Misty Spiritual Mountain – The Biography of Xuanzang

Author: Jin Hui (Editor)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: The eastward transmission of Indian Buddhism and the establishment of Chinese Buddhist studies represent the most grandiose and longest-lasting cultural reclamation project and intellectual movement in Chinese history. In the two thousand years of Chinese Buddhist history, two great figures stand side by side: Xuanzang and Huineng. Xuanzang is the perfect culmination of the absorption phase; as a model of seeking and studying the Dharma, and as a paragon of Buddhist scripture translation and scholarship, he is almost unparalleled. Huineng is the genius of the creative phase, as he embodies the state of illuminating the mind and realizing innate wisdom. This starting point is a pinnacle that towers above the ages. The peak of Xuanzang and Huineng, in their pursuit of learning and spiritual practice, engagement with the world and detachment from it, active endeavors and effortless action—both magnificent in scope and supreme in achievement—leave one breathless and inspire deep admiration. The way of the sage also serves to bring brilliance to Chinese culture and to shape the very bones and soul of the Chinese spirit.