“The remedy comes from beyond the sea” is a Chinese proverb, meaning that to seek a miraculous cure, one must journey to the mythical immortal islands in the ocean.
(more…)Author: Juan
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[Journey to the West]Historical Prototype of King of the Black Rooster Kingdom
The Kingdom of Black Rooster does not appear in any real historical records and is a fictional nation created by the author of Journey to the West. However, the story and certain plot elements in the Black Rooster Kingdom evoke associations with the Liang Dynasty during Emperor Wu’s reign.
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[Journey to the West]What time did emperors and officials of ancient China begin their work?
From Journey to the West, we learn that ancient Chinese emperors and officials typically commenced their court sessions around the fifth watch.
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Wukong and the Zen Patriarch
In an earlier post, we explained how the Monkey King measure time without clocks on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. We found that his master Subhuti’s “Three Watches Agreement” actually draws inspiration from a Chan (Zen) Buddhist parable, the secret dharma transmission to the Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng. Today, we will delve deeper into this topic to uncover more intriguing narratives and contextualize more undisclosed details.
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Has the Monkey King ever eaten human flesh?
In Journey to the West, the question of whether Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) consumes human flesh is a topic of debate. While many demons, including Tang Sanzang’s disciples Zhu Bajie (Pigsy) and Sha Wujing (Sandy), have cannibalistic pasts, Wukong’s relationship with human flesh is more complex and symbolic.
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