Details
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http://www.purpleculture.net/journey-to-the-west-3-vols-p-12407/"Journey to the west", commonly known to the western readers as "Monkey King", is one of the Four Great classical Chinese novels( the other three are "
Outlaws of the Marsh", "Dream of the Red Mansion" and "Romance of Three Kingdoms"). The novel, a most popular novel with a supernatural story was written by Wu Chenen (AD 1510-1582) some four hundred years ago.
It was based on a true story of a famous Chinese monk, Xuan Zang (602-664). After years of trials and tribulations, he travelled on foot to what is today India, the birthplace of Buddhism, to seek for the Sutra, the Buddhist holy book.
Outline:
The south sea Guanyin(Avalokitesvara)-God of Mercy-chooses four disciples to guard Tang Sanzang on the way to the Western Paradise for fetching Buddhist scriptures.
Tang Sanzang has saved Monkey King Sun Wukong who had been pressed under the Liangjieshan mountain by the western paradise Rulai Buddha (Tathagata) five hundreds years ago. The white dragon is punished by the Jade Emperor. He ate Tang Sanzang's white horse, so he is subdued by Sun Wukong and is changed into the white dragon horse for Sanzang to ride on the way.
Zhu Wuneng is punished to descend to the world of man because he had taken liberties with the Goddess of the Moon in Yaochi palace and he was reincarnated a pig wrongly. Gao Taigong a rich man settles on him as his son-in-law when Wuneng changes into a human being in Gaolaozhuang village. Zhu Wuneng reappears as a pig after drinking in the wedding banquet. Relatives and friends are frightened. Gao Taigong asks Wang Tianshi ( a Sorcerer ) to vanquish this demon. But Zhu Wuneng makes fun of Wang Tianshi. Sun Wukong accompanies his master to Gaolaozhuang village, he changes into Zhu Wuneng's wife and subdues Zhu and takes him as Tang Sanzang's disciple and gives him a nickname by Bajie.
Sha Wujing who is punished in Liushahe river by the Jade Emperor because he has broken glaze glasses in the peach banquet and caught Tang Sanzang and wants to eat him. Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and the white dragon have saved their master at the risk of their lives and captured Sha Wujing. Tang sanzang takes him as a disciple instead of punishing him.
Tang Sanzang guarded by Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing rides on the back of the white dragon horse. They continue to set foot on the way to the West, which is full of dangers, hardships, as well as demons and ghosts.
