Apprenticeship and Mentorship: On the Same Journey

Author: Wu Cheng'en
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Super Cartoon Edition of Journey to the West. After the Monkey King was imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain for 500 years, the Tang Dynasty Emperor decided to send a monk to the West to retrieve the true scriptures of Buddha. A monk named Xuanzang volunteered and was granted the imperial name Tang Sanzang by the Emperor. Sanzang set off from Chang'an with two companions and encountered demons on the way, but was saved by a hunter. After being rescued from the den of tigers and wolves, Tang Sanzang arrived at the Five Elements Mountain and freed the Monkey King. The Monkey King knelt and bowed to become his master, then followed Tang Sanzang on their journey.
One day, they came to a river and saw a flying dragon leap out of the water, swallowing Tang Sanzang's white horse. Guanyin Bodhisattva arrived and subdued the dragon, ordering it to transform into a white horse and accompany Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West.
Tang Sanzang and his disciples galloped ahead and arrived at the Gaolao Village within the borders of the Utsang Kingdom. The young servant of the local landlord, Gaoyuan, asked for a monk to subdue the monster who had taken his master as his bride. Upon hearing this, the Monkey King rushed to Gaoyuan's house and transformed into the daughter of the landlord, Cui Lan, waiting for the monster's arrival. The Monkey King lured the monster to the entrance of its mountain cave and fought with it in his true form. When the monster learned they were holy monks heading to the West to retrieve the scriptures, it quickly bowed and became Tang Sanzang's disciple. Tang Sanzang named him Zhu Bajie and they continued their journey together.
The three disciples arrived at the banks of the Flowing Sand River and encountered another demon. Unable to subdue it, the Monkey King asked Guanyin Bodhisattva for help. Guanyin sent her disciple to persuade the demon to surrender to Tang Sanzang. After Tang Sanzang named him Sha Wujing, the four disciples set off on their westward journey to retrieve the scriptures.