|
|
Journal to West by: Wu Cheng-en
"Monkey King", or known to the
Chinese as "Journey to West", is one of the renowned classical Chinese
novels dated back some four hundred years ago, the other three being
"The Water Margins", "Dream of the Red Mansion" and "Romance of Three
Kingdoms".
"Monkey King" was based on a true
story of a famous Chinese monk, Xuan Zang (602-664). After years of
trials and tribulations, he travelled on foot to what is today India,
the birthplace of Buddhism, to seek for the Sutra, the Buddhist holy
book. When he returned to China ,or the Great Tang as was called that
time, he started to translate the sutras into Chinese, thus making a
great contribution to the development of Buddhism in China.
"Monkey King" is an allegorical
rendation of the journey, mingled with Chinese fables, fairy tales,
legends, supersitions, popular beliefs, monster stories as well as
whatever the author could find in the Taoist and Buddhist religions.
While average readers are facsinated
with the prowess and wisdom of the Monkey King, many critics agree
that the protagonist embodies what the author tried to convey to his
readers: a rebellious spirit against the then untouchable feudal
rulers.
Monkey King is indeed rebellious,
being in fact not an ordinary being. He was born out of a rock,
fertilized by the grace of Heaven, according to the story. Being
extremely smart and capable, he learned all the magic tricks and
gongfu from a master Taoist. Now he can transform himself into
seventy-two different images such as a tree, a bird, a beast of prey
or a bug as small as a mosquito so as to sneak into an enemy's belly
to fight him or her inside out. Using clouds as a vehicle he can
travel 180,000 miles a single somersault.
He claims to be king in defiance of
the only authority over heaven, the seas, the earth and the
subterranean world -- Yu Huang Da Di, or the "Great Emperor of Jade"
in Chinese. That act of high treason, coupled with complaints from the
masters of the four seas and the hell, invites the relentless scourge
of the Heavenly army. In fact, the monkey had fought into the seas and
grabbed the crown treasure of the neptune kingdom: a huge iron bar
that supposedly serves as a ballast of the seas and can expand or
shrink at its owner's command. That became the monkey's favorite
weapon in his later feats. With that weapon, he went down into hell
and threatened the helly king to spare his and his followers mortal
life so that they all enjoy eternity.
After many showdowns, the dove
faction of the heavenly court persuaded the emperor to offer the
monkey an official title to appease him. The monkey accepted the offer
on a trial basis. However, he learned a few days later that he was
cheated and being jeered all over the heavenly court: the position he
held was nothing but a stable keeper. Enraged he revolted, fighting
all his way back earth to resume his own claim as a king.
Eventually, the heavenly army subdued
him, only after many a battle, with the help of all the god warriors.
However, all methods of execution failed. Having a bronze head and
iron shoulders, the monkey dulled many a sword inflicted upon him. As
a last resort, the emperor commanded he be burned in the furnace where
his Taoist minister Tai Shang Lao Jun refines his pills of
immortality. Instead of killing him, the fire and smoke added to the
monkey a pair of firy golden crystal eyes that can see through what
people normally can not. He fought his way down again.
At last, the emperor asked Buddha for
help. The Buddha moved a great mountain known as the Mount of Five
Fingers to fall upon him. Still, the tenacious monkey survived the
enormous weight and pressure. Only that he could not move. Five
hundred years later, there came to his rescue the Tang Monk, Xuan Zang,
whom we mentioned at the beginning of the story.
To insure that the monk could make
for the West to get the sutras, Buddha had arranged for the Monkey
King to become his desciple and escort him, along with two other
desciples they later came across, (actually also arranged by the
Buddha). One is the humorous and not uncourageous pig transgressed
from a heavenly general for his crime of assaulting a fairy, and the
other a used-to-be sea monster. There the four started their stormy
journey west which was packed with actions and adventures that brought
into full play the puissance of the monks' disciples, the Monkey King
in particular.
dimension: Depth -0.5in.
width -3/4in.
height-1.5in.
weight: 3gm. |
|