9 - Some Letters of Hiuan-Tsang and his Indian Friends

Summary

The great Chinese pilgrim Hiuan-tsang was in India for about sixteen years from 630 to 645 A.D. He passed a considerable time at Nālandā in the study of the Buddhist philosophy with the then abbot of the monastery – Śīlabhadra. King Harṣa invited him thrice to the capital and he turned down his request every time. Later on when Harṣa met the pilgrim he asked the latter about the cause of his refusal. Thereupon Hiuan-tsang replied that he had come from far in search of the law of Buddha and for the sake of learning the Buddhist philosophy and that he did not go to meet the king then as he had not finished his studies. This testifies to his great attachment to his studies at Nālandā. His attachment to his Guru Śīlabhadra and to his fellow-students especially to Jñāna-prabha, the chief disciple of Śīlabhadra, was also great.

His Indian friends also reciprocated the same sentiments towards him. This is best shown by the incident which happened at the time of his departure from Nālandā. On hearing that he had decided to go back to China all the monks of the Nālandā monastery came to him in a body and begged him not to go back. They pointed out to him that India was the land of Buddha and that China was not a holy land. They also said that Buddha could never be born in China and that hence the people there could not be meritorious.