Alleged "forgery" of Xuan Zang's quote

[N. Ganesan]

Dear Indologists,

Recently, Mr. Petr Mares alleged few times in Indology list
that the travel records of Xuan Zang (Hsuan Tsang) translated
by S. Beal in 1884 and Th. Watters in 1905 are "forgeries".

I used Beal and Watter's material as *one* among *several*
arguments/points in my identification of Mt. Potiyil/Potikai
in Malaya mountains as Mt. Potalaka, the abode of
Avalokitezvara.

Authorities on Early Buddhism of China and Mt. Potalaka think
the opposite of Petr Mares. Attached is Prof. Chun-fang Yu's letter
addressed to me. Prof. Yu has written many important articles
on Mt. Potalaka, She has completed a book on Kuanyin cult in China
as worshipped in P'u-t'uo, the Chinese Mt. Potalaka.
She is Professor of Religious studies, Dept. of Religion,
Rutgers university, USA. (In fact, she is the world's most
renowned scholar on Mt. Potalaka. This was told to me by
three reputed Sinologists. Names I do not want to reveal, unless
there is a real need).

Hope Mr. Petr Mares gives us more details and proofs for
assertions that Xuan Zang's travel record portions are
indeed "forgeries".

With kind regards,
N. Ganesan

Prof. Chu-fang Yu, Rutgers University wrote to N. Ganesan:
************************************************************

Dear Dr. Ganesan,

This is the first time that I read that the passage about Potalaka
found in Hsuan-tsang's account was a forgery. Did your informant
supply evidence for such assertion? Who said that this was a forgery?

I am sending you the xerox of Tucci's article today. As you see, this
was from an aricle he wrote entitled "A propo Avalokitesvara" found
in a collected work. The latter is not "Minor Texts" as I indicated
in my footnote of my article in the Pilgrims and Sacred Sites book. I
checked the "Minor Texts" but did not find the reference. I also
read the passage about Potalaka written by Chih-sheng in Goto's book.
It simply says that Potalaka is a mountain facing the seashore in the
south of India. It is the same statement made by Hsuan-tsang.
Chih-sheng simply repeats it. The name of the monk should be spelled
Chih-sheng.

Best,

Chun-fang Yu

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

(732) 572-1478 (Telephone of Prof. Yu)


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