The journey to the west is a story of an enlightened monk in search of sacred sutras by traveling to the west. he was assigned to do so by the Buddha. The monk is also accompanied by the monkey King, sent on this to rid himself of sin, a pig man, accused of assaulting a fairy and a used-to-be sea monster. Throughout the book the monks companions show their puissance, most of which the monkey King.
The journey to the west involves aspects of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism all in one story. The idea of the story came from actual events about a real Buddhist monk in search of sacred sutras. The monks name was Xaunzang, it was told that he spent over four years of his life in "western regions" searching for these sutras. The western regions were mostly India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. These aspects displayed in the story have much of a presence in modern China. Having the book being somewhat comical, it is easy to read and a very effective way of showing Chinese ideals.
The journey to the west tells of many adventures and shenanigans, and in the end of each there is usually a message behind each, obtained through cooperation and teamwork. Each character in the story is separate and unique, helping in their own ways. Since the story was very popular, it had many different adaptations, from movies to comic books, this old story of a monk and his misfit companions has become a very prominent part of Chinese culture.
Nice job Angus. You summerized the story really well. I have a better understanding of the Journey to the West now. Way to go!
ReplyDeleteWell written Angus. I really like reading this after have seen the movie. The movie exaggerates Chinese culture adding a comedic effect making it funny and enjoyable. Now reading your blog post, I can really see and understand the story much more. I like the depth you go into the characters names you bring up and how you relate the book to being a very important part of Chinese culture.
ReplyDelete