record of buddhistic kingdoms-第19部分

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t　over　151　millions　have　already　elapsed。〃

＇9＇　〃The　king　of　demons。〃　The　name　Mara　is　explained　by　〃the　murderer；〃　〃the　destroyer　of　virtue；〃　and　similar　appellations。　〃He　is；〃　says　Eitel；　〃the　personification　of　lust；　the　god　of　love；　sin；　and　death；　the　arch…enemy　of　goodness；　residing　in　the　heaven　Paranirmita　Vasavartin　on　the　top　of　the　Kamadhatu。　He　assumes　different　forms；　especially　monstrous　ones；　to　tempt　or　frighten　the　saints；　or　sends　his　daughters；　or　inspires　wicked　men　like　Devadatta　or　the　Nirgranthas　to　do　his　work。　He　is　often　represented　with　100　arms；　and　riding　on　an　elephant。〃　The　oldest　form　of　the　legend　in　this　paragraph　is　in　〃Buddhist　Suttas；〃　Sacred　Books　of　the　East；　vol。　xi；　pp。　41…55；　where　Buddha　says　that；　if　Ananda　had　asked　him　thrice；　he　would　have　postponed　his　death。

＇10＇　Or　the　Vinaya…pitaka。　The　meeting　referred　to　was　an　important　one；　and　is　generally　spoken　of　as　the　second　Great　Council　of　the　Buddhist　Church。　See；　on　the　formation　of　the　Buddhist　Canon；　Hardy's　E。　M。；　chap。　xviii；　and　the　last　chapter　of　Davids'　Manual；　on　the　History　of　the　Order。　The　first　Council　was　that　held　at　Rajagriha；　shortly　after　Buddha's　death；　under　the　presidency　of　Kasyapa；say　about　B。C。　410。　The　second　was　that　spoken　of　here；say　about　B。C。　300。　In　Davids'　Manual　（p。　216）　we　find　the　ten　points　of　discipline；　in　which　the　heretics　（I　can　use　that　term　here）　claimed　at　least　indulgence。　Two　meetings　were　held　to　consider　and　discuss　them。　At　the　former　the　orthodox　party　barely　succeeded　in　carrying　their　condemnation　of　the　laxer　monks；　and　a　second　and　larger　meeting；　of　which　Fa…hien　speaks；　was　held　in　consequence；　and　a　more　emphatic　condemnation　passed。　At　the　same　time　all　the　books　and　subjects　of　discipline　seem　to　have　undergone　a　careful　revision。

The　Corean　text　is　clearer　than　the　Chinese　as　to　those　who　composed　the　Council；the　Arhats　and　orthodox　monks。　The　leader　among　them　was　a　Yasas；　or　Yasada；　or　Yedsaputtra；　who　had　been　a　disciple　of　Ananda；　and　must　therefore　have　been　a　very　old　man。



CHAPTER　XXVI

REMARKABLE　DEATH　OF　ANANDA。

Four　yojanas　on　from　this　place　to　the　east　brought　the　travellers　to　the　confluence　of　the　five　rivers。＇1＇　When　Ananda　was　going　from　Magadha＇2＇　to　Vaisali；　wishing　his　pari…nirvana　to　take　place　（there）；　the　devas　informed　king　Ajatasatru＇3＇　of　it；　and　the　king　immediately　pursued　him；　in　his　own　grand　carriage；　with　a　body　of　soldiers；　and　had　reached　the　river。　（On　the　other　hand）；　the　Lichchhavis　of　Vaisali　had　heard　that　Amanda　was　coming　（to　their　city）；　and　they　on　their　part　came　to　meet　him。　（In　this　way）；　they　all　arrived　together　at　the　river；　and　Ananda　considered　that；　if　he　went　forward；　king　Ajatasatru　would　be　very　angry；　while；　if　he　went　back；　the　Lichchhavis　would　resent　his　conduct。　He　thereupon　in　the　very　middle　of　the　river　burnt　his　body　in　a　fiery　ecstasy　of　Samadhi；＇4＇　and　his　pari…nirvana　was　attained。　He　divided　his　body　（also）　into　two；　（leaving）　the　half　of　it　on　each　bank；　so　that　each　of　the　two　kings　got　one　half　as　a　（sacred）　relic；　and　took　it　back　（to　his　own　capital）；　and　there　raised　a　tope　over　it。

NOTES

＇1＇　This　spot　does　not　appear　to　have　been　identified。　It　could　not　be　far　from　Patna。

＇2＇　Magadha　was　for　some　time　the　headquarters　of　Buddhism；　the　holy　land；　covered　with　viharas；　a　fact　perpetuated；　as　has　been　observed　in　a　previous　note；　in　the　name　of　the　present　Behar；　the　southern　portion　of　which　corresponds　to　the　ancient　kingdom　of　Magadha。

＇3＇　In　Singhalese；　Ajasat。　See　the　account　of　his　conversion　in　M。　B。；　pp。　321…326。　He　was　the　son　of　king　Bimbisara；　who　was　one　of　the　first　royal　converts　to　Buddhism。　Ajasat　murdered　his　father；　or　at　least　wrought　his　death；　and　was　at　first　opposed　to　Sakyamuni；　and　a　favourer　of　Devadatta。　When　converted；　he　became　famous　for　his　liberality　in　almsgiving。

＇4＇　Eitel　has　a　long　article　（pp。　114；　115）　on　the　meaning　of　Samadhi；　which　is　one　of　the　seven　sections　of　wisdom　（bodhyanga）。　Hardy　defines　it　as　meaning　〃perfect　tranquillity；〃　Turnour；　as　〃meditative　abstraction；〃　Burnouf；　as　〃self…control；〃　and　Edkins；　as　〃ecstatic　reverie。〃　〃Samadhi；〃　says　Eitel；　〃signifies　the　highest　pitch　of　abstract；　ecstatic　meditation；　a　state　of　absolute　indifference　to　all　influences　from　within　or　without；　a　state　of　torpor　of　both　the　material　and　spiritual　forces　of　vitality；　a　sort　of　terrestrial　nirvana；　consistently　culminating　in　total　destruction　of　life。〃　He　then　quotes　apparently　the　language　of　the　text；　〃He　consumed　his　body　by　Agni　（the　fire　of）　Samadhi；〃　and　says　it　is　〃a　common　expression　for　the　effects　of　such　ecstatic；　ultra…mystic　self…annihilation。〃　All　this　is　simply　〃a　darkening　of　counsel　by　words　without　knowledge。〃　Some　facts　concerning　the　death　of　Ananda　are　hidden　beneath　the　darkness　of　the　phraseology；　which　it　is　impossible　for　us　to　ascertain。　By　or　in　Samadhi　he　burns　his　body　in　the　very　middle　of　the　river；　and　then　he　divides　the　relic　of　the　burnt　body　into　two　parts　（for　so　evidently　Fa…hien　intended　his　narration　to　be　taken）；　and　leaves　one　half　on　each　bank。　The　account　of　Ananda's　death　in　Nien…ch'ang's　〃History　of　Buddha　and　the　Patriarchs〃　is　much　more　extravagant。　Crowds　of　men　and　devas　are　brought　together　to　witness　it。　The　body　is　divided　into　four　parts。　One　is　conveyed　to　the　Tushita　heaven；　a　second；　to　the　palace　of　a　certain　Naga　king；　a　third　is　given　to　Ajatasatru；　and　the　fourth　to　the　Lichchhavis。　What　it　all　really　means　I　cannot　tell。



CHAPTER　XXVII

PATALIPUTTRA　OR　PATNA；　IN　MAGADHA。　KING　ASOKA'S　SPIRIT…BUILT　PALACE　AND　HALLS。　THE　BUDDHIST　BRAHMAN；　RADHA…SAMI。　DISPENSARIES　AND　HOSPITALS。

Having　crossed　the　river；　and　descended　south　for　a　yojana；　（the　travellers）　came　to　the　town　of　Pataliputtra；＇1＇　in　the　kingdom　of　Magadha；　the　city　where　king　Asoka＇2＇　ruled。　The　royal　palace　and　halls　in　the　midst　of　the　city；　which　exist　now　as　of　old；　were　all　made　by　spirits　which　he　employed；　and　which　piled　up　the　stones；　reared　the　walls　and　gates；　and　executed　the　elegant　carving　and　inlaid　sculpture…work；in　a　way　which　no　human　hands　of　this　world　could　accomplish。

King　Asoka　had　a　younger　brother　who　had　attained　to　be　an　Arhat；　and　resided　on　Gridhra…kuta＇3＇　hill；　finding　his　delight　in　solitude　and　quiet。　The　king；　who　sincerely　reverenced　him；　wished　and　begged　him　（to　come　and　live）　in　his　family；　where　he　could　supply　all　his　wants。　The　other；　however；　through　his　delight　in　the　stillness　of　the　mountain；　was　unwilling　to　accept　the　invitation；　on　which　the　king　said　to　him；　〃Only　accept　my　invitation；　and　I　will　make　a　hill　for　you　inside　the　city。〃　Accordingly；　he　provided　the　materials　of　a　feast；　called　to　him　the　spirits；　and　announced　to　them；　〃To…morrow　you　will　all　receive　my　invitation；　but　as　there　are　no　mats　for　you　to　sit　on；　let　each　one　bring　（his　own　seat）。〃　Next　day　the　spirits　came；　each　one　bringing　with　him　a　great　rock；　（like）　a　wall；　four　or　five　paces　square；　（for　a　seat）。　When　their　sitting　was　over；　the　king　made　them　form　a　hill　with　the　large　stones　piled　on　one　another；　and　also　at　the　foot　of　the　hill；　with　five　large　square　stones；　to　make　an　apartment；　which　might　be　more　than　thirty　cubits　long；　twenty　cubits　wide；　and　more　than　ten　cubits　high。

In　this　city　there　had　resided　a　great　Brahman；＇4＇　named　Radha…　sami；＇5＇　a　professor　of　the　mahayana；　of　clear　discernment　and　much　wisdom；　who　understood　everything；　living　by　himself　in　spotless　purity。　The　king　of　the　country　honoured　and　reverenced　him；　and　served　him　as　his　teacher。　If　he　went　to　inquire　for　and　greet　him；　the　king　did　not　presume　to　sit　down　alongside　of　him；　and　if；　in　his　love　and　reverence；　he　took　hold　of　his　hand；　as　soon　as　he　let　it　go；　the　Brahman　made　haste　to　pour　water　on　it　and　wash　it。　He　might　be　more　than　fifty　years　old；　and　all　the　kingdom　looked　up　to　him。　By　means　of　this　one　man；　the　Law　of　Buddha　was　widely　made　known；　and　the　followers　of　other　doctrines　did　not　find　it　in　their　power　to　persecute　the　body　of　monks　in　any　way。

By　the　side　of　the　tope　of　Asoka；　there　has　been　made　a　mahayana　monastery；　very　grand　and　beautiful；　there　is　also　a　hinayana　one；　the　two　together　containing　six　or　seven　hundred　monks。　The　rules　of　demeanour　and　the　scholastic　arrangements＇6＇　in　them　are　worthy　of　observation。

Shamans　of　the　highest　virtue　from　all　quarters；　and　students；　inquirers　wishing　to　find　out　truth　and　the　grounds　of　it；　all　resort　to　these　monasteries。　There　also　resides　in　this　monastery　a　Brahman　teacher；　whose　name　also　is　Manjusri；＇7＇　whom　the　Shamans　of　greatest　virtue　in　the　kingdom；　and　the　mahayana　Bhikshus　honour　and　look　up　to。

The　cities　and　towns　of　this　country　are　the　greatest　of　all　in　the　Middle　Kingdom。　The　inhabitants　are　rich　and　prosperous；　and　vie　with　one　another　in　the　practice　of　benevolence　and　righteousness。　Every　year　on　the　eighth　day　of　the　second　month　they　celebrate　a　procession　of　images。　They　make　a　four…wheeled　car；　and　on　it　erect　a　structure　of　four　storeys　by　means　of　bamboos　tied　together。　This　is　supported　by　a　king…post；　with　poles　and　lances　slanting　from　it；　and　is　rather　more　than　twenty　cubits　high；　having　the　shape　of　a　tope。　White　and　silk…like　cloth　of　hair＇8＇　is　wrapped　all　round　it；　which　is　then　painted　in　various　colours。　They　make　figures　of　devas；　with　gold；　silver；　and　lapis　lazuli　grandly　blended　and　having　silken　streamers　and　canopies　hung　out　over　them。　On　the　four　sides　are　niches；　with　a　Buddha　seated　in　each；　and　a　Bodhisattva　standing　in　attendance　on　him。　There　may　be　twenty　cars；　all　grand　and　imposing；　but　each　one　different　from　the　others。　On　the　day　mentioned；　the　monks　and　laity　within　the　borders　all　come　together；　they　have　singers　and　skilful　musicians；　they　pay　their　devotion　with　flowers　and　incense。　The　Brahmans　come　and　invite　the　Buddhas　to　enter　the　city。　These　do　so　in　order；　and　remain　two　nights　in　it。　All　through　the　night　they　keep　lamps　burning；　have　skilful　music；　and　present　offerings。　This　is　the　practice　in　all　the　other　kingdoms　as　well。　The　Heads　of　the　Vaisya　families　in　them　establish　in　the　cities　houses　for　dispensing　charity　and　medicines。　All　the　poor　and　desti