a record of buddhistic kingdoms(倹脅芝村)-及34何蛍
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of which were grandly decorated with gold�察 �silver�察 �and the precious
substances。 A golden plough had been provided�察 �and the king himself
turned up a furrow on the four sides of the ground within which the
building was supposed to be。 He then endowed the community of the
monks with the population�察�fields�察�and houses�察�writing the grant on plates
of metal�察。�to the effect�� that from that time onwards�察�from generation to
generation�察�no one should venture to annul or alter it。
In this country Fa´hien heard an Indian devotee�察 �who was reciting a
Sutra from the pulpit�察 �say�此�Buddha's alms´bowl was at first in Vaisali�察�
and now it is in Gandhara。��6�А �After so many hundred years' ��he gave�察�
when Fa´hien heard him�察�the exact number of years�察�but he has forgotten
it���察 �it will go to Western Tukhara�撮�7�А �after so many hundred years�察 �to
Khoten�察 �after so many hundred years�察 �to Kharachar�撮�8�А �after so many
hundred years�察 �to the land of Han�察 �after so many hundred years�察 �it will
come to Sinhala�察�and after so many hundred years�察�it will return to Central
India。 After that�察 �it will ascend to the Tushita heaven�察 �and when the
Bodhisattva Maitreya sees it�察�he will say with a sigh�察�'The alms´bowl of
Sakyamuni Buddha is come��' and with all the devas he will present to it
flowers and incense for seven days。 When these have expired�察 �it will
return to Jambudvipa�察 �where it will be received by the king of the sea
nagas�察 �and taken into his naga palace。 When Maitreya shall be about to
attain to perfect Wisdom ��and become Buddha���察�it will again separate into
four bowls�撮�9�А�which will return to the top of mount Anna�撮�9�А�whence they
came。 After Maitreya has become Buddha�察�the four deva kings will again
think of the Buddha ��with their bowls as they did in the case of the
previous Buddha��。 The thousand Buddhas of this Bhadra´kalpa�察 �indeed�察�
will all use the same alms´bowl�察�and when the bowl has disappeared�察�the
Law of Buddha will go on gradually to be extinguished。 After that
extinction has taken place�察�the life of man will be shortened�察�till it is only a
period of five years。 During this period of a five years' life�察�rice�察 �butter�察�
and oil will all vanish away�察 �and men will become exceedingly wicked。
The grass and trees which they lay hold of will change into swords and
clubs�察�with which they will hurt�察�cut�察�and kill one another。 Those among
them on whom there is blessing will withdraw from society among the
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hills�察�and when the wicked have exterminated one another�察�they will again
come forth�察�and say among themselves�察�'The men of former times enjoyed
a very great longevity�察 �but through becoming exceedingly wicked�察 �and
doing all lawless things�察 �the length of our life has been shortened and
reduced even to five years。 Let us now unite together in the practice of
what is good�察 �cherishing a gentle and sympathising heart�察 �and carefully
cultivating good faith and righteousness。 When each one in this way
practises that faith and righteousness�察�life will go on to double its length
till it reaches 80��000 years。 When Maitreya appears in the world�察 �and
begins to turn the wheel of his Law�察�he will in the first place save those
among the disciples of the Law left by the Sakya who have quitted their
families�察�and those who have accepted the three Refuges�察�undertaken the
five Prohibitions and the eight Abstinences�察 �and given offerings to the
three Precious Ones�察 �secondly and thirdly�察 �he will save those between
whom and conversion there is a connexion transmitted from the past。';��10�А�
��Such was the discourse���察 �and Fa´hien wished to write it down as a
portion of doctrine�察�but the man said�察 �This is taken from no Sutra�察�it is
only the utterance of my own mind。;
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NOTES
��1�А �Possibly�察 �and asked the bhikshu�察─ �&c。 I prefer the other way of
construing�察�however。
��2�А �It seems strange that this should have been understood as a
wrapping of the immense pyre with the cloth。 There is nothing in the text
to necessitate such a version�察�but the contrary。 Compare ;Buddhist Suttas�察─�
pp。 92�察�93。
��3�А �See the description of a funeral car and its decorations in the
Sacred Books of the East�察�vol。 xxviii�察�the Li Ki�察�Book XIX。 Fa´hien's ��。��
��。���察 �in this ��country���察─ �which I have expressed by ;our�察─ �shows that
whatever notes of this cremation he had taken at the time�察�the account in
the text was composed after his return to China�察 �and when he had the
usages there in his mind and perhaps before his eyes。 This disposes of all
difficulty occasioned by the ;dragons; and ;fishes。; The ��。�� at the end is
merely the concluding particle。
��4�А�The pyre served the purpose of a burial´ground or grave�察�and hence
our author writes of it as such。
��5�А�This king must have been Maha´nana ��A。D。 410´432��。 In the time
of his predecessor�察 �Upatissa ��A。D。 368´410���察 �the pitakas were first
translated into Singhalese。 Under Maha´nana�察 �Buddhaghosha wrote his
commentaries。 Both were great builders of viharas。 See the Mahavansa�察�pp。
247�察�foll。
��6�А �See chapter xii。 Fa´hien had seen it at Purushapura�察 �which Eitel
says was ;the ancient capital of Gandhara。;
��7�А�Western Tukhara �┌�。�� ��。���� is the same probably as the Tukhara �┌�。����
of chapter xii�察�a king of which is there described as trying to carry off the
bowl from Purushapura。
��8�А�North of the Bosteng lake at the foot of the Thien´shan range ��E。 H。�察�
p。 56��。
��9�А �See chap。 xii�察 �note 9。 Instead of ;Anna; the Chinese recensions
have Vina�察�but Vina or Vinataka�察�and Ana for Sudarsana are names of one
or other of the concentric circles of rocks surrounding mount Meru�察 �the
fabled home of the deva guardians of the bowl。
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��10�А �That is�察 �those whose Karma in the past should be rewarded by
such conversion in the present。
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CHAPTER XL
AFTER TWO YEARS TAKES SHIP FOR CHINA。 DISASTROUS
PASSAGE TO JAVA�察�AND THENCE TO CHINA�察�ARRIVES AT SHAN´
TUNG�察�AND GOES TO NANKING。 CONCLUSION OR L'ENVOI BY
ANOTHER WRITER。
Fa´hien abode in this country two years�察 �and�察 �in addition ��to his
acquisitions in Patna���察�succeeded in getting a copy of the Vinaya´ pitaka of
the Mahisasakah ��school���撮�1�А �the Dirghagama and Samyuktagama��2�А�
��Sutras���察 �and also the Samyukta´sanchaya´pitaka�撮�3�А �all being works
unknown in the land of Han。 Having obtained these Sanskrit works�察 �he
took passage in a large merchantman�察�on board of which there were more
than 200 men�察�and to which was attached by a rope a smaller vessel�察�as a
provision against damage or injury to the large one from the perils of the
navigation。 With a favourable wind�察 �they proceeded eastwards for three
days�察�and then they encountered a great wind。 The vessel sprang a leak and
the water came in。 The merchants wished to go to the small vessel�察�but the
men on board it�察 �fearing that too many would come�察 �cut the connecting
rope。 The merchants were greatly alarmed�察 �feeling their risk of instant
death。 Afraid that the vessel would fill�察�they took their bulky goods and
threw them into the water。 Fa´hien also took his pitcher��4�А�and washing´
basin�察�with some other articles�察�and cast them into the sea�察�but fearing that
the merchants would cast overboard his books and images�察�he could only
think with all his heart of Kwan´she´yin�撮�5�А �and commit his life to ��the
protection of�� the church of the land of Han�撮�6�А。�saying in effect���察 �I have
travelled far in search of our Law。 Let me�察�by your dread and supernatural
��power���察�return from my wanderings�察�and reach my resting´place� ─�
In this way the tempest��7�А �continued day and night�察 �till on the
thirteenth day the ship was carried to the side of an island�察�where�察�on the
ebbing of the tide�察�the place of the leak was discovered�察�and it was stopped�察�
on which the voyage was resumed。 On the sea ��hereabouts�� there are many
pirates�察�to meet with whom is speedy death。 The great ocean spreads out�察�a
boundless expanse。 There is no knowing east or west�察�only by observing
the sun�察�moon�察�and stars was it possible to go forward。 If the weather were