#buddist philosophy

[sidewalkchemistry]

"Some people really are great naturally at living in the Beginner's Mind and usually these people question a lot. And sometimes we think, 'Oh, those questions are stupid.' *laughs* 'Why is someone asking that question?'

But NO, when you're asking a question you're allowing yourself to admit and sit as a student in the situation, and say, 'Wait, wait, wait. I don't understand that part.' Or, 'Wait, tell me how that part works.' You know what I mean? It's good to question!"

-from I Know Nothing - What Can I Teach (a Sidewalk Chemistry Live Stream)

[boyjumps]

No need to try to overcome death.

You were just born by chance. There is no need to seek 'meaning' or 'value' in life. Life is like crossing a river in a boat called 'self'. It is only a tool for the duration of the crossing.

'Self' is like a boat that we must tentatively use in order to exist in the world. As long as we are in this world, we must ride. That is the boat called "I". Even if you don’t want to, you cannot live without getting into that boat.

Many people believe that the boat itself is also valuable. However, the boat is valuable because it can cross the river, not because the 'boat itself' is valuable. If the tool is no longer useful, it is acceptable to throw it away. The boat is also disposable. If it is no longer worth it, it should not be at all regrettable to abandon the boat. So when you get across the river and life comes to an end, there is no need to be afraid or sad. You can quickly descend to the other side of the river without any unresolved feelings. It is said to be "an irreplaceable life", but in the end it's all in our own minds.

What is the greatest task in life is to die. The reason why it is such a big task is that no one knows what "death" is. If you know what death is, you can do something about it. But we don't know what the big task is at all, and as long as we are alive, there is no way of knowing.

The most popular image of death is that of going somewhere other than this world. The story goes that those who do good go to heaven and those who do bad are sent to hell. Because you are 'you' from birth, even after your body is gone, your 'you' continues somewhere other than here, and a transformed you remains. We all have that illusion.

The Buddha maintains an attitude of the “unanswerable questions” regarding the afterlife.'We don't know if there is an afterlife. We don't even know what will happen" is the only answer of Buddha. At this point, however, one thing is clear. There is no doubt that everything becomes meaningless there.

No need to worry. We can all 'die' without doing anything special. So you don't have to try to overcome death. Nor is there any need to seek 'meaning' or 'value' in the end of a life that was just born by chance.

[yoga-onion]

The Quest for Buddhism (120)

Buddhist cosmology

Samatha-vippasana – Buddhist yoga

Samatha-vipassana is the main form of Buddhist meditation and yogic practice, yoga. In a broad sense, it is part of Zen.

Buddhist yoga practice is samatha-vippasana, in which samatha (stillness: Ref) and vippasana (insight: Ref2) take place simultaneously. The emphasis on observation as well as cessation is characteristic of Buddhist meditation methods. Cessation and contemplation are often compared to two wheels, which are inseparable. The diverse development of this technique of prayer and meditation, incorporating yogic contemplation (meditation), is a characteristic of Buddhism.

Buddhist yoga encompasses a variety of methods which aim to develop the 37 aids to awakening (Ref3). Its ultimate goal is bodhi (awakening) or nirvana (cessation), traditionally seen as the permanent end of suffering (dukkha) and rebirth. Buddhist texts use a number of terms for spiritual praxis in addition to yoga, such as bhavana ("development": Ref4) and jhana (dhyana: Ref5).

In early Buddhism, yoga practices included:

the rupa dhyanas (four meditations or mental absorptions: Ref6),

the four satipatthanas (foundations or establishments of mindfulness),

anapanasati (mindfulness of breath: Ref7),

the four immeasurable minds (supranormal states of mind),

the brahmaviharas (divine abodes: Ref8).

Anussati (contemplations, recollections)

*Note: the four satipatthanas are the most central and most important contemplation for attaining enlightenment since the time of the Buddha's early Buddhism, and the core contemplative practice of the main Buddhist meditation of samatha-vipassana.

These meditations were seen as supported by the other elements of the Noble Eightfold Path (Ref9), such as ethics, right exertion, sense restraint and right view. Two mental qualities are said to be indispensable for yoga practice in Buddhism: samatha (calm, stability) and vipassanā (insight, clear seeing). Samatha is a stable, relaxed mind, associated with samadhi (mental unification, focus) and dhyana (a state of meditative absorption). Vipassana is insight or penetrative understanding into the true nature of phenomena, also defined as "seeing things as they truly are" (yathābhūtaṃ darśanam). A unique feature of classical Buddhism is its understanding of all phenomena (dhamma) as being empty of a self (Pali: anatta Skt: anatman, literally "non-self").

仏教の探求 (120)

仏教の宇宙論

止観 〜 仏教ヨガ

止観 (しかん、梵: ｻﾏﾀ･ｳﾞｨﾊﾟｯｻﾅｰ) とは、仏教の瞑想の主なものであり、ヨガ行である。広い意味で禅の一部に組み込まれている。

仏教のヨガ行は、サマタ (止: 参照) とヴィパッサナー (観: 参照2) が同時に行われる止観である。サマタ (止) だけでなくヴィパッサナー (観) も重視するところに、仏教の瞑想法の特徴がある。止観は、しばしば2つの車輪に例えられ、不離の関係にある。ヨーガ観法 (瞑想法) を取り入れて、この祈りと瞑想の技術が多様に発展したことが、仏教の特徴であるといえる。

仏教のヨガは、悟りを開くための37の修行項目（参照3）を開発することを目的とした様々な方法が組み込まれている。その究極の目標は菩提 (覚醒) または涅槃 (止)で、伝統的には苦 (梵･巴: ﾄﾞｩｯｶ) と転生の永久的な終わりと見なされている。仏典では、ヨガ行に加えて、瞑想の発達 (ﾊﾞｰｳﾞｧﾅｰ: 参照4) や禅定 (ぜんじょう、梵: ﾃﾞｲﾔｰﾅ、巴: ｼﾞｬｰﾅ: 参照5) など、精神修養のための用語がいくつか使われている。

初期仏教では、ヨガの修行には以下のようなものがあった:

四禅 (しぜん、梵: ﾙｰﾊﾟﾃﾞｲﾔｰﾅ、四つの瞑想または精神的吸収: 参照6）

四念処 (しねんじょ、巴: ﾁｬｯﾀｰﾛｰ･ｻﾃｨﾊﾟｯﾀｰﾅｰ、マインドフルネスの基礎となるもの）

安那般那念 (あんなはんなねん、巴:ｱｰﾅｰﾊﾟｰﾅ･ｻﾃｨ、呼吸を意識すること: 参照7）

四無量心 (しむりょうしん、巴: ｱｯﾊﾟﾏﾅｰ、心の超常的な状態: 参照8）

四梵住 (しぼんじゅう、梵･巴:ﾌﾞﾗﾌﾏｰｳﾞｨﾊｰﾗ、神聖な住まい）

アヌサティ（観想、想起）

＊注）四念処 (しねんじょ、巴: ﾁｬｯﾀｰﾛｰ･ｻﾃｨﾊﾟｯﾀｰﾅｰ)とは、釈迦の初期仏教の時代から、悟りを得るための最も中心的で最も重要な観想であり、仏教の主要な瞑想である止観の中核をなす観想法である。

これらの瞑想は、倫理、正しい努力、感覚の抑制、正しい見方など、八正道（参照9）の他の要素によって支えられていると考えられていた。仏教では、ヨガの練習に欠かせない2つの精神的資質があると言われている。それがサマタ (静寂、安定) とヴィパッサナー (洞察、明察) である。サマタ (止) とは、安定したリラックスした心のことで、サマディ (三昧: 精神統一、集中) やディヤーナ (禅定: 瞑想的吸収の状態) に関連している。ヴィパッサナー(観) は現象の本質に対する洞察や浸透的な理解であり、「物事を本当にあるがままに見る」とも定義されている。古典仏教の特徴は、すべての現象（ダンマ）を無我 (むが、巴: ｱﾅｯﾀｰ、梵: ｱﾅｰﾄﾏﾝ) のものと理解することである。

[leroibobo]

cao'an (thatched hermitage) and its manichaean remnants in jinjiang, fujian, china. though cao'an is on its surface not too different from other buddist temples, it was also manichaean, and may still be manichaean in secret. it's also one of the last standing historical manichaean places of worship in the world. this place has quite the history, so i placed it under a read more:

manichaeism is a former world religion of babylonian origin, reaching as far west as the roman empire and as far east as han china at its greatest extent. it combines elements of several other prominent religions and philosophies - the most notable factor of this is that it reveres founder mani as the final prophet in a line consisting of zoroaster, the gautama buddha, and jesus christ. it went mostly extinct due to persecution of followers throughout its multi-continent laity. manichaean places of worship were either entirely destroyed or appropriated in other parts of the world. it lasted much longer in china (until ming dynasty times) and still exists in some parts of fujian and zhejiang. these believers prefer to remain private about their current practice. what outsiders know about the religion is solely through historical records; because of its comparative longevity in china, many of those records come from there.

manichaeans tended to draw more from the religious/philosophical influences on manichaeism that were most familiar to them. (for example, while manichaeism in jerusalem may have looked more abrahamic, manichaeism in istakhr may have looked more zoroastrian.) in china, manichaeism assimilated to both buddhism and taoism; in the former case, much of it was adapted to be stylistically buddhist, and mani received the title of "buddha of light" and a life story resembling the gautama buddha's.

cao'an was constructed during the song dynasty era (specifically in the 960s), when persecution against manichaeans had been ongoing from emperor wuzong of tang's suppression of all foreign religions. (the same policies had affected zoroastrians, eastern syriac christians, and buddhists, but continued for manichaeans after.) at this time, many manichaean temples had buddhist or taoist affiliations, or disguised themselves as buddhist or taoist only. it became officially buddhist after manichaeism was banned in 1368. since abandoned, it was revived for explicit buddhist usage for a short period in the early 20th century. it's preserved as a cultural monument today.

cao'an has managed to preserve remnants of its manichaean affiliations. one is that, instead of a nianfo phrase usually seen in chinese buddhist temples, an inscription on a nearby stone dating to the 15th century reminded worshippers of "purity, light, power, and wisdom". this mantra is an adaption of manichaean cosmology in chinese manichaeism. the original stone was destroyed during the cultural revolution but the phrase was re-inscribed on another after. another is a statue that seems to portray the buddha, but is thought to actually portray mani. unlike other portrayals of the buddha, this one has long, straight hair which is worn down, different facial features and hand/head postures, and, at one point, facial hair. (this was filed off in the early 20th century by a buddhist monk to make him look more like the buddha.) it's also consistent with other portrayals of mani in chinese manichaean art.

[loyaltykask]

Chapter 24

@journeythroughjourneytothewest

WUKONG YOU ABSOLUTE ASSHOLE XD HE SO MEAN I LOVE IT

Wukong: You had a wild night didn't you Bajie: This is kosher being tied up!!

Even Wujing has to tease him there is no mercy for the middle child vibes

Precious

I like how they ask Wukong when they might be going there and they listen to him seriously. Like they know he is the strongest there and that he has been all around the world. Poor Sanzang being human has no idea when he could make it, whether in this lifetime or the next. But Wukong putting that tidbit of determination and will is actaully really sweet that he thinks Sanzang has a chance.

Haha Equal is Earth

Creepy fruit, however living to 47,000 is also kinda dope. Like that a fuck ton of years

These guys are just around Wukong's age. 1,212, and 1,200

These shits are like "But we Daoists and they Buddist why would we welcome them?" their teacher has to be like "Cause he a nice guy assholes now shut up and do it"

This guy is pretty generous but also what an ass. Oh sure, Sanzang gets 2 Fruits that like 94,000 years of life for his past life, TEN LIFETIMES AGO. And Wukong, Bajie, and Wujing getting nothing for being 'rowdy'

Even Wukong says this guy is full of himself which is saying SOMETHING from him.

Wukong has to pull a Sanzang life all over again and make sure no one eats his baby. These Fucking brats really are just as bad as they are in the Movies Not a single ounce of respect for Earth Even Wukong is behaving better than them

Wukong calls them FLIMFLAM

TARADIDDLE! BULL SHANK! THIS IS AN OLD MAN!

Also love that Sanzang is trying to change the subject else these two brats rile Wukong even more. Like Sanzang becoming a master of trying to dodge topics

I like how Sanzang is more worried that these brats are going to start some shit to rile Wukong up rather than Wukong actaully being riled up. Like he knows he talked to some brats but he can't change that XD just like customer server. I love that Sanzang just straight-up makes plans to fucking leave. Like "we can rest here but yeah lets gtfo" And now these boys are like "no please come in we were told to serve only you"

Bunch of two-faced assholes

Probs not even then, they represent hard Confucianism where Daoism and Buddhism are not meant to interact with one another and not even respect one another. Wukong is a legit representation of fighting that stereotype by being a symbol of both and achieving true immortality for it. Honestly, Sanzang refusing to believe those aren't real ass babies makes me wonder how fucking close to babies these fruits actaully looked liked. Like Sanzang the most gullible and naive of them all refuse to believe those are actaully ass babies XD That says something

I mean if I was eating something that looked too human I would also probs pass on it

This is honestly my favorite arc cause it is just such a 'boys will be boys' like the idea was Bajie's but he shared it with Wukong who was 100% on board, he didn't need an ounce of convincing, he just said "fuck yea, fuck those brats lets get that fruit, I'll do it myself" and then they just get Wujing his own too cause he just that good of a homie Like..... sometimes it's the stupid stuff you do together that makes it all the more memorable. Crimes committed together are enjoyed together.

WUJING WAS SO EXCITED HE WANTED TO TRY. WUKONG REALLY IS THE BEST BIG BRO HE GOT HIS HOMIE COVERED

I have to admit calling someone a baldhead is be fighting words indeed

Sanzang like: Hey even if they did commit the crime let's watch the fucking language

it's like breaking someone's sports car and being like "well we can at least say sorry, that should be enough" LIKE IF THAT IT SANZANG'S PHILOSOPHY NO WONDER HE LETS PEOPLE GET AWAY WITH SO MUCH SHIT DAMN And he still like: hmmm, doesn't sound like my boys

HE TRUSTS HIS BOYS He also got to love the homies for agreeing that snitches get stitches and that they should all lie together damnit

True brotherhood

[the-monkey-ruler]

There’s apparently a saying that JTTW would not have been written by a religious person and kind of surprised since I thought it was pro-Buddhism

It’s more that it would not have been written by a monk or abbot when they say that as while Xiyouji is very much taking elements of Buddism, it has a lot of other elements beyond Buddism as well. It has Taoist gods living with Buddist deities combining both Chinese folklore and even Indian-inspired legends. It is a fascinating combination of cultures, religions, and philosophies. And so it isn’t too extreme to think that more of a third party would be able to take from this, combining these elements with a bias that Buddism is the end-all goal while still staying respectful to Taoism and Taoist deities. There were some tensions between the two in some locations, something that is seen in Xiyouji as well as there were a lot at least 2 arcs where Buddhist monks were being enslaved or persecuted in some way.

But there are also Buddhist abbots in the books that are greedy, there are arhats that take bribes. There are some people that think that Buddha is actually shown in a bad light being the antagonist in the book when facing Wukong. Despite being the one to protect heaven and being seen as the only one that can truly control Wukong/the Mind Monkey. I’m personally not a fan of that interpretation but rather think they give a lot to Western heaven. Again I can’t speak for everyone on how they feel but I truly think that

Wu Cheng’en does paint that cultivation through Buddist can show self-improvement of the spirit but he also says that about Taoism. He sells more an idea of continual self-improvement never trying to paint that the heavens or the earth are perfect, which is the ending of the book that he was trying to sell as well.

[zykamiliah]

I know George Lucas took inspiration from a variety of sources when making Star Wars. I don’t remember which ones they were, but wuxia might’ve been one of them (or something similar). The similarities were probably done knowingly.

I haven't taken the time to find sources discussing that aspect, i'll do at some point probably, but yeah it's pretty obvious and intentional. their whole philosophy has a lot in common with buddist philosophy.

there's also their robes lol

[lovelightandbonemagic]

How are you an anti-theistic Buddist?/gen

Not everyone sees it as a religion because the philosophy of it is so helpful to many mindsets. You can change your entire world view by dipping into Buddhism and not getting into the spiritual aspect or not truly buying into ascension etc. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is actually based on the teachings of Buddhism.

[mahayanapilgrim]

Ratnakarashanti

Ratnakarashanti

Ratnakarashanti,

from Buddha's Lions

Ratnakarashanti (Skt. Ratnākaraśānti; Tib. རིན་ཆེན་འབྱུང་གནས་ཞི་བ་, rinchen jungné shyiwa, Wyl. rin chen 'byung gnas zhi ba, or Skt. Śāntipa; Tib. ཤན་ཏི་པ་, shan+ti pa) (roughly 970 - possibly after 1045 was a famous Indian scholar who held the positions of gatekeeper of the Eastern direction and abbot at the great monastic university of Vikramashila at the beginning of the 11th century. He was renowned as the 'Omniscient One of the Degenerate Age' (Skt. kali-kāla-sarvajña). Under the name of Shantipa, he was also one of the eighty-four mahasiddhas, the great realized masters of the Vajrayana teachings.

He was a prolific writer and about forty of his works have been preserved in the Tibetan Tengyur. He wrote extensively both on sutra and tantra, which he interpreted consistently according to a particular Nirakara Yogachara doctrine. Because of this, despite his tremendous importance and influence in India and Tibet, he has been vilified by sectarian Tibetan Madhyamikas, which subsequently diminished his influence in Tibet. He wrote several works on the Prajnaparamita and Hevajra Tantra, and a commentary on the Guhyasamaja Tantra. He wrote two texts which contain in their title Madhyamakalamkara, where he argues against Chandrakirti and Shantarakshita.

Taranatha mentions he studied with Naropa. He was a contemporary and a teacher of Atisha and Abhayakaragupta. Other students include Maitripa, Shraddakaravarman (Skt. Śraddhākaravarman) and Drokmi Lotsawa.

There is a famous story that when Ratnakarashanti passed away, Atisha, who was in Tibet at the time, knew that and was grief stricken, saying that now no one in India was able to distinguish anymore between the Buddhist and the non-Buddist

Ratnakarashanti, also known as Shantipa, was a remarkable Indian scholar and master who lived during the 11th century. His contributions to Buddhist philosophy and Vajrayana teachings were profound, and his unique interpretations of key Buddhist texts left a lasting impact on the tradition. While I can't provide direct quotes from him due to the limitations of my training data, I can offer an overview of his teachings and contributions based on historical records.

**Teachings and Contributions:**

**1.** **Interpretation of Nirakara Yogachara Doctrine:** Ratnakarashanti's teachings were heavily influenced by a particular Nirakara Yogachara doctrine. This interpretation provided a unique lens through which he approached both sutra and tantra teachings. He consistently applied this philosophical framework to his writings and discussions.

**2.** **Commentaries on Key Texts:** He wrote extensively on several significant Buddhist texts, including the Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) and the Hevajra Tantra. His commentaries and explanations helped elucidate the profound concepts and practices found within these texts, making them more accessible to students and practitioners.

**3.** **Guhyasamaja Tantra Commentary:** Ratnakarashanti authored a commentary on the Guhyasamaja Tantra, a pivotal text in Vajrayana Buddhism. His insights and explanations in this commentary contributed to a deeper understanding of the intricate practices and principles within the tantra.

**4.** **Engagement in Philosophical Debates:** He wrote two texts with "Madhyamakalamkara" in their titles, in which he engaged in debates against prominent scholars like Chandrakirti and Shantarakshita. These debates centered on Madhyamaka philosophy, showcasing Ratnakarashanti's intellectual rigor and philosophical prowess.

**5.** **Legacy as a Teacher:** Ratnakarashanti's influence extended to his students, who went on to become significant figures in the transmission of Buddhist teachings. Notable among his students were Atisha and Abhayakaragupta, both of whom played pivotal roles in spreading Buddhism, particularly in Tibet.

**6.** **Recognition as a Mahasiddha:** Ratnakarashanti was also recognized as one of the eighty-four mahasiddhas, the great realized masters of Vajrayana teachings. This designation underlines his spiritual attainments and mastery of esoteric practices.

**7.** **Influence and Controversy:** Despite his tremendous importance and influence in both India and Tibet, Ratnakarashanti faced opposition and criticism from Tibetan Madhyamikas due to his distinct interpretations of Buddhist philosophy. This led to a decline in his influence in Tibet, although his teachings continued to be valued by some.

**8.** **Story of Atisha's Grief:** A famous story surrounding Ratnakarashanti's passing is worth mentioning. Atisha, who was in Tibet at the time, was deeply grieved upon hearing the news. Atisha's sorrow stemmed from the belief that with Ratnakarashanti's passing, there was no one left in India capable of distinguishing between Buddhist and non-Buddhist philosophies. This anecdote highlights the esteem in which Ratnakarashanti was held for his expertise in Buddhist philosophy.

In conclusion, Ratnakarashanti, also known as Shantipa, was a significant figure in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism during the 11th century. His teachings, extensive writings, and unique interpretations of Buddhist philosophy enriched the tradition and continue to be studied and appreciated by those seeking a deeper understanding of Buddhist thought and practice.

[esstrauss]

Poem: “JewBu”

My Tribe

My heritage

My religion

My people

The lessons I have learned from them since day one

The warm love and nagging they give me

Falling in love with my Hebrew name

Esther Sara

Esther, Queen of Persia

A Beauty queen as well

And Sara, Mother of Isaac

Good looks and a nourishing and patient spirit

I believe they got it right

Visiting the promise land in my early twenties

Standing at the Western Wall

Touching the stone

Felt like mine

As it is mine

My Tribes

Putting my message and family’ messages for Adonai to receive

Along with my heart & tears

Never turning my back to them

A proud Israelite I will always be

Though I may be monogamous in my sex life

My spiritual life I am not

Judaism may have chosen me, but I chose Buddhism

Once I felt comfortable with rainbow that has been shining over me since day one I found another philosophy

Checking off all the boxes like my chosen religion

Finding the Four Noble Truths

Overcome suffering: Duḥkha

Samudaya: Origin

Nirodha: Release

Marga: and the path

Both keeping me balanced at each end of my rainbow

JewBu

[druponlamadorje]

. . “Irrespective of whether we are believers or agnostics, whether we believe in God or karma, everyone can pursue moral ethics.” The 14th Dalai Lama @dalailama #Dalailama#lamadorje#dharma#buddist#philosophy # (en Lagos, Portugal) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVNYz4XDw1R/?utm_medium=tumblr

[boyjumps]

Do not expect an immediate answer

-When you write down your problems for others to understand, you will be able to find a clue on how to solve your problem.

Make the subject & the predicate clear, so that you can get a good idea of what is really bothering you, and where you stand.

[yoga-onion]

We often say that we are now living in a world, where life is hard. But is there any period, in mankind’s history, where life has been easy?

Jikisai Minami, the Zen Monk

Jikisai Minami is a Japanese Zen monk of Soto-shu, trained in Eihei-ji temple in Fukui, Japan. He is now the master monk of Bodai-ji temple in Mt.Osore, Aomori, Japan.

-マイノート・グルの言葉 –

現在は生きにくい時代 と言われるけれど、 人間が生きづらくなかった時代など あっただろうか。

-南直哉は日本の曹洞宗の禅僧。永平寺入山し修行、現在は福井県霊泉寺住職、青森県恐山菩提寺院代。

[buddhablog86-blog]

[abla-soso]

It's so fucking funny when western, secular Jedi apologists preach to ME - an Arab, devout Muslim - about the ~profound spiritual wisdom~ of the Jedi code.

As if George Lucas was a deep thinker or a great spiritual seeker when he came up with this ignorant bastardization of Buddist philosophy.

Please listen and listen carefully... I'm an Arab, devout Muslim. Everything about my religion, spirituality, culture, and worldview IS about "letting go of attachments to this temporary world and accepting death and suffering as a natural part of life".

I recently had a very sudden and painful miscarriage (after 5 years of desperately trying to have a baby). How do you think I managed to very quickly get over this tremendous loss?

Because I actually believe and live by the "non-attachment" philosophy (in its correct, real-life definition and application). And it's precisely BECAUSE I believe and live by it in my own life that I reject the Jedi code for being shallow, rigid, dumb, wrong, and harmful.

Every single religion and culture that believes in and practiced this healthy non-attachment worldview will recoil in horror and disgust at the Jedi code. Because while we advocate against being possessive and clingy to anything in this temporary world (relationships, material goods, etc), we also advocate for and celebrate healthy attachments (strong and intense bonds of friendships and familial ties). While we advocate for mindfulness and emotional discipline; we do NOT look down on intense emotions or bonds or find them dangerous or weak.

There is a healthy, profound balance in how we believe in and live by the 'non-attachment' rule. A balance that allows us to be unapologetically human while also striving for spiritual enlightenment. A balance that I find severely lacking in the shallow and rigid Jedi code (because dear old George Lucas was a white, privileged, secular, western dude who was very ignorant about a lot of things and it's time to accept this fact and engage with the Jedi code critically instead of swallowing everything about it and kissing Goerge's ass).

[the-monkey-ruler]

I know and you know that JTTW is fully a Chinese story, but why isn't characters like Princess Iron Fan and Golden Cicada are almost never depicted as Indian?Like a good chunk of the book takes place in India

Let me start off by saying that I do think a 'good chuck' is in India as while that is the destination I think only the last trail being the Jade Rabbit Arc and MAYBE the Kings of Protection Arc as in the outskirts of India as they get closer to the Thunder Clap Monastery. I could be wrong and maybe they are in the outskirts of India much easier but that is when I recall signs that the journey is coming to an end. I think it is vague on purpose to each adventure be seamless without a real staged location.

Also I think you answered your own question in that this is a Chinese story. Hence why people would assume most if not all these characters with Chinese lore and backgrounds as these are legends surrounding a tale of a monk trying to get to India.

If you are asking why modern interpretations don't have more Indian influence that could be because out of the 600+ media works I have only two have had Indian film crews take part in their making.

2016 Xuan Zang 大唐玄奘 and 2017 Buddies in India 大闹天竺.

One being more of a documentary and the other being a reimagining with a modern take on the story. That being said there isn't a lot of collaboration of Indian film crews but that could be an interesting take for future adaptions.

But as to the specific characters you were talking about then you should also consider that these are also connected to Buddist lore and aren't just subjected to a single region as Buddism is very ingrained within the novel before they get to India. Princess Iron Fan is described as a Rakshasa within the novel but she has other legends around her about being a Toaist Goddess as and coming to earth after having a disagreement with the Queen Mother. Similar to why Red Boy is connected to becoming Shancai despite them having different backstories as well. It isn't meant to be an exact one-to-one with other legends of these characters but rather crafted better to fit the narrative of the story. It not trying to take away from their legends but rather have the character more connected to the overarching themes within the story as well.

Buddism lore isn't just grounded in a single region as Xiyouji is heavily influenced by its allegories and philosophy and the pilgrims meet monks in different kingdoms all throughout their jounrey. Western Heaven is presented as a separate force from Eastern Heaven but they are both to be respected in the same light. This could explain why to Golden Cicada never gets a background before he become a disciple either so there really be a for or against reason to say he is only from a single region. China still has Buddhist scriptures they are just incomplete and a message in Xiyouji is that anyone can be a Buddha (even a monkey) so it wouldn't be too out there that the Golden Cicada could only be from one region when there are other regions that he could have came from. From there he was reincarnated into Tang Saznag and usually in move tv/movie adaptions it is a common trope to use the same actor in reincarnations. There isn't a lot of depictions of the Golden Cicada but what little there is the actor usually goes on to be Tang Sanzang hence that would influence the casting choice. Like they don’t want to hire another actors to play a past life to better transition to show it’s the same person in the next life?

But also I’m not a director so that just an idea.

Source: https://www.duhoctrungquoc.vn/wiki/en/Princess_Iron_Fan