按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
inscription； saying； 〃Asoka gave the jambudvipa to the general body of all
the monks； and then redeemed it from them with money。 This he did three
times。〃＇10＇ North from the tope 300 or 400 paces； king Asoka built the
city of Ne…le。＇11＇ In it there is a stone pillar； which also is more than thirty
feet high； with a lion on the top of it。 On the pillar there is an inscription
recording the things which led to the building of Ne…le； with the number of
the year； the day； and the month。
118
… Page 119…
A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
NOTES
＇1＇ The modern Patna； lat。 25d 28s N。； lon。 85d 15s E。 The Sanskrit
name means 〃The city of flowers。〃 It is the Indian Florence。
＇2＇ See chap。 x； note 3。 Asoka transferred his court from Rajagriha to
Pataliputtra； and there； in the eighteenth year of his reign； he convoked the
third Great Synod；according； at least； to southern Buddhism。 It must
have been held a few years before B。C。 250； Eitel says in 246。
＇3＇ 〃The Vulture…hill；〃 so called because Mara； according to Buddhist
tradition； once assumed the form of a vulture on it to interrupt the
meditation of Ananda； or； more probably； because it was a resort of
vultures。 It was near Rajagriha； the earlier capital of Asoka； so that Fa…hien
connects a legend of it with his account of Patna。 It abounded in caverns；
and was famous as a resort of ascetics。
＇4＇ A Brahman by cast； but a Buddhist in faith。
＇5＇ So； by the help of Julien's 〃Methode；〃 I transliterate the Chinese
characters ｛。｝ ｛。｝ ｛。｝ ｛。｝。 Beal gives Radhasvami； his Chinese text having
a ｛。｝ between ｛。｝ and ｛。｝。 I suppose the name was Radhasvami or
Radhasami。
＇6＇ ｛。｝ ｛。｝； the names of two kinds of schools； often occurring in the Li
Ki and Mencius。 Why should there not have been schools in those
monasteries in India as there were in China？ Fa…hien himself grew up with
other boys in a monastery； and no doubt had to 〃go to school。〃 And the
next sentence shows us there might be schools for more advanced students
as well as for the Sramaneras。
＇7＇ See chap。 xvi； note 22。 It is perhaps with reference to the famous
Bodhisattva that the Brahman here is said to be 〃also〃 named Manjusri。
＇8＇ ？ Cashmere cloth。
＇9＇ See chap。 xxiii； note 3。
＇10＇ We wish that we had more particulars of this great transaction；
and that we knew what value in money Asoka set on the whole world。 It is
to be observed that he gave it to the monks； and did not receive it from
them。 Their right was from him； and he bought it back。 He was the only
〃Power〃 that was。
119
… Page 120…
A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
＇11＇ We know nothing more of Ne…le。 It could only have been a small
place； an outpost for the defence of Pataliputtra。
120
… Page 121…
A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
CHAPTER XXVIII
RAJAGRIHA； NEW AND OLD。 LEGENDS AND INCIDENTS
CONNECTED WITH IT。
（The travellers） went on from this to the south…east for nine yojanas；
and came to a small solitary rocky hill；＇1＇ at the head or end of which＇2＇
was an apartment of stone； facing the south；the place where Buddha sat；
when Sakra； Ruler of Devas； brought the deva…musician； Pancha…（sikha）；＇3＇
to give pleasure to him by playing on his lute。 Sakra then asked Buddha
about forty…two subjects； tracing （the questions） out with his finger one by
one on the rock。＇4＇ The prints of his tracing are still there； and here also
there is a monastery。
A yojana south…west from this place brought them to the village of
Nala；＇5＇ where Sariputtra＇6＇ was born； and to which also he returned； and
attained here his pari…nirvana。 Over the spot （where his body was burned）
there was built a tope； which is still in existence。
Another yojana to the west brought them to New Rajagriha；＇7＇the
new city which was built by king Ajatasatru。 There were two monasteries
in it。 Three hundred paces outside the west gate； king Ajatasatru； having
obtained one portion of the relics of Buddha； built （over them） a tope； high；
large； grand； and beautiful。 Leaving the city by the south gate； and
proceeding south four le； one enters a valley； and comes to a circular space
formed by five hills； which stand all round it； and have the appearance of
the suburban wall of a city。 Here was the old city of king Bimbisara； from
east to west about five or six le； and from north to south seven or eight。 It
was here that Sariputtra and Maudgalyayana first saw Upasena；＇8＇ that the
Nirgrantha＇9＇ made a pit of fire and poisoned the rice； and then invited
Buddha （to eat with him）； that king Ajatasatru made a black elephant
intoxicated with liquor； wishing him to injure Buddha；＇10＇ and that at the
north…east corner of the city in a （large） curving （space） Jivaka built a
vihara in the garden of Ambapali；＇11＇ and invited Buddha with his 1250
disciples to it； that he might there make his offerings to support them。
（These places） are still there as of old； but inside the city all is emptiness
and desolation； no man dwells in it。
121
… Page 122…
A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
NOTES
＇1＇ Called by Hsuan…chwang Indra…sila…guha； or 〃The cavern of Indra。〃
It has been identified with a hill near the village of Giryek； on the bank of
the Panchana river； about thirty…six miles from Gaya。 The hill terminates
in two peaks overhanging the river； and it is the more northern and higher
of these which Fa…hien had in mind。 It bears an oblong terrace covered
with the ruins of several buildings； especially of a vihara。
＇2＇ This does not mean the top or summit of the hill； but its
〃headland；〃 where it ended at the river。
＇3＇ See the account of this visit of Sakra in M。 B。； pp。 288…290。 It is
from Hardy that we are able to complete here the name of the musician；
which appears in Fa…hien as only Pancha； or 〃Five。〃 His harp or lute； we
are told； was 〃twelve miles long。〃
＇4＇ Hardy （M。 B。； pp。 288； 289） makes the subjects only thirteen；
which are still to be found in one of the Sutras （〃the Dik…Sanga； in the
Sakra…prasna Sutra〃）。 Whether it was Sakra who wrote his questions； or
Buddha who wrote the answers； depends on the punctuation。 It seems
better to make Sakra the writer。
＇5＇ Or Nalanda； identified with the present Baragong。 A grand
monastery was subsequently built at it； famous by the residence for five
years of Hsuan…chwang。
＇6＇ See chap。 xvi； note 11。 There is some doubt as to the statement that
Nala was his birthplace。
＇7＇ The city of 〃Royal Palaces；〃 〃the residence of the Magadha kings
from Bimbisara to Asoka； the first metropolis of Buddhism； at the foot of
the Gridhrakuta mountains。 Here the first synod assembled within a year
after Sakyamuni's death。 Its ruins are still extant at the village of Rajghir；
sixteen miles S。W。 of Behar； and form an object of pilgrimage to the Jains
（E。 H。； p。 100）。〃 It is called New Rajagriha to distinguish it from
Kusagarapura； a few miles from it； the old residence of the kings。 Eitel
says it was built by Bimbisara； while Fa…hien ascribes it to Ajatasatru。 I
suppose the son finished what the father had begun。
＇8＇ One of the five first followers of Sakyamuni。 He is also called
122
… Page 123…
A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
Asvajit； in Pali Assaji； but Asvajit seems to be a military title= 〃Master or
trainer of horses。〃 The two more famous disciples met him； not to lead
him； but to be directed by him； to Buddha。 See Sacred Books of the East；
vol。 xiii； Vinaya Texts； pp。 144…147。
＇9＇ One of the six Tirthyas （Tirthakas=〃erroneous teachers；〃 M。 B。； pp。
290…292； but I have not found the particulars of the attempts on Buddha's
life referred to by Fa…hien）； or Brahmanical opponents of Buddha。 He was
an asceti