Tang Seng’s advice letter to Wukong regarding postgraduate studies

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Wukong: I heard you’re going to take the postgraduate entrance exams again. You always change your mind; last time I met you at the Queen Mother of the West’s Peach Festival, didn’t you say you wouldn’t take those exams? They also said that you wouldn’t be capable of doing such a vulgar thing as taking the postgraduate entrance exam, which made the few people present who had just been admitted to graduate school feel very embarrassed. Look, you’ve changed your mind again, haven’t you? However, the teacher was very happy to hear that you want to take the postgraduate entrance exam; after all, advancing your educational level can only be beneficial for your future development, with no negative effects at all And as you can see, everyone in the western region is currently preparing for postgraduate exams; you’re able to recognize the situation, and your master is happy for you. Logically, given your contributions during the quest for the scriptures, you should have been eligible for a spot through preferential admission. It’s just that you never managed to get along well with those in authority. At that time, there were two such spots available for our quest team, and I thought they should be given to you and Bajie, based on the extent of your contributions. After it was reported, the higher authorities had very strong criticisms of you, especially the Dragon King of the East Sea, who was most critical, saying that you borrowed his Anchor of Stability from him all those years ago and still haven’t returned it. Just on this point alone, I have no say in it. You say it’s been 300 years since the quest was completed – what’s the use of still carrying that staff? Even if you can renew the loan, you still need to give a notice first. If you don’t let them know, how will they know you want to use it? If you give them a notice, they surely won’t refuse to renew it for you... Return what you borrow, and it won’t be hard to borrow again. Well, I’ve gone off track again. Or maybe it’s regarding your admission to the graduate program – the Dragon King made some arrangements, and in the end, the spot was given to the Little White Dragon. It’s a bit disappointing that you didn’t get admitted, but at least it went to someone from our group. Besides, the White Dragon Horse worked hard without receiving any recognition, so it’s only fair to give it the opportunity. As for Bajie, he has good connections at higher levels, so his application is approved with little discussion, and the interview process is also quite relaxed. Moreover, Bajie’s mentor is also excellent – it is Manjushri Bodhisattva. These days, education is valued highly in the world as well; therefore, the worship of Manjushri Bodhisattva is very popular, which naturally leads to more funds available. This year, the largest number of people applied to join her community. You’re great at everything, but you always struggle with relationships between deities; in that regard, Bajie is better than you. You see, they were both trained by the same master; Bajie has now graduated with a master’s degree and is able to train graduate students himself (I heard that admissions will start this year, and it might be relatively easy to get in, so why not try to apply to Bajie’s program?). And you’re only planning to take the exam now, sigh! Let me also tell you about my recent research work; that’s actually the main reason I’m writing to you. I really hope you’ll apply to study here with me. I need students like you right now – the few who have been admitted so far lack practical skills and are not obedient; they just keep asking me for payment at the end of each month. I also just applied for a PhD program; I’ll be able to supervise doctoral students starting next year. If you apply to my program, I’ll give you a spot in the direct PhD track, so you won’t have to take the PhD entrance exams again. My main area of research lately has been whether the Buddhist world should follow the trends in worship within the human **market**. You haven’t been to the Western Realm for a long time; you don’t know that my project is still very active – Tathagata attaches great importance to it. At the last meeting, Tathagata even asked me about the progress of my project. Didn’t I just tell you that people these days place great importance on education? Look, the value of Manjushri has increased as a result. When economy is valued, the God of Wealth in Taoism becomes very popular. So now, the Buddhist community has also begun to pay attention to this issue, giving rise to a conflict between a \"conservative\" faction led by Guanyin and a \"reformist\" faction led by the 108 Arhats. Conservatives believe that the Buddhist community should focus on spiritual practice and meditation, rather than blindly following the popular forms of worship in the secular world. It should guide people toward compassion and goodness, instead of simply catering to the preferences of the general public. The \"reformists\", on the other hand, believe that the Buddhist community should also follow market principles; if people stop believing in Buddhism, where will we get the offerings and incense from? So the Tathagata allocated some funds for me to establish a research team to investigate this issue. Personally, I quite agree with the \"reformists\" (and from the tone of your words, it seems you lean towards them as well); times have changed, and the Buddhist community must also keep up with the times. Some research results have also been achieved recently, and I believe new four great Bodhisattvas should be established – the “Jito Bodhisattva” (in charge of GRE and TOLLF exams), the “Hengtong Bodhisattva” (responsible for good fortune), the “Jicai Bodhisattva” (equivalent to the God of Wealth), and the “Gaoyou Bodhisattva” (in charge of employment). I’ve gone off-topic again. Alright, Wukong, I won’t say any more nonsense. I still hope you’ll apply to work here. You’re smart and willing to put in effort, and I need to spend a lot of time in the human world for my work; I think you’d be an excellent fit. If you’re willing, come to see me in a few days and I’ll outline the key points for you. I’m the one who sets the questions for the professional courses. As for the general courses, I know those few people who create the exam questions very well. I can ask them about the \"key points\"; that way you won’t have to enroll in any \"intensive training classes\", since it’s still those same people who teach there anyway Well, I won’t say any more nonsense; think it over carefully. Wish you success in your postgraduate entrance exams! Best wishes to you! YOUR mentor