Showing posts with label Guanyin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guanyin. Show all posts
Sunday, June 3, 2018
The Kuan Yin Chronicles by Martin Palmer And Jay Ramsey With Man-Ho Kwok
If you ever wanted a good book to tell the stories related to the bodhisattva Guanyin this is a great book to go to. The book may be rather short in length but it is comprehensive on her stories and origins, making it of interest to whomever wants to learn about this particular bodhisattva.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Gods And Goddesses: Mazu
Mazu is the goddess of the sea whose name is also spelt as Matsu and born as Lin Moniang. As Mazu is the goddess of the sea, it is not a surprise that she is a popular goddess to go to amongst sailors and fishermen. Mazu also has various titles, “Princess of Supernatural Favour”, “Protector of the Empire and the Brilliantly Outstanding Heavenly Princess”, “Holy Mother of Heaven Above”, “Heavenly Empress” and “Holy Mother in Heaven.”
Two guardians tend to be depicted with Mazu which were originally demons that Mazu subdued and turned into loyal friends. These two demons are Thousand Miles Eye (who is red with two horns) and With-the-Wind Ear (who is green and with one horn).
Mazu herself is depicted in two ways, in a red robe or clothed in jewel-festooned robes which empresses wear along with holding either a ceremonial tablet or jewelled staffed along with a flat topped imperial cap with handing beads on both front and back.
This goddess is said to be born on the twenty-third day of the third lunar month in 960 in which her birthday is celebrated on the same day. Mazu’s parents prayed to the Bodhisattva Guanyin for a son, however she came out as a girl and some legends state that Mazu is a manifestation of Guanyin.
Despite being the goddess of the sea started swimming at the age of fifteen in which Mazu soon became an excellent swimmer. Notably, Mazu wore red garments while standing on shore to help guide fishing boats back home even in dangerous and harsh weather.
During her early teens, Mazu began burning incense and chanting sutras, at sixteen she had the luck to be given a bronze talisman by an immortal and became an immortal herself.
Mazu, at the age of twenty-eight climbed a mountain alone in which at the top she flew to Heaven and became a goddess where she helped fishermen and sailors in distress.
Two guardians tend to be depicted with Mazu which were originally demons that Mazu subdued and turned into loyal friends. These two demons are Thousand Miles Eye (who is red with two horns) and With-the-Wind Ear (who is green and with one horn).
Mazu herself is depicted in two ways, in a red robe or clothed in jewel-festooned robes which empresses wear along with holding either a ceremonial tablet or jewelled staffed along with a flat topped imperial cap with handing beads on both front and back.
This goddess is said to be born on the twenty-third day of the third lunar month in 960 in which her birthday is celebrated on the same day. Mazu’s parents prayed to the Bodhisattva Guanyin for a son, however she came out as a girl and some legends state that Mazu is a manifestation of Guanyin.
Despite being the goddess of the sea started swimming at the age of fifteen in which Mazu soon became an excellent swimmer. Notably, Mazu wore red garments while standing on shore to help guide fishing boats back home even in dangerous and harsh weather.
During her early teens, Mazu began burning incense and chanting sutras, at sixteen she had the luck to be given a bronze talisman by an immortal and became an immortal herself.
Mazu, at the age of twenty-eight climbed a mountain alone in which at the top she flew to Heaven and became a goddess where she helped fishermen and sailors in distress.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Sanzang
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.
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.
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”.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)