In Journey to the West, the names and titles of the characters often carry specific symbolic meanings.
(more…)Tag: Monkey King
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How do they tell time at night in Journey to the West?
The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches were a system used in ancient China to mark years, months, days, and hours. In Journey to the West, the universe is divided into 12 cyclical periods, each named after the Earthly Branches. Similarly, ancient Chinese divided the day into 12 segments, also named after these branches. For example, master Subhuti taught Sun Wukong the path to immortality at midnight, called Zi hour, which spans 11 PM to 1 AM.
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How did Wukong measure time without clocks?
In Journey to the West, how did the Monkey King measure time on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain without clocks or calendars?
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[Journey to the West]Awakening to Emptiness vs Wukong
After bestowing the name “Wukong” (悟空, “Awakened to Emptiness”) upon the Monkey King, Master Subhuti declared the following words, which carry profound Taoist and Buddhist connotations:
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[Journey to the West]What does “Wukong” mean in Chinese?
The Monkey King was named Wukong (悟空) by his first master. What does “Wukong” signify?
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