#90 - Special: Monkey Business

The History of China

Chris Stewart

History

4.6 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 19 February 2016

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In celebration of the Year of the Monkey, this week we take a look at China's most famous demonic simian, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, and his Journey to the West guarding the Buddhist monk Xuanzang. Then we'll look at the historical 15 year long westward journey of Xuanzang as he seeks sutras from India to bring enlightenment to China. Time Period Covered: 602-664 CE Major Historical Figures: San Zang Master Xuanzang (Chen Hui) [602-664] Major Fictional Figures: Sun Wukong (The Handsome Monkey King, Mei Hou Wang) Zhu Bajie (Pig of the Eight Commandments) Sha Wujing (The Sandy Friar) Bodhisattva Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy and Compassion) Major Works Cited: Wu, Chang'en, The Journey to the West (1592). Xuanzang, Da Tang Xiyu Ji (Great Tang Records of the Western Regions) (646). "The History of Xuan Zang." http://www.vbtutor.net/Xiyouji/history.htmInternet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. "Xuanzang (Hsüan-tsang) (602—664 C.E.)" https://web.archive.org/web/20130116083307/http://www.iep.utm.edu/xuanzang/#H1 Cao, Shibang. "Fact vs. Fiction" in Dust in the Wind: Retracing Dharma Master Xuanzang's Western Pilgrimage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	You're listening to an airwave media podcast.
0:05.0	The Samsung Galaxy Buds Effie are the perfect partner for your smartphone.
0:10.0	Stay immersed thanks to active noise cancellation with AI technology that filters out unwanted
0:16.2	background noise.
0:17.2	Listen to your audio in comfort hour after hour with the new wing-tip design and easy touch controls that make changing settings a breeze.
0:26.0	That's a lot to love for just 99 pounds RRP, the new Galaxy Bud Zefee by now at Samsung.com.
0:33.7	Hello and Let me begin by wishing each and every one of you a happy spring festival and Chinese New Year.
0:57.0	As I mentioned at the end of last episode, as of this recording, it will now freshly be the year of the monkey. So break out your bananas, climb up a tree,
1:05.4	and get ready for some fun. Because today we are taking a break from Empress Wu,
1:10.5	Emperor Gao Zong, and the Tong Dynasty altogether, to bring you something completely different.
1:16.7	And if, before we launch in, you either just started listening after the last Chinese New Year
1:21.0	show I put out, or just plain forgot.
1:24.0	I'll direct you all the way back to episode 11 for the ins and outs of the Chinese
1:28.2	Luna Solar calendar and the Heavenly Stems and all that.
1:32.0	Go ahead. I'll wait. Okay, all caught up? Great. So now that you know
1:38.8	all about exactly how and why it is the Year of the Monkey. Today we are going to focus on the most famous
1:44.3	monkey in Chinese history, son Wu Kong, the monkey king and his
1:49.2	adventures with his master, the Buddhist monk, Shanzan-Zang, on their holy quest to the far west.
1:55.0	Following that, we will take a look at the actual journey
1:58.8	of the historical Shrhenzang, and see how 16th century author Wu Chengun really didn't need to go adding in fantastical creatures and mythical beasts to make the story compelling at all.
2:09.0	First things first though, a correction for episode 89.
2:13.2	Brought to you by none other than Nate Ledbetter of the Samurai Archives podcast.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Chris Stewart, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Chris Stewart and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.