Why did Guanyin find a dragon as a mount for Tang Monk?
As we all know, Tang Monk's mount is not an ordinary horse. It's a little white dragon, the third son of the Dragon King of the West Sea. In other words, Tang Monk rode a dragon.
When he set out, Li Shimin, emperor of the Tang Dynasty, gave him the best horse in the country and two disciples. However, as soon as they arrived at Sancha Mountain, the two disciples were eaten by demons. When they arrived at Yingchou Stream, the horse was eaten by a little white dragon again.
The Western Heaven arranges that mortal disciples are eaten by demons. It is also the arrangement of Guanyin that the mortal horse is eaten by a little white dragon. The purpose is to let the little white dragon be his mount.
The immortal mounts in the Journey to the West are almost all immortal beasts. Lord Lao Zi's mount is a green cow, Guanyin's mount is a godly dog, Wenshu's mount is a lion, Puxian's mount is an elephant... It's just that Tang Monk rides a dragon!
In fact, Tang Monk is not an ordinary monk. He is the second disciple of Tathagata. Therefore, his mount must be different from others. It is related to the Jade Emperor's mount to match the Tang Monk with a dragon horse. What is the Jade Emperor's mount?
It is said that the Jade Emperor's mount is the Nine Dragon Chariot.
As the second disciple of Tathagata, Tang Monk's natural status is different from that of other Bodhisattvas, so of course, he can't ride a pig, a monkey, a fish, or a cat.
Therefore, Guanyin tried to change his ordinary horse and gave him a dragon to ride.
From ancient times to now, the driver has also been a symbol of leadership status. Therefore, even in fairy tales such as The Journey to the West, the mount of immortals is very particular.
Someone may have asked, after Tang Monk became a Buddha, did he still ride a dragon? The answer is, of course, No.
First, the little white dragon has also been upgraded to a Bodhisattva. It's inappropriate to be a mount for immortals. Moreover, when the Tang Monk becomes a Buddha, he doesn't need to run around, so Tathagata will give him a new Lotus platform. This lotus platform is more powerful than immortal beast mounts.