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10 The Dragon King
high-definition creative commons posters depicting The Dragon King from The Journey to the West, together with further information.
After a flawless soothsayer predicts the weather, the Ching River Dragon King alters the rain’s timing and quantity to win a wager. This defiance of the Jade Emperor’s decree sentences him to death. Despite promising the dragon safety in a dream, the T’ang Emperor fails to stop his minister, Wei Cheng, from executing the dragon. Consequently, haunted by the angry dragon’s ghost, the Emperor falls fatally ill and ultimately dies.
This episode illustrates the inescapable law of karma and the illusion of worldly power. The Dragon King admits he is “but a dragon by karma”, showing his powerful celestial status is merely a temporary, mortal rebirth. His prideful attempt to alter the rain represents the delusion of ego. Ultimately, neither celestial nor imperial power can escape karmic consequences or override Yama, the King of Death.
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