If you have played "Black Myth: Wukong" produced by Game Science, you must have many questions, what does wukong mean, why is the Monkey King so powerful, where did he learn his skills ？This article will reveal the story behind it for you;
Sun Wukong's Master
Sun Wukong has two masters, one is Bodhi Patriarch who taught him skills in his childhood, and the other is Tang Monk who rescued him from the Five Elements Mountain under the Two Worlds Mountain. These two people have very different styles, and Sun Wukong's way of getting along with them is also very different.
The origin of Sun Wukong's name
In "Journey to the West", after he worshipped Bodhi Patriarch as his master, the ancestor named him "Sun Wukong". "Sun" and "Monkey" are homophones(in Chinese), suggesting his identity as a monkey. In ancient Chinese mythology, "Sun" is often used as the surname of gods. "Wukong" can be understood as "understanding emptiness" or "awakening emptiness", suggesting that Sun Wukong will eventually understand the true meaning of Buddhism through his journey to the West.
The image of Bodhi Patriarch in "Journey to the West" is both mysterious and kind. He has both an extraordinary and otherworldly immortal style and a compassionate heart to educate all living beings. He is not only powerful, but also proficient in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. He is a true "worldly master". With his unfathomable magic power and peaceful character, he has become a mystery in the hearts of readers of "Journey to the West".
Bodhi Patriarch is Sun Wukong's teacher. He taught Sun Wukong seventy-two changes, somersault cloud and other magical powers. More importantly, he taught Sun Wukong how to face difficulties and challenges and how to keep a pure heart in a complex world.
By the way, if you are interested in the process of Sun Wukong learning magic, you can watch the first episode of the 1986 version of Journey to the West on YouTube (With English letters). The 1986 version of Journey to the West is the most widely spread and highly praised work among all cultural works related to Journey to the West.
Although Bodhi Patriarch did not appear much in "Journey to the West", his image and story are full of mystery and symbolism, which has an unignorable impact on Sun Wukong's growth and the entire process of obtaining scriptures.
The residence of Bodhi Patriarch, "Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave", is a teaching place. In today's words, "Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave" is a "thinking academy" that specializes in studying and solving relevant problems in the field of thinking science.
The mentor in "Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave" is Bodhi Patriarch.
In Buddhism, "Bodhi" means wisdom, and "Bodhi" is also another name for Tathagata Garbha, and Tathagata Garbha is "formless", so Bodhi Patriarch did not let Wukong talk about himself to others, and only wanted to be a nameless and formless hermit, which is a metaphor that Bodhi Patriarch represents the wisdom of Tathagata Garbha.
Because Bodhi Patriarch represents Tathagata Garbha, the words Bodhi Patriarch used to rank his disciples were "vast wisdom, true nature sea, and brilliant enlightenment".
"Vast wisdom, true nature sea, and brilliant enlightenment" are all explanations of Tathagata Garbha from different angles.
Bodhi Patriarch, who lives in Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave, has boundless magical powers, but he never shows off and never interacts with the immortals of heaven and earth. He belongs neither to Buddhism nor Taoism, but is a being who is both a Buddha and a Taoist. Such a deity chose to disappear after Sun Wukong finished his studies and never appeared in the novel again.
Why did Bodhi Patriarch never appear again after Sun Wukong finished his studies?
One view is that the reason why Bodhi Patriarch retired was because he was almost invincible in the Three Realms and felt that it was lonely at the top, so he took the initiative to choose a secluded life.
There is also a possibility that Bodhi Patriarch had predicted future events in the process of teaching Sun Wukong magic, including Sun Wukong's chaos in the Heavenly Palace, so he chose to disappear after completing the teaching to avoid being involved in these disputes.
Who exactly is Bodhi Patriarch, and why does he have such profound wisdom and energy?
Judging from the name of Bodhi Patriarch, "Bodhi" is a Buddhist term, meaning enlightenment and wisdom, and "Patriarch" is a respectful title for the eminent monks who founded a school in Buddhism. Therefore, there is a saying that Bodhi Patriarch is probably Subhuti, one of the ten great disciples of Buddha.
There is also a view that Bodhi Patriarch may be the incarnation of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Guanyin Bodhisattva is the god of compassion in Buddhism, known for her great compassion. She often incarnates in various forms to save all living beings and teach Buddhism. Therefore, some people believe that Bodhi Patriarch is the image that Guanyin Bodhisattva specially incarnated to enlighten Sun Wukong.
Others believe that Bodhi Patriarch is actually the incarnation of Taishang Laojun of Taoism. Taishang Laojun is one of the supreme gods of Taoism and one of the founders of Taoism. The magical powers such as the Seventy-two Transformations and Somersault Cloud that Sun Wukong learned are exactly the common magic in Taoism.
In general, the image of Bodhi Patriarch is both mysterious and kind, with both extraordinary immortal style and compassionate heart to educate all living beings. His influence on Sun Wukong is far-reaching. He not only taught Sun Wukong the ability to transform and fly, but more importantly, he taught Sun Wukong how to face difficulties and challenges and how to keep a pure heart in a complex world. He can be said to be an important mentor for Sun Wukong's spiritual growth.
The true identity of Bodhi Patriarch is like a mystery, but this is also the charm of "Journey to the West": it is full of stories and fun, and leaves readers with endless imagination and interpretation possibilities, which makes people read it again and again and explore it endlessly.
