Customer Reviews

Chasing the Monk's Shadow

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of the most absorbing book I have read lately. And I would say a must read for any one interested in Asia as a whole.

As an Indian who fell in love with China, Mishi's personal journey bridges the gap between two Asian giants, the respective cultures of which support much of everything else in the region. And bridging the gap she does brillantly in a beautifully written book that combines in-depth historical researches on the original journey of Xuangchang, soulful descriptions of simple everyday life moments in the foreign places visited, sobering reflections on the evolution of the world today.

The book unfold like a lyrical frescoes that falls nothing short of renacting Xuangchang's journey, albeit in a different time but pretty much in the same space. It keeps the reader turning pages from beginning to end, all the way to a most unexpected, almost disturbing, conclusion in Afghanistan a few weeks prior to 9-11.

A book I shall certainly remember for a long time.

I came across this intriguing book while browsing the Buddhist selections in my local library. Mishi Saran quickly draws you into the story of her quest to retrace the steps of this renowned 7th century Chinese Buddhist master as he embarks upon his quest to retrieve sacred Mahayana Buddhist texts for the benefit of his homeland, China. Xuangchang was so meticulous in detail regarding the locations he traveled to, that modern day archeologists have relied upon his record to locate historical kingdoms and cities in their research. To my surprise, I recently found him mentioned by Thich Nhat Hanh in his book, "Transformation at the Base: Fifty Verses on the Nature of Consciousness" where he details the work of Xuangchang in bringing the teachings of the Mahayana expounder of the "Mind Only" school of Buddhishm, Vasubhandu.

In retracing the steps of this famous Chinese monk, Mishi Sharan details the artifacts he mentioned that she was also able to locate, frequently with the help and good wishes of the locals and various scientists in the areas she visited. She also relates details of her personal life and experience which bring her journey to life. The changes that have occurred over the past 1400 years are also discussed, and much of the histoy of Buddhism, its rise and fall in India, are thoughtfully explored. I have enjoyed reading this mindful travelogue very much, finding myself reading it slowly and carefully, and expanding my knowledge and understanding of the history of Buddhism by tying it to the land and its inhabitants, both past and present. Highly recommended.

Robin Billings
[...]

If you're interested in a travelogue about a woman traveling in central Asia, this will serve you quite well. But if you're interested in learning about Buddhism it offers very little. There was nothing in the book that indicated the author was Buddhist, nor had any sort of Buddhist perspective.

The book is primarily about Mishi Saran, not Xuanzang, and I note with interest that the two previous reviewers both misspelled his name the same way.

Bottom line: It's a 4 or 5 star travelogue about a journey through lands that were formerly Buddhist; it's a 2 star description of the travels of Xuanzang.