Out of the three disciples of the monk Sanzang, it is Sha Wujing who is sadly the weakest out of the three and does the least in contribution when travelling with Sanzang. Wujing knows eighteen transformations and his weapon, gotten in Heaven, is the yueyachan. This weapon of Wujing’s itself is a double headed staff with a crescent moon blade at one end while a spade on the other.
In English translations of Journey to the West, Sha Wujing is known be called Sand, Sandy and Friar Sand.
Sha Wujing was originally the Curtain-Lifting General of Heaven and in Journey to the West it is said he accidentally broke a vase of the Jade Emperor although it is also said by some that the vase was broken in a fit of rage. By rage or by accident, Wujing was punished with eight hundred strikes of a rod and sent down to earth.
Wujing when he went down to earth was reincarnated as a sand demon that ate men. On earth, Sha Wujing lived in a place known as “Flowing Sand River” or “Quicksand River” (with the river currently known as Kaldu River). Wujing sadly had a punishment of getting seven flying swords sent from Heaven stabbing him in the chest on a daily basis, Wujing retreated into the river to avoid this punishment and living within the river.
While living at the river, a group of nine monks actually was on a pilgrimage to fetch scriptures who were passing the river Wujing lived in. Wujing ate these monks, throwing their bones into the river, the heads of the monks however floated to the delight of Wujing. It was these skulls that Wujing strung on a rope and played with when bored.
Eventually, the bodhisattva Guanyin was searching for people to guide the monk Sanzang west to find scriptures and found Wujing. Guanyin converted Wujing to Buddhism and gave him the name Sha Wujing, meaning “Sand Awakened to Purity”. Told to wait for a monk, Wujing did so and when Sanzang did come along Wujing was mistaken for an enemy by Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie. Guanyin intervened, clearing up everything and Wujing became the third disciple of Sanzang.
In the becoming a disciple of Sanzang, Wujing was put in the robe of a Buddhist pilgrim’s and his skull necklace turned into a necklace of a monk. During his travels with Sanzang and his fellow disciples his ability to fight in water was useful despite being the weakest of the three.
At the end of the journey Wujing became an arhat known as the Golden Bodied Arhat.
Showing posts with label Journey to the West. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Journey to the West. Show all posts
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Zhu Bajie
Zhu Bajie is half man and half pig, whom is also well known as Pigsy or simply Pig in the English translations of Journey to the West. It is Bajie himself who is lazy, gluttonous and a lusty fellow whom over the course of Journey to the West has caused himself, his fellow disciples and master trouble.
Before becoming a disciple to the monk Sanzang, Bajie was much like the way he was as he is seen in Journey to the West except for being completely human rather then part human and part pig. Due to his greed, laziness and lust Bajie was warned by an immortal to change his way of life so he wouldn’t have to suffer after death. Asking to train him the immortal agreed and Bajie eventually ascended to Heaven.
In Heaven, the Jade Emperor gave Bajie a nine toothed rake which many gods had a part of creating it and is quite the powerful weapon.
Bajie was known as Marshal Tian Peng, the Marshal of the Heavenly Canopy and Marshal of the Heavenly Tumbleweed, and because of this is referred as Marshal Tian Peng or Heavenly Tumbleweed by heavenly beings many years after actually being banished from Heaven later on.
Bajie’s title as marshal was so as he was the commander of 80,000 heavenly warriors.
Bajie’s banishment from Heaven was from his own stupidity, as at a party in Heaven he got drunk and when he saw the moon goddess Chang E adored her beauty and tried making advances on Chang E to which she rejected. Chang E reported this to the Jade Emperor and was banished to Heaven. Bajie was to be reborn as a human, yet was unlucky as there was a mishap and he was born as the part man, part pig creature Bajie became well known as.
The only thing Bajie had left after his banishment from Heaven was his nine toothed rake that was given by the Jade Emperor.
As a pig-man creature Bajie was a man-eater until the bodhisattva Guanyin came along and converted him to Buddhism, giving Bajie the Buddhist name of Zhu Wuneng which means ‘Pig Aware of Ability’. Guanyin told Bajie to wait for a monk which he faithfully did.
Bajie notably had the power of thirty-six transformations and the ability to ride clouds, using his ability to transform to become a handsome man and do hard work for a family in a place called Gao Village. While at the village Bajie helped much on a farm but eventually kidnapped the daughter of the village elder with a note being left behind demanding marriage.
The monk Sanzang and his first disciple Sun Wukong eventually got to Gao Village and learnt of this abduction by Bajie. Sun Wukong and Bajie eventually fight, with Bajie revealing that he is waiting for Sanzang. After this Bajie went to see the monk he had waited so long for and got given the name Bajie, roughly meaning “eight restraints” or “eight commandments”.
Bajie stayed loyal to Sanzang and helped the monk get the scriptures he was after. Although he did help, especially so when going underwater was needed (seeing as his fellow disciple Sun Wukong was more powerful but couldn’t fight underwater unlike Bajie), he was only awarded a job after fetching the scriptures. This job is however a suiting job for Bajie due to his greed, eating all the leftovers he could along with having the title of “Cleanser of the Alters”.
Before becoming a disciple to the monk Sanzang, Bajie was much like the way he was as he is seen in Journey to the West except for being completely human rather then part human and part pig. Due to his greed, laziness and lust Bajie was warned by an immortal to change his way of life so he wouldn’t have to suffer after death. Asking to train him the immortal agreed and Bajie eventually ascended to Heaven.
In Heaven, the Jade Emperor gave Bajie a nine toothed rake which many gods had a part of creating it and is quite the powerful weapon.
Bajie was known as Marshal Tian Peng, the Marshal of the Heavenly Canopy and Marshal of the Heavenly Tumbleweed, and because of this is referred as Marshal Tian Peng or Heavenly Tumbleweed by heavenly beings many years after actually being banished from Heaven later on.
Bajie’s title as marshal was so as he was the commander of 80,000 heavenly warriors.
Bajie’s banishment from Heaven was from his own stupidity, as at a party in Heaven he got drunk and when he saw the moon goddess Chang E adored her beauty and tried making advances on Chang E to which she rejected. Chang E reported this to the Jade Emperor and was banished to Heaven. Bajie was to be reborn as a human, yet was unlucky as there was a mishap and he was born as the part man, part pig creature Bajie became well known as.
The only thing Bajie had left after his banishment from Heaven was his nine toothed rake that was given by the Jade Emperor.
As a pig-man creature Bajie was a man-eater until the bodhisattva Guanyin came along and converted him to Buddhism, giving Bajie the Buddhist name of Zhu Wuneng which means ‘Pig Aware of Ability’. Guanyin told Bajie to wait for a monk which he faithfully did.
Bajie notably had the power of thirty-six transformations and the ability to ride clouds, using his ability to transform to become a handsome man and do hard work for a family in a place called Gao Village. While at the village Bajie helped much on a farm but eventually kidnapped the daughter of the village elder with a note being left behind demanding marriage.
The monk Sanzang and his first disciple Sun Wukong eventually got to Gao Village and learnt of this abduction by Bajie. Sun Wukong and Bajie eventually fight, with Bajie revealing that he is waiting for Sanzang. After this Bajie went to see the monk he had waited so long for and got given the name Bajie, roughly meaning “eight restraints” or “eight commandments”.
Bajie stayed loyal to Sanzang and helped the monk get the scriptures he was after. Although he did help, especially so when going underwater was needed (seeing as his fellow disciple Sun Wukong was more powerful but couldn’t fight underwater unlike Bajie), he was only awarded a job after fetching the scriptures. This job is however a suiting job for Bajie due to his greed, eating all the leftovers he could along with having the title of “Cleanser of the Alters”.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Gods And Goddesses: Guanyin
Bodhisattva Guanyin, also known as Guanshiyin (meaning Observing the Cries of the World), Kwannon and in male form Avalokitesvara. Known for transforming into many forms when needed and as the bodhisattva of compassion along with commonly being known as a goddess of compassion and mercy. Guanyin is also has the title of ‘Guanyin of the Southern Ocean’ which stemmed from fishermen praying to Guanyin for safe voyages.
Guanyin is often depicted wearing a white robe with a willow branch and vase in her hands and a crown on her head. She is also often depicted with young child’s and in Chinese art Guanyin is often depicted alone, standing atop a dragon, or with a white cockatoo.
Guanyin is also shown with multiple heads and arms, which shows her reaching out to help others. It is said that Amitabha Buddha gave Guanyin eleven heads to hear the cries of those in need and a thousand arms to help all.
Guanyin herself is well known thanks to her compassion and mercy. Regarded as a protector of women and children, thus seen as a fertility goddess. Guanyin is also seen as a protector of fishermen, sailors and anyone else who goes out to sea. She is also seen as a rice goddess as during what is referred as the ‘Great Flood’, she sent down a dog holding rice in its tail after the flood.
Guanyin’s birthday is the 19th day of the 2nd Lunar month, the 19th day of the 6th Lunar month is Guanyin’s Enlightenment Day and the 19th day of the 9th Lunar month s the Renunciation Day of Guanyin.
Guanyin is also known to have been a princess by the name of Miao Shan who had a cruel father that wanted her to marry a wealthy yet uncaring man. Guanyin said that she would marry the man if the marriage stopped three misfortunes, suffering people endure as they age, suffering people endure when ill and the third being the suffering caused by death and if the marriage couldn’t ease any of this Guanyin rather would devote her life to religion.
Her father wasn’t happy and everyday Guanyin begged to be able to become a nun, which was eventually allowed. However, the father ordered the monks to give Guanyin the hardest chores and so the hardest chores were given. Guanyin eventually got help from animals around the temple she was in, and her father tried to burn down the temple for this. Guanyin put the fire out with her bare hands without suffering any burns.
Guanyin’s father was fearful due to how his very daughter stopped the fire herself, so he got Guanyin executed. When executed a tiger took Guanyin to hell where Guanyin played music and flowers blossomed around her, turning hell into a paradise. Seeing as Guanyin was highly kind and helped others often in life as Miao Shan, she was given a new life and given the name Guanyin.
Guanyin also took up a disciple by the name of Sudhana, a disabled boy who became interested in studying Dharma. Upon finding Guanyin, Sudhana asked the bodhisattva to teach him, so Guanyin tested the boy by creating an illusion of several bandits chasing Guanyin over a cliff. As Guanyin and the bandits fell down the cliff, Sudhana slowly followed to help Guanyin where he almost fell down the cliff. Guanyin had stopped the boy and then asked Sudhana to walk, in which Sudhana found himself no longer disabled and from then on Guanyin taught Sudhana.
Years after Sudhana had become the disciple of Guanyin a son of a Dragon King was caught by a fisherman while in the form of a fish and was unable to transform back into his dragon form due to being stuck on land. The Dragon King was distressed and Guanyin gave Sudhana money to go get the fish that really was a dragon. Due to the dragon still being alive hours after being caught it got plenty of attention and eventually people started bidding on it.
Sudhana begged the fish seller to spare the fish and the crowd was angry due to this. Guanyin loudly said that a life should belong to those who try to save it instead of taking it, which got rid of the people and made it possible for Sudhana to get the fish. Thus saving the life of the dragon. The Dragon King sent his granddaughter Lung Nu to give Guanyin the Pearl of Life. Lung Nu asked Guanyin to allow her to become Guanyin’s disciple which was accepted under the request that Lung Nu kept the Pearl of Light.
A parrot, specifically a white cockatoo, eventually became the disciple of Guanyin after it ventured out to find food for its mother and was captured by a poacher. The white cockatoo escapes but finds its mother has died and then goes to become a disciple of Guanyin.
There is even a well known story that in Bugis, Singapore during one of the World Wars Japanese fighter planes dropped bombs in the area and that all was destroyed in the area except for the temple dedicated to Guanyin, which was left strangely untouched, and it is said it is because of this that this very temple is popular. It is even rumoured that Japanese pilots in flight at that time could see a bright circle surrounding the temple. It is said that Guanyin protected the very temple and the people who were in it at the time.
A Chinese oolong tea known as Tie Guanyin is from Anxi in the Fujian province of China. A couple legends lie as to how it came to be. One legend tells of a scholar called Wang who accidentally discovered the tea plant beneath the Guanyin rock in Xiping and took it home to cultivate. Visiting Emperor Qianlong, Wang offered this tea as a gift, with the very emperor being so impressed by the tea asked of its origin. Emperor Qianlong, after learning of the teas origin, named it after Guanyin.
The other legend of the origin of Tie Guanyin is that there was a rundown temple with a statue of Guanyin within it. A poor farmer known as Mr. Wei would pass the temple and noted its worsening condition. With no means to repair the temple Mr. Wei would bring a broom and incense from home twice a month, sweeping the temple clean and offering Guanyin incense.
It was one night that Guanyin appeared in a dream and told Mr. Wei of a cave behind the temple with a treasure within it, giving the message to take the treasure and to share it with others. Going to this cave, Mr. Wei found a shoot of a tea plant which he grew and gave cuttings of to his neighbours. Tie Guanyin was the name given to this tea and over time Mr. Wei along with his neighbours prospered, which allowed the very temple Mr. Wei visited twice a month to be repaired.
Guanyin appears in Journey to the West where she is instructed by Gautama Buddha to search Tang China for a person to take Buddhist sutras from India back to China. It was Guanyin who found the monk Sanzang and got him to go to India for the sutras, along with getting Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing and the dragon, Yulong Santaizi, to become disciples of Sanzang. Guanyin appears throughout Journey to the West, helping whenever her very help is needed.
Guanyin is often depicted wearing a white robe with a willow branch and vase in her hands and a crown on her head. She is also often depicted with young child’s and in Chinese art Guanyin is often depicted alone, standing atop a dragon, or with a white cockatoo.
Guanyin is also shown with multiple heads and arms, which shows her reaching out to help others. It is said that Amitabha Buddha gave Guanyin eleven heads to hear the cries of those in need and a thousand arms to help all.
Guanyin herself is well known thanks to her compassion and mercy. Regarded as a protector of women and children, thus seen as a fertility goddess. Guanyin is also seen as a protector of fishermen, sailors and anyone else who goes out to sea. She is also seen as a rice goddess as during what is referred as the ‘Great Flood’, she sent down a dog holding rice in its tail after the flood.
Guanyin’s birthday is the 19th day of the 2nd Lunar month, the 19th day of the 6th Lunar month is Guanyin’s Enlightenment Day and the 19th day of the 9th Lunar month s the Renunciation Day of Guanyin.
Guanyin is also known to have been a princess by the name of Miao Shan who had a cruel father that wanted her to marry a wealthy yet uncaring man. Guanyin said that she would marry the man if the marriage stopped three misfortunes, suffering people endure as they age, suffering people endure when ill and the third being the suffering caused by death and if the marriage couldn’t ease any of this Guanyin rather would devote her life to religion.
Her father wasn’t happy and everyday Guanyin begged to be able to become a nun, which was eventually allowed. However, the father ordered the monks to give Guanyin the hardest chores and so the hardest chores were given. Guanyin eventually got help from animals around the temple she was in, and her father tried to burn down the temple for this. Guanyin put the fire out with her bare hands without suffering any burns.
Guanyin’s father was fearful due to how his very daughter stopped the fire herself, so he got Guanyin executed. When executed a tiger took Guanyin to hell where Guanyin played music and flowers blossomed around her, turning hell into a paradise. Seeing as Guanyin was highly kind and helped others often in life as Miao Shan, she was given a new life and given the name Guanyin.
Guanyin also took up a disciple by the name of Sudhana, a disabled boy who became interested in studying Dharma. Upon finding Guanyin, Sudhana asked the bodhisattva to teach him, so Guanyin tested the boy by creating an illusion of several bandits chasing Guanyin over a cliff. As Guanyin and the bandits fell down the cliff, Sudhana slowly followed to help Guanyin where he almost fell down the cliff. Guanyin had stopped the boy and then asked Sudhana to walk, in which Sudhana found himself no longer disabled and from then on Guanyin taught Sudhana.
Years after Sudhana had become the disciple of Guanyin a son of a Dragon King was caught by a fisherman while in the form of a fish and was unable to transform back into his dragon form due to being stuck on land. The Dragon King was distressed and Guanyin gave Sudhana money to go get the fish that really was a dragon. Due to the dragon still being alive hours after being caught it got plenty of attention and eventually people started bidding on it.
Sudhana begged the fish seller to spare the fish and the crowd was angry due to this. Guanyin loudly said that a life should belong to those who try to save it instead of taking it, which got rid of the people and made it possible for Sudhana to get the fish. Thus saving the life of the dragon. The Dragon King sent his granddaughter Lung Nu to give Guanyin the Pearl of Life. Lung Nu asked Guanyin to allow her to become Guanyin’s disciple which was accepted under the request that Lung Nu kept the Pearl of Light.
A parrot, specifically a white cockatoo, eventually became the disciple of Guanyin after it ventured out to find food for its mother and was captured by a poacher. The white cockatoo escapes but finds its mother has died and then goes to become a disciple of Guanyin.
There is even a well known story that in Bugis, Singapore during one of the World Wars Japanese fighter planes dropped bombs in the area and that all was destroyed in the area except for the temple dedicated to Guanyin, which was left strangely untouched, and it is said it is because of this that this very temple is popular. It is even rumoured that Japanese pilots in flight at that time could see a bright circle surrounding the temple. It is said that Guanyin protected the very temple and the people who were in it at the time.
A Chinese oolong tea known as Tie Guanyin is from Anxi in the Fujian province of China. A couple legends lie as to how it came to be. One legend tells of a scholar called Wang who accidentally discovered the tea plant beneath the Guanyin rock in Xiping and took it home to cultivate. Visiting Emperor Qianlong, Wang offered this tea as a gift, with the very emperor being so impressed by the tea asked of its origin. Emperor Qianlong, after learning of the teas origin, named it after Guanyin.
The other legend of the origin of Tie Guanyin is that there was a rundown temple with a statue of Guanyin within it. A poor farmer known as Mr. Wei would pass the temple and noted its worsening condition. With no means to repair the temple Mr. Wei would bring a broom and incense from home twice a month, sweeping the temple clean and offering Guanyin incense.
It was one night that Guanyin appeared in a dream and told Mr. Wei of a cave behind the temple with a treasure within it, giving the message to take the treasure and to share it with others. Going to this cave, Mr. Wei found a shoot of a tea plant which he grew and gave cuttings of to his neighbours. Tie Guanyin was the name given to this tea and over time Mr. Wei along with his neighbours prospered, which allowed the very temple Mr. Wei visited twice a month to be repaired.
Guanyin appears in Journey to the West where she is instructed by Gautama Buddha to search Tang China for a person to take Buddhist sutras from India back to China. It was Guanyin who found the monk Sanzang and got him to go to India for the sutras, along with getting Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing and the dragon, Yulong Santaizi, to become disciples of Sanzang. Guanyin appears throughout Journey to the West, helping whenever her very help is needed.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Sun Wukong
Sun Wukong goes by several names and titles which includes Monkey King, Monkey, Sun The Novice, Great Sage Equalling Heaven, and Protector of the Horses. His story starts when he was born from a stone on the Mountain of Flower and Fruit.
Sun Wukong became a king of a group of monkeys after finding a cave behind a waterfall called Water Curtain Cave where he became known as the Handsome Monkey King. Sun Wukong realized he was only mortal and feared death, so he travelled on a raft over seas, finding civilisation where he learnt to talk and walk just like a human. He eventually found an Daoist sage called Bodhi. This sage named the Handsome Monkey King Sun Wukong, ‘Monkey Aware of Emptiness’. From then on, the Handsome Monkey King went by the name of Sun Wukong.
Bodhi taught Sun Wukong magic, how to ride clouds, seventy-two transformations and the Way of Immortality. Sun Wukong, after years of training under Bodhi was expelled for showing off where he went back to the Mountain of Flower and Fruit where he found his subjects were under some trouble with a monster that Sun Wukong defeated. Back at where he ruled as a king he ruled over an army of monkeys and befriended demons.
Sun Wukong, knowing just magic wasn’t needed to defeat others wanted a weapon, which he got of the Dragon King‘s along with some armour. The Golden Banded Cudgel is he weapon which he used to defeat many demons.
Later, Sun Wukong got his hands on the Book of Life and Death. He took the name of himself but also the names of the monkeys he knew making himself and all the monkeys he knew immortal. The Dragon Kings and the god of death, Yen Lo Wang made a complaint to the ruler of heaven, the Jade Emperor. The Dragon King’s complained of rudeness and theft while Yen Lo Wang complained of the names wiped out in the Book of Birth and Death.
The Jade Emperor was advised to pardon Sun Wukong and give him a post in Heaven, which was Protector of the Horses where he was the head of the heavenly stables. When Sun Wukong found the post was low in rank he left in anger and from then on hated it when he was referred as Protector of the Horses. The Jade Emperor ordered heavenly troops to capture Sun Wukong who were defeated. Sun Wukong asked for the title of Great Sage Equalling Heaven and the Jade Emperor again pardoned him plus gave Sun Wukong the title he asked for.
He was then put in charge of the peach orchard to keep this monkey busy, but Sun Wukong couldn’t resist the peaches of immortality and ate them. When Sun Wukong wasn’t invited to the peach banquet by goddess Queen Mother of the West so he went to the banquet before anyone arrived and ate the food and wine. Drunkenly Sun Wukong went to the home of the founder of Daoism, Lord Lao Zi, and gobbled up his pills of immortality. After this, Sun Wukong went back to the Mountain of Flower and Fruit.
When the Jade Emperor found out about this, sent his army to deal with Sun Wukong. After much troubles capturing Sun Wukong he was finally caught, with whatever attempt to execute him failing. Soon Lord Lao Zi put Sun Wukong into his furnace for forty-nine days. Sun Wukong survived and his eyes smoked over the many days spent in it giving him the ability to see far and through disguise, illusion and transformation, but his eyes were highly vulnerable to smoke for this very reason.
After getting out of Lao Zi’s furnace Sun Wukong fights the heavenly soldiers all by himself. Lord Buddha was called upon and made a bet with Sun Wukong, if Sun Wukong wins he will rule over heaven but if Lord Buddha wins the bet he expects an apology. All Sun Wukong was asked to do was to jump off Lord Buddha’s hand, and Sun Wukong jumped off of it where he found himself in front of five pillars where he pissed on a pillar. When Sun Wukong saw Lord Buddha again he thought he won the bet, but Lord Buddha proved him wrong, the very piss that put all over a pillar was actually Lord Buddha’s finger.
Sun Wukong thought Lord Buddha was doing a trick on him and he was put under Five Elements Mountain where a paper talisman was placed on it, stopping Sun Wukong from escaping. Sun Wukong was under Five Elements mountain for five centuries where he was fed molten copper and iron pills.
The Bodhisattva Guanyin got Sun Wukong to become the disciple of a Buddhist monk by the name of Sansang, who was the one who released Sun Wukong from under the mountain. Sansang was given a headband (which he tricked to get put on Sun Wukong’s head) and a spell by Bodhisattva Guanyin. The spell was known as the Band-Tightening Spell, which when recited gave Sun Wukong much pain and it helped much to keep this troublesome monkey in control.
As a disciple of Sanzang, Sun Wukong found two others that promised to become Sanzang’s disciples and recruited them. They were known as Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing. A dragon ate Sanzang’s horse earlier on in Sanzang’s travel to the west for Buddhist scriptures, and this dragon was turned into a horse to serve as the horse he had eaten.
Over the long travel, Sun Wukong defeated many demons and after getting the scriptures his master, Sanzang, was after had attained Buddhahood with the title, “Buddha Victorious Against Disaster”.
Sun Wukong became a king of a group of monkeys after finding a cave behind a waterfall called Water Curtain Cave where he became known as the Handsome Monkey King. Sun Wukong realized he was only mortal and feared death, so he travelled on a raft over seas, finding civilisation where he learnt to talk and walk just like a human. He eventually found an Daoist sage called Bodhi. This sage named the Handsome Monkey King Sun Wukong, ‘Monkey Aware of Emptiness’. From then on, the Handsome Monkey King went by the name of Sun Wukong.
Bodhi taught Sun Wukong magic, how to ride clouds, seventy-two transformations and the Way of Immortality. Sun Wukong, after years of training under Bodhi was expelled for showing off where he went back to the Mountain of Flower and Fruit where he found his subjects were under some trouble with a monster that Sun Wukong defeated. Back at where he ruled as a king he ruled over an army of monkeys and befriended demons.
Sun Wukong, knowing just magic wasn’t needed to defeat others wanted a weapon, which he got of the Dragon King‘s along with some armour. The Golden Banded Cudgel is he weapon which he used to defeat many demons.
Later, Sun Wukong got his hands on the Book of Life and Death. He took the name of himself but also the names of the monkeys he knew making himself and all the monkeys he knew immortal. The Dragon Kings and the god of death, Yen Lo Wang made a complaint to the ruler of heaven, the Jade Emperor. The Dragon King’s complained of rudeness and theft while Yen Lo Wang complained of the names wiped out in the Book of Birth and Death.
The Jade Emperor was advised to pardon Sun Wukong and give him a post in Heaven, which was Protector of the Horses where he was the head of the heavenly stables. When Sun Wukong found the post was low in rank he left in anger and from then on hated it when he was referred as Protector of the Horses. The Jade Emperor ordered heavenly troops to capture Sun Wukong who were defeated. Sun Wukong asked for the title of Great Sage Equalling Heaven and the Jade Emperor again pardoned him plus gave Sun Wukong the title he asked for.
He was then put in charge of the peach orchard to keep this monkey busy, but Sun Wukong couldn’t resist the peaches of immortality and ate them. When Sun Wukong wasn’t invited to the peach banquet by goddess Queen Mother of the West so he went to the banquet before anyone arrived and ate the food and wine. Drunkenly Sun Wukong went to the home of the founder of Daoism, Lord Lao Zi, and gobbled up his pills of immortality. After this, Sun Wukong went back to the Mountain of Flower and Fruit.
When the Jade Emperor found out about this, sent his army to deal with Sun Wukong. After much troubles capturing Sun Wukong he was finally caught, with whatever attempt to execute him failing. Soon Lord Lao Zi put Sun Wukong into his furnace for forty-nine days. Sun Wukong survived and his eyes smoked over the many days spent in it giving him the ability to see far and through disguise, illusion and transformation, but his eyes were highly vulnerable to smoke for this very reason.
After getting out of Lao Zi’s furnace Sun Wukong fights the heavenly soldiers all by himself. Lord Buddha was called upon and made a bet with Sun Wukong, if Sun Wukong wins he will rule over heaven but if Lord Buddha wins the bet he expects an apology. All Sun Wukong was asked to do was to jump off Lord Buddha’s hand, and Sun Wukong jumped off of it where he found himself in front of five pillars where he pissed on a pillar. When Sun Wukong saw Lord Buddha again he thought he won the bet, but Lord Buddha proved him wrong, the very piss that put all over a pillar was actually Lord Buddha’s finger.
Sun Wukong thought Lord Buddha was doing a trick on him and he was put under Five Elements Mountain where a paper talisman was placed on it, stopping Sun Wukong from escaping. Sun Wukong was under Five Elements mountain for five centuries where he was fed molten copper and iron pills.
The Bodhisattva Guanyin got Sun Wukong to become the disciple of a Buddhist monk by the name of Sansang, who was the one who released Sun Wukong from under the mountain. Sansang was given a headband (which he tricked to get put on Sun Wukong’s head) and a spell by Bodhisattva Guanyin. The spell was known as the Band-Tightening Spell, which when recited gave Sun Wukong much pain and it helped much to keep this troublesome monkey in control.
As a disciple of Sanzang, Sun Wukong found two others that promised to become Sanzang’s disciples and recruited them. They were known as Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing. A dragon ate Sanzang’s horse earlier on in Sanzang’s travel to the west for Buddhist scriptures, and this dragon was turned into a horse to serve as the horse he had eaten.
Over the long travel, Sun Wukong defeated many demons and after getting the scriptures his master, Sanzang, was after had attained Buddhahood with the title, “Buddha Victorious Against Disaster”.
Friday, August 20, 2010
My Inspirations
As a youth I do have much to learn but like many others I do get inspired and what have inspired me throughout my life are the beliefs and mythologies of cultures.
I have been quite the fan of the game Age of Mythologies for many years and it has created much of my interest in religions across the globe. Though Age of Mythologies tells of the gods and goddesses of Egypt, Greece and of the Norse it gave limited knowledge and this is what probably gave the biggest spark with my interest in the gods and goddesses of Egypt. Though today my interest in Egypt is small I still watch shows about the beliefs of the ancient Egyptian’s and of the pharaohs when given the chance. And luckily today, I have more resources to learn about gods and goddesses of many more cultures then just of three to which I frequently use to my advantage. There are many inspiring stories to be told within mythologies such as to redeem oneself as it was with Hercules.
When I was between the ages ten to twelve I was learning Greek at school due to it being compulsory. I enjoyed it but after many years of not saying a word in Greek or having anything to keep my Greek as it was when I stopped learning the language, I remember nothing of it, but what has kept to my heart over the years from my Greek classes is of the Odyssey. To my luck I have been able to get my hands on the Odyssey itself earlier in the year thanks to needing to study it at school for one of my classes. The main man, Odysseus, I found to be a role model as soon as I originally heard the Odyssey. Odysseus himself continued on to get home to his wife and son despite the odds and the suffering he dealt with even when he got to his home land of Ithaca. It was also was his wits and quick thinking that kept Odysseus alive. This combination of a large will to do something aided with intelligence is what inspired me since childhood.
Since I am a small fan of Dragon Ball Z I do sometimes check up to see if there is anything new and one day I was wondering how the idea to create Dragon Ball Z itself came from. I did a bit of studying which lead me to Journey to the West and this is where the idea of Dragon Ball Z came from. Even the Japanese name of the monkey Journey to the West is mainly about, Son Goku, is where the name of the main character, Goku, from Dragon Ball Z is from. I eventually got myself Journey to the West to read and despite the large length of it I read from beginning to end. The monkey born from stone, Sun Wukong, is that monkey who went from a king of monkeys to a Buddha over the course of many, many years. Sun Wukong is the character who shows that even if you did great misdeeds in the past you can still atone for your previous actions and even reach Buddhahood, which I find highly inspiring.
This is what I have found inspiring within my life and many thanks to all of those have read this.
I have been quite the fan of the game Age of Mythologies for many years and it has created much of my interest in religions across the globe. Though Age of Mythologies tells of the gods and goddesses of Egypt, Greece and of the Norse it gave limited knowledge and this is what probably gave the biggest spark with my interest in the gods and goddesses of Egypt. Though today my interest in Egypt is small I still watch shows about the beliefs of the ancient Egyptian’s and of the pharaohs when given the chance. And luckily today, I have more resources to learn about gods and goddesses of many more cultures then just of three to which I frequently use to my advantage. There are many inspiring stories to be told within mythologies such as to redeem oneself as it was with Hercules.
When I was between the ages ten to twelve I was learning Greek at school due to it being compulsory. I enjoyed it but after many years of not saying a word in Greek or having anything to keep my Greek as it was when I stopped learning the language, I remember nothing of it, but what has kept to my heart over the years from my Greek classes is of the Odyssey. To my luck I have been able to get my hands on the Odyssey itself earlier in the year thanks to needing to study it at school for one of my classes. The main man, Odysseus, I found to be a role model as soon as I originally heard the Odyssey. Odysseus himself continued on to get home to his wife and son despite the odds and the suffering he dealt with even when he got to his home land of Ithaca. It was also was his wits and quick thinking that kept Odysseus alive. This combination of a large will to do something aided with intelligence is what inspired me since childhood.
Since I am a small fan of Dragon Ball Z I do sometimes check up to see if there is anything new and one day I was wondering how the idea to create Dragon Ball Z itself came from. I did a bit of studying which lead me to Journey to the West and this is where the idea of Dragon Ball Z came from. Even the Japanese name of the monkey Journey to the West is mainly about, Son Goku, is where the name of the main character, Goku, from Dragon Ball Z is from. I eventually got myself Journey to the West to read and despite the large length of it I read from beginning to end. The monkey born from stone, Sun Wukong, is that monkey who went from a king of monkeys to a Buddha over the course of many, many years. Sun Wukong is the character who shows that even if you did great misdeeds in the past you can still atone for your previous actions and even reach Buddhahood, which I find highly inspiring.
This is what I have found inspiring within my life and many thanks to all of those have read this.
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