The Journey to the West

Born from a magic rock, the rebellious Monkey gains immortality and masters seventy-two transformations. After causing great havoc in Heaven, he is imprisoned under a mountain by Buddha for five hundred years. Released by the Bodhisattva Kuan-yin, he must protect the priest Tripitaka on a perilous pilgrimage to India. Joined by Pigsy and Sandy, they overcome immense supernatural dangers, retrieve the sacred scriptures, and finally achieve spiritual illumination in Paradise.

The pilgrimage is an allegorical journey toward spiritual enlightenment. Tripitaka represents the anxious, ordinary human, while Monkey symbolizes the restless, undisciplined mind. Alongside Pigsy (representing physical appetite) and Sandy (representing whole-hearted sincerity), they must conquer external obstacles to tame their inner desires. Shedding their earthly bodies and receiving blank scriptures teaches that ultimate truth lies in realizing the emptiness of all things.

There is a continuous rivalry between Buddhist and Taoists and Confucianists in the story (with the Buddhists winning, of course) but rather than eradicating the others after exposing its fraudulent leaders, showing a true Buddhist outlook, Monkey resolves the issue by establishing syncretic peace. He declares that the religions are one, and commands the king to reverence both Buddhist and other priests.