Venerable Xuanzang was one of the amazing translator that had
greatly contributed to the development of Buddhism in China and
indirectly affected East Asia as well.
The Emperor back then kept pestering Venerable Xuanzang about his
experience in the west (west here is India, not Caucasian
countries). As Venerable Xuanzang's sole interest was to translate
the sutras he had brought back, he wrote a book title (if my memory
doesn't fail me) "Da Tang Xi Yu Ji". That is the real account
written by himself. No monkey, pigsy and sandy. No demons no
nothing. Only his accounts that he almost died of dehydration as he
ran out of water. Robbed by bandits. Well received by the kings of
the smaller nation outside the Chinese border. How he exceled in
the Nalanda University (consider to be the first buddhist
univeristy in the world back then). He was one of the top scholars
at Nalanda University.
So the real Venerable Xuanzang was way much stronger person than
written in Journey to the West.
In fact, I got to know from a friend, from what he had read, there
were many monks travelled to the west wanting to obtain sutras to
benefit their homeland. But due to the harsh conditions and many
unforeseen circumstances, many had died halfway. Venerable Xuanzang
was one of those handful who survived. He deserved our proper and
due respect. Keep him away from forklore belief. He was a talented
and determined scholar monk.
