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The Rise of the Monkey King

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My dear child, I know that the hour is late.  You’ve been playing all day and you are tired, and now it is bedtime.  But you say you want to hear a story before you sleep.  So now I will tell you an old story about a monkey.  He was very strong and very smart, but sometimes he was also very naughty.  He needed to learn about love and helping others. 

This monkey lived a thousand years ago in northern China.  He had many names during his long life, but most people know him as Sun Wukong.

People tell many stories about Sun Wukong.  If I told you all those stories, I would have to talk for many days!  So tonight I will just tell you a little bit about his birth and how he became a great king.

In the beginning, when the Earth was young, the gods in Heaven made four continents: the Eastern Continent, the Western Continent, the Southern Continent, and the Northern Continent.  The Eastern Continent had a country called Aolai, near a great ocean.  In the middle of the ocean was a great mountain that stood in the sea like a king in his palace.  It was called Flower Fruit Mountain.  Around the mountain was a beautiful forest.  In the forest were birds, animals, green grasses, beautiful flowers, and tall fruit trees.  A hundred rivers came out of the mountain and flowed to the ocean. 

At the top of the mountain sat a very large stone.  This stone was as tall as six tall men.  Three large men could not encircle it.  The stone was made at the same time as the Earth.  For a million years it was fed by seeds of Heaven and Earth.  Finally, after a million years, the rock became pregnant.  The stone opened and a stone egg came out.  The wind blew over it, the egg cracked open, and a small stone monkey walked out.

This monkey was small but he was not a baby monkey.  He was like an adult monkey.  Every day the little stone monkey played and climbed and ran.  All the animals were his friends.

One day the monkey opened his eyes.  Two beams of light came out of his eyes and went straight to Heaven.  In Heaven the great Jade Emperor saw the beams of light.  The people in the palace saw this and were worried.  But the Emperor did not worry because he knew that they came from the stone monkey.  He smiled and said, “These beams come from a monkey who was born of Heaven and Earth.  Don’t worry.”

The stone monkey lived happily in Flower Fruit Mountain.  He played with all the animals who lived in the mountain.  For many years he lived an easy life playing with his animal friends.

One day the weather was very hot.  The stone monkey was playing in the cold river with his monkey friends.  They used small stones to make houses under the water.  When they were tired, they swam and washed in the river, and rested on the shore.

One of the monkeys said, “We do not know where this river comes from.  Today we have nothing to do.  Let’s go and find out!”

They walked along the river up the mountain, climbing on rocks, calling to their friends, laughing and playing.  After many hours they saw a great waterfall.  They sat and watched the waterfall for a long time.  In the daytime it looked like a rainbow.  In the moonlight it glowed like fire.  The nearby green trees drank its cold water.

All the monkeys shouted and clapped their hands.  They said, “Marvelous water!  Marvelous water!  Who can go into the river and see behind the waterfall?  He will be our king!”

The stone monkey heard, and he jumped up, shouting “I will go!  I will go!”  Dear monkey!  He closed his eyes and jumped into the waterfall.

Behind the waterfall there was no water.  There was just a large room with an iron bridge.  He saw that the water flowed under the bridge to the top of the waterfall.

He looked around.  He saw that he was in a beautiful cave.  It looked like a cozy house, with stone beds, stone chairs, stone bottles, and stone cups.  In the cave were many green trees.  The stone monkey was very happy.  He wanted to tell his friends.  So he closed his eyes and jumped through the water and out of the cave.

The monkeys saw him.  They asked, “What did you see?”  The stone monkey said, “A beautiful place.  No water.  Just a large comfortable room with a bridge, and stone beds, stone chairs, stone cups, and stone bottles.  We can live there.  Let’s call it the Water Curtain Cave.  Come with me and see!” 

“OK,” said his friends happily, “you go in first.”  The stone monkey shouted, “Follow me!”

After all the monkeys were in the room, the stone monkey stood up.  He said, ”You all said that the monkey who finds this place will be your king.  Now make me your king.”  So each monkey bowed to the stone monkey and said, “You are now my king.”

From that day onward, the stone monkey was the king of all the monkeys.  He took a new name, Handsome Monkey King.  But we will just call him the Monkey King.

The Monkey King and his friends lived in the Water Curtain Cave for a very long time, three or four centuries. Every day they played on the mountain.  Every night they slept in the cave.  They were all very happy.

One day, while eating, the Monkey King became sad and cried a few tears.  The other monkeys asked, “What’s wrong?”  The Monkey King said, “I am happy now, but I am worried about the days to come.”  The other monkeys laughed, “You should be happy.  We have a wonderful life.  We have food, we are safe, we are comfortable.  Don’t be sad!”

The Monkey King said, “Yes, we are happy today.  But later we must still meet Yama, the King of the Underworld.  If we will die later, how can we be happy today?”  Then all the monkeys began to think about death, and they all began to cry.

Then one monkey jumped up and cried, “Great Monkey King, do you know, holy sages will never meet Yama, because they live as long as Heaven and Earth.” 

The Monkey King said, “I did not know that.  Where do the holy sages live?” 

“They live in ancient caves, but I do not know where.” 

“No problem.  Tomorrow I will go down the mountain and find holy sages.  I will learn to be young forever and never meet the King of the Underworld.”

All the monkeys clapped their hands and shouted, “Wonderful!  Wonderful!  Tomorrow we will find lots of fruit, and before you go we will give you a great feast.”

The next day the monkeys found many kinds of fruit and flowers.  They put the fruit and flowers on the stone tables, they drank from the stone cups, and had a feast.  They danced together, and sang about how wonderful it was to be a mountain monkey.  For a full day they ate, drank, sang and danced.  They all gave gifts to the Monkey King.  Afterwards, they slept.

In the morning the monkeys made a small boat for the Monkey King. The Monkey King got into the boat, and used the wind to cross the ocean and go towards the Southern Continent.  He sailed for many days.  Finally he reached the shore of the Southern Continent.  He jumped off the boat.  He saw some people fishing and preparing food.  Dear Monkey King!  He looked terrifying and the people ran away.  But one man was too slow.  So the Monkey King took the man’s clothes and put them on himself.  Now he looked like a man, but a little bit bigger and a little bit uglier.

The Monkey King walked a long way dressed like a man.  Every day he looked for holy sages.  But he only saw men who liked money and fame.  The Monkey King thought, “Too bad!  These men all seek money and fame.  They all want more than what they have.  But they never think about meeting Yama.  They are all fools!”

The Monkey King looked and looked.  He searched for eight or nine years.  Finally he came to the end of the Southern Continent at the Great Western Ocean.  He thought, “There must be holy sages living on the other side of this ocean.”  So he made another small boat.  He traveled for many days before arriving on the shore of the Western Continent.

Again he searched for holy sages.  He met many frightening animals, but the Monkey King was not afraid.

One day he arrived at a tall and beautiful mountain with a forest of tall trees.  He heard the sound of water from many rivers.  “Such a beautiful place,” he thought, “there must be holy sages living here!”

He walked into the forest.  He heard a man singing about his happy and simple life.  The man sang,

“I chop wood, I sell the wood. 

I buy a little rice, a little wine. 

I sleep among the trees,

the ground is my bed. 

I rest my head on a tree root. 

I laugh easily, I do not worry. 

I do not make plans. 

My life is simple and happy!”

The Monkey King heard this song, and thought, “Here is a holy sage!”  He ran to meet the man and said,  “O Immortal One, O Immortal One.”

The man jumped back and shouted, “I am just an old man.  I have no money, no house, and little clothing.  Why do you call me immortal?” 

“I heard your song.  Your words are the words of an Immortal.  Please teach me.”

The man laughed, “My friend, I tell you, I learned this song from my neighbor.  He told me to sing this song if I was worried or sad.  Just now I was worried, so I sang the song.  I am no Immortal!”

The Monkey King said, “If your neighbor is an Immortal, why are you still here?  You should be studying with him.” 

“I cannot.  My father died and my mother is alone.  I have no brothers or sisters to help her.  Now she is very old, so I must stay and help her.  I cannot study to become an Immortal.”

“I understand, “ said the Monkey King, “You are a good man.  Please tell me how to find this Immortal’s house, so I can visit him.” 

“It is not far.  He lives on the Mountain of Mind and Heart, in the Cave of the Crescent Moon and Three Stars.  He has many students.  It is seven or eight miles from here.  Just walk down this road, you will see it.”

“Thank you, “ said the Monkey King, “I will not forget you.”

So the Monkey King walked down the road seven or eight miles, and arrived at a cave.  Above the cave mouth was a large stone.  Written on the stone was “Mountain of Mind and Heart.  The Cave of the Crescent Moon and Three Stars.”  The Monkey King was very happy, and he thought, “The people in this region tell the truth.  Here is the cave that I seek!”  But he did not go into the cave.  He climbed a tree and played while he waited.

After a short time, the cave door opened and a handsome young man came out.  “Who is making trouble here?” he asked.  The Monkey King came down from the tree and said, “Immortal boy, I have come here to learn.  I will not make trouble.” 

The youth laughed, “Do you seek the Way?” 

“Yes.” 

“My Master just started teaching.  But before he started teaching, he told me to go and open the door for a new student.  You must be that student!” 

The Monkey King smiled and said, “Yes, that is me.” 

“OK, please come with me.”

And so the Monkey King and the youth walked into the cave.  After walking through many beautiful rooms, they met Master Subodhi.  He was teaching a class of about thirty students.

The Monkey King bowed many times, saying, “Master, I am your new student.  Please teach me!”

The Master said, “Where are you from?  Tell me your name and country.”

“Your student is from Water Curtain Cave in Flower Fruit Mountain, in the Aolai Country of the Eastern Continent.”

“Leave now!” shouted Master Subodhi.  “You are not telling the truth.  Between Flower Fruit Mountain and here are two oceans and the entire Eastern Continent.  How could you come here?”

The Monkey King bowed many times and replied, “Your student traveled ten years, across land and ocean, to meet this great teacher.”

Master Subodhi relaxed and smiled, “I see.  What is your surname?”

“I have no temper.  If you shout at me, I am not angry.  If you hit me, I do not fight.  I only say kind words.”

“Foolish monkey!  I asked about your surname, not your temper!”

“Oh, I am sorry!  I have no surname, because I have no parents.”

“You were born from a tree?”

“Not a tree, great Master.  A rock.  On Flower Fruit Mountain.”

Master Subodhi was happy when he heard this.  “Well, then your parents are Heaven and Earth.  Show me how you walk.”

The Monkey King got up.  He was still dressed like a man but he walked like a monkey.  Master Subodhi laughed, “Your walk like a monkey and your face is not beautiful.  You resemble a husun.  So your surname shall be Sun.”

“Thank you, Master!  Now I know my surname.  Now please tell me my personal name.”

Master Subodhi said, “In my school we give each student one of twelve possible names.  You are in the tenth position, called wu, which means ‘understanding’.  Because you seek to know truth, I will give you the name Wukong.”

“Wonderful!  Now I am called Sun Wukong.  Thank you Master!”

From that day, Sun Wukong studied every day with the Master.  He lived in the cave for seven years.  One day in the seventh year, Master Subodhi said to Sun Wukong, “In my school there are 360 different paths.  Each path leads to wisdom.  Which one do you want to learn?”

“I will do as my Master tells me,” replied Sun Wukong.

So Master Subodhi told Sun Wukong about each of the 360 different paths in his school.  He talked for a long time.  Every time Master Subodhi talked about a path, Sun Wukong asked, “If I study this path will I become an Immortal?”  Every time, the Master replied “No.”  And every time, Sun Wukong said, “Then I will not learn that path.”

Master Subodhi became angry, and shouted at Sun Wukong, “You are a very difficult monkey.  I have told you about many different paths to wisdom but you don’t want any of them.  You don’t want to learn anything.”  He hit Sun Wukong three times on the head.  Then he folded his arms behind his body and walked into his room and closed the door.

The other students heard this and they were angry at Sun Wukong because he made the Master angry.  But Sun Wukong was not angry or unhappy.  He thought that the Master had told him a secret.  Because the Master hit him three times on the head, he thought that meant “wait until the third watch” which starts at 11:00 PM.  Because the Master put his arms behind his body, he thought that meant “Enter my room through the back door to receive my teaching.”

So that night at the start of the third watch, Sun Wukong walked outside.  He walked to the back door.  It was open.  He walked inside.  The Master was sleeping in his bed.  Sun Wukong sat down and waited for the Master to wake up.

When the Master woke up, he saw Sun Wukong and smiled, saying, “You are a very difficult monkey.  Why are you here?”

“Master, “ said Sun Wukong, “yesterday you gave me a secret.  You told me to wait until the third watch and then come through the back door to your room.  Now I am here.  Please teach me the secret of immortality.”

So Master Subodhi spoke into Sun Wukong’s ear a poem that contained the secret of immortality.  Of course I cannot tell you what was in the poem because it is a secret.

Sun Wukong heard the poem, and he said it to himself many times every day.  He knew every word of the poem, and he did as the poem told him.  He began to learn the secret of immortality. 

But after three years, Master Subodhi said to Sun Wukong, “Be careful, my dear student.  You have learned the secret of Heaven and Earth, but now you are in great danger.  It is true that you will always be young.  But five hundred years from now, Heaven will send you thunder.  Use your wisdom to avoid the thunder, or you will die.  Five hundred years after the thunder, Heaven will send you fire.  Use your wisdom to avoid the fire, or you will die.  And five hundred years after the fire, Heaven will send you a great wind.  It will enter your head and go through your body.  Use your wisdom to avoid the wind or you will die.”

Sun Wukong was very afraid.  His hair stood on end. “Please help me avoid these three things, Master.  I will never forget you.”

“Don’t worry,” said the Master. “Nothing in this world is difficult.  Only the mind makes it difficult.”  Then Master Subodhi spoke a secret in Sun Wukong’s ear.  Sun Wukong listened, and soon he learned how to fly by doing a cloud somersault.  He could fly 108,000 miles by doing just one cloud somersault.  Now he could avoid the thunder, fire and wind sent by Heaven.  He could be immortal.

He stayed with Master Subodhi for a few more years.  Then one day the Master said to Sun Wukong, “Today you must leave.  You are disturbing the other students.” 

“Where should I go?” said Sun Wukong sadly. 

“Go to your home, wherever you came from.”  And so sadly, Sun Wukong turned and used the cloud somersault to go away.

He traveled very fast, and just an hour later he arrived back at his home in the cave in Flower Fruit Mountain.  He heard the sound of monkeys.  “My children, I have arrived, “ he said.  Soon thousands of monkeys ran and greeted Sun Wukong.  They asked, “Why did you go away?  We were alone, waiting for your return.  Recently a monster was here.  He wanted our cave and he kidnapped many of our friends.  We were very worried.  But now we are happy because our great king has returned.”

Sun Wukong was very angry.  “Tell me about this lawless monster.  I will find him.” 

“He lives north of here.  We do not know how far.  He comes like a cloud and goes like the wind.” 

“Don’t worry, I will find him.”  And Sun Wukong jumped up and used the cloud somersault to travel north until he came to a tall mountain.  He saw some small demons and he knew this was the home of the monster.  He said to the small demons, “I am the Monkey King of Flower Fruit Mountain.  Your king, I don’t care to know his name, is causing trouble for my friends.  I want to speak with him.”  The small demons ran into the cave and told the monster, “There is an ugly monkey outside.  He says he is a king.  He wants to talk with you.”

The monster just laughed.  “I have often heard these monkeys talk about their king, who is far away studying with great Masters.  But the king is never here.  Now he has returned, eh?”  The monster picked up his scimitar and walked out of the cave and said, “Where is this king of Flower Fruit Mountain?” 

“Monster, you have big eyes but you cannot see this old monkey?” 

“Old monkey, you are very small.  Why do you talk to me like this?” 

“You cannot see anything, foolish monster.  You say I am small, but I can bring down the moon from Heaven if I want.”

Then the monster shouted, and he began to fight with Sun Wukong. They fought for a long time, but the monster used his scimitar and Sun Wukong saw that he was losing.  So he pulled a few hairs from his head, chewed them, then spat them out.  The hairs became hundreds of small monkeys.  The small monkeys helped Sun Wukong fight the monster.  After some time, Sun Wukong and the small monkeys won the fight and killed the monster.  Then Sun Wukong ate the hairs and the small monkeys returned to Sun Wukong’s body.

But some hairs did not return to Sun Wukong’s body.  These were the kidnapped monkeys.  Sun Wukong said to them, “Why are you here?”

They said, “After the Great King went to seek immortality, the monster came to Flower Fruit Mountain.  For two years he came often and took some of us away.  See?  Here are some stone pots and stone bowls from our cave!”

“All of you, follow me home,” said Sun Wukong.

“Great King,” they said, “when we came here with the monster, we flew with him.  We did not see the road, so we do not know how to return home.”

“No problem,” said Sun Wukong.  “I know how to return you home.  Close your eyes, all of you, and don’t be afraid.”

Dear Monkey King!  He placed all the kidnapped monkeys on a cloud, and they rode the cloud back to Flower Fruit Mountain.  “Open your eyes,” said Sun Wukong, “You are home now!”

All the monkeys were very happy.  They had a great banquet with wine and fruit.  Sun Wukong told the monkeys about his time in the Western Continent and the Southern Continent.  He said, “I learned many things from a great Master.  Now I am an Immortal.  And now our entire family has a new name.”

“What is your new surname, Great King?”

“My surname is Sun.”

All the monkeys were happy and said “If the great king is Old Sun, then we are all Young Sun.  We are the Sun Family, in the Sun Nation, and we all live in the Sun Cave!”  They all gave delicious fruits and good wine to Sun Wukong, they sang and danced all night, and they were all a big happy family.

Good night my dear child.  I love you.