A Sacred Quest: The Pilgrimage of Venerated Enlightened Master Xuanzang (vegetarian), Part 3 of 3

Continuing His travels, Master Xuanzang made His way through India, visiting temples and monasteries, observing the culture of each region, and studying Buddhist scriptures. Xuanzang and His companions also had to fend off robbers and endure the harsh climate and terrain of the area, as the trails that led to the Himalayas were jagged and deep. He reached the nation of Matipura after crossing the Ganges River.

Master Xuanzang spent most of His pilgrimage in India at Nalanda Mahavihara. At Nalanda Mahavihara, Xuanzang was given the Sanskrit Dharma name Mokṣadeva. Here, He studied with the great Śīlabhadra (vegetarian), the abbot of the monastery. Śīlabhadra was a Buddhist monk and philosopher as well as an expert on Yogācāra teachings. Master Xuanzang believed He had accomplished His primary goal of this challenging pilgrimage to India when He found such a brilliant and accomplished Yogācāra instructor. Under the guidance of the venerable Śīlabhadra, Xuanzang mastered Sanskrit and perfected His knowledge of Buddhist thought and philosophy.

In A.D. 643, Master Xuanzang began His long pilgrimage back to China via Central Asia after receiving permission from His Imperial Majesty Emperor Taizong. Xuanzang, along with His caravan of about 20 disciples, brought with Him 657 Buddhist scriptures in Sanskrit, 150 holy relics, and troves of art and literature, loaded in 520 cases. Master Xuanzang arrived in Chang’an, the Tang capital, in A.D. 645, completing His 17-year journey to the West. “Journey to the West,” a Ming dynasty novel and one of the great Chinese classical literatures, was inspired by the Venerated Enlightened Master Xuanzang and His travels.

Our Most Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) told us: “I have already told you that ‘A Journey to the West’ is a storybook about spiritual practice and spiritual teachings. All of it was His lectures, just like my lectures now. […] He used all kinds of examples to describe the obstacles on the spiritual path and how to overcome them, do you see now? Yeah, the more we practice, the more we understand this book. It isn’t just a novel; it truly has excellent teachings!” “[…] So you see, if you practice the Quan Yin Method, You’d enjoy and understand it more!”