A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms. Being an account by the Chinese Monk Fa-Hien of his travels in India and Ceylon (A.D. 399-414) in search of the Buddhist Books of Discipline.

CONTENTS......Page 5 PREFACE......Page 13 Sketch Map of Fa-Hien's Travels......Page 14 Note on the sketch-map......Page 15 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS......Page 0 I. Dream of Buddha's mother of his incarnation......Page 82 II. Buddha just born, with the Nagas supplying water to wash him......Page 86 III. Buddha tossing the white elephant over the wall......Page 85 IV. Buddha in solitude and enduring austerities......Page 113 V. Buddhaship attained......Page 114 VI. The devas celebrating the attainment of the Buddhaship......Page 16 VII. Buddha's dying instructions......Page 91 VIII. Buddha's death......Page 92 IX. Division of Buddha's relics......Page 93 Life of Fa-hien; genuineness and integrity of the text of his narrative; number of the adherents of Buddhism......Page 17 I. From Ch'ang-gan to the Sandy Desert......Page 25 II. On to Shen-shen and thence to Khoten......Page 28 III. Khoten. Processions of images. The king's New Monastery......Page 32 IV. Through the Ts'ung or 'Onion' mountains to K'eeh-ch'A; probably Skardo, or some city more to the East in Ladak......Page 37 V. Great quinquennial assembly of monks. Relics of Buddha. Productions of the country......Page 38 VI. On towards North India. Darada. Image of Maitreya Bodhisattva......Page 40 VII. Crossing of the Indus. When Buddhism first crossed that river for the East......Page 42 VIII. Woo-chang, or Udyana. Monasteries and their ways.Traces of Buddha......Page 44 IX. Soo-ho-to. Legend of Buddha......Page 46 X. Gandhara. Legends of Buddha......Page 47 XI. Takshasila. Legends. The four great topes......Page 48 XII. Purushapura, or Peshawur. prophecy about king Kanishka and his tope. Buddha's alms-bowl. Death of Hwuy-ying......Page 49 XIII. Nagara. Festival of Buddha's skull-bone. Other relics, and his shadow......Page 52 XIV. Death of Hwuy-king in the Little Snowy mountains. Lo-e. Pohna. Crossing the Indus to the East......Page 56 XXV. Vaisali. The tope called 'Weapons laid down.' The Council of Vaisali......Page 96 XVI. On to Mathura, or Muttra. Condition and customs of Central India; of the monks, viharas, and monasteries......Page 58 XVII. Sankasya. Buddha's ascent to and descent from the Trayastrimsas heaven, and other legends......Page 63 XVIII. Kanyakubja, or Canouge. Buddha's preaching......Page 69 XIX. Sha-che. Legend of Buddha's Danta-kashtha......Page 70 XX. Kosala and Sravasti. The Jetavana vihara and other memorials and legends of buddha. Sympathy of the monks with the pilgrims......Page 71 XXI. The three predecessors of Sakyamuni in the Buddhaship......Page 79 XXII. Kapilavastu. Its desolation. Legends of Buddha's birth, and other incidents in connexion with it......Page 80 XXIII. Rama, and its tope......Page 88 XXIV. Where Buddha finally renounced the world, and where he died......Page 90 XXVI. Remarkable death of Ananda......Page 99 XXVII. Pataliputtra, or Patna, in Magadha. King Asoka's spirit-built palace and halls. The Buddhist Brahman, Radhasami. Dispensaries and hospitals......Page 101 XXVIII. Rajagriha, New and Old. Legends and incidents connected with it......Page 104 XXIX. Gridhra-kuta hill, and legends. FA-hien passes a night on it. His reflections......Page 106 XXX. The Srataparna cave, or cave of the First Council. Legends. Suicide of a Bhikshu......Page 108 XXXI. Gaya. Sakyamuni's attaining to the Buddhaship; and other legends......Page 111 XXXII. Legend of king Asoka in a former birth, and his naraka......Page 116 XXXIII. Mount Gurupada, where Kasyapa Buddha's entire skeleton is......Page 118 XXXIV. On the way back to Patna. Varanasi, or Benares. Sakyamuni's first doings after becoming Buddha......Page 119 XXXV. Daksina, and the pigeon monastery......Page 122 XXXVI. In Patna. Fa-hien's labours in transcription of manuscripts, and Indian studies for three years......Page 124 XXXVII. To Champa and Tamalipti. Stay and labours there for three years. takes ship to singhala, or Ceylon......Page 126 XXXVIII. At Ceylon. Rise of the kingdom. Feats of Buddha. Topes and monasteries. Statue of Buddha in jade. Bo tree. Festival of Buddha's tooth......Page 127 XXXIX. Cremation of an Arhat. Sermon of a devotee......Page 133 XL. After two years takes ship for China. Disastrous passage to Java; and thence to China; arrives at Shan-tung; and goes to Nanking. Conclusion or l'envoi by another writer......Page 137 INDEX......Page 145 CHINESE TEXT......Page 150