Bodhi Patriarch is the most mysterious god in Journey to the West. Many people suspect that he is a pretender to be a great god. Who is his true identity has always been a topic of relish.
Some people believe that the true identity of Bodhi Patriarch is Tathagata. Tathagata pretends to be Bodhi Patriarch and teaches Sun Wukong all his skills. There are two reasons:
One: Bodhi Patriarch’s name Bodhi is a Buddhist term, and Tathagata is Buddha. The Buddha changed into the great god of Taoism and . In order to leave a Buddhist imprint, he used Bodhi as his name, which is very reasonable.
The second: Bodhi Patriarch’s temple Lingtai Fangcun Mountain is located in Xiniu Hezhou , and Xiniu Hezhou is the territory of the Buddhist group. As a Taoist master, why can the Bodhi Patriarch preach the Buddhist group? If Bodhi is the Tathagata, all this is reasonable. Both reasons
seem quite reasonable at first glance, but after careful analysis, I found that the logic is not strict enough.
First, reason 1: Bodhi is a Buddhist term, and it has no necessary relationship with the true identity of Bodhi Patriarch, the two. If Bodhi's true identity is other gods in the Buddhist group, he may also use Bodhi as his name. Even, Master Bodhi is a great god in the Heavenly Court Group. In order to cover up people's eyes, he may also use Bodhi as his name.
Let’s talk about the second reason: Xiniu Hezhou is certainly the territory of the Buddhist group, but the territory of the Buddhist group can also be preached, just as Nanzhanbuzhou is the territory of the Taoist group, but there are many temples. In fact, in addition to the Bodhi Patriarch, Xiniu Hezhou also has a famous Taoist god, who is the ancestor of Earth Immortal Zhenyuanzi . The Wuzhuang Temple in Zhenyuanzi’s Taoist temple is located in Xiniuhezhou.
So, is the true identity of Bodhi Patriarch Tathagata?
is likely not. Five hundred years after Sun Wukong was suppressed by the Five Elements Mountain, the clues can be seen from the words of Guanyin Bodhisattva to him.
The eighth chapter of the original work, Guanyin Bodhisattva was ordered by Chang'an and went to the Five Elements Mountain to visit Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong has been in prison for five hundred years, lonely and full of grievances. When he saw Guanyin Bodhisattva, he complained: "I live here like a year, and no one knows me to come and see me." He also asked Guanyin Bodhisattva for help: "The Tathagata coaxed me and pressed me on this mountain for more than five hundred years, and he can't make any profit. I hope the Bodhisattva can make one or two more convenient, save me, old Sun!"
Guanyin Bodhisattva took the opportunity to invite Sun Wukong to join the team to obtain scriptures, and said : "When I go to the Tang Dynasty in Dongtu, I will come to find a person who has obtained the scriptures and teach him to save you. You can be a disciple with him, and teach him to enter my Buddhism. Then I will correct the fruit."
The person who seeks the scriptures by Guanyin Bodhisattva is Tang Monk, and as you know, Tang Monk's previous life was the second disciple of Tathagata Jin Chanzi . But Guanyin Bodhisattva asked Sun Wukong to be his disciple for Tang Seng. So, could the true identity of Bodhi Patriarch still be Tathagata? If Bodhi Patriarch is Tathagata, Sun Wukong is Tathagata's disciple, and then Guanyin Bodhisattva asked Sun Wukong to be a disciple of Tang Seng, that is, Tathagata's disciple, wouldn't this confusing generation? The Bodhi Patriarch in the original work is likely to be neither Tathagata nor any great god pretending to be, but Bodhi Patriarch. He is the image of a top god who practices Buddhism and Taoism that Mr. Wu Chengen caters to the social trend of " Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Taoism" at that time and created the image of a top god who practices both Buddhism and Taoism. What do you think?
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