A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms recounts Faxian's 399-414 CE pilgrimage from China across the Silk Road to India and Sri Lanka in search of authoritative Vinaya. Written in spare Classical Chinese that favors observation over ornament, it describes monasteries, relic cults, charitable institutions, and the state of sites linked to the Buddha. Noting routes from Tamralipti to Ceylon and Yavadvipa and conditions in Gupta-era north India and in cities such as Pataliputra and Anuradhapura, the narrative anchors early Sino-Indian travel writing and anticipates Xuanzang's record. Formed by China's debates on monastic discipline, the elderly Faxian set out to remedy gaps in the Vinaya available at home. Traveling with companions and relying on caravans and monasteries, he gathered Sanskrit legal texts and observed practice across diverse schools. After returning to China he aided their transmission and translation, and his unadorned testimony shaped East Asian views of India and Buddhist orthopraxy. This classic rewards historians of Buddhism, South Asia, and travel literature, and general readers seeking a lucid primary source. Its measured detail and modest devotional tone show how doctrine moved with merchants and monks across frontiers. Read alongside archaeology-or with Xuanzang's seventh-century account-it offers a humane compass to the Buddhist ecumene.
Quickie Classics summarizes timeless works with precision, preserving the author's voice and keeping the prose clear, fast, and readable-distilled, never diluted. Enriched Edition extras: Introduction · Synopsis · Historical Context · Brief Analysis · 4 Reflection Q&As · Editorial Footnotes.
