Journey to the West (Upper, Middle, Lower)

Author: Wu Cheng'en
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The 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 nine difficulties. The journey of Tang Monk 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, aged only twenty-five, left the capital Chang'an and traveled alone to India (Tianzhu) for studies. After departing from 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 was praised as a speaker at a major Buddhist scholastic debate. In the nineteenth year of the Zhenguan era (645), Xuanzang returned to Chang'an, bringing back 657 Buddhist scriptures. His journey to the west took 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, which added many mythical elements to Xuanzang's experiences. From then on, the story of Tang Monk's journey to the west began to spread widely among the people. During the Southern Song Dynasty, there was The Poetic Account of the Journey to the West by the Great Tang Monk; in the Jin Dynasty, there were Tang Monk and The Peach Blossom Banquet in the court plays; and in the Yuan Dynasty, there were Wu Changling's Tang Monk's Journey to the West and an anonymous The God Erlang Locks Sun Wukong. All these works laid the foundation for the creation of The Journey to the West. Wu Cheng'en, styled Ruzhong and known as the "Mountain Man of Sheyang," was from Shanyang in Huai'an Prefecture (now Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province). He was born around the years between the thirteenth year of the Hongzhi era and the early Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (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 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 maintained its tradition of scholarship. 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 Sixteenth Volume of the Tianqi Huai'an Prefecture Gazetteer describes Wu Cheng'en as "bright and witty, knowledgeable in all books, able to compose poetry and prose at a stroke." 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 a memorialist in the Jing Wang Palace, a position similar to that of the county magistrate but with little actual responsibility. Wu Cheng'en wrote The Journey to the West likely after middle age, or possibly in his later years, though the exact time remains uncertain. Besides 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 extant Collected Works of the Sheyang Scholar in four volumes, including one volume of poetry and three volumes of prose, was compiled posthumously by Qiu Du. 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 mainly tells the story of Sun Wukong's birth, his apprenticeship, and his rebellion in Heaven. This is the most exciting part of the book, filled with chaos as Sun Wukong travels, fully showcasing his rebellious spirit. The eighth to the twelfth chapters form the second part, which mainly describes Tang Monk's origins and the reasons for his journey. The thirteenth chapter to the last chapter is the third part, which mainly tells the story of Tang Monk's journey westward, where he later recruits Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing as his disciples, faces ninety-nine and nine 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 readers in awe of the author's rich and bold artistic imagination. However, every piece of literature 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 social 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 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 embodies his ideals. Sun Wukong's indomitable spirit, his fearless attitude in 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. The demons and monsters encountered on the journey are either manifestations 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 are heavily colored with the hues of human society. The author's attitude toward the highest rulers of feudal society is also worth noting. In The Journey to the West, it is hard to find a competent emperor; as for the ignorant and incompetent Jade Emperor, the king of the Xu Chi Kingdom who favors demons, and the king of the Biqiu Kingdom who wants to use children's hearts and livers as medicine, they are either tyrants or autocrats. The portrayal of these characters, even if done casually, carries strong realistic significance. The 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 storylines, lifelike characters, and humorous and witty language, it constructs a unique 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 most outstanding characteristic is his courage to fight. He dares to challenge the supreme and all-powerful 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 pupils, and never showing mercy to demons under the golden-banded staff. He dares to fight against all difficulties, never retreating or bowing his head. This is Sun Wukong, a brilliant 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-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, fear of difficulties, and his tendency to give up halfway, always thinking of the wife in Gaogao 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 spell of the golden-banded staff, making Sun Wukong suffer. He even hides a little private money, stuffing it into his ear. His flaws are many, reflecting the vices of a petty owner. The author's criticism of Zhu Bajie's shortcomings is harsh but well-intentioned. He is not a completely negated character, so people do not dislike Zhu Bajie; on the contrary, they find him quite real and endearing. Tang Monk's character is also well-portrayed, but compared to Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, he is somewhat inferior. Sha Wujing is even less distinct in character, 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 immortal artistic monuments in the history of Chinese literature.