Why did Journey to the West elevate Buddhism and belittle Taoism?

Journey to the West is a novel that combines Buddhist and Taoist elements. Many of the characters are the embodiment of Buddhism and Taoism. In Buddhism, Sun Wukong was the incarnation of Guanyin Bodhisattva, Zhu Bajie was the incarnation of Mars god, Sha Wujing was the incarnation of Saturn god, and Tang Sanzang was the incarnation of Buddha Shakyamuni. In Taoism, Sun Wukong was the incarnation of Taishang Laojun, Zhu Bajie was the incarnation of the Jade Emperor, Sha Wujing was the incarnation of the South Pole Immortal Weng, and Tang Sanzang was regarded as the teacher of Tang Sanzang and his disciples who went to the West to obtain scriptures. In addition, many other characters in Journey to the West were also incarnations of Buddhism and Taoism. For example, Bai Jingjing was the incarnation of God Jingjing, the Black Wind Monster was the incarnation of the Demon King Black Bear, and Monk Sha was the incarnation of God Nazha. Journey to the West combined the elements of Buddhism and Taoism, combining the stories and characters of the two religions to show the understanding and exchange of beliefs of the ancient people.

"Journey to the West" does not explicitly praise or belittle any religion. It is a fictional novel that tells the story of Tang Sanzang and his four disciples going to the West to obtain scriptures. Buddhism and Taoism both played important roles in the novel, but the plot and characters were not judged based on any religious belief. The main characters in Journey to the West had their own backgrounds and personalities. Their actions and decisions were influenced by their own values and beliefs. For example, as a Buddhist character, Sun Wukong abided by Buddhist teachings to protect Tang Sanzang and his disciples, but when he encountered difficulties, he would also use some Taoist methods to solve the problem. The plot and storyline of Journey to the West were very complicated, involving many different elements and topics, including adventure, love, power struggle, moral education, and so on. Therefore, it did not simply praise or belittle any religion. Instead, it showed the interaction and exchange between many cultures and beliefs in a creative and imaginative way.

Journey to the West was a classic novel that integrated Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. It was embodied in the following aspects: The plot of the story is a fusion of Confucian ideas: there are many explanations about morality, ethics, and philosophy of life in the novel. For example, in the Legend of Wukong, Sun Wukong's path of cultivation is planned according to the Confucian idea of "cultivating one's moral character, regulating one's family, governing the country, and pacifying the world". In addition, there were many discussions about human nature, good and evil, and desire in the novel, which also reflected the thoughts of Confucianism. 2. The characters are integrated with Taoist thoughts: many characters in the novel have the shadow of Taoist thoughts, such as Sun Wukong's Tao, Zhu Bajie's laziness, Sha Wujing's loyalty, etc. Taoism's emphasis on "governing by inaction" was also well reflected in Journey to the West. Many characters in the novel were escaping from reality and pursuing a realm of governing by inaction. 3. The art form is integrated with Buddhist thoughts: There are many Buddhist elements in the novel, such as monsters, immortals, Buddha, etc. The image and plot design of these characters are integrated with Buddhist thoughts. In addition, there were many Buddhist scriptures and doctrines in the novel, such as the Diamond Sutra and the Heart Sutra. These scriptures also reflected Buddhist thoughts.

This question involved the background of the literary work, the author's personal beliefs, and the social and cultural background. In literary works, authors often create according to their own worldview, outlook on life and values, which may be affected by the social and cultural environment. Buddhism and Taoism are both local religions in China. Although they have different doctrines and practice methods, they both have deep thoughts and explorations about life and the world. In the past, Buddhism had a great influence in China, and many people believed in Buddhism, so literary works might involve Buddhist content. However, with the continuous development and strengthening of Taoism, the description of Taoism in literary works may be reduced. The creation of literary works was often a personal act, and the motives and purposes of the author's creation were more complicated. Some authors may express their views and beliefs in the process of writing, while others may not have such intentions. However, the content that belittles Buddhism in the works may also be the personal prejudice or creative intentions of some authors. Literature works that belittle Buddhism may involve many factors, including religion, culture, society, and so on. But we should respect every religion and belief and avoid belittling or discriminating in our works.

In Journey to the West, Taoism was portrayed as a negative and belittling image because in the novel, Buddhism and Taoism were two different forces with their own interests and goals. In the novel, the main characters of Buddhism were Tang Sanzang and his disciples, while the main characters of Taoism were monsters and demons. Due to the great influence of Buddhism in Chinese culture, Buddhism was often portrayed as a positive image and Taoism as a negative image in novels. This way of portraying Buddhism was not to praise or belittle Buddhism, but to express the theme and plot of the novel. In the novel, the characters of Buddhism and Taoism have their own unique charm and characteristics. Their existence is to show the differences and conflicts between different cultures and deepen the readers 'understanding of different cultures. Therefore, we cannot simply think that praising Buddhism means belittling Taoism, or belittling Taoism means praising Buddhism.

There might be the following types of honors for Buddhism and Taoism: 1. Receive special awards: novels that cultivate both Buddhism and Taoism often have unique depth of thought and philosophical content, so they may receive some special awards such as literary awards, art awards, etc. 2. Receive good reviews from readers: novels about Buddhism and Taoism are usually well received by readers because their unique depth of thought and philosophical content can attract readers 'interest and cause them to think. 3. Author's honor: An author who practices both Buddhism and Taoism may receive some honors such as the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Nebula Prize, and so on. This was because their novels had a unique depth of thought and philosophical content that could resonate with readers and have a far-reaching impact. 4. Acquire social influence: novels that cultivate both Buddhism and Taoism may have an impact on society because they have profound thoughts and can guide readers to think and shape their values. This kind of novel might become a hot topic in society and attract widespread discussion and attention.

Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism played an important role in China traditional culture. In Confucianism, Confucianism was a discipline that included Confucian theories and ideas. Confucianism was also a school of thought that adhered to the tenets of "cultivating one's moral character, regulating one's family, governing the country, and pacifying the world." The essence of Confucianism was to enter the world and govern the world. It emphasized the people-oriented ideology, such as "the people are the most precious, the monarch is the least important, and the country is the second." It had a wide influence in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and European countries. In terms of Daoism, Daoism was an academic discipline, while Daoism was a philosophical ideology, such as the philosophy of Lao Tzu and Zhuang Tzu, the studies of Huang Tzu and Lao Tzu. The essence of Taoism was the unity of heaven and man, governing by doing nothing, letting nature take its course, not forcing it, and not going against the heavens. Props were abstract but had endless effects, creating all things, and seemed to be above and hidden in all things. The key to comprehending Dao was to believe in the laws of nature, not power and wealth, etc., to comprehend Dao (to observe and comprehend the connections of things to find out the laws, with the help of scientific methods and the wisdom of ancient books, as well as inspiration), and to practice Dao (to test, correct, perfect, and sublimate one's understanding of Dao in practice). In Buddhism, Buddhism was a subject, an idealistic knowledge that emphasized self-cultivation. Its main purpose was to teach people to believe in karma, obtain righteousness, transcend reincarnation, and save themselves and others to achieve Buddha's fruit. The essence of its ideology was that there was no great compassion and compassion in the whole body. It was born and entered the world. Entering the world was to save all living beings. Being born was to teach all living beings to understand the true meaning of life, to leave the sea of suffering, and to reach the other side. It also advocated that Buddhist beliefs, Buddhist knowledge, and Buddhist cultivation should be treated separately. In terms of relationships, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism were all influenced by the Book of Changes. From the perspective of the relationship with the outside world, Confucianism focused on the relationship between people in the world, Taoism focused on the relationship between people and nature in the hidden world, and Buddhism focused on the relationship between people and supernatural beings in the world. There was a master of Chinese culture like Ye Man who had mastered Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. In addition, there were also many works that explained, compared, and studied the thoughts of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, such as "Reading Books of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism" and "Thoughts on Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism". While waiting for the TV series, you can also click on the link below to read the classic original work of "Dafeng Nightwatchman"!

Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism were cultivation concepts that combined the essence of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Confucianism advocated actively entering the world, with "benevolence" as the core, holding a positive and aggressive attitude towards world affairs, emphasizing personal social responsibility and moral norms. For example,"everything is harmonious" reflected the attitude in interpersonal relationships and social affairs, and "contentment is the starting point of happiness" also reflected the Confucian concept of contentment in life. Buddhism focused on the release and open-mindedness of the soul. It used an open-minded state of mind to make room for the soul. It emphasized the spirit of tolerance that could accommodate people and carry things. It had the concept of "emptiness of origin" when looking at everything in the world and had a detached attitude towards the world. Taoism emphasized on following the laws of nature. In terms of self-cultivation, they followed the laws of nature. In times of social unrest, Taoism could help govern the world. Taoism was like a pharmacy, providing solutions when life faced problems. The combination of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism allowed people to learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses in life, work, and cultivation to reach a higher spiritual realm. For example, the Wine Monk had been an official (entering the world, with the shadow of Confucianism), a Taoist priest, and finally a monk. He was a typical figure of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. He created the Nine Yang Sutra by drawing lessons from the Nine Yin Sutra. It could be seen that these three kinds of cultivation could stand in a higher realm of thought and create. While waiting for the TV series, you can also click on the link below to read the classic original work of "Dafeng Nightwatchman"!