Chapter XII

From the country of Gandhara going south for four days, we come to the country of Fo-lu-sha. Buddha in former days, whilst travelling with his disciples here and there, coming to this country, addressed Ananda thus: “After my death (parinirvana), a king of the country called Ki-ni-kia (Kanika or Kanishka) will raise on this spot a stupa.” After Kanishka’s birth, he was going round on a tour of observation. At this time Sakra, king of Devas, wishing to open out his purpose of mind, took the form of a little shepherd-boy building by the roadside a tower. The king asked and said, “What are you doing?” Replying, he said, “Making a Buddha-tower.” The king said, “Very good.” On this the king built over the little boy’s tower another tower, in height 40 chang and more, adorned with all precious substances. Of all stupas and temples seen by the travellers, none can compare with this for beauty of form and strength. Tradition says this is the highest of the towers in Jambudvipa. When the king had completed his tower, the little tower forthwith came out from the side on the south of the great tower more than three feet high.

The alms-bowl of Buddha is still in this country. Formerly a king of the Yue-chi, swelling with his army, came to attack this country, wishing to carry off Buddha’s alms-howl. Having subdued the country, the king of the Yue-chi, deeply reverencing the law of Buddha, wished to take the bowl and go; therefore he began his religious offerings. The offerings made to the three precious ones being finished, he then caparisoned a great elephant and placed the bowl on it. The elephant then fell to the ground and was unable to advance. Then he made a four-wheeled carriage on which the dish was placed; eight elephants were yoked to draw it, but were again unable to advance. The king then knew that the time of his howl-relationship was not come. So filled with shame and regrets, he built on this place a stupa and also a sangharama moreover, he left a guard to keep up every kind of religious offering.

There are perhaps 700 priests. At the approach of noon the priests bring out the alms-bowl, and with the Upasakas make all kinds of offerings to it; they then eat their midday meal. At even, when they burn incense, they again do so. It is capable of holding two pecks and more. It is of mixed colour, but yet chiefly black. The four divisions are quite clear, each of them being about two-tenths thick. It is glistening and bright. Poor people with few flowers cast into it, fill it; but some very rich people, wishful with many flowers to make their offerings, though they present a hundred thousand myriad of pecks, yet in the end fail to fill it. Pao-yun and Sang-king only made their offerings to the alms-dish of Buddha and then went back. Hwui-king, Hwui-ta, and Tao-ching had previously gone on to the Nagarahara country to offer their common worship to the Buddha-shadow, his tooth and skull-bone. Hwui-king fell sick, and Tao-ching remained to look after him. Hwui-ta alone went back to Fo-lu-sha, where he met with the others, and then Hwui-ta, Paoyun, and Sang-king returned together to the Ts’in land. Hwui-ying, dwelling in the temple of Buddha’s alms-bowl, died there. From this Fa-hian went on alone to the place of Buddha’s skull-bone.