Hazards they encountered:
Instead of taking one of the routes that skirted around the desert, they walked straight through it, experiencing many fears and hardships. Besides the anticipated shortages of food and water, and the extremes of heat and cold, there were also frequent sandstorms and other dangers, such as attacks from mounted bandits. Faxian says:
In the desert were numerous evil spirits and scorching winds, causing death to anyone who would meet them. Above there were no birds, while on the ground there were no animals. One looked as far as one could in all directions for a path to cross, but there was none to choose. Only the dried bones of the dead served as indications.
After staying for two years at Ceylon, he then sailed from Ceylon to Java, experiencing an extremely perilous journey:The sea was infested with pirates, whom to meet meant certain death. The boundless expanse of water spread out before us, the only aid to navigation being the sun, the moon, and the stars. If these were obscured by the weather, the ship had to run unguided before the wind. At night great waves, shining like fire, broke against one another, and we caught glimpses of huge turtles and other sea monsters. The merchants were panic-stricken, not knowing where they were going, but it was impossible to drop anchor because the sea was so deep . . . If we had hit a submerged rock there could have been no escape.
He was sucessful
He was successful in achieving his aim of his journey, as he had successfully found the Vinaya he was looking for in Pataliputra.
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