Guanyin Bodhisattva did not pick some good virtues to escort Tang Seng to the West Heaven to learn scriptures, but chose three disciples who had made great mistakes, and the hidden mystery behind this may not be known.
In "Journey to the West", a fantasy classic that has been passed down through the ages, the image of Tang Seng and his three apprentices is known to everyone.
Sun Wukong, the famous Monkey King, was originally transformed by a piece of immortal stone, and possessed unparalleled strength and mana. His personality is unusually unruly, and he often gets into trouble because of his impulsiveness and self-centeredness. In particular, that time of havoc in the Heavenly Palace, almost the entire heavenly court was turned upside down, and finally was pressed by the Buddha at the foot of Wuzhi Mountain, and it was not until the arrival of Tang Seng that he was able to regain his freedom.
Let's take a look at Zhu Bajie, the humble Marshal Tianpeng, who was demoted to the mortal world because of his greed for the beauty of the mortal world, and became a pig. His presence always seemed to add a lot of laughter to the journey of the four masters, but there was also a series of troubles caused by his gluttony and laziness.
As for the sand monk, although he didn't speak much, he was the most stable of the three. He was once demoted to the monster of the quicksand river for breaking his precepts and killing, and was later subdued by Tang Seng and became a general on the road to learn scriptures.
Why did these three apprentices with very different personalities become the best candidates in Guanyin's eyes? This is inseparable from their name. The "Wukong" of Sun Wukong means that he has a wisdom root that is beyond the world, but he needs to recognize the essence of the vacuum through practice; Zhu Bajie's "enlightenment" implies that although he is greedy, he still has understanding and can recognize his own shortcomings; The "enlightenment" of the sand monk means that although he has made mistakes, his mind is pure and can return to the right path.
Guanyin chose them because she saw their potential for rehabilitation, and the opportunity to purify themselves by helping others. Every seemingly imperfect choice is Guanyin's thoughtfulness and precise foresight of the future.
On the way to learn the scriptures, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng constantly faced various trials and tribulations, and their character and abilities were also improved through continuous training. Sun Wukong has protected his master from danger many times with his extraordinary combat effectiveness, although Zhu Bajie is often funny, he can also stand up at critical moments, and Sha Seng is a stable force in the team, always able to silently shoulder the burden and solve problems for the master.
It can be said that Guanyin Bodhisattva is not untargeted, but intends to cultivate real heroes in this seemingly "broken" team. It is these three apprentices with different personalities who have gradually sharpened their indestructible will and admirable team spirit through countless hardships and challenges.
In this process, every time they fall and stand up, they profoundly embody the Buddhist philosophy of "eight sufferings", and also reflect the complex interweaving of light and darkness, good and evil in human nature. Their growth and transformation is not only a personal salvation, but also a testament to the importance of the whole team.
Sun Wukong's self-centeredness from the beginning to being able to do anything to protect his master, Zhu Bajie from only caring about immediate interests to knowing how to sacrifice and dedication, and Sha Seng from taciturn to becoming an indispensable mainstay, they have changed differently, but they all point to a common goal - to successfully obtain the true scriptures and achieve self-transcendence.
And behind all these changes and growth, it is inseparable from the compassion and wisdom of Guanyin Bodhisattva. She is not only helping Tang Seng obtain the true scriptures, but also teaching these three disciples who have made mistakes how to achieve self-redemption through hard work and self-cultivation.
In this story, every difficulty and challenge is not a simple obstacle, but a test of the faith, wisdom and teamwork of the four masters. And each successful overcoming not only deepened the master-apprentice relationship between them, but also sublimated and purified their respective inner worlds.
"Journey to the West" is not only a novel describing a magical journey, but also a textbook about patience, wisdom, teamwork, and self-growth. The three "broken" apprentices chosen by Guanyin Bodhisattva ultimately proved that even the least favored team can also accomplish great tasks with the right guidance and unremitting efforts. This is not only a salvation for themselves, but also a revelation to each of us - on the road of life, no matter how difficult we face, as long as we can persist in self-reflection and continuous efforts, we will eventually be able to overcome everything and achieve self-transcendence.