The full name of the pig character in Journey to the West is Zhu Bajie, where “Zhu” means “pig” and “Bajie” translates to “Eight Precepts” or “Eight Prohibitions”.
Historical Inspiration
Zhu Bajie’s character is widely believed to draw inspiration from Zhu Shixing, the first Chinese monk to be fully ordained and tonsured, and the earliest recorded figure in Chinese Buddhist history to journey westward in search of the Dharma. His monastic name was Bajie (“Eight Precepts”), reflecting his adherence to Buddhist ascetic vows.
Zhu Shixing’s Journey
In 260 CE, over 300 years before Tang Xuanzang’s famous pilgrimage, Zhu Shixing embarked alone on foot to the Western Regions (Central Asia) to retrieve authentic Buddhist scriptures. Due to his advanced age and physical limitations, he reached Khotan (modern-day Hotan, Xinjiang) but could not proceed further to India. By 282 CE, he dispatched his disciples to Luoyang, China, to deliver the manuscripts he had collected.
Symbolism in Journey to the West
- Name Significance: Zhu Bajie’s name combines animal symbolism (pig) with Buddhist discipline (“Eight Precepts”), mirroring his dual nature—gluttonous and lustful, yet bound by monastic vows.
- Contrast with Sun Wukong: While Sun Wukong’s journey symbolizes the mind’s unrest, Zhu Bajie represents the struggle to master bodily desires, a core theme in Buddhist and Taoist cultivation.
Zhu Shixing’s historical devotion to the Dharma, despite his incomplete journey, parallels Zhu Bajie’s flawed yet persistent role in the pilgrimage, underscoring the novel’s blend of history, myth, and spiritual allegory.
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