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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