이 책은 6세기 전반기에 ‘천축구법天竺求法’을 목표로 이 땅을 떠난 겸익ㆍ의신을 필두로, 7세기의 아리야발마ㆍ혜업ㆍ현각ㆍ현태ㆍ구본ㆍ현유ㆍ두 신라승ㆍ혜륜ㆍ원표, 8세기의 혜초ㆍ무루ㆍ오진 등 15명의 승려들의 행적을 살펴보고, 그들이 어느 지역에서 활동하였으며 그들이 추구했던 사상이 무엇인지 살펴보기 위한 것이다. ‘천축구법승’이란 경전 원전을 구하거나 학업, 또는 성지 순례 등을 위해 천축에 가는 것을 목적으로 활동한 승려를 말한다.
한반도에 불교가 전래된 것은 마라난타摩羅難陀ㆍ담시曇始ㆍ아도阿道ㆍ묵호자墨胡子 같은 전법승들의 활동에 의한 것이었다. 전법승들은 늦어도 4세기 무렵에는 한반도에 불상과 경전을 전래하였으며, 그것들을 안치할 사찰이 창건되면서 삼보三寶가형성되었다. 그리고 불교는 고구려(372년)ㆍ백제(384년)ㆍ신라(527년)의 순으로 국가 종교로 공인되었다. 가야의 경우에는 정확한 전래 시기와 공인여부에 대해서는 명확히 알 수 없다.
그러나 삼국유사에 근거한 허황옥과 장유화상 남매의 해로를 통한 인도불교 직수입설은 차치하더라도, 고령군 고아동 벽화의 연화문 등의 유물로 보아 가야에도 불교가 전래된 것은 부정할 수 없는 사실이다.

저자서문 __ 5

I. 머리말_ 11

II. 천축구법승의 사료와 저술_ 21
1. 구법求法의 사료들 ㆍ 23
1) 불국기············································································ 24
2) 대당서역기····································································· 27
3) 대당서역구법고승전······················································· 32
4) 남해기귀내법전······························································ 36
5) 왕오천축국전·································································· 38
2. 전법傳法의 저술들 ㆍ 43
1) 송운행기········································································· 44
2) 오공입축기····································································· 45
3) 계업서역행정·································································· 47
4) 서천로경········································································· 51
5) 송고승전········································································· 52
6) 해동고승전····································································· 54
7) 기타 ·················································································· 56

III. 천축구법승의 행로와 행적_ 61
1. 천축구법승의 행로 ㆍ 61
1) 육로 ··················································································· 65
2) 해로 ·················································································· 112
2. 천축구법승의 행적 ㆍ 140
1) 나란타 대학 유학 ······························································ 140
2) 서역에서의 구법 ······························································· 146
3) 중국에서의 전법 ······························································· 158

IV. 천축구법승의 사상과 특징_ 179
1. 소승불교 ㆍ 180
1) 계율사상 ·········································································· 180
2) 비담사상 ·········································································· 200
2. 대승불교 ㆍ 215
1) 유식사상과 섭대승론···················································· 215
2) 화엄사상 ·········································································· 222
3) 밀교사상 ·········································································· 256
3. 사상적 특징 ㆍ 308
1) 소승불교의 수용과 인식 ··················································· 308
2) 대승불교의 수용과 이해 ··················································· 315

V. 천축구법승의 의의_ 329
1. 동아시아불교에서 천축구법의 의미 ㆍ 329
2. 한국불교에서 천축 ㆍ 서역의 영향 ㆍ 332

VI. 결론_ 335
부록 1 〈왕오천축국전용어〉 ㆍ 343
2 〈무루에 관한 사료 원문 〉 ㆍ 350
참고문헌 __ 359
찾아보기 __ 371