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The cultivation of detachment.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
The cultivation of detachment. Voltaire's "CANDIDE" and Wu Ch'eng-En's "MONKEY." "Monkey" as a representative of the Buddhist understanding of detachment. Three different quests of "Monkey:" to find enlightenment, knowledge and power. "Candide" as a depiction of rational detachment of Enlightenment Europeans. Voltaire's concept of evil and religion.

Paper Introduction:
The Pursuit of a Suitable Detachment Quest literature such as Voltaire’s Candide and Wu Ch’eng-En’s Monkey often provides insight into cultural, philosophical, and religious interpretations of government, nature, man, and religion itself. In the two works referenced above, a major goal of the questing protagonists is ultimately the cultivation of detachment from the external world and its difficulties. Though Monkey represents the Buddhist understanding of detachment, Candide more clearly depicts the rational detachment of Enlightenment Europeans who find in their world far too many sources of confusion and trauma. Monkey depicts a quest undertaken by Tripitaka, Monkey, Pigsy, and the dragon known as Sandy. Tripitaka is the frail human protagonist of this quest who ultimately exemplifies the Buddhist ideal

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516-58 . At the same time, they are also looking fora means of achieving some kind of detachment from the "best of all possibleworlds" (Voltaire, p. 16). For Voltaire, in contrast, religion only serves to emphasize thetraumas and tragedies of the world and to impose additional burdens on man. Though the stated goal of the quest in thisstory is to obtain sacred scriptures from India (Ch'eng-En, p. Though Pangloss and Candide wouldhave us believe that their true interest, in reality, what they havelearned or needed to learn was that man should "hold your tongue" or simplelearn "to cultivate our garden" (Voltaire, pp. Norton & Co., pp. Tripitaka undertakes his quest in the interest ofdetermining Buddhist enlightenment whereas Monkey and Pigsy are fullycreatures of desire hungry in the first case for knowledge and in thesecond for power. 58 ) quest, the "three great evils" are "boredom, vice,and poverty." In Ch'eng-En's quest, the greatest evil is an excessiveinvolvement in the world and an inability to detach oneself from thisinvolvement. New York: W.W. concerning effects and causes, the best of allpossible worlds, the origin of evil, the nature of the soul, and pre-established harmony" (Voltaire, p. The solution to the problem of the questis not to "reason... 577)? Voltaire's Candide is set in the era of the Inquisition in which abenevolent religion has become a source of brutality and of confinement inthe world. Whereas religion in Monkey may work at times to distract menfrom their search for detachment, it is only through immersion in the eight-fold way or path of the Buddha that man truly finds detachment and therebycontentment. Monkey depicts a quest undertaken by Tripitaka, Monkey, Pigsy, andthe dragon known as Sandy. This illustratesVoltaire's theme, in which religion and government combine to lead to thecorruption of the world. When man, both as an individual and as a ruler, acts in this mannerHeaven intervenes and sees to it that prosperity returns to the land. In the character of Dr. Pangloss, Voltaire(p. 518-519). Candide. Candide, the hero of the quest, undertakes his wanderings throughwhat can only be understood as an accident. 8-71.Voltaire. 51), theunderpinning goal is to achieve some form of personal enlightenment thatleads ultimately to detachment and to union with Buddha. Set against religion and government is nature,which is wild and untamed and totally disrespectful of reason. New York: W.W. 579-58 ). 579). His encounter with theInquisition is paralleled by that of Cunegonde, who is shared by a priestof the Inquisition and a Jew (Voltaire, p. They are seeking a form of enlightenment that will make itpossible to understand the vicissitudes of fortune that negatively impactupon ordinary men and women. In The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 577). Tripitaka becomes immersed inspirituality whereas Candide withdraws from society to cultivate his owngarden in privacy. Norton & Co., pp. The Pursuit of a Suitable Detachment Quest literature such as Voltaire's Candide and Wu Ch'eng-En's Monkeyoften provides insight into cultural, philosophical, and religiousinterpretations of government, nature, man, and religion itself. 71). The issue that must be resolved in this quest is succinctly stated byCandide: "Now that you have been hanged, dissected, beaten to a pulp, andsentenced to the galleys, do you still think everything is for the best inthis world" (Voltaire, p. 523). The good governor must have "compassion for his people" and shouldalways "repent your misdeeds, and do present good twofold" (Ch'eng-En, p.43). Government, in the quest undertaken by Monkey and Tripitaka, exists"to sustain your people" and to provide for the well-being of the commonfolk (Ch'eng-En, p. 6 -61). Nevertheless,man lives of necessity in this quest story in a state of nature in whichboth gods and demons torment him and attempt to move him from his chosenpath. Having been ejected from thehome of his mistress, Cunegonde, Candide begins a series of wanderings thatbring him into the land of the Bulgars in which Candide is beaten and leftfor dead (Voltaire, p. In essence, the world described in Monkey is a world in which man'sattachment to the present or to the material world is seen as a barrier tohis spiritual advancement. Though Monkey represents the Buddhist understanding ofdetachment, Candide more clearly depicts the rational detachment ofEnlightenment Europeans who find in their world far too many sources ofconfusion and trauma. Works CitedCh'eng-En, Wu. There are some critical differences between these two quest stories.In Voltaire's (p. In thetwo works referenced above, a major goal of the questing protagonists isultimately the cultivation of detachment from the external world and itsdifficulties. Such a missiondepends upon karma, the burden of deeds that the soul caries from lifetimeto lifetime and which can either inhibit or advance man's quest (Ch'eng-En,p. Man himself is characterized by Ch'eng-En (pp. In each quest, the questing heroes achieve their goals andobjectives. In Portugal, Candide encounters the Inquisition, which functions asan arm of both religion and of government. In Monkey, detachment is achieved through spiritual perfection and inCandide, it is achieved by electing to opt out of the world of religion,government, and society created by flawed human beings. Nature is recognized as a source of distraction (Ch'eng-En, p. Tripitaka is the frail human protagonist ofthis quest who ultimately exemplifies the Buddhist ideal of detachment andwho is set against the character of Monkey known as "Aware-of-vacuity"(Ch'eng-En, p. Monkey. 18)and filled with creatures both real and supernatural that are put on earthto divert man from his true role. Nature is represented in the character of Cacambo, a person whois man-in-nature and who functions not with respect to reason but instinct(Voltaire, pp. In The Norton Anthology of World Literature. The difference between the two stories is that each group ofquesting heroes understands enlightenment in a unique manner and achieveenlightenment for different reasons. Religion, in contrast, is designed inthis story to direct people toward tranquility and toward the detachment ofenlightenment in which distractions presented by nature are not sufficientto lead man astray (Ch'eng-En, pp. 43). 526) describes a man who believes that private misfortunes make forpublic welfare. Even in themost delightful encounters of nature that Candide experiences, he learnsthat nature can be terrible and threatening to human beings (Voltaire, p.544). Candide, Pangloss, and their companions are, like the travelers inMonkey, searching for an understanding of what is valuable and truthful inthe world. 2 -21) as an inherentlyviolent creature who is nevertheless compelled to put off violence in orderto achieve the appropriate attitude towards life and self. Princes and rulers are obligated by virtue oftheir status to behave in a manner conducive to promoting the harmony ofothers and of their kingdoms. 531).

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