Sun WuKong

Sun Wukong's Wikipedia

1.Introduction to Sun Wukong

Sun Wukong (also known as the Handsome Monkey King, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Xingzhe, and the Victorious Buddha of Battle) is the protagonist in the Chinese classical novel of gods and demons, "Journey To The West". Born from a miraculous stone that emerged from the chaos of creation, he was born on Flower and Fruit Mountain in the Eastern Continent of the Immortals. He was crowned the "Handsome Monkey King" after leading the monkey tribe into the Water Curtain Cave. To learn martial arts, he crossed the ocean to apprentice under Patriarch Subodhi and was given the name "Sun Wukong". He mastered supernatural skills such as the Great Heavenly Immortal's Manual, the Seventy-Two Transformations, and the Somersault Cloud.

2.Description of Sun Wukong's Appearance

Sun Wukong's appearance is characterized by round eyes, a hairy face, a lightning-bolt shaped mouth, a pointed chin with sunken cheeks, and a body resembling a macaque that feeds on pinecones. These features make him look like a human but with fewer cheeks. Additionally, Sun Wukong is often depicted wearing a golden crown, a brocade robe, a tiger-skin skirt, holding a golden-banded cudgel, and wearing deerskin boots, exuding a majestic and extraordinary image. His appearance is often described as bedraggled, with hair growing around his ears, dirt between his eyebrows, mud on his nose, and dust covering his entire body.

3.Sun Wukong's Life Story

Birth of the Monkey King: Sun Wukong was born on Flower and Fruit Mountain in the proud country of Aolai, located in the Eastern Continent of the Immortals, from a miraculous stone that had existed since the creation of the world.

Apprenticeship to Learn Skills: After enjoying a carefree life on Flower and Fruit Mountain for three or four hundred years, the Handsome Monkey King sought immortality and journeyed to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain in the Western Continent of Cattle and Horses to apprentice under Patriarch Subodhi in the Xiyue Sansxing Cave.

Treasure Hunt in the Dragon Palace: After returning from his apprenticeship, Sun Wukong defeated the Chaos Demon King and obtained a large broadsword. He also used his magical powers to acquire a vast number of weapons from Aolai to distribute to the monkeys, but none of them suited him.

Rebellion in Heaven: At the age of 342, Sun Wukong, facing the end of his mortal life, caused havoc in the Underworld and destroyed the Book of Life and Death that recorded the fates of him and all the monkeys in the world before returning to the mortal realm.

Journey To The West to Obtain Buddhist Sutras: After being imprisoned under Mount Wuxing for five hundred years, Sun Wukong was rescued by Tang Sanzang, whom he拜 (apprenticed to) as his master. Tang Sanzang gave him the nickname "Xingzhe," hence he is also known as Sun Xingzhe, and they embarked on the Journey To The Western Paradise to obtain Buddhist sutras.

Exterminating Demons and Evil Spirits: At White Tiger Ridge, the White Bone Demoness transformed three times in an attempt to capture Tang Sanzang, but each time was foiled and killed by Sun Wukong.

Attainment of Buddhahood: After Tang Sanzang returned the Buddhist sutras to Chang'an and his true form returned to the Western Paradise, Sun Wukong was bestowed the title of the Victorious Buddha of Battle for his great contributions. Pigsy, Sandy, and the White Horse were also awarded titles, and the five saints achieved enlightenment and shared eternal bliss.

4.Sun Wukong's Personality Traits

1.Courageous Resistance: Sun Wukong is a character who dares to rebel against tradition, authority, and feudal hierarchical concepts.

2.Optimism and Positivity: Sun Wukong is optimistic, fearless, unafraid of difficulties, and dares to fight.

3.Righteous and Upright: Sun Wukong has a clear sense of right and wrong. He helps those in distress, cares for the orphans and widows, hates evil, and protects the people.

4.Feudal Ideas: Feudal consciousness occasionally surfaces in Sun Wukong's mind. For example, when the spider demons in the Web Cave were bathing in the Cleansing Spring, Sun Wukong hesitated to attack, fearing it would tarnish his reputation, due to the belief that "men do not fight with women." This reluctance led to many subsequent troubles.

5.Origin of Sun Wukong

Sun Wukong originated from a miraculous stone on Flower and Fruit Mountain, created by heaven and earth, without parents or a name. He received the name "Sun Wukong" after apprenticing under Patriarch Subodhi.

6.Abilities of Sun Wukong

Equipment:

Ruyi Jingu Bang (Magic Cudgel), Fengchi Zijinguan (Phoenix-Wing Purple-Gold Crown), Suozi Huangjinjia (Chainmail of Gold), Ousi Buyunlu (Lotus-Silk Cloud-Walking Boots)

Magic Treasures:

Sleepy Insects: Won by Sun Wukong in a guessing game with the Growth Heavenly King and the Guardian Heavenly King. Kept at his waist, when flicked onto someone's face, these insects crawl into the nostrils and induce sleep. Monsters aware of their power can remove them before they take effect, but using a pair in both nostrils ensures slumber.

Life-Saving Hairs: Three hairs given by Guan Yin Bodhisattva. They adapt to situations and help Sun Wukong escape dire straits when he's in desperate need.

Mystical Powers:

Dapin Tianxian Jue (Great Heavenly Immortal Mantra): An ultimate cultivation technique taught by Patriarch Bodhi, the secret to forming a golden elixir. Encompassing the infinite freedom of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, it signifies supreme enlightenment. After three years of practice, Sun Wukong attained enlightenment, nurtured his spirit, and became an immortal, achieving eternal youth and immortality, free from illness and the cycle of reincarnation. However, this mantra defies natural laws, and the elixir's completion invites divine and demonic jealousy. To maintain his immortality, he must face and overcome three calamities every 500 years: thunder, fire, and wind. Mastering either the 36 or 72 Transformations is necessary to evade these.

72 Transformations: A technique taught by Patriarch Bodhi, allowing Sun Wukong to transform into various forms to avoid the three calamities. Note: The 72 Transformations do not refer to 72 specific forms but to infinite possibilities, as eight is the maximum of yin, nine of yang, and their product represents the ultimate in Taoist numerology.

Jindouyun (Somersault Cloud): A cloud-riding technique taught by Patriarch Bodhi, enabling instant travel across vast distances. By reciting a mantra and leaping, Sun Wukong can cover 108,000 li with a somersault. This skill is praised as the foremost in crossing seas and mountains.

Shenwaishen (Outer Body Manifestation): After attaining immortality, Sun Wukong can transform each of his 84,000 hairs into duplicates of himself.

San Tou Liu Bi (Three Heads and Six Arms): A form with three heads and six arms, each wielding a Magic Cudgel, used against Nezha and legions of thunder gods.

Fatian Xiangdi (Heaven-Matching Giant Form): A colossal form with a head like Mount Tai, waist like steep mountains, eyes like the sun and moon, mouth like a pool of blood, and teeth like gates. His cudgel reaches the 33rd heaven above and the 18th level of hell below, used against Erlang Shen.

Diamond Body: Forged from stolen peaches, nectar, and elixirs with Sanmei Fire, rendering Sun Wukong invulnerable to blades, axes, spears, swords, thunder, and fire. Further refined in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, his internal organs turned to gold and silver, and his skin to iron and copper.

Fire-Eyes and Golden Gaze: Developed from smoke in Laozi's Eight Trigrams Furnace, granting the ability to discern truth but making his eyes sensitive to smoke.

Dingshenfa (Stasis Spell): By reciting a mantra and saying "Stop," Sun Wukong can immobilize opponents. They remain stuck until the spell is lifted or a full cycle passes.

Yinshenfa (Invisibility Spell): Allows Sun Wukong to vanish without a trace, aiding quick escapes or stealthy infiltrations.

Bihuo Jue (Fire-Avoidance Mantra): With one hand, Sun Wukong can negate flames and move through them unscathed, wielding his cudgel with the other.

Bishui Jue (Water-Parting Mantra): With one hand, Sun Wukong can part waters and move freely underwater, wielding his cudgel with the other.

Huadi Weilao (Drawing a Circle for Protection): By drawing a circle with his cudgel, Sun Wukong can protect those inside from all threats, creating a barrier as strong as copper walls and iron fortresses.

Other Abilities: Infinite weapon transformations, Sanmei Fire, moving mountains and shrinking earth, carrying mountains and chasing the moon, stirring rivers and churning seas, summoning rain and wind, manifesting celestial spirits, exhaling mist and clouds, kicking the sky and stirring the wells, shifting constellations, etc.

7.Relationships of Sun Wukong

Master: Patriarch Bodhi, a wise hermit residing in the Xiyue Sansxing Cave on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

Master: Tang Sanzang, the reincarnation of the Buddha's disciple Jinchanzi.

Grandmaster: The Tathagata Buddha, Tang Sanzang's previous master and the leader of the Western Paradise.

Junior Fellow Disciples: Pig Bajie, the reincarnated Heavenly Marshal Tian Peng; Sha Wujing, the demoted Curtain-Lifting General; and White Dragon Horse, the third prince of the West Sea Dragon King and Tang Sanzang's mount.

8.Evaluations of Sun Wukong

Daoist Monk Dan Yi from the Qing Dynasty: "Dao and evil cannot coexist. To deviate from Dao is to embrace evil. The Monkey King, in his days at the Water Curtain Cave in Flower and Fruit Mountain, was indeed a demon. Fortunately, he returned to the right path under Tang Sanzang, unifying body and mind, and thus transforming from a demon into an enlightened being."

Chairman Mao Zedong: "①Sun Wukong embodies a strong sense of individual heroism, proclaiming himself the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, and is supported by the monkeys of his Aolai Kingdom. ②With mighty power, the Golden Monkey wields his cudgel, clearing the skies of impurity. Today we hail the Great Sage Sun Wukong because the demonic fog has returned."

Poet and Scholar Nan Huaijin: "Sun Wukong represents the mind and consciousness. With his cudgel, he disrupts the world. To tame Sun Wukong (the mind) and achieve enlightenment as a Buddha is a difficult task. Hence, his Dharma name is Wukong, signifying understanding that thoughts and desires are impermanent and ungraspable, like trying to catch the moon's reflection in water, so he no longer clings to them."