Fa hsien travels around the outskirts of china, to india and the east indies 1,637 words, approx. Between 399 and 414 ce, the chinese monk faxian fa hsien, fa hien undertook a trip via central asia to india seeking better copies of buddhist books than were currently available in china. This is an annotated translation of a historical journal, documenting the fifth century travels into india of a chinese monk called throughout the text fa hien, but referred to more accurately in the title as fa hsien. It is an excellent geographic account of his journey along the silk roads, and an comprehensive report of the history and customs of central asia and india. Author of a record of buddhistic kingdoms, travels of fahhian and sungyun, buddhist pilgrims. Being an account by the chinese monk fahien of his travels in india and ceylon a. Faxian fa hien books and biography free pdf books from bookyards, one of the worlds first online libraries to offer ebooks to be downloaded for free. Being an account by the chinese monk fahsien of travels in india and ceylon a. Next part 1 part 2 being an account by the chinese monk fahien of his travels in india and ceylon a.
Travels of fahsien buddhist pilgrim of fifth century silkroad. Mar 31, 2017 author of a record of buddhistic kingdoms, fo kuo chi, the travels of fahsien 399414 a. Fahien, a chinese pilgrim, visited india during the reign of chandra gupta ii. Biographical information about fa hsien and english translations of his fo kuo chi can be found in fahien, a record of buddhistic kingdoms. Preface the record of the buddhistic kingdoms is a meagre narrative of one of the most extraordinary journeys ever undertaken and brought to a successful issue. Tun book of which this is a revised edition appeared nearly fifty years ago.
Faxian approximately 337approximately 422 worldcat identities. In the second section, page 15, we find a record of buddhistic kingdoms. Hsuantsang was already a somewhat experienced traveler at this point, as he had traveled around in china looking for buddhist texts. Much of our knowledge of ancient and medieval indian history comes. I thought it would be fascinating material, but i was disappointed. The following is from the introduction to a translation of fa xians work by james legge. The travels of fa hsien 399 414 ad or record of the. A record of fahiens travels to india and ceylon part 1.
Other transliterations of his name include fahien, fahian, and fa hsien. A record of buddhistic kingdoms, by fahsien project gutenberg. He was bringing with him what he went forbooks of the buddhist canon and images of buddhist. Project gutenberg etext record of buddhistic kingdoms, by fahien being an account by the chinese monk fahien of his travels in india and ceylon a. Full text of the travels of fa hsien internet archive. Being an account by the chinese monk fahien of his. In ad 414, he recorded his travels in record of buddhist countries today known as the travels of fahsien. Mar 28, 2006 a record of buddhistic kingdoms being an account by the chinese monk fa hsien of travels in india and ceylon a. A record of buddhistic kingdoms being an account by the chinese monk fahsien of his travels in india and ceylon a. Chinese traveler fa hsien was the first chinese monk to visit india 395414 and is said to have been the first significant chinese traveler as per most authoritative historians. Although cryptic to the extent that we cannot always be sure where he was, his account does provide interesting information on the conditions of travel and the buddhist sites and practices he witnessed. Faxian wrote a book on his travels, filled with accounts of early buddhism, and the geography and history of numerous countries along the silk road as they were, at the turn of the 5th century ce. Faxian wrote a book on his travels, filled with accounts of early buddhism, and the geography and history of numerous countries along the silk roads as they were, at the turn of the 5th century ce. In this article we will discuss about the views of fahien on india during gupta empire.
He wrote about cities like taxila, patliputra, mathura, and kannauj in middle india. You can try to find this item in a library or search in this text to find the frequency and page number of specific words and phrases. Given that the account is so old and historical, the text is well preserved and provides a fresh perspective on the subject. Faxian and marco polo lived 900 years apart, near the. In the two chinese copies of the narrative in my possession the title is record of buddhistic kingdoms. He was aware of the buddhist monk fahsiens journey from china to india and back in 399412, and wanted to do something similar. His journey is described in his important travelogue, a record of buddhist kingdoms, being an account by the chinese monk faxian of his travels in india and ceylon in search of the buddhist books of discipline.
Being an account by the chinese monk fa hsien of his travels in india and ceylon a. Monks in silk road, faxian in silk road, hun tsang in. Travels of fahhian and sungyun, buddhist pilgrims, from. Travels of fahsien buddhist pilgrim of fifth century. F r 0 m this little book of travel the unbiased reader may perhaps. Perhaps the most representatives of chinese eminent monks in silk road were fahsien and hun tsang. Atla monograph preservation program the nineteenth century. His work is a travel book, filled with accounts of early buddhism, and the geography and history of numerous countries along the silk roads at the turn of the 5th century ce.
His tone throughout is that of the devout, learned, sensible, rarely hysterical pilgrimtraveller. Fahiens work is valuable evidence to the strength, and in many places to the dominance, of buddhism in central asia and in india at the time of the collapse of the roman empire in western europe. For half a century it remained the best available translation of fa hsien, and it has now been super seded not by the work of some younger scholar, but by the efforts of its still vigorous and enterprising author. Faxian was a chinese buddhist monk who travelled by foot from china to india, visiting many sacred buddhist sites in what are now xinjiang, pakistan, india, nepal, bangladesh and sri lanka between 399412 to acquire buddhist texts.
He wrote about cities like magadha, patliputra, mathura, city of kanauj and middle india. Travels of fahhian and sungyun, buddhist pilgrims, from china to india 400 a. The journey of faxian to india university of washington. Nothing of great importance is known about fa hien in addition to what may be gathered from his own record of his travels. The paperback of the a record of buddhistic kingdoms. In 399, in order to make up for the lack of precepts part of chinese buddhist sutras, he decided to travel to india to get precepts sutras.
After resting at tsingchow for the summer, i proceeded to nanking where i exhibited the sacred books that i had brought back. Immediately download the faxian summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for studying or teaching faxian. Fa hien book name ideas a record of buddhistic kingdoms. Chinese literature comprising the analects of confucius, the sayings of mencius, the shiking, the travels of fahien, and the sorrows of han a record of buddhistic kingdoms. Faxian of his travels in india and ceylon in search of the buddhist books of. This book is an account by the chinese monk fahsien of his travels in india ad ceylon long back, in a. Faxian was a chinese buddhist monk and translator who traveled by foot from ancient china to ancient india, visiting many sacred buddhist sites in central asia, the indian subcontinent and southeast asia between 399412 to acquire buddhist texts. Faxian, wadegiles romanization fahsien, original name sehi, flourished 399414, buddhist monk whose pilgrimage to india in 402 initiated sinoindian relations and whose writings give important information about early buddhism. A must read for history buffs and those who study the religion. For half a century it remained the best available translation of fahsien, and it has now.
This book includes, among other things, a detailed account of fahsiens journey along the silk road. A record of buddhistic kingdoms being an account by the chinese monk fa hsien of travels in india and ceylon a. Starting in 399 ad, and traveling chiefly on foot, fahsien passed through the taklamakan desert region, crossed the pamir plateau, and reached the mouth of the hooghly river, one of ganges distributaries. On his return he composed fo guo ji, also known as faxian zhuan fourth century c. Female mutability and male anxiety in an early buddhist legend serinity young american museum of natural history in 3 9 9 ce a chinese monk named fa hsien ca. Female mutability and male anxiety in an early buddhist legend. A record of buddhistic kingdoms being an account by the chinese. Book description originally published in 1923, this edition of the travels relates the story of fahsiens journey from central china across the gobi desert, over the hindu kush, and through india to the mouth of the hoogly.
The travels of chang chun to the west, 12201223 recorded by his disciple li chi chang translated by e. Book description originally published in 1923, this edition of the travels relates the story of fahsiens journey from central china across the gobi desert, over the hindu. His primary aim was to visit the buddhist religious places and to take with him the copies of the buddhist religious texts. A record of fa hiens travels to india and ceylon part 1. His journey is described in his important travelogue, a record of buddhist. Faxian faxian, or fa hsien, was famous monk of the eastern jin dynasty.
The chinese traveller fa hien reached mathura after crossing sindhu river through the following route. Faxian faxian, or fahsien, was famous monk of the eastern jin dynasty. See all books authored by faxian, including chinese literature, and chinese literature comprising the analects of confucius, the sayings of mencius, the shiking, the travels of fahien, and the sorrows of han, and more on. A record of buddhistic kingdoms is a record of the travels of a fifthcentury chinese buddhist monk, usually now known to us as fa hsien, who travelled to india across the gobi desert, visiting such places as benares and patna patliputra, and returning after many years to china bringing back with him a collection of books of the buddhist. From, tbe ford over the indus to southern india, down to the southern sea, a distance of forty to fifty thousand it, ore country is ull level.
Books by faxian author of a record of buddhistic kingdoms. Being an account by the chinese monk fahsien of his travels in india and ceylon a. Between 399 and 414 ce, the chinese monk faxian fahsien, fa hien undertook a trip via central asia to india seeking better copies of buddhist books than. Several times during my long residence in hong kong i endeavoured to read th. A buddhist priest, named fa hsien, travels from china through india to ceylon, on to sumatra and back to china by sea. Between 399 and 414 ce, the chinese monk faxian fahsien, fa hien undertook a trip via central asia to india seeking better copies of buddhist books than were currently available in china. Faxians was called a record of buddhist kingdoms, being an account by the chinese monk faxian of his travels in india and ceylon in search of the buddhist books of discipline, while polos was. Top american libraries canadian libraries universal library community texts project gutenberg biodiversity heritage library childrens library. Travels of fahsien from thia poipt eighteen ygijsjias to rhesouili mt, there ia a country called sankisa kupchi.
In 399, in order to make up for the lack of precepts part of chinese buddhist sutras, he decided to travel. Perhaps the most representatives of chinese eminent monks in silk road were fa hsien and hun tsang. The deep impression left by fa hsien thero on the popular mind can be gauged from the fact that there is a folk belief in the ratnapura district wherein is located the sri pada mountain, bearing the shrine of the footprint of the buddha, that fa hsien thero stayed for some time in. Kiu chang chun was an eminent taoist monk born in 1148 ce and thus elderly at the time of his trip. Monks in silk road, faxian in silk road, hun tsang in silk. A record of buddhistic kingdoms by faxian free ebook. After his return to china he translated into chinese the many sanskrit buddhist texts he had brought back. Author of a record of buddhistic kingdoms, fo kuo chi, the travels of fahsien 399414 a. Their respective translations of the travels of the late fourthcentury chinese buddhist monk fa hsien in india represent two very different approaches to the 19thcentury translation of chinese religious texts into english.
In the japanese or corean recension subjoined to this translation, the title is twofold. Travels of hsuantsang buddhist pilgrim of the seventh century. The information was compiled into record of buddhist countries, which today is more wellknown under the title travels of fahsien. James legge and herbert giles were, in different ways, major figures in earlybritish sinological studies.
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