I'm currently working on a comprehensive list of Sun Wukong's magic powers. Here is just a taste from chapters two to four.
Bold black = magic power
Bold red = acquired non-magic skill
Bold green = claimed magic power that is never actually demonstrated
Bold orange = inborn talent?
Ch. 2
Early education #1: human skills - “[H]e began to learn from his [senior immortal] schoolmates the arts of language and etiquette” (與眾師兄學言語禮貌) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 116).
- Note: We all know that Monkey failed his etiquette classes.
Early education #2: religious skills - “He discussed with them the scriptures and the doctrines; he practiced calligraphy and burned incense” (講經論道、習字焚香; i.e. ritual procedure) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 116).
Wukong’s knowledge of scripture and philosophy pops up a few times in the novel. For example, he subsequently becomes enraptured by Subodhi's lecture on the Dao and Chan (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 116).
Early education #3: gardening skills - “In more leisurely moments he would be … hoeing the garden, planting flowers or pruning trees” (閑時即...鋤園、養花修樹) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 116).
Immorality (1st category) [1] - This is achieved via oral formulas (口訣) and breathing exercises (自己調息) at prescribed times (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 120-121).
- The stipulated Chinese hours are before zi (12:00-14:00) and after wu (12:00-02:00) (i.e. noon to midnight) (子前午後). However, historical real world practice is reversed: after zi and before wu (i.e. midnight to noon).
Adeptness (i.e. quick learning) - “But this Monkey King was someone who, knowing one thing, could understand a hundred!” (這猴王也是他一竅通時百竅通) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 122).
First learns the “Multitude of Terrestrial Killers” (地煞數; a.k.a. “72 changes,” 七十二般變化) - This requires oral formulas (口訣, a.k.a. “oral spells,” 咒語) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 122).
- This sometimes requires a magic hand sign and a shake of the body (see below).
First attempt at “Cloud-Soaring” (騰雲) - Subodhi mockingly calls this “Cloud-Climbing” (爬雲) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 122).
First learns the “cloud somersault” (觔斗雲) - This requires a magic sign, an oral spell, a fist clinch, and a body shake (捻著訣,念動真言,攢緊了拳,將身一抖). It takes him 108,000 li (里) in a single leap (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 123).
- 108,000 li = 33,554 mi or 54,000 km [2]
Multitude of Terrestrial Killers (i.e. 72 changes) - This requires a magic sign (捻著訣) and an oral spell (咒語). He transforms into a pine tree (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 124).
Cloud somersault - He flies from the Western Continent to Flower-Fruit Mountain (i.e. from one side of the world to the other) “in less than an hour” (消一個時辰) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 125).
First use of the “body beyond body” (身外身法; a.k.a. “magic of body division,” 分身法) (i.e. hair clones) - This requires chewing and a “change!” (變) command. Small clone monkeys are used to overwhelm and beat up a monster who is three zhang (三丈) (31.29 ft / 9.53 m) tall (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 128). [3] A passage explains:
- “For you see, when someone acquires the body of an immortal, he can project his spirit, change his form, and perform all kinds of wonders [出神變化無方]. Since the Monkey King had become accomplished in the Way, every one of the eighty-four thousand hairs on his body could change into whatever shape or substance he desired” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 128).
- 原來人得仙體,出神變化無方。不知這猴王自從了道之後,身上有八萬四千毛羽,根根能變,應物隨心。
Cloud somersault - He flies 30 or 50 monkeys and property (pots, bowls, utensils, etc.) home from captivity to Flower-Fruit Mountain (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 129).
Ch. 3
Martial arts (武藝) - He “teach[es his monkeys] how to sharpen bamboos for making spears, file wood for making swords, arrange flags and banners, go on patrol, advance or retreat, and pitch camp” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 131-132).
- 教小猴砍竹為標,削木為刀,治旗幡,打哨子,一進一退,安營下寨 …
Cloud Somersault - He flies east from Flower-Fruit Mountain over “200 li of water in no time” (霎時間過了二百里水面) to the Eastern Continent (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 131).
Blows a mighty wind (陣風) - This requires a magic sign (捻起訣來), an oral spell (咒語), and taking a deep breath (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 131-132). A poem states that it puts the world into chaos:
- Thick clouds in vast formation moved o'er the world;
Black fog and dusky vapor darkened the Earth;
Waves churned in seas and rivers, afrighting fishes and crabs; Boughs broke in mountain forests, wolves and tigers taking flight.
Traders and merchants were gone from stores and shops.
No single man was seen at sundry marts and malls.
The king retreated to his chamber from the royal court.
Officials, martial and civil, returned to their homes.
This wind toppled Buddha's throne of a thousand years
And shook to its foundations the Five-Phoenix Tower (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 132).
- 炮雲起處蕩乾坤,黑霧陰霾大地昏。
江海波翻魚蟹怕,山林樹折虎狼奔。
諸般買賣無商旅,各樣生涯不見人。
殿上君王歸內院,階前文武轉衙門。
千秋寶座都吹倒,五鳳高樓幌動根。
Body beyond body (i.e. hair clones) - This requires chewing and a “change!” (變) command. The small clone monkeys carry an armory’s worth of weapons (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 132).
Magic of displacement (攝法) - This is a spell that carries the weapon-laden monkeys on wind (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 132).
Monkey claims to have a number of supernatural powers:
- “I have the ability of seventy-two transformations. The cloud somersault has unlimited power. I am familiar with the magic of body concealment (身遯身, a.k.a. 隱身法) and the magic of displacement. I can find my way to Heaven or I can enter the Earth. I can walk past the sun and the moon without casting a shadow, and I can penetrate stone and metal without hindrance. Water cannot drown me, nor fire burn me” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 133).
- 我自聞道之後,有七十二般地煞變化之功,觔斗雲有莫大的神通;善能隱身遯身,起法攝法。上天有路,入地有門;步日月無影,入金石無礙;水不能溺,火不能焚。
Magic of water restriction (閉水法) - He travels to the Dragon Kingdom (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 133).
Super strength - He effortlessly toys with a 3,600 catty (斤) (4,682.61 lbs / 2,124 kg) battle fork and a 7,200 catty (9,365.23 lbs / 4,248 kg) halberd (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 134). [4]
Super strength - He lifts the 13,500 catty (斤) (17,559.81 lbs / 7,965 kg) iron pillar in the dragon treasury (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 135).
Opens a waterway (開水道) - He uses the magic of water restriction to return to Flower-Fruit Mountain (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 137).
First use of the “Magic Method of Modeling Heaven on Earth” (法天像地的神通), a 10,000 zhang (萬丈) (104,300 ft / 31,800 m) tall giant form - This requires bending over and screaming “grow!” [長!]. This form has:
- “[A] head like the Tai Mountain and a chest like a rugged peak, eyes like lightning and a mouth like a blood bowl, and teeth like swords and halberds” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 138).
- 頭如泰山,腰如峻嶺,眼如閃電,口似血盆,牙如劍戟
Immorality (2nd category) - This is achieved by inking out his name from the ledgers of hell [生死簿子] (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 141).
Ch. 4
Cloud somersault - It is much faster than those of ordinary immortals (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 145).
Travel to heaven - Refer back to ch. 3-#6A (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 145).
First use of “three-headed and six-armed” (三頭六臂) war form - This requires a “change!” (變) command (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 155).
Staff multiplication - This is done millions of times over (以一化千千化萬) to face Nezha’s own countless weapons (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 156).
- The multitude of armaments are said to “clash like horned-dragons flying in the air” (cf. Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 156).
Body beyond body (i.e. hair clones) - This requires a “change!” (變) command. Monkey creates an autonomous decoy to distract Nezha while he slips behind him to land a staff blow (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 156).
Immortality (3rd category) - This is achieved via heavenly imperial wine (御酒, a.k.a. “Immortal wine,” 仙酒 and “juices of jade,” 玉液瓊漿) (Wu & Yu, vol. 1, p. 159, 165, and 167).
I'm currently on chapter 16, so it will take me a while to finish, especially since I'm simultaneously gathering info for several other articles, including mirrored essays for Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing.
Once I've gone through all 100 chapters, I will put each instance of a particular power into its own category (transformation, super strength, hair clones/tools, etc.) and then analyze everything as a whole. The Google Doc containing the list of powers will be attached to the analysis.
This project was partly inspired by a previous effort made by @the-monkey-ruler.
I'm open to feedback.
Notes:
1) In place of using “layer” or “level,” I’m choosing to designate his various immortalities as “categories.” This is because a new layer of divine longevity or durability would surely be added for each immortal peach, elixir pill, or cup/jug of heavenly wine consumed. Hence, eating multiple peaches would be one category, eating multiple elixir pills would be one category, and so on and so forth.
2) It’s important to note that 108,000 li is a metaphor for instant enlightenment (see section III here). Therefore, power-scalers should not use any instance of this as a feat.
3) One zhang (丈) comprises ten chi (尺, a.k.a. "Chinese feet"), and during the Ming Dynasty, one chi was roughly 12.3 in or 31.8 cm. This makes one zhang 10.43 ft or 3.18 m (Jiang, 2005, p. xxxi).
4) During the Ming, one catty (jin, 斤) was 590 grams (Elvin, 2004, p. 491 n. 133).
Source:
Elvin, M. (2004). The Retreat of the Elephants: An Environmental History of China. New Haven (Conn.): Yale University Press.
Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.
TALES OF THE RAYS: ION’S 3RD SKIT (ENGLISH TRANSLATION)
This is a direct continuation to Sync’s Side.
Since Ion’s side was finally put up on the Rays Wiki, I can actually take a crack at it now. Here is the Ion side of the skit released with the debut of his xMA \ Dual Mystic Arte with Sync. I got the screenshots from 八雲貴大 on YT.
[ SYNC AND ION ARE LEAVING THAT MEETING ]
Ion: How do you think that went, Sync? What did you think of Ix’s gathering? *
どうでしたか、シンク。イクスサロンの感想は。
Sync: It was a waste of time. The end result of thought experiments and harboring delusions is a mental breakdown, isn’t it? That’s what the Necromancer is for.
時間の無駄だね。妄想と思考実験のなれの果ては精神の崩壊ってやつなんじゃない?こういうのは死霊使いの得意分野でしょ。
Ion: Hehe…
フフフ・・・・・・。
Sync: What?
何?
Ion: Jade said something very similar to you. He said: “Don’t you think you should take a break from your bad thoughts and pay attention to where you’re going?”
ジェイドも同じようなこと���言っていましたよ。「下手の考え休むに似たり、もっと足下を見た方がいいのではありませんか」って。
Ion: Jade doesn’t have much interest in the humanities.
ジェイドは人文科学には興味がないそうです。
Sync: How about that. Well, I’ve already thought about this plenty while I was falling into the Planet’s Core.
どうだかね。考え尽くして一度深淵にでも落ちたから避けてるんじゃないの。
[ LUKE AND LIBERA ENTER ]
Luke: —What the hell are you guys talking about? The meeting is over and you’re still talking about hard stuff.
――何だよ、お前ら。サロンが終わってもまだ難しい話をしてるのかよ。
Sync: You poor thing. You were made with a degraded brain, it’s natural you find this kind of talk difficult.
可哀想に。お前は脳みそが劣化して生まれたからこの程度の話を難しく感じるんだよ。
Libera: Sync, it’s not good to tell people they’re inferior! Anise said so.
シンク!人に劣化なんて言ったらダメなんだよ。アニスが言ってた。
Sync: Shut up. We’re not people, anyway. We’re replicas.
うるさいな。どうせ相手は人じゃなくてレプリカだ。
Libera: Replicas are people, too. Claire told me that we all share the same heart that thinks peach pie is delicious. Now, apologize to Luke.
レプリカも人なの。クレアが言ってた。ピーチパイのことを美味しいと思う心は同じなんだよ。ほら、ルークに謝るの。
Sync: I told you to shut it. *sighs* Whatever, I’m sorry for telling the truth.
うるさいな。あーあ、本当のことを言って悪かったね。
Libera: Sorry, Luke. Come on, Sync. As a reward, let’s get some sweets from Nevan.
ごめんね、ルーク。さ、シンク。ご褒美にネヴァンからお菓子をもらおう。
[ LIBERA BOUNCES TOWARDS SYNC ]
Sync: I already told you, quit yanking my arm! You’ll dislocate—
だから、腕を引っ張るな!肩が―――
[ SYNC IS DRAGGED OFF SCREEN ]
Luke: …That Sync, he’s the same as ever.
・・・・・・シンクの奴、相変わらずだな。
Ion: I agree… Or, well, I do think that Sync might have changed a little.
そうですね・・・・・・。いえ、でも少し変わったかも知れません。
Luke: You think?
そうか?
Ion: I think that Sync would have refused to even be in the same room as me back in our original world.
元の世界にいた頃のシンクなら、僕と同じ空間にいることすら拒絶したのではないかと思うんです。
Ion: But now, Sync seems to be starting to make compromises with himself.
けれど今のシンクは、少しだけ譲歩してくれているように感じます。
Luke: I guess that’s because we have no reason to be hostile anymore.
今は敵対する必要がないから、とかかな。
Ion: Yes…that might be right.
そう・・・・・・なんでしょうか。
Ion: I don’t know exactly why he’s changed, but I’m glad. I feel like Sync is starting to find more meaning in being himself, rather than just being another one of our original’s replicas.
理由はわかりませんが、嬉しいです。シンクがシンク自身に、被験者イオンのレプリカであるということ以上の意味を見出し始めているような気がして。
Luke: I hope so. I feel like I’m starting to finally feel like I am who I am because of my friends—you and everyone else.
そうだといいな。俺は仲間が―――イオンやみんながいてやっと、俺が俺であるって思えるようになったから。
Ion: Including me? But I haven’t…
僕も、ですか?僕は何も・・・・・・。
Luke: What are you talking about? You’re super important.
何言ってんだよ。イオンはすげえ重要だぜ。
Luke: After all, no matter how many replicas there are of Ion, no matter how many Luke replicas were made, you and I are the only ones who met in the Cheagle Woods.
だってイオンが何人いても、ルークのレプリカが何人いても、チーグルの森で出会ったのは俺とお前だけなんだから。
Ion: !!
Luke: That’s what makes you special.
だからさ、特別なんだ。
Ion: You’re right. You and I are proof of each other’s unique existences. Thank you, Luke!
はい。僕たちはお互い、唯一無二であることの証明者ですね。ありがとう、ルーク!
* NOTE: the actual term Ion uses is “Ix’s salon”, which confused me until I found out that a salon can also be an “informal gathering of artists at a notable figure’s house.”
音楽家/ヴァイオリニスト
ROVO . DRAMATICS . 勝井祐二 × U-zhaan . Bondage Fruit . GONG . ROVO and System 7 . などのバンドやユニットへの参加と、ソロや様々な音楽家との即興演奏で、エレクトリック・ヴァイオリンの表現の可能性を追求し続ける第一人者。
「1991-1992 JAPAN – UK Festival」の中心展示「VISIONS OF JAPAN」(Victoria and Albert Museum)のサウンド・ディレクターを務め、渡英。帰国後、日本最初期のレイヴ・パーティー「WATER」をオーガナイズする。
Since learning of how and why Mr Gregory Charles Rivers left this world…this segment from this video clip now feels like a kind of foreshadowing in hindsight! Who would have thought that in the end, it can be considered that Mr Rivers really did die for Hong Kong…and his “Hong Kong” is none other than his beloved wife, a native Hong Konger. Bittersweet, when you think about it.
And listening to him talk about his ultimately unrealised wish, a sense of regret for him washes over me once again but at the same time, I'm also in awe of his perseverance and optimistic and philosophical attitude towards his unfulfilled dreams! And I can't help at this juncture, but to think once again of that song he once covered as an amateur, 《笑看風雲》, especially this line in the song that goes:
♪ “Unfulfilled dreams, who doesn't have them?” ♪
Wonder if Mr Rivers too couldn't help but think of his own “unfulfilled dreams” situation when he sang this song?
(Above screenshots were taken from a video clip that's roughly from 2015. Video mentioned that Rivers was 50 years of age at that time.)
I was recently contacted by a reader on my main external blog. Part of their question asked:
I heard on the Fifth Monkey [@jttwaudiodrama] production notes for Part 8 that the White Dragon Horse wasn’t really converted to Buddhism and thus never “left his family” and obligations. Would this make him eligible for marriage...?
My answer:
There is some inconsistency in the White Dragon Horse’s story. I can’t recall him officially taking vows during the journey, but the Buddha states in chapter 100 that he had (at some point):
Then he [the Buddha] said to the white horse, “You were originally the prince of Dragon King Guangjin of the Western Ocean. Because you disobeyed your father’s command and committed the crime of unfiliality, you were to be executed. Fortunately you made submission to the Law and accepted our vows ... (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 4, p. 382).
又叫那白馬:「汝本是西洋大海廣晉龍王之子,因汝違逆父命,犯了不孝之罪。幸得皈身皈法,皈我沙門 ...
He is then elevated in rank to become an Aṣṭasenā, a group of eight celestial beings said to be "in attendance when the Buddha speaks the Mahayana sutras" (Buswell & Lopez, 2014, p. 74). The Buddha continues:
... Because you carried the sage monk daily on your back during his journey to the West and because you also took the holy scriptures back to the East, you too have made merit. I hereby grant you promotion and appoint you one of the dragon[ horses] belonging to the Eight Classes of Supernatural Beings (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 4, p. 382).
... 每日家虧你馱負聖僧來西,又虧你馱負聖經去東,亦有功者,加陞汝職正果,為八部天龍馬。」
After transforming back into a dragon, he takes his place atop a Huabiao pillar in paradise:
The elder, his three disciples, and the horse all kowtowed to thank the Buddha, who ordered some of the guardians to take the horse to the Dragon-Transforming Pool at the back of the Spirit Mountain. After being pushed into the pool, the horse stretched himself, and in a little while he shed his coat, horns began to grow on his head, golden scales appeared all over his body, and silver whiskers emerged on his cheeks. His whole body shrouded in auspicious air and his four paws wrapped in hallowed clouds, he soared out of the pool and circled inside the monastery gate, on top of one of the Pillars that Support Heaven (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 4, p. 382).
長老四眾,俱各叩頭謝恩。馬亦謝恩訖。仍命揭諦引了馬,下靈山後崖化龍池邊,將馬推入池中。須臾間,那馬打個展身,即退了毛皮,換了頭角,渾身上長起金鱗,腮頷下生出銀鬚,一身瑞氣,四爪祥雲,飛出化龍池,盤繞在山門裡擎天華表柱上。
A huabiao pillar in Xinghai Square, Dalian City, Liaoning Province, China. Via Wikipedia.
A detail of the huabiao dragon finial. Via Wikipedia.
And lastly, JTTW refers to him as a bodhisattva:
I submit to the Bodhisattva of Vast Strength, the Heavenly Dragon of Eight Divisions of Supernatural Beings (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 4, p. 385).
南無八部天龍廣力菩薩。
So given this info, I don’t think he would be involved in a relationship.
Sources:
Buswell, R. E. , & Lopez, D. S. (2014). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press.
Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.
My final show in Tokyo! It was in the beautiful (gosh the acoustics..really, the perfect classical shoebox hall) Hamarikyu Asahi hall, so my theme was based on the kanji 朝日新聞 (The Asahi newspaper) , the first character meaning “new” and the second “hear” (makes sense!). The first half was full of new repertoire as well as familiar pieces but with a modern twist. The second was set in a musical style, where I used a newspaper as a prop to talk about important news - including the ones that don’t make the paper. “One-ness”, again, was the overall theme for this year.
今回使った楽器達や機材! Instruments I used in my final Tokyo Show
Voice/Whistle 声 /ホイッスル
Violin ヴァイオリン
Electric Violin エレキヴァイオリン
Anklet Bells アンクレット鈴
Piano ピアノ
Looper ルーパー
Kalimba + effect pedals カリンバ + エフェクトペダル
セトリです!
朝日浜離宮
2022.11.29 「新しく聞く」
1st stage
1. 二人の天使 Concerto Pour Une Voix
2. Riverdance/Drowsy Maggie
~ Season Medley ~
3. Spring: Caresse Sur l’Ocean
4. Summer: Vivaldi
5. Autumn: Autumn Leaves
6. Winter: Vivaldi’s Rain
~ Rock ~
7. The Stranger (Whistle)
~Jazz~
8. Misty
9. Spain
<INTERVAL>
2nd stage 〜The Musical
~ voice-over whilst walking with newspaper ~
* Newspaper - don’t believe in everything you read - 「これは現実なの?ファンタジーなの?」
1. Bohemian Rhapsody
2. Calling You
3. Airmail Special 〜男はつらいよ〜浜離宮朝日ホール30th Anniversary Vers.
4. The Winner Takes It All
5. Kalimba Improv - Somewhere Over The Rainbow
6. 無限に広がる大宇宙
7. Diva Dance
8. ひこうき雲
9. Ave Maria
10. Somewhere Far Away (Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence) 戦場のメリークリスマス