[Journey to the West]Why does the White Bone Demon have Three Lives?

In Journey to the West (Chapter 27: “The White Bone Demon’s Triple Transformation”), the White Bone Demon (also known as the Cadaver Demon, Lady White Bone or White Bone Lady) attempts to capture Tang Sanzang by transforming into three human forms: a young maiden, an elderly woman, and an old man. Each time, Sun Wukong sees through the ruse and kills the demon. However, the demon resurrects twice more, requiring Wukong to slay it three times to eradicate it completely.

The Tang Monk on the horse was again so horrified by what he saw that he could not even utter a word, but Eight Rules on one side snickered and said, “Dear Pilgrim! His delirium is acting up again! He has journeyed for only half a day and he has slaughtered three persons!”

The Tang Monk was about to recite the spell when Pilgrim dashed up to the horse, crying, “Master! Don’t recite! Don’t recite! Just come and take a look at how she looks now.”

There was in front of them a pile of flour-white skeletal bones. “Wukong,” said the Tang Monk, greatly shaken, “this person has just died. How could she change all at once into a skeleton?”

Pilgrim said, “She’s a demonic and pernicious cadaver, out to seduce and harm people. When she was killed by me, she revealed her true form. You can see for yourself that there’s a row of characters on her spine; she’s called ‘LadyWhiteBone’”.

— Journey to the West, Chapter 27

Unlike, any other monsters, demons or spirits in the novel, the Lady White Bone has three lives although she is pretty much the weakest demon in the Journey to the West.

Why does the White Bone Demon have Three Lives?

We can analyze this from the Taoist and Buddhist perspectives, respectively.

Taoist Symbolism: The “Three Corpses”

The Cadaver Demon’s three lives metaphorically represent the Three Corpses, a Taoist concept of malevolent spirits residing within the human body. They are also known as the “Three Worms” or “Three Poisons”, correspond to the three dantian (energy centers) in the human body: the Upper Dantian, Middle Dantian , and Lower Dantian. These entities represent three destructive desires within the body: extravagance, gluttony, and lust. The Three Corpses exploit these desires to tempt humans into moral failings, aiming to hasten the body’s death so they can escape their human host and roam freely as unrestrained ghosts.

This tripartite struggle is deeply rooted in Taoist cosmology and symbolizes the battle against inner spiritual corruption.

Sun Wukong’s threefold destruction of the demon parallels the Taoist practice of “beheading the Three Corpses”, a ritual to purge these inner demons and achieve immortality. This episode underscores the novel’s theme: spiritual enlightenment requires confronting and transcending the temptations rooted in the body and mind.

Buddhist lens of the Three Poisons

In Journey to the West, the White Bone Lady’s three transformations and “three lives” can be interpreted through the Buddhist lens of the Three Poisons—greed, anger, and delusion—which are considered the root causes of suffering and rebirth in Samsara. Here’s how this symbolism unfolds in the story.

1. Greed – The First Transformation: Young Maiden

The White Bone Demon first appears as a beautiful young maiden offering food to Tang Sanzang. This form embodies greed, specifically the craving for immortality.

• Symbolism: The maiden’s allure represents worldly desires and attachment to the physical body. The demon’s goal—to devour Tang Sanzang’s “immortal flesh”—mirrors humanity’s insatiable greed for longevity, power, or sensory pleasure.
• Buddhist Parallel: Greed traps beings in the cycle of rebirth by fostering attachment to transient things.

2. Anger – The Second Transformation: Elderly Woman

After Sun Wukong kills the maiden, the demon reappears as an elderly woman mourning her “daughter.” This form embodies anger and resentment.

• Symbolism: The old woman’s grief and rage at her “loss” reflect the destructive nature of anger. Her vengeful persistence mirrors how unresolved anger fuels hatred and perpetuates suffering.
• Buddhist Parallel: Anger blinds wisdom and generates karma that binds beings to Samsara.

3. Delusion – The Third Transformation: Old Man

Finally, the demon transforms into an old man searching for his “wife” and “daughter.” This form embodies delusion—ignorance of truth.

• Symbolism: The old man’s stubborn refusal to see through the illusion (despite Wukong’s warnings) represents humanity’s attachment to false perceptions. His insistence on clinging to a fabricated reality mirrors the delusion that sustains suffering.
• Buddhist Parallel: Delusion (ignorance of the Four Noble Truths) is the foundational poison that enables greed and anger to persist.

Spiritual Significance

While similar to Buddhism’s Three Poisons (greed, anger, delusion), Taoism’s Three Corpses focus specifically on desires tied to the physical body. Both frameworks, however, converge in Journey to the West, illustrating China’s syncretic spiritual traditions.

• Tang Sanzang’s inability to recognize the demon—despite Wukong’s warnings—symbolizes the human struggle against delusion. It highlights how even well-intentioned beings can succumb to delusion. His misplaced compassion critiques attachment to superficial virtue without discernment.
• The White Bone Demon, a skeletal spirit seeking eternal life through Tang Sanzang’s flesh, ironically embodies the very desires that prevent true immortality. The demon’s final form—a pile of white bones—reveals the emptiness of worldly pursuits, echoing the Heart Sutra’s teaching: “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.”
• Wukong purge the inner demons or the mental afflictions (greed, anger, and delusion) by slaying the demon thrice.

The White Bone Demon’s three lives are not mere narrative gimmicks but a profound metaphor for spiritual purification. This episode serves as a microcosm of the pilgrims’ (and readers’) spiritual journey—fighting inner demons to attain clarity and peace, transforming folkloric horror into a timeless lesson on the battles waged within the human soul.