Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Foucaux, speaks of this work as the first version of the Lalita Vistara into Chinese. We have next to consider a work translated into Chinese by two Sramazas from India in the year A.D. 194, and named (2) Siu-hing-pen-k’i-king. Ct A tz {19] b Xvili FO-SHO-HING-TSAN-KING. This work belongs to case Ixviii in my Catalogue of the Buddhist Tripifaka, and is numbered 664 by Mr. Bunyiu Nanjio. It was translated by Ku-ta-lih (Mahab4la) and Kong-mang-tsiang. As the title indicates, it is a brief memoir of Buddha’s preparatory career (i.e. preparatory to his enlightenment), in two parts! and seven vargas. It is stated in the work, Kao-saing-fu, K. i, fol. 3, that this book was brought from Kapilavastu by the Sramaza Dharmaphala (Tan-kwo). This is also repeated in the work Lai-taisan-pao, K. iv, fol.18. The opening scene therefore lies in Kapilavastu. Its language is sufficiently exaggerated, but not to that wearisome degree found in the later Satras. It begins with the nomination of Buddha by Dipankara, and ends with the defeat of M4ra under the tree of knowledge. It therefore includes both the distant and the intermediate epochs. I shall give the headings of the seven vargas, with some remarks on the character of the narrative. Varga 1 (pp. 1-9). ‘Exhibiting change.’ The scene is laid in Kapilavastu, in the Nyagrodha Vihdra. Surrounded by a vast assembly of disciples, Buddha enquires of Maudgaly4yana, ‘Can you for the sake of all living things? declare the origin of my career (pen k’i)?’ On this Maudgaly4yana, addressing Buddha in the usual orthodox way, asks him to recite the history in virtue of his own inherent spiritual power. On this Buddha declares how he had been born during innumerable kalpas in every character of life for the sake of stemming the tide of lust and covetousness which engulphed the world, and by a life of continual progress through the exercise of the virtues of wisdom, patience, charity, &c. had arrived at the final condition of enlightenment. He then gives the history of his nomination when Dipankara was Buddha, and of his successive births until finally, after having been born as Vessantara, he occupied the Tushita heaven, and thence descended to be 2 Abstract of Four Lectures, p. 10. * This is given in Chinese Ta-sa-ho-kie, which can only be restored to Tasa. See Childers, sub voce. INTRODUCTION, x1x born in Kapilavastu as the Bodhisattva about to accomplish his career as Buddha.
210. * This is given in Chinese Ta-sa-ho-kie, which can only be restored to Tasa. See Childers, sub voce. INTRODUCTION, x1x born in Kapilavastu as the Bodhisattva about to accomplish his career as Buddha. Varga 2. Bodhisattva descends asa spirit. In this section we find an account of Bodhisattva’s conception. He descends under the form! of a white elephant, and is seen by M4y4 in a dream: ‘She beholds in the middle of heaven a white elephant resplendent with glory, and lighting up the world, accompanied by music and sounds of rejoicing, and whilst accompanying Devas scatter flowers and incense, the elephant approaches her, and for a moment hovers above the spot and disappears.’ The dream is interpreted by the soothsayers as an exceedingly fortunate one, because ‘it indicated the descent of a holy spirit (Shing-shin) into the womb.’ The child born therefore would be either a wheel-turning flying-as-he-goes (fi-hing), universal monarch, or a Buddha ‘born to save the world. The queen from that moment leads a pure, uncontaminate life. ‘Now on account of this conception, Bearing as I do a Mahasattva, I give up all false, polluting ways, And both in heart and body rest in purity.’ The kings of neighbouring countries bring their presents of gold, silver, jewels, and robes, and on the eighth day of the fourth month the child is born under an Asoka tree. The angels sing for joy, and thirty-two supernatural events indicate the nativity. We need not enumerate all these events ; the first, however, is that the earth was greatly shaken, and all rough and hilly places became smooth. The fifteenth is, the star Pushya came down and appeared waiting on the prince. The last is that the tree spirit (i.e. the spirit residing in the tree under which the Bodhisattva was born) appearing from it as a man bowed his head in worship?. We then have an account of Asita’s visit and prediction. The 1 Or, riding on a white elephant. The phrase in the Chinese is ambiguous. There is reason to suppose that the original thought was that the Bodhisattva was riding on an elephant, but was invisible as a spirit. 3 Tree and Serpent Worship, plate xci, fig. 4. b 2 XX FO-SHO-HING-TSAN-KING. varga concludes with the account of his superiority over his teachers. Varga 3. The athletic contest. This section contains an account of the prince’s marriage with Ku-i (Gopi) after the exhibition of his strength in fighting, wrestling, and archery. The prince in this account restores the elephant to life which Devadatta had killed, and is charged by Devadatta and his followers as being strengthened by Mra (the devil) in doing the wonders he did. He marries Gopi, and with 60,000 attendant women dwells in his palace. But his heart is not at rest.
3He marries Gopi, and with 60,000 attendant women dwells in his palace. But his heart is not at rest. Varga 4. The excursion for observation. This is the usual account of the prince’s visit to the garden and the sights he beheld. The charioteer is accompanied by 1000 other chariots and 10,000 cavalry. A Suddha Deva called Nandahara assumes the form of an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and a Sramaza successively, and thus determines the prince to leave the world (worldly life) and become an ascetic. In order to distract his mind the king requests the prince to attend a ploughing festival. Whilst thus engaged he beholds the suffering of the oxen, and the heat and toil of the men, and the countless insects being destroyed and devoured by the birds. Retiring under the shadow of a Gambu tree? he enters Dhy4na (profound meditation). The king hearing where he was proceeds to the spot, and observes the branches of the trees bent down? over the prince, and on approaching the horses bend their knees in reverence. The king and his retinue then return to the city. On entering the gate he is met by countless thousands of people with flowers and incense, whilst the soothsayers shout with joy, ‘O king! live for ever!’ The king enquiring the reason, the Brahmans tell him that to-morrow the seven treasures would appear, and the king would become a ‘holy ruler’ (a Kakravartin). Varga 5. Leaving his home. The prince without ceasing 1 Tree and Serpent Worship, plate xxv, fig.1, where the three buildings represent the three palaces built for the prince. 2 The leaves are bent down in the plate (op. cit.) INTRODUCTION. XX1
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Foucaux, speaks of this work as the first version of the Lalita Vistara into Chinese. We have next to consider a work translated into Chinese by two Sramazas from India in the year A.D. 194, and named (2) Siu-hing-pen-k’i-king. Ct A tz {19] b Xvili FO-SHO-HING-TSAN-KING. This work belongs to case Ixviii in my Catalogue of the Buddhist Tripifaka, and is numbered 664 by Mr. Bunyiu Nanjio. It was translated by Ku-ta-lih (Mahab4la) and Kong-mang-tsiang. As the title indicates, it is a brief memoir of Buddha’s preparatory career (i.e. preparatory to his enlightenment), in two parts! and seven vargas. It is stated in the work, Kao-saing-fu, K. i, fol. 3, that this book was brought from Kapilavastu by the Sramaza Dharmaphala (Tan-kwo). This is also repeated in the work Lai-taisan-pao, K. iv, fol.18. The opening scene therefore lies in Kapilavastu. Its language is sufficiently exaggerated, but not to that wearisome degree found in the later Satras. It begins with the nomination of Buddha by Dipankara, and ends with the defeat of M4ra under the tree of knowledge. It therefore includes both the distant and the intermediate epochs. I shall give the headings of the seven vargas, with some remarks on the character of the narrative. Varga 1 (pp. 1-9). ‘Exhibiting change.’ The scene is laid in Kapilavastu, in the Nyagrodha Vihdra. Surrounded by a vast assembly of disciples, Buddha enquires of Maudgaly4yana, ‘Can you for the sake of all living things? declare the origin of my career (pen k’i)?’ On this Maudgaly4yana, addressing Buddha in the usual orthodox way, asks him to recite the history in virtue of his own inherent spiritual power. On this Buddha declares how he had been born during innumerable kalpas in every character of life for the sake of stemming the tide of lust and covetousness which engulphed the world, and by a life of continual progress through the exercise of the virtues of wisdom, patience, charity, &c. had arrived at the final condition of enlightenment. He then gives the history of his nomination when Dipankara was Buddha, and of his successive births until finally, after having been born as Vessantara, he occupied the Tushita heaven, and thence descended to be 2 Abstract of Four Lectures, p. 10. * This is given in Chinese Ta-sa-ho-kie, which can only be restored to Tasa. See Childers, sub voce. INTRODUCTION, x1x born in Kapilavastu as the Bodhisattva about to accomplish his career as Buddha.
210. * This is given in Chinese Ta-sa-ho-kie, which can only be restored to Tasa. See Childers, sub voce. INTRODUCTION, x1x born in Kapilavastu as the Bodhisattva about to accomplish his career as Buddha. Varga 2. Bodhisattva descends asa spirit. In this section we find an account of Bodhisattva’s conception. He descends under the form! of a white elephant, and is seen by M4y4 in a dream: ‘She beholds in the middle of heaven a white elephant resplendent with glory, and lighting up the world, accompanied by music and sounds of rejoicing, and whilst accompanying Devas scatter flowers and incense, the elephant approaches her, and for a moment hovers above the spot and disappears.’ The dream is interpreted by the soothsayers as an exceedingly fortunate one, because ‘it indicated the descent of a holy spirit (Shing-shin) into the womb.’ The child born therefore would be either a wheel-turning flying-as-he-goes (fi-hing), universal monarch, or a Buddha ‘born to save the world. The queen from that moment leads a pure, uncontaminate life. ‘Now on account of this conception, Bearing as I do a Mahasattva, I give up all false, polluting ways, And both in heart and body rest in purity.’ The kings of neighbouring countries bring their presents of gold, silver, jewels, and robes, and on the eighth day of the fourth month the child is born under an Asoka tree. The angels sing for joy, and thirty-two supernatural events indicate the nativity. We need not enumerate all these events ; the first, however, is that the earth was greatly shaken, and all rough and hilly places became smooth. The fifteenth is, the star Pushya came down and appeared waiting on the prince. The last is that the tree spirit (i.e. the spirit residing in the tree under which the Bodhisattva was born) appearing from it as a man bowed his head in worship?. We then have an account of Asita’s visit and prediction. The 1 Or, riding on a white elephant. The phrase in the Chinese is ambiguous. There is reason to suppose that the original thought was that the Bodhisattva was riding on an elephant, but was invisible as a spirit. 3 Tree and Serpent Worship, plate xci, fig. 4. b 2 XX FO-SHO-HING-TSAN-KING. varga concludes with the account of his superiority over his teachers. Varga 3. The athletic contest. This section contains an account of the prince’s marriage with Ku-i (Gopi) after the exhibition of his strength in fighting, wrestling, and archery. The prince in this account restores the elephant to life which Devadatta had killed, and is charged by Devadatta and his followers as being strengthened by Mra (the devil) in doing the wonders he did. He marries Gopi, and with 60,000 attendant women dwells in his palace. But his heart is not at rest.
3He marries Gopi, and with 60,000 attendant women dwells in his palace. But his heart is not at rest. Varga 4. The excursion for observation. This is the usual account of the prince’s visit to the garden and the sights he beheld. The charioteer is accompanied by 1000 other chariots and 10,000 cavalry. A Suddha Deva called Nandahara assumes the form of an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and a Sramaza successively, and thus determines the prince to leave the world (worldly life) and become an ascetic. In order to distract his mind the king requests the prince to attend a ploughing festival. Whilst thus engaged he beholds the suffering of the oxen, and the heat and toil of the men, and the countless insects being destroyed and devoured by the birds. Retiring under the shadow of a Gambu tree? he enters Dhy4na (profound meditation). The king hearing where he was proceeds to the spot, and observes the branches of the trees bent down? over the prince, and on approaching the horses bend their knees in reverence. The king and his retinue then return to the city. On entering the gate he is met by countless thousands of people with flowers and incense, whilst the soothsayers shout with joy, ‘O king! live for ever!’ The king enquiring the reason, the Brahmans tell him that to-morrow the seven treasures would appear, and the king would become a ‘holy ruler’ (a Kakravartin). Varga 5. Leaving his home. The prince without ceasing 1 Tree and Serpent Worship, plate xxv, fig.1, where the three buildings represent the three palaces built for the prince. 2 The leaves are bent down in the plate (op. cit.) INTRODUCTION. XX1
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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