Download Xuanzang, the divine adventurer

CHINA CULTURE 13
DECEMBER 9 - 15, 2009
Xuanzang, the
divine adventurer
Principles of
longevity for
the elderly
The legend of the Tang Dynasty monk
who travelled to India in search of
the true Buddhist scriptures
CHEN YI
The book, Journey to the West
(and its abridged translation Monkey), is one of the
most famous works of classical Chinese literature. In
the book, a monk from China
led his three disciples to the
Western lands and achieved
enlightenment after enduring
great trials and tribulations.
The book is generally considered to be fiction. However,
during the Tang Dynasty (AD
618–907) there was a monk
who risked his life by travelling tens of thousands of miles
to India to bring the Buddhist
scriptures back to China. The
physical journey he took was
also his spiritual cultivation
path, leading to his enlightenment.
A monk at 13 years
The Tang Dynasty monk who
undertook this divine task
was known as Tang Sanzang
– which means “Tang Dynasty monk, three baskets”. The
baskets refer to the Buddhist
scriptures. Before he became
a monk, his name was Chen
Wei. He was born in the township of Houshi in Luo County,
Henan Province.
Most historical records
show that he was born in 600.
There are also some records
that claim he was born in 602
or 596. His Buddhist name
was Xuanzang.
Chen Wei’s father was a
devoted student of Confucianism and had four sons. Chen
Wei’s second oldest brother
became a monk when he was
young. He took the Buddhist
name of Changjie and cultivated at the Jingtu Temple in
Luoyang City. Chen Wei was
the youngest child of the family. He was bright, gifted and
different from other children.
When he was eight years
old, he started to follow his
father around so that he
could learn things. He studied
diligently and unremittingly.
Once, his father told him the
story of Kong Rong getting up
from his seat to show respect
for his elders. As soon as he
heard the story, Chen Wei
got up from his seat as well.
His father asked him why. He
answered, “Kong Rong got
up from his seat to show his
respect to elder people. Now
father is giving me a lecture.
How dare I sit down?” His
father praised him.
In addition, Chen Wei had
different mannerisms from
other children. He didn’t play
with naughty children and
didn’t listen to gossip or flattering words. He often went
with his second oldest brother
Changjie to study Buddhist
literature.
During the Sui and Tang
dynasties, Buddhism was
very popular. The government
established a strict examination for people who wished to
leave home and cultivate in a
temple. Those who wanted to
become monks had to participate in the examination
organised by the government.
Only those who passed the
examination were accepted as
monks and called “Du Monk”
(“Du” means “getting saved”).
In the tenth year of the reign
of Emperor Yang of the Sui
Dynasty (AD 614), the gov-
ernment posted a notice looking for 10 Du Monks. At that
time, Chen Wei was only 13
years old and hadn’t reached
the age required to become a
Du Monk. He wasn’t allowed
to even enter the examination
site and was very disappointed. He walked around the
examination site and didn’t
want to leave.
The main examiner was
a minister named Zheng
Shanguo who was a lay Buddhist. When he heard about
Chen Wei, he called him in to
talk to him. Zheng Shanguo
saw that Chen Wei was gentle
and educated and was very
special even though he was
quite young.
Zheng Shanguo asked him,
“Why do you want to become
a monk?” Chen Wei answered,
“My wish is to become a Tathagata [high level enlightened
being] in the long term and to
bring honour to the inherited
scriptures in the short term.”
Although he was young,
his words were magnificent
and stunned the examiner for
a while. Zheng Shanguo made
an exception and allowed
Chen Wei to be a monk. Later,
Zheng said, “It is difficult to
find an elegant bamboo. If
this young boy is allowed to
be a monk, he will be a famous
person in the Buddha school.”
The arduous journey
After becoming a monk,
Xuezang spent a period of
time studying Buddhist scriptures at different temples. He
felt that what he had learnt
in various lectures over the
years was inconsistent, as different schools and branches
had different answers to questions. In fact, the differences
were dramatic and sometimes
contradictory. He felt it was
too difficult to reconcile the
differences and resolved to
travel to India and bring back
genuine Buddhist scriptures.
In the first year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty
(AD 627), Xuanzang began
his divine journey to India.
But at that time, the Tang
dynasty had only just been
established. The border region
was in a state of unrest, and
the government put tight
restrictions on people travelling outside the country.
He twice submitted formal
applications to go to India.
His request was declined
each time. He was left with no
choice but to sneak out of the
country.
A famine soon broke out.
The government allowed
people to leave their homes to
seek employment elsewhere.
Xuanzang used the opportunity to leave the capital city of
Changan and travel west. He
passed the cities of Qinzhou,
Lanzhou and arrived at the
border town of Liangzhou.
There he found a Mongol who
was a martial arts expert
called Shi Pantuo as his guide.
They slept during the day and
walked at night to sneak out
of the country at the Yumen
Pass. After they were outside
the Yumen Pass, Shi Pantuo
could not tolerate the hardship of long distance travel
on foot any longer and parted
company with the monk. He
did point out the locations of
a few protective forts outside
the border and advised Xuanzang to be very careful.
Shortly afterwards, Xuanzang was caught by a border
guard. He was detained and
questioned. The guard also
happened to be a lay Buddhist.
When he learned Xuanzang’s
plan and saw how steadfast he
was, the guard released him.
Xuanzang started walking on
foot day and night. He walked
for three days and three
nights straight and still didn’t
see the end of the desert that
was 400 kilometres wide.
He was utterly exhausted
and passed out from thirst.
He was awakened by a cool
breeze and continued forward. Fortunately a miracle
occurred. An oasis appeared
in the middle of the desert.
Xuanzang drank water from
the spring and survived. It is
hard to use words to describe
the hardships he endured. It is
best described in a paragraph
from Journey to the West:
“There are no birds flying
in the sky and no animals
walking on the ground. No
grass and trees can grow and
no trace of human beings are
around. Sometimes there is
blowing sand and stones in a
tornado, and sometimes there
is pouring rain and steaming
heat. There is no water or food.
One faints and then wakes up.
One sees piles of bones from
dead bodies or broken swords
from war. Sometimes there
are evil and scary ghostly
images.”
After walking across the
desert, Xuanzang arrived in
the kingdom of Gaochang.
Qu Wentai, the king of Gaochang, was a devoted Buddhist. When he heard about
Xuanzang, he sent an envoy
to welcome him.
Once the king met Xuanzang, he used all possible
ways to show his respect and
admiration for him and even
held a ceremony naming him
as a brother. The king even
tried to force Xuanzang to
stay in Gaochang by saying,
“If you insist on not staying,
I will have to send you back to
China.”
Xuanzang protested with
a hunger strike and refused
to stay in Gaochang. Eventually Xuanzang’s resolve
moved the king, who released
him. The king also sent 20
to 30 soldiers to accompany
Xuanzang and gave him
many horses and valuables.
In addition, the king wrote a
personal letter to the kings of
neighbouring countries, asking them to treat Xuanzang
well.
Xuanzang continued his
journey westward along the
southern side of Tianshan
Mountain. He passed the western highland, went through
Afghanistan, and arrived at
the kingdom of Jiashiminuo
(today’s Kashmir). The roads
after that became even more
difficult to travel. He had to
climb over mountains that
were covered in snow yearround as well as through a
huge desert.
On foot, he led his white
horse along the narrow paths
on the icy mountain peaks.
If he took a wrong step, he
would fall into the abyss.
At the time, a group of merchants were travelling with
Xuanzang. From time to time,
some merchants would either
freeze to death or fall into the
abyss. In Journal of Xuan-
APPRECIATING TANG DYNASTY POETRY
‘Residing Under Mossy Rocks’ by Han Shan
WEN SIGE
Residing Under Mossy Rocks
Residing under mossy rocks,
I do not hoe weeds in my garden.
Newly grown rattan climbs down.
Giant towering rocks look ancient.
Monkeys pick up fruits on the mountain.
Egrets catch fish out of the ponds.
With one or two scrolls of divine books,
I read them under the trees.
About Han Shan
Han Shan, also known as Han Shan Zi, was a
famous monk and poet in the early Tang Dynasty
(AD 618–907). He lived on the freezing ridges of
Mount Tiantai for a long time. The language of his
poems may be simple and common, but his style
was ethereal and solitary. The realm of his poetry
reflects his lofty character. Over 300 of Han Shan’s
poems are preserved and compiled into The Collection of Poems by Han Shan Zi.
An interpretation
The eight lines of this poem describe scenes on
a mountain. One can describe the poem as eight
paintings of still and moving objects or a collection of finely designed and tailored montages.
With each shot, an ethereal, harmonious, serene
and natural world is presented and the image of a
divine hermit away from the secular world is portrayed.
The hermit lives under mossy rocks and away
from the secular world. Since he has no visitors,
why not let weeds grow in the front garden? The
new rattan shoots climb down the branches and
then along the rocks as though they were painting the message of life on the canvas of natural
landscape. The ancient giant rocks of thousands
of years tower towards the sky. They manage to
preserve their majesty amidst attack from winds
LI SHIYI
PILGRIM: Monk Xuanzang from ‘Journey to the West’, the fictional account of his travels
zang, he wrote, “I don’t even
dare to look down because
there are numerous dead
bodies that have been frozen
underneath”.
During this formidable
part of the journey, Xuanzang
encountered many dangers.
It took him seven days and
nights to climb over the huge
mountains and finally reach
the land of India.
Reaching India
After two years and 110
countries, Xuanzang arrived
in the northwestern region
of India during the third
year of Zhen Guan. He travelled to the Indian cities of
Jiashimiluo and Jiantuoluo
and studied Xiaosheng (or
Hinayana) Buddhist scriptures from local masters. In
order to better understand
Buddhist theory, he learned
Feituo philosophy from Brahman scholars.
He also concentrated on
studying Sanskrit so that he
could use it as a tool to do
research on ancient Buddhist
literature in Sanskrit. He
lived in that region for two to
three years. He then travelled
to the middle of India.
When Xuanzang was
about to cross the Ganges
river, he ran into a group
of robbers. When they saw
how handsome and elegant
he was, they wanted to kill
him as a sacrifice to gods in
order to gain blessings for
themselves. At that moment,
a strong gust of wind started
to blow, lightning and thunder cracked across the darkening sky. Sand whipped
in the air and stones rolled
on the ground. The robbers
were frightened so badly
that their faces turned white.
They dared not do a thing
because they believed they
had angered the gods.
When the robbers learnt
that Xuanzang was a monk
on a pilgrimage from China,
they knelt down on the
ground and begged for his
forgiveness. They promised to mend their evil ways
and behave well from then
on. The news spread widely
which made Xuanzang
famous near and far.
Lalantuo Temple was a
famous Buddhist temple in
the middle of India. It taught
the highest level of Buddhism
in the whole country. Thirteen thousand Buddhist followers lived inside the temple. Among them were many
high-level Buddhist monks
and scholars.
When Xuanzang entered
the temple, four high-level
monks came out to welcome
him. Over 200 monks and
thousands of lay Buddhists
also stood outside in a circle
to welcome him.
Xuanzang became a student of Jiexian, the abbot at
the temple. The abbot was
100 years old and the leader
of Buddhism in India. He was
deeply respected by the king
of India. Although he was
very wise and knowledgeable,
he suffered from a strange
disease. From time to time, he
would feel so much pain that
he wanted to die.
The premonition
One night, three bodhisattvas
appeared in Jiexian’s dream.
One was Wenshu bodhisattva who was gold, one was
Guanyin bodhisattva who
was silver, and the third was
Puxian bodhisattva who was
crystal. Puxian bodhisattva
told him, “You were a king
in this land in your previous
life. Because you killed too
many beings, you have to
suffer pain in this life. Even
though it is extremely painful, you should not wish to
die. Three years from now, a
monk from China will come
to India to seek the scriptures.
You should teach what you
know so he can spread the
teaching to the land of China.
This way, your karma will be
eliminated and your pain will
disappear.” After that dream,
Jiexian eagerly awaited the
arrival of the Chinese monk.
When Xuanzang finally
arrived, Jiexian realised that
his dream had been true. He
was very happy and taught
Xuanzang everything he
knew. He also arranged for
Xuanzang to travel outside
of the temple and study with
various learned teachers for a
number of years.
and storms over many years. Monkeys play in
large groups and make a lot of noise. They fight for
fruit on the trees. They do not fear or guard themselves from humans. A snow white and slender
egret catches a fish from a pond and flies back to
its nest. A poet has one or two divine scrolls and
reads them under a tree.
An ethereal, harmonious,
serene and natural world
is presented and the image
of a divine hermit away
from the secular world is
portrayed
Xuanzang spent a total of
17 years in India, including
five years at the Lalantuo
Temple where many Buddhist
scholars resided. He wanted
to go back to China to spread
widely what he had learnt.
Returning to China
In January of the 19th year of
Zhenguan (AD 645), he finally went back to Changan city
after a long journey home.
Hundreds of government
officials along with tens of
thousands of ordinary people
welcomed him in Changan
and held a celebration so
grand that nothing like it had
ever been seen before.
Xuanzang’s extraordinary
journey drew the attention of
Emperor Taizong of the Tang
Dynasty. The emperor met
with him in person and asked
him to record the things that
he had learnt in his travels so
that others could learn from
his experience.
Xuanzang thus wrote
what is known as Journey
to the West by the Sanzang
Monk of the Tang Dynasty.
The book consists of 12 volumes, recording Xuanzang’s
experiences in 110 countries
and mentions a further 28
countries and regions that he
had heard of.
Starting from the 19th
year of Zhenguan (AD 645),
Xuanzang concentrated his
efforts on translating Buddhist scriptures. For the next
19 years, he translated more
than 1,000 volumes of Buddhist scripture. At the same
time, he also translated the
ancient Chinese book Dao De
Jing by Lao Tzu into Sanskrit
in order for it to be spread in
India.
A year after he finished his
translation work he departed
this world in February of 664
at Yuhua Temple in Tongchuan. His remains were sent
back to Changan according
to the emperor’s order and
buried there.
At the funeral, millions of
people from within 250km of
the capital came to pay their
respects. Thirty thousand
people even spent the night
next to his tomb to honour
him.
The poet and nature are one. What a wonderful
realm. In another of his poems, Han Shan wrote,
“Tigers and deer are my neighbours”. It means that
tigers and deer often visited him at his home on
the mountain. There are many records of monks
in Chinese history who were able to live peacefully with wild animals and, in some cases, the wild
animals would perform services for them. That is
but a natural outcome when a person restores his
mind to its natural state and when he connects
with the world’s creatures through his kindness.
But when the poet wrote this poem, by no
means was his purpose to merely present the
beautiful landscape. In many of his poems, Han
Shan uses images as analogy to illustrate Buddhist principles. Through descriptions of social
phenomena or natural landscapes, Han Shan tries
to enlighten the world’s people.
Han Shan once said, “Having poems of Han
Shan at home is better than reading many scrolls
of Buddhist scriptures”. It follows that the focal
point of this poem is about the “divine book”. By
describing the landscape as beautiful, Han Shan
leads the reader to yearn for beautiful things and
then for cultivation. Readers might suddenly realise that to cultivate to enlightenment is the most
beautiful thing.
A quality breakfast, a light
supper, and eating to 70 per
cent full in three meals are
good preventive prescriptions against illnesses.
According to a Chinese
saying, avoiding over-consumption during every meal,
using cold water to cleanse
the face, and soaking the feet
in hot water are good ways to
keep in good health.
Cao Yanjian, an established longevity expert during the Qing Dynasty said:
“It’s essential to maintain
the stomach in good condition for the elderly.”
If the stomach of an elderly person always feels
uncomfortable, for example,
and one is always belching
or feeling bad while consuming a little cold food, eat
ginger with porridge. After
meals, eat honey and ginger. The stomach condition
will improve over a period of
time.
If the stomach is uncomfortable after eating cold
food, a slice of fresh ginger
will ease the discomfort. In
the early stage of a cold or
fever, drink ginger soup and
eat hot porridge. If the condition does not improve, consult a medical doctor.
An active mind can prevent mental deterioration.
Post-retirement
activities
like playing chess, court
games, painting, calligraphy,
gardening, reading, poetry,
singing, and dancing can
prevent brain degradation.
Life after retirement is
another stage of life. Many
are able to engage in interests that were previously
postponed because of their
careers. Doing what one
enjoys is the secret ingredient to happiness.
Live regularly, that is,
have daily routines and
self-discipline. Sleep less in
spring and summer than in
autumn and winter. Before
going to bed, wash the feet
with warm water. Men may
sleep on the right side of the
bed.
Pay attention to climate
changes for changing one’s
clothing.
It is better to prevent illness rather than to take
medicine after falling ill.
Cheerful heart
One needs to be selfless and
If the stomach is
uncomfortable
after eating cold
food, a slice of
fresh ginger
will ease the
discomfort
content with one’s situation.
Emotions are a source of illnesses. Being benevolent
as well as caring less about
fame and wealth are attitudes prerequisite to better
health.
Anxiety and worry are
not helpful. The best way
to be healthy is to be openminded, optimistic, and
cheerful every day.
Avoid living in past memories or worrying about the
future. Treasure and do well
in the present.
Li Shiyi is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
An elderly woman practises Tai Chi in a park