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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
proper。 According to him； Christians amount to about 26 per cent of
mankind； Hindus to about 13； Mohammedans to about 12 1/2； Buddhists
to about 40； and Jews to about 1/2。
In regard to all these estimates； it will be observed that the immense
numbers assigned to Buddhism are made out by the multitude of Chinese
with which it is credited。 Subtract Cunningham's 170 millions of Chinese
from his total of 222； and there remains only 52 millions of Buddhists。
Subtract Davids' （say） 414 1/2 millions of Chinese from his total of 500；
and there remain only 85 1/2 millions for Buddhism。 Of the numbers
assigned to other countries； as well as of their whole populations； I am in
considerable doubt； excepting in the cases of Ceylon and India； but the
greatness of the estimates turns upon the immense multitudes said to be in
China。 I do not know what total population Cunningham allowed for that
country； nor on what principal he allotted 170 millions of it to Buddhism；…
…perhaps he halved his estimate of the whole； whereas Berghaus and
Davids allotted to it the highest estimates that have been given of the
people。
But we have no certain information of the population of China。 At an
interview with the former Chinese ambassador； Kwo Sung…tao； in Paris； in
1878； I begged him to write out for me the amount； with the authority for
it； and he assured me that it could not be done。 I have read probably
almost everything that has been published on the subject； and endeavoured
by methods of my own to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion；without
reaching a result which I can venture to lay before the public。 My
impression has been that 400 millions is hardly an exaggeration。
But supposing that we had reliable returns of the whole population；
how shall we proceed to apportion that among Confucianists； Taoists； and
Buddhists？ Confucianism is the orthodoxy of China。 The common name
for it is Ju Chiao； 〃the Doctrines held by the Learned Class；〃 entrance into
the circle of which is； with a few insignificant exceptions； open to all the
people。 The mass of them and the masses under their influence are
preponderatingly Confucian； and in the observance of ancestral worship；
the most remarkable feature of the religion proper of China from the
earliest times； of which Confucius was not the author but the prophet； an
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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
overwhelming majority are regular and assiduous。
Among 〃the strange principles〃 which the emperor of the K'ang…hsi
period； in one of his famous Sixteen Precepts； exhorted his people to
〃discountenance and put away； in order to exalt the correct doctrine；〃
Buddhism and Taoism were both included。 If； as stated in the note quoted
from Professor Muller； the emperor countenances both the Taoist worship
and the Buddhist； he does so for reasons of state；to please especially his
Buddhist subjects in Thibet and Mongolia； and not to offend the many
whose superstitious fancies incline to Taoism。
When I went out and in as a missionary among the Chinese people for
about thirty years； it sometimes occurred to me that only the inmates of
their monasteries and the recluses of both systems should be enumerated
as Buddhists and Taoists； but I was in the end constrained to widen that
judgment； and to admit a considerable following of both among the people；
who have neither received the tonsure nor assumed the yellow top。 Dr。
Eitel； in concluding his discussion of this point in his 〃Lecture on
Buddhism； an Event in History；〃 says： 〃It is not too much to say that most
Chinese are theoretically Confucianists； but emotionally Buddhists or
Taoists。 But fairness requires us to add that； though the mass of the people
are more or less influenced by Buddhist doctrines； yet the people； as a
whole； have no respect for the Buddhist church； and habitually sneer at
Buddhist priests。〃 For the 〃most〃 in the former of these two sentences I
would substitute 〃nearly all；〃 and between my friend's 〃but〃 and
〃emotionally〃 I would introduce 〃many are；〃 and would not care to contest
his conclusion farther。 It does seem to me preposterous to credit Buddhism
with the whole of the vast population of China； the great majority of
whom are Confucianists。 My own opinion is； that its adherents are not so
many as those even of Mohammedanism； and that instead of being the
most numerous of the religions （so called） of the world； it is only entitled
to occupy the fifth place； ranking below Christianity； Confucianism；
Brahmanism； and Mohammedanism； and followed； some distance off； by
Taoism。 To make a table of per…centages of mankind； and assign to each
system its proportion； is to seem to be wise where we are deplorably
ignorant； and； moreover； if our means of information were much better
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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
than they are； our figures would merely show the outward adherence。 A
fractional per…centage might tell more for one system than a very large
integral one for another。
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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
CHAPTER I
FROM CH'ANG…GAN TO THE SANDY DESERT
Fa…hien had been living in Ch'ang…gan。＇1＇ Deploring the mutilated and
imperfect state of the collection of the Books of Discipline； in the second
year of the period Hwang…che； being the Ke…hae year of the cycle；＇2＇ he
entered into an engagement with Kwuy…king； Tao…ching； Hwuy…ying； and
Hwuy…wei；＇3＇ that they should go to India and seek for the Disciplinary
Rules。＇4＇
After starting from Ch'ang…gan； they passed through Lung；＇5＇ and
came to the kingdom of K'een…kwei；＇6＇ where they stopped for the
summer retreat。＇7＇ When that was over； they went forward to the kingdom
of Now…t'an；＇8＇ crossed the mountain of Yang…low； and reached the
emporium of Chang…yih。＇9＇ There they found the country so much
disturbed that travelling on the roads was impossible for them。 Its king；
however； was very attentive to them； kept them （in his capital）； and acted
the part of their danapati。＇10＇
Here they met with Che…yen； Hwuy…keen； Sang…shao； Pao…yun； and
Sang… king；＇11＇ and in pleasant association with them； as bound on the
same journey with themselves； they passed the summer retreat （of that
year）＇12＇ together； resuming after it their travelling； and going on to T'un…
hwang；＇13＇ （the chief town） in the frontier territory of defence extending
for about 80 le from east to west； and about 40 from north to south。 Their
company； increased as it had been； halted there for some days more than a
month； after which Fa…hien and his four friends started first in the suite of
an envoy；＇14＇ having separated （for a time） from Pao…yun and his
associates。
Le Hao；＇15＇ the prefect of T'un…hwang； had supplied them with the
means of crossing the desert （before them）； in which there are many evil
demons and hot winds。 （Travellers） who encounter them perish all to a
man。 There is not a bird to be seen in the air above； nor an animal on the
ground below。 Though you look all round most earnestly to find where
you can cross； you know not where to make your choice； the only mark
and indication being the dry bones of the dead （left upon the sand）。＇16＇
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NOTES
＇1＇ Ch'ang…gan is still the name of the principal district （and its city） in
the department of Se…gan； Shen…se。 It had been the capital of the first
empire of Han