The travels of Fa-Hian (400 A.D.)

by Samuel Beal | 1884 | 20,385 words | ISBN-10: 8120811070

This is the English translation of the travel records of Fa-Hian (or, Faxian): a Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled by foot from China to India between A.D. 399 and A.D. 412. The full title is: The travels of Fa-Hian: Buddhist-country-records; By Fa-hian, the Sakya of the Sung (Dynasty) [Date, 400 A.D]. This work is an extract of the book “Buddhi...

Chapter XVI

Going south-east from this somewhat less than 80 yojanas, we passed very many temples one after another, with some myriad of priests in them. Having passed these places, we arrived at a certain country. This country is called Mo-tu-lo. Once more we followed the Pu-na river. On the sides of the river, both right and left, are twenty sangharamas, with perhaps 3000 priests. The law of Buddha is progressing and flourishing. Beyond the deserts are the countries of Western India. The kings of these countries are all firm believers in the law of Buddha. They remove their caps of state when they make offerings to the priests. The members of the royal household and the chief ministers personally direct the food-giving; when the distribution of food is over, they spread a carpet on the ground opposite the chief seat (the president’s seat) and sit down before it. They dare not sit on couches in the presence of the priests. The rules relating to the almsgiving of kings have been handed down from the time of Buddha till now. Southward from this is the so-called middle-country (Madhyadesa). The climate of this country is warm and equable, without frost or snow. The people are very well off, without poll-tax or official restrictions. Only those who till the royal lands return a portion of profit of the land. If they desire to go, they go; if they like to stop, they stop. The kings govern without corporal punishment; criminals are fined, according to circumstances, lightly or heavily. Even in cases of repeated rebellion they only cut off the right hand. The king’s personal attendants, who guard him on the right and left, have fixed salaries.

Throughout the country the people kill no living thing nor drink wine, nor do they eat garlic or onions, with the exception of Chandalas only. The Chandalas are named “evil men” and dwell apart from others; if they enter a town or market, they sound a piece of wood in order to separate themselves; then men, knowing who they are, avoid coming in contact with them. In this country they do not keep swine nor fowls, and do not deal in cattle; they have no shambles or wine-shops in their market-places. In selling they use cowrie shells. The Chandalas only hunt and sell flesh. Down from the time of Buddha’s Nirvana, the kings of these countries, the chief men and householders, have raised viharas for the priests, and provided for their support by bestowing on them fields, houses, and gardens, with men and oxen. Engraved title-deeds were prepared and handed down from one reign to another; no one has ventured to withdraw them, so that till now there has been no interruption.

All the resident priests having chambers (in these viharas) have their beds, mats, food, drink, and clothes provided without stint; in all places this is the case. The priests ever engage themselves in doing meritorious works for the purpose of religious advancement (karma—building up their religious character), or in reciting the scriptures, or in meditation. When a strange priest arrives, the senior priests go out to meet him, carrying for him his clothes and alms-howl. They offer him water for washing his feet and oil for rubbing them; they provide untimely (vikala) food. Having rested awhile, they again ask him as to his seniority in the priesthood, and according to this they give him a chamber and sleeping materials, arranging everything according to the dharma. In places where priests reside they make towers in honour of Sariputra, of Mudgalaputra, of Ananda, also in honour of the Abhidharma, Vinaya, and Sutra. During a month after the season of rest the most pious families urge a collection for an offering to the priests; they prepare an untimely meal for them, and the priests in a great assembly preach the law. The preaching over, they offer to Sariputra’s tower all kinds of scents and flowers; through the night they bum lamps provided by different persons. Sariputra originally was a Brahman; on a certain occasion he went to Buddha and requested ordination. The great Mudgala and the great Kasyapa did likewise.

The Bhikshunis principally honour the tower of Ananda, because it was Ananda who requested the lord of the world to let women take orders; Sramaneras mostly offer to Rahula; the masters of the Abhidharma offer to.the Abhidharma the masters of the Vinaya offer to the Vinaya. Every year there is one offering, each according to his own day. Men attached to the Mahavana offer to Prajna-paramita, Manjusri, and Avalokitesvara. When the priests have received their yearly dues, then the chief men and householders and Brahmans bring every kind of robe and other things needed by the priests to offer them; the priests also make offerings one to another. Down from the time of Buddha’s death the rules of conduct for the holy priesthood have been (thus) handed down without interruption.

After crossing the Indus, the distance to the Southern Sea of South India is from four to five myriads of li; the land is level throughout, without great mountains or valleys, but still there are rivers.

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