Journey to the West (Volume 1, Volume 2)

Author: Wu Cheng'en Huang Suqiu Annotations
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-08-01
Features: If you're still hesitating in front of the bookshelf, struggling to read or collect expensive Chinese classical masterpieces, don't worry anymore! This edition of Journey to the West is not only affordable, beautifully printed, and exquisitely bound, but also perfect for collection or gifting, giving you a great sense of prestige! It is truly the best popularization of classical novels! Journey to the West primarily depicts the story of Sun Wukong protecting Tang Monk on his journey westward to obtain the Buddhist scriptures, enduring ninety-nine and eight difficulties. The pilgrimage to the West was a real historical event. About 1,300 years ago, in the first year of the Zhenguan era (627), the young monk Xuanzang, only 25 years old, left the capital Chang'an and journeyed alone to India (Tianzhu) for studies. After leaving Chang'an, he passed through Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, overcoming numerous hardships, and finally reached India. There, he studied for over two years and delivered a lecture at a major Buddhist scholastic debate, earning praise. In the 19th year of the Zhenguan era (645), Xuanzang returned to Chang'an, bringing back 657 Buddhist scriptures. His journey to the West lasted nineteen years and covered tens of thousands of miles, a legendary long march that caused a sensation at the time. Later, Xuanzang dictated his travels to his disciple Bianji, who compiled them into the Record of the Western Journey to the Great Tang in twelve volumes. However, this book mainly described the history, geography, and transportation of the countries along the way, with little narrative. Later, his disciples Huili and Yancong wrote the Biography of the Venerable Monk Xuanzang of the Great Tang's Daxing Temple, which added many mythical elements to Xuanzang's experiences. From then on, the story of Tang Monk's pilgrimage to the West began to spread widely among the people. During the Southern Song Dynasty, there was the Poetic Dialogue of the Great Tang Monk's Journey to the West, while in the Jin Dynasty, there were Tang Monk and The Peach Blossom Banquet in the imperial court plays. In the Yuan Dynasty, there were Wu Changling's Tang Monk's Journey to the West to the Western Heaven and an anonymous The God Erlang Locks Sun Wukong, all of which laid the foundation for the creation of Journey to the West. Wu Cheng'en, styled Ruzhong, styled Sheyang Mountain Man, was from Shanyang (now Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province). He was born around the years between Hongzhi 13 and Zhengde early years (1500–1510) and died around the 10th 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 Rui's generation, due to poverty, he was adopted into the Xu family and took over their business, 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 greatly influenced Wu Cheng'en. Wu Cheng'en was very intelligent from a young age, entered school early, achieved success in his youth, and was renowned in his hometown. The 16th volume of the Tianqi Huai'an Prefecture Gazetteer says, "Wu Cheng'en was quick-witted and knowledgeable, well-versed in books, and could compose poetry and prose at the drop of a hat." However, Wu Cheng'en's life was not smooth in 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 (a minor official) in the Jing Wang's court, a position similar to the county magistrate's but with little actual responsibility. Wu Cheng'en began writing Journey to the West in his middle age, or possibly later, though the exact time remains uncertain. Besides Journey to the West, he also wrote the long poem Song of the Second Prince Searching the Mountains and The Legend of Yu Ding. The surviving Collected Works of Sheyang Mountain Master in four volumes include one volume of poetry and three volumes of prose, compiled by Qiu Du after Wu Cheng'en's death. Journey to the West is a 100-capter book, and structurally, it can be divided into three parts. From the beginning to the eighth chapter is the first part, which mainly tells the story of Sun Wukong's birth, apprenticeship, and 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, focusing on Tang Monk's origins and the reasons for his pilgrimage. The thirteenth chapter to the last chapter is the third part, which mainly describes Tang Monk'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. 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 work of literature reflects a certain aspect of social life, and as an outstanding representative of fantasy novels, Journey to the West is no exception. As Lu Xun pointed out in A Brief History of Chinese Fiction, "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 mystical and elusive events, he often mixes in witty remarks, making gods and demons have human emotions and spirits, and demons also understand worldly affairs." Indeed, through the fictional world of gods and demons in 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 embodies his ideals. Sun Wukong's indomitable spirit, his fearless attitude of swinging the Golden-Hooped Rod to sweep away all demons and monsters, reflects the people's wishes 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 manifestations of natural disasters or symbols of evil forces. Their greed, cruelty, cunning, and treachery are also the 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 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 Journey to the West, it's hard to find a competent emperor; as for the ignorant and incompetent Jade Emperor, the king of the Xu Chi country who favors demons, or the king of the Biqiu country who wants 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 strong realistic significance. Journey to the West not only has profound ideological content but also achieves great artistic success. With its rich and extraordinary artistic imagination, vivid and winding plot, lifelike characters, and humorous and witty language, it constructs a unique artistic palace of Journey to the West. However, I believe the greatest artistic achievement of 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 Journey to the West, an extraordinary hero. He has boundless abilities, fears neither heaven nor earth, and possesses 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 loves to cause trouble. His greatest characteristic is his courage to fight. He dares to challenge the supreme and all-powerful Jade Emperor, earning the name "Great Sage Equal to Heaven." He dares to fight against demons and monsters, never missing a demon with his fiery eyes and golden pupils, and never showing mercy to demons under the Golden-Hooped Rod. 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. However, this character is also portrayed very well. Zhu Bajie is a comedic figure, simple-minded, 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, petty greed, lust for women, fear of difficulties, and often wanting to give up. He always thinks of the wife of the Gao's Village. Sometimes he lies, but his clumsy mouth and slow wit make it hard for him to convince anyone. He also occasionally provokes Tang Monk to recite the Golden-Hooped Sutra, making Sun Wukong suffer. He even hides some private money, stuffing it 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 but rather find him quite real and endearing. Tang Monk'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 Journey to the West. Despite this, the artistic achievements of Journey to the West are still astonishing. Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, with their distinct personalities, stand as immortal artistic monuments in the history of Chinese literature.