Chapter 15 - Country of Kie-pi-ta (Kapitha)

Note: Kapitha (Kie-pi-ta) corresponds with the present Saṅkisa, the site of which was discovered by General Cunningham in 1842.^[1]

This country is abont 2000 li in circuit, and the capital 20 li or so. The climate and produce resemble those of Pi-lo-shan-na. The manners of the people are soft and agreeable. The men are much given to learning. There are four saṅghārāmas with about 1000 priests, who study the Ching-liang (Saṃmatīya) school of the Little Vehicle. There are ten Deva temples, where sectaries of all persuasions dwell. They all honour and sacrifice to^[2] Maheśvara (Ta-tseu-t'sai-tien).

To the east of the city 20 li or so is a great saṅghārāma of beautiful construction, throughout which the artist has exhibited his greatest skill. The sacred image of the holy form (of Buddha) is most wonderfully magnificent. There are about 100 priests here, who study the doctrines of the Saṃmatīya (Ching-liang) school. Several myriads of "pure men" (religious laymen) live by the side of this convent.

Within the great enclosure of the saṅghārāma there are three precious ladders, which are arranged side by side from north to south, with their faces for descent to the east. This is where Tathāgata came down on his return from the Trayastriṃśas heaven.^[3] In old days Tathāgata, going up from the "wood of the conqueror" (Shing-lin, Jetavana), ascended to the heavenly mansions, and dwelt in the Saddharma Hall,^[4] preaching the law for the sake of his mother. Three months having elapsed, being desirous to descend to earth, śakra, king of the Devas, exercising his spiritual power, erected these precious ladders. The middle one was of yellow gold, the left-hand one of pure crystal, the right-hand one of white silver.

Tathāgata rising from the Saddharma hall, accompanied by a multitude of Devas, descended by the middle ladder. Māha-Brahmā-rāja (Fan), holding a white chāmara, came down by the white ladder on the right, whilst śakra (Shi), king of Devas (Devendra), holding a precious canopy (parasol), descended by the crystal ladder on the left. Meanwhile the company of Devas in the air scattered flowers and chanted their praises in his honour. Some centuries ago the ladders still existed in their original position, but now they have sunk into the earth and have disappeared. The neighbouring princes, grieved at not having seen them, built up of bricks and chased stones ornamented with jewels, on the ancient foundations (three ladders) resembling the old ones. They are about 70 feet high. Above them they have built a vihāra in which is a stone image of Buddha, and on either side of this is a ladder with the figures of Brahmā and śakra, just as they appeared when first rising to accompany Buddha in his descent.

On the outside of the vihāra, but close by its side, there is a stone column about 70 feet high which was erected by Aśoka-rāja (Wu-yeu). It is of a purple colour, and shining as if with moisture. The substance is hard and finely grained. Above it is a lion sitting on his haunches,^[5] and facing the ladder. There are carved figures inlaid,^[6] of wonderful execution, on the four sides of the pillar and around it. As men are good or bad these figures appear on the pillar (or disappear).

Beside the precious ladder (temple), and not far from it, is a stūpa where there are traces left of the four past Buddhas, who sat and walked here.

By the side of it is another stūpa. This is where Tathāgata, when in the world, bathed himself. By the side of this is a vihāra on the spot where Tathāgata entered Samādhi. By the side of the vihāra there is a long foundation wall 50 paces in length and 7 feet high; this is the place where Tathāgata took exercise.^[7] On the spots where his feet trod are figures of the lotus flower. On the right and left of the wall are (two) little stūpas, erected by śakra and Brahmā-rāja.

In front of the stūpas of śakra and Brahmā is the place where Utpalavarṇā (Lin-hwa-sih) the Bhikṣunī,^[8] wishing to be the first to see Buddha, was changed into a Chakravartin-rāja when Tathāgata was returning from the palace of Īśvara Deva to Jambudvīpa. At this time Subhūti (Su-p'u-ti),^[9] quietly seated in his stone cell, thought thus with himself: "Now Buddha is returning down to dwell with men—angels lead and attend him. And now why should I go to the place? Have I not heard him declare that all existing things are void of reality? Since this is the nature of all things, I have already seen with my eyes of wisdom the spiritual (fa) body of Buddha."^[10]

At this time Utpalavarṇā Bhikṣunī, being anxious to be the first to see Buddha, was changed into a Chakravartin monarch, with the seven gems^[11] (ratnāni) accompanying her, and with the four kinds of troops to escort and defend her. Coming to the place where the lord of the world was, she reassumed her form as a Bhikṣunī, on which Tathāgata addressed her and said: "You are not the first to see me! Subhūti (Chen-hien), comprehending the emptiness of all things, he has beheld my spiritual body (dharmakāya)."^[12]

Within the precinct of the sacred traces miracles are constantly exhibited.

To the south-east of the great stūpa is a Nāga tank. He defends the sacred traces with care, and being thus spiritually protected, one cannot regard them lightly. Years may effect their destruction, but no human power can do so. Going north-west from this less than 200 li, we come to the kingdom of Kie-jo-kio-she (Kanyākubja).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This corresponds with the present Saṅkisa, the site of which was discovered by General Cunningham in 1842. It is just 40 miles (200 li) south-east of Atrañji. The name of Kapitha has entirely disappeared, although there is a trace of it in a story referred to in Arch. Surv. of India, vol. i. p. 271, n. Dr. Kern thinks that the astronomer Varāha Mihira was probably educated at Kapitha.

[2]:

I translate "sz" by "sacrifice," because of the curious analogy with words of the same meaning used in this sense in other languages (compare the Greek poieô; Lat. sacra facere; Sansk. kṛ, etc.) It may mean simply "to worship" or "serve."

[3]:

This story of Buddha's descent from heaven is a popular one among Buddhists. It is described by Fa-hian (cap. xvii.), and is represented in the sculptures at Sāñchi, Tree and Serp. Wor. pl. xxvii. fig. 3, and Bharhut, Stūpa of Bharhut, pl. xvii. See Jour. R. As. Soc., N.S., vol. v. pp. 164 ff. for the Trayastriṃśas, see Burnouf, Introd. p. 541, and Lotus, pp. 219, 249, 279.

[4]:

That is, the preaching hall used by śakra and the gods of the "thirty-three heaven" for religious purposes.

[5]:

Ts'un ku, "sitting in a squatting position." This expression is rendered by Julien "lying down" (couchant), but it appears to mean "sitting on his heels or haunches;" but in either case the position of the animal would differ from that of the standing elephant discovered by General Cunningham at Saṇkisa (Arch. Survey, vol. i. p. 278).

[6]:

"Teau low", vid. Med. sub loc.

[7]:

There was a similar stone path at Nālanda with lotus flowers carved on it. (See I-tsing and Jour. R. As. Soc., N.S., vol. xiii. p. 571).

[8]:

The restoration to Utpalavarṇā is confirmed by Fa-hian's account (c. xvii.) Julien had first Puṇḍarīkavarṇā, which he afterwards altered to Padmavatī.

[9]:

Subhūti is the representative of the later idealism of the Buddhist creed. He is the mouthpiece for arguments put forth in the Prājña Pāramitā works (the Vajrachhedikā), to show that all things are unreal, the body of the law (dharmakāya) being the only reality.

[10]:

This differs somewhat from Julien's version. He gives "je me suis attaché Á la nature de toutes les lois;" but it appears to me that the construction is "chu-fa-sing-shi", "the nature of things (fa—dharma) being thus (shi), therefore I have already seen," etc.

[11]:

For the Seven Precious Things belonging to a wheel king, see Sénart, La Legende du Buddha, c. 1.

[12]:

For an account of the three bodies of all the Buddhas, see J. R. As. S., N.S., vol. xiii. p. 555.