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the-monkey-ruler · 12 days

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Didn’t jttw’s publisher see the book’s success and wanted to replicate it with north, east, and south? I thought I read that somewhere but it’s been a while.

I can't say I know anything about that, or at least I haven't heard about it. If you find the link to where you read that I would love to see it! The story of Xiyouji was popular before Wu Cheng'en's version, hence why there were so many different versions around it, just that it was theorized that Wu Cheng'en was able to connect multiple of the one-off tales of them fighting demons and finally put it together in a coherent narrative. Wu Cheng'en's version started to become the 'canon' because of its popularity but that doesn't discredit the popularity or notoriety of previous Xiyouji media.

Xiyouji was based on The Story of How Tripitaka of the Great Tang Procures the Scriptures 大唐三藏取經詩話 which was released around the late-13th-century, giving a good few centuries for the story to rise in popularity before the Wu Chengen's 1592 cut. From there we do see other versions of the story, such as the early-Ming Journey to the West zaju play 西遊記雜劇 which was created between these productions.

If we want to see when the other novels were created it's just a matter of trying to put them in order.

Late-13th-century ~ The Story of How Tripitaka of the Great Tang Procures the Scriptures 大唐三藏取經詩話

Early-Ming ~ Journey to the West zaju play 西遊記雜劇

1522-1526 - Journey to the East 東遊記 by Wu Yuantai

1566 ~ Journey to the West: The Biography of Tang Sanzang 西游唐三藏出身传 by Yang Zhihe

1570s-1580s - Journey to the South 南遊記 by Yu Xiangdou

1592 - Journey to the West 西遊記 by Wu Cheng'en

1602 - Journey to the North 北遊記 by Yu Xiangdou

I think that considering how close the publication dates (even the estimates) that it would be fair that most of these pieces of media were either inspired by previous interpretations of Xiyouji and it took some time before Wu Cheng'en's version finally became popular enough to be considered the 'canon' as it is referred to as today. I can't say how fast the spread of literature was back in the 16th century but I assume it would be much slower by today's standards at least.

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takeachanceontoday · 2 years

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Can you tell us more about this first rendition of the monkey king?

Hol’ up. I don’t know that much so I’m gonna copy-paste from this research site.

if you wish to know more, I high key recommend studying this site as they have a LOT of information on the lore of Journey to the West and even specialize in it!

The character is mentioned in a eulogy from a tale in Zhang Shinan’s (張世南, d. after 1230) Memoirs of a Traveling Official (Youhuan jiwen, 遊宦紀聞, 13th-century). The story follows Zhang the Sage (Zhang sheng, 張聖), a farmer-turned-Buddhist monk who gains the ability to read and predict the future after eating a magic peach bestowed by an immortal. He is later asked to write a eulogy (zan, 讚) in honor of a temple’s newly built revolving sutra case. It reads:

Fresh are the pattra (palm) leaves on which are written the unexcelled (anuttara), vigorous texts, In several lives, Tripitaka went west to India to retrieve them; Their every line, their every letter is a precious treasure, Each sentence and each word is a field of blessing (puṇyakṣetra). In the waves of the sea of misery (duḥkha-sāgara), the Monkey-disciple [1] presses on, Through the waters of the river that soak its hair, the horse rushes forward; No sooner have they passed the long sand than they must face the trial of the golden sands, Only while gazing toward the other shore do they know the reasons (pratyāya) for being on this shore. The demons (yaksas) are delighted that they might get their heart’s desire, But the Bodhisattva, with hand clasped in respectful greeting, sends them on; Now here are the five hundred and sixty-odd cases of scriptures, Their merit is difficult to measure, their perfection hard to encompass (Isobe, 1977, as cited in Mair, 1989, pp. 693-694).

無上雄文貝葉鮮，幾生三藏往西天。行行字字為珍寶，句句言言是福田。苦海波中猴行復；沈毛江上馬馳前。長沙過了金沙難；望岸還知到岸緣。夜叉歡喜隨心答；菩薩精虔合掌傳。半千六十餘函在，功德難量熟處圓。

The tribute references elements that would later appear in The Story of How Tripitaka of the Great Tang Procures the Scriptures (Da Tang Sanzang qujing shihua, 大唐三藏取經詩話, c. late-13th-century), the earliest printed edition of the JTTW story cycle comprising a seventeen-chapter storytelling prompt. These include Xuanzang’s quest to India over several lifetimes, the Monkey Pilgrim coming to his rescue, the tribulations at the river of sand (a nod to Sha Wujing’s precursor), the demons encountered, and heavenly assistance.

Japanese scholar Isobe Akira dates the tale of Zhang the Sage to the late-Northern or early-Southern Song (circa 1127) based on the mention of certain historical figures therein (Mair, 1989, pp. 693-694).

#&& STFU Loke #&& ANSWERED #long post for ts #Shit. I think I've given the false impression that I know more about JTTW than I actually do.#HELP

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the-monkey-ruler · 1 year

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has anyone ever tried to adapt the early play version of the journey? or took some inspiration? like monkey's siblings

I'm trying to only read a couple of these movie/show summaries a day in order to not get burned out but I'll be honest... I don't think a single one of them has any of their own JTTW-inspired media ;_;

On one hand, I understand. Other adaptions of Journey to the West like The Story of How Tripitaka of the Great Tang Procures the Scriptures 大唐三藏取經詩話 or Zaju 西遊記 are interesting stories on their own they never gained that popularity or notoriety that Wu Cheng'en's 西遊記 adaption. And honestly, it makes sense in that Wu Cheng'en is the most popular as it was able to take the best qualities of Wukong, keeping him a mischievous but clever monkey while still making him wise and a respected fighter. It gave Wukong layers to be able to relate to any reader, being of higher class or of lower class, gaining such attention in both entertainment and scholarly work that it gained the 'canon' status.

So sadly any background of Wukong's four siblings was dropped and has yet to ever resurface.

Some more info on those if you want to look into them more.

The same being said with Supplement Journey to the West 西遊補, Journey to the South 南遊記, and Later Journey to the West 後西遊記. Once Wu Cheng'en's 西遊記 gained that popularity and status other authors wished to contribute as well. And while I am sad that there is no media of these early contributions to the novel I also understand that they are pieces of media on their own.

The 'sequels' are stories onto themselves that offer their own allegories whether that be political or religious takes by the individual author more so using the medium of JTTW so convey their stories. Similar to how artists/writers use JTTW as a medium to tell their own stories in reimagings or adaptions.

Wukong or anyone of the pilgrimage going through other adventures within the novel or having continuations after the novel is nothing new to media in modern times as there are a lot of moves/shows with original demons or making stories of what happened 'after' JTTW so I would take it like... why would a director take someone's else blueprints for a reimaging/retelling of JTTW when they have their own version of the popular story? Why take someone else demon when you can make your own? Why remake someone else's take on Sun Clan children when you have plans of your own?

Sadly that means unless some of these earlier JTTW media become REALLY popular really soon and someone is willing to put their entire goal into making them entertaining or watchable enough for the general population I think they shall only stay where they are... they are good stories but I do think what's holding them back is that on their own, they are just okay and what really made them survive is their connection to the popular adaption of Journey to the West.

#jttw #The Story of How Tripitaka of the Great Tang Procures the Scriptures #大唐三藏取經詩話 #Wu Cheng'en #Zaju 西遊記 #xiyouji #西遊記 #西遊補 #Supplement Journey to the West #南遊記 #Journey to the South #Later Journey to the West #後西遊 #ask

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the-monkey-ruler · 3 months

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Back in Ming dynasty, were all characters given some kind of backstory or is that a JTTW thing?

If you mean all the characters in the novel then yes most of the gods and even several demons were already established in Buddhist lore and Chinese folklore long before the novel and they make more cameo appearances within the books. Not all the demons were created before the book but there are certainly inspiration from real mythos in their creation. I do a little backstory for the demons here if you wanna check it out.

As for the main five that is a bit more tricky. Sanzang of course if based on Xuanzang the real-life Tang Monk.

The earliest mentions of Sun Wukong are from The Story of How Tripitaka of the Great Tang Procures the Scriptures in late-13th-century CE so that would be right in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. But of course, you could consider how Wukong is inspired by both Hanuman who rose around the second millennium CE and Wuzhiqi whose tale is around the Tang and Song Dynasty. Different monkeys for sure but he is inspired by these legends in his final creation.

Bajie was really made in the Zaju play early Ming dynasty (14 to 15th-century) where he was shown to be a demon in a similar form and part of the group. However, I had read that his inspiration go as far back as the Jin Dynasty. They say his origin may lie with the story "猪臂金铃" by Gan Bao in Jin Dynasty. Or that he was inspired by He Bo Feng Yi, because the prototype of Feng Yi is a pig. Wu Zimu's "Meng Liang Lu" mentioned that "Tianpeng" was originally a Taoist fairy official. Some people also think that the prototype of Zhu Bajie comes from Indian Buddhist scriptures, as Chen Yinke said. There is a portrait of "Pig Head Bodhisattva" in the Thousand Buddha Caves in Kizil, Xinjiang, excavated in the early Tang Dynasty. He is called "Marizhitian" in Buddhist scriptures.

As for Wujing he was actaully written in Xuanzang's historical biography from the 7th-century as a complacent water spirit. He was an established character even before Bajie and Wukong but receives the least amount of attention sadly enough. Some scholars believe that he might have been inspired from the image of the deep sand god of Esoteric Buddhism from "The Poetry of the Tripitaka of the Tang Dynasty" as Shensha. Shensha God exists as an authentic Buddhist god however, in the scriptures translated by Zhu Tanwulan in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Shensha and Fuqiu existed as evil spirits, rather than Dharma protectors.

As for Bailong he was created for the novel itself but there is a long history of how heavenly horses and even dragons were before his creation. In the Zaju play Bailong was actually a Fire Dragon Horse. I have to thank @ryin-silverfish for this information that according to ��游故事跨文本研究 Bailong's origin could be traced to a tale about an actual horse in the aforementioned biography of Xuanzang. The unnamed skinny old horse was gifted to Xuanzang by an elderly foreign man, who was an experienced traveler of the western roads. Later, when Xuanzang had lost his way in the desert and was about to die of thirst, the horse took a different road of its own accord and saved the day by bringing him to an oasis. Because the said horse was red in color and why the Dragon Horse was often called a Fire Dragon Horse in later Baojuan and Zaju plays, and this was changed to white because of the keystone imagery in the legends of Buddhism's spread to China "white horse carrying the scriptures" (白马驮经).

Hope that helps!

#anon ask #anonymous #anon #jttw #journey to the west #sun wukong #xiyouji #ask #zhu bajie #sha wujing #tang sanzang #bai longma #bailong ma #bai long ma #monkey king #xuan zang #xuanzang

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journeytothewestresearch · 10 months

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Hello! I have a question involving something connected to Sun Wukong.

I heard there was a deity that's his predecessor before becoming him, do you know the name of that deity? If so, can you tell me more about said deity?

I'm not quite sure which figure you are referring to. When you say "deity," do you mean Hanuman (Sk: हनुमान्), the Hindu monkey god? If so, I recommend that you read his Wikipedia article for an overview. For more in-depth info, see this archived book (along with two archived dissertations). There is also this archived paper, which discusses his possible connections to the Monkey King.

You might also be referring to the "Monkey Pilgrim" (Hou xingzhe, 猴行者), Sun Wukong's antecedent, but he isn't an actively worshiped deity (this differs from the Monkey King). He co-stars in The Story of How Tripitaka of the Great Tang Procures the Scriptures (Da Tang Sanzang qujing shihua, 大唐三藏取經詩話, c. late-13th-century), the earliest printed edition of the JTTW story cycle.

He is depicted as a white-robed scholar who is really a supremely ancient immortal who has seen the Yellow River dry up nine times over thousands of generations. He has the power of flight and transformation (as well as the ability to transform others), but he relies on a heavenly golden-ringed monk's staff to do most of the fighting for him. For example, he changes it into a titanic, club-wielding yaksha to destroy a white tiger spirit who is the precursor of the White Bone Spirit. Later, he changes it into an iron dragon to fight nine nine-headed dragons to exhaustion. Then he beats them with an iron staff and makes a belt from their spinal sinews.

The only time that he changes his shape is when he becomes an ever-growing rock that explodes the white tiger spirit's stomach from within. This is prior to her destruction.

The Monkey Pilgrim is shown to be quite ruthless. For instance, after a sorcerer transforms a young monk into a donkey, Monkey changes his wife into grass so that she will be eaten. The man quickly returns the monk to his original form, leading to Monkey to recall his magic. But the latter warns:

My master and six monks will pass through here soon. Don't you dare use sorcery on them. If you do, I shall have to mow down all the grass of your house.

I read this to mean that he will kill the man and his entire family!

But despite the Monkey Pilgrim's great power, he is shown to be afraid of the Queen Mother of the West. This is because, when he was still a young immortal, she caught him stealing her immortal peaches and had him beat with an iron staff (possibly the same one that he uses on the nine-headed dragons). He claims that his sides still hurt even after thousands of years. Therefore, he refuses to steal any more peaches even when Tripitaka requests him to do so.

At the end of the journey, the Chinese emperor enfeoffs him as the “Great Sage Steel Muscles and Iron Bones” (Gangjin tiegu dasheng, 鋼筋鐵骨大聖).

#Sun Wukong #Monkey King #Monkey Pilgrim #Journey to the West #JTTW #Hanuman #Lego Monkie Kid #LMK #MK

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the-monkey-ruler · 7 months

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Accidentally deleted this but the earliest I can think of is in JTTWR’s article about a monkey disciple from 1230 CE.

And that this connection is how a monkey disciple gets added to The Story of How Tripitaka of the Great Tang Procures the Scriptures (13th-century CE) which isn't too huge of a timeframe.

However even earlier was in 1094-1102 CE when depictions of Xuanzang on his quest show him with some disciples. Some late-12th or early-13th-century CE murals. And also a figure of Monkey Pilgrim from 1237 CE. Also a late-12th-century ritual scrolls portraying the famed 500 Arhats.

While these are all physical evidence that has survived time throughout history it should also be noted that it makes it near impossible to pinpoint when he was being created within oral history.

But there is also the argument on how Hanuman and Wuquizi can be connected to Wukong's creation. These figures today are seen as their own entities and thus while considered to be huge inspirations aren't considered to be the Same as Wukong.

There is a great article talking about that too!

#anon ask #anonymous #anon #jttw #journey to the west #xiyouji #sun wukong #ask

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journeytothewestresearch · 1 year

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Sun Wukong and the Buddha Victorious in Strife

I have improved a previous article from 2020 which discusses how Sun Wukong's Buddha title is borrowed from an existing deity. Below, I present the newly-written conclusion.

At the end of Journey to the West, the Buddha promotes Sun Wukong to the “Buddha Victorious in Strife” or “Victorious Fighting Buddha” (Dou zhansheng fo, 鬥戰勝佛). This is the Chinese name of Yuddhajaya, the 31st of the 35 Confession Buddhas called upon during a confessional prayer to absolve oneself of sins. He is generally portrayed as a robe-wearing Buddha holding a sword and suit of armor. This is not a reference to the deity’s fighting prowess, however. Instead, his name and accoutrements symbolize the means by which he subjugates the negative emotions or actions that would otherwise keep man trapped in the illusory world of Saṃsāra.

Instead of being universally revered as the Buddha Victorious in Strife, the Monkey King is far more widely worshiped in East and Southeast Asia as the “Great Sage Equaling Heaven” (Qitian dasheng, 齊天大聖) or a variant like “Great Sage Buddha Patriarch” (Dasheng fozu, 大聖佛祖). This discrepancy is probably due to the original Yuddhajaya already having a long-established following. There’s no way that he could ever be subsumed under Sun Wukong’s late-blooming cult.

Wu Cheng’en likely connected Monkey to the Buddha Victorious in Strife because both have martial iconography. Sun is commonly depicted wearing armor and wielding an iron staff, while Yuddhajaya is shown holding a sword and armor. But the concept of Sun receiving an elevation in spiritual rank goes back centuries. The Monkey Pilgrim, his literary antecedent from The Story of How Tripitaka of the Great Tang Procures the Scriptures (late-13th-century), is deified by the Tang emperor as “Great Sage Steel Muscles and Iron Bones” (Gangjin tiegu dasheng, 鋼筋鐵骨大聖).

#Sun Wukong #Monkey King #Buddha Victorious in Strife #Victorious Fighting Buddha #Journey to the West #JTTW #Lego Monkie Kid #Buddha

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journeytothewestresearch · 2 years

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Origin of Lego Monkie Kid’s Lady Bone Demon

I. The Spirit’s Story

The 27th chapter of Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, 1592) features a mountain spirit who resorts to magic disguises in an attempt to eat Tripitaka. Commonly referred to as the “White Bone Spirit” (Baigujing, 白骨精), she is one of a family of ghouls active in White Tiger Mountain (Baihu ling, 白虎嶺) who have long told legends of the monk’s immortality-bestowing flesh. She resorts to subterfuge because alone she is not powerful enough to contend with the holy man’s present disciples, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing.

The spirit first disguises herself as a peerless beauty described as having “ice-white skin hid[ing] jade-like bones” (Wu & Yu, 2012, pp. 18). She comes bearing a vegetarian meal, claiming it to be food intended for her pious husband toiling in the fields on the other side of the mountain. She instead decides to feed Tripitaka as this would allow her to keep her family’s vow of supporting monks. But before she can kidnap the monk, Sun Wukong returns from picking peaches for his master and sees through the magic façade, seemingly killing the young girl with his magic staff. The monster, however, is able to escape in spirit at the last second using the “Magic of Releasing the Corpse” (Jieshi fa, 解屍法), [1] leaving behind a fake body in her place. The innocent-looking food is then revealed to be bewitched frogs, toads, and maggots. Despite this, Zhu Bajie convinces their master that Monkey is trying to conceal the murder with magic, leading to the monk using the Tight-Fillet spell as punishment.

She subsequently disguises herself as the girl’s elderly mother searching the mountain for her daughter. Sun again sees through the disguise and seemingly kills her with his staff. This again leads to his punishment with the Tight-Fillet spell. The White Bone Spirit’s last disguise is that of the elderly father looking for his wife and daughter. But this time Monkey calls on local deities to guard any possible escape routes, and this time he succeeds in killing her. The spirit’s true form is revealed to be a “pile of flour-white skeletal bones” with the name “Lady White Bone” (Baigu furen, 白骨夫人) engraved on her spine (fig. 1) (Wu & Yu, 2012, pp. 26).

Fig. 1 – A lovely cosplay of Lady White Bone (larger version). More pictures can be seen here.

II. Origin in Oral Literature

The precursor of the White Bone Spirit can be traced to a demon appearing in chapter six of The Story of How Tripitaka of the Great Tang Procures the Scriptures (Da Tang Sanzang qujing shihua, 大唐三藏取經詩話, c. late 13th-century), the earliest known printed edition of Journey to the West.

Chapter six: Passing Long Ditch and Great Serpent Peak (Guo changkeng dashe lingqu, 過長坑大蛇嶺處)

The pilgrims arrived at the valley of the fire-spitting White Tiger Spirit (Huo lei ao baohu jing, 火類坳白虎精). Coming closer they encountered a great ditch. The four steep entrances were pitch-black and they heard a roar of thunder. They could not advance. The Dharma Master [Fashi, 法師, i.e. Tripitaka] held up his [magic] golden-ringed staff and, flourishing it toward the distant heavenly palace, yelled: “Devaraja! Help us in our afflictions!” Suddenly a shaft of light shot out from the staff five tricents long. It slashed through the long ditch and soon they were able to get across.

Next they came to Great Serpent Peak. There they saw a gigantic serpent like a dragon. It likewise was not harmful to humans. Then they crossed the pit of the fire-spitters. Down, down into the fiery pit they looked and saw a pile of dry bones over forty tricents long. The Dharma Master asked Monkey Pilgrim [Hou xingzhe, 猴行者]: “What are those white withered bones piled up there like snow on a mountain?” Monkey Pilgrim replied: “This is the place where the Heir Apparent, Ming Huang…changed his bones.” [2] The Dharma Master, hearing this, joined his palms and bowed his head in reverence.

Next they suddenly came to a prairie fire which reached to the heavens. It sent off such a huge amount of smoke and sparks that the pilgrims could not proceed. The Dharma Master shone the light of his [magic] begging-bowl toward the fire and yelled: “Devaraja!” The fire died out immediately and the seven pilgrims crossed this pit. When they were halfway across, Monkey Pilgrim said: “Master, did you know this peak is inhabited by a white tiger spirit? It often appears as a vixen, demon, or goblin and even eats people.” The Master replied: “I didn’t know!” After a while they could see a spume of ominous-looking smoke rising behind the peak and from the cloud thus…fell a mixture of rain, snow, and sleet. In the cloudy mist there was a woman dressed all in white.

She wore a white bodice of gauze, a white gauze skirt with a white belt, and held in her hands a single white peony. [3] Her face was as pretty as a white lotus, her ten fingers like precious jades. Observing the form of the ogress, Monkey Pilgrim had his suspicions confirmed. “Master, don’t go any farther,” said Monkey Pilgrim. “It’s surely an ogress. Wait till I go up and ask who she is.” Monkey Pilgrim took one look at her and shouted in a loud voice: “What place are you from, demon? What shape is beneath your facade? If you are a sprite or goblin, why don’t you hurry back to your lair? If you are an ogress, hurriedly hid your traces. But, if you are the daughter of a human being, then tell me your name and surname. And be quick about it! If you procrastinate and don’t speak, I shall reduce you to dust and power!” Hearing the pilgrim’s ferocious tone of voice, the white-clad woman slowly advanced, smiled coyly, and inquired whither the master and his disciples were going. Monkey Pilgrim said: “Ask no more! We travel for the sake of the sentient beings of the Eastern Lands. And you must be none other than the White Tiger Spirit of the Fire-spitting Pit.”

Hearing this, the woman’s mouth gaped open and she screamed loudly, while at the same moment her skin burst open revealing claws, long fangs, a tail, and a feline head. She was fifteen feet long. In another instant the whole mountain was filled with white tigers. Monkey Pilgrim transformed his golden-ringed staff into a gigantic Yaksa whose head touched the sky and whose feet straddled the earth. In his hands he grasped a demon-subduing cudgel. His body was blue as indigo, his hair red as cinnabar; from his mouth a fiery gleam shot forth a hundred yards long. At the same time, the White Tiger Spirit advanced with a roar to do battle, but she was repulsed by the Monkey Pilgrim. After a short while, Monkey Pilgrim asked if the tiger spirit was ready to submit. She replied, “Never!” Monkey said: “If you will not submit, you will find an old monkey in your stomach!”

The tiger spirit heard what he said yet did not surrender right away. But no sooner had he yelled “Monkey!” than a monkey in the White Tiger Spirit’s stomach responded. The tiger spirit was forced to open her mouth and spit out the monkey. When it landed on the ground in front of her, it became twelve feet long with flashing eyes. The White Tiger Spirit spoke: “I still will not submit!” Monkey replied: “Then you will find another in your stomach!” Again, he caused the tiger spirit to open her mouth and spit out another monkey which landed in front of her. And again the tiger spirit said: “I still do not submit!” Monkey replied: “There are countless old monkeys in your stomach now, and even if you spit them out all day today until the next, all this month until the next, all this year until the next, all this life until the next, you will not be rid of them!” This made the tiger spirit angry. She was again afflicted by the Monkey when he transformed himself into a great stone in her stomach which gradually grew in size. Though she tried to spit it out, she couldn’t. Her stomach split asunder and blood poured from her seven orifices. [4] Monkey called upon the yaksa to slaughter the big White Tiger Spirit ruthlessly, and the yaksa pulverized its bones and obliterated its last vestiges.

The [Monkey Pilgrim], having withdrawn [his] magic, rested for a time before [the group] continued the journey. They left a poem:

The pit of fire-spitters and the White Tiger Spirit, All that lot are vanquished, and peace and safety reign. Now, the supernatural power of Monkey Pilgrim is displayed, Protecting the monkish pilgrims across the great ditch (Wivell, 1994).

The chapter has a number of details that naturally led to the development of the White Bone Spirit.

The demon is a White Tiger Spirit, hence the White Tiger Mountain mentioned in the novel.

The “piles” of the future emperor’s bones recall the “piles” of the White Bone Spirit’s bones (her true form) after she is killed by Wukong.

The White Tiger Spirit’s hunger for flesh and ability to take on any form (like “a vixen, demon, or goblin”) recalls the White Bone Spirit’s pursuit of Tripitaka and use of magic disguises.

The White Tiger Spirit’s initial disguise as a beautiful woman with a “white lotus” face and jade-like fingers recalls the White Bone Demon’s “ice-white skin” and “jade-like bones.”

Notes

1) This is related to an ancient Daoist concept called “Release by means of a corpse” (Shijie, 尸解). As far back as the Han, immortals are described as leaving a fake corpse (sometimes a magically disguised object) behind while they ascended in secret to heaven (Kirkland, 2008).

2) This changing of bones most likely refers to some type of realized spiritual cultivation that resulted in a new, pure body for the future emperor.

3) The color white is associated with death in Chinese culture.

4) Sun Wukong defeats several monsters in Journey to the West by invading their stomach. See, for example, chapters 59, 75, and 82.

Sources

Kirkland, R. (2008). Shijie In F. Pregadio (Ed.), The encyclopedia of Taoism: Volume 2 (pp. 896-897). London [u.a.: Routledge].

Wivell, C.S. (1994). The story of how the monk Tripitaka of the great country of T’ang brought back the Sūtras. In Mair, Victor H. The Columbia anthology of traditional Chinese literature (pp 1181-1207). New York: Columbia University Press.

youtube

Here is the full length animated feature Sun Wukong Three Times Fights the White Bone Demon (孫悟空三打白骨精, 1985), which was produced twenty years after the highly popular Uproar in Heaven (大鬧天宮, 1965).

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