Latest / Sleepy Facts About History
Why Did a Chinese Monk Walk to India for Buddhist Texts? - Separating the Real Xuanzang from the Legend of Tripitaka | Sleepy Facts About History
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!
Most people who have heard of the monk Xuanzang know him as the timid character Tripitaka from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, accompanied by a magical monkey king and fighting demons. But the historical Xuanzang was a rigorous scholar who traveled from Tang China to India in the seventh century, not through supernatural realms, but across very real deserts, mountain passes, and oasis kingdoms. This episode explores his actual journey, his studies at the great monastic…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.