<![CDATA[The paper explores the shifts in public reception of The Journey to the West under the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and social media from 2020 to the present. Within the digital era, the journey to enlightenment – originally a profound philosophical narrative – is being "deconstructed" into fast-consumption content through three primary characteristics: Socialization (35%), Emotionalization (45%), and Contradictorization (20%) – defined herein as the algorithmic tendency to amplify oppositional and conspiratorial readings of the text for engagement purposes. Utilizing literary reception theory and Buddhist criticism, the study analyzes over 300 multimedia data points. The results indicate that the "Socialization" trend has transformed the classic into pragmatic survival lessons, while "Emotionalization" stimulates instinctive empathy for monsters, potentially leading to illusions (Maya). Notably, "Contradiction" driven by "dark" conspiracy theories has created a polarization between folk beliefs and orthodox Buddhist teachings. The paper proposes applying Buddhist criticism to resolve literary and religious issues, emphasizing the responsibility of experts and monastics to utilize technology as "skillful means" (upaya) to guide the community and transform dualistic conflicts into the spirit of the Middle Way. Ultimately, the research affirms that the Journey to the West remains an immutable symbol of the quest for the Way; despite technological changes, the core remains the cultivation of will and the subjugation of the mind.]]>
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