Journey to the West: A New Perspective(Full-Color Comic Edition) (eBook)

Teacher Xiao Ge (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2024 | 1. Auflage
784 Seiten
EWAYBOOK (Verlag)
978-1-7637316-5-3 (ISBN)

Infos

Written in the sixteenth century, The Journey to the West tells the story of the fourteen-year pilgrimage of the monk Xuanzang, one of China's most famous religious heroes, and his three supernatural disciples, in search of Buddhist scriptures. Throughout his journey, Xuanzang fights demons who wish to eat him, communes with spirits, and traverses a land riddled with a multitude of obstacles, both real and fantastical. An adventure rich with danger and excitement, this seminal work of the Chinese literary canonis by turns allegory, satire, and fantasy. 'Journey to the West: A New Perspective(Full-Color Comic Edition)' - now published in a thrilling new one-volume translation with an illustrated! This book vividly recounts the entire process of the 'Eighty-One Calamities' from the perspective of various demons. With a unique viewpoint and humorous language, it is well-organized. As a different take on 'Journey to the West,' it retains the story's framework while providing more dynamic portrayals of key characters, the demons, helping to prevent children from feeling aesthetic fatigue or boredom while reading the original story.

Teacher Xiao Ge: A graduate in Chinese education, he has long served as a Chinese language teacher and class teacher in the K12 education sector, participating in Chinese language research for many years. In 2019, he was awarded the titles of 'Provincial Excellent Teacher' and 'Provincial Excellent Educator' in Heilongjiang Province. His published works include the 'Five Thousand Years of World History' series, the 'Prince Henry' series, and the 'Tao Xiaotao Diary' series.

Textauszug

Coiling Snake Mountain, Eagle Sorrow Gorge.

Here, amidst the towering mountains, a waterfall cascades down from a sheer cliff. The water plunges from a height of a thousand fathoms into a large pool at the base of the cliff, then gradually flows along a mountain stream towards the distance.

In the bottomless pool, a white dragon lay hidden in the dark water like a hunter in ambush, quietly waiting for prey. Whenever a large animal passed near Eagle Sorrow Gorge, the white dragon would spring from the water and drag it beneath the surface. Unlike most beasts, which would cease hunting once satiated, this white dragon was different. It would devour any large creature that came near, not out of hunger, but to vent its inner dissatisfaction.

The white dragon's dissatisfaction stemmed from feeling that it had been treated unjustly.

To outsiders, the vast pool beneath Eagle Sorrow Gorge might seem like a spacious home, and the white dragon living there should be content. However, to the white dragon, this pool felt like a small cage, trapping him and depriving him of freedom. In his mind, he yearned for the boundless ocean, which he considered his true home.

The world's oceans are divided into four regions by the Heavenly Court—East Sea, South Sea, West Sea, and North Sea, each ruled by a Dragon King. The white dragon's father is the Dragon King of the West Sea. As the third son of this Dragon King, the white dragon was known as the "Third Prince of the Jade Dragon" and was once considered the most handsome in the West Sea region.

In the West Sea, the Third Prince of the Jade Dragon could practically do anything as he please. Over time, he grew restless and wanted to venture beyond the West Sea to the East Sea, South Sea, North Sea, and even to the human realm and the Heavenly Court. However, the Dragon King of the West Sea advised him, "In the West Sea, you may act with a bit of arrogance because I, your father, am the Dragon King here. But in the other seas, you must be more modest. Although the Dragon Kings of the other three seas are our relatives and your uncles, their authority is not as strong as mine . If you go to the human realm, you must disguise yourself as an ordinary person and be very cautious, or you may attract great trouble."

Hearing this, the Third Prince was quite puzzled and asked, "Father, the human realm is just a place where mortals live. They neither have the power to destroy the heavens nor the ability to traverse the earth. Why must I be so cautious?"

The Dragon King of the West Sea replied, "What do you know? Though mortals are weak, many of the deities who govern the Heavenly Court come from the mortal realm. Therefore, they are particularly sensitive about the human world. If we, as dragons, provoke mortals, it could bring us serious trouble! Have you heard about the story of the Dragon King of the Jing River?"

The Third Prince shook his head.

The Dragon King of the West Sea said, "The Jing River Dragon King, while not as powerful as the Dragon King of the Sea, still governs his domain and has the ability to control rain. When he was in the mortal realm, he made a bet with a sage named Yuan Shoucheng. Yuan Shoucheng predicted that at noon the next day, there would be exactly three feet, three inches, and forty-eight points of rain. If the time and amount were not correct, he would lose the bet. The Jing River Dragon King thought, 'I control the rain in the area, how could I possibly lose?' He was confident of his victory. However, the next day, the Jade Emperor issued a decree commanding him to deliver exactly three feet, three inches , and forty-eight points of rain at noon. To win the bet, the Jing River Dragon King deliberately altered the time and amount of rain. This angered the Jade Emperor, who sentenced him to death. Ultimately, the Jing River Dragon King was executed by Wei Zheng on the Dragon Slaying Platform."

Hearing this, the Third Prince felt indignant and exclaimed loudly, "We, the esteemed dragon race, control rain and water across the world, yet we are treated like servants by the Heavenly Court, and they threaten to kill and punish us at every turn. It’s simply outrageous—"Before he could finish, the Dragon King of the West Sea hurriedly covered his mouth and whispered, "Be quiet! Be quiet! You’re such a troublemaker."

The Third Prince wriggled free from his father's grip and said, "We’re speaking in our own dragon palace. What’s the harm?"

The Dragon King quickly pulled the Third Prince out of the dragon palace and said, "Do you see that luminous pearl on top of the palace?"

The Third Prince nodded and said, "Of course I saw it. It is a unique treasure in the world, bestowed by the Jade Emperor, symbolizing the Dragon King's authority."

The Dragon King of the West Sea said, "It is indeed a treasure and a symbol of power, but what you don’t know is that this luminous pearl is a divine artifact. Wherever it is located, it is within the reach of the Heavenly Court's deities' powers. As long as the immortals are willing, they can use this glowing pearl at any time to perceive everything that happens in the world. "

The Third Prince was stunned and said in disbelief, "So, you mean the Heavenly Court can 'monitor' the dragon palace through this luminous pearl?"

The Dragon King of the West Sea sighed and said, "Now you understand. Our dragon race is born with the power to ride the clouds and control the rain, far surpassing mortals. It is precisely because of this that the Heavenly Court is always wary of us. That’s why each of the Four Sea Dragon Kings is given a luminous pearl. This pearl symbolizes the power granted to us by the Heavenly Court, but it also represents the constraints imposed upon us by the deities."

The Third Prince said with agitation, "I would rather forgo power than be bound by these constraints."

The Dragon King of the West Sea gave a wry smile and said, "Some things are not so easily acquired, and some things are not so easily relinquished. You've grown accustomed to having your way in the West Sea and think you can control everything, but that’s a grave mistake. Not just you—even I, once I leave the West Sea and enter the Heavenly Court, am merely a pawn in someone else’s game. Be careful with your actions." With that, the Dragon King lowered hi s head and walked back into the grand dragon palace.

The Third Prince gazed at the dragon palace, the place where he had grown up and called home. But now, he no longer wished to return.

 

The Third Prince became a captive.

That day, the Third Prince roamed the Western Sea for a long time, stirring up countless waves until he was utterly exhausted. Reluctantly, he returned to the Dragon Palace—despite his reluctance, where else could he go but home? As he stepped through the gates and looked up, he once again saw the luminous pearl. Its brilliance illuminated every corner of the palace. Once, this light had filled the Third Prince with warmth and a deep sense of security, but now it pressed down on him with an inescapable, oppressive weight.

The Third Prince paced restlessly within the Dragon Palace for a long time, his anger growing more intense with each passing moment. Eventually, his fury reached a boiling point, and he lost control. With a sudden leap, he opened his mouth and unleashed a torrent of flames, aiming straight at the luminous pearl…

Before long, a large battalion of heavenly soldiers stormed into the Western Sea, their presence overwhelming as they forced their way into the Dragon Palace. The Dragon King of the Western Sea, unaware of what had transpired, quickly came out to greet them. "Heavenly envoys, your arrival is unexpected," he said with a hurried bow. "May I ask what brings you here?"

The leading general sneered, "Dragon King of the Western Sea, you are audacious indeed, daring to destroy the Night-Luminescent Pearl bestowed by the Jade Emperor!"

The Dragon King of the Western Sea looked up and saw that the Night-Luminescent Pearl atop the palace indeed bore the marks of dragon fire, its once radiant light now dimmed. He was instantly struck with fear and shock, exclaiming, "How could this have happened?"

The heavenly general declared, "You have committed a grave offense. Come with me!"

At that moment, the Third Prince finally realized the magnitude of his mistake. Overwhelmed with regret and fear, he watched helplessly as the heavenly general prepared to take his father away. Despite his terror, he stepped forward and said, "This has nothing to do with my father. I am the one responsible."

The heavenly general laughed and said, "Good! Good! Good! As long as someone admits guilt, our job is done!" With that, he threw the iron chain around the Third Prince's neck and, without any further ado, dragged him back to the Heavenly Court.

Upon arriving at the Heavenly Court, the Third Prince was tightly bound and brought before the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West, also known as "Xi Wangmu," the deity in charge of heavenly punishments, known for her strictness. She asked the Third Prince, "Did you destroy the Night Pearl?" The Third Prince nodded in acknowledgment. The Queen Mother declared, "The Night Pearl is a treasure bestowed upon the Dragon Palace by the Heavenly Court. By...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 18.10.2024
• Verlagsort: CABARITA
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Klassiker / Moderne Klassiker
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• Themenwelt: Kinder- / Jugendbuch ► Vorlesebücher / Märchen
• Schlagworte: Black myth wukong • Buddhism • Chinese Classical Literature • Classic • Encouragement • Four Great Classical Novels of China • History • Journey to the west • promote • Study • Sun Wukong • Tang Monk • Training • youth literature
• ISBN-10: 1-7637316-5-0 / 1763731650
• ISBN-13: 978-1-7637316-5-3 / 9781763731653