The Corpse Fiend Thrice Tricks Tang Sanzang
The Holy Monk Angrily Dismisses the Handsome Monkey King
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Background: |
| This story is one of the chapter of "Journey To The West" which is a mythological novel based on many centuries of popular tradition. It was probably put into its present form in the 1570s by Wu Cheng'en (1500-1582). This lively fantasy relates the amazing adventures of the priest Xuanzang as his travels west in search of Buddhist sutras with his three disciples, the irreverent and capable Monkey, greedy Pig, and Friar Sand. The story is as full of imagination as Monkey is of magic, and packed with incident and down-to-earth humor. This story is related with killing monsters named. |
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The Four Main Characters: |
Tripitaka: (Xuanzang)
Xuanzang is the Buddhist monk who set out to India to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures for China. He is called Tripitaka in many English versions of the story. Although he is helpless when it comes to defending himself, the bodhisattva Guanyin helps by finding him powerful disciples who aid and protect him on his journey. In return, the disciples will receive enlightenment and forgiveness for their sins once the journey is done. Along the way, they help the local inhabitants by defeating various monsters. The fact that most of the monsters and demons are trying to obtain immortality by eating Xuanzang's flesh, and are even attracted to him as he is depicted as quite handsome, provides much of the plot in the story.
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Monkey King: (Sun Wukong)
Sun Wukong is the name given to this character by his teacher, Patriarch Subhuti, and means "the one who has Achieved the Perfect Comprehension of the Extinction of both Emptiness and non-Emptiness"; he is called Monkey King or simply Monkey Emperor in English.
His primary weapon is the "will-following golden-banded staff", which he can shrink down to the size of a needle and keep behind his ear, as well as expand it to gigantic proportions (hence the "will-following" part of the name). The staff, originally a pillar supporting the undersea palace of the East Sea Dragon King, weighs 13,500 pounds, which he pulled out of its support and swung with ease.
Although he has mastered seventy-two methods of transformations, it does not mean that he is restricted to seventy-two different forms. He can also do a jindouyun ("cloud somersault"), enabling him to travel vast distances in a single leap. Wukong uses his talents to fight demons and play pranks.
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