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9780679781578

Ultimate Journey Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk Who Crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment

by
  • ISBN13:

    9780679781578

  • ISBN10:

    0679781579

  • Edition: Reprint
  • Format: Paperback
  • Copyright: 2002-02-05
  • Publisher: Vintage

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Summary

In 629, the revered Buddhist monk Hsuan Tsang set out across Asia in search of the Ultimate Truth, and to settle what he called "the perplexities of my mind." From the Tang dynasty capital at Xian through ancient Silk Road oases, over forbidding mountain passes to Tashkent, Samarkand, and the Amu-Darya River, across Pakistan to the holiest cities of Indiaand back againhis sixteen-year journey was beset with every hardship imaginable. Pilgrimage complete, Hsuan Tsang wrote an account of his trek that is still considered one of the classics of Chinese literature. In 1998, Richard Bernstein, venerated journalist andTimemagazine's first Beijing bureau chief, retraced the steps of Hsuan Tsang's long and sinuous route, comparing present and past. Aided by modern technology but hampered by language barriers, harried border crossings, hostile Islamic regimes, and the accidental U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Bernstein follows the monk's path not only in physical but in contemplative ways. Juxtaposing his own experiences with those of Hsuan Tsang, Bernstein has crafted a vivid account of two stirring adventures in pursuit of illumination. Inspiring and profoundly felt,Ultimate Journeyis a marvelous amalgamation of travelogue and history, cultural critique and spiritual meditation.

Author Biography

Richard Bernstein lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Introduction 3(12)
How Many Springs Do We See?
15(21)
Leaving the Ba River Behind
36(14)
The Fugitive Monk
50(21)
The Ghost Town
71(12)
The Long Dead
83(14)
The Bombing of Belgrade
97(19)
The Horror of Home
116(14)
The Torugart Pass
130(13)
Genghis Khan's Ancestors
143(11)
The Bridge Nobody Crosses
154(16)
Self-Annihilating Arguments
170(22)
An Orphanage in Amritsar
192(14)
The Maharaja of Ruin
206(13)
A Detour to Hong Kong
219(13)
The Holy Places
232(14)
The Synagogue of Calcutta
246(16)
The Shankaracharya of Kanchipuram
262(13)
To the Kunjerab Pass
275(21)
The Nightmare Bus to Khotan
296(16)
The Southern Oases to Dunhuang
312(12)
Last Words
324(15)
Acknowledgments 339(2)
Index 341

Supplemental Materials

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

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