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
King Asoka had a younger brother who had attained to be an Arhat, and
resided on Gridhra-kûta hill, finding his delight in solitude and quiet.
The king, who sincerely reverenced him, wished and begged him to come
and live in his family, where he could supply all his wants. The other,
however, through his delight in the stillness of the mountain, was
unwilling to accept the invitation, on which the king said to him, "Only
accept my invitation, and I will make a hill for you inside the city."
Accordingly, he provided the materials of a feast, called to him the
spirits, and announced to them, "Tomorrow you will all receive my
invitation; but as there are no mats for you to sit on, let each one
bring his own seat." Next day the spirits came, each one bringing with
him a great rock, like a wall, four or five paces square, for a seat.
When their sitting was over, the king made them form a hill with the
large stones piled on one another, and also at the foot of the hill,
with five large square stones, to make an apartment, which might be more
than thirty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and more than ten cubits
high.
In this city there had resided a great Brahman, named Râdha-sâmi, a
professor of the mahâyâna, of clear discernment and much wisdom, who
understood everything, living by himself in spotless purity. The king of
the country honored and reverenced him, and served him as his teacher.
If he went to inquire for and greet him, the king did not presume to sit
down alongside of him; and if, in his love and reverence, he took hold
of his hand, as soon as he let it go, the Brahman made haste to pour
water on it and wash it. He might be more than fifty years old, and all
the kingdom looked up to him. By means of this one man, the Law of
Buddha was widely made-known, and the followers of other doctrines did
not find it in their power to persecute the body of monks in any way.
By the side of the tope of Asoka, there has been made a mahâyâna
monastery, very grand and beautiful; there is also a hînayâna one; the
two together containing six hundred or seven hundred monks. The rules of
demeanor and the scholastic arrangements in them are worthy of
observation.
Shamans of the highest virtue from all quarters, and students, inquirers
wishing to find out truth and the grounds of it, all resort to these
monasteries. There also resides in this monastery a Brahman teacher,
whose name also is Mañjusrî, whom the Shamans of greatest virtue in
the kingdom, and the mahâyâna Bhikshus honor and look up to.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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