《西遊記》的安天論述──以「如來佛祖傳經造極樂」為討論核心

The Discourse of Cosmic Stabilization in Journey to the West─A Discussion on“The Tathagata’s Transmission of the Scriptures to Establish the Pure Land”

《西遊記》的故事主體，基本上是以重寫玄奘取經史實而構成的。惟在重寫過程中，小說敘述不再以複製歌頌玄奘朝聖取經的聖蹟為主導，而是另有重要的寄託和寓意。本文立足於「世變」的視角之上，旨在重新考察《西遊記》一書的話語構成，探討「如來佛祖傳經造極樂」的動機與目的。首先，本文認為《西遊記》寫定者有意以孫悟空形象比喻「人心」，試圖在「借卵化猴完大道」的取喻書寫中，通過孫悟空爭天行動的展演，深入反思人心善惡變化如何影響天下秩序運作的問題。其次，有關如來佛祖協助玉帝收伏孫悟空的情節設置，乃是基於「猿猴道體配人心，心即猿猴意思深」的編創思維而來，針對如何尋求對治天下人心之道所建構的一則象徵性敘述，蘊含平治天下的政治關懷。整體而言，在安天的政治期望主導下，《西遊記》的話語構成，實際上蘊含著不可忽視的淑世理想。

The main narrative of Journey to the West is a fictionalized adaptation of Xuan Zang’s historical pilgrimage, yet it goes beyond merely commemorating his sacred journey. This paper reexamines the text from the perspective of“world stabilization”, focusing on the discourse behind the motif“Tathagata’s Transmission of the Scriptures to Establish the Pure Land”. It argues that the author uses Sun Wu Kong as a metaphor for the human mind, reflecting on how the struggle between good and evil within the heart affects cosmic order. The plot in which the Tathagata aids the Jade Emperor in subduing Sun Wu Kong symbolizes the political and moral search for managing the unruly heart. Through the concept“the ape-body reflects the human mind”, the novel embeds political concerns about maintaining harmony. Ultimately, Journey to the West reveals a Shushi-style idealism shaped by the desire to restore order to a chaotic world.