Those legendary immortals also have to do chores and work in the heavenly court. Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng in "Journey to the West", they are not only heroes on the road to learning scriptures, but also their "former occupations" in heaven! Especially Wukong, although the nickname "Bi Ma Wen" sounds mediocre, it actually has a lot of origins. Why didn't Sha Seng even dare to call "Brother Monkey" affectionately?
In "Journey to the West", which has been circulated for thousands of years, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Seng are not only the key figures for the master and apprentice to go deep into the West to learn scriptures, but their identities and status in heaven are also very different. Sun Wukong, the Monkey King who made trouble in the Heavenly Palace, actually has another identity, Bi Ma Wen. It sounds like a petty official who breeds horses, but in fact, what he holds in his hands is the power of the Imperial Horse Supervisor of the Heavenly Court.
The Imperial Horse Warden, which sounds like a department related to livestock, is actually in a position that is extraordinary. Think about it, the heavenly horse is the seat of the immortals, and it is related to the travel and battle of the heavenly immortals, is this a trivial matter? And Bi Ma Wen Sun Wukong, his duty is not only to take care of these heavenly horses, but also to manage all the prisoners, deputy supervisors, pawns, wrestlers and a large number of heavenly court officials. It's not a gizmo, it's just a huge governing body!
And Zhu Bajie, who was once Marshal Tianpeng, although his status is prominent, after being demoted, his personality is a little more honest and funny, but he also does not lose his wit and cleverness. His title to Sun Wukong is "Bi Ma Wen", with a bit of banter and respect in his tone, after all, no one can ignore Sun Wukong's power and influence in the heavenly court.
In contrast, the situation of the sand monk is more delicate. As a rolling shutter general, his main duty is to serve the Jade Emperor, which seems to be glamorous, but in fact he does not have much real power. When he was "laid off" from Heavenly Court and joined the scripture-learning team, his status was obviously inferior to that of Sun Wukong. Under Sun Wukong's warm aura of Bi Ma, even if Sha Seng has a thousand words in his heart, he can only stay away, and even "Brother Monkey" does not dare to call out casually.
Such a setting can't help but make people think that the arrangement of heavenly court positions in "Journey to the West" actually reflects a profound personnel relationship and power structure. In a sense, this is not just a description of the Buddhist journey, but more like a court struggle for loyalty, power, and class. Behind every character's behavior and every dialogue is layers of deep meaning and consideration.
Let's go back to the beginning of the story. Sun Wukong's havoc in the Heavenly Palace is not only a challenge to the rules of the Heavenly Court, but also a complete explosion of personality and power. He was not satisfied with being just a "Bi Ma Wen", but demanded a higher status. This strong personality and ambition made him an outlier in the heavenly court. And when he was crushed at the foot of the Five Elements Mountain and regained his freedom again, he did not choose to continue to oppose the Heavenly Court, but chose a more difficult path to learn scriptures from the West.
And the addition of Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng is a supplement and balance to Sun Wukong's power and status. Although Zhu Bajie has an extraordinary status, his honesty in character makes him play the role of adjusting the atmosphere more often; The steadiness and diligence of the sand monk are the silent support of the team. Their interaction with Sun Wukong is not only a mutual learning and help between master and apprentice, but also an interweaving of their respective talents and destinies.
What we see in this mythical tale is a complex display of human nature. Despite being in the world of immortals, their contradictions and conflicts are no different from those of mortals. Their stories not only let us see the characters with distinct personalities, but also let us see the human brilliance and shadow behind each character.
Sun Wukong's rebellion and challenge, Zhu Bajie's wit and humor, and Sha Seng's loyalty and diligence are the most prominent parts of their personalities. And how do these personality traits affect their performance and decision-making on the road to learning from the experience? Behind every decision, there is a deliberate consideration of one's own role positioning, and it is also a kind of responsibility for the team.
"Journey to the West" is not just a simple mythological novel, it is more like a mirror, reflecting the complex interpersonal relationships and power structures in human society. Every position and role in Heavenly Court has its own unique meaning and position. Through the background and status of the three protagonists, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng, we can not only understand their actions and choices more comprehensively, but also see the true portrayal of the coexistence of heroism and ordinariness, contradiction and harmony in human nature. In this story, every joke and every adventure is deeply hidden in the deep observation and reflection of human nature.