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.

‌Symbolic Meanings of the Names‌

The Name of the mountain

Lingtai in Chinese(灵台) has several different meanings. It can refer to:

• The central part of the forehead in the human body.
• The soul or mind of a person.
• The support for placing a coffin, an image of the deceased or a funerary urn.
• In traditional Chinese medicine, it also refers to an acupuncture point. This point is located on the back of the body, just behind the heart.

Fangcun(方寸) literally means “a tiny space” or metaphorically refers to the “heart/mind.”

Combined, the name implies ‌”the mountain of the spiritual heart and mind,”‌ emphasizing introspection and inner enlightenment.

The Name of the cave

The phrase ‌斜月 (slanted moon)‌ and ‌三星 (three stars)‌ visually form the Chinese character ‌心 (“heart”). This symbolizes that true enlightenment lies in ‌cultivating the heart‌, not external quests.

‌Philosophical Connections‌

Sun Wukong is allegorically called the “Mind Monkey” or “Heart Monkey,” representing the restless, untamed mind. His training under Subhuti reflects the Buddhist and Taoist ideal of ‌disciplining desires and emotions‌.

The names Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and Slanted Moon and Three Stars Cave stress that enlightenment begins within the heart. Sun Wukong’s journey mirrors the human struggle to master the mind and attain spiritual freedom.

Though Subhūti appears as a Taoist sage, his name connects to Buddhism. Subhūti shares the name with one of Buddha’s disciples, known as the “Foremost in Understanding Emptiness.” He is living in a Buddhist continent (Aparagodānīya) with Taoist practices embodies Journey to the West’s theme of ‌syncretizing Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism‌.

Subhuti’s dwelling is not merely a physical location but a metaphor for ‌inner cultivation‌. By naming the site with the Chinese character “heart”, the novel underscores that true wisdom arises from self-awareness and mental discipline—a universal theme resonating across Eastern philosophies.