- The golden statues at the Rua Yai City Pillar Shrine in Suphan Buri, Thailand
Tang Sanzang | |
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![]() Depiction of Tang Sanzang | |
First appearance | Journey to the West |
Created by | Wu Cheng'en |
Based on | Xuanzang |
In-universe information | |
Alias | Tripitaka Tang Seng |
Species | Human |
Gender | Male |
Title | Buddha of Sandalwood Merit |
Occupation | Buddhist monk |
Affiliation | Sangha |
Religion | Mahayana Buddhism |
Origin | Tang dynasty, Jiujiang (birthplace) |
Nationality | Chinese |
Tang Sanzang | |||||||||||||||||
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![]() The four heroes of Journey to the West , Tang Sanzang on the second from the left, riding on Yulong. Painted decoration in the Long Corridor at the Summer Palace in Beijing, China | |||||||||||||||||
Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 唐三藏 | ||||||||||||||||
Literal meaning | three collections | ||||||||||||||||
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Xuanzang | |||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 玄奘 | ||||||||||||||||
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Tripitaka | |||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 三藏經 | ||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 三藏经 | ||||||||||||||||
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Tang Seng | |||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 唐僧 | ||||||||||||||||
Literal meaning | Tang Monk | ||||||||||||||||
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Buddha of Sandalwood Merit | |||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 旃檀功德佛 | ||||||||||||||||
Literal meaning | Buddha of Sandalwood Merit | ||||||||||||||||
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River Float | |||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 江流 | ||||||||||||||||
Literal meaning | River Float | ||||||||||||||||
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Japanese name | |||||||||||||||||
Kanji | 玄奘三蔵 | ||||||||||||||||
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Sanskrit name | |||||||||||||||||
Sanskrit | Tripiṭaka |
Tang Sanzang is a Buddhist monk and pilgrim who is a central character in the 16th century novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en. Tang Sanzang is based on the historical Tang dynasty monk Xuanzang.
Tang Sanzang's birth surname name was Chen (陳),but having been found in a river as a baby—he was abandoned after birth—he was given the name Jiāng Liú (江流;this given name literally meaning "River Current",a nod to the fact that he was found in a river). When he first became a monk,his Dharma name is Xuánzàng (玄奘;literally meaning "Great Mystery"). Later,upon swearing brotherhood with the Tang Emperor,he gains the new surname,Tang (唐),and for the pilgrimage,he is called by the new given-name/epithet,Sānzàng (三藏,lit. The "Three Baskets";referring to the Tripiṭaka ),but is also widely known by his courtesy name Tang Seng (唐僧,lit. the "Tang Monk").
The title Sānzàng refers to his mission to seek the Sanzangjing,or the "Three Collections of (Buddhist Great vehicle) Scriptures". In some English translations of Journey to the West,the title is rendered as Tripitaka which is the original Sanskrit term for the Sanzangjing. His name Tang Sanzang reflects his status as an oath brother of Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty. [1] [2] [3]
The monk's title Sanzang refers to his mission to seek the Tripitaka,which is the Sanskrit name for collections of ancient Buddhist scriptures. In most English translations of Journey to the West,including the authoritative translation by Anthony Yu,his name is rendered as Tripitaka. In the novel,he takes the name Tang after becoming an oath brother of Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty. [2] [3]
Tang Sanzang is a Buddhist monk who is a reincarnation of Golden Cicada (Chinese :金蟬子),a disciple of the Buddha. [3] Tang Sanzang's original family name was Chen,the posthumous son of Palace Graduate Chen Guangrui and Yin Wenjiao,the daughter of chief minister Yin Kaishen. After being awarded the first place in a national examination,Chen Guangrui was appointed Prefect of Jiangzhou (modern Jiujiang). While on his way to take office,he was murdered by a ferryman named Liu Hong,who also abducts his wife and takes his place as Prefect. When Chen's son is born,Yin Wenjiao puts the baby on a wooden board and sets him floating adrift down the Yangzi River,out of fear of him being killed by Liu Hong. The baby reaches Gold Mountain Monastery and is found by the Abbot,who gives him the nickname "Jiāngliú" (江流,lit. "River Float"). [3] The abbot sees that River Float is taken care of,and when he grows up and becomes a Buddhist novice,he gives him the Dharma name Xuanzang. When Xuanzang turns 18,he is reunited with his father,whose body was saved from death by the Dragon King of River Hong;together they look for Lady Yin and bring Liu Hong to justice.
He is sent by the Emperor Taizong on a mission to Tianzhu (an ancient Chinese name for India) to fetch a set of Mahayana Buddhist scriptures back to China for the purpose of spreading Buddhism in his native land. He becomes sworn brothers with the Emperor of the Tang dynasty,and the emperor sees him off from the capital Chang'an with two escorts to accompany him. This contrasts with the historical Xuanzang,who disobeyed the Emperor's orders against foreign travel and did not have his permission.
Tang Sanzang is helpless at defending himself and his two escorts are killed during his first encounter with demons after his departure from Chang'an. The bodhisattva Guanyin helps Tang Sanzang find three powerful supernatural beings—Sun Wukong,Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing (a monkey,pig and fish spirit respectively)—to aid and protect him on his journey. The three become Tang Sanzang's disciples and receive enlightenment and redemption for their past sins once the pilgrimage is complete.
Along the journey,Tang Sanzang is constantly terrorised by monsters and demons due to a legend which says that one can attain immortality by consuming his flesh because he is a reincarnation of a holy being. One of his disciples is caught by a monster, [4] and the other falls into the Tongtian River, [5] also known as the River of Communion with Heaven. [6]
At the end of the novel,Tang Sanzang is appointed as the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit. [2] [3] This is a nod to the fact that,in Buddhism,sandalwood (and,by extension,sandalwood incense) is seen as having the power to distil purity by burning-away negative spiritual impurities;Tang Sanzang,as Golden Cicada,had dismissed the Buddha's teachings and-so was sentenced to re-incarnate as a Buddhist ten consecutive times to distil himself,spiritually,expelling spiritual impurities until only purity was left,ultimately achieving Buddhahood,making him the "Buddha of Sandalwood Merit".[ citation needed ]
Tang Sanzang is modeled after the historical Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang,whose life was the book's inspiration;the real Xuanzang made a perilous journey on foot from China to India (and back) to obtain Buddhist sutras. [3]
In contrast to the historical Xuanzang,a wise and learned scholar (he was in his late 20s when he left for India),the fictional Tang Sanzang is presented as a young monk who is extremely naive,showing idealistic compassion without wisdom. Tang Sanzang is usually quick to fall for the facades of demons who have disguised themselves as innocent humans,as he cannot recognize them,whereas Sun Wukong can. This frequently leads to tension when Sun Wukong tries to protect him from such threats. One such popular instance was when the White Bone Demon disguised three times as family members—first,a young woman. After Wukong "killed" the woman,the demon escaped,but Wukong was punished by Tang Sanzang for it. The second was the young woman's elderly mother,looking for her daughter. The third was the young woman's elderly father,searching for his wife and child. Upon the "death" of the father by Wukong's hands,Wukong finally killed the demon before she got away. Tang Sanzang,convinced that Wukong had actually killed three innocent people,sent him away,despite protests. Tang Sanzang usually punishes him by chanting the words of the Tight-Fillet Spell (Chinese :緊箍咒) given to Tang Sanzang by the bodhisattva Guanyin to control Wukong,which causes the latter's headband to contract and give him acute headaches.
Like Sun Wukong,Tang Sanzang is often described as a god of protection. Ksitigarbha,a highly revered bodhisattva in East Asian Buddhism,is occasionally mistaken for Tang Sanzang because the former is often portrayed like Tang Sanzang - dressed in a similarly patterned kasaya robe,wearing a Buddhist crown (an Ushnisha or a Black Crown),and wielding a khakkhara staff. [2] [3] In some depictions or media sometimes Sanzang is depicted as a female monk or nun but this is mostly in Japan.
Xuanzang, born Chen Hui / Chen Yi, also known by his Sanskrit Dharma name Mokṣadeva, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of his journey to India in 629–645 CE, his efforts to bring over 657 Indian texts to China, and his translations of some of these texts. He was only able to translate 75 distinct sections of a total of 1335 chapters, but his translations included some of the most important Mahayana scriptures.
The Monkey King or Sun Wukong is a literary and religious figure best known as one of the main players in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. In the novel, Sun Wukong is a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices. After rebelling against heaven, he is imprisoned under a mountain by the Buddha. Five hundred years later, he accompanies the monk Tang Sanzang (唐三藏) riding on the White Dragon Horse and two other disciples, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, on a journey to obtain Buddhist sutras from the West, where Buddha and his followers dwell.
Journey to the West is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the greatest Classic Chinese Novels, and has been described as arguably the most popular literary work in East Asia. Arthur Waley's 1942 abridged translation, Monkey, is known in English-speaking countries.
Zhu Bajie (Chinese: 豬八戒; pinyin: Zhū Bājiè; Wade–Giles: Chu1 Pa1-chieh4), also named Zhu Wuneng (he has two Buddhist Dharma names, one, "Wuneng" (悟能) given to him by the bodhisattva, Guanyin, and one, "Bajie" (八戒) given to him by Tang Sanzang/Tripiṭaka), is one of the three helpers of the aforementioned-Tang Sanzang and a major character of the 16th century novel Journey to the West. Zhu means "swine" and Bajie means "eight precepts". Prior to his being recruited by the bodhisattva, Guanyin, Zhu Bajie went by "Zhu Gāngliè" (豬剛巤; literally "Strong-Maned Pig"). Buddhist scholars consider that both expressions are related to "Śīla pāramitā". In many English versions of the story, Zhu Bajie is called "Monk Pig", "Pig", "Piggy", or "Pigsy".
Sha Wujing is one of the three disciples of the Buddhist pilgrim Tang Sanzang in the 16th century novel Journey to the West written by Wu Cheng'en in the Ming dynasty, although versions of his character predate the Ming novel. In the source novel, his background is the least developed of the pilgrims, and he contributes the least to their efforts.
Monkey: A Folk-Tale of China, more often known as simply Monkey, is an abridged translation published in 1942 by Arthur Waley of the sixteenth-century Chinese novel Journey to the West conventionally attributed to Wu Cheng'en of the Ming dynasty. Waley's remains one of the most-read English-language versions of the novel. The British poet Edith Sitwell characterized Monkey as "a masterpiece of right sound", one that was "absence of shadow, like the clearance and directness of Monkey's mind." The translation won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1942.
A Chinese Tall Story is a 2005 Hong Kong fantasy adventure film written and directed by Jeffrey Lau. The story is loosely based on the 16th-century novel Journey to the West.
Red Boy was a character featured in the 16th century novel Journey to the West. Red Boy was also known as the Boy Sage Great King and "Bull Boy Sage". Through this, Red Boy had developed True Samādhi Fire, which enables him to shoot fire inextinguishable by water and smoke from his eyes, nostrils and mouth. Samādhi is the Sanskrit word for concentration.
Saint is a manhua by Hong Kong comics artist Khoo Fuk Lung. It follows the life and adventures of Sun Wukong, the monkey king from the 16th century novel Journey to the West. It was first published by Jade Dynasty and is licensed by Yuk Long Limited.
Yunju Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Fangshan District, 70 kilometers (43 mi) southwest of Beijing and contains the world's largest collection of stone Buddhist sutra steles. Yunju Temple also contains one of only two extant woodblocks for the Chinese Buddhist Tripitaka in the world as well as rare copies of printed and manuscript Chinese Buddhist Tripitakas. It also has many historic pagodas dating from the Tang and Liao dynasty.
Journey to the West is a Chinese television series adapted from the 16th-century novel of the same title. Production for the 66 episodes long series started on 12 September 2009, and it was first broadcast in mainland China on 28 July 2011 on TVS. The series was produced by Zhang Jizhong and was released a year later than another television series of the same title, but with a different cast and crew.
Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons is a 2013 fantasy comedy film co-written and produced by Stephen Chow and co-directed by Chow and Derek Kwok. The movie was first announced in July 2011 and was released on February 10, 2013 in China. The film is a loose comedic re-interpretation of the 16th-century novel Journey to the West, a Chinese literary classic often believed to be written by Wu Cheng'en.
Wu Cheng'en and Journey to the West is a Chinese television series about the life of Wu Cheng'en and his inspiration for writing the 16th-century novel Journey to the West. The series was directed by Kan Weiping and consists of a total of 45 episodes shot in high definition, each 45 minutes long and containing 10 minutes of 3-D effects. The original lead actors of the 1986 television series Journey to the West starred in Wu Cheng'en and Journey to the West and reprised their roles: Liu Xiao Ling Tong as Sun Wukong, Chi Chongrui as Tang Sanzang and Ma Dehua as Zhu Bajie. Sha Wujing, however, was portrayed by Liu Dagang because the original actor, Yan Huaili, died in April 2009. It was broadcast by Shandong Qilu TV in July 2010.
The White Dragon Horse, known as Bai Long Ma, and Yu Long, in Chinese, is one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. He is Tang Sanzang's steed who later became Babu Tianlong Guangli Bodhisattva (八部天龙广力菩萨) at the end of novel.
The Monkey King 2 is a 2016 Hong Kong-Chinese action fantasy film based on the classic 16th-century novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en. The film was shot in 3D and is a sequel to the 2014 box office hit The Monkey King with Soi Cheang returning as director and Sammo Hung as action director, who replaces Donnie Yen's role from the previous installment. The film stars Aaron Kwok, who portrayed the main antagonist in the previous installment, as the film's titular protagonist, who also replaces Yen from the previous installment. Other cast for the film included Feng Shaofeng, Xiao Shenyang, Him Law, Fei Xiang, Kelly Chen, and Gong Li.
Dapeng Jinchi Mingwang, also known as the Golden-Winged Great Peng, is a guardian deity in Mahayana Buddhism. He is the spiritual uncle of the Buddha, who gave him a high position in heaven to guard the Pure land. His origins are said to derive from an Indian bird god Garuda. Peng is one of the eight demi-gods of Buddhism. He helps to guard Mount Sumeru and Trāyastriṃśa from attack by the Asuras.
Heifeng Guai, also translated as the Black Wind Demon, is a character from the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West. He is a demon based in a cave on Black Wind Mountain (黑風山). His true form is a black bear but he appears as a dark-complexioned man armed with a Black Tassel Spear. He steals Tang Sanzang's cassock during a fire. Sun Wukong goes to confront him later to take back the cassock but fails so he seeks help from Guanyin. The Black Wind Demon eventually surrenders to Guanyin after she uses one of the artifacts that the Buddha gave her, and becomes the mountain's guardian deity.
Sangha, also known as the Great Sage of Sizhou, was an eminent Chinese monk who lived in the Tang dynasty. He was a highly venerated monk during the Tang and Song dynasties. The Great Sage of Sizhou is believed to be an avatar of the bodhisattva Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara).