Srivijaya's Pilgrim Monks: Yijing and the Buddhist Network

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the story of Yijing, the Chinese Buddhist monk who spent over a decade in Srivijaya studying Sanskrit and translating scriptures. His travelogue, the Nanhai Jigui Neifa Zhuan, offers a rare firsthand account of 7th-century Srivijayan society, its Buddhist universities, and its role as a hub on the maritime Silk Road. They discuss Yijing's motivations, his journey from Guangzhou to Palembang, the curriculum at Srivijaya's monasteries, and how his records illuminate the empire's intellectual and commercial networks stretching from India to China. The episode also touches on the broader tradition of Chinese pilgrim monks, the challenges of travel in the 600s CE, and what Yijing's writings reveal about daily life, trade, and religion in Srivijaya. A fascinating glimpse into a forgotten world of cross-cultural exchange. #Srivijaya #Yijing #BuddhistPilgrim #Palembang #MaritimeSilkRoad #NanhaiJiguiNeifaZhuan #ChineseMonk #7thCentury #Buddhism #Sanskrit #TangDynasty #SoutheastAsia #MuaroJambi #Nalanda #Pilgrimage #History #FexingoHistory #TradeRoutes Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo