A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms

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Clarendon Press, 1886 - Asia - 123 pages

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Page 35 - The people are numerous and happy; they have not to register their households or attend to any magistrates and their rules; only those who cultivate the royal land have to pay (a portion of) the gain from it.
Page 91 - The kingdom is on a large island, extending from east to west fifty yojanas, and from north to south thirty. Left and right from it there are as many as 100 small islands, distant from one another ten, twenty, or even 200 le ; but all subject to the large island. Most of them produce pearls and precious stones of various kinds ; there is one which produces the pure and brilliant pearl, — an island which would form a square of about ten le.
Page 100 - Fa-hien. ever great, which it does not overcome, and that force of will does not fail to accomplish whatever service it undertakes. Does not the accomplishing of such service arise from forgetting (and disregarding) what is (generally) considered as important, and attaching importance to what is (generally) forgotten ?
Page 91 - ... alms ; he gave his body to feed a starving tigress ; he grudged not his marrow and brains. In many such ways as these did he undergo pain for the sake of all living. And so it was, that having become Buddha he continued in the world for fortyfive years, preaching his law, teaching and, transforming, so that those who had no rest found rest, and the unconverted were converted.
Page 71 - Every year on the eighth day of the second month they celebrate a procession of images. They make a four-wheeled car, and on it erect a structure of five stories by means of bamboos tied together. This is supported by a king-post, with poles and lances slanting from it, and is rather more than twenty cubits high, having the shape of a tope. White and silk-like cloth of hair is wrapped all round it, which is then painted in various colors.
Page 50 - from the land of Han." "Strange," said the monks with a sigh, "that men of a border country should be able to come here in search of our Law!" Then they said to one another, "During all the time that we, preceptors and monks,[11] have succeeded to one another, we have never seen men of Han, followers of our system, arrive here." Four le to the north-west of the vihara there is a grove called "The Getting of Eyes.
Page 14 - Iranians from all quarters (of his kingdom). They come (as if) in clouds ; and when they are all assembled, their place of session is grandly decorated. Silken streamers and canopies are hung out in it, and water-lilies in gold and silver are made and fixed up behind the places where (the chief of them) are to sit. When clean mats have been spread, and they are all seated, the king and his ministers present their offerings according to rule and law.
Page 30 - Vaisyas l also make their offerings before they attend to their family affairs. Every day it is so, and there is no remissness in the observance of the custom. When all the offerings are over, they replace the bone in the vihara, where there is a vimoksha...
Page 91 - Four or five li east from the vihara there was reared a great pile of firewood, which might be more than thirty cubits square, and the same in height. Near the top were laid sandal, aloe, and other kinds of fragrant wood. On the four sides of the pile they made steps by which to ascend it. With clean white hair-cloth, almost like silk, they wrapped the body round and round. They made a large carriage-frame, in form like our funeral car, but without the dragons and fishes. At the time of the cremation,...
Page xviii - Buddhists to about 40, and Jews to about \. In regard to all these estimates, it will be observed that the immense numbers assigned to Buddhism are made out by the multitude of Chinese with which it is credited. Subtract Cunningham's 170 millions of Chinese from his total of 222, and there remains only 52 millions of Buddhists. Subtract Davids' (say) 414^ millions of Chinese from his total of 500, and there remain only 85^ millions for Buddhism.

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