The Great Vehicle Scriptures are the body of teachings sought and transmitted in Journey to the West. They give the pilgrimage its public purpose: Tang Seng travels from the Tang realm to the Buddha’s mountain so teachings capable of relieving suffering may be carried east.
The mission is announced near the beginning, while chapter 98 describes the three collections of discourse, discipline, and scripture and the selection of written volumes for the pilgrims. The episode of the blank scriptures also shows that transmission is neither automatic nor free from human bargaining.
This subject is larger than the physical bundles borne on the return journey. The books make the achievement visible, but their meaning lies in authorized transmission, translation, preservation, and use. The quest ends only when knowledge crosses back into a community that can receive it.