Chinese/Japanese Folktale: Saiyuki

[nutshell]

Is there anyone (perhaps those of the eastern belief systems) that know the Chinese/Japanese folktale called Saiyuki or perhaps The Road to Tenjuki (Heaven)?

My wife and I are watching a Japanese version of the folktale that was done for Japanese TV recently. It's extremely corny...they definetly mess around with the folktale...BUT I LOVE IT! It's a lot of fun.

Here's the basic premise:

A "monkey" (many of the key characters are represented by animals or mythological creatures they are like) is stuck in a rock for 500 years for offending a God. He is finally rescued by a Buddhist priestess. She needs him and a couple others to take her down the path to Heaven. The story is about their journey - the monkey is extremely wild, but powerful and it takes the three others to control him - but the story is about his growth and learning to care for others.

Has anyone else heard of this story?

Here's the backstory. Maybe this will ring a bell.

The wild "monkey" is approached by a God one day. The God tells the "monkey" he (the monkey) is insignificant and that his power and strength don't mean much. The monkey argues back, telling the God that he (the monkey) might not be able to defeat a God in battle, but he can escape so far he could be out of the God's influence. The God tells him to go ahead and try. The monkey uses his power to call a cloud to him and travles as far as he can go. He finds a post sticking in the ground and draws a line on it to mark the great distance he traveled. The monkey returns to the God and tells him that he's traveled so far not even the God could reach him if he wanted to. The God then drops the bomb on the monkey. The God shows the monkey his (the God's) pinky - it's the post the monkey drew the line on. All the God had to do was extend his arm to reach the moneky. As punishment, the monkey is imprisoned in a rock. 500 years later, the Budhist monk/priestess rescues him and the story portaryed in the drama begins.

Anyone know this? Want to talk about it?

What lessons or moral truths do you think these stories teach?

 

[ChrisP]

What lessons or moral truths do you think these stories teach?

Monkey's are full of crap?

How about:

"The Source emodies all things and thusly to try to move outside of it is unwise."

 

[Feathers in Hair]

I think this is also an anime series now! (Heavily artistically toyed with, though.)

 

[Buttercup]

Monkey's are full of crap?

Hey, better watch yer mouth or I'll throw some at ye! :devil:

 

[ΩRôghênΩ]

it goes to show you that you cant beat god

 

[ChrisP]

it goes to show you that you cant beat god

it goes to show, that competing with God is competing with yourself...

 

[Buttercup]

The moral of the story is: Do not shake your fist at God. You're gonna lose.

Notice how it's not only the Abrahamic God who is vengeful?

 

[Unedited]

I believe the story comes from a Chinese novel from the sixteenth century, Journey to the West, where 'West' means India (Tenjiku). Sun Wukong (probably Son Goku in the Japanese) is the monkey. My grandfather used to tell me tales about Sun Wukong, but he changed the story according to what lesson he was trying to teach me, so I'm afraid I don't know how the story really goes.

 

[nutshell]

I believe the story comes from a Chinese novel from the sixteenth century, Journey to the West, where 'West' means India (Tenjiku). Sun Wukong (probably Son Goku in the Japanese) is the monkey. My grandfather used to tell me tales about Sun Wukong, but he changed the story according to what lesson he was trying to teach me, so I'm afraid I don't know how the story really goes.

Yes. This is exactly it! Thanks for the information. The Japanese monkey is, indeed, called Goku.

 

[ChrisP]

Yes. This is exactly it! Thanks for the information. The Japanese monkey is, indeed, called Goku.

HRRrrrrrrmmmm! Suddenly the Dragonball naming system is making a whole lot more sense...

Gohan and Goten still crack me up but really, what other name is there for the children of that man?

 

[nutshell]

HRRrrrrrrmmmm! Suddenly the Dragonball naming system is making a whole lot more sense...

Gohan and Goten still crack me up but really, what other name is there for the children of that man?

I just learned from my wife that Goku from "The Road to Tenjiku" and Goku from DragonBallZ are one in the same.

 

[ChrisP]

I just learned from my wife that Goku from "The Road to Tenjiku" and Goku from DragonBallZ are one in the same.

hehehe yeah, guess that explains the tails

 

[nutshell]

hehehe yeah, guess that explains the tails

Yeah. Apparently there are a lot of incarnations of Goku.

The one I'm currently watching can get a bit irreverant at times. For example, the wise Elder who appears to give them advice and take the bad guys away once captured is a real pervert. In one episode he was obsessed with these fruit growing from trees because they looked like breasts. In another, Goku and his companions need the Elder's help so they contact him by inviting him to a "Breast Festival." It's pretty childish stuff and is really cheesy, but it gets some laughs.

Despite the childishness and the Elder's breast fetish, there are some really good themes in the show. I enjoy it.

 

[ChrisP]

Yeah. Apparently there are a lot of incarnations of Goku.

The one I'm currently watching can get a bit irreverant at times. For example, the wise Elder who appears to give them advice and take the bad guys away once captured is a real pervert. In one episode he was obsessed with these fruit growing from trees because they looked like breasts. In another, Goku and his companions need the Elder's help so they contact him by inviting him to a "Breast Festival." It's pretty childish stuff and is really cheesy, but it gets some laughs.

Despite the childishness and the Elder's breast fetish, there are some really good themes in the show. I enjoy it.

Yeah DBZ is sorta the lower end stuff. Meant for kids really Check out Ghost in the Shell I saw another one the other day called... something like "The Alchemists" or something with alchemy in the name... might not be up the LDS alley though

Ever watch Akira?

 

[Master Vigil]

* Old memories of watching DBZ floods brain *

I used to love that show, back when being a saiyajin actually meant something. Before any old saiyajin, or even 1/3 saiyajin could be a super saiyajin.

HAHA!! And yes, Master Roshi is an incredibly horrid pervert. How many times did he try to look up Balma's skirt???????

 

[nutshell]

Yeah DBZ is sorta the lower end stuff. Meant for kids really Check out Ghost in the Shell I saw another one the other day called... something like "The Alchemists" or something with alchemy in the name... might not be up the LDS alley though

Ever watch Akira?

I haven't seen Ghost in the Shell or Akira, but I want to.

 

[ChrisP]

I haven't seen Ghost in the Shell or Akira, but I want to.

Akira is kinda what spawned it all... absolutely amazing artwork that leaves even some modern stuff for dead. It's a real cinematic experience with a great storyline... so yes. So In short, I reccomend it

 

[nutshell]

Well, my wife and I finished Saiyuki last night. It was really great.







****SPOILER*****

The four heroes reach Tenjiku, but only the monk is allowed in as she is the only human. The others are considered animals or monsters so they're not allowed. The monk doesn't want to go in if they can't, but her friends trick her into going in without them because they know it's what they always wanted.

Well, Tenjiku turns out to be a rotten place. The head of the place decides the monk needs to have her story immortalized as a lesson and so she is to meditate for 99 days and then sacrifice herself - bummer. She's surprised by this, but is willing to do it. The monkey, pig, and kappa find out about this and break into Tenjiku and rescue her - they survive against impossible odds, mostly because of the power of their friendship. In the end, they meet a God (played by an actor who was Goku in an earlier dramatization of the story 30 years ago) and he talks about how they each have grown and now they must take their lessons of friendship to the rest of the world. He also talks about how each of the heroes has grown because of the journey.

It was a lot of fun.

 

[mr.guy]

The version i knew was of the monkey god Sun Hou-Tzu; a wily king of monkeys who was doubly immortal. Now that you mention it, tons of themes (telescopic staff, travelling with a pig, magic fans and flying on clouds) are represented in dragonball, save Sun's helmet.