The Long Road to Enlightenment

In the 7th century CE, a determined Chinese monk named Xuanzang embarked on what would become one of history’s most remarkable spiritual journeys. After years of perilous travel across deserts and mountains, facing bandits and political barriers, he found himself within striking distance of his ultimate destination – the legendary Nalanda Monastery in Magadha. This Buddhist center of learning represented the culmination of his dreams, the place where he hoped to find the purest teachings of Mahayana Buddhism to bring back to China.

Yet as the monastery’s towers came into view, something unexpected happened. The normally resolute pilgrim slowed his pace, lingering at minor sites along the way rather than rushing to the gates of the institution he had risked his life to reach. This uncharacteristic hesitation from a man who had shown extraordinary determination throughout his journey reveals profound insights about religious devotion, cultural exchange, and the psychology of pilgrimage.

Vaiśālī: The Unexpected Detour

Among the sacred sites where Xuanzang paused was Vaiśālī, location of particular significance in Buddhist history. Here, according to tradition, the Buddha had preached the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra, a text that would profoundly influence Chinese Buddhism. The scripture’s protagonist, Vimalakīrti, represented an ideal that resonated deeply with Chinese sensibilities – a wealthy layman who achieved spiritual mastery while remaining engaged in worldly affairs.

This concept of the enlightened householder solved a cultural dilemma for Chinese Buddhists. Traditional Confucian values emphasized filial piety and family obligations, making full monastic renunciation problematic. Vimalakīrti demonstrated that one could pursue spiritual awakening without abandoning social responsibilities, creating a model that would shape Chinese Buddhist practice for centuries.

The scripture’s impact became evident in surprising ways. The Tang dynasty poet Wang Wei (701-761 CE), a devout Buddhist layman, took his literary name from the sutra’s protagonist. By combining characters from “Vimalakīrti” (維摩詰 in Chinese), he created the name Wang Wei (王維), with the courtesy name Mojie (摩詰). Ironically, while intended as homage, this linguistic play actually distorted the original Sanskrit meaning – “stainless reputation” became something closer to “king without” and “uniformly dirty” when separated into Chinese characters. This cultural adaptation, though linguistically imperfect, demonstrates how deeply Vimalakīrti’s ideal had permeated Chinese elite society.

Magadha: The Cradle of Buddhism

Moving beyond Vaiśālī, Xuanzang entered Magadha, the ancient Indian kingdom that served as the setting for much of the Buddha’s life and teaching. This region, corresponding to modern Bihar, had been a center of political power and religious activity for over a millennium by Xuanzang’s time.

Magadha’s significance to Buddhism was unparalleled. Two of the four great Buddhist councils had been held there (the first at Rājagṛha and the third at Pāṭaliputra). The Buddha had spent most of his teaching years wandering through its villages and forests. For any serious Buddhist pilgrim, Magadha represented sacred ground where one could walk in the footsteps of the Awakened One himself.

Xuanzang recorded that despite some decline, the region still hosted over fifty monasteries with more than ten thousand monks, most practicing Mahayana Buddhism. This thriving intellectual environment made Magadha the perfect location for Nalanda, which had emerged as the preeminent center of Buddhist learning in the classical world.

The Pilgrim’s Anguish at Bodh Gaya

Before reaching Nalanda, Xuanzang visited Bodh Gaya, site of the Buddha’s enlightenment under the sacred Bodhi tree. Here, the normally composed monk experienced an emotional breakdown that reveals much about his spiritual state.

The tree itself, though diminished from its legendary height, still inspired awe. Xuanzang described it as perpetually verdant, with a luminous quality, though its leaves would mysteriously fall on the anniversary of the Buddha’s parinirvana. More disturbing was the sight of two ancient statues of Avalokiteśvara (the Bodhisattva of Compassion), said to predict Buddhism’s decline as they gradually sank into the earth. The southern statue had already submerged to chest level.

Confronting these symbols of impermanence and decline, Xuanzang prostrated himself and wept bitterly. His lament, preserved in historical records, expresses profound spiritual anguish: “When the Buddha attained enlightenment, where was I drifting? Now in this declining age have I finally arrived here. How deep and heavy are my karmic obstructions!”

This outburst reveals Xuanzang’s complex psychology as he neared his goal. Having idealized Indian Buddhism from afar, the reality of its gradual decline in the land of its birth came as a painful revelation. His tears represent not just personal disappointment, but the sorrow of a devoted follower confronting the inevitable cycles of growth and decay that affect all institutions, even the most sacred.

The Psychology of Arrival

Xuanzang’s uncharacteristic delay becomes understandable when viewed through the lens of pilgrimage psychology. After years of single-minded focus on reaching Nalanda, the imminent fulfillment of his quest created what modern psychologists might call “arrival anxiety.” The Chinese phrase “近乡情更怯” (“the nearer to home, the more timid one feels”) perfectly captures his emotional state.

For Xuanzang, Nalanda represented more than an educational institution – it was a spiritual homecoming. His hesitation suggests a pilgrim’s natural apprehension when approaching a long-imagined sacred center. Would reality match his expectations? How would he, a foreign monk, be received at Buddhism’s most prestigious academy? These unspoken concerns likely contributed to his nine-day delay in the monastery’s vicinity.

A Royal Welcome

When Xuanzang finally approached Nalanda, the reception exceeded all expectations. The monastery dispatched four senior scholars (some accounts say forty) to escort him, followed by a grand procession of over two hundred monks and two thousand lay supporters bearing flowers and canopies. This lavish welcome, unprecedented for a foreign student, speaks volumes about Xuanzang’s growing reputation and Nalanda’s cosmopolitan character.

The ceremonial inclusion continued within the monastery walls. After being seated beside the abbot’s throne – a place of high honor – a special gong announced Xuanzang’s official acceptance into the community. Nalanda then selected twenty distinguished scholars as his formal companions, chosen for their learning, dignified bearing, and similar age to the thirty-two-year-old Chinese monk.

Meeting the Master: Xuanzang and Śīlabhadra

The culmination of Xuanzang’s journey came with his meeting of Śīlabhadra, Nalanda’s ninety-year-old abbot (some sources claim 106 or even 160). A former prince and convert from Brahmanism, Śīlabhadra stood as the leading authority on Yogācāra philosophy and the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, the very text Xuanzang had risked his life to study.

Their first encounter followed strict protocol. Xuanzang performed full prostrations, approaching on his knees to kiss the elder’s feet in traditional Indian homage. When he expressed his desire to study the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, the aged master reportedly burst into tears – a reaction whose significance we’ll explore shortly.

Legacy of a Pilgrimage

Xuanzang’s eventual stay at Nalanda would last five years, during which he mastered Sanskrit philosophy and Buddhist logic. His subsequent return to China with hundreds of scriptures revolutionized East Asian Buddhism. The detailed records of his journey provide invaluable historical documentation of 7th-century India, while his translations established new standards of accuracy.

The pilgrimage’s cultural impact extended beyond religion. The exchange between Magadha and Tang China that Xuanzang facilitated included the transfer of sugar-refining technology, forever changing culinary traditions across Asia. Meanwhile, the Vimalakīrti ideal he helped popularize continued influencing Chinese literati for centuries.

Xuanzang’s moment of hesitation before Nalanda’s gates reminds us that even the most determined seekers experience doubt when confronting their deepest aspirations. His journey exemplifies how cultural exchange transforms both the pilgrim and the societies they connect, creating legacies that endure long after the traveler’s footsteps fade.