The travel writing of Master Sheng Yen of Dharma Drum Mountain is not only abundant in quantity, but also rich in aesthetic value, embodying fields including history, literature and religion, making its importance in Taiwan Buddhism literature. For Master Sheng Yen, the beautiful natural sceneries were not the motive for travel; the real motive lies in preaching Buddhism. In order to do so, Master Sheng Yen travels constantly, and because of his health issues, he often writes about traveling in ill, echoing the contents of Vimalakirtinirdeśa Sūtra. Centered on the concept of illness narrative, this paper aims to explore the relation between the writings concerning illness of Master Sheng Yen with Vimalakirtinirdeśa Sūtra, with hopes of bring new perspectives of understanding the travel writings of Master Sheng Yen and raising new questions about the travel writings of Taiwan Buddhist literature.
