Top Choice 04/13/2016 Xuanzang’s Pilgrimage Part 7-8

The Ganges is the largest river in India. From the Himalaya mountains to the Indian Ocean, it flows nearly 2,500 kilometers. After Xuanzang reaches the Ganges, he's abducted by robbers who are followers of the Hindu The palace of the goddess is said to be at the source of the Ganges River in the snow-covered Himalaya mountains. The robbers believed in the goddess Durga. Every spring and autumn, they would kill someone as an offering to the goddess. Xuanzang's appearance is pleasing, and they believe he will appeal to the goddess. Realizing he's going to be killed, Xuanzang begins to pray silently. As they prepare to sacrifice their captive, the weather changes dramatically. His biography says they are engulfed by powerful winds that snap trees and stir up waves on the river that overturn boats. The robbers grow fearful, thinking that they are offending the goddess. To appease her, they halt the sacrificial ritual. Xuanzang narrowly escapes death. This event is like many chapters in the novel Journey to the West. Throughout the book, monsters are obsessed with trying to consume Xuanzang's flesh, which is said to be immortal. There are many attempts to capture him. These schemes are all thwarted by the powerful Monkey King. There is another theory among experts who study the novel about the origin of the Monkey King. They believe the character is based on the Hindu monkey deity, who appears in a famous epic of ancient India. In that epic, the prince's wife is snatched away by a monster. Hanuman faces hardship and danger to try to help the prince rescue his wife. He's mighty and smart and can ride on a cloud. He can also transform himself into other things. It's possible that when Buddhism was introduced to the East, the story of Hanuman spread to China. After literary embellishment, Hanuman becomes the Monkey King, Xuanzang's disciple in Journey to the West. Hanuman is a household name in India, as is the Monkey King in China. The two cultures have shaped these equally great artistic images. But few people know they're connected by Xuanzang. In the summer of the year 631, 32-year-old Xuanzang finally reaches Kapilavastu, the hometown of the Buddha. It has taken him four years to arrive here. Sakyamuni means saint of the Sakya tribe. The Buddhist classics say that in the 6th century BC, the Sakya kingdom was prosperous. The capital, Kapilavastu, was a bustling city. Archaeologists speculated it was at the junction of northern India and southern Nepal. The prince's birth name is Siddhartha Gautama. I walked about 40 kilometers to the northeast, to the bathing pool used by the Sakya people. The water was clear and flowers were blooming. This was the birthplace of the Buddha. These are the ruins of the birthplace of Buddha in Lumbini, a small city in southern Nepal. It is said that because of the hot weather, the queen of Sakya kingdom liked to bathe in the water on the way to her mother's home. After her bath, she gave birth to Siddhartha. He was to become the founder of Buddhism. There was a Bodhi tree in the birthplace of the Buddha, but it had withered. This giant Bodhi tree has become the symbol of Lumbini, but it's not the one Xuanzang sees when he's here. Siddhartha grew up in an extravagant environment, but when he was 29, he suddenly began to realize the impermanence of life. Birth, age, illness and death form an inevitable circle. How do people escape from this terrible circle? Doubts grew in his heart and he began to tire of secular life. After walking for 50 kilometers in the forest, he reaches a pagoda built by Ashoka. He took off his splendid clothes and ordered his servant to return home. Then he cut his hair and left. The prince of Sakya Kingdom begins to seek out the root of the impermanence of life and ways of extricating himself from it. He began to cultivate himself from the Gangetic Plain. Kapilavastu was the hometown of Buddha and the birthplace of Buddhism. When Xuanzang arrives in this place, its past glory has already faded. After walking through a forest, he arrived at Kushinagar, the place where Buddha achieved nirvana. A pagoda had been built by Ashoka. Its base had sunk, but it was still almost 70 meters high. There were stone pillars in front of it and the story of how the Buddha achieved nirvana was carved on them. Buddha was 80. He knew he was approaching the end of life. After bathing, he set a rope bed between two salad trees and lay on his right side. He told his disciples that he was to achieve nirvana. Inside the huge vihara, there was a sculpture depicting the Buddha's achievement of nirvana. It rested with its head facing north. The Buddha lay in the woods, surrounded by mourners. Some of them were grieving and some touched his feet gently while chanting sutras in low voices. The flowers withered and the birds no longer chirped. Xuanzang travels along the paths that the Buddha had walked. He will write many accounts of his experiences in the book Great Tang Records of the Western Regions. No one expects that 1,200 years later, his memories will illuminate the history of India. Except for myths and legends, there are few historical records about India's past before the 19th century. Many historians claim India has no tangible early written history. This may have something to do with the character of the people of ancient India. They pay a great deal of attention to the spiritual world but are indifferent to secular life. As a result, the history of ancient India is shrouded in mystery. In 1834, a British engineer called Sir Alexander Cunningham arrived in India. Near Varanasi, he saw a 30-meter high building with a dome. He was interested in archaeology and carried out a small-scale excavation. He found some delicate statues and a stone carved with words. The decoded words show that there might have been a Buddhist site here, evidence of the existence of Buddha. Around the 1850s, books about Chinese monks Xuanzang and Faxian were published in Great Britain. After referring to these records, British archaeologist Alexander Cunningham identified the site. The archaeological excavation conducted by this archaeologist and Chinese records gradually revealed a part of the history of ancient India. Then, Xuanzang arrived in Sarnath. The pagoda was built by Ashoka. Its base had sunk, but it was still very high. It was the place where the Buddha conducted his first lessons after attaining enlightenment. In the 6th century BC, the Buddha walked 150 kilometers to instruct five followers. This was his first known teaching session. Inside the wall was a vihara that was about 70 meters high. It had patterns made of gold. Within it was a life-size stone sculpture of the Buddha. He was shown giving a lesson. The Sarnath Museum is home to what is said to be a perfect Buddhist sculpture. It shows what Sakyamuni looked like when he carried out his first teaching session. Love and peace surmount the pain of life. Two centuries after he attained nirvana, Ashoka of the Maurya Empire erected high pillars in Sarnath. Today, one of the pillars from the capital of Ashoka is kept in the Sarnath Museum. In 1950, it was chosen as the national emblem of India. The temple was divided into eight parts connected by walls. It had many buildings and was beautiful and spectacular. The great tongue records of the western regions describe Sarnath's buildings as magnificent and says it has a large number of monks. Located by the Ganges, it's close to Varanasi. But just as in the birthplace of Buddhism, the religion is withering in Varanasi when Xuanzang visits. The streets were interconnected and many people lived here, but most of them believed in other religions. Only a small number believed in Buddhism. After Sarnath, Xuanzang visits Vaishali, near what is now the modern city of Patna. There were several hundred temples, but most of them had collapsed and had been abandoned. Only a few of them remained and only a small number of monks remained. Patna Museum has a precious item in its collection. It's a sarira, or bone relic, of the Buddha. After Buddha achieved nirvana, bones were obtained by eight kings. This rare bone relic comes from a stupa built during the period of Ashoka in Patna. Indian archaeologists believe its historic context is clear and it is mentioned in the great tongue records of the western regions. After the Buddha achieved nirvana, the king of this kingdom received one of his bone relics and had a structure built to house it. Xuanzang's emotions are complicated as he visits the famous Mahabodhi temple. It was here that Sakyamuni gained enlightenment. After leaving his home, the young prince began to live a life of near total deprivation. His withered body looked like a skeleton. While bathing, he nearly drowned, but was saved and given a bowl of porridge by a village girl. He then struggled to walk to a fig tree. The porridge helped him gain strength. He meditated at the tree until he attained enlightenment. This tree was originally named a pickle tree. After Buddha attained enlightenment, it was renamed the Bodhi tree. Bodhi means wisdom. Every year, on the day the Buddha achieved nirvana, its leaves withered and fell. It then recovered. Sakyamuni attained enlightenment on the 8th day of the 12th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Chinese Buddhists offer porridge on this day in memory of the village girl. The Mahabodhi temple was restored by Alexander Cunningham based on descriptions in the great Tang records of the western regions. Its decorations and the materials used are all in accordance with the descriptions in the book. Cunningham was not content with the discovery of Sarnath. Using descriptions written by Xuanzang, he carried out more archaeological excavations in India. In 1861, he discovered the site of the Mahabodhi temple. Sakyamuni attained enlightenment at this temple. The pious Ashoka had the Vajrasani, or diamond throne, set up here. For Buddhists, this throne is the center of the world. After the Buddha attained nirvana, the kings had two sculptures of Bodhisattva built near the Bodhi tree. Old people claimed that if these two sculptures ever became buried by earth, Buddhism would perish. Xuanzang sees the sculptures are partially buried. His biography says he was upset and cried. During his four-year journey, he doesn't fear bandits or life-threatening mountain paths. But under the Bodhi tree, he is unable to control his tears. I didn't know where I was when the Buddha attained enlightenment. I didn't arrive until Buddhism had withered. Buddhism is Xuanzang's spiritual pillar. Though he lives over a thousand years after its founding, he still hopes to find the Buddha's words. After four years on the road, he finally reaches the spot where Buddha attained enlightenment. But he can hardly bear to see the decline of his beloved religion. In the sea of life and death, who would steer the boat for me? In the dark night, who would illuminate the way ahead for me? Beside the Mahabodhi temple is a stone base carved with the Buddha's footprints. To its north are platforms with lotus patterns, symbolizing the lotus flowers said to appear when Buddha stepped forward. Faced with realizing the cycle of birth, aging, illness, and death that our lives follow, Buddha had committed himself to attaining enlightenment and achieving nirvana. His spirit of dedication inspires Xuanzang to carry on. Nalanda lay ahead. His quest for the Buddhist sutras is still before him. For centuries, Chinese pilgrims make the journey to India along a long overland trade route that would come to be known as the Silk Road. In the 16th century, Xuanzang's pilgrimage to India inspires a Chinese novelist called Wu Chang'an to write the mythical novel Journey to the West. This epic tale of a monk's quest for greater knowledge of Buddhism becomes very popular in China. Xuanzang's destination is Nalanda Temple in northern India. Of the year 631, Xuanzang arrives. Four years of deserts, dangerous mountain passes, and the threat of death at the hands of bandits are now behind him. Word of his pilgrimage has made its way to Nalanda, where a grand welcome awaits him. It's the day he's been dreaming of. Nalanda is in the kingdom of Magadha, in what is now Bihar state in northern India. It was a major Buddhist center. Legend says that in the 6th century BC, Buddha taught here, as did his first disciple, Sariputta, who achieves nirvana in this place. Sometime later, a stupa is built for Sariputta in Nalanda. In the 5th century, it becomes a leading academic center in ancient India. When Xuanzang arrives, Buddhism is in decline in India, but Nalanda retains its glory. The flower of Buddhism is withering, and Nalanda is the last delicate petal. Shilambhadra was the abbot of Nalanda. He was over 100 years old. Royal family, he's a respected and noble-minded master. In his twilight years, Shilambhadra considers taking his own life due to the pain of illness. But then he receives a disciple from the Tang Empire. It seems there's a special chemistry between them. Biography of Xuanzang says a grand ceremony is held when he becomes his disciple. After a lonely childhood, and the confusion he feels in adolescence, he finally finds a guiding light. Four years ago, I made a vow in Chang'an that I would not return before I reach India. Now my pledge has finally been fulfilled. 32-year-old Xuanzang is overcome with joy. It's perhaps the happiest moment of his life. It means inexhaustible charity. With generous donations from kings, and after hundreds of years of construction, this temple complex is grand and magnificent. There were rows of richly decorated buildings. They towered skywards. Pavilions everywhere. The ridge poles, roof beams, and pillars had delicate patterns on them. Thousands of temples in India, but Nalanda was the most magnificent. Xuanzang describes this unique place of learning with most beautiful language in the book Great Tang Records of the Western Regions. Unlike ordinary Buddhist temples, Nalanda is considered by some to be the first university in ancient India, and perhaps in the world. It was home to more than 10,000 monks. They not only learned Mahayana, but also worldly classics, Indian classical logic, Sanskrit theories, and even medical science and mathematics. At Nalanda, over 1,000 monks had studied 20 Buddhist scriptures, and 500 monks had studied 30 Buddhist scriptures. Ten monks, including me, had studied 50 Buddhist scriptures. Only Shalihabra read all the Buddhist texts. He was the mentor of us all. Nalanda is unparalleled in the history of Buddhism, and it brings together many knowledgeable monks. Every day, 100 lectures were held in Nalanda. All the disciples were conscientious. They didn't waste any time or go against the Buddhist commandments. Records of the Western Regions contains passages like this. The king of India thought highly of Nalanda, and provided for it with the tax revenue of over 100 cities and towns. As well as this, every day 200 households supplied Nalanda with large quantities of rice and dairy products. So the disciples had no extraneous worries to distract them from studying Buddhism. At Nalanda, the pursuit of knowledge is placed above everything else, and Xuanzang is treated with extreme sublimity. Every day, I was given 120 pieces of fruit, 20 areca nuts, 20 cardamoms, 50 grams of Borneo, and 1 liter of rice. I received cooking oil every month, and as many dairy products as I wanted. He also has two servants, and is able to travel by elephant. In ancient India, traveling by elephant carriage is not for everyone. Among the 10,000 or more people in Nalanda, only 10, including Xuanzang, enjoy such a privilege. Before beginning his formal instruction, Xuanzang visits an important Buddhist site, Rashgir Hill. In the novel Journey to the West, Buddha lives in a place called Soul Mountain, from where Xuanzang obtains the Buddhist sutras. Soul Mountain in the story is based on Rashgir Hill. Xuanzang writes that there was once a vihera on the hill, where the Buddha cleared up any doubts and confusion for Buddhist believers. Beside the cliff to the south of the vihera was a stone cave, where the Buddha used to cultivate himself. In the valley to the northeast of the vihera was a huge rock, on which the Buddha aired his cassock. After Buddha achieved nirvana, Buddhists held the first meeting on Rashgir Hill, and the earliest Buddhist classics were born here. In the spring of 632, Shalabhadra begins to teach Xuanzang from the Discourse on the Stages of Yogic Practice. Discourse on the Stages of Yogic Practice is the most important Buddhist scripture. It can hardly be thoroughly understood due to its large scale and complete system of information. Shalabhadra is the most authoritative teacher of the yoga school. He returns to the lecture hall for Xuanzang. This sermon is not only a hit in Nalanda, but also in India. The master burnt himself out and spent 15 months teaching this Buddhist classic with 40,000 chants. Before paper was introduced into India, scriptures were recorded on patra and written in Sanskrit. They were known as patra leaf scriptures. Today, Nalanda Museum retains many of these ancient scriptures. The patra tree has slender leaves suitable for writing, but the method of processing the leaves is very complicated. Scriptures written on the leaves are moth-proof and moisture-proof and last for hundreds of years. These Sanskrit symbols are inscribed onto the leaves with slender cutting tools and are then covered with pigment. It's hard to appreciate how much patience and stamina was needed to transcribe one of these classics. Xuanzang spent five years in Nalanda. Discourse on the stages of yogic practice is profound and I studied it three times from beginning to end. As well as studying Buddhist scriptures, Xuanzang receives an introduction to theories of logic and the language of ancient India. He studies and weighs every word of Sanskrit. The rigorous and open learning atmosphere in Nalanda pleases Xuanzang. The monks discussed day after day. Their thirst for knowledge was insatiable. In such a place, one would feel embarrassed if one didn't discuss profound Buddhist sutras. Doorkeepers question those who ask admittance to the temple. Seven or eight of every ten arrivals would be rejected and give up. Only the well-versed ones would finally be admitted. Knowledgeable and versatile people appeared in large numbers and men with noble virtues and a refined style of conversation gained considerable fame. In the history of Buddhism, Nalanda may be considered the most vital academic site. Even today, its ruins leave visitors awestruck. From south to the north, there are eleven neat and uniform buildings for monks' dormitories, kitchens, wells and stone tables. Large numbers of ordinary students reside in these buildings. There are quite a few special courtyards for eminent monks. As one of the ten eminent monks, does Xuanzang live in one? Surely one of them is his. As the sun rises and sets on the Ganges each day, his knowledge of Buddhism grows. During his stay in Nalanda, he lives an ordinary but fulfilling life. This becomes a spiritual home. Five years pass in a flash. Xuanzang decides to travel more in an effort to gain more knowledge. For three years, Xuanzang travels through India recording what he witnesses in the great Tang records of the western regions. He even describes a kingdom of women without men in the west of India. In the southwest by the ocean lay an island of women. Each year, the rulers of the Byzantine Empire would send men to the island. Any baby boys born to the women would be abandoned in the wilderness. These exotic stories provide inspiration for the mythical novel Journey to the West written centuries later. In the spring of the year 640, Xuanzang returns to Nalanda. It's now 14 years since he left Chang'an, capital of the Tang Empire. His quest to seek Buddhist scriptures has been fulfilled. He wants to return home, but this plan will have to be delayed. Chalabhadra asks Xuanzang to take part in a series of debates with an eminent monk who opposes the yoga school. These debates are intense and the loser may be forced to withdraw from public or switch to other schools of thought. These scripture debates are not merely an academic pastime, but a life-or-death duel between two masters. For Xuanzang, it's no ordinary form of preaching, but a war of words which would determine the fame and reputation of Chalabhadra, the spiritual leader of the Nalanda temple. He begins the debate for the honor of the temple. As the debate deepens, the students on both sides come around to his point of view. His opponent abandons the debate and the divine position of the yoga school is re-established. Xuanzang's reputation here is growing, but he longs to return to the Tang Empire. The purpose of my journey here is to clear up people's confusion. Now that I've finished my studies, I hope to return to my homeland so that the people there can be illuminated by Buddhist wisdom. This will be the best way to reward the teaching of my mentor. During his five years of study, Xuanzang establishes profound friendships with the teachers and students at Nalanda. But when he expresses the wish to return to China, they're unanimously against it and advise him to stay. The biggest obstacle in his path is the series of unexpected scripture debates. The first lecture launches him into a series of never-ending debates. Victory is a double-edged sword bringing both glory and risk. An increasing number of stronger opponents challenge him. Even India's two most powerful kings are involved. The debate is about to escalate into a war.