Tang monks and apprentices have all violated the rules of heaven, what is the mystery of their names?
The legendary journey to the West is not only a material journey through the mountains and valleys, but also a spiritual journey carefully prepared by the Buddha. In this grand plan, the Buddha and the Jade Emperor jointly discussed and decided that the immortals of the heavenly realm would pretend to be mortals or monsters and go down to the earth to learn scriptures for the Tang monks and apprentices. Such an arrangement not only increases the difficulty of the journey of learning from the scriptures, but also makes the process of learning the scriptures more real and testing people.
However, Rulai chose Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Sha Seng and Little White Dragon as his ** among the countless heroes and heroes in the fairy world. On the surface, these four people seem to be unrelated, but when they dig deeper, they all find that they all have one thing in common that cannot be ignored, that is, they have all made a mistake and have not made even the slightest mistake.
Some people may ask if he made this choice in order to use the power of the fairy world. But in fact, if we talk about the power center of the fairy world, these four people are no exception. So, what is the far-reaching significance of the Buddha bringing them together?
First of all, although Sun Wukong is short in stature, he is strong-willed and intelligent, and he is an indispensable fighter in the team. He is agile and good at change, especially a pair of fiery eyes, who can see through the tricks of demons and monsters.
Although the pig seems to be a big eater and always thinks about the next big meal, its abilities should not be underestimated. The nine-toothed tadpole is not only ferocious, but also a symbol of fun and wisdom in life.
Sha Seng is silent, but his strength and reliability are the main stabilizing force between the four masters and apprentices. At all times and in all places, he resolutely fulfilled his duties, shielding his masters from the wind and rain with iron rods and eternal loyalty.
After all, he was a little white dragon, one of the eight immortals who were banished to the mortal world. Although he also made mistakes, just like the horse that protected Tang Seng, he silently bore his sins and sought redemption.
These four chosen ** did not lose their ties to Heaven because of their sins, and they also had the opportunity to make amends for their past on the way to learn from the scriptures. Rather than simply uniting them together, Buddha Nyorai provided them with a platform for repentance and reaffirmation. Their common mission is not only to protect the Tang monks on the road to learn scriptures in the West, but also to achieve self-correction and nirvana rebirth in the tribulations again and again.
In ancient Eastern philosophy, the Nine Palaces, Bagua and the Five Elements have a profound impact on the generation and change of all things, and this concept is skillfully integrated into the narrative of the great poem "Journey to the West". The decisions made by Tang monks and apprentices are not arbitrary, but contain profound cosmic laws and life philosophies. It is not difficult to know that they each painted five elements and nine palaces gossip, which is not only a coincidence, but also a far-sighted arrangement of the author Wu Chengen.
In the original text, Wu Chengen described it very cleverly"The method of the wood mother Jin Gong to exorcise ghosts", Mu Mu obviously refers to the Eight Commandments, the pig symbolizes the wood in the five elements, and Jin Gong represents the Monkey King, representing the gold in the five elements. This symbolism is not groundless, and the author's intention in fabricating these characters is to express the fact that the five elements are mutually reinforcing.
As for Sha Wujing, her image and behavior in the story are the same as those in Chapter 53 of the original book"Huang Po carries water to drive away evil fruits"Coincide with. The image of Huang Po is Sha Wujing herself, while the image of the swamp spirit expresses stability and tolerance corresponding to the earth. The name of Jiang Liu'er, the core figure of the Tang Seng group, expresses his relationship with water, representing the flow and eternity of life, which is also a characteristic of water.
The White Dragon Horse was originally a dragon in the heavenly realm, and after descending to earth, it turned into a horse, but it still carries the spirit of fire, because the horse represents fire in the zodiac, and the sparks on the horse's hooves symbolize the power to dispel darkness and light the way forward.
The five people of Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, Tang Seng and Bailongma represent the complete system of the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Every step and journey they take embodies the wisdom of heaven and earth, as well as Wu Chengen's deep understanding and inheritance of this wisdom. The five elements not only summarize all things in the universe, but also express the ups and downs and transience of life, and the path to ultimate harmony and balance.
But this is only a superficial purpose, and the real purpose of the Buddha is much broader. In this way, the Buddha not only hoped that the journey of the long-lived monk would be successful, but more importantly, he conveyed a teaching that transcended form and touched the heart through these symbolic figures and events. Through this arrangement, the journey of the longevity monk and his four ** is a process of cultivation, outlining the growth and awakening of the human spirit in the process of continuous concentration and practice.
In the deep structure of "Journey to the West", Sun Wukong was almost expelled from the school by Tang Seng because he was too strict with mortals. These mortals are not ordinary beings, they have their own names:"Intentions"、"Sadness"、"Eye rejoice"、"Ear rage"、"Nose rage"、"?"Nasal dam"、"Nasal dam"、"Nasal dam"、"Nasal dam"、"Nasal dam"、"Nasal dam"、"Nasal dam"Wait a minute. The desire of the heart"、"The sorrow of the body"、"Eye delight"、"The wrath of the ear"、"The nose loves to smell"、"The taste of the tongue"The names correspond to the six desires mentioned in Buddhism: heart, body, eyes, ears, nose, and tongue. In Buddhism, in order to purify the soul and reach ultimate nirvana, we must transcend these six desires and thus attain it"Six are pure"。
Sun Wukong's actions are not meaningless, but entertaining. Wu Chengen conveyed a profound Buddhist doctrine through the behavior of Sun Wukong: only by mastering the six desires can the human soul be truly liberated and sublimated, and then embark on the road to Buddhahood.
The character flaws of the three Tang monks and apprentices symbolize Buddhism"Three poisons": The irascible representative of the Monkey King"Angry", the greed and gluttony of Zhu Bajie"Greedy", Sha Wujing's irascible representative"Angry", the greed and gluttony of Zhu Bajie"Angry", Sha Wujing's honest and slightly slower representative"Idiot"。Greed, hatred, and stupidity"Three poisons"It is the source of human suffering, making it impossible for people to save themselves and get lost in suffering and samsara.
Wu Chengen's portrayal of this character skillfully combines Buddhist teachings and deepens people's understanding of life: through cultivation and enlightenment, transcending the three poisons and purifying the mind. Just like the Tang monks and apprentices in the story, they constantly faced difficulties, trials and tribulations in the process of learning scriptures, and finally achieved spiritual purification and personal growth.
The story of "Journey to the West" is far more than the demons and monsters on the surface, it is like a classic, containing profound philosophies, which need readers to savor and slowly understand. Behind the seemingly simple adventure, there is Shakyamuni Buddha"All sentient beings are exhausted, and Bodhi is proven"of wisdom. Every difficulty, every test, is the baptism of the soul of the master and apprentice, and it is a journey from mortal to saint. All this will gradually unfold in Wu Chengen's great narrative "Journey to the West".