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Ue considered that even the great sins of those gho dwell in the existing world would disappear at the advance of morality (sila), and the faults, however small they might be, would be done away with, when his law of discipline (Vinaya) had been clearly taught. Since anger expressed against a small branch of a tree brought, as a punishment, a birth among the snakes ?, and mercy shown towards the life of a small insect raised one to the heavenly abode’, the efficacious power of good or bad ,actions is indeed evident and indisputable. Therefore the Sdtras and SAstras were both given to us, and meditation (dhyana) and wisdom (prag#4) were es- tablished by the Buddha; is not the Tripizaka the net par excellence for catching people? Thus, whenever one came in person to the Great Master, His teaching was of one kind; and when the Master desired to teach and save people according to their abilities, he would lay aside those arguments which were most adapted to another. When we see that the Prince of Mara bewitched the mind of Ananda‘ when the latter received the first words of the Buddha at Vaisali, and that by the last declaration on the Hiravyavati (ie. the 1 See the Patimokkha, S. B. E., vol. xiii, pp. 1-67; Kullavagga IX, 3, 3,5. B. E., vol. Xx, p. 309. ? This story is told in the Samyuktavastu, book xxi (Nanjio’s Catal., No. 1121). A priest named Elapatra was engaged in meditation under a former Buddha Kasyapa. When he ceased from his meditation, a bough of the ela tree under which he was sitting touched and hurt his head as he moved. He lost his temper and broke off the bough and threw it away. In consequence of this action he was born as a snake, . See below, chap. vii, p. 32, note 3. + Ananda is translated into Chinese by the ‘ Delight,’ The ‘ first word of the Buddha at Vaisdli’ refers to the following story. The Buddha spoke to Ananda concerning the length of his life, at Vaisalt (Hiuen Thsang, Mémoires, Julien, livre vii, p. 390), and further said to him : ‘ Those who have obtained the four super- natural powers can live one kalpa or even more if they like’ He repeated this three times, but Ananda could not understand it as his mind was perplexed by the influefice of M&ra the tempter. This is told in the Samyuktavastu, book xxxvi (Nanijio’s Catal... No. 1121). Cf. Mahaparinibbana-sutta IE. 4. - and 6. 6 A RECORD OF BUDDHIST PRACTICES. river Agiravati), Aniruddha? (a disciple of the Buddha) proved the in- disputable truth set forth by the Buddha, we can say that His teaching career on earth had come to an-end, and His work was crowned with success. His footsteps were no more on the banks of the two rivers (Hirazyavati and Nairaggan4); men and gods were therefore in despair, © and His shadow faded away in the avenue (or ‘two rows’) of the Sala- trees, when even snakes and spirits became broken-hearted. They all mourned and wept so much that their tears made the path under the Sdla-trees wet and muddy, and those who grieved the most shed tears of blood all over their bodies which then looked like flowering’ trees, : After our Great Master had entered Nirv4za the whole world seemed empty and deserted. Afterwards, there appeared able teachers of the Law, who collected the Sacred Books of the Buddha, assembling at one time to the number of 500 (at the cave of Vihdra) and at another of joo (at Vaisdli). Among the great guardians of the Vinaya, there arose eighteen different divisions*. In accordance with several views and traditions, the Tripifakas of various sects differ from one another. There are small points of difference such as where the skirt of the lower garments is cut straight in one, and irregular in another, and the folds of ~ the upper robe are; in size, narrow in one and wide in another, i When Bhikshus lodge together, there is a question, whether they are to be in separate rooms or to be separated by partitions made by ropes, though both are permitted in the Law. There are other cases: when receiving food, one will take it in his hand, while another will mark the ground where the giver should place food, and both are in the right. Each school has traditions handed down from teacher to * Aniruddha is here translated into Chinese by the ‘Non-prevention.’ This > refers to the following incident. .The Buddha was about to die, and.said to the disciples: ‘If you have doubt about the Four Noble Truths, you must ask me at once. Do not let it remain unsettled.” He repeated this three times, but no one, spoke out, Aniruddha, who was possessed of a Divine-eye, said to the Buddha as he saw the minds of all Bhikshus: ‘The sun may become cold, the moon hot, yet the Four Noble Truths set forth by the Buddha cannot be disproved.’ This is INTRODUCTION. 7 pupil, each perfectly defined and distinct from the other (lit. ‘the affairs are not confounded or mixed’). (Note by I-tsing)!: 1. The Aryamdlasarvastivadanikaya (school) cuts the skirt of the lower garment straight, while the other three schools (see below) cut it of irregular shape. 2. The same school ordains separate rooms in lodgings, while the Aryasammitinikaya school allows separate beds in an enclosure made by ropes. 3. The Aryam(lasarvastivadanikaya (school) receives food directly into the hand, but the Aryamahdsaighikanikaya (school) marks a space on which to place the food. : There exist in the West (India) numerous subdivisions of the schools which have different origins, but there are only four principal’ schools of continuous tradition. These are as follows :— IL The Aryamahdsafighikanikaya (school), translated in Chinese” by Shéng-ta-séng-pu, meaning ‘the Noble School of the Great Brother- hood.’ This school is subdivided into seven. The three Pisakas (canonical books) belonging to it contain 100,000 stanzas (slokas) each, Or 300,000 stanzas* altogether ; which, if translated into Chinese, would amount to 1,000 volumes (each volume representing 300 slokas). _ Il. i The Aryasthaviranikaya, translated in Chinese by Shéng-shang-tso- pu, or ‘the Noble School of the Elders.’ This school is subdivided into — * Notes in I-tsing’s text are often supposed to be by another hand; but when we carefully examine the whole of the annotations in I-tsing’s works and translations, *we cannot attribute the notes to any but the same author, The ‘ Chou-yun’ in the commentary does not mean the Chou dynasty (951-960), but the reign of the Queen usurper, which was also called ‘Chou’ (690-704). So this by no means proves that the commentary or notes in I-tsing’s text are by a later hand, ® Hardy’s Eastern Monachism (p. 168 sq.) gives the number of letters in the Pifakas and commentaries as follows :— 1, The Vinaya, 69,250 stanzas (32 syllables a stanza). 2. The Sutta, 390,500, 3. The Abhidhamma, 126,250 ,, 8 * A RECORD OF BUDDHIST PRACTICES. three. The number of stanzas in the three Pi/akas belonging to it is the same as in-the preceding school. : lil. The Aryamilasarvastivadanikaya, translated in Chinese by Shéng- kén-pén-shuo-yi-chieh-yu-pu, or ‘the Neble Fundamental School which affirms the Existence of All Things.’ This school is subdivided into four. The number of stanzas (slokas) in the three Pi/akas belonging to it is the same as in the above. IV. The Aryasammitinikaya, translated in Chinese by Shéng-chéng- liang-pu, or ‘the Noble School of the Right Measure’ (or inference). This school is subdivided into four. The three Pisakas of this school contain 200,0001 stanzas, the Vinaya texts alone amounting to 30,000 stanzas; it is to be noticed, however, that certain traditions handed down by some of these schools differ much with regard to this view of division, and that I have mentioned here these eighteen schools as they at present exist. I have never heard, in the West (India), of the division into five principal schools (Nikaya), of which some Chinese make use. As to their separation from one another, their rise and decline, and sectarian names, there is much difference of opinion. As this subject, however, has been treated elsewhere *, I shall not take the trouble to describe them here. Throughout the five divisions of India, as well as in the islands of the Southern Sea, people speak of the four Nikayas. But the number of the votaries in each school is unequal in different places. In Magadha (Central India) the doctrines of the four NikAyas are generally in practice, yet the SarvAstivadanikaya flourishes the most. d 1 J. has 300,000 instead of 200,000 ; the latter seems to be the right number, for if it were 300,000, I-tsing would say that it is the same as in the above school. : * Not by I-tsing himself. For books treating of the eighteen schools, see WNoaniin’s Catalnone Nac 1984 TOkrF roQk8k Sap alen Rhee Davide’ neta an tha INTRODUCTION. . "4g In Laza* and Sindhu—the names of the countries in Western India—the Sammitinikaya has the greater number of followers, and- there are some few members of the other three schools. In the northern region (N. India) all belong to the Sarvastivadanikaya, though we some- times meet the followers of the Mahdsanghikanikaya. Towards the South (S. India), all follow the Sthaviranikaya, though there exist a few adherents of the other NikA&yas. In the eastern frontier countries '(E. India), the four Nikdyas are found side by side (lit. ‘The eastern frontier countries practise mixedly the four Nikayas’). (Note by I-tsing): Going east from the Nalanda monastery 500 yoganas, all the country is called the Eastern Frontier. At the (eastern) extremity there is the so-called ‘Great Black 2’ Mountain, which is, I think, on the southern boundary of Tu-fan* (Tibet). This mountain is said to be on the south-west of Shu- Chuan (Ssu-Chuan), from which one can reach this mountain‘ after a journey of a month or so.