Journey to the West (2 volumes)

The Journey to the West mainly describes the story of Sun Wukong escorting Tang Monk to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures, and the story of the monk's journey through 81 trials and tribulations. Tang Monk's journey to the West is a true historical event. About 1,300 years ago, in the first year of Emperor Taizong's Zhenguan reign (627), a 25-year-old young monk named Xuanzang left the capital Chang'an and traveled alone to Tianzhu (India) to study. After setting out from Chang'an, he traveled through Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, overcoming many hardships and dangers, and finally arrived in India. He studied there for more than two years and was the main speaker at a large Buddhist scripture debate, receiving praise. In the 19th year of the Zhenguan reign (645), Xuanzang returned to Chang'an, bringing back 657 Buddhist scriptures. His journey to the West took 19 years and covered tens of thousands of miles, making it a legendary journey that caused a sensation. Later, Xuanzang orally narrated his experiences on the journey to the West, which were compiled by his disciple Bian Ji into the 12-volume "A Record of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty." However, this book mainly describes the history, geography, and transportation of the countries he encountered along the way, without any stories. The Biography of Tripitaka Master of the Great Ci'en Temple of the Great Tang, written by his disciples Huili and Yancong, added a mythical dimension to Xuanzang's experiences. From then on, the story of Tang Monk's journey to the West became widely circulated among the people. The Southern Song Dynasty included "The Story of Tripitaka's Journey to the West in Poetry," the Jin Dynasty included "Tang Tripitaka" and "Peach Banquet," and Yuan Dynasty dramas such as Wu Changling's "Tang Tripitaka's Journey to the West" and an anonymous author's "Erlang Shen Locks the Great Sage Qi." These all laid the foundation for the creation of "Journey to the West." It was precisely through the painstaking process of recreating folk tales, vernacular novels, and operas that Wu Cheng'en completed this magnificent literary masterpiece, a source of pride for the Chinese nation. Wu Cheng'en, courtesy name Ruzhong and alias Sheyang Shanren, was a native of Shanyang, Huai'an Prefecture (present-day Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province). He was born between the 13th year of the Hongzhi reign and the early years of the Zhengde reign (1500-1510) and died around the 10th year of the Wanli reign (1582). Wu Cheng'en's great-grandfather and grandfather were both scholars, serving as instructors and teachers at the county school. However, his father, Wu Rui, due to poverty, married into the Xu family, "inheriting the Xu family business and working as a small merchant." Despite this, the Wu family maintained a tradition of scholarship. It is said that his father, Wu Rui, though a businessman, was not only a respectable man but also enjoyed reading and discussing current affairs, which naturally had a significant influence on Wu Cheng'en. Wu Cheng'en was a bright child, entering school early, achieving success at a young age and becoming renowned in his hometown. Volume 16 of the Tianqi era's "Huai'an Prefecture Chronicle" describes Wu Cheng'en as "intelligent and intelligent, well-read in a wide range of books, and able to compose poetry and prose with a single stroke of his pen." However, Wu Cheng'en's adult life was far from smooth, and he encountered repeated setbacks in his pursuit of imperial examinations. He was only admitted as a tribute student in his forties. In his fifties, he served as magistrate of Changxing County in Zhejiang Province and later as magistrate of the Jingwang Palace, a sinecure comparable to the rank of magistrate. Wu Cheng'en composed "Journey to the West" after middle age, or perhaps even in his later years, though the exact date is uncertain. In addition to "Journey to the West," he also wrote the long poems "Erlang Searching the Mountain" and "Yu Ding Zhi." The four volumes of "Sheyang Xiansheng's Manuscripts," including one volume of poetry and three volumes of prose, were compiled by Qiu Du after Wu Cheng'en's death. "Journey to the West" consists of 100 chapters and can be broadly divided into three parts. Chapters 1 to 8 comprise the first part, focusing on the birth of Sun Wukong, his apprenticeship, and his rampage in the Heavenly Palace. These are the most exciting and lively chapters of the book, with Sun Wukong's journeys through heaven and earth, vividly showcasing his rebellious character. Chapters 8 to 12 comprise the second part, focusing on Tang Monk's origins and the reasons behind his pilgrimage. The third part, from the thirteenth to the final chapter, primarily describes Tang Monk's journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures. Along the way, he successively recruited three disciples, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Monk, and, after surviving 81 trials and tribulations, finally retrieved the sutra and achieved enlightenment. "Journey to the West" presents a dazzling and colorful world of gods and demons, leaving viewers in awe at the author's rich and bold artistic imagination. However, every literary work reflects a specific social life, and "Journey to the West," as a prominent example of this genre of mythological fiction, is no exception. As Lu Xun noted in A Brief History of Chinese Fiction, "the satire and ridicule of "Journey to the West" are based on contemporary social realities, lavishly depicted." He also wrote, "The author's nature is 'good at comedy,' so while recounting unpredictable events, he often intersperses humorous remarks, imbuing the gods and demons with human emotions and the spirits with worldly wisdom." This is indeed true. Through the imaginary world of gods and demons in "Journey to the West," we can see reflections of real society at every turn. For example, the character of Sun Wukong embodies the author's ideals. Sun Wukong's indomitable fighting spirit, his fearless demeanor as he wields his golden cudgel to sweep away all demons and monsters, reflects the aspirations and demands of the people. He represents the force of justice and embodies the people's unwavering faith in overcoming all difficulties. Similarly, the demons encountered on the journey to the West are either manifestations of natural disasters or symbols of evil. Their greed, cruelty, treacherousness, and cunning are characteristic of the dark forces of feudal society. Furthermore, the Heavenly Palace ruled by the Jade Emperor and the Western Paradise governed by the Tathagata Buddha are both deeply tinged with the colors of human society. The author's attitude towards the supreme rulers of feudal society is also quite intriguing. In "Journey to the West," there is hardly a single competent emperor. As for the incompetent Jade Emperor, the demon-loving King of Chechi, and the King of Bhikkhu, who uses children's hearts and livers as medicine, they are all either tyrants or despotic rulers. The portrayal of these characters, even if casually chosen, is imbued with profound practical significance. Journey to the West not only possesses profound ideological content but also achieves remarkable artistic achievement. With its rich and unique artistic imagination, vivid and tortuous plot, lifelike characters, and humorous and witty language, it has become a unique artistic masterpiece. However, I believe that Journey to the West's greatest artistic achievement lies in its successful creation of two immortal figures: Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie. Sun Wukong, the primary protagonist of Journey to the West, is a truly remarkable hero. He possesses boundless abilities, is fearless, and possesses an indomitable spirit of resistance. He possesses the extraordinary bearing of a great hero, yet also suffers from a weakness for flattery. He is resourceful, courageous, humorous, and playful. His greatest characteristic is his courage to fight. He bravely challenged the supreme Jade Emperor, earning him the title of "Great Sage Equaling Heaven." He bravely battled demons and monsters, his piercing eyes never sparing a single monster, and his golden cudgel showed no mercy to any demon. He bravely battled all odds, never retreating or yielding. This is Sun Wukong, a brilliant mythical hero. As for Zhu Bajie, his abilities are far inferior to Sun Wukong's, let alone his brilliance and grandeur, but he's equally well-portrayed. Zhu Bajie is a comic figure, simple and honest, strong, and daring enough to fight demons. He's Sun Wukong's most capable assistant. However, he's also riddled with flaws: greed, a penchant for taking advantage of others, a love of women, a fear of difficulty, and a tendency to back down, preoccupied with the wife of Gao Laozhuang. He sometimes loves to lie, but his tongue is clumsy and his words are inadequate. He often provokes Tang Sanzang into reciting the Tightening Curse, causing Sun Wukong to suffer. He even hides a small stash of money in his ears. His flaws are numerous, typical of the vices of petty private owners. The author's criticism of Zhu Bajie's shortcomings is harsh, yet well-intentioned. He's not a character to be dismissed, and as a result, people don't dislike him; on the contrary, they find him genuine and endearing. The character of Tang Sanzang is well-written, but far inferior to that of Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie. Sha Seng lacks distinct character traits, which is undoubtedly a flaw of Journey to the West. Despite this, the artistic achievement of Journey to the West is still astonishing. The characters of Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, with their distinct personalities, have established an immortal artistic monument in the history of Chinese literature.

2004-08-01

人民文学出版社

1198

9787020008735