| Journey To The West |
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Journey to the West () is a Chinese classical Novel that remains highly popular even to this day. Originally published anonymously in the 1590s during the Ming Dynasty , and even though no direct evidence of its authorship survives, it is traditionally ascribed to the scholar Wú Chéng'ēn . It has 100 chapters. The work is also known as '' Monkey '' from the title of a popular, abridged translation by Arthur Waley , and is considered one of the Four Classical Novels of Chinese Literature . The novel is a Fiction alized and Myth ologized version of the Buddhist monk Xuánzàng 's Pilgrimage to India in order to obtain religious texts called Sutras . The Bodhisattva Guān Yīn , on instruction from the Gautama Buddha , gives this task to the monk and three guardians or protectors in the form of disciples — namely Monkey, Pig and Friar Sand — together with a dragon prince who acts as Xuánzàng's horse mount. These four characters have agreed to help Xuán Zàng as an atonement for past sins. The pilgrims undergo 81 calamities of all sorts travelling to India and then bringing the sutras back to the Chinese capital Cháng'ān (present-day Xī'ān ). Some scholars propose that the book is a work of Satire on the effeteness of the Chinese government at the time. ''Journey to the West'' has a strong background in Chinese Folk Religion , Chinese Mythology , Religion , and value systems. In particularly, the pantheon of Taoist and Buddhist deities is still reflective of many Chinese folk religious beliefs today. Part of the novel's enduring popularity comes from the fact that it works on multiple levels: it is an adventure story, a dispenser of spiritual insight, and an extended metaphor in which the group of pilgrims journeying toward India stands for the individual journeying toward Enlightenment . It also has much poetry and wordplay. SYNOPSIS The opening chapters of the novel recount the earlier exploits of Sūn Wùkōng, a monkey born from stone who learns the art of fighting. It culminates in his rebellion against Heaven, when the Gautama Buddha manages to trap him under a mountain for five hundred years. The Bodhisattva Guān Yīn , acting on the instructions of the Buddha, goes to Táng China to appoint someone to take the sutras back to the East. Part of the story here also relates to how Xuánzàng becomes a monk and comes about being sent on this pilgrimage by the Táng Emperor Lĭ ShìMín , who had previously escaped death with the help of an underworld official. She finds three willing disciples for the monk, who agree to help Xuanzang in order to atone for their sins, as well as a dragon prince who goes in the guise of a white horse:
Throughout the journey, these four brave travelers have to fend off attacks from various monsters and spirits. Some came in search of immortality (which is obtainable by eating the flesh of the holy monk), whilst others want to hinder the pilgrimage. All three – in particular, Sūn Wùkōng – have to use all their abilities and connections to defeat formidable enemies which include the Bull Demon King, the Iron Fan Princess (both later became the monkey king's friend), and even an indistinguishable imitation of Sūn Wùkōng himself. The demons on the later parts of the journey include spider-women who spin webs from their navels, a pride of lion monsters, the white-bone demon with shape-shifting powers, and a terrible female spirit who carries Xuánzàng down into her bottomless cave to marry him. The pilgrimage takes an arduous seven years to complete, after which each traveler is commended to higher posts, with Sūn Wùkōng and Xuán Zàng achieving Buddhahood . HISTORICAL CONTEXT The classic tale of "the Journey to the West" was based on real events. The real journey to the west took place during the Tang Dynasty . The Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xī'ān , Shǎnxī Province, China, was both the starting and ending point of this epic journey. The statue of Xuánzàng can be seen near the right of this panorama. Xuánzàng reached India after he experienced innumerable trials and hardships, of course without the help of his almighty disciples in the novel. Xuánzàng then lived in India for more than a decade, studying at Nalanda University and learning classics of Buddhism and Indian culture. Later he succeeded in going back to China, bringing with him copies of many classic Buddhism texts, which contributed significantly to the promotion of Buddhism in China. Fictionalized stories of Xuánzàng's journey were in existence long before ''Journey'' was written. In these versions, dating as far back as Southern Song , a monkey character was already a primary protagonist. It is believed that these legends began forming from Xuánzàng's accounts of Hanuman , the Hindu monkey god from the ancient Ramayana epic. During the Yuan Dynasty and early Ming, elements of the Monkey legend can already be seen. MAIN CHARACTERS A popular television series portraying the various deities and characters that appear in the story ''Journey to the West'': |
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