Reading Notes: The Monkey King Sun Wu Kung (B)

Title: Sun Wu Kung: Buddha
Author: R. Wilhelm and Frederick Martens
Link: Story link.

Plot:

• On his quest for immortality, Sun Wu Kung has traversed many of the hurdles that stand between him and immortality. He finds himself now in the realm of the Heavens, before Laotzse and a rather inhospitable crowd.
• Laotzse entraps Sun Wu Kung in his diamond circlet and Yang Oerlang's hound keeps him on the ground.
• Sun Wu Kung is bound and his powers of transfiguration are negated. 
• The Monkey King is condemned to death by beheading -- however, the executioners are unable to harm him because of the various elixirs of life he has consumed on his journey.
• Laotzse throws Sun Wu Kung into his heavenly oven, in order to melt the elixirs of life and turn Sun Wu Kung into dust.
• Sun Wu Kung channels the protective powers of the elements and hides in the oven for 49 days.
• When the oven is opened, he leaps out and wreaks havoc with his staff.
• Laotzse, in a panic, calls for Buddha to be summoned to remedy the damage Sun Wu Kung is causing.
• Buddha opts to talk with Sun Wu Kung, rather than fight him.

Setting:

• Asia (still likely China)
• We've ascended to heavenly realms at this point at Sun Wu Kung approaches the heart of immortality.

Characters:

A statue of the Buddha. Source: Wikipedia Commons.

• 
  Sun Wu Kung: "The Handsome King of the Apes," Sun Wu Kung is made entirely of stone and is exceptionally courageous. He was elected king of the apes after leaping through a waterfall and discovering a heavenly cave.
• He was magically hatched from a stone egg and his eye emit beams of golden radiance.
• Sun Wu Kung is definitely brave and handsome and many of the qualities we have come to expect of mythological kings, but he is not nearly as brash and arrogant. He humbles himself before The Discerner and acknowledges others that wield more power/knowledge than he himself does.
• Sun Wu Kung is moving in some seriously powerful circles now -- he's meeting with Buddha(s), Laotzse, etc.
• Laotzse: Lord of the Heavens
• Tries to imprison Sun Wu Kung, but acknowledges his great power.
• Buddha: Wise, powerful, peaceful. Laotzse turns to Buddha in a time of disaster and Buddha (practicioner of ahimsa) refuses to fight Sun Wu Kung.

Writing Style:

• Again, the most notable aspect of the writing style here is the fact that this is all one big continuous story. With all of the frametales that I've been doing lately, it seems odd to read a myth that has extended coherence that lasts for longer than 700 word chunks.