Did Sun Wukong truly escape Buddha’s palm?

Simply put, Sun Wukong both escaped Buddha’s palm and didn’t fully escape it. However, both parties cheated in the process — yet neither point truly mattered, for the gods cared only whether Wukong was defeated. Why is this so?

Wukong’s Flight

First, let’s examine the original text:

“The Great Sage tucked away his golden-hooped staff, summoned his might, and leaped onto Buddha’s palm. ‘I’m off now!’ he cried. Behold him riding his cloud, vanishing like a streak of light.
Buddha watched with his Wisdom Eye and saw the Monkey King spinning like a windmill, racing onward. As the Great Sage flew, he suddenly spotted five flesh-pink pillars supporting a mass of azure aura.”

— Chapter 7

This shows Wukong initially flew beyond Buddha’s sight, implying he did escape the palm. Otherwise, Buddha wouldn’t need his Wisdom Eye to track him.

Wukong’s Cheat

Moreover, Wukong’s somersault cloud technique appeared peculiar — he spun “like a windmill,” indicating multiple consecutive somersaults. This violated the bet’s terms, as they agreed on “one somersault”.

Wukong declared: “I have seventy-two transformations and immortality! My somersault cloud crosses 108,000 li in one leap. Why shouldn’t I rule Heaven?” Buddha replied: “Let’s wager: If you somersault once out of my right palm, you win. I’ll convince the Jade Emperor to cede Heaven. If not, return as a demon.”

— Chapter 7

Clearly, Wukong cheated first. Lacking confidence, he performed extra somersaults despite needing only one.

Buddha’s Cheat

Yet Buddha also cheated. First, he denied Wukong’s escape despite knowing the truth. Then, after locating Wukong with his Wisdom Eye, he magically transformed his fingers into “pillars” emitting “azure aura” to mimic Heaven’s boundary — tricking Wukong into stopping.

Had Wukong continued, Buddha would certainly have deployed other illusions to halt him.

The Unbroken Control

Wukong’s graffiti and urine on Buddha’s fingers proved he ultimately landed on the palm. But this only confirms he failed to permanently escape Buddha’s control — not that he never left the palm initially.

The Gods’ Perspective

As stated at the outset, neither the escape nor the cheating mattered. Buddha required no divine witnesses, just as he later suppressed Wukong under Five Elements Mountain without consulting the gods, heavenly generals or even Jade Emperor. This duel needed no spectators, fairness, or moral justification — the gods cared solely about Wukong’s defeat.