In The Journey to the West, Xuanzang traveled to the west to seek Mahayana Buddhism, so as to benefit all beings. Then why did he do it? What is Mahayana Buddhism?
The time when Buddhism was introduced into China has passed, but by the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Buddhism had declined, because people at that time only practiced superficially, that is to say, most people only knew how to practice, and as for why to practice, most of them were in a state of little knowledge. This is also a manifestation of Hinayana Buddhism. The highest goal of Hinayana Buddhism is to become a Buddha, but only an individual can become a Buddha. It can be said that Buddhism was in its original state.
It's not that people don't understand, but that not everyone was able to practice Buddhism at that time. Materialism is the most suitable for people who don't have enough to eat in feudal society. Being able to survive the war is the greatest practice. These Buddhist philosophical theories are far away from them, not only in thought, but also in life. Although Buddhism flourished in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, practitioners at that time did not delve into the roots of Buddhism and did not understand Buddhism.
There is Mahayana Buddhism in the scriptures Xuanzang brought back to the west, which is about all beings in the universe. He gave Mahayana Buddhism a straight path of transformation. People who practice should not only practice by themselves, but also learn from others.
We know that the teachings of Buddhism are mostly to persuade people to be good, while Mahayana Buddhism only cultivates their own goodness, and there is no clear method for how to persuade people to be good. At this time Mahayana Buddhism gives a clear path.
As for Master Xuanzang's achievements, not only that, he also translated China's Taoist classic Laozi into Sanskrit and spread it to Tianzhu. According to the story of Master Xuanzang's Journey to the West, his disciples compiled The Tale of the Western Regions of Datang, which also described the mountains, rivers, cities, products, customs and customs of 1 10 countries and 28 rumored countries he personally experienced during his journey to the West, and made great contributions to the study of ancient history, religious history and diplomatic history of Central Asia and South Asia today. Until now, some archaeologists in these areas have to refer to the "Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty" for archaeological work.
Therefore, Master Xuanzang's contribution to the history of Buddhism and diplomacy is enormous and far-reaching.