The Story of Master Xuanzang (Part 1)

1. Young Congwu (Chenliu, Henan, 602, 1 year old)

Master Xuanzang, whose common surname is Chen, is the fourth son of Chen Hui in Chenliu, Henan (now Yanshi County). He was born in the 20th year of Kaihuang (602 AD) of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.

His ancestors were descendants of Taiqiu Zhonggong in the Han Dynasty. His great-grandfather Chen Qin and grandfather Chen Kang were both high officials. His father was also a very learned man. He was a county magistrate in Jiangling. , Excusing his illness, the people of insight at that time all praised his Jiezhi.

Master Zang had a noble character, was smart and savvy when he was young, and he was different from other children of the same age. He especially liked reading. Although he was young and couldn’t understand, he often pestered his father and asked him non-stop. Chen Hui didn’t expect this little son to be so smart, so she was happy to teach him to read and write every day. When he was seven or eight years old, Master Zang had already read a lot of books with his father.

At the age of eight, his father began to teach him to read the classics of filial piety. One day, when his father talked about “Zengzi avoiding the banquet”, Master Zang suddenly got up in his clothes. His father asked him why he stood up? He said: “Zengzi avoided the banquet after hearing the master’s order. How can I sit still as my son is ordered by kindness!” Chen Hui was very happy to hear that, knowing that he would become a great tool in the future, so she taught him more seriously. He not only taught him the classics of filial piety, but also taught him other classics carefully.

Once, Master Zang suddenly asked his father, “Father, what is right?”

“I’m not asking this, what

I’m saying is: what kind of heart do you need to be called upright?”

Master Zang went on to ask: “What is the right way, and how do we go?” ”

The right way is the road walked by the ancient sages. They all walked, and of course you will walk too.” ”

Okay, I want to walk the holy way too .” The path that people have traveled.” Master Tsang said to himself.

From then on, under the guidance of his father, Master Zang admired the ancient sages and sages. If they were not elegant and upright, he would not read them; if they were not in the style of a sage, he would not study them. Master Zang pursued learning, but when he had little understanding, he immediately practiced it. This is his specialty. At the same time, because he doesn’t like to make friends with children who love to play, and it’s not easy to go shopping in the market, so even if there is a lot of gongs and drums outside the door, a variety of operas, ladies and gentlemen gather, and it’s very lively, he can stay unmoved and concentrate on studying in books. Go up and study hard. Therefore, he learned a lot of scriptures.

Master Zang has been very well-cultivated since he was a child, and he always treats people with a gentle color, and he does things honestly, plainly and cautiously. These are the basic conditions for him to become a great man in the future.

2. Suixiongyi Temple (Jingtu Temple, Luoyang, 611, 10 years old)

Master Zang’s father, Chen Hui, has been living in increasing hardship since he resigned from office and returned home because of lack of financial resources and his lack of knowledge in farming. At that time, Chen Su, the second elder brother of Master Zang, left home to become a monk at the Jingtu Temple in Luoyang, the eastern capital, and became a monk under the name of Changjie because of his advocacy of Buddhism on the one hand and on the other hand in order to reduce the burden on the family.

When Master Zang was ten years old, his father died of illness. Master Changjie rushed back from Luoyang to attend the funeral. When he saw his mother, they embraced and wept. After finishing his father’s funeral, Master Changjie said to his mother, “My younger brother has been very smart since he was a child, and he liked reading very much. Now that his father has passed away, there is no one in the family who can educate him. Why don’t you let him live with me in Jingtu Temple. “This was the beginning of Master Zang’s exposure to Buddhism.

Master Changjie not only has a solemn appearance, but also understands the teachings and is good at preaching scriptures. Although Master Zang had just turned ten years old at this time, he lived with his second elder brother in the Pure Land Temple and recited Buddhist scriptures in the morning and evening.

3. Make an exception to the degree of accuracy

When Master Zang was thirteen years old, Emperor Yang issued an edict to enroll in Luoyang, and 27 people were ordained to become monks.

Why does it still require permission from the emperor to become a monk? It turned out that during the time of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, people were allowed to become monks freely. But who knows, this benevolent government has caused big problems. The reason is that monks at that time were not required to serve as soldiers and did not have to pay taxes. As a result, many people became monks in order to avoid military service and taxes. The highest record, in one year, 500,000 people became monks. Because there were too many people pretending to be monks, when Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty arrived, the court prohibited the people from becoming monks. From then on, if one wants to become a monk, the emperor must issue an edict, and the local government will obey the edict, and after passing the examination, there will be a certain number of places.

Master Zang was excluded from the public school because he was too young to take the exam. At this time, Dali Minister Zheng Shanguo, who was in charge of teaching monks, saw that he was lingering, so he asked him curiously, “Why are you lingering here? Do you want to become a monk?” Master Zang immediately replied, “Yes, but my second brother said I was old. Too young….”

“Why do you want to become a monk?” Dali Qing asked.

“In order to inherit the Tathagata’s ambition and to carry forward the legacy.”

Dali Qing was deeply moved after hearing these few words, and in order to reward Master Zang for his great ambition, he made an exception and admitted him. Afterwards, he said to his subordinates: “It is not difficult to study Buddhist scriptures, and it is rare to find a person with lofty character. In the future, he will become a Buddhist dragon and elephant.” After he became a monk, he continued to live with his second brother in the Pure Land Temple.

4. Early fame

Master Zang worked very hard when he was in Jingtu Temple. He once listened to the “Nirvana Sutra” lectured by Master Huijing. I also studied “Mahayana Theory” with Master Huiyan, and I am more fond of transgression. After the master listened to it once, I read it again, and I will never forget it. Everyone was amazed by his intelligence, so whenever they encountered something they didn’t understand, they all ran to ask Master Zang for advice. Even in the near future, as long as you don’t understand something in class, after class, Master Zang will be invited to the podium to help you explain it again.

“Brother Xuanzang, thank you. After hearing what you said, we all understand.” The students thanked Xuanzang with one voice. They felt that what Master Zang said was much easier to understand than what Master said.

So Xuanzang’s reputation spread all over Luoyang. Whether he studied Buddhism or not, everyone knew the name of Xuanzang, a young monk.

At this time, Master Xuanzang was only thirteen years old. Dali Qing Zheng Shanguo, who was in charge of saving monks, once praised Master Zang for his rare character during the exam, and said, “If you save this son, he will be a great tool for the Buddhist monks in the future.” Now it seems that what Zheng Qing said is true. lie.

5. Avoiding Chaos and Liyi

In the last years of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty indulged in leisure and pleasure, regardless of whether the people lived or died. As a result, the people revolted and rebellions occurred everywhere.

Even the capital Chang’an and Luoyang, Henan, were baptized by the war, and corpses were everywhere. Although Xuanzang was young at that time, he could also see the chaos and unrest in the current situation. Seeing that Luoyang’s clothes and ceremonies had been lost, and it was almost becoming a lair of bandits, he discussed with his second brother. He said, “Second brother, It seems we have to leave our hometown! The world is in such chaos, we can’t stay here and wait to die.” ”

But where else can we go?” Master Changjie asked.

“I heard that Li Yuan’s son Li Shimin captured Chang’an. He has always loved the people very much and was welcomed by the people. Maybe we can go there.” Master Zang analyzed.

So Master Zang left the Pure Land Temple and headed for Chang’an with Master Changjie. Along the way, you can only see crossroads of dead bones, no fireworks, soldiers and horses, and refugees swarming like tides.

6. Youshu Shouye (Chang’an Zhuangyan Temple ~ Sichuan, 618, 17 years old)

After Master Zang and his brother arrived in Chang’an, they saw that Li Yuan’s army was very disciplined and did not commit any crimes against the people. Come to the right place. But after he had placed orders in Zhuangyan Temple for a period of time, he was greatly disappointed! Because he found that in the entire city of Chang’an, there was not even a single lecture on Buddhism, and the collection of Buddhist classics was not as good as Luoyang. He thought to himself, staying here and not being able to study Buddhism, isn’t it a waste of time? So I discussed with my second brother again and prepared to leave. But Master Changjie persuaded him:

“The Tang Dynasty has just established a state, and it is inevitable to emphasize martial arts and despise literature. Besides, the world is in such chaos. Before we can determine which place is better than Chang’an, we will stay here temporarily and wait for the situation to stabilize. Let’s make plans later!”

Master Zang had no choice but to accept the suggestion and stay here temporarily. It was the year 618 AD.

After living in Zhuangyan Temple for a while, Master Zang discovered that many masters in the temple were leaving one after another, and he didn’t know the reason, so he asked people.

“What, don’t you know? Masters Kong and Jing have already gone to Sichuan, and many people have followed them.”

Then Master Changjie remembered that Emperor Yang of Sui had established four Daoist temples in the Eastern Capital and summoned the world. Famous monks go to live. There used to be a forest of Dharma generals and great virtuous monks gathered there, but due to the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, the support stopped, so most of the Dharma masters moved to Sichuan, and most people who knew Buddhism were concentrated in Sichuan. At that time, it became the national Buddhist research center. So Master Zang discussed with his brother again: “There is no Buddhism here, so how can we waste time!” So the two brothers left Chang’an and entered Hanchuan via the Ziwu Valley to study.

7. Twenty Shouju (Chengdu, Sichuan, 622, 21 years old)

After arriving in Sichuan, the two brothers Zang and Master first studied Buddhism with Master Kong and Master Jing, and soon transferred to Chengdu, only to find that the local Buddhist research atmosphere is more Sheng, so happily lived in Konghui Temple.

During this period, Master Zang cherished the time very much, listened to the Dharma everywhere, worked hard to seek the Dharma, and never stopped slack. When I have free time, I also bury my head in the Sutra Library to study classics. So in two or three years, Master Zang has mastered various scriptures and theories, and has been respected by eminent Buddhist monks and ordinary people from all over the world.

At that time, there were many people teaching Buddhism in Chengdu. There were often hundreds of people under the lectures. Although Master Zang is young, he has unique insights and is not inferior to other monks. Therefore, there are not a few people who come here after hearing the news.

On the other hand, Master Zang’s elder brother often held banquets, performing Nirvana Sutra, Mahayana Theory, Abhitan, etc. He was especially good at the learning of Lao Zhuang and was admired by the people of Shu. The two brothers, with clear rules in their careers and elegant voices, can be compared with the two masters of Donglin Huiyuan and Huichi Kunzhong successively. For a while, they became a good talk in Chengdu.

In the fifth year of Wude, Master Zang was twenty years old, received full precepts in Chengdu, and studied law in summer. It didn’t take long to study all the five chapters and seven collections of the precepts (the classification of precepts is to explain their sinful nature and the cause and effect of formation, etc.) one by one.

8. Boating in the Three Gorges (to Jingzhou Tianhuang Temple, 624, 23 years old)]

Master Xuanzang officially became a monk after receiving full precepts. After becoming a monk, Master Zang worked harder. He visited almost all the monasteries near Chengdu and read all the scriptures in the temple. At this time, he was already a monk with profound Buddhist attainments. He wanted to further his studies, but found that there was no place in Sichuan where he could study and study. He thought to himself, “Although one can practice Taoism in Sichuan, there is a lack of classics. It is really a pity. Hearing about this At that time, Chang’an was already stable, and there were many classics that could be read again.” (It turned out that during the war, many classics were stored away. After the world was at peace, these classics were opened for people to read again.) So Master Zang once

again The idea of ​​returning to Chang’an came up. He discussed with his brother, but was not allowed, because according to the management method of the monks at that time, he could not leave Chengdu at will, which made Master Zang very distressed.

“If you don’t let me leave, then I will have to sneak away.” Regardless of the legal restrictions, Master Zang was determined to leave Sichuan.

After thinking about it, he finally thought of a good way, that is to go out of Chengdu secretly with a businessman. So he said goodbye to his second brother, hid in a merchant ship, and went down the river, passing through many rapids along the way. After crossing the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, he soon arrived at Tianhuang Temple in Jingzhou, Hubei Province (now Jiangling, Hubei Province).

When the masters in Tenhuang Temple heard that Master Xuanzang was visiting, they all warmly received him, because they had already heard of Master Xuanzang’s name and knew his profound Buddhist attainments.

They specially set up a dojo for Master Zang, and asked Master Zang to host lectures and teach classics to everyone. Master Zang gave them a total of “Mahayana Theory” and “Apitan Theory” for them, from summer to winter, each three times.

9. The news that Master Shi Xuanzang

The news that Master Shi Xuanzang was giving lectures at Tianhuang Temple caused a sensation in the whole city. Not only the Buddhists from various temples, but also King Li Gui of Hanyang personally led a group of officials and monks to come . listen. All of a sudden, there was an endless stream of people from all walks of life who came to ask for help and ask questions about the Dharma. For those who came to ask about the Dharma, Master Xuanzang answered their questions one by one. He was skillful with metaphors and handled them freely, so that all the inquirers were satisfied. Among them, those who had a deep understanding were even moved to tears on the spot, and it was too late to meet each other.

All in all, Master Zang’s lecture at Tenhuangji was very successful, and everyone praised Master Zang for his knowledge and virtue. In order to thank Master Zang, the King of Hanyang specially prepared a lot of property to support Master Zang. In addition, gifts from all walks of life piled up like a mountain for a while. Even so, Master Zang didn’t take any of them, and offered them all to the permanent residents of Tennoji Temple.

10. Get close to the great virtues (Henan, Hebei)

After master Xuanzang finished his lecture in Jingzhou, he traveled north and continued to seek teachers and visit Taoism.

First, I came to Xiangzhou (now Anyang County, Henan Province), found Master Huixiu, an eminent monk, and learned “Miscellaneous Heart Shelun” from him. It took only eight months. Master Huixiu couldn’t help but praised Master Zang, saying:

“Master Xuanzang’s talent is really rare. I’m afraid no one can match his comprehension.”

In fact, Master Zang has been very intelligent since he was a child. One time, everything is known. In addition, Master Zang has the ability of photographic memory, even though some people have studied for a long time, or even get old, they still cannot catch up with him. Master Zang is good at elucidating the profound theories and the mysteries of termas in the way of learning, which is especially unmatched by others.

After leaving Xiangzhou, Master Zang continued to go north and came to Zhaozhou (now Zhao County, Hebei Province) to pay homage to Venerable Master Daoshen and learn the theory of Jushe from him. It took ten months before he paid his respects and left.

At the age of twenty-three, Master Zang returned to Chang’an after a long absence. At this time, the war had long since ended, and Chang’an once again became an important town for studying Buddhism. At that time, there were two great virtues in Chang’an, Fachang and Sengbian. They were both eminent monks who were proficient in the two vehicles of size and size, and the three learnings of precepts, concentration and wisdom. Although Master Zang had studied Mahayana scriptures and lectured on Mahayana theory, he still felt doubtful, so he decided to continue to learn from the two masters.

“Xuanzang learned really fast, and his comprehension has reached the point where he can understand a little bit.” The two masters praised Xuanzang unanimously, and taught him without reservation, and said: “You are really a thousand-mile steed of Buddhism. In the future,

Buddhism It is entirely up to you to carry forward your great achievements. It is a pity that we are too old to witness your achievements.”

Since then, the young Master Zang has become the focus of attention.

11. The couple, Master Chen Biaozang, paid homage to all the masters.

After feasting on the taste of the Dharma, he found that each dharma master had different views on Buddhism. Which is evil, it is really difficult to choose. Besides, the Buddha preached for more than 40 years, and he performed more than a hundred thousand scriptures, but there were not many translations from Sanskrit to Chinese; besides, mistakes were inevitable between Chinese and Sanskrit translations; Many of them are lost or incomplete, so that the scriptures are not connected. If you want to clear up doubts, distinguish the authenticity, and make Chinese Buddhism more perfect, Master Zang believes that you must be proficient in Sanskrit and go to India to learn scriptures. So he made a vow to travel to the west to get rid of doubts.

Back then, traveling from China to India, whether by water or land, was extremely difficult and dangerous. I don’t know how many monks died on the way to India to seek the Dharma. However, Master Zang thought that in the past, masters such as Fa Xian and Zhi Yan could not avoid difficulties, regardless of life and death, and traveled westward to seek the Dharma for the benefit of all living beings, why couldn’t he himself? How can it be a man’s behavior to let the former sages focus on beauty? So the determination to travel to the west was strengthened. Soon, together with several Taoist couples, Chen Biao played to the emperor and asked to go abroad to study in India, but unfortunately it was not approved by the court.

“Forget it, wait for another chance!” Master Zang’s friend said dejectedly.

But Master Zang did not give up, and once again applied to the court alone, but the result was still not allowed.

“No! Then I will sneak out of the customs.” Xuanzang couldn’t care about so much in order to seek scriptures.

“There are serious consequences!” friends warned him.

“The Bodhisattva will protect me,” Xuanzang said.

So Master Zang prepared to plan the departure route and raise travel expenses, and also worshiped the Bodhisattva every day in the temple, expressing his wish to seek scriptures, and begging the Bodhisattva to bless the journey. (Actually, long before Master Xuanzang was born, his mother had dreamed of going west in white clothes to seek the Dharma, which can also be said to be a harbinger of the master’s journey to the West.)

12. Yemeng Baoshan

One night, in a dream, Master Zang suddenly saw a treasure mountain in the sea, shining with light. But looking around, I saw that the sea was rough and there were no boats and rafts for the transition. In order to climb Baoshan to find out, Master Zang mustered up his courage and jumped into the sea, only to see many stone lotus flowers suddenly gushing out of the sea, connecting from the shore to the foot of the mountain.

Master Zang stepped on the stone lotus and soon arrived at the foot of the mountain. But the mountain was too steep to be climbed, so Master Zang tried to jump himself up, but he didn’t expect to go straight up and reach the top of the mountain. At this time, Master Zang did not look for gold, silver and precious stones, but felt that it was very wonderful to stand on a high place and look out. But unexpectedly, just as the wonderful feeling appeared, he woke up from the dream.

“This must be the Bodhisattva telling me to go forward bravely.” After having this dream, Master Zang became more determined and decided to travel west to learn Buddhist scriptures no matter what difficulties there were.

13. Determined to go west (629, 28 years old)

During the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, Chang’an was hit by natural disasters, and the victims had no way to survive. The imperial court had to issue an edict to allow the people to go to other places to make a living freely. Master Zang took this opportunity to hide among the refugees, left Chang’an, and embarked on a journey.

At that time, there happened to be Xiaoda, a monk from Qinzhou, who was studying the Nirvana Sutra in the capital.

The two arrived at Qinzhou (now Tianshui, Gansu) at the same time and stayed overnight. The next day, I met my companion who was going to Lanzhou (now Lanzhou, Gansu), so I followed him to Lanzhou. When I was in Lanzhou, I happened to meet merchants who escorted the official horse back to Liangzhou (now Wuwei, Gansu), so I followed to Liangzhou. The journey was very smooth.

Liangzhou is a metropolis in the west of Hexi, connecting countries in the Western Regions, and is the gateway to Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang. Its commerce is prosperous, and business and travel exchanges are endless. Because the monks and laymen in Liangzhou were very popular and invited them, Master Zang gave them a lecture on Mahayana on Nirvana and Prajna. During his stay in Liangzhou for more than a month, many businessmen from various countries in the Western Regions also came to listen to the Dharma.

Refuge means offering treasures and dharma objects, or donating gold, silver, and silk. The most important thing is that after they return to their own countries, they will publicize the virtues and learning of Master Zang to their kings, and report the news that Master Zang will pass through the border when he wants to go west to seek the Dharma. Therefore, all the countries in the Western Regions have expressed joy and prepared to welcome Master Zang before his journey westward.

14. Prohibited to leave the country (Guazhou)

After the consummation of the Dharma Conference, Master Zang faced a mountain of offerings, and only took half of it as incense oil money for offering to the Buddha, and donated the other half to various temples in Liangzhou.

When he was about to pack up and prepare to leave, he was blocked because the Tang Dynasty was first built and the state government was newly established, and people were not allowed to go out of the country casually. At that time Li Daliang, the governor of Liangzhou, was ordered to guard the customs. He learned that Master Zang was about to leave the country. He was afraid that he would be punished if he made a mistake, so he asked Master Zang why he left the customs. Master Zang frankly said that he wanted to travel to the west to learn Buddhist scriptures, but he was forced to return to Chang’an after failing to obtain the approval of Li Dudu.

Fortunately, there is a local Buddhist leader, Master Huiwei. He respects Master Zang for his eloquence and admires his great wish to travel westward to seek the Dharma, so he secretly sent two confidant disciples, one named Hui Lin and the other named Daozeng, to secretly escort Master Zang to smuggle Exit. They didn’t dare to walk openly, so they could only walk day and night. After walking for more than ten days, they finally arrived in Guazhou (now Anxi, Gansu).

Duguda, the governor of Guazhou, was a devout Buddhist. When he heard that Master Zang had arrived, he was very happy and made generous offerings. Master Zang asked him about the route to the Western Regions. He explained in detail: “From here to the north for about fifty miles, you will reach the Hulu River. It is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. The water is fast and unfathomable. Yumen Pass is the only way to pass through, and it is also the throat leading to the Western Regions.

But Master Zang, you don’t have a certificate to pass the pass, so I’m afraid you won’t be able to get out. Even if you get out of the pass by luck, there are five beacon towers along the way, each one hundred miles apart , to monitor the pedestrians; there is a desert in the middle, there is no water and grass, and it is not easy to pass. After passing through these five beacon towers, and then passing through the Moheyan moraine of eight hundred miles of quicksand, you will reach the border of Yiwu After Duguda finished speaking, he also advised Master Zang not to be in a hurry, but to stay in Guazhou and wait for the opportunity.

After Master Zang inquired about the situation at Yumen Pass, he was very worried, thinking that the future would be difficult, and he didn’t know what to do. However, he was still not disappointed, thinking: “Just wait for a few more days! Maybe a miracle will appear.”

As a result, the wait lasted for more than a month, and even the donkey who accompanied Master Zang all the way from Chang’an to suffer hardships could not do it. During this period of time, he died of illness, which made Master Zang feel extremely sad.

15. Destruction of documents

When he was at his wit’s end, Liangzhou’s visit letter came again, stating that he wanted to arrest monks who intended to travel westward, and ordered all states and counties along the way to closely investigate and send them to the capital. Fortunately, Li Chang, the governor of the state, was also a layman who believed in the Three Treasures. When he received this official document, he immediately suspected that the person named for arrest was Master Zang, and immediately went to visit Master Zang secretly with the official document. After listening to Master Zang’s great wish to go west to seek the Dharma, Li Chang felt great admiration and sympathy, so he tore up the official document in front of Master Zang, and repeatedly urged him to leave as soon as possible to avoid complications.

16. Hu people begged for warning

After Li Chang left, Master Zang became more and more depressed. Seeing the two young monks sent by Master Huiwei, Daozeng had already gone to Dunhuang first; Hui Lin who stayed behind couldn’t bear the long journey, so he had to send him back to Liangzhou. Although I bought a horse, I had no one to guide me, so I had to pray in front of the statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva every day, hoping that someone would be extradited.

One night, a Hu monk named Bodhidharma in the temple dreamed that Master Zang was sitting on a lotus flower and heading west. Early the next morning, Bodhidharma hurriedly came to report what he had seen in his dream to Master Zang. Although this matter was dismissed by Master Zang as false, Master Zang secretly rejoiced in his heart, thinking that this was a good omen for his upcoming trip, so he entered the Taoist temple and begged more sincerely.

At this time, suddenly a barbarian named Shipantuo came to pay homage to the Buddha, and walked around Master Zang three times (this is the most respectful etiquette for the Three Jewels in India), asking Master Zang to give him precepts. Master Zang taught him the Five Precepts, and the Hu people left happily, and soon sent many cakes and fruits to support Master Zang.

17. Thin old red horse

Master Zang saw that the Hu people were healthy and respectful, and he was about to go west to seek the Dharma. He consulted with him, and the Hu people finally agreed to send him across the five beacon towers. Master Zang was overjoyed, so he bought a horse for him, and they met each other in the grass outside the territory at dark time the next day.

The next day Shi Pantuo came as expected, and brought an old barbarian and a thin old red horse with him. When Master Zang was wondering, Shi Pantuo introduced: “This old man is very familiar with the route to the west, and has traveled to and from Yiwu more than 30 times, so I specially invited him to see Master and give advice on the difficult problems of this trip.”

But before Master Zang asked the question, Hu Weng himself said: “The road to the west is very dangerous, blocked by the sand river, and the ghosts and hot winds are hard to stop. In the past, some people brought many companions and got lost, let alone you. How can you be alone? Is it feasible? Please think again, don’t risk yourself lightly!”

After listening to Hu Weng’s explanation, the burden on Master Zang’s heart became even heavier, but he still replied: “For the sake of Dafa, if you don’t go to the Brahman country, you will never go to the Brahmin country. Going back to the east, even if the guest dies in another country, I will not hesitate.” Hu Weng saw that Master Zang was determined, so he said, “If you must go, you can change to this horse. Don’t look at it as old and thin, it knows the way. It is an old horse, and it is steady and powerful.” At this time, Master Zang remembered that when he set out in Chang’an, there was a fortune teller He Hongda who predicted for him that he would ride westward on an old red horse in the future, so he did not hesitate to talk to him. The old Huong changed horses. After Hu Weng left, they also embarked on a journey.

18. Walking alone (Yumen Pass)

About three o’clock, Master Zang and the Hu people arrived at the Hulu River. Under the dim starlight, they saw Yumen Pass from a distance. Ten miles upstream of Yumen Pass, the river bed is the narrowest, only a foot wide, and there are lush plane trees on both sides. Shipantuo cut down a few plane trees with his knife, took the trunks to build a bridge, and spread grass and sand on it. river.

After crossing the Shahe River and exiting the Yumen Pass, Master Zang was very happy, but also tired, so he untied the saddle and stopped to rest. The two of them lay down on each other with a distance of more than fifty steps, hugging the mattress. But not long after Master Zang saw Shipantuo draw his sword, he walked slowly towards him, and only turned back after about ten steps. Master Zang suspected that the Hu people had changed their minds halfway, so he hurriedly got up and sat down, chanting the holy name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva until he saw the Hu people go back to lie down, so he dared not go to sleep with peace of mind.

Early the next morning, after washing with water and having breakfast, Shi Pantuo suddenly said to Master Zang when he was about to set off, “I thought about it last night and felt that the road ahead would be difficult and dangerous, and there were no water plants on the way. , we have to steal water at night, but if we are found, we will die, so let’s go back!” Master Zang was stunned after hearing this, but still insisted on not agreeing to go back.

Seeing that Master Zang was determined and unable to change his mind, the Hu people even drew out their knives to threaten Master Zang, but Master Zang still refused to agree. , please let Master Zang let me go.”

Knowing that he regretted it, Master Zang could not force him, so he had to tell him to go back. But Shi Pantuo was still worried. He was deeply afraid that if Master Zang was caught, he would tell about his assistance in extradition. So Master Zang comforted him and said, “Don’t worry, even if you are smashed to pieces, you will never tell that you sent me out of the customs. “Shipantuo thanked Master Zang, and then he left in peace.

At this point, Master Zang was left alone to embark on the arduous desert journey alone.

Master Xuanzang, headed westward, in a vast desert sea, no water plants, no roads, only piles of bones and horse dung, and gradually moved forward. With a strong wind, the sand layer is like the ocean, one high and one low rushing towards the face. But the highest waves are only 30 to 50 feet high, and the wind and sand blowing up in this desert can reach a height of more than 200 feet. It is mysterious and weird, and it is impossible for people to distinguish east, west, south, and north.

At this time, Xuanzang, in a trance, saw a group of troops from a distance, hundreds of people riding on camel horses, all dressed as barbarians, entering and stopping suddenly, covered with sand and moraine, ever-changing, it was very clear from a distance, approaching But nothing can be seen. At first I thought it was a thief, but after thinking about it, it was probably the ghost that Hu Weng said was causing trouble! When he was uneasy, he heard a voice in the sky saying, “Don’t be afraid! Keep going!” Only then did Master Zang feel at ease and move on.

19. Flying with an arrow After

walking for more than 80 miles, I finally saw the first beacon tower. Master Zang was afraid of being discovered by the guards on the tower, so he hid in the sand ditch and waited until dark before coming out to fetch water. He found water plants on the west side of the beacon tower, and the men and horses drank enough water. When he was about to get up to get the water bag, he shot an arrow unexpectedly and almost hit his knee. Then the second arrow shot over. At this time, Master Zang knew that he had been discovered by the guards, so he shouted loudly: “I am a monk from Chang’an, please don’t shoot again!”

After speaking, he led the horse to the beacon tower. When the guard opened the door, he saw a monk and led him to see the guard Wang Xiang. Wang Xiaowei ordered someone to light the fire, seeing that he didn’t look like a local monk, he should be from the capital, so he asked him the purpose of his trip.

Master Zang asked instead, “Have you ever heard from Liangzhou people that there is a monk named Xuanzang who is going to the Brahman Kingdom to seek the Dharma?”

Captain Wang said, “I heard that he has already returned to Beijing. Could it be you?”

Master Zang immediately took out the chapters in the sutra case and showed him. Only then did Wang Xiang become convinced that he was Master Xuanzang. Wang Xiang persuaded Master Zang, “This journey is difficult and far away, and I am afraid that Master will not be able to reach the destination.” However, Master Zang was firm and unmoved. So Wang Xiang had a flash of thought, and then said: “Due to my duty, I can’t help you smuggle out of the country, but I am from Dunhuang, and I am willing to send Master Zang to Dunhuang. There is a Master Zhang Jiao, who has both morality and learning. Dharma Master De has always been the most respectful, and I am sure to welcome you very much. Instead of dying on the way, Master, why not follow your disciple’s advice and go to Dunhuang?” Master Zang replied resolutely and calmly: “I have liked to hear about it since I was a child

. Buddhism, not to mention the eminent monks in Luoyang and Chang’an, even the advanced ones in the Western Shu area, I have gone to seek advice. If it is only for self-cultivation or fame and gain, why do I need to go to Dunhuang? Today I will The reason why I came here without hesitation is entirely because there is a shortage of Buddhist scriptures everywhere, and the existing Buddhist scriptures are often unclear and incompletely translated, so I risked my life and determined to go west to seek the Dharma. Even if I died on the way, I was willing to do so! 20. Arriving at the Fourth Beacon Wang Xiang was deeply moved when he saw Master Zang’s determination, so he treated him well and stayed overnight.

The next day, he prepared water and dry food for Master Zang, and personally sent Master Zang more than ten miles away, pointing to Master Zang a shortcut to the fourth beacon tower. He also told Master Zang that Wang Bolong, the guard of the fourth beacon, was his close relative and kind-hearted. When the master went away, all he had to do was tell him that I sent you here, and he would never leave you in trouble. After saying that, Wang Xiang wept and bid farewell.

That night, Master Zang arrived at the Fourth Beacon, but he did not go to Wang Bolong according to Wang Xiang’s intention. He was afraid that something unexpected would happen, and planned to cross the Beacon Tower by night to fetch water secretly. Unexpectedly, as soon as he reached the water’s edge, a cold arrow flew over. Master Zang had no choice but to lead his horse to the beacon tower and follow Wang Xiang’s instructions.

As Wang Xiang said, Wang Bolong was a kind and gentle person. When he saw Master Zang in a hurry, he immediately stayed overnight. When he set off the next day, he had already prepared a lot of food, grass and food for him, as well as a bottle filled with water. When they parted, they specially explained:

“Master Zang does not need to pass the fifth beacon tower. The guards there are very rough and may cause trouble and obstacles. It is best to bypass the fifth beacon tower.” Five Beacon Towers. Less than a hundred miles westward from here, there is a wild horse spring, which can be replenished with water. And in the past is Moheyan Qi, which is more than 800 miles long. It is the Liusha River called in ancient times.

There are no birds on it. , no animals, no vegetation, no water source, this is the most difficult part of the journey westward, as long as you can overcome it, you can reach the border of Yiwu country after going out.” Master Zang worked hard according to the instructions, and copied the fifth Feng walked into the 800-mile desert and continued his arduous journey.

21. Losing water and wanting to return

. Sure enough, there are no birds or animals in the great desert. Master Zang walked alone in this boundless desert. What he saw around him was yellow sand. From day to night, and from night to dawn, Master Zang couldn’t see the end of the road, so he could only keep walking like this. Several times the feeling of emptiness hit my heart, and the psychology of fear emerged spontaneously. If I didn’t rely on silently reciting the holy name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and the Prajna Heart Sutra, I really don’t know how to survive this journey.

After finally walking for more than a hundred miles, Master Zang found that he could not find the place called Yema Spring. He thought that he might have lost his way in the wrong direction, and was very anxious. When I stopped to drink water, I accidentally dropped the water bag on the sandy ground. It didn’t take long for the water in the water bag to run out. In the boundless desert, how can we survive without water? As a last resort, Master Zang planned to turn around and go back to the fourth beacon tower, refill the water and continue westward.

After walking for more than ten miles, he suddenly remembered the vow he had made: “I would rather die in one step in the west than live in one step in the east.” I thought to myself. , How can you go back because of a little setback? So he cheered up again, turned the horse’s head around, regardless of the lack of water in the water bag, just chanted the holy name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, and continued to the northwest.

Master Xuanzang turned forward with one thought, and continued to muster up the courage to move forward. Master Zang in the desert marched alone day and night. When he was hungry, he ate some dry food; when he was tired, he would lie down and rest on the spot. During the day, the strong wind blows with sand and gravel, making it difficult to open your eyes and even breathe; at night, the sky is full of ghosts and ghosts, shining like stars, ghosts and ghosts, with terrifying shapes, and follow them back and forth. Sometimes I recite the holy name of Guanyin aloud, and the image disappears in response; sometimes it cannot be ruled out, and it surrounds me.

At this time, only after reciting the “Prajna Heart Sutra”, all the phantoms disappear. (This “Prajna Heart Sutra” is when Master Zang was in Chengdu. He saw a patient in rags and full of abscesses. No one would care about him. Master Zang took pity on him and asked the people in the temple to give him clothes, food and Medicines. The patient was very grateful to him and dictated this “Prajna Heart Sutra” in return. Because the scriptures are short and meaningful, they often recite them satirically, but they did not expect to have such an effect now.) But there is no water to drink, after all, it is not people and

horses What he could bear was that after five days and four nights without a drop of water, the thirsty Master Zang was already hot and dizzy, and finally lay down on the sand with his horse and man, dying. At this time, Master Zang was still chanting Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva wholeheartedly, and prayed: “Disciple Tianzhu is not seeking scriptures for wealth, nor is it for travel, but to seek the supreme and correct Dharma and guide all living beings. I beg Bodhisattva to be merciful and merciful. The sound saves the suffering and eliminates the calamity.”

Just as he was thinking in his heart and praying silently, a cool breeze blew that night, which made Master Tsang feel refreshed and refreshed. Maybe it was really too tired, Master Zang actually fell asleep under such circumstances.

In the dream, Master Zang saw a giant who was several feet tall and stood proudly. He rebuked him majestically and said, “Why don’t you cheer up and continue on your way? What are you doing lying there?” Master Zang was awakened by this dream. Although physically and mentally exhausted, he didn’t dare to stop any longer, so he got on his horse and started on the road immediately. At this time a miracle happened.

After walking for about ten miles, the old horse suddenly became uncharacteristic and ran wildly. , because in front of his eyes, there is a grassland, and there is a pool of clear water beside the grassland, which is as clear as a mirror and more like a shining pearl. Master Zang, who had been hungry and thirsty for several days, couldn’t believe it was true, so he happily drank to his heart’s content by the pool.

Master Zang rested quietly and comfortably on the grassland for a day before filling the skin bag with water and cutting some green grass as a credit for moving on. After two days, I finally walked out of the desert and arrived at the border of Yiwu (Hami, Xinjiang).

22. The Northern Road Silk Road (630, 29 years old)

Master Zang arrived in Yiwu, and placed an order at the ancient temple Jade Buddha Temple in the city on the same day. There were two Chinese monks in the monastery, and the oldest one, when he heard that Master Zang was coming, was so happy that he didn’t even put on his clothes and shoes, so he ran out to meet him. As soon as they saw him, they hugged and cried bitterly, choking with both sadness and joy, and said, “I never imagined that I would meet someone from my hometown again in this life.” Master Zang was also infinitely sad because he had just escaped from danger through hardships, and couldn’t help crying.

The news that Master Zang came to the west to seek the Dharma spread throughout the Western Regions as early as Liangzhou. So as soon as he arrived in Yiwu, the Jade Buddha Temple became lively, and Taoists and customs from all walks of life competed to participate in the ceremony and invite offerings. Even the King of Yiwu went to meet him in person and welcomed Master Zang into the palace to accept the offerings.

At one time, Monk Hu and King Hu came to visit many times, and everyone was vying to invite Master Zang to offer offerings to them.

23. Special envoys came to meet him

At this time, Qu Wentai, the king of Gaochang Kingdom, had already sent an envoy to visit Yiwu because he had heard the news of the master’s westward journey.

On this day, the envoy of Gaochang was about to return home, but happened to meet the mage, and immediately flew back to the king. When the king heard about it, he sent someone to inform King Yiwu to try to retain the mage; on the other hand, he selected dozens of high-quality horses and dispatched important officials to drive camels and set up stations along the way to welcome the mage.

Master Zang stayed in Yiwu for more than ten days, and the special envoy of King Gaochang arrived. When the special envoy saw the master, he told Master Zang about the king’s hospitality. Originally, in Master Zang’s itinerary plan, he planned to go directly to the northwest, without going through Gaochang Kingdom. But now the king of Gaochang offered such a sincere invitation, but he had no choice but to change his itinerary and enter Gaochang via Nanqi. The envoy of Gaochang Kingdom led the way, and the people of Yiwu Kingdom saw them off. After six days, they arrived at Baili City (now Turpan in Xinjiang) on ​​the border of Gaochang.

It was dusk at this time, Master Zang wanted to rest in the city for one night, but the ministers and envoys who invited him begged: “This is not far from the king’s city. Your Majesty is eager to see you. I wish I could see you right away. Please be merciful.” Please allow me to change horses and move forward.” Master Zang couldn’t bear to refuse, so he gave up rest and traveled all night, arriving at the king’s city at the middle of the night.

24. Receiving the master with generous gifts (Gaochang country)

As soon as Qu Wentai, the king of Gaochang, heard that Master Zang had arrived, he ordered the gates of the city to be opened wide to welcome Master Zang into the city.

I saw the bright lights and candles in Gaochang Wangcheng, shining like daytime. The attendants and maids of honor surrounded the king and queen and formed two rows, holding candles in front and behind to welcome them. King Gaochang’s respectful Master Fuzang got off his horse, sat on a luxurious and exquisite sedan chair, entered the heavy pavilion in the backyard of the palace amidst the sound of wonderful music, and ascended his seat in the precious tent to accept the salutes of King Gaochang and all the civil and military officials.

The degree of courtesy is not inferior to any state guest. King Gaochang called himself a disciple, and said reverently: “I have been delighted and eager to meet you since I heard the name of Master Zang. I look forward to meeting you day and night. I also know that Master Zang will arrive tonight, so I stayed up all night with my concubine and others. Burning incense and reading the scriptures, I respectfully wait for the Dharma.” King Gaochang’s respectful and devout attitude moved Master Zang deeply.

Soon, the princess and dozens of maids came to worship one by one. When the sky was getting brighter and everyone was tired, they went back to the palace and went to bed, leaving only a few eunuchs to wait for the mage to rest. The next day, before the mage got up, King Gaochang led the concubine and others to pay his respects. This kind of courtesy is really rare.

Qu Wentai, the King of Gaochang, treated Master Xuanzang respectfully and meticulously. In addition to personally accompanying the mage to settle in the dojo near the palace the next day, he also arranged for warrior guards and eunuchs to wait on him, and invited two eminent monks from China to live with Master Zang. Apparently King Gaochang’s intention was to persuade Master Zang to stay in Gaochang instead of going to Tianzhu. However, Master Zang politely declined this kindness.

25. Wealth does not change.

Master Zang lived in Gaochang for more than ten days, but the king of Gaochang didn’t say a word about his going or staying. Master Zang really wanted to go west, so he took the initiative to bid farewell to him, but he did not expect King Gaochang to say:

“I asked the two masters to persuade you to stay here forever. I don’t know what to do?

” Because I violated my original intention, I apologize for being difficult to obey, please forgive me!” Master Zang replied.

The king was not discouraged, and continued to persuade: “The disciple once traveled to your country with the former king. From the Sui Emperor’s calendar to the east and west, he met many eminent monks, but he did not admire him. But when he heard the name of Master Zang, he felt happy physically and mentally, and even danced with his hands and feet. Therefore, the teacher stays here, hoping to be supported by his disciples for life, so that people all over the country will convert to the teacher. I also hope that the teacher will teach the monks and disciples here, educate the monks, so that they can hold the scriptures and become the teacher. I also ask the teacher to take care of the slightest thoughts. Then I think about traveling to the West.”

After listening to King Gaochang’s statement, Master Zang was moved, but he could only accept it with kindness, and said politely:

“Your Majesty’s generosity, the poor monk is ashamed. It’s just that this trip to the West is not for Fame and profit are due to the lack of scriptures and teachings in our country, the teachings are not detailed, and there are many doubts and disputes, so there is an act of traveling west to seek scriptures, just like a good fortune boy who visits everywhere in search of truth. How can I give up halfway? I hope that the king will accept my will and take back the king’s order.”

However, the king of Gaochang still did not give up, and answered questions several times. He was sent back to the country as a threat, but Master Zang was very determined: “Xuanzang came to the west only to seek the Dharma; if you are hindered in your country, you can only leave my bones and my spiritual consciousness. I can’t stop.”

The relationship between Master Zang and the king was almost broken, but the king became more attentive to Master Zang’s offerings because of this. Every day he ate food, he would present himself with a plate, as respectful as before.

On the other hand, because Master Zang was detained, he decided to swear a hunger strike, sitting upright all day long, not even taking a sip of water. On the fourth day, the king felt that the master’s aura was getting weaker, and he was deeply ashamed and fearful, so he had to give in, worshiped the master and apologized, agreed to let him go west, and asked him to eat and drink early. Master Zang was afraid that the king would be deceitful, so he asked the king to swear an oath before he would eat.

26. The oath before the Buddha

King Gaochang said to Xuanzang: “If you want to make an oath, please invite the teacher to come to the Buddha. How about further forming a special relationship?” Master Zang agreed, and King Gaochang invited his mother and queen to make the oath. Witness, go to the temple to worship the Buddha with Master Zang. In front of the Buddha, King Gaochang made an oath full of joy:

• 1. Willing to become brothers with Master Zang.
• 2. In the future, when Master Zang returns to his country after studying Buddhist scriptures, he must stay in Gaochang for three years and accept offerings. If I become a Buddha in the future, I would like to be the Dharma protector of Tanyue, like King Bosni.
• 3. Master Zang is asked to stay in Gaochang for a month. During this period, on the one hand, please preach the Prajna Paramita Sutra of King Ren’s Protection of the Country for us, and at the same time, let me have time to prepare the luggage for you on the road.

In this way, a stalemate that was originally stalemate, under the firm will of Master Zang, came to a successful conclusion.

King Gaochang specially built a big tent with a capacity of more than 300 seats for Master Zang to give a lecture on the Sutra of King Ren’s Protection of the Country. From the queen mother down, kings, concubines, civil and military officials, etc. all sat and listened. Before the lecture every day, as usual, the prince of Gaochang held an incense burner to greet him, and then knelt down in front of the Dharma seat, and invited everyone to sit on the seat.

On the day of the consummation of the Dharma Conference, not only was the luggage prepared, thoughtful and detailed, but also four outstanding young men were selected, and Master Zang was asked to be ordained as a novice to serve as attendants on the journey. Others such as gifts for the kings along the way and Letters to Master Zang were also prepared one by one.

27. Grand farewell

Qu Wentai, the king of Gaochang, ordered his subordinates to prepare traveling clothes for Master Zang while he was teaching the scriptures. Because it was very cold in the west, he bought a total of 30 Buddhist robes, and even the mask, gloves, boots and socks for protection from the wind and sand were all newly made. He also donated one hundred taels of gold, thirty thousand silver coins, and five hundred pieces of silk, which were used as the resources needed by Master Zang to go back and forth for twenty years.

Another 30 horses and 25 staff were prepared, and Shi Huanxin, the imperial servant in the palace, was sent to send the teacher directly to Ye Hu Khan; he wrote 24 letters and distributed them to Quzhi and other 24 countries. Each letter is accompanied by a silk ribbon as a gift, and Yehu Khan is also presented with five hundred ribbons of silk and two carts of fruit and food.

Master Zang was very moved by King Gaochang’s preparations for him in such a rich way and with such thorough plans, he wrote a letter overnight to express his thanks. King Gaochang finished reading the letter with tears in his eyes. When he thought that Master Zang would leave in the morning, he was so sad that he couldn’t sleep, and he sat until dawn without closing his eyes. The next day when the king saw Master Zang, he only said that since the two had promised to be brothers, the country’s assets would be shared, so why bother to thank them?

On the day of Master Zang’s departure, almost all the king, monks, ministers, and common people went out of the city to see him off. The king hugged the master and couldn’t help weeping. The king ordered the concubines and the common people to return to the city first, and he and the ministers rode off on horses for dozens of miles before parting ways and returning to the city reluctantly.

28. Afu Shiquan (Agni country)

left Gaochang country, Master Zang continued westward for more than a hundred miles, and came to the border of Agni country (now Yanzhi, Xinjiang).

There is a famous spring called Afushi here. It is on a cliff in the desert area. The cliff is several feet high, and the water comes out from half of the cliff. It is said that in the past, when hundreds of business couples passed by here, the water ran out, and the group was hungry, thirsty and tired, and did not know what to do. At this time, there was a walking monk in the crowd who didn’t bring anything and relied on everyone’s offerings for his living, but he wasn’t nervous at all.

So some people in the crowd suggested: “This master who has become a monk, I will provide him with food and drink all the way. Now everyone is cut off from drinking water, but he is not worried at all. You should ask him to think of a way!”

The person who spoke originally took a reproachful tone, but he did not expect that the monk agreed immediately after listening to it, and declared to the crowd: “If you want to get water, you must first pay homage to the Buddha and accept the Three Refuge and Five Precepts, and then I will Then climb the cliff to ask for water for you.”

Although the crowd half-believed, but seeing that they had no other choice, they could only obey his words, and they all bowed to the Buddha and accepted the precepts. After receiving the precepts, the monk taught the public again, and when he climbed the cliff, they all called out, “Father, master, let me go into the water!”. Everyone waited until the monk climbed the sand cliff, and followed the teaching. Soon, water gushed out from the cliff, and everyone jumped for joy, and quickly filled their skins with spring water.

But after waiting for a long time, the monk was not seen coming down the cliff, so everyone climbed up the cliff to watch, only to be surprised to see the monk sitting upright and dying. Although the public wailed unceasingly for this, they had no choice but to follow the etiquette and law of the Western Regions, hold the cremation at the place where the monk was sitting, and gather bricks and stones for the pagoda.

The pagoda still exists today, and the water has never stopped, bringing many conveniences to people who travel. This spring water is very strange, no matter how many travelers there are, the water is always inexhaustible; if there are no travelers, only a little body fluid emerges. Since then, it has been named Afu Shiquan.

When Master Zang and the others passed by the Afushi Spring, they were all very moved when they heard the karma of seeking water hundreds of years ago. They stayed by the spring at night and prepared to set off westward the next day to cross the difficult and dangerous Silver Mountain.

This silver mountain was originally a silver mine in the past, and most of the silver coins of the countries in the Western Regions were produced from here. But after the mining of the mines, it fell into decline and became a den for bandits to hide in. Master Zang and his party proceeded cautiously. When they reached the dangerous road in Shanxi, they encountered a group of thieves. Fortunately, due to the large number of people, only part of their belongings were robbed, but no one was hurt. Originally, I could arrive at Wangcheng on the same day, but due to the delay of encountering thieves, I walked near the foot of the mountain, and it was already dark, so I camped on the bank of the river and stayed overnight, preparing to enter the city again the next day.

However, dozens of business couples who were traveling with them set off quietly in the middle of the night because they had to rush into the city ahead of time for the next morning’s business. Unexpectedly, when they were traveling for more than ten miles, they encountered another group of thieves, who not only robbed all their belongings, but were all killed by the thieves. The next morning, when Master Zang and his party passed by here, they saw remains all over the field, and no one was spared.

Seeing this, the teachers and others sighed endlessly, which also shows how difficult the journey to the west is.

29. Worshiping temples and paying respect to Buddha (Quzhi Kingdom)

Not far ahead, the royal city was in sight, and King Agni had already led his ministers out of the city to welcome him, and invited Master Zang to enter the palace to make offerings. But because this country was invaded by the Gaochang Kingdom in the past, and they still remembered the old hatred, they refused to supply horses for Master Zang. Therefore, the group stayed only for one night and then continued westward for four days, crossed two big rivers, and walked for about several days. It was a hundred miles before entering the border of Quzhi.

When Master Zang and others were approaching the royal city, King Quzhi had already led eminent monks Muchajuduo and others to welcome them. Outside the east gate of the royal city, they hung flags and banners, placed a seat for Buddha statues, and played music to welcome them.

After Master Zang sat down, a monk held up a plate of flowers and gave them to the Dharma master. After taking the flowers, Master Zang went to the Buddha to scatter flowers and worship. He walked all the way into the city, following the scattered flowers on the ground. Every time he went to a temple, he received the flowers and fruit pulp, and went around the temples until sunset.

After Master Zang entered the city, he first stayed in Gaochang Temple in the southeast of the city. Therefore, all the monks in the temple came from Gaochang.

The next day, the king invited the teacher to enter the palace to provide offerings, but the food contained three pure meats, which Master Zang refused. The king was very surprised, and then Master Zang told the king that the three pure meats were prescribed for convenience and gradual teaching, which was not the original purpose of Mahayana, so he could not accept it, and only wanted to accept the rest of the vegetarian diet.

After Master Zang received the offering, he went directly to the northwest of the royal city, where Master Kumarajiva once lived, to visit the Second Ashari Temple. The current abbot of the temple, Elder Muchajuduo, has traveled to India for more than 20 years and has the most experience in the study of “statements”. He has always been respected by the king and the people of the country, and he is known as “seeing alone”.

When Master Zang arrived, because he despised Master Zang for his young age, he only received him with ordinary hospitality, and said unceremoniously: “We have all kinds of treatises on miscellaneous minds, Jushe, Viposha, etc., and you have everything you need. There is no need to venture to the Brahmin country anymore, suffering in vain. “Seeing his arrogant tone, Master Zang deliberately asked him, “Do you have the teachings of a yogi?” Ju Duo said, “Why do you need to ask about this book of wrong views? True disciples of the Buddha do not learn these things.”

Master Zang was still full of respect for this eminent monk, but after hearing these words, he knew that his knowledge was not correct, so he argued with him on the spot, saying: “Posha and Jushe have existed in our country for a long time, I just have a feeling. Because of its lack of theory, it is not the ultimate theory of Mahayana after all, so I went west to seek the Dharma in the hope of learning the theory of Mahayana yoga. The theory of yoga is said by Maitreya Bodhisattva, how do you say it is a theory of wrong views?” Ju Duojian Master Zang retorted and said displeasedly, “You are so young, how can you understand the mystery of Posha’s theory?”

Then Master Zang immediately asked him to explain the previous text of Qishe theory, but he still could not answer. Master Zang had no choice but to present another passage in the original text, but he still didn’t know it, and even argued that this text was not in the commentary. At this time, Venerable Master Wang Shuzhiyue happened to be present, and he has a long history of research on scriptures, so he proved that there is indeed this passage in the scriptures, and immediately took out a copy of Jushe Lun, and pointed it out to Ju Duo himself. Ju Duo was so ashamed that he had no choice but to push Say old and forget.

After Master Zang defeated Mucha Juduo, he was not only not happy, but very disappointed. I originally planned to leave immediately, but because the mountain road in Lingshan was blocked by snow at that time, I couldn’t move forward, so I stayed here for more than two months.

During this period, Master Zang often went to ask eminent monks for advice on scriptures and classics. At this time, Ju Duo saw Master Zang, and he no longer dared to rely on the old to sell the old, and could not sit still. Ju Duo also said privately to his disciples: “This master of China is not easy to deal with. If he goes to India, I am afraid that few people can match him.”

He also sent him many camels, horses and rickshaws, and led monks and laymen to see him off outside the city. After two days of traveling westward, the division and others unfortunately encountered more than two thousand Turkic bandits on the way. Fortunately, because of internal strife among thieves on the way, and then they fought with each other and separated, Master Zang and other talents escaped from danger.

After another six hundred miles, we crossed a small desert to the country of Balujia (formerly known as Gumo). Stay for one night, continue to go northwest for three hundred miles, and cross a desert before arriving at Lingshan.

Lingshan (Tianshan) is in the north corner of Congling Mountain. The mountain peaks across the road are either hundreds of feet high or several feet wide, so the road is rugged and difficult to climb. In addition to the violent wind and snow, even though Master Zang and the others were wearing heavy furs, they still trembled unavoidably. Want to cook or rest, and can’t find a dry place to stay. Therefore, when eating, we had to hang the pot to cook; when we slept at night, we could only spread the blanket on the ice and get some rest.

In this way, after seven days and seven nights, they finally crossed Mount Ling and reached the south bank of Atami. In this difficult process, about three to four out of ten disciples and forcemen froze to death, especially camels and horses.

31. After passing through Suye City (Western Turkic)

Master Zang and his party went down the mountain to Yiqing Lake, and Yunrehai (now Issyk Lake). It is named because it is adjacent to Ling Mountain and is not frozen. It is 1,450 miles around, long from east to west and narrow from north to south. The master followed the seaside to the northwest for more than 500 li, to the West Turks, and happened to meet Yehu Khan in Suye City who was hunting here, so Master Zang took out Qu Wentai’s letter of introduction and went to see Yehu Khan.

Khan was wearing a green satin robe, with a ten-foot-long piece of plain silk wrapped around his forehead, with both ends trailing behind his back. The more than 200 officials in his entourage also wore brocade robes and dragged their long braids around the Khan’s left and right sides. In addition, there are many soldiers, wearing wool jackets, each holding different weapons, some sitting on horses, some straddling camels, with flags and flags fluttering in the wind, they are really majestic.

Khan saw Qu Wentai’s letter and knew that Master Zang was going to Xizhu to seek Buddhist scriptures. He said happily, “I’m going to hunt far away now, and I’ll be back in two or three days. Master, please go into the city to rest.” Then he sent a monk. The close courtier escorted Master Zang back to the palace to rest.

Two or three days later when the Khan came back from hunting, he immediately sent someone to lead Master Zang into the big tent where the Khan lived. The tent was decorated with golden flowers, which dazzled the eyes. When Master Zang approached the big tent for more than thirty steps, Khan came out of the tent to greet him, sent a message of condolences, and invited him to sit down.

This Turkic country originally enshrined the god of fire. To show respect for the god of fire, there were no beds and tables, and everyone sat on the ground. (Because wood is combustible and contains fire, so it is respectful and not used.) However, in order to show respect to Master Zang, an iron bed was prepared for him, covered with comfortable cushions, and Master Zang was invited to ascend the seat. Then, the Khan introduced the envoys of the Han Dynasty and the special envoy of King Gaochang into the account. After the envoys of King Gaochang presented the letters of credence, tokens, and gifts, Khan Yehu was overjoyed, and invited them to sit together, and gave them wine to enjoy.

Although most of the delicacies that followed were meat, we did not forget to prepare vegetarian dishes for Master Zang. After the meal, Khan asked Master Zang to explain the Dharma, and Master Zang explained the five precepts, ten good deeds and the liberation of Paramita to them, and urged them to cherish life. After hearing this, everyone was delighted to accept it.

After Yehu Khan listened to the master’s teachings, Master Liuzang stayed for a few more days. During this period, he advised Master Zang to stop his trip to India, because the climate there was hot, and he was afraid that Master Zang would not be able to withstand the high temperature and would get sick from the heat. Moreover, the people there are black, ugly, and rude, so it is really not suitable for Master Zang to go there.

After hearing this, Master Zang was afraid that something like King Gaochang would happen again, so he immediately replied: “I am not afraid of any suffering in order to worship the holy site and obtain scriptures. Please Khan, don’t worry about me.” Khan saw Master Zang’s heart Resolute, unstoppable, so I won’t say more. However, in order to show the friendship of the landlord, he still warmly invited Master Zang to stay for a few more days and visit around.

During his stay in Turks, Master Zang saw many strange customs and customs, which were both superstitious and stupid, so he suggested that the Khan should educate the people well. Khan then took the opportunity to ask the master for mercy and pour out the rain of Dharma. Master Zang taught them the Five Precepts and the Noble Eightfold Path, which inspired many foolish people to become good.

On the day Zang Master left Turkic, the Khan specially found a young man who was proficient in Chinese and named him a Madhada official. He asked him to bring a letter of introduction and a generous batch of offerings to escort Zang Master to the country of Kabishi.

32. Returning from fire (630, 29 years old, Suli area)

Master Zang and his party left Turkic and traveled westward for more than 400 li, arriving at the scenic spot of Qianquan. (Within a few hundred miles, there are many ponds and lush forests, and the climate is cool. It is a summer resort for Khan.) From Qianquan, go westward for 150 miles to Talas City, and go southwest for 200 miles to Baishui City, and then go two hundred miles southwest to Gongyu City. Then go south for fifty miles to Nuchijiangu, go west for two hundred miles to Zheshi, then pass through the country of Sudulisena, and finally arrive at Samojianguo.

The king and the people of Samo founded the country believed in Zoroastrianism, not Buddhism. Although there are two monasteries, there are never any monks and abbots. If there are guest monks who pass by and want to stay, the Hu people will burn them and chase them away, and they are not allowed to stop. Therefore, when Master Zang arrived, although the king also received him, it was not from the heart. But after one night, Master Zang explained to them the principle of cause and effect between humans and heaven and respecting the Three Jewels can increase blessings, the king was very happy, and his attitude changed a lot. Not only did he ask for fasting, but he also received him more attentively!

However, Master Zang had two young novice monks accompanying him, but they didn’t know the customs here, so they still went to the monastery to pay homage to the Buddha, but they were driven out with fire. So the novice fled back to the palace and told the king what had happened. The king was very angry and ordered the arrest of those responsible, and cut off their hands in public. Master Zang couldn’t bear it and hurriedly dissuaded him. The king followed Master Zang’s wishes and spared them the punishment of amputating their hands.

Since then, the whole country has been very respectful to Master Zang, and they have asked to take refuge in the Three Jewels. Master Zang then acted as the abbot of the monastery, started a Dharma meeting in the local area, ordained the monks, and made many heretics abandon the evil and return to the righteous, and gradually improved the bad customs.

33. After going out of Tiemen Peak (Qushuangnijia Kingdom)

and leaving Samo to establish the country, Master Zang and his party continued to travel westward for more than 300 li to the Qushuangnijia Kingdom. After passing through Dong’an State, Zhong’an State, Xi’an State, and Shi State. Going southwest for another two hundred miles, I entered the mountain road again. The road was dangerous and difficult, and only one person could pass through it, and there were no aquatic plants. After walking like this for more than three hundred miles, I reached Tiemen Peak.

This Tiemen Peak, or Saitiemen, was the most dangerous fortress in Western Turks at that time. Because the mountain wall is narrow and steep, and the cliff rocks are mostly iron ore, an iron gate was built here according to the convenience of the terrain, and an iron bell was hung on it, which is the origin of the name of Iron Gate Peak.

34. After Li Xinjun(See Huo Luo Kingdom)

After passing through the iron gate, you will enter Jian Huo Luo Kingdom. After walking a few hundred miles and crossing the Amu Darya River, you will arrive at Huoguo, which is the fiefdom of Yehu Khan’s eldest son, Zudushe (set as the official title), and his wife Kehe Dun is the younger sister of King Gaochang. Ever since she heard that her brother had a letter to trust Master Zang to bring, this Gaochang princess waited day and night, but it was a pity that she died of illness before Master Zang arrived.

When Master Zang arrived, it happened that Zudu was ill in bed and was unable to greet him in person. After seeing the letter from Gaochang, he was filled with sorrow and joy for a while, and choked up and couldn’t help himself. Zudu said to Master Zang: “I am very happy to see Master! I hope Master can stay for a while, and when I recover from my illness, I will accompany Master to India.” Soon, a Brahmin monk came

, He recited mantras for his mouth, and when he saw that the disease was gradually cured, he was unfortunately poisoned by his newly married young wife. When Zudu died, the prince born to Princess Gaochang was still very young, so he was usurped by his ex-son Teller, who made himself independent and took his new stepmother as his wife.

Because of this unfortunate national funeral, Master Zang had to stay there for more than a month. During this period, he communicated with a Samana Sangha who had traveled to India and was respected as a master of Dharma in the west of Congling. The eminent monk was very arrogant to Master Zang at first, and his disciples also despised the teacher. But later, Master Zang just debated with him on issues such as the Hinayana teachings and righteousness, and he was convinced. From then on, I was happy to meet Master Zang, and my disciples were ashamed for many lives, and praised Master Zang everywhere.

After the funeral period expired, Master Zang bid farewell to the new official. The newly appointed official told Master Zang: “In the area under the jurisdiction of my disciples, there is a Fuheluo Kingdom, which is adjacent to the Fucai River in the north. Many people call it the Little King’s House City. There are many holy sites. Master may wish to go to observe the ceremony, and then go south. Go to India.” Just as Master Zang was about to leave for the journey, it happened that dozens of monks from the state of Fuhaluo came to pay their respects when they heard that Zudu had passed away. They were very happy to meet each other, and Master Zang took the opportunity to ask for advice on the way to India.

They immediately invited Master Zang to go with them, and suggested that it would be more convenient for him to travel south from the country of Fuhualuo. Master Zang thought in his heart that this was really a coincidence, so he accepted their advice, immediately bid farewell to the newly appointed officials, and followed the monks to the country of Fuheluo.

35. Visiting Jialan (Bound Drinking Country)

Master Xuanzang accompanied dozens of Fuhe monks to the country of Fuheluo, and found that it really lived up to its reputation, and it was indeed a spacious city! The outline of the city is magnificent, there are more than 100 monasteries everywhere, and there are nearly 3,000 monks, but they all believe in Theravada Buddhism.

There is a Nafu Temple in the southwest of the city, which is particularly solemn. There are many treasures in it, which are often coveted by Xiaoxiao. Fortunately, there is a statue of King Bishamon in the temple, which is guarded by mighty spirits to prevent Xiaoxiao from succeeding. I heard that not long ago, one of Yehu Khan’s sons had led a huge elite to station in the wilderness outside the temple, preparing to attack the next day.

That night, I saw King Bishamon, and stood angrily in front of his tent, sternly scolding him for disturbing Jialan and attempting to rob the treasure. After finishing speaking, he took the halberd in his hand and pierced Khan’s chest and back. Khan woke up in shock. It turned out to be a dream, but since then he has often suffered from unbearable heartache. Later, I wanted to invite monks to do the Dharma to repent for him, but unfortunately he died of heartache before the person who invited the monks came back.

36. Buddha’s Tooth Guangrui

There is a Buddha’s tooth in the main hall of the temple. It is about one inch long and eighty-nine cents wide. There is a pagoda more than 200 feet high in the north of the temple, and the relics of the Buddha in the pagoda often emit light. There is another jingshe in the southwest, which has a long history. It is said that people who practice here and prove the four Arhats are endless. After Nirvana, they all entered the pagoda and recorded everything in detail one by one.

About fifty li to the northwest of the big city, there is a city called Boli, and forty miles to the north of the city is Poli City. There are two towers in this city, three feet high. It is said that when the Buddha became enlightened in the past, he was offered by two elders. The Buddha taught them the five precepts and ten good deeds, and gave them the Buddha’s hair and claws. After they returned to China, according to the instructions of the Buddha, they built these two pagodas to enshrine the Buddha’s hair claws and leave them for future generations to worship and make offerings to.

Seventy miles to the west of the city, there is another pagoda, more than two feet high, which is said to be a relic left over from the era of Kasyapa Buddha.

37. Not subject to treasures

At that time, in Nabo, there happened to be a mage named Prajna Kara who came from Lijia Kingdom and was proficient in the Hinayana Tripitaka. This teacher was young but very wise, and he knew everything about Hinayana teachings. He heard that Master Xuanzang also came from afar to seek the Dharma. Master Zang raised some questions about kushe and posha, and he could answer them freely. Therefore, Master Zang stayed here for more than a month, studying Vipasha Lun.

At this time, there were two small kingdoms, Ruilituo and Hu Baojian, in the southwest of Fuheluo Kingdom. Their kings heard that Master Zang had come from the Tang Dynasty, and they were all eager to admire his demeanor, so they sent ministers to greet him one after another. But Master Zang didn’t want the journey to be delayed, and repeatedly declined. Later, unable to withstand the repeated requests of the envoys, he had to go to the king to accept the offering.

The king was very happy, and when he left, he took out many gold and silver treasures to present to the mage, but the mage declined them all. The purpose of the mage’s westward journey is to seek the Dharma, and he has never paid much attention to the property outside the body, so it is more and more admirable.

38. Witnessing the Great Buddha (Vatican Kingdom)

Master Zang himself bound and traveled southward, preparing to enter the Great Snow Mountain. As long as you climb the Snow Mountain, you can enter the border of India. But the danger of the snow-capped mountains is double that of the land in front of us. Starting from Fuheluo, under the leadership of Master Prajnajaluo, he first arrived at Jiezhi Country, and then went southeast into Daxue Mountain. This was the last, most difficult and dangerous journey before reaching the border of India. The road is more than 600 miles long, and the road is full of narrow trails formed by glaciers and deserts. After this arduous journey, he finally arrived at the capital city of Brahmayana. This is a mountain country, although there are monasteries and monks, they are all Hinayana.

As soon as King Fanyana heard that Master Xuanzang was coming to the city, he immediately went out to welcome Master Xuanzang and invited Master Xuanzang to go to the palace to accept offerings. Familiar with Dharma, seeing Master Zang, they all marveled at the fact that China, a distant country, can have such a good monk. They guided the master very attentively and visited various places for pilgrimage.

On the northeast mountain of Wangcheng, there is a stone statue of a standing Buddha one hundred and fifty feet high. There is a temple built to the east, and to the east of the temple there is a standing statue of Sakyamuni carved in [Jinyu] stone, one hundred feet high. [Jinyu] The stone is like gold. It is a natural copper essence produced in Persia. Like gold, it is a kind of ore that will not turn black. It is very solemn to make Buddha statues. There is also a reclining Buddha statue in the temple, which is one thousand feet long, solemn and subtle, and amazing.

From here, go southeast another 200 miles, cross the Daxue Mountain, and arrive at Xiaochuan. There is a monastery in which the tooth of the Buddha is enshrined, as well as the tooth of a single enlightened venerable at the beginning of the kalpa. It is five inches long, and there is also a golden wheel king. The teeth are three inches long. In addition, there is an iron bowl held by the venerable Shannujiafusa, which can hold eight or nine liters.

In addition, there is a crimson frame robe, which is a very precious relic.

39. Excavating the secret treasure (Kapisha country)

In total, Master Zang stayed in Fanyana country for 15 days before leaving. After leaving the country of Fanyana, unfortunately, he got lost in the snow. When he arrived at a small sandy ridge, he met a local man and asked him the way.

The country of Kapisha is more than 4,000 miles around, with snow-capped mountains in the north. The king is a Kshatriya, who is well-versed in strategy and dignified, and rules more than ten small countries. Master Zang was about to arrive at his capital, and upon hearing the news, the king went out of the city to meet him with all the eminent monks. There are more than a hundred monasteries here, and they all come to ask Master Zang to stay in Xixi to provide offerings.

Among them is the Hinayana Temple in Sharaka, which is said to have been built by the proton when the prince was kept here as a hostage in the Han Dynasty in order to befriend Xifan. The monk in this temple said: “Our temple was originally built by the son of the emperor of Han Dynasty. Now the master comes here from there, so he should come to our temple first.” The master saw his enthusiasm, and because his companion Huixing was a Hinayana monk, I didn’t want to live in the Mahayana Temple, so I stayed in the temple built by the proton.

Before returning to China, Proton buried countless treasures at the foot of the great statue on the south side of the east gate of the temple for future temple maintenance; after returning to China, the supply here is still uninterrupted. The monks in the temple were grateful and made images of protons on the walls of the house as a commemoration. Even on the days when he lived in peace and relieved of summer, he would set up a Dharma meeting for him and make various merits.

According to legend, he still does it as usual. However, not long ago, there was an evil king in the frontier who wanted to seize the hidden treasure. Unexpectedly, as soon as he started digging, the ground shook violently, and the parrot statue on the crown suddenly flapped its wings and sang loudly. The evil king, officers and soldiers were all terrified by this sudden scene, and they all fled in panic.

Later, there was a pagoda in the temple, and the wheel phase had been damaged. The monks wanted to take treasures to repair it, but they still gave up because of the vibration of the earth. This time coincided with Master Zang coming, so the monks in the temple asked the master to pray to the gods. After offering incense and explaining the reason and purpose of digging the treasure, he ordered people to dig it. Sure enough, the treasure was obtained smoothly. The crowd was overjoyed, and they all admired Master Zang’s mighty virtue.

40. On the fifth day of discussing

the Tao, King Kabishi believed in Mahayana teachings and liked to listen to the scriptures. Before Master Zang lived in summer, he specially invited him and Master Prajna Kara to host a lecture on the scriptures and the Dharma Conference. Many Mahayana Tripitaka masters from the country were invited to participate. These dharma masters attending the meeting are all the authorities of that country, but what they have learned varies in size and cannot be mastered; Only Master Zang, who is familiar with all the teachings, followed him to ask questions, and answered each one according to the department, and he was all sincere. This discussion lasted for five days. The king was very happy, and made a special offering to Master Tsang with five pieces of pure brocade.

After Master Zang lived in Saluojia Monastery for the summer, the accompanying Master Huixing bid farewell to the Master because he was invited by King Jianhuoluo. After leaving the country of Kapishi, Master Zang went eastward for more than 600 li, crossed the Black Ridge, and entered the territory of northern India.

41. Indian style (631-633, 30-32 years old)

Master Zang finally arrived in Langehan near the city of Charala. He suspended the work of describing the journey to the west in detail and turned to make a summary of Indian culture. Argument. Master Zang began to talk about the origin of the name of India, but did not specify which kingdoms and countries he said India included. His overestimation of the size of India is nevertheless of great value in understanding what he calls India. He said of all India:

“A week of more than 90,000 miles, three vertical seas (Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea), backed by snow mountains in the north (referring to the present-day Himalayas and Hindu Kush Mountains), wide in the north and narrow in the south, shaped like a half moon. The distinction between painting and wilderness, seven In more than ten countries, the season is extremely hot, and the land is full of springs and wet. In the north are hidden mountains, hills and brines, in the east, the rivers and fields are fertile and fertile, and the grass and trees are lush in the south, and the land in the west is solid.” He

said The general remarks include the measurement methods of time and space, the characteristics of Indians, as well as the text and language. It is actually an ethnographic survey report. The Indians speak a polysyllabic language and write alphabetic characters, which are quite different from the Chinese, which is a comprehensible language. Master Tsang seems to be particularly interested. In addition, he wrote a lot about the cities and villages, public buildings and private houses in India at that time, and especially pointed out that “the Sangha blues are quite strange, with four corner buildings, three-story heavy pavilions, sills and beams, carved in odd shapes, and households. The wall is flat, and the pictures are colorful.”

He paid special attention to the differences in clothing of different classes. He described the sarees (long skirts) worn by Indian women and the loincloths worn by Indian men in a Chinese way, saying that Indians’ “clothes (outer garments and inner garments) are playful, and there is no tailoring.” He mentioned that Indians are extremely “clean and simple”, and many people feel the same way.

After detailing the material aspect, he goes on to talk about Indian morality, childhood education, and literature. Although he regards the Brahmins as heretics, he has a fair judgment on their intelligence, enlightenment, studiousness and diligence. He spared no effort to discuss Buddhism, mentioning that Buddhism was divided into 18 schools at that time, and they often had extremely sharp discussions with each other. He delighted in admiring people with extremely high levels of spiritual cultivation, and was amazed at the honor they received: Buddhist great virtues “drive on a precious elephant, guide them like a forest”.

Soon, he also received the same courtesy in the Nalanda Temple and the precious elephant of the king of Yucheng Jieri. Finally, he pointed out the differences between the four major castes: Brahmins are the highest, Kshatriyas are kings and warriors, Vaishyas are merchants, and the fourth is Sudras, farmers. In addition, he also mentioned that there is a kind of maverick in India who doesn’t care about material life at all, who are called saints or wandering monks.

In addition, he discusses Indian law, the army, the judicial administration, the royal family, and the nine rituals of veneration, the latter being especially important in regard to caste distinctions and funeral practices. His final three chapters focus on public administration, agriculture, and mines in India, a somewhat discursive but still comprehensive consideration. This summary is comprehensive and well structured, and it is an incisive work no matter how you look at it. He went on to describe his journey westward.

42. Appearance of the Buddha (631, 30 years old, Buddha Shadow Cave)

Master Xuanzang entered North India and headed to Lampo. There are ten monasteries in this country for more than a thousand miles, and all monks and disciples learn Mahayana. The master stayed here for three days, and then went south to a small ridge with a pagoda, which is said to commemorate the time when the Buddha walked from Central India to this time and once stayed here.

From then on, go southward for more than twenty li, and descend the Lingji River to the country of Nagalaha, which is also a country in the border of northern India. In the southeast of the big city, there is another tower, more than three hundred feet high, built by Ashoka. According to legend, when the Buddhist temple was the second monk who practiced the Bodhisattva way, he met the Lantern Buddha here. He put a deerskin coat on the ground for the Buddha, and even covered the mud with his long hair to let the Buddha walk. He respected the Dharma so much that the

Lantern Buddha gave him a prophecy on the spot. Although it has been robbed and destroyed, the ruins still exist, and heaven and man often scatter flowers here to make offerings.

Master Zang came here, and after worshiping and circumambulating, he happened to meet an old monk who told him about the reason for building the pagoda. So Master Zang asked his question:

“During the immeasurable kalpas, the world has gone through countless times of formation, dwelling, and emptiness, just like when a fire breaks out, even Mount Sumeru will be reduced to ashes. Why can this place still exist?

” The monk replied to him, “When the world is destroyed, it will also be destroyed; but when the world is restored, the original place, the holy site will appear again, just like Mount Sumeru, which can be restored after being destroyed. It’s the same.”

43. City of Buddha’s Parietal Bone (Nagaela Country)

There is also a pagoda more than ten miles to the southwest, which is said to be the place where the Buddha bought flowers. More than ten miles southeast of the Shaling Ridge, there is the Foding Bone City. There is a heavy pavilion in the city, and the Buddha’s top bone is placed in the Qibao Pagoda in the second pavilion. The parietal bone is about one foot and two inches long, and the hair holes are clearly visible. It is said that if someone wants to predict good or bad luck, they can rub incense powder into mud, wrap it in cloth and put it on the top of the Buddha’s parietal bone, and predict good or bad luck with the various shapes that appear.

Master Zang and his party tried it, and the result was that one of the monks who accompanied him got a Buddha statue and the other a lotus flower. Master Zang printed a bodhi tree. The Brahmin who guarded the bone saw it and congratulated Master Zang, because the bodhi tree implied that Master Zang had the hope of realizing the holy fruit of Bodhi.

In addition, there is a skeleton bone tower, the shape of the bone is like a lotus leaf. There are also Buddha’s eyes, which are as big as a plum, but still bright and crystal clear. Others include the Buddha’s sandalwood tin staff, a piece of Buddha’s sangha cloak, etc. Master Zang paid homage to each of them, and gave fifty coins, one thousand silver coins, four silk banners, two ends of brocade, and two Dharma eyes. . Scatter all kinds of flowers and leave.

44. Convincing the robbers Master

Zang also heard that more than 20 miles southwest of the city of lights, there is a grotto where the Dragon King Gobo lived. It is said that the Buddha once descended the dragon here, and there is still an image of the Buddha in the grotto. Master Zang really wanted to go to pay his respects, but the road was desolate and there were many thieves. In the past two or three years, not only did not many people see him, but they encountered thieves on the way and were robbed. As a result, the number of people who went there gradually became scarcer.

Master Zang decided to go, but the entourage sent by the Kapishi Kingdom urged the Master not to go because they had to go home in a hurry. Master Zang believed that the shadow of the real body of the Tathagata is rare in a million kalpas, so how can one come here and not pay respects? So I said to my followers: “It doesn’t matter if you don’t go, but don’t go too fast. After I go to the grotto to pay my respects and worship, I will go back and catch up with you.” So I went to the city of lights alone.

Master Zang went into a monastery to ask for directions, and wanted to find a guide. However, when everyone knew where Master Zang wanted to go, no one was willing to go. Afterwards, although there was a child who was reluctant to lead the way, he only agreed to send Master Zang to the monastery near the grotto. When they arrived at the temple, after spending the night there, they got an old man to lead the way, but the two of them encountered robbers who drew their knives and blocked the way. Master Zang took off his hat and showed a solemn monk appearance. The thief asked the master where he was going? Master Zang told them that they were going to the Dragon Cave to worship the Buddha.

The thief asked again: “There are many thieves on this road, Master Zang, have you heard of it?” As a result, Master Zang replied wisely and bravely, “Thieves are also human beings! In order to worship the Buddha, we are not afraid of poisonous snakes and wild animals, let alone you are all human beings?” Robber Hearing this, I felt deeply ashamed, and decided to follow Master Zang to worship the Buddha.

45. Paying homage to the Buddha’s shadow

They came to the grotto together, only to see that the cave was dark and there was nothing. The old man told Master Zang, “Go straight to the east wall, walk about fifty paces, look towards the east, and the shadow of the Buddha will be there.” Master Zang followed the old man’s instructions and walked forward. After walking fifty steps, he touched the east wall. After standing still, he bowed sincerely for more than a hundred times, but he still saw nothing.

Disappointed, Master Zang blamed himself for his deep karma, cried bitterly and repented, and devoted himself to reciting the verses of praising the Buddha, such as the victorious garland. It is gone now. Master Zang was filled with grief and joy for a moment, and worshiped more devoutly, only to see that the light just now had enlarged like a disk, but it still disappeared in a blink of an eye.

At this time, Master Zang became more confident, and vowed never to leave without seeing the shadow of the Buddha. So I prayed for more than 200 more, and finally the cave was full of light, and the image of the Buddha appeared on the rock wall, as if seeing the blue sky through the clouds and mists. The major bodhisattvas and arhats standing on the left, right and behind are also clearly distinguishable. At this time, Master Zang hurriedly signaled the six people outside the door to come in and watch, but when the torch came, the Buddha statue disappeared in an instant.

Master Zang asked the visitors to extinguish the fire quickly, and the image appeared again, but the strange thing is that among the six people, only five people saw the Buddha image, and one of them couldn’t see it at all. Master Zang sincerely paid homage, and the light and shadow disappeared together after the offering of fragrant flowers was completed. After leaving the cave, the old man was very happy, because although he lived here, he had only heard the legends and hadn’t seen it with his own eyes. After the five thieves saw the Buddha’s shadow, they were also deeply moved. They destroyed the swords and sticks used in the robbery on the spot, asked Master Zang to teach the five precepts, and left.