With the combination of his mischievous nature and great powers, he created chaos both in heaven and the underworld. The Monkey King was born out of a rock, and learned supernormal powers from a Taoist master. Journey to the West is known for its colorful characters, especially the Monkey King and Pigsy. Yet, in the end, the pious pilgrims triumph, they return to China with sacred scriptures, and return to their rightful places in the heavens. Some try to tempt the band with wealth or beauty. Through force or deception, a motley of demons and evil spirits come after the monk.
#Journey to the west trial
Out of mercy, Guanyin gives them one more chance to return to their celestial home: They can convert to Buddhism and protect the monk Tang on his pilgrimage.Īnd indeed, on the journey they encounter one trial after another-a total of 81, to be precise. All had been banished to the human world for sins in the heavens. And so the goddess Guanyin arranges for an eclectic group to become his disciples and protect him: the valiant but impetuous Monkey King (also known as Sun Wukong), the lustful Pigsy, the taciturn Sand Monk, and the White Dragon Horse.
Weak and timid, he is no match for the evil creatures seeking to kill and eat him (his flesh, after all, is said to impart immortality). After being inspired by a vision from the Bodhisattva Guanyin, the monk accepts the mission and sets off on the sacred quest.īut Tang Monk is ill-equipped for such perilous travel on his own. The emperor wishes this monk can travel west and bring holy Mahayana Buddhist scriptures back to China. In his tenth lifetime, now during the Tang Dynasty, he reincarnates as a monk named Xuan Zang (also known as Tang Monk and Tripitaka). He was sent to the human world and forced to spend ten lifetimes practicing religious self-cultivation in order to atone for his sins. It tells the story of one of Buddha Sakyamuni’s disciples who was banished from the heavenly paradise for the crime of slighting the Buddha Law. The novel takes place in the seventh century. Written by the Ming Dynasty novelist Wu Cheng’en during the 16 th century, this beloved adventure tale combines action, humor, and spiritual lessons. Journey to the West is one of the four classics of Chinese literature.
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