Within the Lion Camel Kingdom (and Lion Camel Ridge) alliance of Journey to the West, the Green Lion Spirit’s position as leader among the trio — Green Lion, White Elephant, and Roc Demon — was not merely due to lineage or combat prowess.
In Journey to the West (Chapter 23: “Four Saints Test the Zen Heart”), the four bodhisattvas disguise themselves as a widow and her three daughters to test the pilgrims’ spiritual resolve. Their names are riddled with homophonic puns and double meanings, critiquing worldly illusions.