a record of buddhistic kingdoms(佛都记录)-第2章
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Cheh…kiang； and profusely illustrated in the best style of Chinese art。 I am
indebted for the use of it to the Rev。 J。 H。 Sedgwick； University Chinese
Scholar。
James Legge。
Oxford： June； 1886。
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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
＇ PICTURE： SKETCH MAP OF FA…HIEN'S TRAVELS ＇
The accompanying Sketch…Map； taken in connexion with the notes on
the different places in the Narrative； will give the reader a sufficiently
accurate knowledge of Fa…hien's route。
There is no difficulty in laying it down after he crossed the Indus from
east to west into the Punjab； all the principal places； at which he touched
or rested； having been determined by Cunningham and other Indian
geographers and archaeologists。 Most of the places from Ch'ang… an to
Bannu have also been identified。 Woo…e has been put down as near Kutcha；
or Kuldja； in 43d 25s N。； 81d 15s E。 The country of K'ieh…ch'a was
probably Ladak； but I am inclined to think that the place where the
traveller crossed the Indus and entered it must have been further east than
Skardo。 A doubt is intimated on page 24 as to the identification of T'o…leih
with Darada； but Greenough's 〃Physical and Geological Sketch…Map of
British India〃 shows 〃Dardu Proper；〃 all lying on the east of the Indus；
exactly in the position where the Narrative would lead us to place it。 The
point at which Fa…hien recrossed the Indus into Udyana on the west of it is
unknown。 Takshasila； which he visited； was no doubt on the west of the
river； and has been incorrectly accepted as the Taxila of Arrian in the
Punjab。 It should be written Takshasira； of which the Chinese
phonetisation will allow；see a note of Beal in his 〃Buddhist Records of
the Western World；〃 i。 138。
We must suppose that Fa…hien went on from Nan…king to Ch'ang…an；
but the Narrative does not record the fact of his doing so。
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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
INTRODUCTION
Life of Fa…Hien； Genuineness and Integrity of the Text of his Narrative；
Number of the Adherents of Buddhism。
1。 Nothing of great importance is known about Fa…hien in addition to
what may be gathered from his own record of his travels。 I have read the
accounts of him in the 〃Memoirs of Eminent Monks；〃 compiled in A。D。
519； and a later work； the 〃Memoirs of Marvellous Monks；〃 by the third
emperor of the Ming dynasty （A。D。 1403…1424）； which； however； is nearly
all borrowed from the other； and all in them that has an appearance of
verisimilitude can be brought within brief compass。
His surname； they tell us； was Kung； and he was a native of Wu…yang
in P'ing…Yang； which is still the name of a large department in Shan…hsi。
He had three brothers older than himself； but when they all died before
shedding their first teeth； his father devoted him to the service of the
Buddhist society； and had him entered as a Sramanera； still keeping him at
home in the family。 The little fellow fell dangerously ill； and the father
sent him to the monastery； where he soon got well and refused to return to
his parents。
When he was ten years old； his father died； and an uncle； considering
the widowed solitariness and helplessness of the mother； urged him to
renounce the monastic life； and return to her； but the boy replied； 〃I did not
quit the family in compliance with my father's wishes； but because I
wished to be far from the dust and vulgar ways of life。 This is why I chose
monkhood。〃 The uncle approved of his words and gave over urging him。
When his mother also died； it appeared how great had been the affection
for her of his fine nature； but after her burial he returned to the monastery。
On one occasion he was cutting rice with a score or two of his fellow…
disciples； when some hungry thieves came upon them to take away their
grain by force。 The other Sramaneras all fled； but our young hero stood his
ground； and said to the thieves； 〃If you must have the grain； take what you
please。 But； Sirs； it was your former neglect of charity which brought you
to your present state of destitution； and now； again； you wish to rob others。
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I am afraid that in the coming ages you will have still greater poverty and
distress；I am sorry for you beforehand。〃 With these words he followed
his companions into the monastery； while the thieves left the grain and
went away； all the monks； of whom there were several hundred； doing
homage to his conduct and courage。
When he had finished his noviciate and taken on him the obligations
of the full Buddhist orders； his earnest courage； clear intelligence； and
strict regulation of his demeanour were conspicuous； and soon after； he
undertook his journey to India in search of complete copies of the Vinaya…
pitaka。 What follows this is merely an account of his travels in India and
return to China by sea； condensed from his own narrative； with the
addition of some marvellous incidents that happened to him； on his visit to
the Vulture Peak near Rajagriha。
It is said in the end that after his return to China； he went to the capital
（evidently Nanking）； and there； along with the Indian Sramana Buddha…
bhadra； executed translations of some of the works which he had obtained
in India； and that before he had done all that he wished to do in this way；
he removed to King…chow （in the present Hoo…pih）； and died in the
monastery of Sin； at the age of eighty…eight； to the great sorrow of all who
knew him。 It is added that there is another larger work giving an account
of his travels in various countries。
Such is all the information given about our author； beyond what he
himself has told us。 Fa…hien was his clerical name； and means 〃Illustrious
in the Law；〃 or 〃Illustrious master of the Law。〃 The Shih which often
precedes it is an abbreviation of the name of Buddha as Sakyamuni； 〃the
Sakya； mighty in Love； dwelling in Seclusion and Silence；〃 and may be
taken as equivalent to Buddhist。 It is sometimes said to have belonged to
〃the eastern Tsin dynasty〃 （A。D。 317…419）； and sometimes to 〃the Sung；〃
that is； the Sung dynasty of the House of Liu （A。D。 420…478）。 If he became
a full monk at the age of twenty； and went to India when he was twenty…
five； his long life may have been divided pretty equally between the two
dynasties。
2。 If there were ever another and larger account of Fa…hien's travels
than the narrative of which a translation is now given； it has long ceased to
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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
be in existence。
In the Catalogue of the imperial library of the Suy dynasty （A。D。 589…
618）； the name Fa…hien occurs four times。 Towards the end of the last
section of it （page 22）； after a reference to his travels； his labours in
translation at Kin…ling （another name for Nanking）； in conjunction with
Buddha…bhadra； are described。 In the second section； page 15； we find 〃A
Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms；〃with a note； saying that it was the
work of the 〃Sramana； Fa…hien；〃 and again； on page 13； we have
〃Narrative of Fa…hien in two Books；〃 and 〃Narrative of Fa…hien's Travels
in one Book。〃 But all these three entries may possibly belong to different
copies of the same work； the first and the other two being in separate
subdivisions of the Catalogue。
In the two Chinese copies of the narrative in my possession the title is
〃Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms。〃 In the Japanese or Corean recension
subjoined to this translation； the title is twofold； first； 〃Narrative of the
Distinguished Monk； Fa…hien；〃 and then； more at large； 〃Incidents of
Travels in India； by the Sramana of the Eastern Tsin； Fa…hien； recorded by
himself。〃
There is still earlier attestation of the existence of our little work than
the Suy Catalogue。 The Catalogue Raisonne of the imperial library of the
present dynasty （chap。 71） mentions two quotations from it by Le Tao…
yuen； a geographical writer of the dynasty of the Northern Wei （A。D。 386…
584）； one of them containing 89 characters； and the other 276； both of
them given as from the 〃Narrative of Fa…hien。〃
In all catalogues subsequent to that of Suy our work appears。 The
evidence for its authenticity and genuineness is all that could be required。
It is clear to myself that the 〃Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms〃 and the
〃Narrative of his Travels by Fa…hien〃 were designations of one and the
same work； and that it is doubtful whether any larger work on the same
subject was ever current。 With regard to the text subjoined to my
translation； it was published in Japan in 1779。 The editor had before him
four recensions of the narrative； those of the Sung and Ming dynasties；
with appendixes on the names of certain characters in them； that of Japan；
and that of Corea。 He wisely adopted the Corean text； published in
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accordance with a royal rescript in 1726； so far as I can make out； but the
different readings of the other texts are all given in top…notes； instead of
foot…notes as with us； this being one of the points in which customs in the
east and west go by contraries。 Very occasionally； the editor indicates by a
single character； equivalent to 〃right〃 or 〃wrong；〃 which reading in his
opinion is to be preferred。 In the notes to the present republication of the
Corean text； S stands for Sung； M for Ming； and
