The Life or Legend of Gaudama, the Buddha of the Burmese (Volume II)Bigandet, Paul Ambroise
Religion
The Life or Legend of Gaudama, the Buddha of the Burmese (Volume II)
Bigandet, Paul Ambroise
Buddhism -- Burma; Burma -- Religion; Gautama Buddha
6. Baranathee is beyond doubt the famous city of Benares. The Burmans
call it by name of Baranathee, or rather Varanasi. The town is so named
from its situation between the small river Varana and the Asi, a mere
brook. The solitude of Migadawon, whither Buddha went to preach the
law to the five Rahans that had served him during the six years of
mortification which he spent in the forest of Oorouwela, lies in its
vicinity. Benares is famous in the Buddhistic annals, because in its
neighbourhood the law of the wheel, or rather the super-excellent law
of the four sublime truths, was announced for the first time. Migadawon
means the deer-forest. It lies three and a half miles from Benares in
a northern direction. It is said that, after having travelled nine
miles from the Bodi tree, Buddha had to go over a distance of eighteen
youdzanas ere he reached Benares, making a total of about 120 miles.
7. Radzagio, or Radzagihra, was the capital of Magatha or South Behar.
Its situation is well ascertained. Its ruins have been minutely described
by several travellers. It was situated on the left bank of the same
small river as Behar, but a few miles south of that place. The mountains
or peaks surrounding that ancient city are full of caves, tenanted in
former ages by Buddhist ascetics. The mountain Gayathitha, where Buddha
preached his famous sermon, lies in the neighbourhood. It is perhaps the
same as the Gridrakuta, or the Vulture’s Peak.
8. The Buddhist annals often mention the country of the middle or
Mitzima-desa. It comprised the countries of Mathura, Kosala, Kapila,
Wethalee, and Magatha; that is to say, the provinces of Agra, Delhi,
Oude, and South Behar.
Magatha, south of the Ganges, had for capital at first Radzagio, until
Kalathoka, a hundred years after the death of Gaudama, transferred the
seat of his empire to Pataliputra, or Palibothra. The celebrated Weloowon
monastery was situated in the neighbourhood of Radzagio, and was offered
to Buddha by King Pimpathara, the ruler of that country.
9. Kosala is the same as the kingdom of Ayodya, now called Oude.
Thawattie, or Crawastu, was the capital of a district of that country. It
was situated nearly at the same place where at present stands the modern
town of Fyzabad. According to the legend, the distance from Radzagio to
Thawattie is forty-five youdzanas of about seven miles. Twelve hundred
paces from that city was to be met the renowned monastery of Dzetawon,
or the grove of the victorious. Many ruins that have been visited and
examined leave no doubt regarding the certain position of Thawattie.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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