A Common Misconception: Why using the name “Tang Xuanzang” for Tripitaka is Incorrect

Contents:

• Introduction

1. The Origin of his name Xuanzang
2. The Origin of his name Tripitaka
3. Xuanzang's Original Surname
4. The Origin of his surname Tang
5. One Other Name

• Conclusion

Introduction

Throughout Journey to the West, Tripitaka has been known by quite a few names, from River-Flow (jiangliu, 江流) to Buddha of Candana Merit (zhantan gongde fo, 旃檀功德佛). His two most common names are Tripitaka (a.k.a. Sanzang) and Xuanzang; his commonly known surname is Tang. However, stringing these names together to address him isn’t always the right case. From online articles, comments and even messages, I have noticed that many people were unaware of, and mistakenly called him “Tang Xuanzang''. This is a very common mistake that people make on Tripitaka’s name, and this article serves as a guide behind this misconception.

[Src. 1] William Feng as the Tang Monk [TMK2, 2016]

1. The Origin of his name Xuanzang

Shortly after he was born, Tripitaka’s mother was forced to abandon her newborn son in a basket on a river to keep him safe from a bandit who wanted the baby murdered. The baby in the basket is found by monks of a temple, who took him in and gave him the baby-name “River-Flow” [src. 2]. When the baby was raised old enough to become a priest, he was given the religious name “Xuanzang”, a name which he carried as his secular name [src. 3-4].

Time passed by like an arrow, and the seasons like a weaver’s shuttle; River Float soon reached his eighteenth year. The abbot had his hair shaved and asked him to join in the practice of austerities, giving him the religious name Xuanzang.

[Src. 4] Wu & Yu (2012) The Journey to the West, vol. 1, ch. 9, p. 222

Author Wu Cheng’en adopted this name from the historical monk Xuanzang, whom Tripitaka is heavily based on.

2. The Origin of his name Tripitaka

Tripitaka, a.k.a. Sanzang, is Xuanzang’s more popular byname. It is named after the three sets of sutras in the West, called the Tripitaka canons, which is the goal that sparked Xuanzang’s journey in the first place as instructed by Bodhisattva Guanyin [src. 5]. His name Tripitaka was bestowed by Taizong of Tang (唐太宗), the emperor of the Tang dynasty at the time, after the two of them became sworn brothers and Xuanzang was about to set off on his pilgrimage [src. 6].

[Src. 5] Tang Sanzang (a.k.a. Tripitaka) [JTTW, 2011]

“The Bodhisattva said earlier,” said Taizong, “that there were three collections of scriptures in the Western Heaven. Our Brother can take that as a byname and call himself Tripitaka. How about it?” Thanking him, Xuanzang accepted the wine [...]

[Src. 6] Wu & Yu (2012) The Journey to the West, vol. 1, ch. 12, p. 291

3. Xuanzang's Original Surname

When Tripitaka was abandoned on the river as a baby, his mother included a letter with him, explaining the story of the baby’s parents. As Xuanzang grew older, he was told everything about what happened to his mother and father. He learnt that his birth surname is Chen, taken from his father whose name was Chen Guangrui (陈光蕊). He is known by the full name Chen Xuanzang thenceforward [src. 7-8].

[...]
Declining office, he chose a monk’s life
At Hongfu Temple to seek the true Way,
This old Buddha-child, nicknamed River Float [River-Flow],
With a religious name of Chen Xuanzang.

[Src. 7] Wu & Yu (2012) The Journey to the West, vol. 1, ch. 12, 275

[Src. 8] The priest Chen Xuanzang [JTTW, 1986]

It is also interesting to note that the historical Xuanzang (602-664 AD) also carried the natal surname of Chen, originally born Chen Yi (陈祎).​

4. The Origin of his surname Tang

When Xuanzang swore brotherhood with Emperor Taizong at the end of chapter 12, he adopted a new byname and surname as granted by the emperor. His new byname, as stated above, is Tripitaka. The new surname he took on is Tang, after the dynasty that his imperial brother reigns. Since then, Xuanzang assumes this name, Tang Tripitaka or Tang Sanzang, to be used as his new form of address, as mentioned throughout the rest of the novel [src. 9].

[...] she [Queen of Kingdom of Women] said again, smiling seductively, “So royal brother darling also bears the name of Chen?” “That is the surname of my secular family,” said Tripitaka, “and my religious name is Xuanzang. Because the Tang emperor in his imperial kindness took me as his brother, he bestowed on me the name of Tang.”

[Src. 9] Wu & Yu (2012) The Journey to the West, vol. 3, ch. 54, p. 59

5. One Other Name

[Src. 10] Tripitaka, the Tang monk [JTTW: Legends of the MK, 1999]

Tripitaka's most well-known name is perhaps "Tang Monk". This, too, is named after the dynasty that Tripitaka is from, just like his byname Tang Sanzang. However, this is more of just a form of address rather than a name, since "Tang monk" can refer to any monk who originates from the Tang empire. ​Journey to the West just attributes this name to Tripitaka, since he is the only Tang monk specified in the novel. Thus, Tang Monk is not a suitable name to identify Tripitaka with, unless the topic of ​Journey to the West ​is specified.

Conclusion

Considering these facts, it it clear that “Tang Xuanzang” is not a valid name of Tripitaka’s. Xuanzang’s legal surname is Chen, while “Tang” is the surname only appropriate for his later name Tripitaka or Sanzang; and Tang Monk isn't a name that can always be used to specify Tripitaka, since it is a general term for any monk of the Tang dynasty. Therefore, Tripitaka can only be addressed by full name with either Chen Xuanzang or Tang Sanzang. I hope this article was clear in expression of reasons for Triptaka’s correct names, and that my readers will be more aware of this mistake.