Quick Read Journey to the West

Author: (Ming) Wu Cheng'en / Zhang Qifeng adapted
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: The Journey to the West simulates an orderly divine world, yet it carries clear shadows of real society. The formidable Jade Emperor, the aloof Lord Lao, the "human affairs-seeking" Buddhists, and the cruel demons all seem to correspond to real-world figures. The book is rich in romanticism, a fundamental artistic feature. The author envisions a supernatural world where mythological characters, their magical artifacts, and their environments are largely grounded in reality, reflecting people's desires in fantastical forms. In the creation of various divine and demonic figures, the author portrays both their supernatural divinity and animalistic traits while also revealing traces of social personalities. For example, Sun Wukong's nimble, impatient, and restless personality clearly reflects his monkey characteristics. This animal trait harmoniously blends with his optimistic, rebellious human personality, making the work both colorful and vivid in imagination, yet realistic in detail.
In the original Journey to the West, when Sun Wukong arranges for the natural deities to produce clouds, thunder, and rain, he specially orders the Thunder God Deng Tianjun: "Be careful, Deng, to kill several corrupt officials and disrespectful, ungrateful children as a warning!" Sun Wukong's hatred for "corrupt officials" aligns perfectly with Wu Cheng'en's consistent disdain for corrupt officials in many of his poems and writings. In the mythological world of Journey to the West, reflections of human society are everywhere: the majestic Heavenly Palace appears grand on the surface, but the supreme Jade Emperor is foolish and tyrannical, resembling a human dynasty. The underworld is strict, with officials protecting each other, engaging in corruption, and innocent people unable to seek justice, much like earthly courts. Demons and monsters kill, eat people, covet wealth and beauty, and dominate with their magic, embodying the vices of human tyrants and officials. Journey to the West also depicts several human kingdoms, where rulers were often "unwise in literature and incompetent in warfare," and the kings were not virtuous—mirroring the misrule of Ming dynasty officials. Wu Cheng'en's Sun Wukong, who hates evil with a passion and possesses immense power, defeats all malevolent demons and monsters with his golden-banded staff, either killing them or capturing them, reflecting Wu's desire to eradicate social corruption and evil forces. This also represents the democratic essence of Journey to the West.
Journey to the West involves the gods of Buddhism and Taoism, but the author subverts traditional religious imagery. For example, he created Sun Wukong to defeat the invincible heavenly army; the Marshal Tianpeng was mistakenly reborn as a pig; Guanyin's assistant, the Treasure Boy, originally loved human flesh; and the golden-winged great relative of Buddha even descended to commit chaos. In fact, Wu Cheng'en was responding to the chaos of his time. In the late Ming dynasty, corruption was rampant, and corrupt officials oppressed the people. Thus, the author created the powerful Sun Wukong, who practiced extraordinary skills through "unconventional means" (as some heavenly deities mention that Sun Wukong's skills were taught by an unknown master), representing the people's desire for justice. His defiance of the heavenly army and chaos in the heavens symbolize the people's yearning to overthrow tyranny. The characters Sun Wukong encounters—whether transformed by heavenly soldiers, divine daughters, attendants, dragon princesses, or mounts—are all manifestations of human vices. The novel exposes their hypocritical masks. Sun Wukong represents the hearts of ordinary people and, to some extent, the dreams of those in that era.
The language of Journey to the West combines prose and rhymes, drawing from the essence of folk storytelling and colloquial speech. The author wrote it in refined vernacular Chinese, making it lively and vivid, and skillfully used dialogue to reveal characters' personalities.
The author has condensed Journey to the West without compromising its original intent, preserving its most brilliant parts for readers. Of course, due to the author's limited knowledge, there may be rough edges in this rushed work. Readers are welcome to offer criticism and corrections after reading.
Pangu separated heaven from earth, and the Three Stars ruled the world. The Five Emperors established order, and the world was divided into four great continents: Dongsheng Shenzhou (East Heaven Continent), Xiniu Jiazhou (West Heaven Continent), Nanzhanbu Zhou (South Continent), and Beijulu Zhou (North Continent). One day, the Buddha gathered all Buddhas, Arhats, Jie Tie, Bodhisattvas, Dharma Protectors, monks, and nuns at the Thunderclap Hall of Lingyanshan to preach. He discussed the virtues and vices of the people across the four continents, expressing concern particularly for the people of Nanzhanbu Zhou, who were greedy, lustful, and prone to violence, fearing they would fall into an irredeemable state. He spoke of the Threefold True Scriptures, which could guide people toward goodness. These scriptures could only be obtained through the hardships of traveling thousands of mountains and crossing countless rivers. Tang Sanzang and his disciples endured eighty-one trials to obtain the scriptures, defeating demons and monsters along the Western journey, ultimately achieving enlightenment. This book vividly portrays Sun Wukong, a literary figure beloved by the masses, who battled demons and monsters, endured countless hardships to protect Tang Sanzang on his journey West, and finally attained Buddhahood. Journey to the West is a long mythological epic of China.