record of buddhistic kingdoms-第26部分

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by　〃human　inhabitants。〃　According　to　other　accounts　Singhala　was　originally　occupied　by　Rakshasas　or　Rakshas；　〃demons　who　devour　men；〃　and　〃beings　to　be　feared；〃　monstrous　cannibals　or　anthropophagi；　the　terror　of　the　shipwrecked　mariner。　Our　author's　〃spirits〃　｛。｝　｛。｝　were　of　a　gentler　type。　His　dragons　or　nagas　have　come　before　us　again　and　again。

＇2＇　That　Sakyamuni　ever　visited　Ceylon　is　to　me　more　than　doubtful。　Hardy；　in　M。　B。；　pp。　207…213；　has　brought　together　the　legends　of　three　visits；in　the　first；　fifth；　and　eighth　years　of　his　Buddhaship。　It　is　plain；　however；　from　Fa…hien's　narrative；　that　in　the　beginning　of　our　fifth　century；　Buddhism　prevailed　throughout　the　island。　Davids　in　the　last　chapter　of　his　〃Buddhism〃　ascribes　its　introduction　to　one　of　Asoka's　missions；　after　the　Council　of　Patna；　under　his　son　Mahinda；　when　Tissa；　〃the　delight　of　the　gods；〃　was　king　（B。C。　250…230）。

＇3＇　This　would　be　what　is　known　as　〃Adam's　peak；〃　having；　according　to　Hardy　（pp。　211；　212；　notes）；　the　three　names　of　Selesumano；　Samastakuta；　and　Samanila。　〃There　is　an　indentation　on　the　top　of　it；〃　a　superficial　hollow；　5　feet　3　3/4　inches　long；　and　about　2　1/2　feet　wide。　The　Hindus　regard　it　as　the　footprint　of　Siva；　the　Mohameddans；　as　that　of　Adam；　and　the　Buddhists；　as　in　the　text；as　having　been　made　by　Buddha。

＇4＇　Meaning　〃The　Fearless　Hill。〃　There　is　still　the　Abhayagiri　tope；　the　highest　in　Ceylon；　according　to　Davids；　250　feet　in　height；　and　built　about　B。C。　90；　by　Watta　Gamini；　in　whose　reign；　about　160　years　after　the　Council　of　Patna；　and　330　years　after　the　death　of　Sakyamuni；　the　Tripitaka　was　first　reduced　to　writing　in　Ceylon；　〃Buddhism；〃　p。　234。

＇5＇　We　naturally　suppose　that　the　merchant…offerer　was　a　Chinese；　as　indeed　the　Chinese　texts　say；　and　the　fan　such　as　Fa…hien　had　seen　and　used　in　his　native　land。

＇6＇　This　should　be　the　pippala；　or　bodhidruma；　generally　spoken　of；　in　connexion　with　Buddha；　as　the　Bo　tree；　under　which　he　attained　to　the　Buddhaship。　It　is　strange　our　author　should　have　confounded　them　as　he　seems　to　do。　In　what　we　are　told　of　the　tree　here；　we　have；　no　doubt；　his　account　of　the　planting；　growth；　and　preservation　of　the　famous　Bo　tree；　which　still　exists　in　Ceylon。　It　has　been　stated　in　a　previous　note　that　Asoka's　son；　Mahinda；　went　as　the　apostle　of　Buddhism　to　Ceylon。　By…and…by　he　sent　for　his　sister　Sanghamitta；　who　had　entered　the　order　at　the　same　time　as　himself；　and　whose　help　was　needed；　some　of　the　king's　female　relations　having　signified　their　wish　to　become　nuns。　On　leaving　India；　she　took　with　her　a　branch　of　the　sacred　Bo　tree　at　Buddha　Gaya；　under　which　Sakyamuni　had　become　Buddha。　Of　how　the　tree　has　grown　and　still　lives　we　have　an　account　in　Davids'　〃Buddhism。〃　He　quotes　the　words　of　Sir　Emerson　Tennent；　that　it　is　〃the　oldest　historical　tree　in　the　world；〃　but　this　must　be　denied　if　it　be　true；　as　Eitel　says；　that　the　tree　at　Buddha　Gaya；　from　which　the　slip　that　grew　to　be　this　tree　was　taken　more　than　2000　years　ago；　is　itself　still　living　in　its　place。　We　must　conclude　that　Fa…hien；　when　in　Ceylon；　heard　neither　of　Mahinda　nor　Sanghamitta。

＇7＇　Compare　what　is　said　in　chap。　xvi；　about　the　inquiries　made　at　monasteries　as　to　the　standing　of　visitors　in　the　monkhood；　and　duration　of　their　ministry。

＇8＇　The　phonetic　values　of　the　two　Chinese　characters　here　are　in　Sanskrit　sa；　and　va；　bo　or　bha。　〃Sabaean〃　is　Mr。　Beal's　reading　of　them；　probably　correct。　I　suppose　the　merchants　were　Arabs；　forerunners　of　the　so…called　Moormen；　who　still　form　so　important　a　part　of　the　mercantile　community　in　Ceylon。

＇9＇　A　Kalpa；　we　have　seen；　denotes　a　great　period　of　time；　a　period　during　which　a　physical　universe　is　formed　and　destroyed。　Asankhyeya　denotes　the　highest　sum　for　which　a　conventional　term　exists；　according　to　Chinese　calculations　equal　to　one　followed　by　seventeen　ciphers；　according　to　Thibetan　and　Singhalese；　equal　to　one　followed　by　ninety…seven　ciphers。　Every　Maha…kalpa　consists　of　four　Asankhyeya…　kalpas。　Eitel；　p。　15。

＇10＇　See　chapter　ix。

＇11＇　See　chapter　xi。

＇12＇　He　had　been　born　in　the　Sakya　house；　to　do　for　the　world　what　the　character　of　all　his　past　births　required；　and　he　had　done　it。

＇13＇　They　could　no　more　see　him；　the　World…honoured　one。　Compare　the　Sacred　Books　of　the　East；　vol。　xi；　Buddhist　Suttas；　pp。　89；　121；　and　note　on　p。　89。

＇14＇　Sudana　or　Sudatta　was　the　name　of　the　Bodhisattva　in　the　birth　which　preceded　his　appearance　as　Sakyamuni　or　Gotama；　when　he　became　the　Supreme　Buddha。　This　period　is　known　as　the　Vessantara　Jataka；　of　which　Hardy；　M。　B。；　pp。　116…124；　gives　a　long　account；　see　also　〃Buddhist　Birth　Stories；〃　the　Nidana　Katha；　p。　158。　In　it；　as　Sudana；　he　fulfilled　〃the　Perfections；〃　his　distinguishing　attribute　being　entire　self…renunciation　and　alms…giving；　so　that　in　the　Nidana　Katha　is　made　to　say　（〃Buddhist　Birth　Stories；〃　p。　159）：

　〃This　earth；　unconscious　though　she　be；　and　ignorant　of　joy　or　grief；　　　Even　she　by　my　free…giving's　mighty　power　was　shaken　seven　times。〃

Then；　when　he　passed　away；　he　appeared　in　the　Tushita　heaven；　to　enter　in　due　time　the　womb　of　Maha…maya；　and　be　born　as　Sakyamuni。

＇15＇　I　take　the　name　Sama　from　Beal's　revised　version。　He　says　in　a　note　that　the　Sama　Jataka；　as　well　as　the　Vessantara；　is　represented　in　the　Sanchi　sculptures。　But　what　the　Sama　Jataka　was　I　do　not　yet　know。　But　adopting　this　name；　the　two　Chinese　characters　in　the　text　should　be　translated　〃the　change　into　Sama。〃　Remusat　gives　for　them；　〃la　transformation　en　eclair；〃　Beal；　in　his　first　version；　〃his　appearance　as　a　bright　flash　of　light；〃　Giles；　〃as　a　flash　of　lightning。〃　Julien's　Methode　does　not　give　the　phonetic　value　in　Sanskrit　of　｛。｝。

＇16＇　In　an　analysis　of　the　number　of　times　and　the　different　forms　in　which　Sakyamuni　had　appeared　in　his　Jataka　births；　given　by　Hardy　（M。　B。；　p。　100）；　it　is　said　that　he　had　appeared　six　times　as　an　elephant；　ten　times　as　a　deer；　and　four　times　as　a　horse。

＇17＇　Chaitya　is　a　general　term　designating　all　places　and　objects　of　religious　worship　which　have　a　reference　to　ancient　Buddhas；　and　including　therefore　Stupas　and　temples　as　well　as　sacred　relics；　pictures；　statues；　&c。　It　is　defined　as　〃a　fane；〃　〃a　place　for　worship　and　presenting　offerings。〃　Eitel；　p。　141。　The　hill　referred　to　is　the　sacred　hill　of　Mihintale；　about　eight　miles　due　east　of　the　Bo　tree；　Davids'　Buddhism；　pp。　230；　231。

＇18＇　Eitel　says　（p。　31）：　〃A　famous　ascetic；　the　founder　of　a　school；　which　flourished　in　Ceylon；　A。D。　400。〃　But　Fa…hien　gives　no　intimation　of　Dharma…gupta's　founding　a　school。



CHAPTER　XXXIX

CREMATION　OF　AN　ARHAT。　SERMON　OF　A　DEVOTEE。

South　of　the　city　seven　le　there　is　a　vihara；　called　the　Maha…vihara；　where　3000　monks　reside。　There　had　been　among　them　a　Sramana；　of　such　lofty　virtue；　and　so　holy　and　pure　in　his　observance　of　the　disciplinary　rules；　that　the　people　all　surmised　that　he　was　an　Arhat。　When　he　drew　near　his　end；　the　king　came　to　examine　into　the　point；　and　having　assembled　the　monks　according　to　rule；　asked　whether　the　bhikshu　had　attained　to　the　full　degree　of　Wisdom。＇1＇　They　answered　in　the　affirmative；　saying　that　he　was　an　Arhat。　The　king　accordingly；　when　he　died；　buried　him　after　the　fashion　of　an　Arhat；　as　the　regular　rules　prescribed。　Four　of　five　le　east　from　the　vihara　there　was　reared　a　great　pile　of　firewood；　which　might　be　more　than　thirty　cubits　square；　and　the　same　in　height。　Near　the　top　were　laid　sandal；　aloe；　and　other　kinds　of　fragrant　wood。

On　the　four　sides　（of　the　pile）　they　made　steps　by　which　to　ascend　it。　With　clean　white　hair…cloth；　almost　like　silk；　they　wrapped　（the　body）　round　and　round。＇2＇　They　made　a　large　carriage…frame；　in　form　like　our　funeral　car；　but　without　the　dragons　and　fishes。＇3＇

At　the　time　of　the　cremation；　the　king　and　the　people；　in　multitudes　from　all　quarters；　collected　together；　and　presented　offerings　of　flowers　and　incense。　While　they　were　following　the　car　to　the　burial…　ground；＇4＇　the　king　himself　presented　flowers　and　incense。　When　this　was　finished；　the　car　was　lifted　on　the　pile；　all　over　which　oil　of　sweet　basil　was　poured；　and　then　a　light　was　applied。　While　the　fire　was　blazing；　every　one；　with　a　reverent　heart；　pulled　off　his　upper　garment；　and　threw　it；　with　his　feather…fan　and　umbrella；　from　a　distance　into　the　midst　of　the　flames；　to　assist　the　burning。　When　the　cremation　was　over；　they　collected　and　preserved　the　bones；　and　proceeded　to　erect　a　tope。　Fa…hien　had　not　arrived　in　time　（to　see　the　distinguished　Shaman）　alive；　and　only　saw　his　burial。

At　that　time　the　king；＇5＇　who　was　a　sincere　believer　in　the　Law　of　Buddha　and　wished　to　build　a　new　vihara　for　the　monks；　first　convoked　a　great　assembly。　After　giving　the　monks　a　meal　of　rice；　and　presenting　his　offerings　（on　the　occasion）；　he　selected　a　pair　of　first…rate　oxen；　the　horns　of　which　were　grandly　decorated　with　gold；　silver；　and　the　precious　substances。　A　golden　plough　had　been　provided；　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；　fields；　and　houses；　writing　the　grant　on　plates　of　metal；　（to　the　effect）　that　from　that　time　onwards；　from　generation　to　generation；　no　one　should　venture　to　annul　or　alter　it。

In　this　country　Fa…hien　heard　an　Indian　devotee；　who　was　reciting　a　Sutra　from　the　pulpit；　say：〃Buddha's　alms…bowl　was　at　first　in　Vaisali；　and　now　it　is　in　Gandhara。＇6＇　After　so　many　hundred　years'　（he　gave；　when　Fa…hien　heard　him；　the　exact　number　of　years；　but　he　has　forgotten　it）；　〃it　will　go　to　Western　Tukhara；＇7＇　after　so　many　hundred　years；　to　Khoten；　after　so　many　hundred　years；　to　Kharachar；＇8＇　after　so　many　hundred　years；　to　the　land　of　Han；　after　so　many　hundred　years；　it　will　come　to　Sinhala；　and　after　so　many　hundred　years；　it　will　return　to　Central　India。　After　that；　it　will　ascend　to　the　Tushita　heaven；　and　when　the　Bodhisattva　Maitreya　sees　it；　he　will　say　with　a　sigh；　'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；　it　will　return　to　Jambudvipa；　where　it　will　be　received　by　the