monkey journey west

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Monkey: Journey to the West

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Product description.

The 16th century Chinese classic story Xi You Ji (Journey To The West) tells the tale of a little monkey who could transform himself into different creatures and conquer all the obstacles in his life. Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett (the minds behind Gorillaz) are Monkey, and have joined with director and choreographer Chen Shi-Zheng to create a 21st century opera retelling this story, replete with new and original music and visuals. The BBC's coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics will utilize some of Monkey's music and animations in the weeks leading up to and during the Olympics.

You could never accuse Damon Albarn of resting on his laurels. Whether it's forming supergroups (The Good, The Bad & The Queen), working with cult animators (The Gorillaz) or making music with musicians from Mali, the former Blur frontman has nurtured a restless, questing spirit not normally encountered in Britop stars. As if to underline his diverse interests, he now turns his attention to Chinese theatre. Monkey: Journey to the West is a theatrical collaboration between Albarn (music), Jamie Hewlett of Gorillaz fame (designs, costumes) and Chinese opera specialist Chen Shi-Zheng. The show itself is an explosive 90-minute circus featuring Chinese acrobats, martial arts experts and contortionists, though the album condenses the experience into 22 songs lasting an hour or so. Recorded in London and Beijing with a mix of European and Chinese musicians, Monkey ... is a genuine attempt at East-West fusion. Featuring a dizzying array of instrumentation--rock guitars, electronics, harps, mandolins, drum machines, strings, plinky-plonk keyboards, giggling girls, chants, even pigs--it's the sort of project that could so easily have gone awry. Yet Albarn, who allegedly mastered the Chinese pentatonic scale, seems to have made it work. Songs like the fluttery "Heavenly Peach Banquet" and the wistful "The Living Sea" are utterly beguiling, and stand in stark contrast to guitar-heavy behemoths like "Battle in Heaven" and the climactic "Monkey Bee." These longer songs are punctuated with incidental pieces such as "Iron Rod", "Into the Eastern Sea" and "Out of the Eastern Sea". While such interludes may distract from a 'normal' album experience, there's enough melodious charm and imaginative whimsy scattered throughout to satisfy even ardent skeptics. --Paul Sullivan The latest creative endeavor of erstwhile Blur frontman Damon Albarn is Monkey: Journey to the West . Again teamed with his partner in Gorillaz, Jamie Hewlett, this is the soundtrack to the theatrical production of the same name, which is something of a Cirque du Soleil -like presentation of choreography and acrobatics. The fifty minute disc works powerfully on its own, moving with utter confidence from rock propulsion to electronics, and all woven through with Chinese instrumentation, occasional vocals and the utilization of the pentatonic scale. The folkish intimacy of "The Living Sea" sits comfortably alongside the cinematic marches of ""the Dragon King." While the show this accompanies is a cavalcade of physical prowess and dazzle, the passage through this disc is wonderfully cerebral. East meets west, in the center of your brain. --David Greenberger

Product details

• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.55 x 4.92 x 0.47 inches; 3.25 ounces
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ XL Recordings / Beggars Group
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 40388
• SPARS Code ‏ : ‎ DDD
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ July 21, 2008
• Label ‏ : ‎ XL Recordings / Beggars Group
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001CVCBEO
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• #47 in Retro Swing
• #1,244 in Movie Scores (CDs & Vinyl)
• #1,955 in Progressive Rock

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Paperback: 15.1 x 1.4 x 22.8 cm Publisher: Shambhala Pages: 224 pages ISBN-13: 978-1590302583 ISBN-10: 1590302583

Monkey: A Journey to the West

Part spiritual pilgrimage, part historical epic, the folk novel Journey to the West , which came to be known as Monkey, is the most popular classic of Asian literature. Originally written in the sixteenth century, it is the story of the adventures of the rogue-trickster Monkey and his encounters with a bizarre cast of characters as he travels to India with the Buddhist pilgrim Tripitaka in search of sacred scriptures. Much more than a picaresque adventure novel, Monkey is a profound allegory of the struggle that must occur before spiritual transformation is possible. David Kherdian’s masterful telling brings this classic of Chinese literature to life in a way that is true to the scope and depth of the original.

Reviews and Endorsements

“Cosmic kung fu on the scale of Star Wars! China’s favorite rip-roaring morality tale has everything—including, here, a brilliant rendition by David Kherdian. It’s charming and utterly delightful.” —Huston Smith, author of The World’s Religions

“David Kherdian retells the ancient Chinese allegory poetically and precisely. Monkey (who represents our restless intelligence)—helped by other humorful and energetic demons—guides master Monk (the searching ego) towards self-insights in the Zen-Taoist tradition. A great read!” —Janwillem van de Wetering, author of A Glimpse of Nothingness

A Chinese Classic Journeys to the West: Julia Lovell’s Translation of “Monkey King”

By minjie chen october 5, 2021.

Monkey King: Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en

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Mythology , Stories , Symbolism

Monkey – Journey to the West

Article by jim pang.

posted by UK, June 10, 2019

The original Chinese novel, Journey to the West or Xiyou Ji (Chinese: 西游記), literally means ‘West-Wandering Chronicles’ and was written by Wu Cheng’en (吴承恩)in the 16th century. It is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. The writer was inspired by the true story of a Buddhist monk, Xuanzang (玄奘),from the Tang dynasty (7th – 10th century), who made a solitary pilgrimage to Central Asia and India in search of the original scriptures of Buddha’s teachings. His journey lasted 15 years and resulted in him bringing back 657 Sanskrit texts to China.

The aim of this ‘Journey to the West’ was to reach Vulture Peak and acquire the true scriptures. Buddha, dispirited that “the land of the South knows only greed, hedonism, promiscuity and sins”, instructed the Bodhisattva Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara) to search China for a champion who would bring the Buddhist sutras of wisdom back to the East.

The quest is headed by the main character Tripitaka (the Buddhist monk Xuanzang). On his journey he is guided by Guanyin who inspires an entourage of intrepid travelers to gather around him and agree to serve him as disciples along the journey in order to atone for their sins in past lives. Only with such companionship could Tripitaka take on such a perilous journey. On the way, Tripitaka and his companions face countless adversities and trials as they encounter monsters, ogres, and demons.

Tripitaka or Tang Sanzang (唐三藏):The Three Baskets)

Although he is helpless when it comes to protecting himself, he has the support of his three disciples, Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy. With the help of local inhabitants they help him fight off countless monsters and demons who want to eat his flesh to gain immortality.

Tripitaka’s name refers to the “three baskets” of Buddhist teachings. In the story he represents the triad or higher self, the earth element which symbolizes the ‘heart’. The demons in the story want to eat his ‘pure’ heart which will give them purity to make an elixir of longevity. The kanji character for heart (心) has a dual meaning in Chinese: heart and also mind. He is always trying to be present in the moment – so that his mind and his heart will not be disturbed by the chaotic elements around him. The demons refer to thoughts and emotions that constantly interrupt his efforts. When one tries to be present, the lower self (the demons) will do everything they can to disturb this.

Monkey – Sūn Wùkōng (孫悟空) – means “Monkey Awakened to Emptiness”. It refers to the Buddhist concept of Śūnyatā or the attainment of enlightenment. Awakening to emptiness is to let go of the trappings of the illusory world.

Monkey is by far the novel’s most iconic character. He has a childlike playfulness with a cunning mind. This, coupled with his great power, makes him a trickster hero with a heart of gold. He also has the human fallibility of being greedy, selfish and prone to sudden changes of mood and outbursts of violence. He represents the quality of “rajas”.

Pigsy – Zhū Bājiè (豬八戒: lit. “Pig of the Eight Precepts”) – refers to the eight Buddhist precepts he needs to live by to keep him on a Buddhist path. However, he is greedy, lazy and at the slightest difficulty he wants to quit the journey and go back to the comfortable life he had before. He represents the vices of the lower self and the bodily desires. He represents the quality of “tamas”.

Sandy the Water Demon – Shā Wùjìng (沙悟凈: lit. “Sand Awakened to Purity”) – is a quiet but generally dependable character known to be the most obedient, logical, polite and level-headed. He represents the quality of “Sattva”.

The esoteric and exoteric meaning

The Journey to the West is an esoteric text with many hidden symbolic meanings related to the path of spiritual cultivation, the control of the senses and the lower self, and the principles of self-realization that lead to the discovery of the Real Self. Tripitaka’s disciples are all fallen immortals who have been reincarnated into a world where they have to follow a path of redemption to discover their true selves.

The outer meaning of the story concerns the adventures of the characters, their trials and tribulations, plots, schemes and victories over adversity. It serves an equally important role of providing access to the teachings from all walks of life. I invite you all to take a leap with a Monkey Mind into the journey to the west.

Image Credits: By Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0

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