In 640 AD, Xuanzang, aged 465,438+0, traveled to India, Pakistan, Bengal and other five Tianzhu countries, and then returned to Narando Temple in Gaeff, Maha. Nalanduo Temple was the highest Buddhist institution in India at that time. The first Buddhist teacher who warned the sages inherited the theory of Mahayana Buddhism, such as dragon tree, wordless, secular love, dharma and so on. And proficient in yoga, only knowing, reasoning and preaching, he was the most outstanding Buddhist master in India at that time. Master Jie Xian personally taught yoga to Xuanzang for 15 months. Master Xuanzang visited all Buddhist classics, Brahmanism and various Sanskrit books during his stay in Nalanduo Temple. Because of Master Xuanzang's outstanding talent and monk's personality, Master Jie Ren Xian respectfully asked Xuanzang to preside over the whole temple. According to the custom of ancient India, only the eminent monk Dade, who is proficient in Confucian classics, is eligible for this honor and serves as the host of the whole temple. To this end, Master Xuanzang taught the monks in the whole temple the theory of taking the Mahayana and the theory of knowing only how to choose. His exposition is exquisite, his reasoning is thorough, his logic is rigorous, and he speaks in Sanskrit and Hindi. The audience is enthusiastic and well received by Mahayana theorists.
At that time, there was a monk named Ziguang Shi who also gave lectures in the temple on the important Mahayana Buddhist classics "Zhonglun" and "Bailun", but he was biased and sometimes criticized the theory of "yoga". For Xuanzang, who is familiar with Zhong Lun and Bai Lun and proficient in yoga theory, the theories of "yoga" and "Guan Zhong" of Mahayana Buddhism have their own advantages in Buddhist philosophy, and all roads lead to the same goal, and there is no turning back. However, because people can't understand each other, they are considered contradictory and mutually exclusive. This is a mistake in preaching and spreading Buddhism, not a shortcoming of Buddhist theory itself.
In order to reconcile the contradictions between the two factions, Master Xuanzang specially wrote Ode to Three Qian Hui in Sanskrit to tell people how to correctly understand this problem. Regrettably, this important treatise of Xuanzang has long been lost and has not been handed down.
Master Jie Xian and other monks read Xuanzang's Ode to Three Thousand Buddhists, greatly appreciated it, and posted its literature at the temple gate for public announcement. After the prince saw it, he angrily left Zhixian and Berdyki. Later, he invited an East Indian scholar named Monk Chandra to Nalanda Temple and decided to compete with Xuanzang. Unexpectedly, however, after reading Master Xuanzang's On Huizong in the debate, Chandra and Shanke left the temple without saying a word.
At this time, Ziguang Shi felt that his knowledge and accomplishment were far less than that of Master Xuanzang, a monk in China. Unexpectedly, one year later, Ziguang Shi returned to Nalanduo Temple, a famous Indian Buddhist university, to shake hands with Master Xuanzang and make up again.
In the history of India, debate is a traditional way for people to seek truth, which is both sacred and tragic. It is in this atmosphere of free debate that India's traditional culture and philosophical thinking spirit continue to flourish.
In Nalanda, the highest Buddhist institution in India, Xuanzang had many arguments with eminent monks of different factions. On one occasion, a monk of Shunshi School wrote 40 doctrines and hung them at the entrance of Nalanduo Temple, declaring that "if I can refute one, I will be willing to cut it." . For several days, no one dared to deal with the arguments of Shunshi scholars.
Facing the embarrassing situation, Xuanzang still accepted the 40-year-old instruction. He invited Master Jie Xian and others to testify and argue with the Shunshi monks. The two sides fought fiercely for several days, and finally Shunshi sent outsiders to say nothing, expressing defeat and demanding beheading. Master Xuanzang said with a smile, "Monks give up killing. Now that you have given up, be a servant. " . From then on, the monk who followed the times became a disciple of Xuanzang. Later, Xuanzang asked him many questions in the Theory of Breaking Mahayana, and found out the fallacies, and wrote his famous Ode to Breaking Evil.
In the first month of 64 1 A.D., King Jerzy held the biggest debate contest in the history of Indian Buddhism in Qunnvcheng. Kings from nearby 18 countries, more than 3,000 monks familiar with Buddhist scriptures, more than 2,000 followers of Brahmins and other sects, and/kloc-0,000 monks from Nalanduo Temple also participated in the Dafa debate: it can be said that India's most famous scholars and monks participated in this unprecedented Buddhist event. The central figure of this meeting is Master Xuanzang, a monk in the Tang Dynasty.
It is said that on the first day of the conference, Xuanzang was selected as the main topic, and the theme of his debate was On Breaking Evil. In addition, Xuanzang also hung a question at the entrance of Nalanduo Temple. According to the traditional rules and requirements of Indian debate, Xuanzang declared: "If one word in this paper is unreasonable. If you can refute it, thank you in person. " However, the meeting lasted 18 days. No one came out to refute, and the press conference was over. According to the tradition of ancient India. Anyone who wins the debate will ride an elephant around the city for a week. Although Xuanjian was humble again and again, the King of Anti-Japanese Ring refused to violate the traditional etiquette. Surrounded by many monks and believers, Xuanzang rode an elephant around Qunv City. Believers shouted, "Master China preached Mahayana Buddhism, and no one dared to refute it. Everyone should know. "
In this debate, Xuanzang won the highest title of Buddhism, and Mahayana Buddhism called him "Mahayana God", which means "Mahayana Heaven". And Hinayana Buddhism called him "Mu Cha offered his wife", which means "free from heaven? . Many Buddhist believers burned incense and scattered flowers to Xuanzang. Since then, Xuanzang's reputation for erudition has spread to the five major Tianzhu countries and become a household name in India.
By the end of the debate in Qunv Town, Master Xuanzang was 42 years old and had been studying in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal for 15 years. He is knowledgeable and eager to return to China. This year, he made a wish to King Jerzy to return to China. King Jerzy once again asked Xuanzang to attend the 75-day "Expose Conference" held in India every five years, and to leave no later than. Xuanzang could only silently agree to the request of the wise monarch who ruled the country by Buddha.
During this period, Master Xuanzang was warmly received and highly praised by Luo Yiduo, the corpse of King Wu. He also introduced the politics, economy and folk culture of the Tang Dynasty to the Festival King, and especially introduced Tang Le Daqu "King Qin breaks Chen Le" to praise the newly enthroned Emperor Taizong and spread the culture of the Tang Dynasty.
After the unveiling ceremony, Xuanzang bid farewell to King Jericho and others, and King Jericho, Kumara and the monks of Nalanduo Temple kept him for many times. Kumara even promised Master Xuanzang that if he stayed in India, he would build 65,438+000 temples for Xuanzang. However, all this has not shaken Master Xuanzang's determination to return to China.
Few Indians in Indian history have been so welcomed and loved by the people, and so worshipped by the king and the people. On the day when Xuanzang left Nalanduo Temple, it was said that the whole town of Mojietuo was deserted, and all the people came to bid farewell to the Chinese monks, reluctant to part.
It is said that Wu Wang and other officials sent the mage dozens of miles and whimpered away. "Wang even attached a bird like a king, and spent 3000 yuan and 10000 yuan on the travel expenses of the mage. Don't three days, Wang Geng and Kumara, postscript to White King and other generals hundreds of riding farewell, its diligence was so. Also sent four dignitaries, named Mahathir. Wang Yisu? What a shame. What's the matter with you? After passing through various countries, it was sent to the Han Dynasty. "
In the spring of 643 AD, Xuanzang used elephants and horses to carry Buddhist scriptures, Buddha statues and exotic flowers and fruits in Central Asia and South Asia that he had collected for many years. Full of honor and friendship with the Indian people, he embarked on the road of homesickness. When I arrived in Khotan (now Hotan, Xinjiang), I told Emperor Taizong about my experience of going west to learn from the scriptures. After receiving his watch, Emperor Taizong sent someone to meet him.
Two years later, on the 24th day of the first month in 645 AD, Master Xuanzang studied in the near 1 10 country, and finally returned to Chang 'an, Datang, where he had been away for 17 years, and was warmly welcomed by monks and nuns in the ruling and opposition parties. It is said that the huge gates of Chang 'an are packed. The next day, at the southern end of Zhuque Street painted by Chang 'an Zhuang, Master Xuan Zang showed Buddhist scriptures and statues brought from Central Asia and South Asia. It is said that the ranks of believers who come to visit have lined up for dozens of miles, which is unprecedented.
Soon, Emperor Taizong summoned a generation of eminent monk Xuanzang, who crossed the border without authorization and went to India to devote himself to Buddhism. It is said that Emperor Taizong asked Xuanzang in detail about his travels around the world, and Xuanzang also explained them one by one. As the emperor, Emperor Taizong advised Xuanzang to become an official, but Xuanzang declined politely, expressing his determination to devote himself to the translation of Buddhist scriptures. Although Emperor Taizong was helpless, he still hoped that Xuanzang would write down his experience of learning from the Western Heaven and translate 20 fragments and 657 Buddhist scriptures brought from India.
On March 1 day in 645 AD, Master Xuanzang returned to Hongfu Temple in Chang 'an and began his large-scale translation of Buddhist scriptures. From then until his death, Xuanzang worked tirelessly to translate scripture 19 years. Under his auspices, he translated 74 Confucian classics, 1, 335 volumes, 1, 3 million words. As far as the number of translations is concerned, Xuanzang is the master with the largest number of translations in the history of Buddhism in China. Therefore, he is also known as one of the "four great translators" in ancient China.
In the process of translating Confucian classics, Xuanzang also dictated a travel book, telling his difficult journey to the west to seek dharma. This masterpiece was recorded and arranged by his disciples. Travel Notes 12 Volume, dictated in 646 AD. This book records in detail 1 10 the geography, historical evolution, customs, religious beliefs and national customs of Xuanzang after he left Gao Changguo and visited places of interest in 17. This great travel note has become an important classic historical document for later generations to study the history, geography, national customs and languages of the western regions, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.
When Xuanzang translated Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures into Chinese, he also translated India's long-lost Mahayana belief theory from Chinese into Sanskrit. He also translated Lao Zi, the most famous Taoist classic in ancient China history, into Sanskrit at the request of Kumara in India and the will of Emperor Taizong, which promoted the religious and cultural exchanges between China and India.
Jionji, located in Xi 'an, was not only the translation place of Master Xuanzang, but also the Dojo where he gave lectures. Master Xuanzang and his disciples founded a famous Sect of Buddhism in China here, and also trained a large number of Buddhist talents.
It is said that there are as many as 3000 disciples of Xuanzang. Daozhao, a Japanese disciple of Xuanzang, founded the Japanese law only Sect after returning to China, which has been passed down to this day; Korean disciples Yuan Ce and Jing Shun spread legal knowledge to Korea and made great contributions to the development of Buddhism in Japan and Korea. In the first year of Linde, Tang Gaozong, Xuanzang was engaged in classic translation 19 years. On the first day of the first month of this year, Xuanzang was translating the Dabao Sutra when he suddenly felt a cramp in his heart. At this point, he knew that he would die soon. One day, he said to his disciples around him, "A promising method can certainly reduce illusions. Unreal things like form can't last long. When you reach 65, you will definitely die. Now, if anyone has any questions, please come and ask. " The disciples around him were greatly surprised and asked:
"You are not old enough. Why do you say that? " Master Xuanzang said calmly, "Only I know this." . Later, Xuanzang said goodbye to the Buddha statue. Once a master was going out, Xuanzang said to him, "Go ahead, I'll say goodbye to you now. You don't have to come to see me again, and you won't see me when you come. "
In 664 AD, on the ninth day of the first month of the first year of Tang Linde, Xuanzang said to his disciples in the temple, "I'm going to die. According to the scripture, my body is disgusting, just like a dead dog. After I die, bury my body in a quiet place in the temple. " Then he lay down and closed his eyes, only to see the huge lotus, holy and beautiful. On the night of February 5th, Master Xuanzang died in Yuhua Temple, and he completed his path of becoming a Buddha by giving up his life to seek dharma and realize life.
In April 14, the ancient Bailuyuan in the east of Chang 'an witnessed an unforgettable historical memory in the history of Buddhism. According to Master Xuanzang's last wish to be buried in Bailuyuan after his death, the royal family of the Tang Dynasty held a grand death ceremony for Master Xuanzang here. It is said that within 500 miles of Fiona Fang, Chang 'an City, 6.5438+0 million people came to attend the tea ceremony of the Tang Dynasty monk. More than 30,000 believers volunteered to camp in front of Master Xuanzang's tomb to wake up and recite scriptures for him.
After the death of Master Xuanzang, his body has been excavated, displaced and placed several times, just like what he met before his death. In 669, five years after Master Xuanzang's death, Tang Gaozong ordered that Master Xuanzang's body be cremated and buried in Caotang Temple, a famous temple in Xi today, where temples and pagodas will be built. However, the good times did not last long, and a generation of masters failed to work here silently for several years. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Lingta dedicated to the remains of Master Xuanzang was destroyed in a war.
When Song Taizong came to power, it was 998 AD. A monk named Zheng Ke found the top bone of Master Xuanzang in Zige Temple in Zhong Nanshan and offered it as a sacrifice. In the fifth year of the Song Renzong Apocalypse (1027), Emperor Injong ordered that the top bone of Master Xuanzang be sent to the Donggang Building of Nanjing Chang Gan Temple for worship. 1386 was the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang in the Ming dynasty 19 years. This year, the parietal bone of a monk in the Tang Dynasty was once again moved to Santasi Temple in Nangang for worship, and his whereabouts were unknown.
Until 1942, the war in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression was raging in China. A stone letter was found in Nangang Santa Temple outside Zhonghua Gate in Nanjing, which contained the parietal relic of a monk, namely Xuanzang, a monk in the Tang Dynasty.
However, no one expected that the parietal bone of this monk, who was revered by Chinese people, was transported overseas to Japan like a Japanese robber.
Daxiong Hall is the most famous temple in the ancient capital Chang 'an, and Xi people used to call it the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. When Master Xuanzang translated Buddhist scriptures in Jionji, he built this stupa in the West Yard of Jionji in order to collect and display Buddhist scriptures and Buddha statues he brought back from India. This stupa is modeled after Indian architecture, with 7 floors and a height of 180 feet. It is said that Master Xuanzang and the workers carried burdens, bricks and stones together, and personally participated in the tower building project.
Master Xuanzang, under the condition of extremely difficult traffic in ancient times, "took advantage of the dangerous edge and used his staff to levy alone." In 17, he traveled 50,000 miles and visited 1 17 countries, which is extremely rare among travelers in the history of the world. As the famous Indian poet Tagore commented, "Master Xuanzang is undoubtedly the greatest among many Indians who have been to India, and he is a symbol of cultural cooperation between China and China".
Indeed, he deserves to be praised as "the backbone of China" by Mr. Lu Xun. Article Source: Zen Friends Circle * Buddhist Knowledge Column of Buddhist Travel Network Reference: China Buddhist Network Editor: Buddhist Travel Network Tang Jian Attachment: I don't know if you have started to learn Buddhism. If so, I suggest you go to Xi 'an or make a pilgrimage to India, where there are many stories about Master Xuanzang.