English
And how do we account for the fifteen days of the dark moon (Krish- napaksha), in which it does not appear ? In this period the Moon is so near the Sun that its brightness is obscured. What, again, is the cause of the New Moon (Ming Yueh) ? Because the Moon, having passed through its dark period, and being one day's distance from the Sun, just so much of its disc appears. And what is the cause of the shadow in the middle of the Moon ? Becanse the Jambu Tree, which is in this great Continent (dwipa), casts a shadow on the Moon ; so high is the tree. When the Sun is on the meridian in Jambudwipa, it appears to be setting to the people of the Eastern continent, ^ Nilambara Devas — theDevas who inhabit the planet Saturn. Nilam- bara and N ilavastra are also epithets of Balarama, or it may refer to the Kmubhandas. ^ Or it may refer to the Kumbhaudas, who have blue garments. M.B. p. 24, or to the Yakshas, who are called " blue-clad" (vide account of the Triyastriushas Heaven). 70 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST and rising to those on the Western continent ; and to the people of the Northern continent it is just midnight. The Lih-shai says : " The power of the Karma of all creatures, affecting the influences above us, causes the wind circle to fan the Sun and Moon so that they continually re- volve. The Sun in its movements traverses one hundred and eighty paths ; the Moon has fifteen paths. Again, there are two paths, the inner and outer. The Sun in its movements is both in conjunction and separation from the Moon. During each day the Sun traverses 48,080 yojanas; if it is approaching the Moon, it daily overlaps it in the proportion of 3g yojanas. In fifteen days, therefore, it com- pletely covers the Moon, so that its face is hid. In receding Irom the Moon it uncovers the same proportion of its disc, so that in fifteen days the Moon appears Full. As the Sun follows in the track of the Moon its brio-ht- ness gradually obscures the light of the latter, and so it appears to cast a shadow on its surface, which gradually in- creases. Again, as the Sun's oi-bit is greater than that of the Moon (or, as the Sun's motion in its orbit is faster than that of the Moon), during six months the Sun, passing from its inner path, proceeds to the extremity of its outer course ; and during six mouths it passes from the outer path and traverses the inner one. The Moon, on the other hand, occupies only fifteen days in each of these courses. Thus, whilst the Sun is passing through its inner course to the people of Jambudwipa, it appears to be in its outer course to the people of the North ; and to the people of the East and West it seems to be in its middle course. At this time the days are at their longest in Jambudwipa, being eighteen mouhourtas ; and the night shortest, being twelve mouhofirtas ; whilst in the East and West the days and nights are equally long, that is, each fifteen mouhourtas long — according to their respective positions compared with Jambudwipa.^ ' A mouhourta, according to divisions of tiuie in this country (China), SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. 71 ON THE PALACE OP THE STAR DEVAS. 4. The Ta-tsi-king (Samyuktapitaka?) says : '^In past times the Rishi P'o-kia-p'o (Bhagava?) arranged the stars according to constellations, assigning a certain number for the protec- tion of different countries and for the benefit of their in- habitants. Each quarter, therefore, has its presiding stars : over the Eastern quarter six asterisms ; over the North seven ; over the South seven ; over the West seven (the twenty-seven Nakshatra Yoginis) . Another Sutra^ says there are nine principal Heavens, twenty-eight asterisms, twelve horary mansions. The Surangama Sutra says there are 84,000 stars which indicate calamities. According to the Lau-Tan Sutra, the circumference of a great star is 720 li; of a medium star, 480 li ; and of a small one, 120 li. All the stars are inhabited by Devas. The Yoga Shaster says the great stars are eighteen krosas, the medium ones ten krosas, and the small ones four krosas round. ^ (A krosa is the distance that one can hear the low- ing of an ox.'^ A krosa or kos equals one mile and a quarter English).* The Agama says a great star is one yojana {i.e., eight kos), and a little star 300 paces round. The largest stars are in diameter sixteen yojanas, and in circumference forty-eight yojanas. The smallest half a krosa in diameter. The Kiouen-So Sutra (Brahmajala ?) says : " The Sun, Moon, stars, and planets are all inhabited by Devas." Half-way up Mount Sumeru^ are the habitations of the four kings. ^ On the Eastern side is a city called Chang- is equal to 3 k'eh (15 miuutes each), 3 li, 3 ho, 3 sse, 3 fall, i.e.., 45-3333 niin. ^ The Siau Tsai King (assuaging- calamity Sutra). 2 One krosa equals six Chinese li. (Ch. Ed.) ^ Jul. ii, 59. * E. Burnouf, Sansc. Diet. 5 The In-pen and the Djilana Shcister give the height 42,000 yojanas; the Abidharma and the Kosha give 40,000 yojauiis. " Chatur niaha rajahs. 72 A CATENA OK BUDDHIST liien (Outtarabliadra?) ; ou the South a city called Sheu-kin (Sudarsana) ; on the West a city called Tcheou-lo (Tchura for Tchuda ?) ; on the North a city called Tien-king (Deva- vrata) .^ The Eastern quarter is governed by Dhritarashtra Deva- rajah (Chi-kwo-tien-wang, i.e., the Ruler of Kingdoms). He commissions the Gandharvas and Pisatchas to defend the people of the Eastern continent. (Gandharvas, i.e., those who search out the use of unguents or perfumes. They are the minstrels" of Sakra rajah. Pisatchas, i.e., spirits that feed on asther. The Djiiana prasthana Shaster gives Putanas instead of Pisatchas.) Over the Southern region rules Virudhaka Devarajah. (Tsang-chang. So called because he causes the principles of virtue in himself and others to increase and grow (viriida). The Avatamsaka Sutra speaks of him as Pi-lieou-lai.) He commissions the Kurabhandas and Pretas to defend men of the Southern continent. (Kumbhandas are lurking ogres (yen-mi-kwai, where yen is read with the first tone, so as to correspond with the Sanscrit root '^'kumb," conf. cumbo). Pretas are the highest order of famishing spirits (hungry ghosts). The Western side is governed by Virupaksha Devarajah.^ He commissions the Nagas and the Putanas to defend the people of the Western continent. (Putanas are stinking Pretas (hungry spirits). The Avatamsaka gives Pisatchas instead of Putanas.) Over the Northern region rules Vaisravana (the renowned) Devarajah. (So called because his renown is spread through- 1 The above particulars are found in the Dirghagama and the Djuaua prasthana Shaster. * Vide Monier Williams' Sanscrit Grammar, ^ 108 b. ^ In the Cliinese it is " confused speech," where the roots appear to be virupa, "distorted," and paxa, in the sense of "reply" or "assertion." The other derivation which the Chinese tika gives — " large eyes as the peacock" — is from viriipa and axa or axi, an eye. The former deriva- tion seems to have some allusion to the confusion of hmguagc at Babel —the AV^estern world— whilst the latter seems to refer to tiic fable of Europa. SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. 73 out tlie world. The Avatamsaka calls him Pi-.slia-man.) He commissions the Yakshas and Rakshas to defend men of the Northern continent. (Yakshas are swift demons who bring diseases. Rakshas are men-eaters.) The four Kino-s have twenty-eight ministering spii'its (according to the Suvarua prabhasa). They are subject to sexual desires as men (according to the Agama Sutras). The four Kings have each ninety-one sons^ possessed of illustrious power; and all called by the title of Kings^ and able to defend the ten regions of space. -^ All mountains, rivers, forests, territories, and cities, and all spirits, are included in the charge of the four Kings (Djnana Shaster). Each King has eight generals (tseang kwan, Shogoons), in all thirty-two. These circumambulate the four continents to protect the disciples of Buddha. Amongst these generals the supreme is Videha, and he makes it his particular care to defend the Bikshus,^ and to defeat the craft of Mara, by supplying strength to those who are under his temptation. ON BEING BORN IN THIS PARTICULAR PARADISE. 5. The Agama Sutra says : " On being first born as a Deva in the abode of the four Heavenly Kings, there is a spontaneous production by the mode called apparitional birth.