Journey to the West - Li Zuowu's Critical Edition (2 Volumes)

Author: Wu Cheng'en (Ming) / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The Journey to the West is composed of parts such as the birth of the Monkey King, the Great Rebellion in Heaven, the birth of Tang Monk, the origin of the pilgrimage, and the journey to the West, with the latter being the main storyline. The vertical action of the pilgrimage connects the various stories, setting up conflicts and creating climaxes in each (Eighty-One Hardships), sometimes thrilling and sometimes light-hearted. Through the process of one hardship after another, the contradictions between the disciples and demons, between the disciples and the natural environment, between Tang Monk and Sun Wukong, and between Zhu Bajie and Sun Wukong are intricately depicted, making the story magical and captivating. This book was thoroughly commented on by Ye Zhou under the pseudonym Li Zhuwu during the Ming Dynasty. Although his commentary theory is not as comprehensive and systematic as Jin Shengtan's, he inherited Li Zhuwu and paved the way for Jin Shengtan, offering unique insights into the fantastical nature of The Journey to the West, surpassing Jin Shengtan, Mao Zonggang, and Zhang Zhupo in his ability to appreciate its artistic achievements. The establishment of classical masterpieces in the history of Chinese literature is primarily due to their unique charm, but it is also greatly related to the efforts of a group of insightful novel critics who rigorously analyzed and commented on these novels after their publication. Names like Li Zhuwu, Jin Shengtan, Mao Zonggang, and Shi Yanzhai are closely associated with The Journey to the West, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, and Dream of the Red Chamber in people's minds. They not only created a new era in the history of Chinese classical novel criticism but also enabled more readers to deeply understand the essence and charm of these classics through their critiques.
"For those who read The Journey to the West without understanding the author's intention, their interpretations are merely frivolous. I have pointed out each point to ensure the author's meaning is not lost. For example, each chapter has infinite subtleties; if one grasps its essence, it surpasses reading through a vast collection of Buddhist scriptures. The text mentions, 'The Legend of Deliverance from,' implying that reading this book can deliver one from. If one reads The Journey to the West and their remains unresolved, does that not betray the purpose of The Journey to the West? What does 'deliverance from' mean? It simply means being able to free oneself."
The critical writings of The Journey to the West attributed to Li Zhuwu, such as these, are concise yet profound, pointing directly to the core and provoking deep reflection. The Journey to the West is composed of parts such as the birth of the Monkey King, the Great Rebellion in Heaven, the birth of Tang Monk, the origin of the pilgrimage, and the journey to the West, with the latter being the main storyline. The vertical action of the pilgrimage connects the various stories, setting up conflicts and creating climaxes in each (Eighty-One Hardships), sometimes thrilling and sometimes light-hearted. Through the process of one hardship after another, the contradictions between the disciples and demons, between the disciples and the natural environment, between Tang Monk and Sun Wukong, and between Zhu Bajie and Sun Wukong are intricately depicted, making the story magical and captivating. This book was thoroughly commented on by Ye Zhou under the pseudonym Li Zhuwu during the Ming Dynasty. Although his commentary theory is not as comprehensive and systematic as Jin Shengtan's, he inherited Li Zhuwu and paved the way for Jin Shengtan, offering unique insights into the fantastical nature of The Journey to the West, surpassing Jin Shengtan, Mao Zonggang, and Zhang Zhupo in his ability to appreciate its artistic achievements. The establishment of classical masterpieces in the history of Chinese literature is primarily due to their unique charm, but it is also greatly related to the efforts of a group of insightful novel critics who rigorously analyzed and commented on these novels after their publication. Names like Li Zhuwu, Jin Shengtan, Mao Zonggang, and Shi Yanzhai are closely associated with The Journey to the West, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, and Dream of the Red Chamber in people's minds. They not only created a new era in the history of Chinese classical novel criticism but also enabled more readers to deeply understand the essence and charm of these classics through their critiques.
"The Monkey King in the mountains knows how to walk and leap. He eats grass and herbs, drinks from mountain springs, gathers flowers, and plucks fruits. He keeps company with insects, roams with tigers and leopards, befriends deer, and is close to monkeys. He sleeps under cliffs at night and roams among peaks during the day. Truly, 'In the mountains, there is no calendar, and winter ends without knowing the passage of years.' One day, when the weather grew hot, the monkeys sought refuge from the heat under the shade of pines and played. Look at them! Jumping from trees and climbing branches, picking flowers and fruits. Throwing pebbles, running through sand pits, building sand towers, chasing dragonflies, catching mayflies, worshipping the sky, and bowing to Bodhisattvas; pulling vines, weaving grass hats, picking lice, nibbling and pinching, combing their fur, and trimming their nails. The old monkeys: pushing, shoving, bumping, grinding, pulling, and tugging. Under the green pines, they frolic freely; by the clear streams, they bathe. After playing for a while, the monkeys went to the mountain stream for a bath. Seeing the stream gushing, it was truly like rolling melons and splashing water. As the old saying goes, 'Birds have their own language, and beasts have their own speech.' All the monkeys said, 'This stream doesn’t know where it comes from. Since we have nothing to do today, let’s follow the stream upstream to see its source!' Shouting, they dragged their children and called their brothers, all running together. Following the stream and climbing the mountains, they reached the source, which was a waterfall.
Seeing that:
A white rainbow rose,
A thousand feet of snow-like waves flew.
The sea wind could not break it,
The moonlight still shone upon it.
The cold mist divided the green peaks,
The remaining flow moistened the emerald valleys.
The name 'waterfall' is well-deserved,
Truly like a curtain hanging.
The monkeys clapped their hands and praised, 'How wonderful the water! How wonderful the water! It turns out this stream flows far down to the mountain base and directly connects to the waves of the sea.' They said, 'Whoever has the courage, let them dive into the waterfall to find the source and come out. Look! Who in this world has the ability to dive into the waterfall and find the source. How lamentable! How lamentable! If anyone who does not harm their body, we will worship them as king.' Calling three times, suddenly a stone monkey jumped out from the thick undergrowth and shouted, 'I’ll go! I’ll go!'
What a monkey! It was his destiny:
Today, his fame was revealed,
His time had come, great fortune arrived.
Destined to live here,
Sent to the celestial palace.
He closed his eyes, crouched, and leaped into the waterfall. Opening his eyes, he looked up and saw that there was no water or waves—only a clear bridge. He stopped, steadied himself, and looked closely again—it was an iron bridge. The water below rushed through stone crevices, hanging upside down and blocking the bridge. He climbed onto the bridge again and looked, as if it were a human dwelling. Truly a wonderful place.
Seeing that:
Emerald moss piled blue,
White clouds floated like jade.
Light shimmered with mist and clouds.
Vacant windows and quiet rooms,
Smooth benches and flowers.
Nurse caves with dragon pearls hanging,
Twisting and turning with rare flowers.
Stoves and fire marks were by the cliffs,
Wine jars and leftovers on the table.
Stone seats and stone beds were lovely,
Stone bowls and stone pots were even more praise-worthy.
He also saw:
A few bamboos, a few plum blossoms.
A few green pines, always shrouded in rain.
It was as if a human dwelling.
After looking for a while, he jumped to the center of the bridge. Looking left and right, he saw a stone stele in the middle with large regular characters carved: 'Fairy Fruit Mountain, Blessed Land; Water Curtain Cave, Heavenly Palace.'
Everyone has such a cave and land,
But few have seen them!
The stone monkey was overjoyed and quickly leaped out, closing his eyes and crouching again. He jumped out of the waterfall. Laughing twice, he said, 'Great fortune! Great fortune!'
The monkeys surrounded him and asked, 'What was inside? How deep was the water?' The stone monkey said, 'No water! No water! It turned out to be an iron bridge. Beyond the bridge was a naturally formed dwelling.'
Some had no dwelling, but they could not enjoy it. The monkeys asked, 'How can we see it’s a dwelling?' The stone monkey laughed and said, 'This water flows from the bridge’s crevices, hanging down to block the entrance. The bridge has flowers and trees, like a stone house. Inside are stone stoves, stone pots, stone bowls, stone pans, stone beds, and stone benches. A stele in the middle is carved with, 'Fairy Fruit Mountain, Blessed Land; Water Curtain Cave, Heavenly Palace.' Truly, this is our place to settle. It’s spacious enough to hold thousands of monkeys and their families. Let’s all move in and avoid the breath of the heavens. Avoiding the heavens’ breath—such words are hard to say. Here:
When the wind blows, there’s a place to hide,
When it rains, there’s a place to stay.
Fear not frost or snow,
Hear not thunder’s roar.
Mist and clouds shine forever,
Good fortune steams constantly.
Pines and bamboos flourish every year,
Strange flowers bloom daily.
Hearing this, each monkey was delighted and said, 'You go first and lead us in! Let’s go in!'
The stone monkey closed his eyes, crouched, and leaped inside, calling, 'Follow me in! Follow me in!'
Some brave monkeys jumped in, while the timid ones hesitated, stretching their necks, scratching their heads, shouting loudly, and after a while, all jumped in.
Jumping over the bridge, they rushed to take the stone bowls and pots, claimed the stone stoves and beds, moving them back and forth. Truly, the monkeys were unruly, and none could stay still. Only when they grew tired did they stop.
The stone monkey sat above and said, 'Gentlemen, 'A man without integrity is not sure of his standing.' Have you ever read the Analects, old monkeys? You said that only those who could enter and exit without harm would be worshipped as king. I have entered and exited, and now I have found this heavenly palace for you all to rest and enjoy. Why not worship me as king?'
The monkeys, hearing this, immediately bowed without objection,，, all calling him 'Thousand-Year-Old King.'
From then on, the stone monkey ascended the throne, hiding the word 'stone,' and was henceforth known as the Monkey King.
A poem testifies to this:
The three yangs converged, giving birth to all,
A divine stone held the essence of sun and moon.
Using eggs to transform into monkeys,
He took a name to match the elixir’s completion.
Internally, he did not recognize formlessness,
Externally, he knew how to take form.
All generations belong to this,
Rulers and sages ruled with freedom.
This creature was the inner sage of the Po Wang,
Hence the titles of Monkey King and Great Sage Equal to Heaven.
The Monkey King led a group of monkeys, macaques, and horse monkeys, appointing ministers, officials, and advisors. They roamed Flower Fruit Mountain by day and rested in the Water Curtain Cave by night, bound by mutual sympathy, not associating with birds or beasts, ruling alone, and filled with joy. Thus:
In spring, they picked flowers for food,
In summer, they sought fruits for livelihood.
In autumn, they harvested yams and chestnuts to extend the season,
In winter, they gathered yellow dates to pass the years.
The Monkey King enjoyed life in heaven, but unexpectedly, after three or five hundred years, one day, during a feast with the monkeys, he suddenly grew troubled and shed tears. The monkeys, in panic, bowed and asked, 'Why does the Great King worry?'
The Monkey King replied, 'Though I live in joy, I have a distant concern that troubles me.'
The monkeys laughed again, saying, 'The Great King is never content! We live daily in joy on the fairy mountain and blessed land, not under the rule of the, not under the control of the phoenix, nor bound by the laws of the human world. We are free and unrestrained, a boundless blessing. Why then worry about the future?'
The Monkey King said, 'Though we are not bound by the laws of the human world or the power of beasts, in the future, as we grow old and our strength fades, the Lord of Hell will watch over us. If we die, won’t our lives be in vain, unable to linger in the heavens?'
Hearing this, the monkeys covered their faces and wept, all fearing the impermanence of life.
Then, among the ranks, P3-4