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[-tsing perhaps has in his mind the story told of Asvaghosha, the author of the Buddhafarita, that he miraculously made horses neigh before a king. * These were perhaps made in memory of Séng-Lang the Sage. * I-tsing comes back here to the subject of this chapter. * These two priests came to China a.n. 47, the first translators of Buddhist texts, which are said to have been brought loaded on a white horse. The White Horse monastery was built at Lo-yang. One work of translation is ascribed to K4syapamatanga, and five to Dharmaraksha. Nanjio’s Catal., App. ii, 1-2. ® K'ang-séng-hui, an Indian of Tibetan origin, who came to China a.p. 241, 208 A RECORD OF BUDDHIST PRACTICES. XL. & virtue of their example, became the ford and bridge to the Celestial Treasure House (India). Tao-an and Hui-yen! were stooping like tigers on the south of the rivers Yang-tze and Han; Hsiu and Li? were flying high like falcons on the north of the rivers Hwang and Chi. Successors in the Order were found regularly and continuously; thus the wave of wisdom has been perpetuated uncorrupted. Devout laymen praised and appreciated the unceasing fragrance of the Law. We have never heard: that any of those teachers allowed the practice of burning one’s fingers. Nor have we ever seen the burning of one’s body permitted by them. The mirror of the Law is before our eyes, and the wise should carefully learn therefrom. The Dhyana-master, Hui-hsi, used, in the stillness of the evening, to sympathise with me in my boyhood, and comforted me with many a kind word. Sometimes his talk was about the (frailty of) yellow leaves (i.e. about impermanence), so that he might divert me from my intense longing for my mother. Sometimes he spoke to me telling me of the habit of young crows °, and urging that I should strive to repay the great love with which I had been brought up. Sometimes he said: ‘You must arduously strive to promote the prosperity of the Three Jewels, so that they may not cease and translated two works, Fa-hien is a well-known Chinese traveller in India, A.D. 399-414; translated four works and wrote the account of his own journey. I-tsing here probably refers to Fa-hien’s travel by saying ‘the dark elephant was saddled.’ Kéasyapa has no explanation. Nanjio’s Catal., App. ii, 21, 45. Tao-an died a.p. 389. He first proposed to use the common surname Shih=.Sdkya, and was followed everywhere. Hui-yen, who submitted himself to the Eastern Tsin, a.p. 317-419, was the founder of the White Lotus Society. The Pure Land School was first preached by him. He sent his disciples to Udyana to get Sanskrit texts, a.p. 408. * HB OK and Be RB, ive. Hai-hsiu and Fa-li, Both lived in the time of the Sui dynasty (a.p. 589-618), Hui-hsiu being a teacher of the Mahay4na- samparigraha School. For Fa-li, see next page. ® Le. ‘filial piety’ In China crows are said to return to their parents as much food as they receive while young. : SUCH ACTIONS ARE*UNPRECEDENTED, 209 to exist; nor should you indulge in the study of secular literature to such an extent as to render your life useless.’ Even-when I had reached the age of ten years, I could only listen to his instruction; I was not yet able to fathom his meaning, Every morning at the fifth watch I went to his room to ask what to do. Each time the master showed his affection by patting me with his hand as lovingly as a kind mother fondles her child. Whenever he had any nice food, he used to give me the most delicate portion. If I asked him -fojt anything, I was never disappointed. My Upadhydya, Shan-yii, was a strict father to me, while the Dhyana-master, Hui-hsi, was a tender mother. Thus our relations were almost as perfect as though we had been kinsmen. When I reached the age of Ordination, Hui-hsi became my Upé- dhyaya. Once after I had sworn to the Precepts, when he was taking the air on a fine night, suddenly as he was burning incense, my master, overcome by emotion, thus- instructed me: ‘It is long since the Great Sage attained Nirvaza, and now his teaching is becoming misinterpreted. Many are those who wish to bow to the Precepts, yet few are they who observe them, You must abstain with firm resolve from the important things prohibited, and not transgress the first group (meaning the Paragika-offences). If you are guilty of any of the other transgressions, it is I who will suffer in hell on account of you. Besides, you ought not to do such hurtful things as to burn your fingers or destroy your body with fire. On the same day that the Holy Precepts had been graciously imparted to me, I was thus instructed and happily favoured with his pity. Since that time I have made such a strenuous effort that whenever I found myself liable to fail, I feared greatly that I had already com- mitted an offence, however small it might be. I devoted myself to the study of the Vinaya for five years. I could fathom, the depth of the comments composed by Fa-li}, the Vinaya teacher, and explain accurately the principles treated by another Vinaya teacher, Tao-hstian?, in his works. As soon as I had become “EE BB died a. p, 635. A teacher-of the Nirvana School, and author of the commentary of the Xaturvarga-vinaya. See p. 208, note 2. : sy ‘a died a.p. 667. The founder of the Vinaya School, author of some eight works. See Nanjio’s Catal, App. iii, ar. < Ee 210 A RECORD OF BUDDHIST PRACTICES. XL. acquainted with the Vinaya rules (lit. ‘observance and transgression’), my teacher ordered me to deliver one lecture on this subject. While I was attending his lecture on the Greater Sdtra!, I went round begging food, having only one meal, and sat up all night, without lying down. The forest monastery where we lived was very distant from the village, but I never neglected this practice. Whenever I think of the® kind instruction of my great teacher my tears overflow.—I do not know whence they come. We see that, when a Bodhisattva wishes in pity to save those who are suffering, he is willing to throw himself even into the blazing flame of a great fire, and, when a philanthropist thinks of looking after a child of poverty he watches even the narrow entrance of a small house. This is no mistake. I received all instruction personally from him, and I did not learn from him by hearsay. One day he graciously said to me: ‘At present I do not lack those who wait on me, and you should no longer remain with me, for it hinders your study.’ Then I departed from him, with a metal staff in my hand, for Eastern Wei, where I devoted myself t6 the study of the Abhidharma(-sangiti) and the Samparigra- hasdstra (Nanjio’s Catal., iii, Nos. 1178, 1199 ; 1183, 1184, 1247). From thence I went to the Western Capital (Si-an Fu), carrying a satchel on my back, and there I studied diligently the Kosa and the Vidyamatra- siddhi (Nanjio’s Catal., iii, Nos. 1267, 1269; 1197, 1210, 1238, 1239, 1240). On my departure for India I returned from this capital to my native place% I sought advice from my great teacher Hui-hsi, saying: ‘Venerable Sir, I am intending to take a long journey; for, if I witness that with which I have hitherto not been acquainted, there must accrue to me great advantage. But you are already advanced in age, so that I cannot carry out my intention without consulting you.’ My teacher thus answered me: ‘This is a great opportunity for you which will not occur twice, (I assure you) I am much delighted to hear of your ie c q 1 A separate Japanese edition takes this sentence quite differently. It seems inadmissible to take FQ MK as ‘ gencrally. 2 His home was in Fang-yang, now Chao-chou (HR) in Chi-li. SUCH ACLZIONS ARE UNPRECEDENTED. ese: intention so wisely formed (lit. “I am aroused by your righteous reasons”). Why should I indulge any longer my personal affection? ‘If I live long enough (to see you return), it will be my joy to witness you transmitting the Light. Go without hesitation; do not look back upon things left behind. I certainly approve of your pilgrimage to the holy places. Moreover it is a most important duty to strive for th “prosperity of Religion. Rest clear from doubt.’ : Thus not only was my intention graciously approved, but now I had his command, which I could not in any case disobey. At last I embarked from the coast of Kwang-chou: (Canton), in the eleventh month in the second year of the Hsien Héng period (A. D. 671), and sailed for the Southern Sea. Thus I could journey from country to country, and so could:go to India for pilgrimage. On the eighth day in the second month in the fourth year of the Hsien Héng period (A.D. 673), Tarrived at Tamralipti',-which is a port on the coast of Eastern India. In the fifth month I resumed my. journey westwards, (while) finding com- panions here and there. Then I went to the Nalanda monastery and to the Diamond Seat, and thus at last visited all the holy places. Then I retraced the course of my journey and arrived at S ribhoga !. It may be said of him that he was a great, good, and wise teacher, who perfected the Brahmaéarya (religious studentship), and mastered the true teaching of the Purushadamya-sdrathi (Tamer of the human steed, i.e. the Buddha). Nor do we err in speaking thus. In fact he became the typical man of the period, satisfying the needs of the world and guiding the life of mankind. I was brought up and instructed by him personally until I reached manhood. Coming across this raft in the ocean of existence I advanced one day’s voyage (nearer to the shore). I was fortunate enough to discover the Ford of Life in association with these two teachers. Good actions or charity, however insignificant, are generally praised in songs and music by the people. How much more then should such great wisdom and benevolence as that of my teachers be eulggised in poem or composition !