Journey to the West

Author: (Ming) Wu Cheng'en
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-04-01
Features: The Journey to the West primarily depicts the story of Sun Wukong protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey westward to obtain the Buddhist scriptures, enduring ninety-nine and eight difficulties. The pilgrimage to the West was a real event in history. Approximately thirteen hundred years ago, in the first year of the Zhenguan era (627), a young monk named Xuanzang, at the age of twenty-five, left the capital Chang'an and journeyed alone to India (Tianzhu) for studies. After departing from Chang'an, he passed through Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, overcoming numerous hardships before finally reaching India. There, he studied for over two years and delivered a lecture at a major Buddhist scholastic debate, earning praise. In the nineteenth year of the Zhenguan era (645), Xuanzang returned to Chang'an, bringing back 657 Buddhist scriptures. His journey to the West spanned nineteen years and tens of thousands of miles, a legendary long march that caused a sensation at the time. Later, Xuanzang dictated his travels to the West, which were compiled by his disciple Bianji into the Record of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty in twelve volumes. However, this book mainly described the history, geography, and transportation of the countries he visited and contained little narrative. Later, his disciples Huili and Yancong wrote the Biography of the Venerable Monk Xuanzang of the Great Tang's Daci'en Temple, which added many mythical elements to Xuanzang's experiences. From then on, the story of Tang Sanzang's pilgrimage to the West began to spread widely among the people. During the Southern Song Dynasty, there was The Poetic Account of Tang Sanzang's Journey to the West, and in the Jin Dynasty, there were Tang Sanzang and The Peach Blossom Banquet in the court drama. In the Yuan Dynasty, there were Wu Changling's Tang Sanzang's Journey to the West and an anonymous The God Erlang Locks Sun Wukong, all of which laid the foundation for the creation of The Journey to the West. Wu Cheng'en, styled Ruzhong and styled Sheyang Shanshen, was from Shanyang (now Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province) in Huai'an Prefecture. He was born around the period between the thirteenth year of the Hongzhi era and the early Zhengde era (1500–1510) and died around the tenth year of the Wanli era (1582). Wu Cheng'en's great-grandfather and grandfather were scholars who served as instructors and teachers in county schools. However, by Wu Cheng'en's father Wu Rui's generation, due to poverty, Wu Rui married into the Xu family and "inherited the Xu family's business, sitting in the shop," becoming a small merchant. Despite this, the Wu family did not lose its tradition of studying. It is said that Wu Rui, though a merchant, was upright and loved reading and discussing current affairs, which naturally had a great influence on Wu Cheng'en. Wu Cheng'en was very intelligent from a young age and entered school early, achieving success in his youth and gaining fame in his hometown. The Sixteenth Volume of the Tianqi Huai'an Prefecture Gazetteer describes Wu Cheng'en as "quick-witted and knowledgeable, well-versed in all books, able to compose poetry and prose at a stroke." However, Wu Cheng'en's life was not smooth after adulthood. He faced repeated setbacks in the imperial examinations and only became a supplementary in his forties. In his fifties, he served as the county magistrate of Changxing County in Zhejiang and later as the Jixian of the Jing Wang's court, a position of little responsibility similar to that of the county magistrate. Wu Cheng'en began writing The Journey to the West in his middle age, or perhaps later, though the exact time remains uncertain. In addition to The Journey to the West, he also wrote the long poem The Song of Erlang Searching for Mountains and The Legend of Yu Ding. The existing Collected Works of Sheyang Shanshen in four volumes, including one volume of poetry and three volumes of prose, were compiled by Qiu Du after Wu Cheng'en's death. The Journey to the West is a full 100 chapters, and in terms of its overall structure, it can be divided into three parts. From the beginning to the eighth chapter is the first part, which primarily tells the story of Sun Wukong's birth, his apprenticeship, and his chaos in Heaven. This is the most exciting part of the book, filled with excitement as Sun Wukong travels to and fro, fully showcasing his rebellious spirit. The eighth to the twelfth chapters form the second part, which mainly describes Tang Sanzang's origins and the reasons for his pilgrimage. The thirteenth chapter to the last chapter is the third part, which primarily tells the story of Tang Sanzang's journey to the West, where he later recruits Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing as his disciples, faces ninety-nine and eight difficulties, and finally obtains the true scriptures, achieving enlightenment. The Journey to the West presents a dazzling and colorful world of gods and demons, leaving people in awe of the author's rich and bold artistic imagination. However, every piece of literary work reflects a certain aspect of social life, and as an outstanding representative of fantasy novels, The Journey to the West is no exception. As Lu Xun pointed out in A Brief History of Chinese Fiction, The Journey to the West "satirizes and teases the customs of the time, adding exaggerated descriptions." He also said, "The author has a talent for humor, so even when describing the mystical and elusive, he often mixes in witty remarks, making the gods and demons human and the spirits worldly." Indeed, through the fantastical world of The Journey to the West, we can see the reflection of real society everywhere. For example, in the creation of Sun Wukong's character, the author's ideals are embodied. Sun Wukong's indomitable spirit, his fearless attitude of wielding the golden-banded staff to sweep away all demons and monsters, reflects the people's desires and aspirations. He represents a force of justice, showing the people's belief in overcoming all difficulties. He embodies a righteous power, demonstrating the people's unwavering confidence in victory. The demons and monsters encountered on the journey to the West are either transformations of natural disasters or symbols of evil forces. Their greed, cruelty, cunning, and treachery are also characteristics of the dark forces in feudal society. Moreover, the Heavenly Palace ruled by the Jade Emperor and the Western Paradise governed by the Buddha Amitabha are heavily colored with the hues of human society. The author's attitude toward the highest rulers of feudal society is also quite intriguing. In The Journey to the West, it is difficult to find a competent emperor; as for the ignorant and incompetent Jade Emperor, the king of the Xu Chi country who favors demons, and the king of the Biqiu country who intends to use the hearts of children as medicine, they are either tyrants or autocrats. The portrayal of these characters, even if done casually, is full of profound significance. The Journey to the West not only has profound ideological content but also achieves great artistic success. With its rich and unique artistic imagination, vivid and storylines, lifelike characters, and humorous and witty language, it constructs a distinctive artistic palace of The Journey to the West. However, I believe the greatest artistic achievement of The Journey to the West is the successful creation of the immortal artistic figures of Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie. Sun Wukong is the protagonist of The Journey to the West, an extraordinary hero. He possesses boundless abilities, fears neither heaven nor earth, and has an indomitable spirit of rebellion. He has the demeanor of a great hero but also the flaw of enjoying flattery. He is clever, brave, and playful. His greatest characteristic is his courage to fight. He dares to challenge the supreme and revered Jade Emperor, earning the title of "Great Sage Equal to Heaven." He dares to fight against demons and monsters, never missing a demon with his fiery eyes and golden-banded staff, and never showing mercy to demons under the staff. He dares to fight against all difficulties, never retreating or bowing his head. This is Sun Wukong, a dazzling mythological hero. As for Zhu Bajie, his abilities are far inferior to Sun Wukong, and he is certainly no heroic figure, but this character is also portrayed very well. Zhu Bajie is a comedic figure, simple and honest, strong, and brave enough to fight against demons and monsters, serving as Sun Wukong's reliable assistant. However, he is full of flaws, such as his love for food, his tendency to take small advantages, his obsession with women, his fear of difficulties, and his frequent desire to give up. He often thinks of the wife of the High Elder in Gaoyang Village. Sometimes he lies, but his clumsy mouth and slow wit make it hard for him to convince anyone. He also occasionally provokes Tang Sanzang to recite the golden band, making Sun Wukong suffer a bit. He even hides some private money in his ear. His flaws are many, reflecting the vices of a petty owner. The author's criticism of Zhu Bajie's flaws is severe but well-intentioned. He is not a completely negated character, so people do not dislike Zhu Bajie; instead, they find him quite real and lovable. Tang Sanzang's character is also well-written, but compared to Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, he is somewhat inferior. Sha Wujing is even more lacking in distinct personality traits, which cannot be said to be a shortcoming of The Journey to the West. Despite this, the artistic achievements of The Journey to the West are still remarkable. Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, with their distinct personalities, stand as an immortal artistic monument in the history of Chinese literature.