Si-Yu-Ki or the Buddhist Records of the Western World (2 Volumes in One Bound)

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Among the various travelogues, Hiuen Tsiang’s Si-yu-ki or Records of the Western World, is regarded to be the most valuable source-book for the study of ancient Indian history. Si-yu-ki is not merely a travel-diary recording Hiuen Tsing’s visit to various places in India and the places en route, but is also an account of the conditions of India during the seventh century. This journey was undertaken by Hiuen Tsiang primarily with a view to visiting the Buddhist places of pilgrimage and to seek answers to the questions agitating his mind. He was inspired in this by the recollection of similar journeys undertaken centuries ago by his predecessors, Fa-hien, Sung Yun and many others. Born at Loyang in the year 600, Hiuen Tsiang set out on this journey to the regions west of China and to India at the age of twentynine (629) from Chang’ an in West China. Travelling by the northern route which took him to Turfan, Kara Shahr, Lake Issyk Kul, Tashkent, Samarkand, Balkh and Bamiyan, he arrived in the Kingdom of Gandhara towards the end of the year 630. There-from he proceeded to India and practically traversed the entire country going as far south as Kanchi and Nasik, Valabhi and Multan in the west. During his sojourn he spent nearly eight years, from 635 to 643, in Harsha’s dominions and stayed for about fifteen months at Nalanda, learning the Yogachara doctrine which he afterwards enunciated in a book on his return to his country. Early in 645 he reached China, returning by the southern route passing through Kashgar, Yarkand, Khotan and Lop-nor. On his return to China, where he was received with great honour and bestowed the title Master of the Law, he took to the work of compiling an account of his travels. In the present volume, Samuel Beal has included, for the sake to completeness, Travels of Fa-hian or Fo-Kwo-ki. The Hwei-Sang and the preface to the Si-Yu-Ki by Chang Yueh.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Samuel Beal

Rev. Samuel Beal (1825-89), graduated in 1847 from Trinity College, Cambridge. Between 1852 and 1887 he worked as a Bishop in the British Navy and after retirement in 1888 became the Rector of Greens-Norton, Towcester. In 18777 he was appointed a lecturer in Chinese in the University College, London. His main contribution was to Buddhist studies and translations of the accounts of the Chinese travelers. His main publications include: Travels of Buddhist Pftgrims (translated from the Chinese, 1869); Catena of Buddhist Scriptures (translated from the Chinese, 1872); Romantic Legend of Buddha (1875); and Dhamma-pada, or Texts from the Buddhist Canon (1878).

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Bibliographic information

Title
Si-Yu-Ki or the Buddhist Records of the Western World (2 Volumes in One Bound)
Author
Edition
1st. ed.
Publisher
ISBN
8121507413
Length
cviii+242p., viii+372p., Map; Index; 23cm.
Subjects