With the luxury goods like silk went the monks and the missionaries, and with them went the Buddha, in human form, perhaps because such an image helps when you're teaching across a language barrier.

僧侣们与丝绸等贵重物品一起踏上旅途，随身携带佛像。也许在语言不通的时候，用人类形象表现的佛像更能体现佛法的深意。