enlightenment, journey to the west, monkey king, sun wukong

‘Journey to the West’: How the Monkey King Was Enlightened

The classic Chinese novel Journey to the West tells the tale of a Buddhist monk named Tang Sanzang who sets off for India in search of sacred Buddhist Scriptures. Along the way, he is joined by three disciples chosen to accompany and protect him. The Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong, was the first ...

Tatiana Denning

The Monkey King jumping up to the moon.

Traditional Chinese Story: The Magical Lotus Lantern

There is a traditional Chinese story about an immortal female named San Shengmu, who fell in love with a mortal scholar, Liu Yanchang. Against her brother Erlang’s will, San Shengmu escaped from her palace with a magical lotus lantern and came down to Earth. Liu Yanchang and San Shengmu married and had a son they named Chen ...

Emma Lu

The sparkling lotus flower.

The Timeless Story of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King

One of the most famous Chinese legends concerns the Monkey King, or Sun Wukong, known to the Chinese as a character from Journey to the West, one of China’s classic novels. The Monkey King created havoc in Heaven, and even the celestial warriors couldn’t subdue him. With the help of Lord Lao Zi and the God Erlang Sheng, the best ...

Jessica Kneipp

The Monkey King Sun Wukong.

The Monkey King Is a Superhero!

Sun Wukong, or the Monkey King, is a household name in Asia. Even a 3-year-old knows the story of this supernormal monkey being imprisoned under a mountain by the Buddha. Likewise, how he is later given a divine mission to accompany a Buddhist monk on a journey to retrieve Buddhist sutras from India. Journey to ...

Nspirement Staff

Sun Wu Kung, the Monkey King.