Happy Chinese New Year/ Kung Hey Fat Choy!
Tuesday 5 February 2019 (2019-02-05) will be Chinese/ Lunar New Year for the Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean communities around the world. The New Year will be the Year of the Pig, one of the 12 animals in the Chinese annual zodiac cycle.
Canada Post has issued a domestic and an international (seen here) stamp to celebrate the Year of the Pig. Interestingly, the character Zhu Bajie (猪八戒) is depicted. The name Zhu Bajie literally means the Pig's Eight Precepts or Pig's Eight Commandments. He is always seen with a horticultural rake, his supernatural weapon of choice.
Zhu Bajie is a major character in the classic 16th century Chinese novel called "Journey to the West" (西遊記). The novel is an extended and fictionalized account of the real and legendary pilgrimage of Tang dynasty (7th century) Buddhist monk Xuanzang who walked thousands of miles from China to the "Western Regions" (Central Asia and India) through the Gobi Desert and the Himalayas to obtain Buddhist sacred texts (sūtras) and returned after many trials and dangers.
Journey to the West has been translated into many languages and there have been some pop culture media adaptations too.
Zhu Bajie is a half-pig, half-human creature and character who was originally a military commander (a super power) in charge of the Heavenly Army (which needed an army to fight off the evil spirits). However, he committed misdeeds including sexual harassment towards Goddess of the Moon (guess the "me too" movement is nothing new), so the Heavenly Jade Great Emperor banished him from the Heaven and he was sent down to the earth. During a reincarnation mishap, he became half-human and half-pig.
In any case, as part of his punishment or reform, the Goddess of Mercy instructed Zhu Bajie to accompany Buddhist monk Xuanzang, Sha Wujing and another fictional character the Monkey King to travel to India and Central Asia to bring back to China the Buddhist manuscripts.
In Journey to the West, Zhu Bajie's lazy, gluttonous and lustful nature was often more troubles than help to the dangerous pilgrimage, yet he was also still a fierce fighter when real dangers and demons were encountered.
While other characters obtained Buddhist enlightenment at the end of the story, Zhu Bajie was still too "earthly" to obtain that highest rank, but was rewarded as the Cleaner of the Altars (i.e. given the special privilege to finish off all the edible food offerings) at the Heavenly Altar!!
Happy Chinese New Year/ Kung Hey Fat Choy!
Tuesday 5 February 2019 (2019-02-05) will be Chinese/ Lunar New Year for the Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean communities around the world. The New Year will be the Year of the Pig, one of the 12 animals in the Chinese annual zodiac cycle.
Canada Post has issued a domestic and an international (seen here) stamp to celebrate the Year of the Pig. Interestingly, the character Zhu Bajie (猪八戒) is depicted. The name Zhu Bajie literally means the Pig's Eight Precepts or Pig's Eight Commandments. He is always seen with a horticultural rake, his supernatural weapon of choice.
Zhu Bajie is a major character in the classic 16th century Chinese novel called "Journey to the West" (西遊記). The novel is an extended and fictionalized account of the real and legendary pilgrimage of Tang dynasty (7th century) Buddhist monk Xuanzang who walked thousands of miles from China to the "Western Regions" (Central Asia and India) through the Gobi Desert and the Himalayas to obtain Buddhist sacred texts (sūtras) and returned after many trials and dangers.
Journey to the West has been translated into many languages and there have been some pop culture media adaptations too.
Zhu Bajie is a half-pig, half-human creature and character who was originally a military commander (a super power) in charge of the Heavenly Army (which needed an army to fight off the evil spirits). However, he committed misdeeds including sexual harassment towards Goddess of the Moon (guess the "me too" movement is nothing new), so the Heavenly Jade Great Emperor banished him from the Heaven and he was sent down to the earth. During a reincarnation mishap, he became half-human and half-pig.
In any case, as part of his punishment or reform, the Goddess of Mercy instructed Zhu Bajie to accompany Buddhist monk Xuanzang, Sha Wujing and another fictional character the Monkey King to travel to India and Central Asia to bring back to China the Buddhist manuscripts.
In Journey to the West, Zhu Bajie's lazy, gluttonous and lustful nature was often more troubles than help to the dangerous pilgrimage, yet he was also still a fierce fighter when real dangers and demons were encountered.
While other characters obtained Buddhist enlightenment at the end of the story, Zhu Bajie was still too "earthly" to obtain that highest rank, but was rewarded as the Cleaner of the Altars (i.e. given the special privilege to finish off all the edible food offerings) at the Heavenly Altar!!