The Weight On Your Shoulders

    When three hundred years had passed since his birth and his reign on Flower Fruit Mountain, Sun Wukong began his search for immortality. He got it with master Bodhi, a Taoist monk. Then, he got it by erasing his name and all of his monkey's in the book of hell. Then, he got it by eating the peaches of immortality. Then, with the wine of immortality and, to finish it off, with the pills of immortality. He was an indestructible being at this point in his life. He had lived the lives of thousands of generations. He never had to worry about death surprising him before he woke up. That and his overwhelming power were what made him fearsome and extraordinary.    

    It wasn't until, in the middle of his journey, that he visited Guanyin in heaven for one reason or another. And she told him about his immortality. She told him, “I know of your exploits, Sun Wukong. I know of your quest for immortality, and I know how you thought you were more clever than the Buddha himself. But you didn't take something into account; no being in this earth is smarter than him. No one in this life has reached a level of enlightenment as high as his." At that moment, Wukong was afraid of what they were about to tell him. However, it couldn't be something so terrible... "You are five times immortal, Sun Wukong, the only indestructible being on this earth. You will live longer than anyone; human life will be gone before you go. However, as much as you want, you cannot go against the laws of Samsara. The cycle of life continues and you continue with it, even if you don't want to. Therefore, the process of Samsara will continue, and more stone monkeys will be born. That will be your punishment; to bring someone into this world who suffers the same fate as you."

    At the time, Wukong didn't think it was so terrible. He couldn't imagine how that could be a punishment. To tell the truth, he was excited; it would be like having a child. The monkey prince, the little sage equal to heaven. He could teach them so many things and make them his successor. Oh, someone as omnipotent as him would be amazing to see. Perhaps he could finally remove the Jade Emperor from his throne and lead him to his heavenly reign! With those fantasies in mind, he anticipated the arrival of said successor.

    When fifty years had passed, Wukong thought that Guanyin's words were lies. Lies to scare him, in a very strange way. There was no stone in any corner of flower fruit mountain that could be seen as an incubator for monkeys like him. So he thought everything was fine.

    Thirteen hundred years have passed since then.

    It was the year 2000 and with the new century Sun Wukong awoke with some news. A group of small monkeys surrounded something that perched on top of one of the rocks of the mountain. He had to remove them to see what it was, and what he saw almost took his breath away.    It was unmistakable. Almost perfectly round. It's obvious that this was a rock. That this was his rock.

    Guanyin was right. He would be reborn without even having died.

    After mentally cursing the Buddha, Guanyin, Nu Wa, and himself, Sun Wukong simply stared at the stone anxiously for a while.

    A few years ago this would have seemed most exciting to him; he thought having someone like him was an amazing idea. After having faced centuries of loneliness and deep pain. Of having the need to leave out many special people for him. Of he had faced desperate loneliness... Wukong didn't want something like this to happen to someone else.

    After so long he felt fear again. A genuine fear.

    He was willing to put his pride aside and surrender. He was willing to get his mortality back and feel every hit. To feel the tearing of his skin, the burning of the fire, his lungs filling with water several meters below the ocean. It didn't bother him to have to feel his head coming off his body, his flesh boiling, his organs tearing, the weight of a mountain crushing him and, of course, the years he had on him slowly killing him before bringing someone into this world who carry his sins on their little shoulders. Who has to live with the burden of being Sun Wukong's child. He just couldn't.

    He thought about his loneliness quite often. How he has lived for centuries on that mountain with, at least, the little monkeys to keep him company. But it wasn't the same as having someone to talk to. Someone to laugh with and to cry with. Someone to fill the silence with a laugh, with a voice, with a purr, a sigh or a babble. A child could do that.

    But it wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't be fair to have that child in his care just because he was lonely.

    He was pretty irresponsible and immature, too. Yes, he was the patriarch of generations of monkeys of flower fruit mountain, however, they had their families and he never had the need to take care of any of them. Not like it would be with this child. They didn't have to carry the weight and pain he had on his shoulders.

    Wukong had so much weight on his shoulders that he would unconsciously distribute it with the cub. And they didn't deserve that.

    That was his punishment, he realized. His punishment would be to bear that guilt. Leaving a wound that would not only accompany him, but the rest of the stone monkeys that come to this world. The Karma of what he had done in all the years of his life would not only come with him, but with the others he brought to this world. It would be like the dent in a bread pan that would leave a mark to all the creations made with it.

    Well then, he would show Guanyin and the Buddha that he wouldn't let this get to him. As he had already done millions of times.

    That was why the moment the rock broke and the little baby was born, he gave him a human appearance and took him in his arms, looking into his eyes. His hair was brown, his eyes big and curious and he was playing with his little hands...

    He was just a kid. A baby.

    Sun Wukong inhaled deeply and, with nervousness eating him he said:

    “Listen, bud, I'm going to take you somewhere." And as if the boy had responded with that look of his, he immediately defended himself. "I'm sure they'll feed you very well and give you lots of love! Believe me, you'll be much better there, just..." he Heaved a shaky sigh. His hands trembled; he could barely hold the baby. "Please don't hate me. I swear I'm doing it for you."

    And so he took him. A noodle restaurant in the city's downtown, which is adjacent to the mountain.

Date: January 26, 2023