Buddhism in the Classic Chinese Novel Journey to the West: Teaching Two Episodes
Roberta E. Adams

The Pilgrim Characters
Friar Sand
Also called:

• Sandy
• Sha Monk
• Sha Wujing (Sha Wu-ching) or “Sand Awakened to Purity” (his name in religion)

Note: Names are given in pinyin (Jenner translation) and Wade-Giles (Waley/Yu translations), plus any alternate names used in translations. Note that in Chinese practice, the family name comes first, then the personal name, as in Chen Xuanzang, where Chen is the family name.

Guanyin encounters this man-eating ogre at the River of Sand crossing and learns that Friar Sand had been the Curtain Raising General who stood in attendance by the imperial chariot in the Hall of Miraculous Mist until he accidentally smashed a crystal dish at a Peach Banquet and was exiled to the lower world. When he converts and agrees to wait for the pilgrim monk, Guanyin administers the monastic rules and gives him the name Sha Wujing. “He washed his heart, cleansed his thoughts, and stopped killing living creatures” ( Jenner, Ch. 8, 174).

Accoutrements: Since the skulls of nine devout pilgrims he killed would not sink, he tied them on a rope; Guanyin suggests he wear them around his neck, as they could come in useful. (In Ch. 22, he uses them to make a boat for a river crossing.) He carries a priestly demon-quelling staff.

Characteristics/Symbolism: Friar Sand is gentle, obedient, and unreflective. He carries the luggage, follows Tripitaka, does not cause trouble, and tries to maintain harmony between Monkey and Pig. He is a quick thinker, capable of solving trouble. He provides balance and a kind of buffer to Monkey and Pig.

Works Cited:

Jenner, W. J. F., trans. Journey to the West. Wu Cheng’en. Intro. Shi Changyu. 4 vols. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 2001 (1997-1986).