List of The Tang Dynasty Rulers with Chinese Pronunciation Audio

Another notable emperor of the Tang dynasty was Emperor Xuanzong, Li Longji. The Tang dynasty reached its peak under Emperor Xuanzong in the 8th century. He also had a famous romance with his concubine Yang Guifei, who was blamed for the An Lushan Rebellion that broke out in 755 AD. The rebellion weakened the Tang dynasty and led to its decline in the later years. Buddhism was first transmitted to China via the Silk Road during the Eastern Han dynasty ( CE). Buddhist missionary monks from Central Asia, such as Kumārajīva ( ), produced early Chinese translations of Buddhist sutras and texts.

However, it turned out that the unfortunate situation was more complicated than it seemed. Upon his wife’s death, Prince Tardu had married a young woman who colluded with one of his sons to kill him. The incident forced Xuanzang to delay his journey for about a month in order to attend the funeral rites of Prince Tardu.

Phonetic spelling of Xuanzong

The group of traders who were robbed after Xuanzang, however, were not so fortunate – they were all killed by the thieves. In the spring of 628 CE, Xuanzang reached the third kingdom in his journey, Yanqi. He was not well-received in this kingdom and he only stayed there with his group for one night. Over the years, as the influence of his work spread, many variations of his name arose such as Tang Sanzang, Xuanzang Sanzang, Xuanzang Dashi, and Tang Seng. Due to his courage, perseverance, passion, and great learning, Xuanzang is considered to be one of the most illustrious figures in Chinese history. The Tang Dynasty was one of the most prosperous and influential periods in Chinese history that ruled from 618 to 907 AD.

Although Buddhism was in decline in India, Nalanda maintained its reputation as the foremost Buddhist institution of the time and had the support of kings and members of the royal family. Some people consider Nalanda the first university in ancient India and about 10,000 monks lived and studied there. They studied the Mahayana doctrines, worldly classics such as Indian classical logic, Sanskrit theory, medical science and mathematics. Every day, 100 lectures were held at the monastery and the disciples maintained strict awareness and discipline. Upon crossing the Indus River, Xuanzang reached the Kingdom of Gandhara where he visited many Buddhist holy sites.

Amazing Xuanzang and His Journey to the West

Fortunately for Xuanzang, the newly enthroned Emperor Gaozong also had great respect for Xuanzang. In 652 CE, Xuanzang managed to convince the new emperor to build the Wild Goose Pagoda in the complex of the Temple of the Great Compassionate Blessing to house scriptures and other Dharma texts. Xuanzang supervised the building of Wild Goose Pagoda in the Great Compassionate Blessing Temple complex based on stupa designs he had seen in India. The emperor was not particularly interested in Buddhism, but he was impressed by Xuanzang’s knowledge of the Western Region, the accounts of his journey, and his knowledge of the customs of the countries in Central and South Asia. Emperor Taizong subsequently called him the “Jewel of the Empire” and offered him the honour of a position as his court advisor on the Western lands. However, Xuanzang politely refused this and instead chose to focus his efforts on translating the Sanskrit scriptures he had brought from his journey.

The lake never froze and people often referred to it as the ‘hot sea’. After leaving Guazhou, Xuanzang prayed for guidance at the Ta’er Temple just outside of the city. At this temple, Xuanzang met a merchant, whom he later ordained as a Buddhist and his first disciple.

Talent Analysis Report of the Name Xuanzong

The evidence of Kucha culture and customs can still be seen in the murals of the Kumtura Thousand Buddha Caves. When studying the scriptures, Xuanzang became confused due to mistranslation, contradictions and discrepancies in xuanzong pronunciation the Chinese Buddhist resources available at the time. This sparked a seven-year journey of enlightenment around China during which he visited almost all of the renowned Buddhist masters of the time to seek clarification.

When the assembly gathered, they examined the scriptures and discussed the meanings of their contents in order to create authoritative documents for later generations. Whenever the scriptures were deemed inaccurate, they were corrected in accordance with the opinion of the majority. Most of his relatives, with the exception of an elderly sister, had passed away. With the help of locals, he was able to locate the tombs of his parents, which had been neglected for a long time. He asked for leave from the emperor to take care of his parents’ tombs and to remain for a time in the place where he had first embarked on his journey to a life devoted to Buddhism.

LIFE QUOTES

It is said that he experienced a vision that strengthened his resolve to go to India. The opportunity presented itself in autumn of the year 627 CE when the harvest did not yield sufficient crops. The authorities allowed citizens of Chang’an to leave the city to escape famine.

• The monk wrote a letter to Emperor Taizong to admit his mistake of leaving the country without the emperor’s permission.
• His life story and works continue to inspire millions of people in their spiritual path more than 1,300 years after his death.
• The translation of the Mahaprajna Paramita Sutra was completed in four years.
• In the city of Jalalabad, located on the south bank of the Kabul River, Xuanzang paid homage to the famed Buddha bone relic.
• 18 days passed without anyone challenging him and by the last day of the event, he had converted many people.

Although the region had been the centre of Buddhism in central Asia, the faith was in decline. The kingdom was deeply influenced by Greek culture as a result of Alexander the Great’s expedition. He crossed the vast and dangerous Moheyanqi Gobi Desert to reach the first kingdom in his journey to the West, Yiwu (Hami). He almost died of thirst and experienced many mirages while crossing the vast desert.

xuanzang

The king and Xuanzang forged a bond and they became sworn brothers. The king only let Xuanzang go after he promised to come back to Gaochang on his way back from India to teach for three years. King Qu Wentai gave the monk 25 attendants and 30 horses to accompany him on in his journey.

Historically, the West Market in Chang’an was the main site for trade of imported goods as foreigners (mainly from Sogdia / Sogdiana in Central Asia) were allowed to conduct business there. (Chinese citizens of the Tang Empire were prohibited from importing international products themselves.) Because of this, many foreigners lived around the West Market (evident by the number of non-Buddhist temples in its proximity). We help the Chinese diaspora trace our roots and feel more connected to our ancestors. The Chinese Benevolent Association of Jamaica has organized what they call “Gah San” (the “adorning of the hills”) at the Kingston Chinese Cemetery for some 20 years. Every April, the association invites members of the Chinese Jamaican community to the Kingston Chinese cemetery for speeches, a banquet and burning of incense. For thousands of years, it was common practice for Chinese nobles, emperors, and peasants alike to commemorate the departed by sweeping their graves.