That is the story of the Ginseng Thief – one of the most impressive episodes in Journey to the West because it was all brought on by Sun Wukong alone.
After receiving the test of the Four Saints, Tang Tang and his disciples continued their journey to request Sutras. After walking for a while, they saw a tall mountain blocking the way.
Van Tho Mountain, on the mountain there is Ngu Trang Taoist temple, is the residence of the great immortal Tran Nguyen.
`This tree takes three thousand years to bloom, three thousand years to bear fruit, and another three thousand years to ripen. It takes ten thousand (10,000) years to be eaten. And in those ten thousand years it can only bear thirty.
It is said: `Whoever is lucky enough to smell that fruit once will live 360 years; if he eats one fruit, he will live forever for forty-seven thousand (47,000) years.`
When the four teachers and students entered Ngu Trang Quan, Tran Nguyen Tu’s two young men obeyed the instructions and brought two ginseng fruits to invite Tang Tang.
The two boys had no choice but to return to the room and share one fruit each.
Bat Gioi then encouraged Wukong to steal ginseng to reveal its smell and taste.
Wukong traveled all over the three islands and ten continents, and in the end, he had to ask Guan Yin Bodhisattva to help save the life of the ginseng tree to resolve the anger of the great immortal Tran Nguyen.
The 3 brothers Sun Wukong, Bat Gioi, Sa Tang and the pitiful `falling of character`.
The meaning of this story does not lie in the big details but in many small details.
There is also a very expensive detail, which is Cam Lo water in Bodhisattva’s Pure Water vase.
While eating ginseng, Bat Gioi and Sun Wukong’s mindset when eating is very different.
Most importantly, the reason why this is said to be a milestone stage in the spiritual practice of the three disciples is that despite pitifully losing their mentality, all three repented and made atonement for their sins.
