【Tips】The content of this article is written with authoritative information combined with personal opinions, and the source of the literature and screenshots have been marked at the end of the article, please be aware.
In Journey to the West, a masterpiece of classical Chinese literature, the Dragon King is a fascinating and contradictory figure.
These gods in charge of the waters have the ability to call the wind and rain, but they are often punished for their own actions, and the dragon king's many interactions with the Monkey King in the book are even more exciting, adding a lot of drama to the story.
However, what kind of helplessness does the dragon king's apparent majesty hide? What is their position in the power system of the Heavenly Court? Why is it so important in folk beliefs?
Let's follow the clues in "Journey to the West" to uncover the mystery of the power of the dragon king, and explore the intricate network of relationships behind these water gods.
1. The mist-shrouded Heavenly Palace
In the vast world of "Journey to the West", the image of the dragon king is as unpredictable as a cloud. The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas—Ao Guang of the East China Sea, Ao Yan of the West Sea, Ao Shun of the North Sea, and Ao Qin of the South China Sea—nominally dominate the seas and control the rain, but they often seem to be powerless.
The crystal palace where they live is magnificent and has countless treasures, but behind these superficial glories, there are many helplessness and constraints.
Sun Wukong has visited the Dragon Palace of the East China Sea many times, one of which is to ask for help and extinguish the true fire of Samadhi in the Red Child. However, when the Monkey King asks the Dragon King for rain, Ao Guang's reaction is unexpected.
The majestic Lord of the Sea seemed hesitant and even cringed. He explained that even the Dragon King, who was the "Si Yu", could not call the wind and rain as he wanted, and had to get the clear will of the Jade Emperor.
This scene reveals the truth about the power of the dragon kings: they are not independent rulers, but part of the vast bureaucratic system of the Heavenly Court.
The Jade Emperor not only controlled the decision-making power of rainfall, but even had strict regulations on details such as rainfall and timing. The dragon kings seem to be high, but in fact they are like puppets being held by a string, and every action needs to rely on the approval of the heavenly court.
The tragedy of the Dragon King of Jinghe has pushed this power dilemma to the extreme. Just because of a quarrel with a warlock, he changed the time and amount of rain stipulated by the Jade Emperor without authorization.
It seemed like a trivial change—but an hour and three inches and eight o'clock of rain brought him death.
The Jade Emperor sent the gods to mercilessly behead the Dragon King of Jinghe. This bloody lesson shows all dragon kings that even the gods who rule a body of water cannot go beyond the thunder pool.
The power structure of the Heavenly Court is like a delicate machine, each gear has its fixed position and function, and the seemingly simple task of raining rain actually requires the coordination of multiple parties.
Feng Bo is responsible for dispatching the direction of the wind, Lei Gong is in charge of Thunder, and the Dragon Kings are just the executors in this complex system. Their autonomy is eroded layer by layer, and every action is like walking on thin ice.
In the face of Sun Wukong's request, the dragon kings often shirked the orders of the Jade Emperor. But under the coercion and temptation of the Monkey King, they had to secretly perform "private rain".
This unapproved rainfall tends to be silent, without iconic celestial phenomena such as wind, thunder and lightning, and more like dragon kings helping out in secret. Although this approach solves the urgent need, it is also always shrouded in the shadow of violating the rules of heaven.
The situation of the dragon kings is like a prism, reflecting the complexity of the power system of the heavenly court. They are both gods in charge and courtiers subject to man; has the magical power to call for wind and rain, but is often helpless.
This contradictory identity makes the dragon kings play both important and embarrassing roles in the story of "Journey to the West".
2. The price of a thought
The story of the Dragon King of Jinghe can be called one of the most dramatic tragedies in "Journey to the West", the water god who should have enjoyed peace, but because of his momentary anger, he was involved in a gamble that changed his fate.
The cause of the incident seems insignificant. The Dragon King of Jinghe had a dispute with the human warlock Yuan Shoucheng, and in order to prove his ability, he did not hesitate to change the time and amount of rain stipulated by the Jade Emperor without permission.
This decision, like a pebble thrown into calm water, provoked unforeseen ripples.
When the Heavenly Court learned of this, he was furious, and the Jade Emperor immediately ordered the minister Wei Zheng to execute the beheading, and the Jinghe Dragon King suddenly fell into a desperate situation, he asked for help everywhere, and even wanted to escape the doom with the help of the power of the world.
However, the gears of fate had already begun to turn, and Wei Zheng was unmoved, and finally beheaded the Dragon King of Jinghe in his dream.
The fall of the Dragon King of Jinghe is not only a personal tragedy, but also a turning point in the whole story.
This series of events prompted Tang Taizong to personally go down to the underworld and experience a thrilling journey to the underworld. There, he not only met many unjust souls, but also deeply realized the preciousness of life and the power of karma.
This experience completely changed Tang Taizong's worldview. He decided to hold a grand water and land conference after returning to the sun, and to spend time for the souls of the dead. This decision became an opportunity for Guanyin Bodhisattva to appear, and also laid the groundwork for the story of Tang Seng learning scriptures.
However, fate is always full of irony. Although the Dragon King of Jinghe died due to a momentary mistake, his heirs were not implicated. On the contrary, several of his sons were given decent positions.
The old and small yellow dragons are in charge of Huaidu, the second Xiaoli Dragon presides over Jidu, the third green-backed dragon leads the Jiangdu, and the fourth red-haired dragon guards the river.
This arrangement uses the novel to reflect the intricate power system and hereditary system of the society at that time.
The story of the Dragon King of Jinghe is like a mirror, reflecting the fragility and impermanence of the dynasty in real society.
3. The labyrinth of power
On the surface, the dragon kings seemed to be firmly bound to the power system of the Heavenly Court, and every action required layers of approval. However, reality is often more complex than imagined.
In some situations beyond the reach of the Heavenly Whip, the Dragon Kings actually had considerable autonomy, especially when dealing with endemic rainfall issues.
This phenomenon is particularly prevalent among the people. When the drought hit, the people did not pray directly to the high Jade Emperor, but would spontaneously go to the local Dragon King Temple to ask for rain.
Although this practice may seem to go against the hierarchy of the Heavenly Court, it is effective in practice. The dragon kings are often able to flexibly deal with the rainfall problem according to the actual situation of the place and without violating the general direction of the heavenly court.
In "Journey to the West", we have seen the scene of Sun Wukong begging the Dragon King for rain many times. Although the dragon kings always shirked that there was no order from the Jade Emperor, it would eventually rain down.
This seemingly contradictory behavior is a reflection of the delicate position of the dragon kings in the power structure. They have to abide by the rules of the heavenly court and meet the needs of the place, seeking a balance between the two.
This flexibility of power has also exposed some loopholes in the Heavenly Court system. Although nominally part of a centralized system, the dragon kings had considerable autonomy in practice.
Especially the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, they have a wider range of control and greater power. Not only are they able to handle the affairs of the big rivers, but they are also able to decide on local rainfall to a certain extent.
However, this flexibility is also a double-edged sword. As the story of the Dragon King of Jinghe warns, overusing this autonomy can have disastrous consequences.
The dragon kings must find a delicate balance between obedience and autonomy, neither giving up their power completely nor overstepping the thunder pool.
To some extent, this complex power relationship reflects the governance model of traditional Chinese society. Centralization and local autonomy coexist, and there is room for flexibility in a strict hierarchy.
The situation of the dragon kings is just like that of the ancient local officials, who have to be responsible for their superiors, but also respond to the demands of the people and survive in the cracks.
4. The power of faith
The image of the dragon king does not only exist in the literary world of Journey to the West, but also occupies an important place in Buddhism and Chinese folk beliefs. The evolution of this image reflects the complex process of blending Chinese culture with foreign culture.
When Buddhism was introduced to China, the concept of the dragon king began to collide and merge with the image of the Naga snake god in India. Naga, as a snake god in India mythology, is usually depicted as a half-human, half-snake.
With the localization of Buddhism, this image gradually evolved into the familiar dragon king of the Chinese. In the Buddhist system, the dragon king is no longer just a god in charge of the waters, but also an important protector of the Buddha, guarding the Dharma and practitioners.
China's inherent dragon culture has also undergone subtle changes in the process. The dragon king was gradually given clear duties and ranks from a vague nature deity.
The concepts of the Dragon King of the Four Seas and the Dragon King of the Five Directions gradually took shape, and were integrated with the traditional Chinese concepts of the five elements and directions. The five dragon kings mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures are in charge of the five directions of east, south, west, north and center, which coincides with the traditional Chinese view of the universe.
Over time, the dragon king gradually took root in Chinese folk beliefs. Especially in times of drought, the dragon king became an important object for people to pray for rain.
Since the Tang Dynasty, Dragon King Temples have sprung up all over the country and have become an indispensable place in the daily life of the people.
Even the high-ranking emperor went to the Dragon King Temple many times to pray for rain, and even wrote inscriptions for the Dragon King Temple. This further cemented the position of the dragon king in the national and folk belief systems.
The dragon king is not only a god who rules the waters, but is also worshipped for his ability to bring wealth and treasure. The crystal palace of Ao Guang, the dragon king of the East China Sea, depicted in "Journey to the West", contains countless treasures, including the famous Ruyi golden hoop stick.
This concept of "dragon palace treasures" is widely spread among the people, and the story of the dragon king's retribution and gift of treasure has become a classic plot in many myths and legends.
The widespread spread of the belief in the dragon king reflects the importance and reverence of ancient Chinese society for water resources. In an agrarian society, water is the source of life, and the gods who can control it naturally become the object of worship.
The dragon king represents both the power of nature and people's yearning for a better life, so it occupies a unique place in folk beliefs.
End:
The image of the dragon king is like a long river through time and space, flowing from the literary world of "Journey to the West" to the folk beliefs in reality.
As the protector deity of Buddhism and the traditional Chinese god of rain, the Dragon King carries the awe of nature, the desire for wealth, and the complex attitude towards power.
From the sacred image in Buddhist scriptures to the people-friendly role in folk sacrifices, the influence of the dragon king has always been the same. This influence is not only reflected in literary creation, but also deeply rooted in the collective unconscious of the Chinese.
The evolution of the belief in the Dragon King can be called a vivid portrayal of the inclusiveness and continuity of Chinese culture, witnessing the vitality and creativity of the traditional Wenhai of this continent.
What do you think differently about this?
Resources:
【Disclaimer】The process and pictures described in the article are all from the Internet, and this article aims to advocate positive social energy and no vulgar and other bad guidance. If it involves copyright or character infringement issues, please contact us in time, and we will delete the content as soon as possible! If there is any doubt about the incident, it will be deleted or changed immediately after contact