Lessons of perseverance and wisdom from Sun Wukong’s trials

Editor's Note:

"Read ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by the gods" is an ancient Chinese idiom that can be seen in students' textbooks. China's Ministry of Education has published an action plan to further promote reading among students across the nation. With new and diverse book recommendations, the reading scene is expected to be revived not only at schools, but also across society.

To contribute to this endeavor, the Global Times launched the "My Reading Life" essay contest for middle school students.

Please pick up a pen and share your stories with us at reading@globaltimes.com.cn Participants will be rewarded once the article has been selected.

When it comes to Journey to the West, the first thing that comes to my mind are the stone benches in the shade of tall willows overlapping with green and flowing in the humid summer breeze. 

Accompanied by the noisy chirping of cicadas, the fascinating stories of Sun Wukong, or the Monkey King, were told to youngsters by their elders. It is a very enjoyable childhood moment. Looking back on those days, there is no doubt that these imaginative and beautiful stories are full of curiosity and longing.

As a kid, I longed for a day when I could have the power of Sun Wukong, also known as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Like him, I would freely "climb up to the top of the heaven to capture the moon, and down to the deep oceans to catch turtles." With an invincible ability like him, I would be able to resolve all my worries.

But as I grew older, my life was no longer carefree. My once omnipotent idol seemed to have lost his power. Even when I thought of him, I would ask myself, "If he is truly omnipotent, why would he still be misunderstood? How could he be impatient and unable to defeat his enemies?" With these questions in mind, I reopened this book.

Reading this novel again made me see all the characters from a different perspective. I saw Sun Wukong's concern for his fellows, and his willingness to cross out the list of the King of Hell in the underworld in order to improve the lives of his monkeys. I also felt indignant about the devaluation and suppression of Sun Wukong by the immortals. 

During his rebellion in the Palace of Heaven, I saw his frankness and courage to resist the imperial power. No matter if he was powerful or not, he always pursued freedom for himself and his fellows. .

The most interesting plot for me was undoubtedly the three fights against the White Bone Demon. The White Bone Demon disguised itself as humans three times with different character of a beautiful girl, an old woman, and an old man each time, attempting to eat the immortal flesh of Xuan Zang, a Tang Dynasty (618-907) Buddhist monk. Despite it was detected by Sun Wukong all three times, the demon managed to escape. On the third occasion, Zhu Bajie became dissatisfied with Sun Wukong's "killing" of this "beautiful girl" and falsely accused him of assaulting her. And no matter how Sun Wukong explained it, Xuan Zang did not trust him, and eventually had to leave him and sever the master-disciple relationship with him. Sun Wukong felt helpless in the face of their doubt. 

So he returned to Huaguo Mountain, his residence. Later, Sun Wukong ultimately went to rescue his master out of concern for his safety. He cleared up the misunderstanding and restored their relationship with Xuan Zang. The journey of obtaining scriptures from the Western Heaven was not solely about the scriptures, but also the journey itself. The repeated dangers tempered Wukong's personality, elevated his qualities and spirit, and gradually changed his impulsive and impatient personality to make him a true hero.

The more times I read this book, the more facets of the characters I see. For instance, when it comes to Xuan Zang, I used to see his unprincipled compassion, inability to distinguish between the wise and the foolish, and his narrow-minded side. 

But now I realize that as a mortal, Xuan Zang studied hard in his youth and obtained the qualifications to embark on the path of seeking scriptures. Faced with the demons that were eyeing him on the road, he never wavered in his belief in obtaining the scriptures and always adhered to his faith despite countless difficulties and obstacles. I even saw that while Zhu Bajie was lazy and could sometimes be untruthful, he also improved himself and changed his bad habits during the journey. 

Each character is like a living person with their own personality, strengths and weaknesses, but they never give up their determination to learn, never abandon their vulnerable mentor, and never let malice dominate their conscience.

Their quest reminded me of my life. The road to growth sometimes feels like being trapped at the foot of Five Finger Mountain, helpless and confused, and I may even temporarily forget my goal. But one day I will break through this obstacle and become strong enough to continue moving forward. I remember the breakthroughs I have made in difficult situations. Without the obstruction of reefs, it would be impossible for a running river to stir up enchanting waves. 

A feathered eagle, without stormy combat, cannot achieve the freedom to spread its wings and fly high. A person's life is destined to experience the baptism of wind and rain in order to grow up. 

Just like Sun Wukong, the day we overcome eighty-one perils is the day we will achieve immortality.

The author is a student at Beijing Zhongguancun Middle School Zhichun Branch.