The brothers of Sun Wukong in "Journey to the West", those monkeys who practiced together under the seat of Bodhi Patriarch, later disappeared. We all know that Sun Wukong became the king of all monkeys because of his extraordinary courage and persistence, and finally worshiped under the door of Bodhi Patriarch and learned great skills. But his brothers?
In the ancient literary masterpiece "Journey to the West", Sun Wukong is undoubtedly the brightest star, and his image is active in the hearts of every reader. Regarding Sun Wukong, in addition to his journey to the west to learn scriptures with Tang Seng, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Seng, his origin and practice background are equally fascinating. Sun Wukong's master, Bodhi Patriarch, is a powerful immortal, in addition to Sun Wukong, there are many other apprentices, these are from all over the world, each with their own unique skills. However, these disciples later evaporated from the world, and no more stories appeared, is there any secret behind this?
What we have to know is that although "Journey to the West" is popular, it is a novel after all, and many of the plots and characters in it have a strong fictional color. The image of the Monkey King was also created based on folklore and the imagination of the author Wu Chengen. But if you analyze it deeply, it is not difficult to find that it is no accident that Sun Wukong can become the protagonist.
Sun Wukong's birth is mythical, he jumped out of a fairy stone, and he was destined to be extraordinary. His ingenuity and unyielding character made him stand out among the monkeys in Huaguo Mountain and was proclaimed the "Monkey King". He was not satisfied with this, his desire to seek the secret of immortality, this desire to transcend the shackles of ordinary people, drove him to leave the comfort of Huaguo Mountain and embark on the path of seeking enlightenment.
Here, we see the Monkey King, an explorer who dares to take risks and is not afraid of difficulties. This spirit of his was not common among his senior brothers. According to "Journey to the West", Sun Wukong has been practicing penance under the Bodhi Patriarch for many years, and finally learned great magical powers. His success is not only due to his talent, but also because of his hard work and perseverance. He is not afraid of hardships and long-term solitary practice, and this kind of spirit and attitude is lacking in his senior brothers.
Monkey King's brothers? According to some legends and descriptions of "Journey to the West", although these brothers and sisters also learned from Bodhi Patriarch, their mentality and level of effort are very different from those of Sun Wukong. Some may not be able to comprehend the profound Dharma because of their mediocre talents, and some may give up halfway because they lack perseverance. What's more, they don't have the determination and courage of Monkey King to transcend fate. In their eyes, they may just hope to learn, not like Sun Wukong, who has the ambition to change his fate and break through the sky.
According to some literary interpretations and folklore, after seeing through the potential and talent of the Monkey King, the Bodhi Patriarch may have devoted more effort to teaching the Monkey King, and did not have so much guidance and attention to the other disciples. This "preference" may make Sun Wukong go further on the road of cultivation, but it also leads to the achievements of other apprentices not being obvious and gradually fading out of the stage of history.
Furthermore, from the perspective of cultural tradition and storytelling, the image and story of the Monkey King are extremely symbolic and inspiring. From an ordinary stone monkey, through unremitting efforts and self-transcendence, he eventually became a great hero in Eastern mythology. The shaping of this image has undoubtedly given people great encouragement and influence. In contrast, the ordinariness and ordinariness of other brothers and sisters may not be so in line with the narrative needs of legendary stories, so they are deliberately ignored in literary creation.
We can also think about it from another angle, and that is the choice of fate and the fate of the individual. Among the countless possibilities, Sun Wukong was chosen to become the hero who changed his fate, while the other brothers failed to break through that invisible ceiling. This setting may be a deep-seated cultural concept that Wu Chengen wants to express through "Journey to the West", the interweaving of talent, effort and destiny.
Monkey King is a fable of everyone who aspires to surpass themselves. He is not just a monkey, he represents the endless quest for freedom and dreams. And his brothers and sisters, although they are not widely sung, their existence and disappearance may be precisely to bring out the indomitable spirit of Sun Wukong. Everyone's life stage is limited, not everyone can become the Monkey King, but everyone's efforts and choices deserve to be respected and understood.
Through an in-depth analysis of the Monkey King and his brothers in "Journey to the West", we can not only understand this masterpiece of classical literature more comprehensively, but also get important inspiration about personal growth and self-transcendence. The legend of Monkey King is not only his personal victory, but also an inspiration to all those who work hard and are eager to break through themselves.