Faxian and Us Faxian was one righteous dude. As a Buddhist monk in China during the fourth century, he was concerned that the monastic community did not have a complete set of Vinaya texts (the texts that explain the code of conduct for Buddhist monks). Determined to correct this situation, Faxian decided to travel to India himself and bring back these precious texts. So in the year 399 CE, when he was 65 years old, Faxian set out for India with a small group of companions. He would not return to China until fifteen years later. According to the famous account of his journey, he traveled overland, following the silk road routes through Western China, across desert of Dunhang, through Central Asia, and finally over the snow and ice-covered mountains of the Himalayas, before finally reaching the holy land of India. One of his companions died on the passage to India, and another would die during their travels within the sub-continent. The Journey of the Eminent Monk
