Tripitaka fits into the Heroic Journey model because of the Helpers stage. Throughout the journey to the East, in order to find ancient scriptures, Monkey repeatedly helps Tripitaka combat some obstacles along the way. For instance, when the six men approached Tripitaka demanding his horse, and all his packs, in exchanged for his life, Tripitaka quickly stood to abide to the Robber’s demands. Monkey, in that instant stood to defend Tripitaka, and killed the men in order to save the belongings and the life of Tripitaka. Another instance in which the Heroic Journey model, helpers stage, is seen is when it is time to rest, Monkey is quick to take on tasks, like taking on the monster in the Kao’s family, in order to have a place to lodge in when it is time for Tripitaka and himself to rest. Tripitaka’s obstacles throughout the journey are cut in half due to Monkeys bravery, intelligence, and superhuman abilities. Monkey contains the courage that Tripitaka lacks, therefore making him a great helper throughout the journey.
-Rosshelle Munoz
Facing New Challanges.
Monkey is a dynamic and an all around entertaining character. His Heroic journey is solidified through the many challenges he faced. In the beginning he was driven by his thirst for wisdom and immortality. As the story progresses we witness his tremendous growth. Monkey overcame the challenges he faced, and in the process obtained more knowledge. “In the first stage of his existence monkeys hunger of the mind is never perfectly directed. It is a turbulence of spirit that always lead to mischief and an urge to create chaos.” This intense urge to create mischief and chaos lead to his imprisonment by the buddha. The Buddha sentenced Monkey to live under a mountain for five hundred years. This was one of the many challenges he faced in journey to the west. Another challenge he faced was guarding Tripitaka on his privilege to india. The two men had contrasting personalities that sometimes lead to disagreements.” Monkey understands the world with a comic detachment that is in some ways akin to the buddhist detachment, and this detachment always makes him more resourceful and often wiser than Tripitaka.”
Tripitaka repeatedly exhibits the step of the Heroic Journey most closely associated with the refusal of the call to action. As Rosshelle mentioned, when the robbers confronted him and Monkey, Tripitaka did not act in a manner nearly as combative as his companion, and instead offered Monkey advice on abstaining from violence at all costs. While it is also helpful, I feel it indicates a refusal to act, specifically when Tripitaka discusses what would have been the appropriate response from Monkey. Tripitaka exclaims, “The most one may do is bring them before a magistrate.” Perhaps the most revealing episode that brought to light Tripitaka’s refusal to act was when Monkey returned, and found Tripitaka “sitting dejectedly along the roadside.” In Monkey’s absence, it appeared Tripitaka may not have had the ability to act alone. This notion is then confirmed when Tripitaka admits, “I hadn’t the heart to go on without you”, a relatively clear indication that the primary impetus for his actions was his, albeit brash, companion Monkey.
Monkey fits into the stages of the Heroic Journey. In the ordinary world, which can be his home when he was a Monkey King, he was perfectly safe and comfortable. His curiosity led to him going away to find the immortals. When he was given a duty to protect Tripitaka on his way to find scriptures in India, he accepted right away because it’s his only way to get out of the cave after being in it for 500 years. However, when arguments came up between Tripitaka’s and Monkey’s morals, he ran away. “You’ve made a very bad start” was said to Monkey from Tripitaka. For all those years, not one has ever lectured the Monkey since he was born with no parents. When he was the Monkey King, no one ever disobeyed his orders considering how he said he “killed many” back when he was a King. So, being lecture now made him ran away – “I’ll give up being a priest”. I feel like that was the refusal of the call because he doesn’t want to change how he is. However, when the Dragon told him the stories of Chang Liang, it was to let Monkey know how to control himself and be patient. In my opinion, that’s one way that the immortals are teaching the Monkey the right way of doing something without actually being direct about it because like we can see above, he doesn’t like lectures. When he went back to Tripitaka, that was a step of him willing to let go of his old habits. The stage, “Special World”, can direct it to all the challenges he faced using the moral beliefs the priest taught him. In these chapters, he didn’t find his own entire self yet, however he improved a lot. When Tripitaka was coming up a way to get rid of the “false king”, although he did used “violence” on the Monkey’s head, but because of the Monkey’s efforts of trying to help the priest out, the king was revived. That is one of the important part when he helped others to find their own paths. I agree with Hawanatu – Monkey’s protection on Tripitaka can be another way of helping someone on his or her own paths. A lot of the challenges he faced, he didn’t resort into killing however he would ask for others to help. He would tell the Buddha that she’s the one who made this journey happen, she should come up with a plan to protect them. It’s really amazing how his words always show how much he’s improving without pulling any idiotic moves like when he made a chaotic scene in heaven back then. He even helped Mr.Kao to get his daughter back and thats when he met pigsy. He’s definitely a hero – not necessarily a perfect one- but he’s definitely improving bit by bit.
I disagree with the monkey contains the courage that Tripitaka lacks, therefore making him a great helper throughout the journey. Tripitaka goes throughout tremendous amounts of character growth throughout his journey and Tripitaka starts off with a very limited amount of characteristics of a hero but as the story progresses and he encounters more problems in his journey which ultimately helps to build his courage and shapes his character development.