
Ten Thousand Miles Without a Cloud is a beautifully written account of Sun Shuyun`s journey to retrace the steps of one of the most popular figures in Chinese history -- the monk Xuanzang, who travelled to India searching for true Buddhism. Xuanzang should be known as one of the world`s great heroes. His travels across Asia to bring true Buddhism back to China are legendary, & his own book provides a unique record of the history & culture of his time. Yet he is unknown to most of us & even to most Chinese, whose knowledge of Buddhist history has been eradicated by decades of Communist rule. Sun Shuyun was determined to follow in his footsteps, to discover more about Xuanzang & restore his fame. She decided to retrace his journey from China to India & back, an adventure that in the 8th century took Xuanzang eighteen years & led him across 118 kingdoms, an adventure that opened up the east & west of Asia to each other -- & to us. A man of great faith & determination, Xuanzang won the hearts of kings & robbers with his teaching, his charm & his indomitable will. Against all odds he persuaded the Confucian emperors to allow Buddhism to flourish in China. At the heart of the book lies Sun Shuyun`s own personal journey towards understanding the Buddhist faith of her grandmother, recognising the passionate idealism of the communist beliefs of her own family & discovering her own ideological & personal path through life.