Picture yourself as the Monkey King—brash, unstoppable, full of energy. You've caused havok in heaven, pilfered the elixir of immortality, and knocked over the Jade Emperor's strongest warriors like they were dolls. But they get the better of you one day and toss you into a prison so fiery it would melt rock. Only, it doesn't make you weaker—it makes you even more powerful. When you eventually escape, you're more charged than ever before. Desperate, the Jade Emperor pleads with the one power greater than him: the Buddha.
Now, everyone would quiver before the Buddha. But not you. You boast, flaunt, and even demand the crown of the Emperor. The Buddha smiles and says only, "If you can jump out of my hand, it's yours." Confidently, you jump up into the air, go far, and come down in a foreign land with five enormous pink pillars shooting up into the clouds. You guffaw, leave your signature, and hasten back to seize your prize.
But something smells familiar. You look back—and see that weren't pillars. They were fingers. You never escaped his hand. In an instant, his fingers turn into a mountain and fall on you, pinning you underneath it. The Buddha seals it with a sacred charm. You're trapped.
Time goes by—hundreds of years. You struggle to free yourself but are unable to do so. Your pride gradually subsides. Sooner or later, you have to admit: you need to be saved. One day, the goddess Guanyin strolls by. You vow to reform. She isn't believing but chooses to give you an opportunity—a chance—if you can guard a gentle monk named Tripitaka on his perilous trip west in search of holy scriptures.
You agree, eager to be free again. Tripitaka finds you, breaks the seal, and for the first time in 500 years, you step out into the sun. But staying good isn’t easy. Bandits attack, your old temper flares, and you scare Tripitaka. He scolds you, and you snap. You leave, fuming.
Later, in the Dragon King's palace, you bemoan how unjust it is. But the Dragon King says something to you that catches: if you need to grow, you have to shed your pride. That resonates deeply. So you go back to Tripitaka and apologize.
That's when you see an odd cap and robe. They're exactly your size. But as soon as Tripitaka recites a spell, the gold band concealed within the cap tightens, shooting pain through your head. You can't flee. Can't struggle. It's the spell of the goddess—Tripitaka now has your leash on. You abhor it. He abhors it. But it's the only path possible.
You embarked on the most epic quest of your life together. Westward. To defend, to transform, and perhaps—perhaps—to redeem.".
Note: The image used in this blog is AI-generated.
This story is inspired by "https: //youtu.be/A-oxDZ3AO74?si=tqD41wzKuj8SsqG6"
The channel name is TED-Ed