[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]
By: James Legge
 |
| Monk Fa Hien. Image Daily News |
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
CHAPTER I FROM CH'ANG-GAN TO THE SANDY DESERT
CHAPTER II ON TO SHEN-SHEN AND THENCE TO KHOTEN
CHAPTER III KHOTEN. PROCESSIONS OF IMAGES. THE KING'S NEW MONASTERY.
CHAPTER IV THROUGH THE TS'UNG OR "ONION" MOUNTAINS TO K'EEH-CH'A;--PROBABLY SKARDO, OR SOME CITY MORE TO THE EAST IN LADAK
CHAPTER V GREAT QUINQUENNIAL ASSEMBLY OF MONKS. RELICS OF BUDDHA. PRODUCTIONS OF THE COUNTRY.
CHAPTER VI ON TOWARDS NORTH INDIA . DARADA. IMAGE OF MAITREYA BODHISATTVA.
CHAPTER VII CROSSING OF THE INDUS. WHEN BUDDHISM FIRST CROSSED THE RIVER FOR THE EAST
CHAPTER VIII WOO-CHANG, OR UDYANA. MONASTERIES, AND THEIR WAYS. TRACES OF BUDDHA.
CHAPTER IX SOO-HO-TO. LEGEND OF BUDDHA.
CHAPTER X GANDHARA. LEGENDS OF BUDDHA.
CHAPTER XI TAKSHASILA. LEGENDS. THE FOUR GREAT TOPES.
CHAPTER XII PURUSHAPURA, OR PESHAWUR. PROPHECY ABOUT KING KANISHKA AND HIS TOPE. BUDDHA'S ALMS-BOWL. DEATH OF HWUY-YING.
CHAPTER XIII NAGARA. FESTIVAL OF BUDDHA'S SKULL-BONE. OTHER RELICS, AND HIS SHADOW.
CHAPTER XIV DEATH OF HWUY-KING IN THE LITTLE SNOWY MOUNTAINS INDUS TO THE EAST.
CHAPTER XV BHIDA. SYMPATHY OF MONKS WITH THE PILGRIMS.
CHAPTER XVI ON TO MATHURA MUTTRA . CONDITION AND CUSTOMS OF CENTRAL INDIA ; OF THE MONKS, VIHARAS, AND MONASTERIES.
CHAPTER XVII SANKASYA. BUDDHA'S ASCENT TO AND DESCENT FROM THE TRAYASTRIMSAS HEAVEN, AND OTHER LEGENDS.
CHAPTER XVIII KANYAKUBJA, OR CANOUGE. BUDDHA'S PREACHING.
CHAPTER XIX SHA-CHE. LEGEND OF BUDDHA'S DANTA-KASHTHA.
CHAPTER XX KOSALA AND SRAVASTI. THE JETAVANA VIHARA AND OTHER MEMORIALS AND LEGENDS OF BUDDHA. SYMPATHY OF THE MONKS WITH THE PILGRIMS.
CHAPTER XXI THE THREE PREDECESSORS OF SAKYAMUNI IN THE BUDDHASHIP.
CHAPTER XXII KAPILAVASTU. ITS DESOLATION. LEGENDS OF BUDDHA'S BIRTH, AND OTHER INCIDENTS IN CONNEXION WITH IT.
CHAPTER XXIII RAMA, AND ITS TOPE.
CHAPTER XXIV WHERE BUDDHA FINALLY RENOUNCED THE WORLD, AND WHERE HE DIED.
CHAPTER XXV VAISALI. THE TOPE CALLED "WEAPONS LAID DOWN." THE COUNCIL OF VAISALI.
CHAPTER XXVI REMARKABLE DEATH OF ANANDA.
CHAPTER XXVII PATALIPUTTRA OR PATNA MAGADHA SPIRIT-BUILT PALACE
CHAPTER XXVIII RAJAGRIHA, NEW AND OLD. LEGENDS AND INCIDENTS CONNECTED WITH IT.
CHAPTER XXIX GRIDHRA-KUTA HILL, AND LEGENDS. FA-HIEN PASSES A NIGHT ON IT. HIS REFLECTIONS.
CHAPTER XXX THE SRATAPARNA CAVE, OR CAVE OF THE FIRST COUNCIL. LEGENDS. SUICIDE OF A BHIKSHU.
CHAPTER XXXI GAYA
CHAPTER XXXII LEGEND OF KING ASOKA IN A FORMER BIRTH, AND HIS NARAKA.
CHAPTER XXXIII MOUNT GURUPADA, WHERE KASYAPA BUDDHA'S ENTIRE SKELETON IS.
CHAPTER XXXIV ON THE WAY BACK TO PATNA VARANASI BENARES . SAKYAMUNI'S FIRST DOINGS AFTER BECOMING BUDDHA.
CHAPTER XXXV DAKSHINA, AND THE PIGEON MONASTERY.
CHAPTER XXXVI IN PATNA
CHAPTER XXXVII TO CHAMPA AND TAMALIPTI. STAY AND LABOURS THERE FOR THREE YEARS. TAKES SHIP TO SINGHALA, OR LANKA.
CHAPTER XXXVIII AT LANKA. RISE OF THE KINGDOM. FEATS OF BUDDHA. TOPES AND MONASTERIES. STATUE OF BUDDHA IN JADE. BO TREE.
CHAPTER XXXIX CREMATION OF AN ARHAT. SERMON OF A DEVOTEE.
CHAPTER XL AFTER TWO YEARS TAKES SHIP FOR CHINA CHINA NANKING .
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FROM CH'ANG-GAN TO THE SANDY DESERT
[Courtesy: 1886. The Clarendon Press, Oxford. 4to. Pp. xvi, 123+ 45 with Chinese text. With one sketch-map and 9 full page illustrations. Original half cloth on printed boards. Consists of three parts: the translation of F.-hien's narrative of travels; copious notes; and the Chinese text. The illustrations are taken from a Hang-ch.u edition of "A history of Buddha" 1899. The Clradendon Press, Oxford: Second edition. Issued as Two parts bound in one. 1965. Paragon Book Reprint, New York: xii + 123 + 49 pp. 8vo. 9 plates. 1991, 1998. New Delhi, India: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Illus., pp. xvi + 184 2000. Etext prepared by John Bickers, jbickers@ihug.co.nz and Dagny, dagnyj@hotmail.com 2005. Reformated from plain text to HTML for LakdivaBooks. This HTML edition still requires contents and the Maps and Nine Illustrations from the 1886 published translation]
[Courtesy: 1886. The Clarendon Press, Oxford. 4to. Pp. xvi, 123+ 45 with Chinese text. With one sketch-map and 9 full page illustrations. Original half cloth on printed boards. Consists of three parts: the translation of F.-hien's narrative of travels; copious notes; and the Chinese text. The illustrations are taken from a Hang-ch.u edition of "A history of Buddha" 1899. The Clradendon Press, Oxford: Second edition. Issued as Two parts bound in one. 1965. Paragon Book Reprint, New York: xii + 123 + 49 pp. 8vo. 9 plates. 1991, 1998. New Delhi, India: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Illus., pp. xvi + 184 2000. Etext prepared by John Bickers, jbickers@ihug.co.nz and Dagny, dagnyj@hotmail.com 2005. Reformated from plain text to HTML for LakdivaBooks. This HTML edition still requires contents and the Maps and Nine Illustrations from the 1886 published translation]
