1 00:00:00,387 --> 00:00:01,052 For one unanswered question 2 00:00:01,506 --> 00:00:03,391 Xuanzang slipped out of Tang China 3 00:00:03,947 --> 00:00:05,072 Have you ever wondered 4 00:00:05,107 --> 00:00:07,392 How far someone would go 5 00:00:07,466 --> 00:00:08,371 To settle a scholarly question 6 00:00:08,987 --> 00:00:09,612 There was a monk 7 00:00:09,867 --> 00:00:11,311 Who wanted to understand one thing 8 00:00:11,346 --> 00:00:14,791 He left the finest monastery and highest scholarly standing in Changan 9 00:00:14,827 --> 00:00:15,932 Crossed the border alone in secret 10 00:00:16,187 --> 00:00:17,705 Traversed eight hundred li of desert 11 00:00:17,707 --> 00:00:19,745 And climbed the snowy Pamir mountains 12 00:00:19,746 --> 00:00:20,652 He spent seventeen years away 13 00:00:20,946 --> 00:00:22,512 And nearly died several times 14 00:00:22,746 --> 00:00:23,692 He was not fleeing disaster 15 00:00:23,867 --> 00:00:25,111 Nor was he spreading his religion 16 00:00:25,266 --> 00:00:26,211 He simply had a question 17 00:00:26,667 --> 00:00:27,946 He had asked everyone across China 18 00:00:27,946 --> 00:00:29,192 And nobody could answer it 19 00:00:29,848 --> 00:00:30,192 Hello 20 00:00:30,488 --> 00:00:30,953 Everyone 21 00:00:31,128 --> 00:00:32,052 I am Leo Wang 22 00:00:32,287 --> 00:00:35,047 Last time we discussed what happened after Kumarajiva died 23 00:00:35,047 --> 00:00:38,093 Chinese scholars began writing commentaries and founding schools 24 00:00:38,368 --> 00:00:40,892 But before those schools truly took shape 25 00:00:40,928 --> 00:00:44,172 Buddhist scholarship went through a deeply confusing period 26 00:00:44,775 --> 00:00:45,760 What made it so confusing 27 00:00:46,254 --> 00:00:48,099 Kumarajiva translated many scriptures 28 00:00:48,214 --> 00:00:50,099 But he could not translate them all 29 00:00:50,375 --> 00:00:51,494 After his death 30 00:00:51,495 --> 00:00:53,540 Buddhist thought in India kept developing 31 00:00:53,695 --> 00:00:56,459 New treatises and schools kept emerging 32 00:00:56,654 --> 00:00:58,860 More translators gradually arrived in China 33 00:00:58,894 --> 00:01:00,820 The most important among them was Paramartha 34 00:01:01,135 --> 00:01:03,059 He came from India during the Northern and Southern dynasties 35 00:01:03,174 --> 00:01:05,341 And translated many Yogacara texts 36 00:01:05,736 --> 00:01:06,902 But a problem arose 37 00:01:07,296 --> 00:01:09,382 The texts Paramartha translated and interpreted 38 00:01:09,617 --> 00:01:12,415 And the orthodox Indian interpretations in the Dharmapala lineage 39 00:01:12,417 --> 00:01:13,781 Did not always agree 40 00:01:14,177 --> 00:01:15,042 These were not minor differences 41 00:01:15,296 --> 00:01:16,861 They concerned fundamental questions 42 00:01:17,257 --> 00:01:18,061 For example 43 00:01:18,096 --> 00:01:21,022 How many layers does human consciousness have 44 00:01:21,417 --> 00:01:22,481 One side said eight 45 00:01:22,897 --> 00:01:24,621 The other said there was a ninth 46 00:01:25,057 --> 00:01:27,701 That may sound like a mere difference in numbers 47 00:01:27,897 --> 00:01:28,861 But it was not 48 00:01:29,216 --> 00:01:32,501 It directly shaped your understanding of the mind 49 00:01:32,697 --> 00:01:34,581 And the direction of spiritual practice 50 00:01:34,977 --> 00:01:36,701 Give one question a different answer 51 00:01:36,817 --> 00:01:39,421 And the entire path of practice changes 52 00:01:40,245 --> 00:01:42,010 And this was far from the only question 53 00:01:42,405 --> 00:01:44,485 Is Buddha nature something we are born with 54 00:01:44,486 --> 00:01:45,831 Or must we develop it later 55 00:01:46,445 --> 00:01:48,991 How should emptiness and existence relate to each other 56 00:01:49,726 --> 00:01:52,450 Different translations offered different answers 57 00:01:52,646 --> 00:01:55,251 Monasteries taught from different versions 58 00:01:55,405 --> 00:01:58,051 Monks received conflicting guides to practice 59 00:01:58,245 --> 00:01:59,590 You learned one system in Changan 60 00:01:59,885 --> 00:02:01,205 Then went to Jinling 61 00:02:01,206 --> 00:02:02,730 And heard something entirely different 62 00:02:03,006 --> 00:02:04,070 Whom should you believe 63 00:02:04,566 --> 00:02:05,650 Nobody could give a clear answer 64 00:02:05,971 --> 00:02:07,436 In my series on Buddhist texts 65 00:02:07,611 --> 00:02:08,976 I have already explored 66 00:02:09,011 --> 00:02:11,536 The history behind one of these translation disputes 67 00:02:11,611 --> 00:02:12,856 So I will not go into it again here 68 00:02:13,370 --> 00:02:14,450 What I want to discuss 69 00:02:14,451 --> 00:02:17,536 Is what happened when all these disagreements accumulated 70 00:02:17,930 --> 00:02:18,775 Two hundred years 71 00:02:19,171 --> 00:02:20,375 Two full centuries 72 00:02:20,770 --> 00:02:23,615 From the death of Kumarajiva to the departure of Xuanzang 73 00:02:23,891 --> 00:02:27,136 Chinese Buddhist scholars argued over these differences for two hundred years 74 00:02:27,611 --> 00:02:29,775 Every scholar had an interpretation 75 00:02:29,970 --> 00:02:32,296 Every school believed it was right 76 00:02:32,571 --> 00:02:34,215 But nobody could convince anyone else 77 00:02:35,194 --> 00:02:36,219 Why was that 78 00:02:36,713 --> 00:02:39,199 Because all they had were translations 79 00:02:39,233 --> 00:02:41,319 None of them had read the Sanskrit originals 80 00:02:41,514 --> 00:02:42,539 You insisted your translation was right 81 00:02:42,953 --> 00:02:44,238 Someone else insisted theirs was right 82 00:02:44,474 --> 00:02:46,398 But neither of you had seen the original 83 00:02:46,474 --> 00:02:48,178 How could you judge who was correct 84 00:02:48,914 --> 00:02:50,518 That was the predicament 85 00:02:50,833 --> 00:02:51,858 It was not a lack of intelligence 86 00:02:52,273 --> 00:02:53,518 Or a lack of hard work 87 00:02:53,953 --> 00:02:57,278 Translation had cut everyone off from the source 88 00:02:57,634 --> 00:03:00,039 Everyone was circling within secondhand information 89 00:03:00,342 --> 00:03:01,501 Against this background 90 00:03:01,502 --> 00:03:03,627 One young monk could no longer sit still 91 00:03:03,863 --> 00:03:04,287 Xuanzang 92 00:03:04,743 --> 00:03:05,668 His family name was Chen 93 00:03:05,863 --> 00:03:07,907 He was born around the year 602 94 00:03:08,143 --> 00:03:10,627 There are two proposed years for his birth 95 00:03:10,743 --> 00:03:12,787 600 and 602 96 00:03:12,902 --> 00:03:14,787 Scholars still have not settled the question 97 00:03:15,102 --> 00:03:16,168 He became a monk at thirteen 98 00:03:16,543 --> 00:03:18,108 And entered Jingtu Monastery in Luoyang 99 00:03:18,423 --> 00:03:21,307 From childhood he showed an unusual determination 100 00:03:21,622 --> 00:03:24,341 Others might spend a lifetime studying a single scripture 101 00:03:24,342 --> 00:03:25,148 That was not enough for him 102 00:03:25,303 --> 00:03:26,548 By his early twenties 103 00:03:26,583 --> 00:03:29,388 He had studied the important scriptures and treatises available then 104 00:03:29,423 --> 00:03:30,268 One after another 105 00:03:30,543 --> 00:03:31,988 He set out from Luoyang 106 00:03:32,023 --> 00:03:34,668 And traveled to Chengdu Changan and Xiangzhou 107 00:03:34,743 --> 00:03:38,828 Studying with teachers from different places and schools 108 00:03:39,502 --> 00:03:40,727 He was not merely passing through 109 00:03:41,143 --> 00:03:42,781 He sat down and studied seriously 110 00:03:42,782 --> 00:03:44,268 Until he understood each version thoroughly 111 00:03:45,038 --> 00:03:46,022 But the more he learned 112 00:03:46,318 --> 00:03:47,403 The more uneasy he became 113 00:03:47,718 --> 00:03:48,756 Because he discovered 114 00:03:48,758 --> 00:03:50,762 That different teachers taught different things 115 00:03:51,118 --> 00:03:52,843 These were not small differences in interpretation 116 00:03:52,957 --> 00:03:55,123 Their basic explanations disagreed 117 00:03:55,438 --> 00:03:57,117 The path of practice taught by one teacher 118 00:03:57,118 --> 00:03:59,243 Was the opposite of what another taught 119 00:03:59,558 --> 00:04:02,283 Some scriptures and treatises even contradicted one another 120 00:04:02,558 --> 00:04:03,302 He asked his teachers 121 00:04:03,677 --> 00:04:05,042 But they could not explain it clearly either 122 00:04:05,237 --> 00:04:06,843 It was not that they lacked ability 123 00:04:06,957 --> 00:04:09,123 They too had only read translations 124 00:04:09,158 --> 00:04:11,642 And could not check the Sanskrit sources 125 00:04:11,998 --> 00:04:16,123 He even heard that India had a complete Yogacarabhumi 126 00:04:16,278 --> 00:04:19,282 Systematically covering the theory and methods of practice 127 00:04:19,358 --> 00:04:20,282 In one hundred volumes 128 00:04:20,438 --> 00:04:23,003 But only scattered fragments had been translated in China 129 00:04:23,678 --> 00:04:25,642 The complete original was still in India 130 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,406 You may have felt something similar 131 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:30,726 You read many books in a field 132 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:32,684 Each book seems reasonable 133 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:34,965 Yet the books do not agree with one another 134 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:37,524 You want an authoritative explanation from the source 135 00:04:37,524 --> 00:04:38,322 But cannot find one 136 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:40,846 Everyone is citing someone who cited someone else 137 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:42,846 Nobody has seen the original document 138 00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:45,124 That feeling can drive you mad 139 00:04:45,993 --> 00:04:47,438 Xuanzang made a decision 140 00:04:47,553 --> 00:04:48,819 He would go to India himself 141 00:04:49,074 --> 00:04:50,473 To the source of Buddhist scholarship 142 00:04:50,474 --> 00:04:51,759 And read the Sanskrit originals 143 00:04:51,834 --> 00:04:54,839 He would consult the foremost Indian scholars in person 144 00:04:55,074 --> 00:04:58,159 The questions that had troubled Chinese Buddhism for two centuries 145 00:04:58,353 --> 00:04:59,959 He would resolve them one by one 146 00:05:00,233 --> 00:05:02,279 That decision sounds heroic 147 00:05:02,514 --> 00:05:03,498 But when he tried to carry it out 148 00:05:03,753 --> 00:05:05,818 He hit a wall at the very first step 149 00:05:06,412 --> 00:05:08,178 It was the early Tang dynasty 150 00:05:08,612 --> 00:05:10,536 Li Shimin had only recently become emperor 151 00:05:10,732 --> 00:05:12,776 The Turkic threat in the north remained 152 00:05:12,972 --> 00:05:15,096 And border controls were extremely strict 153 00:05:15,612 --> 00:05:17,776 Ordinary people could not freely leave the country 154 00:05:18,332 --> 00:05:20,858 Xuanzang formally applied to the court 155 00:05:20,972 --> 00:05:22,776 For permission to travel west beyond the frontier 156 00:05:23,252 --> 00:05:24,656 The court refused 157 00:05:25,132 --> 00:05:25,918 Someone else 158 00:05:26,212 --> 00:05:27,576 Might have left it at that 159 00:05:27,892 --> 00:05:29,738 But Xuanzang did not 160 00:05:30,052 --> 00:05:32,215 He decided to cross illegally 161 00:05:32,491 --> 00:05:35,775 This happened around the late 620s 162 00:05:36,170 --> 00:05:37,689 Some say it was 627 163 00:05:37,691 --> 00:05:39,176 Others say 629 164 00:05:39,371 --> 00:05:41,136 Scholars do not entirely agree 165 00:05:41,451 --> 00:05:43,410 In any case one night that year 166 00:05:43,410 --> 00:05:45,056 He left Changan alone 167 00:05:45,090 --> 00:05:46,176 And headed west 168 00:05:46,491 --> 00:05:48,035 He had no official travel papers 169 00:05:48,330 --> 00:05:49,335 No guards 170 00:05:49,371 --> 00:05:50,616 Not even a companion 171 00:05:50,970 --> 00:05:51,595 Just one man 172 00:05:51,891 --> 00:05:52,395 And one horse 173 00:05:52,770 --> 00:05:53,578 Setting off 174 00:05:53,932 --> 00:05:56,417 He first traveled west along the Hexi Corridor 175 00:05:56,893 --> 00:05:58,317 From Liangzhou to Ganzhou 176 00:05:58,732 --> 00:05:59,698 Then to Suzhou 177 00:05:59,973 --> 00:06:01,817 Avoiding government checkpoints all the way 178 00:06:02,172 --> 00:06:03,398 Because he was leaving the country illegally 179 00:06:03,732 --> 00:06:04,857 He could not take the main roads 180 00:06:05,213 --> 00:06:06,198 He hid during the day 181 00:06:06,573 --> 00:06:07,658 And traveled at night 182 00:06:07,853 --> 00:06:10,817 Monks and believers along the route secretly helped him 183 00:06:11,132 --> 00:06:12,458 Once in Guazhou 184 00:06:12,732 --> 00:06:15,018 The authorities had already issued an order for his arrest 185 00:06:15,292 --> 00:06:17,578 Local officials were ordered to intercept him 186 00:06:17,853 --> 00:06:20,138 Fortunately a local clerk sympathized with him 187 00:06:20,333 --> 00:06:22,778 And privately showed him the arrest notice 188 00:06:23,093 --> 00:06:24,978 After confirming his identity 189 00:06:25,093 --> 00:06:27,497 The clerk tore up the notice before his eyes 190 00:06:27,573 --> 00:06:28,778 And urged him to leave at once 191 00:06:29,052 --> 00:06:29,757 A moment later 192 00:06:30,013 --> 00:06:31,377 And he would have been taken back under arrest 193 00:06:31,812 --> 00:06:33,053 But he kept going 194 00:06:33,368 --> 00:06:34,673 West beyond the Yumen Pass 195 00:06:35,048 --> 00:06:36,374 Lay the Moheyan Desert 196 00:06:36,769 --> 00:06:38,814 A desert stretching about eight hundred li 197 00:06:39,089 --> 00:06:40,314 What does eight hundred li mean 198 00:06:40,889 --> 00:06:42,694 Three or four hundred kilometers of uninhabited land 199 00:06:43,089 --> 00:06:43,754 No water sources 200 00:06:44,048 --> 00:06:44,973 No signposts 201 00:06:45,089 --> 00:06:46,973 Only yellow sand and wind everywhere 202 00:06:47,488 --> 00:06:50,613 Xuanzang spent five days and four nights in that desert 203 00:06:51,048 --> 00:06:51,793 Five days and four nights 204 00:06:52,089 --> 00:06:53,254 Without a drop of water 205 00:06:53,649 --> 00:06:55,733 The daytime heat made him dizzy 206 00:06:55,968 --> 00:06:57,894 At night he shivered with cold 207 00:06:58,329 --> 00:07:00,413 Dunes stretched in every direction 208 00:07:00,449 --> 00:07:02,192 There was not a soul in sight 209 00:07:02,587 --> 00:07:03,533 Later accounts tell us 210 00:07:03,868 --> 00:07:05,312 That by the fourth day 211 00:07:05,348 --> 00:07:06,533 He nearly gave up 212 00:07:06,747 --> 00:07:08,312 And thought of turning back 213 00:07:08,747 --> 00:07:11,072 But he had made himself a rule 214 00:07:11,147 --> 00:07:12,913 Better to die taking one step west 215 00:07:12,988 --> 00:07:14,593 Than live by retreating one step east 216 00:07:14,868 --> 00:07:16,426 Clinging to that rule 217 00:07:16,428 --> 00:07:17,752 He walked on for another day 218 00:07:18,147 --> 00:07:19,192 On the fifth night 219 00:07:19,228 --> 00:07:21,752 His old horse suddenly changed direction 220 00:07:21,827 --> 00:07:23,392 And ran straight ahead 221 00:07:23,627 --> 00:07:25,212 It carried him to a small oasis 222 00:07:25,548 --> 00:07:26,312 There was grass 223 00:07:26,312 --> 00:07:27,110 And water 224 00:07:27,428 --> 00:07:29,512 That water saved his life 225 00:07:29,908 --> 00:07:32,267 Many people later cited this experience 226 00:07:32,267 --> 00:07:33,832 As proof of the power of faith 227 00:07:34,587 --> 00:07:36,872 But I do not think faith alone explains it 228 00:07:36,988 --> 00:07:39,546 An unanswered question had driven him this far 229 00:07:39,548 --> 00:07:41,449 He felt there was no way back 230 00:07:41,603 --> 00:07:42,668 After crossing the desert 231 00:07:42,884 --> 00:07:44,368 He reached the kingdom of Gaochang 232 00:07:44,683 --> 00:07:47,608 Near present day Turpan in Xinjiang 233 00:07:47,683 --> 00:07:50,248 It was then an independent kingdom in the Western Regions 234 00:07:50,603 --> 00:07:51,908 Its king was Qu Wentai 235 00:07:52,363 --> 00:07:54,288 A devout Buddhist 236 00:07:54,764 --> 00:07:56,149 When Qu Wentai met Xuanzang 237 00:07:56,603 --> 00:07:57,769 He was delighted 238 00:07:58,004 --> 00:08:01,048 He desperately wanted this learned monk to stay 239 00:08:01,163 --> 00:08:03,728 He offered Xuanzang the finest food and lodging 240 00:08:03,803 --> 00:08:05,488 And wanted to appoint him royal preceptor 241 00:08:05,524 --> 00:08:06,728 Asking him to remain 242 00:08:07,004 --> 00:08:08,069 But Xuanzang told him 243 00:08:08,404 --> 00:08:09,488 I have made a vow 244 00:08:09,524 --> 00:08:11,089 I must reach India 245 00:08:11,243 --> 00:08:12,428 You can keep my body here 246 00:08:12,723 --> 00:08:14,248 But you cannot keep my heart 247 00:08:14,764 --> 00:08:15,308 According to the accounts 248 00:08:15,644 --> 00:08:18,329 Xuanzang refused food for three days in Gaochang 249 00:08:19,084 --> 00:08:20,189 Qu Wentai could not change his mind 250 00:08:20,483 --> 00:08:21,843 Eventually he not only let him go 251 00:08:21,844 --> 00:08:24,483 But gave him generous travel funds and attendants 252 00:08:24,483 --> 00:08:27,882 And wrote twenty four letters to rulers along the route 253 00:08:27,884 --> 00:08:31,187 Asking them to help this monk from the east 254 00:08:31,543 --> 00:08:32,567 After leaving Gaochang 255 00:08:32,903 --> 00:08:34,627 The road did not become easier 256 00:08:34,983 --> 00:08:35,887 He crossed the Tian Shan mountains 257 00:08:36,262 --> 00:08:37,428 Passed through Suyab 258 00:08:37,583 --> 00:08:39,188 And then the Pamir Plateau 259 00:08:39,463 --> 00:08:41,667 The Pamirs average over four thousand meters above sea level 260 00:08:41,823 --> 00:08:43,348 And the snow never fully melts 261 00:08:43,662 --> 00:08:44,487 Heavy snow blocked the roads 262 00:08:44,782 --> 00:08:45,948 The cold was bitter and oxygen scarce 263 00:08:46,142 --> 00:08:48,828 Some people and horses in his party did not survive 264 00:08:49,382 --> 00:08:51,468 He crossed the heart of what is now Central Asia 265 00:08:51,662 --> 00:08:54,987 Passing through small kingdoms whose rulers kept changing 266 00:08:55,343 --> 00:08:57,068 Some kings received him respectfully 267 00:08:57,103 --> 00:08:58,907 And sent escorts to the next stop 268 00:08:59,183 --> 00:09:00,728 Elsewhere warfare continued 269 00:09:01,022 --> 00:09:02,147 And bandits roamed freely 270 00:09:02,422 --> 00:09:04,348 Several times he nearly died in robber attacks 271 00:09:04,703 --> 00:09:06,627 But each time he survived 272 00:09:07,223 --> 00:09:09,068 After traveling for more than a year 273 00:09:09,183 --> 00:09:11,243 He finally reached India 274 00:09:11,799 --> 00:09:13,603 But arriving in India was not the end 275 00:09:13,718 --> 00:09:16,483 He spent a long time traveling across the subcontinent 276 00:09:16,518 --> 00:09:18,678 Visiting monasteries and scholars 277 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:21,003 And studying the different schools of Indian Buddhism 278 00:09:21,398 --> 00:09:22,838 His ultimate destination 279 00:09:22,838 --> 00:09:26,643 Was the foremost center of learning in the Buddhist world 280 00:09:26,718 --> 00:09:27,843 Nalanda 281 00:09:28,439 --> 00:09:31,444 Nalanda stood in what is now Bihar in India 282 00:09:31,959 --> 00:09:33,763 This was no ordinary monastery 283 00:09:34,199 --> 00:09:35,804 It was more like a university 284 00:09:35,919 --> 00:09:40,044 And one of the largest scholarly institutions in the world at the time 285 00:09:40,518 --> 00:09:41,324 According to the accounts 286 00:09:41,398 --> 00:09:45,924 Thousands or even over ten thousand monks studied and researched there 287 00:09:46,319 --> 00:09:48,164 It had enormous scripture libraries 288 00:09:48,279 --> 00:09:51,084 Holding vast collections of Sanskrit scriptures and treatises 289 00:09:51,799 --> 00:09:53,184 From Buddhist logic to medicine 290 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:55,284 From linguistics to astronomy 291 00:09:55,358 --> 00:09:57,483 Teachers covered many different subjects 292 00:09:57,799 --> 00:10:00,404 Monks and scholars came from far and wide 293 00:10:00,439 --> 00:10:03,604 To debate write and exchange ideas 294 00:10:03,839 --> 00:10:05,984 And the man Xuanzang had traveled so far to find 295 00:10:06,278 --> 00:10:07,244 Was there 296 00:10:07,599 --> 00:10:08,823 The abbot of Nalanda 297 00:10:09,198 --> 00:10:10,403 Master Silabhadra 298 00:10:11,119 --> 00:10:12,484 When Xuanzang arrived 299 00:10:12,719 --> 00:10:14,764 Silabhadra was already over a hundred years old 300 00:10:15,158 --> 00:10:17,803 Pause and consider what that detail means 301 00:10:18,198 --> 00:10:21,764 Silabhadra was a direct disciple of Dharmapala 302 00:10:22,158 --> 00:10:25,203 One of the great synthesizers of Yogacara thought 303 00:10:25,479 --> 00:10:27,443 From the time of the Buddha 304 00:10:27,558 --> 00:10:29,764 This lineage had been passed down 305 00:10:29,839 --> 00:10:33,683 Through Asanga Vasubandhu Dignaga and Dharmapala 306 00:10:33,759 --> 00:10:34,923 To Silabhadra 307 00:10:35,479 --> 00:10:38,584 A chain of transmission spanning more than a thousand years 308 00:10:39,020 --> 00:10:41,065 And Silabhadra was already over a hundred 309 00:10:41,339 --> 00:10:43,425 He could leave this world at any moment 310 00:10:43,780 --> 00:10:45,864 Had Xuanzang arrived a few years later 311 00:10:45,940 --> 00:10:47,504 He might never have met him 312 00:10:47,900 --> 00:10:51,504 That lineage stretching back over a thousand years in India 313 00:10:51,660 --> 00:10:55,305 Could have broken just when Chinese Buddhism needed it most 314 00:10:55,660 --> 00:10:56,165 To put it plainly 315 00:10:56,459 --> 00:10:57,905 This was the last train 316 00:10:58,420 --> 00:11:00,173 And Xuanzang caught it 317 00:11:00,647 --> 00:11:02,892 Later biographies tell a story 318 00:11:03,007 --> 00:11:06,492 That Silabhadra had become gravely ill a few years earlier 319 00:11:06,568 --> 00:11:07,652 The pain was unbearable 320 00:11:07,727 --> 00:11:09,413 And he nearly gave up on life 321 00:11:09,808 --> 00:11:11,693 But during his illness he had a dream 322 00:11:11,847 --> 00:11:13,293 Someone told him in the dream 323 00:11:13,328 --> 00:11:15,132 A monk would come from the east 324 00:11:15,168 --> 00:11:17,732 And he must wait to pass on everything he had learned 325 00:11:18,168 --> 00:11:21,012 Those words helped Silabhadra endure a few more years 326 00:11:21,407 --> 00:11:23,727 Whether that dream really happened 327 00:11:23,727 --> 00:11:25,132 Or was a later embellishment 328 00:11:25,288 --> 00:11:26,573 I cannot judge 329 00:11:27,048 --> 00:11:28,852 But one thing is certain 330 00:11:29,168 --> 00:11:31,732 Silabhadra kept Xuanzang at Nalanda 331 00:11:31,887 --> 00:11:34,252 And personally taught him the Yogacarabhumi 332 00:11:35,088 --> 00:11:36,573 This treatise had one hundred volumes 333 00:11:36,647 --> 00:11:40,053 And was a foundational text of the Yogacara system 334 00:11:40,088 --> 00:11:42,612 Xuanzang later translated all of it into Chinese 335 00:11:43,007 --> 00:11:45,852 Xuanzang spent about twelve years in India altogether 336 00:11:46,166 --> 00:11:48,045 He did more than study at Nalanda 337 00:11:48,046 --> 00:11:49,726 He traveled throughout India 338 00:11:49,727 --> 00:11:51,406 Joining scholarly debates 339 00:11:51,406 --> 00:11:53,252 And learning the views of different schools 340 00:11:53,487 --> 00:11:56,531 He earned an exceptional reputation among Indian scholars 341 00:11:56,847 --> 00:11:57,691 According to the accounts 342 00:11:57,766 --> 00:12:01,612 King Harsha convened a great open assembly at Kanyakubja 343 00:12:01,847 --> 00:12:03,691 Scholars from many traditions gathered 344 00:12:03,967 --> 00:12:05,232 Xuanzang presented his thesis 345 00:12:05,607 --> 00:12:06,891 For eighteen full days 346 00:12:07,007 --> 00:12:09,252 Nobody successfully refuted it 347 00:12:09,727 --> 00:12:11,606 A monk from the east 348 00:12:11,607 --> 00:12:13,445 In the heart of Indian scholarship 349 00:12:13,446 --> 00:12:16,212 Debating Indian scholars in Sanskrit 350 00:12:16,286 --> 00:12:17,332 And winning 351 00:12:17,607 --> 00:12:20,436 It caused a tremendous stir at the time 352 00:12:20,592 --> 00:12:21,916 In the year 645 353 00:12:22,031 --> 00:12:25,357 Xuanzang returned to Changan with over six hundred Sanskrit texts 354 00:12:25,752 --> 00:12:26,877 When he left 355 00:12:26,992 --> 00:12:29,597 He had broken the law by crossing the border in secret 356 00:12:29,831 --> 00:12:30,997 When he returned 357 00:12:31,191 --> 00:12:34,076 The people of Changan lined the streets to welcome him 358 00:12:34,392 --> 00:12:36,396 Emperor Taizong received him in person 359 00:12:36,632 --> 00:12:38,056 From departure to return 360 00:12:38,431 --> 00:12:39,757 Seventeen full years 361 00:12:40,071 --> 00:12:41,676 The best years of one human life 362 00:12:41,752 --> 00:12:44,252 Spent on the road and among scriptures 363 00:12:44,566 --> 00:12:45,612 I often wonder 364 00:12:45,767 --> 00:12:49,051 What sustained a person through that entire journey 365 00:12:49,326 --> 00:12:50,031 To call it faith 366 00:12:50,247 --> 00:12:51,612 Does not seem precise enough 367 00:12:51,887 --> 00:12:53,411 Faith can give you direction 368 00:12:53,527 --> 00:12:56,852 But cannot endure those five waterless days in the desert for you 369 00:12:57,127 --> 00:12:57,911 To call it willpower 370 00:12:58,127 --> 00:12:59,051 Is not entirely right either 371 00:12:59,326 --> 00:13:01,612 Willpower alone cannot carry you through seventeen years 372 00:13:01,767 --> 00:13:03,883 Human beings are not built that way 373 00:13:04,158 --> 00:13:06,082 I think the answer may be simpler 374 00:13:06,557 --> 00:13:07,643 One question 375 00:13:08,197 --> 00:13:10,922 A question nobody could answer no matter whom he asked 376 00:13:11,597 --> 00:13:14,042 It lodged in him like a thorn 377 00:13:14,158 --> 00:13:15,883 And would not stop hurting until he pulled it out 378 00:13:16,238 --> 00:13:19,545 It drove him to a decision others considered mad 379 00:13:19,979 --> 00:13:21,699 Looking back on this history 380 00:13:21,699 --> 00:13:23,064 You notice something 381 00:13:23,339 --> 00:13:25,305 Between Kumarajiva and Xuanzang 382 00:13:25,339 --> 00:13:27,104 More than two hundred years passed 383 00:13:27,380 --> 00:13:30,385 Chinese Buddhism did make progress during those centuries 384 00:13:30,739 --> 00:13:33,344 Many scholars worked with great dedication 385 00:13:33,500 --> 00:13:34,464 Writing commentaries 386 00:13:34,500 --> 00:13:35,464 And establishing schools 387 00:13:35,780 --> 00:13:39,104 But they could never escape one fundamental obstacle 388 00:13:39,300 --> 00:13:41,545 They did not have the source texts 389 00:13:41,819 --> 00:13:44,584 All their work rested on translations 390 00:13:44,739 --> 00:13:47,064 And those translations carried distortions 391 00:13:47,540 --> 00:13:48,905 What Xuanzang did 392 00:13:49,020 --> 00:13:54,054 Was return to the source and recalibrate Chinese Buddhist scholarship 393 00:13:54,449 --> 00:13:56,334 You may have had a moment like this too 394 00:13:57,049 --> 00:13:58,814 Perhaps on a smaller scale 395 00:13:59,010 --> 00:14:01,015 But the feeling is the same 396 00:14:01,329 --> 00:14:03,015 Something weighs on your mind 397 00:14:03,289 --> 00:14:05,975 You know the answer is not where you are standing 398 00:14:06,250 --> 00:14:08,814 It is not something someone will tell you if you just wait 399 00:14:09,049 --> 00:14:10,728 Unless you go out and seek it yourself 400 00:14:10,730 --> 00:14:12,534 You will never have an answer 401 00:14:13,169 --> 00:14:14,775 Xuanzang went 402 00:14:15,209 --> 00:14:17,669 And found the answers he sought 403 00:14:18,223 --> 00:14:20,868 After returning he did something unprecedented 404 00:14:21,144 --> 00:14:23,708 Its enormous scale and extraordinary precision 405 00:14:23,743 --> 00:14:26,629 Remain exceptional in the history of human translation 406 00:14:27,024 --> 00:14:28,543 But what eventually happened to that work 407 00:14:28,544 --> 00:14:31,108 Is even more moving than his journey to India 408 00:14:31,384 --> 00:14:31,889 Next time 409 00:14:32,184 --> 00:14:33,909 We will discuss what he brought back 410 00:14:34,304 --> 00:14:34,649 And 411 00:14:34,983 --> 00:14:36,607 What he did not bring back 412 00:14:37,251 --> 00:14:39,786 When you consider his secret departure 413 00:14:39,862 --> 00:14:41,191 From the perspective of today 414 00:14:41,227 --> 00:14:42,697 What kind of spirit does it represent 415 00:14:43,194 --> 00:14:45,121 Have you known someone like that 416 00:14:45,122 --> 00:14:46,726 Who wanted to understand something 417 00:14:46,728 --> 00:14:48,761 And made a decision others thought unreasonable 418 00:14:49,417 --> 00:14:50,286 Share your thoughts 419 00:14:50,461 --> 00:14:51,511 I would love to hear them 420 00:14:51,747 --> 00:14:52,495 I am Leo Wang 421 00:14:52,751 --> 00:14:53,659 See you next time