In Journey to the West, it is Guanyin Bodhisattva (Avalokiteśvara) who inspires Tang Sanzang (the Monk Tang or Tripitaka) to embark on the scripture-seeking pilgrimage.
As a high-ranking bodhisattva, Guanyin descends to the mortal realm in a female form, tasked by Tathagata Buddha to find a monk of unwavering resolve to retrieve Buddhist scriptures from India. This monk, in the novel, is Tang Sanzang. However, the real-life motivation behind the pilgrimage was far more complex.
Historical Context: Xuanzang’s Early Life
Born Chen Yi during the early Tang Dynasty, Xuanzang grew up amid post-war turmoil. After his father’s death, poverty forced him into the Pure Land Monastery as a novice monk at age 12.
Chen Yi (Xuanzang) and his elder brother moved from Chang’an to Chengdu. Shielded from war’s devastation by its location, Chengdu was already a center of Buddhism and home to many great masters. There, the brothers devoted themselves to religious studies and earned renown. Yet, the intense disputes among Buddhist schools at the time deeply confused Xuanzang, inspiring him to travel in search of authentic Buddhist teachings.
By his twenties, he had mastered Buddhist texts but grew disillusioned by contradictions in Chinese translations of Sanskrit scriptures—many of which were filtered through Central Asian and Persian intermediaries, leading to fragmented and inconsistent doctrines.
Scholarly journey to the east and west
At 22, the young Xuanzang joined a group of merchants and sailed east from Chengdu along the Yangtze River to begin his scholarly journey.
By 24, Xuanzang was granted the highest title of Buddhist scholar, yet his questions remained unanswered.
Though unintended by the young monk, this journey became a prelude to the legendary westward pilgrimage he would later undertake. After this trip, Xuanzang grew even more resolute to seek authentic Buddhism in the West.
At 27(or 29), he made a daring decision: to journey westward. This marked the beginning of an adventure that would become legend.
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