Why Can't Sun Wukong Jump Out of the Palm of Buddha Tathagata?
paulpeng
I
Before explaining this question, let's think about it. Why did the Jade Emperor choose to invite Buddha Tathagata to subdue the demon instead of using the various gods in Heaven?
In fact, the fact that Sun Wukong would cause trouble was already destined when he was learning from Patriarch Bodhi. At first, Sun Wukong only wanted to learn the art of immortality. But Patriarch Bodhi knew that simply learning the art of immortality could not truly achieve immortality, so he also bestowed upon him the 72 transformations and the somersault cloud.
The 72 transformations are mainly used to prevent natural disasters. Of course, they can also enhance combat power. The somersault cloud mainly enables one to move extremely fast. These two skills are basic skills, combining both offense and defense, and are especially suitable for escape. If used in conjunction with the tailor - made Golden Cudgel, they can produce a superimposed effect, and in hand - to - hand combat, there are few opponents.
So, if the heavenly gods don't use magic treasures and simply compete with Sun Wukong in martial arts and transformation skills, it's very difficult to subdue him.
The Heaven once tried this. When Sun Wukong, dissatisfied with the low - rank position of Protector of the Heavenly Horses, rebelled against Heaven, the Jade Emperor dispatched Li Jing and his son Nezha, leading their own troops to the mortal world to subdue the demon.
The first to fight was the Great Spirit God. He simply engaged in a head - on battle with Sun Wukong. One held the Golden Cudgel, and the other held the Xuanhua Axe:
"The Great Spirit God couldn't withstand him. The Monkey King struck him with a blow on the head. In a hurry, he tried to block with the axe. With a clang, the axe handle was broken into two pieces. He quickly withdrew and fled in defeat."
The second to fight was Nezha. He didn't just compete with Sun Wukong in martial arts but started to compete in skills:
"Nezha was furious. With a loud shout, he cried, 'Transform!' He immediately transformed into a form with three heads and six arms, menacingly holding six kinds of weapons: the Demon - Slaying Sword, the Demon - Chopping Knife, the Demon - Binding Rope, the Demon - Subduing Pestle, the Hydrangea, and the Fire Wheel. With a flurry, he came charging forward."
II
Sun Wukong has another ability that few people pay attention to, that is, his extremely strong learning ability. Whatever magic spell others use, he can quickly master it by imitating.
So, he also imitated Nezha and transformed into a form with three heads and six arms. The two were once again evenly matched in the battle. Also, when Sun Wukong fought against Erlang Shen, he applied what he had learned once. At that time, Erlang Shen said to Li Jing:
"Little Saint is here. I must compete with him in transformations. Gentlemen, set up the inescapable net. Don't cover the top, just make it tight around the four sides. Let me fight him."
So, the two fought three hundred rounds first. Then Erlang Shen used the magic of "assuming the form of heaven and earth". Sun Wukong followed suit and also used the same magic, becoming the same size and appearance as Erlang Shen.
However, when it came to transformation skills, Sun Wukong was a bit weaker. After all, when he learned the 72 transformations back then, Patriarch Bodhi said that he had fewer gills than others. Since the 72 transformations are mainly designed for humans, his transformation skills have two flaws. One is that it's very difficult to deal with his tail:
"Only the tail was hard to dispose of. It stuck out behind and turned into a flagpole."
As a result, Erlang Shen saw through it at a glance. Similarly, when he transformed into a nine - tailed fox, Zhu Bajie also noticed his tail at a glance. He even laughed and told Sha Heshang the truth:
"I bent down and told my 'son' to get up, and then I saw the monkey's tail sticking up. I was hanging higher than you, so I could see clearly."
This is exactly his second flaw. That is, when transforming into a human, he can't get rid of all the hair on his body, the red buttocks, and this tail. This was mentioned in the Lion and Camel Kingdom:
"But when transforming into a human, only the head and face changed. The body couldn't be fully transformed. Sure enough, there was a body full of yellow hair, two red buttocks, and a tail."
III
We've digressed a bit. Let's get back to the main topic. The reason for listing Sun Wukong's abilities is mainly to illustrate one point. That is, with these abilities, and with the blessings of the flat peaches and the immortal pills, even one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals couldn't do anything to him.
Even in the CCTV version of Journey to the West, Sun Wukong could fight all the way to the Hall of Lingxiao, and the Jade Emperor was so scared that he hid under the table. So, many people may have a question. During the havoc in Heaven, Sun Wukong was almost invincible in the world. Why was he often unable to subdue even a small demon on the journey to fetch the scriptures?
This is the reason!
Because his identity has changed. The once - invincible Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, mainly focused on defense and escape. On the journey to fetch the scriptures, the offense and defense were reversed. He became the attacking side, while the demons became the defending side. Generally, the demons would seize the opportunity when they were off guard, kidnap Tang Seng, and then strengthen their defenses in the cave to deal with Sun Wukong.
Although Sun Wukong is very powerful and even one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals can't subdue him, he also can't subdue the opponents. Even Wang Lingguan, a member of the guard platoon, and the thirty - six Thunder Generals guarding the Heavenly Gate can surround a rampaging monkey in the middle and make it difficult for him to move.
The main reason why no great god in Heaven stepped forward to subdue Sun Wukong is mainly a political issue. After all, when being an official in Heaven, one must be extremely cautious. To put it in the words that Tong Guowei said to the Eighth Prince Yinsi in The Life of Yongzheng, one should do the opposite. They are not afraid of not doing things, but afraid of doing the wrong things. So, the officials in Heaven, big and small, go to work and get off work on time. When something happens, they all have to ask for the Jade Emperor's decree. Without the decree, they don't even dare to leave their own territories.
Even the True Martial Great Emperor, the Marshal of the Nine Heavens to Subdue Demons, is like this:
"Just that without an imperial decree from the upper realm, I dare not start a battle rashly. If I send the gods to fight, I'm afraid the Jade Emperor will blame me..."
IV
Moreover, quite a number of truly powerful great gods are not willing to work for Heaven. People like the Uposatha Master, Patriarch Bodhi, and the Great Immortal Zhenyuan all belong to this category.
This has led to a situation in Heaven where, just like the Marshal Tianpeng we mentioned last time, there are plenty of people who slack off! So much so that after Guanyin Bodhisattva came to investigate the situation, she recommended Erlang Shen, who was semi - institutional and semi - independent, answering only to summons but not to regular commands, and thus they managed to subdue Sun Wukong smoothly.
Of course, if there were no great gods in Heaven, not only would the various demon kings on the ground cause chaos, but also the minor gods in Heaven couldn't hold them down. Then, the question arises, why didn't the other great gods take action when Sun Wukong made a havoc in Heaven?
Besides the lack of a decree, there is another reason: it's beneath their dignity!
For those great gods in Heaven, which one hasn't lived for tens of millions of years? According to Buddha Tathagata, the Jade Emperor has lived for hundreds of millions of years. And Sun Wukong is just a monkey over three hundred years old. In their eyes, he is like a little baby in our eyes, at most like a kindergarten kid.
So, when a kindergarten kid shouts about wanting to escape from the kindergarten, the security guard at the gate volunteers to stop him. Even, they send out an older kid from the senior class to stop him, but in the end, they still can't hold this kid down. So, Li Jing returned to Heaven and asked the Jade Emperor for more troops. At that time, the Jade Emperor laughed:
"Think about how much ability a mere demon monkey can have. Do you still need more troops?"
Yes, you, Li Jing, volunteered to capture the demon monkey, and now you have the nerve to ask for reinforcements. Aren't you ashamed to say that?
In fact, just as I mentioned before, this monkey Sun Wukong couldn't really defeat Li Jing's troops if he really fought against them. But it's also a very difficult task for Li Jing to capture the monkey and subdue him.
V
As for other great gods, such as the Sanqing and Siyu, they are also embarrassed to lower their status and take action.
On the one hand, for great gods, if no one asks them, it's better to do less. On the other hand, it would be laughable if they used their full strength to bully a little monkey.
For such great gods, naturally, they won't fight hand - to - hand with Sun Wukong. They have senior qualifications and powerful magic powers. It's beneath their status to fight like children. As for magic treasures, they are their precious possessions. Who would be willing to take them out for official business?
Of course, it's not that they won't use them. In the end, wasn't it Lord Laozi who stopped Guanyin Bodhisattva from throwing the Pure Jade Bottle and threw the Golden Ring instead to capture Sun Wukong? But this also has its reasons. The gods in Heaven are upright gods. Under normal circumstances, they won't do something underhanded. Otherwise, they will fall into public opinion like, "It's just a little monkey, and they still rely on such underhanded tricks. How can they still stay in Heaven in the future?"
Why is Guanyin Bodhisattva not afraid to do something underhanded?
It's also a matter of face!
Because Guanyin Bodhisattva boasted in front of the Jade Emperor. At that time, seeing the Jade Emperor worried, she proposed:
"Your Majesty, don't worry. This poor monk recommends a god who can capture this monkey."
She had already made a promise. Seeing that Erlang Shen couldn't do anything to Sun Wukong, Guanyin Bodhisattva was anxious. On a small scale, it means she misjudged. The person she recommended was not capable enough. On a large scale, it's a crime of deceiving the emperor. After all, as soon as Erlang Shen arrived, he told the one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers to stand aside and wanted to fight alone. But he failed to subdue the monkey and even delayed the battle opportunity.
In fact, later on the journey to fetch the scriptures, Sun Wukong often went to ask Guanyin Bodhisattva for help, and we never saw the Bodhisattva fight hand - to - hand. Most of the time, she either used tricks, like tricking the Black Bear Spirit into putting on the Golden Headband, or borrowed the power of magic treasures to trap the Red Boy.
VI
Precisely because everyone has various concerns, the situation was at a standstill. Even if the gods caught Sun Wukong, they couldn't eliminate him, let alone catch him.
Finally, the Jade Emperor got annoyed. "You bunch of good - for - nothings. Let's just call in an outsider." Thus, he issued a decree to invite Buddha Tathagata from the private armed company on Lingshan!
Buddha Tathagata was also helpless. Leaving aside whether he was Sun Wukong's master or fellow disciple, he also had the same concerns as the other great gods mentioned earlier. He could have come up and slapped Sun Wukong to death with one palm. But the Buddha also had to think. Since there were great gods in Heaven, why was he specifically asked to come and deal with the monkey?
There must be something strange when things happen out of the ordinary. This old monk won't fall into the Jade Emperor's trap and make enemies for no reason. I don't even know how I would die. So, with the attitude of a Buddhist who doesn't kill, he earnestly persuaded Sun Wukong:
"Surrender as soon as possible. Don't talk nonsense! I'm afraid you'll meet with a violent end, and your life will be gone in an instant. What a pity for your true self!"
If Buddha Tathagata could make Sun Wukong retreat and submit without using weapons, that would definitely be the best strategy. The Jade Emperor would have to give him a thumbs - up.
Unfortunately, the monkey didn't listen. He still wanted to charge at the Jade Emperor's throne. Buddha Tathagata was so angry that he laughed. He asked Sun Wukong what else he could do besides the art of immortality, and yet he wanted to sit on the throne.
After hearing Sun Wukong say that he knew the 72 transformations and the somersault cloud, Buddha Tathagata came up with an idea and made a bet with him:
"If you have the ability to jump out of the palm of my right hand with one somersault, you win. Then there's no need to fight anymore. We'll invite the Jade Emperor to live in the West, and you can have the Heavenly Palace. If you can't jump out of the palm, you'll go back to the mortal world to be a demon and cultivate for a few more kalpas before coming to quarrel again."
VII
Sun Wukong wasn't stupid. If he really charged forward, not to mention the big monk in front of him, even Wang Lingguan behind him would be hard to deal with. But if he took this bet, if he won, he could take the Jade Emperor's throne. If he lost, he could still be a demon. It wasn't a loss:
"Is what you say believable?"
Well, with just a few words, Buddha Tathagata tricked Sun Wukong. How could Buddha Tathagata have the power to decide the ownership of the Jade Emperor's throne? The fact that he dared to say this means he had enough confidence to win against Sun Wukong. Even if he couldn't win, he had a way to renege on the bet.
So, Buddha Tathagata stretched out his hand:
"He stretched out his right hand, which was about the size of a lotus leaf."
If you don't have a concept of the size of a lotus leaf, please look at the following picture, compared with a frog:
When Sun Wukong saw this, he laughed. How could he not jump out of such a small palm? So, with a leap, he jumped onto the palm of Buddha Tathagata. Before anyone could react, he flew away with a somersault cloud:
"Look at him soaring away with a cloud of light, disappearing without a trace."
That is to say, at this moment, it seemed to everyone that Sun Wukong had jumped away and was out of sight. But just because the gods couldn't see him didn't mean Buddha Tathagata couldn't. He had a pair of discerning eyes:
"The Buddha, with his discerning eyes, saw the Monkey King spinning like a windmill, constantly moving forward."
Then, Sun Wukong flipped to the side of five pillars. He thought he had reached the end of the sky. So, he left eight characters on one of the pillars: "The Great Sage Equaling Heaven was here." Then he flipped back with a somersault. Oh, before leaving, he deliberately urinated under the pillar in case the Buddha didn't admit it.
VIII
At this point, we return to our topic. Sun Wukong thought he had won, but then the Buddha asked him to look back. He was stunned:
"Is this possible? Is this possible? I wrote these characters on the pillar supporting the sky. How could they be on his finger?"
Yes, why couldn't Sun Wukong jump out of the palm of Buddha Tathagata?
Some people say that the fastest thing in the world is not an airplane, not a high - speed train, nor a missile, but a child's hand. One second it's holding something obediently, and the next second it reaches out to another place with lightning speed.
That's right. Buddha Tathagata's hand is like this child's hand, with extremely fast speed. Sun Wukong was flipping somersaults in front, and behind, either Buddha Tathagata flew along with him. Wherever Sun Wukong flew, his palm would move there. Or he just stood still and kept making his hand bigger and his arm longer.
This answer is an explanation, but it's a bit ridiculous. Whether the Buddha flew along or stretched his hand to make it bigger, it would be beneath his dignity in front of the gods. What if Sun Wukong really circled around the pillar under the witness of the gods? The Buddha would lose. Moreover, if Sun Wukong flew far away, the other gods couldn't see him either. Even if Buddha Tathagata used the words written by Sun Wukong as evidence, who could prove that he didn't forge the characters after seeing Sun Wukong writing on the Heavenly Pillar?
So, to convince the gods, Buddha Tathagata had to demonstrate his skills in front of the Hall of Lingxiao, allowing everyone to see with their own eyes the scene of Sun Wukong writing and urinating on his finger after flying for a while. Only in this way could he convince the crowd.
This is also the reason why, at the subsequent Assembly to Pacify Heaven, the gods lined up to give him gifts:
"Grateful for the boundless magic power of Buddha Tathagata for subduing the demon monkey."
IX.
After all, things like getting bigger and longer can't be called boundless magic power. Even Zhu Bajie in Baoxiangguo could do this:
"Watch the wind. The east wind is still acceptable, and the west wind is also bearable. But if the south wind blows, it could even make a huge hole in the sky!"
From this, we can rule out the possibility that Sun Wukong really flew away. That is to say, in fact, he was indeed turning around in the palm of the Buddha right under everyone's eyes.
Some people say that the Buddha wrote the character "Forbidden" in his palm in advance, and Sun Wukong just didn't notice it. Just like when Maitreya Buddha subdued the Yellow - Browed Boy back then, the boy's mind was confused, and he just followed along foolishly, thus falling into the trap. The same goes for Sun Wukong. His mind was confused by Buddha Tathagata. Otherwise, how could such a great thing suddenly fall on you?
If he could win, he could get the Jade Emperor's throne. If he couldn't win, it was also in line with Sun Wukong's wishes. He could go back to the mortal world and continue to be a demon. After all, he was captured by Erlang Shen and brought to Heaven when he was a demon.
However, there is one thing that's hard to explain. Being confused in mind doesn't mean that the somersault cloud would stop working. A confused mind doesn't affect one's ability to do somersaults either. If there were no other mysteries in the palm of Buddha Tathagata, it would still be possible for him to jump out.
Some people also say that the palm of Buddha Tathagata and Sun Wukong are not in the same dimension. It's like when we play mobile games. No matter how powerful the characters in the mobile game are, they can't jump out of the phone and come in front of you. When Sun Wukong jumped into the palm of Buddha Tathagata, it was as if he entered the Buddha's "palm console". How could a character inside the "palm console" jump out?
That is to say, Sun Wukong's cognitive limitations determined that he couldn't break through the barrier and get out.
This...
X.
As mentioned before, the palm of Buddha Tathagata was as big as a lotus leaf, but Sun Wukong was able to jump onto it. This can only indicate two situations.
One is that the Buddha's palm became bigger the moment Sun Wukong jumped onto it. Otherwise, it simply couldn't hold Sun Wukong. The other possibility is that the Buddha's palm remained the same size, but Sun Wukong became smaller.
The former has just been analyzed. The possibility is not very high, and it's easy to be exposed and for Sun Wukong to jump out. What about the latter?
For example, an ordinary person can take a step of one meter. If he is reduced to half his size, can he still take a step of one meter? What if he is reduced ten thousand times, or even a hundred million times? How many steps would he need to take to cover this one meter?
So, theoretically speaking, as long as Sun Wukong keeps getting smaller, he will only get infinitely close to the edge of the palm but will never be able to jump out.
Is there any evidence in the book to prove this inference?
Yes!
This move of Buddha Tathagata is actually similar to the Great Immortal Zhenyuan's "Sleeves Containing the Universe" technique. When the Great Immortal stretched out his sleeve, he could also put the four Tang monks, along with their luggage and horse, all inside. No matter how many somersaults Sun Wukong made, he couldn't jump out:
"The Great Immortal... used the technique of 'Sleeves Containing the Universe'. In the clouds, he gently unfolded his robe sleeve against the wind, and with a swish, he caught the four monks and the horse in one sleeve."
Maitreya Buddha's Human - Seed Bag, Lord Laozi's Precious Gourd, the Golden - Winged Great Peng's Yin - Yang Two - Gas Bottle, and Guanyin Bodhisattva's Pure Jade Bottle also have the same function:
"Now the Pure Jade Bottle is thrown into the sea. In this short time, it has passed through the three rivers and five lakes, the eight seas and four great rivers, and the sources of streams and caves, borrowing a whole sea of water inside."
In fact, when Sun Wukong jumped into the palm of Buddha Tathagata, he entered the world within the palm. This is a world cultivated by the Buddha through the Five Elements technique:
"One flower is a world; one leaf is a bodhi."
After all, the Buddha once said:
"Within a single grain of sand lies three thousand great thousand worlds; in three thousand great thousand worlds, there are billions of suns and moons."
So, as long as Sun Wukong is still within the Five Elements, he can't jump out of the palm of Buddha Tathagata. Otherwise, when the Buddha turned his hand over and pressed down from the thirty - third heaven to the ground, it would also take time, and besides, he pressed gently:
"He pushed the Monkey King out of the Western Heaven Gate and transformed his five fingers into five connected mountains of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, named the 'Five - Elements Mountain', and gently pressed him down."
Wouldn't this period of time be enough for Sun Wukong to fly away on his somersault cloud?
Unfortunately, he still couldn't escape!
The reason why it is said that he is still within the Five Elements is that the Underworld once tried to claim his soul:
"I, the Great Sage, have transcended the Three Realms and am not within the Five Elements. I no longer submit to their jurisdiction. Why are they so bold as to come and claim my soul?"
Perhaps because the Book of Life and Death was altered, the technique of the Five Elements couldn't completely suppress Sun Wukong. Later, Buddha Tathagata added the six - character mantra, "Om Mani Padme Hum".
This time, there was absolutely no way for him to escape...
Alas!
Before explaining this question, let's think about it. Why did the Jade Emperor choose to invite Buddha Tathagata to subdue the demon instead of using the various gods in Heaven?
In fact, the fact that Sun Wukong would cause trouble was already destined when he was learning from Patriarch Bodhi. At first, Sun Wukong only wanted to learn the art of immortality. But Patriarch Bodhi knew that simply learning the art of immortality could not truly achieve immortality, so he also bestowed upon him the 72 transformations and the somersault cloud.
The 72 transformations are mainly used to prevent natural disasters. Of course, they can also enhance combat power. The somersault cloud mainly enables one to move extremely fast. These two skills are basic skills, combining both offense and defense, and are especially suitable for escape. If used in conjunction with the tailor - made Golden Cudgel, they can produce a superimposed effect, and in hand - to - hand combat, there are few opponents.
So, if the heavenly gods don't use magic treasures and simply compete with Sun Wukong in martial arts and transformation skills, it's very difficult to subdue him.
The Heaven once tried this. When Sun Wukong, dissatisfied with the low - rank position of Protector of the Heavenly Horses, rebelled against Heaven, the Jade Emperor dispatched Li Jing and his son Nezha, leading their own troops to the mortal world to subdue the demon.
The first to fight was the Great Spirit God. He simply engaged in a head - on battle with Sun Wukong. One held the Golden Cudgel, and the other held the Xuanhua Axe:
"The Great Spirit God couldn't withstand him. The Monkey King struck him with a blow on the head. In a hurry, he tried to block with the axe. With a clang, the axe handle was broken into two pieces. He quickly withdrew and fled in defeat."
The second to fight was Nezha. He didn't just compete with Sun Wukong in martial arts but started to compete in skills:
"Nezha was furious. With a loud shout, he cried, 'Transform!' He immediately transformed into a form with three heads and six arms, menacingly holding six kinds of weapons: the Demon - Slaying Sword, the Demon - Chopping Knife, the Demon - Binding Rope, the Demon - Subduing Pestle, the Hydrangea, and the Fire Wheel. With a flurry, he came charging forward."
II
Sun Wukong has another ability that few people pay attention to, that is, his extremely strong learning ability. Whatever magic spell others use, he can quickly master it by imitating.
So, he also imitated Nezha and transformed into a form with three heads and six arms. The two were once again evenly matched in the battle. Also, when Sun Wukong fought against Erlang Shen, he applied what he had learned once. At that time, Erlang Shen said to Li Jing:
"Little Saint is here. I must compete with him in transformations. Gentlemen, set up the inescapable net. Don't cover the top, just make it tight around the four sides. Let me fight him."
So, the two fought three hundred rounds first. Then Erlang Shen used the magic of "assuming the form of heaven and earth". Sun Wukong followed suit and also used the same magic, becoming the same size and appearance as Erlang Shen.
However, when it came to transformation skills, Sun Wukong was a bit weaker. After all, when he learned the 72 transformations back then, Patriarch Bodhi said that he had fewer gills than others. Since the 72 transformations are mainly designed for humans, his transformation skills have two flaws. One is that it's very difficult to deal with his tail:
"Only the tail was hard to dispose of. It stuck out behind and turned into a flagpole."
As a result, Erlang Shen saw through it at a glance. Similarly, when he transformed into a nine - tailed fox, Zhu Bajie also noticed his tail at a glance. He even laughed and told Sha Heshang the truth:
"I bent down and told my 'son' to get up, and then I saw the monkey's tail sticking up. I was hanging higher than you, so I could see clearly."
This is exactly his second flaw. That is, when transforming into a human, he can't get rid of all the hair on his body, the red buttocks, and this tail. This was mentioned in the Lion and Camel Kingdom:
"But when transforming into a human, only the head and face changed. The body couldn't be fully transformed. Sure enough, there was a body full of yellow hair, two red buttocks, and a tail."
III
We've digressed a bit. Let's get back to the main topic. The reason for listing Sun Wukong's abilities is mainly to illustrate one point. That is, with these abilities, and with the blessings of the flat peaches and the immortal pills, even one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals couldn't do anything to him.
Even in the CCTV version of Journey to the West, Sun Wukong could fight all the way to the Hall of Lingxiao, and the Jade Emperor was so scared that he hid under the table. So, many people may have a question. During the havoc in Heaven, Sun Wukong was almost invincible in the world. Why was he often unable to subdue even a small demon on the journey to fetch the scriptures?
This is the reason!
Because his identity has changed. The once - invincible Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, mainly focused on defense and escape. On the journey to fetch the scriptures, the offense and defense were reversed. He became the attacking side, while the demons became the defending side. Generally, the demons would seize the opportunity when they were off guard, kidnap Tang Seng, and then strengthen their defenses in the cave to deal with Sun Wukong.
Although Sun Wukong is very powerful and even one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals can't subdue him, he also can't subdue the opponents. Even Wang Lingguan, a member of the guard platoon, and the thirty - six Thunder Generals guarding the Heavenly Gate can surround a rampaging monkey in the middle and make it difficult for him to move.
The main reason why no great god in Heaven stepped forward to subdue Sun Wukong is mainly a political issue. After all, when being an official in Heaven, one must be extremely cautious. To put it in the words that Tong Guowei said to the Eighth Prince Yinsi in The Life of Yongzheng, one should do the opposite. They are not afraid of not doing things, but afraid of doing the wrong things. So, the officials in Heaven, big and small, go to work and get off work on time. When something happens, they all have to ask for the Jade Emperor's decree. Without the decree, they don't even dare to leave their own territories.
Even the True Martial Great Emperor, the Marshal of the Nine Heavens to Subdue Demons, is like this:
"Just that without an imperial decree from the upper realm, I dare not start a battle rashly. If I send the gods to fight, I'm afraid the Jade Emperor will blame me..."
IV
Moreover, quite a number of truly powerful great gods are not willing to work for Heaven. People like the Uposatha Master, Patriarch Bodhi, and the Great Immortal Zhenyuan all belong to this category.
This has led to a situation in Heaven where, just like the Marshal Tianpeng we mentioned last time, there are plenty of people who slack off! So much so that after Guanyin Bodhisattva came to investigate the situation, she recommended Erlang Shen, who was semi - institutional and semi - independent, answering only to summons but not to regular commands, and thus they managed to subdue Sun Wukong smoothly.
Of course, if there were no great gods in Heaven, not only would the various demon kings on the ground cause chaos, but also the minor gods in Heaven couldn't hold them down. Then, the question arises, why didn't the other great gods take action when Sun Wukong made a havoc in Heaven?
Besides the lack of a decree, there is another reason: it's beneath their dignity!
For those great gods in Heaven, which one hasn't lived for tens of millions of years? According to Buddha Tathagata, the Jade Emperor has lived for hundreds of millions of years. And Sun Wukong is just a monkey over three hundred years old. In their eyes, he is like a little baby in our eyes, at most like a kindergarten kid.
So, when a kindergarten kid shouts about wanting to escape from the kindergarten, the security guard at the gate volunteers to stop him. Even, they send out an older kid from the senior class to stop him, but in the end, they still can't hold this kid down. So, Li Jing returned to Heaven and asked the Jade Emperor for more troops. At that time, the Jade Emperor laughed:
"Think about how much ability a mere demon monkey can have. Do you still need more troops?"
Yes, you, Li Jing, volunteered to capture the demon monkey, and now you have the nerve to ask for reinforcements. Aren't you ashamed to say that?
In fact, just as I mentioned before, this monkey Sun Wukong couldn't really defeat Li Jing's troops if he really fought against them. But it's also a very difficult task for Li Jing to capture the monkey and subdue him.
V
As for other great gods, such as the Sanqing and Siyu, they are also embarrassed to lower their status and take action.
On the one hand, for great gods, if no one asks them, it's better to do less. On the other hand, it would be laughable if they used their full strength to bully a little monkey.
For such great gods, naturally, they won't fight hand - to - hand with Sun Wukong. They have senior qualifications and powerful magic powers. It's beneath their status to fight like children. As for magic treasures, they are their precious possessions. Who would be willing to take them out for official business?
Of course, it's not that they won't use them. In the end, wasn't it Lord Laozi who stopped Guanyin Bodhisattva from throwing the Pure Jade Bottle and threw the Golden Ring instead to capture Sun Wukong? But this also has its reasons. The gods in Heaven are upright gods. Under normal circumstances, they won't do something underhanded. Otherwise, they will fall into public opinion like, "It's just a little monkey, and they still rely on such underhanded tricks. How can they still stay in Heaven in the future?"
Why is Guanyin Bodhisattva not afraid to do something underhanded?
It's also a matter of face!
Because Guanyin Bodhisattva boasted in front of the Jade Emperor. At that time, seeing the Jade Emperor worried, she proposed:
"Your Majesty, don't worry. This poor monk recommends a god who can capture this monkey."
She had already made a promise. Seeing that Erlang Shen couldn't do anything to Sun Wukong, Guanyin Bodhisattva was anxious. On a small scale, it means she misjudged. The person she recommended was not capable enough. On a large scale, it's a crime of deceiving the emperor. After all, as soon as Erlang Shen arrived, he told the one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers to stand aside and wanted to fight alone. But he failed to subdue the monkey and even delayed the battle opportunity.
In fact, later on the journey to fetch the scriptures, Sun Wukong often went to ask Guanyin Bodhisattva for help, and we never saw the Bodhisattva fight hand - to - hand. Most of the time, she either used tricks, like tricking the Black Bear Spirit into putting on the Golden Headband, or borrowed the power of magic treasures to trap the Red Boy.
VI
Precisely because everyone has various concerns, the situation was at a standstill. Even if the gods caught Sun Wukong, they couldn't eliminate him, let alone catch him.
Finally, the Jade Emperor got annoyed. "You bunch of good - for - nothings. Let's just call in an outsider." Thus, he issued a decree to invite Buddha Tathagata from the private armed company on Lingshan!
Buddha Tathagata was also helpless. Leaving aside whether he was Sun Wukong's master or fellow disciple, he also had the same concerns as the other great gods mentioned earlier. He could have come up and slapped Sun Wukong to death with one palm. But the Buddha also had to think. Since there were great gods in Heaven, why was he specifically asked to come and deal with the monkey?
There must be something strange when things happen out of the ordinary. This old monk won't fall into the Jade Emperor's trap and make enemies for no reason. I don't even know how I would die. So, with the attitude of a Buddhist who doesn't kill, he earnestly persuaded Sun Wukong:
"Surrender as soon as possible. Don't talk nonsense! I'm afraid you'll meet with a violent end, and your life will be gone in an instant. What a pity for your true self!"
If Buddha Tathagata could make Sun Wukong retreat and submit without using weapons, that would definitely be the best strategy. The Jade Emperor would have to give him a thumbs - up.
Unfortunately, the monkey didn't listen. He still wanted to charge at the Jade Emperor's throne. Buddha Tathagata was so angry that he laughed. He asked Sun Wukong what else he could do besides the art of immortality, and yet he wanted to sit on the throne.
After hearing Sun Wukong say that he knew the 72 transformations and the somersault cloud, Buddha Tathagata came up with an idea and made a bet with him:
"If you have the ability to jump out of the palm of my right hand with one somersault, you win. Then there's no need to fight anymore. We'll invite the Jade Emperor to live in the West, and you can have the Heavenly Palace. If you can't jump out of the palm, you'll go back to the mortal world to be a demon and cultivate for a few more kalpas before coming to quarrel again."
VII
Sun Wukong wasn't stupid. If he really charged forward, not to mention the big monk in front of him, even Wang Lingguan behind him would be hard to deal with. But if he took this bet, if he won, he could take the Jade Emperor's throne. If he lost, he could still be a demon. It wasn't a loss:
"Is what you say believable?"
Well, with just a few words, Buddha Tathagata tricked Sun Wukong. How could Buddha Tathagata have the power to decide the ownership of the Jade Emperor's throne? The fact that he dared to say this means he had enough confidence to win against Sun Wukong. Even if he couldn't win, he had a way to renege on the bet.
So, Buddha Tathagata stretched out his hand:
"He stretched out his right hand, which was about the size of a lotus leaf."
If you don't have a concept of the size of a lotus leaf, please look at the following picture, compared with a frog:
When Sun Wukong saw this, he laughed. How could he not jump out of such a small palm? So, with a leap, he jumped onto the palm of Buddha Tathagata. Before anyone could react, he flew away with a somersault cloud:
"Look at him soaring away with a cloud of light, disappearing without a trace."
That is to say, at this moment, it seemed to everyone that Sun Wukong had jumped away and was out of sight. But just because the gods couldn't see him didn't mean Buddha Tathagata couldn't. He had a pair of discerning eyes:
"The Buddha, with his discerning eyes, saw the Monkey King spinning like a windmill, constantly moving forward."
Then, Sun Wukong flipped to the side of five pillars. He thought he had reached the end of the sky. So, he left eight characters on one of the pillars: "The Great Sage Equaling Heaven was here." Then he flipped back with a somersault. Oh, before leaving, he deliberately urinated under the pillar in case the Buddha didn't admit it.
VIII
At this point, we return to our topic. Sun Wukong thought he had won, but then the Buddha asked him to look back. He was stunned:
"Is this possible? Is this possible? I wrote these characters on the pillar supporting the sky. How could they be on his finger?"
Yes, why couldn't Sun Wukong jump out of the palm of Buddha Tathagata?
Some people say that the fastest thing in the world is not an airplane, not a high - speed train, nor a missile, but a child's hand. One second it's holding something obediently, and the next second it reaches out to another place with lightning speed.
That's right. Buddha Tathagata's hand is like this child's hand, with extremely fast speed. Sun Wukong was flipping somersaults in front, and behind, either Buddha Tathagata flew along with him. Wherever Sun Wukong flew, his palm would move there. Or he just stood still and kept making his hand bigger and his arm longer.
This answer is an explanation, but it's a bit ridiculous. Whether the Buddha flew along or stretched his hand to make it bigger, it would be beneath his dignity in front of the gods. What if Sun Wukong really circled around the pillar under the witness of the gods? The Buddha would lose. Moreover, if Sun Wukong flew far away, the other gods couldn't see him either. Even if Buddha Tathagata used the words written by Sun Wukong as evidence, who could prove that he didn't forge the characters after seeing Sun Wukong writing on the Heavenly Pillar?
So, to convince the gods, Buddha Tathagata had to demonstrate his skills in front of the Hall of Lingxiao, allowing everyone to see with their own eyes the scene of Sun Wukong writing and urinating on his finger after flying for a while. Only in this way could he convince the crowd.
This is also the reason why, at the subsequent Assembly to Pacify Heaven, the gods lined up to give him gifts:
"Grateful for the boundless magic power of Buddha Tathagata for subduing the demon monkey."
IX.
After all, things like getting bigger and longer can't be called boundless magic power. Even Zhu Bajie in Baoxiangguo could do this:
"Watch the wind. The east wind is still acceptable, and the west wind is also bearable. But if the south wind blows, it could even make a huge hole in the sky!"
From this, we can rule out the possibility that Sun Wukong really flew away. That is to say, in fact, he was indeed turning around in the palm of the Buddha right under everyone's eyes.
Some people say that the Buddha wrote the character "Forbidden" in his palm in advance, and Sun Wukong just didn't notice it. Just like when Maitreya Buddha subdued the Yellow - Browed Boy back then, the boy's mind was confused, and he just followed along foolishly, thus falling into the trap. The same goes for Sun Wukong. His mind was confused by Buddha Tathagata. Otherwise, how could such a great thing suddenly fall on you?
If he could win, he could get the Jade Emperor's throne. If he couldn't win, it was also in line with Sun Wukong's wishes. He could go back to the mortal world and continue to be a demon. After all, he was captured by Erlang Shen and brought to Heaven when he was a demon.
However, there is one thing that's hard to explain. Being confused in mind doesn't mean that the somersault cloud would stop working. A confused mind doesn't affect one's ability to do somersaults either. If there were no other mysteries in the palm of Buddha Tathagata, it would still be possible for him to jump out.
Some people also say that the palm of Buddha Tathagata and Sun Wukong are not in the same dimension. It's like when we play mobile games. No matter how powerful the characters in the mobile game are, they can't jump out of the phone and come in front of you. When Sun Wukong jumped into the palm of Buddha Tathagata, it was as if he entered the Buddha's "palm console". How could a character inside the "palm console" jump out?
That is to say, Sun Wukong's cognitive limitations determined that he couldn't break through the barrier and get out.
This...
X.
As mentioned before, the palm of Buddha Tathagata was as big as a lotus leaf, but Sun Wukong was able to jump onto it. This can only indicate two situations.
One is that the Buddha's palm became bigger the moment Sun Wukong jumped onto it. Otherwise, it simply couldn't hold Sun Wukong. The other possibility is that the Buddha's palm remained the same size, but Sun Wukong became smaller.
The former has just been analyzed. The possibility is not very high, and it's easy to be exposed and for Sun Wukong to jump out. What about the latter?
For example, an ordinary person can take a step of one meter. If he is reduced to half his size, can he still take a step of one meter? What if he is reduced ten thousand times, or even a hundred million times? How many steps would he need to take to cover this one meter?
So, theoretically speaking, as long as Sun Wukong keeps getting smaller, he will only get infinitely close to the edge of the palm but will never be able to jump out.
Is there any evidence in the book to prove this inference?
Yes!
This move of Buddha Tathagata is actually similar to the Great Immortal Zhenyuan's "Sleeves Containing the Universe" technique. When the Great Immortal stretched out his sleeve, he could also put the four Tang monks, along with their luggage and horse, all inside. No matter how many somersaults Sun Wukong made, he couldn't jump out:
"The Great Immortal... used the technique of 'Sleeves Containing the Universe'. In the clouds, he gently unfolded his robe sleeve against the wind, and with a swish, he caught the four monks and the horse in one sleeve."
Maitreya Buddha's Human - Seed Bag, Lord Laozi's Precious Gourd, the Golden - Winged Great Peng's Yin - Yang Two - Gas Bottle, and Guanyin Bodhisattva's Pure Jade Bottle also have the same function:
"Now the Pure Jade Bottle is thrown into the sea. In this short time, it has passed through the three rivers and five lakes, the eight seas and four great rivers, and the sources of streams and caves, borrowing a whole sea of water inside."
In fact, when Sun Wukong jumped into the palm of Buddha Tathagata, he entered the world within the palm. This is a world cultivated by the Buddha through the Five Elements technique:
"One flower is a world; one leaf is a bodhi."
After all, the Buddha once said:
"Within a single grain of sand lies three thousand great thousand worlds; in three thousand great thousand worlds, there are billions of suns and moons."
So, as long as Sun Wukong is still within the Five Elements, he can't jump out of the palm of Buddha Tathagata. Otherwise, when the Buddha turned his hand over and pressed down from the thirty - third heaven to the ground, it would also take time, and besides, he pressed gently:
"He pushed the Monkey King out of the Western Heaven Gate and transformed his five fingers into five connected mountains of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, named the 'Five - Elements Mountain', and gently pressed him down."
Wouldn't this period of time be enough for Sun Wukong to fly away on his somersault cloud?
Unfortunately, he still couldn't escape!
The reason why it is said that he is still within the Five Elements is that the Underworld once tried to claim his soul:
"I, the Great Sage, have transcended the Three Realms and am not within the Five Elements. I no longer submit to their jurisdiction. Why are they so bold as to come and claim my soul?"
Perhaps because the Book of Life and Death was altered, the technique of the Five Elements couldn't completely suppress Sun Wukong. Later, Buddha Tathagata added the six - character mantra, "Om Mani Padme Hum".
This time, there was absolutely no way for him to escape...
Alas!
