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24 The End of the Three Immortals
high-definition creative commons posters depicting The End of the Three Immortals from The Journey to the West, together with further information.
Three Taoist Immortals challenge the Buddhist pilgrims to multiple contests to regain the king’s favour. Helped by the clever Monkey, the monk Tripitaka wins both the meditation match and three box guessing games. The desperate Immortals then propose lethal trials of head cutting, belly ripping, and bathing in boiling oil. While Monkey easily survives, his magical tricks cause all three defeated rivals to finally perish in their true animal forms.
This episode illustrates the triumph of genuine spiritual cultivation over illusory, worldly magic. The Taoists’ paltry tricks represent a dangerous attachment to physical forms and ego, which ultimately lead to their demise. Tripitaka’s disciplined meditation, suspending him between life and death, demonstrates true inner peace. Finally, transforming the Taoist acolyte into a monk shows that anyone can find refuge in the Three Treasures.
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