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The ^ Vide Theories and Lefjends of the Buddhists^ p. 147. 2 Ka-lam-fau, vide Vishnu Purana., p. 168. •■• Kiu-ye-ni. Singhalese records call it Apara Godana. < Kiii-tai. SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. 37 men live three hundred years^ and trade in oxen^ horses^ and gems. The AbidhaT-ma says they eat fleshy and kill living animal?^; they burn the dead, and also bury them. They cultivate their lands. Their marriage cei-emonies are the same as those of Jambudwipa. They ornament their hair, which is allowed to grow long ; they have both upper and lower gar- ments. The Nyaya Anusara Shaster says : " There are two mid- dle-sized islands attached to this continent, viz., Tchega^ and Krina,^ both inhabited. The Hi-Shai Shaster says : " Below the Ghanta-tree is a stone ox, one yojana high, and therefore the continent is called Godhaiiya.^^ The Dirghagama Sutra says : " To the north of Mount Sume is a continent called Uttara.^ (This means "extremely excellent.'^) The Vibasha calls it Kurudwipa.* It is square- shaped, and so are the faces of its inhabitants. In length and breadth one thousand yojanas. It has a tree-king called Ambala,^ seven yojanas round, one hundred in height, and fifty in spread. The men live a thousand years ; they have no trade, but their life is sustained by implanted vigour. They have no such varieties of land, lake, mountain scenery, or flowers, fruits, and cereals, as we have. The birds sing- pleasantly. On each side of the continent is an Anavatapta lake, from which four great rivers flow. There are no swamps or dangerous hollows, no brambles or prickly plants, no troublesome flies or poisonous insects, but the rice and corn are self-produced, and of exquisite flavour. The warm rays of the Mani gem are sufficient for the purpose of cook- ing their food ; when the food is sufficiently dressed the rays of the gem lose their intense power. There is a wonder- ful^ tree iu this country, the leaves of which constantly distil heavenly dew (ambrosia) ; both men and women seek its ' Che-kiu. - Han li-na. ^ Yuh-tan-yu. ^ Ku-lu-cheoii. ^ Om-po-Io. •> A kiuh-kimg tree, lit. bending-body tree. Perhaps the kalpa tree of the Singhalese, M.B. 14. 38 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST slielter. The fruit of this fragrant tree, when ripe, opens of itself, and provides the people with every kind of garment, vessels, and food. In the rivers are found choice pleasure- boats, to convey all those who seek for such enjoyment in what direction they please. If, on entering the rivers to bathe, they leave their garments on one shore, the boats are always in waiting to convey them to the opposite shore, where fresh garments await them. Whenever they come to one of the fragrant trees, above named, they take whatever delicacy they please, and pass on. There is no sickness here, but they ever retain their youthful looks. Their hair and eye- brows are of a russet colour. When they desire marriage, if after selection the degree of relationship between the two parties is too close, when they seek the shelter of the tree it does not bend down as usual to protect them, and so they sepai-ate ; but if the marriage is a proper one, then the tree bends down as a canopy over them . . . When they die they are placed in the middle of the four roads, their bodies tho- roughly adorned, and then a great bird called Ouwajanka bears away the corpse to another land (beyond the Sakwala mountains). The soil of this country is soft and elastic to the feet. The ground opens of itself to cover everything that is unbecoming. All persons who have previously prac- tised the ten virtues are born here, and after this in one of the Deva lokas. The Nyaya Anusara Shaster says : " There are two mid- dle-sized islands belonging to this continent, viz., Kaurava aud Gaurava,^ both inhabited." The Hi-shai Sutra says : " The men who live in Jambud- wipa are three cubits and a half in height, and the men of the east and west continents the same. The men of the northern continent are seven cubits high.'^ The Abidharma says : " The men of the southern conti- nent are three and a half cubits high, and some four cubits. Men of the eastern continent eight cubits, of the western continent sixteen cubits. '^^ ' Kiu-li-po and Kiao-li-po. - The cubit here is the foot of the Chau dynasty, t.e., eight inches. SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE, 39 The Saddharma prakasa sasana says : " The men of the northern continent are possessed of extraordinary powers of vision and hearing/' [And similar remarks in reference to the other continents.] The Surangama says : " Anirouddha^ conld see without eyes. The Naga Upananda^ could hear without ears. The Devi Gauga'^ could smell without a nose. Gavampati"^ could taste without a tongue. Simyata Deva could feel without a body. The Great Kasyapa without the sense of knowledge (chitta) could apprehend." (This section exhibits the truth that the senses are not the absolute vehicles of knowledge, but that in certain cases there is a mystic power (miao)^ which apprehends truth.) The Vibasha Shaster says : '' The men of the four great continents and of the eight middle-sized ones, are all of di- minutive size ; with respect to the five hundred little isles some are inhabited and some not ; and some are the abode of the Asiiras.'' The Maha** Nidana Sutra says : " The superiority of Jam- budwipa as a place of birth consists in five particulars : — ■ 1. The courage and endurance of its inhabitants; 2. their correct habits of thought -^ 3. being the birthplace of Bud- dha ; 4. its good karma ; 5. its being the land of Brahmans. But the other continents excel Jambudwipa in three parti- culars : — ] . Length of life; 2. superior enjoyments; 3. excel- lence of soil." The Agama Sutra says : " The southern continent excels in three particulars : — 1 . Facility of practising good works, and so securing a favourable karma; 2. the advantage of imitating the pure life of the Brahmans ; 3. the opportunity of hearing the instruction of Buddha." > Ho-niu-liu-to. ^ Po-nan-to. Kin-ka-sliin-niu. * Kiu-fan-po-ti. * The use of the word "miao" in opposition to that which is connected with the senses explains its use in such compounds as miao f ah (Sad- dharma), i.e., the mystic dharma or universe. So, at least, I take the In- pen-king to be. See this work referred to in Hardy's Theories and Legends, p. 91, n. ' Samyak drishti, M.B. 498, § 17. 40 A CATENA OP BFDDHIST From a comparison of the various Sutras and Shastras, it seems that Jambudwipa excels in the wisdom of its inhabi- tants, and the other continents, especially the northern one, in material prosperity. ON THE KAEMA THAT LEADS TO BIRTH TN THESE WORLDS. 2. TheAgama Sutra says: '^ King Prasenajit asked Buddha if every Brahman, Tchatriya, Yaisya, and Sudra on re- turnina: to life would be born in his own caste." To which Buddha replied : " It is possible it may be so, but the matter stands thus — there are four distinct classifications of men: 1. Those who from bad go to bad; for example, a man born as a chandala, in a base class, or as a fisher- man or a hunter, or any other inferior position, doing just enough to be born at all as a man ; if such a man practise evil in his present condition, whether of thought, word, or deed, so that in his next birth he enters one of the evil ways (i.e., as a beast, asura, or demon), then this is called go- ing from bad to bad. 2. Those who go from bad to better; for instance, a man born in a base condition, amongst those who practise every evil work, this man is in a bad state ; but if in this condition he himself does right, guarding well his thoughts, words, and actions, then at the end of life he may be born as a Deva,and this is called going from bad to better. 3. From better to bad ; as when a man is born in a wealthy or illustrious family, and yet himself does wickedly, then after death this man shall also be born in one of the evil ways — and this is called going from better to worse. 4. From good to better : as when a man being in a good class of life, still goes on to practise virtue, then at the end of life he is born in heaven — this is called going from good to better.