Chinese Monkey God

 

The Monkey King: A God of Ancient China

 

Every culture is not without its creation myths, and the ancient Chinese are no exception. With a history that dates back more than 4000 years, the gods of the Chinese are vast and myriad. Although there are gods for all occasions in ancient Chinese mythology, the Monkey King is perhaps one of the most famous among the numbers of the gods. This article explores some of the adventures and the significance of the Monkey King in Chinese Mythology.

The Monkey King's Abilities

Perhaps one of the most famous of Chinese mythological figures is the Monkey King. The Monkey King was known as an arrogant trickster and delighted in playing pranks on some of the other gods. Because he was afraid of death, the Monkey King sought out the tutelage of the Taoist sage, Father Subodhi, who taught him the ability of cloud flying and the 72 transformations. When the Monkey King returned to his ape subjects, he found that they were being terrorized by a monster. To drive the beast away, the Monkey King borrowed the Magic Wishing Staff, which weighed 13,000 lbs. and could shrink and grow according to his needs. After driving away the monster with the staff, the Monkey King became uncontrollable.

Conflict with the Jade Emperor

It was not long after defeating the monster and gaining the magic staff that the Monkey King began drawing the ire of his neighbors. After many gods and dragons protested to the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven, the Jade Emperor sought to placate the angry gods by inviting the Monkey King to his court in heaven and giving him a job: Keeper of the Heavenly Stables. It did not take long before the Monkey King realized that it was an insulting position and grew angry. Demanding a new title, the Monkey King ran amok in the Jade Emperor's court before leaving it in a state of chaos. Furious, the Emper

Intervention of the Buddha

Defeated and embarrassed, the Jade Emperor consulted with the Buddha in dealing with the Monkey King. The Buddha approached the Monkey King and offered him a wager that the Monkey King would not be able to jump off of the Buddha's palm. The Monkey jumped, but no matter how he tried, he could not escape the length of the Buddha's palm. Defeated, the Monkey King was punished by having a mountain placed on top of him, where he stayed for 500 years.

The Journey to the West

After 500 years of punishment, the goddess Guan-Yin came to the Monkey King to enlist his aid in protecting the Buddhist Monk Tripitaka in his journey to India. Thoroughly humbled and eager to escape his prison, the Monkey King readily agreed and joined the monk and his two companions, Sandy and Pigsy. Now imbued with the purpose of protecting the monk, the Monkey King used his many abilities to defeat demons and bandits that tried to take the life of the monk. In order to keep the Monkey King from misbehaving, Guan-Yin had given the Monkey King a headband made of gold that the Monk could use to induce headaches after reciting a sutra. In this way, the Monkey King learned humility and how to behave himself, becoming a faithful friend and supporter in their quest.

The Monkey King grew from a nuisance to a menace to an irreplaceable ally. After helping the monk achieve his quest, the Monkey King made his peace with heaven and became a legend. Indeed, he was rewarded with the title "Buddha Victorious Against Disaster." In modern literature, the story of the Monkey King is still considered one of the most prominent in Chinese mythology and is an important part of the ancient Chinese gods.

Source:  http://history.answers.com/gods/the-monkey-king-a-god-of-ancient-china