Xuan Tsang’s unforgettable contribution to the history of Buddhism

February 25 It is an important day in the history of the development of Buddhism and Sino-Indian cultural exchange. On that day in the year 645, Xuanzang returned to Chang’an, the capital of the then Tang Dynasty, after several years of study in India. He successfully brought out a large number of Buddhist sutras. Emperor Li Ximin, all the senior officials of the court and thousands of people welcomed Xuanzang with great enthusiasm. Xuanzang was born in the year 602 in the Yen Xi region of Henan province in central China. At the age of 13, he renounced his home and became a monk. After growing up, he traveled to different places and learned sutras from famous Buddhist masters. But in the course of time, he found that there is a big difference between the different sutras and the lectures of the gurus are also different. To solve the confusion and get the right sutra, he decided to go to India, the birthplace of Buddhism.

In August of the year 627, Xuanzang left Chang’an and started this long journey alone. He passed through today’s Xin Chiang, Central Asia and Afghanistan and entered northwestern India. During this he passed through deserts, high snow-capped mountains Faced many difficulties such as robbers and miscreants. In the year 631, Xuanzang finally reached Nalanda Sangharama, the then center of Buddhism. Apart from this, he also read the scriptures of language, philosophy, music and medicine etc. In the year 637, Xuan Tsang started traveling all over India.

He met famous religious teachers and scholars from different places and found valuable Sanskrit intellectual books. After 12 years he again returned to Nalanda Sangharam. Following the order of his guru Shilabhadra, he taught ‘Mahayana Samuparigraha Shastra’. At the age of 41, Xuan Tsang desired to return home. King Shiladitya organized a grand religious ceremony in his honor in the capital, in which more than 5,000 Mahayana and Hinayana teachers participated. But lectured on Mahayana Shastra and received the title of Mahayanadev.

In the year 643, Xuan Tsang left home. On 25 February 645, he reached Chang’an. He brought with him books of Buddhism and various types of Buddha images. After this, he devoted all his energy to the translation of sutras. In twenty years, Xuan Tsang Tiang translated 1335 volumes of 75 Buddhist sutras, which made a great contribution to the development of Chinese Buddhism. It is worth mentioning that Xuanzang wrote a book called Journey to the West during the Great Thang Dynasty. In this he described his journey in detail. This book is a priceless asset for the study of the history of ancient India. Xuanzang died in the year 664. He is the best representative of the cultural exchange and friendship between the peoples of China and India.

(Credits-China Media Group, Beijing)

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