627 AD
Xuanzang's Journey to the West: A Chronicle of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty
In 627, xuanzang, in order to explore the differences in the teachings of the various schools of Buddhism, went out of Yumen Pass through Liangzhou (present-day Wuwei, Gansu) and traveled 50,000 miles west to Tianzhu to study from the ordination at Nalanda Monastery.
Before Xuanzang traveled abroad to study, he repeatedly submitted to the imperial court and asked to go to Tianzhu to seek Buddhist classics. However, at that time, the Tang Dynasty was at the beginning of the tang dynasty, and the Turks in the north of the country invaded for many years, threatening the capital Chang'an many times. In order to prevent the literati in the interior from being used by the countries of the Western Regions, and in order to prevent important intelligence information of the Tang Dynasty from spreading to the Western Regions, the Tang Dynasty government strictly forbade the literati to go to the Western Regions. Therefore, Xuanzang's application to leave the Western Regions was rejected.
By 627, severe frosts and famines broke out in Chang'an and the Kanto region. The imperial court relaxed the restrictions on going abroad and agreed to allow the starving people to go abroad to earn their own livelihoods. Xuanzang took this opportunity and made a bold decision to smuggle himself out of the country among the refugees and go to the Western Regions to seek scriptures. He set out from Chang'an and passed through Qinzhou (present-day Tianshui, Gansu), Lanzhou, Liangzhou, and Guazhou (present-day Anxi, Gansu) to enter the 800-mile Gobi Mohe Yanmoraine. Xuanzang dripped water for four days and five nights, and finally arrived at Gaochang (present-day Turpan, Xinjiang). King Kochang, Koji Wentai, received Xuanzang warmly and wanted to leave him in Gaochang to preach the scriptures. He threatened Xuanzang that if Xuanzang did not agree to stay in Gaochang, he would send Xuanzang back to the Tang Dynasty. Xuanzang, in order to travel west as soon as possible, refused to accept it and fought against hunger strikes. Touched by Xuanzang's sincerity, Koji Wentai relaxed the conditions. If Xuanzang agreed to marry himself as a brother and returned from the Western Regions to stay in Gaochang for three years, he would let him go. Xuanzang asked for the scriptures and agreed to Koji Wentai's conditions. And Koji Wentai also gave Xuanzang a hundred and two golds, organized a team escort, and wrote twenty-four letters to the countries along the way, asking them to help Xuanzang.
In this way, Xuanzang smoothly passed through the countries of the Western Regions, and finally entered North India through Kashmir, traveling more than 10,000 miles. In the autumn of 632, he reached the destination of his trip, Nalanda Temple.
Xuanzang spent 5 years at Nalanda Monastery, received great favors, and was selected as one of the Ten Virtues who were proficient in the Three Treasures, listening to the precepts and listening to the precepts of the sages on the "Yogi's Earth", "Shunzheng Theory", "Theory of manifesting the Holy Teachings", "Theory of The Dharma", "Theory of Set quantity", "Theory of The Middle", "The Hundred Treatises", etc., and at the same time studied Brahmanical classics and various Sanskrit books. In 642, under the organization of the king of the Indian Jieri Dynasty, Xuanzang, as the lord of the theory, held a Buddhist debate conference (i.e., the Unshaked Assembly) in Qunu City. Eighteen kings were invited, as well as more than three thousand monks of all sizes, including more than a thousand monks from Nalanda Monastery and more than two thousand from other religions such as Brahmanism, and almost all the political and religious elites of India at that time were concentrated.
The theme of this unshakable conference was Xuanzang's two works, "On the Sect of Wisdom" and "On the Control of Evil Opinions", and everyone present at the meeting could question, refute and debate the arguments in these two works. The King also proposed that during the eighteen days of the meeting, if anyone could find an unreasonable word, Xuanzang would be beheaded and shown to the public.
During these eighteen days, people kept coming out to challenge Xuanzang. And Xuanzang sat on the podium, quoted the scriptures, and calmly coped, but no one could break through his teachings, and many senior monks admired Xuanzang to the ground. Eighteen days later, the King of Jieri sent someone to hold up Xuanzang's robe and declare his success. Xuanzang's statement also spread throughout Tianzhu and was known as the "Mahayana Heaven" and the "Heaven of Liberation" as a sign of supreme respect for Master Xuanzang.
In 643, Xuanzang returned to China and brought back 657 Buddhist scriptures to the sergeant. Two years later he arrived in Chang'an and was received by Emperor Taizong of Tang. Xuanzang brought back from India and Central Asia to bring back the Brahma Buddhist texts are very rich, a total of 526 episodes, 657 works, which is of great help to the study of the original Buddhist texts.
Conclusion: Xuanzang is one of the most accomplished scholars in the study of traditional Chinese Buddhism, and a master of the orthodox Buddhist teachings in India. Despite his hardships and hardships, he traveled thousands of miles to Tianzhu to seek Buddhism, collected a large number of Buddhist texts, translated and lectured, and wrote the "Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty", which not only profoundly influenced the development of East Asian culture, but also laid the foundation for East Asian culture to play an active role in world culture.
In 17 years, he traveled 50,000 miles, and in 19 years translated thousands of sutras
Xi'an Big Wild Goose Pagoda, where Xuanzang translated the scriptures
629 AD
Wei Zheng as Prime Minister: Strange CP increased?
In 629, Wei Zheng participated in the government as a secretary and supervisor, holding the position of chancellor, becoming one of the most important courtiers around Li Shimin.
Previously, Wei Zheng was a courtier under the crown prince Li Jiancheng. Li Shimin killed the then crown prince Li Jiancheng by launching the Xuanwumen Rebellion. Ancient Chinese scholars and Confucian scholars were proud of their loyalty and ashamed of their defection. Why did Wei Zheng quickly become an important minister around his political enemies, and why did Li Shiming accept this "apostatical" minister?
This must begin with the classic dialogue after the change of Xuanwumen. After the change of Xuanwu Gate, Li Shimin remembered that his brother had a counselor named Wei Zheng, and heard that Wei Zheng often advised the crown prince Li Jiancheng to send himself to other places. Therefore, he sent someone to summon Wei Zheng and reprimand Wei Zheng to his face for why he wanted to alienate the two brothers. According to the current words, Li Shimin is going to throw the pot. Wei Zheng also responded very bluntly to Li Shimin, saying that if the crown prince had done what I had told him, there would be no disaster today.
This short reply, some people analyzed, believe that Li Shimin understood the meaning expressed by Wei Zheng, and at that moment, reached a tacit understanding between the two, and achieved a good story of Ming Junxian chen.
Through this sentence, Wei Zheng wanted to tell Li Shimin that I was not a traitor to the Lord and seek glory, let alone a talentless person, but I had not met a wise monarch. In other words, Wei Zheng was expressing that as long as Li Shimin reused himself, he could achieve Li Shimin.
Looking at Wei Zheng's resume, it is true that he frequently "jumped jobs", but he has never met the right person. He first defected to Wagangzhai and became the secretary of the army's general Yuan Baozang. Later, because of his beautiful writing, he was favored by Li Mi, the lord of Wagang Village, but Wei Zheng offered Li Mi ten secret strategies for strengthening Wagang, none of which were adopted. Later, after the defeat of the Wagangzhai army, he was captured by Dou Jiande and became Dou Jiande's living quartersman. After a brief stay at Dou Jiande, Li Shimin defeated Dou Jiande, and Wei Zheng was again captured by Li Tang and became a subordinate of the crown prince Li Jiancheng. Li Jiancheng valued Wei Zheng's talent very much, and ren Wei Zheng washed the horse for the crown prince, and received a certain courtesy.
Li Jiancheng once heeded Wei Zheng's advice and offered to replace Li Yuanji and request liu Heimin to be recruited. Later, in terms of his attitude toward the captives, he changed the previous policy of taking the captives' wives and children captive captive and obeyed Wei Zheng's lenient handling strategy in order to conform to the prisoners' heartfelt mood of returning home. This change immediately won the hearts and minds of the people for Li Jiancheng, disintegrated the fighting spirit of Liu Heimin's soldiers, and played the effect of humiliating soldiers without a fight. Li Jiancheng also won a big victory.
It was only in the relevant strategy of treating Li Shimin that Li Jiancheng did not fully listen to Wei Zheng's opinion, and there was a later change in Xuanwumen. Wei Zheng only then had the above words and changed the court again.
In fact, what Wei Zheng can really achieve Li Shimin, Li Shimin values more about Wei Zheng, perhaps not only Wei Zheng's talent, but Wei Zheng's identity - the prince's subordinate. In fact, Li Shimin did not take much of the lead in the process of contending with the prince. Successive emperors and ministers have understood one thing, that is, if they do not establish a virtuous person, there will inevitably be disasters when they abolish the elders and establish the young. What's more, the prince is not a faint-hearted person. Therefore, after the change of Xuanwumen, Li Shimin was not good in terms of reputation.
Therefore, Li Shimin chose to accept Wei Zheng and give him a heavy responsibility, which was an act of killing three birds with one stone: to wash himself of his blood-stained reputation and reflect his broad-minded side; he could feast on the world's celebrities and reflect his side of seeking talents; and make full use of Wei Zheng's good persuasion characteristics and reflect his side of being good at receiving advice.
It can be said that Wei Zheng can help Li Shimin in terms of talent and reputation, and has achieved the name of Li Shimin's sage. Looking back, Li Shimin also achieved Wei Zheng. If it were not for Li Shimin, whether for the purpose of erecting the archway or the character of a sincere willingness to give advice, I am afraid that Wei Zheng would not have been known as an outspoken counselor, and would not have become the most prestigious advisor in Chinese history, but would have died a hundred times.
Conclusion: All in all, Li Shimin and Wei Zheng, the two people, both of whom achieved each other, objectively contributed to the guotai and min'an under the rule of Zhenguan.