Monkey King and the Peaches of Immortality

The Legend of the Monkey King

adapted from Wu Cheng’en’s classic Chinese novel

“The Journey to the West” 

Long ago, a very smart monkey was born.  As he grew up, he was obsessed with a quest for strength and power and soon he became the Monkey King.  He could lift his 17,881 pound golden staff with ease.  He could travel 33,554 miles in a single somersault. And, with the exception of his tail, he could transform himself into any animal at all.

The Monkey King was also quite a mischievous monkey, and his antics soon became the topic of discussion among the gods.  They invited the Monkey King to join them in heaven, thinking that, there, at least, they could keep a watchful eye on him.  The Monkey King quickly accepted the invitation in the belief that he would be granted an honorable place as one of the gods. 

Instead, he was given the lowliest of jobs - stable boy.  And when the gods threw a lavish banquet at the empress’s jade palace, the Monkey King was not even invited.  The Monkey King rebelled and decided to make himself immortal.  

As it turned out, the jade palace was surrounded by peach trees. The peaches on them ripened every three thousand years.  A single bite of one of the peaches granted not only immortality, but also great strength.  

When the day of the great banquet arrived, the Monkey King sweet-talked the palace guardians into leaving him alone with the peach trees, so that he could take a quick nap.  As soon as their backs were turned, he climbed into the largest of the peach trees, gobbled up the peaches of immortality, and fled.  

When they discovered the theft, the gods dispatched their greatest warriors, who quickly captured the Monkey King and locked him in a fiery magic cauldron.  But 49 days later, when they opened it, out jumped the Monkey King, stronger than ever.  Desperate, the gods appealed to the Buddha for help.

The Buddha picked up the Monkey King and placed him in the palm of his hand.  Then the Buddha made a bet with him.  If the Monkey King could jump off the Buddha's hand, he would be set free.

Instantly, the Monkey King took a great leap.  He flew over rivers and valleys and mountains until there was nothing but five immense pillars.  He landed on the tallest pillar with ease and there he signed his name, confident that he had outwitted the Buddha.

That's when he realized that the pillars were, in fact, the Buddha's fingers.  The Buddha then turned his hand into a mountain, with the Monkey King sealed tightly inside, and there he remained for the next five centuries.

 

After the Monkey King was released from the mountain, he assigned the task of accompanying the great monk and scholar,  Xuanzang,  on a journey to recover the sacred books of Buddhist wisdom from India, which were associated with attaining enlightenment.  Over the course of the journey, the Monkey King finally made the decision to use his powers for good.  He became Xuanzang’s disciple, and protected the monk from demons and bandits during his epic journey.  They encountered 81 tribulations before finally accomplishing their mission and returning safely to China.  There, the Monkey King was granted Buddhahood for his service.  

For the Monkey King pendant, visit my etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/cornerstoregoddess?section_id=8158616

Watch a human “Monkey King”:

Monkey Kung Fu Champion

For a more complete version of the Legend of the Monkey King, please visit http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/036.html

For a peach crumble recipe and more information about peaches (immortal and otherwise), visit http://funfoodfeed.com/

The Buddha Story Continues: Fading Pleasures

Everyone at the palace tried to entertain the prince, with dancing and stories and music and beautiful women.  But nothing brought a smile to his face.  He could not get past the haunting images of sickness and old age and death.

One of his ministers tried talking with him.  "Siddhartha," he said.  "It is not right to watch all this dancing and revelry around you, and not join in.  What troubles you?"

"It is not that I do not like the beautiful people and gardens and wonderful things I see here.  But I no longer find pleasure in them, for I cannot erase from my mind the things I have seen.  Then I think of how quickly beauty can disappear, how soon good health can flee, how quickly old age and death approach. In the midst of such unhappiness, how can I revel in pleasures that fade so quickly?"

The minister protested, but Siddhartha continued.

"Until I can find a way out of all this suffering, worldly pleasures do not interest me."

The minister returned to the palace and reported to the king, telling him of young Siddhartha's questions and thoughts.

And his father was filled with grief.  How could he keep his son in the kingdom with him?  What in the vast world would make the young prince happy?

Next time, A Vision of Peace.

If you missed the earlier chapters, they can be found here:

Birthday of the Buddha
The Buddha Story Continued
The Young Prince
The Marriage Contest
The Pleasure Palaces
A Song Of Beauty
An Unexpected Sight 
The Second Journey


Buddha charms here and here.

A wonderfully detailed story of the Buddha here.

The Buddha Story Continues ~ an Unexpected Sight

The King still wanted to be certain that his son would not see anything on his trip that might disturb his mind, because that might make him want to leave the kingdom and follow the holy life.

The day before the Prince was scheduled to travel to the city, the King sent his servants and soldiers out with this message: "By order of the King! Tomorrow the royal Prince Siddhartha will visit the capital city of Kapilavastu. Decorate your houses and the streets and let everything be colorful in his honor. Let those who are sick or old or in any way unhealthy stay indoors tomorrow. Nothing should be seen in the city that is not young and fair and beautiful."

Then, as gently as they could, the soldiers took all the street beggars and brought them to a part of the city that was not on the prince's route. 

When the morning came, Channa, the charioteer, groomed the Prince's favorite horse, Kantaka.  Then, with his royal passenger aboard, he drove out through the palace gates.  It was the first time the Prince had seen Kapilavatu since he was a small child, and it was the first that the most of the citizens of the city had ever seen their Prince.  Everyone was excited and the people lined the festively decorated streets to catch a glimpse of the handsome young prince.

"How tall and good looking he is!" they exclaimed.

"How bright his eyes are!"

"We are indeed fortunate that someday he will be our king."

The prince was delighted, as well.  The city shone bright and clean.  Everywhere he saw people dancing and laughing and cheering.  The streets were covered with flower petals thrown by his joyful subjects.  "The song was true," he  thought to himself.  "This is indeed a golden, beautiful and wondrous city!"

As they continued along the planned route, the Prince saw a sad person in the crowd.  He was old and bent.  The Prince had never seen anything like this before.  He turned to Channa and asked, "Who is that person over there? Why is he stooped over and not dancing?  Why is his face wrinkled and pale, rather than smooth and shining?  Why is he so different?"

Channa replied, "That is just an old man."

"Old?" the Prince asked. "Was this man 'old' like this before, or did 'old' happen to him recently?"

"Neither," Channa answered. "Many years ago that wrinkled man was young and strong like the others you see.  Slowly he grew weak.  His body bent, the colors faded from his cheeks, he lost most of his teeth, until finally he looked as he looks now."

Siddhartha was both surprised and saddened.  "Is that poor man the only one suffering the weakness of old age? Or are there others like him?"

"Surely you know, O Prince, that everyone must experience old age," Channa said. "You, me, your wife Yasodhara, Rahula... everyone at the palace... We are all growing older every moment. Someday most of us will look like that man."

These words shocked the gentle Prince and for the longest time he did not speak.  Finally he cleared his throat.  "Chana," he said, "I have seen something today that I never expected to see. In the midst of all these happy young people this vision of old age frightens me.  Please turn the chariot back to the palace.  I am no longer enjoying this day.  I wish to see no more."

When they arrived back at the palace, the Prince hurried to his room without speaking to anyone.  For a long time, he sat by himself.  Everyone noticed his strange behavior and tried to cheer him up, but nothing helped.

At dinner he did not touch of his food, even though is was a meal unsurpassed in excellence. He paid no attention to the music or the dancing.  He just sat by himself, thinking about old age.

And he knew that he needed to go out into the world again, and see more.

Next time, The Second Journey.

If you missed the earlier chapters, they can be found here:

Birthday of the Buddha
The Buddha Story Continued
The Young Prince
The Marriage Contest
The Pleasure Palaces
A Song Of Beauty

Buddha charms here.