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This episode we will discuss various embassies to and from Yamato during the reign of Takara Hime, with a particular focus on the embassy of 659, which occured at a particularly eventful time and happened to be extremely well-recorded fro the period by Iki no Hakatoko, who was apparently on the mission to the Tang court itself. For more, check out our blog post at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-123 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is episode 123: Embassy Interrupted.   Iki no Hakatoko sat in his room, gazing out at the city.   It was truly an amazing place, filled with all kinds of people from around the world.  And yet, still, after 9 months of confinement, the place felt small.  Sure, there he hadwere visits from ranking nobles and dignitaries, but even the most lenient of house arrests was still house arrest. But that didn't mean that he had nothing to do.  There were books and more that he had access to—many that had not yet made it to the archipelago, and some of which he no doubt hoped he could bring back with him.  And of course, there was paper, brush, and ink. And then there were the experiences he and others had acquired on this mission to the Great Tang.  From the very beginning the missionit washad been plagued with disaster when they lost half of their ships and company mission to rogue winds on the open seas.  Now they were trapped because the Emperor himself wouldn't let them return home.  They had experienced and seen so much, and that provided ample material for one to catalogue. As the seasons changed, and rumors arrived that perhaps his situation would also something would change soon, Iki no Hakatoko spread out the paper on the desk in front of him, dipped his brush in the ink, and began to write.  He wrote down notes about his experiences, and what had befallen him and the others.  He had no idea who It is unclear whom he thought might read it, and if he was intending this to be an official or personal record, but he wrote it down anyway. Hakatoko He couldn't have known then that his words would eventually be captured in a much larger work, chronicling the entire history of Yamato from its very creation, nor that his would be one of the oldest such personal accounts records to be handed down.  His Itwords  wwould only survive in fragments—or perhaps his writing was simply that terse—but his words they would be preserved, in a format that was still being read over a thousand years later.     Last episode we finished up the story of Xuanzang and his Journey to the West—which is to say the Western Regions -- , and thence on to India, or Tianzhu, where he walked in the footsteps of the historical Buddha, studied the scriptures at the feet of venerable teachers, such as Silabadhra at the Great Monastery of Nalanda, and eventually wound up bringingbrought back hundreds of manuscripts to Chang'an to , which he and others be translated and disseminated, impacting Buddhist thought across East Asia.  HisXuanzang's travels lasted from around 629 to 645, and he was still teaching in Chang'an in the 650s when various student-monks from Yamato  arrived to study and learn from him, eventually bringing back his teachings to the archipelago as part of the Faxiang, or Hossou, school of Buddhism. Before that we talked about the visitors from “Tukhara” and “Sha'e” recorded in the Chronicles.  As we noted, these peopley were morest likely from the Ryukyuan islands, and the names may have been conflated with distant lands overseas – but regardless, .  Whether or not it was a mistake, this it does seem to indicated that Yamato had at least an inkling of the wider world, introduced through the continental literature that they had been importing, if not the direct interactions with individuals from the Korean peninsula and the Tang court. This episode, we're going to talk about some of the relations between Yamato and the continent, including the various embassies sent back and forth, as well as one especially detailed embassy from Yamato to the Tang Court that found itself in a bit of a pickle.  After all, what did you do, back in those days, when you were and ambassador, and your country suddenly went to war?  We'll talk about that and what happened. To reorient ourselves in time, we're in the reign of Takara Hime, called aka Kyogoku Tennou during her first reign, who had reascended to the throne in 655, following the death of her brother, Prince Karu.  The Chroniclers would dub her Saimei Tennou in her second run on the throne. From the very beginning of her second reign, Takara Hime was entertaining foreign envoys.  In 654, the Three Han of the Korean Peninsula—Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla—all sent ambassadors to express their condolence on the death of her brother, and presumably to witness her ascension.  And in the 8th month of her reign, Kawabe no Maro no Omi, along with others, returned from Chang'an.  He Kawabe no Maro no Omi had been the Chief Ambassador to the Tang on an embassy sent , traveling there in the 2nd month of the previous year.  Originally he had been He was under the command of the controlling envoy, Takamuku no Obito no Kuromaro, but Kuromaro who unfortunately died in Chang'an and so Kawabe no Mari no Omi took over his role. That same year, 655, we know that there were about 100 persons recorded in Yamato from Baekje, along with envoys of Goguryeo and Silla.  These are likely the same ones we mentioned back in episode 117 when 150 Baekje envoys were present at court along with multiple members of the Emishi. Silla, for their part, had sent to Yamato a special hostage , whom we know as something like “Mimu”, along with skilled workmen.  Unfortunately, we are told that Mimu fell ill and died.  The Chronicles are pretty sparse on what this meant, but I can't imagine it was great.  After all, the whole idea of sending a hostage to another nation was as a pledge of good behavior – the idea being that the hostage was the idea that they werewas valuable enough that the sending nation wouldn't do anything too rash.  The flip side of that is if the hostage died, Of course, if they perished, the hosting country lost any leverage—and presumably the sending nation would be none too pleased.  That said, people getting sick and passing away was hardly a hostile action, and likely just considered an unfortunate situation. The following year, in 656, we see that Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla again all sent ambassadords were all sent to offer “tribute”.  The Chronicles mention that dark purple curtains were drawn around the palace site to entertain the ambassadors—likely referring to the new palace site at Asuka no Wokamoto, which probably was not yet fully built out, yet.   We are given the name of the Goguryeo ambassador, Talsa, and associate ambassador, Ilchi,  in the 8th month, Talsa and Ilichi, with 81 total members in the Goguryeo retinueof the embassy.  In seeming response, Yamato sent an embassy was sent to Goguryeo with the likes of Kashiwade no Omi no Hatsumi as the Chief Ambassador and Sakahibe no Muraji no Iwasuki as the Associate Ambassador.  Other names mentioned include We also see the likes of Inugami no Shiromaro, Kawachi no Fumi no Obito—no personal name is given—and Ohokura no Maro.  We also see thea note in the Chronicles that Yamato ambassadors to the quote-unquote “Western Sea”—which seems to refer to the Tang court, but could possibly refer to anything from the Korean Peninsula west—returned in that same year.  The two are named as Saheki no Muraji no Takunaha and Oyamashita no Naniha no Kishi no Kunikatsu.  These are both families that were clearly involved in cross-strait relations , based on how they are frequently referenced in the Chronicles as being associated with various overseas missions.  but  However, we don't seem to have clear evidence of them when these particular individualsy leavingft on this mission.  “Kunikatsu” mightay refer to an earlier ambassador to Baekje, but the names are different, so that is largely just speculation.  In any case, Uupon their return, they are said to have brought with them a parrot.  This wasn't the first parrot the court had seen—that feathery traveler had arrived in 647, or at least that is the first parrotinstance  we have in the written record -- .  Aand that one came from Silla as part of that embassy's gifts. Continuing on, in 657, The following year there was another group of ambassadors returned coming  from the “Western Seas”, in this case coming back from—or through—Baekje.  Thisese wasere Adzumi no Muraji no Tsuratari and Tsu no Omi no Kutsuma.  The presents they brought back were, of all things:  one camel and two donkeys.  And can you imagine bringing a camel back across the sea at this point?  Even if they were using the larger ships based on continental designs, it still must have been something else to put up with a camel and donkeys onboard, animals that are not exactly known for their easy-going and compliant nature. Speaking of boats, we should probably touch on what we *think* they were usinghas been going on here.  I say *think* because we only get glimpses  of the various boats being used in the archipelago, whether from mentions in or around Yamato, archaeology, or artistic depictions, many of which came from later periods., and wSo while it is generally assumed that they the Yamato were using Tang style vessels by the 8th and 9th century, there does not appear to be clear evidence of exactly what kind of boats were being used during the early earlier periods of contact. A quick note on boat technology and navigation: while travel between the Japanese archipelago and the Korean Peninsula, and up the Yellow Sea, wasn't safe, it would have been possible with the vessels of the time.  Japan sits on the continental shelf, meaning that to the east where the shelf gives way to the Pacific Ocean with the Phillippine Sea to the south, the waters are much, much deeper than they are to the west.  In deep waters, waves are not necessarily affected by the ocean floor, meaning they can build up much more energy and require different kinds of technology to sail.  In shallower areas, such as the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea or the Korean Straits to the west of the archipelago, there's more drag that dampens out the wave effect – it's not that these areas are uniformly shallow and calm, but they are calmer and easier to navigate in general.  Our oldest example of boats in the archipelago of any kind are dugout canoes, .  These are logs that are hollowed out  and shaped. , and tThese appear to be what Jomon era populations used to cross to the archipelago and travel between the various islands.  Though they may be considered primitive, without many of the later innovations that would increase stability and seaworthiness—something I'll touch on more a bit later—, they were clearly effective enough to populate the islands of the Ryukyuan chain and even get people and livestock, in the form of pigs, down to the Hachijo islands south of modern Tokyo.    So they weren't ineffective. Deep waters mean that the waves are not necessarily affected by the ocean floor.  Once it hits shallower water, there is more drag that affects larger waves.  This means that there can be more energy in these ocean waves.  That usually means that shallower areas tend to be more calm and easier to navigate—though there are other things that can affect that as well. We probably should note, however, that Japan sits on the edge of the continental shelf.  To the west, the seas are deep, but not nearly as deep as they are to the east, where continental shelf gives way to the Pacific ocean, with the Philippine Sea to the south.  These are much deeper waters than those of the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, or the Korean Straits.  The Sea of Japan does have some depth to it, but even then it doesn't compare in both size and depth. Deep waters mean that the waves are not necessarily affected by the ocean floor.  Once it hits shallower water, there is more drag that affects larger waves.  This means that there can be more energy in these ocean waves.  That usually means that shallower areas tend to be more calm and easier to navigate—though there are other things that can affect that as well. All this to say that travel between the Japanese archipelago and the Korean Peninsula, and up the Yellow Sea, were all things that were likely much easier to navigate with the vessels available at the time, but that doesn't mean that it was safe. Later, we see a different type of vessel appear: .  This is a built vessel, made of multiple hewn pieces of wood.  The examples that we see show a rather square front and back that rise up, sometimes dramatically, .  There are with various protrusions on either side. We see examples of this shape , and we've seen examples in haniwa from about the 6th century, and we have some corresponding wooden pieces found around the Korean peninsula that pretty closely match the haniwa boat shapesuggest similar boats were in use there as well, .  Nnot surprising given the cultural connections.  These boats do not show examples of sails, and were likely crewed by rowers.  Descriptions of some suggest that they might be adorned with branches, jewels, mirrors, and other such things for formal occasions to identify some boats as special -- , and we even have one record of the rowers in ceremonial garb with deer antlers.  But none of this suggests more than one basic boat typevery different types of boats. In the areas of the Yellow and Yangzi rivers, area of modern China, particularly in the modern PRC, the boats we see are a little different.  They tend to be flat bottomed boats, possible evolved from  which appear to have been designed from rafts or similar .   These vessels would have evolved out of those used to transport goods and people up and down the Yellow and Yangzi rivers and their tributaries.  These boats y had developed sails, but still the boats wwere n'ot necessarily the most stable on the open ocean.  Larger boats could perhaps make their way through some of the waves, and were no doubt used throughout the Yellow Sea and similar regions.  However, for going farther abroad, we are told thatcourt chronicles note that there were other boats that were preferred: . These are sometimes called  the Kun'lun-po, or Boats of the Kunlun, or the Boats of the Dark-skinned people.  A quick dive here into how this name came to be. Originally, “Kunlun” appears to refer to a mythical mountain range, the Kunlun-shan, which may have originated in the Shan-hai-jing, the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and so may not have referred to anything specific terrestrial mountain range, ally.  Italthough the term would later attach be used to describe to the mountain chain that forms the northern edge of the Tibetan plateau, on the southern edge of the Tarim Basin. However, at some point, it seems that “Kunlun” came to refer to people -- .  Sspecifically, it came to refer to people of dark complexion, with curly hair.  There are Tang era depictions of such people, but their origin is not exactly known: it might .  It is thought that it may have have equally referred to dark-skinned individuals of African descent, or possibly referring to some of the dark-skinned people who lived in the southern seas—people like the Andamanese living on the islands west of modern Thailand or some of the people of the Malay peninsula, for example. It is these latter groups that likely were the origin, then, of the “Kun'lun-po”, referring to the ships of the south, such as those of Malay and AsutronesianAustronesian origin.  We know that from the period of at least the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and even into the early Tang, these foreign ships often , which were often plyingied the waters from trade port to trade port, and were the preferred sailing vessels for voyages to the south, where the waters could be more treacherous.  Indeed, the Malay language eventually gives us the term of their vessels as “Djong”, a term that eventually made its way into Portuguese as “Junco” and thus into English as “junk”, though this terms has since been rather broadly applied to different “Asian” style sailing vessels. So that leaves us with three ship types that the Yamato court could have been using to send these embassies back and forth to the continent: .  Were they still using their own style of native boat as seen on haniwa,, or were they adopting continental boats to their needs?   If so, were they using the flat-bottomed boats of the Tang dynasty, or the more seaworthy vessels of the foreign merchants?. Which were they using?  The general thinking is that IMost depictions I have seen of the kentoushi, the Japanese embassies to the Tang court, depict them as t is generally thought that they were probably using the more continental-style flat-bottomed, riverine vessels.  After all, they were copying so much of what the Sui and Tang courts were doing, why would they not consider these ships to likewise be superior to their own?  At least for diplomatic purposes.  I suspect that local fishermen did their own were keeping their own counsel as far as ships are concernedthing, and I also have to wonder about what got used they were using from a military standpoint for military purposes.  Certainly we see the Tang style boats used in later centuries, suggesting that these had been adopted at some earlier point, possibly by the 650s or earlier. Whatever they used, and while long-distance sailing vessels could Sailing vessels could be larger than short-distance riverine craft, this was not a luxury cruise.  , but conditions on board were not necessarily a luxury cruise.  From later accounts we know that they would really pack people into these shipspeople could be packed in.  It should be noted that individual beds and bedrooms were a luxury in much of the world, and many people probably had little more than a mat to sleep on.  Furthermore, people could be packed in tight.   Think of the size of some of these embassies, which are said to be 80 to 150 people in size.  A long, overseas journey likely meant getting quite cozy with your neighbors on the voyage.  So how much more so with a camel and two donkeys on board a vessel that was likely never meant to carry them?  Not exactly the most pleasant experience, I imagine – and this is not really any different than European sailing vessels during the later age of exploration.. So, from the records for just the first few years of Takara-hime's second reign, we see that there are lots of people going back and forth, and we have a sense of how they might be getting to and from the continent and peninsula.  Let's dive into Next, we are going to talk about one of the most heavily documented embassies to the Tang court, which set out in the 7th month of the year 659.  Not only do we get a pretty detailed account of this embassy, but we even know who wrote the account: as in our imagined intro, , as this is one of the accounts by the famous Iki no Muraji no Hakatoko, transcribed by Aston as “Yuki” no Muraji. Iki no Hakatoko's name first appears in an entry for 654, where he is quoted as giving information about the status of some of the previous embassies to the Tang court.  Thereafter, various entries are labeled as “Iki no Muraji no Hakatoko says:”, which   This would seem to indicate that these particular entries came are taken directly from another work written by Iki no Hakatoko and referred to as the “Iki Hakatoko Sho”.  Based on the quoted fragments found in the Nihon Shoki, itthis appears to be one of ourthis oldest Japanese travelogues.  It , and spends considerable time on the mission of 659, of which it would appear that Iki no Hakatoko was himself a member, though not a ranking one.  Later, Iki no Hakatoko would find himself mentioned in the Nihon Shoki directly, and he would even be an ambassador, himself. The embassy of 659 itself, as we shall see, was rather momentous.  Although it started easily enough, the embassy would be caught up in some of the most impactful events that would take place between the Tang, Yamato, and the states of the Korean peninsula. This embassy was formally under the command of Sakahibe no Muraji no Iwashiki and Tsumori no Muraji no Kiza.  It's possible In the first instance it is not clear to me if this isthat he is the same person as the previously mentioned associate envoy, Sakahibe no Iwasuki—but the kanji are different enough, and there is another Sakahibe no Kusuri who shows up between the two in the record.  However, they are both listed as envoys during the reign of Takara Hime, aka Saimei Tennou, and as we've abundantly seen, and it wouldn't be the first time that scribal error crept in. has taken place, especially if the Chroniclers were pulling from different sources. The ambassadors took a retinue with them, including members of the northern Emishi, whom they were bringing along with them to show to the Tang court.  TheThey also  embassy ttook two ships—perhaps because of the size of the retinue, but I suspect that this was also because if anything happened to the one, you still had the other.  A kind of backup plan due to the likelihood something went wrong.  And wouldn't you know it, something did go wrong.  You see, things started out fine, departing Mitsu Bay, in Naniwa, on the 3rd day of the 7th month.  They sailed through the Seto Inland Sea and stopped at Tsukushi, likely for one last resupply and to check in with the Dazai, located near modern Fukuoka, who would have been in charge of overseeing ships coming and going to the archipelago.  They departed from Ohotsu bay in Tsukushi on the 11th day of the 8th month. A quick note: Sspeedboats these were not.  Today, one can cross from Fukuoka to Busan, on the southeast corner of the Korean peninsula, in less than a day.  The envoys, however, were taking their time.  They may have even stopped at the islands of Iki and Tsushima on their way.  By the 13th day of the 9th month—over a month from leaving Kyushu behind -- , the  ships finally came to an island along the southern border of Yamato's ally, Baekje.  Hakatoko does not recall the name of the island, but o On the following morning, around 4 AM, so just before sunrise, the two ships put out to sea together to cross the ocean, heading south, towards the mouth of the Yangzi river.  Unfortunately, the following day, the ship Iwashiki was on met with a contrary wind, and was driven away from the other ship – with nothing known of its fate until some time afterwards.  Meanwhile, the other ship, under the command of Tsumori no Muraji no Kiza, continued on and by midnight on the 16th day, it arrived at Mt. Xuan near Kuaiji Commandary in the Yue district, in modern Zhejiang.  Suddenly a violent northeast wind blew up, and p.  Tthey were saileding another 7 days before they finally arrived at Yuyao.  Today, this is part of the city of Ningbo, at the mouth of the Qiantang river, south of Shanghai and considered a part of the Yangzi Delta Region.  This area has been inhabited since at least 6300 years ago, and it has long been a trade port, especially with the creation of the Grand Canal connecting between the Yangzi and the Yellow River, which would have allowed transshipment of goods to both regions. The now half-size Yamato contingenty  left their ship at Yuyao and disembarked, and made their way to Yuezhou, the capital of the Kuaiji Commandary.  This took them a bit of time—a little over a month.  Presumably this was because of paperwork and logistics: they probably because they had to send word ahead, and I suspect they had to inventory everything they brought and negotiate carts and transportationfigure out transportation., since   Tthey didn't exactly have bags of holding to stuff it all in, so they probably needed to negotiate carts and transportation.  The finally made it to Yuezhou on the first day of the 11th intercalary month.  An “intercalary” month refers to an extra month in a year.  It was determined by various calculations and was added to keep the lunar and solar years in relative synch. From Yuezhou, things went a bit more quickly, as they were placed on post-horses up to the Eastern Capital, or Luoyang, where the Emperor Tang Gaozong was in residence.   The Tang kept a capital at Luoyang and another to the west, in Chang'an.  The trip to Luoyang was long—over 1,000 kilometers, or 1 megameter, as it were.  The trip first took them through the Southern Capital, meaning the area of modern Nanjing, which they entered on the 15th day of the month.  They then continued onwards, reaching Luoyang on the 29th day of the 11th month.  The following day, on the 30th day of the 11th intercalary month of the year 659, the Yamato envoys were granted an audience with Emperor Tang Gaozong.  As was proper, he inquired about the health of their sovereign, Takara Hime, and the envoys reported that she was doing well.  He asked other questions about how the officials were doing and whether there was peace in Yamato.  The envoys all responded affirmatively, assuring him that Yamato was at peace. Tang Gaozong also asked about the Emishi they had brought with them.  We mentioned this event previously, back in Episode XXX117 , how the Emishi had been shown to the Tang Emperor, and how they had described them for him.  This is actually one of the earliest accounts that we have describing the Emishi from the Yamato point of view, rather than just naming them—presumably because everyone in Yamato already knew who they were.  From a diplomatic perspective, of course, this was no doubt Yamato demonstrating how they were, in many ways, an Empire, similar to the Tang, with their own subordinate ethnicities and “barbarians”. After answering all of the emperor's questions, the audience was concluded.  The following day, however, was something of its own. This was the first day of the regular 11th lunar month, and it also was the celebration of the Winter Solstice—so though it was the 11th month, it may have been about 22 December according to our modern western calendars.  The envoys once again met with the emperor, and they were treated as distinguished guests—at least according to their own records of it.  Unfortunately, during the festivities, it seems that a fire broke out, creating some confusion, and .  Tthe matters of the diplomatic mission were put on hold while all of that went on. We don't know exactly what happened in the ensuing month.  Presumably the envoys took in the sites of the city, may have visited various monasteries, and likely got to know the movers and shakers in the court, who likely would have wined and dined them, inviting them to various gatherings, as since they brought their own exotic culture and experiences to the Tang court. Unfortunately, things apparently turned sour.  First off, it seems clear that the members of this embassyy weren't the only Japanese in the court.  There may have been various merchants, of course, but and we definitely know that there were students who had come on other missions and were still there likely still studying, such as those who had been learning from studying with Master Xuanzang, whose journeys we mentioned in the last several episodes.  But Wwe are given a very specific name of a troublemaker, however:  Kawachi no Aya no Ohomaro, and we are told that he was aa servant of Han Chihung, who .  Han Chihung, himself, is thought to have possiblymay have been of mixed ethnicity—both Japanese and ethnic Han, and may .  Hhe may have traveled to the Tang court on or around 653. , based on some of the records, but it isn't entirely clear. For whatever reason, on the 3rd day of the 12th month of the year 659, Kawachi no Aya no Ohomaro slandered the envoys, and although .  Wwe don't know exactly what he said, but the Tang court caught wind of the accusations and found the envoys guilty.  They were condemned to banishment, until the author of our tale, none other than Iki no Hakatoko himself, stepped up, .  He made representation to the Emperor, pleading against the slander.  , and tThe punishment was remitted, .  Sso they were no longer banished.  However, they were also then told that they could no't return home.  You see, the Tang court was in the middle of some sensitive military operations in the lands east of the sea—in other words they were working with Silla to and invadeing the Kingdom of Baekje.  Since Yamato was an ally of Baekje, it would be inconvenient if the envoys were to return home and rally Yamato to Baekje's defense. And so the entire Yamato embassy was moved to the Western Capital, Chang'an, where they were placed under individual house arrest.  They no doubt were treated well, but they were not allowed to leave, and .  Tthey ended up spending the next year in this state. of house arrest. Unfortunately, we don't have a record of just how they passed their time in Chang'an.  They likely studied, and were probably visited by nobles and others.  They weren't allowed to leave, but they weren't exactly thrown in jail, either.  After all, they were foreign emissaries, and though the Tang might be at war with their ally, there was no formal declaration of war with Yamato, as far as I can make out.  And so the embassy just sat there, for about 9 months. Finally, in the 7th month of 660, the records tell us we are told thatthat tThe Tang and Silla forces had been successful: .  Baekje was destroyed..  The Tang and Silla forces had been successful.   News must have reached Chang'an a month later, as Iki Hakatoko writes that this occurred in the 8th month of the year 660.  With the Tang special military operation on the Korean peninsula concluded, they released the envoys and allowed them to return to their own countries.  They envoys began their preparations as of the 12th day of the 9th month, no doubt eager to return home, and left were leaving Chang'an a week later, on the 19th day of the 9th month.  From there, it took them almost a month to reach Luoyang, arriving on the 16th day of the 10th month, and here they were greeted with more good news, for here it was that they met up once again with those members of their delegation who had been blown off course. As you may remember, the ship carrying Iwashiki was blown off-course on the 15th day of the 9th month in the year 659, shortly after setting out from the Korean peninsula.  The two ships had lost contact and Tsumori no Muraji no Kiza and his ship had been the one that had continued on.   Iwashiki and those with him, however, found themselves at the mercy of the contrary winds and eventually came ashore at an island in the Southern Sea, which Aston translates as “Erh-kia-wei”.   There appears to be at least some suggestion that this was an island in the Ryukyuan chain, possibly the island of Kikai.  There, local islanders, none too happy about these foreigners crashing into their beach, destroyed the ship, and presumably attacked the embassy.  Several members, including Yamato no Aya no Wosa no Atahe no Arima (yeah, that *is* a mouthful), Sakahibe no Muraji no Inadzumi (perhaps a relative of Iwashiki) and others all stole a local ship and made their way off the island.  They eventually made landfall at a Kuazhou, southeast of Lishui City in modern Zhejiang province, where they met with local officials of the Tang government, who then sent them under escort to the capital at Luoyang.  Once there, they were probably held in a similar state of house arrest, due to the invasion of Baekje, but they met back up with Kiza and Hakatoko's party. The envoys, now reunited, hung out in Luoyang for a bit longer, and thus .  Thus it was on the first day of the 11th month of 660 that they witnessed war captives being brought to the capital.  This included 13 royal persons of Baekje, from the King on down to the Crown Prince and various nobles, including the PRimiePrime Minister, as well as 37 other persons of lower rank—50 people all told.  TheThese captives y were delivered up to the Tang government and led before the emperor.  Of course, with the war concluded, and Baekje no longer a functioning state, while he could have had them executed, Tang Gaozong instead released them, demonstrating a certain amount of magnanimity.  The Yamato envoys remained in Luoyang for most of the month.  On the 19th, they had another audience with the emperor, who bestowed on them various gifts and presents, and then five days later they departed the Luoyang, and began the trek back to the archipelago in earnest. By the 25th day of the first month of 661, the envoys arrived back at Yuezhou, head of the Kuaiji Commandery.  They stayed there for another couple of months, possibly waiting for the right time, as crossing the sea at in the wrong season could be disastrous.  They finally departed east from Yuezhou on the first day of the fourth month, coming to .  They came to Mt. Cheng-an 6 days later, on the 7th, and set out to sea first thing in the morning on the 8th.  They had a southwest wind initially in their favor, but they lost their way in the open ocean, an all too commonall-too-common problem without modern navigational aids.  Fortunately, the favorable winds had carried them far enough that only a day later they made landfall on the island of Tamna, aka Jeju island. Jeju island was, at this point, its own independent kingdom, situated off the southern coast of the Korean peninsula.  Dr. Alexander Vovin suggested that the name “Tamna” may have been a corruption of a Japonic or proto-Japonic name: Tanimura.  The island was apparently quite strange to the Yamato embassy, and they met with various residents natives of Jeju island.  They, even convincinged Prince Aphaki and eight other men of the island to come with them to be presented at the Yamato court. The rest of their journey took a little over a month.  They finally arrived back in Yamato on the 23rd day of the fifth month of 661.  They had been gone for approximately two years, and a lot had changed, especially with the destruction of Baekje.  The Yamato court had already learned of what had happened and was in the process of drawing up plans for an expedition back to the Korean peninsula to restore the Baekje kingdom, and pPrince Naka no Oe himself was set to lead the troops. The icing on the cake was: Tthe reception that the envoys received upon their return was rather cold.  Apparently they were had been slandered to the Yamato court by another follower of Han Chihung—Yamato no Aya no Atahe no Tarushima—and so they weren't met with any fanfare.  We still don't know what it was that Tarsuhima was saying—possibly he had gotten letters from Chihung or Ohomaro and was simply repeating what they had said. Either way, the envoys were sick of it.  They had traveled all the way to the Tang capitals, they had been placed under house arrest for a year, and now they had returned.  They not only had gifts from the Tang emperor, but they were also bringing the first ever embassy from the Kingdom of Tamna along with them.  The slander would not stand.  And so they did what anyone would do at the time:  They apparently appealed to the Kami.  We are told that their anger reached to the Gods of the High Heaven, which is to say the kami of Takamanohara, who killed Tarushima with a thunderbolt.  Which I guess was one way to shut him up. From what we can tell, the embassy was eventually considered a success.  Iki no Hakatoko's star would rise—and fall—and rise again in the court circles.  As I noted, his account of this embassy is really one of the best and most in depth that we have from this time.  It lets us see the relative route that the envoys were taking—the Chronicles in particular note that they traveled to the Great Tang of Wu, and, sure enough, they had set out along the southern route to the old Wu capital, rather than trying to cross the Bohai Sea and make landfall by the Shandong peninsula or at the mouth of the Yellow River.  From there they traveled through Nanjing—the southern “capital” likely referring, in this instance, to the old Wu capital—and then to Luoyang.  Though they stayed there much longer than they had anticipated, they ended up living there through some of the most impactful events that occurred during this point in Northeast Asia.  they And that is something we will touch on next episode.  Until then, thank you once again for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan

This episode we will finish up the travels of Xuanzang, who circumnavigated the Indian subcontinent while he was there, spending over a decade and a half travelings, visiting important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, and studying at the feet of learned monks of India, and in particular at Nalanda monastery--a true center of learning from this period. For more, check out our blogpost page:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-122 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 122:  Journey to the West, Part 3 The courtyard at Nalanda was quiet.  Although hundreds of people were crowded in, trying to hear what was being said, they were all doing their best to be silent and still.  Only the wind or an errant bird dared speak up.  The master's voice may not have been what it once was—he was definitely getting on in years—but Silabhadra's mind was as sharp as ever. At the front of the crowd was a relatively young face from a far off land.  Xuanzang had made it to the greatest center of learning in the world, and he had been accepted as a student of perhaps the greatest sage of his era.  Here he was, receiving lessons on some of the deepest teachings of the Mahayana Buddhist sect, the very thing he had come to learn and bring home. As he watched and listened with rapt attention, the ancient teacher began to speak….   For the last two episodes, and continuing with this one, we have been covering the travels of the monk Xuanzang in the early 7th century, starting around 629 and concluding in 645.  Born during the Sui dynasty, Xuanzang felt that the translations of the Buddhist sutras available in China were insufficient—many of them had been made long ago, and often were translations of translations.  Xuanzang decided to travel to India in the hopes of getting copies in the original language to provide more accurate translations of the sutras, particularly the Mahayana sutras.  His own accounts of his journeys, even if drawn from his memory years afterwards, provide some of our most detailed contemporary evidence of the Silk Road and the people and places along the way.  After he returned, he got to work on his translations, and became quite famous.  Several of the Japanese students of Buddhism who traveled to the Tang dynasty in the 650s studied under him directly and brought his teachings back to Japan with them.  His school of “Faxiang” Buddhism became known in Japan as the Hosso sect, and was quite popular during the 7th and 8th centuries.  Xuanzang himself, known as Genjou in Japan, would continue to be venerated as an important monk in the history of Buddhism, and his travels would eventually be popularized in fantastic ways across East Asia. Over the last couple of episodes we talked about Xuanzang's illegal and harrowing departure from the Tang empire, where he had to sneak across the border into the deserts of the Western Regions.  We then covered his time traveling from Gaochang, to Suyab, and down to Balkh, in modern Afghanistan.  This was all territory under the at least nominal control of the Gokturk empire.  From Balkh he traveled to Bamyan, and then on to Kapisa, north of modern Kabul, Afghanistan.  However, after Kapisa, Xuanzang was finally entering into the northern territories of what he knew as “India”, or “Tianzhu”. Here I would note that I'm using “India” to refer not to a single country, but to the entirety of the Indian subcontinent, and all of the various kingdoms there -- including areas now part of the modern countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.  The Sinitic characters used to denote this region are pronounced, today, as “Tianzhu”, with a rough meaning of “Center of Heaven”, but it is likely that these characters were originally pronounced in such a way that the name likely came from terms like “Sindhu” or “Induka”.  This is related to the name of the Sindh or Indus river, from which India gets its name.  Xuanzang's “Record of the Western Regions” notes that the proper pronunciation of the land should be “Indu”.  In Japan, this term was transmitted through the Sinitic characters, or kanji, and pronounced as “Tenjiku”.  Since it featured so prominently in the stories of the life of the Buddha and many of the Buddhist sutras, Tenjiku was known to the people of the Japanese archipelago as a far off place that was both real and fantastical. In the 12th century, over a thousand stories were captured for the “Konjaku Monogatarishu”, or the “Collection of Tales Old and New”, which is divided up into tales from Japan, China, and India.  In the famous 9th or 10th century story, “Taketori Monogatari”, or the “Bamboo-Cutter's Tale”, about princess Kaguya hime, one of the tasks the princess sets to her suitors is to go to India to find the begging bowl of the Buddha.  Records like those produced by Xuanzang and his fellow monks, along with the stories in the sutras, likely provided the majority of what people in the Japanese archipelago knew about India, at least to begin with. Xuanzang talks about the land of India as being divided into five distinct parts—roughly the north, south, east, west, and center.  He notes that three sides face the sea and that the Snow Mountains—aka the Himalayas—are in the north.  It is, he says, “Wide in the north and narrow in the south, in the shape of a crescent moon”.  Certainly the “Wide in the north and narrow in the south” fit the subcontinent accurately enough, and it is largely surrounded by the waters of what we know as the Indian Ocean to the west, the east, and the south.  The note about the Crescent Moon might be driven by Xuanzang's understanding of a false etymology for the term “Indus”, which he claims comes from the word for “moon”.  Rather, this term appears to refer to the Indus River, also known as the Sindh or Sindhus, which comes from an ancient word meaning something like “River” or “Stream”. Xuanzang also notes that the people of the land were divided into castes, with the Brahman caste at the top of the social hierarchy.    The land was further divided into approximately 70 different countries, according to his accounts.  This is known broadly as the Early Medieval period, in India, in which the region was divided into different kingdoms and empires that rose and fell across the subcontinent, with a total size roughly equivalent to that covered by the countries of the modern European Union.  Just like Europe, there were many different polities and different languages spoken across the land – but just as Latin was the common language in Europe, due to its use in Christianity, Sanskrit was the scholarly and religious language in much of India, and could also be used as a bridge language.  Presumably, Xuanzang understood Sanskrit to some extent as a Buddhist monk.  And, just a quick note, all of this was before the introduction of Islam, though there were other religions also practiced throughout the subcontinent, but Xuanzang was primarily focused on his Buddhist studies. Xuanzang describes India as having three distinct seasons—The hot season, the rainy season, and the cold season, in that order.  Each of these were four month long periods.  Even today, the cycle of the monsoon rains is a major impact on the life of people in South Asia.  During the rainy season, the monks themselves would retreat back to their monasteries and cease their wanderings about the countryside. This tradition, called “Vassa”, is still a central practice in many Theravada Buddhist societies such as Thailand and Laos today, where they likewise experience this kind of intensely wet monsoon season. Xuanzang goes on to give an in depth analysis of the people and customs of the Indian subcontinent, as he traveled from country to country. So, as we've done before, we'll follow his lead in describing the different locations he visited. The first country of India that Xuanzang came to was the country of Lampa, or Lamapaka, thought to be modern Laghman province in Afghanistan.  At the time it was a dependency of Kapisa.  The Snow Mountains, likely meaning the Hindu Kush, the western edge of the Himalayas, lay at its north, while the “Black Mountains” surrounded it on the other three sides.  Xuanzang mentions how the people of Lampa grow non-glutinous rice—likely something similar to basmati rice, which is more prevalent in South Asian cuisine, as compared to glutinous rice like more often used in East Asia. From Lampa he headed to Nagarahara, likely referring to a site near the Kabul River associated with the ruins of a stupa called Nagara Gundi, about 4 kilometers west of modern Jalalabad, Afghanistan.  This was another vassal city-state of Kapisa.  They were still Mahayana Buddhists, but there were other religions as well, which Xuanzang refers to as “heretical”, though I'm not entirely sure how that is meant in this context.  He does say that many of the stupas were dilapidated and in poor condition. Xuanzang was now entering areas where he likely believed the historical Buddha had once walked.  In fact, Lampa was perhaps the extent of historical Buddha's travels, according to the stories and the sutras, though this seems unlikely to have been true.  The most plausible locations for the Historical Buddha's pilgrimages were along the Ganges river, which was on the other side of the subcontinent, flowing east towards modern Kolkatta and the Bengal Bay.  However, as Buddhism spread, so, too, did stories of the Buddha's travels.  And so, as far as Xuanzang was concerned, he was following in the footsteps of the Buddha. Speaking of which, at Nagarahara, Xuanzang mentions “footprints” of the Buddha.  This is a Buddhist tradition found in many places.  Xuanzang claims that the Tathagatha, the Englightened One, or the Buddha, would fly, because when he walked the land itself shook.  Footprint shapes in rock could be said to be evidence of the Buddha's travels.  Today, in many Buddhist areas you can find footprints carved into rock conforming to stories about the Buddha, such as all the toes being of the same length, or other various signs.  These may have started out as natural depressions in the rock, or pieces of artwork, but they were believed by many to be the actual point at which the Buddha himself touched down.  There are famous examples of these footprints in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and China.  Of course there are also traditions of creating images of the footprint as an object of worship.  Images of footprints, similar to images of the Great Wheel of the Law, may have been some of the earliest images for veneration, as images of the Buddha himself did not appear until much later in the tradition.  One of the oldest such footprints in Japan is at Yakushiji temple, and dated to 753.  It was created based on a rubbing brought back by an envoy to the Tang court, while they were in Chang'an. Like Buddha footprints, there are many other images and stories that show up multiple times in different places, even in Xuanzang's own narrative.  For example, in Nagarahara Xuanzang also shares a story of a cave, where an image of the Buddha could be just barely made out on the wall – maybe maybe an old carving that had just worn away, or maybe an image that was deliberately placed in the darkness as a metaphor for finding the Buddha—finding enlightenment.  This is not an uncommon theme in Buddhism as a whole.  In any case, the story around this image was that it had been placed there to subdue a naga. Now a naga is a mythical snake-like being, and  we are told that this particular naga was the reincarnation of a man who had invoked a curse on the nearby kingdom, then threw himself from a cliff in order to become a naga and sow destruction.  As the story went, the man was indeed reborn, but before he could bring destruction, the Buddha showed up and subdued him, convincing him that this was not right.  And so the naga agreed to stay in the cave, where the Buddha left an image—a shadow—to remind the naga any time that its thoughts might turn to destruction. Later in his travels, at a place name Kausambi, Xuanzang mentions another cave where the Buddha had subdued a venomous dragon and left his shadow on the cave wall.  Allowing for the possibility that the Buddha just had a particular M.O. when dealing with destructive beings, we should also consider the possibility that the story developed in one region—probably closer to the early center of Buddhism, and then traveled outward, such that it was later adopted and adapted to local traditions.  From Nagarahara, Xuanzang continued to the country of Gandhara and its capital city of Purushapura, aka modern Peshwar.  This kingdom was also under vassalage to the Kapisan king.  Here and elsewhere in the journey, Xuanzang notes not only evidence of the historical Buddha, but also monasteries and stupas purported to have been built by King Kanishka and King Asoka.  These were important figures who were held in high regard for spreading Buddhism during their reign.  Continuing through the region of Gandhara, he also passed through Udakhand and the city of Salatura, known as the birthplace of the ancient Sanskrit grammarian, Daksiputra Panini, author of the Astadhyayi [Aestudjayi].  This work is the oldest surviving description of classical Sanskrit, and used grammatical and other concepts that wouldn't be introduced into Western linguistics for eons.  Daksiputra Panini thrived around the 5th or 4th century BCE, but was likely one of the reasons that Sanskrit continued to be used as a language of scholarship and learning even as it died out of usage as the day to day language of the common people.  His works and legacy would have been invaluable to translators like Xuanzang in understanding and translating from Sanskrit. Xuanzang continued on his journey to Kashmira, situated in the Kashmir Valley.  This valley sits between the modern states of Pakistan and India, and its ownership is actively disputed by each.  It is the namesake of the famous cashmere wool—wool from the winter coats of a type of goat that was bred in the mountainous regions.  The winter coat would be made of soft, downy fibers and would naturally fall out in the spring, which the goatherds harvested and made into an extremely fine wool.  In the 7th century and earlier, however, the region was known not as much for its wool, but as a center for Hindu and Buddhist studies.  Xuanzang ended up spending two years in Kashmira studying with teachers there.  Eventually, though, he continued on, passing through the country of Rajpura, and continuing on to Takka and the city of Sakala—modern day Sialkot in the Punjab region of modern Pakistan.  Leaving Sakala, he was traveling with a group when suddenly disaster struck and they were accosted by a group of bandits.  They took the clothes and money of Xuanzang and those with him and then they drove the group into a dry pond in an attempt to corral them while they figured out what they would do—presumably meaning kill them all.  Fortunately for the group, there was a water drain at the southern edge of the pond large enough for one man to pass through.  Xuanzang and one other went through the gap and they were able to escape to a nearby village.  Once they got there, they told the people what had happened, and the villagers quickly gathered weapons and ran out to confront the brigands, who saw a large group coming and ran away.  Thus they were able to rescue the rest of Xuanzang's traveling companions.  Xuanzang's companions were devastated, having lost all of their possessions.  However, Xuanzang comforted them.  After all, they still had their lives.  By this time, Xuanzang had certainly seen his fair share of life and death problems along the road.  They continued on, still in the country of Takka, to the next great city.  There they met a Brahman, and once they told him what had happened, he started marshalling the forces of the city on their behalf.  During Xuanzang's stay in Kashmira, he had built a reputation, and people knew of the quote-unquote “Chinese monk”.  And even though the people in this region were not necessarily Buddhist—many were “heretics” likely referring to those of Hindu faith—the people responded to this pre-Internet “GoFundMe” request with incredible generosity.  They brought Xuanzang food and cloth to make into suits of clothes.  Xuanzang distributed this to his travel companions, and ended up still having enough cloth for 50 suits of clothes himself.  He then stayed at that city a month. It is odd that they don't seem to mention the name of this location.  Perhaps there is something unspeakable about it?  Still, it seems that they were quite generous, even if they were “heretics” according to Xuanzang. From the country of Takka, he next proceeded to the kingdom of Cinabhukti, where he spent 14 months—just over a year—studying with the monks there.  Once he had learned what he could, he proceeded onwards, passing through several countries in northern India until he came to the headwaters of the sacred Ganges rivers.  The Indus and the Ganges rivers are in many ways similar to the Yellow River and Yangzi, at least in regards to their importance to the people of India.  However, whereas the Yellow River and Yangzi both flow east towards the Pacific Ocean, the Indus and Ganges flow in opposite directions.  The Indus flows southwest, from the Himalayas down through modern India into modern Pakistan, emptying into the western Indian Ocean.  The Ganges flows east along the base of the Himalayas and enters the eastern Indian Ocean at Kolkatta.   At the headwaters of the Ganges, Xuanzang found a Buddhist monk named Jayagupta and chose to spend the winter and half of the following spring listening to his sermons and learning at his feet. From there he continued his travels, and ended up being summoned by King Harshavardhana of Kanyakubja, known today as the modern city of Kannauj.  Harshavardhana ruled an immense state that covered much of the territory around the sacred Ganges river.  As word of this strange monk from a far off land reached him, the King wanted to see him for himself.  Xuanzang stayed in Kannauj for three months, completing his studies of the Vibhasha Shastra, aka the Abhidarmma Mahavibhasha Shastra, known in Japanese as the Abidatsuma Daibibasharon, or just as the Daibibasharon or the Basharon, with the latter two terms referring to the translations that Xuanzang performed.   This work is not a sutra, per se, but rather an encyclopedic work that attempted to speak on all of the various doctrinal issues of its day.  It is thought to have been authored around 150 CE, and was influential in the Buddhist teachings of Kashmira, when that was a center of Orthodoxy at the time.  This is what Xuanzang had started studying, and it seems that in Kannauj he was finally able to grasp everything he felt he needed to know about it in order to effectively translate it and teach it when he returned.  That said, his quest was not over.  And after his time in Kannauj, he decided to continue on. His next stop was at the city of Ayodhya.  This was—and is—a city of particular importance in Hindu traditions.  It is said to be the city mentioned in the epic tale known as the Ramayana, though many argue that it was simply named that later in honor of that ancient city.  It does appear to be a city that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, visited and where he preached.  It was also the home of a famous monk from Gandhara who authored a number of Buddhist tomes and was considered, at least by Xuanzang, a proper Boddhisatva.  And so Xuanzang spent some time paying homage to the places where the Buddha and other holy figures had once walked. “Ayodhya” appears in many forms across Asia.  It is a major pilgrimage center, and the city of “Ayutthaya” in Thailand was named for it, evoking the Ramayana—known in Thai as the Ramakien—which they would adopt as their own national story.  In Silla, there is a story that queen Boju, aka Heo Hwang-ok, wife to the 2nd century King Suro of Geumgwan Gaya, traveled to the peninsula all the way from the foreign country of “Ayuta”, thought to mean Ayodhya.  Her story was written down in the Gaya histories and survives as a fragment found in the Samguk Yusa.  Members of the Gimhae Kim, Gimhae Heo, and Incheon Yi clans all trace their lineage back to her and King Suro. From Ayodhya, Xuanzang took a trip down the Ganges river.  The boat was packed to bursting with some 80 other travelers, and as they traveled towards a particularly heavily forested area, they were set upon by bandits, who rowed their ships out from hiding in the trees and forced the travelers to the shore.  There the bandits made all the travelers strip down and take off their clothing so that the bandits could search for gold or valuables.  According to Xuanzang's biography, these bandits were followers of Durga, a Hindu warrior-goddess, and it is said that each year they would look for someone of particularly handsome features to sacrifice to her.  With Xuanzang's foreign features, they chose him.  And so they took him to be killed.  Xuanzang mentioned that he was on a pilgrimage, and that by interrupting him before they finished he was worried it might be inauspicious for them, but he didn't put up a fight and merely asked to be given time to meditate and calm his mind and that they perform the execution quickly so that he wouldn't even notice. From there, according to the story, a series of miracles occurred that ended up with Xuanzang being released and the bandits worshipping at his feet.  It is times like this we must remember that this biography was being written by Xuanzang's students based on stories he told them about his travels.  While being accosted by bandits on the river strikes me as perfectly plausible, we don't necessarily have the most reliable narrators, so I'm going to have to wonder about the rest.  Speaking of unreliable narration, the exact route that Xuanzang traveled from here on is unclear to me, based on his stated goals and where he was going.  It is possible that he was wandering as opportunities presented themselves —I don't know that he had any kind of map or GPS, like we've said in the past.  And it may be that the routes from one place to another were not always straightforward.  Regardless, he seems to wander southeast for a period before turning again to the north and eventually reaching the city of Shravasti. Shravasti appeared in our discussion of the men of Tukhara in Episode 119.  With the men of Tukhara there was also mentioned a woman from Shravasti.  While it is unlikely that was actually the case—the names were probably about individuals from the Ryukyuan island chain rather than from India—it is probably worth nothing that Shravasti was a thriving place in ancient times.  It was at one time the capital city of the kingdom of Kosala, sharing that distinction with the city of Ayodhya, back in the 7th to 5th centuries BCE.  It is also where the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was said to have spend many years of his life.  This latter fact would have no doubt made it a place of particular importance to Xuanzang on his journeys. From there he traveled east, ending up following the foothills of the Himalayas, and finally came to some of the most central pilgrimages sites for followers of the historical Buddha.  First, he reached Lumbini wood, in modern Nepal, said to have been the birthplace of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.  And then he visited Kushinagara, the site where the Buddha ascended to nirvana—in other words, the place where he passed away.  From there, he traveled to Varanasi, and the deer park monastery, at the place where the Buddha is said to have given one of his most famous sermons.  He even visited the Bodhi tree, the tree under which Siddhartha Gautama is said to have attained enlightenment.  He spent eight or nine days there at Bodhgaya, and word must have spread about his arrival, because several monks from the eminent Nalanda Monastery called upon him and asked him to come to the monastery with them. Nalanda Monastery was about 80 km from Bodhgaya.  This was a grand monastery and center of learning—some say that it was, for a time, the greatest in the world.  It had been founded in the 5th century by the Gupta dynasty, and many of the Gupta rulers and others donated to support the monastery, which also acted as a university.  After the fall of the Gupta dynasty, the monastery was supported by King Harsha of Kannauj, whom Xuanzang had visited earlier.  It ultimately thrived for some 750 years, and is considered by some to be the oldest residential university—meaning that students would come to the temple complex and stay in residence for years at a time to study.  According to Xuanzang, Nalanda hosted some 10,000 monks. Including hosts and guests.  They didn't only study Buddhist teachings, but also logic, grammar, medicine, and divination.  Lectures were given at more than 100 separate places—or classrooms—every day.  It was at Nalanda, that Xuanzang would meet the teacher Silabhadra, who was known as the Right Dharma Store.  Xuanzang requested that he be allowed to study the Yogacharabhumi Shastra—the Yugashijiron, in Japanese.  This is the work that Xuanzang is said to have been most interested in, and one of the works that he is credited with bringing back in one of the first full translations to the Tang dynasty and then to others in East Asia.  It is an encyclopedic work dedicated to the various forms of Yogacara practice, which focuses on the mental disciplines, and includes yoga and meditation practices.  It has a huge influence on nearly all Mahayana schools, including things like the famous Zen and Pure Land schools of Buddhism.  The Yogacharabhumi Shastra is the earliest such encyclopedic work, compiled between the 3rd and 5th centuries—so even if the monk Faxian had brought portions of it back, it was probably not in the final form that Xuanzang was able to access. Silabhadra, for his part, was an ancient teacher—some put his age at 106 years, and his son was in his 70s.  He was one of the few at Nalandra who supposedly knew all of the various texts that they had at the monastery, including the Yogacarabhumi Shastra.  Xuanzang seems to have been quite pleased to study under him.  Xuanzang stayed at the house of Silabhadra's son, Buddhabhadra, and they welcomed him with entertainment that lasted seven days.  We are told that he was then given his own lodgings, a stipend of spices, incense, rice, oil, butter, and milk, along with a servant and a Brahman.  As a visiting monk, he was not responsible for the normal monastic duties, instead being expected to spend the time in study.  Going out, he was carried around by an elephant.   This was certainly the royal treatment. Xuanzang's life at Nalandra wasn't all books: south of the monastery was the city of Rajagrha, the old capital of the kingdom of Magadha, where the ancient Gupta kings had once lived, and on occasional breaks from his studies, Xuanzang would venture out to see the various holy sites.  This included the famous Mt. Grdhrakuta, or Vulture Peak, a location said to be favored by the historical Buddha and central to the Lotus Sutra, arguably the founding document of Mahayana Buddhist tradition. After all, “Mahayana” means “Greater Vehicle” and it is in the Lotus Sutra that we see the metaphor of using different vehicles to escape a burning house.   We've already talked a bit about how the image of Vulture Peak had already become important in Japanese Buddhism: In Episode 112 we talked about how in 648, Abe no Oho-omi had drums piled up at Shitennoji in the shape of Vulture Peak. But although the sightseeing definitely enhanced his experience, Xuanzang was first and foremost there to study.  He spent 15 months just listening to his teacher expound on the Yogacarabhumi Shastra, but he also heard expositions on various other teachings as well.  He ended up studying at Nalandra Monastery for 5 years, gaining a much better understanding of Sanskrit and the various texts, which would be critically important when it came to translating them, later. But, Xuanzang was not one to stay in any one place forever, and so after 5 years—some 8 years or more into his journey, he continued on, following the Ganges east, to modern Bangladesh.  Here he heard about various other lands, such as Dvarapati—possibly referring to Dvaravati, in modern Thailand, as well as Kamalanka and Isanapura.  The latter was in modern Cambodia, the capital of the ancient Chenla kingdom.  Then Mahacampa—possibly referring to the Champa region of Vietnam—and the country of Yamanadvipa.  But there was still more of India for Xuanzang to discover, and more teachings to uncover, and so Xuanzang decided instead to head southwest, following the coast.  He heard of the country of Sinhala, referring to the island of Sri Lanka, but he was urged not to go by ship, as the long journey was perilous.  Instead he could stay on relatively dry land and head down to the southern tip of the subcontinent and then make a quick hop from there across to the island.  He traveled a long distance, all the way down to Kancipuram, the seat of the Pallava dynasty, near modern day Chennai.  From the seaport near Kancipuram, it was only three days to Sinhala—that is to say Sri Lanka—but before he could set out, he met a group of monks who had just arrived.  They told him that the king of Sinhala had died , and there was a great famine and civil disturbances.  So they had fled with some 300 other monks. Xuanzang eventually decided not to make the journey, but he did talk with the monks and gathered information on the lands to the south, on Sri Lanka, and on the islands south of that, by which I suspect he may have meant the Maldives.  While Sri Lanka is an area important to Buddhist scholarship, particularly to the Theravada schools, this likely did not impress Xuanzang, and indeed he seemed to feel that his studies in Nalanda had more than provided him what he needed.  Sri Lanka, however, is the source of the Pali canon, one of the most complete early canons of Buddhism, which had a huge influence on Theravada Buddhism in Southeast Asia and elsewhere. So Xuanzang took plenty of notes but decided to forego the ocean voyage and headed northwest, instead.  He traveled across the breadth of India to Gujarat, and then turned back east, returning to pay respects once more to his teacher in Nalanda.  While there he heard of another virtuous monk named Prajnabhadra at a nearby monastery.  And so he went to spend several months with him, as well.  He also studied with a layman, Sastrin Jayasena, at Stickwood Hill.  Jayasena was a ksatriya, or nobleman, by birth, and studied both Buddhist and non-Buddhist texts.  He was courted by kings, but had left to continue his studies.  Xuanzang studied with him for another couple of years. Xuanzang remained at Nalanda, learning and teaching, expounding on what he had learned and gathering many copies of the various documents that he wished to take back with him, though he wondered how he might do it.  In the meantime, he also acquired quite the reputation.  We are told that King Siladitya had asked Nalanda for monks who could refute Theravada teachings, and Xuanzang agreed to go.  It isn't clear, but it seems that “Siladitya” was a title, and likely referred to King Harsha of Kannauj, whom we mentioned earlier.  Since he was a foreigner, then there could be no trouble that was brought on Nalanda and the other monks if he did poorly.  While he was waiting to hear back from Siladitya's court, which was apparently taking time to arrange things, the king of Kamarupta reached out to Nalanda with a request that Xuanzang come visit them.  While Xuanzang was reluctant to be gone too long, he was eventually encouraged to go and assuage the king. Kamarupta was a kingdom around the modern Assam region, ruled by King Bhaskaravarman, also known as King Kumara, a royal title.  This kingdom included parts of Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.  Bhaskaravarman, like so many other regents, seems to have been intrigued by the presence of this foreign monk, who had traveled all this way and who had studied at the famous Nalanda Monastery in Magadha. He invited Xuanzang to come to him.  Xuanzang's teacher, Silabhadra, had exhorted him to spread the right Dharma, and to even go to those non-Buddhists in hopes that they might be converted, or at least partially swayed. King Bhaskaravarman was quite taken with Xuanzang, wining and dining him while listening to him preach.  While there, Xuanzang learned about the country of Kamarupta.  He also learned about a path north, by which it was said it was a two month journey to arrive at the land of Shu, in the Sichuan Basin, on the upper reaches of the Yangzi – a kind of shortcut back to the Tang court.  However, the journey was treacherous—possibly even more treacherous than the journey to India had been. Eventually word reached the ears of King Siladitya that Xuanzang was at the court of King Bhaskaravarman, and Siladitya got quite upset.  Xuanzang had not yet come to *his* court, so Siladitya demanded that Bhaskaravarman send the monk to him immediately.  Bhaskaravarman refused, saying he'd rather give Siladitya his own head, which Siladitya said he would gladly accept.  Bhaskaravarman realized he may have miscalculated, and so he sailed up the Ganges with a host of men and Xuanzang to meet with Siladitya.  After a bit of posturing, Siladitya met with Xuanzang, who went with him, and eventually confronted the members of the Theravada sect in debate.  Apparently it almost got ugly, but for the King's intervention.  After a particularly devastating critique of the Theravada position, the Theravada monks are blamed for trying to use violence against Xuanzang and his fellow Mahayana monks from Nalanda, who were prepared to defend themselves.  The King had to step in and break it up before it went too far. Ultimately, Xuanzang was a celebrity at this point and both kings seem to have supported him, especially as he was realizing it was about time to head back to his own country.  Both kings was offered ships, should Xuanzang wish to sail south and then up the coast.  However, Xuanzang elected to take the northern route, hoping to go back through Gaochang, and see that city and its ruler again.  And so the Kings gave him money and valuables , along with wagons for all of the texts.  They also sent an army to protect all of the treasures, and even an elephant and more – sending him back in style with a huge send-off. So Xuanzang retraced his earlier steps, this time on an elephant.  He traveled back to Taxila, to Kashmir, and beyond.  He was invited to stay in Kashmira, but because of his retinue, he wasn't quite at leisure to just go where he wanted.  At one point, near Kapisa—modern Bagram, north of Kabul—they had to cross a river, and about 50 of the almost 700 documents were lost.  The King of Kapisa heard of this and had his own monks make copies to replace them based on their own schools.  The King of Kasmira, hearing that he was in Kapisa, also came to pay his respects. Xuanzang traveled with the King of Kapisa northwest for over a month and reached Lampaka, where he did take some time to visit the various holy sites before continuing northwest.  They had to cross the Snow Mountains—the outskirts of the Himalayas, and even though it wasn't the highest part of the range it was still challenging.  He had to dismount his elephant and travel on foot.  Finally, after going over the high mountains and coming down, he arrived back in the region of Tukhara, in the country of Khowst.  He then came to Kunduz, and paid his respects to the grandson of Yehu Khan.  He was given more guards to escort him eastward, traveling with some merchants.  This was back in Gokturk controlled lands, over a decade later than when he had last visited.  He continued east to Badakshan, stopping there for a month because of the cold weather and snow.  He eventually traveled through the regions of Tukhara and over the Pamir range.  He came down on the side of the Tarim Basin, and noted how the rivers on one side flowed west, while on the other side they flowed east.  The goings were treacherous, and at one point they were beset by bandits.  Though he and the documents were safe, his elephant panicked and fled into the river and drowned.  He eventually ended up in the country of Kashgar, in modern Xinjiang province, at the western edge of the Taklamakan desert. From there he had two options.  He could go north and hug the southern edge of the Tianshan mountains, or he could stay to the south, along the northern edge of the Himalayan range and the Tibetan plateau.  He chose to go south.  He traveled through Khotan, a land of wool and carpets.  This was a major trade kingdom, and they also grew mulberry trees for silkworms, and were known for their jade.  The king himself heard of Xuanzang and welcomed him, as many others had done.  While he was staying at the Khotanese capital, Xuanzang penned a letter to the Tang court, letting them know of his journey, and that he was returning.  He sent it with some merchants and a man of Gaochang to deliver it to the court. Remember, Xuanzang had left the Tang empire illegally.  Unless he wanted to sneak back in his best hope was that the court was willing to forgive and forget all of that, given everything that he was bringing back with him.  The wait was no doubt agonizing, but he did get a letter back.  It assured him that he was welcome back, and that all of the kingdoms from Khotan back to the governor of Dunhuang had been made aware and were ready to receive him. With such assurances, Xuanzang packed up and headed out.  The king of Khotan granted him more gifts to help see him on his way.  Nonetheless, there was still a perilous journey ahead.  Even knowing the way, the road went through miles and miles of desert, such that in some places you could only tell the trail by the bleached bones of horses and travelers who had not been so fortunate.  Eventually, however, Xuanzang made it to the Jumo River and then on to Dunhuang, from whence he was eventually escorted back to the capital city. It was now the year 645, the year of the Isshi Incident in Yamato and the death of Soga.  Xuanzang had been gone for approximately 16 years.  In that time, the Tang had defeated the Gokturks and taken Gaochang, expanding their control over the trade routes in the desert.  Xuanzang, for his part, was bringing back 657 scriptures, bound in 520 bundles carried by a train of some 20 horses.  He was given a hero's welcome, and eventually he would be set up in a monastery where he could begin the next part of his journey:  Translating all of these books. This was the work of a lifetime, but it is one that would have a profound impact on Buddhism across East Asia.  Xuanzang's translations would revolutionize the understanding of Mahayana Buddhist teachings, and students would come from as far away as the Yamato court to study under him and learn from the teacher who studied and taught at none other than Nalanda monastery itself.  His school would become popular in the Yamato capital, and the main school of several temples, at least for a time.  In addition, his accounts and his biography would introduce many people to the wider world of central and south Asia.  While I could go on, this has already been a story in three parts, and this is, after all, the Chronicles of Japan, so we should probably tune back into what is going on with Yamato.  Next episode, we'll look at one of the most detailed accounts we have of a mission to Chang'an. Until then, I hope that this has been enjoyable.  Xuanzang's story is one of those that isn't just about him, but about the interconnected nature of the entire world at the time.  While his journey is quite epic, there were many people traveling the roads, though most of them didn't write about it afterwards.  People, artifacts, and ideas traveled much greater distances than we often consider at this time, well before any kind of modern travel.  It was dangerous, but often lucrative, and it meant that various regions could have influence well beyond what one might expect. And so, thank you once again for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan

Một nghiên cứu gần đây của ông Nguyễn Cung Thông ở Melbourne về cây chà răng trong đời sống tăng đoàn ở Nalanda, Ấn Độ vào thế kỷ thứ 7, theo quyển Nam Hải Ký Quy Nội Pháp Truyện của pháp sư Nghĩa Tịnh. Việc nầy cho thấy, vấn đề vệ sinh răng miệng đã được quan tâm từ lâu, không chỉ trong dân gian mà ngay cả trong đời sống các tăng đoàn Phật Giáo.

El Discípulo Maitripa Maitripa es una figura importante tanto en el budismo mahayanacomo en el vajrayana . Es a través de él que el trabajo crucial de Maitreya y Asanga sobre la naturaleza de Buda, el Uttara Tantra Shastra, fue ampliamente seguido en el Tíbet . También transmitió el aspecto esotérico de la naturaleza de Buda, encarnado en las enseñanzas del mahamudra, que tratan el tema de la mente con gran detalle y proporcionan una amplia gama de meditaciones progresivas y altamente refinadas. Fue llevado a su propia iluminación a través de mahamudra bajo Savari y, lo más importante, se convirtió en el gurú de Marpa, el antepasado tibetano del linaje Kagyu, y de Khyungpo Naljor, el fundador del linaje Shangpa. Se dice que había sido alumno de Naropa, cuando este último era director de la universidad monástica de Nalanda. Más tarde pasó un tiempo en Vikramasila, que disfrutaba de su cenit de fama . El gran Atisa fue su jefe de disciplina. A pesar de conocer la preeminencia de Maitripa como erudito y yogui, se vio obligado a expulsarlo cuando sus actividades yóguicas, relacionadas con el alcohol y una mujer; provocaron chismes.. Dominemos la explicación …

Dr. Uma Rahul Rele is the Principal of Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya which was established by Padma Bhushan Kanak Rele, who is her guru and mother-in-law. Uma was born and brought up in Mumbai. She did her B.A. in Economical Science from Mithibai College, Mumbai. She has also done a doctorate in Bharatanatyam dance. On this GuruPurnima Special Episode, listen to her experiences under the tutelage of Padma Vibhushan late Dr. Kanak Rele, and also her delightful explanation of the Ashta Nayika as she shares her story only on Meri Kahani with Bhawana Somaay: Diary Of A Dancer You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @eplogmedia, For partnerships/queries send you can send us an email at bonjour@eplog.media. If you like this show, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts, so other people can find us. You can also find us on https://www.eplog.media  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss the recent reconstruction of the famous Buddhist institution of Nalanda University, how it's ugly, and other educational scandals currently plaguing India. More wild stuff behind the patreon!

Nalanda University's first great student was Xuanzang from China

Episode 198 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me your best questions in the live chat, and I shall answer them.

The Abhidharmakośabhāṣya (Treasury of Metaphysics with Self-Commentary) is a pivotal treatise on early Buddhist thought composed around the 4th or 5th century by the Indian Buddhist philosopher Vasubandhu. This work is a complete and systematic account of the Abhidharma, and is the peak of scholarship in the Fundamental Vehicle. It elucidates the Buddha's teachings as synthesized and interpreted by the early Buddhist Sarvāstivāda school. Vasubandhu (4th to 5th century CE) was an influential Buddhist monk and scholar from Gandhara or Central India. He was a philosopher who wrote commentary on the Abhidharma, from the perspectives of the Sarvastivada and Sautrāntika schools. After his conversion to Mahayana Buddhism, along with his half-brother, Asanga, he was also one of the main founders of the Yogacara school. Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakośakārikā ("Commentary on the Treasury of the Abhidharma") is widely used in Tibetan and East Asian Buddhism, as the major source for non-Mahayana Abhidharma philosophy. Vasubandhu is one of the most influential thinkers in the Indian Buddhist philosophical tradition. Because of their association with Nalanda university, Vasubandhu and Asanga are amongst the so-called Seventeen Nalanda Masters. In Jōdo Shinshū, he is considered the Second Patriarch; in Chan Buddhism, he is the 21st Patriarch.

Shantideva's Dedication Prayer is one of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama's favourite dedications, extracted from Chapter 10 of the Bodhicharyavatara of Master Shantideva. Treasured by Buddhists of all traditions, The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara) is a guide to cultivating the mind of enlightenment and to generating the qualities of love, compassion, generosity, and patience. This text has been studied, practiced, and expounded upon in an unbroken tradition for centuries. Presented in the form of a personal meditation in verse, it outlines the path of the Bodhisattvas--those who renounce the peace of individual enlightenment and vow to work for the liberation of all beings and to attain buddhahood for their sake. Shantideva was a scholar in the eighth century from the monastic university Nalanda, one of the most celebrated centers of learning in ancient India. According to legend, Shantideva was greatly inspired by the celestial bodhisattva Manjushri, from whom he secretly received teachings and great insights. Music: Wings of an Angel - Amitābha Buddha - with loving thank to 'Wings' for his gifts of music.

In the midst of the leftist controversy surrounding the destruction of Nalanda, Aabhas Maldahiyar meticulously dismantles the assertions, challenging the narrative propagated by the Eyeshadow Bandit.

Niraj Kumar (b.22nd April 1973-) belongs to Magadha region and born near Bodhgaya, the Vajrasana. He is the author of classic work on Asian Integration, “Arise Asia” (2002). He is also a founding member of the Society for Asian Integration, an organization working for promoting Asian integration. He has been studying and writing Hindu and Buddhist tantras and a keen student of geopolitics and geostrategy. He is a Civil servant and currently working as Director in the Government of India.For last 8 years, he has been working on five volume pentalogy on Kalacakra Tantra(DK Printworld: 2022-24).This is the first comprehensive translation and new commentary of the cryptic Sanskrit text of the 11th century after several centuries. Kalacakra Tantra was the climax of Nalanda tradition and the last major Buddhist tantra composed in India. He has also been commissioned a book on “THE BATTLE FOR FUTURE BUDDHA” by Penguin and Random House-India (2023).Initiated by Swami Ranganathanada Ji Maharaj, President of the Ramakrishna Order .Founder Member, Society for Asian Integration, New DelhiFounder Trustee, Iternity Foundation, Kolkata- a group of neuroscientists, physicists, doctors committed to pursue dialogue between modern science and traditional wisdom .Honorary Adviser, Mody University of Science & Technology, Rajasthan, India's Only women university in India. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 195 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me interesting questions in the comments, and I shall answer them.

Episode 193 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me interesting questions in the live chat, and I shall answer them.

नालंदा यूनिवर्सिटी आखिर कैसी थी ? आज की नालंदा यूनिवर्सिटी को कैसा बनने की ज़रूरत होगी ? क्या था डॉक्टर कलाम का मकसद नालंदा को लेकर ? नालंदा यूनिवर्सिटी से जुड़े कई राज़ जानें आज दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय की हिस्टोरियन मनीषा चौधरी के साथ सिर्फ एबीपी लाइव पॉडकास्ट पर   

In the thirteenth episode of Satya Samvad, Dr. Mrittunjoy Guha Majumdar interacts with Dr. Archana Purushottam about the Gurukul model of education and how the Indian Knowledge Systems can naturally lead to pedagogical systems that facilitate comprehensive teaching and learning. Bharat underwent colonization on multiple fronts at the hands of successive imperialist powers - political and economic primarily, but also on the intellectual front. A major way that this was effectuated was using the two-pronged approach: firstly, by demolishing indigenous Bharatiya institutions of wisdom and education, such as Nalanda and Vikramshila, and secondly promoting foreign value s and ideas as the foundation of a `progressive' education model, such as done by the likes of Macaulay. In an increasingly polarized world, the comprehensiveness and cosmopolitanism of Bharatiya knowledge generation and dissemination may just be the need of the hour, with a vision for the future rooted in the civilizational heritage of Bharat. Snakes in the Ganga - http://www.snakesintheganga.com Varna Jati Caste - http://www.varnajaticaste.com The Battle For IIT's - http://www.battleforiits.com Power of future Machines - http://www.poweroffuturemachines.com 10 heads of Ravana - http://www.tenheadsofravana.com To support Infinity Foundation's projects including the continuation of such episodes and the research we do: इनफिनिटी फ़ौंडेशन की परियोजनाओं को अनुदान देने के लिए व इस प्रकार के एपिसोड और हमारे द्वारा किये जाने वाले शोध को जारी रखने के लिए: http://infinityfoundation.com/donate-2/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rajivmalhotrapodcast/support

En la última hora de Capital Intereconomía conocemos en Empresas con Identidad a una plataforma española especializada en la coordinación de actividades empresariales: Nalanda y entrevistamos a su CEO y fundador, Juan Gil. Y en Digital Business nos preguntamos ¿Qué es y cómo funciona un seguro cyber? con Ilaria Salvato. Responsable de suscripción cyber de Beazley y con Joel Duquenne. Responsable de Cyber Services en España y hablamos con Idoia Ortiz De Artiñano Goñi, CEO y co-fundadora de Gobe.

Hoy en Empresas con Identidad conocemos la historia de Nalanda, uno de los mayores marketplace empresariales de Europa que acaba de protagonizar una de las operaciones del año. Nacida en el año 2000 de la mano de grandes constructoras(FCC, Acciona, Ferrovial, ACS) con la vocación de dar respuesta a los riesgos asociados a la subcontratación de diferentes unidades por parte de las grandes constructoras, Nalanda creo un portal web que ofrecía una herramienta de compras con peticiones de oferta a los proveedores en la obra. “Queríamos hacer una especie de Linkedn en el que todos esos agentes de la cadena de proveedores interactuaran”, explica Juan Gil, CEO y fundador de Nalanda, cuando rememora los comienzos de una de las mayores comunidades digitales empresariales a nivel mundial.

Bro. Lim Kooi Fong shares the inspirational story behind NORBU, a pioneering Buddhist AI chatbot designed to promote mindfulness and spiritual growth through open dialogue. He was inspired by the Dalai Lama's call to spread the Nalanda tradition of Buddhist learning through open discourse. This led him to create NORBU, a pioneering AI chatbot that provides a safe, non-judgmental space for individuals to explore personal struggles, ethical dilemmas, and spiritual questions related to Buddhism. Drawing from diverse traditions and authoritative sources, NORBU guides users through a process of honest self-reflection, applying Buddhist teachings to cultivate greater mindfulness and facilitate positive growth. With its commitment to inclusivity, accuracy, and the principle of Brahma Vihara, NORBU represents an innovative approach to making the Dhamma accessible and fostering mindful conversations that can spark personal transformation. About the Speaker: Bro. Lim Kooi Fong has been a student of Buddhism and Dharma teacher for more than 30 years. He is the founder of the Buddhist AI Chatbot NORBU (https://norbu-ai.org), the Buddhist Channel (buddhistchannel.tv) and Buddhist Travel (buddhistravel.com). He is a life member of Upakara Kalyana Mitta Buddhist Assocation (UKMBA). He currently manages a bioinformatics company based in Cyberjaya. He actively conducts Dharma talks for Buddhist societies around Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Transcript: ⁠https://bit.ly/hol-ep-45 Timestamp: 00:00:00 - Introduction by Cheryl on the Handful of Leaves podcast 00:00:30 - Introduction of Brother Lim Kooi Fong, founder of NORBU AI 00:01:00 - Brother Kooi Fong shares the inspiration behind NORBU AI 00:02:00 - Discussion on Nalanda tradition and its importance 00:04:00 - Initial responses to NORBU AI beta version 00:05:00 - NORBU AI provides a safe space for discussing sensitive topics 00:09:00 - Diversity in the team handling source data for NORBU AI 00:10:00 - NORBU AI as a tool for building mindfulness and awareness 00:11:00 - Discussion on the purpose and potential impact of NORBU AI Resources: For individuals: Use Norbu-AI https://norbu-ai.org/ For Buddhist societies: Integrate NORBU-AI Chatbot on your webpage. Contact Bro Lim here: kooifong.lim@gmail.com Special thanks to our sponsors: Buddhist Youth Network, Lim Soon Kiat, Alvin Chan, Tan Key Seng, Soh Hwee Hoon, Geraldine Tay, Venerable You Guang, Wilson Ng, Diga, Joyce, Tan Jia Yee, Joanne, Suñña, Shuo Mei, Arif, Bernice, Wee Teck, Andrew Yam, Kan Rong Hui, Wei Li Quek, Shirley Shen, Ezra, Joanne Chan, Hsien Li Siaw, Gillian Ang, Wang Shiow Mei, Ong Chye Chye, Melvin, Yoke Kuen Editor and transcriber of this episode: Cheryl Cheah, Susara Ng, Ke Hui Tee Get Connected Here: Telegram Instagram YouTube Facebook

In late autumn, 629 AD, Xuanzang set out for the great university of Nalanda from Chang'an. Across the desert, over the Pamirs, and through multiple robberies, it was an epic journey. As he neared the Buddhist heartlands, he saw Buddhism in decline with its monasteries increasingly dilapidated, and he feared disappointment. However, after 6 years on the road he arrived at Nalanda and was awestruck by its splendour. In particular, he was blown away by the library. Nine storeys high, split into the Sea of Jewels, the Ocean of Jewels, and the Jewel-Adorned. It was a haven of scholarship. Through years more of work, he would transcribe the ancient scripts to be taken back to China and lay the groundwork for a moment of great civilisational collaboration. Listen to William and Anita in the final instalment of this miniseries as they discuss Xuanzang and the mark he left on history. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com Goalhangerpodcasts.com Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Buddhism reached China in the 1st century AD, yet it remained a minor, foreign religion for the next 100 years. It was not until the fall of the Han dynasty in 220 AD and the cracking of the classical Confucian order that Buddhism began to make headway in the Middle Kingdom. Over the following centuries, the religion took hold and so China both transformed Buddhism and was transformed by it. Yet, a monk named Xuanzang, born in 600 AD, was worried about Chinese Buddhism. He feared it had strayed too far from its origin and so he undertook a journey to the Buddhist heartlands of North India and the great university of Nalanda. Listen as William and Anita discuss the early stages of Buddhism in China. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com Goalhangerpodcasts.com Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the third episode of Satya Samvad, Dr. Mrittunjoy Guha Majumdar talks to Shri Shishir Bajoriaji, prominent industrialist and political leader (BJP) in West Bengal, on the civilizational battle underway in West Bengal today. Bengal has been a civilizational pillar of Bharat since times immemorial. In the Mahabharata, references to Anga and Vanga abound. Hindu Bengali dynasties such as the Palas and Senas attained heights of glory with Dharmapala even holding an imperial court at Kannauj. After the devastating raids by Muhammad Ghori's general Bakhtiyar Khilji, which also led to the destruction of Nalanda, the Bengal Sultanate in Lakhnauti was established in 1202 AD, even as Hindu kings kept up a fierce resistance for years ahead from other parts of Bengal. Hindus in Bengal kept advancing their cultural and spiritual heritage. Raghunatha Shiromani, a leading Indian philosopher and logician, who hailed from Nabadwip in West Bengal, elevated Navya Nyāya philosophy to unparalleled heights under Vāsudeva Sārvabhauma's guidance. The Nath tradition in Bengal evolved with the influences Yoga, Tantra and Saiva-Agama traditions, the last of which had reached its pinnacle in the Pala age. Today, West Bengal is reeling from uber-partisanship, socio-cultural deracination, archaic endowments of the British Raj, syndicate politicking and appeasement politics. Be it Sandeshkhali, the cash-for-jobs scam or brazen Hinduphobia, the current government of West Bengal has reached alarming levels of moral, political and financial corruption. Shri Shishir Bajoria is a prominent Indian politician and industrialist. He heads the S. K. Bajoria Group, overseeing diverse ventures with an annual turnover of US$330 million, including specialized refractories and insurance services. Bajoria holds influential positions in organizations like the Europe India Business Council and chairs the board of governors at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2014, Bajoriaji is actively involved in West Bengal politics, serving on key committees and supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. In the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, he served as the Convenor of the election management committee, highlighting his trusted role within the party. Through his contributions, Bajoriaji has shaped both industry and political discourse in India, particularly in West Bengal. Snakes in the Ganga - http://www.snakesintheganga.com Varna Jati Caste - http://www.varnajaticaste.com The Battle For IIT's - http://www.battleforiits.com Power of future Machines - http://www.poweroffuturemachines.com 10 heads of Ravana - http://www.tenheadsofravana.com To support Infinity Foundation's projects including the continuation of such episodes and the research we do: इनफिनिटी फ़ौंडेशन की परियोजनाओं को अनुदान देने के लिए व इस प्रकार के एपिसोड और हमारे द्वारा किये जाने वाले शोध को जारी रखने के लिए: http://infinityfoundation.com/donate-2/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rajivmalhotrapodcast/support

In the third episode of Satya Samvad, Dr. Mrittunjoy Guha Majumdar talks to Shri Shishir Bajoriaji, prominent industrialist and political leader (BJP) in West Bengal, on the civilizational battle underway in West Bengal today. Bengal has been a civilizational pillar of Bharat since times immemorial. In the Mahabharata, references to Anga and Vanga abound. Hindu Bengali dynasties such as the Palas and Senas attained heights of glory with Dharmapala even holding an imperial court at Kannauj. After the devastating raids by Muhammad Ghori's general Bakhtiyar Khilji, which also led to the destruction of Nalanda, the Bengal Sultanate in Lakhnauti was established in 1202 AD, even as Hindu kings kept up a fierce resistance for years ahead from other parts of Bengal. Hindus in Bengal kept advancing their cultural and spiritual heritage. Raghunatha Shiromani, a leading Indian philosopher and logician, who hailed from Nabadwip in West Bengal, elevated Navya Nyāya philosophy to unparalleled heights under Vāsudeva Sārvabhauma's guidance. The Nath tradition in Bengal evolved with the influences Yoga, Tantra and Saiva-Agama traditions, the last of which had reached its pinnacle in the Pala age. Today, West Bengal is reeling from uber-partisanship, socio-cultural deracination, archaic endowments of the British Raj, syndicate politicking and appeasement politics. Be it Sandeshkhali, the cash-for-jobs scam or brazen Hinduphobia, the current government of West Bengal has reached alarming levels of moral, political and financial corruption. Shri Shishir Bajoria is a prominent Indian politician and industrialist. He heads the S. K. Bajoria Group, overseeing diverse ventures with an annual turnover of US$330 million, including specialized refractories and insurance services. Bajoria holds influential positions in organizations like the Europe India Business Council and chairs the board of governors at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2014, Bajoriaji is actively involved in West Bengal politics, serving on key committees and supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. In the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, he served as the Convenor of the election management committee, highlighting his trusted role within the party. Through his contributions, Bajoriaji has shaped both industry and political discourse in India, particularly in West Bengal. Snakes in the Ganga - http://www.snakesintheganga.com Varna Jati Caste - http://www.varnajaticaste.com The Battle For IIT's - http://www.battleforiits.com Power of future Machines - http://www.poweroffuturemachines.com 10 heads of Ravana - http://www.tenheadsofravana.com To support Infinity Foundation's projects including the continuation of such episodes and the research we do: इनफिनिटी फ़ौंडेशन की परियोजनाओं को अनुदान देने के लिए व इस प्रकार के एपिसोड और हमारे द्वारा किये जाने वाले शोध को जारी रखने के लिए: http://infinityfoundation.com/donate-2/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rajivmalhotrapodcast/support

Podcast de ventas B2B y prospección moderna .- En este episodio hablamos sobre la optimización del proceso de ventas de Nalanda Global, una multinacional española que aglutina a grandes empresas y a sus proveedores alrededor de una plataforma digital en la que intercambian documentación, compras, facturas e información empresarial. https://www.linkedin.com/company/nalandaglobal/ Entrevistamos a dos protagonistas del cambio del modelo de ventas en la empresa: Javier Camus, CCO (Chief Commercial Officer), https://www.linkedin.com/in/javier-camus/ y Walter Machado, Team Manager del equipo de SDRs (Sales Development Representatives) https://www.linkedin.com/in/walterjr2/ Descubre cómo este equipo líder en el sector ha perfeccionado su enfoque de ventas para maximizar la eficiencia y el rendimiento. Conversamos sobre temas como: - Desarrollo de playbooks para SDRs - Mejora del onboarding de nuevos contratistas - Introducción de nuevos canales de prospección - Retos en la comunicación con prospectos - Estrategias para mantener la motivación del equipo - Colaboración entre marketing, ventas y equipos ejecutivos - Definición de un canal ideal para contactar con prospectos - Adaptación a diferentes perfiles de SDRs - Enfoque en campañas específicas y segmentación de mercado - Proceso de Market Research y obtención de datos de contacto -... ¡No te pierdas esta oportunidad de aprender de los mejores! Escucha ahora y lleva tus habilidades de ventas al siguiente nivel con los consejos y conocimientos de Javier Camus y Walter Machado de Nalanda Global. ................................................................................................................................. Y si quieres mejorar tu Maquinaría de Ventas Outbound o formar a tus equipos en #modernprospecting Pues lo tienes fácil: 699 45 85 82 Más en https://outbounders.es/

CryptoThe Investor's Podcast (TIP) Key Takeaways  A three-step process for beating the market: avoid big risks, buy high-quality businesses at a fair price, and instead of being lazy, be very lazy Optimal investments are made in businesses that are hard to destroyThe two primary mistakes that investors make:#1. Doing something that you are not supposed to do (type I error) #2. Not doing something that you are supposed to do (type II error) Warren Buffett's two rules of investing:#1. Don't lose money #2. Don't forget rule number one“Think about risk first, not return.” – Pulak Prasad  Instead of spending time on projections and forecasts, study the history of the business so that you can understand it In the long-run, things do not change that much; however, over shorter periods, there is an appearance that things are changing very fast The Grant-Kurten Principle of Investing (GKPI): If you identify top-notch businesses that maintain their core qualities over time, you should use the short-term ups and downs in their fundamental performance to buy instead of sell Steer clear of information that encourages short-term thinking In the long run, price tracks value; you will be rewarded for holding onto a good investment Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgOn today's episode, Kyle shares the lessons he learned from reading What I Learned About Investing From Darwin by Pulak Prasad.  The book is authored by Pulak Prasad, an investor out of India who helps run Nalanda Capital. From 2007 to 2022, they compounded their capital at 19% per annum turning 1 rupee into 13.8 rupees during that time sample!! But more important than their track record is the unique ways they run their fund. The book illuminates 3 key principles that Nalanda uses for its investing framework:  1. Avoid big risks. 2. Buy high-quality at a fair price. 3. Don't be lazy – be very lazy. To help readers understand why he invests this way he dives deep into many of Darwin's principles to help you understand their potential power in investing. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 20:26 - What a cheetah can teach you about risk 24:33 - Why you should be more focused on risk than returns 25:40 - How things in nature and investing mostly stay the same 27:42 - Some interesting data on why great companies remain great, and poor companies remain mediocre 28:29 - What a Russian scientist can teach us about the power of focusing on one investing metric to help identify wonderful businesses 34:58 - The importance of robustness in nature, and why you should search for the same attribute in business 37:00 - How to identify businesses that can evolve in a fast-changing world and remain on top 43:01 - What guppies can teach us about honest and dishonest signaling 46:06 - Why we should prioritize the past over making bold predictions 48:11 - How to invest without ever doing a discounted cash flow ever again 51:05 - What bear teeth and finches can teach us about the importance of avoiding noise 55:20 - How to use the presence of noise as an opportunity to outperform Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive TIP Mastermind Community to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Stig, Clay, Kyle, and the other community members. Check out What I Learned About Investing From Darwin. Learn more about the Berkshire Summit by clicking here or emailing Clay at clay@theinvestorspodcast.com. Follow Kyle on Twitter and LinkedIn. Check out the books mentioned in the podcast here. NEW TO THE SHOW? Check out our We Study Billionaires Starter Packs. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here. Try our tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance Tool. Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services. Stay up-to-date on financial markets and investing strategies through our daily newsletter, We Study Markets. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors: River Glengoyne Whisky NetSuite Shopify Toyota Babbel Salesforce Fundrise Fidelity Vacasa HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! It takes less than 30 seconds, and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CryptoThe Investor's Podcast (TIP) Key Takeaways  A three-step process for beating the market: avoid big risks, buy high-quality businesses at a fair price, and instead of being lazy, be very lazy Optimal investments are made in businesses that are hard to destroyThe two primary mistakes that investors make:#1. Doing something that you are not supposed to do (type I error) #2. Not doing something that you are supposed to do (type II error) Warren Buffett's two rules of investing:#1. Don't lose money #2. Don't forget rule number one“Think about risk first, not return.” – Pulak Prasad  Instead of spending time on projections and forecasts, study the history of the business so that you can understand it In the long-run, things do not change that much; however, over shorter periods, there is an appearance that things are changing very fast The Grant-Kurten Principle of Investing (GKPI): If you identify top-notch businesses that maintain their core qualities over time, you should use the short-term ups and downs in their fundamental performance to buy instead of sell Steer clear of information that encourages short-term thinking In the long run, price tracks value; you will be rewarded for holding onto a good investment Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgOn today's episode, Kyle shares the lessons he learned from reading What I Learned About Investing From Darwin by Pulak Prasad.  The book is authored by Pulak Prasad, an investor out of India who helps run Nalanda Capital. From 2007 to 2022, they compounded their capital at 19% per annum turning 1 rupee into 13.8 rupees during that time sample!! But more important than their track record is the unique ways they run their fund. The book illuminates 3 key principles that Nalanda uses for its investing framework:  1. Avoid big risks. 2. Buy high-quality at a fair price. 3. Don't be lazy – be very lazy. To help readers understand why he invests this way he dives deep into many of Darwin's principles to help you understand their potential power in investing. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 20:26 - What a cheetah can teach you about risk 24:33 - Why you should be more focused on risk than returns 25:40 - How things in nature and investing mostly stay the same 27:42 - Some interesting data on why great companies remain great, and poor companies remain mediocre 28:29 - What a Russian scientist can teach us about the power of focusing on one investing metric to help identify wonderful businesses 34:58 - The importance of robustness in nature, and why you should search for the same attribute in business 37:00 - How to identify businesses that can evolve in a fast-changing world and remain on top 43:01 - What guppies can teach us about honest and dishonest signaling 46:06 - Why we should prioritize the past over making bold predictions 48:11 - How to invest without ever doing a discounted cash flow ever again 51:05 - What bear teeth and finches can teach us about the importance of avoiding noise 55:20 - How to use the presence of noise as an opportunity to outperform Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive TIP Mastermind Community to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Stig, Clay, Kyle, and the other community members. Check out What I Learned About Investing From Darwin. Learn more about the Berkshire Summit by clicking here or emailing Clay at clay@theinvestorspodcast.com. Follow Kyle on Twitter and LinkedIn. Check out the books mentioned in the podcast here. NEW TO THE SHOW? Check out our We Study Billionaires Starter Packs. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here. Try our tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance Tool. Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services. Stay up-to-date on financial markets and investing strategies through our daily newsletter, We Study Markets. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors: River Glengoyne Whisky NetSuite Shopify Toyota Babbel Salesforce Fundrise Fidelity Vacasa HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! It takes less than 30 seconds, and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Kyle shares the lessons he learned from reading What I Learned About Investing From Darwin by Pulak Prasad.  The book is authored by Pulak Prasad, an investor out of India who helps run Nalanda Capital. From 2007 to 2022, they compounded their capital at 19% per annum turning 1 rupee into 13.8 rupees during that time sample!! But more important than their track record is the unique ways they run their fund. The book illuminates 3 key principles that Nalanda uses for its investing framework:  1. Avoid big risks. 2. Buy high-quality at a fair price. 3. Don't be lazy – be very lazy. To help readers understand why he invests this way he dives deep into many of Darwin's principles to help you understand their potential power in investing. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 20:26 - What a cheetah can teach you about risk 24:33 - Why you should be more focused on risk than returns 25:40 - How things in nature and investing mostly stay the same 27:42 - Some interesting data on why great companies remain great, and poor companies remain mediocre 28:29 - What a Russian scientist can teach us about the power of focusing on one investing metric to help identify wonderful businesses 34:58 - The importance of robustness in nature, and why you should search for the same attribute in business 37:00 - How to identify businesses that can evolve in a fast-changing world and remain on top 43:01 - What guppies can teach us about honest and dishonest signaling 46:06 - Why we should prioritize the past over making bold predictions 48:11 - How to invest without ever doing a discounted cash flow ever again 51:05 - What bear teeth and finches can teach us about the importance of avoiding noise 55:20 - How to use the presence of noise as an opportunity to outperform Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive TIP Mastermind Community to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Stig, Clay, Kyle, and the other community members. Check out What I Learned About Investing From Darwin. Learn more about the Berkshire Summit by clicking here or emailing Clay at clay@theinvestorspodcast.com. Follow Kyle on Twitter and LinkedIn. Check out the books mentioned in the podcast here. NEW TO THE SHOW? Check out our We Study Billionaires Starter Packs. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here. Try our tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance Tool. Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services. Stay up-to-date on financial markets and investing strategies through our daily newsletter, We Study Markets. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors: River Glengoyne Whisky NetSuite Shopify Toyota Babbel Salesforce Fundrise Fidelity Vacasa HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! It takes less than 30 seconds, and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm hugely inspired by Nalanda University and the way they operated 1500+ years ago. In this podcast, I share 13 aspects about this institution and how I'm modeling some of their elements as I'm building my own community.

Scholars from Tibet, China, Cambodia, Mongolia, and other places regularly visited Nalanda University to translate the books in its library. This is a precious collection of India's original knowledge that was highly sought after by everyone in the world. Later on, Muslim invaders burned down the entire library of Nalanda. When the Dalai Lama came from Tibet to India in the 1950s, he brought back several hundred Tibetan translations of these works. Infinity Foundation gave a grant to Columbia University 20 years ago to translate into English some of the most important books in Nalanda University that were burned by Muslim invaders centuries ago. That project has continued since then as a result of our foundation's historic role in the revival of Indian knowledge. Snakes in the Ganga - http://www.snakesintheganga.com Varna Jati Caste - http://www.varnajaticaste.com The Battle For IIT's - http://www.battleforiits.com Power of future Machines - http://www.poweroffuturemachines.com 10 heads of Ravana - http://www.tenheadsofravana.com To support Infinity Foundation's projects including the continuation of such episodes and the research we do: इनफिनिटी फ़ौंडेशन की परियोजनाओं को अनुदान देने के लिए व इस प्रकार के एपिसोड और हमारे द्वारा किये जाने वाले शोध को जारी रखने के लिए: http://infinityfoundation.com/donate-2/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rajivmalhotrapodcast/support

Episode 170 of the #AskAbhijit show: Ask me interesting questions on the live chat, and I shall answer them.

This episode starts out with the Nalanda translation of the Heart Sutra and an enthusiastic connection to lauren's new moon contemplation for this mars/new moon lunation opposing uranus. What would peace look like? Imagine. Link to Ethan Nichtern 2024 year long Buddhist studies course https://www.dharmamoon.com/yearlong-buddhist-studies --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ursidae/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ursidae/support

At this week's Round Table, Hannah, Heba, and Maya spoke with Becky Wang, the CEO and CoFounder of Rabble.io, a social discovery platform for people to find purpose-driven events and actions that bring life back to communities and neighborhoods. For brand partners, they provide a way to sponsor and support people-focused sustainability programs led by the organizers of these live events in order to foster community building. Rabble is technology that operates at the intersection of social media and live events.  Before creating this platform, Becky built the growth and sales functions for several seed & Series A companies; led transformation projects at Crossbeat New York, a digital design consultancy; and served as Head of Data Strategy at Droga5 and Senior Vice President & Global Head of Insights & Analytics at Saatchi & Saatchi. She is the author of Creativity & Data Marketing and has been featured at SXSW, the Financial Times, CBS, Co.Create/Fast Company on the future of media and impact of BigTech on culture & politics. Becky is also a proud Board Member of NALANDA, a Buddhist LGBTQIA+ organization supporting incarcerated queer youth.  In our conversation, Becky talked us through what Rabble is as well as what drove her to start Rabble. We discussed food security at length as it's been  the focus of Rabble's first activations and is a powerful way to bring together conservationists, justice advocates, and climate activists. We also engaged in fascinating exploration of what matters to various audiences in terms of perks, rewards, and incentives. Thank you for listening! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nextgenpolitics/message

This episode covers the next section of chapter 8 from: “In time the leading scientific societies of the world...” To  “...synonym of India, confounding Time and the historians alike?”  We explore the lasting legacy of Indian scientist Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, a passionate advocate for India's scientific heritage. Bose envisioned global scientific collaboration, opening his institute and research to scientists worldwide, and urged Indians to excel in all knowledge domains. Tune in to be inspired by Bose's remarkable journey and vision!  1:13 Speech continues; 16:40 Bose Lab success; 35:20 Innovation, altruism and acceptance; 53:55 Pursuit of Truth.  Links discussed in the podcast:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Norman_Brown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Ut2SB-dU8&t=85s http://www.jcbose.ac.in/instruments https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6702694/#:~:text=The%20research%20on%20plant%20nervous,these%20aroused%20disbelief%20and%20contradiction. https://nalandauniv.edu.in/about-nalanda/history-and-revival/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nalanda_mahavihara https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_ancient_Taxila#CITEREFMarshall2013 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ka%E1%B9%87%C4%81da_(philosopher)   Homework for next episode— Read, absorb and make notes on the next section of chapter 8 from: “I visited the research centre again...” To “...fertility of his genius ever be exhausted?”.  #autobiographyofayogi  #autobiographylinebyline  #paramahansayogananda Autobiography of a Yogi  awake.minute Self-Realization Fellowship #SRF

The Hunters and Unicorns session with Anant Bhardwaj, Founder and CEO of Instabase unveiled an extraordinary journey, starting from humble beginnings to becoming the visionary founder of a groundbreaking AI company, Instabase. The emphasis on developing applications around real-world use cases struck a chord, highlighting the need to identify broader relevance beyond a specific scenario for achieving impactful market fit. Key Takeaways; 1. Early Life and Education: Grew up in a rural part of India called Nalanda, Bihar, without modern amenities. Initially struggled adjusting to a city environment due to a shift in language and educational medium to English. 2. Career Aspirations: Initially wanted to join the Army like family members but was rejected due to colour blindness. Had an interest in literature, poetry, and writing but was discouraged from pursuing it as a career. 3. Academic Journey: Accidentally got into computer science during college in India and discovered a passion for programming. Moved to the US for a master's at Stanford but felt pressure to start a company during this time. Pursued research projects at MIT, one of which was Data Hub, exploring abstracting complex data for diverse applications. Faced challenges with visa status and legal issues but was supported by MIT during this period. 4. Formation of Databricks: Founded Databricks without a clear commercial application but had an academic focus initially. Initially targeted academia, providing free products to professors and students at various universities. 5. Discovery of Commercial Use: Identified a commercial use case with companies like Zenefits and Lending Club needing data extraction from diverse sources like PDFs and images. 6. Product Development and Market Fit: Iterated the product based on market needs and feedback, eventually finding a product-market fit in data extraction and analysis for various industries. Emphasized a fearless and experimental approach to adapt to new opportunities and discover viable product uses. 7. Key Advice from Martin Casado: "Use cases precede the product; product precedes the platform; platform precedes the ecosystem." Don't build a product without understanding the use case it solves. Don't build a platform without a real product. A platform allows value creation by someone other than the creator. 8. Discovery of Product-Market Fit: Understand the key drivers and drags for customers; drivers are critical to why they buy. Find the one or two core drivers that make customers want to buy your product. Prioritize features that cater to these key drivers and address critical pain points. 9. Approach to Product Development: Engage in parallel experimentation to find both the use cases and the right product. Engage early customers to help validate and define the product, ensuring it addresses their needs. Focus on problems applicable across a wide range of industries to have a broad market impact. 10. Building a Platform: Allow customers to create value by building their own apps on your platform. Separate the product from custom services and prioritize building a scalable product. Be open to iterating and adjusting the product based on customer feedback and use cases. 11. Ecosystem Building: Move towards creating an ecosystem by enabling third-party developers to build on the platform. Aim for apps built by one entity to be usable and valuable for another, promoting a broader ecosystem. 12. Early Growth and Funding: Achieved significant growth from $250k to $5 million in a year, gaining investor interest. Raised funding at a $1 billion valuation in 2019 due to perceived strong product-market fit. 13. Challenges in Scaling Sales: Initially, sales were handled by the founder, but transitioning to a sales team required careful planning. Incorrect hiring and lack of understanding of sales dynamics led to a wasted year in scaling sales. 14. Building an Effective Sales Team: Hiring salespeople requires careful consideration of ramp-up times, quotas, and net new revenue targets. Defined sales process stages: first meeting, technical deep dive, proof of value, success criteria, business value, commercial and pricing, legal. 15. Sales Process and Experimentation: Focused on identifying and repeating successful use cases to drive sales effectively. Employed a small growth team for experimentation and exploration of new use cases and verticals. Launched a self-serve product (iHub) to understand the market, not focusing on specific deal sizes initially. 16. Sales Velocity and Incentives: Emphasized velocity of feedback and signal collection over deal size to learn from a larger customer base. Experimenting with sales team incentives to encourage high-velocity growth and learning from a diverse customer set. Episode 3 of 'The Founders Edition' is not to be missed!

Trechos do livro “Bodhicharyavatara”, de Shantideva. Shantideva ou Bhusuku (685 - 763 d.C.), foi um filósofo, poeta e renomado Mahasiddha da Tradição Mādhyamaka. Filho do rei Kalyanavarnam, Shantideva nasceu em Saurastra (Índia). Quando pequeno, meditava e agia naturalmente como um bodhisattva. Tinha grande fé nos ensinamentos do Budismo Mahayana, grande respeito por seus professores e era diligente em seus estudos. Durante sua juventude, conheceu um yogue errante que lhe deu os ensinamentos sobre o Tikshna Manjushri Sadhana, e através desta prática ele estabeleceu uma forte conexão com o bodhisattva Manjushri e alcançou um alto nível de realização. Mais tarde, Shantideva se tornou monge na universidade monástica de Nalanda. No entanto, até onde os outros monges podiam dizer, não havia nada de especial em Shantideva. Na verdade, ele parecia não fazer nada além de comer e dormir. Na tentativa de envergonhá-lo, convenceram-no a expor publicamente seus ensinamentos para toda a universidade. Para a surpresa de todos os presentes naquele dia, Shantideva entregou os versos originais e comoventes do Bodhicharyavatara (O Caminho do Bodhisattva). Diz-se que quando ele alcançou o versículo trinta e quatro do nono capítulo, ele começou a subir ao céu, até que finalmente desapareceu. Depois disso, Shantideva se tornou um grande professor. Seu livro "O Caminho do Bodhisattva", expõe os ideais e práticas de um bodhisattva, alguém que busca a iluminação não apenas para seu próprio benefício, mas também para o benefício de todos os seres sencientes. Shantideva enfatizava o cultivo de bodhichitta (a mente da iluminação) e a prática de seis perfeições: generosidade, moralidade, paciência, diligência, meditação e sabedoria. Também enfatizava a importância da compaixão e o alívio do sofrimento para si e para os outros. Seus ensinamentos influenciaram inúmeros praticantes e estudiosos ao longo dos séculos. Embora Shantideva negasse repetidamente que tivesse dito algo de original, pode-se dizer que suas principais obras representam a contribuição mais significativa da tradição budista para a teoria ética global. E suas passagens poéticas exibem tal poder emocional e retórico que lhes permite serem incluídas entre as maiores realizações da literatura mundial. Saiba mais: https://kalu.org.br/introducao-ao-est...

In this episode, The Future of Education, Amy Edelstein explores a visionary approach to teacher training. If we are to truly inspire teachers and students to engage with their own learning in an innovative and even prophetic way, the training grounds that prepare teachers to teach must exemplify that new world and its higher values. Far too many people are concerned about how AI and Augmented Virtual Reality might subvert learning and far too few are imagining the frontiers that can be created in a virtual reality training ground, where the context is of engaged learning that rests on and fosters our higher human development. From  Socratic dialogue, to libraries of Alexandria, to the Buddha's monastic university at Nalanda, we have rare examples of education that went broad and deep, and fostered amazing breakthroughs in philosophy, ethics, mathematics, science, literature, theater, art, and more. Support the show

Born in Netherlands, Geshe Namdak completed his university studies in Hydrology and went on to work as an environmental researcher. He found Buddhism via a martial arts practice and a general leaning towards a spiritual perspective on life. On a work visit to Tibet, he encountered the Tibetan style of Buddhism and felt drawn in that direction. He decided to become a monk and commit to the 20-year programme of becoming a Geshe in the Nalanda tradition at the remote at Sera Jey monastery in India, and is now one of just a handful of Westerners to have completed the comprehensive Geshe curriculum. In 2019 he was asked to become the resident teacher at Jamyang Buddhist Centre in London, UK.In this interview Geshe-la (as he is known) brings his deep wisdom and experience to the discussion of how to deal with difficult people and situations. He describes 4 steps that are critical if we're to transform our impulsive actions into constructive ones: awareness, gaining distance, acceptance, and reflection. In order that we bring these steps to bear in real-life situations, he emphasises the need for cultivating a calm mind. The challenge, of course, is maintaining that clarity when our afflictions (anger, hate, etc) are triggered. The danger is that if we don't, we may become “emotionally hijacked” - as he puts it - and lose control of our actions leading to potentially dire consequences. But, he repeatedly emphasised, having a clear, accepting mind is not about rolling over and being a doormat. We can still be very direct and assertive even when we're coming from a place of awareness, calmness and reason.He described a lovely analogy from his time in India: He observed that when a new dog came towards the pack of stray dogs that lived near his monastery, most often the dogs became fearful and started to bark and growl. On one occasion, a new dog approached but, instead of barking, remained calm and started playing. Initially the pack didn't know what to do, but within a few minutes they were all playing together. The lesson is that if we can alter our attitude and approach to a difficult situation, the outcome can totally change.Support the showThis podcast is sponsored by Zen Minded – an online lifestyle store offering you the very best of Japanese craft, incense & other Zen-inspired home-goods. Check it out at www.zenminded.ukWe're also sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp offers convenient and affordable therapy online, helping match you with the right therapist from their network. They've extended an offer of 10% off your first month of therapy if you sign up via https://betterhelp.com/zenatthesharpendIf you liked this podcast, consider: Sharing it via social media Signing up to my email list www.markwestmoquette.co.uk

Our Podcast on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dhammagiri.net/news⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our Youtube Channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724 Our email Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our Podcasts on Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834

The Bodhicaryavatara is an 8th century text written by Shantideva, a Buddhist monk from the monastic 'university' at Nalanda, India. Dhammadinna offers a few thoughts on the Perfection of Patience, differentiating between types of anger and noting that Shantideva is referring to the sort of anger that is retaliatory and unskilful. Excerpted from the talk Some Thoughts on the Bodhicaryavatara given at Taraloka Retreat Centre, 2008. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast:  On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts A full, curated, quality Dharma talk, every week. 3,000,000 downloads and counting!Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast:  On Apple Podcasts | On Spotify | On Google Podcasts Bite-sized inspiration three times every week. Subscribe using these RSS feeds or search for Free Buddhist Audio or Dharmabytes in your favorite podcast service! Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone: donate now! Follow Free Buddhist Audio: YouTube  |  Instagram  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Soundcloud

Audrey Truschke, the Islamophile is out to whitewash the crimes of the Islamic rulers of India. Asbhas Maldahiyar flags her treatment of history of temple destruction and destruction of places of learning, specifically of Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura, and Nalanda in this talk with Sanjay Dixit.

Inevitably in life, we have to part ways with friends. Sometimes we break up involuntarily due to some misunderstandings, sometimes we deliberately choose to walk away from friends who are toxic. There is no one easy way to break up with friends. In this episode, we have our special guests, Khema and Nalanda, from the u awake? podcast to chat about friendship breakups. Cheryl and Kai Xin, together with the guest shares their experiences of breaking up with friends and: When do we walk away from friends? How do we walk away from toxic friends? Who should we associate with? Transcript: bit.ly/hol-ep18-friendshipbreakups Timestamp: (0:50): Nalanda – being ganged up on. (7:55): Khema – fading away from friends to heal from the past. (11:09): Cheryl – stopping contact due to one-sided romantic feelings. (14:15): Kai Xin – walking away from toxic friends. (17:12): Who is a good friend? Are you being judgemental? (25:48): Different categories of friends. (34:00): Sometimes it's beneficial to be hurt from time to time. (35:06): Giving and taking. (35:39): How will the fools be wise if the wise don't associate with them? (37:20): When should we break up with a friend? (43:09): We have the power to turn toxicity into wholesomeness too. (45:35): Good friends increase our chances to be enlightened. (47:21): How to cut off toxic friends? Check out u awake? podcast here: Instagram Spotify Readings: Mangala Sutta Two kinds of friends, Ajahn Jayasaro Thank you to our sponsors of this episode: Alvin Chan, Tan Jia Yee, Siau Yan Chen, Tan Key Seng, Ven You Guang, Soh Hwee hoon, Wilson Tan. Help sponsor our efforts to make Buddhist teachings applicable to daily life here: http://handfulofleaves.life/support Got a comment about the podcast? Share your thoughts on our Telegram channel: https://t.me/handfulofleaves

First, with Gujarat Assembly elections right around the corner, Indian Express' Udit Misra joins us to discuss the various aspects of Gujarat's economy.Second, Indian Express' Santosh Singh talks about Bihar's new "Har Ghar Gangajal Project", an ambitious project to not only bring Ganga's water to taps in homes in arid regions like Nalanda and Gaya but also to provide relief to flood-prone areas with the same machinery. (11:52)And in the end, Indian Express' Pallavi Smart explains how the female supernumerary seats push has helped to increase the number of women students in IITs. (19:30)Hosted by Anwiti SinghScripted and produced by Anwiti Singh, Utsa Sarmin and Rahel PhiliposeEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

On Women's Day special episode, Bhawana Somaaya is joined by renowned Dancer, Choreographer, academic and Mohiniattam exponent - Dr. Kanak Rele. She is the founder-director of India's premier institution for Classical Dance - the Nalanda Dance Research Centre and the founder-principal of the Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya. Listen to her exciting journey that shaped the foundations for Indian Classical Dance in Modern India.   You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @eplogmedia, For partnerships/queries send you can send us an email at bonjour@eplog.media. If you like this show, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts, so other people can find us. You can also find us on https://www.eplog.media See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Stories From The Road! One of my new year's resolutions was to improve my storytelling. So I decided to record a story each week from my journey. If you're interested in my Bristol2Beijing expedition, please listen and enjoy! This week I unexpectedly find myself playing a game of rugby in the ruins of a former university of Buddhism. Do I find my inner peace?

Design is what designers do #1 Hey girl, When I graduated from Mechanical Engineering, I opted to stay in India. Most of the others in my batch? Headed off to the US. In India I then did postgrad. At NID, the national institute of design in Ahmedabad. I elected to stay in India and ended up in Delhi, starting my own studio. My whole cohort? My group of friends? They headed off to the US. 5 years after graduation, just like Vineet and Abhishek, I too did a 6 month stint at Hitachi. From my NID days - I had been deep into Japanese literature and Cinema. My close friend's aunt was a professor of Japanese at a University. In my New Delhi of the 80s, Japan was everywhere. Then, I reached Japan. And my brain exploded. It was transformative. The secret sauce? In the factories I interned in, the Japanese goal, was quite simple. It was perfection. Everywhere I went in Japan I would encounter a conversation about the source of their dna. One country that they considered as a source was India. For the spiritual side to Japanese life, there was much to be learned from Nalanda and Buddhism. Like many Japanese, Hirano san my local Japanese healer in Melbourne too looks forward to his trips to Bihar, in India. For their cultural side, for their writing, calligraphy, the ceramics, for their notion of perfection? For the past 1000 years or more the source has been China. Today we are in a global period that we Designers (and others) refer to as Japandi. It is where Japanese aesthetics meets Scandinavian Aesthetics. So you have Muji and then you have Ikea. Then you have all the other Japan obsessed like Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Steve Jobs of Apple and the CEO of Oracle. Japandi may be ending! It probably surely is. But the question that remains is? If you are looking for the most mind expanding design work in the contemporary period.
The most beautiful? Yes.
The most risk taking? Yes. If you are really looking for the most mind expanding design work in the contemporary period on this planet – where should you look? You know, everyone knows my answer to that. So I shall not say. Haha. But hey while you make up your mind. Here is a link for you. Look up Culture Trip on your browser. Click on the magnifying glass, the search icon, and ask it a question. Say ‘designers in India'. Then sit back and have a feast. Remove India and put in a city. Let us say - umm Zagreb, Hangzhou, Chennai, Bandung, Johor, Ulan Bator, Santiago, Joberg, Lagos, Baghdad? Haha. Enjoy growing up. Lots of love from your Uncle Sam Blog Post: https://rawslearn.wordpress.com/2021/10/26/design-is-what-designers-do-1/

We can sometimes forget that “India”—or the idea of a single unified entity—is not a very old concept. Indian history is complicated and convoluted: different societies, polities and cultures rise and fall, ebb and flow, as the political makeup of South Asia changes. Namit Arora, author of Indians: A Brief History of a Civilization (Penguin Viking, 2021), details some of these changing cultures. From the early Harappans, to the Buddhist centers of Nagarjunakonda and Nalanda, and ending at Varanasi, Arora takes his readers on a journey through South Asia's rich and diverse history. Namit Arora chose a life of reading and writing after cutting short his career in the Internet industry. Raised in the Hindi belt of India, he lived in Louisiana, the San Francisco Bay Area and Western Europe, and travelled in scores of countries before returning to India over two decades later in 2013. He is the author of The Lottery of Birth (Three Essays Collective: 2017), a collection of essays, and the novel Love and Loathing in Silicon Valley (Speaking Tiger Publishing Pvt Ltd: 2019). More details here. In this interview, Namit and I talk about the many different cultures featured in his book Indians. We share the stories of some of India's illustrious foreign visitors, and what it was like for Namit to research these lost histories. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Indians. Follow on Facebook or on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-review

Joined by Duncan Trussell, comedian and creative genius behind “The Midnight Gospel” animated series, Robert A.F. Thurman leads a deep dive into popular culture, science fiction, spirituality, and the wisdom of the Nalanda tradition as preserved and transmitted down through the ages by Tibet's people, culture and inner sciences. Opening with reflections on the Covid-19 pandemic, Professor Thurman and Duncan in this extended conversation, share stories, teachings and insights from their time on and off the stage and from their encounters with exceptional beings such as His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Ram Das, their wives and families. Episode includes: A discussion of the role of mentors and aspirational figures on the spiritual path, a short overview of the history of Tibet, Buddhism and mindfulness practice in the West, an introduction to non-duality, Buddhist inner mind sciences and a frank conversation on the historical use of mind and body altering substances found across world traditions. Podcast includes a short “Consolation Prize” guided meditation led by Robert Thurman.

Joined by Duncan Trussell, comedian and creative genius behind “The Midnight Gospel” animated series, Robert A.F. Thurman leads a deep dive into popular culture, science fiction, spirituality, and the wisdom of the Nalanda tradition as preserved and transmitted down through the ages by Tibet's people, culture and inner sciences. Opening with reflections on the Covid-19 pandemic, Professor Thurman and Duncan in this extended conversation, share stories, teachings and insights from their time on and off the stage and from their encounters with exceptional beings such as His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Ram Das, their wives and families. Episode includes: A discussion of the role of mentors and aspirational figures on the spiritual path, a short overview of the history of Tibet, Buddhism and mindfulness practice in the West, an introduction to non-duality, Buddhist inner mind sciences and a frank conversation on the historical use of mind and body altering substances found across world traditions. Podcast includes a short “Consolation Prize” guided meditation led by Robert Thurman.

Opening with an extended message of gratitude to modern scientists, Professor Thurman in this episode explores the power of kindness and the centrality of compassionate wisdom in transformation through reading key passages from the miss titled “Tibetan Book of the Dead”. Robert A.F. Thurman gives a close line reading and recitation of his classic translation of the “Tibetan Book of the Dead” for listeners of all faiths, backgrounds or experience. Using stories from the Nalanda tradition's Tilopa and from his time studying with Geshe Wangyal, Tara Tulku, and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Bob Thurman discusses the value of positive intention, life-affirming action and supportive behavior during the death process and in our daily lives. This episode includes an in depth teaching on Buddhist Bodhisattvas and angelic beings and responds to questions about the ethics of the art of dying. Recorded during the on-going Tibet House US | Menla Online “Bardo” teachings. To learn more about Robert A.F. Thurman's new audio book version of “Liberation Through Understanding in the Between: Tibetan Book of the Dead” by Penguin Audio, please visit: www.bobthurman.com.

Follow us both on instagram @theindianeditpodcast and @seemakrishtextiles to read more about Seema's work. For more on one of Seema's sustainability initiatives, check out the zero-waste project.Books and other cool stuff we discussed on Episode 9:Japanese art textiles at NUNOSatya Paul who was an innovative sari designer who launched contemporary, printed saris in the 1980sTharangini Studios in Bangalore, who print Seema's fabricsThe iconic Nalanda bookstore in the Taj, now open as part of the CMYK group, and this wonderful tribute to the sad closing after 70 years, of another iconic Bombay The Strand Bookstore earlier this year. BOOK LOVERS - it's a must watch and a powerful reminder of the serendipitous discoveries we miss out on when we search for specific titles on amazon.Brigitte Singh: Printress of the Mughal GardenPeter Korn's Why We Make Things and Why It Matters: The Education of a CraftsmanA related book by Alexander Langlands: Cræft: An Inquiry Into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional CraftsSpecial thanks to Mohit Shandilya & Rajat Upadhyay / Flying Carpet Productions for audio post-production engineering.