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| Monk Xuanzang |
Today was a regular working day with nothing much to talk about. So, let me tell you an interesting story about Buddhism and the China - India connection.
We visited the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an during the city tour on our first day here and this story relates to that Pagoda. A Chinese Buddhist monk named Xuanzang undertook a seventeen year long journey to India in 600 AD in the Tang Dynasty. He was concerned about the incomplete and misinterpreted nature of the Buddhist texts in China and wanted to visit to India to learn more about Buddhism and bring more sacred texts to China. He spent thirteen years in India and studies at the ancient university at Nalanda.
On his return to China, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an was constructed and the sacred texts brought by him were kept here. Our guide told us that during this journey, a Giant Wild Goose showed path to Xuanzang and that is why the pagoda has been named such.
There is a novel called The Journey to the West about his journey which was published in the 16th century and is one of the greated classical novels in Chinese literature.
I found this story extremely interesting and maybe I will get to visit a few important Buddhist places in India one day.
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| The route that the Monk Xuanzang took |
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