Classic · Journey to the West · Wu Cheng’en (original) · VoiceSmiths adaptation · 1592 · 5:02

Havoc in Heaven: The Buddha’s Palm

The Monkey King bets he can somersault out of the Buddha’s hand. He flies to the end of the sky and signs his name. Same cast as the Chinese episode.

StorytellerSun Wukong, the Great SageThe BuddhaLord LaoziHeaven’s MessengersWang Lingguan, Guardian of the HallThe Gods of Heaven

StorytellerThe Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, had been caught at last. But swords could not cut him, and fire could not burn him. Then Lord Laozi stepped forward.Lord LaoziThat monkey swallowed all my elixir. It has made him hard as diamond. Give him to me. I will cook him in my Eight Trigrams Furnace until he burns to ash.StorytellerBut in the furnace the Monkey hid in the corner where the wind blows, and the fire never touched him. The smoke only turned his eyes red: his Fiery Golden Eyes.StorytellerAfter forty-nine days the furnace opened, and out he sprang. He kicked it over, threw old Laozi head over heels, pulled his golden staff out of his ear, and smashed his way across Heaven to the doors of the throne hall. There a guardian blocked his way with a golden whip.Wang Lingguan, Guardian of the HallWhere do you think you’re going, you wild ape? While I stand here, you go no further!StorytellerThirty-six thunder generals surrounded the Monkey. He grew three heads and six arms, and not one of them could get near him. So the Jade Emperor sent messengers flying to the West, to the Buddha.The BuddhaWhat brings you here from the Jade Emperor?Heaven’s MessengersLord Buddha, a monkey born from a stone has turned Heaven upside down. He ate the Peaches of Immortality, stole the wine, swallowed Lord Laozi’s elixir. Swords and fire cannot kill him. Forty-nine days in the furnace, and he jumped out again! Now he is fighting at the very door of the throne hall. The Jade Emperor begs you to come.StorytellerThe Buddha came, and told the generals to stand back. The Monkey strode up to him, furious.Sun Wukong, the Great SageAnd who are you, to stop the fighting and question me?The BuddhaI am the Buddha of the West. Why are you making such trouble?Sun Wukong, the Great SageI was born of Heaven and Earth, and the world below is too small for me. The strong should rule. The Jade Emperor has had that throne long enough. Let him give it to me!The BuddhamockingYou are a monkey who learned a few tricks. The Jade Emperor has trained for one thousand seven hundred and fifty ages. How long have you trained?Sun Wukong, the Great SageThe throne takes turns, they say. Next year, it comes to my house! If he won’t move out, Heaven will never have peace.The BuddhaBesides living forever and changing your shape, what else can you do?Sun Wukong, the Great SagePlenty! Seventy-two transformations. And one somersault on my cloud takes me a hundred and eight thousand miles!The BuddhaThen let us make a bet. If you can somersault out of the palm of my right hand, Heaven is yours. If you cannot, you go back down to earth and train for a few more ages.Sun Wukong, the Great SagewhispersThis Buddha is a fool! One somersault takes me a hundred and eight thousand miles, and his hand isn’t even a foot across!Sun Wukong, the Great SageYou promise?The BuddhaI promise.StorytellerThe Buddha held out his right hand, no bigger than a lotus leaf, and the Monkey jumped up onto his palm.Sun Wukong, the Great SageHere I go!StorytellerAnd off he went, a streak of cloud and light, on and on, until he saw five pink pillars holding up a blue mist.Sun Wukong, the Great SageThe end of the world! The throne is mine. But wait. I’d better leave a mark, so the Buddha can’t say I wasn’t here.StorytellerHe turned one hair into a brush, and on the middle pillar he wrote in big letters: The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, was here. Then, being a monkey, he peed at the foot of the first pillar, and flew back to the Buddha’s palm.Sun Wukong, the Great SagelaughingI went, and now I’m back. Tell the Jade Emperor to hand over Heaven!The BuddhaYou pee-soaked monkey. You never left the palm of my hand.Sun Wukong, the Great SageI flew to the end of the sky and left my mark on a pillar there. Want to come and see?The BuddhaNo need. Just look down.StorytellerThe Monkey looked. There, on the Buddha’s middle finger, were the words: The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, was here. And at the root of his thumb, a whiff of monkey pee.Sun Wukong, the Great SagegaspsWhat? What? I wrote that at the end of the sky! How did it get on his finger? It’s a trick. Let me go again!StorytellerHe crouched to jump. But the Buddha turned his hand over and pushed him out of Heaven. His five fingers became five mountains, of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth, and the Mountain of Five Elements came gently down on the Monkey, and held him fast.The Gods of HeavenPraise be! Praise be! He cheated Heaven and reached for the highest throne. Now his punishment has come. Who knows when he will rise again?StorytellerLater, a watchman came running.The Gods of HeavenThe Great Sage has pushed his head out!The BuddhaNo matter. No matter.StorytellerFrom his sleeve the Buddha took a paper with six golden words: Om Mani Padme Hum. It was pressed onto the mountaintop, and the mountain grew roots and sealed every crack. Spirits were set to guard the Monkey: iron pellets when he was hungry, melted copper when he was thirsty. And when his punishment was over, someone would come to set him free.StorytellerWhen would that day come? Listen to the next chapter.

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