Xuanzang

Overview

Xuanzang (602-664 CE), originally named Chen Yi, was a prominent Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator who made a significant journey to India during the Tang Dynasty. His seventeen-year journey (629-645 CE) covered approximately 50,000 li (about 15,000 kilometers) through Central Asia and Indian subcontinent, resulting in the acquisition of 657 Buddhist scriptures. Xuanzang's translations of these texts, along with his detailed account of his travels in Great Tang Records on the Western Regions (Da Tang Xi Yu Ji), have been invaluable sources for understanding medieval Central Asia and Indian Buddhism. His life and journeys have inspired numerous cultural works, including the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West (Xi You Ji), in which he is depicted as the central character Tang Sanzang.

History

Xuanzang was born in 602 CE in Gongyi (modern-day Gongxian, Henan Province) to the Chen family. At the age of twelve, he became a novice monk at the Jingtu Temple in Luoyang. By twenty-one, he had received full monastic ordination (jiju jie). During his early studies, he became troubled by discrepancies in various Buddhist texts and interpretations, which motivated his decision to travel to India to seek original scriptures and resolve these doctrinal differences.

Despite initial refusal by the Tang court for his proposed pilgrimage, Xuanzang departed from Chang'an (modern Xi'an) in 629 CE, taking advantage of a period when the government temporarily relaxed travel restrictions due to famine. His journey took him through Dunhuang, the Tarim Basin, and Central Asia, eventually reaching India. In India, he studied at the famous Nalanda Monastery, the preeminent center of Buddhist learning at the time, under the guidance of the master Śīlabhadra (known as Jie Xian in Chinese). Xuanzang mastered various Buddhist treatises, particularly focusing on the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra and Yogācāra philosophy.

After five years of intensive study at Nalanda, Xuanzang traveled extensively throughout India, visiting over 138 kingdoms. His knowledge and debating skills earned him great respect, and he successfully engaged in philosophical debates with various scholars, including proponents of the Lokāyata (materialist) school. King Harṣa of Kannauj hosted a grand assembly at Kanyakubja (modern-day Kannauj) where Xuanzang presented his doctrines, further enhancing his reputation.

Xuanzang began his return journey to China in 643 CE, arriving back in Chang'an in 645 CE with 657 Buddhist scriptures in 520 cases. He was warmly received by Emperor Taizong of Tang, who provided support for his translation work. Xuanzang spent the remainder of his life translating these scriptures and composing his travelogue, Great Tang Records on the Western Regions.

Key Information

Cultural Significance

Xuanzang's contributions to Chinese Buddhism and cultural exchange between China and India are immense. His translations introduced numerous important Buddhist texts to China, particularly those of the Yogācāra school, which significantly influenced East Asian Buddhist thought. His systematic approach to translation established new standards for Buddhist scripture translation in China.

The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions provides invaluable geographical, cultural, and religious information about Central Asia and India during the 7th century, serving as a crucial historical document for scholars studying the Silk Road and ancient Indian Buddhism.

Xuanzang's life has been immortalized in Chinese culture, most famously through the Ming Dynasty novel Journey to the West (Xi You Ji), where he appears as the central character Tang Sanzang. In this fictional account, he is accompanied by three supernatural disciples—Sun Wukong (Monkey King), Zhu Bajie (Pigsy), and Sha Wujing (Sandy)—as they journey to India to retrieve Buddhist scriptures. While highly fictionalized, this portrayal has made Xuanzang one of the most recognizable figures in Chinese literature and popular culture.

Modern Status

Today, Xuanzang is remembered as one of China's greatest Buddhist pilgrims and scholars. His former residence in Henan Province has been preserved as a tourist attraction, featuring several sites related to his life including the Xuanzang Former Residence, Foguang Temple, and other historical landmarks.

Several temples and institutions bear his name, including the Xuanzang Temple in Luoyang and the Xingjiao Temple in Xi'an, where he was buried. The latter has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the "Silk Road: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor."

Xuanzang's translations continue to be studied by Buddhist scholars worldwide, and his travelogue remains an important source for historians researching medieval Central Asia and Indian Buddhism. His life and journey exemplify the spirit of cultural exchange and intellectual pursuit that characterized the Silk Road era.

References

1. Li, Rongxi. The Great Tang Dynasty Record on the Western Regions. Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 1996.

2. Sen, Tansen. Buddhism, Diplomacy, and Trade: The Realignment of Sino-Indian Relations, 600-1400. University of Hawaii Press, 2003.

3. Xuanzang. Si-yu-ki: Buddhist Records of the Western World. Translated by Samuel Beal, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., 1906.

4. Zhang, Xiumin. "Xuanzang's Journey to India and Its Impact on Chinese Buddhism." Journal of Asian History, vol. 42, no. 2, 2008, pp. 145-168.

5. Wright, Thomas. The Travels and Religious Controversies of Friar Odoric of Pordenone. Hakluyt Society, 1866. (Contains comparative accounts of European travelers to Asia).