Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s3.t4.5

v2.c10.s3.t4.5

A monkey is born from an ancient rock on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits in the country of Aolai in Purvavideha. He becomes the king for a group of monkeys there. He crosses the sea via Jambudvipa to come to Aparagodaniya, and there he learns 72 polymorphic transformations from his teacher, Subhuti, who gives him the name “Sun Wukong”. Subsequently, he wreaks havoc at the Dragon Palace, the Underworld, the heavenly peach banquet, Laozi’s Tuùita and the celestial palace of the Jade Emperor, and fights with the Pagoda-wielding Heavenly King, Nezha (Nalakavara) and Erlang Shen. At last, he is kept under the Five Elements Mountain by the Buddha (Tathàgata). An elder monk of the Jinshan Temple in Zhenjaing finds a baby drifting along the Yangtze river, and saves and brings him up until he is 18, and gives him the name Xuanzang. Xuanzang becomes a sworn brother of the Emperor Taizong of Tang, and sets out to the Western Heaven for sacred scriptures as requested by Avalokitesvara. Along the way, he successively takes Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing as his disciples, and escorted by three disciples, he continues to march westward, passing through 81 hardships and overcoming various demons, and at last, arrives in the Western Heaven, sees Sakyamuni at the Vulture Peak (Gridhrakuta), and returns to Tang with authentic scriptures. With their mission accomplished, these four ascend to the Western Heaven, and Sun Wukong and Xuanzang become Buddhas, Zhu Bajie an altar cleanser and Sha Wujing an arhat.