The narrator’s voice closes each episode with a pearl of wisdom — distilled from chaos, demons, and the pilgrims’ trials. These are the canonical teachings from the original BBC broadcast.
Canonical Episode Teachings
Episode 1: Monkey Goes Wild About Heaven — “Pride without discipline leads to downfall. Even the strongest must bow to wisdom.”
Episode 2: Monkey Turns Nursemaid — “Compassion tempers chaos. Strength without care is no strength at all.”
Episode 3: The Great Journey Begins — “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Episode 4: Monkey Swallows the Universe — “Not everything is as it seems.”
Episode 5: The Power of Youth — “Wisdom is not measured by age, but by understanding.”
Episode 6: Even Monsters Can Be People — “True nature is revealed by actions, not appearances.”
Episode 7: The Beginning of Wisdom — “Power without compassion leads to suffering.”
Episode 8: Pigsy Woos a Widow — “Lust blinds judgment. True vision comes from compassion, not desire.”
Episode 9: What Monkey Calls the Real World — “Appearances deceive. True nature is revealed by actions, not looks.”
Episode 10: Pigsy’s in the Well — “Haste leads to disaster. Patience reveals the path forward.”
Episode 11: The Difference Between Night and Day — “Darkness cannot exist without light. Balance is found not in choosing one, but in understanding both.”
Episode 12: Pearls Before Swine — “Treasure offered freely is rarely free. True wealth lies in what cannot be stolen.”
Episode 13: The Great Horse Hunt — “Seduction and repulsion are twin faces of desire. See through both to find truth.”
Episode 14: The Mighty Ape — “Holiness can be mimicked, but true virtue reveals itself through action, not appearance.”
Episode 15: Pigsy’s Magic Trousers — “When trapped beneath the surface, the way out is through cooperation, not force.”
Episode 16: The Most Monstrous Monster — “The most fearsome face may hide the gentlest heart. Judge not by appearance, but by deed.”
Episode 17: Truth and the Grey Gloves Devil — “Truth is not what we see, but what remains when illusion is stripped away.”
Episode 18: Land for the Locusts — “Greed devours all it touches. Restraint is the only harvest that endures.”
Episode 19: The Fake Pilgrim — “Life cannot be hoarded or stolen. It flows freely to those who give, not those who take.”
Episode 20: Outrageous Coincidences — “Coincidence is often the mask worn by design. The wise see the hand that moves unseen.”
Episode 21: Pigsy’s Wrongdoings — “A crown does not make a king, nor robes a god. True leadership is earned through service, not title.”
Episode 22: The Foolish Sage — “Fear feeds what it flees. Face the darkness with clarity, and its power dissolves.”
Episode 23: Two Little Blessings — “Even blessings can become burdens when sought without wisdom. Responsibility lies not in desire, but in foresight.”
Episode 24: The Fires of Jealousy — “Jealousy is a fire that consumes the heart. Trust extinguishes what suspicion ignites.”
Episode 25: The Country of Nightmares — “Fear is a dream we mistake for reality. Courage wakes us to truth.”
Episode 26: The End of the Way — “The true path has no shortcuts. The journey itself is the destination.”
Episode 27: Pigsy’s Ten Thousand Ladies — “Flattery is the demon’s bait. Humility sees through the trap.”
Episode 28: The Dogs of Death — “Fear gives the beast its fangs. Face it without trembling, and it becomes harmless.”
Episode 29: You Win Some, You Lose Some — “Victory without wisdom is hollow. True success lies in knowing when to yield.”
Episode 30: Pigsy Learns a Lesson — “Learning begins with humility. The fool who seeks wisdom is wiser than the sage who believes he knows all.”
Episode 31: The Land with Two Suns — “Balance is the foundation of life. Too much of even a good thing brings ruin.”
Episode 32: The House of the Evil Spirit — “The past is a prison we build ourselves. Forgiveness is the key that sets us free.”
Episode 33: Am I Dreaming? — “Reality is not what appears, but what remains when illusion dissolves. The mind awake sees truth.”
Episode 34: The Tormented Emperor — “Power without compassion creates its own prison. Even emperors must answer for their deeds.”
Episode 35: Between Heaven and Hell — “Judgment is not imposed from above, but earned through action. We are the sum of our choices.”
Episode 36: The Foolish Philosopher — “Knowledge without action is empty noise. True wisdom is lived, not spoken.”
Episode 37: Who Am I? — “Identity is not what others see, but what we choose to become. We are defined by our actions, not our reflections.”
Episode 38: What is Wisdom? — “Wisdom is not a destination, but a journey. It wears many faces, and all are true.”
Episode 39: The Fountain of Youth — “Youth is wasted on the young, and immortality on the foolish. Life’s meaning lies in its fleeting nature.”
Episode 40: Better the Demon You Know — “Trust must be earned, but suspicion without cause creates the very betrayal it fears.”
Episode 41: A Shadow So Huge — “The shadow we cast is shaped not by our strength, but by the light we block. Step aside, and darkness disappears.”
Episode 42: Keep on Dancing — “Not all invitations deserve acceptance. Knowing when to refuse is as important as knowing when to join.”
Episode 43: Give and Take — “Generosity without wisdom enables dependency. True compassion empowers others to stand on their own.”
Episode 44: Such a Nice Monster — “Evil does not always bare its fangs. The sweetest poison is served with a smile.”
Episode 45: The Fake Pilgrims — “Reputation is easily tarnished but slowly rebuilt. Actions speak louder than accusations.”
Episode 46: Pretty as a Picture — “Beauty can be a cage as well as a gift. Appreciate without attachment, or become what you admire.”
Episode 47: Mothers — “Love for those we’ve lost honours their memory, but living in the past dishonours the present. Let go to truly remember.”
Episode 48: The Tenacious Tomboy — “True strength is knowing when not to fight. The warrior who seeks peace is mightier than the one who seeks victory.”
Episode 49: Stoned — “Not all battles are won by facing the enemy. Sometimes, turning away is the bravest choice.”
Episode 50: Hungry Like the Wolf — “Hunger can make us desperate, but it cannot make us cruel. What we choose when starving reveals who we truly are.”
Episode 51: The Emperor of All — “True power serves, it does not command. The greatest ruler is one who leads without forcing others to follow.”
Episode 52: The End of the Line — “The path is the teaching. Those who seek only the destination miss the journey that shapes them.”
These teachings capture the spirit of Monkey: playful, profound, and always a little absurd.