When mentioning Xuanzang, we can't help but think of "Journey to the West", the first romantic back-body novel about gods and demons in ancient China written by Wu Cheng'en in the Ming Dynasty. "Journey to the West" shows people a colorful world of gods and demons. Many of the ch

When we mention Xuanzang, we can't help but think of "Journey to the West", the first romantic ancient Chinese novel about gods and demons written by Wu Cheng'en in the Ming Dynasty. "Journey to the West" shows people a colorful world of gods and demons. Many of the characters and storylines in the book are household names and are deeply loved by readers at home and abroad. This impact is far-reaching and international. Today we will learn about the true life story of Xuanzang in "Journey to the West".

Xuanzang is one of the famous Buddhist figures in the history of Chinese Buddhism . He has translated a large number of Buddhist scriptures. His original name was Chen Bao. After becoming a monk, he visited famous monks and temples in the Central Plains, and also went to India, the birthplace of Buddhism, to study and retrieve Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhist scriptures. His deeds were widely circulated among the people. Maybe Xuanzang inherited his father's genes and was handsome and gentle, because Xuanzang's father Chen Hui was a talented person with an elegant temperament and extraordinary demeanor. Chen Hui had read poetry and books since he was a child, and was full of economic knowledge, but he had an indifferent temperament. He was elected as Xiaolian and served as the Jiangling Order. Xuanzang was not yet 3 years old when he resigned. Because of his father's education, Xuanzang was able to lay a solid foundation of knowledge and develop good personal cultivation. Xuanzang became a monk because of his poor family and the recommendation of his second brother Chen Su. From then on, Xuanzang embarked on the path of Buddhism. He became a young scholar and devoted himself to studying Buddhist classics, which laid a solid foundation for him to become a famous monk and a wise man who traveled all over the world.

Xuanzang's Buddhism

Buddhism was introduced to China and was highly praised by the rulers during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period. The young Xuanzang was not selected because of his young age. Fortunately, he had a conversation with Dali Temple minister Zheng Shan, "I want to imitate the spirit of Tathagata Buddha and promote Buddhism." Zheng Shan listened to the persistent young man's answer and praised it very much. He decided to help Xuanzang get ordained, so Xuanzang became a real monk. The Dharma name is Xuanzang, "Xuan" means remoteness; "Zang" in Shanxi and Shaanxi areas means strong and powerful. He was serious, intelligent, and hardworking, and all his teachers and friends respected and loved him.

At that time, there were two famous eminent monks in the Buddhist circles of Chang'an . One was Master Fachang, who was famous for his proficiency in the Mahayana Theory ; the other was Master Daoyue, who was famous for his special study of Theravada's Kushe Lun . Xuanzang studied tirelessly from them. Whether it was Mahayana or Hinayana, he studied hard and studied diligently. This was also the case when he came to India. This is one of the reasons why he became a great master. Xuanzang studied under two eminent monks in Chang'an. Of course he was familiar with the classics that he had already studied carefully. Xuanzang also showed amazing understanding of other classics that he had not read. In Buddhist terms, he has "the root of wisdom."

Ambition to Travel to the West

Xuanzang saw that there were too few translations of Buddhist classics to be used for research, and the translations were poorly written and full of errors. So Xuanzang made a major decision and made up his mind to travel westward to the birthplace of Buddhism, go to the birthplace of Buddhism, consult the eminent monks there about his doubts, and bring back classics that were not available in China.

Coincidentally, during the "Xuanwu Gate Incident", Taizong Li Shimin came to the throne, and the reign was "Zhenguan". The situation at home and abroad was unstable. Soldiers guarded Yumen Pass strictly, prohibiting people from communicating with outside the pass, and the applications of Xuanzang and other eminent monks were rejected. Xuanzang applied again, but was still rejected, so he decided to sneak out of the customs. According to incomplete statistics, there are about two hundred eminent monks who have gone west to seek Dharma in the past dynasties. From the Wei and Jin Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it became more and more popular for eminent monks to travel westward to seek Dharma. Mr. Liang Qichao called him "the foreign student from 1,500 years ago", and Xuanzang was undoubtedly the one with the best reputation and the most outstanding achievements.

Xuanzang studied scriptures extensively after arriving at Landa Temple in India. Xuanzang was naturally eager to learn. Coupled with the rich learning resources and superior learning environment of Nalanda Temple , many people speculated that Xuanzang should have been involved in the study of the Five Ming Dynasties. Xuanzang almost regarded these two disciplines as basic tools for scholarship.

Five years passed unknowingly. Xuanzang studied in this stable environment and lived a very fulfilling life.These five years were the climax of his Bible study, which laid a solid foundation for his future return to China to engage in Bible translation. In the nineteen years after Xuanzang returned to China, he focused on the work of translating scriptures. He translated a total of 75 classics, with a total of 1,335 volumes, and translated an average of 70 volumes a year. This speed and workload are unprecedented in the entire history of translation. The Buddhist scriptures he translated include both Mahayana and Hinayana. If he were not proficient in Sanskrit and other Indian languages, he would definitely not be able to complete these tasks. Xuanzang not only translated many works, but also translated them well. Many of his works are praised as the most valuable translations of scriptures.

Xuanzang's mentor, Master Jiexian, began to worry about Xuanzang's return to the country because Xuanzang had not returned for a long time. Because Jiexian had promised Cishi Bodhisattva to do his best to promote the Dharma, he wrote to Xuanzang in his letter: "I am old and should have retired, but seeing that you have come to seek Dharma regardless of your life and your spirit is commendable, I will not. I will try my best to help you explain the profound meaning of Buddhism. However, the importance of Buddhism is to spread it. I am really worried that you will miss the opportunity to promote Buddhism. Besides, knowledge and Buddhism are endless. Human life is like morning dew, so you should go back quickly! However, Xuanzang experienced many places and learned more Buddhist scriptures before slowly returning to the embrace of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. He couldn't help but feel endless aftertaste of this long journey of seeking scriptures.

Return to Chang'an to promote Buddhism

Xuanzang took a large number of Buddhist scriptures with him on his journey back home with an endless sense of mission and the pressure of time. In the first month of the nineteenth year of Zhenguan (AD 645), Xuanzang finally returned to Chang'an. In order to go to Chang'an, Sichuan was really excited about the news that Master Xuanzang had returned from studying scriptures in the West. According to official statistics, Master Xuanzang brought back a total of 657 Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhist scriptures and classics on enlightenment and statement theory, and twenty horses were dispatched to carry them. There are also 150 Buddha relics and seven Buddha statues. Taizong Li Shimin met him at Yiluan Hall , and mentioned that when he smuggled out of the customs, Taizong said to Xuanzang affectionately: "The master sacrificed his life to seek the Dharma in order to save all living beings. There is nothing forbidden." Xuanzang said. He also told Taizong about the local customs, politics and geography of the places along the way. Taizong was very happy to hear this and proposed to write it into a book so that all the people in the world could understand it. This directly contributed to the publication of "Records of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty" and invited Xuanzang to return to secular life to assist the government. But Xuanzang resolutely refused. Xuanzang continued to promote Buddhism and translated Buddhist scriptures until his death.

The eminent monk passed away, but his spirit lives on

On February 5, 664 AD, the eminent monk Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty passed away. Historically, Xuanzang walked the 50,000-mile journey alone. Without the disciples who ascended to heaven and earth in the novel, and without the GPS of modern technology, he traveled through the desert with "no birds above, no animals below, and a vast expanse of people and horses everywhere", and finally arrived at the "Nalanda Temple", the center of Indian Buddhism. The Records of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty, which was dictated by him and written by his apprentices, has become a precious historical material for studying the history of Central Asia and South Asia. Although Xuanzang has passed away from this world, his great achievements and extraordinary strong will will shine with the sun and the moon and will remain immortal forever. And his deeds of going through countless hardships, trekking the Western Regions and traveling throughout India were undoubtedly a feat in that era. Three centuries after Xuanzang's death, "Taiping Guangji", written in the Northern Song Dynasty, contains records that deify his deeds. During the Southern Song Dynasty, a songbook called "The Tripitaka of the Tang Dynasty's Search for Buddhist Scriptures" appeared. Based on this songbook, the Yuan Dynasty produced a drama called "The Tripitaka of the Tang Dynasty's Search for Buddhist Scriptures from the West." Finally, Wu Cheng'en, a novelist in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, relied on his rich imagination to create the immortal masterpiece "Journey to the West".

Looking back on Xuanzang's life, he pursued the true meaning of life with incomparable enthusiasm and strong will, and his perseverance in order to realize his ideals is enough to shine through the ages. He is a true master, a true eminent monk.