One Step One Mind

A Chinese Play (directed by Yang Ching-Ling) portraying Hsuen Tsang(Tangsen) travel to India and understanding the true meaning of Buddhism played on the eve of New Year 2010 and New Decade at Aiwan-E- Ghalib Auditorium, New Delhi.

The play chooses "death" as the issue on the cultural exchange.In Chinese culture, people avoid mentioning death. Confucius says "Without understanding life, how can you understand death?" This is the typical attitude of Chinese.

And for Chinese, how to face the reality is the truly urgent for matter. But Indian culture, "death" is an important concept because they value the extrication of soul. And the death is the only way to get extrication.

Tangsen passes through the desert and experiences death in per

son and realizes the true meaning of "sunyata" in the Buddha's teaching. "Sunyata" doesn't mean 'nothing' or 'empty'. But it is newborn, joyful and completely at ease after abandoning all the obstruction in mind. Therefore, depicting the image of Indian god, Shiva. Destruction is reconstruction.

"Combined with mercy and wisdom,

Together with ambition and wisdom,

The still water, the deep ocean,

One notion one mind

One dust one sand

One flower one moon

One wind one gentleness

The notion passes away.

The mind calms down

With deep wisdom and merciful mind,

All difficulties become gold.

All the human kinds are linked together

Mercy, Wisdom, Ambition and Action ".

Hunag Li-Hui brilliantly portrayed the character of Hsuen Tsang in the musical play whereas role of Shiva played by Lee Ming Cheng was amazing while doing 'Tandava'.

Master Hsuen Tsang is the greatest Buddhist monk who makes the best cultural exchange in Chinese History. Some people call him a 'philosopher', 'traveler', 'interpreter'. But he called "Tangsen" in the famous novel, "Journey to the West". "Tangsen"means a monk in Tang dynasty. It seems to be more proper for Hsuen Tsang because this title means that he makes a cultural exchange between India and China. In fact, the very name "Tangsen" is given by Indians. Thus, title shows the respect and the brilliance between these two countries.

The Buddhism has culturally connected countries of Asia, particularly Southeast and East Asian countries. Although, India is birthplace of Buddhism, there are many untold stories to be heard related with Buddhism in different countries. Although, Indian people are aware of Hsuen Tsang visit and stay at the Nalanda University, the great Buddhist centre of learning of the time, story of visiting most sacred sites of India connected with the life of the Lord Buddha is relatively unknown.And the play decipher the one such untold story of Hsuen Tsang.

More than 90 percent of the Taiwanese people practice Chinese traditional religion , which integrates elements of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. It signifies the cultural affinity between India and Taiwan.