| Sha Wujing | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Other Names |
Friar Sand, Sand Monk, Sandman, Sand Fairy, Sand Orc, Sand Ogre, Sand Troll, Sand Oni, Sand Demon, Sand Monster, Sand Hulk, Sand, or Sandy |
|
First Appearance |
Journey to the West |
|
Created by |
Wu Cheng'en |
Origin[]
Like Zhu Bajie, Wujing was originally a general in Heaven, more specifically a Curtain-Lifting General. His fall from grace happens when he broke a valuable Jade or Crystal vase or goblet, during a Heavenly Peach Festival; some sources say that he had done this in a fit of rage while other sources say that he had done this unintentionally, and it was an accident. Either way, he was punished by the Jade Emperor, who had him struck 800 times with a rod and exiled to earth, where he was to be reincarnated as a terrible man-eating sandman, orc, ogre, Troll, Oni, demon, monster, or hulk. There, he lived in the Liúshā-hé. Each day, seven flying swords sent from Heaven would stab him in the chest and then return. He had to live in the river full-time to avoid the punishment.
Later, Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion, and her disciple, Prince Moksha, came searching for powerful bodyguards in preparation of Tang Sanzang's journey west. She recruited Wujing, in exchange for which, she granted some respite from his suffering. She then converted him to Buddhism and gave him his Dharma name, Shā Wùjìng ; his surname Shā was taken from his river home, while his given name Wùjìng means "Awakened-to/Aware-of Purity". Finally, he was instructed to wait for a monk who would call for him. When Wujing does meet Tang Sanzang, he is mistaken for an enemy and attacked by Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie. Guanyin is forced to intervene for the sake of the journey.
After the misunderstanding was cleared up, Wujing became the third disciple of Tang Sanzang, who called him Shā-héshàng (Chinese: 沙和尚, i.e. the "sand priest"; a héshàng is a Buddhist monk or priest in charge of a temple; in Japanese, oshō). Now, he was clad in a Buddhist pilgrim's robe and his skull-necklace was turned into a bhikkhu's one. During the Journey to the West, his swimming ability was useful. He always carried a small gourd which he could turn into a huge one, in order to cross rivers. Wujing was a kind-hearted and obedient person and loyal to his master, and, compared to his fellow disciples, Wujing serves as a 'Straight man' character. Amongst the trio, he was likely the most polite and the most logical. Some adaptations portray him as also being bookish and philosophical. At the journey's end, Buddha transformed him into an arhat known as the Golden-bodied Arhat.
Notes[]
- Journey to the West inspired Akira Toriyama to create the manga series Dragon Ball; the character of Yamcha is inspired by Sha Wujing.
- In Japan, the character Sagojō (Sha Wujing) is conventionally depicted as a Kappa.