Chapter 8 - Country of Kie-lo-na-su-fa-la-na (Karnasuvarna)

Note: Karṇa was the king of Aṅga, whose capital is placed at Karṇagaṛh near Bhāgalpur (M. Martin, E. Ind., vol. ii. pp. 31, 38 f., 46, 50).

This kingdom is about 1400 or 1500 li in circuit; the capital is about 20 li. It is thickly populated. The householders are very (rich and in ease). The land lies low and is loamy. It is regularly cultivated, and produces an abundance of flowers, with valuables numerous and various. The climate is agreeable; the manners of the people honest and amiable. They love learning exceedingly, and apply themselves to it with earnestness. There are believers and heretics alike amongst them. There are ten saṅghārāmas or so, with about 2000 priests. They study the Little Vehicle of the Sammatīya (Ching-tiang-pu) school. There are fifty Deva temples. The heretics are very numerous. Besides these there are three saṅghārāmas in which they do not use thickened milk (ü lok), following the directions of Devadatta (Ti-p'o-ta-to).^[1]

By the side of the capital is the saṅghārāma called Lo-to-wei-chi (Raktaviṭi),^[2] the halls of which are light and spacious, the storeyed towers very lofty. In this establishment congregate all the most distinguished, learned, and celebrated men of the kingdom. They strive to promote each other's advancement by exhortations, and to perfect their character.^[3] At first the people of this country did not believe in Buddha; at this time^[4] there was a heretic of Southern India who wore over his belly copper-plates and on his head a lighted torch. With lofty steps, staff in hand, he came to this country. Sounding aloud the drum of discussion, he sought an adversary in controversy. Then a man said to him, "Why are your head and your body so strangely (arrayed)?" He said, "My wisdom is so great, I fear my belly will burst, and because I am moved with pity for the ignorant multitude who live in darkness, therefore I carry this light on my head."

After ten days, no one was found to question him. Among all the learned and professed scholars there was not a single person to discuss with him. The king said, "Alas! what ignorance^[5] prevails in my territories, that no one should be able to challenge the difficult propositions^[6] of this stranger. What a disgrace to the country! We must scheme and seek through the most obscure retreats."

Then one said to him, "In the forest there is a strange man who names himself a śramaṇa, he is most diligent in study. He is now living apart in silence and obscurity, and so he has lived for a long time; who so well able by his united virtue to controvert this irreligious man as he?" ^[7]

The king hearing this, went himself to invite him to come. The śramaṇa replying, said, "I am a man of South India; I stop here on my travels merely as a stranger. My abilities are small and commonplace; I fear lest you should not know it, but yet I will come according to your wish, though I am by no means certain as to the character of the discussion. If, however, I am not defeated, I will ask you to erect a saṅghārāma, and summon the fraternity to glorify and extol the law of Buddha." The king said, "I accept your terms, nor could I dare to forget your virtue."^[8]

Then the śramaṇa, having accepted the king's invitation, proceeded to the arena of controversy. Then the heretic went through (chanted) some 30,000 words of his school. His arguments were profound, his illustrations (figures or writing) ample; his whole discourse, both as to names and qualities, was captivating to sight and hearing.

The śramaṇa, after listening, at once fathomed his meaning; no word or argument deceived him. With a few hundred words he discriminated and explained every difficulty, and then he asked (the heretic) as to the teaching (the principles) of his school. The words of the heretic were confused and his arguments devoid of force, and so his lips were closed and he could not reply. Thus he lost his reputation, and, covered with confusion, retired.

The king, deeply reverencing the priest, founded this convent; and from that time and afterwards the teaching of the law widely extended (through the kingdom).^[9]

By the side of the saṅghārāma, and not far off, is a stūpa which was built by Aśoka-rāja. When Tathāgata was alive in the world he preached here for seven days, explaining (the law) and guiding (men). By the side of it is a vihāra; here there are traces where the four past Buddhas sat down and walked. There are several other stūpas in places where Buddha explained the excellent law.^[10] These were built by Aśoka-rāja.

Going from this 700 li or so in a south-westerly direction, we come to the country of U-cha.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Devadatta appears to have had a body of disciples; in consequence of his inferiority in point of influence to Buddha, he became his enemy. One of the rules of his sect was not to use butter. A sect revering him as a Buddha existed up to A.D. 400 (Eitel, s. v.) For an account of his more rigorous ascetic praxis, see Oldenberg, Buddha, pp. 160, 161.

[2]:

Meaning "red mud." I adopt the Sanskrit restoration from Julien.

[3]:

Literally, "to promote their mutual perfection by shaping and smoothing (in the sense of polishing) their reason and virtue."

[4]:

Julien refers this expression to the time when Hiuen Tsiang was there (p. 85, n. 3); in this case, it is possible that the allusion in vol. i. p. 4. n. 22, is to this encounter. But as the saṅghārāma was already built when Hiuen Tsiang visited the capital, it is difficult to understand how the event occurred at that time.

[5]:

Wou ming—darkness.

[6]:

It may also mean "the difficulty" resulting from the stranger's challenge.

[7]:

Julien translates this passage thus: "Could he conduct himself thus if he was not attached to the law and devoted to virtue?" The passage is difficult; literally it runs thus: "With this no-master, who is able so well as this (śramaṇa) to embody the law, to unite virtue?" "To embody the law" means "to represent, or, vindicate, religion;" and "to unite virtue" means "so virtuously or fully."

[8]:

The symbol "tih" (virtue) sometimes stands for bhadanta, i.e., "your reverence" or" your excellency." It may also refer to the priesthood generally. It is applied in inscriptions to Sthaviras or priests.

[9]:

Or, he widely extended the teaching of the law.

[10]:

The original has "king fa", the law of the sūtras; perhaps king is a mistake for "miu", "excellent."