Ultimate Journey: Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk Who Crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment...

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Richard Bernstein

Ultimate Journey

Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk Who Crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment

Richard Bernstein

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English

Vintage U S
05 February 2002

Travel & holiday; Travel & holiday guides; Travel writing

Series: Vintage Departures

In 629, the revered Buddhist monk Hsuan Tsang set out across Asia in search of the Ultimate Truth, and to settle what he called ""the perplexities of my mind."" From the Tang dynasty capital at Xian through ancient Silk Road oases, over forbidding mountain passes to Tashkent, Samarkand, and the Amu-Darya River, across Pakistan to the holiest cities of India-and back again-his sixteen-year journey was beset with every hardship imaginable. Pilgrimage complete, Hsuan Tsang wrote an account of his trek that is still considered one of the classics of Chinese literature.

In 1998, Richard Bernstein, venerated journalist and Time magazine's first Beijing bureau chief, retraced the steps of Hsuan Tsang's long and sinuous route, comparing present and past. Aided by modern technology but hampered by language barriers, harried border crossings, hostile Islamic regimes, and the accidental U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Bernstein follows the monk's path not only in physical but in contemplative ways. Juxtaposing his own experiences with those of Hsuan Tsang, Bernstein has crafted a vivid account of two stirring adventures in pursuit of illumination. Inspiring and profoundly felt, Ultimate Journey is a marvelous amalgamation of travelogue and history, cultural critique and spiritual meditation.

By: Richard Bernstein
Imprint: Vintage U S
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 132mm, Spine: 20mm
Weight: 293g
ISBN: 9780679781578
ISBN 10: 0679781579
Series: Vintage Departures
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 05 February 2002
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Richard Bernstein lives in New York City.

Reviews for Ultimate Journey: Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk Who Crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment

Wonderful . Deserves to become a classic in its own right. The New York Times Book Review Bernstein has the ability with his lucid, penetrating prose to connect the distant past to the way we live today. Gay Talese An engaging read, a trek that rewards with its richly tapestried background and its refreshing pauses for thoughtful historical and aesthetic insight. Los Angeles Times Ultimate Journey tells many tales at once, each with admirable skill. . . . There is much to ponder in the words written on the pages of this book. -- The New York Times Book Review