Mystery of "Journey to the West" (Illustrated Collector's Edition)

Author: Qu Xiaoqiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: The (divine genealogy) of ancient China includes divine officials, many of which are imaginary—there were no such positions in the mortal world. However, the position of "Bimawen" was not entirely baseless. According to some strange records, a horse belonging to the general of Zhao in the Eastern Jin Dynasty suddenly died. Someone saved it using a monkey-like creature, so later people often placed a monkey in the stable, believing it could prevent horses from catching diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine also held this view. For example, in the Qimin Yaoshu (Essential Techniques for Farming and Housekeeping) written by Jia Sixie during the Northern Wei Dynasty, it is said: "Always tie a macaque in the horse stable to make horses fearless of evil and free them from a hundred diseases." In the Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica) by Li Shizhen during the Ming Dynasty, it is also mentioned: "Keep a female monkey in the stable to avoid horse diseases." Since "Bimawen" and "biview" (, meaning to avoid epidemics) sound similar, in the Journey to the West, the Jade Emperor's heavenly court invents a position called "Bimawen" specifically for Sun Wukong to fill. Later, Sun Wukong learns from his colleagues that Bimawen is a low-ranking, insignificant position (""), and he becomes furious: "To mock me so! Back in Flower-Fruit Mountain, I was king and ancestor—how could they trick me into tending horses? Tending horses is a task for young, lowly people, not something worthy of me! I won't do it! I won't do it!" With a roar, he overturns the desk and storms out of the heavenly gate, returning to Flower-Fruit Mountain. The monkeys see him and are also greatly upset: "Your Majesty rules over this blessed land and enjoys so much respect and joy—why would you agree to be their horseherd?" (Chapter 4). To be fair, with Sun Wukong's abilities, his position is no match for Zhu Bajie's rank as Marshal Tianpeng in the heavens or Sha Wujing's title as General Who Rolls the Curtain—no wonder he feels wronged. Thus, in this story, Sun Wukong shows strong self-esteem. Even during the Journey to the West, he is still angered by being called "Bimawen." If any demon dares to expose this, he will seek revenge with even greater hatred.
This story in Journey to the West has clear social significance. Wu Cheng'en is unmistakably mocking the ruling class of his time for their inability to utilize talent. Wu Cheng'en, a renowned scholar of his era, only became a "tribute student" in his forties and a county magistrate in Changxing in his sixties. Through Sun Wukong's rebellion, Wu Cheng'en is not only speaking for himself but also for all talented individuals who were overlooked and unappreciated in the world.