Zhu Bajie (豬八戒, Zhū Bājiè?, lit. Pig Eight-Forbiddances), or Zhu Wuneng (猪悟能, Zhū wùnéng ?, lit. Pig Realising Capability), is the second disciple of Tang Sanzang. He was formerly known as the Heavenly Canopy Marshal (天蓬元帅, Tiānpéng Yuánshuài?) before being kicked out of Heaven.
Description[]
Zhu Bajie is an anthropomorphic pig demon. He has an ugly face covered in stubby black hairs, with a long snout and huge ears. He wore a cyan cotton shirt and kept a spotted cotton handkerchief wrapped around his head.[1]
History[]
Zhu Bajie was once a human who was slothful and indolent, but one day he met a Daoist immortal, who convinced him to change his ways. Through alchemical study and spirit cultivation, the two became immortals and ascended to Heaven. In Heaven, he was assigned as the Heavenly Canopy Martial, who commanded a navy of 80,000 heavenly sailors.[2]
In the aftermath of Sun Wukong's rampage through Heaven, he served as a messenger and asked the Tathagata Buddha to stay so the Jade Emperor could see him.[3] Sometime later, he drunkenly tried to seduce the goddess Chang'e. The Jade Emperor punished him to be reincarnated as a mortal on Earth.
While his spirit was searching for a proper place to reincarnate, it accidentally passed through the womb of an old pig and was born as its child. He bit his mother to death and killed the rest of the litter, then killed and ate the owners of the farm he was incarnated into. He then passed the years killing an eating any travellers.
When the Bodhisattva Guanyin came by Fuling Mountain, Zhu Bajie begged to be absolved of his crimes, even though he had chosen to be a cannibal and commit more crimes after being banished. Guanyin was hesitant, but she promised to absolve him if he acted as a guard for the pilgrim whose route she was scouting and became a vegetarian. He was given the new name Zhu Wuneng.[4]
Disguised as a human, Zhu Wuneng married Green Orchard, the youngest daughter of Squire Gao. Wuneng was a diligent son-in-law who always plowed the fields from early morning to late night, but he had an immense appetite and began to show his true form as time went on.
Zhu Wuneng eventually began stopping Green Orchard from seeing her family. Squire Gao had several Buddhist and Daoist exorcists sent after him, but he defeated all of them. Eventually through, Sun Wukong came around and fought him.[1] He was unable to even harm Sun Wukong, and learned that Sun Wukong was travelling with Tang Sanzang, the pilgrim Guanyin had asked him to protect. He got his marriage annulled and began travelling with them.[2]
Abilities[]
Zhu Bajie has the ability to transform into numerous states, including transforming into a strong gust of wind to travel.[1] He wields the powerful Nine-Toothed Rake, but proved incapable of harming Sun Wukong even with it.[2]
Gallery[]
.jpg "Zhu Bajie (Black Myth Wukong).jpg (325 KB)")
Trivia[]
- All the main characters in Journey to the West represent different aspects of the human mind. Zhu Bajie represents base human desires.
