Record of the Buddhist Religion

This present book is a survey of the modes and methods of Buddhism as practiced in India and the Malay Archipelago, made during a journey of the Chinese monk I-Tsing from AD 671 and 695. in india he visited, among other venerated sites, Gaya, Patna, Nalanda, Varasaniand Kusinagar The book has a lengthy, but essential introduction wherein is given a preliminary note on the Mulasarvastivada school, a biographical sketch of the authorand a note on geographical names in the main body of the work. There are forty short chapters of various temporal and spiritual practices of the monks. Among the chapters the reader will find notices on : behaviour; cleansing; food and clothing; bathing; chanting; rules regarding hair; use of common property; rules for ordination; ministering of medicine etc. There is a map at the end of the book that shows the route of his entire journey. This book is a reprint of the edition first published in 1896.