The ultimatum given by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty to Monk Tang for clearance is a plot described in the novel Journey to the West. In real history, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty did not even allow Xuanzang to go to India to search for Buddhist scriptures. The specific analysis is as follows: 1. .In Journey to the West, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty gave Monk Tang a customs clearance document before leaving to help him pass the customs.

In the well-known film and television drama Journey to the West, every time the four masters and disciples of Tang Monk and his disciples arrived in a country, Tang Monk would say that he came from the Eastern Land of the Tang Dynasty and went to the West to learn Buddhist scriptures, and would give them a customs clearance document. The supreme rulers of each country requested permission. After overcoming obstacles and slaying demons along the way, he finally succeeded in obtaining the true scripture after traveling to more than 110 countries. But what was written in this customs clearance document that made everyone respect it after seeing it, and willingly stamped the document and let Tang Monk and his disciples go, is a question that many people are concerned about.

According to Journey to the West, the customs clearance document was written by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. It mainly recorded the identity of Tang Monk and some of Tang Taizong's own deeds. The purpose was to allow the Tang Dynasty to receive care from various countries on its journey to obtain scriptures and facilitate its passage. It contains the following meanings. One is that Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty praised himself for his dedication to the country and the people after becoming emperor. He also told the story of beheading the Dragon King of Jinghe River, saying that he was captured in the underworld and then released by the King of Hell, and asked him to build a dojo to save himself from death.

The second is the appearance of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva who happens to save people from suffering, reminding them that there are Mahayana Buddhist sutras in the West that can save all sentient beings. Thirdly, Master Xuanzang is hereby sent to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures. I hope you will give him permission after reading this ultimatum. From this point of view, this customs clearance document is not simple. First of all, it was written by the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. It is of great significance. Facing the powerful Eastern Tang Dynasty, many countries did not dare to offend at will. Secondly, he also relied on the power of Guanyin Bodhisattva, which is respected by thousands of people, so that others dare not stop him. 2. The role of customs clearance documents also shows the great influence of the Tang Dynasty at that time.

On the other hand, the convenience brought by the customs clearance documents to Tang Monk and his disciples also reflects the awe of the Tang Dynasty in various countries. In the era of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty could be called the hegemon in terms of economic level, military strength and cultural influence. Envoys from various countries frequently visited Chang'an City and presented rare treasures to the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. The strength of the Tang Dynasty was obvious to all. That's why everyone respected them so much and gave them higher courtesy after hearing that Tang Monk and others came from the Eastern Tang Dynasty and had customs clearance documents written by the emperor. In their view, pleasing and serving distinguished guests from the Tang Dynasty would also be of certain benefit to their country. 3. There is no customs clearance document in real history. Xuanzang relied on his own perseverance to go to Tianzhu to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

But in real history, the truth of the matter is very different from that in the novel. According to historical records, Tang Monk is also Master Xuanzang, whose original name is Chen Yi. After the death of his father, he followed his elder brother, who was now a Master, to practice in the temple. After becoming Master Xuanzang, in order to explore the source of Buddhist scriptures and promote the Buddhist culture in the Central Plains, Xuanzang asked Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty for permission to go to Tianzhu to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

But this request was not accepted by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty at that time. First, because Buddhism was not the mainstream during the Emperor Taizong's period, and Taoism had a higher status than it. Second, the Tang Dynasty was at war with the Turks in the west, and they were worried that someone would take the opportunity to leak the secrets of the Tang Dynasty to the Turks during Xuanzang's journey to the west.

So to a certain extent, Xuanzang's search for scriptures in Tianzhu was regarded as his private behavior, that is, he went there secretly without notifying Emperor Taizong in advance. So much so that later generations also recorded an embarrassing incident when Master Xuanzang returned from India after obtaining the scriptures. When Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty greeted him, he asked him why he was not notified before leaving.