The
Silk Road brought all sorts of strange and
wonderful ideas to China in addition to
the material trade. In 652 A.D., Xuan Zang
returned from India, where he had spent
18 years studying Buddhism. The entire city
celebrated his return. The crown prince
Li Zhi had built the Temple of Great Mercy
and Goodness in 648 A.D. in honor of his
mother. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was added
to preserve the manuscripts of Buddhist
texts that Xuan Zang had brought with him
to translate into Chinese. Of note is the
calligraphy set into the walls on both sides
of the south door of the pagoda. It is still
possible to climb to the top of this structure.
The quest of Xuan Zang is the basis for
a folk tale called The Journey to the West.
The Monkey King is a rebellious sort who
is sent to live inside a mountain until
he mends his ways. When Xuan Zang plans
his trip to India, he needs an escort. Buddha
is asked if he will allow the Monkey King
to take on the task. The Monkey King has
his work cut out for him. Xuan Zang trusts
everyone, including evil spirits disguised
as good spirits. The Monkey King prefers
this good man to be a little more cynical
and certainly less innocent. The Monkey
King meets terrible forces of evil of every
shape and size and defeats them all. The
story ends when the group manages eventually
to reach the west. Today the story is of
the Monkey King's bravery and ability to
resist evil. The original story emphasized
the need to rebel and not believe everything
you hear.
