Buzz
Despite being forged in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, Sun Wukong's fiery golden eyes still couldn't withstand the onslaught of the old demon Emperor Feng's wind.
In chapters 20 and 21 of 'Journey to the West,' the journey of the three disciples Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, and Zhu Bajie (at this time, Sha Wujing had not yet joined the group) was obstructed by the demon Emperor Feng. Enraged by the death of his subordinate, a tiger demon captured by Tang Sanzang, Emperor Feng eagerly welcomed the battle. Unable to defeat the hundreds of monkeys transformed by Sun Wukong, he angrily unleashed a powerful wind that sent the fake Sun Wukongs flying while the real Sun Wukong ran for his life.
Terrified, Emperor Feng described the wind when meeting Zhu Bajie: 'I know how to use wind to change into martial arts, but I have never encountered such a toxic wind. Unable to stand firmly, so I had to run.'
The wind caused Sun Wukong's eyes to sting, tears flowing incessantly, making it impossible to open them, urgently requiring someone to seek treatment. Without the intervention of Linh Cat Bo Tat, the great disciple of Tang Sanzang was at risk of blindness. This Bodhisattva also subdued the demon Emperor Feng, who turned out to be a golden mouse cultivating beneath Mount Linh Son of the Buddha's abode, as it drank oil from the lamp in front of the Buddha's altar, causing the light to dim, and out of fear of sin, it hid underground and became a demon.
Just a tiny mouse, yet the wind it blew was so terrifying, even causing Sun Wukong's fiery golden eyes, which were resilient after being forged in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, to be unable to withstand it with just a gust of wind?
In 'Journey to the West,' the old man whom Sun Wukong encounters on the road (actually the Elderly Immortal of Mount Hua in disguise) reveals the nature of this wind: 'Emperor Feng blows the poisonous wind. It's not the wind from the east, west, south, or north, not the wind of spring, summer, autumn, or winter. It's the wind of the three demonic spirits, emanating from the nostrils, mouth, and eyes, truly too toxic!'
In summary, once struck by that wind, except for gods and saints, no one survives.
Regarding the hidden Buddhist message behind this story, Venerable Thich Tinh Thien explained in an article on the Electronic Information Portal of the Vietnamese Buddhist Church that the wind blown by the demon Emperor Feng is the 'eight winds' - eight types of wind symbolizing the obstacles hindering the progress of practitioners on the journey to enlightenment and liberation.
''It can be said that we all encounter some or many of these eight winds. For example, if we make a considerable profit or win the lottery, do we maintain the same calmness and tranquility of mind as usual, or do we feel confused, uneasy about how to deal with the profit we've gained? Or if there's something no one else can do but we can, and people praise and admire us, do we feel proud or remain indifferent? That's discussing the benefits; as for failures, losses, or disgrace, it's probably impossible to avoid.' wrote Venerable Thich Tinh Thien.
Encountering these eight winds, those lacking wisdom will suffer greatly, even someone as wise as Tôn Hành Giả was nearly blinded by them, simply because they didn't know their origins. Understanding where these obstructive winds come from is essential to resolve them, hence the necessity of Linh Cat Bo Tat - symbolizing timely wisdom, that is, clear intelligence when facing adversity.
In 'Journey to the West,' Linh Cat Bo Tat recites a mantra to focus Ngoc Khong's mind and help him subdue the demon Emperor Feng, implying that one must cultivate mindfulness and insight to recognize and overcome obstacles. This demon originates from the foot of Mount Linh Son, the Buddha's abode, symbolizing that the toxic wind arises from the true mind, manifesting due to a disturbed and polluted mind.
In 'Journey to the West,' Linh Cat Bodhisattva recites a mantra to help Sun Wukong subdue the demon Hoang Phong, suggesting the need for determination and clarity to recognize and overcome obstacles. This demon originates from Mount Linh Son, the abode of the Buddha, symbolizing that the toxic wind arises from the true mind, manifesting due to a disturbed and polluted mind.
Why is the terrifying wind blown by the demon depicted as a mouse? Venerable Thich Tinh Thien explains, because mice are creatures that sneakily dwell in darkness and fear the light. 'Mount Linh Son is where the Buddha resides, symbolizing the true mind. Speaking of demons residing at the foot of the mountain to indicate the eight winds resulting from a disturbed mind. When the mind unconsciously wanders or stealthily escapes outward, captivated by worldly phenomena, abandoning the original source, wandering everywhere, symbolized by the image of the mouse spirit. Hence, in the Sutra it says: 'The ordinary mind secretly wanders far away, formless and invisible, like hiding in a deep cave; when the mind is tamed, it is liberated from the bonds of delusion.'
Thus, the toxic wind blown by the demon Emperor Feng is precisely the obstacle originating from the minds of Tang Sanzang and his disciples. They must cultivate mindfulness and become enlightened to overcome it, only then can they shorten the journey of seeking the scriptures with many hardships ahead.
