In Journey to the West, upon learning that the Golden Sage Palace Queen had been abducted by Jupiter’s Rival, Immortal Ziyang (Zhang Boduan) gifted her a magical garment, swiftly safeguarding her purity against defilement.
The realized immortal said, “Three years ago, I was on my way to a Buddha festival when I passed through this region. When I saw that the king was destined to be separated from his mate, I feared that the fiend might defile the queen and upset the human relations, so that afterwards it would be difficult for the king and queen to be reunited. I therefore changed an old coir coat of mine into a new shining robe, radiant in five colors, to present to the fiend king as an addition to the queen’s wardrobe. The moment when she put it on, poisonous prickles sprouted on her body, but actually those prickles were the transformation of the coir coat. Now that I have learned of the Great Sage’s success, I have come to bring deliverance.”
— Journey to the West, Chapter 71
What’s more the Immortal Ziyang didn’t remove this protection before the king’s presence.
When the king saw her, he hurried down from the dragon couch. Taking the hand of the lady, he wanted to tell her how much he missed her when all of a sudden, he fell to the ground crying, “Oh my hand! It hurts! It hurts!”
— Journey to the West, Chapter 71
Immortal Ziyang removed the garment from the Golden Sage Palace Queen in the king’s presence primarily to verify her innocence. Simultaneously, this act prevented embarrassment for Bodhisattva Guanyin.
Proving the Queen’s Innocence
In ancient times, a woman’s sexual purity was paramount. After the Queen’s three-year abduction by the demon, Jupiter’s Rival, the king harbored doubts despite missing her. Knowing these concerns, Immortal Ziyang appeared immediately after Sun Wukong rescued her-just as the king recoiled from touching her divine garment. He revealed that he had transformed the old palm-leaves into a magical robe, shielding her chastity.
This demonstration confirmed she remained unsullied during captivity, allowing the king to reunite with her unreservedly.
Preserving Bodhisattva Guanyin’s Dignity
The demon was the transformed Golden Haired Wolf, Guanyin’s mount. Immortal Ziyang knew its descent to the mortal realm resulted from the king of Scarlet Purple Kingdom wounding the offspring of the Peacock Mahamayuri Bodhisattva – an act ordained by Buddhist karma as “three years of marital separation.”
While Ziyang wished to protect the Queen, openly opposing Buddhist decrees was unthinkable. Hence, he gifted the enchanted robe. By removing the garment before the king instead of reclaiming it after Guanyin subdued her mount, Ziyang avoided appearing boastful or meddlesome toward Buddhist affairs. This tactful gesture upheld Guanyin’s dignity and prevented potential conflicts.
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