The question of whether the Monkey King (Sun Wukong) is male or female arises frequently, as Journey to the West never explicitly portrays him having sexual desires toward men or women.
(more…)Tag: subhuti
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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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Crow’s Nest Chan Master and Heart Sutra in Journey to the West
In Journey to the West, Master Subodhi (Subhuti) and Zen Master Wu Chao stand out as two of the most enigmatic figures. Both characters make only brief appearances in the novel before vanishing without a trace. Despite their fleeting presence, they play pivotal roles in shaping the story’s progression and spiritual undertones.
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Where does Subhuti live in Journey to the West?
Subhūti, the mentor of Sun Wukong (the Monkey King), resides in Lingtai Fangcun Mountain (灵台方寸山), Slanted Moon and Three Stars Cave (斜月三星洞), located in the Western Continent of Aparagodānīya in Journey to the West.
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Wukong quotes Confucius’ Analects
Sun Wukong is portrayed in Journey to the West as quick-witted and rhetorically adept. Notably, statistical analyses of the novel reveal that of its approximately 300 cited classical quotations, Sun Wukong alone delivers 110 lines—over a third of the total.
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[Journey to the West]The Supreme Formula of Celestial Immortal
In the novel Journey to the West, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, learned several crucial skills and knowledge from his first master, Subhuti. Key highlights include:
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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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