5 h 43 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What sends an aging monk across deserts and mountains in search of rules for life back home?
Faxian leaves Chang'an on foot with a clear purpose: to find the complete Vinaya, the rules his fellow monks in China lack. In A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms, his search takes him across western deserts and mountains toward India, through lands where Buddhist communities preserve texts, relics, and stories.
His account looks beyond the journey itself. Faxian records which kings protect monks, how people live, and what he finds at places associated with the Buddha. At Pataliputra, he studies Sanskrit and copies the rules he seeks. This short, factual record brings the concerns of a pilgrim close without turning his travels into a long, elaborate story.
What you’ll discover
- A purpose worth pursuing Follow Faxian's search for the monastic rules missing from Buddhist life in China.
- Across sands and mountains Travel with the pilgrims through Dunhuang and into the vast western desert.
- Places held sacred Visit sites linked by Buddhist tradition to the Buddha's life and earlier lives.
- Life beyond the monasteries See what catches Faxian's eye as he observes people and rulers in Buddhist India.
- Patient work with texts Discover the Sanskrit study and careful copying at the heart of his quest.
Who will love it
For readers who love first-hand travel, the history of Buddhism, or the Silk Road and Indian Ocean routes.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A monk sets out to find the rules
- Deserts and mountains test the pilgrims
- Northwest India holds relics and great towers
- The Middle Kingdom shows an orderly society
- Sacred sites mark the life of the Buddha
- Copying texts and the long road home
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 7 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Relation des royaumes bouddhiques in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Relation des royaumes bouddhiques
by Faxian · 414
Faxian crosses deserts and mountains to bring the monastic rules back to China.
Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
In short
Around the year 399, a Chinese Buddhist monk named Faxian sets out from Chang'an. He has a plain aim.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A monk sets out to find the rules
Faxian lived in China during the Eastern Jin period, when Buddhism was growing but its books were uneven. Monks lacked a complete Vinaya, the body of rules that governs monastic life. Faxian felt this gap keenly. He decided to go to India himself and bring back authentic texts.
He did not go alone. He began with several fellow monks, and the names Huijing, Daozheng, Huiying and Huiwei appear in his story. Over the years some of them turn back, some settle abroad, and some die on the road. Faxian carries on, and he often says what the loss of a friend cost him.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Relation des royaumes bouddhiques
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms about?
It is Faxian's account of his journey from China to India and Sri Lanka. He describes the lands, kings, monasteries, relics and sacred sites he saw, and how he gathered Buddhist texts.
Why did Faxian travel to India?
He wanted to find a complete set of the Vinaya, the monastic rules, because the Chinese monks lacked a reliable version. He walked west to the land of the Buddha to collect and copy the texts.
Is Faxian's account a true story?
Yes. It is a first-hand travel record written by a real monk, and historians treat it as a valuable source. Some details rely on local belief, but its places and customs have been confirmed by archaeology.
The author
Faxian
337–422 · Chinese Buddhist pilgrim and writer
Chinese Buddhist monk (bhikkhu), pilgrim to India, and travelogue author during the Jin and Liu Song dynasties.
More like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
