One day, the great master Xuanzhuang, gave a lecture on Buddhist doctrines to 1,200 monks. Seeing the master was just the son of Chen Guangrui, Guanyin was very happy. He and his disciple Mu Zha turned themselves into two ordinary monks, a master and a disciple, selling treasures in the street. Shortly, a higher official stepped up and carefully examined the treasures. “How much do they cost?” he asked the monk. “If the buyer isn’t devout to Buddha, I’ll charge him 5,000 pounds of gold for the robe, and 2,000 pounds of gold for the crosier.” Added the monk. “If the buyer is good, I’m willing to give my treasures to him free of charge.” “I think these three treasures are quite suitable to our great master Xuanzhuang. I’d like to introduce you to our emperor. I’m sure that the emperor will buy your treasures for the master.” The two monks agreed and followed him into the palace. The higher official told the emperor what he thought. The emperor was very happy. “I’m going to buy your treasures for a devout monk of high character and great prestige,” The emperor said to the monks. “Now that he’s a monk of high character and great prestige, I’m willing to give the treasures to him free of charge.” The emperor persisted in paying for the treasures, but the monk firmly insisted on giving his treasures to Xuanzhuang free of charge. And finally the emperor yielded and accepted the treasures without payment. The two monks left.
Shortly, Xuanzhuang was given the treasures. Wearing the excellent robe, Xuanzhuang looked beaming and buoyant. Next morning, Xuanzhuang continued his lectures. The monk who was in fact Guanyin appeared again before long. “You young monk, you can only give lectures on Little Vehicle (Hinayana), ” the monk patted the desk and shouted. “You know anything about Great Vehicle (Mahayana)?” Hearing this, Xuanzhuang was delighted and stepped down the rostrum. “Thank you, master,” Xuanzhuang said politely to the monk. “I only know Little Vehicle, but don’t know there is also Great Vehicle.” “Your Little Vehicle cannot help the dead go to the paradise.” Said the monk. “I have three canons of Great Vehicle. Not only can they help the dead people go to the paradise but also can help the living people to free themselves of sea of sorrow and practice Buddhist teachings and finally enjoy a long life without coming into this world and going out.”
Before the monk finished his words, someone had already reported this matter to the emperor. And the emperor called over the monk at once. Hearing the monk’s introduction about his three canons of Great Vehicle, the emperor was very happy. “Where do you put your three canons of Great Vehicle?” asked the emperor. “Oh, it’s very far. In India,” said the monk. “They are put in the Great Thunder Temple where the father of Buddha lives.” “Do you still remember them?” asked the emperor. “Yes, I do., replied the monk. “Good,” said the emperor. “Would you please go up to the rostrum and give a lecture to the monks?” “It’s a pleasure,” said the monk. But instead of stepping up to the rostrum, the monk and his disciple flew into the sky and returned to their original looks, Guanyin and Mu Cha. Seeing Gunyin, all the people were taken quite by surprise. Guanyin told the emperor that he came here to look for a devout monk to take the three books of Buddhist ures.
Learning this, the emperor announced the lecture was adjourned and asked which monk was willing to go west to take Buddhist ures. “I’m willing to go,” Stepping up and kneeling down before the emperor, Xuanzhuang said sincerely. The emperor was very pleased and assisted Xuanzhuang to his feet. “If you really want to go bravely in spite of all difficulties and dangers, I’d like to take you as my brother.” Xuanzhuang kowtowed to the emperor immediately expressing his hearty thanks. The emperor was wild with joy and asked the relative officials to prepare the necessary diplomatic documents and choose a lucky day for Xuanzhuang to set out. Next day, the emperor signed the passport and all other diplomatic documents. . “Today is a lucky day for journey.” A relative official reported. The emperor was delighted. To be reported that Xuanzhuang was waiting outside, he immediately called him in. “My brother, today is a lucky day.” The emperor said to Xuanzhuang. “ This is your passport. And I’d like to give you a golden Buddhist alms-bowl for you to ask alms on the way.” The emperor added, “Besides, I ’m going to let you have two assistants and a horse.”
Wild with joy, Xuanzhuang accepted all these and decided to set out without any delay. Seeing Xuanzhuang off, the emperor asked him, “Do you have any esteemed another name?” “I’m only a monk. How do I dare to have another name?” said Xuanzhuang. “Guanyin said there are three canons in Western Paradise.” The emperor said to Xuanzhuang. “You can have another name according to this. How about Sanzang (three canons)?” Happily accepted it, Sanzang extended his hearty thanks to the emperor. Then, the emperor offered Sanzang a cup of wine. Taking over the wine, Sanzang said, “Your Majesty, wine is the first thing under taboo. I’m a monk, so I’ve never drunk wine.” “Your journey today is different from any other things. Moreover, this is only a cup of plain wine,” said the emperor. “You may only take one cup. It’s a token of my regards to you.” Sanzang didn’t dare to decline the emperor’s kindness. Taking over the wine, he was going to drink but he found the emperor bend his body and take a little bit of earth and sprinkle it into the wine. Sanzang didn’t understood what he meant. “Brother, when do you come back from Western Paradise?” the emperor asked. “Only within three years,” replied Sanzang. “It’s a long hard journey. You can take my wine for relaxation.” The emperor added, “You should love the earth of your motherland rather than the gold of other countries.” Only on hearing this, did Sanzang understand the emperor’s true intention. Thanking the emperor again, he drank the wine and left.
Xuanzhuang went out of the territory of Tang Dynasty before long. Next morning, Sanzang set off too early. It was still very dark at the fourth watch of the night. The whole group fell into a deep pit, he himself, his two assistants and the white horse. Sanzang was scared out of his wit. His assistants were terribly shivering. “Take them here, take them here!” he heard someone shouting aloud. Then, a gale brought out over fifty demons seizing Sanzang and his assistants by the collar and pulled them forward. Shivering terribly, Sanzang stealthily looked up and found a tiger-shaped monster sitting on a large stone. King Devil ordered the demons to bind them. Just at the moment he was going to eat them, there came a loud confused noise.
“King Bear and Hermit Wei come!” one demon reported. Looking up, Sanzang found a black man walking before and a fat man following behind. The monster hurriedly stepped up and welcomed them. “King Tiger,” the bear said to the monster. “Congratulations! Congratulations!” “It’s really a happy event!” said the hermit. “Brother Tiger is truly an invincible general.” “Where did you get them?” pointing at the shivering assistants, the black man asked. “They walked into the trap on their own accord,” said the monster of King Tiger. “Can you entertain us with them?” laughed and asked the hermit. “Of course!” said King of Tiger. “No need to eat them all in one day,” suggested the hermit. “We just ate two of them. Eat the other one for next time.” King of Tiger ordered the demons to cut open the chests of the two assistants. He gave their heads and internal organs to his guests and he himself ate their limbs and gave the other parts to the demons. The flesh banquet ended in an instant just like tigers and wolves eating sheep. Sanzang was cared to death. This was the very first disaster he suffered after he left his motherland.
Falling into a flutter, Sanzang didn’t know what to do. Day already broke before he realized it. All the demons left. Addlebrained, he completely lost his bearings. A few moments later, he found an old man coming towards him with a walking stick. Stepping up, he slightly waved his hand and the ropes were broken at once. Then, he just gave one blow to Sanzang’s face and Sanzang woke up gradually. Kneeling before the old man, Sanzang said, “You save me. Thank you very much.” “Stand up, please,” said the old man. “See whether you lost anything.” “My assistants were eaten by the demons,” said Sanzang. “I just don’t know where my horse and luggage are.” Pointing forward with his stick, the old man said, “Look, a horse and two bundles are over there.”
Looking back and seeing they were really his belongings, he set his mind at ease. “Where’re we now?” asked Sanzang. “Why are you here?” “This is Mt. Shuangchaling and a den of tigers and wolves.” The old man asked continuously. “Why are coming here?” “This morning, I left the Great Tang Dynasty’s territory. But it was too early, so I missed my bearings and came here without knowing it. Later on, I fell into a deep pit and met with a ferocious demon. He bound my two assistants. A few moments later, I saw a black man. They called him King Bear. Shortly, And another fat man came. He called King Devil Tiger General. They called him Hermit Wei. These three demons ate my two assistants.” “The so called Hermit was in fact a boar demon. King Bear was indeed a bear. And King Devil, namely King Tiger was a tiger. And the other demons are various kinds of wild beasts. It is only because you have so fine qualities that they cannot eat you,” said the old man. “Follow me. I’ll show you a proper way to go.”
Very much grateful to the old man, Sanzang put his two bundles on the back of his horse then led the rein. Following the old man, he left the pit and came onto a broad way. Tying his horse to a big tree at the roadside and turning around, Sanzang was going to thank the old man. But he found the old man had already risen into the sky riding a red-crowned crane just like a refreshing breeze. And at the same time, a note drifted down with the words: “I’m Venus in Western Paradise. I come here to rescue you. Go ahead and don’t be afraid of hardships. There must be various gods to help you.” Reading this, Sanzang immediately knelt down and kowtowed to the sky. “I’m very much grateful to you for your kindness to rescue me, Venus!” said Sanzang. Then, he led his horse and continued his long journey, alone all by himself.
The surrounding circumstances looked rather forlorn. He could see nothing but big trees and running deer and singing birds. All he heard was just the sound of swift streams and the cry of jumping monkeys. Facing a scene of desolation, Sanzang was trembling with fear. And the four legs of the horse felt like jelly. After half day’s climbing in the big mountains, Sanzang felt quite hungry. But he saw neither villages nor human beings. Just at the critical moment, he found two tigers roaring before him and several long snakes twisting together behind him, and poisonous worms on his left and odd beasts on his right. Scared to death, Sanzang could do nothing but leave things to chance. He tried to go ahead. But the shivering horse felt his strength falling short of his wishes and suddenly fell down with a plop. No matter how hard he tried to pull up the horse, the animal just couldn’t move at all, let alone get up.
Without knowing what to do next, Sanzang could only wait for death. But just at the moment, he found all the beasts running rapidly and the snakes hiding themselves among wild grass. Rising his head, he saw a man walking towards him with a steel fork in hand and bow and arrows in waist. The man came nearer and nearer. Sanzang could see clearly that this stranger wore a leopard-hide cap and a cashmere sweater and a pair of deer-hide boots. “Great King, save me, save me, please!” he implored. The man put down his fork immediately and assisted Sanzang to his feet. “Master, don’t be afraid.” Said the man. “I’m not an evil doer. I’m a hunter. My name is Poqin Liu. I’m coming here to look for two tigers but meet with you unexpectedly. I’m sorry to scare you. I beg your pardon!” The master told the whole story to the hunter. And the hunter told Sanzang, “In fact you’re still in the territory of our Great Tang Dynasty. Stay at my home and tomorrow I’ll show you the way to go abroad.” Learning this, he felt quite surprised but rather cordial because, after all, he met with a fellow-countryman in the deserted mountains. On the hunter’s invitation, Sanzang stayed overnight at his home.
Next day, he set off early together with the hunter. Shortly, they came to a big mountain. “My master has come! My master has come!” Someone was crying aloud at the foot of the mountain. Hearing this, Sanzang became greatly astonished and the hunter felt surprised. The hunter’s servants told them: “ It must be the old monkey in the stone box at the foot of the mountain.” “Yes, you’re right,” said the hunter. “What sort of old monkey?” Sanzang asked. They told him the whole story and suggested they go down the mountain and have a look. Sanzang had nothing to do but follow them. After going several miles away, they really found a monkey in a stone box. Popping out his head and looking about, the monkey was waving hands to them. “Master, why are you coming so late?” the monkey asked. “But it’s just in time. Please rescue me and I’ll go west with you to take Buddhist ures.”
The monkey told his story to them. But Sanzang didn’t know what to do. “Even if I want to rescue you,” said Sanzang. “I don’t have any tools. How can I do it?” The monkey told him so long as they could take off the note from the mountain top which was put there by the father of Buddha. Together with the hunter and the servants, Sanzang climbed up the mountain and found the note at the mountain top. After the note being took off, the monkey asked them to go far away and then he himself jumped out of the stone box immediately with a thunderous sound. Sanzang wanted to give the monkey a Buddhist name. But the monkey told him that he’d already been named Sun Wukong by the father of Buddha. While going in the mountains, they found a tiger in the wild grass. Wukong told them that the tiger came here to offer him clothes. No one understood what he meant, yet Wukong already ran forward and killed the tiger and peeled its hide. Taking the tiger hide as an apron, he tied it around his waist.