Does the existence of characters such as J. Monk/DGKB make a mockery of the Greats?

[ChronoReverse]

Was it just TVB that said Huang Shang took care of the last surviving member of the clan that cause him so much pain? He could very well have just left her to fend for herself as his revenge, instead, he cared for her until the end of her life. I'd say Huang Shang was quite a bit more enlightened than Wang Chongyang.

Yeah HS did that... AFTER he created 9 Yin to annihilate them.

[banshee]

I somehow agree to Dennis statement. Firstly, this is just a book written by someone, mostly fiction. Second, SM had attained Arhathood by that time and every power he had comes from his enlightened mind. An Arhat's mind have no ego and attachments to the world and even kung fu matters. The mind is powerful enough to create miracles and perform supernatural feats. The "tap" is naturally from the power of the mind, not kung fu. He can kill anyone and restore life as he thinks its important to make the person realise his mistakes. SM can just die and be alive again easily or to be at 10 places at the same time. Therefore it is not important to him to do any other thing but to preach buddhism and makes these people understand. His mind could see that SYS and MRB is deeply attached to kung fu and a simple "tap" could make them realise the sufferings in the world and repent. All the reputation of being the most powerful and number 1 does not cross into his mind at all. Therefore his existence in the story is not to make a mockery of other greats.

[tape]

Who first posed this idea that he's an Arhat, or any supernatural entity for that matter?

I'm reading this all the time, and I don't see how so many different people come up with this idea and treat it as a fact. Isn't it much more natural to just go, "Woah, a nameless old martial arts master" rather than a living buddha/arhat etc?

[timeless]

Who first posed this idea that he's an Arhat, or any supernatural entity for that matter?

I'm reading this all the time, and I don't see how so many different people come up with this idea and treat it as a fact. Isn't it much more natural to just go, "Woah, a nameless old martial arts master" rather than a living buddha/arhat etc?

That's one of the underlying assumptions made by many of the Sm's fans due to this understandable association of his display of superior internal power with religion that was further impressed upon by the exaggerated portrayals as seen on tv. Personal religious belief becomes then translated into the interpretation helped by the fact that Sm was a goody two shoes. The worship would then in and by itself makes the character no.1 by religious conviction regardless of whatever that has been actually written.

[tape]

He is no nicer than someone like Kong Jian for example, and he did nothing that really defies wuxia physics. The fact that he got hurt shows his mortality, and really cements that he is not some sort of supernatural figure when it is a pretty farfetched idea to begin with. You might as well say Kong Jian is the Guanyin avatar, as he is so compassionate and merciful even in his death, and he moved like a ghost and clearly was immune to even the mighty Xie Xun's attacks until tricked -- quite similar to how Sweeper was almighty until distracted and Xiao Feng landed a strike.

[flamer]

I have confidence in saying that the vast majority of people who believe in SM's prowess do not believe he is a supernatural being.

[Banh Mi]

We are talking about DGSD and not journey to the west right?

[Ahoxan]

Chinese mythology make allowances for supernatural beings to be susceptible to injuries and even death.

The only belief system I know of that has an omnipotent & omniscient deity is the Judeo/Christian belief... and even then, the Christ was injured to death in the mortal realm.


So I don't think it matters or not whether SM is mortal or supernatural when we talk about his being hurt or injured. I rather doubt that he became a bhudha... or arhat... in Jin-Yong conception. Shaolin tales would have mentioned it later in LOCH, ROCH, HSDS, or any of the other books in the same Wuxia universe if Jin-Yong had any thoughts that way.