Folktale: Journey To The West

Long, long ago, by the far eastern island of Ao-Lai was a great sea. And out of this swirling sea rose Flower Fruit Mountain. At the top of the mountain lay a giant mysterious rock. For millions of years, the rock had soaked up the light

One day, the Emperor called his two captains, Thousand Mile Eye and Fair Wing Ear to draw open the South Gate of Heaven. They spotted the stone monkey and quickly reported back to the Jade Emperor.

The stone monkey soon joined the other monkeys who lived on the mountain. Together they spent many joyful days among wild flowers and feasting on fruit. One hot day, the monkeys went to bathe in a cool, rushing stream.

The monkeys swung from tree to tree, following the twists and turns of the stream. Finally, they discovered a giant waterfall hanging like a great white curtain from the sky. Then, they followed the stone monkey through the waterfall.

The stone monkey seated himself on the biggest chair. Raising a paw, he declared, "We agreed that whoever jumped through the falls shall be king. So now you must salute me!"

"Hurrah! Long Live the Handsome Monkey King!" cheered the rest of the monkeys.

For four hundred years they lived this carefree life, until one day, a sad thought struck Monkey King. "Life is wonderful," wailed Monkey King, "but one day I will die and this wonderful life will be all over!"

However, a wise old gibbon came forward. "Never fear," he said, "I have heard that Buddhas, Immortals and Sages are not subject to Yama, the God of Death. Why not find these great beings and ask them for the secret to eternal life?"

The next day, Monkey King said good-bye to the other monkeys and set out on his journey in a tiny raft. Then he dressed himself in clothes and set off into the land of humans.

Monkey King travelled for many years, asking everyone he met if they knew the whereabouts of a Buddha, an Immortal, or even a Sage. But no one knew. Then one day, he happened upon a woodcutter at the edge of a forest. The woodcutter told him that, indeed he knew of a magical Immortal named Master Subodhi who lived in a nearby cave with his many students.

Monkey King begged the Master to give hin a chance to be his disciple. Finally, Subodhi relented, "Very well," he said, "you may be my student. While you study with me, you will be known as Sun Wukong, meaning aware of nothingness."

Monkey King lived humbly like the other students. He listened intently to Subodhi's teachings and learned the martial arts. Seven long years passed, but he was still no closer to learning the secret of eternal life. Monkey King could stand it no longer. One day, in the middle of a class, he jumped up and cried, "This is just too boring! I have been here so long and all I have learned to do is clean, cook and wash." Master Subodhi was furious!

The next morning, Monkey King entered Master Subodhi's cave through the back door and knelt beside his bed. Suddenly awakened, Subodhi cried, "What are you doing here?" Monkey King replied, "When you struck me on the head three times, there was a sign that I must come in through the back door."

Monkey King understood the secret signs! Master Subodhi decided that he was indeed ready to learn the Immortal Secrets. He whispered the sacred verses into Monkey King's ear, then sent him back to his own cave to practice. Three years later, Subodhi also taught him the seventy-two Transformations. Now, he could change into almost anything!

This dear friends, is really just the beginning of many more adventures…