great works in literature II 2850 kta 2:55-4:35— Shades of Truth . . .

I believe monkey fits into the Heroic Journey model and experiences its second phase during the first chapter of Journey to the West.  In the first chapter, the monkeys are curious as to where their water source is coming from. However, they are too afraid to venture through the great waterfall’s curtain to get their answer. The monkeys exclaimed, “if any of us were brave enough to pierce that curtain, get to where the water comes from and return unharmed, we would name him our king”. Three times the monkeys raised their offer when suddenly Stone Monkey cries out that he is willing to go through the curtain. I feel that the monkeys offer was Stone Monkey’s first call to adventure, this risk that many of his peers were unwilling to take allowed him to become their leader and eventually lead him to his second call to adventure.  I feel Stone Monkey’s second call to adventure comes when he suddenly becomes sad after several hundred years of ruling. Stone Monkey is unable to cope with the fact he is a mortal being, he wonders if there is any way he could live forever, “among the people of the sky”. One of his subjects then explains that there are immortals that walk on the very same earth they do. This news excites Monkey and he then says to his subjects “Tomorrow, I shall say goodbye to you, go down the mountain, wander like a cloud to the corners of the sea, far away to the end of the world, till I have found these three kinds of immortals”. This decision to leave his subjects would eventually lead Monkey to become, “The Great Monkey sage, equal to Heaven”.

Comment #1 – Mel

Pigsy, in order to obtain illumination, must give up everything he had in Kao’s Farm. To Pigsy, the way that he lived in the Kao’s Farm meant what he deserved. He retained his magical powers from the time he was a general in the Heavens. He used it to farm the lands on the farm and helped the Kao’s save money. In return, he gained a marriage with a beautiful wife and had a property to stay. To him, these were what he deserved. Even then, Pigsy was fine with giving up all of this to complete the mission that Kuan-yin has offered: to accompany Tripitaka to India.  When Monkey came along and told Pigsy that he is going to get scriptures in India with Tripitaka, Pigsy shows his acceptance to the call of adventure quickly. He tells Monkey, “Didn’t you know? The Bodhisattva Kuan-yin converted me and put me here to prepare myself by fasting and abstention for going to India with a pilgrim to fetch scriptures; after which, I am to receive Illumination.” Monkey brings Pigsy to Tripitaka and Pigsy becomes an official disciple. Pigsy was ready to let go of his ordinary lifestyle on the farm and tells Mr. Kao, “Be so kind as to inform my mother-in-law, my sisters-in-law, and my kinsmen by marriage that I have become a priest and must ask their pardon for going off without saying good-bye to them in person.” This shows that Pigsy is now officially ready to step on into the adventures that are waiting for him on this journey to the West.

Comment #2 – Radia

A stage that Monkey goes through is facing new challenges. Mel discusses how Pigsy is accepting and ready to experience the new adventures. On the contrary, Monkey still has this internal conflict on how to respond to the new trials. Although Monkey joins Tripitaka to get scriptures from India, his ego and power becomes his hurdles throughout the book. Unlike Pigsy, Monkey needs more time to have complete acceptance. This is seen when Monkey consistently lashes out violently when he is challenged: “Monkey took his needle from behind his ear, recited a spell which changed it into a huge cudgel…but in an instant he was among them and striking right and left he slew them all…” Although Monkey is trying to defend himself, he needs to put his ego aside and stop acting recklessly. Tripitaka warns Monkey this horrid behavior isn’t acceptable for their journey. Tripitaka and the bodhisattva constantly preach to Monkey how he should behave. Gradually Tripitaka’s words begin to affect Monkey. This idea is expressed when Monkey directly goes to Lao Tzu for a pill that can save the deceased emperor. Instead of acting out violently, Monkey tries to reason with him and doesn’t play any tricks on him. He explains everything that has been going on, “… I must cure him here in the World of Light. I could think of no way but to ask for your help.” Monkey is the only one that can save the emperor and this obstacle ultimately tests his character.

Coment #3 – Elizaveta
I like how Radia compared Mel’s view on Pigsy and Monkey’s stage of accepting new challenges. The only thing that I have to add is that they are two very different characters, yet they complement each other on the journey.  

Tripitaka is consistently refusing the call of adventure on his heroic journey. Every problem that they are facing hits him and his courage very hard. Monkey complained about it, “you say you need the horse to ride, and yet you won’t let me go and recover it. At this rate, you’ll sit here staring at the luggage forever.” It shows that Tripitaka does not know how to act. He is easily depressed. It is easier for him to run away from problems and give up. He has almost everything to achieve their goal, but not action. Moreover, Tripitaka is very dependent on Monkey. The master said, “but I think you might remember that I can’t go with you. Doesn’t it occur to you that I may be thirsty and hungry too?” Monkey is fulfilling his lack of action. Tripitaka never tries to find strength in himself; he just looks for it in Monkey.

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

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.

Monkey’s quest to find immortality reflects his view on the meaning of life. Sun Wukong, or Wake-to-Vacuity, Monkey’s given name, may be directly tied to his fear of an empty or meaningless life. However, Monkey realizes that not many people are as concerned with immortality as he is. He sees that “that the people of the world were all seekers after profit and fame.” They were concerned with achieving as much as they possibly could in their mortal lifetime, content with the short time that they were given. The woodcutter, for example, struggles to make a living and feed his mother. Monkey is surprised that the woodcutter, whose neighbor is an immortal, does not “follow him in the cultivation of the Way.” However, the woodcutter has had a life full of hardship and responsibility. He is not interested in prolonging his life, because all that it has been is a struggle to survive. Monkey, on the other hand, has led a very different life as the king of the monkeys. He’s afraid that if he does not achieve immortality, his life may remain empty as he had never really had much to overcome. Without challenges and distress, life may seem meaningless.  

• Zuzanna

Zuzanna makes a good point when she states that Monkey makes the quest of finding immortality for himself and his followers as the epicenter of his life. With such zealousness towards his mission, Monkey will lose a part of himself as so often happens when people become blindsided while chasing things in their lives. While some people mindlessly search for “profit and fame” as Zuzanna mentioned, Monkey was more interested in “quitting earthly zeals (Immortality).” In reality, Monkey is actually no better than the regular people he criticizes because he is also wasting his time in search of something he doesn’t have or need. Such endless desires distract one from seeing what’s truly important and actually enjoying their lives. Instead people spend their days dreaming of things they’ll potentially never be able to have. Monkey had “Left his island to drift with heaven’s winds. He sailed oceans and seas to find the Way of Immortality.” He left his entire prior life behind in hopes of achieving the impossible; clearly he has been engulfed by his desires to the point where his life doesn’t have much value to him anymore. This is why Monkey’s new assigned name is so befitting, he has awoke to the emptiness of life; in which he spent “10 years” searching for the supernatural. Now that he will finally achieve immortality, his ultimate goal, Monkey can realize just how meaningless his life will become. He will be forever trapped, in a world of discontent and unfulfillment.

• Borys

In the faith of the Buddha, before one can reach a life of fulfillment they must first empty their minds of all illusions that distort their perceptions of reality. Both fear and desire are examples of these mortal misconceptions. What usually may be considered normal human emotions actually serve as setbacks that prevent us from moving forward in life. Once one has rid themselves of all such worldly interruptions, they become able to focus on the Six Perfections that guide them to Enlightenment: Generosity, Patience, Action, Wisdom, and Integrity. But this is no easy task. In the case of the monkeys in Journey to the West, when they initially come across the world behind the bridge, “ a stone mansion with trees and flowers…stone ovens and stoves, stone pots and pans, stone beds and benches,” they are fascinated by what they believe to be a way to satisfy all of their life’s needs. The monkey leader, later named “Sun Wukong,” exclaims to his peers that “this is truly the place for us to settle in… and spare ourselves from being subject to the whims of Heaven.” What he realizes hundreds of years later after having lived in this wonderland for so long is that it is not as fruitful as he had first believed. “If we die, shall we not have lived in vain, not being able to rank forever among the Heavenly beings?” In fact, the distraction of desire for material possessions only dragged them further away from discovering the purpose of life. So, when Monkey sets off to fix their mistake, he is in search of what he believes will be a life of higher worth: one of immortality. What makes his name “Sun Wukong,” or, “To Acknowledge Emptiness” significant is the fact that the journey that has given him this title seems to be his path to Enlightenment. Already having completed the first three Perfections, his Generosity being his care for the wellbeing of his brothers and sisters around them, his Patience seen through his commitment to a 10+ year-long effort to help them and himself, and having taken Action since the start when he first jumped through the waterfall and so forth, I believe that maybe this is Monkey’s way of being Enlightened.

• Emily

Monkey’s name, Wake-to Vacuity (Wukong) is given to him by the immortal name Patriarch Subodhi at the end of chapter one. His name Wake-to Vacuity can be loosely translated to acknowledgement of emptiness. The meaning of his name can be linked with the theme an ordinary world; where it is safe, but something is not working. In this case the thing that doesn’t work are lives of the monkeys, they are mortal which means that eventually they will be subjects to Yama, King of the Underworld. Wukong first noticed this emptiness in their world after the party inside the waterfall by saying “Though we are not subjects to the laws of man today, nor need we be threatened by the rule of any bird or beast, old age and physical decay in the future will be disclosed the secret sovereignty of Yama, King of the Underworld.” (428). After having spoken with a bareback monkey he said “I will learn from them how to be young forever and escape the calamity inflicted by King Yama” (429). He then sets out on a journey to find the thing that can fix this, immortality.

-Denny Huang

At the beginning Wukong is born on an ordinary world, which is stressed by the descriptions that indicates the existence of higher world, like the polestar where the beam goes to(p.424). This leads us to think that there may exists a way to transcend. Later Wukong realizes this. After being satisfied by the ampleness of material, having daily banquet and enjoying independence in perfect happiness(p.428). He starts the quest for an enlightenment. He starts to looking for ways to be immortal(not subjecting to nature) which he thinks is the ticket to higher world. But this name, whose literal meaning is “acknowledgment of emptiness”, given by a guy who is already immortal, indicates that realizing emptiness is the way to the immortality. Or, being immortal isn’t the ultimate goal of life, but the acknowledgment of  emptiness. Since Dao is mentioned at the very beginning of the story, I guess this emptiness does have some connection with the Daoism. In Chapter 16 of Tao Te Ching Lao Zi writes:” Empty yourself of everything. Let the mind become still.” This is the way to the Tao, and Tao Is the ultimate goal of life in Daoism. So here the name of “Wukong” comes from Daoism and it indicates that later in the story Wukong will be always on the way of looking for this enlightenment —- the acknowledgment of emptiness.

-Zeyu Kang

     Since his birth the king monkey has shown a theme of emptiness to the reading audience. The king monkey was born of a stone rock that split and did not have any parents or siblings to teach him any ways of life. When the king monkey was born, he had never been given a name. “At nebula’s first clearing there was no name” (pg. 436). At the end of the first chapter, the king monkey was given the name ‘Wake – to – Vacuity’. Due to the emptiness the king monkey has been experiencing, he was extremely excited to receive a name. “Splendid! Splendid!” Said the monkey king, “henceforth I shall be be called Sun Wukong” (pg. 436). The King monkey receiving a name is significant because of the theme of emptiness presented in his character.

-William Dayan

     The Monkey King now known as Sun Wukong, whose name “Wake To Vacuity” can be translated to also mean “to acknowledge emptiness.” The theme of emptiness, in a literal sense of not containing anything, is also present in the very “DNA” of the Monkey King.  As he was born of stone, a material not living, but cold and ‘empty’.  It is also said that the stone from which he is born is “…an immortal stone”(Pg.424) whose measurements “corresponded to the three hundred and sixty five cyclical degrees, while the circumference of twenty four feet corresponded to the twenty four solar terms of the calendar”(Pg.424).   This symbolizes how time has no real bearing on the Monkey King as he is immortal just like the stone he from which he came from.  However the monkey does not even seem to realize his own immortality since it is after three or four hundred years of living this “insouciant existence”(Pg.428), that he realizes that “old age, and physical decay in the future will disclose the secret sovereignty of Yama, King of the Underworld.  If we die, shall we not have lived in vain, not being able to rank forever among the Heavenly beings?”(Pg.248)  Although it seems that he is expressing concern for his loyal subjects it is likely that he is thinking of himself.  It is as if he is searching for a different type of emptiness than the one he was born with. He begins a journey to attempt to rid himself of his fears of the future that loom over his head. He believes if he finds these Heavenly Beings they will lead him down a path to achieve inner emptiness to feel at peace.

-Brian Baigorria

     During his journey, the Monkey King claims he is on a search for immortality. The Monkey King seems to define immortality as the result of achieving the concept of emptiness in your life. Before setting off on his quest to find the Heavenly beings that can help him achieve immortality, he tells the rest of the monkeys “I will learn from them how to be young forever and escape the calamity inflicted by King Yama.”(429). Previously, the Monkey King explains that King Yama is the King of the Underworld and in the future they all must give up their lives to him. The Monkey King is clearly worrying about death and his life not having a significant meaning. He questions, “If we die, shall we not have lived in vain, not being able to rank forever among the Heavenly Beings?”(428). The solution to his concern is to go on a journey to achieve a sense of immortality by not having to worry about King Yama and what the future may hold for him. It is not just a journey of immortality, but also a journey of inner peace, and learning how to eliminate fears in order to achieve a state without suffering or a sense of self, and in summary, a state of emptiness.

-Sabera Qazi

Comment 1:

When monkey was given the name ‘wake-to-vacuity’ at the end of chapter 1, the name showed how monkey had the perfection characteristic of action. He always took action right away. He knew early on in the chapter that he was more than the others. This is shown through the quote, “When suddenly the stone monkey leaped out from the crowd. He answered the challenge with a loud voice. ‘I’ll go in! I’ll go in!’” (426). Other monkeys were thinking about running through the waterfall to become king, however the stone monkey took action and right away showed his dominance and superiority to the other monkeys. When he became unhappy with his faith he wanted to change it. He did not ever think to just be upset about this and not change it. Instead he took this into his own hands and started his long journey to the immoral mountains. He’s long and stressful journey showed how determined and how fearless monkey was. Therefore, once he found it, he desired nothing else. His new name fit him very nicely. He was empty, he had let go of everything else and was able to devote himself fully into this journey. Monkey recognized his own emptiness. This was shown in the quote, “At nebula’s first clearing there was no name; Smashing stubborn vacuity requires wake-to-vacuity” (436). He was awoken from his everyday life and into the emptiness and the clarity that allows him to become immortal and live a better, fuller, and richer spiritual life. He needed to be free of his stubbornness and his selfishness in order to completely find peace in his life. Which is what the journey ultimately did for him. It shed him of the ignorance he once had and turned it into clarity and knowledge.

-Kelly Kay

Comment 2:

Monkey King was destined to find immortality. He knew he was the chosen one and couldn’t let his fellow monkeys down. He knew he had to take action and go on this heroic journey. He also took action in getting acknowledgement and from the monkeys as being Monkey king when he says “why don’t you honor me as your king?’’ The monkeys immediately folded their hands and bowed down in order to show respect.  He also sat at the head of the table which showed  he took action in acquiring his respect for his title whereas the other monkeys sat below. Monkey also didn’t let any obstacle get in the way of him finishing his journey. This can be shown when Monkey King abandons the raft and he stole clothes from a human. He imitated the way humans acted just so he can find the way for eternal youth.

-Gagandeep Kaur

Theme: Integrity

Group Members: Radia, Elizaveta, and Mel

Comment #1 – Mel

Actions of integrity requires one to be honest and fair, a trait that isn’t common. From reading Chapter one, we see the evidences of Wukong as a being with integrity. As a being born and nourished by nature, he knew that he had to be fair, thus be graceful of his surroundings and that life that nature gave him. “Having learned at once to climb and run, this monkey also bowed to the four quarters,” shows how he is thankful for the life that we was giving, and how he believes it is only fair to pay back his thanks by bowing back to nature, his parent. Another example of his integrity, fair and honest, is when he meets the woodcutter. Wukong says to the woodcutter, “Honored brother, go with me. If I receive my benefit, I will not forget the favor of your guidance.” Wukong believes that it is only fair that the woodcutter receives a favor back. Integrity is an important trait for Wukong to have. It ties closely with his name because his full name is “Sun Wu Kong”. Sun means monkey, or descendant. Wu means to acknowledge or as the translator puts it, “to wake.” Kong means emptiness or vacuity. Having integrity is a way of viewing what actions are considered just. It is a moral principle. Something that is just means being even, as shown by Lady Justice. When favors are returned, both parties acknowledge the blank in owes. This emptiness is what makes people acknowledge and achieve a calm state in the conscience. This trait of integrity is important to pass on to the descendants: to acknowledge the emptiness of owing or mistreating others.

Comment #2 – Radia

One of Monkey’s significant traits is integrity. Mel mentions how the monkey tells the woodcutter to join him on finding eternal youth. The monkey isn’t secretive about his intentions and genuinely wants to share this experience. His integrity and appreciation is expressed through his conversations with the woodcutter when he says, “…you are indeed a gentleman of filial piety, and you will be certainly be rewarded in the future.” Monkey asks for this favor and is willing to return the favor. Another example that illustrates Monkey’s integrity is when he finds out where the stream leads to. Although he takes charge, he still reports back to the other monkeys about his findings and shows the monkey a potential home. This portrays his fairness because he’s willing to share this land with them. He isn’t willing to just leave them all behind which is seen when he states, “Gentlemen! ‘If a man lacks trustworthiness, it is difficult to know what he can accomplish!” Monkey is encouraging the others; even though they all feel exhausted. He wants to secure and settle this place for the monkeys. The Monkey’s name Sun Wukong, symbolizes his character. The translation of his name means to acknowledge, awareness, vacuity, and emptiness. The fact that he’s honest and fair relates to the idea that he acknowledges his surroundings and is aware of his behavior which roots back to his morals. Emptiness helps Sun Wukong from not lashing out on others and being fair. Thus, he tries to have a calm nature.

Coment #3 – Elizaveta
I totally agree with Mel and Radia. The integrity that Monkey has is something very valuable in our world, but it is very hard to find. Once Wukong came back from the cave, he said, “let’s all go live in there, and spare ourselves from being subject to the whims of Heaven.”  A thought of taking over everything that he found never reached him. He never thought that he could keep a cave that he found for himself and lie about findings because he is honest. Monkey wanted the best for the community in which he lived. He put wants, needs, and desires of people around him above his personal advantages. Moreover, his integrity He is very honest with others monkeys. Even though he is a king, a leader, he is not afraid to open his true feelings; one could even call it his weaknesses. He shared his anxious thoughts about the future by saying, “though I am very happy at the moment, I am a little concerned about the future. Hence I’m distressed.” A person must be truly honest and brave to expose his heart to the public this way.

Monkey’s given name Sun Wukong, Wake-to-Vacuity, in other words the acknowledgement of emptiness can be interpreted in the aspect of the ability to not overvalue materialistic and other forms of benefits. This can be connected to the generosity sector of the six perfections. When monkey first found the Water-Curtain Cave, his initial thought was not to keep the capability of the cave to sustain livelihood a secret as he have already satisfied the condition to become king when he went in and out without hurting himself. Monkey could have hid the cave from the rest of the monkeys but he didn’t. It is arguable that monkey did this so he can have a better chance at the throne since the first thing he said after coming out of the cave was “now that I have come in and gone out, gone out and come in, and have found for all of you this Heavenly grotto in which you may reside securely and enjoy the privilege of raising a family, why don’t you honor me as your king?” Nevertheless, Monkey was able to proof his sense of generosity later on in the chapter when he encounters the woodcutter as well. After obtaining directions from the woodcutter he asks the woodcutter to come along with the intention of sharing whatever benefit he receives from the immortals, “honored brother, go with me, if I receive any benefit, I will not forget the favor of your guidance”. Regardless of Monkey’s ability to understand the woodcutter’s situation and why he cannot go with him, he does demonstrate his generosity once again by showing the willingness to share what he believes he will gain later on.

– Chi Zhang

I agree and disagree with Chi’s statement. Agree because Monkey could have hidden the fact the cave behind the waterfalls was filled with amenities for hundreds of monkey families to live for years on end, “now that I have found you this heavenly grotto in which you may reside and enjoy the privilege of raising a family…” He didn’t hide the fact the cave was a wonderful place to live and generously told all the monkeys to come with him, so they could live a nourished life with no worries.
He was very generous about it, however the main reason he told everyone of the cave was due to his desire of becoming king; basically he said ‘now that I have taken the risk of jumping through the waterfall and found you a place for you to live. Keep your promise and make me your king.’ He was generous and selfish at the same time; although he was selfish in thought his action was very generous.
In regards to Monkey’s name, Sun Wukong; I would have to agree about his name connecting to generosity. He really wasn’t into the material items in the cave and whole heartedly gave it to the other monkeys so they could have the resources to raise families. He just wanted to have the title of king and really didn’t tell the other monkeys things such as, ‘these items are mine and those are yours.’ Describing Sun Wukong’s name as the generosity perfection of the six perfections is understandable due to his actions.

-Myra Khan

When breaking down Monkey’s new full name Sun Wukong, the definition might be ‘Wake-to-Vacuity Doctrine of the Baby’ or ‘Acknowledge Vacuity Doctrine of the Baby’. By analyzing this alone, I can notice that there is more profound meaning to the religious journey Monkey is about to embark on. By making reference to the last two comments of my classmates above, I understand why they might feel his name can be connected to generosity. However, from my perspective and from what I received during the class discussion this week, I believe Monkey’s story in The Journey to the West is about to take us through deeper understanding of his name and the rest of his journey by finding all the elements of The Six Perfections. But for the sake of this post, regarding the perfection of generosity, some other points in the book that can be used as evidence that point to this perfection, is when Monkey states, “now that I have come in and gone out, gone out and come in, and have found for all of you this Heavenly grotto in which you may reside securely and enjoy the privilege of raising a family”. The fact that Monkey went in and out, over and over, to make sure every monkey was in the the cave safely and so that they were able to see its beauty, points to his generous heart, because any other individual might have been like, “okay, those other monkeys did not want to jump in so let’s leave them behind.” But he didn’t, instead he jumped in and out to make sure they were all together. Another point where Monkey showed to be generous was when he finally met the Patriarch, he said, “Master! Master! I, your pupil, pay you my sincere homage.” Generosity is also defined as being kind and generous, so the fact that Monkey showed a heart of humility when meeting the Patriarch it showed his element to the perfection of generosity.

-Diana Rodriguez