ABSTRACT
Journey to the West, by Wu Cheng'en, was inspired by the travels of the monk Xuanzang, who left China in secret and traveled to India in search of Buddhist texts. The text of Journey to the West then turns to the story of the birth of Xuanzang. He faced many dangers along the way, but also received invaluable support from Buddhist believers during the fifteen-year sojourn. He returned to China in 645 with well over 600 documents, which greatly influenced the subsequent development of Buddhist thought and practice in China. In the fantastic version, the monk (also known as Sanzang) is portrayed as timid and totally dependent upon three primary companions: a temperamental monkey (Sun Wukong) and a lazy pig, who frequently clash, and a reliable river monster. The novel is full of comic moments and vividly described battles involving all sorts of supernatural powers. This story has been retold in many formats and is often titled Monkey.
