Literature
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A main philosophical point in the Chuang Tzu is the concept of the usefulness of the useless. Chuang Tzu argues that many of the things we take for useful are not useful at all, and many of the things we label as useless are actually the most useful. He provides an example of this with the large gourd that is smashed to pieces because its owner finds it useless due to its size. However, the gourd could have been tied to the owner’s waist and used as a flotation device. Chuang Tzu explains in this concept that mainstream values often misplace value on things because of being distracted from following the Way. For example, many may find a tree useless because it cannot be cut down and shaped into useful items like furniture. However, the tree is useful for shade, for protection from the elements, and as housing and food for animals. Usefulness invites abuse as a value. For example, the tallest, strongest, and straightest trees that are labeled most useful are the first to be cut down. The wells with the most and sweetest water are the first to run dry. Therefore, within this philosophy we see that useless things are not always as useless as they appear, while useful things are not always as useful as they appear either. For example, a crippled individual is often useful because he can live out the years granted to him because his deformity protects him from being used by mainstream society. For example, if the cri
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uses [the sword] only if he must” (457).
FOUR (477-496)
The background of Wu Cheng-en’s Monkey is a real person. Tripitaka was a real person also by the name of Hsuan Tsang. Hsuan Tsang was a Buddhist priest who lived in 7th century AD China. He traveled to India for a period of nearly two decades, collecting hundreds of Buddhist scriptures. Unlike his depiction in Monkey, Tripitaka was actually a hard working, pious, and courageous man, but people seemed much more interested in his travels and his knowledge of India. It was during the recording of his journeys that a variety of writers began to add hardships to his story and create fantastical episodes during his travel experiences. The story of Monkey is different in different eras and cultures as well. In the Song Dynasty, Monkey was Tripitaka’s chief protector and they encounter a variety of fantastic beasts. The character of Monkey is also thought to have a variety of origins or incarnations. Some believe his tale is influenced by the Arabian Nights in Persian literature. Others think he pertains to India’s Ramayana and represents Visnu.
We see in Wu Cheng-en’s version, Monkey is also a fantastic tale that revolves around the Buddhist priest Hsuan-tsang and h
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1837
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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