Journey to the West, Chapter 1: Wake-to-Vacuity
Thank-you all for your perceptive and (often) thought provoking comments! Please read over my response, as I have pointed to the more salient responses. These responses will help you as we continue reading, and will also help to guide your essay writing and midterm exam.
Generosity:
Some of you point to Monkey’s generosity, not to “overvalue materialistic” (Chi; Zuzanna; Borys) benefits. Indeed, Monkey does share his knowledge of the home behind the water fall with his fellows, and he is willing to take the woodcutter with him. As Myra points out, however, we need to look closely at Monkey’s motives. This doesn’t absolutely mean Monkey is selfish, but it could. Much of what Monkey does can be understood in different ways, as he has a very complex character, just as we do. And yes, Monkey does, in fact, seem to be quite invested in being a good king, as Diana points out. We need to follow him through his story, and see if that remains a priority for him.
Wisdom:
Others of you point to Monkey’s need to be more discerning (Rosshelle; Emily) to keep his eyes open (to literally wake up) so that he can truly be on the path to wisdom (Rosshelle). I think Crystal’s remark is quite an important one, as she points to Monkey’s original state (“Smashing Stubborn Vacuity) which is full of action and curiosity, but not very thoughtful. Crystal says the Monkey needs to “pay more attention” to his life,” and it will be interesting to see if he does that, or not, later on in the narrative.
Integrity:
Vyonna points to the need for integrity, to be honest with oneself and others. She suggests that his wanting to go on this quest shows that Monkey is “thoughtful about his kingdom’s place within the order of the world” (a very interesting thought, which we’ll discuss further in class).
Ordinary World:
This group points out to the first step on Campbell’s Heroic Journey (we’ll discuss this on Tuesday) that before Monkey’s quest, he was in a comfortable world, but something wasn’t quite right (Denny). An important question: does Monkey need more, and if so why? And if that is true, then is his reason to leave valid? Zeyu points out that it is indeed valid, as he says that Monkey senses the existence of another, “higher world, like the polestar ,” and says that Monkey sees this as a way to transcend.
Emptiness:
This group discusses emptiness in a few interesting ways: as a kind of clean slate of Monkey’s personality, that he can start fresh, without having any parents or teachers (William); Brian points out that Wake-to-Vacuity can also be translated (thanks to Mel!) as acknowledging the emptiness. The question is here, is Monkey acknowledging what he is or what he needs to be? Sabera seems to be suggesting that this emptiness could be defined as an inner peace, and yes, that is certainly a valid way of looking at the ”emptiness” in Buddhism, and this is something we’ll discuss further in class on Tuesday
Action:
This group points out that action is a necessary component to a successful life (Kelly) and of course the question is: is Monkey always taking the correct action? Gagandeep’s comment is also an interesting one, when she points out that Monkey “imitate the way humans acted, just so he could find the way for eternal youth.” A few questions arise here: Is Monkey often deceptive? Is that okay, if one’s goal is sincere?
Integrity:
This group shows that Monkey does have a sense of integrity, at least at times. They point out that he is indeed thankful for the life he was giving (early on) and he made an honest offer to the woodcutter (Mel; Radia) Mel and Radia also point out the idea of balance, or justice, and as we think more about Monkey, we will decide if he continues to be just (and thanks, again, Mel, for your own translation, “acknowledging vacuity,” which I think is beautiful). Elizaveta points out a very interesting character trait, that is due to his sense of integrity, and that is his willingness (or compulsion) to share his feelings, even his anxious ones, and she wonders, as we all will discuss, if this is a weakness or a strength of Monkey.