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Each of these teras consists of twenty small Kalpas. During the first, the years of man's Hfe increase from ten years to 80,000 years ; during the latter his years again diminish to ten. Similarly, his stature increases and decreases. Agam, during the twenty small Kalpas of increase, the four kinds of chakravartins are born, viz., 1. An iron wheel king, who rules over one continent; 2. A copper wheel king, who rules over two continents; 3. A silver wheel king, who rules over three continents ; 4. A golden wheel king, who rules over the entire world. The golden wheel king possesses seven in- estimable treasures, 1. The golden discus, of purest metal, and with a thousand radii. On the day when the king is anointed (Ht. water poured on his head) this golden discus flies through space, and by its power the king and his four generals are able also to pass through the air, and visit the four continents. The second treasure is the elephant, white as the chaddanta elephant of the snowy mountains. The third is the horse treasure of the dragon species, able to carry the king in one day round the four empires. The fourth is the gem-like woman, born of the Lotus, perfect in all particulars. The fifth is the lordly warlike minister, of singular courage, 1 This summary has been made to compress the subject within reason- able limits. SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. 115 and unbounded wisdom. The sixth is the steward of the treasury, who knows well how to secure jewels innumerable. The seventh is the magic gem, whose rays extend a yojana in distance, able to light up the darkness, and make night as bright as day. Whatever the king wants, this gem causes to appear ; so that every treasure, and every orna- ment that heart can desire, pours down in abundance. The years of the king are 84,000, his son, the heir apparent, acts with him in his empire, the seven precious substances are abundant in the earth, the soil overflows with increase, men practise virtue, and the highest prosperity and happi- ness prevail.^ During the sera of decrease, three calamities occui-, viz., pestilence, the sword, and famine. The horroi's resulting from these calamities reduce the world to the greatest misery. Then comes the end, when all is destroyed, either by fire, or water, or wind. There are three great Kalpas (Maha Kalpas), 1. One already past, viz., the Choang-yen Kalpa ; consisting of four periods. During this Kalpa there were 1,000 Buddhas born; 2. The present Kalpa, called Bhadra Kalpa, consist- ing, as before, of four periods. We are now living in the second period, viz., that of perfection and rest. This period consists of twenty small Kalpas of increase. The present is the ninth small Kalpa. During the previous eight, no Buddha has appeared, but during the first, four Chakravar- tins were born. In this ninth Kalpa five Buddhas are to be born ; four have already come ; the fifth, Maitreya Buddha, is yet to come. The four who have appeared are, 1. Krak- usanda; 2. Konagamana; 3. Kasyapa; 4. Sakya. In the fifteenth small Kalpa nine hundred and ninety -four Buddhas will appear together. Finally, in the twentieth small Kalpa, every thing having arrived at the highest per- fection, and the period of establishment being fulfilled, Buddha will emerge from Nirvana, and the universe be 1 This description, which evidently points to the " golden age," is stated in the tika to be in agreement with the Sutras and Shasters of all the schools. i2 1 ] (3 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST destroyed. The third Mahakalpa is "yet to come/' and called "sing-suh " (star-constellation), in which one thousand Buddhas will again appear.^ [From the whole subject, we gather that a small Kalpa, called also a Kalpa of separation, or a Luh-lo (windlass) Kalpa, consists of 1,680 myriads of years ; a medium Kalpa, that is the Kalpas of renovation, perfection, decadence, and void, consist each of twenty small Kalpas, and therefore of 33,600 myriads of years ; and a great Kalpa (Maha Kalpa) consisting of four medium Kalpas, corresponds to 134,400 myriads of years.] THE VARIOUS BUDDHA-KCHETRAS.2 1. The great Chiliocosm (already described) is spoken of as the domain or kchetra of one Buddha, and is otherwise called the Sahalukadhatu. But beyond this, in the immen- sity of space, there are Chiliocosms in each of the ten regions -^ these are the kchetras or domains of all the Buddhas. What do we know of these? According to the Avatamsaka Sutra, '^ to the east of this Sahalokadhatu is a world called ' Mih-shun ' (secret-agreeable) . To the south is a world called *■ Fung-yeh ' (abundant overflow- ing). To the west is a world called Li-kau (removal-im- ■ These particulars, digested from the tedious chapters of Jin-ch'au, will serve to show the character of later Buddhist speculation. The authorities quoted in the original, are principally, the Yoga Shaster, the Abidharma, and the Damamourka Sutra. Jin Ch'au makes a statement in the text, which fixes the date of his work with precision, he says : " From the Nirvana of our Buddha till tlie present year, being the first year of the reign of Kaou Tsung of the Sung dynasty (A.D. 1127) is a period of 2,100 years ; this would make the Nirvana to have occiured 973 B.C., which is a date very generally accepted in China." 2 For an account of these kchetras, vide Lotus, p. 363, f. 38 b. Com- pare also the expression, in the note which follows the above, "enceintes tracees en forme de damiers" with the Buddhist railing at Amravati. Tree and Serp. Worship, PI. Ixxxviii, fig. 1. ^ The ten llegions are the four cardinal points and half- points, witl) the Zenith and Nadir. Compare Plate 1, fig. 2, Tree and Serp. Worship. SCBIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. ] 1 7 purity) . To the nortli is a world called ' Fung-loh' (abundance - joy). Again, to the north-east is a world called Sheh-tsu (collect-take). To the south-east is a world called 'lu-yih' (increase-addition). To the south-west is a world called ' Sien-shiu^ (seldom-few). Again, to the north-west is a world called ' Fun-hi ' (joyful, glad). In the Nadir is a world called ' Kwan-yo ' (hindrance-bolt). In the zenith a world called ' Chin-yin ' (excite sound) . All these worlds have Tathagatas, who instruct and protect their inhabitants." THE PURE LANDS OF THE EASTERN REGION. 2. A certain Siitra says : " In the eastern region, beyond this, after passing as many lands of Buddha as there are sands in four rivers like the Ganges, there is a world called * Wou-shing ' (no superior) . The Buddha who rules there is called Sri-Rajah Tathagata." [And so after passing as many worlds equal in number to the sands of five, six, up to ten rivers like the Ganges, there are successively other worlds in the eastern region, ruled over by different Buddhas. The names of these I omit, as being pure fictions.] THE PURE LAND OF THE WESTERN REGIONS. 3. What is the meaning of this expression, ''Pure land or earth?" Every world which is "white and spotless," is characterized as " Pure," and every such land in which there are inhabitants is called '■'' an earth." The Che-lun^ says : " They who inhabit the pure lands are without any of the five impurities, like crystal, the earth is therefore called perfectly pure." The Abhidharma Shaster says : " No sor- row or pain for those born there, this is the Pure-land — all the regions of space indeed possess such lauds, but the paradise of the western region, this is of all the most joyous, and therefore by far the most excellent." The Amitabha Sutra says : " In the western region, passing over ten myriads of lakshas of worlds of Buddha ' Saddharma Siimparigraha Shaster (Jul), 118 A CATENA OF nUDPTIIST (rniddhakeliotras), thcro is a wovkl called "tho iiiHuitoly happy" (Sukhavati), and why i^ this world so named? Because its inhabitants have no sorrows, but enjoy an infinity of bliss, thoreforo it is so called." Again, this same authority states " that in the land (Kchetra) of Amitabha, tho seven precious substances are produced of themselves, yellow gold, white silver, crystal, lapis lazuli, cornelian, coral, ruby. All these combined form the substance of the earth, which is therefore glorious in appearance, and ex- cellent beyond description for purity. There are no moun- tains, or circular ranges of rocks, no sea, and no hollows, but all is one vast plain. There are no places of punishment, neither evil spirits, brute beasts, or Asuras.