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

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Faxian

Contributor:

Legge, James, 1815-1897

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"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reader is introduced to the challenges of that journey, making it apparent that this record will also serve as a rich historical document on Buddhism's travels and influence across regions.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.)

Credits:

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.)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 70.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Release date is 2021-02-12