Zhu Bajie (Pigsy)

Heavenly Origins

In the distant celestial realm, there was a deity known as Marshal Tianpeng. Despite his high rank and authority, a moment of drunken indiscretion led him to offend Chang’e, the Moon Goddess of the Guanghan Palace. Enraged by this transgression, the Jade Emperor banished him to the mortal world, setting the stage for his earthly tribulations.

Reincarnation as a Pig

Marshal Tianpeng intended to possess a human body for his reincarnation, hoping to retain his memories. However, fate had other plans, and he mistakenly entered the womb of a sow. While he kept his past life’s memories, he emerged with the appearance of a pig. Furious at this unexpected turn of events, he slew his pig mother and siblings upon birth. From that point on, he became a fearsome Pig Demon, dwelling in the mountains and preying on humans.

Later, he encountered Lady Egg, the mistress of Yunzhan Cave on Fuling Mountain. Impressed by his martial prowess, she took him as her husband. Sadly, their union was short-lived, as Lady Egg passed away within a year. The Pig Demon inherited her cave and continued his bandit lifestyle. Despite his memories of his previous life, guilt gnawed at him, and he longed for redemption.

Encounter with Guanyin Bodhisattva

One day, the Pig Demon spotted a white-clad immortal flying across the sky. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Guanyin Bodhisattva. He blocked her path and recounted his tale, pleading for her assistance.

Guanyin inquired, “If you were banished for violating heavenly laws, why do you continue to commit evil deeds?”

The Pig Demon replied, “All mountain demons live this way. If I don’t kill and eat, I’ll starve.”

Guanyin compassionately responded, “If you truly wish to do good, Heaven will provide. The mortal world has grains to satisfy your hunger. Why must you consume human flesh?”

Awakened by her words, the Pig Demon bowed, but still worried his sins were too great to atone for. Guanyin then told him of a pilgrim soon to embark on a journey to fetch scriptures from the West. She asked if he would be willing to become the pilgrim’s disciple and accompany him to redeem himself. Overjoyed, the Pig Demon agreed. Guanyin bestowed upon him the Buddhist name “Zhu Wuneng” and instructed him to abstain from meat and pungent vegetables, and to await the pilgrim in the mountains.

The Gao Village Incident

While waiting, Zhu Wuneng transformed into human form, calling himself Zhu Ganglie, and became a son-in-law in Gao Village. He worked diligently, performing the labor of dozens. However, his appetite was enormous, requiring hundreds of buns per meal to satisfy his hunger.

When Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong passed through Gao Village, they heard tales of a troublesome demon. After investigation, Sun Wukong remarked, “If he does the work of many, what’s wrong with him eating more?”

The villagers explained that it wasn’t just his appetite. Zhu Ganglie’s appearance had gradually changed – his ears grew larger, his nose elongated, and bristles appeared on his neck, until he finally transformed into a pig. It turned out that after achieving his goal, Zhu Ganglie no longer concealed his true form. The Gao family, initially terrified, sought help to expel the demon. Angered by this, Zhu Ganglie locked the third daughter in the backyard and only moved about at night.

Conversion to Buddhism and the Journey West

Sun Wukong, disguised as the third daughter, successfully subdued Zhu Ganglie. Upon learning that he was a guardian appointed by Guanyin for the scripture-fetching journey, Sun Wukong brought him before Tang Sanzang. After hearing his story, Tang Sanzang accepted him as his second disciple.

When introducing himself, Zhu Wuneng mentioned his vow to abstain from meat and pungent vegetables. Tang Sanzang then gave him a new name, “Zhu Bajie”:

Zhu: referring to his pig form

Ba: meaning “eight,” representing the five meats and three pungent vegetables he vowed to abstain from

Jie: meaning “to abstain”

Thus began Zhu Bajie’s journey of redemption as part of the pilgrimage to the West, marking the start of his path to enlightenment…