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Xavier, St. Francis See St. Francis Xavier.

Xuanzang A Chinese Buddhist pilgrim who visited India in the seventh century, travelled to Buddhist sites, and carried a number of Buddhist scriptures back to China. His record of his travels is important for the history of Buddhism in India, and also provides information on other aspects of life in India.

Xuanzang was born in 602 in a learned Chinese family at Chenlu in China. He studied Confucianism but later converted to Buddhism. He discovered many discrepancies in Buddhist texts and decided to travel to India to discover more about Buddhism. Leaving Suchuan (Szechwan) secretly in 629, as he could not get a travel permit, Xuanzang crossed high mountains to reach India, travelling on foot with some helpers and supplies carried on mules. Moving through Tashkent, Samarkand and Bactria (Afghanistan), he crossed the Hindu Kush mountains and reached India after one year. He stayed in India for over thirteen years, travelling from Taxila (now in Pakistan) in the northwest across northern India up to Assam in the east, and down to KANCHIPURAM in the south. He was welcomed by King HARSHA in the north and spoke at a MAHAYANA Buddhist meeting organized by Harsha. Wherever he went, Xuanzang noted the state of Buddhist VIHARAS and temples, described the monasteries and the Buddhist sects to which they belonged, and commented on the existence of other temples and on the nature and characteristics of the people.

He began his return journey in 643–44 and reached Changan, the capital of the Tang dynasty of western China, in 645. He brought with him 657 sacred Buddhist texts, which he began translating into Chinese.

He was most interested in the YOGACHARA school of Buddhism, and he and his disciple Kuei-chi (632–82) founded the Fa-hsiang, also known as the Wei-shih or Consciousness school of Buddhism in China. Though it declined in China, it was transmitted to Japan, where it became known as the Hosso school.

Xuanzang died in 664, by which time he was a much-venerated person in China. His name is also spelt Hieun Tsang, or Yuan Chwang, in addition to other variations.