On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c5.53

v1.c5.53

All these matters are set forth in authoritative writings (lit.-canonical treatises and official declarations) and are learned from local hearsay. From a wide study of the modern and the old and a minute examination of what is seen and heard we learn that Buddha arose in the west region and his religion spread to the east country (China), and that in the translation [from Sanskrit into Chinese] words have been wrongly used and idioms misapplied. By a misuse of words the meaning is lost and by wrong phrases the doctrine is perverted. Hence it is said— "What is necessary is to have correct terms" and to set value on the absence of faulty expressions.