a record of buddhistic kingdoms(倹脅芝村)-及16何蛍
梓囚徒貧圭�鮗� ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈��梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈��梓囚徒貧圭�鮗� ● 辛指欺云匈競何��
!!!!隆堋響頼��紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響��
honoured one。
Then the bhikshuni Utpala��6�А�thought in her heart�察 �To´day the kings�察�
with their ministers and people�察 �will all be meeting ��and welcoming��
Buddha。 I am ��but�� a woman�察�how shall I succeed in being the first to see
him�拭┌�7�А�Buddha immediately�察�by his spirit´like power�察�changed her into
the appearance of a holy Chakravartti��8�А�king�察�and she was the foremost of
all in doing reverence to him。
As Buddha descended from his position aloft in the Trayastrimsas
heaven�察 �when he was coming down�察 �there were made to appear three
flights of precious steps。 Buddha was on the middle flight�察 �the steps of
which were composed of the seven precious substances。 The king of
Brahma´loka��9�А�also made a flight of silver steps appear on the right side�察�
��where he was seen�� attending with a white chowry in his hand。 Sakra�察�
Ruler of Devas�察 �made ��a flight of�� steps of purple gold on the left side�察�
73
´ Page 74´
A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
��where he was seen�� attending and holding an umbrella of the seven
precious substances。 An innumerable multitude of the devas followed
Buddha in his descent。 When he was come down�察 �the three flights all
disappeared in the ground�察�excepting seven steps�察�which continued to be
visible。 Afterwards king Asoka�察�wishing to know where their ends rested�察�
sent men to dig and see。 They went down to the yellow springs��10�А�
without reaching the bottom of the steps�察�and from this the king received
an increase to his reverence and faith�察 �and built a vihara over the steps�察�
with a standing image�察�sixteen cubits in height�察�right over the middle flight。
Behind the vihara he erected a stone pillar�察 �about fifty cubits high�撮�11�А�
with a lion on the top of it。��12�А �Let into the pillar�察 �on each of its four
sides�撮�13�А �there is an image of Buddha�察 �inside and out��14�А �shining and
transparent�察�and pure as it were of /lapis lazuli/。 Some teachers of another
doctrine��15�А�once disputed with the Sramanas about ��the right to�� this as a
place of residence�察�and the latter were having the worst of the argument�察�
when they took an oath on both sides on the condition that�察�if the place did
indeed belong to the Sramanas�察 �there should be some marvellous
attestation of it。 When these words had been spoken�察�the lion on the top
gave a great roar�察 �thus giving the proof�察 �on which their opponents were
frightened�察�bowed to the decision�察�and withdrew。
Through Buddha having for three months partaken of the food of
heaven�察�his body emitted a heavenly fragrance�察�unlike that of an ordinary
man。 He went immediately and bathed�察�and afterwards�察�at the spot where
he did so�察�a bathing´house was built�察�which is still existing。 At the place
where the bhikshuni Utpala was the first to do reverence to Buddha�察�a tope
has now been built。
At the places where Buddha�察�when he was in the world�察�cut his hair
and nails�察 �topes are erected�察 �and where the three Buddhas��16�А �that
preceded Sakyamuni Buddha and he himself sat�察�where they walked�撮�17�А�
and where images of their persons were made。 At all these places topes
were made�察�and are still existing。 At the place where Sakra�察�Ruler of the
Devas�察�and the king of the Brahma´loka followed Buddha down ��from the
Trayastrimsas heaven�� they have also raised a tope。
At this place the monks and nuns may be a thousand�察�who all receive
74
´ Page 75´
A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
their food from the common store�察�and pursue their studies�察�some of the
mahayana and some of the hinayana。 Where they live�察 �there is a white´
eared dragon�察�which acts the part of danapati to the community of these
monks�察�causing abundant harvests in the country�察�and the enriching rains
to come in season�察 �without the occurrence of any calamities�察�so that the
monks enjoy their repose and ease。 In gratitude for its kindness�察�they have
made for it a dragon´house�察�with a carpet for it to sit on�察�and appointed for
it a diet of blessing�察 �which they present for its nourishment。 Every day
they set apart three of their number to go to its house�察 �and eat there。
Whenever the summer retreat is ended�察�the dragon straightway changes its
form�察�and appears as a small snake�撮�18�А�with white spots at the side of its
ears。 As soon as the monks recognise it�察 �they fill a copper vessel with
cream�察�into which they put the creature�察�and then carry it round from the
one who has the highest seat ��at their tables�� to him who has the lowest�察�
when it appears as if saluting them。 When it has been taken round�察�
immediately it disappeared�察�and every year it thus comes forth once。 The
country is very productive�察 �and the people are prosperous�察 �and happy
beyond comparison。 When people of other countries come to it�察�they are
exceedingly attentive to them all�察�and supply them with what they need。
Fifty yojanas north´west from the monastery there is another�察 �called
;The Great Heap。;��19�А�Great Heap was the name of a wicked demon�察�who
was converted by Buddha�察 �and men subsequently at this place reared a
vihara。 When it was being made over to an Arhat by pouring water on his
hands�撮�20�А�some drops fell on the ground。 They are still on the spot�察�and
however they may be brushed away and removed�察 �they continue to be
visible�察�and cannot be made to disappear。
At this place there is also a tope to Buddha�察 �where a good spirit
constantly keeps ��all about it�� swept and watered�察�without any labour of
man being required。 A king of corrupt views once said�察 �Since you are able
to do this�察�I will lead a multitude of troops and reside there till the dirt and
filth has increased and accumulated�察�and ��see�� whether you can cleanse it
away or not。; The spirit thereupon raised a great wind�察�which blew ��the
filth away���察�and made the place pure。
At this place there are a hundred small topes�察�at which a man may keep
75
´ Page 76´
A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
counting a whole day without being able to know ��their exact number��。 If
he be firmly bent on knowing it�察�he will place a man by the side of each
tope。 When this is done�察�proceeding to count the number of men�察�whether
they be many or few�察�he will not get to know ��the number��。��21�А�
There is a monastery�察�containing perhaps 600 or 700 monks�察�in which
there is a place where a Pratyeka Buddha used to take his food。 The
nirvana ground ��where he was burned��22�А �after death�� is as large as a
carriage wheel�察 �and while grass grows all around�察 �on this spot there is
none。 The ground also where he dried his clothes produces no grass�察�but
the impression of them�察�where they lay on it�察�continues to the present day。
76
´ Page 77´
A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
NOTES
��1�А �The name is still remaining in Samkassam�察 �a village forty´five
miles northwest of Canouge�察�lat。 27d 3s N。�察�lon。 79d 50s E。
��2�А�The heaven of Indra or Sakya�察�meaning ;the heaven of thirty´three
classes�察─ �a name which has been explained both historically and
mythologically。 ;The description of it�察─ �says Eitel�察 �p。 148�察 �tallies in all
respects with the Svarga of Brahmanic mythology。 It is situated between
the four peaks of the Meru�察�and consists of thirty´two cities of devas�察�eight
one each of the four corners of the mountain。 Indra's capital of Bellevue is
in the centre。 There he is enthroned�察�with a thousand heads and a thousand
eyes�察 �and four arms grasping the vajra�察 �with his wife and 119��000
concubines。 There he receives the monthly reports of the four Maharajas�察�
concerning the progress of good and evil in the world�察─�&c。 &c。
��3�А�Buddha's mother�察�Maya and Mahamaya�察�the /mater immaculata/ of
the Buddhists�察 �died seven days after his birth。 Eitel says�察 �Reborn in
Tushita�察 �she was visited there by her son and converted。; The Tushita
heaven was a more likely place to find her than the Trayastrimsas�察�but was
the former a part of the latter�拭 �Hardy gives a long account of Buddha's
visit to the Trayastrimsas ��M。 B。�察�pp。 298´302���察�which he calls Tawutisa�察�
and speaks of his mother ��Matru�� in it�察�who had now become a deva by the
changing of her sex。
��4�А�Compare the account of the Arhat's conveyance of the artist to the
Tushita heaven in chap。 v。 The first expression here is more
comprehensive。
��5�А�Anuruddha was a first cousin of Sakyamuni�察�being the son of his
uncle Amritodana。 He is often mentioned in the account we have of
Buddha's last moments。 His special gift was the divyachakshus or
;heavenly eye�察─�the first of the six abhijnas or ;supernatural talents�察─�the