Tang Sanzang is a fictional
Chinese Buddhist monk and pilgrim who is a central character in the 16th-century novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en. He is based on the real Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang. His birth surname name was Chen (), but having been found in a river as a baby--he was abandoned after birth--he was given the name Jiāng Liú (; this 'milk name' literally meaning "River Float", a nod to the fact that he was found in a river). When he first became a monk, his Dharma name is Xuánzàng (; literally meaning "Great Mystery"). Later, upon swearing brotherhood with the Tang Emperor, he gains the new surname, Tang (), and for the pilgrimage, he is called by the new given-name/epithet, Sānzàng (, lit. The "Three Baskets"; referring to the Tripiṭaka), but is also widely known by his courtesy name Tang Seng (, lit. the "Tang Monk").
The title Sānzàng refers to his mission to seek the Sanzangjing, or the "Three Collections of (Buddhist Great vehicle) Scriptures". In some English translations of Journey to the West, the title is rendered as Tripitaka which is the original Sanskrit term for the Sanzangjing. His name Tang Sanzang reflects his status as an oath brother of Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty.
Character description
The monk's title Sanzang refers to his mission to seek the Tripitaka, which is the Sanskrit name for collections of ancient Buddhist scriptures. In most English translations of Journey to the West, including the authoritative translation by Anthony Yu, his name is rendered as Tripitaka. In the novel, he takes the name Tang after becoming an oath brother of Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty. and the other falls into the Tongtian River, also known as the River of Communion with Heaven. On the other hand, there are several attempts on marrying him made by demons such as the Scorpion Demoness and the Golden-Nosed Albino Rat Spirit.
At the end of the novel, Sanzang is appointed as the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit.
Historical background
Tang Sanzang is modeled after the historical Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, 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.