Project Gutenberg
2021-02-12
Public domain in the USA.
280
Faxian
Fa-hsien
法顯
Legge, James
1815
1897
Li, Ya-ko
A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms
Being an account by the Chinese monk Fâ-hien of his travels in India and Ceylon (A.D. 399-414) in search of the Buddhist books of discipline
Ronald Grenier (This file was modified from an original transcription created by John Bickers, Dagny, and David Widger for PG EBook 2124.
Images were generously made available by The Internet Archive/Wellcome Libraries.)
"A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms" by Faxian is a historical account written during the early 5th century. The narrative details the travels of the Chinese monk Faxian as he journeys through India and Ceylon in search of Buddhist texts and knowledge of the discipline. This work provides insights into the Buddhist practice and the cultural landscape of ancient South Asia, highlighting the monk's experiences, discoveries, and encounters with various Buddhist communities. The opening of this account sets the stage for Faxian’s epic pilgrimage, beginning with his departure from Chʽang-gan. He travels with companions through harsh terrains and demonstrates the struggles faced by pilgrims in ancient times, such as navigating the treacherous Gobi desert and confronting hostile environments. As they advance, Faxian recounts the growing number of monks encountered along the way and their diverse practices, emphasizing his primary aim of finding the complete Buddhist texts that are vital for the discipline. The reader is introduced to the challenges of that journey, making it apparent that this record will also serve as a rich historical document on Buddhism's travels and influence across regions. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 70.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
en
Buddhist pilgrims and pilgrimages -- India -- Early works to 1800
Buddhism -- Early works to 1800
Asia -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
DS
Text
Category: Travel Writing
Category: History - Ancient
Category: Religion/Spirituality
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