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!
the murder is committed by several Brahmacharins。 In this passage Beal
makes Sundari to be the name of the murdered person (a harlot)。 But the
text cannot be so construed。
'15' Eitel (p。 144) calls her Chancha; in Singhalese; Chinchi。 See the
story about her; M。 B。; pp。 275…277。
'16' 〃Earth's prison;〃 or 〃one of Earth's prisons。〃 It was the Avichi
naraka to which she went; the last of the eight hot prisons; where the
culprits die; and are born again in uninterrupted succession (such being the
meaning of Avichi); though not without hope of final redemption。 E。 H。 p。
21。
'17' Devadatta was brother of Ananda; and a near relative therefore of
Sakyamuni。 He was the deadly enemy; however; of the latter。 He had
become so in an earlier state of existence; and the hatred continued in
every successive birth; through which they reappeared in the world。 See
the accounts of him; and of his various devices against Buddha; and his
own destruction at the last; in M。 B。; pp。 315…321; 326…330; and still better;
in the Sacred Books of the East; vol。 xx; Vinaya Texts; pp。 233…265。 For
the particular attempt referred to in the text; see 〃The Life of the Buddha;〃
p。 107。 When he was engulphed; and the flames were around him; he cried
out to Buddha to save him; and we are told that he is expected yet to
appear as a Buddha under the name of Devaraja; in a universe called
92
… Page 93…
A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
Deva…soppana。 E。 H。; p。 39。
'18' 〃A devalaya ({。} {。} or {。} {。}); a place in which a deva is
worshipped;a general name for all Brahmanical temples〃 (Eitel; p。 30)。
We read in the Khang…hsi dictionary under {。}; that when Kasyapa
Matanga came to the Western Regions; with his Classics or Sutras; he was
lodged in the Court of State…Ceremonial; and that afterwards there was
built for him 〃The Court of the White…horse〃 ({。} {。} {。}); and in
consequence the name of Sze {。} came to be given to all Buddhistic
temples。 Fa…hien; however; applies this term only to Brahmanical temples。
'19' Their speech was somewhat unconnected; but natural enough in
the circumstances。 Compare the whole account with the narrative in I
Samuel v。 about the Ark and Dagon; that 〃twice…battered god of Palestine。〃
'20' 〃Entered the doctrine or path。〃 Three stages in the Buddhistic life
are indicated by Fa…hien:〃entering it;〃 as here; by becoming monks ({。}
{。}); 〃getting it;〃 by becoming Arhats ({。} {。}); and 〃completing it;〃 by
becoming Buddha ({。} {。})。
'21' It is not quite clear whether the author had in mind here Central
India as a whole; which I think he had; or only Kosala; the part of it where
he then was。 In the older teaching; there were only thirty…two sects; but
there may have been three subdivisions of each。 See Rhys Davids'
〃Buddhism;〃 pp。 98; 99。
'22' This mention of 〃the future world〃 is an important difference
between the Corean and Chinese texts。 The want of it in the latter has been
a stumbling…block in the way of all previous translators。 Remusat says in a
note that 〃the heretics limited themselves to speak of the duties of man in
his actual life without connecting it by the notion that the metempsychosis
with the anterior periods of existence through which he had passed。〃 But
this is just the opposite of what Fa…hien's meaning was; according to our
Corean text。 The notion of 〃the metempsychosis〃 was just that in which all
the ninety…six erroneous systems agreed among themselves and with
Buddhism。 If he had wished to say what the French sinologue thinks he
does say; moreover; he would probably have written {。} {。} {。} {。} {。}。 Let
me add; however; that the connexion which Buddhism holds between the
past world (including the present) and the future is not that of a
93
… Page 94…
A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
metempsychosis; or transmigration of souls; for it does not appear to admit
any separate existence of the soul。 Adhering to its own phraseology of 〃the
wheel;〃 I would call its doctrine that of 〃The Transrotation of Births。〃 See
Rhys Davids' third Hibbert Lecture。
'23' Or; more according to the phonetisation of the text; Vaidurya。 He
was king of Kosala; the son and successor of Prasenajit; and the destroyer
of Kapilavastu; the city of the Sakya family。 His hostility to the Sakyas is
sufficiently established; and it may be considered as certain that the name
Shay…e; which; according to Julien's 〃Methode;〃 p。 89; may be read Chia…e;
is the same as Kia…e ({。} {。}); one of the phonetisations of Kapilavastu; as
given by Eitel。
'24' This would be the interview in the 〃Life of the Buddha〃 in
Trubner's Oriental Series; p。 116; when Virudhaha on his march found
Buddha under an old sakotato tree。 It afforded him no shade; but he told
the king that the thought of the danger of 〃his relatives and kindred made
it shady。〃 The king was moved to sympathy for the time; and went back to
Sravasti; but the destruction of Kapilavastu was only postponed for a short
space; and Buddha himself acknowledged it to be inevitable in the
connexion of cause and effect。
94
… Page 95…
A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
CHAPTER XXI
THE THREE PREDECESSORS OF SAKYAMUNI IN THE
BUDDHASHIP。
Fifty le to the west of the city bring (the traveller) to a town named
Too…wei;'1' the birthplace of Kasyapa Buddha。'1' At the place where he
and his father met;'2' and at that where he attained to pari…nirvana; topes
were erected。 Over the entire relic of the whole body of him; the Kasyapa
Tathagata;'3' a great tope was also erected。
Going on south…east from the city of Sravasti for twelve yojanas; (the
travellers) came to a town named Na…pei…kea;'4' the birthplace of
Krakuchanda Buddha。 At the place where he and his father met; and at that
where he attained to pari…nirvana; topes were erected。 Going north from
here less than a yojana; they came to a town which had been the birthplace
of Kanakamuni Buddha。 At the place where he and his father met; and
where he attained to pari…nirvana; topes were erected。