T2053 A Biography of the Tripiṭaka Master of the Great Ci’en Monastery…

A BIOGRAPHY OF THE TRIPITAKA MASTER OF THE GREAT CI'EN MONASTERY OF THE GREAT TANG DYNASTY

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BDK English Tripitaka 77 A BIOGRAPHY OF THE TRIPITAKA MASTER

OF THE GREAT CFEN MONASTERY OF THE GREAT TANG DYNASTY Translated from the Chinese of Sramana Huili and Shi Yancong (Taisho, Volume 50, Number 2053) by

Li Rongxi

Numata Center

for Buddhist Translation and Research 1995

Copyright

© 1995 by Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— without the prior written permission of he publisher. First Printing, 1995

ISBN: 1-886439-00-1

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 94-073928 Published by

Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research 2620 Warring Street

Berkeley, California 94704

Printed in the United States of merica

A Message on the Publication of

the English Tripitaka

The Buddhist canon is said to contain eighty-four thousand different teachings. I believe that this is because the Buddha' basic approach was to prescribe a different treatment for every spiritual ailment, much as a doctor prescribes a different medicine for every medical ailment. Thus his teachings were always appropriate for the particular suffering individual and for the time at which the teaching was given, and over the ages not one of his prescriptions has failed to relieve the suffering to which it was addressed.

Ever since the Buddha' Great Demise over twenty-five hundred years ago, his message of wisdom and compassion has spread throughout the world. Yet no one has ever attempted to translate the entire Buddhist canon into English throughout the history of Japan. It is my greatest wish to see this done and to make the translations available to the many English-speaking people who have never had the opportunity to learn about the Buddha' teachings.

Of course, it would be impossible to translate all of the Buddha' eighty-four thousand teachings in a few years. I have, therefore, had one hundred thirty-nine of the scriptural texts in the prodigious Taisho edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon selected for inclusion in the First Series of this translation project.

It is in the nature of this undertaking that the results are bound to be criticized. Nonetheless, I am convinced that unless someone takes it upon himself or herself o initiate this project, it will never be done. At the same time, I hope that an improved, revised edition will appear in the future.

It is most gratifying that, thanks to the efforts of more than a hundred Buddhist scholars from the East and the West, v

Editorial Foreword

Message

this monumental project has finally gotten off he ground. May the rays of the Wisdom of the Compassionate One reach each and every person in the world. NUMATAYehan

Founder of he English August 7,1991 Tripitaka Project VI

Editorial Foreword

In January, 1982, Mr. NUMATA Yehan, the founder of the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (Society for the Promotion of uddhism), decided to begin the monumental task of the complete translation of the Taisho edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon into the English language. Under his leadership, a special preparatory committee was organized in April, 1982, and by July of the same year the Translation Committee of the English Tripitaka (Scriptures) was officially convened.

The initial Committee consisted of he following thirteen members: HANAYAMA Shoyu (Chairman); BANDO Shojun; ISHIGAMI Zenno; KAMATA Shigeo; KANAOKA Shuyu; MAYEDA Sengaku; NASA Yasuaki; SAYEKI Shinko; (late) SHIOIRI Ryotatsu; TAMARU Noriyoshi; (late) TAMURA Kwansei; URYUZU Ryushin; and YUYAMA Akira. Assistant members of the Committee were as follows: KANAZAWA Atsushi; Watanabe Shogo; Rolf iebel of ew Zealand; and Rudy Smet of Belgium.

Holding planning meetings on a monthly basis, the Committee has selected one hundred thirty-nine scriptures and texts for the First Series of translations, an estimated one hundred printed volumes in all. Scriptures and texts selected are not necessarily limited to those originally written in India but also include works written or composed in China or Japan. All the volumes in the First Series are scheduled for publication within the twentieth century. While the publication of he First Series proceeds, the scriptures and texts for the Second Series, which is expected to be published in the following ten- or twenty-year period, will be selected from among the remaining works; this process will continue until all the scriptures and texts, in Japanese as well as in Chinese, have been published. Frankly speaking, it will take perhaps one hundred years or more to accomplish the English translation of the complete vii

Publisher’s Foreword

Editorial Foreword -Chinese and Japanese scriptures and texts, which consist of thousands of works. Nevertheless, as Mr. NUMATA wished, it is the sincere hope of the Committee that this project will continue unto completion, even after all its present members have passed away.

It must be mentioned here that the final object of this project is not academic fulfillment but the transmission of he teaching of the Buddha to the whole world in order to create harmony and peace among mankind.

More than eighty Buddhist scholars in the West and in the East, all well qualified to be translators of the Chinese and Japanese scriptures and texts, have agreed to translate certain selected works. It is really a great pleasure for the Committee to announce that more than forty-five translations have already been received as of he end of September, 1992.

The present members of the Translation Committee of the BDK English Tripitaka are HANAYAMA Shoyu (Chairman); BANDO Shojun; ISHIGAMI Zenno; ICHISHIMA Shoshin; KAMATA Shigeo; KANAOKA Shuyu; MAYEDA Sengaku; NARA Yasuaki; SAYEKI Shinko; TAMARU Noriyoshi; URYUZU Ryushin; and YUYAMA Akira. Assistant members are WATANABE Shogo and SUZUKI Koshin. Commemorating the ninety-fourth birthday of Mr. NUMATA Yehan, the Committee published the following three texts in a limited edition in April, 1991:

(1) The Lotus Sutra (Taisho No. 262)

(2) The Sutra on Upasaka Precepts (Taisho No. 1488) (3) The Summary of he Great Vehicle (Taisho No. 1593) In December, 1991, the Publication Committee headed by Prof. Philip Yampolsky was organized. New editions of the above volumes and the remaining texts will be published under the supervision of his Committee.

September 10,1992

HANAYAMA Shoyu

Chairman

Translation Committee of

the BDK English Tripitaka

viii

Publisher's Foreword

It was in December, 1991, at the Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research in Berkeley, California, that a publication committee was established for the purpose of seeing into print the translations of the Chinese and Japanese Buddhist works in the BDK English Tripitaka Series. This committee will perform the duties of copyediting, formatting, proofreading, indexing, consulting with the translators on questionable passages, and so on—the routine duties of any publishing house. Represented on the committee are specialists in Sanskrit, Chinese, and Japanese, who will attempt to ensure that fidelity to the texts is maintained.

This Publication Committee is dedicated to the production of lucid and readable works that will do justice to the vision of Mr. NUMATA Yehan in his desire to make available to Western readers the major works of the Chinese and Japanese Buddhist canon.

"Taisho" refers to the Taisho Shinshu Daizokyd (Newly Revised Tripitaka Inaugurated in the Taisho Era), which was published during the period from 1924 to 1934. This consists of one hundred volumes, in which as many as 3,360 scriptures in both Chinese and Japanese are included. This edition is acknowledged to be the most complete Tripitaka of the Northern tradition of Buddhism ever published in the Chinese and Japanese languages. The series number on the spine and title page of each volume will correspond to the number assigned to the work by the Translation Committee of he BDK English Tripitaka in Tokyo. A list of the volume numbers is appended at the end of the text. For the convenience of cholars who may wish to turn to the original texts, Taisho page and column numbers are provided in the left-hand margins of each volume. No attempt will be made to standardize IX

Table of Contents

Publisher' Foreword

the English translations of uddhist technical terms; these are left to the discretion of he individual translators. Those participating in the work of this committee are Diane Ames, William Ames, Brian Galloway, David Hall, Nobuo Haneda, and Rev. Kiyoshi S. Yamashita. September 10,1992

Philip Yampolsky

Chairman

Publication Committee

Contents

A Message on the Publication of he English Tripitaka NUMATA Yehan v

Editorial Foreword HANAYAMA Shoyu vii Publisher' Foreword Philip Yampolsky ix Translator' Introduction Li Rongxi Preface Shi Yancong

Fascicle I Beginning from His Birth at Goushi and Ending with His Arrival at Gaochang in the West

Fascicle II Beginning with the Country of Agni and Ending with the Country of Kanyakubja Fascicle III Beginning with the Country of yodhya and Ending with the Country of Iranaparvata Fascicle IV Beginning with the Countiy of Campa and Ending with the Invitation of the King of Kamarupa

Fascicle V Beginning ith he Prediction of irgrantha about His Homeward Journey and Ending with His Arrival at the Western Canal in the Imperial Capital

Fascicle VI Beginning with His Arrival at the Western Capital in the First Month of the Spring in the Nineteenth Year and Ending with His Thanks for the Preface Written by the Emperor to the Scriptures and the Emperor' Reply in the Sixth Month of he Summer in the Twenty-Second Year

1

5

11

37

75

107

137

173

xi

Translator’s Introduction

Contents

Fascicle VTI

Fascicle VIII

Fascicle IX

Fascicle X

Beginning with the Composition of he "Statement of the Sacred Preface" by the Crown Prince in the Sixth Month of he Summer in the Twenty-Second Year and Ending with a Reply by the Master in the Second Month of the Spring in the Fifth Year of onghui Beginning with the Translation of the Nyayamukha Sastra in the Fifth Month of the Summer in the Sixth Year of Yonghui and Ending with the Expression of hanks by Court Officials for the Inscription Composed by the Emperor for the Monastery in the Third Month of the Spring in the First Year of ianqing

Beginning with a Letter of Thanks for the Completion of the Inscription of the Ci'en Monastery in the Third Month of he First Year of Xianqing and Ending with His Return to the Western Capital with the Emperor in the First Month of the Third Year

Beginning with His Return to the Western Capital with the Emperor from Luoyang in the First Month of the Third Year of Xianqing and Ending with His Demise at Yuhua Palace in the Second Month of the First Year of Linde

Glossary

Selected Bibliography

Index

A List of he Volumes of the BDK English Tripitaka (First Series)

xii

"

203

237

275

325

351

359

361

377

Translator's Introduction

The Tripitaka Master Xuanzang (A.D. 600-64), whose deeds and career as a Buddhist monk are described in this biography, was a prominent figure not only in the history of Buddhist learning but also in other fields of ulture. He played a role in the establishment of friendly contacts between China and the countries through which he travelled in search of more knowledge of Buddhism and incidentally but not insignificantly provided posterity with data of historical value in his detailed records about regions in Central Asia and particularly in ancient India. He is thus respected not only by the Buddhists and people of China but also by the peoples of other Eastern Asian countries who have benefitted from the Buddhist lore that he acquired through many ardships and perils during his seventeen-year journey, from 629 to 645, in foreign lands.

His position is important in the Buddhist world because he brought back to China as many as 657 Sanskrit texts, far surpassing the number of books brought back home by any one of his predecessors who travelled to India for the purpose of obtaining Sanskrit Buddhist works. Out of these 657 texts that he had brought back from India, he translated, with the assistance of oth monastic and lay scholars, 74 books in 1,335 fascicles altogether. Some of them are quite voluminous works, such as the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra in 600 fascicles and the bhidharmamahavibhasa Sastra in 200 fascicles. If he had not been an assiduous translator, wholeheartedly devoted to the dissemination of the Dharma through translating Buddhist texts into Chinese, he could not have translated such an enormous number of books in the nineteen years from 645 when he returned from India up to his death in 664. In his last years, when he was getting old and feeble, he worked particularly hard, because he was worried that, human 1

Translator' Introduction

life being limited, he might not be able to translate as many texts as he desired for his fellow monks and countrymen to read. His activities as a novice, his journey to India, and then his engaging himself in translation after returning home show that he was an enthusiastic Buddhist monk and scholar with a great devotion to his religion and a strong will to overcome all difficulties to achieve his goal until he paid for it with his life.

Because of his translation of Buddhist texts into Chinese, Xuanzang was an epoch-making figure in the history of uddhism in China. After his translations came out, they were known as the New Translations, in contrast to the Chinese versions of Buddhist texts rendered by previous monks and lay devotees, whose works were then labelled Old Translations. This was because Xuanzang was working at a time when, through the efforts of the pioneer translators, a more mature literary form, one more acceptable to Chinese readers, had been developed for the translation of Buddhist literature, enabling Xuanzang to do his works in a more refined way. His personal literary accomplishments and good scholarship, however, also accounted for his outstanding achievements. It was Xuanzang who initiated the Faxiang (Dharmalaksana) school, also known in China as the Weishi school (Vijnanavada) of Buddhism, mainly through his translations of the Samdhinirmocana Sutra (5 fascicles), Asanga' Yogacarabhumi Sastra (100 fascicles), and the Vijnaptimatratasiddhi Sastra (10 fascicles). This last is a work comprising Vasubandhu' Tnrnsika and excerpts from the commentaries often Indian exponents, headed by Dharmapala, which was translated into Chinese at the suggestion of uiji, one of uanzang' chief disciples. Kuiji had written no less than a hundred treatises in exposition of the idealistic theory of Weishi (Mind Only) that holds that all external phenomena are nothing but manifestations of the mind; and his elucidation of the viewpoint of this sect was so complete and convincing that he was regarded as the actual founder of the school, although its basic texts were provided by his teacher.

Huili, the author of his biography who was bom in 614, was a man of alent and intelligence. He became a monk in the third year 2

Translator' Introduction

of Tfoangnan (629), when he was a youth of ifteen. He was so well known for his learning in Buddhism that he was appointed by the Emperor to take part in the tasks of the Scripture Translation Court, which was set up at the Great Ci'en Monastery. Out of his admiration for and veneration of the Venerable Xuanzang, he wrote this biography about how the Master went to India to seek Buddhist texts and translate them into Chinese, so that future generations might know about his noble deeds. When he had finished his writing in five fascicles, relating events up to the Master' arrival in the capital at the conclusion of his return journey from India, he did not publish it but hid it in a cave, fearing that the contents of his writing might be incomplete and inadequate for the public. Later, when he fell seriously ill, he asked his disciples to dig out the manuscript before he passed away. Several years afterward, as the manuscript had become scattered and partially lost, his disciples collected and purchased back the lost sheets and restored the work to its complete form. Then they asked the monk ancong, ho, though ot as erudite in Buddhist learning as his schoolmates under the tutorship of Xuanzang, was good at literary writing, to compile and edit the recovered manuscript into book form. He accepted the commitment and also added five more fascicles to Huili' original five fascicles to relate the Master' activities after his return to China up to his death at midnight on the fifth day of he second month in the first year of Linde (664). He thus produced a more complete biography of the Venerable Tripitaka Master Xuanzang, which is presented here in an English version.

Li Rongxi

December 20,1990

•i

3

Contents

Preface

* by the Respectful Sramana Shi Yancong

220c It is considered with deference that when Lord Sakyamuni came to this Land of Endurance, the Eightfold Noble Path was first propagated and the Triple Gem was revealed to refute the books of all heretical schools; hence the prevalence of the Buddha' teachings. The Vaipulya doctrine of he Ekayana and the Ten Stages of the Perfect Sect are known as the Great Dharma for the exposition of the ultimate truth. The parables of the magic city and the wearing of defiled clothes, as well as the utilization of the cart drawn by a goat or the cart pulled by a deer, are known as lesser learning, as they are explanations of expedient gists. As regards the practice of editation, the observance of he disciplinary rules, and the employment of he art of ncantation, they are but myriad ways leading to the one goal of dispelling illusion and benefitting living beings. Therefore the wise and holy ones of the successive dynasties admired and treasured them. The [Avatamsaka] Sutra spoken at eight assemblies is the fundamental text, as it is the root of the teachings, while the Law that was taught in the three rotations of the Wheel of he Dharma is the branch, as it signifies the offshoot. As regards the rain of our kinds of ivine flowers, the earth quaking in six ways, and the king untying the ewel from his topknot and exposing the hidden pearl in his garment, they are metaphors for the refutation of the hypothesis of Three Vehicles (yanas) by the One Buddha Vehicle and the absorption of the branches and offshoots into the root.

It is mentioned in the Fu-fa-zang-[yin-yuan]-zhuan (Record of the causes of transmitting the Dharma Pitaka) that the holy Ananda could memorize and recite all the Dharma Pitaka of the Tathagata as fluently as water pouring out from one vessel into another. This was the teaching taught by Sakyamuni, the Honored One, to different audiences in accordance with circumstances on opportune occasions in the course of orty-nine years of is preaching 5

221a Preface

activities. But when the Ajitavati River dried up and the scene of the grove of sala trees became gloomy, the profound gist and abstruse theory almost came to extinction. At the time when the five-layer coffin [containing the remains of he Buddha] was closed and wrapped in a thousand pieces of otton cloth, ready for cremation, our late Senior Brother Kagyapa, lamenting over the loss of the Eye of Men and Celestials, which left nobody behind to save living beings, summoned the saintly monks to collect the subtle sayings [of the Buddha]. They studied the regulations to fix the methods of editation and compiled the disciplinary rules to found the Vinaya school. With the discourses of the upadesa as a basis, they analyzed the theories of emptiness and substantiality. They distinguished the views of annihilation and permanence to show the causes of cultivation and to elucidate the fruits of realization, so as to provide an example for the people of he time and to serve as standard instruction for the future, so that those who turned to them for advice might adhere to their teaching. When Wang Zun and Qin Jing were sent as envoys tracing the light of the sun to seek the teachings of the Buddha, Kasyapa-Matafiga and Dharmaranya came at their invitation to translate the scriptures and worked even in the moonlight. Thereafter, the guests who had shaved their heads and had sincere hearts spread their good reputation abroad, and texts in the foreign tendril-like script engraved on palm leaves were elaborately translated in the Middle Land. But thinkers might mistake the nature and aspects of the most abstruse and most spiritual theories, and debaters might confuse the right and wrong of the subtle mysteries. Moreover, as we were further and further away from the Holy Buddha, and as those of is teachings that were brought in were mostly incomplete, different carriages proceeded in competition on different ways, and each went separately on its own path.

When the Master was bom, a bow was hung to signify the birth of son, and the chamber was regarded as a symbol of esponse to the emptiness of ife. When he had grown up in the years of umper harvests, his heart corresponded with the sincerity of wonderful 6

Preface

virtue. He found that there was no ferry to go out of the sea of desire, but that a house was in the land of enlightenment for the spirit to dwell in. Thus he cut off his hair, changed his dress, and fixed his faith upon the theory of he twofold oidness. He travelled to other districts and mountains by boat and horse, going a thousand li. He often regretted that the books obtained and used by ancient sages contained miswritten words that led to erroneous interpretations, and that previous scholars heard and taught dubious points that gave rise to confusion in understanding. "I venture to say that under a tree where music has been performed, there must be echoes of the bell and chime stone, and in the five regions of India, the meanings of the ancient texts must be preserved." So the Master made such a firm resolve that he forgot his meals and crossed dangerous regions as fearlessly as if he were walking on level ground.' He defied a myriad of deaths to cross the Pamirs and the Ganges, and for the sake of one word he travelled to the Amravana Garden. At the Monkey Pond on Grdhrakuta Mountain, he visited the holy sites and saw the wonderful views. At the Deer Park of the Hermits he sought for remnant texts among moth-eaten books. Living through spring and autumn seasons of cold and hot weather, he spent seventeen years in travelling through or hearing about one hundred thirty countries. There he publicized the great exploits of our Emperor, which shocked the powerful and influential persons of those countries. He lowered the high carriages of the heretics and pulled down the big banners of those who studied with him under the same teacher. Famous kings bowed their heads to him and superior friends associated with him. He was the only person whose edification and morality will last through the ages. The texts of both Mahayana and Hinayana schools of the Tripitaka in Sanskrit obtained by the Master in India amounted to a total number of 657 books. These were carried back through frost and snow by big elephants as well as postal steeds to bring the journey to perfect completion under the protection of Heaven. Braving the hardships of day and rainy weather at night, he journeyed smoothly under the favor of mperial prestige. 7

221b Preface

In the nineteenth year of Zhenguan (645) he returned to the capital. There he was welcomed by monks and laymen, who swarmed to the city in great numbers. Even the outer city was overcrowded and in a great bustle, with tinkling« of jade ornaments. It was indeed a grand occasion. When he had an interview with the Son of Heaven, the latter inquired with solicitude about his journey and ordered by decree that the department concerned have the texts translated into Chinese. Everybody showed respect and homage to him, and it is hard to describe the events in detail. As for the nobility of his lineal ascendants and clansmen, his renunciation of his kinsmen to enter the religious life, his travels far and near, which were praised by the people in China and abroad, his manifestation of repose to return to eternity, and the extinction of the funeral flames with the exhaustion of the pyre, things of his kind are to be found in this biography. This biography, originally in five fascicles, was composed by Huili, a monk formerly residing at Guoxi Monastery in the region of ei. With the secular surname of Zhao, Huili was a descendant of Gongliu of he region of ing, and the son of [Zhao] Yi, Personal Chronicler to the Emperor and Assistant Judicial Inspector of he Sui dynasty. He was learned in Confucian and Buddhist lore and was good at writing compositions. In debating his eloquence was as fluent as a piece of floating cloud, and his thoughts overflowed like the gushing of a spring. He was, moreover, frank in words and solemn in appearance, never dreading any pressure or force. He would go through fire and water dauntlessly [to achieve his objects]. He saw the learning and practice of he Tripitaka Master and looked at his appearance and manners. The more he tried to penetrate them, the more unexpectedly firm they seemed to be; and the more he looked up to them, the higher above him they seemed to be. Thus the events in the Master' life were written down to be bequeathed to posterity for a long time to come. But when the manuscript was completed, the author feared that some of the virtuous points might have been overlooked, and so he had it stored in an underground chamber. It was then heard of o more. Later, when he was seriously ill and his breath hung around the 8

Preface

last moment counted by the bell and clepsydra, he ordered his disciples to dig it up from the chamber; but he died when the manuscript was about to be taken out. His disciples and others were so deeply grieved that they could not refrain from wailing and sobbing piteously. This biography was then scattered in segments to various places. Sometime later, after several years of searching and purchasing, it was recently brought together again in its complete form.

I was then asked to compose a preface to it and was encouraged to put it in proper order. Realizing how incompetent I am, I declined the request. Then I was told that the business of the Buddha Dharma should not be left to be done by a layman, and that I should not insistently refuse to perform what was a task of virtue. I yielded with a sense of shame, and after considering the matter for a long time I spread out paper and took up my writing brush, while shedding tears of orry and uneasiness. Then I mixed the original text with supplementary annotations, extending it into a work of ten fascicles, as if I were putting dogs and goats among tigers and leopards and mingling shards and pebbles with jade and jasper. I hope readers of osterity will not sneer at me. The fifteenth day of he third month

in the fourth year of Chuigong (688)

9

22ic Fascicle I

Beginning from His Birth at Goushi and

Ending with His Arrival at Gaochang in

the West

The Master, a native of Chenliu, was named Xuanzang with the family name of Chen. He was a descendant of [Chen] Zhonggong, who served as a magistrate of Taiqui Prefecture during the Han dynasty. His great grandfather [Chen] Qin was the Governor of Shangdang during the Later Wei dynasty. His grandfather [Chen] Kang, a man of istinguished learning, served in the court of i as a Professor of the National Academy, living upon the revenue of Zhounan. Thus his descendants made their home there and were also regarded as natives of oushi. His father, [Chen] Hui, brilliant and spotless by nature with an elegant character, mastered the classics at an early age. With a tall figure—eight feet—he had handsome features, perfect eyebrows, and bright eyes. He used to dress himself in a loose garment with a broad belt in the manner of Confucian scholar. Being compared by the people of is time to Guo Youdao, he was of a calm and simple nature and took no interest in official promotion. Moreover, as the political situation of the Sui dynasty was on the decline, he devoted himself o the study of he ancient classics. He was repeatedly offered the honorary post of xiao-lian (Distinguished Person of Filial Piety and Hpnesty) by the regional and prefectural authorities and was also summoned by the Emperor to take up the position of udicial inspector, but he declined to accept either appointment on the excuse of ill health. For this he won the praise of the learned men of the day. He had four sons of hom the Master was the youngest.

From his childhood the Master showed magnanimity of ature and outstanding brilliance. Once when he was a child of eight, his 11

Fascicle I

father, who was sitting at a small table, was teaching him orally from the Book of ilial Piety. When he came to the passage relating how Zengzi stood up respectfully from the mat on which he was sitting, the Master got up and straightened his dress. Being asked why, he replied, "Since Zengzi stood to listen to the lectures of is teacher, why should I sit comfortably while receiving instructions from my father?" is father was greatly pleased with the reply and had no doubt that his son would make great achievements in his life. When he invited his clansmen and told them about this incident, they complimented him, saying, "He is a filial son indeed!" This was an instance of he Master' precocity.

Afterward the Master was well versed in the classics, loved ancient things, and honored the sages. He never read any book that was vulgar or improper, and he never followed customs not practised by the saints and wise men. He kept apart from other children and never set foot at the gate of the market place. Even should there be a din of bells and drums in the street, or a performance of singing and dancing watched by a crowd of men and women in the lane, he would not go out to behold it. Since his youth, he knew how to serve his parents with a cheerful countenance, in a mild and pure as well as honest and scrupulous manner.

His second elder brother, Changjie, a monk who lived in the Pure Land Monastery in the Eastern Capital, observed that the Master was competent to receive instruction in the Dharma and brought him to his monastery to learn the scriptures. Shortly afterward an imperial decree announced that fourteen persons would be allowed to enter monastic life at Luoyang. There were then several hundred men who had studied well, but the Master, being too young, was not allowed to join the limited number of candidates. He stood beside the gate of the government house, when the envoy Zheng Shanguo, who was the Lord of Justice, a man able to discern other people' talents, saw him and found in him an unusual person. He asked the lad, "To whose family do you belong?" The Master told him of his family. The imperial envoy then asked, "Do you intend to enter monastic life?" 12

Birth to Gaochang

"Yes," replied the Master. "But as my learning is shallow and my merit small, I was not allowed to take part in the competitive examination."

The envoy asked again, "What is your purpose in becoming a monk?"

To this the Master replied, "I wish to carry on the Tathagata' teachings far into the future and glorify his bequeathed Dharma in the present." Shanguo highly praised his ambition, and as he was pleased with his intelligence and manners, he granted him special permission to go in. He said to his official colleagues, "It is easy for one to complete one' studies in the scriptures, but it is difficult for us to find a person of oble quality. If e allow this lad to enter monastic life, he will surely become a great man in the religion of Buddhism, even though you and I, gentlemen, may not witness him soaring high in the clouds and sprinkling down Sweet Dew (amrta). Besides, we must not neglect this scion of a distinguished family." Considering what happened, the words of Lord Zheng proved true.

Having become a monk, the Master stayed with his elder brother. At the time a reverend teacher, Sengjing, was preaching the Mahaparinirvana Sutra in the monastery. The Master, holding the scripture in his hands, memorized what he had heard in the lectures so absorbedly that he even forgot to eat and sleep. He also studied the Mahayanasamparigraha Sastra under the instruction of the reverend teacher Yan with even greater interest. He could remember almost the whole text at the first reading, and after the second reading he memorized the work without missing anything. Astonished by his extraordinary talent, the people invited him to mount the pulpit to repeat hat the teacher had preached. He gave a detailed exposition with full analysis in complete concordance with the gist of the teacher' sermon. Thence his good name and fame became widely known. He was then aged thirteen. Afterward, the House of Sui lost power, and the country fell into a state of reat turmoil. The imperial capital became a nest of despots like Jie the Tyrant and brigands like Zhe the Bandit, and the region between the Yellow River and the Luo River turned into 13

Fascicle I

222a a cavern for evil men as brutal as jackals and wolves. Civilization collapsed, and the Buddhist community dispersed. White skeletons were scattered at crossroads, and the region was depopulated; no smoke came out of cooking stoves. Even the tumult caused by the rebellions of ang Mang and Dong Zhuo, and the catastrophic invasions of iu Yuan and She Le, did not surpass this in slaughter and devastation.

Although he was still a youth, the Master realized the desirability of adapting oneself to circumstances, and he said to his elder brother, "Although this is the district of our parents, there is no reason, since it is in such a tumultuous condition, why we should stay here and wait for death. I have heard that the Emperor of Tang, with the multitude of Jinyang under his command, has occupied Chang'an, and all the people of the country are flocking to him as if hey were going to their parents. I wish to go there with you to seek shelter." His elder brother consented, and they went to Chang'an in the first year of ude (618).

At that time, as the foundation of the dynasty had just been laid and the war was still going on, the urgent matter of the moment was the military art of he strategists Sim Wu and Wu Qi. It was no time for carrying on either Confucian or Buddhist activities. Therefore to the Master' deep regret no preaching meeting was held in the capital.

Formerly, Emperor Yang of the Sui dynasty had constructed four monasteries in the Eastern Capital and invited well-known monks of he country to live in them. All those who were called in were men specializing in one or another particular subject of learning. Therefore there had been an army of learned Buddhist scholars, of hom Sengjing, Zhituo, Daoji, and Baoxian were at the head. During the last years of the Sui dynasty, when the country was in chaos, their support was cut off. Most of hem moved to the regions of Mian and Shu, where a large number of Buddhist scholars assembled. So the Master said to his elder brother, "As there is no more Dharma activity here, we should not waste our time. We should go to the region of hu to pursue our studies." His elder brother consented, and they again travelled through the 14

Birth to Gaochang

Ziwu Valley and arrived at Hanchuan, where they met with the two reverend teachers Kong and Jing, both of whom were men of great virtue among the Buddhists. They were delighted and excited at the unexpected encounter. Staying there for over a month, they studied under the two teachers every day and then proceeded together to Chengdu.

As many scholars assembled, they held meetings to propagate the Dharma extensively. Thus the Master attended the lectures given by Daoji and Baoxian on the Mahayanasamparigraha Sastra and the bhidharmasamuccaya Sastra, and he also studied the Abhidharmajhanaprasthana Sastra of Katyayana under the instruction of he reverend teacher Daozhen. Not wasting a moment of time, he studied with hill effort tirelessly; and within two or three years he thoroughly mastered the Buddhist texts of ifferent schools. At that time the whole empire was suffering from starvation and disorder except the region of Shu, where the people lived in peaceful abundance. Therefore large numbers of monks came from all quarters of the empire to live there. There were often several hundred people attending the preaching meetings. The Master' intelligence and talent surpassed them all, and his name became known in the regions of Wu, Shu, Jing, and Chu. The people respected and admired him for his learning and personality just in the same way as the ancient people had esteemed Li Ying and Guo Tai.

Consequently, the Master' elder brother lived in the Konghui Monastery at Chengdu. He was also a man of sturdy build, with refined manners similar to those of his father. He was fond of both Buddhist and worldly lore and had lectured on the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the Mahayanasamparigraha Sastra, and the Abhidharmasamuccaya Sastra. He was learned in the Shang-shu and its Expositions and was especially erudite in the works of Laozi and Zhuangzi, winning the estimation of he people of Shu. The governor, Zhan, especially respected him. His ability in writing, his eloquence in discussion, his magnanimity in manners, and his capacity to edify people were not inferior to those of is younger brother. But in loftiness of ind, without defilement by impurities; 15

Fascicle I

222b in researches into the metaphysical aspects of the cosmos; in ambition to clarify the universe, with a mind to continue the tasks of the saints, to rectify collapsed principles and suppress evil customs; in dauntless spirit in adverse circumstances; and in sense of self-respect even in the presence of the Emperor—in all these matters the elder brother did not show superiority over the younger one. But both brothers led lives of purity in accordance with the monastic rules and had such good reputations that even the two brothers of ushan did not surpass them.

When the Master reached the age of wenty in the fifth year of Wude (622), he received full ordination at Chengdu, where he spent the summer retreat and studied the Vinaya rules. He learned the rules laid down in the five classifications and seven groups of the Vinaya by studying them only once. Having completed his studies of all the scriptures and commentaries that could be found in the region of i, he desired to go to the capital to make further studies of pecialized subjects and to clear up the doubts that had embarrassed his mind. But as this was prohibited by regulations, his elder brother detained him and he could not fulfill his wishes. Later, he secretly sailed down the Three Gorges in company with some merchants and ran away along the Yanzi River until he reached Tianhuang Monastery at Jingzhou. There the monks and laity, having heard of his fame long ago, asked him to preach sermons for them, since he had favored them with his presence. From summer to winter, the Master lectured on the Mahayanasamparigraha Sastra and the Abhidharmasamuccaya Sastra, each three times. At that time, the Prince of Hanyang, a man of great virtue, closely related to the imperial family, was governor of that region. He was very pleased to hear that the Master had arrived and paid homage to him in person. On the first day of he preaching meeting, when the title of he text was expounded, the Prince went at the head of is group of officials, learned monks, and laymen to the assembly to observe the function. In the congregation many people put questions and made inquiries for a better understanding of the preaching. In answering them the Master gave full explanations to the satisfaction of ll. Those who acquired a deeper 16

Birth to Gaochang

222c understanding were moved to tears, and the Prince also eulogized him in the highest terms. Donations and gifts were heaped on him, but he took none of them.

After the conclusion of his preaching activities, he travelled northward in search of erudite scholars of virtue. On his way he reached Xiangzhou, where he visited the reverend teacher Huixiu and inquired of im about the dubious points he had found in the texts. Then he went to Zhaozhou and visited the reverend teacher Daoshen, from whom he learned about the Satyasiddhi Sastra. Then he entered Chang'an and stayed at the Great Enlightenment Monastery, where he learned about the Abhidharmakosa Sastra from the reverend teacher Daoyue. He grasped the essential meanings of all these texts by studying them only once, and could memorize whatever had passed his eyes, an ability unsurpassed even by senior scholars of deep learning. He studied with such profundity that he could comprehend subtle meanings and reveal what was hidden in the texts when others failed to reach it. On more than one abstruse point he had his own particular views. At that time, there were at Chang'an two teachers of great virtue, Fachang and Sengbian, who were learned in both Mahayana and Hinayana teachings and whose conduct was in full concordance with the Three Studies of discipline, meditation, and wisdom. As they were great teachers of he Dharma in the capital, both monks and laymen flocked to them to be their disciples. Their morality was known throughout the country and their fame spread beyond the seas, ith students following them like clouds grouping in the sky. They were comprehensively versed in all scriptures. They had, however, a special liking for expounding the Mahdydnasamparigraha Sastra. Although the Master had gained achievements in the regions of u and Shu, he continued after his arrival at Chang'an to pursue learning under their instruction; but very soon he exhausted their store of nowledge. Both the two teachers highly praised the Master and said to him, "You are indeed an outstanding person in the religion of uddhism. The re-illummation of the Sun of Wisdom will have to depend upon you. We regret to say that we are getting old and may not be able to witness your 17

Fascicle I

success." After that his fellow students had a different opinion of him, and his fame spread throughout the capital. Having visited various teachers and learned their theories, the Master scrutinized their teachings and found that each of them specialized in some particular sect. When compared with the holy scriptures, they showed differences either vaguely or manifestly, so that he was at a loss to decide which of the theories he should follow. Thus he resolved to travel to the West to clear his doubts and to bring back the Saptadasabhumi Sastra, which is now known as the Yogacarabhumi Sastra, to resolve the doubts of all. He also said, "Since Faxian and Zhiyan, prominent figures of former times, could travel to seek the Dharma for the benefit of ll living beings, why should there be nobody to follow in their footsteps, so that the line of oble tasks should be discontinued? A real man should have the ambition to carry forward their tradition." Thus he associated with some companions and submitted a petition to the court, but a decree was issued forbidding them to travel abroad. The others withdrew from the attempt; the Master alone did not give up his aspiration.

In preparation for the journey to be undertaken by himself alone, and in view of he dangers on the road to the West, he tested his resolution by inflicting upon himself various pains known in the world to temper his willpower. He endured them all without flinching. Then he entered a pagoda to say prayers and to make up his mind, invoking all the saints to protect him with their divine influence so that he might go and return without encountering any obstacle. When the Master was bom, his mother had had a dream in which she saw him dressed in white going toward the West. She said, "You are my son. Where do you wish to go?" The Master replied, "I am going to seek the Dharma." This was indeed a presage of is journey to the West.

In the eighth month in the autumn of the third year of Zhenguan (629), when the Master was about to start on his journey, he prayed again for a good omen. In the night he dreamed that he saw Mount Sumeru most beautifully made of the four precious substances, standing in the middle of he great sea. He desired to climb 18

223a Birth to Gaochang

up the mountain, but the billows were turbulent and there was neither boat nor raft in sight. He was not daunted at all but decided to go into the sea. Suddenly he saw stone lotus flowers emerging out of he waves below his feet. When he turned back to look at the flowers, they disappeared as soon as he lifted his feet. In a moment he reached the foot of he mountain, which was so precipitous that it was impossible for him to climb up. While he was trying to ascend the mountain by leaping, a strong whirlwind came and carried him up to the top of the mountain. He looked around and saw that everything was clear in sight without any hindrance. Then he awoke from the dream elated with joy. After that he started on his journey, when he was twenty-six years of age. There was then a monk named Xiaoda from Qinzhou, who had been studying the Mahaparinirvana Sutra in the capital and was about to return home after the completion of his learning. So the Master travelled with him to Qinzhou, where he stayed for one night and met a fellow traveller from Lanzhou, with whom he journeyed to Lanzhou. After spending one night there he met a man from Liangzhou, who was sending back horses for official use, and so he went there with that man. He stayed there for more than one month, and at the request of the local monks and laymen he expounded the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the Mahayanasamparigraha Sastra, and the Mahaprajhaparamita Sutra. Liangzhou, the capital city of the Hexi region, was a linking place with the western tribes and the various countries located to the east of the Pamirs. Merchants came and went from there without intermission. On the days when the Master was preaching, many of hem came to offer him gems and ewels with worship and praise. After returning to their own countries, they extolled the virtues of he Master in the presence of heir rulers, saying that he was coming to the West with the intention of seeking the Dharma in the Brahmanic countries. So it was that the people of various cities in the Western Region made preparations in happy anticipation of is arrival.

On the day when the preaching meeting was concluded, abundant precious alma of gold and silver coins and a large number of 19

Fascicle I

horses of good breed were offered to the Master, but he accepted only half of the gifts for his own religious purpose and shared the rest with various monasteries.

At that time, as the regime was newly established and the boundaries of the country were limited, common people were prohibited from going to the regions of the western tribes. Li Daliang, the governor of Liangzhou, enforced the prohibition very rigorously under strict imperial decree. It was reported to him that a certain monk from Chang'an intended to go to the countries in the West for an unknown purpose. Out of fear, the governor questioned the Master about his intentions. The Master told him that he intended to travel westward to search for the Dharma. On hearing this, the governor ordered him to return to the capital.

There was then a reverend teacher Huiwei, a leader of the Buddhists in the region of Hexi, who was a man of brilliant intelligence and great wisdom. He respected the Master for his eloquence in preaching and deeply sympathized with him when he heard about his ambition of going to seek the Dharma. He secretly sent two of his disciples, Huilin and Daozheng, to escort the Master furtively to the West. Thus he dared not go out openly but hid himself in the daytime and travelled by night, until he reached Guazhou, where the prefectural governor Dugu Da was very pleased to hear the news of is arrival and treated him with good hospitality. The Master inquired about the westbound route and was told that over fifty li to the north was the Hulu River, which was broad at the lower reaches and narrow at its upper part. As the current was rapid and the water deep, it was impossible to ferry across. Situated at its upper part was the Yumen Pass, which was the only way for travellers to follow as it was the key to the West region. Beyond the pass in the northwest were five watchtowers, set apart at a distance of one hundred li from each other with garrisons stationed in them, and there was neither water nor grass in between. Beyond the five watchtowers was the Mohoyan Desert in the territory of he country of iwu. On hearing this, the Master was worried and disturbed, and the horse he rode died at 20

223b Birth to Gaochang

this juncture. Not knowing what to do, he brooded over the situation in silence for more than a month.

Before he could continue his journey, a warrant of arrest arrived from Liangzhou, stating that a monk by the name of Xuanzang was trying to enter the regions of he western tribes and that all prefects and magistrates through whose domain he might pass should take every precaution for his arrest. Li Chang, the prefect, who was a pious Buddhist, suspected that the Master was the wanted man. He secretly showed him the warrant and asked him, "Is the reverend teacher not the man mentioned in it?" The Master hesitated and did not reply.

Li Chang said, "You must tell me the truth. If you are, 111 try to help you."

Then the Master told him the truth. On hearing it, Li Chang highly praised him as a man trying to achieve an unusual thing and said, "If you are truly trying to do what you have said, I shall destroy this document." So saying, he tore the warrant to pieces in the presence of the Master, but still he advised him, 'You should leave here as soon as possible."

Now the Master worried all the more. Of he two unior monks, Daozheng had already gone to Dunhuang, and only Huilin remained with him. Knowing that he could not stand the hardships of the long journey ahead, the Master dismissed him and let him go home. He bought a horse, but the trouble was that he had nobody to be his guide. Before the image of Maitreya Bodhisattva of the monastery in which he was staying, he prayed for a man who might guide him through the pass. That night a monk of the Hu tribe, named Dharma, of that monastery dreamed that the Master was sitting on a lotus flower going west. Dharma felt it strange and in the following morning he came to tell his dream to the Master, who was delighted in his mind, knowing that this was a good omen indicating the possibility of continuing his journey. But he said to Dharma, "A dream is but a fancy and is not worth mentioning." He again entered the shrine hall to pray. Before long a man of the Hu tribe came to pay homage to the image of the Buddha. He worshipped the Master by circumambulating him two or three 21

Fascicle I

times. Being asked his name, the man said that he was named Pantuo with the surname of Shi. He begged for the conferment of the Precepts and was given the Five Precepts. Greatly delighted, the Hu man went away and returned in a moment with cakes and fruits. Seeing that the man was intelligent and strong with a reverential manner, the Master told him about his intention of taking the journey. The Hu man consented to send him across the five watchtowers, and this greatly pleased the Master. He bought some clothes and a horse for the man and made an appointment with him.

On the following day, when the sun was about to set, the Master went to a bushland where he waited for the man. Before long he arrived together with an old man of he Hu tribe, riding on an aged lean horse of reddish color. At this sight the Master felt displeased. But the young man said, "This old man knows the route to the West perfectly well. He has travelled to and from Yiwu for more than thirty times. I have brought him along in the hope that he might give you some counsel." Then the old Hu man said, "The road to the West is perilous and the Sha River is an obstacle on the long way. There are demons and hot wind. Whoever encounters them cannot be spared from death. Even if ou travel together with a large group of companions, you might go astray or be lost. How can you, reverend teacher, try to go all alone? I ask you to consider the matter carefully and not gamble with your life." The Master replied, "I started on my journey to the West for the purpose of eeking the Great Dharma. I shall not return to the East before I reach the Brahmanic countries. I shall not regret it even if I die on the way."

The old man said, "If you insist on going, you had better ride my horse. This horse of ine has travelled to Yiwu fifteen times. It is sound and knows the way well. Yours is too young to travel such a long distance."

Then the Master recalled that when he was about to start on his ourney to the West from Chang'an, there was a sorcerer, named He Hongda, whose witchcraft and divination were usually effective. The Master had asked him to foretell the events of his 22

223c Birth to Gaochang

forthcoming ourney. The sorcerer said, "You will be able to go, and it seems that you will be riding on an aged, lean horse of a reddish color, equipped with a varnished saddle with a piece of iron at the front." On seeing that the Hu man' horse was lean and reddish in color and that the varnished saddle had a piece of ron, the Master deemed it appropriate to take it, and so he changed his horse for that of he old Hu man, who was quite pleased and went away after due salutation.

After having packed his outfit, the Master started on the journey with the young Hu man. At about the third watch, they reached the river and saw the Yumen Pass at a distance. They went up the stream for about ten li from the pass and came to a place where the banks of he river were over ten feet apart, beside which there was a wood of amarisks. The Hu man cut some branches and built a bridge, on which he spread grass and paved it with sand. Then they drove their horses across.

The Master was glad to have crossed the river, and he unsaddled his horse to take rest at a place more than fifty paces from the Hu man. They spread their quilts on the ground to sleep. After a little while the Hu man got up, unsheathed his knife, and slowly advanced toward the Master, but he retreated at a distance of about ten paces. Not knowing what he had in his mind and suspecting that he might have an evil intent, the Master got up and recited scriptures and repeated the name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, whereupon the Hu man lay down and slept. When it was nearly daybreak, the Master wakened the man to fetch some water for a wash. At the moment when they were about to continue the journey after having taken breakfast, the Hu man said, "Your disciple considers that the journey ahead is long and dangerous with neither water nor grass on the way. As water can be obtained only at the five towers, we have to reach them at night to steal water and pass along. But once discovered we shall be dead men. So it is safer to turn back."

But the Master was determined not to go back, and so the Hu man proceeded with reluctance. He took out his sword and drew his bow, ordering the Master to go before him, but the Master 23

224a Fascicle I

refused to precede him. When they had gone a few li, the man stopped and said, 'Tour disciple cannot go any more. I have a big family to support, and moreover I dare not trespass against the law." The Master knew his mind and let him go back. The Hu man said, "You will certainly not be able to reach your destination. What shall I do if ou are arrested and I am involved in the matter?" he Master replied, "Even if I am cut to pieces, I will never implicate you in my affair." He then took a solemn oath and the man was satisfied. The Master presented him with a horse out of gratitude for his service, and they parted.

After that the Master travelled alone in the desert, proceeding slowly along the trail marked by skeletons and horse dung. Shortly afterward he suddenly saw an army of several hundred men scattered all over the desert, moving forward or halting for a while. They were dressed in furs or coarse cloth, and their camels and horses, as well as banners, flags, and spears, kept on changing their shapes every moment. They were quite clear at a distance but gradually disappeared as they approached. At first sight, the Master thought them to be bandits, but as they faded away when they came nearer, he realized that they were bogies and demons. He heard a voice in the air, saying, "Have no fear! Have no fear!" And then he felt a little better in his mind.

After travelling a distance of more than eighty li he came in sight of he first watchtower. Fearing that he might be seen by the watchmen, he hid himself in a sandy ditch and remained there until nightfall. Then he came to the west of he tower, where he saw water. He went down to have a drink and washed his hands, and when he was about to refill his water bag, an arrow whizzed through the air and nearly hit his knee. A moment later, another arrow was shot. Realizing that he had been seen, he said aloud, "I am a monk from the capital. Don' shoot at me!"

He led his horse to the tower, where the watchmen opened the door and came out to see him. Seeing that he was really a monk, they brought him in to see the captain, Wang Xiang, who ordered a lamp to be lit so he could see the Master. He said, "He is not a monk from our region of Hexi. It seems that he really comes from 24

Birth to Gaochang

the capital." Then he inquired of the Master what the purpose of his travel was. The Master said in reply, "Did not the captain hear the people of Liangzhou say that a monk named Xuanzang intended to go to the Brahmanic countries to seek the Dharma?" The captain answered, "I heard that the teacher Xuanzang has returned to the East. How is it that you have come here?" The Master took from his horse the petition he had written to the Emperor, in which his name was written, and showed it to the captain. The captain believed him but still said, "The road to the West is long and perilous, and you could never reach your destination. I shall not arrest you. But as I am a native of Dunhuang, I wish to send you back to that place. There there is a reverend teacher named Zhangjiao, who esteems wise and virtuous people. I am sure he will be delighted to meet you. Please go to his place." The Master said in reply, "My native place is Luoyang and I have admired the Dharma since my youth. I have studied under all the learned teachers of he two capitals and the talented monks in the regions of u and Shu, and have mastered all their knowledge. In explaining and discussing Buddhist teachings, I had the honor to be ranked among contemporary teachers. If I were interested in gaining personal benefit and reputation, those places would not be inferior to your Dunhuang. But it was because I regretted that the Buddhist scriptures were incomplete and that the doctrines were ambiguous that I made a vow to go to the West to seek the bequeathed Dharma at the risk of my life, without fearing the hardships and dangers of the journey. Now you do not encourage me but advise me to go back. Can that be a cause for us to free ourselves from worldly sufferings and realize nirvana? If you have to detain me, I am prepared to bear whatever punishment you may mete out to me. But I shall never go back a single step toward the East against my original intention." On hearing this, the captain Wang Xiang said with sympathy, "I am lucky to have this chance to meet you. How can I do otherwise than comply with your wishes? You must be tired now and should take rest until tomorrow. I shall send you off nd show you the way personally." A bamboo mat was then spread to accommodate the 25

224b Fascicle I

Master for the night. At dawn when the Master had taken his meal, Wang Xiang ordered his men to fill his water bag, provided him with wheat cakes, and escorted him for a distance of more than ten li. He said to the Master, "By this route you may go straight to the fourth watchtower. The man in charge there, by the name of ang Bolong, is a man with a kind heart and a relative of mine. When you reach there you may say that I sent you." He took leave of the Master after paying homage to him with tears in his eyes.

After making his departure, the Master came to the fourth watchtower by nightfall. Fearing that he might be detained there, he intended to get some water and pass along silently. But before he could get down to fetch water, an arrow flew near him. So he made an announcement as before and went hurriedly to the tower, from which some men came down and took him in. In reply to the inquiries of the officer in charge of the tower, the Master said, "I am on my way to India, and Captain Wang Xiang of the first watchtower has sent me to come by this way." Being pleased to hear this, the officer lodged the Master for the night. He presented to the Master a large water bag with some wheat as fodder for his horse, saying, "You need not go to the fifth watchtower. The man there is an imprudent fellow and he might give you trouble. About a hundred li from here, there is Wild Horse Spring, where you can replenish your water bag."

Beyond this place was the Moheyan Desert, which stretched more than eight hundred li. This was what the ancients called the desert river, where there was no bird flying above, nor any beast roaming below; neither was there any water or grass. Now the Master had only his lonely shadow travelling with him, and all he could do was repeat the name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and recite the Prajnaparamitahrdaya Sutra. Formerly, when the Master was in the region of hu, he once saw a sick man suffering from a foul skin ulcer and dressed in rags. With a feeling of ity, he took the man to his monastery and gave him money to purchase clothes and food. Being ashamed of himself, the sick man taught the Master this sutra, which he often recited. In the desert he met 26

Birth to Gaochang

various evil spirits with strange appearances that surrounded him and refused to be dispelled completely, although he repeated the name of valokitesvara Bodhisattva. But as soon as he uttered this sutra, all of them disappeared immediately. It was by depending upon this sutra that he was saved from many a peril. After having travelled for more than a hundred li, he lost his way and could not find Wild Horse Spring. When he took down his water bag to have a drink, it was so heavy that it slipped from his hands and the water that was to sustain him during his ourney of a thousand li was spilled all at once. He lost his way in the winding path and did not know which direction to proceed. So he wished to return eastward to the fourth watchtower. When he had gone about ten li, he said to himself, "I vowed not to turn back even one step to the East before I reached India. Why am I going back now? I would rather die on my way to the West than return to the East and live." Then he reined back his horse and proceeded toward the northwest, whilst repeating the name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.

He looked around and saw nothing but the vast desert, where there was not a man or even a bird to be seen. In the night the evil spirits and demons sparkled as brightly as stars in the sky. During the daytime surprising gales blew the sand up high, and it fell down like a shower. Although he encountered such circumstances, he had no fear in his mind. The trouble was the lack of water; he was so thirsty that he could proceed no more. For four nights and five days he had not a drop of ater to moisten his throat, and his mouth and stomach became dried up. Being at the brink of death, he could no longer move forward. He lay down on the sand and repeated the name of valokitesvara Bodhisattva, and did not give up the repetition even in such a desperate situation. He prayed to the Bodhisattva, saying, "I am undertaking this ourney not for the purpose of gaining wealth nor for winning reputation. It was simply to acquire the supreme Right Dharma that I have come here. I sincerely pray that the Bodhisattva will have mercy upon all living beings and save those who are in distress. I am now in distress indeed! Cannot you hear my prayers?"

27

Fascicle I

224c When he prayed in this manner, his mind was concentrated without distraction. At midnight on the fifth day a cool breeze suddenly came and made him feel as chilly as if e were taking a bath in cold water. He was able to open his eyes, and his horse also found its feet. Being refreshed by the cool air, he fell asleep for a while and dreamed that he saw a giant deity several tens of feet tall, holding a spear and a flag in his hands. The deity said to him, "Why are you sleeping here instead of orging ahead?" The Master was startled and awakened from his sleep, and then he proceeded on his journey. Having gone for about ten li, his horse suddenly changed its course and would not turn back, though he pulled hard at the reins. A few li further on, he caught sight of a stretch of pasture several mou wide, and dismounted to graze his horse. When he had gone ten paces beyond the pasture and was about to turn back, he came to a pond of lean and sweet water. He went down to drink, and thus his life was preserved and both he and his horse were invigorated. One conjectures that this pasture and the water pond had not been there before but were produced out of ompassion by the Bodhisattva. His sincerity of ind communicated with the divinities. This was one of many such instances. He rested for one day at the pasture and the pond, and after refilling his water bag and gathering some grass he continued his journey on the following day. Travelling for two more days, he came out of the desert and reached the country of iwu. The hardships he experienced were numerous and cannot be related in full detail. Upon his arrival in Yiwu, he stayed in a monastery in which lived three monks of Han descent. The senior one was so excited that he forgot to dress himself properly and came out barefooted to receive the Master, whom he embraced while crying piteously without restraint. He said, "I never expected to have this opportunity to see a countryman again!" The Master also shed tears of sympathy for him. The monks and the king of the Hu tribe came to pay their respects, and the king invited him to his residence and entertained him with all kinds of offerings.

An envoy had been sent previously to Yiwu by Qu Wentai, the king of Gaochang. On that day he was to go back and had the 28

225a Birth to Gaochang

chance to meet the Master. On his return the envoy reported this to the king. Upon hearing this news, the king immediately dispatched an envoy to request that the king of iwu send the Master to him At the same time he selected several tens of is best horses and appointed a high ranking minister provided with a herd of camels to set up rest houses along the way for the reception of he Master. After about ten days the envoy arrived and conveyed the king' invitation with salutation and much sincerity. Originally the Master had planned to go by way of the Khan Stupa. But now that he was invited by the king of Gaochang and could not decline the invitation, he travelled across the South Desert. After spending six days on the way he reached the city of Paili in the domain of Gaochang.

As the sun had already set, the Master wished to halt for the night. The officials of he city and the envoy said, "The royal city is near. Please proceed ahead." The Master changed good horses several times on the way, leaving behind the reddish horse which he had ridden before to be sent to him later. At midnight he arrived at the royal city. The gatekeeper reported it to the king, who ordered him to open the gate, and the Master entered the city. The king and his attendants, with candles in their hands and walking in a line, came out of he palace to receive the Master and ushered him to sit behind a precious curtain in a storeyed pavilion in the inner court. The king worshipped him and asked him about his journey in a very cordial manner, saying, "Since I, your disciple, heard the name of the Master, I have been so happy that I have forgotten to sleep and take food. Computing the distance of the way, I guessed that you would arrive tonight, and so my wife and I did not sleep but waited for your arrival while we recited scriptures." In a moment the royal consort and several tens of her attending maids came to pay homage to the Master. When it was nearly daybreak, he felt tired after so much talking and wished to retire. Then the king eturned to his palace, leaving some eunuches behind to attend the Master.

Early next morning before the Master had arisen, the king and the queen together with those below them in rank came to the door 29

Fascicle I

of his chamber to pay their respects to him. The king said, "Considering that the way through the desert is hard to travel, I deem it a great wonder that you could have come all alone!" He praised the Master with tears of emotion and could not restrain himself. Food was then served. When the Master had taken his breakfast, the king personally led him to a monastery situated by the side of the palace, and appointed eunuches to serve him. In that monastery there was a reverend teacher Tuan, who had studied at Chang'an and understood well all aspects of he Dharma. The king esteemed him and invited him to come to see the Master, and he came out in a moment. The king also ordered the royal teacher, who was over eighty years old, to live with the Master in order to persuade him to stay and give up his westward journey. But the Master did not consent.

After staying there for more than ten days, the Master wished to take his leave. The king said, "I have asked the royal teacher to extend my invitation. What do you think of t?" The Master said in reply, "It is really a great favor from the king that I have been asked to remain here. But in consideration of my intention of taking the journey, I must not do that." The king said, "I have travelled to the Great Country with the late king and have visited together with the Emperor of the Sui dynasty both the east and the west capitals, as well as the regions of an, Dai, Fen, and Jin. There I met many monks of igh reputation, but none of hem won my admiration. When I heard your name, I was so glad that I danced with delight. I planned that when you came here you should stay here and receive my offerings for the rest of your life. I will order all the people of my country to be your disciples and receive your instructions. Though we may not have many monks here, they still amount to several thousand. I will ask them to hold the scriptures and be your audience. I sincerely pray that you will consider and accept my humble suggestion, and give up the idea of travelling to the West."

The Master declined the invitation, saying, "How can a man poor in virtue such as I be worthy to accept the king' kind hospitality? The purpose of y ourney is not to obtain offerings. [I 30

225b Birth to Gaochang

undertook it] because I regretted that the teachings of he Dharma were not complete and the scriptures deficient in my own country. I have doubts and have puzzled my mind, but I could find no one to solve them. That was why I decided to travel to the West at the risk of y life in order to seek the teachings that I have not heard before, so that not only will the Sweet Dew of the Vaipulya scriptures have been sprinkled at Kapilavastu but also the sublime truth of discrimination may be known in the eastern country. The aspiration of adapralapa inquiring after the Way and the wish of Sudhana looking for friends should be strengthened day after day and must not be abandoned halfway. I hope Your Majesty will recall your words and not bother about my personal welfare." The king said, "As I, your disciple, have a great adoration for the Master, I will decidedly invite you to stay here so that I may make offerings to you. Even if the Pamir Range could be moved, my mind would not be changed. Please believe in my sincerity and do not doubt my earnestness."

To this the Master responded, "It needs no repeated explanation to understand Your Majesty' deep kindness. But as I have come here on my way to the West to seek the Dharma, I must not stop halfway before I have found it. That is why I respectfully decline your kind offer, and I hope that Your Majesty will have sympathy with me. Moreover, it was due to the superior blessedness that Your Majesty had cultivated in previous lives that you became a lord of men, upon whom not only your subjects but also the religion of Buddhism rely for support. It befits you to help its spreading. Is it appropriate for you to be a hindrance to its propagation?"

The king said, "I dare not obstruct the propagation of uddhism. It is only because we have no teacher in our country to guide us that I wish to keep you here to enlighten the deluded and the ignorant."

The Master would not consent to stay in spite of the king' entreaties. Thus the king changed his countenance and rolled up his sleeves, while shouting, 'Your disciple has other ways to deal with the Master. How can you go by yourself? Either you must stay, 31

Fascicle I

or I shall send you back to your country. Please consider the matter well. I think it is better for you to comply with my wish." The Master said in reply, "I have come on my way to seek the Great Dharma, and now I encounter an obstacle. Only my physical body may be detained by Your Majesty; my mind can never be withheld." He was then choked by sobs and could speak no more. Even so, the king did not allow him to go, but increased the amount of fferings presented to him. Every day at mealtime the king held a tray of food with both hands to serve the Master. Having been detained against his own wish, the Master refused to take any food in the hope that the king would change his mind. He sat erect and did not drink even a drop of ater for three days. On the fourth day the king found that his breath had become very feeble, and, feeling deeply ashamed of himself and afraid, the king worshipped him and apologized, saying, "I will allow you to go to the West. Please take food immediately."

Fearing that the king' words were untrue, the Master asked him to take an oath with his finger pointing at the sun. The king said, "If you wish me to do that, we had better strengthen our relationship before the image of the Buddha." So they went together to the temple to worship the Buddha, and in the presence of he Queen Mother, Zhang, the king acknowledged the Master to be his brother and said to him, "I will let you go to seek the Dharma. But on your return ourney you must come to stay in this country for three years to receive my offerings. When you become a Buddha in the future, let me be your patron and supporter just as the two kings Prasenajit and Bimbisara were to the Buddha." The Master was still pressed to stay for another month to preach on the Prajnaparamita Sutra of he Benevolent ing. Meanwhile preparations were to be made for his journey. The Master consented to this request, to the great delight of he Queen Mother, who wished to be always related with the Master so that they could help one another in all future lives. Then the Master began to take food again. This was an instance of is firmness of esolution. Two days later the king pitched a special big tent, large enough to accommodate three hundred persons, for the Master to preach 32

225c Birth to Gaochang

in. The Queen Mother and those below her in rank, including the king, the royal teacher, and the ministers, sat on different seats to listen to the sermon. At each time of reaching, the king, holding a thurible in hand, ushered the Master to the tent. When the Master was ascending the pulpit, the king knelt down to serve as a stool for him to step up to the high seat, and this he did every day. After the conclusion of he preaching, the king gave permission for the ordination of four sramaneras to serve the Master as his attendants. Thirty suits of religious garments were made, and as the climate in the lands of the West was mostly cold, some face covers, gloves, boots, and stockings were also prepared. One hundred taels of gold, thirty thousand silver coins, and five hundred rolls of ilk and satin were provided for the Master as funds to last him twenty years on his journey to and from the West. Thirty horses and twenty-five carriers were allotted to him. Huanxm, the palace attendant and royal secretary, was ordered to escort him to the yamen of hehu Khan. The king also wrote twenty-four letters to Kucha, etc., twenty-four countries, and to each letter was attached one roll of ine silk as a sign of credence. Five hundred rolls of silk and two cartloads of fruits and edibles were presented to Shehu Khan with a letter, in which the king said, "The Master, who is my younger brother, wishes to seek the Dharma in the Brahmanic countries. May the Khan treat him with kindness, as he would treat me. I would also request that you issue orders to the countries in the West to send the Master out of their domains from stage to stage by corvee horses."

Upon seeing hat he king sent im the sramaneras and provided him with credentials and rolls of silk, the Master felt thankful for the rich farewell gifts and wrote a letter to the king to express his gratitude:

I, Xuanzang, have heard that one has to depend upon a boat with oars to cross deep and far-stretching rivers and seas. Just in the same way one has to depend on the holy teachings to guide one out of he doubts that puzzle the minds of living beings. Therefore the Tathagata was born into this 33

Fascicle I

world of impurity with a mind of great compassion like a mother' love of er only son, and he illuminated this world of darkness with the Sun of Wisdom of the Three Clear Insights. The clouds of compassion covered the top of the sky, and the rain of he Dharma moistened the Three Thousand Worlds. After having accomplished his task of giving benefit and peace to living beings, he abandoned what was merely a transformation and returned to Eternal Truth. His bequeathed teachings have been spread to the East for more than six hundred years. Kasyapa-Matahga and Sanghavarman glorified the Dharma in the regions of u and Luo, while Dharmaraksa and Kumarajiva embellished it in the districts of Qin and Liang, upholding the mystic teachings and helping to maintain superior deeds. But as the translators came from distant lands, their interpretations differed, and as the time of the Buddha has gone far, his doctrines have been misinterpreted. Thus the unique teaching that he left at the twin sala trees has been divided into the two views of substantial ego and substantial dharma, and the unequalled doctrine of the Mahayana has been split into the Southern and Northern Schools. Dissensions and disputes have lasted for several hundred years, and doubts have prevailed in the whole country without anybody to provide a solution.

By the lucky causes of y previous lives, I have been able to enter the Order at an early age and have studied under various teachers for nearly twenty years. I have consulted with many well-known scholars and learned friends, and thus I have had a glimpse of he texts of oth the Mahayana and the Hinayana schools. But whenever I held a book to study it I was perplexed and felt at a loss to understand the meanings of the scripture I was holding in hand. I always longed to visit the Jetavana Garden and cherished a feeling of espect for the Vulture Peak, where I wished to go to solve the doubts accumulated in my mind. Although I knew that one could not examine the sky through a small tube, or 34

226a Birth to Gaochang

measure the sea with a calabash shell, I still could not abandon my humble idea. Thus I made preparations and started on my journey, and with the passage of time on my way, I gradually reached Yiwu.

Being endowed with the pure harmony of Heaven and earth and gifted with the good spirit of the cosmos, Your Majesty reigns in prosperity and rules over his subjects as if they were his sons. You follow the manners of the Great Country in the East and observe the customs of he hundred tribes in the West. The lands of Loulan and Yuezhi and the countries of Cheshi and Langwang are all under the influence of our deep kindness and great virtue. Moreover, you esteem sages and love scholars, and you like what is good and treat people with benevolence. For those who come from afar, you show sympathy and consideration and extend a hospitable reception. Since my arrival you have favored me with deep kindness and granted me the honor of expounding the Dharma. You have also condescended to be related to me as a brother and promoted the sentiment of fraternity. You have provided me with letters of ntroduction written in warm and enthusiastic terms to more than twenty states in the Western Region, requesting them to send me out of heir domains stage by stage. Considering that I shall have to travel alone on my way to the West through snowy roads in cold climates, you have issued an explicit order for the ordination of our sramaneras to be my attendants and companions and provided me with more than fifty articles such as religious robes, cotton hats, fur blankets, and boots and stockings, as well as rolls of ilk and satin, and gold and silver money for my travelling expenses, enough to sustain me for twenty years on my outward and homebound ourneys. For all these favors I feel both amazed and ashamed of myself and do not know how to express my gratitude. The outflow of the Jiao River is comparable to the amount of your kindness, and the mountains of the Pamir Range are not weightier than the favors you have shown me. Now I 35

Fascicle I

have no more worry about crossing the suspension bridge over the perilous icy river, and it is now the right time for me to visit the country of the Heavenly Ladder and the Bodhi tree. If I may, with your permission, realize my wishes, to whom shall I owe my achievement? To no one but the king' favor! I shall then visit various teachers and receive the Right Dharma from them. After returning home I shall translate the texts to spread what was not known before, so as to clear the intricacies of wrong views and to refute the misinterpretations of heretical theories, as well as to supplement the unknown part of the Buddha' teachings and to set a compass for entering the Gate of Truth. With this humble service, I shall repay you for your exceptional kindness.

As the way that lies ahead is far, I cannot afford to stay here any longer. I shall take leave of ou tomorrow and this makes me feel all the more sorrowful. With many thanks engraved on my memory, I am writing this letter to express my deep gratitude.

The king said in reply, "Since you have consented to be my brother, whatever we have in the country is our common property. There is no cause for you to thank me."

On the day of eparture, the king and the monks, together with the ministers and people, all came out of the capital to send the Master off to the western suburbs of the city. The king embraced him and cried piteously, while the monks and lay people were all sorrowful, and the voices bidding farewell resounded in the suburbs. The king ordered his queen and the people to go back, while he, accompanied by the monks each riding on a horse, escorted the Master for several tens of li before he returned to the city. The kings and nobles of the countries through which the Master passed all honored him in the same manner. From here proceeding westward, he crossed the towns of uban and Dujin and entered the country of Agni, which was wrongly called Wuqi in olden times.

36

Fascicle II

Beginning with the Country of gni and

Ending with the Country of Kanyàkubja

226b

Proceeding westward from here, the Master reached the Teacher' Spring in the country of Agni. The spring was on a sandy rock by the south side of he road, which was several tens of eet high; and water flowed out halfway up the rock. It was said by tradition that once several hundred merchants ran out of water on the way and were quite exhausted when they reached here and did not know what to do. In the group there was a monk, who had no travelling money but lived on alms given by the merchants. The merchants discussed the situation and said, "As this monk serves the Buddha, we offered alms to him, so he could travel a long distance without carrying any sustenance with him. Now we are in a desperate situation, though he has shown no worry. Let us go and tell him about it." The monk said, "If you wish to get water, each of you should worship the Buddha, take the Three Refuges, and observe the Five Precepts. I shall then climb up the rock to get water for you." As the merchants were in distress, they all followed the monk' advice. When they had accepted the Precepts, the monk said to them, "When I have climbed up the rock, you should call out: 'Teacher, bring down water for us!' And tell me whatever amount of ater you wish to have." A few moments later, when he had gone up, the merchants did as he had told them, and water flowed down profusely in an instant. All the merchants were delighted and grateful, but the teacher did not come down. They went up to see and found that he was dead. All of them, old and young, lamented sorrowfully, and cremated the remains according to the custom of he Western Region. At the spot where he had sat, 37