Xuanzang: China's Legendary Pilgrim and Translator

by Benjamin Brose

Overview

The life and legacy of Xuanzang: a Buddhist seeker, philosopher, and intrepid traveler who became the world's most famous pilgrim.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611807226
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	10/19/2021
Series:	Lives of the Masters , #6
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	665,846
Product dimensions:	5.58(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.81(d)

About the Author

BENJAMIN BROSE is an associate professor of Chinese Buddhism at the University of Michigan. His work on the history of religion in China, with a particular focus on Buddhism, has centered on two transformational historical eras—the late ninth through the early eleventh centuries and the twentieth century—in an attempt to better understand the relationships between social, cultural, and political change and the development of religious doctrines and practices. He is the author of Patrons and Patriarchs: Regional Rulers and Chan Monks during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms and numerous scholarly articles.

Table of Contents

Series Introduction Kurtis Schaeffer vii

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction 1

Life

1 The Journey to Bodh Gaya 13

2 Nalanda to Chang'an 41

3 China 73

Translations

4 Buddhism in India: From the Record of the Western Regions 105

5 Kapilavastu: From the Record of the Western Regions 113

6 The Bodhi Tree: From the Record of the Western Regions 117

7 Mahabodhi Monastery: From the Record of the Western Regions 121

8 Varanasi and the Deer Park: From the Record of the Western Regions 125

9 Kusinagara: From the Record of the Western Regions 129

10 Mahakasyapa: From the Record of the Western Regions 133

11 Nalanda: From the Record of the Western Regions 137

12 King Kumara: From the Record of the Western Regions 143

13 King Siladitya: From the Record of the Western Regions 147

14 Letter from Khotan: From the Biography of the Trepitaka Master 153

15 Return to the Capital: From the Biography of the Trepitaka Master 155

16 Heart Sutra 159

17 Bodhisattva Precepts 161

18 Letter to Prajnadeva: From the Biography of the Trepitaka Master 165

19 Letter to Jnanaprabha: From the Biography of the Trepitaka Master 169

20 Letter to Emperor Gaozong: From the Biography of the Trepitaka Master 173

21 The Death of Xuanzang: From the Biography of the Trepitaka Master 179

Legacy

22 Xuanzang's Teachings: Yogacara in East Asia 187

23 Xuanzang's Travels: The Record of the Western Regions and the Birth of Buddhist Studies 203

24 Xuanzang's Relics: Discoveries, Distributions, and Diplomacy 219

25 Xuanzang's Legend: Deification and Fictionalization 235

26 Xuanzang's Future: Politics, Profit, and Piety 253

Notes 259

Bibliography 275

Index 285

Editorial Reviews

08/23/2021

In this excellent addition to the Lives of the Masters Series, Brose (Patrons and Patriarchs), an associate professor of Chinese Buddhism at the University of Michigan, explores the life, work, and legacy of Xuanzang, an influential seventh-century Buddhist monk. Driven by a desire to resolve conflicts in interpretations of Buddhist scriptures by going to sources throughout India, Xuanzang absconded from China and embarked on a 17-year journey. When Xuanzang returned, he served as an advocate of Buddhist interests and was given imperial support to complete his translation work. Brose offers excerpts from Xuanzang’s works, describing his pilgrimage through Central Asia and India, particularly focusing on key Buddhist sites and personal correspondences, such as his many letters to Indian royals. In the final section, Brose explores Xuanzang’s teachings on Yogacara, his posthumous influence on Buddhist studies, the distribution of his relics, the deification and fictionalization of his story, and contemporary invocations of him for political purposes. Brose’s smart volume is a compact yet comprehensive introduction to Xuanzang, exploring both the mundane (such as doctrinal studies and disputes) and the fantastical dimensions (such as the Buddhist demons that hound his past and spiritual connection to deities he forges). Readers looking to learn more about the early history of Buddhism will find this an accessible yet thorough starting point. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Intrepid traveler, chronicler of Indian Buddhism, consummate scholar, translator extraordinaire, and inspiration for Journey to the West, Xuanzang may be the most famous figure in the history of Buddhism after the Buddha himself. If you don’t believe it, read this book, where Benjamin Brose recounts Xuanzang’s extraordinary life and offers finely crafted translations from his inspiring works and from works inspired by him.”—Donald S. Lopez Jr., author of Gendun Chopel: Tibet’s Modern Visionary

“[An] excellent addition to the Lives of the Masters Series . . . Brose’s smart volume is a compact yet comprehensive introduction to Xuanzang.”—Publishers Weekly

“Brose’s book joins a distinguished lineage of studies about China’s most famous pilgrim-monk. However, its nuance and depth of thought give it a strong edge over many introductory books to Xuanzang. This is the strength of the ‘Lives of the Masters’ series: it re-introduces familiar names in an updated light, allowing us to revisit these great women and men, while being able to enjoy a different conversation with them.”—Buddhistdoor Global

“Brose paints a vivid portrait of Xuanzang.”—Buddhadharma

“An objective and comprehensive picture of Xuanzang’s life. . . . This book is a gem.”—Reading Religion

“This book is well-structured and meticulously presented and provides a wide range of documentary sources, especially new English translations published in recent years, which will greatly help English-speaking readers.”—Religious Studies Review

From the Publisher