Fiction Story: Xuanzang first cut short documentary feature released
Venerable Xuanzang name is frequently substituted with traveler, monk, young man and Hiuen Tsang to promote fluidity of the storyline. Devas and Angels are used interchangeably within the storyline. Devas are celestial/divine beings.
Tired, exhausted, and thirsty, Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) strolled through the desert with earnest anticipation. He was all alone and unsure whether he was walking in the right direction. Desperately looking for water, he thought he spotted a pool of water ahead. He knew the mind plays tricks, which could be a mirage-like the one before. He hurried forward only to be disappointed and fell exhausted; he had been walking without water for two days. The Devas (Angels) from heaven were walking along, keeping a watchful eye on Xuanzang, as did The Devil. Determined to succeed in his mission, the Devil cast himself on Xuanzang, manifesting negativities from within. Slowly doubts began to emerge. It had been a long, arduous journey, and he was not even halfway through his journey. But Xuanzang was no stranger to hardships. Many had dissuaded Xuanzang not to proceed on his trip to India, and yet he was determined. As he took a deep breath, he reflected in time. Brought on the tenets of Confucius, Xuanzang grew up to be a strict disciplinarian. Meticulous to a point, deeply ideological, Hiuen Tsang epitomized the values of the Chinese civilization. He espoused true grit from the land of excellent thought leaders, philosophers, and spiritualists like Confucius, Sun Tzu, and Lao Tzu.
Their teachings are still used as guidance among many facets of society. Xuanzang smiled back and stood back on his feet for the long journey. He felt fragile from his trip, but memories brought back inspiration and determination. Hiuen Tsang smiled to himself and took a small step ahead, and with each small step, his confidence grew, and the Devil got weaker. He was on a mission; he symbolized the DNA of the Chinese Civilization. Civilizations are not made in a day but take centuries to take shape. Ideology is the foundation on which structure is built. Ideologies stand the test of time, setting up a vision for civic societies to follow. Walking with aplomb and cheerfulness, Xuanzang embodied benevolence in every step he took. Xuanzang’s benevolence captivated everyone making him popular beyond any measure, including King Harshavardhana. The Devil grew desperate, knowing none of his tactics were working. Despite numerous hurdles, he had failed to break the resolve of Xuanzang. The Devil thought maybe I could make life more difficult for Xuanzang by creating external obstacles. The desert journey is highly treacherous, so let’s make it more painful. Using supernatural powers, the Devil cropped up a dust storm. Suddenly a massive windstorm started in the distance. As the Devil was wicked machinating schemes to undermine Hiuen, the Devas came running to help. Led by Chief Deva, the team of celestial beings conjured up a plan to help Hiuen fight The Devil as the storm grew to biblical proportions. Xuanzang realized there was no way to avoid the sandstorm even if he changed routes; the storm was at best 10 minutes away.
Image: Venerable Xuanzang Wikipedia
Dust storms are usually more common in the sub-Saharan and Arabian region, with thickness reaching one mile in length as he scanned the vast landscape to figure out the best way to deal with the storm, calmness, and radiance emitted on Xuanzang’s face. Not far away was a huge boulder that could serve as a barrier to the upcoming storm. Dust storms are caused by winds beating down particles into smaller particles through a process known as Saltation, creating a static electric field by friction with a negative charge. Hiuen Tsang scanned the landscape for a competitive advantage against the oncoming storm with utmost tranquility. Analyzing the rock from a distance, Hiuen evaluated that the stone would withstand the storm, a haven for him but the probability of reaching it in time was extremely unlikely unless he started his walk immediately. Wearing only sandals, the monk hurried towards the rock with increasing low visibility. The heavens applauded the traveler’s wisdom, intellectual vigor, and foresightedness, a cornerstone of his upbringing. Celebrating the equanimity and intelligent foresight of Hiuen, the angels surrounded the monk to divert any dust by forming an invisible bubble that worked as a cloak blocking winds. As the traveler hurried towards the boulder, he was surprised the distance suddenly seemed much closer without understanding the supernatural forces at work. Chief Angel realized the enormity of the situation; it was next to impossible to survive such an unnatural storm, started working on his plan to save the monk.
The celestial began working on a counter-thrust with a positive charge to attenuate the roaring storm. As the fight started between good and evil, Hiuen Tsang sat down next to the boulder, calmly taking care of his only possession, a small bag containing scriptures. Sadly, he had lost the only water flask he was carrying. As the crescendo of the storm grew higher and higher, Xuanzang delved into the impermanence of the situation. He took a deep breath, undeterred by his surroundings, and went into meditation, knowing he had done whatever he could and left rest to nature. Fifteen feet above, both The Devil and Chief Deva face each other. The Devil enraged that his diabolical plan had failed, took a fearsome guise. As laws of physics fought each other, the storm slowly started to lose steam like a repulsive discordant Cacophony reaching its crescendo. The celestial beings and The Devil observed in awe and respected the calm demeanor of Xuanzang; it suddenly dawned to The Devil he had failed miserably in his attempt to instill fear anxiety within the young scholar. Oozing with respect for the traveler, The Devil gave up and returned to his usual guise as the storm subsided. Good had won over evil, at least for now. As The Devil and Chief Deva faced each other, both realized how similar they looked. Bounded in an endless fight, one was the mirror image of the other; for one, the atoms moved in a clockwise direction and the other in anticlockwise order. As The Devil and Chief Deva confronted each other, timeless nemesis of each other, a constant fight between good and evil, an endless ying-yang duality for life emerged.
The Devil: We meet again. Do not let this victory please you. The fight has just begun.
Chief Deva (Angel): Sure. No worries
The Devil: I will be back. Another time, Another place. Farewell my friend as the endless struggle continues.
The Devil looked down at the handsome face of the young traveler, paid his homage, and disappeared into thin air. The angels came together, waiting for Hiuen to come back from his deep meditative contemplation. When Xuanzang opened his eyes, it was another day with lovely weather. Sunny but pleasant, a middle road between the harsh extremes of the desert. Surprisingly Xuanzang felt refreshed despite being without water for three days. It had been two days since he had eaten anything, yet with remarkable alacrity, he scanned the horizon to understand the next steps. He had carefully observed the sunrise the previous day and worked out the west direction from his mental calculation. He quickened his pace, knowing the weather won’t hold long, so it was best to make use of the time at hand. Recalling from his photographic memory and reworking the map in mind, Xuanzang knew he was on course to the foothills of the mountains. As the day wore on, the young monk thought he had finally reached an oasis in the distance on his last remnants of strength. Knowing the fallacy from his previous experience, he prodded with measured caution. Nearing the waterhole, the traveler realized it was water. Joyful but patient, he lowered his mouth to gulp water without losing the serenity of the mind. It was time to bathe, rest, and have readily available fruits. However, there was no time to waste.
After adequate rest, fully hydrated, refilling supplies for the journey ahead, the young monk got up to begin his journey little knowing that he was half a day away from the foothills of the mountain. Invigorated from the refreshments, Xuanzang quickened his pace gradually. He came across scrubs, and as vegetation grew, he knew he was close to the foothills of a hill. In a few moments, he came across a stream. A smile lit up on his charming boyish face; Xuanzang knew water was the genesis of civilization; he had to follow the water and leave the rest to nature.
For full read on Chinese civilization, read the publication here