1. When Great Master Kuiji was young, he was strong and had heroic character. Although he was born into the powerful family of the war minister in the city of Changan, he was a disgrace to the family. He lived a life of dissipation: eating, drinking, and making merry.

2. One day, Great Master Hsuan Tsang came to the war minister asking his nephew (Great Master Kuiji) to leave home.“This boy is so mischievous that I cannot deal with him. You want him to leave home? Fine!”

3. And so he talked with his nephew...

4. Leave home?!

5. The war minister had no way to deal with him. “I won't leave home! YOU leave home!”

6. The next best thing for Great Master Hsuan Tsang to do was to discuss with Emperor Taizong and ask him to send an imperial order for the young man to leave home.

7. When the young man received that order, he said,“The Emperor is forcing me to leave home, but I have some conditions.”

8. Before the nephew went to the palace, Great Master Hsuan Tsang told Emperor Taizong, romise this young man anything he asks for, as long as he will leave home.”

9.The nephew of the war minister came and said, “The Emperor has ordered me to leave home; I can obey, but I have conditions. 1) I can't quit drinking wine. There must be a cart of wine with me. And a cart of beautiful women and a cart of meat and treasures. If these conditions are met, then I'll leave home!”

10.“You can have all your wishes!” Emperor Taizong said.

11. Therefore, with three carts following him, the nephew of the war minister went to Daxingshan Monastery to leave home.

12.When people saw the nephew of the war minister arriving to leave home, they hit the great bell and drum.

13. Dong! Dong! Dong!

14. Clang! Clang! Clang!

15. As soon as he heard them, he suddenly understood:“Ah! So I was an old cultivator on the way to India. What do I want these three carts for? Go home, all of you!

16. He waved them off and didn't want any of them. And so he became known as the Patriarch of Three Carts.