a record of buddhistic kingdoms(佛都记录)-第40节
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Nanjio's fourth division of the Canon; containing Indian and Chinese
miscellaneous works。 But Dr。 Davids says that no work of this name is
known either in Sanskrit or Pali literature。
'4' We have in the text a phonetisation of the Sanskrit Kundika; which
is explained in Eitel by the two characters that follow; as=〃washing basin;〃
but two things evidently are intended。
'5' See chap。 xvi; note 23。
'6' At his novitiate Fa…hien had sought the refuge of the 〃three
Precious Ones〃 (the three Refuges {。} {。} of last chapter); of which the
congregation or body of the monks was one; and here his thoughts turn
naturally to the branch of it in China。 His words in his heart were not
exactly words of prayer; but very nearly so。
'7' In the text {。} {。}; ta…fung; 〃the great wind;〃=the typhoon。
'8' They had got to the south of the Shan…tung promontory; and the
foot of mount Lao; which still rises under the same name on the extreme
south of the peninsula; east from Keao Chow; and having the district of
Tsieh…mih on the east of it。 All the country there is included in the present
Phing…too Chow of the department Lae…chow。 The name Phing…too dates
from the Han dynasty; but under the dynasty of the After Ch'e {。} {。};
(A。D。 479…501); it was changed into Ch'ang… kwang。 Fa…hien may have
lived; and composed the narrative of his travels; after the change of name
was adopted。 See the Topographical Tables of the different Dynasties ({。}
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{。} {。} {。} {。}); published in 1815。
'9' What these vegetables exactly were it is difficult to say; and there
are different readings of the characters for them。 Williams' Dictionary;
under kwoh; brings the two names together in a phrase; but the rendering
of it is simply 〃a soup of simples。〃 For two or three columns here;
however; the text appears to me confused and imperfect。
'10' I suppose these men were really hunters; and; when brought
before Fa…hien; because he was a Sramana; they thought they would please
him by saying they were disciples of Buddha。 But what had disciples of
Buddha to do with hunting and taking life? They were caught in their own
trap; and said they were looking for peaches。
'11' The Chinese character here has occurred twice before; but in a
different meaning and connexion。 Remusat; Beal; and Giles take it as
equivalent to 〃to sacrifice。〃 But his followers do not 〃sacrifice〃 to Buddha。
That is a priestly term; and should not be employed of anything done at
Buddhistic services。
'12' Probably the present department of Yang…chow in Keang…soo; but
as I have said in a previous note; the narrative does not go on so clearly as
it generally does。
'13' Was; or could; this prefect be Le E?
'14' Probably not Ch'ang…gan; but Nan…king; which was the capital of
the Eastern Tsin dynasty under another name。
'15' The whole of this paragraph is probably Fa…hien's own conclusion
of his narrative。 The second half of the second sentence; both in sentiment
and style in the Chinese text; seems to necessitate our ascribing it to him;
writing on the impulse of his own thoughts; in the same indirect form
which he adopted for his whole narrative。 There are; however; two
peculiar phraseologies in it which might suggest the work of another hand。
For the name India; where the first '15' is placed; a character is employed
which is similarly applied nowhere else; and again; 〃the three Honoured
Ones;〃 at which the second '15' is placed; must be the same as 〃the three
Precious Ones;〃 which we have met with so often; unless we suppose that
{。} {。} is printed in all the revisions for {。} {。}; 〃the World…honoured one;〃
which has often occurred。 On the whole; while I accept this paragraph as
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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
Fa…hien's own; I do it with some hesitation。 That the following and
concluding paragraph is from another hand; there can be no doubt。 And it
is as different as possible in style from the simple and straightforward
narrative of Fa…hien。
'16' There is an error of date here; for which it is difficult to account。
The year Keah…yin was A。D。 414; but that was the tenth year of the period
E…he; and not the twelfth; the cyclical designation of which was Ping…shin。
According to the preceding paragraph; Fa…hien's travels had occupied him
fifteen years; so that counting from A。D。 399; the year Ke…hae; as that in
which he set out; the year of his getting to Ts'ing…chow would have been
Kwei…chow; the ninth year of the period E…he; and we might join on 〃This
year Keah…yin〃 to that paragraph; as the date at which the narrative was
written out for the bamboo…tablets and the silk; and then begins the Envoy;
〃In the twelfth year of E…he。〃 This would remove the error as it stands at
present; but unfortunately there is a particle at the end of the second date
({。}); which seems to tie the twelfth year of E…he to Keah…yin; as another
designation of it。 The 〃year…star〃 is the planet Jupiter; the revolution of
which; in twelve years; constitutes 〃a great year。〃 Whether it would be
possible to fix exactly by mathematical calculation in what year Jupiter
was in the Chinese zodiacal sign embracing part of both Virgo and Scorpio;
and thereby help to solve the difficulty of the passage; I do not know; and
in the meantime must leave that difficulty as I have found it。
'17' We do not know who the writer of the Envoy was。 〃The winter
study or library〃 would be the name of the apartment in his monastery or
house; where he sat and talked with Fa…hien。
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