Between Light And Shadows

Tripitaka: Monkey, how far is it to the Western Heaven, the abode of Buddha?

Wu-Kong: You can walk from the time of your youth till the time you grow old, and after that, till you become young again; and even after going through such a cycle a thousand times, you will still find it difficult to reach the place where you want to go. But when you perceive, by the resoluteness of your will, the Buddha-nature in all things, and when every one of your thoughts goes back to the fountain of your memory, that will be the time you arrive at Spirit Mountain.

- The Journey to the West, Opening Words to the novel, The Years of Rice and Salt.