WuKong: The Monkey King

Chapter 6 Fate Within

A young novice monk led the Stone Monkey down, treating him with utmost respect as he guided him through a bath and change of clothes, then settled him into a chamber within the Zen temple. This level of service was a first for the Stone Monkey; while the monkeys of Flower-Fruit Mountain held him in high regard, they knew nothing of such human rites. This was also the Stone Monkey's first time living in a proper house, surrounded by furniture that radiated an aura of antiquity. He couldn't help but sigh at the unpredictability of life: a single thought could indeed transport one into an entirely different world.

In his previous life, he was Shihou, and now he had become the Stone Monkey. If he hadn't come to this world, Sun Wukong's life would have unfolded exactly as it did in "Journey to the West." But from this point forward, the original narrative of the rebellious monkey who eventually submitted was gone, replaced by him, a false Wukong with knowledge of the story's progression.

After the Stone Monkey was taken away, the Great Sage National Teacher Wang Bodhisattva began to ponder in the main hall. Although the Stone Monkey was a unique creature of heaven and earth, he didn't seem to be of such significance to warrant the attention of the Xuan Tian Shang Di. Why then, would there be an objection to giving him a name?

The Bodhisattva was baffled despite his deep contemplation. No matter how much he tried to apply his cosmic abilities, the more he calculated, the more perplexed he became. Aside from a forthcoming tribulation for the Stone Monkey, everything else seemed as elusive as reflections on water, visible yet untouchable.

Since attaining enlightenment, the Bodhisattva had never encountered such a peculiar situation. The fate of a monkey eluding the calculations of a Taiyi Golden Immortal was indeed strange.

Resigning himself to the mystery, the Bodhisattva took a fig, also known as a "youtan poluo" (a term transcribed from Sanskrit, signifying a mythical flower mentioned in the Lotus Sutra), into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully, appreciating its quality.

Walking to the courtyard, he noticed a blossoming udumbara tree, signifying spiritual omens. The scripture mentioned that the udumbara flowers, blooming once every three thousand years, herald the arrival of a Golden Wheel Cakravartin(Cakravartin, a concept in Buddhism, possesses unparalleled magical powers and safeguards the rules of Buddhism in the world).

Considering the principles of cause and effect in Buddhism, where everything is interconnected, the Bodhisattva wondered if the Stone Monkey's fate was somehow linked to that of a Golden Wheel Cakravartin.

Shaking off the ludicrous thought, he reminded himself that a Golden Wheel Cakravartin, embodying the thirty-two marks of a great man, was a sovereign among kings and Buddhas since the beginning of creation, unlikely to have any connection with a newly born monkey.

Despite further contemplation, the Bodhisattva could not see through the mystery, sighing at the infinite workings of fate beyond his grasp.

The Stone Monkey, in his chamber, carefully examined each exquisitely crafted object, touching them as if he couldn't bear to let go. Yet, his mind never ceased to ponder.

Being brought here by the Great Sage National Teacher Wang Bodhisattva offered temporary shelter, but his fortune remained uncertain. If he could leverage his innate talents as the Stone Monkey to become the Bodhisattva's disciple, he might acquire extraordinary abilities and carve out a new destiny for himself.

Regrettably, his potential initiation was thwarted by a mysterious figure, clearly more powerful than the Bodhisattva, and seemingly aware of the Stone Monkey's fate. Why else would the life and death of a mere monkey concern him?