Monkey was given the name Wake-to Vacuity by Patriarch Subodhi, who has achieved immortality. Personally speaking, Monkey was given the name in order for him to recognize that he is missing crucial aspects of life to achieve Nirvana. The term “wu” or “wake-to” may refer to the Monkey’s inability to open its eyes and see that emptiness is not an element of life in which you obtain with just patience and action: “Your pupil drifted across the oceans and trudged through many regions for more than ten years before finding this place” (435). The path to emptiness also required the perfection of Wisdom. Patriarch asked Monkey “what is your xing,” perhaps to get an idea of his origins, and experiences, which Monkey lacks.; Monkeys replies by telling Patriarch he does not have a xing (435). Patriarch suddenly became aware that Monkey has yet to see hardship or even a situation in which a hard decision is to be made. Wake- to Vacuity is a name which closely entails Monkey’s closed eyes to all he is to experience and know before immortally. Monkey has yet to perfect Wisdom; one of the six perfections.
-Rosshelle Munoz
“We think the significance of the Monkey’s name contains the theme, Wisdom. The Patriarch explains in details why his surname shouldn’t be “Hu” due to the definition after dropping out several letters of the word. He even explains how the monkey’s personal name was chosen. Therefore, his name has a lot of meaning and behind it. “Smashing stubborn vacuity requires wake-to-vacuity.” When the monkey’s name is “awake to vacuity”, I feel like it’s a direct message from the Patriarch to tell the monkey to pay more attention with his life. Since he was born without parents, he basically raised himself up by trying out new things and that means he doesn’t have any common knowledge about the world. Although he does have his own thoughts or opinions of how the world is, they might not be the right ones hence why he thought the woodcutter was an immortal. “If you are not an immortal, how is it that you speak his language?” He was treated as a Monkey King for so many years that he’s so used to getting things his way which can explains why he “drifted across oceans for more than 10 years” just to find the immortals. The Patriarch named him Sun WuKong at last because he needs to be more wise with the decisions he makes or probably beware of his own mind.” –
-Crystal
The Monkey King was given the name Wake-to Vacuity to highlight the wisdom necessary for complete awareness, and ultimately, the immortality he so desired. As Rosshelle mentioned, wisdom was a missing trait for Monkey, and was crucial to his achievement of nirvana. In discussing his surname, the patriarch opts not to bestow the surname Hu upon the Monkey, and instead decides to bestow upon him the surname Sun. This piece of dialogue between the patriarch and Monkey offers significant insight, specifically where the patriarch states, “In other words, you were born of Heaven and Earth.” This exclamation readily suggests that monkey lacks the prior knowledge, or xing, to exhibit the wisdom necessary for immortality. Further, the phrase “To smash foolish emptiness he had to be awakened to emptiness” would indicate that, prior to his growth and on his way to immortality, Sun WuKong needed to be made aware of the impediments towards his growth and immortality. According to patriarch, the aforementioned impediments spoken of are primarily a result of a lack of wisdom, and therefore his cultivation of “The Way” is dependent upon his becoming wise.
Jonathan K.