Saturday 9 April 2016

references

References 

1. Anthony C.Yu, translated and edited, The Journey to the West Volume I (Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1977). 

2. In the introduction to Waley's 1942 abridgement, Monkey, Hu Shih (1942). Introduction Monkey (New York : Grove Press). 

3. "The Complete Monkey," New York Times, March 6, 1983. 

4. Jenner, W.J.F. (1984). "Translator's Afterword." in trans. W.J.F. Jenner, Journey to the the West, volume 4, Seventh Edition. 

5. Anthony C.Yu, translated and edited, The Journey to the West Volume I (Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1977).

6. Shi Changyu (1999), "Introduction." in trans. W.J.F. Jenner, Journey to the West, volume 1. Seventh Edition. Beijing : Foreign Languages Press.

7. Here, 72 is not an assigned limit to Sun Wukong's power, but a number often used to denote infinity. 

8. Paramita is the only son to make an apperance and to be called by name in the novel. These sons did not originally appear in Journey to the West. 

9. Dong. The Tower of Myriad Mirrors. 

10. Wu Cheng-en, Monkey, trans, Arthur Waley, [1943] (New York : Grove Press, 1984), preface. 

Review of topic (Moral Values)

Moral Values 

1. Journey to the West <br/> Discover and learn the Great Lessons from the Monkey King <br/>

2. The monkey, the pig, the Sha monk and the horse are all gods in Heaven in the past but they commit certain mistakes. If they could successfully get the sutras, they can return back to Heaven and become gods again. <br/>

3. Journey to the west was written by Wu Chen-en, and is considered to be one of the four great classic novels written during the Ming Dynasty (c. 1500 - 1582). The story is a pseudo-historical account of a monk (Xuanzang) who went to India in the 7th century to seek Buddhist scriptures to bring back to China. The principle story consists of eighty-one calamities suffered by (Monkey) and his guardians (Tripitaka and Sandy, who are monks, and Pigsy, a pig). <br/>

4. Lesson #1 : The mission is possible <br/> Monkey, the monk, Pigsy, and Sandy work their way to the Western Paradise and the Buddhist sutras. Tall mountains, deep rushing rivers, and evil demons lie ahead. They know this is an important mission. After travelling for 14 years and 108,000 miles, Monkey and his friends reach the Western Paradise. Buddha gives them the sacred sutras to take back to China. Never give up if you know your mission is possible! <br/>

5. Lesson #2 : We have to be master of mind - Sun Wukong <br/> Monkey - symbolizes "mind", wit, intellect, courage, perseverance, strength. Monkey's spirit / mind must be brought under control. One mehod of this control was the "tight fillet spell" put on him by the Buddha - where a band around his forehead tightens when he doesn't control his mind. Zen proverb said, "Be master of mind rather than mastered by mind"

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Books 

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characters in the story of Journey to the West

Tripitaka or Xuanzang 


 The monk Xuanzang (also referred to in the story as Tang Sanzang, meaning "Tang Tripitaka Master", with Tang referring to the Tang Dynasty and Sanzang referring to the Tripitaka, the main categories of texts in the Buddhist canon which is also used as an honorific for some Buddhist monks) is a Buddhist monk who had renounced his family to become a monk from childhood. He is just called Tripitaka in many English versions of the story. He set off for Dahila kingdom (天竺国, an appellation for India in ancient China) to retrieve original Buddhist scriptures for China. Although he is helpless in defending himself, the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanyin) helps by finding him powerful disciples who aid and protect him on his journey. In return, the disciples will receive enlightenment and forgiveness for their sins once the journey is done. Along the way, they help the local inhabitants by defeating various monsters and demons who try to obtain immortality by eating Xuanzang's flesh.


Monkey King or Sun Wukong 

          Sun Wukong is the name given to this character by his teacher, Subhuti, the latter part of which means "Awakened to Emptiness" (in the Waley translation, Aware-of-Vacuity); he is called Monkey King. He is born on Flower Fruit Mountain from a stone egg that forms from an ancient rock created by the coupling of Heaven and Earth. He first distinguishes himself by bravely entering the Water Curtain Cave on the mountain; for this feat, his monkey tribe gives him the title of "Handsome Monkey King". After angering several gods and coming to the attention of the Jade Emperor, he is given a minor position in heaven as the Keeper of Horses (白马温)so they can keep an eye on him. This job is a very low position, and when he realises that he was given a low position and not considered a full-fledged god, he becomes very angry. Upon returning to his mountain, he puts up a flag and declares himself the "Great Sage Equal to Heaven." Then the Jade Emperor dispatches celestial soldiers to arrest Sun Wukong, but no one succeeds. The Jade Emperor has no choice but to appoint him to be the guardian of the heavenly peach garden. The peaches in the garden bear fruit every 3,000 years, and eating its flesh will bestow immortality, so Sun Wukong eats one and becomes more powerful and near-matchless. Later, after fairies who come to collect peaches for the heavenly peach banquet inform Sun Wukong he is not invited and make fun of him, he starts causing trouble in Heaven and defeats an army of 100,000 celestial troops, led by the Four Heavenly Kings, Erlang Shen, and Nezha. Eventually, the Jade Emperor appeals to the Buddha, who detains Wukong under a mountain called Five Elements Mountain. Sun Wukong is kept under the mountain for 500 years, and cannot escape because of a spell that was put on the mountain. He is later set free when Xuanzang comes upon him during his pilgrimage and accepts him as a disciple. 

          His primary weapon is his staff, the "Ruyi Jingu Bang", which he can shrink down to the size of a needle and keep in his ear, as well as expand it to gigantic proportions. The rod, which weighs 17,550 pounds, was originally a pillar supporting the undersea palace of the Dragon King of the East Sea, but he was able to pull it out of its support and can swing it with ease. The Dragon King had told Sun Wukong he could have the staff if he could lift it, but was angry when the monkey was actually able to pull it out and accused him of being a thief, hence Sun Wukong was insulted, so he demanded a suit of armour and refused to leave until he received one. The Dragon King, unwilling to see a monkey making troubles in his favourite place, also gave him a suit of golden armour. These gifts, combined with his devouring of the peaches of immortality, three jars of elixir, and his time being tempered in Laozi's Eight-Trigram Furnace (he gained a steel-hard body and fiery golden eyes that could see very far into the distance and through any disguise. He is therefore always able to recognise a demon in disguise while the rest of the pilgrimage cannot. However, his eyes become weak to smoke), makes Sun Wukong the strongest member of the pilgrimage by far. Besides these abilities, he can also pluck hairs from his body and blow on them to convert them into whatever he wishes (usually clones of himself to gain a numerical advantage in battle). Although he is a master of the 72 methods of transformation (七十二变), and can transform into a bird (giving him the ability to fly), he can use his "somersault cloud" enabling him to travel vast distance in a single leap. The monkey, nimble and quick-witted, uses these skills to defeat all but the most powerful of demons on the journey. 

          Sun's behavior is checked by a band placed around his head by Guanyin, which cannot be removed by Sun Wukong himself until the journey's end. Xuanzang can tighten this band by chanting the "Ring Tightening Mantra" (taught to him by Guanyin) whenever he needs to chastise him. The spell is referred to by Xuanzang's disciples as the "Headache Sutra", which is the Buddhist mantra "om manipadme hum". Xuanzang speaks this mantra quickly in repetition. 

          Sun Wukong's childlike playfulness is a huge contrast to his cunning mind. This, coupled with his great power, makes him a trickster hero. His antics present a lighter side in what proposes to be a long and dangerous trip into the unknown. 


Zhu Bajie 



          Zhu Bajie (literally "Pig of the Eight Prohibitons") is also known as Zhu Wuneng ("Pig Awakened to Ability"), and given the name Pigsy, Monk Pig or just simply Pig in English. 

          Once an immortal who was the Marshal of the Heavenly Canopy commanding 100,000 naval soldiers of the Milky Way, he drank too much during a celebration of gods and attempted to flirt with the moon goddess Chang'e, resulting in his banishment into the mortal world. He was supposed to be reborn as a human, but ends up in the womb of a sow due to an error at the Reincarnation Wheel, which turns him into a half-man half-pig monster. Zhu Bajie was very greedy, and could not survive without eating ravenously. Staying within the Yunzhan Dong ("cloud-pathway cave"), he was commissioned by Guanyin to accompany Xuanzang to India and given the new name Zhu Wuneng. 

          However, Zhu Bajies indulgence in women led him to the Gao Family Village, where he posed as a normal being and wedded a maiden. Later, when the villagers discovered that he was a monster, Zhu Bajie hid the girl away, and the girl wailed bitterly every night. At this point, Xuanzang and Sun Wukong arrived at the Gao Family Village and helped defeat him. Renamed Zhu Bajie by Xuanzang, he consequently joined the pilgrimage to the West. 

          His weapon of choice is the jiuchidingpa ("nine-tooth iron rake"). He is also capable of 36 transformations (as compared to Sun Wukong's 72), and can travel on clouds, but not as fast as Sun. However, Zhu is noted for his fighting skills in water, which he used to combat Sha Wujing, who later joined them on the journey. He is the second strongest member of the team. 


Sha Wujing 



          Sha Wujing (literally meaning "Sand Awakened to Purity"), given the name Friar Sand or Sandy in English, was once a celestial Curtain Lifting General, who stood in attendance by the imperial chariot in the Hall of Miraculous Mist. He was exiled to the mortal world and made to look like a monster because he accidentally smashed a crystal goblet belonging to the Queen Mother of the West during a Peach Banquet. The now-hideous immortal took up residence in the Flowing Sands River, terrorising surrounding villages and travellers trying to cross the river. However, he was subdued by Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie when Xuanzang's party came across him. They consequently took him in, as part of the pilgrimage to the West. 

          Sha's weapon is the yueyachan ("Crescent-Moon-Shovel" or "Monk's Spade"). He also known eighteen transformation methods and is highly effective in water combat. He is about as strong as Zhu Bajie, and is much stronger than Sun Wukong in water. However, Zhu can defeat Sha in a test of endurance, and Sun can almost certainly defeat him both on land and in the air. 

          Sha is known to be the most obedient, logical, and polite of the three disciples, and always takes care of his master, seldom engaging in the bickering of his fellow disciples. He has no major faults nor any extraordinary characteristics. Perhaps this is why he is sometimes seen as a minor character. He does however serve as the peacekeeper of the group mediating between Sun and Zhu and even Xuanzang and the others. He is also the person whom Xuanzang consults when faced with difficult decisions. 

          Sha eventually becomes an arhat at the end of the journey, giving him a higher level of exaltation than Zhu Bajie, who is relegated to cleaning every altar at every Buddhist temple for eternity, but lower spiritually than Sun Wukong or Xuanzang, who are granted Buddhahood. 

What the story is about the Journey to the West

        



















          Journey to the West is one of the four classics of Chinese literature. Written by the Ming Dynasty novelist novelist Wu Cheng'en during the 16th century, this beloved adventure tale combines action, humor, and spiritual lessons.



          The novel takes place in the seventh century. 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. He was sent to the human world and forced to spend ten lifetimes practicing religious self-cultivation in order to atone for his sins.

          In his tenth lifetime, now during the Tang Dynasty, he reincarnates as a monk named Xuan Zang (also known as Tang Monk and Tripitaka). The emperor wishes this monk can travel west and bring holy Mahayana Buddhist scriptures back to China. After being inspired by a vision from the Bodhisattva Guanyin, the monk accepts the mission and sets off on the sacred quest.

          But Tang Monk is ill-equipped for such perilous travel on his own. 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). 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. All had been banished to the human world for sins in the heavens. 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.

          And indeed, on the journey they encounter one trial after another - a total of 81, to be precise. Through force or deception, a motley of demons and evil spirits come after the monk. Some try to tempt the band with wealth or beauty. Yet, in the end, the pious pilgrims triumph, they return to China with sacred scriptures, and return to their rightful places in the heavens.

          Journey to the West is known for its colorful characters, especially the Monkey King and Pigsy. The Monkey King was born out of a rock, and learned supernormal powers from a Taoist master. With the combination of his mischievous nature and great powers, he created chaos both in heaven and the underworld. The heavenly Jade Emperor tried to calm him down by granting him the title of "Great Sage of Heaven," but Monkey could not control himself and caused uproar in the heavenly palace.

          Finally, the Buddha, still far more powerful, subdued the rascally Monkey and trapped him under a mountain. There he remained trapped for 500 years, until one day Tang Monk passed by the mountain. This was the moment the Monkey King had been waiting for. He vowed to devote himself to the monk's service on the journey and was finally freed.

          The Monkey King proved a critical asset to the monk. He could see right through the demons and their witchcraft, and was not tempted by beauty or riches. His wit helped the monk escape many a perilous situation. And although he proved unruly at times, for his great accomplishments he was later awarded the title of "Buddha Victorious in Strife."

          Pigsy had likewise once been a deity - a heavenly admiral, in fact. But after getting drunk and making inappropriate moves toward the beautiful Chang'e, he was sent down to the human world as a man pig. Pigsy was known for being lazy and gluttonous, and worst of all, licentious. Even after ten years of spiritual self-cultivation on his pilgrimage, Pigsy was still unwilling to let go of these desires, and so, upon completing the mission, he was only given the lowly title  of  "heavenly altar messenger."

          Indeed in this novel so rich in symbolism, the tribulations the travelers face are metaphors for the trials one must pass on a spiritual journey.

Journey to the West is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Wikipedia







Introduction of Journey to the West

         

          Journey to the West is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. In English-speaking countries, the work is widely known as Monkey, the title of Arthur Waley's popular abridged translation. 

          The novel is an extended account of the legendary pilgrimage of the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang who traveled to the "Western Regions", that is, Central Asia and India, to obtain Buddhist sacred texts (sutras) and returned after many trials and much suffering. It retains the broad outline of Xuanzang's own account, Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, but the Ming dynasty novel adds elements from folk tales and the author's invention, that is, that Gautama Buddha gave this task to the monk and provided him with three protectors who agree to help him as an atonement for their sins. These disciples are Sun Wukong, Zhu Wuneng and Sha Wujing, together with a dragon prince who acts as Xuanzang's steed, a white horse. 

          Journey to the West has strong roots in Chinese folk religion, Chinese mythology, Taoist and Buddhist philosophy, and the pantheon of Taoist immortals and Buddhist bodhisattvas are still reflective of some Chinese religious attitudes today. Enduringly popular, the tale is at once a comic adventure story, a spring of spiritual insight, and an extended allegory in which the group of pilgrims journeys towards enlightenment by the power and virtue of cooperation