Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s3.t1: The Tale of the Procurement of Scriptures by the Tripitaka Master of the Great Tang
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s3.t1
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The Tale of the Procurement of Scriptures by the Tripitaka Master of the Great Tang
v2.c10.s3.t1.1
*Datang Sanzang Qujing Shihua* (The Poetic Tale of the Procurement of Scriptures by Tripitaka of the Great Tang), also known as *Datang Sanzang Fashi Qujing Ji*, is a fairy tale composed from about 9^th or 10^th century, or from 10^th to 11^th century on the basis of Xuanzang's pilgrimage to India. Now, only three books and 17 stanzas are extant. As this tale narrates,
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Xuanzang's Journey to the West in Search of Scriptures, a mural in Cave 3, Yulin Caves, Anxi, Gansu Province, China
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Sanzang is sent to procure Buddhist scriptures, and received the help of a monkey. He enters the Palace of Brahma and there obtains three magic items. He then continues to go westward, by way of Snake Kingdom, Lion Kingdom and Tree-Man Kingdom, and encounters the spirit of the white-tiger. He gets out of the difficult situation with the assistance of the God of Quicksand, and then goes to the Pool of Queen Mother via Hariti Kingdom and Women Kingdom. After travelling through many kingdoms he finally arrives in India. He returns to China with 5,480 volumes of Buddhist scriptures. Upon arriving in the capital city in China, the emperor himself goes out to greet him. Then, a lotus ship descends from the skies and carries Sanzang and his disciples back to the heaven. It is the earliest extant vernacular novel about Xuanzang's pilgrimage, and a precursor for subsequent works such as '*The Journey to the West*', demonstrating the great influence of this historical event.
v2.c10.s3.t1.4
*Painting depicting Xuanzang’s return to Chang’an after procuring the Buddhist scriptures*
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(*Xue Keqiao*)