a record of buddhistic kingdoms(佛都记录)-第21章
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Buddha's last moments。 His special gift was the divyachakshus or
〃heavenly eye;〃 the first of the six abhijnas or 〃supernatural talents;〃 the
faculty of comprehending in one instantaneous view; or by intuition; all
beings in all worlds。 〃He could see;〃 says Hardy; M。 B。; p。 232; 〃all things
in 100;000 sakvalas as plainly as a mustard seed held in the hand。〃
'6' Eitel gives the name Utpala with the same Chinese phonetisation as
in the text; but not as the name of any bhikshuni。 The Sanskrit word;
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however; is explained by 〃blue lotus flowers;〃 and Hsuan…chwang calls
her the nun 〃Lotus…flower colour ({。} {。} {。});〃the same as Hardy's
Upulwan and Uppalawarna。
'7' Perhaps we should read here 〃to see Buddha;〃 and then ascribe the
transformation to the nun herself。 It depends on the punctuation which
view we adopt; and in the structure of the passage; there is nothing to
indicate that the stop should be made before or after 〃Buddha。〃 And the
one view is as reasonable; or rather as unreasonable; as the other。
'8' 〃A holy king who turns the wheel;〃 that is; the military conqueror
and monarch of the whole or part of a universe。 〃The symbol;〃 says Eitel
(p。 142) 〃of such a king is the chakra or wheel; for when he ascends the
throne; a chakra falls from heaven; indicating by its material (gold; silver;
copper; or iron) the extent and character of his reign。 The office; however;
of the highest Chakravartti; who hurls his wheel among his enemies; is
inferior to the peaceful mission of a Buddha; who meekly turns the wheel
of the Law; and conquers every universe by his teaching。〃
'9' This was Brahma; the first person of the Brahmanical Trimurti;
adopted by Buddhism; but placed in an inferior position; and surpassed by
every Buddhist saint who attains to bodhi。
'10' A common name for the earth below; where; on digging; water is
found。
'11' The height is given as thirty chow; the chow being the distance
from the elbow to the finger…tip; which is variously estimated。
'12' A note of Mr。 Beal says on this:〃General Cunningham; who
visited the spot (1862); found a pillar; evidently of the age of Asoka; with
a well…carved elephant on the top; which; however; was minus trunk and
tail。 He supposes this to be the pillar seen by Fa…hien; who mistook the top
of it for a lion。 It is possible such a mistake may have been made; as in the
account of one of the pillars at Sravasti; Fa…hien says an ox formed the
capital; whilst Hsuan…chwang calls it an elephant (P。 19; Arch。 Survey)。〃
'13' That is; in niches on the sides。 The pillar or column must have
been square。
'14' Equivalent to 〃all through。〃
'15' Has always been translated 〃heretical teachers;〃 but I eschew the
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terms /heresy/ and /heretical/。 The parties would not be Buddhists of any
creed or school; but Brahmans or of some other false doctrine; as Fa…hien
deemed it。 The Chinese term means 〃outside〃 or 〃foreign;〃in Pali; anna…
titthiya;=〃those belonging to another school。〃
'16' These three predecessors of Sakyamuni were the three Buddhas of
the present or Maha…bhadra Kalpa; of which he was the fourth; and
Maitreya is to be the fifth and last。 They were: (1) Krakuchanda (Pali;
Kakusanda); 〃he who readily solves all doubts;〃 a scion of the Kasyapa
family。 Human life reached in his time 40;000 years; and so many persons
were converted by him。 (2) Kanakamuni (Pali; Konagamana); 〃body
radiant with the colour of pure gold;〃 of the same family。 Human life
reached in his time 30;000 years; and so many persons were converted by
him。 (3) Kasyapa (Pali; Kassapa); 〃swallower of light。〃 Human life
reached in his time 20;000 years; and so many persons were converted by
him。 See Eitel; under the several names; Hardy's M。 B。; pp。 95…97; and
Davids' 〃Buddhist Birth Stories;〃 p。 51。
'17' That is; walked in meditation。 Such places are called
Chankramana (Pali; Chankama); promenades or corridors connected with
a monastery; made sometimes with costly stones; for the purpose of
peripatetic meditation。 The 〃sitting〃 would be not because of weariness or
for rest; but for meditation。 E。 H。; p。 144。
'18' The character in my Corean copy is {。}; which must be a mistake
for the {。} of the Chinese editions。 Otherwise; the meaning would be 〃a
small medusa。〃
'19' The reading here seems to me a great improvement on that of the
Chinese editions; which means 〃Fire Limit。〃 Buddha; it is said; {。}
converted this demon; which Chinese character Beal rendered at first by
〃in one of his incarnations;〃 and in his revised version he has 〃himself。〃
The difference between Fa…hien's usage of {。} and {。} throughout his
narrative is quite marked。 {。} always refers to the doings of Sakyamuni;
{。}; 〃formerly;〃 is often used of him and others in the sense of 〃in a former
age or birth。〃
'20' See Hardy; M。 B。; p。 194:〃As a token of the giving over of the
garden; the king poured water upon the hands of Buddha; and from this
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time it became one of the principal residences of the sage。〃
'21' This would seem to be absurd; but the writer evidently intended to
convey the idea that there was something mysterious about the number of
the topes。
'22' This seems to be the meaning。 The bodies of the monks are all
burned。 Hardy's E。 M。; pp。 322…324。
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CHAPTER XVIII
KANYAKUBJA; OR CANOUGE。 BUDDHA'S PREACHING。
Fa…hien stayed at the Dragon vihara till after the summer retreat;'1'
and then; travelling to the south…east for seven yojanas; he arrived at the
city of Kanyakubja;'2' lying along the Ganges。'3' There are two
monasteries in it; the inmates of which are students of the hinayana。 At a
distance from the city of six or seven le; on the west; on the northern bank
of the Ganges; is a place where Buddha preached the Law to his disciples。
It has been handed down that his subjects of discourse were such as 〃The
bitterness and vanity (of life) as impermanent and uncertain;〃 and that
〃The body is as a bubble or foam on the water。〃 At this spot a tope was
erected; and still exists。
Having crossed the Ganges; and gone south for three yojanas; (the
travellers) arrived at a village named A…le;'4' containing places where
Buddha preached the Law; where he sat; and where he walked; at all of
which topes have been built。
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NOTES
'1' We are now; probably; in 405。
'2' Canouge; the latitude and longitude of which have been given in a
previous note。 The Sanskrit name means 〃the city of humpbacked
maidens;〃 with