To learn true wisdom, he traversed bone-dry deserts, scaled snow-laden mountains, and grieved over lost friends. To spread his hard-won knowledge, he battle stormy seas and unimaginable dangers. But his lord's blessings seemed to protect this brave Chinese monk, who spent 15 years retracting the steps of the Buddha and his treachings. Arriving in Gupta-ruled India, Fa Hien kept a record of his travels (between A.D. 399 and 414), which fascinate even to this day.