西游取经故事的主旨演变与玄奘身世安排的嬗变

On the Evolution of the Story's Gist of Western Pilgrimage for Buddhist Scripture and Xuanzang's Family Background

玄奘西游取经故事在玄奘身世安排上呈现出从史传化到神圣化、虚幻化再到淡化的嬗变轨迹,这一嬗变和故事主旨的演变密切相关。早期的玄奘取经记载主要是对他献身佛学、光大佛法的精神进行赞颂,后来的取经诗话、平话逐渐地偏离史传,以文学虚构为主,西游取经题材戏曲为了迎合市民阶层的欣赏需要,极力杜撰与表现玄奘不平凡的身世,明清《西游记》小说则用游戏、象征笔法将玄奘西游取经故事改造成为神魔斗法故事。

Great changes have taken place in Xuanzang＇ s family background in the story of western pilgrimage for Buddhist scripture ： from historical to sacred, later to fabulous and simple in the end. These changes are identical with the evolution of the story＇ s gist. The early works mainly extolled Xuanzang＇ s spirits for devoting himself to Buddhism. Later, the popular stories interspersed with poems and songs were chiefly fabricated. Especially the play scripts and fictions of the subject had more trumped -up contents. In the Ming and the Qing dynasties Xi You Ji mainly narrated magic fights of supernatural beings against ghosts and monsters.