The Xixia frescoes in Dunhuang revealed the mystery of the Monkey King's life experience. Scholar: Authentic domestic products.

As the most popular demon in China, the origin of the Monkey King is controversial: is it Indian or authentic "domestic"? The Xixia murals in Yulin Grottoes in Dunhuang reveal the mystery of the origin of the Monkey King. To discuss this matter, it is necessary for us to know the academic views on the origin of the Monkey King. First, under the background of western Chinese civilization theory, many masters of the Republic of China, represented by Hu Shi, believe that the Monkey King originated from Hanuman, the monkey in Ramayana, the oldest Indian epic (see the picture below). I always suspected that this magical monkey was not made in China, but imported from India. Perhaps even Wu Zhiqi's mythology (as will be mentioned later, the creatures and monsters in Shan Hai Jing were all locked by Dayu) was imitated under the Indian influence. Hu Shi's theory of Hanuman, an Indian monkey, has been questioned a lot, because Hanuman is a slave and the Monkey King is a fighter, and their personalities are far from each other. Secondly, Lu Xun believes that the Monkey King originally evolved from Wu, but was influenced by Indian myths or images, and finally formed the well-known image of the Monkey King. Third, more than 40 years after Xuanzang learned the scriptures, a monk named Shi Wukong set out from Chang 'an again and went to the west to learn the scriptures. Therefore, according to his "Wukong" name, scholars combined with the "Monkey" who accompanied the Tang Priest to learn Buddhist scriptures, and formed the Monkey King. Fourthly, in the process of Tang Priest's Buddhist scriptures, a monk named Shipanto from the Western Regions helped him. Zhang, a professor in Chinese Department of Harbin Normal University, thinks that "Tang Priest learns from Buddhist scriptures and monk Hu helps" can be easily translated into "Tang Priest learns from Buddhist scriptures and monkeys help him", thus forming the Monkey King. These are the four main sources of the Monkey King. It should be noted that these four viewpoints have a basic feature, that is, the Monkey King has a deep shadow of "not helping Qi". For example, Wu Zhi Zhi was locked at the foot of Guishan by Dayu, and the Monkey King was pressed at the foot of Wuxing Mountain by Tathagata; If the Qi State without a scaffold is shaped like an ape, the Monkey King is a monkey, and his "martial arts are advancing by leaps and bounds, and his body is light and fast" is no different. Obviously, the Monkey King has at least some "domestic genes", but Wu only added some experiences and magical powers to the Monkey King, which is equivalent to the prototype of the magical power before the Monkey King went to the Western Heaven to learn Buddhist scriptures, rather than the prototype of Tang Priest's identity. So, is the prototype of the Monkey King's patron saint monkey originated from India or made in China? The Xixia murals in Yulin Grottoes in Dunhuang reveal the archetypal source of the Monkey King's protection of the monkey! Among the Xixia murals in Yulin Grottoes in Dunhuang, archaeologists found six pictures of Tang Priest's scriptures, three of which contained the image of the Monkey King. In the second cave, the Tang Priest worships Guanyin, and the Monkey King looks like a monkey, holding a horse with his left hand and looking forward with his right hand. In the third cave, the Tang Priest worships the Bodhisattva, and the Monkey King worships like a master, very pious. In the 29th hole, Tang Priest and the Monkey King worshipped an unidentified white fairy. As shown in the above picture, the personal image of "ugly" monkey face is the original origin of the Monkey King. Judging from the current archaeological discoveries, there is no image of the Monkey King earlier than the Xixia murals in Dunhuang. In other words, this is the earliest artistic image of Tang Priest's escort. Who created the Monkey King in Dunhuang Xixia murals? According to the The biography of Master Sanzang, Xuanzang accepted a disciple of a monk Hu in Guazhou (now Suoyangcheng, Gansu Province), that is, the above-mentioned Shipanto, which was of great help to the Tang Priest, but before Yumenguan, Shipanto killed Xuanzang. After Tang Priest's transformation, Shipanto went back alone, and Tang Priest. Moreover, comparing Shipanto and the Monkey King, we can see many similarities. Zhang, a professor of Chinese Department of Harbin Normal University, summed up five points: 1, which has similar guiding effect; 2. The function of crisis relief is similar; 3. The identity of the walker is the same; 4. The subtle relationship between master and apprentice is similar (the Monkey King has repeatedly killed Tang Priest halfway back to Huaguoshan); 5. Shipantuo is a monk of Hu, that is, "Bo Bang". In addition, Dunhuang murals in Gansu and Shipantuo, a monk of Hu in Gansu, are all in Gansu. Can't say this is just a coincidence, but after The biography of Master Sanzang became popular in the local area, the image of Shipanto was sublimated. Obviously, the "ugly" the Monkey King in Dunhuang Xixia murals should be based on Hu monk Shipanto in Gansu. Therefore, as far as the origin of the Monkey King's image is concerned, there are first Shipantou, a real historical figure, and then Monkey King, a resourceful and courageous figure. As for the origin of the Monkey King's name, it may be related to Wukong Shi and Monkey. In a word, a big synthesis of the Monkey King and China elements has nothing to do with Indian monkeys, and it is purely made in China.