Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2018 | Page 50

A Journey Beyond the West
St. Paul's Convent School (Secondary Section), Yiu, Verena - 16
Yearning thudded against his chest
Dangers of the voyage bothered him the least
He said he would rather die going to the West
Than just live by staying in the East
H
e is Xuanzang, Tripitaka, Tang Seng, a Buddhist monk from the Tang Dynasty. Many of us have
probably heard about him in the popular Chinese classic “Journey to the West.” On that note, the
tale “Journey to the West” speaks of is not a strict conveyer of historic facts and events; it is a
playful and entertaining rationalization of what happened to Xuanzang on his voyage. The magical legend
and the actual history converge on the same protagonist and his journey to the West, but diverge in many
details as well. What intrigues me is this: How similar are the two tales? How different are the two tales?
On Xuanzang’s Initiative
“Journey to the West” describes Xuanzang as young, naïve and exhibiting excessive, indiscriminate
compassion to everyone. The novel had the young part right, but Xuanzang was already a wise and learned
scholar by the time he embarked on his journey to the West. In fact, he gave lectures to monks in assemblies
when he was 13 and was ordained as a bhiksu (full monk) when he was 20. As a Buddhist philosopher,
Xuanzang realized that the more he studied, the more lacking the Buddhist texts were in China. Language
barriers hindered accurate translation and one scripture could lead to different interpretations. Xuanzang
yearned for spiritual enlightenment, and his pursuit for religious truth eventually prompted him to venture
the West for the original Holy Scriptures. Contrary to “Journey to the West,” the real Xuanzang did not
travel due to Tang Taizong’s request to perform a so-called “Great Mass.” In fact, Tang China and the
Göktürks were at war during the time he embarked on his journey and his crossing of the border was
disapproved by the government. Xuanzang tried to apply for “guo shuo” (which referred to passports at that
time) but was rejected. Determined to make it to the West, Xuanzang sneaked out of Chang An with the
help of a Buddhist abbot.
On Xuanzang’s Challenges
Supporters are vital because the journey to the west is unknown and precarious to Xuanzang. In
the novel, Xuanzang had to battle with demons and defy supernatural forces. Monsters try to eat him
because one bite of Tang Seng’s flesh is rumored to give immortality. In reality, Xuanzang encountered a
plethora of challenges that was nonetheless, life-threatening. First it was the weather: the vast Gobi Desert
was scorching hot in the day and freezing cold at night. Then Xuanzang trespassed five sentry towers that
were ordered to shoot and kill all travelers without “guo shuo”; Xuanzang was almost shot to death by
arrows as he evaded his enemies. Temptations were prevalent, too. Indian kings convinced Xuanzang to stay
and contribute in Buddhist temples, supplying him with food and precious gifts. In the novel, Xuanzang
received a marriage proposal from a beautiful queen, to rule a land inhabited only by women, and enjoyed
riches for the rest of his life. In both the novel and history, Xuanzang refused all temptations for a
comfortable life, and carried on with his voyage. Xuanzang’s determination and tenacity are preserved in
both contexts.
On Xuanzang’s Supporters
Xuanzang had received support from Buddhist believers and guides commanded by Indian kings,
but the novel perhaps has more interesting supporters to offer.
Magical companions are desirable in the novel because human species is alone. The lack creates
them. In the novel, Xuanzang had three supernatural disciples on his journey to the West, namely, Sun
Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing. Sha Wujing is actually inspired by reality. In the “Biography of
Master Tripitaka of the great Ci’en Monastery of the Great Tang Dynasty” written by Xuanzang’s disciples,
there was a night in the Gobi Desert when Xuanzang was physically drained and could only lay in the sand.
In his dreams, a giant urged him to get up and keep going. The character Sha Wujing was modeled after the
encouraging giant in Xuanzang’s dream. For instance, Sun Wukong, the monkey king, was created to