Sanzang, also known as Tang Sanzang, Xuanzang, Tang Monk and in some English translations of Journey to the West, Tripitaka. He is the monk that vowed to the Tang Emperor to go from China to India to get Buddhist scriptures and gained three disciples along the way; Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing.
It is said that Sanzang lived from 602AD to 664AD.
Sanzang himself has the ability to easily remember scriptures after reading it once and to meditate two or three years non-stop if needed. He is a compassionate and caring man who tries to help those in need, but can be easily fooled by demons along with easily captured. If it wasn’t for his three disciples he surely would have died during his travels to fetch scriptures.
Sometimes, a bodhisattva known as Ksitigarbha is mistaken as Sanzang or the other way round due to the two being portrayed similarly with robes, a crown and a staff of a monk. Sanzang is also described often as handsome.
Sanzang also appears in the games Warriors Orochi 2 and Warriors Orochi Z but as an attractive woman rather then handsome man.
Originally this monk was Jin Chan Zi, a disciple of the Buddha and was banished to earth due to being disobedient and didn’t pay attention to Buddha’s teachings. Over the course of ten lives Sanzang was a monk until he was born to a couple known as Mr. and Mrs Chen.
Mr. and Mrs. Chen were taking Sanzang’s grandmother to a high post that was recently secured, with the grandmother falling ill on the way. Mr. Chen bought a carp for her and noticed this carp blinking, so he put it back into the sea as he thought it was a special creature. It was after this that the grandmother decided to stay at an inn, asking Mr. Chen and Mrs. Chen to go by themselves.
Upon taking a boat the couple were in trouble, the two men in charge killed Mr Chen and pushed him into the sea with one of them impersonating Mr. Chen. Mrs. Chen who also was heavily pregnant bore a son soon after, Sanzang, tying him to a board and throwing him into the nearby river seeing as she was fearful that he would be killed.
Sanzang eventually was found by the head monk of a monastery who raised him under the name of Jiang Liu. It was during this time that Mr. Chen’s spirit was revived by the Dragon King who found him. It was this Dragon King that turned out to be the carp that Mr. Chen had released and Mr. Chen’s body was preserved by a magic pearl, from then on Mr. Chen stayed with the Dragon King waiting for his family to find him.
Sanzang grew up as a monk known as Xuanzang, and it was one day that he would ask the head monk of his heritage due to being provoked by another monk. It was revealed to Sanzang a letter found with his body as a baby that explained his origins and what happened to his father. Sanzang vowed revenge and left the monastery.
Sanzang did find his mother who told him to go see Sanzang’s very grandfather, a powerful official. Sanzang’s grandfather lead troops to execute the people who caused his very family trouble. Sanzang went on to find his grandmother and found her just as he found his mother, bringing the old woman back to see Sanzang’s mother.
Upon the reunion, family went to the bank of the river that Sanzang’s father, Mr. Chen, died. Mr. Chen’s body was seen floating towards them on the river. Mr. Chen was pulled out and he started to breathe again.
Years after this, Sanzang was asked by the Emperor of Tang to hold a religious ceremony. It was during the ceremony that Sanzang was approached by Guanyin and her disciple in disguise whom gave Sanzang a monks staff and robe, telling Sanzang to find scriptures known as the Sanzang in India. Guanyin and her disciple left in their original forms and after this the Emperor became sworn brothers with Sanzang, giving him the surname of Tang and changing his name of Xuanzang to Sanzang.
Soon after the events during the religious ceremony, Sanzang left for the scriptures. During the travels he found his first disciple stuck under a mountain and freed him, this was Sun Wukong and he had a band put around his head to keep him under control.
In going to Gao Village Sanzang found his second disciple, Zhu Bajie, and his third disciple Sha Wujing was found in going to a river that needed to be passed.
Over the course of his travels, many demons have captured Sanzang. Many wanted to eat the meat of Sanzang for long life due to a rumour that the very meat of Sanzang will cause the consumer to live for a considerable amount of time. Some whom have captured Sanzang didn’t want to eat his meat, they wanted sex with him. Sanzang got away from all those who captured him thanks to the help of his disciples and eventually got the scriptures he so long he sought after, becoming a Buddha.
Showing posts with label Zhu Bajie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zhu Bajie. Show all posts
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Sha Wujing
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.
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.
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”.
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”.
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