CIVILIZATION DOSSIER

Maitreya Buddha弥勒佛

Buddhist OrderFiction

The future Buddha in the mythology of Journey to the West.

DIRECT FIGURES
2
RELATION RECORDS
2
SOURCE WORKS
1

RELATIONSHIP COMPASS

Maitreya Buddha, and the people around them.

Open one chapter at a time. Each chapter gives the relationship first, then the source text behind it.

01
ALLEGIANCE

Allegiance

Rulers, appointments and allegiance

1 figure · 1 record
02
THE UNSEEN

Mythic acts

Transformation, aid and divine punishment

1 figure · 1 record

2 key relationships are shown here. The complete record remains below.

FeatureWhy Demons in Journey to the West Almost Always Have Powerful Backers: Fact vs. FictionSun Wukong's battles against demons in Journey to the West follow a striking pattern: monster spirits originating as celestial mounts or divine attendants are invariably spared and reclaimed by their heavenly masters, whereas wild demons lacking celestial backers are routinely struck dead by his golden staff. This dichotomy forms a defining narrative feature of the novel. Drawing upon the hundred-chapter text of Journey to the West, the historical record Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, and the mythological epic Investiture of the Gods, this article examines the past lives of the pilgrim team, the celestial bureaucracy, and the divergent fates of demons, revealing the literary logic behind Ming Dynasty mythological writing.

In fiction · Journey to the West

Maitreya Buddha is the future Buddha in the mythology of Journey to the West. His attendant, the yellow-browed boy who strikes the qing, secretly escaped to the mortal world and set up the Little Thunderclap Monastery along the pilgrimage route to capture Tang Sanzang and his disciples. Maitreya Buddha personally descended the mountain, set up a grass hut on the hillside to grow melons and fruits, and devised a plan for Sun Wukong to enter the yellow-browed boy's belly, ultimately subduing him.

Relationship network

3 figures · 4 links
Maitreya BuddhaMaitreya BuddhaSun Wukong (Monkey King)Sun Wukong (Monkey King)Yellowbrow Old BuddhaYellowbrow Old Buddha
historyliteraturedual
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Sources: Journey to the West, ch. 66

This page was extracted from classical texts with AI assistance and revised; errors remain possible. Spotted a mistake? Tell us →

Compiled with AI assistance from public-domain texts; for cultural reference. Mythological accounts vary — corrections welcome.