record of buddhistic kingdoms-第7部分

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　and　in　colour　like　his　alms…bowl。　There　is　also　a　tooth　of　Buddha；　for　which　the　people　have　reared　a　tope；　connected　with　which　there　are　more　than　a　thousand　monks　and　their　disciples；＇5＇　all　students　of　the　hinayana。　To　the　east　of　these　hills　the　dress　of　the　common　people　is　of　coarse　materials；　as　in　our　country　of　Ts'in；　but　here　also＇6＇　there　were　among　them　the　differences　of　fine　woollen　cloth　and　of　serge　or　haircloth。　The　rules　observed　by　the　Sramans　are　remarkable；　and　too　numerous　to　be　mentioned　in　detail。　The　country　is　in　the　midst　of　the　Onion　range。　As　you　go　forward　from　these　mountains；　the　plants；　trees；　and　fruits　are　all　different　from　those　of　the　land　of　Han；　excepting　only　the　bamboo；　pomegranate；＇7＇　and　sugar…cane。

NOTES

＇1＇　See　Eitel；　p。　89。　He　describes　the　assembly　as　〃an　ecclesiastical　conference；　first　instituted　by　king　Asoka　for　general　confession　of　sins　and　inculcation　of　morality。〃

＇2＇　The　text　of　this　sentence　is　perplexing；　and　all　translators；　including　myself；　have　been　puzzled　by　it。

＇3＇　See　what　we　are　told　of　king　Asoka's　grant　of　all　the　Jambudvipa　to　the　monks　in　chapter　xxvii。　There　are　several　other　instances　of　similar　gifts　in　the　Mahavansa。

＇4＇　Watters　calls　attention　to　this　as　showing　that　the　monks　of　K'eeh…ch'a　had　the　credit　of　possessing　weather…controlling　powers。

＇5＇　The　text　here　has　｛。｝　｛。｝；　not　｛。｝　alone。　I　often　found　in　monasteries　boys　and　lads　who　looked　up　to　certain　of　the　monks　as　their　preceptors。

＇6＇　Compare　what　is　said　in　chapter　ii　of　the　dress　of　the　people　of　Shen…shen。

＇7＇　Giles　thinks　the　fruit　here　was　the　guava；　because　the　ordinary　name　for　〃pomegranate〃　is　preceded　by　gan　｛。｝；　but　the　pomegranate　was　called　at　first　Gan　Shih…lau；　as　having　been　introduced　into　China　from　Gan…seih　by　Chang…k'een；　who　is　referred　to　in　chapter　vii。



CHAPTER　VI

ON　TOWARDS　NORTH　INDIA。　DARADA。　IMAGE　OF　MAITREYA　BODHISATTVA。

From　this　（the　travellers）　went　westwards　towards　North　India；　and　after　being　on　the　way　for　a　month；　they　succeeded　in　getting　across　and　through　the　range　of　the　Onion　mountains。　The　snow　rests　on　them　both　winter　and　summer。　There　are　also　among　them　venomous　dragons；　which；　when　provoked；　spit　forth　poisonous　winds；　and　cause　showers　of　snow　and　storms　of　sand　and　gravel。　Not　one　in　ten　thousand　of　those　who　encounter　these　dangers　escapes　with　his　life。　The　people　of　the　country　call　the　range　by　the　name　of　〃The　Snow　mountains。〃　When　（the　travellers）　had　got　through　them；　they　were　in　North　India；　and　immediately　on　entering　its　borders；　found　themselves　in　a　small　kingdom　called　T'o…leih；＇1＇　where　also　there　were　many　monks；　all　students　of　the　hinayana。

In　this　kingdom　there　was　formerly　an　Arhan；＇2＇　who　by　his　supernatural　power＇3＇　took　a　clever　artificer　up　to　the　Tushita　heaven；　to　see　the　height；　complexion；　and　appearance　of　Maitreya　Bodhisattva；＇4＇　and　then　return　and　make　an　image　of　him　in　wood。　First　and　last；　this　was　done　three　times；　and　then　the　image　was　completed；　eighty　cubits　in　height；　and　eight　cubits　at　the　base　from　knee　to　knee　of　the　crossed　legs。　On　fast…days　it　emits　an　effulgent　light。　The　kings　of　the　（surrounding）　countries　vie　with　one　another　in　presenting　offerings　to　it。　Here　it　is；to　be　seen　now　as　of　old。＇5＇

NOTES

＇1＇　Eitel　and　others　identify　this　with　Darada；　the　country　of　the　ancient　Dardae；　the　region　near　Dardus；　lat。　30d　11s　N。；　lon。　73d　54s　E。　See　E。　H。　p。　30。　I　am　myself　in　more　than　doubt　on　the　point。　Cunningham　（〃Ancient　Geography　of　India；〃　p。　82）　says　〃Darel　is　a　valley　on　the　right　or　western　bank　of　the　Indus；　now　occupied　by　Dardus　or　Dards；　from　whom　it　received　its　name。〃　But　as　I　read　our　narrative；　Fa…hien　is　here　on　the　eastern　bank　of　the　Indus；　and　only　crosses　to　the　western　bank　as　described　in　the　next　chapter。

＇2＇　Lo…han；　Arhat；　Arahat；　are　all　designations　of　the　perfected　Arya；　the　disciple　who　has　passed　the　different　stages　of　the　Noble　Path；　or　eightfold　excellent　way；　who　has　conquered　all　passions；　and　is　not　to　be　reborn　again。　Arhatship　implies　possession　of　certain　supernatural　powers；　and　is　not　to　be　succeeded　by　Buddhaship；　but　implies　the　fact　of　the　saint　having　already　attained　nirvana。　Popularly；　the　Chinese　designate　by　this　name　the　wider　circle　of　Buddha's　disciples；　as　well　as　the　smaller　ones　of　500　and　18。　No　temple　in　Canton　is　better　worth　a　visit　than　that　of　the　500　Lo…han。

＇3＇　Riddhi…sakshatkriya；　〃the　power　of　supernatural　footsteps；〃=〃a　body　flexible　at　pleasure；〃　or　unlimited　power　over　the　body。　E。　H。；　p。　104。

＇4＇　Tushita　is　the　fourth　Devaloka；　where　all　Bodhisattvas　are　reborn　before　finally　appearing　on　earth　as　Buddha。　Life　lasts　in　Tushita　4000　years；　but　twenty…four　hours　there　are　equal　to　400　years　on　earth。　E。　H。；　p。　152。

＇5＇　Maitreya　（Spence　Hardy；　Maitri）；　often　styled　Ajita；　〃the　Invincible；〃　was　a　Bodhisattva；　the　principal　one；　indeed；　of　Sakyamuni's　retinue；　but　is　not　counted　among　the　ordinary　（historical）　disciples；　nor　is　anything　told　of　his　antecedents。　It　was　in　the　Tushita　heaven　that　Sakyamuni　met　him　and　appointed　him　as　his　successor；　to　appear　as　Buddha　after　the　lapse　of　5000　years。　Maitreya　is　therefore　the　expected　Messiah　of　the　Buddhists；　residing　at　present　in　Tushita；　and；　according　to　the　account　of　him　in　Eitel　（H。；　p。　70）；　〃already　controlling　the　propagation　of　the　Buddhistic　faith。〃　The　name　means　〃gentleness〃　or　〃kindness；〃　and　this　will　be　the　character　of　his　dispensation。

＇6＇　The　combination　of　｛。｝　｛。｝　in　the　text　of　this　concluding　sentence；　and　so　frequently　occurring　throughout　the　narrative；　has　occasioned　no　little　dispute　among　previous　translators。　In　the　imperial　thesaurus　of　phraseology　（P'ei…wan　Yun…foo）；　under　｛。｝；　an　example　of　it　is　given　from　Chwang…tsze；　and　a　note　subjoined　that　｛。｝　｛。｝　is　equivalent　to　｛。｝　｛。｝；　〃anciently　and　now。〃



CHAPTER　VII

CROSSING　OF　THE　INDUS。　WHEN　BUDDHISM　FIRST　CROSSED　THE　RIVER　FOR　THE　EAST

The　travellers　went　on　to　the　south…west　for　fifteen　days　（at　the　foot　of　the　mountains；　and）　following　the　course　of　their　range。　The　way　was　difficult　and　rugged；　（running　along）　a　bank　exceedingly　precipitous；　which　rose　up　there；　a　hill…like　wall　of　rock；　10；000　cubits　from　the　base。　When　one　approaches　the　edge　of　it；　his　eyes　become　unsteady；　and　if　he　wished　to　go　forward　in　the　same　direction；　there　was　no　place　on　which　he　could　place　his　foot；　and　beneath　where　the　waters　of　the　river　called　the　Indus。＇1＇　In　former　times　men　had　chiselled　paths　along　the　rocks；　and　distributed　ladders　on　the　face　of　them；　to　the　number　altogether　of　700；　at　the　bottom　of　which　there　was　a　suspension　bridge　of　ropes；　by　which　the　river　was　crossed；　its　banks　being　there　eighty　paces　apart。＇2＇　The　（place　and　arrangements）　are　to　be　found　in　the　Records　of　the　Nine　Interpreters；＇3＇　but　neither　Chang　K'een＇4＇　nor　Kan　Ying＇5＇　had　reached　the　spot。

The　monks＇6＇　asked　Fa…hien　if　it　could　be　known　when　the　Law　of　Buddha　first　went　to　the　east。　He　replied；　〃When　I　asked　the　people　of　those　countries　about　it；　they　all　said　that　it　had　been　handed　down　by　their　fathers　from　of　old　that；　after　the　setting　up　of　the　image　of　Maitreya　Bodhisattva；　there　were　Sramans　of　India　who　crossed　this　river；　carrying　with　them　Sutras　and　Books　of　Discipline。　Now　the　image　was　set　up　rather　more　than　300　years　after　the　nirvana＇7＇　of　Buddha；　which　may　be　referred　to　the　reign　of　king　P'ing　of　the　Chow　dynasty。＇8＇　According　to　this　account　we　may　say　that　the　diffusion　of　our　great　doctrines　（in　the　east）　began　from　（the　setting　up　of）　this　image。　If　it　had　not　been　through　that　Maitreya；＇9＇　the　great　spiritual　master＇10＇　（who　is　to　be）　the　successor　of　the　Sakya；　who　could　have　caused　the　'Three　Precious　Ones'＇11＇　to　be　proclaimed　so　far；　and　the　people　of　those　border　lands　to　know　our　Law？　We　know　of　a　truth　that　the　opening　of　（the　way　for　such）　a　mysterious　propagation　is　not　the　work　of　man；　and　so　the　dream　of　the　emperor　Ming　of　Han＇12＇　had　its　proper　cause。〃

NOTES

＇1＇　The　Sindhu。　We　saw　in　a　former　note　that　the　earliest　name　in　China　for　India　was　Shin…tuh。　So；　here；　the　river　Indus　is　called　by　a　name　approaching　that　in　sound。

＇2＇　Both　Beal　and　Watters　quote　from　Cunningham　（Ladak；　pp。　88；　89）　the　following　description　of　the　course　of　the　Indus　in　these　parts；　in　striking　accordance　with　our　author's　account：〃From　Skardo　to　Rongdo；　and　from　Rongdo　to　Makpou…i…shang…rong；　for　upwards　of　100　miles；　the　Indus　sweeps　sullen　and　dark　through　a　mighty　gorge　in　the　mountains；　which　for　wild　sublimity　is　perhaps　unequalled。　Rongdo　means　the　country　of　defiles。　。　。　。　Between　these　points　the　Indus　raves　from　side　to　side　of　the　gloomy　chasm；　foaming　and　chafing　with　ungovernable　fury。　Yet　even　in　these　inaccessible　places　has　daring　and　ingenious　man　triumphed　over　opposing　nature。　The　yawning　abyss　is　spanned　by　frail　rope　bridges；　and　the　narrow　ledges　of　rocks　are　connected　by　ladders　to　form　a　giddy　pathway　overhanging　the　seething　cauldron　below。〃

＇3＇　The　Japanese　edition　has　a　different　reading　here　from　the　Chinese　copies；one　which　Remusat　（with　true　critical　instinct）　conjectured　should　take　the　place　of　the　more　difficult　text　with　which　alone　he　was　acquainted。　The　〃Nine　Interpreters〃　would　be　a　general　name　for　the　official　interpreters　attached　to　the　invading　armies　of　Han　in　their　attempts　to　penetrate　and　subdue　the　regions　of　the　west。　The　phrase　occurs　in　the　memoir　of　Chang　K'een；　referred　to　in　the　next　note。

＇4＇　Chang　K'een；　a　minister　of　the　emperor　Woo　of　Han　（B。C。　140…87）；　is　celebrated　as　the　first　Chinese　who　〃pierced　the　void；〃　and　penetrated　to　〃the　regions　of　the　west；〃　corresponding　very　much　to　the　present　Turkestan。　Through　him；　by　B。C。　115；　a　regular　intercourse　was　established　between　China　and　the　thirty…six　kingdoms　or　states　of　that　quarter；see　Mayers'　Chinese　Reader's　Manual；　p。　5。　The　memoir　of　Chang　K'een；　translated　by　Mr。　Wylie　from　the　Books　of　the　first　Han　dynasty；　appears　in　the　Journal　of　the　Anthropological　Institute；　referred　to　already。

＇5＇　Less　is　known　of　Kan　Ying　than　of　Chang　K'een。　Being　sent　in　A。D。　88　by　his　patron　Pan　Chao　on　an　embassy　to　the　Roman　empire；　he　only　go