[Journey to the West]The Prototype of Sha Monk

Sha Wujing, also known as Sandy, Friar Sand, or Sha Monk, is the youngest disciple of Tang Sanzang in Journey to the West.

The Prototype of Sha Monk (Sha Wujing) can be traced to multiple images in Buddhist stories and historical documents.

Biography of the Tripitaka Master of Da Ci’en Monastery

The biography of Master Sanzang, created in Tang Dynasty, records that during Xuanzang’s perilous journey across the desert, he dreamed of a Buddhist Dharma-protecting deity (Dharma-pāla) who guided him to safety. Over time, this celestial guardian figure evolved into the character of Sha Wujing in Journey to the West.

The Tale of Tang Tripitaka’s Scripture Quest

The most comprehensive prototype of Sha Monk is the Shen Sha (Deep Sand God) from this narrative.

In the text, Shen Sha declares:

“Once you were a monk; twice I devoured you. Your bones remain in my sack.”

This refers to Shen Sha killing Tang Sanzang’s first two reincarnations and collecting their bones.

In Journey to the West, Sha Wujing’s backstory mirrors this:
He murdered the first nine reincarnations of the Golden Cicada (Tang Sanzang being the tenth) and wore their nine skulls as a necklace—a haunting symbol of his past sins.

Xiyouji Zaju (Journey to the West Poetic Drama)

The opera, created by Yang Jingxian during the Yuan Dynasty, was the first theatrical adaptation of Tang Sanzang’s pilgrimage to retrieve Buddhist scriptures. This groundbreaking work laid crucial foundations for Wu Cheng’en’s Ming Dynasty novel Journey to the West.

In the Yuan-era Xiyouji Zaju, the character resembling Sha Wujing declares:

“A monk vows to journey west for scriptures—how can he cross my Sandy River? That man lived nine lifetimes as a monk, and I devoured him nine times. Nine skulls still hang around my neck!”

This dialogue directly foreshadows Sha Wujing’s backstory in Wu Cheng’en’s novel:

• Nine Skulls: In the Ming novel, Sha Wujing wears the skulls of Tang Sanzang’s nine prior incarnations (the Golden Cicada) as a grotesque necklace, symbolizing his violent past as a river demon.
• Sandy River: Corresponds to the Flowing Sands River in Journey to the West, where Sha terrorized travelers before his redemption.

Wu Cheng’en’s genius lay in elevating these raw elements into a cohesive allegory of spiritual growth, with Sha Wujing’s arc embodying sin, penance, and rebirth—a theme rooted in Yang Jingxian’s Yuan-era vision.