Now, the ghost messenger left the Underworld with Liu Quan and his wife. Wrapped in a swirling deathly wind, they went straight to the great capital Chang’an. The messenger pushed Liu Quan’s soul into Jinting Hall, then took Cuilian’s soul into the inner courts of the imperial palace. There he saw Princess Yuying walking slowly over the green moss beneath the flowers. He rushed into her, knocked her to the ground and seized her living soul, then pushed Cuilian’s soul into Yuying’s body. The ghost messenger returned to the Underworld; let us leave him there.

Now, when the serving women, senior and junior, in the palace courtyard saw Yuying fall down dead, they hurried to the Hall of Golden Chimes and told the Empress of the Three Palaces, “Her Highness the Princess has fallen down dead!” The Empress was greatly alarmed and at once told Taizong. He nodded and sighed. “So this has indeed come to pass. We asked the Ten Kings of the Underworld, ‘Are the old and young safe?’ They said, ‘All are safe, but We fear your imperial younger sister’s life may be cut short.’ Their words have come true.” Everyone in the palace came in grief to look beneath the flowers, only to find that the Princess was still faintly breathing. “Do not weep! Do not weep!” said the Tang Emperor. “Do not startle her.” He went forward, raised her head with his own imperial hands and called, “Little sister, wake up, wake up!” The Princess suddenly rolled over and cried, “Husband, go slowly! Wait for me!” Taizong said, “Little sister, we are here.” The Princess raised her head, opened her eyes and looked at him. “Who are you, daring to lay hands on me?” Taizong said, “Your imperial elder brother and sister-in-law.” The Princess said, “Where would I get an imperial elder brother or sister-in-law? My maiden surname is Li, and my childhood name is Li Cuilian. My husband is surnamed Liu and named Quan. We both come from Junzhou. Three months ago I took out a golden hairpin at our doorway to give alms to a monk. My husband blamed me for leaving the inner rooms without permission and failing in a woman’s duty, and scolded me. Anger choked my breast, so I hung a white silk sash from a beam and hanged myself, leaving two children who wept day and night. Now my husband has been specially commissioned by the Tang Emperor to present melons and fruit in the Underworld. The King of the Underworld took pity on us and let us both return. My husband went ahead, and because I was late I could not catch him. I tripped and fell. You rude people! You do not even know my name — how dare you grab me?” Taizong said to the palace attendants, “We suppose Our younger sister has been knocked senseless by the fall and is talking nonsense.” He ordered the Imperial Medical Bureau to bring a medicinal draught and had Yuying helped into the palace.

The Tang Emperor was in the hall when an officer attending the throne suddenly reported, “Your Majesty, Liu Quan, the man who presented the melons and fruit, has returned to life and awaits your command outside the audience gate.” The Tang Emperor was astonished and immediately summoned Liu Quan, who prostrated himself upon the red court paving. Taizong asked, “How did the presentation of melons and fruit go?” Liu Quan said, “Your servant carried the melons and fruit on his head straight to the Ghost Gate, and was led to the Hall of Universal Judgement. There I saw the Ten Kings of the Underworld, offered the melons and fruit, and explained fully the earnest thanks my sovereign wished to convey. The Kings were delighted and sent many greetings to my sovereign, saying, ‘What a faithful and virtuous ruler Emperor Taizong is!’” The Tang Emperor said, “What did you see in the Underworld?” Liu Quan said, “Your servant did not go far and saw little. I only heard the King ask my name and where I came from. Your servant told him how my wife had hanged herself, and how I had abandoned my home and children and willingly come to present the melons. He immediately sent a ghost messenger to bring my wife, and we met before the Hall of Universal Judgement. Meanwhile he checked the Register of Life and Death, said that my wife and I were both allotted lives long enough to attain immortality, and sent a ghost messenger to take us back. Your servant went ahead and my wife followed. Fortunately I have returned to life, but I do not know where my wife has gone.” The Tang Emperor asked in surprise, “Did the King say anything about your wife?” Liu Quan said, “The King said nothing at first. I only heard the ghost messenger say, ‘Li Cuilian has been in the world of the dead for some time. Her body no longer exists.’ The King said, ‘Li Yuying, the Tang Emperor’s younger sister, is due to die suddenly now. Let Cuilian borrow Yuying’s body and return to life.’ Your servant does not know where this ‘Tang Emperor’s younger sister’ is, or where she lives. I have not yet been able to look for her.”

At this report the Tang Emperor’s heart filled with delight. He said to his officials, “When We took leave of the King of the Underworld, We asked about the palace. He said, ‘The old and young are all safe, but We fear your imperial younger sister’s life may be cut short.’ Just now Our younger sister Yuying fell down dead beneath the flowers. We hurried to lift her and look at her, and she soon revived, crying, ‘Husband, go slowly! Wait for me!’ We thought she had been knocked senseless and was talking nonsense. But when We questioned her closely, her account was just the same as Liu Quan’s.” Wei Zheng reported, “Your imperial younger sister’s life suddenly ended, and as soon as she revived she said these words. This means Liu Quan’s wife has borrowed her body to return to life. Such things do happen. You might have the Princess brought out and hear what she has to say.” The Tang Emperor said, “We have just ordered the Imperial Medical Bureau to give her medicine. We do not know how she is.” He sent his consorts into the palace to fetch her. Inside, the Princess was making a great uproar. “What medicine am I to take? How is this my house? My house is a cool, tiled place, nothing like this building with jaundice and these garish doors! Let me out! Let me out!”

Our story turns to Yuchi Gong, who took a treasury of gold and silver to Kaifeng Prefecture in Henan to make inquiries. Xiang Liang, it turned out, made his living selling water. With his wife, Madam Zhang, he also sold earthenware basins and pots at their doorway. Of the little money they earned, they kept only enough for their expenses. The rest went on feeding monks, giving alms and buying paper ingots of gold and silver2, which they burned to credit their treasury. That was how this reward for goodness had come to them. In the living world he was a poor man who delighted in doing good; in the other world he was a wealthy elder with heaps of jade and gold. When Yuchi Gong brought the gold and silver to their door, old Master Xiang and his wife were frightened out of their wits. Officials of the prefecture had come as well, and carriages and horses crowded outside their thatched home. The old couple were like people struck dumb and senseless. They knelt on the ground, doing nothing but knocking their heads and bowing. Yuchi Gong said, “Please rise, old sir. Though I am an imperial commissioner, I have brought my sovereign’s gold and silver to repay you.” Trembling, he answered, “Your humble servant has no gold or silver to lend. How could I dare accept wealth whose source I do not know?” Yuchi Gong said, “I too have learned that you are a poor man. But you feed monks and give alms, and spend all you can on paper gold and silver ingots, burning them to credit your account in the Underworld. You have money accumulated there. Our Emperor Taizong died for three days, then his soul returned and he came to life. In the Underworld he borrowed a treasury of gold and silver from you. We have now brought the same amount to repay you. Accept every bit of it, so I can go back and report.” Xiang Liang and his wife only bowed towards heaven. How could they dare accept it? “If your humble servants accept this gold and silver, we shall die all the sooner. Though we burn paper money to credit a treasury, that is a matter of the unseen world. Besides, what proof is there that His Majesty borrowed gold and silver in that world? We certainly dare not accept it.” Yuchi Gong said, “His Majesty says Judge Cui stood surety when he borrowed your money, and can bear witness. Accept it.” Xiang Liang said, “Even if it costs my life, I dare not accept it.”

Seeing how stubbornly he refused, Yuchi Gong had no choice but to draw up a memorial and send someone to report. When Taizong read it and learned that Xiang Liang would not accept the gold and silver, he said, “This is truly a kindly and good elder.” He immediately ordered Yuchi Jingde to use the gold and silver on Xiang Liang’s behalf to build a monastery, erect shrines to the living couple3 and invite monks to perform works of merit. That would count as repaying him. When the decree arrived, Jingde bowed towards the palace in thanks and announced it, making it known to all. With the gold and silver he bought a plot within the city that encroached on neither soldiers nor civilians, fifty mu in extent, and began building a monastery upon it. It was named the Imperially Founded Xiangguo Monastery. To its left stood shrines to old Master Xiang and his wife, with carved stone tablets bearing the words ‘Construction supervised by Yuchi Gong.’ This is the Great Xiangguo Monastery of today.

When the work was finished and reported, Taizong was delighted. He again assembled his officials and issued a proclamation summoning monks to hold a Water and Land Assembly and deliver the lonely souls in the Underworld. The proclamation went throughout the empire, directing local officials to recommend eminent monks who possessed the Way and send them to Chang’an for the assembly. In less than a month, monks from all over the empire had arrived. The Tang Emperor ordered Fu Yi, Assistant Director of Astronomy, to select eminent monks and arrange the Buddhist rites. On receiving the command, Fu Yi submitted a memorial opposing Buddhism and asserting that there was no Buddha. It read:

The three led him before the throne, bowed to the dust and performed the ceremonial dance of homage. After making their bows, they reported, “Your servants Xiao Yu and the others have obeyed the sacred command and selected one eminent monk, Chen Xuanzang.” Hearing the name, Taizong thought for a long time. “Is this Xuanzang, the son of Academician Chen Guangrui?” Jiangliu knocked his head upon the ground. “Your servant is he.” Taizong said happily, “Then the choice is indeed right. Truly, you are a monk of virtue with a heart devoted to meditation. We grant you the offices of Left and Right Superintendent of Monks7 and Chief Superintendent for the Great Exposition of the Faith throughout the empire.” Xuanzang bowed his head in thanks and accepted his office of Great Exposition. He was also given a five-coloured cassock woven with gold and a Vairocana cap8. He was told to take care in paying further respects to learned monks, assign the senior ritual masters their ranks, put the imperial instructions in writing and proceed to Huasheng Monastery, where he was to choose an auspicious day and hour and begin expounding the scriptures.

Meanwhile, the Bodhisattva Guanshiyin of Mount Potalaka in the South Sea, since receiving the Buddha’s command, had been searching Chang’an for a good man to fetch the scriptures. After many days she had still found no one of true virtue. Suddenly she heard that Taizong was promoting the fruits of goodness, selecting eminent monks and founding a great assembly. She also saw that the master presiding over the altar was the monk Jiangliu, a child of the Buddha descended from the Land of Ultimate Bliss, the very elder whom she had originally guided to his rebirth. The Bodhisattva was delighted. She took the treasures the Buddha had given her out onto the main street and offered them for sale with Mu Zha. And what treasures were they, you may ask? A brocade cassock set with rare jewels and a nine-ringed monk’s staff. The three bands — golden, tightening and restricting — she kept carefully hidden for later use. Only the cassock and staff were put up for sale.

In Chang’an there was a foolish monk who had failed to be selected, though he did have a few strings of shabby cash. He saw the Bodhisattva disguised as a scabby monk, in a ragged robe, barefoot and bareheaded, holding a cassock that shone with brilliant light. He went up and asked, “You scabby monk, how much do you want for your cassock?” The Bodhisattva said, “The cassock is worth five thousand taels, and the staff two thousand.” The foolish monk laughed. “These two scabby monks are mad! They’re idiots! Seven thousand taels of silver for these two paltry things? Even if putting them on kept you young forever and made you a Buddha or a patriarch on the spot, they wouldn’t be worth that much! Take them away! You’ll never sell them!”

The Bodhisattva did not argue, but went on with Mu Zha. After walking for some time they reached Donghua Gate, where they happened upon Chancellor Xiao Yu returning from court, his advance attendants shouting to clear the street. The Bodhisattva openly refused to move aside. Holding the cassock in the street, she went straight towards the chancellor. He reined in his horse to look. Seeing the cassock’s brilliant glow, he had an attendant ask the seller’s price. The Bodhisattva said, “Five thousand taels for the cassock, two thousand for the staff.” Xiao Yu said, “What is so good about them that they command such a price?” The Bodhisattva said, “The cassock has its good points and its bad points. Sometimes I ask money for it, sometimes none.” Xiao Yu said, “What are its good points, and what are its bad?” The Bodhisattva said, “Wear my cassock, and you will not sink into perdition, fall into hell, suffer malicious harm or meet disaster from tigers and wolves. Those are its good points. But foolish monks who crave lust and delight in misfortune, monks who neither fast nor keep the precepts, and ordinary men who revile the scriptures and slander the Buddha will hardly catch sight of my cassock. That is its bad point.” He asked again, “When do you ask money, and when none?” The Bodhisattva said, “If someone who does not follow the Buddhist teaching or honour the Three Jewels10 insists on buying the cassock and staff, I shall certainly charge him seven thousand taels. That is when I ask money. But if someone honours the Three Jewels, rejoices in goodness, takes refuge in our Buddha and is worthy to receive them, I shall gladly give him the cassock and staff to form a good bond with me. That is when I ask none.” At these words Xiao Yu’s face brightened still more, and he knew this was a good man. He dismounted at once, greeted the Bodhisattva courteously and said, “Elder of the Great Dharma, pardon my offence. The Emperor of our Great Tang is deeply devoted to goodness, and every civil and military official at court follows his example. We are now holding a Water and Land Assembly. This cassock would be just right for Master Chen Xuanzang, Chief Master of the Great Exposition, to wear. Come with me to court to see His Majesty.”

Hearing this, the Tang Emperor ordered the cassock spread out and examined it carefully from end to end. It was indeed a fine thing. “Elder of the Great Dharma,” he said, “to tell you the truth, We are now spreading the good teaching and widely planting the field of blessings. Many monks are gathered at Huasheng Monastery to expound the scriptures. Among them is a man of great virtue, whose name in religion is Xuanzang. We wish to buy these two treasures of yours and bestow them on him for his use. What is the price you truly ask?” At this the Bodhisattva and Mu Zha joined their palms in devotion and invoked the Buddha’s name. Bowing, she addressed the throne. “Since he is virtuous, this poor monk gladly offers them to him and will certainly take no money.” With that she turned to leave. The Tang Emperor hurriedly told Xiao Yu to stop her, rose partway from his seat in the hall and asked, “You first said five thousand taels for the cassock and two thousand for the staff. Now that you see We wish to buy them, you ask no money. Are you suggesting that We rely on Our position as sovereign to force your goods from you? Nothing could be further from the truth. We shall pay your original price. You must not refuse.” The Bodhisattva raised her hands. “This poor monk made a vow beforehand. I said from the first that if someone truly honoured the Three Jewels, rejoiced in goodness and took refuge in our Buddha, I would ask no money and gladly give them to him. Now I see that Your Majesty makes virtue shine, rests in the highest goodness and honours our Buddhist faith. Moreover, the eminent monk possesses virtue and good conduct and proclaims the great Dharma. It is only right to offer them, and I shall certainly take no money. This poor monk wishes to leave these things and take his leave.” The Tang Emperor was very pleased at such earnestness and ordered the Court of Imperial Entertainments to lay out a great vegetarian banquet in thanks. The Bodhisattva firmly refused this too, went away freely and gladly, and returned to hide in the capital’s Earth God temple as before; let us leave her there.

Then the civil and military officials cheered before the steps. Taizong was delighted beyond measure. He told the master to keep on the cassock and carry the precious staff, gave him two companies of ceremonial attendants and had the officials escort him out of the audience gate. He was to parade down the main street to the monastery, just like the first scholar in the examinations displaying his new honours. Xuanzang bowed again in thanks and went grandly and noisily along the street, swaying as he walked. Look at Chang’an: travelling traders and shopkeepers, young gentlemen and nobles’ sons, writers and scholars, men and women, young and old, all crowded to see him and praise him. “What a master!” they said. “Truly a living arhat descended from above, a living Bodhisattva come into the mortal world!”

Time passed in the flick of a finger, and the seventh day, the day of the principal service, arrived. Xuanzang again submitted a memorial inviting the Tang Emperor to offer incense. By now the fame of the good undertaking had filled the land. Taizong arranged his procession and led his civil and military officials, empress, consorts and imperial kinsmen to the monastery early. Everyone in the city, great and small, high and low, went there to hear the exposition.

Upon the platform the master recited for a while from the Sutra of Birth and Deliverance of the Dead, expounded for a while the Heavenly Treasure Talisman for Pacifying the Realm, and then proclaimed for a while the Scroll Exhorting the Cultivation of Merit. The Bodhisattva went up, struck the precious platform with her hand and called out sternly, “Monk, you can only expound the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle17. Can you expound the Great Vehicle?” Xuanzang was delighted. He turned and leapt down from the platform, raised his hands respectfully to the Bodhisattva and said, “Venerable Master, your disciple is greatly at fault for failing to recognize you. All the monks here expound the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle. We do not know what the teachings of the Great Vehicle are.” The Bodhisattva said, “These teachings of your Lesser Vehicle cannot deliver the dead to a higher realm. They can only blend with the common world and temper its light. I have the Three Baskets of the Great Vehicle’s Buddhist teaching. They can lift the dead to Heaven, free those in distress from suffering, cultivate a body of boundless life, and bring about neither coming nor going.”

While they were speaking, the official in charge of incense and patrolling the halls hurried to report to the Tang Emperor. “The master was expounding the wondrous Dharma, but two scabby wandering monks dragged him down and are talking wild nonsense.” The Emperor ordered them seized. A crowd pushed and hustled the two monks into the rear Dharma hall. When they came before Taizong, the monk neither raised his hands nor bowed, but looked up and said, “What does Your Majesty wish to ask me?” The Tang Emperor recognized him. “Are you the monk who gave the cassock the other day?” The Bodhisattva said, “I am.” Taizong said, “Since you came here to hear the exposition, you should simply have taken some vegetarian food. Why argue nonsense with Our master, disrupt the scripture hall and hinder Our Buddhist rites?” The Bodhisattva said, “Your master expounds the Lesser Vehicle, which cannot deliver the dead to Heaven. I have the Three Baskets of the Great Vehicle’s Buddhist teaching, which can deliver the dead from suffering and give a body long life without decay.” With an earnest look of delight, Taizong asked, “Where is this Great Vehicle teaching of yours?” The Bodhisattva said, “In the far Western Heaven, in India, at the great Thunderclap Monastery, where our Buddha dwells. It can undo the knots of a hundred grievances and dispel undeserved calamities.” Taizong said, “Do you remember it?” The Bodhisattva said, “I do.” Taizong said in great delight, “Have the master conduct him to the platform and invite him to expound it.”

Xuanzang also returned to Hongfu Monastery. The monks there and his disciples had already heard of the quest for scriptures. They all came to see him and asked, “Is it true you have vowed to go to the Western Heaven?” Xuanzang said, “It is true.” His disciples said, “Master, we have often heard people say that the road to the Western Heaven is long and full of tigers, leopards and demons. We fear you may go and never return. Your life will hardly be safe.” Xuanzang said, “I have made a solemn vow: if I do not obtain the true scriptures, I shall sink forever into hell. Above all, I have received my sovereign’s favour and cannot but repay my country with all my loyalty. This journey is truly dim and uncertain; whether good or ill awaits me is impossible to tell.” He added, “Disciples, after I go, whether two or three years pass, or five or seven, watch the pine branches inside the monastery gate. When their tips point east, I shall be coming home. Otherwise, I shall certainly not return.” His disciples took these words deeply to heart.

Early the next morning Taizong held court, assembled his civil and military officials and had documents drawn up for the quest for scriptures, stamped with the precious seal authorizing passage. An official of the Directorate of Astronomy reported, “Today falls under the auspicious Star of Human Honour and is suitable for setting out on a long journey.” The Tang Emperor was delighted. A palace chamberlain then reported, “Your imperial younger brother, the master, awaits your command outside the audience gate.” He was immediately summoned to the hall. “Little brother,” said the Emperor, “today is an auspicious day for setting out. Here are your documents for crossing the frontiers. We also have a purple-gold begging bowl to give you for seeking food along the way. Two attendants accustomed to long journeys have been chosen, and We bestow a horse upon you to carry you on your distant travels. You may now set out.” Xuanzang was delighted. He thanked the Emperor, received the things and had no wish to delay. The Tang Emperor arranged his procession and went with his officials to see him beyond the pass. There the monks and disciples of Hongfu Monastery had brought Xuanzang’s winter and summer clothes and were waiting. The Tang Emperor first had the luggage and horse made ready, then told an attendant to take a jug and pour wine. Taizong raised his cup and asked, “Little brother, by what honourable title are you known?” Xuanzang said, “This poor monk has left the household life and has not dared assume a title.” Taizong said, “The Bodhisattva said that in the Western Heaven there are three baskets of scriptures. You might take your title from them. How would you like to be called Sanzang19?” Xuanzang again thanked him, accepted the imperial wine and said, “Your Majesty, wine is the first prohibition for a monk. This poor monk has never drunk it in his life.” Taizong said, “Today’s departure differs from other occasions. This is vegetarian wine20. Drink just this one cup to fulfil Our wish to see you off.” Sanzang dared not refuse. He took the wine and was about to drink when Taizong lowered his head, picked up a pinch of earth with his imperial fingers and flicked it into the cup. Sanzang did not understand. Taizong smiled. “Little brother, when you go to the Western Heaven, how soon can you return?” Sanzang said, “Within three years I shall come straight back to your great realm.” Taizong said, “Years are long, the mountains far and the road distant. Drink this wine, little brother: ‘Cherish a pinch of earth from home rather than ten thousand taels of gold abroad.’ Only then did Sanzang grasp the meaning of the earth. He thanked the Emperor again, drank the cup dry, took his leave and went out through the pass. The Tang Emperor returned to the palace.

But how would this journey turn out? To learn what happened next, read the next chapter.