Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3Eliot, Charles
Religion
Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3
Eliot, Charles
Asia -- Religion; Buddhism; Hinduism
I-Ching's statements can hardly be interpreted to mean that Buddhism
was the official religion of Champa at any rate after 400 A.D., for
the inscriptions abundantly prove that the Śivaite shrines of
Mi-son and Po-nagar were so to speak national cathedrals where the
kings worshipped on behalf of the country. But the Vo-can inscription
(? 250 A.D.), though it does not mention Buddhism, appears to be
Buddhist, and it would be quite natural that a dynasty founded about
150 A.D. should be Buddhist but that intercourse with Camboja and
probably with India should strengthen Śivaism. The Chinese annals
mention[359] that 1350 Buddhist books were carried off during a
Chinese invasion in 605 A.D. and this allusion implies the existence
of Buddhism and monasteries with libraries. As in Camboja it was
perhaps followed by ministers rather than by kings. An inscription
found[360] in southern Champa and dated as 829 A.D. records how a
sthavira named Buddhanirvâṇa erected two vihâras and two temples
(devakula) to Jina and Śankara (Buddha and Śiva) in honour of
his deceased father. Shortly afterwards there came to the throne
Indravarman II (860-890 A.D.), the only king of Champa who is known
to have been a fervent Buddhist. He did not fail to honour Śiva as
the patron of his kingdom but like Asoka he was an enthusiast for the
Dharma[361]. He desires the knowledge of the Dharma: he builds
monasteries for the sake of the Dharma: he wishes to propagate it: he
even says that the king of the gods governs heaven by the principles
of Dharma. He wishes to lead all his subjects to the "yoke and abode
of Buddha," to "the city of deliverance."
To this end he founded the vihâra of Dong Duong, already described,
and dedicated it to Śri Lakshmîndra Lokeśvara[362]. This last
word is a synonym of Avalokita, which also occurs in the dedicatory
inscription but in a fragmentary passage. Lakshmîndra is explained by
other passages in the inscription from which we learn that the king's
name before he ascended the throne was Lakshmîndra Bhûmîśvara, so
that the Bodhisattva is here adored under the name of the king who
erected the vihâra according to the custom prevalent in Śivaite
temples. Like those temples this vihâra received an endowment of land
and slaves of both sexes, as well as gold, silver and other
metals[363].
A king who reigned from 1080 to 1086 was called Paramabodhisattva, but
no further epigraphic records of Buddhism are known until the reigns of
Jaya Indravarmadeva (1167-1192) and his successor Sûryavarmadeva[364].
Both of these monarchs, while worshipping Śiva, are described as knowing
or practising the jñâna or dharma of the Mahayana. Little emphasis
seems to be laid on these expressions but still they imply that the
Mahayana was respected and considered part of the royal religion.
Sûryavarmadeva erected a building called Śrî Herukaharmya[365]. The
title is interesting for it contains the name of the Tantric Buddha
Heruka.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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