page_title: Monkey King
section_title: Disciple to Tang Sanzang
hierarchical_section_title: Monkey King / Background / Disciple to Tang Sanzang
caption_attribution_description: English: A scene of chapter 21 of Journey to the West. Sun Wukong fighting the demon of the yellow wind Français&#160;: Une scène du chapitre 21 du Voyage en occident. Sun Wukong combat le démon du vent jaune.
context_page_description: The Monkey King, known as Sun Wukong in Mandarin Chinese, is a legendary figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West and many later stories and adaptations. Inspiration for the Monkey King's origins predate the novel and can be traced back both to the Monkey-God, Hanuman, from the Hindu epic, the Ramayana as well as from the Song dynasty. In the novel, he is a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices. After rebelling against heaven and being imprisoned under a mountain by the Buddha, he later accompanies the monk Tang Sanzang on a journey to retrieve Buddhist sutras from the West where Buddha and his followers reside.
  The Monkey King possesses immense strength; he is able to support the pressing weight of two celestial mountains on his shoulders while running "with the speed of a meteor". He is also extremely fast, able to travel 108,000 li in one somersault. Sun also knows the 72 Earthly transformations, which allow him to transform into various animals and objects. Sun Wukong is a skilled fighter, capable of defeating the best warriors of heaven.
context_section_description: Five hundred years later, the Bodhisattva Guanyin searches for disciples to protect a pilgrim on a journey to the West to retrieve the Buddhist sutras. In the hearing of this, the Monkey King offers to serve the pilgrim, Tang Sanzang, a monk of the Tang dynasty, in exchange for his freedom after the pilgrimage is complete. Understanding Sun Wukong will be difficult to control, Guanyin gives Tang Sanzang a gift from the Buddha: a magical circlet which, once the Monkey King is tricked into putting it on, can never be removed. When Tang Sanzang chants a certain sutra, the band will tighten and cause an unbearable headache. To be fair, Guanyin gives the Monkey King three special hairs, only to be used in dire emergencies. Under Tang Sanzang's supervision, the Monkey King is allowed to journey to the West.
  Throughout the novel, the Monkey King faithfully helps Tang Sanzang on his journey to India. They are joined by "Pigsy" (猪八戒 Zhu Bajie) and "Sandy" (沙悟浄 Sha Wujing), both of whom accompany the priest to atone for their previous crimes. Tang Sanzang's safety is constantly under threat from demons and other supernatural beings, as well as bandits. It is believed that by eating Tang Sanzang's flesh, one will obtain immortality and great power. The Monkey King often acts as his bodyguard to combat these threats. The group encounters a series of eighty-one tribulations before accomplishing their mission and returning safely to China. During the journey, the Monkey King learns about virtues and learns the teachings of Buddhism. There, the Monkey King attained Buddhahood, becoming the "Victorious Fighting Buddha" (Dòu-zhànshèng-fó (鬥戰勝佛)), for his service and strength.
caption: Sun Wukong fighting a wind demon
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