More legendary than Journey to the West: Xuanzang's Journey to the West

More legendary than Journey to the West: Xuanzang's Journey to the West

Zhang JinMember of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Working Committee of China Arts and Crafts Association

Lu Zhi

Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty studied Buddhism with great wisdom and set his sights on traveling west to seek Buddhist scriptures.

In 600 AD (some say 602 AD), a boy named Chen Yi was born in Chenhe Village, Luoyang, during the Sui Dynasty. However, Chen Yi had an unfortunate childhood. His mother and father died one after another, and he had no choice but to enter Buddhism. This was Xuanzang.

In 612, the imperial court selected monks. This was an activity initiated by the emperor and required a strict examination. Although Xuanzang was young, he was gifted and passed the examination and was ordained as an exception. In the next five or six years, Xuanzang had a unique understanding of Buddhism with his own talent, and his talent spread throughout Luoyang.

In 618, the Sui Dynasty fell, and Xuanzang went to Chang'an. At that time, Li Yuan had proclaimed himself emperor in Chang'an and established the Tang Dynasty. However, Chang'an was still not peaceful, so Xuanzang began his 7-year study abroad career.

During the seven years, Xuanzang traveled to various places, visited famous teachers, and studied various sutras and theories. At this time, Xuanzang had become famous and was hailed as a master of Buddhism. However, as his understanding of Buddhism became more profound, Xuanzang also became confused. What is the true nature of Buddha? Can ordinary people become Buddhas? At this time, Buddhism had been introduced to China for more than 600 years, but there was no answer in the scriptures that Xuanzang wanted, and no monk could tell him. He knew that he would spend his whole life seeking the answer.

In 625, Xuanzang ended his study abroad and returned to Chang'an. Chang'an was already stable at that time, so Xuanzang stayed in Chang'an. By chance, Xuanzang met a monk from India named Bopo, and felt the charm of the birthplace of Buddhism from him. Bopo told Xuanzang that there was a temple in India called Nalanda, which was the highest institution for studying Buddhism. There was a master named Jiexian there, who was a master of Buddhism in the world and was familiar with all Buddhist teachings. Xuanzang was determined to go to India to seek the true meaning of Buddhism and resolve the confusion in his heart.

The appearance of Bo Po gave Xuanzang a light in his heart. Xuanzang wrote to the court to request to go to the West to seek Dharma, but was rejected by the court. Because the Turks often went south at that time, and the Turks had defeated the Tang army that year, the court prohibited everyone from leaving the country. Not to mention going west, Xuanzang could not even leave Chang'an.

In the autumn of 627, Chang'an was hit by frost, and most of the crops in Guanzhong were frozen to death. Faced with famine, the court opened the city gates and let the victims go out to survive on their own. This became Xuanzang's opportunity. He resolutely followed the victims and left Chang'an. He was determined to go west alone. So, Xuanzang was not the younger brother of Emperor Taizong of Tang, and he did not have a pass from the Tang Dynasty. He just left Chang'an alone with his baggage.

At that time, there were two ways to go to India, sea and land. The sea route was not well developed, so most people could only take the land route, heading west from Chang'an, passing through the Western Regions and Central Asia, and finally arriving in India. This land route was the Silk Road of the time, and it was also the route Xuanzang took.

A month after Xuanzang left Chang'an, he arrived in Liangzhou. At that time, the situation between the Tang Dynasty and the Eastern Turks was extremely tense, and a war was imminent. The court did not allow people to travel west at all.

Xuanzang entered Liangzhou, but he didn't know how to leave Liangzhou, so he could only preach and wait for an opportunity. After another month, Xuanzang not only did not find an opportunity, but was reported by spies for his intention to travel west. Liangzhou Governor Li Daliang immediately ordered him to return to Chang'an. However, Liangzhou's Buddhist leader Master Huiwei valued Xuanzang's Dharma and was very happy to hear about his ambition to seek Dharma. He sent two monks, Huilin and Daozheng, to cover him out of Liangzhou. This is the so-called sneaking out of the country, especially in Liangzhou, where war preparations were tense at the time, which was very dangerous.

After leaving Liangzhou, Xuanzang and his two companions hid their identities, traveled at night and hid during the day, and walked along the Hexi Corridor. They arrived at Guazhou City, and then to the west was the border of the Tang Dynasty, and then the Western Regions. However, Guazhou City was the last military town in the western frontier of the Tang Dynasty, and Xuanzang did not dare to be exposed again. He hid in the inn and thought about how to sneak across the border and how to pass Yumen Pass.

As autumn was about to pass, Xuanzang was still stranded in Guazhou City, at a loss as to what to do. Liangzhou had already issued a warrant to arrest Xuanzang, who had secretly traveled west. Li Chang, a state official, approached Xuanzang, but Li Chang was a devout Buddhist who respected Xuanzang. He tore up the document and told Xuanzang that he had to leave Guazhou City quickly.

Fortunately, he accepted Shi Pantuo as his apprentice, and also got a good red horse.

Xuanzang was extremely anxious, but he had no idea what to do. Dao Zheng ran back to Dunhuang in fear. Xuanzang knew that they were not suitable for long journeys, so he asked Huilin to go back as well. Xuanzang was anxious but had no one to guide him, so he went to the nearby Ta'er Temple to pray to the Buddha, hoping that someone would lead him across the border. Xuanzang did find someone, the Hu people Shipantuo. Shipantuo was a merchant, and he asked Xuanzang to touch his head and receive precepts for him, and he became Xuanzang's apprentice.

Shipantuo is the prototype of Sun Wukong. In the murals of Dunhuang Caves in Gansu today, there are two lifelike images of Xuanzang's journey to the West. In the murals, there is a monk with his hands folded together, and behind the monk there is a monkey-shaped man leading a horse. This is a mural from the Western Xia period, and "Journey to the West" was written by Wu Chengen in the early Ming Dynasty. It turns out that Sun Wukong was not written casually by Wu Chengen. According to research, the monkey-shaped man is Shipantuo.

Shipantuo was Xuanzang's first disciple, and he promised to escort his master out of seclusion. So Xuanzang bought a horse and prepared to follow Shipantuo to sneak across the border of the Tang Dynasty. Shipantuo came as promised, and brought an old Hu man riding a red horse, who was an old man who had been walking on the Silk Road for many years.

The old Hu man told Xuanzang that the journey to the west was extremely dangerous and advised him not to go west. Xuanzang was determined that he would not return east until he reached the Brahman Kingdom, and he would not regret it even if he died on the way. The old man also suggested that Xuanzang's horse was too young and could not go long distances. His old horse had been to Yiwu 15 times and was strong and knew the way. So Xuanzang exchanged horses with him. This bay horse was of course not the white dragon horse in "Journey to the West", but it was more important to Xuanzang than the white dragon horse. It could identify directions and later saved Xuanzang's life.

Shi Pantuo wanted to kill Tang Xuanzang, the ascetic monk bravely traveled alone in the desert

After Xuanzang and Shi Pantuo bid farewell to the old Hu people, they led the horses and began their journey of smuggling. To smuggle, they had to pass through Yumen Pass first, then a large desert, and fetch water under the beacon tower. There were 5 beacon towers outside Yumen Pass, which were built at the water source. They had to fetch water here, and then go west across the 800-li sand sea Moheyanqi to reach the first small country in the Western Regions - Yiwulu.

As soon as they passed Yumen Pass, Shi Pantuo wavered. It was a capital crime to sneak across the border. If you were caught fetching water under the beacon tower by the guards, you would be shot to death. Shi Pantuo didn't want to go. He was also worried that he would be implicated if Xuanzang was caught. In the middle of the night, Shi Pantuo wanted to kill Xuanzang to silence him. Xuanzang swore that he would never betray him, so Shi Pantuo left, and Xuanzang walked towards the desert alone. Look, the real Sun Wukong was too unkind. He almost killed his master. His main role was to help Xuanzang sneak out of the border.

The deserted desert, the horse that accompanied Xuanzang, and the Buddha in his heart. Under the scorching sun, Xuanzang had hallucinations and forced himself to walk 80 miles, finally reaching the first beacon tower. When fetching water, Xuanzang was discovered by the guards and was almost shot to death by arrows. Fortunately, the captain Wang Xiang here was a Buddhist believer. He was extremely respectful to Xuanzang and prepared enough dry food and drinking water for him. Wang Xiang then asked Xuanzang to go directly to the fourth beacon tower, where his relative Wang Bolong, who was also a Buddhist believer, was.

When he arrived at the fourth beacon tower that night, Xuanzang wanted to get water quietly, but he was discovered again and was almost shot. After Wang Bolong found out, he gave Xuanzang a large leather bag of drinking water and dry food for both man and horse, and told him that the captain of the fifth beacon tower was careless and he could go to Yema Spring to get water.

From then on, Xuanzang walked towards the 800-li long Moheyan Desert. In this land of death, there were only Xuanzang and his horse. In the dangerous environment, he had hallucinations and got lost. He was even more desperate because he could not find the Wild Horse Spring and his water bag was overturned. Without water, it was impossible to get out of the desert. Xuanzang could only break his oath that he would never return to the east, and he went back. Breaking his oath was a torment for a pious monk.

I would rather die on the journey west than live on the journey east. After walking more than ten miles on the arduous journey east, Xuanzang went west again, preferring death to return east. The scorching sun and strong wind, the endless yellow sand, and the lack of water for 5 days and 4 nights, Xuanzang was not afraid, but his physical strength could no longer support him, and he fell in the desert. On the fifth night, the cold wind blew, and Xuanzang, who had fallen in the desert, woke up. He stood up again and used his last strength to walk west.

An oasis suddenly appeared in the desert, and the King of Gaochang personally welcomed Xuanzang

A miracle happened at this moment. The exhausted bay horse unexpectedly found a patch of green grass and a pond, and Xuanzang plunged into the water. The man and the horse drank water and rested for a day, then fetched water and grass and headed west again.

After passing through Xingxing Gorge, we finally arrived at Yiwulu. When Xuanzang first entered Yiwulu, he saw a Buddhist temple. There were three Han monks in the temple. An old monk did not expect to meet someone from his hometown, so he ran out barefoot without putting on his clothes. Xuanzang was also very moved. He was a man who had just brushed shoulders with death, but he did not expect to see someone from his hometown again. The two hugged each other and cried.

From Yiwu, the Silk Road began to split. The northern route was mainly grassland, while the central and southern routes both passed through the desert. Xuanzang naturally planned to take the northern route. At this time, Gaochang, the largest country in the Western Regions, sent a letter to Yiwu, asking them to send Xuanzang to Gaochang.

After Xuanzang entered Gaochang, the King of Gaochang came out to greet him personally.

The King of Gaochang was a Han Chinese named Qu Wentai. Qu Wentai had traveled to the Central Plains in his early years and attached great importance to Han culture. He was a believer in Buddhism, and Gaochang also respected Buddhism as the state religion.

Gaochang was a Buddhist country, and the people believed in Buddhism. Xuanzang was not only a Buddhist master, but also had a profound knowledge of Chinese culture. Therefore, Qu Wentai hoped that Xuanzang would stay. However, Xuanzang's heart was unshakable. Facing the stubborn Xuanzang, Qu Wentai failed to persuade him to stay and threatened him, saying that he should either stay or be sent back to his country.

The Flaming Mountain in Journey to the West is in Gaochang, but the Flaming Mountain is not scary, but the difficulty lies in the obstruction of the King of Gaochang. In fact, Qu Wentai's attempt to retain Xuanzang had another meaning. At this time, the Tang Dynasty and the Turks were about to go to war, and Gaochang was unable to choose between the two. Qu Wentai hoped that Xuanzang could stay and give him guidance at the critical moment. Xuanzang was determined to go west, and he could not persuade Qu Wentai, so he could only protest by hunger strike.

Xuanzang fasted for 4 days and his breath gradually weakened. This act of sacrificing one's life for the sake of the Dharma made Qu Wentai feel guilty and agreed to let him go west. The two also swore brotherhood in front of the Buddha statue. Qu Wentai was willing to do his utmost to help Xuanzang go west, but only asked him to preach in Gaochang for 3 years after returning from the journey to the west. Xuanzang agreed. Xuanzang was not Li Shimin's brother, but he was the sworn brother of the King of Gaochang, which was also legendary.

Qu Wentai mobilized the whole country to help Xuanzang. Qu Wentai arranged everything for Xuanzang. He prepared luggage for Xuanzang and arranged 4 apprentices for him to take care of him on the road. In order to facilitate Xuanzang's journey to the west, Qu Wentai wrote letters to 24 kings along the way. Most importantly, Qu Wentai wrote a letter to the Khan of the Western Turks, stating that Xuanzang was his brother and asking him to help take care of him and escort him out of the country. This was Xuanzang's pass. In the Western Regions, Gaochang was a big country, and other countries had to give it face; in Central Asia, the Turks were even more dominant, and if he wanted to go to Central Asia, he had to have the support of the Turks.

In the winter of 627, when Xuanzang was leaving, Qu Wentai brought all the people in Gaochang to see him off. At this time, Xuanzang had a large team, including 30 horses, 25 followers, 4 apprentices, and Gaochang Imperial Censor Huanxin. Qu Wentai also prepared generous gifts for the 24 kings along the way, asking them to take care of their brothers; he bought 30 sets of robes for his brothers, as well as special masks, gloves, shoes and socks to protect against wind, sand and cold, as well as 100 taels of gold, 30,000 taels of silver, 500 bolts of silk...

According to the prices at that time, the silver Qu Wentai gave to Xuanzang was equivalent to 1,500 good horses. This was enough money for his brother to travel back and forth for 20 years. Xuanzang was ashamed and did not dare to accept it. Qu Wentai just said to him, "Since you have agreed to be brothers, the state's livestock and teachers are all yours. Why refuse?"

Li Shimin's farewell to Tang Monk in Journey to the West was based on this, but Qu Wentai was far superior to Li Shimin. Qu Wentai mobilized the whole country to help Xuanzang. It can be said that without Qu Wentai, Xuanzang's journey to the West would not have been successful. Unfortunately, the brothers parted ways and never met again.

The road to smuggling is full of ups and downs, but the desire to seek truth is indestructible

After Gaochang was the Kingdom of Agni (Yanqi), and the Xuanzhuang team officially began their journey westward.

Yanqi was a country without moral principles and laws, and was infested with bandits. Xuanzang's team encountered bandits on the road, but their team was not small, so after giving the bandits some treasures, they withdrew. After entering the capital of Yanqi, because Yanqi and Gaochang had a feud, Xuanzang was not welcome here, and they were not allowed to change horses. They only stayed for one night before leaving.

After Yanqi, there is Kucha. Kucha is the center of Buddhist culture, and Xuanzang's team was warmly welcomed. Because the roads were closed in winter, Xuanzang stayed in Kucha for two months, participated in the grand Buddhist gathering, and felt the unique cultural atmosphere of the hometown of the Buddhist master Kumarajiva.

In the spring of the following year, Xuanzang's team left Qiuci. At the beginning of the journey, the team encountered more than 2,000 Turkic bandits, but due to the uneven distribution of the spoils, they all dispersed, and Xuanzang's team was not damaged.

After the robbers left, the team continued to travel west. After 600 miles, they arrived at the Kingdom of Baluka (Gumo). After staying for a day, they continued to move forward. After another 300 miles, they arrived at Lingshan Mountain. Xuanzang was going to cross Lingshan Mountain and pass through the Pamir Mountains. The harsh environment and terrain of the snowy mountains were extremely severe. Some people collapsed due to exhaustion, and some fell into the valley. What was even more terrifying was the boundless cold and the terrible avalanche, which was the most terrible killer.

Seven days later, Xuanzang's team finally left Lingshan. Nearly half of the team of more than 30 people did not make it out, including Xuanzang's two disciples, who were buried in the snowy mountains. No one knows their names, but it was with them that Xuanzang was able to leave the snowy mountains.

Xuanzang did not have the help of Li Shimin, nor the protection of Sun Wukong, but he was helped by countless devout people along the way, and it was these people who made Xuanzang what he is today.

After reaching Lingshan, Xuanzang’s team continued to move forward.

After leaving the snow-capped mountains, the first thing Xuanzang saw was a large lake - Rehe. Rehe is Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. Traveling 500 miles northwest along the coast, you will reach the Western Turkic royal court, Suiye City. Xuanzang's team has stepped into the Central Asian steppes and entered Central Asia.

The Turks believed in Zoroastrianism, which was incompatible with Buddhism, and Xuanzang was extremely worried. After Xuanzang's team entered Suiye City, Tongyehu Khan of the Western Turks summoned him. The Western Turks and the Tang Dynasty had always been friendly, and Xuanzang was not only a Tang monk, but also the brother of the King of Gaochang. The King of Gaochang wrote a letter to the Khan and prepared generous gifts. The Khan was very polite to Xuanzang and sent an officer who was proficient in Chinese to escort them through the vast Western Turkic Empire.

After leaving Suiye City, the team traveled westwards, passing Qianquan, Talas City, Xiaogu City, Baishui City, Gongyu City, Jianchi Kingdom, then Zheshi Kingdom, Sudulisena Kingdom, and after crossing the northwest Great Desert for 500 miles, they arrived at Samo Kingdom (Kangguo), and Xuanzang arrived at Samarkand, the most legendary city in Central Asia.

Samarkand did not welcome Xuanzang because most people there believed in Zoroastrianism. When two of Xuanzang's disciples went to the temple to worship Buddha, they were almost besieged and killed by the Zoroastrians who were making trouble. Later, Xuanzang explained Buddhism to the king of Samarkand, and he changed his beliefs overnight and expelled the Zoroastrians who were making trouble. Since then, Samarkand no longer attacked Buddhists, and monks moved into the temple again.

After leaving Samarkand, Xuanzang's team went west again. After passing through the Kingdom of Qushuangnijia (called Heguo in the Tang Dynasty), the Kingdom of Hehan (Dong'an), the Kingdom of Bohe (Zhong'an), the Kingdom of Fadi (Xi'an), the Kingdom of Huoliximijia (Huoxun), and the Kingdom of Jieshuangna (Shi), after 300 miles, they arrived at Tiemenguan. This is a military fortress leading to South Asia, and it is a fortress controlled by the Western Turks. Xuanzang's team was escorted by Turkic officers and easily passed through Tiemenguan.

Propagation of Dharma

After passing through the Iron Gate Pass, Xuanzang and his companions traveled southwards through the Kingdom of Duhuo and then to the Kingdom of Tamy near the Amu Darya River. Although Tamy was small, Buddhism was very prosperous. After worshipping in the temple, Xuanzang and his companions replenished their drinking water and set off again.

After the Kingdom of Mi is the Kingdom of Huo, which was originally the most suitable place for Xuanzang's team to rest. The king of Huo was Tadu, the son of the King of Western Turks, and the queen was the sister of the King of Gaochang. The queen heard that Xuanzang had a letter from his brother and had been looking forward to it. However, when Xuanzang arrived, the queen had unfortunately passed away. At this time, Tadu was also seriously ill. He said that he would send someone to send Xuanzang to India after he recovered.

After Tadu recovered from his illness, Xuanzang prepared to leave. But what people didn't expect was that Tadu's young and beautiful new queen had an affair with one of his sons, Teqin, and Tadu was murdered. Teqin usurped the throne and made himself king, and married the new stepmother. For this reason, Xuanzang and his party stayed for a month before setting off again.

After the Huo Kingdom, Xuanzang and his party traveled through various countries, crossed the snow-capped mountains and the Black Mountains and arrived at Kapisa. There was a large temple in Kapisa called "Shaloka", which was said to have been built by a prince of the Han Dynasty when he was a hostage here. "Shaloka" means "Luoyang". Here, Xuanzang felt the atmosphere of his hometown and stayed for half a year, preaching, visiting holy sites, seeing the Buddha's parietal bone, and seeing the Buddha's shadow in the depths of the Jalalabad Caves after more than 400 prostrations.

Leaving Kapisa, it was no longer the territory of the Turks. The Turkic army returned to the grasslands, and Xuanzang only took two disciples with him, crossed the Black Ridge into the northern Indian kingdoms of Rambo and Nagarahu, crossed the Indus River, and entered the Gandhara region. The Yuezhi people once established the Kushan Dynasty here. This place was once powerful and was once a holy place for Buddhism. Most of the Buddhist masters came from here. However, when Xuanzang arrived, the royal family here had long been extinct, the population was sparse, the temples and pagodas were abandoned, and Buddhism was in decline.

After leaving Gandhara, he passed through Uddiyana, Bhūtarā, Khutsila, Sanghapura, and Ulashī to reach Kashmir. Kashmir Buddhism was very prosperous. It was the fourth place in the history of Buddhism to gather Buddhist scriptures. 500 monks gathered here to discuss Buddhist scriptures. For this reason, Xuanzang stayed here for nearly two years to read the vast Buddhist scriptures.

The Buddhist cultural center at that time was Nalanda, which was Xuanzang's destination. So Xuanzang and his two disciples continued to travel south. On the way, they encountered a group of more than 50 robbers and were almost killed. They escaped by luck.

Xuanzang continued to travel southward, crossing 3,000 li, passing through 7 small countries, and stopped at Zhinapudi. "Zhinapuddi" means "Chinese land" in Chinese. It is said that a prince of the Han Dynasty once lived here, so the people here loved Xuanzang very much.

After staying in Naputi for half a year, Xuanzang set out on his journey again. It had been nearly four years since he left Chang'an, and he saw the Ganges.

Going down the Ganges, Xuanzang encountered the most dangerous ordeal. He was kidnapped again by a group of bandits, a special group of Hindus, who wanted to kill the goddess Tuga, whom Xuanzang worshipped. At this time, a miracle occurred. The sky suddenly changed, and the waves rose. The bandits had to stop the worship. After returning Xuanzang's things, the river became calm. This was the most miraculous experience Xuanzang had.

After escaping the disaster, Xuanzang set out again. Passing through the southwestern forests where evil beasts roamed, Xuanzang finally arrived at Kapilavastu. Kapilavastu was the birthplace of Sakyamuni, the hometown of the Buddha, and the birthplace of Buddhism. However, when Xuanzang arrived here, it had lost its former glory and the capital had collapsed.

After passing through a forest, Xuanzang arrived at Kushinagar, where the Buddha passed away. After seeing the Buddha's Nirvana statue, Xuanzang walked along the path that the Buddha had walked on the Ganges Plain, and he recorded what he saw and heard. It was Xuanzang's records that left the truth for the history of ancient India.

After leaving Kushinagar, Xuanzang went to Deer Park, where the Buddha first preached after enlightenment. Although there were many people here, Buddhism was declining at that time, and most of them believed in heterodoxies. Xuanzang set out again to Vaishali, where most of the temples had collapsed.

Then he went to the Mahabodhi Temple where the Buddha attained enlightenment, but Buddhism had also declined here. There were two statues of Bodhisattvas near the Bodhi tree, and the mud had already covered the Bodhisattvas' chests. According to the old man, if the statues of Bodhisattvas were buried by the mud, Buddhism would die. Xuanzang had never shed tears in the face of numerous dangers, but now he burst into tears. He cried for the decline of Buddhism.

The popular monk Xuanzang

In the autumn of 631, Xuanzang finally arrived at Nalanda, the holy place in his heart. The monks of Nalanda held a grand ceremony to welcome the arrival of a Chinese monk.

The Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang in Journey to the West actually went to Nalanda to seek Buddhist scriptures. When Xuanzang arrived in ancient India, Buddhism had already declined, but Nalanda was still glorious. It was a Buddhist university with 10,000 students. Nalanda was the center of Buddhist culture, and its collection of books was second to none in the Buddhist world.

The abbot of Nalanda was Master Jiexian, a master who was over 100 years old and had read all the scriptures. Xuanzang took Jiexian as his teacher and studied Buddhism in Nalanda Temple, which means tireless charity, and explored the true wonders of Buddhism.

At Nalanda, learning was above all else, and Xuanzang was treated with great respect. Xuanzang first visited the sacred Buddhist site of Vulture Peak, and began to study Buddhism tirelessly. For Xuanzang, Jiexian reopened the lecture hall and lectured on the most important Buddhist scripture, the Yogacarabhumi Sutra. This lecture lasted for 15 months. For the sake of his students from afar, Jiexian exhausted all his energy to finish lecturing on this 40,000-verse sutra, which caused a sensation in ancient India.

Xuanzang studied in Nalanda for five years. During these five years, he read through Buddhist scriptures, studied ancient Indian logic and linguistics, and carefully studied the scriptures written in Sanskrit.

Five years later, Xuanzang traveled again, wanting to see further and learn more. In the following three years, Xuanzang traveled to dozens of countries in the east, south, west and north of India. Later, Xuanzang's "Great Tang Records on the Western Regions" recorded many geographical stories, such as the Western Women's Kingdom, which was only populated by women.

During his travels, Xuanzang had a dream. He dreamed that Nalanda was desolate and the Bodhisattva told him that he should go back because there would be chaos in 10 years. Later, the dream was proved to be true.

In this way, Xuanzang returned to Nalanda and prepared to return home immediately. However, Jiexian hoped that Xuanzang would open a forum in Nalanda to debate with a monk who attacked the Yoga school. For the glory of Nalanda and Jiexian's reputation, Xuanzang stayed to open the forum and defeated his opponent. After this forum, Xuanzang became a monk with a great reputation throughout India, but he still wanted to return to the Tang Dynasty to bring what he had learned back to his hometown.

The monks of Nalanda all dissuaded Xuanzang from staying, but this could not stop his determination. It was only the debates that kept Xuanzang there. The debates brought honor, but also brought more and more powerful opponents, even involving the two most powerful kings.

When Xuanzang was about to leave, the King of East India invited him to come. Nalanda refused because Xuanzang was leaving. The King of East India was extremely angry and said that if Xuanzang did not come, he would destroy Nalanda. Xuanzang had no choice but to stay, but the famous King Harsha also summoned him. All the expenses of Nalanda were funded by King Harsha. The two kings refused to give in, but in the end, the King of East India gave in.

Xuanzang met with Queen Harsha and participated in the largest debate in Indian history. In addition to King Harsha and the King of East India, 18 other kings also attended the debate. Indian monks and talented people from other sects were all present.

Xuanzang first proposed the argument and said that someone could break the sutra and be beheaded voluntarily. No one expected Xuanzang to be so resolute. After one day, no one dared to challenge him. After five days, no one dared to go up. But at night, someone burned the gate of the venue. This was because some people were dissatisfied with Xuanzang and could only vent their anger through violence. After 18 days, no one still went up. In this way, Xuanzang won and was awarded the titles of "Mahayana Heaven" and "Liberation Heaven". Both Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhist believers respected him as a master.

This is an unprecedented legend in which Xuanzang became a master of Buddhism in a foreign land.

In the year when Xuanzang became famous, King Harsha sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty, and the Tang Dynasty also sent envoys to India. In this year, Xuanzang was even more determined to return to the Tang Dynasty immediately. He collected various precious Buddhist scriptures, which would surely have a significant impact when he brought them back.

Are Xuanzang and Li Shimin related?

In late spring and early summer of 641, Xuanzang bid farewell to India and Nalanda.

On the way back, Xuanzang led a large team, carrying Buddha statues and scriptures. When crossing the Indus River, Xuanzang and his party encountered a storm, and the person guarding the scriptures fell into the river. He was rescued by everyone, but 50 scriptures fell into the river.

When Xuanzang traveled west, he took the middle route of the Silk Road. This time, he took the southern route, crossing the Pamir Plateau to the border of the Western Regions, getting closer and closer to the Tang Dynasty. In fact, Xuanzang could have taken the more time-saving sea route, which was more convenient with the support of the Indian king. However, Xuanzang had an agreement with the King of Gaochang, and he had to go to Gaochang to fulfill his promise.

After crossing the mountains and the Wakhan Corridor, he arrived at Kapantuo and then Qiesha. In Qiesha, Xuanzang met a Gaochang merchant and heard the sad news that Gaochang had been destroyed by the Tang Dynasty because of its alliance with the Turks, and Qu Wentai had already died.

Qu Wentai had died, so Xuanzang decided to return directly to the Tang Dynasty via the southern route of the Silk Road. Xuanzang and his entourage first arrived at the Buddhist kingdom of Khotan in the Western Regions, where they stayed.

In Khotan, Xuanzang was warmly received. When he was about to enter the country, Xuanzang felt uneasy. He wrote a letter to Emperor Taizong of Tang, admitting his mistake of sneaking across the border, and gave him all the credit for obtaining the scriptures, saying that it was all thanks to his divine power.

In fact, Xuanzang's journey to seek Buddhist scriptures had nothing to do with Li Shimin. Xuanzang did receive support from countless devout people, and also received help from foreign countries such as Gaochang and Western Turkic, but Li Shimin and the Tang Dynasty court did not give him any help. However, Xuanzang had already understood during his travels that the promotion of Buddhism required the support of the court, and without the support of the court, everything was in vain.

Half a year later, the Tang Dynasty's special envoy arrived. Emperor Taizong did not blame Xuanzang, but arranged a route for him to return home. In this way, Xuanzang embarked on the road back to China, returning eastward along the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert. At this time, the ancient kingdoms of Loulan and Jingjue had become a wasteland. After Loulan, through a poplar forest, Xuanzang and his party arrived at the border of the Tang Dynasty, and in front of them was Dunhuang.

In the autumn of 644, Xuanzang arrived in Dunhuang. He did not stay in Dunhuang and left directly.

In early 645, Xuanzang arrived in Chang'an. Although Xuanzang arrived early, many common people came after hearing the news. The next day, the prime minister arranged a grand welcome ceremony for Xuanzang.

After 18 years, 110 countries, and 50,000 miles of travel, Xuanzang returned. During his stay in India, Xuanzang collected numerous Buddhist scriptures and sacred objects, including 657 Buddhist scriptures, 150 Buddhist relics, and 7 precious Buddha statues, and more importantly, immeasurable spiritual wealth.

Xuanzang was not present at the grand welcoming ceremony. He did not care about the momentary glory. What Xuanzang needed was the support of the court, so he went to Luoyang, where Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, was at the time.

Li Shimin talked with Xuanzang for a long time. He admired Xuanzang's perseverance, but he was not very interested in promoting Buddhism. However, in the end, Li Shimin reluctantly expressed that he would support Xuanzang in developing Buddhism in the name of the country and select eminent monks to help him translate Buddhist scriptures. In addition, Li Shimin was very concerned about the customs and practices of the Western Regions. He asked Xuanzang to write a book to record what he had seen and heard in 19 years. Li Shimin wanted to restore the Silk Road and needed information from the West, so he repeatedly urged Xuanzang to write about what he had seen and heard.

This was a huge and arduous project. Xuanzang translated Buddhist scriptures during the day and wrote books for Li Shimin at night. He dictated from memory and his disciple Bian Ji was responsible for recording. This is "A Record of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty".

The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions recorded the customs and practices of 138 countries in the Western Regions and South Asia. Li Shimin praised Xuanzang highly after reading it, but he refused to write a preface to the Buddhist scriptures that Xuanzang asked him to translate. After writing the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, Xuanzang put all his energy into translating Buddhist scriptures.

In 648, Li Shimin summoned Xuanzang again. Li Shimin was not interested in Buddhism, but wanted Xuanzang to return to secular life and assist the court. Xuanzang refused and presented him with a newly translated sutra and asked him to write a preface. This time, Li Shimin did not decisively refuse, and he gave Xuanzang a cassock worth a hundred gold.

A cassock worth a hundred gold coins is not important, and so is a cassock worth ten thousand gold coins. Xuanzang was happy that Li Shimin finally agreed to write a preface for the Buddhist scriptures. Li Shimin wrote a 781-word "Preface to the Holy Teachings of the Great Tang Tripitaka", which highly praised Xuanzang's feat of traveling west and affirmed his translation of Buddhist scriptures. Li Shimin also named Xuanzang the leader of the Buddhist sect, and expressed his support for Buddhism for the first time. With the emperor's support, Buddhism began to revive in the Tang Dynasty.

In this year, Crown Prince Li Zhi prayed for the Queen Mother and built the Ci'en Temple in Chang'an. Li Shimin appointed Xuanzang as the abbot, and the books and Buddha statues he brought back were stored in the temple. This was also the first time Xuanzang served as the abbot, but he was still mainly responsible for translating Buddhist scriptures.

When everything was going well, something happened that hit Xuanzang hard. Xuanzang's most respected disciple was Bianji, who was his successor. He was very talented and was Xuanzang's right-hand man in translating scriptures. However, he was beheaded because of having an affair with Princess Gaoyang. Without a successor, the translation work was greatly affected. In addition, people were talking about it, and the monk's character was questioned. All Xuanzang's hard work might be ruined. For this reason, Xuanzang had to run around the royal family.

In 649, Li Shimin died. In the last month of his life, Xuanzang often accompanied him. After Li Shimin's death, Xuanzang accelerated the translation of Buddhist scriptures and explained the Dharma to his disciples to promote Buddhism.

The inheritance of Buddhism is important, but it also needs the support of the court. For this reason, Xuanzang repeatedly prayed for the prince. When Wu Zetian gave birth to a prince, he wrote five consecutive letters to pray for blessings. In 652, Xuanzang wrote to Emperor Li Zhi, requesting to build a pagoda in Ci'en Temple to preserve the scriptures he brought. Li Zhi agreed. This is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which contains the Buddhist scriptures brought by Xuanzang. The prototype of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda comes from the Gānshā Pagoda near Nalanda in India. "Gānshā" means wild goose, and it was designed and constructed by Xuanzang according to his memory.

In the second year after the completion of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, an Indian monk came to Chang'an. The Indian monk brought a message that Master Jiexian had passed away. Thinking of the teacher's teaching of Buddhism and the repeated instructions before his departure, he was overwhelmed with sadness and translated Buddhist scriptures day and night. At this time, translation work was supported by Li Zhi and had become an important national work. However, some officials in the court believed that the emperor paid too much attention to Buddhism and repeatedly wrote to him for suggestions. Xuanzang had to run back and forth between the temple and the palace.

In 656, Xuanzang wrote to Li Zhi hoping to abolish the law that put Taoism first and Buddhism second. Xuanzang just wanted to give Buddhists more living space, but Li Zhi was furious and rejected the letter. Xuanzang, who had been working hard for a long time, was so shocked that he fell ill and almost died.

The next year, Xuanzang recovered from his illness and came to Luoyang. Luoyang was Xuanzang's hometown, but things had changed a lot. He only found his elderly sister. After much inquiry, he found his parents' abandoned graves. Xuanzang and his sister reburied his parents together. This was his last tie in the secular world.

In 659, Xuanzang came to Yuhua Temple. In Yuhua Temple, Xuanzang decided to translate the largest version of the Great Prajna Sutra. He rejected his disciples' suggestion to simplify the text and insisted on translating it word for word. Four years later, the translation was finally completed.

On the third day of the first lunar month in 664, Xuanzang prepared to translate new Buddhist scriptures. After reluctantly translating a few lines, Xuanzang put down the scriptures and told his disciples that he would return soon. He finally stopped his 19-year translation work. In 19 years, Xuanzang translated 47 Buddhist scriptures, 1,335 volumes, a huge number and rigorous quality, unprecedented and unparalleled, and the only one in world history.

On the night of February 5, 664, Xuanzang passed away. At the last moment, he believed that he could become a Buddha. On April 14, Xuanzang was buried. From the royal family to the common people, from Buddhists to the secular world, a million people from 500 miles around Chang'an came to attend the funeral.

Xuanzang was a man who sacrificed his life for the pursuit of the Dharma. His life was a legend. Today, the ancient kingdoms of the Western Regions have become a sea of ​​sand, and Nalanda has become a relic that can only be seen in the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions. The history of ancient India is almost blank. The reconstruction of Indian history was entirely dependent on Xuanzang. Rajgir and Nalanda Temple were excavated based on the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions.

This is Xuanzang's legendary life, which is far more legendary than the one in "Journey to the West".