|
|
Alphabetical Order
|
|
|
|
Fahien was a Chinese monk who visited India between 399 and 414 BC, during the reign of the Guptas. Faxian (Fa-Hsien, Fa Hien) as he is called in Chinese, undertook the trip via Central Asia to India seeking better copies of Buddhist books than were currently available in China. Fa-hien had been living in Ch'ang-gan province. Deploring the mutilated and imperfect state of the collection of the Books of Discipline, he entered into an engagement with Hwuy-king, Tao-ching, Hwuy-ying and Hwuy-wei that they should go to India and seek for the disciplinary Rules.
He entered India via Gandhara and was deeply moved by the flourishing Buddhism there. He proceeded to Punjab from where he moved towards the Central India. India at the time of his visit was ruled by Chandragupta Vikramaditya, whose name was well known in China and Central Asia. Fahien was greatly influenced by Chandragupta's administration and the prosperity of India. A lengthy reference of Chandragupta is available in his books.
Fahien returned to China along with Tao-ching, Hwuy-ying and Hwuy-wei in 419 B.C., Hwuy-king having died in India.
|
