《西遊記》中人物與佛教思想關聯性研究 -以唐僧、悟空、八戒為例=The Connection Between Characters in 《The Journey to The West》and Buddhist Thoughts-The Case of Monk Tang、Wu-Kong、Ba-Jie
《The Journey to the West》 is the one of the four Chinese masterpieces, which has been circulated for five hundred years. The content is based on the book 《Great Tang Records on the Western Regions》 which recorded historical facts about Tang Sanzang’s journey, and added folklore or authored fictional characters. This novel is rich in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. 《The Journey to the West》 is generally considered to be a novel that incorporates Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Some people say that the book worships Buddha and suppresses Taoism. Others think that the book is Taoist, and some people think that it is an expression of dissatisfaction with the government. No matter what kind of background and mentality was used to form this masterpiece, it is undeniable that this is a reflection of society, politics, and the people at that time. The main focus of this paper will explore in detail the connection between the stories of Monk Tang、Wu-Kong、Ba-Jie and Buddhism, including the connection of Buddhist thoughts. The author clearly explains the historical background of《The Journey to the West》 in the introduction, and describes the connection between the three mentors and Buddhism in each chapter. Monk Tang, who is just a mortal man, is taught how to lead many extraordinary apprentices to complete the great journey to the west. The chapter discussing Monk Tang includes: Monk Tang showing a human side; the concept of reincarnation in Buddhism; the past and present life; the ten lives of practice of Monk Tang, and why knowing your past lives is still a mystery and why he still does not understand his past lives; let's talk about the various supernatural powers, which is also the most fascinating part of the mysterious novel of 《The Journey to the West》. One of the stories worth pondering is why the ghost gets Monk Tang, but does not eat him immediately for the purpose of long life ? On the other hand, Wu-Kong found the Ginseng fruit and immediately ate it. The second chapter discusses the reasons for the name of Wu-Kong. The birth of Wu-Kong was weathered by stones. After all, where did he come from? The Monkey King, who was born from heaven, turned from Asura to Buddha. The last part about Wu-Kong is about why it is necessary to tighten the spell and why the other ones have no effect in the book; this is to use restraint and discipline to control the behavior and mind of Wu-Kong. The part of the Ba-Jie is also based on the relationship between the origin of the name of the Ba-Jie and the relationship between the eight customs and fasting; how to arrange the behavior of pigs with the eight precepts, a traitorous person is a hindrance to the learning process and a negative expression, how a retreating heart at any time can help the team. Finally, the ending of 《The Journey to the West》is used to demonstrate why Ru-Lai uses "human affairs" to conclude the main point of this thesis.
