Prevod

Long ago, a monk from Tang China journeyed to India for no other reason than his curiosity about the world, and wandered from place to place to see its sights. In a certain region he came upon a great hole in a mountainside. Seeing an ox enter it, he grew curious and followed the animal inside. After going a long way, he emerged into a bright place. Looking about him, he felt he had entered another world: flowers such as he had never seen before bloomed in wild profusion, their colors dazzling. The ox was eating these flowers. The monk plucked a cluster and tasted it, and found it so delicious that he wondered whether even the sweet nectar of heaven could compare. Delighted, he ate a great many, only to find himself growing fatter and fatter. Bewildered and frightened, he made his way back toward the hole through which he had come. But the passage he had entered so easily now seemed narrow, for his body had grown enormous. With great difficulty he managed to reach the mouth of the hole, but he could not get out, and his suffering was beyond endurance. He cried to those passing by, “Help me!” Yet no one heeded him, and no one came to his aid. What he must have looked like to their eyes is a mystery. Days passed, and he died. Afterward he turned to stone and remained there, his head jutting from the mouth of the hole. This account was recorded in the journal of the Tripitaka Master Xuanzang’s journey to India.