Resumen
Resumen de Relación de los reinos budistas
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You will love this book if you enjoy true travel accounts, the early history of Buddhism, pilgrim routes across Asia, eyewitness views of ancient kingdoms, or stories of friendship and courage.
De qué trata este libro
Picture a desert where the only road marks are the dry bones of people who died before you. This is where a Chinese monk named Faxian begins his crossing. He is no soldier or merchant. He is a Buddhist monk with one stubborn worry about the rules of his community.
A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms is his own account, written in the early fifth century after he came home to China by sea. He crosses sands and mountains, walks the Buddhist lands of India, and sails through storms that nearly sink his ship. You get a pilgrim's view of a whole Buddhist world, and the cost of the road.
En este resumen
- 1A damaged rulebook sends monks on a roadFree
- 2Desert towns, strict monks, and a grand procession
- 3Snow mountains and a bridge to the east
- 4Relics, an alms bowl, and a friend's death
- 5A calm Middle Kingdom run by kindness and rule
- 6Walking the places where the Buddha lived
- 7Three years of copying, then an island kingdom
- 8A storm-tossed voyage home and what it proves
Idea clave 1 de 8
A damaged rulebook sends monks on a road
The book starts with a problem, not a landscape. In Ch'ang-gan, the copies of the Books of Discipline are broken and incomplete. These books set the rules for monastic life, so a gap in them matters to every monk. Fa-Hien decides the only cure is to go to India and find the rules at their source.
He does not go alone. Four fellow monks agree to make the trip together. They leave the capital and keep the summer retreat wherever they are. This rhythm of walking and stopping shapes the whole journey.
Trouble comes early. At Chang-yih the roads are closed, yet the local king keeps the monks in his capital and acts as their patron. Five more monks join, and the party grows. Again and again, kind rulers and fellow believers carry the pilgrims forward. At T'un-hwang the prefect supplies them for the crossing ahead.
Then comes the desert. Evil demons and hot winds, the account says, kill every traveler who meets them. No bird flies above and no animal walks below. The only guide is the dry bones of those who came before. Fa-Hien writes of it in short, plain words, without boasting.
A clear purpose, shared with friends, can carry people over a road that would stop anyone else.
That’s 1 of 8 key points.
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About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 45,400 words
- Reading timeAbout 3 h 10 min
Questions about Relación de los reinos budistas
What is A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms about?
It is the travel account of the Chinese monk Fa-Hien, who walks from Ch'ang-gan across the desert and mountains to India, visits the Buddha's holy places, studies in Pataliputra, then sails home by way of Ceylon.
Why did Fa-Hien travel to India?
The Books of Discipline, the monastic rules, were damaged and incomplete in China. He set out with fellow monks to find complete copies in India and bring them home for the monks of his own country.
Who are Fa-Hien's travel companions?
He starts with Kwuy-king, Tao-ching, Hwuy-ying and Hwuy-wei, then joins Che-yen, Hwuy-keen, Sang-shao, Pao-yun and Sang-king. Several turn back or die on the road, and Tao-ching stays in India.
Is this a true story and when was it written?
Yes, it is a first-hand account of a real journey by a real monk. It was written in the early fifth century, after his return by sea, and tells what he saw and heard in order.
Is the book easy to follow?
Its plain, step-by-step style makes it approachable. The short chapters trace the journey through kingdoms, monasteries, relics and local tales, with some covering several stops or long stretches of travel.
Cite this edition
Faxian. A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-record-of-buddhistic-kingdoms.
Faxian. (2026). A record of Buddhistic kingdoms. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-record-of-buddhistic-kingdoms (Original work published ca. 414)
Faxian. A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-record-of-buddhistic-kingdoms.
@book{faxian2026record,
author = {Faxian},
title = {A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-record-of-buddhistic-kingdoms},
note = {First published ca. 414}
}
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