Made a Golden Cicada design concept for an AU I got in the works!

If you like Tang, Tripitaka and/or the Golden Cicada you may enjoy this when I got it out :))) Also touches of InkyPages cause a lot of my art is Freenoodles but I also enjoy InkyPages so ( ´∀｀ )b

so i got an question, how would you react if you had the powers of the golden cicada and the great monk how would you react?

it would be pretty cool. i honestly don't know everything that gc can actually do but it would still be awesome

Golden Cicada if it not to much

Ah yes. He is a character.

King of the Clouds [Animatic]

I lost motivation to finish this 🫠

LMK FANDOM I AM GRABBING YOU BY THE THROAT AGAIN ONCE MORE BECAUSE APPARENTLY YOU GUYS CAN'T LEARN YOUR LESSON AFTER THE FIRST GO AROUND.

LISTEN CLOSE AS NOW I NEED TO GET THIS 0UT THERE AS WELL

TRIPITAKA WAS *NOT* AN ABUSER FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE

I CAN'T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY HAVE TO *SIT* HERE AND TYPE OUT A POST FOR THIS

Look, listen up for those of you who like to skip your way into assumption station to hop on the fill your angsty desires train, let me be the railway closing sign for you for a moment here.

TRIPITAKA CARED FOR WUKONG JUST AS MUCH AS WUKONG CARED FOR HIM.

Oh my god, shocker! I know!/s

Tripitaka, this cool yet cowardly and sensitive fella was the one tasked with putting the circlet on Wukong because he had no power to STOP him, like at all. That circlet was the only thing Tripitaka had that, and I can't believe I have to even say this, DID NOT CONTROL WUKONG, but was able to keep him from harming others. The circlet, when the tightening spell was said, would enclose around his head causing him great head pain. This was used for when he did something bad or if he needed to be stopped from killing someone because he was a wild monkey with no understanding of human morals yet that did not know any better that was given SO MUCH POWER to the point that the circlet was the ONLY thing able to keep him reigned in if he went wild, especially sense the monk was powerless to stop him himself. AND HERE'S THE REAL KICKER, THE MONK EVEN TRIED TO TAKE IT OFF DURING THEIR JOURNEY AND COULDN'T, NO MATTER HOW HARD HE TRIED.

Did the monk sometimes make a mistake or two with the circlet on occasion? Yes. Did he sometimes make a mistake in general? Yes. Did he do that intentionally? NO. It's called being human, it's called not being perfect, but that didn't make him any less of a good guy. AND WUKONG CARED FOR HIM WITH EVERY FIBER OF HIS BEING NOT BECAUSE THE "CIRCLET WAS MAKING HIM" BUT BECAUSE TRIPITAKA WAS HIS FIRST REAL FRIEND THAT GENUINELY CARED ABOUT HIM TO HELP HIM ON A GOOD PATH. WUKONG WAS GIVEN MANY CHANCES TO LEAVE AND NOT COME BACK DURING THE JOURNEY, BUT HE CAME BACK ANYWAY FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF HELPING HIS FRIENDS. FOR HELPING THE MONK. EACH AND EVERY TIME.

TRIPITAKA FOUND WUKONG, BAJIE, WUJING, THREE CREATURES WHO HE GAVE A CHANCE TO BECOME BETTER AND THEY ALL LOVED HIM ALL THE MORE FOR IT. Tripitaka gave them a chance to be the good people that they could be. He helped bring them all together. Together, he made them all a family. Wukong sees them all as his family. They are his family.

Neither Wukong or Tripitaka were perfect, they made mistakes, the two had their arguments here and there, but none of that was ever able to shake their relationship. Never. With every argument that seperated them, Wukong always came back and the two apologized. Wukong always chose to stay by Tripitaka's side. He chose to be, dare I say it, Tripitaka's BEST friend.

He was not his slave, he was not treated as an attack dog. Macaque said it himself, Wukong and the others were on a path of self destruction, himself and the brotherhood included, and it was Tripitaka who helped Wukong, Bajie, and Wujing onto a good path. It was Tripitaka that brought them together and showed them what it truly means to have not just friends, but a family.

Before this Wukong had Azure who basically pushed his own thoughts on the celestial rule onto Wukong which kept fuelling him up for something that he shouldn't have been, Peng, Yellow Tusk, and DBK did the same thing, up until they left Wukong after the war was lost and he got imprisoned. Macaque followed Wukong and supported him in something that he shouldn't have despite expressing his concerns towards it before again, just like the others, abandoning him once the battle was lost and Wukong got imprisoned. Wukong was surrounded with people in his life who were not very good people. But Tripitaka was NOT like them. He didn't fuel Wukong with his own desires, he didn't follow him only to leave when the tide's turned. He taught him about morals, helped teach him the many things he knew that helped Wukong become a better person rather than purposely straying him from it. He gave him care, appreciation, genuine kindness, and true friendship. And the other three in the group showed him true friendship as well.

Tripitaka was Wukong's truest oldest friend, his teacher, and his master. They were inseparable and always will be, even if he can't be with Wukong in person anymore. Wukong cares for Tripitaka deeply and Tripitaka cares deeply for Wukong, and no amount of the fandom being the fandom is EVER going to change that.

Small sampling of Journey to the West sketches from 2023. Goal for 2024 is to get weirder with it.

Buddhist Deities Exiled From the Western Heaven

My new article examines the reasons why three Buddhist deities from Ming-Qing vernacular Chinese literature are exiled from the Western Heaven.

Master Golden Cicada (Jinchan zi, 金蟬子) (a.k.a. Tripitaka, Tang Sanzang, 唐三藏) from Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, 1592) - a Buddha disciple who is caught sleeping during the Tathagata's sermon.

Miao Jixiang (妙吉祥) from Journey to the South (Nanyouji, 南遊記, c. 1570s-1580s) - A Buddha disciple who kills a belligerent sage on the grounds of the Thunderclap Monastery.

 Great Peng, the Golden-Winged King of Illumination (Dapeng jinchi mingwang, 大鵬金翅明王) from The Complete Vernacular Biography of Yue Fei (Shuo Yue quanzhuan, 說岳全傳, 1684) - An avian dharma protector who kills a stellar-spirit for farting during the Tathagata's lecture.

The article analyzes them together and notes parallels, even with concepts from Greek philosophy.

The motif might serve as a good idea for writers wanting to create an OC with an interesting backstory. I have, for example, previously used it to suggest a fictional origin for Sun Wukong as a hot-tempered Bodhisattva (see the 06-16-23 update here).

New LMK Pins up for PRE-ORDER now!

I've been sitting on doing some for Mr. Tang for too long, so here they are~

The art for Mr. Tang is another awesome piece commissioned from @livayette,

And the art for the Golden Cicada was commissioned from @arkroot on Instagram!

They both turned out amazing, so I'm super excited to see them to completion. As always, production is heavily based on pre-orders, so reblogs are beyond appreciated. ♡

First’s Mary Sue babysitter

Human Golden Cicada

Sorry for being gone on and off- I'm working my way back here- I think I'm struggling with tagging stuff here which makes it harder for me post :((

OK so I made a post where I headcanon that Tang has committed many crimes in his life, and it seems like alot of people agree. So I just want to know, what crimes does everyone thinks this bug man has committed? Comment or reblog I'm curious >:3

Is there a reason that Golden Cicada is Buddha's second disciple in the story why not any other number, and who are the Buddha's other disciples

I personally believe that he is the second disciple to show his importance in the story. If there was a reason to remake the number significant then I would think making him the third disciple would make more sense since three is a more important number (like Bailong and Nezha being third princes).

But in either case, I think that the Golden Cicada is supposed to be one of the ten principal disciples of Buddha. I have heard some suggest the 18 arhats, but considering they are in JTTW and sometimes do things I don't think he was a part of them. I have seen some adaptions make it that Gaunyin is his senior disciple but that is more of a recent take I believe.

Sorry if that isn't a really detailed answer but there isn't a lot known about him sadly.

Chapter 9.

Reading this chapter another time, then and now, left me somber. It starts out joyful with our favorite monk's parents' meeting. His father, Guangrui, gained a blessing to go to the capital for examination and job; getting first in rank and personally being praised by the Tang Emperor. Spent 3 days on horseback going around the capital. Then we're introduced of Xuanzang's mother, Yin Wenjiao(referred to as just Lady Yin later on), who sees a handsome, smart, and high ranking official during his 3 day parade; throws down a embroidered ball at her future husband knocking off his black cap. Though I like to think she went: "YOU!" pointing at him from the tower and aimed for his head. Really making sure that this guy's dense and doesn't get a hint. Actually, does that mean she technically proposed to him? Anyways they get married, move to city for Guangrui job, and picked up his mother along the way. Even saved a golden carp and sending it back to its river! Guangrui mother gets sick and forced to stay at a rent house. A little bump in the road, but that's fine since the couple can retrieve her in the fall.

Then Liu Hong appears captivated by Lady Yin's beauty and rips the young couple future away by killing Guangrui and stealing his identity. Forcing Lady Yin to comply to his demands. They dump Gaungrui's body in the river where thanks to saving, not actually a carp, his body and soul is preserved until his is avenged by his murderers.

Lady Yin is miserable in her situation, wishing to eat Liu Hong body and sleep on his skin. But kept her dark thoughts to herself and didn't enact on them; as she was pregnant with our monk! But not happy news as Bastard Liu Hong will kill our future protag the second he gets the chance. Thanks to divine intervention and luck, Lady Yin manages to send the baby away. By writing a letter in her own blood and biting off one of his toes before sending him off on river; tied by her garment before found by a monk.

So our monk, nicked River Float, and then called Xuanzang once he turned eighteen and joined the monetary; he learned of his orgins and set off to right wrongs. He succeeded, reuniting his mother, who helped him get in contact with grandfather. Who later just destroyed Liu Hong in a brutal fashion. I strongly don't think Xuanzang was there to see that part as he was probably with his mother, who already tried to kill herself once saved. She does it again after they toss Liu Hong's heart and liver into the river, seeing her husband body floated up. Who comes back to life!

Happiness as Xuanzang's family all together again, his father joins the Emperor court, and he continues with his studies in the Way. Except for Lady Yin, who succeeds in taking her life. Bittersweet ending.

Now for my notes and theories. You cannot tell me that this boy wasn't bullied by his peers for being an orphan. He had nothing, no name, probably no friends, and put all his efforts into studying the scripture as a source of comfort or even proving his worth to be there. (I could ramble more on his upbringing and the similarites with him and Wukong's background, but that could be for another day)

Besides the luck and divine intervention(and Sha Wujing eating his past lives), another clue that Xuanzang might be special is when he cured his grandmother blindness by licking her eyelids.

Or the pain and guilt that despite everything he did failed to save his mother.

But that's enough rambling from me for now.

@journeythroughjourneytothewest

Thing with my tags to get around my blog easier

Lego monkie kid:

Important

Did trip actually apologized or realized his awful treatment towards wukong when he achieved buddhahood and enlightened or was he clueless no because i need to know right fucking now