There used to be a monkey corner under the Bukit Cermin hill just prior to entering the residential areas of Putra Heights. A couple years back, the hill was just a normal hill where people threw rubbish as the Indah Water service wasn’t regular then. Monkeys started to congregate in search of food and the passer-bys would stop to see or feed them. I noticed that the number of onlookers and monkeys were growing steadily, especially during weekends. It soon became a simple and popular family outing for nearby residents. Since the early 2010, they blocked the road for construction and flattened the hill and the poor monkeys have to disperse somewhere else. Now no more monkey hill but only loads of construction trucks and botak lands would welcome people into the areas. With less and less green to freely roam and scarcer foods available in natural settings, is there any wonder why some monkeys create mad menaces by vandalizing housing areas or attacking people? As monkeys are smarter than any other animals, they also dare to intimidate human, perhaps knowing well of our natural fondness for them. Somehow they seem to know our anthropological affinity with each other.
Throughout history and different cultures, monkeys maintained an intrinsic relationship with human and they continued to enjoy extra attention particularly in Indian and Chinese traditions. The monkey-god Hanuman in India is one of the most popular images in the Hindu pantheon. Believed to be an incarnation of Shiva, Hanuman is worshiped for the bestowal of physical strength, dedicated perseverance and unfolding of devotion. The Sun-Wu-Kung in China is the all powerful, magical and immortal monkey hero from the folk mythology Journey to the West, considered a great Chinese classical literature.
In this story, Sun-Wu-Kung is the monkey who was born mysteriously out of a rock in a mountain. With his inborn mischief and cleverness to outwit any challengers, he initially created much chaos and havoc in Heaven with the magical powers he acquired under a Taoist master’s tutelage. His rowdy behavior was punished by the Buddha whereby he was pinned under a mountain for 500 years. Later he was freed by the monk Xuan-zang with the condition to help him in his mission to gather Buddhist sutras from India to China, together with the three other traveling companions, namely Zhu Ba-jie (pig), Sha Wu-jing (Sandy) and a dragon prince who acted as the monk’s mount, a white horse - all partaking the journey as an atonement for their past sins. The journey was full of obstacles, loads of monsters and evils in which Sun Wu Kong’s numerous talents, incredible skills were put to great use throughout the journey. By the time he completed his journey, his life challenges and cultivation has made him into a bodhisattva. Until today, the monkey Sun-Wu-Kong is one of most beloved deities in the Chinese folk religion.
As many people might not be aware, enduring and popular cultural mythologies often hide striking parallels in the development of human life. Universal life principles are embedded in stories. Somehow life lessons in retained more deeply in our awareness through stories. Both Hanuman and Sun Wu Kong depict of our everyday busy human mind. However, when you tamed and trained it, the mind becomes a very powerful ally. When Hanuman (mind) encountered Ram (God) and devoted his life to Ram, Hanuman became strong and mightier than a mountain, swift and fast like the wind. But when the mind’s power is not properly harnessed, like the small child Hanuman, or Sun-Wu-Kong prior to meeting Buddha, it can create such a living hell. Why? It’s because the unguided mind is always restless, overzealous and caught up in its own grandeur. Restlessness makes the mind jump and skip around; overzealousness always lead life in a hurry at the expense of peace and harmony; a mind caught up in its own grandeur cannot see things and events as it is and thus prone to self-deception.
In order to harness the mind’s power to journey through our life safe and sound, we need to enforce the mind with some kind of special mechanism like Sun Wu Kong’s case. His uncontrollable temper was constantly put under check with a spellbinding head-band. When he misbehaved, the headband tightens. He also needed to learn how to work together in a team with other members, who more often acted as hindrances than aids throughout their journey. Likewise our health, partner, work and family circumstances can often present unexpected drawbacks despite our perfect plan for a perfect life. These life events should be welcomed as part of a team in our journey. Our task is not to wish for a problem-free life, but more importantly, is to wish for wisdom to untangled life’s knots, and upon untangling them, to gain greater wisdom and become a better person. For both Hanuman and SunWu-Kong, at the end of the journey, they became someone beyond their limited self.
Do you want to know more about how to calm the mind and at the same time improve your physical, mental and spiritual health in a natural and easy way? Come to join us for a Free Introduction on the Benefits and Effects of Meditation.
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Announcement:
1. Free Introduction on the Benefits and Effects of Meditation: 22nd May, Saturday, 10am to 11.30 am
2. Free Introduction on Wellness Living and Holistic Health: 29th May, Saturday 10am to 11.30am
3. Free Yoga Walk for Better Health and Posture. Every Sunday 6.30am to 8am, the north Badminton court in Section 7.
