The farther south Hsuan Tsang went, the hotter the weather became. Luckily the sea breeze from the east coast of southern India was steadily blowing. Hsuan Tsang was born and brought up in the cold northern part of China. How he managed to keep going without suffering a heat stroke is beyond comprehension.

When the Dravidians fled south to escape the invasion of the Aryan people, they must have endured the same misery in this new and foreign environment. Dravidians nevertheless were cheerful, and optimistic. They were able to adapt and turned the south into rich farmland. They were gifted with artistic creativity. They created beautiful music, dances, temples, and silk textiles. Their efforts enriched the southern part of the peninsula where summer stayed all year round, and flowers and fruits were plentiful.

People in southern India made great contributions in philosophy. Nagarjuna, Dharmapala, and Dignaga, three Buddhist masters in different generations were all born on the east coast of southern India.

Hsuan Tsang was drawn south by these deceased masters. In addition, he wanted to go to city of Kancipura (today's Kanchipuram), a busy and prosperous seaport. From there, he hoped to sail to Sihalese (today's Sri Lanka) where Buddhism was thriving.

Nagarjuna Bodhisattva's Birthplace

Hsuan Tsang followed the coastline and continued his journey southward. He crossed Kalinga (the area near downstream of today's Godavari River), a nation known for its elephant population and trade. He then turned southwest and entered the Kingdom of South Kosala (the area near the northeast part on the upstream of today's Godavari River). It was a place surrounded by mountains with endless forests. More than 100 temples were built to house some 10,000 monks. All devoted to the study of Mahayana.

The fact that Buddhism was flourishing in South Kosala had a reason. Nagarjuna Bodhisattva (150-250 A.D.), born within the territory, was the key figure in the early developing stage of Mahayana Buddhism.

Hsuan Tsang called Nagarjuna Bodhisattva "Fearless Dragon," who was born to a Brahman family. He renounced secular life and became a monk when he reached adulthood. He advocated the concept of sunyata . His scripture "Madhyamaka-??stra"was the most important to the Sect of Madhyamika (or Middle Way). He was the original founder of the Sect of Sunya (in comparison to Yogacara's Sarv?stiv?din). He is regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of all time.

Nagarjuna's philosophy gained protection and support from King Satavaha. His teachings spread all over southern India. Hsuan Tsang told stories about Nagarjuna's life in great detail. For example, he told how a Deva from the Kingdom of Sinhala (today's Sri Lanka) became a disciple of Nagarjuna and how they appreciated and encouraged each other. He also told of how Nagarjuna used his magic power to turn stone into gold and thus helped King Salivahana build a temple on Bhramara-giri Mountain (i.e., Black Bee Mountain).

Faxian, a Korean monk who went to India before Hsuan Tsang and Huei Chao, who visited it after Hsuan Tsang, also mentioned this temple. "The Released Notes of Visiting the Five Indian Kingdoms" written by Chang Yi, stated that the site in Srisailam (possible Kisho Temple) on the south side of Krishna River was probably where the old temple had been located.

Today, the journey to Srisailam begins in Hyderabad, the capitol of Andhra Pradesh, and follows the Krishna River downstream. In late February, you will see groups of pilgrims in orange robes walking along the winding mountain dirt roads. They wear no shoes and walk day and night in spite of the hardship and difficulty. The purpose of their journey is to get to Srisailam where they attend Shiva Ratri at Mallikarjuna Temple.

Inside Mallikarjuna Temple, Jyotirlinga of Shiva is displayed for people to worship. It is a natural rock formation, linga. There are only twelve such Shiva shrines left in India, which makes them extremely sacred. The particular temple, mentioned by Hsuan Tsang in Black Bee Mountain, might have collapsed a long time ago. It probably was replaced by this Mallikarjuna Temple, which was built by Hindu believers around 1500 A.D. Even though no Buddhist temples can be found in Srisailam today, you can still feel the mysterious and pious religious power in the town by the nonstop broadcasting of the long and deep chanting Om Namah Shivaya.

Buddhism Sites All Over Andhra

Andhra Kingdom was an ancient kingdom in southern India. It was situated in the area between the Godavari River and the Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh. Based on "The Proofreading and Annotation of Great Tong West Journey," Hsuan Tsang mistook it for Vengi. At that time the nation was governed by the powerful Chalukya Dynasty. It was the political center in southern India. Chalukya people were rather refined and artistic, and it showed on their works in architecture, sculpture, and literature. The renowned Ajanta Cave was one of the representative creations at this culture's peak.

Throughout his journey in India, Hsuan Tsang many times had to stay to learn from great and virtuous Buddhist monks on the subject related to the Clarification of Causes. He even translated Yinmingzhengl?menlun written by the Clarification of Causes master Dignaga. Dignaga once resided in the Kingdom of Andhra. The Clarification of Causes is a logical and dialectical study in Buddhism. Hsuan Tsang studied the Clarification of Causes intensively. As a result, he was well trained for his analytical thinking. The study also helped him build an important foundation for his future thought in Characteristics of Phenomena in Prajnaruci.

Hsuan Tsang described Andhra Pradesh as "a place with rich soil and abundant harvests." Today, it is the major source of rice for India. It is also famous for its aromatic and spicy peppers and soft cotton. People there speak Talugu, a branch of Dravida. Its capitol, Hyderabad, is the fifth largest city in India. The weather is cozy. Streets are wide. It has a modern science and technology zone called Hi-tech City as well as a movie production studio. Hyderabad, which has much Islamic culture, has many grand Islamic buildings in the city.

The local tour guide told us excitedly that there are more than 50 ancient Buddhist temple sites in Andhra Pradesh. Fourteen of them are Maha Stupas, where relics of the Buddha were once stored and worshiped. Not too many people are aware of this historical fact any more. The local government intends to develop this resource. If it happens, these deserted sites might one day become major tourist resources for Andhra Pradesh. However, the era when Buddhism was thriving will never come again.