《唐僧取经图》
中国古典四大名著之一《西游记》讲述了唐僧师徒四人历经磨难去西天取经的故事。故事中“唐僧”的原型，是撰写了《大唐西域记》、实现中印文化交流的翻译家——高僧玄奘。《西游记》成书于明代，而早在西夏时期，唐僧取经的故事就被画入了敦煌壁画。敦煌石窟现存6幅《唐僧取经图》，出现在榆林窟和东千佛洞的西夏壁画中。这6幅《唐僧取经图》的内容和表现手法基本一致，大都不是独立画面，而是绘制在《水月观音变》或《普贤变》的一角。
榆林窟第2窟西壁门北的水月观音，斜倚岩壁坐于透明的圆光之中。观音对面的岩岸上，唐僧身穿袈裟，双手高举合十，面朝观音遥拜，其后猴行者穿窄袖衫、束腿裤，一手牵马，一手搭凉棚，仰望观音。榆林窟第3窟南侧的《普贤变》，普贤菩萨手持梵夹坐于六牙白象背上的莲座上，周围梵天、天王、菩萨、罗汉等护从。画面左边的崖岸上，唐僧立于岸边，身体微躬，双手合十而拜，猴行者与白马并排站立，紧随其后。猴行者毛发浓密，面露凶相，双目圆睁，张口露齿，亦双手合十礼拜。白马背驮包袱，包袱放出光芒，可见装有真经，据此可知这一画面是取经后返回东土的情节。这些西夏时期的《唐僧取经图》说明，早在《西游记》成书之前300多年，民间已流传唐僧取经的传奇故事。
Xuanzang Going on a Pilgrimage for Buddhist Scriptures
One of China's Four Great Classics, Journey to the West, tells the story of the Tang Monk and his three disciples enduring hardships to travel to the Western Heaven in quest of Buddhist scriptures. The character called "Tang Monk" in the story is based on the historical figure Xuanzang, an eminent monk and translator who authored Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang and facilitated cultural exchanges between China and India. The story of his journey had already been depicted in Dunhuang murals during the Western Xia period (1038-1227), although Journey to the West was written during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Six confirmed depictions of Xuanzang Going on a Pilgrimage for Buddhist Scriptures have been found so far in the Dunhuang Caves—the Western Xia murals in the Yulin Caves and the Eastern Thousand- Buddha Caves. These six illustrations share similar content and artistic styles, most of which are not standalone paintings but part of larger murals, often appearing in the corners of Water-Moon Guanyin or Samantabhadra transformation scenes.
In Yulin Cave 2, on the western wall north of the door, Water-Moon Guanyin is depicted reclining against a rock, seated within a transparent halo. Opposite Guanyin, the Tang Monk, wearing a kasaya, stands with his hands raised in prayer, facing Guanyin with reverence. Behind him, the itinerant monk is dressed in narrow-sleeved clothing and pants tied at the legs. He leads a horse with one hand while shading his eyes with the other, gazing up at Guanyin. In Cave 3 of Yulin, on the southern side, the Samantabhadra Transformation scene shows Samantabhadra Bodhisattva holding a palm-leaf manuscript while seated on a lotus throne atop a six-tusked white elephant. Surrounding the Bodhisattva are Brahma, heavenly kings, bodhisattvas, and arhats. To the left of the painting, the Tang Monk is depicted standing by the riverbank, slightly bowing with his hands clasped in prayer. The itinerant monk and the white horse stand side by side behind him, following closely. The itinerant monk is shown with thick hair, a fierce expression, bulging eyes, and bared teeth, yet he is also shown with hands clasped in prayer. The white horse carries a bundle that emits light, indicating it contains the true scriptures and revealing that this scene depicts the return journey after obtaining the scriptures from India. These scenes centered around the theme of Xuanzang Going on a Pilgrimage for Buddhist Scriptures from the Western Xia period suggest that the legendary tale of the monk's journey had already been circulating in folk culture over 300 years before Journey to the West was published.
