Chinese literature : $b Comprising the Analects of Confucius, the Sayings of Mencius, the Shi-King, the Travels of Fâ-Hien, and the Sorrows of HanFaxian
Philosophy
Chinese literature : $b Comprising the Analects of Confucius, the Sayings of Mencius, the Shi-King, the Travels of Fâ-Hien, and the Sorrows of Han
Faxian
China -- Literary collections; Chinese literature; Chinese literature -- Translations into English
As you go out from the city by the south gate, and one thousand two
hundred paces from it, the Vais'ya head Sudatta built a vihâra, facing
the south; and when the door was open, on each side of it there was a
stone pillar, with the figure of a wheel on the top of that on the left,
and the figure of an ox on the top of that on the right. On the left and
right of the building the ponds of water clear and pure, the thickets of
trees always luxuriant, and the numerous flowers of various hues,
constituted a lovely scene, the whole forming what is called the
Jetavana vihâra.
When Buddha went up to the Trayastrimsas heaven, and preached the Law
for the benefit of his mother, after he had been absent for ninety days,
Prasenajit, longing to see him, caused an image of him to be carved in
Gosirsha Chandana wood, and put in the place where he usually sat. When
Buddha, on his return entered the vihara, this image immediately left
its place, and came forth to meet him. Buddha said to it, "Return to
your seat. After I have attained to pari-nirvâna, you will serve as a
pattern to the four classes of my disciples," [4] and on this the image
returned to its seat. This was the very first of all the images of
Buddha, and that which men subsequently copied. Buddha then removed, and
dwelt in a small vihara on the south side of the other, a different
place from that containing the image, and twenty paces distant from it.
The Jetavana vihâra was originally of seven stories. The kings and
people of the countries around vied with one another in their offerings,
hanging up about it silken streamers and canopies, scattering flowers,
burning incense, and lighting lamps, so as to make the night as bright
as the day. This they did day after day without ceasing. It happened
that a rat, carrying in its mouth the wick of a lamp, set one of the
streamers or canopies on fire, which caught the vihâra, and the seven
stories were all consumed. The kings, with their officers and people,
were all very sad and distressed, supposing that the sandalwood image
had been burned; but lo! after four or five days, when the door of a
small vihâra on the east was opened, there was immediately seen the
original image. They were all greatly rejoiced, and cooperated in
restoring the vihâra. When they had succeeded in completing two stories,
they removed the image back to its former place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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