Sha Wujing - Character Origins

Character Origins

Sha Wujing is the end result of embellishing a supernatural figure mentioned in Monk Hui Li's (慧立) 7th century account of the historical Xuanzang called Daciensi Sanzang Fashi Zhuan (大慈恩寺三藏法師傳, A Biography of the Tripitaka-master of the Great Ci'en Monastery). According to the text, Xuanzang spilled his surplus of water while in the deserts near Dunhuang. After several days without liquid, Xuanzang had a dream where a tall spirit wielding a halberd chastised him for sleeping on such an important journey to get scriptures from India. He immediately woke up and got on his horse, which took off in a different direction than what he wanted to go. They finally came to an oasis with green grass and fresh water.

The Tang Sanzang ji (唐三藏记, Record of the Tang Monk Tripitaka), a book of unknown date appearing in an 11th-century Japanese collection of tales known as Jōbodai shū (成菩堤集), states Xuanzang was magically provided food and drink by a Deva while in the "Flowing Sands" (liusha, 流沙) desert. The compiler of the Jōbodai shū explained: “This is the reason for the name Spirit of the Deep Sands (Shensha shen, 深沙神).” After performing a pilgrimage to China in 838-839, the Japanese Buddhist monk Jōgyō (常晓) wrote a report which mentions Xuanzang’s fabled exchange with the deity, as well as equates Shensha shen with King Vaisravana, one of the four cardinal protector gods of Buddhism. Therefore, the Tang Sanzang ji most likely hails from the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The Jōbodai shū also mentions the god manifested itself before the famous Chinese Buddhist monk Faxian (c. 4th cen.) during his pilgrimage to India. Shensha shen tells him: “I am manifested in an aspect of fury. My head is like a crimson bowl. My two hands are like the nets of heaven and earth. From my neck hang the heads of seven demons. About my limbs are eight serpents, and two demon heads seem to engulf my (nether-) limbs…”

By the compiling of the “Kōzanji version” (高山记, 13th cen.), the earliest known edition of Journey to the West, Shensha shen was transformed into a blood thirsty demon who had continuously eaten Xuanzang’s past reincarnations. The demon tells him: “Slung here from my neck are the dry bones from when I twice before devoured you, monk!” Shensha Shen only helps him to pass over the deep sands with the aid of a magic golden bridge after Xuanzang threatens him with heavenly retribution.

As can be seen, the complete version of Journey to the West anonymously published in 1592 borrowed liberally from tales concerning Shensha shen. The character of Sha Wujing was given his monstrous appearance and dress. The skulls of the nine Buddhist monks hanging from his head recalls both the demon skulls worn by the spirit, and the skulls of Xuanzang's past incarnations worn by his wrathful counterpart from the Kōzanji version. His home of the "Flowing Sands River" (Liusha he 流沙河) is derived from the "Flowing Sands" desert inhabited by Shensha shen. Sha Wujing also aids Xuanzang pass over the Flowing Sands River by tying his nine skulls into a makeshift raft.