record of buddhistic kingdoms-第9部分

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ples　of　the　kingdoms　around　vie　with　one　another　in　making　offerings　at　them。　The　trains　of　those　who　come　to　scatter　flowers　and　light　lamps　at　them　never　cease。　The　nations　of　those　quarters　all　those　（and　the　other　two　mentioned　before）　〃the　four　great　topes。〃

NOTES

＇1＇　See　Julien's　〃Methode　pour　dechiffrer　et　transcrire　les　Nomes　Sanscrits；〃　p。　206。　Eitel　says；　〃The　Taxila　of　the　Greeks；　the　region　near　Hoosun　Abdaul　in　lat。　35d　48s　N。；　lon。　72d　44s　E。　But　this　identification；　I　am　satisfied；　is　wrong。　Cunningham；　indeed；　takes　credit　（〃Ancient　Geography　of　India；〃　pp。　108；　109）　for　determining　this　to　be　the　site　of　Arrian's　Taxila；in　the　upper　Punjab；　still　existing　in　the　ruins　of　Shahdheri；　between　the　Indus　and　Hydaspes　（the　modern　Jhelum）。　So　far　he　may　be　correct；　but　the　Takshasila　of　Fa…hien　was　on　the　other；　or　western　side　of　the　Indus；　and　between　the　river　and　Gandhara。　It　took　him；　indeed；　seven　days　travelling　eastwards　to　reach　it；　but　we　do　not　know　what　stoppages　he　may　have　made　on　the　way。　We　must　be　wary　in　reckoning　distances　from　his　specifications　of　days。

＇2＇　Two　Jataka　stories。　See　the　account　of　the　latter　in　Spence　Hardy's　〃Manual　of　Buddhism；〃　pp。　91；　92。　It　took　place　when　Buddha　had　been　born　as　a　Brahman　in　the　village　of　Daliddi；　and　from　the　merit　of　the　act；　he　was　next　born　in　a　devaloka。



CHAPTER　XII

PURUSHAPURA；　OR　PESHAWUR。　PROPHECY　ABOUT　KING　KANISHKA　AND　HIS　TOPE。　BUDDHA'S　ALMS…BOWL。　DEATH　OF　HWUY…YING。

Going　southwards　from　Gandhara；　（the　travellers）　in　four　days　arrived　at　the　kingdom　of　Purushapura。＇1＇　Formerly；　when　Buddha　was　travelling　in　this　country　with　his　disciples；　he　said　to　Ananda；＇2＇　〃After　my　pari…nirvana；＇3＇　there　will　be　a　king　named　Kanishka；＇4＇　who　shall　on　this　spot　build　a　tope。〃　This　Kanishka　was　afterwards　born　into　the　world；　and　（once）；　when　he　had　gone　forth　to　look　about　him；　Sakra；　Ruler　of　Devas；　wishing　to　excite　the　idea　in　his　mind；　assumed　the　appearance　of　a　little　herd…boy；　and　was　making　a　tope　right　in　the　way　（of　the　king）；　who　asked　what　sort　of　thing　he　was　making。　The　boy　said；　〃I　am　making　a　tope　for　Buddha。〃　The　king　said；　〃Very　good；〃　and　immediately；　right　over　the　boy's　tope；　he　（proceeded　to）　rear　another；　which　was　more　than　four　hundred　cubits　high；　and　adorned　with　layers　of　all　the　precious　substances。　Of　all　the　topes　and　temples　which　（the　travellers）　saw　in　their　journeyings；　there　was　not　one　comparable　to　this　in　solemn　beauty　and　majestic　grandeur。　There　is　a　current　saying　that　this　is　the　finest　tope　in　Jambudvipa。＇5＇　When　the　king's　tope　was　completed；　the　little　tope　（of　the　boy）　came　out　from　its　side　on　the　south；　rather　more　than　three　cubits　in　height。

Buddha's　alms…bowl　is　in　this　country。　Formerly；　a　king　of　Yueh…she＇6＇　raised　a　large　force　and　invaded　this　country；　wishing　to　carry　the　bowl　away。　Having　subdued　the　kingdom；　as　he　and　his　captains　were　sincere　believers　in　the　Law　of　Buddha；　and　wished　to　carry　off　the　bowl；　they　proceeded　to　present　their　offerings　on　a　great　scale。　When　they　had　done　so　to　the　Three　Precious　Ones；　he　made　a　large　elephant　be　grandly　caparisoned；　and　placed　the　bowl　upon　it。　But　the　elephant　knelt　down　on　the　ground；　and　was　unable　to　go　forward。　Again　he　caused　a　four…wheeled　waggon　to　be　prepared　in　which　the　bowl　was　put　to　be　conveyed　away。　Eight　elephants　were　then　yoked　to　it；　and　dragged　it　with　their　united　strength；　but　neither　were　they　able　to　go　forward。　The　king　knew　that　the　time　for　an　association　between　himself　and　the　bowl　had　not　yet　arrived；＇7＇　and　was　sad　and　deeply　ashamed　of　himself。　Forthwith　he　built　a　tope　at　the　place　and　a　monastery；　and　left　a　guard　to　watch　（the　bowl）；　making　all　sorts　of　contributions。

There　may　be　there　more　than　seven　hundred　monks。　When　it　is　near　midday；　they　bring　out　the　bowl；　and；　along　with　the　common　people；＇8＇　make　their　various　offerings　to　it；　after　which　they　take　their　midday　meal。　In　the　evening；　at　the　time　of　incense；　they　bring　the　bowl　out　again。＇9＇　It　may　contain　rather　more　than　two　pecks；　and　is　of　various　colours；　black　predominating；　with　the　seams　that　show　its　fourfold　composition　distinctly　marked。＇10＇　Its　thickness　is　about　the　fifth　of　an　inch；　and　it　has　a　bright　and　glossy　lustre。　When　poor　people　throw　into　it　a　few　flowers；　it　becomes　immediately　full；　while　some　very　rich　people；　wishing　to　make　offering　of　many　flowers；　might　not　stop　till　they　had　thrown　in　hundreds；　thousands；　and　myriads　of　bushels；　and　yet　would　not　be　able　to　fill　it。＇11＇

Pao…yun　and　Sang…king　here　merely　made　their　offerings　to　the　alms…　bowl；　and　（then　resolved　to）　go　back。　Hwuy…king；　Hwuy…tah；　and　Tao…　ching　had　gone　on　before　the　rest　to　Negara；＇12＇　to　make　their　offerings　at　（the　places　of）　Buddha's　shadow；　tooth；　and　the　flat…bone　of　his　skull。　（There）　Hwuy…king　fell　ill；　and　Tao…ching　remained　to　look　after　him；　while　Hwuy…tah　came　alone　to　Purushapura；　and　saw　the　others；　and　（then）　he　with　Pao…yun　and　Sang…king　took　their　way　back　to　the　land　of　Ts'in。　Hwuy…king＇13＇　came　to　his　end＇14＇　in　the　monastery　of　Buddha's　alms…bowl；　and　on　this　Fa…hien　went　forward　alone　towards　the　place　of　the　flat…bone　of　Buddha's　skull。

NOTES

＇1＇　The　modern　Peshawur；　lat。　34d　8s　N。；　lon。　71d　30s　E。

＇2＇　A　first　cousin　of　Sakyamuni；　and　born　at　the　moment　when　he　attained　to　Buddhaship。　Under　Buddha's　teaching；　Ananda　became　an　Arhat；　and　is　famous　for　his　strong　and　accurate　memory；　and　he　played　an　important　part　at　the　first　council　for　the　formation　of　the　Buddhist　canon。　The　friendship　between　Sakyamuni　and　Ananda　was　very　close　and　tender；　and　it　is　impossible　to　read　much　of　what　the　dying　Buddha　said　to　him　and　of　him；　as　related　in　the　Maha…pari…nirvana　Sutra；　without　being　moved　almost　to　tears。　Ananda　is　to　reappear　on　earth　as　Buddha　in　another　Kalpa。　See　E。　H。；　p。　9；　and　the　Sacred　Books　of　the　East；　vol。　xi。

＇3＇　On　his　attaining　to　nirvana；　Sakyamuni　became　the　Buddha；　and　had　no　longer　to　mourn　his　being　within　the　circle　of　transmigration；　and　could　rejoice　in　an　absolute　freedom　from　passion；　and　a　perfect　purity。　Still　he　continued　to　live　on　for　forty…five　years；　till　he　attained　to　pari…nirvana；　and　had　done　with　all　the　life　of　sense　and　society；　and　had　no　more　exercise　of　thought。　He　died；　but　whether　he　absolutely　and　entirely　/ceased/　to　be；　in　any　sense　of　the　word　/being/；　it　would　be　difficult　to　say。　Probably　he　himself　would　not　and　could　not　have　spoken　definitely　on　the　point。　So　far　as　our　use　of　language　is　concerned；　apart　from　any　assured　faith　in　and　hope　of　immortality；　his　pari…nirvana　was　his　death。

＇4＇　Kanishka　appeared；　and　began　to　reign；　early　in　our　first　century；　about　A。D。　10。　He　was　the　last　of　three　brothers；　whose　original　seat　was　in　Yueh…she；　immediately　mentioned；　or　Tukhara。　Converted　by　the　sudden　appearance　of　a　saint；　he　became　a　zealous　Buddhist；　and　patronised　the　system　as　liberally　as　Asoka　had　done。　The　finest　topes　in　the　north…west　of　India　are　ascribed　to　him；　he　was　certainly　a　great　man　and　a　magnificent　sovereign。

＇5＇　Jambudvipa　is　one　of　the　four　great　continents　of　the　universe；　representing　the　inhabited　world　as　fancied　by　the　Buddhists；　and　so　called　because　it　resembles　in　shape　the　leaves　of　the　jambu　tree。　It　is　south　of　mount　Meru；　and　divided　among　four　fabulous　kings　（E。　H。；　p。　36）。　It　is　often　used；　as　here　perhaps；　merely　as　the　Buddhist　name　for　India。

＇6＇　This　king　was　perhaps　Kanishka　himself；　Fa…hien　mixing　up；　in　an　inartistic　way；　different　legends　about　him。　Eitel　suggests　that　a　relic　of　the　old　name　of　the　country　may　still　exist　in　that　of　the　Jats　or　Juts　of　the　present　day。　A　more　common　name　for　it　is　Tukhara；　and　he　observes　that　the　people　were　the　Indo…Scythians　of　the　Greeks；　and　the　Tartars　of　Chinese　writers；　who；　driven　on　by　the　Huns　（180　B。C。）；　conquered　Transoxiana；　destroyed　the　Bactrian　kingdom　（126　B。C。）；　and　finally　conquered　the　Punjab；　Cashmere；　and　great　part　of　India；　their　greatest　king　being　Kanishak　（E。　H。；　p。　152）。

＇7＇　Watters；　clearly　understanding　the　thought　of　the　author　in　this　sentence；　renders〃his　destiny　did　not　extend　to　a　connexion　with　the　bowl；〃　but　the　term　〃destiny〃　suggests　a　controlling　or　directing　power　without。　The　king　thought　that　his　virtue　in　the　past　was　not　yet　sufficient　to　give　him　possession　of　the　bowl。

＇8＇　The　text　is　simply　〃those　in　white　clothes。〃　This　may　mean　〃the　laity；〃　or　the　〃upasakas；〃　but　it　is　better　to　take　the　characters　in　their　common　Chinese　acceptation；　as　meaning　〃commoners；〃　〃men　who　have　no　rank。〃　See　in　Williams'　Dictionary　under　｛。｝。

＇9＇　I　do　not　wonder　that　Remusat　should　give　for　this〃et　s'en　retournent　apres。〃　But　Fa…hien's　use　of　｛。｝　in　the　sense　of　〃in　the　same　way〃　is　uniform　throughout　the　narrative。

＇10＇　Hardy's　M。　B。；　p。　183；　says：〃The　alms…bowl；　given　by　Mahabrahma；　having　vanished　（about　the　time　that　Gotama　became　Buddha）；　each　of　the　four　guardian　deities　brought　him　an　alms…bowl　of　emerald；　but　he　did　not　accept　them。　They　then　brought　four　bowls　made　of　stone；　of　the　colour　of　the　mung　fruit；　and　when　each　entreated　that　his　own　bowl　might　be　accepted；　Buddha　caused　them　to　appear　as　if　formed　into　a　single　bowl；　appearing　at　the　upper　rim　as　if　placed　one　within　the　other。〃　See　the　account　more　correctly　given　in　the　〃Buddhist　Birth　Stories；〃　p。　110。

＇11＇　Compare　the　narrative　in　Luke's　Gospel；　xxi。　1…4。

＇12＇　See　chapter　viii。

＇13＇　This；　no　doubt；　should　be　Hwuy…ying。　King　was　at　this　time　ill　in　Nagara；　and　indeed　afterwards　he　dies　in　crossing　the　Little　Snowy　Mountains；　but　all　the　texts　make　him　die　twice。　The　confounding　of　the　two　names　has　been　pointed　out　by　Chinese　critics。

＇14＇　〃Came　to　his　end；〃　i。e。；　according　to　the　text；　〃proved　the　impermanence　and　uncertainty；〃　namely；　of　human　life。　See　Williams'　Dictionary　under　｛。｝。　The　phraseology　is　wholly　Buddhistic。



CHAPTER　XIII

NAGARA。　FESTIVAL　OF　BUDDHA'S　SKULL…BONE。　OTHER　RELICS；　AND　HIS　SHADOW。

Going　west　for　sixteen　yojanas；＇1＇　he　came　to　the　city　He…lo＇2＇　in　the　borders　of　the　country　of　Nagara；　where　there　is　the　flat…bone　of　Buddha's　skull；　deposited　in　a　vihara＇3＇　adorned　all　over　with　gold…　leaf　and　the　seven　sacred　substanc