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421 tliey whirled round hiin in a circle^ a hundred thousand times, and then suddenly halting they stood perfectly still, fixed in their attitude, with their faces bent in one direction. At this time, all the Dragons standing thus, prayed a com- mon prayer, and said : ' Oh, would that all the countless, boundless, inconceivably vast and various forms of sea- clouds (Dragons ?), passing from the innumerable worlds and fining space, would assemble here and bring their gifts and ofieriugs thus to the countless Buddhas belonging to these various systems of worlds.' " Then came the diffei-ent^ sea-cloud forms, bringing with them their offerings wherewith to honour all the Buddhas, to wit, countless gems (mani), precious lion-thrones, jewelled trees, standards, canopies, net-work coverings, precious wheels, etc. "At this time, the eighty-four ninnahutas of Dragon Kings having completed their prayer, they encompassed Buddha three times, and having performed an act of worship, they again stood erect. " Then Buddha addressed all the Dragon Kings, and said : ' Each one of you resume his seat.-*^ " Then each one of the Dragon-Kings, having heard the words which Buddha spoke, returned, and in exact order sat down. " Then in the midst of the assembly there was one Dragon King whose name was ' Wou-hien-chwong-yan-hai-wan-wai- tih-lun-koi^ the most mighty of all the Dragons in the vast chiliocosm of universes, who, by his mighty power of prayer 1 Compare plate Ixxiii, tig. 2, Tree and Serpent Worship. I am quite unable to translate literally the exaggerated numeration employed in this passage. I am also in doubt as to the expression " sea- clouds." Sagara, which means "the sea" in Sanscrit, also is the name of the Great Dragon of the Sea; whether "sea-clouds'' may mean the attendants of Sagara or not I cannot tell. AVe may recollect, however, that the expression " Dalai," e. gr., Dalai Lama, is also equivalent to "sea" or "ocean"; possibly the expression may mean "infinite," both as to number and perfection. = ''On the Rajah giving the order, he took a seat."' Banerjea, ut supra. 422 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST (or by the strength of his vow), had obtained the privilege of avoiding the evil of different births, and had received his present Dragon Form. Desiring to pay his worship toTat- hagata, and to hear the true law, he had come to Jambudwipa and assumed his present shape. " Then, rising from his seat, he arranged his garments in the orthodox way, and bending on his knee with closed palms, he looked towards Buddha, and said : 'World-honoured one ! I have a doubt, and I would be satisfied by the wisdom of the all- wise Tathagata, if I might presume to state my difficulty.^ " Having said this, silently he kept his position. " Then the world-honoured one addressed this mighty Dragon-King, and said : ' Great Dragon-King, whatever doubts you have, state them freely and interrogate me on the subject ; and I for your sake will distinguish and divide my speech, that you may have satisfaction and peace.^ " Having thus spoken, then the mighty Dragon-King above named, immediately asked Buddha as follows: 'If it be so, world-honoured one (Bhagavat), then tell me how it is possible for all the Dragon-Kings to escape the calamities^ that oppress them, and obtaining rest and release to expe- rience a sense of joy such as may issue in their giving to Jambudwipa such gentle rainfalls, as will nourish trees and herbs and grain, to the infinite delight and advantage of all men dwelling therein V " At this time, the world-honoured one having heard this query, addressed the Dragon-King, named above, and said: 'Well said! well said! it is with a view to the benefit of those sentient ci^eatures that inhabit Jambudwipa, that your ques- tion is framed. Listen, then, and discriminate rightly what I now reply. I possess a law, which, if you are able perfectly to accomplish, then all your sorroAVS must terminate, and you possess unalloyed happiness. And what is this law ? it is called ' the practice of great Love'. If all you Dragon- ' For these calamities, vide Fo-koue-ki, p. IGo. SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. ' 423 Kings perform this law perfectly, then fire shall not burn you, nor water drown you, nor poison hurt you, nor knives cut you, etc. ; but you shall possess perfect peace.' " Again, there are certain Dharani which are called * be- stowing rest and joy to all creatures', by means of which you yourselves may find rest, and by the repetition of which fertile-giving showers may be made to fall for the growth and nourishment of trees, herbs, and grain. " Then the Great Dragon-King above named, respectfully requested Buddha to repeat these joy-giving dharani. " On this Buddha immediately complied, and recited them as follows : " ' Tan-tchi-ta (Djeta?). To-lo-ni (Dharani). To-lo-ni (Dharani). Yeou-to-lo-ni (Udharani). San-po-lo-ti-sse-che (Sampratishta) . Pi-che-ye (Vachya).'" [And so on ; these Dharani are transliterations from Sanscrit.] [Next follows a long recitation of the names of all the Tathagatas. Then a description of the Dragon Temple, the pictures of the four sorts of Dragons {i.e., with three, five, seven, and nine heads, respectively), and the arrangement of the flowers, fruits, lamps, and cakes.^ Finally, the Dragons perform another ovation to Buddha, and depart.] [Amongst the names of the Naga Rajahs given in this Sutra is that of Kumbira (alhgator or crocodile). This Naga is extensively worshipped in Japan at the present time as " Compirah," a Sea-God. It seems also to be re- presented in plate 1, Tree and Serpent WorsM}).^ ' Closely resembling the arrangement of the Jewish Tabernacle. Tree and Serpent Worship, p. 55. FINIS. ADDITIONAL NOTES. P. 5. In reference to the name of the Topes at Varonsha, it seems probable that Sang-teh represents the Sanscrit Santa, which is the equivalent of the Chinese " tsie mie," the common term for Nirvana (Jul., Methode, p. 20.) General Cunningham has suggested the same word for the origin of Sanchi (Bhilsa Topes, 182). So that we may suppose these " Topes" to be monumental records of the Nirvana of certain eminent saints, whose relics they contain. P. 11. The Sura mani or Sun-gem is evidently the same as the Tchoula-mani of the Singhalese {vide Burnouf, Essai sur le Pali, p. 88). Clough {Pali Vocabulary, p. 116, 19) gives " Sulam" as equal to a " trident." The origin of this ornament was probably from a " three-forked" flame, denoting the region of the "Sun" or the "empyra3an" above the Sun. For a curious illustration of its use, vide the Pali inscription given by Burnouf, Lotas, p. 438, where the initial ornament is plainly the Sun with a trisul or three-forked flame above it, and the object of its use would seem to be as an invocation of the " hiafhest." Hence it crowns the gates at Sanchi, and is always used as a sacred symbol. For other references to its use, vide Lotus, 559, 609, 634. P. 12. For the interchange of "Dharma" and "Prakriti," vide Hodgson's Essays (Collected), p. 58. P. 16. For the use of the word " Patience" in a Buddhist sense, as appHed to the " world of men," vide, Wassilief, Bond- dhisme, § 140. P. 16. With reference to the energy that holds the world so that it cannot be moved, compare Vishnu Purana (Wilson), pp. 215 and 650. P. 23. With reference to the use of the word " Hri," compare Lalita Vistara, p. 40, and Vishnu Purana, 210, n. P. 26. With reference to the healing words " The identity of things is the identity of differences," etc., compare the singular ADDITIONAL NOTES. 4?;5 agreement found in the definition of the "Absolute" by a modern writer. " The absolute is the non-diflPerence of differends, the identity of being and the not-being." (Origin mid Develop, of Christian Belief, vol. i, 289.) P. 41. The subtle principle spoken of as the " ashta-vijnyana" is the "moi-spirituel" spoken of by Remusat {Fo-lcoue-hi, p. 155) as residing in the eiglith viscera ; and hence called " the know- ledge of the eighth viscera." This belief, however, is described as that of the heretic Kapila. We have here another instance of the way in which later Buddhism became commingled with the teaching of the Sects. P. 6{j. Jemmara should doiibtless be rendered Yama Rajah ; but the Chinese repeats the word for " King" (wang), which makes it necessary to form a compound of the symbols. P. 66. For Pi-sha, Mr. Eitel (Handbook) gives Vaisali. P. 154. For the idea of " one Nature," consult Vish. Pur., 651.