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At the same time they should not despise others’ prohibitions, because they themselves are unrestricted in their own schools; otherwise the differences between the schools will be indistinct, and the regulations as to permission and prohibition will become obscure. How can a single person practise the precepts of the four schools together ? The parable of a torn garment and a gold stick shows how we (who practise according to the different schools) may equally gain the goal of Nirvava’. Therefore those who practise in accordance with the Laws should follow the customs of their own schools. - (Note by I-tsing): King Bisbisdra once saw in a dream that a piece of cloth was torn, and a gold stick broken, both into eighteen fragments. Being frightened, he asked the Buddha the reason. In reply the * This idea is well expressed by Hiuen Thsang (Julien, Mémoires, I, 77); I borrow here Prof. Rhys Davids’ wording of Hiuen Thsang’s expression. (Man. of Buddhism, p. 218.) ‘The schools of philosophy are ‘always i in conflict, and the noise of their. passionate discussions rises like the waves of the sea. Heretics of the different sects attach themselves to particular teachers, and by different routes walk to the same goal.’ 14 A RECORD OF ‘BUDDHIST PRACTICES. ‘Buddha said: ‘More than a hundred_years? after my attainment of Nirvava, thére will arise a king, named Asoka, who will rule over the whole of Gambudvipa. At that time, my teaching handed down by several Bhikshus will be split into eighteen schools, all agreeing, however, in the end, that is to say, all attaining the goal of Final Liberation (Moksha). The dream foretells this, @ king, you need not be afraid!’ Which-of the four schools should be grouped with the Mahayana or with the Hinayana is not determined. In Northern India and in the islands of the Southern Sea, they generally belong to the Hinaydna, while those in China? devote them- selves to the Mahayana; in other places, some practise in accordance with one, some with the other. Now let us-examine what they pursue. Both adopt one and the same discipline (Vinaya), and they have in common the prohibitions of the five skandhas (‘groups of offences’), and also the practice of the Four Noble Truths. Those who worship the Bodhisattvas and read the Mahdy4na Sfitrag 1 The following four dates of Asoka are found in the Chinese Tripi/aka ;-— I. 4116 years after the Buddha’s Nirvama. 2. 118 years ” ” ” 3+ 130 years ” a ” ” 4. 218 years 7 ” 3 This last is more interesting, for it agrees with the date obtained from the P4li or Simhalese sources. This is found in a Vinaya book called the Sudarsana-vibh4sh4 Vinaya, which was translated into Chinese a.p. 489. This book contains many dates, which all agree with the Simhalese chronicle. The accounts of the Buddhist councils, names of the Indian and Ceylonese kings, Asoka’s ‘Mission, and Mahendra’s work in Ceylon, present much resemblance to the Ceylonese historical accounts. This agairi shows that we have to pay more attention to the Vinaya . texts, which are the most trustworthy among the Chinese Buddhist works. As this book was preserved among the Vinaya works, no scholars have noticed as far as I know that this date ‘218 years P.B.N.’ was found in this special-work. (See Nanjio’s Catal., No. 1125.) See my note at the end. 2 The text has the ‘Divine Land, and the ‘Red Province,’ meaning ‘China,’ i.e. BH ON, oR INTRODUCTION. 15 x * are called the Mah4y4nists (the Great), while those who do not perform these are called the Hinayanists (the Small). There are but two kinds of the so-called Mahayana. First, the Madhyamika; second, the’ Yoga. The former profess that what is commonly talled existence is in reality non-existence, and every object is but an. empty show, like an illusion, whereas the latter affirm that there exist no outer things in reality, but only inward thoughts, and all things exist only in the mind (lit. ‘all things are but our mind’). These two systems are perfectly in accordance with the noble doctrine. Can we then say which of the two? is right? Both equally conform to truth and lead us to Nirvaza. Nor can we find out which is true or false? Both aim at the destruction of passion (klesa) and the salvation of all beings.. We must not, in trying to settle the comparative merits of these two, create great confusion and fall further into perplexity. For, if we act conformably with any of these doctrines, we are enabled to attain the Other Shore (Nirvava), and if we turn away from them, we remain drowned, as. it were, in the ocean of transmigration. The two systems are, in like manner, taught in India, for in essential points they do not differ from each other. We have as yet no ‘eye of wisdom.’ How can we discern right or wrong in them? We must act just as our predecessors have done, and not trouble ourselves to form our judgement about them. In China, the schools of all Vinayadharas are also prejudiced ; and lecturers and commentators have produced too many remarks on the subject. These have rendered difficult many hitherto easy passages of the five skandhas (groups of offences) and the seven skandhas (another enumeration of the five skandhas), and made obscure the helps to religion (Updya) and the observance of the rules, and made offences which were obvious difficult to be recognised. Consequently one’s aspiration (after the knowledge of the Vinaya) is baffled at the beginning (lit. ‘at one basketful of earth in making a mountain’), and one’s attention flags after attending to but one lecture. Even men of the highest talent can only succeed in the study 16° A RECORD OF BUDDHIST PRACTICES. after Becoming grey-haired, while men of medium or-‘Sittle ability camot accomplish their work even {vhen their. hair has turned per- fectly white. ~ Books ‘on the Vinaya weré gradially enlarged, but became obscure, " s80 that their perusal, is the task of a whole life. ~ A peculiar method has been. adopted by teachers and gupils. They discourse on paragraphs, separating them into smaller and smaller sections; they tréat of the articles concerning the offences bysdividing them sentence by sentence. For the labour éxperded in this method an effort is required as great as that of forming a mountain ; and the gain is as ‘difficult to acquire as the procuring of pearls from the vast ocean.e Those who write books should seek to enable their readers to under- stand easily what the} treat of, and sHould not use enigmatit language, which will require explanation afterwards, if ridiculed by others. : As, when a river has overflowed, and its water has been swept into © a deep well, a thirsty man wishing to drink of the pure water of the well could only procure it by endangering his life, so it ts difficult to gain a knowledge of the Vinaya after it has been hdudled by many men, Such is not the case when we simply examine the Vinaya texts themselves. In deciding cases of grave or slight offences,.a few lines suffice. In - explaining the expedients for settling cases, one does’ not require | eyen half a day. Such is the general object of study among the priests in adndia and in the islands of the Southern Sea. In the. Divine Land (China) the teaching of duty to others (propriety prevails everywhere ; the people respect and serve their sovereign and their parents; they honour and submit to their elders. They are simple in manrit oftife, and meek and agreeable in character. They take wh%t they honestly may take. Filial children and faithful subjects act with caution and economise * their expenditure. The emperor governs beneficially millions of his subjects, pitying the unfortunate people’ with great care (lit. ‘taxing his thought’) from dawn ; while his ministers, whose minds are awake to State affairs even the whole night, execute their duties with respect i a ee Pn OS, eh, Ae. oF) A ere, LOR ee I INTRODUCTION. 17 (lit. clasping‘the hands) and attention’. Sometimes an emperor greatly- opens the way to the Triyana®.and invites the teachers, preparing hundreds of stats ; sometimes he constructs Kaityas (sepulchres) through- out his dominion, so that all the wise inclfne their hearts to Buddhism ; or he builds temples (Saigh4rama) here and there throughout his realm: in order that all the ignorant may go and worship there to mature their. merit. Farmers sing merrily m their fields, and merchants joyfully chant om board ship, or in their carts. In fact, the people who honour cocks (i.e. Korea, see below) and those who respect elephants (India), as_ well as the inhabitants of the regions of Chin-lin (lit. gold-neighbours) and Yii-lin (lit. Gem-hill) 8, come and pay homage at the Imperial Court. Our people manage their affairs peacefully in a peaceful state (or better, ‘peace and tranquillity are our objects’), and ev erything is so perfect that there can be nothing to be added. (Note by I-tsing): Those who respect the cocks are the people of Kau- " Ji (Korea) which is called in India Kukuesvara, Kukusa meaning ‘ cock,’ isvara, ‘honourable. People in India say that that country honours cocks as gods, and therefore people wear wings on their heads as an orna- mental sign 4. Those wh8 honour elgphants are Indians to whose kings the elephant is most sacred; this is so throughout the five parts of India. As to the Chinese priests who have become homeless, they observe the rules and give lectures, while the students study seriously, and understand she deepést principles taught by their teachers. There are those who, having freed themselves from the bonds of worldly affairs, j. Lite fas if treading on thin ice.” ** Sravakaydna, Pratyekabuddhayana, and Mahayana, according to the Dharma- sahgraha II. * Chin-lin (lit.