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Sun Wookong, also known as the Monkey King is a main character in the classical Chinese epic novel Journey to the West. In the novel, he is a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices. After rebelling against heaven and being imprisoned under a mountain by Buddha, he later accompanies the monk Xuanzang on a journey to retrieve Buddhist sutras from India.
Sun Wookong possesses an immense amount of strength; he is able to lift 17,881 lbs with ease. He is also superbly fast, able to travel 54,000 kilometers in one somersault. Sun knows 72 transformations allowing him to transform into various animals and objects; he has trouble, however, transforming into human form, because he is unable to complete the transformation of his tail. He is a skilled fighter, capable of holding his own against the best generals of heaven. Each of his hair possesses magical properties, and is capable of transforming either into a clone of the Monkey King himself, or various weapons, animals, and other objects. He knows spells that can command wind, part water, conjure protective circles against demons, and freeze humans, demons, and gods alike.
The Hindu deity Hanuman from the Ramayana is also considered by some modern scholars to be an inspiration for Sun Wookong
Birth and early life
Sun Wookong was born from a mythical stone formed by the primal forces of chaos, located on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit (hua guo shan). After joining a clan of monkeys, he earned their respect by discovering the Water Curtain Cave (shui lian dong) behind a large waterfall; the clan made it their new home. The other monkeys honored him as their king, and he called himself Měi Hóuwáng (handsome monkey king). He soon realized that despite his power over the monkeys, he was still only mortal. Determined to find immortality, he traveled on a raft to civilized lands, where he found and became the disciple of a Taoist immortal Bodhi. He was able to acquire human speech and manners through his travels.
Bodhi was initially reluctant to take him because he was not human; but the monkey's pertinacity impressed the patriarch. It was from him that the monkey received his official name Sun Wookong ("Sun" implies his origin as a monkey, and "Wookong" means aware of emptiness). Soon, his eagerness and intelligence made him one of the favorite disciples of the patriarch, whose guidance and training taught the monkey a number of magic arts. He acquired the powers of shape shifting known as the "72 transformations", supposedly the more versatile and difficult set of skill that allows him to transform into every possible form of existence, including human and objects. He also learned about cloud-traveling, including a technique called the Jīndǒuyún (cloud-somersault), which covers 54,000 km in a single flip. Finally, he could transform each of the 84,000 hairs on his body into inanimate objects and living beings, or even clones of himself. Sun Wookong became proud of his abilities, and began boasting to the other disciples. Bodhi was not happy with this, and cast him out of his temple. Before they parted, Bodhi ordered that Sun Wookong promise never to tell anyone how he acquired his powers.
At the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, Sun Wookong established himself as one of the most powerful and influential demons in the world. In search of a weapon worthy of himself, Sun Wookong traveled into the oceans, where he acquired the Golden-banded staff Ruyi Jingu Bang, which could change its size, multiply itself, and fight according to the whim of its master. It was originally used by Dà-Yǔ to measure ocean depth and later became the "Pillar that pacifies the oceans", a treasure of Ao Guang, the "dragon-king of the Eastern Seas". It weighed 8.1 tons. Upon Sun Wookong's approach, the pillar started to glow, signifying that it had found its true master. Its versatility meant that Sun Wookong could wield it as a staff and keep it inside his ear as a sewing needle. This drove fear into the magical beings of the sea and threw the sea itself into confusion, since nothing but the pillar could control the ebb and flow of the ocean tides. In addition to taking the magical staff, Wookong also defeated the dragons of the four seas in battle and forced them to give him golden chain mail, a phoenix-feather cap, and cloud-walking boots.
Sun Wookong possesses an immense amount of strength; he is able to lift 17,881 lbs with ease. He is also superbly fast, able to travel 54,000 kilometers in one somersault. Sun knows 72 transformations allowing him to transform into various animals and objects; he has trouble, however, transforming into human form, because he is unable to complete the transformation of his tail. He is a skilled fighter, capable of holding his own against the best generals of heaven. Each of his hair possesses magical properties, and is capable of transforming either into a clone of the Monkey King himself, or various weapons, animals, and other objects. He knows spells that can command wind, part water, conjure protective circles against demons, and freeze humans, demons, and gods alike.
The Hindu deity Hanuman from the Ramayana is also considered by some modern scholars to be an inspiration for Sun Wookong
Birth and early life
Sun Wookong was born from a mythical stone formed by the primal forces of chaos, located on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit (hua guo shan). After joining a clan of monkeys, he earned their respect by discovering the Water Curtain Cave (shui lian dong) behind a large waterfall; the clan made it their new home. The other monkeys honored him as their king, and he called himself Měi Hóuwáng (handsome monkey king). He soon realized that despite his power over the monkeys, he was still only mortal. Determined to find immortality, he traveled on a raft to civilized lands, where he found and became the disciple of a Taoist immortal Bodhi. He was able to acquire human speech and manners through his travels.
Bodhi was initially reluctant to take him because he was not human; but the monkey's pertinacity impressed the patriarch. It was from him that the monkey received his official name Sun Wookong ("Sun" implies his origin as a monkey, and "Wookong" means aware of emptiness). Soon, his eagerness and intelligence made him one of the favorite disciples of the patriarch, whose guidance and training taught the monkey a number of magic arts. He acquired the powers of shape shifting known as the "72 transformations", supposedly the more versatile and difficult set of skill that allows him to transform into every possible form of existence, including human and objects. He also learned about cloud-traveling, including a technique called the Jīndǒuyún (cloud-somersault), which covers 54,000 km in a single flip. Finally, he could transform each of the 84,000 hairs on his body into inanimate objects and living beings, or even clones of himself. Sun Wookong became proud of his abilities, and began boasting to the other disciples. Bodhi was not happy with this, and cast him out of his temple. Before they parted, Bodhi ordered that Sun Wookong promise never to tell anyone how he acquired his powers.
At the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, Sun Wookong established himself as one of the most powerful and influential demons in the world. In search of a weapon worthy of himself, Sun Wookong traveled into the oceans, where he acquired the Golden-banded staff Ruyi Jingu Bang, which could change its size, multiply itself, and fight according to the whim of its master. It was originally used by Dà-Yǔ to measure ocean depth and later became the "Pillar that pacifies the oceans", a treasure of Ao Guang, the "dragon-king of the Eastern Seas". It weighed 8.1 tons. Upon Sun Wookong's approach, the pillar started to glow, signifying that it had found its true master. Its versatility meant that Sun Wookong could wield it as a staff and keep it inside his ear as a sewing needle. This drove fear into the magical beings of the sea and threw the sea itself into confusion, since nothing but the pillar could control the ebb and flow of the ocean tides. In addition to taking the magical staff, Wookong also defeated the dragons of the four seas in battle and forced them to give him golden chain mail, a phoenix-feather cap, and cloud-walking boots.
Upon his triumphant return, he demonstrated the new weapon to his followers, growing his size in proportion to the original length of the staff. The uproar drew attention of other beastly powers who sought to ally with him. Wookong formed a fraternity with the Bull Demon King, the Saurial Demon King, the Roc Demon King, the Lion Spirit King, the Macaque Spirit King and the Marmoset Spirit King.
Wookong then defied Hell's attempt to collect his soul. Instead of reincarnating like all other living beings, he wiped his name out of the "Book of Life and Death" and with it the names of all other monkeys known to him. The Dragon Kings and the Kings of Hell then decided to report him to the Jade Emperor of Heaven.
Wookong’s Classic Quotes
1. May this sky no longer block my sight, may this earth no longer bury my will, may the herd understand my intentions, and may the many gods dissipate like clouds!
2. I have a dream. When I wish to fly, the sky would make way for me; When I dive into the sea, the water would part for me; Gods and immortals would call me their brother; Carefree, I would be restrained by nothing, controlled by nobody, with nowhere inaccessible, with nothing unattainable, and nothing unconquerable.
3. I cannot see the point of being sad due to loss, or being worried due to shortsightedness. I am to find the strength enabling all life to go beyond limits, and all the flowers to bloom at once on earth. May those wishing to fly take wing freely, and may all live forever together with the ones they love.
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