Sha Monk may have the lowest presence among the Journey to the West pilgrimage team, and his appearance rate may not be as high as that of Bai Longma, but he has more lines than Bai Longma Sha Monk’s previous identity was the Grand General of Rolling Shutters, who was the personal bodyguard of the Jade Emperor. Later, after making a mistake, he was demoted and eventually became a monster in the Liusha River. In fact, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Monk will be the chosen ones. They all have one thing in common, which is that they have made mistakes. However, the Jade Emperor gave them a chance to start over. As long as they help Tang Monk complete the task of retrieving the scriptures, the previous events will be completely erased. But in the end, only Tang Monk and Sun Wukong were able to become Buddha. Why didn’t Sha Monk become Buddha? After all, on the journey of obtaining Buddhist scriptures, one must consider one’s achievements. Compared to Sun Wukong, Sha Monk and Zhu Bajie are still inferior in all aspects. However, Sha Monk’s role in the team is still very important and cannot be easily replaced.
Actually, those of us who have watched Journey to the West know that the biggest use of Sha Monk in the team is to carry luggage. I don’t know if it’s to highlight Sun Wukong’s strength. After Zhu Bajie and Sha Monk agreed to obtain the scriptures, their strength plummeted and they may be stronger than ordinary people. When encountering monsters, as long as Monkey Brother is not around, they are basically unable to protect their master. Zhu Bajie belongs to the type of person with relatively heavy negative energy. Every time his master is captured, Zhu Bajie suggests that everyone disband and go back to their respective homes to find their mothers. Generally speaking, this type of person is the least liked in the team.
So at this moment, Monk Sha’s second role comes into play, he can bring the entire team together again and eliminate Zhu Bajie’s thoughts and emotions that are not conducive to the team. So people like Sha Monk, who are usually unknown but can stabilize the morale of the army in critical moments, are the soul of a team. It’s like saying that Monkey Brother became the commander of the team without Sha Monk. If Sha Monk had a personality similar to Zhu Bajie, not to mention whether he could still obtain the Western Classic, the team might have disbanded seven or eight times long ago. The ability to mediate and reconcile within a team is what is most needed.
The key is that Sha Monk is also hardworking and persevering, and there was not a single word of complaint on the entire journey of obtaining Buddhist scriptures. Isn’t this exactly the employee that bosses like the most. So, Sha Monk is the most reassuring disciple for Tang Monk, and this is also very important. Although Sha Monk’s presence is low, he has gained a sense of peace of mind, which is still very worthwhile. Moreover, Sha Monk has a good temper and won’t argue with Sun Wukong or Zhu Bajie. The key is that he also knows how to care about people. This kind of warm-hearted image is simply a spokesperson for contemporary good men. If we shave the beard of Sha Monk, his appearance might be really good.
So the position of Sha Monk cannot be replaced. Unfortunately, the Buddha did not recognize the true purpose of Sha Monk and ultimately did not give him a Buddha position. In fact, Sha Monk’s life may not be as easy as Sun Wukong’s, let alone Zhu Bajie. So this also tells us that sometimes we need someone to know what contributions we have made. It’s good to contribute silently, but we should still strive for the achievements we can strive for.
