A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms

Chapter 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.

James Legge translation

[Chinese]

After proceeding in this way for rather more than ninety days, they arrived at a country called Java-dvîpa, where various forms of error and Brahmânism are flourishing, while Buddhism in it is not worth speaking of. After staying there for five months, (Fâ-hien) again embarked in another large merchantman, which also had on board more than 200 men. They carried provisions for fifty days, and commenced the voyage on the sixteenth day of the fourth month.

Fâ-hien kept his retreat on board the ship. They took a course to the north-east, intending to fetch Kwang-chow. After more than a month, when the night-drum had sounded the second watch, they encountered a black wind and tempestuous rain, which threw the merchants and passengers into consternation. Fâ-hien again with all his heart directed his thoughts to Kwan-she-yin and the monkish communities of the land of Han; and, through their dread and mysterious protection, was preserved to day-break. After day-break, the Brahmâns deliberated together and said, ‘It is having this Śramaṇa on board which has occasioned our misfortune and brought us this great and bitter suffering. Let us land the bhikshu and place him on some island-shore. We must not for the sake of one man allow ourselves to be exposed to such imminent peril.’ A patron of Fâ-hien, however, said to them, ‘If you land the bhikshu, you must at the same time land me; and if you do not, then you must kill me. If you land this Śramaṇa, when I get to the land of Han, I will go to the king, and inform against you. The king also reveres and believes the Law of Buddha, and honours the bhikshus.’ The merchants hereupon were perplexed, and did not dare immediately to land (Fâ-hien).

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · No. 1122 in Nanjio’s Catalogue, translated into Chinese by Buddhajiva and a Chinese Śramaṇa about A.D. 425. Mahîśâsakâḥ means ‘the school of Note 2 · Nanjio’s 545 and 504. The Âgamas are Sûtras of the hînayâna, divided, according to Eitel, pp. 4, 5, into four classes, the first or Dîrghâga Note 3 · Meaning ‘Miscellaneous Collections;’ a sort of fourth Piṭaka. See Nanjio’s fourth division of the Canon, containing Indian and Chinese misce Note 4 · We have in the text a phonetisation of the Sanskrit Kuṇḍikâ, which is explained in Eitel by the two characters that follow, as = ‘washing ba Note 5 · See chap. xvi, note 25.Note 6 · At his novitiate Fâ-hien had sought the refuge of the ‘three Precious Ones’ (the three Refuges [三歸] of last chapter), of which the congregat Note 7 · In the text 大風, tâ-fung, ‘the great wind,’ = the typhoon.Note 8 · 8 They had got to the south of the Shan-tung promontory, and the foot of mount Lâo, which still rises under the same name on the extreme sou Note 9 · What these vegetables exactly were it is difficult to say; and there are different readings of the characters for them. Williams’ Dictionary Note 10 · I suppose these men were really hunters; and, when brought before Fâ-hien, because he was a Śramaṇa, they thought they would please him by s Note 11 · The Chinese character here has occurred twice before, but in a different meaning and connexion. Rémusat, Beal, and Giles take it as equivale Note 12 · Probably the present department of Yang-chow in Keang-soo; but as I have said in a previous note, the narrative does not go on so clearly as Note 13 · Was, or could, this prefect be Le E?Note 14 · Probably not Chʽang-gan, but Nanking, which was the capital of the Eastern Tsin dynasty under another name.Note 15 · 15 15 The whole of this paragraph is probably Fâ-hien’s own conclusion of his narrative. The second half of the second sentence, both in sen Note 16 · There is an error of date here, for which it is difficult to account. The year Keah-yin was A.D. 414; but that was the tenth year of the per Note 17 · We do not know who the writer of the Envoy was. ‘The winter study or library’ would be the name of the apartment in his monastery or house, Note 18 · Fâ-hien abode in this country two years; and, in addition (to his acquisitions in Patna), succeeded in getting a copy of the Vinaya-piṭaka o Note 19 · In this way the tempest7 continued day and night, till on the thirteenth day the ship was carried to the side of an island, where, on the eb Note 20 · At this time the sky continued very dark and gloomy, and the sailing-masters looked at one another and made mistakes. More than seventy days Note 21 · The prefect Le E was a reverent believer in the Law of Buddha. When he heard that a Śramaṇa had arrived in a ship across the sea, bringing w Note 22 · After Fâ-hien set out from Chʽang-gan, it took him six years to reach Central India;15 stoppages there extended over (other) six years; and Note 23 · It was in the year Keah-yin,16 the twelfth year of the period E-he of the (Eastern) Tsin dynasty, the year-star being in Virgo-Libra, in the