INDIA AND CHINA - MONKEY LORE.

SUMMARY PAGE TWOINDIA AND CHINA - MONKEY LORE. Monkey mythology is an important part of both Hindu/Buddhist lore (India) and Zodiac/Taoist/Buddhist lore (China). In the various tales presented below, the monkey is portrayed initially as foolish, vain, and mischievous. Yet, in each tradition, the monkey learns valuable lessons along the way, makes changes, and eventually gains redemption. The monkey thus embodies the themes of repentance, responsibility, devotion, and the promise of salvation to all who sincerely seek it. This symbolism is still common in Buddhism as practiced today. In modern meditation practices in many Buddhist sects, one must first subdue the “monkey mind” before meditation can yield results. The goal is to overcome the restless monkey mindset, to stop jumping from branch to branch, to stop grabbing whatever fruit comes into sight, to stop being fooled by mere appearances. Salvation is within the grasp of all who seek it if they remain true, sincere, and dedicated.

Hanuman India, Modern Drawing Courtesy Khandro-net Hanuman Bangkok, Thailand Royal Palace Photo courtesy Masanobu Matsuta

INDIA - HINDU MONKEY LORE
PRE-BUDDHIST MYTHOLOGY
The Sanskrit term Vanara means monkey or forest dweller. Other Sanskrit terms for monkey include Makata and Kapi. In India, the most widely known Vanara is Hanuman, the monkey warrior who appears in the epic Hindu tale Ramayana. Even today, Hanuman is a very popular village god in southern, central and northern India, and artwork of Hanuman can still be found easily in India and other nations in Southeast Asia.

Hanuman is a manifestation (avatar) of the Hindu god Shiva. In one version of the story, Shiva and Parvati (“daughter of the mountain”) transform themselves into monkeys and are playing amorous games in the forest when Hanuman is conceived. Since their union took place while in monkey form, Shiva realizes his child will be simian, and instructs Vayu (the wind god) to deposit the gestating seed into the womb of a female monkey named Anjana. Anjana was originally a celestial maiden (apsara) named Punjisthala, but a curse had transformed her into a monkey. Vayu possesses Anjana, with her consent, and she gives birth to Hanuman. Hanuman is thus also called Maruti (son of the wind) and Anjaneya (son of Anjana).

Legend asserts that Hanuman, soon after birth, confused the sun for a fruit that he could eat. When he took flight to catch the sun, he was struck down by a thunderbolt for his foolishness by the Hindu God Indra. The bolt struck Hanuman in the jaw, cutting his cheeks, and henceforth he was called Hanuman (Sanskrit "hanu" means cheek). He lay unconscious until Indra withdrew the bolt’s magic to pacify the wind god Vayu, who had sucked away all the air of the cosmos to show his displeasure with Indra. To make amends and placate Vayu, the gods endowed Hanuman with special godlike powers. As Hanuman grows up, he becomes even more invincible, but he is a trickster and is eventually cursed by the sages for his mischievousness -- he is made to forget his powers until reminded of them by others. In the Ramayana epic, Hanuman’s fellow vanaras help him recollect his powers, which he uses to aid Rama in rescuing Rama’s wife, Sita, from the evil Ravana (the king of the Raksa). Hanuman redeems himself, and becomes a metaphor for bravery, loyalty, and dedication to righteousness. Some scholars believe Hanuman mythology might be the origin of the magical monkey Sun Wu Kong, who appears in the famous Chinese novel Journey to the West. For more on Hanuman and Vanara, please visit the below outside links: 

• www.exoticindiaart.com/article/hanuman
• buddhistinformation.com
• Ramayana. The Ramayana epic is generally placed sometime between the 5th and 2nd centuries BC. Based in part on fact and folklore from earlier centuries, it contains the teachings of ancient Hindu sages, devotional text, narrative allegory, and philosophic discourse. 

INDIA -- BUDDHIST MONKEY LORE
FROM THE JATAKA OR
TALES OF BUDDHA’S PAST LIVES
Monkey lore plays a prominent role in the early years of Buddhism in India. Among hundreds of tales in the Jataka -- perhaps the oldest extant collection of Buddhist folklore originating in India and Sri Lanka around the 3rd century BC -- the Historical Buddha was said to have lived many prior lives in many different forms before attaining enlightenment.

In the Jataka tales, he appears often in the form of a monkey (e.g., Nandiya), as other animals, as a human, and even as a god. But throughout, he practices generosity, courage, justice, and patience until finally achieving Buddhahood. The Pali Jatakas record 123 past lives as an animal, 357 as a human, and 66 as a god. Devadatta, a cousin of the Historical Buddha, also appears in the various Jataka stories in multiple incarnations, typically as the villain.  

Monkey Offering Honey to Shakyamuni (Shaka). North Gate of Great Stupa  at Sanchi, India 50 BCE Monkeys offering honey to the Buddha (not shown, his presence implied by the platform beneath a bodhi-tree). Such carvings predate any extant written texts. Carved in the sandstone railings, crossbeams, and in gateways of reliquary stupas at places like Bharhut and Sanchi, these early Buddhist carvings from India consistently avoid depiction of the Buddha in human form. In other artwork, the monkey is shown dancing in joy when the meditating Buddha accepts the monkey’s offering of a bowl of honey. Photo/text courtesy of: Michael D. Rabe, PhD Saint Xavier University Depiction of Mahakapi Jataka  India, Stone Relief  150 BC In one of his past lives, before attaining Buddhahood, the Historial Buddha was a wise monkey king who enabled his followers to escape from hunters. Here we see a depiction of the "Mahakapi Jataka," in which the future Buddha is a compassionate leader of a troop of monkeys who escape across a river on his back; carved on a stupa railing pillar at Bharhut, c. 150 BC; India Museum, Calcutta. Read this story by clicking here (outside link). Another excellent version of this story is found here (outside link). In this story, the monkey embodies the virtue of generosity.  Photo/text courtesy of: Michael D. Rabe, PhD Saint Xavier University