Dharmodgata

Dharmodgata (Fayong, 4th-century Chinese) 曇 無 竭 - a pilgrim, traveler and translator of Chinese origin. Curriculum vitae He came from Huanglong (黃龍), today's Chaoyang (朝陽) in Liaoning in north-eastern China. His family name is Lee.

He became a novice when he was still a kid. He went to study, followed the instructions, and recited sutras, so he was well perceived by his teachers. Faxian (法 顯), one of several Chinese pilgrims to India, was an example to him. Dharmodgata vowed to seek Dharma even for the price of his life.

In 420 Dharmodgata began a pilgrimage to India accompanied by twenty-five monks who shared his aspirations. They carry banners and ritual objects to power the ceremonies, as well as food and necessities in the journey of things.

Passed Khocho (高昌 - in today's Turfan prefecture of Xinjiang), Kucza (龜茲 or 庫車 in today's Aksu prefecture), and then other countries. Soon they were only thirteen. After crossing the mountains in the snow they found themselves in Gandhara (also known as Kophen 罽 賓), today in Kashmir in northern Pakistan, near the border with Afghanistan. They have been there for over a year. They received Buddhist texts and sutras. During this time they also learned Sanskrit and studied Sanskrit texts.

They then headed westward towards the Yuezhi (月氏), a part of the former Kashan empire, which stretched from present Tajikistan through Afghanistan to Pakistan to the Ganges valley in northern India. They paid homage to the relics of the Buddha. They finally reached northern India (today's Pakistan), where they stopped at a monastery called the South Dādima-vihāra (Chinese Nan Shiliusi) in the Dandaloka mountains for three months. There were three hundred monks who practiced various forms of Buddhism. At that time Dharmodgata accepted all the monastic orders and became a monk.

After three months they set off further towards Śrāvastī in central India. They had to go through very difficult terrain - there were five of them.

For a few years, this group traveled to India visiting holy places of Buddhism and well-known teachers.

In the end, they decided to return to China. They returned by sea on a commercial ship. Safe arrived in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Dharmodgata remained in this area spreading the teachings of Buddha to his death.

Unfortunately, his book with a description of the journey has not survived to our times.

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