{"id":8450,"date":"2019-10-26T08:02:39","date_gmt":"2019-10-26T08:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinesemoment.com\/chinese-reading\/gods-from-chinese-mythology-monkey-king-sun-wu-kong\/"},"modified":"2019-10-26T08:02:39","modified_gmt":"2019-10-26T08:02:39","slug":"gods-from-chinese-mythology-monkey-king-sun-wu-kong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinesemoment.com\/my\/gods-from-chinese-mythology-monkey-king-sun-wu-kong\/","title":{"rendered":"Gods from Chinese Mythology: Monkey King \u5b59\u609f\u7a7a"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u5b59\u609f\u7a7a S\u016bn Wùk\u014dng, Mo<\/em>nkey King,  Great Sage Equal Of Heaven (\u9f50\u5929\u5927\u5723 qi tian da sheng)<\/p>\n

Mo<\/em>nkey King, or known to the Chinese old and young as Xi You Ji (Journey to the West), is one of the renowned classical Chinese novels dated back some four hundred years ago, the other three being Shui Hu (The Water Margins), Hong Lou Meng (Dream of the Red Mansion), and San Guo (Romance of Three Kingdoms).<\/p>\n

Mo<\/em>nkey King is ba<\/em>sed on a true story of a famous monk, Xuan Zang of the Chinese Tang Dynasty (602-664). After a decade of trials and tribulations, he arrived on foot to what is today India, the birthplace of Buddhism. He was there for the true Buddhist holy books. When he returned, Xuan Zang translated the Sutras into Chinese, thus making a great co<\/em>ntribution to the development of Buddhism in China.<\/p>\n

Mo<\/em>nkey King is an allegorical rendition of the journey, mingled with Chinese fables, fairy tales, legends, superstitions, popular beliefs, mo<\/em>nster stories, and whatever the author could find in the Taoist, Buddhist, and Chinese popular religions. While average readers are fascinated with the prowess and wisdom of the Mo<\/em>nkey King, many reviewers agree that the protago<\/em>nist embodies what the author tried to co<\/em>nvey to his readers: a rebellious spirit against the then untouchable feudal rulers.<\/p>\n

The mo<\/em>nkey is indeed rebellious. He was, according to the story, born out of a rock, fertilized by the grace of Heaven and Earth. Being extremely intelligent, he has learned all the magic tricks and go<\/em>ngfu from an immortal Taoist master. Now he can transform himself into seventy-two different images such as a tree, a bird, a beast of prey, or an insect that can sneak into an enemy’s body to fight him or her inside out. Using clouds as a vehicle, he can travel 108,000 miles at a single somersault.<\/p>\n

He claims to be The King in defiance of the o<\/em>nly authority over the heaven, the seas, the earth and the subterranean world — Yù Huáng Dà Dì, or “The Great Emperor of Jade.” That act of high treason, coupled with complaints from the masters of the four seas and the Hell, incurs the relentless scourge of the heavenly army. In fact, the mo<\/em>nkey has fought into the ocean and seized the Dragon King’s crown treasure: a huge gold-banded iron rod used as a ballast of the waters. Able to expand or shrink at his command, the iron rod becomes the monkey’s favorite weapon in his later feats. The first test of its power came when the mo<\/em>nkey stormed into hell and threatened the Hadean king into sparing his and his followers mortal life so that they all could enjoy eternity.<\/p>\n

After many showdowns with the fearless Mo<\/em>nkey King, the heavenly army have suffered numerous humiliating defeats. The celestial mo<\/em>narch has but to give the dove faction a chance to try their appeasement strategy-to offer the mo<\/em>nkey an official title in heaven with little authority. When he has learned the truth that he is nothing but an object of ridicule, the enraged mo<\/em>nkey revolts, fighting all his way back to earth to resume his original claim as The King.   <\/p>\n

Eventually, the heavenly army, enlisting the help of all the god warriors with diverse tricks, manages to capture the barely invincible monkey. He is sentenced to capital punishment. However, all methods of execution fail. Having a bro<\/em>nze head and iron shoulders, the mo<\/em>nkey dulls many a sword inflicted upon him. As the last resort, the emperor commands that he be incinerated in the furnace wher his Taoist minister Tai Shang Lao Jun refines his pills of immortality. Instead of killing the monkey, the fire and smoke therein sharpened his eyes so that he now can see through things that others can not. He fights his way back to earth again.<\/p>\n

At his wit’s end, the celestial emperor asks Buddha for help. Buddha imprisons the mo<\/em>nkey under a great mountain known as Wu Zhi Shan (The Mount of Five Fingers). The tenacious mo<\/em>nkey survives the enormous weight and pressure. Five hundred years later, there comes to his rescue the Tang Monk, Xuan Zang, whom we mentio<\/em>ned at the beginning of the story.<\/p>\n

To make sure that the monk can make for the West to get the Sutras, Buddha has arranged for Mo<\/em>nkey King to become the monk’s escort in the capacity of his disciple. soon on their way to the west, two more disciples, also at the will of the Buddha, join their company. One is the humorous and not uncourageous pig transgressed from an inebrious celestial general for his assault against a fairy; the other a sea mo<\/em>nster who also used to be a celestial general now in exile for a misdemeanor.<\/p>\n

The party of four was further reenforced by a horse, an incarnation of a dragon’s son, start their stormy journey to the West — a journey packed with actions and adventures that brought into full play the puissance of the monks’ disciples, Mo<\/em>nkey King in particular.
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