Reading Notes W11: Wu Cheng'en, Part B

Wu Cheng'en (1500-1582): Wu was known for being a versatile poet and his story, "The Journey to the West" liked by many for it's combination of magical and fictional aspects.

(421-436)

"From The Journey to the West"

(424-434)

- On top of a mountain sat an immortal stone. It included having nine perforations and eight whole referencing Palaces of the nine and Eight Trigrams.

- This stone then turned into a stone money which was able to climb and run.

- He made friends with other animals but they were not stone.

- The monkey jumped in a waterfall after the other monkeys said who ever had would become king.

- He told them that there was no water but instead a big mansion on clouds and he then invited the other monkeys to go move there with him.

- They go in and then begin wrestling over who gets what.

- The stone monkey was honored by becoming their new king. He changed his title to handsome monkey king.

- The king was distressed for that he knew the monkeys would get old and one day perish so he set out to find the Buddhas who were immortal.

- He takes clothes and wears it like humans would and also sees that humans were stuck on wanting wealth rather than what the monkey was looking to find which was youth and immortality.

- He comes by a woodcutter singing mentioning the immortals and the king thinks the woodcutter is immortal but really is not.

- The woodcutter does not seek the immortals because he takes care of his mother who is very old.

- The monkey is very much blind by wanting immortality that even after hearing the woodcutters story, asks him to join him.

(435-

- The patriarch is told by the king he was born from stone and this pleased the immortal.

Wu Cheng'en. (421-436) "The Journey To The West", The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume D.