A Comprehensive Look at the Past and Present of Sun Wukong!

  Whether it's Sun Wukong in "Journey to the West" or the protagonist of the 3A game "Black Myth: Wukong", Sun Wukong is known by more and more people around the world!

  So who is Sun Wukong? Why is he so famous and charming? What kind of background and story does he have?

Please follow this article to learn in detail about the past and present of Sun Wukong!

  Sun Wukong, also known as Pilgrim Sun, Handsome Monkey King, Great Sage Equaling Heaven, etc., is one of the main characters in the Ming Dynasty novel "Journey to the West". He has the appearance of a macaque with a pointed mouth and sunken cheeks. Sun Wukong was originally a stone monkey born from an immortal stone. Because he led the monkey group to settle in the Water Curtain Cave, he was respected as the "Handsome Monkey King". Later, in order to learn the art of immortality, he became a disciple of Patriarch Subhuti and was given the Dharma name "Sun Wukong".

  After Sun Wukong returned from learning skills, all the demons respected him. Later, he forcibly entered the Dragon Palace of the East Sea and obtained the Ruyi Golden Cudgel, Phoenix-Winged Purple-Gold Crown, Chain Mail of Gold, and Lotus Silk Cloud-Walking Boots from the Four Sea Dragon Kings. He made a big fuss in the Underworld. Thanks to the mediation of Taibai Jinxing, he was recruited to heaven and was appointed as the Protector of Horses. Because he disliked the lowly official position, he proclaimed himself as the "Great Sage Equaling Heaven" and forced the heavenly court to recognize it. Again, because he was drunk and disrupted the "Peach Banquet", stole the elixir, and made a big fuss in the Heavenly Palace. By accident, he cultivated a diamond body and fiery eyes with golden pupils. Finally, he was imprisoned by the Tathagata under the Five Elements Mountain.

  After Sun Wukong was pressed under the Five Elements Mountain, he was enlightened by Guanyin. Five hundred years later, he was rescued by Tang Monk and was given the nickname "Pilgrim Sun". From then on, he protected Tang Monk through eighty-one hardships and finally obtained the true scriptures and achieved the fruit position of "Victorious Fighting Buddha".

  There are many differences regarding the origin of Sun Wukong's image, which can generally be divided into four viewpoints: foreign origin theory, native origin theory, hybrid origin theory, and Buddhist scripture theory. After the Ming Dynasty novel "Journey to the West" was completed, Sun Wukong's image has been continuously transplanted, adapted, and processed in various artistic presentations, such as monkey shows, paper-cuttings, shadow puppets, puppets, etc. Even in some areas of Fujian, China, the belief in "the Great Sage Equaling Heaven" has formed and spread at home and abroad. Sun Wukong is naturally intelligent, lively, loyal, and hates evil. In folk culture, he represents wit and bravery. With the development of film and television media, the image of Sun Wukong has become deeply rooted in people's hearts and widely known, and even has a very high reputation and influence all over the world.

Major Events in Sun Wukong's Life

Birth of the Stone Monkey
In "Journey to the West", the world is divided into four major continents. In Aolai Country on the Pūrvavideha Continent, there is a Huaguo Mountain. This mountain is the ancestral vein of the ten continents. There is an immortal stone on the mountain that has existed since the beginning of time. Nurtured by the purity of nature, the essence of the sun and the moon, it contains an immortal embryo. Eventually, a stone egg burst open and turned into a stone monkey. As soon as the stone monkey was born, it bowed in all directions. Its eyes emitted golden light that shot straight up to the celestial palace and alarmed the heavenly court. After eating water and food, the golden light gradually subsided. Later, the stone monkey led the monkey group to find "the blessed land of Huaguo Mountain and the cave heaven of Water Curtain Cave" as their place to live and was respected as the "Handsome Monkey King". From then on, the Handsome Monkey King led the monkey group, appointed ministers and assistants, and roamed Huaguo Mountain during the day and slept in the Water Curtain Cave at night, reigning alone as the king.

Seeking a Master to Learn Skills
  After enjoying himself freely on Huaguo Mountain for three to five hundred years, the "Handsome Monkey King" suddenly developed a longing for the Dao. In order to learn the art of immortality, he boarded a raft alone and came to Jambūdvīpa. In eight or nine years, he learned human etiquette and language. Then he drifted across the Western Sea and arrived at Aparagodānīya. Guided by a woodcutter, he found "Mount Potalaka of the Mind and the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars" and became a disciple under Patriarch Subhuti. He was given the Dharma name "Sun Wukong". Every day in the cave, Sun Wukong learned the Dao and practiced calligraphy with his senior brothers and did miscellaneous chores. Finally, in the seventh year, he was secretly taught the great Dao by the patriarch at midnight and learned the "True Secret Formula of Manifestation, Mystery, Completeness, and Perfection". Three years later, he learned the art of avoiding the three disasters, "the Seventy-Two Transformations of Earthly Fiends", and the art of cloud-somersaulting, "the Somersault Cloud". In the end, because he showed off his skills in front of his senior brothers, he was driven back to Huaguo Mountain by Patriarch Subhuti.

Period as a Demon King
  As soon as Sun Wukong returned to Huaguo Mountain, he wiped out the Demon King of Confusion and other demons who had bullied the monkey group. He looted all the weapons of Aolai Country and distributed them to more than 47,000 monkeys. The demon kings of seventy-two caves also respected him as their leader. The demons trained day and night and made Huaguo Mountain "as solid as an iron bucket and a golden city". In order to find a handy weapon, Sun Wukong broke into the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, snatched the Ruyi Golden Cudgel and demanded a set of armor. After returning to the mountain, he roamed the four seas and became sworn brothers with the Bull Demon King, the Demon King of Floods, the Roc Demon King, the Lion-Camel King, the Macaque King, and the Gibbon King. One day, all the brothers were drunk. Because Sun Wukong's lifespan of three hundred and forty-two years was up, his soul was taken by the Underworld. Angered, the monkey king broke into the Netherworld Palace and forcibly erased the death records of the monkeys.

Recruited to Heaven
  When Sun Wukong was enjoying himself freely, the Dragon King Ao Guang of the East Sea and the King of Qin Guang of the Underworld reported him to the heavenly court. The Jade Emperor was about to send an army to suppress him. Thanks to the persuasion of Taibai Jinxing, Sun Wukong was recruited to heaven and was appointed as the Protector of Horses. Half a month later, because Sun Wukong disliked the lowly official position, he fought his way out of the Stable Office and returned to Huaguo Mountain. Encouraged by two one-horned ghost kings, he proclaimed himself as the "Great Sage Equaling Heaven". After the Jade Emperor learned about it, he sent heavenly soldiers to capture him. After Sun Wukong successively defeated the Giant Spirit God and Prince Nezha, thanks to the persuasion of Taibai Jinxing once again, he went to heaven again and became the "Great Sage Equaling Heaven" with an official title but no salary.

Making a Big Fuss in the Heavenly Palace
  Seeing that Sun Wukong had nothing to do, the Jade Emperor ordered him to take care of the Peach Orchard. He not only stole peaches but also disrupted the Peach Banquet while drunk and stole the Nine-Turn Elixir. Realizing that he had caused trouble, Sun Wukong fled back to Huaguo Mountain and held a "fairy wine party". The Jade Emperor was furious and dispatched the Four Heavenly Kings, together with the Heavenly King Li and Prince Nezha, and ordered twenty-eight constellations and a total of 100,000 heavenly soldiers to set up eighteen layers of heavenly nets and descend to suppress Huaguo Mountain. The two sides fought until sunset. The one-horned ghost king and the demons of seventy-two caves on Huaguo Mountain were all captured by the heavenly gods. Sun Wukong alone defeated the Nine Luminaries. Using his clone technique, he repelled Prince Nezha, the five heavenly kings, and 100,000 heavenly soldiers. He also repelled Muzha who came to spy on the military situation. Li Jing had no choice but to ask for help from the heavenly court.

  The Jade Emperor summoned the Erlang God, the Sage Manifesting Holiness at Guankou River recommended by Guanyin. The heavenly gods lined up in the air, and the grass-headed gods guarded the camp tightly. Erlang God led the six brothers from Mount Meishan and came out to challenge. The god and Sun Wukong fought for three hundred rounds without a winner. Then the two showed their Dharma images, reaching ten thousand feet in height, and fought again. The six brothers from Mount Meishan took the opportunity to release the grass-headed gods and beat the demon monkeys in the rear until they threw away their helmets and armor. Sun Wukong wanted to go back to rescue them but was intercepted by the six brothers. Then he fought with Erlang God in the art of transformation. Finally, he was hit on the head by the Diamond Jade Pestle thrown by Taishang Laojun and fell. Then he was bitten on the leg by the Heavenly Hound. The seven sages rushed forward and held him down. They pierced his shoulder blades with ropes and took him back to the heavenly court.

  Sun Wukong was taken to the execution platform to be beheaded. Because he had eaten peaches, imperial wine, and elixir and cultivated a diamond body that could not be damaged by any means. Taishang Laojun then refined him with fire. Sun Wukong hid under the "Xun" position and was smoked until he had an eye disease called "fiery eyes with golden pupils". After forty-nine days, Taishang Laojun opened the furnace to take out the elixir. Sun Wukong leaped out, kicked over the Eight Trigrams Furnace, and fought all the way to the Hall of Brightness. He was blocked outside the Hall of Supreme Purity by the Divine General Wang Lingguan and thirty-six thunder generals. The Jade Emperor summoned the Tathagata. The Tathagata gambled with Wukong and Wukong was pressed under the Five Elements Mountain.

Journey to the West to Fetch Scriptures
  The Tathagata was preparing to spread the scriptures to the East. He ordered Guanyin to go to the East to find the scripture seeker. On the way, passing by the Five Elements Mountain, Guanyin enlightened Sun Wukong to become the disciple of the scripture seeker. Five hundred years later, Tang Monk came here and rescued him. After killing six thieves, he was tricked by Tang Monk into wearing a tight headband. Only then did he become wholeheartedly committed to escorting Tang Monk to the West. The master and disciple passed by Eagle Sorrow Stream and subdued the Third Prince of the Dragon King of the Jade Dragon who turned into a white dragon horse. Then they arrived at Gao Village and took in the second disciple "Zhu Wuneng" who was banished to the mortal world for flirting with the fairy Nishang and was mistakenly born into a pig. At the Flowing Sand River, they took in Sha Wujing, who was the former Curtain-Lifting General who had descended to the mortal world, as the third disciple. The master, disciple, and white dragon horse traveled over mountains and waters. At White Bone Ridge, the White Bone Demon transformed three times but was all seen through by Sun Wukong and was killed by him. Taking the opportunity, Zhu Bajie slandered Sun Wukong. Tang Monk could not tell the truth from falsehood and drove Sun Wukong back to Huaguo Mountain. In the Black Pine Forest, Tang Monk and his disciples encountered the Yellow Robe Demon. Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the white dragon horse were all helpless. Only Zhu Bajie could go and invite Sun Wukong back to subdue the Yellow Robe Demon. The master and disciple reconciled and continued their journey to the West. After experiencing many hardships, the master and disciples encountered bandits in a flat area. Sun Wukong killed them all. Seeing that Sun Wukong had taken lives again, Tang Monk drove him away again. The six-eared macaque took the opportunity to transform into Sun Wukong's appearance, injured Tang Monk, snatched the luggage and official documents, and wanted to go to the Western Heaven to deceive the true scriptures on his own. After that, the true and false Monkey Kings fought from heaven to earth. None of the gods could tell the true from the false. It was not until they reached the Tathagata at the Thunderclap Monastery that the Tathagata revealed their true identities. The six-eared macaque was killed by Sun Wukong. From then on, the master and disciple "agreed in heart and mind, washed away grievances and resolved anger." They continued to head west.

Achieving Perfection
  After traveling eighty-one thousand li and taking fourteen years, the master and disciples finally obtained the true scriptures after experiencing eighty-one hardships such as the fall of the Golden Cicada, the hanging of the lotus cave, and the praying for rain in Fengxian County. After being escorted by the eight great vajras to send the true scriptures back to Chang'an, they returned to Ling Mountain. The master and disciples were successively appointed. The five saints achieved perfection. Because Sun Wukong punished evil and promoted good and had made great contributions in subduing demons and monsters on the way, he was completely committed from beginning to end. He was promoted to the Victorious Fighting Buddha and the tight headband was removed.

Folk Belief
  In folk beliefs, except for some anthropomorphic images of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, most are in the form of a monkey head and human body, sitting in a posture. They can be roughly divided into civil and military types. The military type usually has a red face and a sunken nose, fiery eyes with golden pupils, and wears a military general's battle robe or is covered in golden armor. Wearing a Phoenix-Winged Purple-Gold Crown and holding a golden cudgel, most also hold a gourd. The civil type wears civil official's clothing and is quite similar to the "scholar in white" Monkey Pilgrim in "The Story of the Journey to the West by the Tang Monk Master". In addition, there is also a Buddhist form called "the Victorious Fighting Buddha" with a peaceful and serene expression.

Weapons and Abilities
  Sun Wukong's weapon is called the "Ruyi Golden Cudgel". Originally, it was a pillar used by Dayu to measure the depth of the rivers and seas during his flood control, known as the "Divine Iron for Fixing the Bottom of the Heavenly River". Its whole body emits light. It is an iron pillar as thick as a fight and more than two zhang long. There are golden hoops at both ends, and in the middle is a section of black iron. There is an inscription on it that reads "Ruyi Golden Cudgel". It weighs thirteen thousand five hundred catties. It can change in size according to Sun Wukong's will. When enlarged, it can reach up to the thirty-three heavens and down to the eighteen levels of hell. When reduced, it can be as small as an embroidery needle and is hidden in Sun Wukong's ear. The Dragon King of the East Sea said that this cudgel "if you just touch it a little, you will die; if you bump into it a little, you will perish; if you just graze it, your skin will break; if you just rub against it, your tendons will be injured." Sun Wukong's shoes are the Lotus Silk Cloud-Walking Boots, given by Ao Shun, the Dragon King of the North Sea. He has sleep-inducing insects in his waist. There are three life-saving hairs on his head. As long as the insects crawl into the nostrils, they can make people fall asleep. They were won when he was playing guessing games with the Growth Heavenly King and the Guardian Heavenly King when he was the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. The three hairs were turned into by Guanyin with willow leaves when he was at Eagle Sorrow Stream. They can be used to adapt to changes and save people from urgent hardships when there is no help.

  Sun Wukong has many abilities. He cultivates the "True Secret Formula of Manifestation, Mystery, Completeness, and Perfection" for the way of immortality, also known as the "Great Perfection Immortal Formula". This method is an "extraordinary way that seizes the creation of heaven and earth and encroaches on the mysteries of the sun and the moon". It can eliminate evil desires and bring coolness, understand the Dharma nature, strengthen the root, reverse the five elements. After cultivating it, one can become a divine body and "become a Buddha or an immortal at will". However, "after achieving the elixir, ghosts and gods cannot tolerate it, and there are three disasters and perils." So Sun Wukong learned the art of avoiding the three disasters, "the Seventy-Two Transformations of Earthly Fiends". He can change with the wind. But when transforming into a person, only the head and face change, but the body cannot change. Because climbing clouds was too slow, he learned the "Somersault Cloud". One somersault is eighty-one thousand li. In addition, Sun Wukong also has the ability of an external body. The eighty-four thousand hairs on his body can all transform according to his will. He can transform as he wishes. He can also use the Dharma Aspect of Heaven and Earth and become ten thousand feet tall with a head like Mount Tai. He has a diamond body that cannot be damaged by swords, axes, fire, or thunder. His fiery eyes with golden pupils can not only distinguish the true forms of demons and gods but also see good or bad fortune thousands of li away. He also has three heads and six arms, the immobilization technique, the invisibility technique, and so on.

  After hundreds of years of evolution, development and dissemination, the image of Sun Wukong has become a heroic totem of Chinese national cultural wisdom. It always has enduring vitality in different historical times and spaces. It is believed that in the future, the personal heroic charm and valuable spirit of Sun Wukong will continue to inspire more people.