It is recorded in _The Diamond Sutra_ that the Lord Buddha, in previous incarnations, assiduously performed religious vows, and deferentially honoured all contemporary Buddhas. An image of a former master, Dipankara Buddha, may frequently be observed in Chinese Buddhist temples, immediately behind the more conspicuous figure of Sakyamuni Buddha. Amongst Chinese Buddhist anniversaries may be found the birthday of “the ancient Buddha, _Ran-Teng_” (Dipankara), and the period allocated for its observance is the 22nd day of the 8th month. (Compare Edkins’ _Chinese Buddhism_.) [2] “It is maintained by the Buddhists that the founder of their faith was entirely _αὐτοδιδακτος_. The wisdom that he manifested was the outbeaming of a self-enkindled flame, not an inspiration from any exterior source, nor was it the result of any process of thought or reason. To whatever object he directed his intellectual vision, whether it was near or remote, whether past, present, or future, he saw it in a moment, intuitively, and yet in a manner the most absolutely perfect.”—_Eastern Monachism_. Spence Hardy. [3] “Bhagavat said: If Subhuti, a Bodhisattva, should say, ‘I shall create numbers of worlds,’ he would say what is untrue. And why? Because, O Subhuti, when Tathagata preached numbers of worlds, numbers of worlds indeed! they were preached by him as no numbers. Therefore they are called numbers of worlds.”—_The Vagrakkhedika_. Max Müller. “Subhuti, what think you? are the various lands and territories of the Buddhas completely perfected by the Bodhisatwas who occupy them? No! World-honoured one! for this complete perfection of which we speak is after all no perfection at all, it is only an empty name.”—_Kin-Kong-King_. Beal. “The wise man is always thinking: How can I and these beings become Buddhas? I will preach this true Law, upon which the happiness of all beings depends, for the benefit of the world.”—_Saddharma-Pundarika_. H. Kern. The words _Chuang-Yen_, in a Buddhist sense, usually refer to the erection or adornment of temples and pagodas, almsgiving, or other work of merit. Used in conjunction with _Fuh-Tu_—Buddhist kingdoms, as exemplified by our text, _Chuang-Yen_ appears to convey a much wider meaning. Perhaps it refers to a spiritual creation and adornment by charity and virtue, of kingdoms owning allegiance to the Lord Buddha. “In twelve years from the commencement of his public teaching, Buddha’s doctrines had spread over sixteen Indian kingdoms.”—_Chinese Buddhism_. Edkins. [4] A Buddhist kingdom has no outward manifestation; it is a pure and holy condition of mind.—_Chinese Annotation_. Compare the statement attributed to Christ, “The kingdom of heaven is _within_ you.” [5] “Sumeru is probably Elburz, an isolated mountain of the Caucasus range, 18,000 feet in height, and surrounded by low ground.”—_Chinese Buddhism_. Edkins.