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empire of Han （B。C。 202…A。D。 24）； as it subsequently was that of Suy
（A。D。 589…618）。 The empire of the eastern Tsin； towards the close of
which Fa…hien lived； had its capital at or near Nan…king； and Ch'ang…gan
was the capital of the principal of the three Ts'in kingdoms； which； with
many other minor ones； maintained a semi… independence of Tsin； their
rulers sometimes even assuming the title of emperor。
＇2＇ The period Hwang…che embraced from A。D。 399 to 414； being the
greater portion of the reign of Yao Hing of the After Ts'in； a powerful
prince。 He adopted Hwang…che for the style of his reign in 399； and the
cyclical name of that year was Kang…tsze。 It is not possible at this distance
of time to explain； if it could be explained； how Fa…hien came to say that
Ke…hae was the second year of the period。 It seems most reasonable to
suppose that he set out on his pilgrimage in A。D。 399； the cycle name of
which was Ke…hae； as ｛。｝； the second year； instead of ｛。｝； the first； might
easily creep into the text。 In the 〃Memoirs of Eminent Monks〃 it is said
that our author started in the third year of the period Lung…gan of the
eastern Tsin； which was A。D。 399。
＇3＇ These； like Fa…hien itself； are all what we might call 〃clerical〃
names； appellations given to the parties as monks or sramanas。
＇4＇ The Buddhist tripitaka or canon consists of three collections；
containing； according to Eitel （p。 150）； 〃doctrinal aphorisms （or statements；
purporting to be from Buddha himself）； works on discipline； and works on
metaphysics：〃called sutra； vinaya； and abhidharma； in Chinese； king ｛。｝；
leuh ｛。｝； and lun ｛。｝； or texts； laws or rules； and discussions。 Dr。 Rhys
Davids objects to the designation of 〃metaphysics〃 as used of the
abhidharma works； saying that 〃they bear much more the relation to
'dharma' which 'by…law' bears to 'law' than that which 'metaphysics' bears
to 'physics'〃 （Hibbert Lectures； p。 49）。 However this be； it was about the
vinaya works that Fa…hien was chiefly concerned。 He wanted a good code
of the rules for the government of 〃the Order〃 in all its internal and
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external relations。
＇5＇ Lung embraced the western part of Shen…se and the eastern part of
Kan…suh。 The name remains in Lung Chow； in the extreme west of Shen…
se。
＇6＇ K'een…kwei was the second king of 〃the Western Ts'in。〃 His family
was of northern or barbarous origin； from the tribe of the Seen…pe； with the
surname of K'eih…fuh。 The first king was Kwo…kin； and received his
appointment from the sovereign of the chief Ts'in kingdom in 385。 He was
succeeded in 388 by his brother； the K'een…kwei of the text； who was very
prosperous in 398； and took the title of king of Ts'in。 Fa…hien would find
him at his capital； somewhere in the present department of Lan…chow；
Kan…suh。
＇7＇ Under varshas or vashavasana （Pali； vassa； Spence Hardy； vass）；
Eitel （p。 163） says：〃One of the most ancient institutions of Buddhist
discipline； requiring all ecclesiastics to spend the rainy season in a
monastery in devotional exercises。 Chinese Buddhists naturally substituted
the hot season for the rainy （from the 16th day of the 5th to the 15th of the
9th Chinese month）。〃
＇8＇ During the troubled period of the Tsin dynasty； there were five
（usurping） Leang sovereignties in the western part of the empire （｛。｝ ｛。｝）。
The name Leang remains in the department of Leang…chow in the northern
part of Kan…suh。 The 〃southern Leang〃 arose in 397 under a Tuh…fah Wu…
ku； who was succeeded in 399 by a brother； Le…luh…koo； and he again by
his brother； the Now…t'an of the text； in 402； who was not yet king
therefore when Fa…hien and his friends reached his capital。 How he is
represented as being so may be accounted for in various ways； of which it
is not necessary to write。
＇9＇ Chang…yih is still the name of a district in Kan…chow department；
Kan…suh。 It is a long way north and west from Lan…chow； and not far from
the Great Wall。 Its king at this time was； probably； Twan…yeh of 〃the
northern Leang。〃
＇10＇ Dana is the name for religious charity； the first of the six
paramitas； or means of attaining to nirvana； and a danapati is 〃one who
practises dana and thereby crosses ｛。｝ the sea of misery。〃 It is given as 〃a
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title of honour to all who support the cause of Buddhism by acts of charity；
especially to founders and patrons of monasteries；〃see Eitel； p。 29。
＇11＇ Of these pilgrims with their clerical names； the most distinguished
was Pao…yun； who translated various Sanskrit works on his return from
India； of which only one seems to be now existing。 He died in 449。 See
Nanjio's Catalogue of the Tripitaka； col。 417。
＇12＇ This was the second summer since the pilgrims left Ch'ang…gan。
We are now therefore； probably； in A。D。 400。
＇13＇ T'un…hwang （lat。 39d 40s N。； lon。 94d 50s E。） is still the name of
one of the two districts constituting the department of Gan…se； the most
western of the prefectures of Kan…suh； beyond the termination of the Great
Wall。
＇14＇ Who this envoy was； and where he was going； we do not know。
The text will not admit of any other translation。
＇15＇ Le Hao was a native of Lung…se； a man of learning； able and
kindly in his government。 He was appointed governor or prefect of T'un…
hwang by the king of 〃the northern Leang；〃 in 400； and there he sustained
himself； becoming by and by 〃duke of western Leang；〃 till he died in 417。
＇16＇ 〃The river of sand；〃 the great desert of Kobi or Gobi； having
various other names。 It was a great task which the pilgrims had now before
them；to cross this desert。 The name of 〃river〃 in the Chinese misleads
the reader； and he thinks of crossing it as of crossing a stream； but they
had to traverse it from east to west。 In his 〃Vocabulary of Proper Names；〃
p。 23； Dr。 Porter Smith says：〃It extends from the eastern frontier of
Mongolia； south…westward to the further frontier of Turkestan； to within
six miles of Ilchi； the chief town of Khoten。 It thus comprises some
twenty…three degrees of longitude in length； and from three to ten degrees
of latitude in breadth； being about 2；100 miles in its greatest length。 In
some places it is arable。 Some idea may be formed of the terror with
which this 'Sea of Sand；' with its vast billows of shifting sands； is regarded；
from the legend that in one of the storms 360 cities were all buried within
the space of twenty…four hours。〃 So also Gilmour's 〃Among the Mongols；〃
chap。 5。
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CHAPTER II
ON TO SHEN…SHEN AND THENCE TO KHOTEN
After travelling for seventeen days； a distance we may calculate of
about 1500 le； （the pilgrims） reached the kingdom of Shen…shen；＇1＇ a
country rugged and hilly； with a thin and barren soil。 The clothes of the
common people are coarse； and like those worn in our land of Han；＇2＇
some wearing felt and others coarse serge or cloth of hair； this was the
only difference seen among them。 The king professed （our） Law； and there
might be in the country more than four thousand monks；＇3＇ who were all
students of the hinayana。＇4＇ The common people of this and other
kingdoms （in that region）； as well as the sramans；＇5＇ all practise the rules
of India；＇6＇ only that the latter do so more exactly； and the former more
loosely。 So （the travellers） found it in all the kingdoms through which they
went on their way from this to the west； only that each had its own
peculiar barbarous speech。＇7＇ （The monks）； however； who had （given up
the worldly life） and quitted their families； were all students of