To the south-west of the relic-dividing st-dpa, going 200 li or so, we come to a great village; here lived a Brahman of eminent wealth and celebrity, deeply learned in all pure literature, versed in the five Vidyds,116 acquainted with the three treasures (pitakas). 'By the side of his home he had built a priest's house, and had used all his wealth to adorn it with magnificence. If by chance any priests in their travels stopped on their way, he asked them to halt, and used all his means to entertain them. They might stop one night, or even throughout seven days.

After this, Sas"anka-raja having destroyed the religion of Buddha, the members of the priesthood were dispersed, and for many years driven away. The Brahman nevertheless retained for them, through all, an undying regard. As he was walking he chanced to see a Sramana, with thick eyebrows and shaven head, holding his staff, coming along. The Brahman hurried up to him, and meeting him asked, "Whence come you?" and besought him to enter the priest's abode and receive his charity. In the morning ha gave him some rice-milk (rice balls with milk). The Sramana having taken a mouthful, thereupon returned it (i.e., the rest), to his alms-bowl with a great sigh. The Brahman who supplied the food prostrating himself said, "Eminent sir! (hhadanta), is there any reason why you should not remain with me one night? is not the food agreeable?" The Sramana graciously answering said, "I pity the feeble merit possessed by the world, but let me finish my meal and I will speak to you further." After finishing his food he gathered up his robes as if to go. The Brahman said, "Your reverence agreed to speak with me, why then are you silent?" The Sramana said," I have not forgotten; but to talk with you is irksome; and the circumstance is likely to create doubt, but yet I will tell you in

is evidently chung fen, "the addi- grieved." That is, the relics were

tional division," tin lung, "among carried away from the world, and

Devas and Nagas," jin mwr/ mo puh this caused the sorrow.

Jh, "the kings of men were much .lW See.ante, vol. i. p. 78.

brief. When I sighed, it was not on account of your offering of rice; for during many hundreds of years I have not tasted such food. "When Tathagata was living in the world I was a follower of his when he dwelt in the Ve'nuvana -vih&ra, near Bajagrlha (Ho-lo-she-ki-li-hi) ;117 there it was, stooping down, I washed his pdtra in the pure stream of the river—there I filled his pitcher—there I gave him water for cleansing his mouth; but alas! the milk you now offer is not like the sweet water of old! It is because the religious merit of DSvas and men has diminished that this is the case!" The Brahman then said, "Is it possible that you yourself have ever seen Buddha?" The Sramana replied, "Have you never heard of Eahula, Buddha's own son? I am he! Because I desire to protect the true law I have not yet entered Nirvana."

Having spoken thus he suddenly disappeared. Then the Brahman swept and watered the chamber he had used, and placed there a figure of him, which he reverenced as though he were present.

Going 500 li through the great forest we come to the kingdom of P'o-lo-ni-sse (Banaras).

117 In Chinese, Wang-she-ch'ing.

END OF BOOK VI.

BOOK VII.

Includes the following countries, (i) P'o-lo-ni-sse; (2) Chen-chit; (3) Fei-she-U; (4) Fo-li-shi; (5) Ni-po-lo.

Fo-lo-ni-sse (varanasi1 Or Banieas).

This country is about 4000 li in circuit. The capital borders {on its western side) the Ganges river. It is about 18 or 19 li in length and 5 or 6 li in breadth; its inner gates are like a small-toothed comb;2 it is densely populated. The families are very rich, and in the dwellings are objects of rare value. The disposition of the people is soft and humane, and they are earnestly given to study. They are mostly unbelievers, a few reverence the law of Buddha. The climate is soft, the crops abundant, the trees (fruit trees) flourishing, and the underwood thick in every place. There are about thirty sanghdrdmas and 3000 priests. They study the Little Vehicle according to the Sammatiya school (Ching-liang-pu). There are a hundred or so D&va temples with about 10,000 sectaries. They honour principally MahesVara (Ta-tseu-tsai). Some cut their hair off, others tie their hair in a knot, and go

1 This is the restoration of the 2 Julien gives here, "the villages Chinese equivalents. A note in the are very close together;" but, as original gives the sound of ni as noticed before (p. 73, n. 13), the =n(iu) + (he)a, i.e., na; the restora- Chinese symbols leu yen mean "the tion, therefore, is Varanasi, the inner gates" of a city, and the exSanskrit form of the name of Ban- pression isch pi means " like a tooth aras. It was so called because it comb." I conclude it means that lies between the two streams Varana the inner gates of the city consisted and Asi or Asl, affluents of the of closely joined, and perhaps sharpGanges. See Sherring, Sacred City ened, iron or other bars. of the Hindus.

naked, without clothes (Nirgranthas); they cover their bodies with ashes (Pasupatas), and by the practice of all sorts of austerities they seek to escape from birth3 and death.

In the capital there are twenty D&va temples, the towers and halls of which are of sculptured stone and carved wood. The foliage of trees combine to shade (the sites), whilst pure streams of water encircle them. The statue of the Ddva MahSsvara, made of teou-shih {native capper), is somewhat less than 100 feet high. Its appearance is grave and majestic, and appears as though really living.

To the north-east of the capital, on the western side of the river Varana, is a sttipai built by A£6ka-raja (Wu-yau). It is about ioo feet high; in front of it is a stone pillar; it is bright and shining as a mirror; its surface is glistening and smooth as ice, and on it can be constantly seen the figure of Buddha as a shadow.

To the north-east of the river Varana about 10 li or so, we come to the saiighdrdma of Lu-ye {stag desert).6 Its precincts are divided into eight portions {sections)? connected by a surrounding wall. The storeyed towers with projecting eaves and the balconies are of very superior work. There are fifteen hundred priests in this convent who study the Little Vehicle according to the Sammatiya school. In the great enclosure is a vihdra about 200 feet high; above the roof is a golden-covered figure of the Amra (^An-mo-lo—mango) fruit. The foundations of the building are of stone, and the stairs also, but the towers and niches

3 Not" life and death," but" birth rally called Zu-yuen, "the deer and death ;" i.e., to arrive at a con- garden." This is the spot where dition of uninterrupted life. Buddha preached his first sermon

4 Julien here gives P6-lo-ni-sse by to the five mendicants. For an mistake, it should be P6-lo-ni (read account of his march to B&naras na), referring to the Varana or Ba- and the sermon he preached see ran& (see Dr. Fitzedward Hall's Fo-sho-Aing-tsan-king, varga 15, p. remarks in the Introduction to 168.

Sherring's Sacred City of the Hin- 6 Probably meaning that the en

dus; also Cunningham, Anc. Geog., closure was an octagon, as the great

p. 436 n.) tower of Dhamek was {Arch. Sur

5 The same as Mrlgad&va, gene- vey, vol. i. p. ill).

are of brick. The inches are arranged on the four sides in a hundred successive lines, and in each niche is a golden figure of Buddha. In the middle of the vihdra is a figure of Buddha made of teou-shih (native copper). It is the size of life, and he is represented as turning the wheel of the law (preaching).7

To the south-west of the vihdra is a stone st4pa built by A£6ka-raja» Although the foundations have given way, there are still 100 feet or more of the wall remaining. In front of the building is a stone pillar about 70 feet high. The stone is altogether as bright as jade. It is glistening, and sparkles like light; and all those who pray fervently before it see from time to time, according to their petitions, figures with good or bad signs. It was here that Tathagata (j'u-lai), having arrived at enlightenment, began to turn the wheel of the law (to preach).

By the side of this building and not far from it is a st4pa. This is the spot where Ajnata Kaundinya ('O-jo-kio-ch'in-ju) and the rest, seeing B6dhisattva giving up his austerities, no longer kept his company, but coming to this place, gave themselves up to meditation.8

By the side of this is a stilpa where five hundred Pratylka Buddhas entered at the same time into Nirvdna. There are, moreover, three sttipas where there are traces of the sitting and walking of the three former Buddhas.

By the side of this last place is a st'dpa. This is the spot where Maitr^ya Bodhisattva received assurance of his becoming a Buddha. In old days, when Tathagata was living in Eajagriha (Wang-she), on the Gndhrakuta

7 The wheel is the symbol of made on this spot see Arch. Survey,

"preaching," or of dharma. The vol. i. p. 107 ff.

scene of Buddha's teaching near 8 The five ascetics who had accom

Eanaras is the district called Sar- panied the Bodhisattva to Uravilva,

nath, which, according to Cunning- and fasted with him for six years,

ham, is a contraction of Saranganatha, when they saw him receive the rice

lord of deer. Buddha himself was milk of Nanda, supposing he had

once the "king of deer," and this given up the object of his religious,

may be the origin of the name, life, left him, and came to the deer'

For an account of the excavations park at Ban/iras.