Last updated: 1-25-2025 Anyone who has read Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, 1592) will know that the Tang monk Tripitaka (Tang Sanzang, 唐三藏; a.k.a. Xuanzang) is said to be an incarnation of Master Golden Cicada (Jinchan zi, 金蟬子), the Buddha’s second disciple. The full picture of his past can be pieced together from verse and character dialogue … Continue reading Buddhist Deities Exiled From the Western Heaven in Chinese Vernacular Literature