The Real Xuan Zang
Korean International School , Joo , Stanley - 10
Introduction of Xuanzang
Xuanzang was born in the T ' ang dynasty in 602 AD and died in 664 AD . He is famous for bringing Buddhism to China . He was a monk , a scholar and a translator . He inspired Wu Cheng ’ en to write the novel the Journey to the West .
Early life
Xuanzang was born in Henan and went to the imperial academy ( Taixue ). He was interested in becoming a Buddhist monk . One of his ancestors was Chen Shi , a minister of the Eastern Han Dynasty . His father was a conservative confucian in the Sui Dynasty . But because the Sui Dynasty was near its end , it led to his father giving up office .
His Journey to India
He went to India to study Buddhism and brought Buddhism to China . However it was not a straight road ( metaphor ). He had to go along the Silk Road , through the Gobi Desert , the Tien Shan mountains , and Issyk Kul Lake
Finally , he reached India after 14 years . He studied in India for one year . He came back in 645 AD . Return to China
It was reported that he brought over six hundred Mahayana and Hinayana texts ( that includes the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra ), seven statues of the Buddha and more than a hundred saria relics . He also translated the texts . Because of doing everything I mentioned earlier , the Emperor of China ordered a Tang calligrapher called Chu Suiliang to insert two stele stones known as ‘ The Emperor ’ s Preface to the Sacred Teachings ’ at the ‘ Giant Wild Goose Pagoda .’
His Legacy in fiction
Xuanzang ’ s journey inspired Wu Cheng ’ En to write ‘ Journey to the West ’. Also in the Yuan Dynasty ( Mongol Empire ), there was a play called Wu Changling . In the west , Xuanzang ( Journey to the West ) became famous by Arthur waley ’ s translation and by the cult TV series ‘ Monkey .’
Conclusion
Xuanzang was a great man who did great things . His action had huge amounts of effects ( mostly good ) on China and The World . His actions and influences will never be forgotten .