Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t5.9

v2.c14.s4.t5.9

Yi Jing’s visit to the West was to learn *Vinaya Pitaka*. In his whole life, he translated a wide range of Buddhism scriptures which included the classics of *Mahayana*, *Hinayana* and *Vajrayana*, and the most influential are *Avatamsaka Sutra* and *Golden Light Sutra*. Moreover, he also translated the *Thousand Character Classic in Sanskrit* for people to learn Sanskrit, which was a very useful textbook for beginners of Sanskrit at that time.