The Searching of Scriptures by Tang Xuanzang
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Tang XuanZang was born in HeNan. He became a monk at the age of 13 and studied scriptures on Buddhism under the help of his teacher. He arrived in the Grant Mercy Temple of Chang'an in 627 when he already enjoyed high prestige. He was then called SanZang. After listening to lessons given by monks at Tianzhu at India, he found that the scriptures translated contained many errors in them. In the year 629 XuanZang's plan to go abroad to get scriptures was not approved by the court. Thus he gave up the plan and set off on his own.
XuanZang went out off the grand desert, climbed snowy mountains and crossed icy rivers. Sometimes, he didn't drink for a succession of five days. In four years time he passed sixteen countries and finally arrived in the NaLanTuo Temple in Northen TianZhu. There were about 4,000 fixed monks in that temple and over 10,000 monks from abroad to study there. A monk called Jie Xian expressly taught him about canons after hearing XuanZang's experience. XuanZang learned everything on Buddhism there after five years.
Xuanzang lectured on Buddhism for a few times thereafter.
In the year of 645, ten years after his departure, XuanZang returned to Chang'an, taking 657 volumes of scriptures with him. Tang Taizong was very happy and asked to see him right away. Xuanzang make a detailed report to Tang Taizong.
In the following year, XuanZang finished the Trip To the West. He devoted himself to the translation work on scriptures on Buddhism in the Fan Language and also introduced Laozi to India.