Zhang Xianyi, the former Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, observes in his work, “History and Legend of Sino- Bangla Contacts,” that whilst the Prophet is reported as saying, “Go in quest of knowledge even unto China,” in China they say, “Go to Western Heaven for Buddhist scriptures.”
From before the Common Era, although no one seems quite sure exactly when, Buddhism had become recognised in China. In Sanskrit these lands of “Western heaven,” now the lands, in large part, of Bangladesh, are referred to as, “Sukhavata,” which means the “Land of Bliss.”
Sanskrit, of course, was one of the world’s earliest of written languages, and evolved about 1,000 years BCE, in North East India. It may readily be assumed that written languages developed more for commercial than for religious reasons, since the latter was esteemed to benefit more from the spoken word.
The great, international trade that flowed through the delta and waters of Ganges and Brahmaputra from centuries, if not millennia, before the Common Era, was, probably, the origin of such linguistic development. It was, also, almost certainly, from where Buddhism travelled across central, eastern and south east Asia.
The Chinese identified in Buddhism a fusion of Chinese traditional ideology and culture, allowing the people to see “that the divinities of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism were enshrined together.” In fact, for the rulers of the great Han Dynasty, it perfectly reconciled the beliefs of both aristocrats and common people, facilitating the social harmony they sought to rule their great Empire.
In the harnessing of Buddhist philosophy for better governance, the belief group found its objects of respect “sinolised,” and by merging it with Chinese tradition, it reconciled not only classes, but also ethnic minority groups.
It is, therefore, not hard to see why Buddhism was so firmly embraced at the northern end of the Southern Silk Road, the Brahmaputra, Ledo Road and Yellow River route of commerce, sciences and trade.
Since, however, Buddhism had developed, and flourished, in the lands of the eastern Ganges, it was inevitable that, to those lands, the Chinese should head in numbers, not least fulfilling the proposition that it was, indeed, the lands to seek Buddhist learning.
The fact that Bangladesh, with its estimated 400 and more Buddhist Vihara, and its lengthy tradition, right up to the early 12th century, of Buddhist rule, interspersed on brief occasions by Hindus, fortunately apparently devoid of obsessive Brahmanic traditions, in nurturing the Buddhist traditions, was unquestionably one of the favoured destinations for such Chinese travellers, suggests it was more than just merchants who visited the lands.
The name, “the land of bliss,” has variations in a number of languages, including Japanese (Gokuraku, Ultimate bliss) which would also indicate that, even earlier than written records of the sixth and seventh century CE would suggest, Buddhism had made its way across from China to Japan and inspired a similar respect for the lands of its origin.
Whilst the earliest records, and archaeological evidence of trade through the Southern Silk Road, speak of both commodities, such as silks, fragrances and herbs and spices; and cultures, like iron smelting and textile weaving, we can have little doubt, also, of early philosophical exchanges.
But it is not until the end of the 4th century CE that we have written records of a journey to seek Buddhist scriptures.
Fa Xian was born in Shanxi Province of Eastern China, becoming a Buddhist monk at the age of three years, probably about 336 CE. Finally, at the age of 63, in 399 CE he set out from the great and ancient city, former Han Dynasty capital of Chang’an, now known as Xi’an, on a journey through the lands of Central Asia, to the North of Indian subcontinent that would last fourteen years.
Why this monk would have opted to travel on foot, across mountains, deserts and ice fields, to head through Central Asia to Bactria, and down into northern India is not quite clear, although it may well have been inspired by the lengthy travels of the Buddha himself, on foot; it is more obvious why he opted to return by sea! He is, certainly, the first of the recorded great travellers, in the tradition later emulated by such as Marco Polo and Ibn Batutta.
Since it is clear from the record of the Han emissary, Zhang Qian, whose first century report to the Imperial Court in Chang’an that the better route south was the Southern Silk Road, which, passing south from Yunnan, an ancient route, restored, we are told, by the 1st century Han Emperor to whom Zhang reported, it must have been known that there was an easier route, much used by merchants.
Nevertheless, his travels through Central Asia, today’s Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Indonesia included two years in the lands of Bangladesh, visiting 30 monasteries with more than 2,000 devotees. Sadly, most of his writings can now only be found in English on Indian websites, which, as usual, manage to avoid mention of lands that are now Bangladesh; however, it seems inescapable that he certainly visited Somapura Mahavihara, the World Heritage site in Paharpur, Rajshahi District of Bangladesh, the largest such Buddhist site in the Indian subcontinent, and, no doubt, many others in these lands.
Two centuries later, another monk from Xi’an set out to replicate Fa Xian’s journey, evidently feeling that there was more scripture to be found in the Indian subcontinent, and perhaps following the same, lengthy and difficult course in tribute to his predecessor?
It may simply be a coincidence, but where that predecessor noted 30 monasteries with 2,000 devotees, the fact his follower noted 20 monasteries with 3,000 devotees suggests, perhaps, some overlap of experience. Nevertheless, it is also clear that the geo-political environment had changed in the intervening two centuries between the visits.
Xuan, of more aristocratic background than his predecessor, also, it seems, had more of an eye for the environment through which he travelled. “The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions,” in which he published his record of his travels, he writes of the “Bangla lands” as “gifted with beautiful sceneries and resources.”
“Flourishing plants and fruits; developing economy and self-sufficient agriculture,” are descriptions amongst the translated commentary. A “land with a large population,” is described, together with notes that “people lived in houses built near water and surrounded by flowers, trees and pools.” Not much, it appears, has changed over the ensuing millennium and a half!
Perhaps his comments that “the society was in harmony and nice order,” and “believers of various religions lived together in peace,” may suggest some more recent changes.
That the local people “loved learning and respected learned people,” and were, “diligent and willing to accept different ideas,” may not, indeed, be entirely an unchanged picture of the lands, but the whole unquestionably describes the “Western heaven” ideal.
Fa Xian and Xuan Zang, both originating from the same city in China, indeed, we believe, the same monastery, were undoubtedly but two of hundreds.
Perhaps thousands, whose experience of the lands of northern India, especially the north eastern lands that were the cradle of Buddhism, including, whatever modern India likes to pretend, unquestionably the lands that are now Bangladesh, and it seems their experiences, which both predate, of course, the time of the great, Buddhist, Pala Empire, describe lands substantially at peace with themselves.
A peace, we may reasonably assume, that would, in the 18th century, justify the observation of the great French philosopher, Baron de Montesquieu, that “peace is the natural effect of trade.”
Of course there were many other visitors, no doubt travelling in both directions; the travel writer Yi Jing, and the later Atish Dipankar exemplify this. But it is the notion of these lands of Bangladesh as a part, a significant part, of that “western heaven: the land of bliss,” that surely resonate as descriptions of these lands over a millennium and a half later.
