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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
A RECORD OF
BUDDHISTIC
KINGDOMS
Translated and annotated with a Corean recension of the Chinese
text
BY JAMES LEGGE
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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
PREFACE
Several times during my long residence in Hong Kong I endeavoured
to read through the 〃Narrative of Fa…hien；〃 but though interested with the
graphic details of much of the work； its columns bristled so constantly
now with his phonetic representations of Sanskrit words； and now with his
substitution for them of their meanings in Chinese characters； and I was；
moreover； so much occupied with my own special labours on the
Confucian Classics； that my success was far from satisfactory。 When Dr。
Eitel's 〃Handbook for the Student of Chinese Buddhism〃 appeared in 1870；
the difficulty occasioned by the Sanskrit words and names was removed；
but the other difficulty remained； and I was not able to look into the book
again for several years。 Nor had I much inducement to do so in the two
copies of it which I had been able to procure； on poor paper； and printed
from blocks badly cut at first； and so worn with use as to yield books the
reverse of attractive in their appearance to the student。
In the meantime I kept studying the subject of Buddhism from various
sources； and in 1878 began to lecture； here in Oxford； on the Travels with
my Davis Chinese scholar； who was at the same time Boden Sanskrit
scholar。 As we went on； I wrote out a translation in English for my own
satisfaction of nearly half the narrative。 In the beginning of last year I
made Fa…hien again the subject of lecture； wrote out a second translation；
independent of the former； and pushed on till I had completed the whole。
The want of a good and clear text had been supplied by my friend； Mr。
Bunyiu Nanjio； who sent to me from Japan a copy； the text of which is
appended to the translation and notes； and of the nature of which some
account is given in the Introduction； and towards the end of this Preface。
The present work consists of three parts： the Translation of Fa…hien's
Narrative of his Travels； copious Notes； and the Chinese Text of my copy
from Japan。
It is for the Translation that I hold myself more especially responsible。
Portions of it were written out three times； and the whole of it twice。
While preparing my own version I made frequent reference to previous
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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
translations：those of M。 Abel Remusat； 〃Revu； complete； et augmente
d'eclaircissements nouveaux par MM。 Klaproth et Landress〃 （Paris； 1836）；
of the Rev。 Samuel Beal （London； 1869）； and his revision of it； prefixed to
his 〃Buddhist Records of the Western World〃 （Trubner's Oriental Series；
1884）； and of Mr。 Herbert A。 Giles； of H。M。's Consular Service in China
（1877）。 To these I have to add a series of articles on 〃Fa…hsien and his
English Translators；〃 by Mr。 T。 Watters； British Consul at I…Chang （China
Review； 1879； 1880）。 Those articles are of the highest value； displaying
accuracy of Chinese scholarship and an extensive knowledge of Buddhism。
I have regretted that Mr。 Watters； while reviewing others； did not himself
write out and publish a version of the whole of Fa…hien's narrative。 If he
had done so； I should probably have thought that； on the whole； nothing
more remained to be done for the distinguished Chinese pilgrim in the way
of translation。 Mr。 Watters had to judge of the comparative merits of the
versions of Beal and Giles； and pronounce on the many points of
contention between them。 I have endeavoured to eschew those matters；
and have seldom made remarks of a critical nature in defence of
renderings of my own。
The Chinese narrative runs on without any break。 It was Klaproth who
divided Remusat's translation into forty chapters。 The division is helpful to
the reader； and I have followed it excepting in three or four instances。 In
the reprinted Chinese text the chapters are separated by a circle in the
column。
In transliterating the names of Chinese characters I have generally
followed the spelling of Morrison rather than the Pekinese； which is now
in vogue。 We cannot tell exactly what the pronunciation of them was；
about fifteen hundred years ago； in the time of Fa…hien； but the southern
mandarin must be a shade nearer to it than that of Peking at the present
day。 In transliterating the Indian names I have for the most part followed
Dr。 Eitel； with such modification as seemed good and in harmony with
growing usage。
For the Notes I can do little more than claim the merit of selection and
condensation。 My first object in them was to explain what in the text
required explanation to an English reader。 All Chinese texts； and Buddhist
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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
texts especially； are new to foreign students。 One has to do for them what
many hundreds of the ablest scholars in Europe have done for the Greek
and Latin Classics during several hundred years； and what the thousands
of critics and commentators have been doing of our Sacred Scriptures for
nearly eighteen centuries。 There are few predecessors in the field of
Chinese literature into whose labours translators of the present century can
enter。 This will be received； I hope； as a sufficient apology for the
minuteness and length of some of the notes。 A second object in them was
to teach myself first； and then others； something of the history and
doctrines of Buddhism。 I have thought that they might be learned better in
connexion with a lively narrative like that of Fa…hien than by reading
didactic descriptions and argumentative books。 Such has been my own
experience。 The books which I have consulted for these notes have been
many； besides Chinese works。 My principal help has been the full and
masterly handbook of Eitel； mentioned already； and often referred to as
E。H。 Spence Hardy's 〃Eastern Monachism〃 （E。M。） and 〃Manual of
Buddhism〃 （M。B。） have been constantly in hand； as well as Rhys Davids'
Buddhism； published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge；
his Hibbert Lectures； and his Buddhist Suttas in the Sacred Books of the
East； and other writings。 I need not mention other authorities； having
endeavoured always to specify them where I make use of them。 My
proximity and access to the Bodleian Library and the Indian Institute have
been of great advantage。
I may be allowed to say that； so far as my own study of it has gone； I
think there are many things in the vast field of Buddhist literature which
still require to be carefully handled。 How far； for instance； are we entitled
to regard the present Sutras as genuine and sufficiently accurate copies of
those which were accepted by the Councils before our Christian era？ Can
anything be done to trace the rise of the legends and marvels of
Sakyamuni's history； which were current so early （as it seems to us） as the
time of Fa…hien； and which startle us so frequently by similarities between
them and narratives in our Gospels？ Dr。 Hermann Oldenberg； certainly a
great authority on Buddhistic subjects； says that 〃a biography of Buddha
has not come down to us from ancient times； from the age of the Pali texts；
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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
and； we can safely say； no such biography existed then〃 （〃BuddhaHis
Life； His Doctrine； His Order；〃 as translated by Hoey； p。 78）。 He has also
（in the same work； pp。 99； 416； 417） come to the conclusion that the
hitherto unchallenged tradition that the Buddha was 〃a king's son〃 must be
given up。 The name 〃king's son〃 （in Chinese ｛。。。｝）； always used of the
Buddha； certainly requires
