Xuanzang : China's legendary pilgrim and translator / Benjamin Brose.

Part of The Lives of the Masters series.

Includes bibliography (pages 275-284), notes and index.

Life--1. The journey to Bodh Gaya--2. Nalanda to Chang'an--3. China--Translations--4. Buddhism in India: from the record of the western regions--5. Kapilavastu: from the record of the western regions--6. The bodhi tree: from the record of the western regions--7. Mahabodhi monastery: from the record of the western regions--8. Varanasi and the deer park: from the record of the western regions--9. Kusinagara: from the record of the western regions--10. Mahakasyapa: from the record of the western regions--11. Nalanda: from the record of the western regions--12. King Kumara: from the record of the western regions--13. King Siladitya: from the record of the western regions--14. Letter from Khotan: from the biography of the trepitaka master--15. Return to the capital: from the biography of the trepitaka master--16. Heart sutra--17. Bodhisattva precepts--18. Letter to Prajnadeva from the biography of the trepitaka master--19. Letter Jnanaprabha: from the biography of the trepitaka master--20. Letter to Emperor Gaozong: from the biography of the trepitaka master--21. The death of Xuanzang: from the biography of the trepitaka master--Legacy--22. Xuanzang's teachings: yogacara in east Asia--23. Xuanzang's travels: the record of the western regions and the birth of Buddhist studies--24. Xuanzang's relics: discoveries, distributions and diplomacy--25. Xuanzang's legend: deification and fictionalization--26. Xuanzang's future: politics, profit, and piety.

In the fall of 629, Xuanzang (600–662), a twenty-nine-year-old Buddhist monk, left the capital of China to begin an epic pilgrimage across the country, through the deserts of Central Asia, and into India. His goal was to locate and study authentic Buddhist doctrine and practice, then bring the true teachings back to his homeland. Over the course of nearly seventeen years, he walked thousands of miles and visited hundreds of Buddhist monasteries and monuments. He studied with the leading teachers of his day and compiled a written account of his travels that remains a priceless record of premodern Indian history, religion, and culture. When Xuanzang finally returned to China in 645, he brought with him a treasure trove of new texts, relics, and icons. This transmission of Indian Buddhist teachings to China, made possible by Xuanzang’s unparalleled vision and erudition, was a landmark moment in the history of East Asian Buddhism.

As with many great pre-modern religious figures, the legends surrounding Xuanzang’s life have taken on lives of their own. His story has been retold, reshaped, and repurposed by generations of monastics and laypeople. In this comprehensive and engaging account, Benjamin Brose charts a course between the earliest, most reliable accounts of Xuanzang’s biography and the fantastic legends that later developed, such as those in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. Xuanzang remains one of the most consequential monks in the rich history of Buddhism in East Asia. This book is an indispensable introduction to his extraordinary life and enduring legacies.
Source: Publisher