4 ms·

Can you further substantiate your comment? I'm sure you have a lot more to say.

logfromblammo 7y ago
It probably has something to do with the Abrahamic religions' version of mind control known by various terms, including sin, guilt, souls, and forgiveness. You could at one time in history convince most Western workers to not steal from their employers by telling them that people who steal from and betray their social superiors will be judged by an all-seeing deity and then immolate forever after they die. In contrast, Eastern religion ranged from "be more empathetic" to "never question the authority of the government", and never quite introduced the concept of a vindictive, all-knowing, untrickable deity. Sun Wukong is a trickster who escapes death and taxes by erasing his name from the celestial census rolls. In one culture, you can never escape judgment for the wrongs you have done. In the other, you can get away with anything, if only you know how to work the system (such as by employing five different mechanisms for achieving immortality).
- stordoff 7y ago
  > employing five different mechanisms for achieving immortality Are you referring to Hinduism with this line, or is it some other reference? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortality#Hinduism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortality#Hinduism
  - logfromblammo 7y ago
    Sun Wukong is five-times-immortal, because apparently each different method of achieving immortality has a loophole through which the immortal may still be killed. The loophole for one may be blocked by another. And if you're already immortal one way, you have time to do all the others, too. This is why the divine court had to imprison him forever by pinning him down with a mountain heavier than he could lift. Execution wouldn't work. There are quite a few books, movies, miniseries, and television shows covering this. The Monkey King is a cultural staple in China. Son Goku of Dragon Ball is also based on him. Loosely.

It probably has something to do with the Abrahamic religions' version of mind control known by various terms, including sin, guilt, souls, and forgiveness. You could at one time in history convince most Western workers to not steal from their employers by telling them that people who steal from and betray their social superiors will be judged by an all-seeing deity and then immolate forever after they die. In contrast, Eastern religion ranged from "be more empathetic" to "never question the authority of the government", and never quite introduced the concept of a vindictive, all-knowing, untrickable deity. Sun Wukong is a trickster who escapes death and taxes by erasing his name from the celestial census rolls. In one culture, you can never escape judgment for the wrongs you have done. In the other, you can get away with anything, if only you know how to work the system (such as by employing five different mechanisms for achieving immortality).

stordoff 7y ago
> employing five different mechanisms for achieving immortality Are you referring to Hinduism with this line, or is it some other reference? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortality#Hinduism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortality#Hinduism
- logfromblammo 7y ago
  Sun Wukong is five-times-immortal, because apparently each different method of achieving immortality has a loophole through which the immortal may still be killed. The loophole for one may be blocked by another. And if you're already immortal one way, you have time to do all the others, too. This is why the divine court had to imprison him forever by pinning him down with a mountain heavier than he could lift. Execution wouldn't work. There are quite a few books, movies, miniseries, and television shows covering this. The Monkey King is a cultural staple in China. Son Goku of Dragon Ball is also based on him. Loosely.