Xuanzang (fictional Character) - Historical Background

Historical Background

Xuanzang is modeled after the historical Tang Dynasty Buddhist monk of the same name, 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.

In contrast to the historical Xuanzang, a wise and learned scholar (he was in his late 20s when he left for India), the fictional Xuanzang is presented as a young monk who is extremely naive, showing idealistic compassion without wisdom. Xuanzang is usually quick to fall for the facades of demons who have disguised themselves as innocent humans, whereas Sun Wukong can see through them with his magic powers (specifically a special sort of eyesight that sees through the said disguises). This frequently leads to tension when Sun Wukong attacks and kills apparently innocent humans when the demon has in fact simply abandoned the corpse and run away. One such popular instance was when the White Bone Demon (白骨夫人, Chinese: Bai Gu Fu Ren) disguised three times as family members — first, a young woman. After Wukong "killed" the woman, the demon escaped, but Wukong was punished by Xuanzang 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. Xuanzang, convinced that Wukong had actually killed three innocent people, sent him away, despite protests. Xuanzang usually punishes him by chanting the words of the headache spell (緊箍咒) given to Xuanzang by the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin) to control Wukong, which causes the latter's headband to contract and give him acute headaches.

As Sun Wukong is often worshiped as a protector god, so is Xuanzang. Ksitigarbha, a highly-revered bodhisattva in East Asian Buddhism, is occasionally mistaken for Xuanzang because the former is often portrayed like Xuanzang - dressed in a similarly-patterned kasaya, wearing a Buddhist crown, and wielding a khakkhara.