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There are four places of regular and fixed occurrence (in the history of) all Buddhas :-first, the place where they attained to perfect Wisdom (and became Buddha); second, the place where they turned the wheel of the Law1; third, the place where they preached the Law, discoursed of righteousness, and discomfited (the advocates of) erroneous doctrines; and fourth, the place where they came down, after going up to the Trayastrimśas heaven to preach the Law for the benefit of their mothers. Other places in connexion with them became remarkable, according to the manifestations which were made at them at particular times.

The country of Kapilavastu is a great scene of empty desolation. The inhabitants are few and far between. On the roads people have to be on their guard against white elephants and lions, and should not travel incautiously.

CHAPTER XXIII.

RAMA, AND ITS TOPE.

EAST from Buddha's birthplace, and at a distance of five yojanas, there is a kingdom called Râma3. The king of this country, having obtained one portion of the relics of Buddha's body, returned with it and built over it a tope, named the Râma tope. By the side of it there was a pool, and in the pool a dragon, which constantly kept watch over (the tope), and presented offerings at it day and night. When king Aśoka

1 See note 3, page 49. See also Davids' Manual, p. 45. The latter says, that to turn the wheel of the Law' means 'to set rolling the royal chariot wheel of a universal empire of truth and righteousness;' but he admits that this is more grandiloquent than the phraseology was in the ears of Buddhists. I prefer the words quoted from Eitel in the note referred to. They turned' is probably equivalent to 'They began to turn.'

2 Fâ-hien does not say that he himself saw any of these white elephants, nor does he speak of the lions as of any particular colour. We shall find byand-by, in a note further on, that, to make them appear more terrible, they are spoken of as 'black.'

3 Râma or Râmagrâma, between Kapilavastu and Kuśanagara.

* See the account of the eightfold division of the relics of Buddha's body in the Sacred Books of the East, vol. xi, Buddhist Suttas, pp. 133-136.

came forth into the world, he wished to destroy the eight topes (over the relics), and to build (instead of them) 84,000 topes1. After he had thrown down the seven (others), he wished next to destroy this tope. But then the dragon showed itself, took the king into its palace2; and when he had seen all the things provided for offerings, it said to him, 'If you are able with your offerings to exceed these, you can destroy the tope, and take it all away. I will not contend with you.' The king, however, knew that such appliances for offerings were not to be had anywhere in the world, and thereupon returned (without carrying out his purpose).

(Afterwards), the ground all about became overgrown with vegetation, and there was nobody to sprinkle and sweep (about the tope); but a herd of elephants came regularly, which brought water with their trunks to water the ground, and various kinds of flowers and incense, which they presented at the tope. (Once) there came from one of the kingdoms a devotee3 to worship at the tope. When he encountered the elephants he was greatly alarmed, and screened himself among the trees; but when he saw them go through with the offerings in the most proper manner, the thought filled him with great sadness-that there should be no monastery here, (the inmates of which) might serve the tope, but the elephants have to do the watering and sweeping. Forthwith he gave up the great prohibitions (by which he was bound), and resumed the status of a Srâmanera 5. With his own hands he cleared away the grass and trees, put the place in good order, and made it pure and clean. By the power of his exhortations, he prevailed on the king of the country to

1 The bones of the human body are supposed to consist of 84,000 atoms, and hence the legend of Aśoka's wish to build 84,000 topes, one over each atom of Śâkyamuni's skeleton.

2 Fâ-hien, it appears to me, intended his readers to understand that the nâgaguardian had a palace of his own, inside or underneath the pool or tank.

3 It stands out on the narrative as a whole that we have not here some pilgrims,' but one devotee.

• What the 'great prohibitions' which the devotee now gave up were we cannot tell. Being what he was, a monk of more than ordinary ascetical habits, he may have undertaken peculiar and difficult vows.

5

The Śrâmanera, or in Chinese Shâmei. See note 7, page 45

form a residence for monks; and when that was done, he became head of the monastery. At the present day there are monks residing in it. This event is of recent occurrence; but in all the succession from that time till now, there has always been a Śrâmaṇera head of the

establishment.

CHAPTER XXIV.

WHERE BUDDHA FINALLY RENOUNCED THE WORLD, AND WHERE HE DIED.

EAST from here four yojanas, there is the place where the heir-apparent sent back Chaṇḍaka, with his white horse1; and there also a tope was erected.

Four yojanas to the east from this, (the travellers) came to the Charcoal tope 2, where there is also a monastery.

Going on twelve yojanas, still to the east, they came to the city of Kuśanagara3, on the north of which, between two trees, on the bank of the Nairañjanâ 5 river, is the place where the World-honoured one, with his head to the north, attained to pari-nirvâņa (and died). There

1 This was on the night when Śâkyamuni finally left his palace and family to fulfil the course to which he felt that he was called. Chandaka, in Pâli Channa, was the prince's charioteer, and in sympathy with him. So also was the white horse Kanthaka (Kanthakanam Aśvarâja), which neighed his delight till the devas heard him. See M. B., pp. 158-161, and Davids' Manual, pp. 32, 33. According to 'Buddhist Birth Stories,' p. 87, the noble horse never returned to the city, but died of grief at being left by his master, to be reborn immediately in the Trayastrimśas heaven as the deva Kanthaka!

2 Beal and Giles call this the 'Ashes' tope. I also would have preferred to call it so; but the Chinese character is, not. Rémusat has 'la tour des charbons.' It was over the place of Buddha's cremation.

3 In Pâli Kusinârâ. It got its name from the Kuśa grass (the poa cynosuroides); and its ruins are still extant, near Kusiah, 180 N.W. from Patna; about,' says Davids, 120 miles N. N. E. of Benâres, and 80 miles due east of Kapilavastu.’

4

The Śâla tree, the Shorea robusta, which yields the famous teak wood.

* Confounded, according to Eitel, even by Hsüan-chwang, with the Hiranyavatî, which flows past the city on the south.

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VII. BUDDHA'S DYING INSTRUCTIONS.

Ch.24.

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