Session 47: Monkey and Pigsy Lost Their Master at Yellow Wind Ridge

What happens to a team when its leader suddenly disappears? Today we watch two very different teammates — Monkey and Pigsy — respond, improvise and cooperate under pressure. This episode is a great lesson in emergent leadership, complementary strengths, and the discipline needed to keep a group working toward a single purpose.

Session Focus:

We’ll study how Wukong and Wuneng (Pigsy) handle a real crisis when Sanzang is taken by the Yellow Wind monster. Together we’ll look for practical lessons about teamwork, role flexibility, emotional regulation, and how teams can act effectively when formal leadership is absent.

Key Questions for contemplation:

The monster then abandoned its real body, turned into a hurricane, and went straight back to the path, where it noticed Sanzang reciting the Heart Sutra. Sanzang was grabbed by the monster and carried away on the wind.

Q1: When the Rook’s Nest Hermit taught the Heart Sutra it was said reciting it guards against evil influences. Yet Sanzang is seized while reciting. Why is it so?

"Disciples," Sanzang called out, "I don't know on what mountain you are catching monsters, or where you're subduing evil spirits, but I've met with disaster and been captured by a demon. Alas, when will I ever see you again? If you come soon, you can save my life, but if you are too long about it I will be finished." His tears poured down like rain as he moaned and sighed.

Q2: What does Sanzang’s reaction reveal about vulnerability in leadership?

How might a leader’s visible fear affect a team in crisis — positively and negatively?

Monkey and Pig rushed back to find that Sanzang had disappeared. "Whatever shall we do?" cried Monkey in a voice as loud as thunder. "It's caught our master."

Pig led the horse over and said through his tears, "Heaven help us. Wherever shall we look for him?"

"Don't cry," said Monkey, raising his head, "don't cry. If you cry you'll dampen our spirits. I'm convinced he must be somewhere on this mountain. We must start searching for him."

The two of them hurried deep into the mountain, going through passes and crossing ridges, and after they had been going for a long time they saw a cave palace at the foot of a rock−face.

Q3: What does their behaviour tell us about resilience and the transition from emotion to action?

Discuss the line “If you cry you will dampen our spirits.”

What does it reveal about morale and practical leadership in urgent situations?

Monkey chased him as far as the hollow where the wind was stored, where Pig could be seen pasturing the horse. As soon as Pig heard the shouting he turned to look, and when he saw Monkey pursuing the defeated tiger monster he let go of the horse, raised his rake, and struck the tiger diagonally across the head. The poor monster, who thought he had made his way out of the silken net, never realized that he had been caught by a fish−trapper. Pig's rake made nine holes from which the blood gushed, and the brains all spurted out.

Q4: What complementary strengths and roles do they display?

How does their teamwork illustrate “divide and conquer” or mutual trust in action?

"He took our master into the cave and wanted to give him to his chieftain to eat with his rice. This made me so angry that I fought him all the way to here, where you finished him off. The credit for this must go to you, brother. You'd better go on looking after the horse and our things while I drag that monster's body over to the cave and challenge them to another fight. We must capture the chief monster if we're to rescue our master.”

"You're right," said Pig, "so off you go. If you beat that chief monster, mind you chase him this way for me to corner and kill." Splendid Monkey went straight to the mouth of the cave with his cudgel in one hand and the dead tiger in the other.

Q5: Monkey says, “The credit for this must go to you” after Pigsy’s strike. Why might Monkey do this?

What effect does giving credit have on team morale and future cooperation?

How might modern teams apply this practice?