Xuanzang
China’s Legendary Pilgrim and Translator
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- 16,99 €
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- 16,99 €
Descrizione dell’editore
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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
