02 The Education of the Monkey King

After seven years of study, Monkey deciphers his Master’s secret signs to learn the Secret of Long Life. He subsequently masters seventy-two transformations and cloud-soaring. Banished for boastfully showing off his magical powers, Monkey returns to his homeland, the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. There, he easily defeats the terrorising Demon of Havoc, rescues his beloved kidnapped subjects, and joyfully celebrates his long-awaited homecoming. Monkey’s spiritual name was Aware-of-Vacuity, which highlights the core Buddhist concept of emptiness (Śūnyatā). The Patriarch warns that pursuing material immortality is a mere illusion, like trying to fish the moon out of the water. True Enlightenment is internal, reminding us that it is only our own thoughts that make things seem so.