prepare quickly."
5 Die with Eyes Open
One night, a friend who had introduced Aztlan and Chalchiuhtlicue came knocking on the door, said to Shamanic Monk: "In recent years, Turquoise Prince has been ill and is always worried about the marriage of the seventh princess, Chalchiuhtlicue. A few days ago, he got angry (see Figure 18.2.5-3), pointed at her nose and said, 'You are not my daughter, Aztlan is my son! I have calculated that only he can do it, no one else can! I can't see Aztlan and Chalchiuhtlicue get married with my own eyes, I will die with eyes open (see Figure 4)!' He also secretly had someone build a small courtyard in the clan house to lock you and her in it. He would not let you out unless you two get married. Hey! Why did I want to introduce you to her in the first place! Now that I have finished what I must tell you, I’d be better hurry back to the county in case of being found out!"
Shamanic Monk was horrified and thought, "I don't get along with Chalchiuhtlicue. She looks down on me. If I marry her like this, I will become a slave." After a while, he calmed down. Suddenly, he heard the barking of dogs at the entrance of the village and decided to leave immediately. He climbed up a tree in the yard like a monkey and disappeared!
The man with the face covered and the flint in Illustration 5 indicates that the Turquoise Prince is overwatching Shamanic Monk and has people following him. Illustration 6 shows that Shamanic Monk in exile is still thinking about how to draw the trunk of the Tree of Life. The multiple staffs mean that he is thinking of multiple designs for the trunk of the Tree of Life. Did he finally design it? He realized the trunk of the Tree of Life in Hell, see Chapter 13 of this book, which talks about the 22 drawings he called the trunk of the Tree of Life. In Illustration 6, the tree that Shamanic Monk carries on his back represents the Tree of Life. When the fruit on the tree is ripe will fall into his own basket, indicating that when his schizophrenia (i.e., Hell, the mutant fruit of the Tree of Life; cf. v. 11.6.1) matures, he will fall into Hell (i.e., go crazy).
Figure 7 shows the king, Turquoise Prince, and the queen, Coatlicue, celebrating the success of the lawmaking of the Wind Catastrophe (the second medium catastrophe shown on The Sun Stone, see the introduction to this chapter). The four red dots on the top of the picture represent that they have successfully created four suns. The first three suns are on the body of the Golden Boy, Shamanic Monk, which are his Flesh Eye Through, Celestial Eye Through, and Gnostic Eye Through. The fourth sun is the Juristic Eye of the Jade Girl, Chalchiuhtlicue. But currently, the first four suns are not yet mature. When the Golden Boy and the Jade Girl get married, become Consummation Buddha (欢喜佛, two-body god), the fifth sun appears, which is Hummingbird of the Left (aka. Turquoise Prince), because only Buddha can tell the story of God.
6 Turquoise Prince (Xiuhpilli) Continues His Lawmaking
Shamanic Monk (aka. Aztlan, Peccary Eight Precepts) traveled through forests and over mountains like a monkey and went into exile, deciding that he would never again serve the king, calling himself Beautiful Monkey King. In a deep mountainous region in the north, he found a job of farming horses.
Some time later, Beautiful Monkey King (aka. Aztlan, Gold Boy) heard it said (see fig. 9), “You are the son of King Nahuatl, who was dissatisfied with the marriage arranged by your father, ran away from the marriage, and left home. Turquoise Prince was so angry about it that he became ill.” Beautiful Monkey King paid no attention to this and said to the man, “some people get his information wrong; my parents are farmers.”
One day, a friend of Beautiful Monkey King advised him (as shown in Figure 9): "I heard that you had a fight with your father, and you smashed your father's favorite green jade lotus lamp, ran away from home and came here. Your father was very worried about you and was sick, but he knew you are very stubborn, so he found this job for you in the place you like. Don't you have to write a letter to your father and admit your fault!" Afterwards, Beautiful Monkey King recalled his friend's words and realized that this was a rumor made by the old demon Turquoise Prince (as shown in Figure 8). He felt worried and thought, "When a man is about to die, his words are kind; when a bird is about to die, its chirpings are sad! The old man regretted that he had bullied me too much." After a while, he thought again: "You are a king after all, how you have the nerve to say that you found me a job as a horse groom!"
At a festive bonfire party, people drank, ate meat, danced, and talked a lot. An old company leader, Filial-Son’s-Bridge, said to Beautiful Monkey King with emotion (as shown in Figure 9): "I'm so glad you're here! I heard that it was your father, Turquoise Prince, who sent the Sun-God Warriors to teach those Yankees a lesson; those northern Worm Tongues are always desiring about eating our soil, they will come again in the future! But I would be happier if you went home. People die when they get old! How old is your father! 60, 70 years old, and still sick! After people die, it will be useless to say or do anything!"
This time, Beautiful Monkey King realized immediately that it was the old devil Turquoise Prince (as shown in Figure 8) who had spread the rumor, and asked, "Why do you think of saying this? Has someone asked you to persuade me?"
Filial-Son’s-Bridge immediately replied, "Don't get me wrong! Don't get me wrong! Turquoise Prince's people haven't contacted me! Here's what happened. A few days ago, I was chatting with the proprietress Eve Liu at the Marriage inn on the other side of the mountain. She heard about you from the Sun God warriors sent by your father. She said, 'I've lived for most of my life, and I've never seen a child as stubborn as this one; a father and son fought, and they became estranged like that!' She asked me to help find an opportunity for her husband Adam Luyan to persuade you. I said, 'Don't bother Luyan, I'm the elder in our company, I'll persuade him if I have a chance.' When I saw you today, I remembered it and said that."
Beautiful Monkey King felt wronged and uncomfortable all over. He found a place where no one was around and cried loudly, thinking: It seems that I have gone too far. After crying, he felt better and thought, "What tricks is this cunning big devil (as shown in Figure 8) playing again! I have committed treason. If I go back, maybe he will sentence me to be a slave and give me to Chalchiuhtlicue." Beautiful Monkey King was depressed, quit his job, and wandered away again.
Posted Sep 3, 2024, 6:50 AM UTC