The Journey to the West

The turtle in "The Journey to The West" dumps the travelers halfway across the river because Tang Sanzang fails to fulfill his promise to ask the Buddha about the turtle's conversion and lifespan....

In The Journey to the West, the Monkey, Sun Wukong, transforms from an arrogant, selfish trickster into a devoted disciple who uses his knowledge altruistically. Initially rebellious and...

Buddha does not grant Zhu Bajie the title of Buddha because Bajie has not conquered his weaknesses, including laziness, gluttony, and lust. Despite his role in guarding Xuan Zang, Bajie remains...

Zhu Bajie receives the title of "Altar Cleanser" from the Tathagata after Xuanzang's journey west. This title is more of a practical reward than a punishment, as it suits his nature due to his...

Several characters in Journey to the West are based on historical figures. The most notable is Xuanzang, the monk who undertakes the pilgrimage, based on the real-life Buddhist monk Xuanzang who...

The one who wears Bodhisattva Guanyin's cassock will avoid the Wheel of Reincarnation. The brocade cassock was originally given to her by the Buddha. When she presents the cassock and monk’s staff to...

The group begins to ascend the Yellow Wind Ridge and gets into trouble with a whirlwind. With Sanzang taken away by the wind, they begin to fight the monster that took him away.

In The Journey to the West, the warrior god Orionis aids the protagonists by subduing a female scorpion fiend who has captured Tripitaka. After Tripitaka resists her temptations, his disciples,...

Xuanzang conquers demon creatures during his expedition to find Buddha's scriptures by relying on the protection of the goddess of mercy and his guardians, particularly the Monkey King. The Monkey...

Tripitaka is the main protagonist of the story. It is his journey, and it is he who bears the responsibility of bringing back the sutras. Sun Wukong is a trickster hero—he has to be tricked into...

Xuangzang, Monkey, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing are changed by the journey to the west when Gunayin, bodhisattva of compassion, intervenes in the four pilgrims' lives not simply in order to retrieve the...

The journey in Journey to the West is not pointless. The novel, a major work of Chinese literature, follows a group of pilgrims led by the monk Xuanzang on a quest for sacred texts. Through their...

The plot of Journey to the West describes a journey from China to India made by the monk Tang Sanzang and his companions, who are on a quest to bring Buddhist scriptures back from Leiyin Temple.

There are many different quest stories in Western literature. Some involve a quest for things that seem quite trivial. Others involve a quest for what is extremely important. But in all such stories,...