English
The country was 800 miles in circuit, and ‘the capital was nearly four miles by one mile. The families were rich and possessed’ in their dwellings objects of rare value. The people were soft and humane in disposition and were given to study; most of them were Hindus, a few reverenced the law, of CHAP, VII.] HOUEN TSANG’S ACCOUNT. 97 Buddha. There were in the country 30 Sanghar4mas with about 3,000 priests, but about a hundred temples of Devas with 10,000 sectaries. The god Mahesvara | was chiefly worshipped in Benares. Some cut off their hair and went naked, and covered their bodies; with ashes, and by the practice of. all. kinds of austerities sought to escape future births, . In the town of Benares -there were twenty Deva ‘temples, the towers and halls of which were of sculp- tured stone and carved wood. Trees shaded the temples, and pure streams of water encircled them. There was a copper statue of Mahesvara 100 feet high. “Its appearance is grave and majestic, and appears as though really living.” To the north-east of the town was.a Stipa, and in ‘front of it a stone pillar, bright and shining as a mirror, its surface glistening and smooth as ice. About 2 miles from the river Varand -was. the great Sangharama of the “Deer Park.” Buddha had first proclaimed his religion in this Deer Park. The Sangha- rama was divided into eight portions, and the storeyed towers with projecting caves and balconies were of very superior work. In the great enclosure there was a Vihara zoo feet high, and above the roof was a golden covered figure of the mango fruit. The found- ations of the Vih4ra were of -stene, but the towers and stairs were of brick. In the middle of the Vihara was a life-size figure of Buddha represented as turning R. C, D., A. LIT, 7 98: BUDDHIST PERIOD. [BOOK Iv. the wheel of law. A fit representation on the very spot where the great preacher had set the wheel of his religion rolling. Passing through other places, Houen Tsang came to VAISALI 1300 miles round, but the capital of the country was in ruins. The soil of the country was rich and fertile, the mango and the banana were plentiful, the climate was agreeable and temperate, and the people were pure and honest. Hindus and Buddhists lived together. The Sangharamas were mostly in ruins, and the three or four which remained had but few monks in them. The Deva temples were _ many. Houen Tsang speaks separately of the kingdom of the Vajjians, 800 miles in circuit ; but originally the Lichehavje ‘and the Vajjians were the same, or rather the Lichchavis formed one of the eight Vajjian tribes. It is scarcely. necessary to add that Houen Tsang ‘speaks also of the Council of Vaisali, which according to him took place 110 years after the death of Gau- tama, and the Council “bound afresh the rules that had been broken, and vindicated the holy law.” Our traveller then paid a visit to NEPAL and was not favorably impressed with the people. Their manners, he says, were false and perfidious, and their temperament hard and fierce with little regard to truth or honor, and their appearance was ungainly and revolting. From Nepal, Houen Tsang returned to CHAP, VII] HOUEN TSANG’S ACCOUNT. 9 Vaisdli, and thence crossing the Ganges to the’ country of Magadha which for him was replete with holy associations. No less than two books out of his twelve books are devoted to the legends and sites and holy relics which the pilgrim found in Magadha. The kingdom of MAGADHA was 1,000 miles in circuit. The walled cities had few inhabitants, but the towns were thickly populated. The soil was. rich and produced grains in abundance. The country was low and damp, and towns were therefore built on uplands. The whole country was flooded in the rains, and communication was kept up by boats. The people were simple and honest, they esteemed learning and revered the religion of Buddha. There were fifty Sanghéramas with 10,000 monks, aad ten aide temples with numerous followers. The old town of PATALIPUTRA, which was still inhabited when Fa Hian- visited it, was now entirely deserted, the foundation walls only being visible. The traveller has much to say about Asoka and his half-brother Mahendra, about the Buddhist writers, Nagarjuna and Asvaghosha, and about the numerous Stdpas and Viharas and sites connected with Buddha’s life which he saw; but we pass them by. He went to Gay4 which hada thousand families of Brahmans only for its inhabitants. Thence he went to the famous Bodhi Tree, and to the neighbouring Vihéra, 160 or 170 feet high, and covered with beautiful 100 BUDDHIST PERIOD. [BOOK Iv. ornamental work, “in one place figures of stringed pearls, in another figures of heavenly Rishis,” and the whole being surrounded by a gilded copper 'Amalaka. fruit.’ Not far from this was the grander structure of the Mahdbodhi Sanghérdma, built by aking of Ceylon. It had six walls with towers of observation three storeys high, and was surrounded by a walt’ of defence thirty or forty feet high. “The utmost skill of the artist has been em- ployed ; the orhamentation is in the richest colours. The statue of Buddha is cast of gold and silver, decorated with gems and precious stones. The Stdpas are high and large in proportion and beautifully ornamented.” - The entire place near the Bodhi Tree was considered sacred by Buddhists in Houen Tsang’s time, and as long as Buddhism prevailed in India. “Every year when the Bhikshus break up their yearly rest of the rains, religious persons come here from every quarter in thousands and myriads, and during seven days and nights they scatter flowers, burn incense, and sound music.as they wander through the district and pay their worship‘ and present their offerings.” Buddhist celebrations are now a thing of the past in India; and it is important.for the historian to note from the pages of contemporaneous witnesses that those celebrations were in their day marked with as much pomp-and circumstance, and as much joyousness, and outward demonstration, as Hindu festivals of later times.“ CHAP. VIL] HOUEN TSANG’S ACCOUNT. 1ot Houen Tsang came to RAJAGRIHA,.the old capital of ~ Magadha at the time of Ajatasatru ‘and Bimbisara. The outer walls of the city had been destroyed, the inner. walls still remained in a ruined state and were 4 miles. round. The traveller visited the great cave or stone house in which the first Council was held immediately after the death of Gautama. KA&syapa was the presi- dent of the council, and said “Let Ananda who ever heard the words of Tathagata, collect by singing through, the Satra Pitaka. Let Upali who clearly un- — derstands the rules of discipline, and is well-known to all who know, coltect the Vinaya Pitaka ; and I KAsy- apa will collect the Adkidarma Pitaka. The three. months of rain being past, the collection of the Tyi- pitaka was finished.” ; Our traveller now came to iii great NALANDA uni- versity, if we may call it by that name. The monks of_ this place to the number of several thousands were men of the highest ability, talent, and distinction. “The countries of India respect them and follow them. The day is not sufficient for asking and answering profound questions, From morning till night they engage in discussion ; the old and the young mutually help one another. Those who cannot discuss questions out of the Zripitaka are little esteemed, and are obliged to hide themselves for shame. Learned men from differ- ent cities, on this account, who desire to acquire quickly - a renown in discussion, come here in multitudes to sets A8905 02 BUDDHIST PERIOD. [BOOK Iv. tie their doubts, and then the streams (of their wisdom) spread far and wide. For this reason some persons usurp the name (of Nalanda students) and in going to and fro receive honour in consequence.” ‘Dr. Fergusson justly remarks that what Cluny and Clairvaux were to France in the middle ages, Nalanda was to Central India, the depository of true learning, the centre from which it spread over to other lands, And “as in all instances connected with the strange parallelism which existed between the two religions, the Buddhists kept five centuries in advance of the Chris. tians in the invention and use of all the ceremonies and forms common to both the religions.”* ‘The great Vihara of Nalanda where the university was located was worthy of it. It is said that four kings, viz., Sakraditya, Buddhagupta, Tath4gatagupta and ‘Baladitya successively laboured at this great architec- tural work, and when it was completed men came from a distance of 2,000 miles at the great assembly that was held. Many other Viharas were built in the vicinity by succeeding kings. One great Vihara, built by Baladitya, was conspicuous among them. It was 300 feet high, and “with respect to its magnificence, its dimensions, and the statue of Buddha placed in it, it resembles the great Vibara built under the Bodhi tree,” * Indian and Eastern Architecture, London, 1876, p. 137. CHAP. VIL] HOUEN TSANG'S ACCOUNT. ce Leaving Magadha Houes Tsang came to the king-“ dom.of Hiranya Parvata, which General Cunningham. identifies with MONGHYR. The kingdom was 600 miles round, the soil was largely cultivated and rich in its produce, the climate was agreeable, and the peo- ple simple and honest. By the side of the capital were the hot springs of Monghyr which gave out vel? of smoke and vapour. CuamPA, the ancient capital of Anga or East Behar, was situated near modern Bhagalpur. The kingdom was 800 miles in circuit, the soil level and f€rtile and regularly cultivated, the temperature was mild and. warm, and the manners of the people were simple and honest.