Journey to the West is a mythological novel based on many centuries of popular tradition. It was probably put into its present form in the 1570s by Wu Cheng'en (1500-82).
This lively fantasy relates the amazing adventures of the priest Sanzang as he travels west in search of Buddhist sutras with his three disciples, the irreverent and capable Monkey, greedy Pig, and Friar Sand. The opening chapters recount the earlier exploits of Monkey, culminating in his rebellion against Heaven. We then learn how Sanzang becomes a monk and is sent on his pilgrimage by the Tang emperor who has escaped death with the help of an Underworld official. The main story, the journey, takes the priest through all kinds of entertaining trials and tribulations, mainly at the hands of monsters and spirits who want to eat him. Only the courage and powers of his disciples, especially Monkey, save him from death. Monkey is the hero of the fantasy, and the reader will soon learn why he has long been so loved in China. Will the pilgrims reach the Vulture Peak and obtain the scriptures? The answer will only be found at the end of the 100-chapter novel.
The story is as full of imagination as Monkey is of magic, and packed with incident and down-to-earth humour. The illustrations are from a 19th-century Chinese edition. This is the first of the three volumes of the novel.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

《JOURNEY TO THE WEST 1》
Chapter 1
The Divine Root conceives and the spring breaks forth;
As the mind's nature is cultivated, the Great Way arises.
Chapter 2
He becomes aware of the wonderful truth of enlightenment;
By killing the demon he realizes his spirit-nature.
Chapter 3
The Four Seas and Thousand Mountains all submit;
In the Ninth Hell the Tenth Category is struck off the register.
Chapter 4
Dissatisfied at being appointed Protector of the Horses;
Not content with the title of Equal of Heaven.
Chapter y
After chaos among the peaches the Great Sage steals the pills;
In the revolt against Heaven the gods capture the demons.
Chapter 6
Guanyin comes to the feast and asks the reason why;
The Little Sage uses his might to subdue the Great Sage.
Chapter 7
The Great Sage escapes from the Eight Trigrams Furnace;
The Mind Ape is fixed beneath Five Elements Mountain.
Chapter 8
Our Buddha creates the Scriptures and passes on Perfect Bliss;
Guanyin obeys a decree and goes to Chang'an.
Chapter 9
Chen Guangrui comes to grief on his way to his post;
The monk of the river current avenges his parents.
Chapter 10
With a stupid plan the dragon king breaks the laws of Heaven;
Minister Wei sends a letter to an officer of Hell.
Chapter 11
After touring the underworld, Taizong returns to life;
By presenting a pumpkin Liu Quan continues his marriage.
Chapter 12
The Tang Emperor keeps faith and holds a Great Mass;
Guanyin appears to the reincarnated Golden Cicada.
Chapter 13
He falls into the tiger's den and is saved by the Great White Planet;
On Double-Forked Peak Boqin entertains the priest.
Chapter 14
The mind-ape returns to truth;
The six bandits disappear without trace.
Chapter 15
On the Coiled Snake Mountain the gods give secret help;
In the Eagle's Sorrow Gorge the thought-horse is reined in.
Chapter 16
The monks of the Guanyin Monastery plot to take the treasure;
The monster of the Black Wind Mountain steals the cassock.
Chapter 17
Brother Monkey makes trouble on the Black Wind Mountain;

Guanyin subdues the Bear Spirit.
Chapter 18
The Tang Priest is rescued in the Guanyin Temple;
The Great Sage removes a monster from Gao Village.
Chapter 19
In the Cloud Pathway Cave Sun Wukong wins over Zhu Bajie;
On Pagoda Mountain Xuanzang receives the Heart Sutra.
Chapter 20
The Tang Priest meets trouble on the Yellow Wind Ridge;
Pig wins mastery halfway up the mountain.
Chapter 21
The Guardians of the Faith build a farm for the Great Sage;
Lingji from Sumeru pacifies the wind devil.
Chapter 22
Pig fights a great battle in the Flowing Sands River;
Moksa obeys the Dharma and wins Friar Sand over.
Chapter 23
Sanzang does not forget the basic;
The four holy ones have their piety tested.
Chapter 24
On the Mountain of Infinite Longevity a great immortal entertains an old friend;
In the Wuzhuang Temple Monkey steals manfruit.
Chapter 25
The Immortal Zhen Yuan captures the pilgrim priest;
Monkey makes havoc in the Wuzhuang Temple.
Chapter 26
Sun Wukong looks for the formula in the Three Islands;
Guanyin revives the tree with a spring of sweet water.
Chapter 27
The corpse fiend thrice tricks Tang Sanzang;
The holy monk angrily dismisses the Handsome Monkey King.
Chapter 28
On the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit the devils rise;
Sanzang meets a monster in the Black Pine Forest.
Chapter 29
Sanzang, delivered, crosses a border;
A grateful Pig tours mountains and forests.
Chapter 30
An Evil Monster harms the true law;
The Thought-Horse remembers the Mind-Ape.
Chapter 31
Pig moves the Monkey King through his goodness;
Sun the Novice subdues the ogre through cunning.

《JOURNEY TO THE WEST 2》
Chapter 32
On Fktt-top Mountain the Duty God delivers a message;
In Lotus Flower Cave Pig runs into trouble.
Chapter 33
Heterodoxy confuses the true nature;
The primal deity helps the original heart.
Chapter 34
The demon king's cunning causes the Mind-ape trouble;
The Great Sage wins the treasures through improvisation.
Chapter 35
The power of heterodoxy oppresses the true nature;
The Mind-ape wins the treasures and beats the demons.
Chapter 36
When the Mind-ape stands correct all evil causes submit;
When the side-gate is smashed the moon appears in its brightness.
Chapter 37
The royal ghost visits the Tang Priest at night;
Wukong's magic transformation lures the boy.
Chapter 38
Questioning his mother, the boy sorts right from wrong;
When Metal and Wood join in the mystery, truth and falsehood are clear.
Chapter 39
A pill of red cinnabar is brought from Heaven;
After three years the monarch is revived.
……

《JOURNEY TO THE WEST 3》
Chapter 67
The Dhyana-nature is stable and Tuoluo Village is saved;
The mind of the Way is purified as corruption is removed.
Chapter 68
In the land of Purpuria the Tang Priest discusses history;
Sun the Pilgrim in his charity offers to be a doctor.
Chapter 69
The heart's master prepares medicine in the night;
The monarch discusses a demon at the banquet.
Chapter 70
The evil monster's treasures emit smoke, sand and fire;
Wukong steals the golden bells by trickery.
Chapter 71
Under a false name Monkey beats the demon hound;
Guanyin appears to subdue the demon king.
Chapter 72
The Seven Emotions confuse the basic in Gossamer Cave;
At Filth-cleansing Spring Pig forgets himself.
Chapter 73
The Emotions bear a grudge and inflict disaster;
The heart's master smashes the light when he meets the demons.
Chapter 74
Li Changgeng reports the demons' vicious nature;
The Novice displays his powers of transformation.
……

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

During the tumult the Great Sage came on the scene, and shouting "Make way" he raised his iron cudgel, shook it till it was as thick as a bowl and twelve feet long, and struck and parried as he came charging out. The Nine Bright Shiners, who were no match for him, fell back. "You reckless Protector of the Horses," they shouted when they were back in the safety of their own positions. "You have committed the most terrible crimes. You stole the peaches and the wine, wrecked the Peach Banquet, and pilfered the immortality pills of Lord Lao Zi. On top of all this you brought some of the immortal liquor you stole back here. Don't you realize that you have piled crime upon crime？" The Great Sage laughed. "It's true, it's true," he said, "but what are you going to do about it？ In obedience to a golden edict of the Jade Emperor," the Nine Bright Shiners tephed, we have led our troops here to subdue you. Submit at once, or else all these creatures of yours wi！1 have to pay with their lives. If you refuse, we shall trample this mountain flat and turn your cave upside-down." "You hairy gods," roar- ed the Great Sage in a fury, "what magic powers have you got to let you talk so big？ Clear off, or I'll give you a taste of my cudgel." The Nine Bright Shiners did a wear-dance to- gether, which did not frighten the Handsome Monkey King in the least. He whirled his gold-banded cudgel, parrying to right and left, and fought the Nine Bright Shiners till their muscles were weak and their strength was gone; then each of them broke ranks and fled, dragging their weapons behind them. They rushed to the command post of the central corps and re- ported to the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li that the Monkey King was so ferocious that they had fled from the bat- tlefield, unable to defeat him. Heavenly King Li then sent the Four Heavenly Kings and the Twenty-eight Constellations into battle. The Great Sage, not at all frightened at this, ordered the One-horned Demon King, the seventy-two
……