FAXIAN (c. 337‑422)

from Record of the Buddhistic Kingdoms

A Chinese Pilgrim in Ceylon

A native of Wuyang in Shanxi, Faxian became a novice in the Buddhist priesthood at the age of three, exchanging his family name of Gong for the religious designation Faxian. On reaching rnanhood he was ordained and proceeded to Chang’an to rnake a thorough study of the Budhhist religion. Finding that there was a lack of material for this purpose, and full of zeal and faith, he set out in 399 in company with several others on an overland pilgrimage to India, his object being to obtain a complete se tof the Buddhist Canon in the original tongue. Alone of the party he reached the goal and spent some time in India, traveling to various important Buddhist centers and generally fulfilling the purposes of his mission. In 414 he was back in China, having returned by sea, via Ceylon and the Straits of Malacca; and then he spent several years at Nanjing, being prevented by the disturbed state of the empire from carrying his books and sacred relics on to Chang’an. He occupied the time in translating a work on monastic discipline. He also related to his friend and fellow‑laborer, Buddha Bhadra, a great Indian Buddhist, then in China, the incidents of his long journey. These Buddha Bhadra committed to writing, thus forming the work now known as the Record of the Buddhistic Kingdoms.

At the end of this time he took passage on a large merchant vessel, and setting sail proceeded toward the south‑west with the first of the favorable winter monsoon. After fourteen days and nights he reached the Land of the Lion (Ceylon), said by the inhabitants to lie at a distance of seven hundred yōjana from India. This country is on a great island, measuring fifty yōjanas from east to west and thirty from north to south. The small islands round about are nearly one hundred in number, and are distant from one another ten, twenty, or even two hundred li. They are all subject to the mother island, and produce chiefly pearls and precious stones. There is one island where the Mani beads (fine pearls used for Buddhist rosaries) are found; it is about ten li square. The king sends men to guard it; and if any pearls are obtained, he takes three‑tenths.

This country was not originally inhabited by human beings, but only by devils and dragons, with whom the merchants of the neighboring countries traded by barter. At the time of the barter the devils did not appear, but set out their valuables with the prices attached. The merchants then gave goods according to the prices marked and took away the goods they wanted. And from the merchants going backwards and forwards and some stopping there, the attractions of the place became widely known, and people went thither in great numbers, so that it became a great nation.

The temperature of this country is very agreeable; there is no distinction between winter and summer. Plants and trees flourish all the year round, and cultivation of the soil is carried on as men please, without regard to the season.

When Buddha came to this country, he wished to convert the wicked dragons; and by his divine power he placed one foot to the north of the royal city and the other on the top of Adam’s Peak, the two points being fifteen yōjanas apart. Over the footprint to the north of the city a great pagoda has been built, four hundred feet in height and decorated with gold and silver and with all kinds of precious substances combined. By the side of the pagoda a monastery has also been built, called No‑Fear Mountain, where there are now five thousand priests. There is a Hall of Buddha of gold and silver carved work with all kinds of precious substances, in which stands his image in green jade, over twenty feet in height, the whole of which glitters with the seven preciosities, the countenance being grave and dignified beyond expression in words. On the palm of the right hand lies a priceless pearl.

Faxian had now been many years away from his own land of Han; the people he had had to deal with were all inhabitants of strange countries; the mountains, the streams, plants, and trees on which his eyes had lighted were not those of old days; moreover, those who had traveled with him were separated from him ‑-- some having remained behind in these countries, others having died. Now, beholding only his own shadow, he was constantly sad at heart; and when suddenly, by the side of this jade image, he saw a merchant make offering of a white silk fan from China, his feelings overcame him and his eyes filled with tears.

A former king of this country had sent an envoy to Central India to get seeds of the Bō tree, which he planted alongside of the Hall of Buddha, and from which a tree grew up to a height of two hundred feet. As this tree bent over towards the south‑east, the king feared it would fall, and therefore placed a prop of eight or nine spans in circumference to support it. Where the tree and prop met, the tree shot out; and the shoot, piercing the prop, went right through it to the ground and took root, growing to about four spans in circumference. Although the prop was split through, it still encircles the shoot and has not been taken away. At the foot of the tree a shrine has been built, with the image of Buddha seated inside, an object of ceaseless worship to ecclesiastics and laymen.

In the city, too, a shrine has been built to receive a tooth of Buddha's, both the above being made from the seven preciosities....

Buddha’s Tooth is regularly brought out in the middle of the third moon. Ten days previously the king causes a large elephant to be splendidly caparisoned, and a man who speaks well to be dressed up in royal robes and mounted on the elephant. This man will beat a drum and proclaim in a loud voice, “The Bodhisattva during three immeasurable aeons practiced self‑mortification and did not spare his person or his life; he gave up his country, his wife, and his child; he gouged out his eyes to give to a fellow‑creature; he cut off his flesh to ransom a dove, and his head to give as alms; he flung his body to a hungry tigress, stinting neither his marrow nor his brains. Thus in various ways he suffered for the benefit of living creatures, and so he became a Buddha, tarrying on earth forty‑nine years, preaching the Faith and converting sinners, giving rest to the weary and salvation to those who had not been saved. When his relations with living creatures had been fulfilled, he passed away. Since his entry into Nirvana, fourteen hundred and ninety‑seven years ago, the Eye of the world has been put out, and all living creatures have sorely grieved. Now, ten days hence Buddha’s Tooth will be brought forth and be taken to the shrine of the No‑Fear Mountain. Let all those ecclesiastics and laymen of this country who wish to lay up happiness for themselves, help to level the roads, decorate the streets, and prepare flowers, incense, and implements of worship.”

When these words have been recited, the king then proceeds to make on both sides of the road representations of the five hundred different forms in which the Bodhisattva successively appeared; for instance as prince Sudāna, or as a flash of lightning, as the king of elephants, as a stag, or as a horse. These representations are all beautifully painted and have a lifelike appearance. The Tooth is then brought out and passes along the central street, receiving homage of offerings as it goes by. Arriving at the Hall of Buddha in the shrine of the No‑Fear Mountain, ecclesiastics and laymen flock together in crowds, burn incense, light lamps, and perform the various ceremonies of the Faith, day and night without ceasing. After ninety days have elapsed, the Tooth is returned to the shrine in the city. On fast‑days this shrine is opened for worship according to the Faith.

Forty li to the east of the No‑Fear shrine, there is the sacred mountain, Mihintale, with a shrine on it called Bhadrika, in which there are about two thousand priests. Among them is a Shaman, the Reverend Dharmagupta, whom all the people of this country respect and look up to. He has dwelt in a stone cell for more than forty years; and by constant exercise of kindness of heart he has succeeded in so influencing snakes and rats that they will live together in the same cell without hurting one another.

Seven li to the south of the city there is a shrine called the Great Shrine, with three thousand resident priests. Among them was one reverend Shaman, so pure in his conduct as regards the Disciplines that all suspected him of being a Lohan. When he was at the point of death, the king came to look into the matter; and when, in accordance with the rules of the Faith, he had assembled the priests, he asked, “Has this religious mendicant become a Lohan?” The priests at once told the truth and replied, “He is a Lohan” When he was dead the king accordingly buried him with the ceremonial due to a Lohan, as laid down in the Canon.

Four or five li to the east of the shrine a great pile of wood was collected, over thirty feet square and of about the same height. Sandalwood, garoo wood (lign‑aloes), and all kinds of' scented woods were placed at the top, and at the four sides steps were made. Over it was spread clean white cashmere which surrounded and quite covered the pyre; and again on the top of this was placed a car, in form like the hearses of China, but without the dragon. At the time of the cremation the king and his subjects collected together from all quarters, and with offerings of flowers and incense followed the car to the burial‑ground, the king himself making personal offerings of flowers and incense. When these ceremonies were finished, the car was placed on the top of the pyre, oil of sweet basil was poured all over it, and a light was applied. While the fire was blazing, everyone was moved with a feeling of reverence, and each took off his upper garment, and together with feather‑fan and umbrella, threw it from a distance into the midst of the flames, so as to help on the cremation. When it was all over, the bones were collected and a pagoda raised over them. Faxian did not arrive while the deceased was yet alive, but only in time to see his funeral....

Faxian remained in this country for two years; and after repeated search he obtained a copy of the Disciplines according to the school of “The Faith Prevailing”; also copies of the long Agamas on cosmogony, and of the miscellaneous Agamas on ecstatic contemplation, and subsequently of a collection of extracts from the Canon, all of which China was without. When lie had obtained these in Sanskrit, he took passage on board a large merchant‑vessel, on which there were over two hundred Souls, and astern of which there was a smaller vessel in tow, in case of accident at sea and destruction of the big vessel. Catching a fair wind, they sailed eastward for two days; then they encountered a heavy gale, and the vessel sprang a leak. The merchants wished to get aboard the smaller vessel; but the men on the latter, fearing that they would be swamped by numbers quickly cut the tow-rope in two. The merchants were terrified, for death was close at hand; and fearing that the vessel would fill, they promptly took what bulky goods there were and threw them into the sea. Faxian also took his pitcher and ewer, with whatever else he could spare, and threw them into the sea; but he was afraid that the merchants would throw over his books and his images, and accordingly fixed his whole thoughts upon Guan Yin, the Hearer of Prayers, and put his life into the hands of the Catholic Church in China, saying, 1 have journeyed far on behalf of the Faith. Oh that by your awful power you would grant me a safe return from my wanderings. "

The gale blew on for thirteen days and nights, when they arrived alongside of an island, and then, at ebb‑tide, they saw the place where the vessel leaked and forthwith stopped it up, after which they again proceeded on their way.

This sea is infested with pirates, to meet whom is death. The expanse of ocean is boundless, east and west are not distinguishable; only by observation of the sun, moon, and constellations is progress to be made. In cloudy and rainy weather, our vessel drifted at the mercy of the wind, without keeping any definite course. In the darkness of night nothing was to be seen but the great waves beating upon one another and flashing forth light like fire, huge turtles, sea‑lizards, and such‑like monsters of the deep. Then the merchants; lost heart, not knowing whither they were going, and the sea being deep, without bottom, they had no place where they could cast their stone‑anchor and stop. When the sky had cleared, they were able to tell east from west and again to proceed on their proper course; but had they struck a hidden rock, there would have been no way of escape.

And so they went on for more than ninety days until they reached a country named Java, where heresies and Brahmanism were flourishing, while the Faith of Buddha was in a very unsatisfactory condition.

After having remained in this country for five months or so, Faxian again shipped on board another large merchant‑vessel which also carried over two hundred persons. They took with them provisions for fifty days and set sail on the 16th of the 4th moon, and Faxian went into retreat on board the vessel.

A northeast course was set in order to reach Canton; and over a month had elapsed when one night in the second watch (9‑11 P.M.) they encountered a violent gale with tempestuous rain, at which the traveling merchants and traders who were going to their homes were much frightened. However, Faxian once more invoked the Hearer of Prayers and the Catholic Church in China, and was accorded the protection of their awful power until day broke. As soon as it was light, the Brahmans took counsel together and said, “Having this Shaman on board has been our undoing, causing us to get into this trouble. We ought to land the religious mendicant on some island; it is not right to endanger all our lives for one man.” A "religious protector" of Faxian's replied, saying, “If you put this religious mendicant ashore, you shall also land me with him; if not, you had better kill me, for supposing that you land him, when I reach China I will report you to the king who is a reverent believer in the Buddhist Faith and honors religious mendicants.” At this the merchants wavered and did not dare to land him just then.

Meanwhile, the sky was constantly darkened and the captain lost his reckoning. So they went on for seventy days until the provisions and water were nearly exhausted, and they had to use seawater for cooking, dividing the fresh water so that each man got about two pints. When all was nearly consumed, the merchants consulted together and said, “The ordinary time for the voyage to Canton is exactly fifty days. We have now exceeded that limit by many days; must we not have gone out of our course?”

Thereupon they proceeded in a northwesterly direction, seeking for land; and after twelve days and nights arrived south of the Lao mountain (on the Shandong promontory) at the boundary of the Prefecture of Chang'guang (the modern jiaozhou), where they obtained fresh water and vegetables.

And now, after having passed through much danger, difficulty, sorrow, and fear, suddenly reaching this shore and seeing the old familiar vegetables, they knew it was their fatherland; but not seeing any inhabitants or traces of such, they did not know what part it was. Some said that they had not got as far as Canton; others declared that they had passed it. Being in a state of uncertainty, some of them got into a small boat and went up a creek in search of anyone whom they might ask about the place. These fell in with two hunters and brought them back to the vessel, telling Faxian to act as interpreter and interrogate them. Faxian began by reassuring them, and then quietly asked them, “What men are you?” They replied, “We are followers of Buddha.” “And what is it you go among the mountains to seek?” continued Faxian. Then they began to lie, saying, “Tomorrow is the 15th day of the 7th moon; we wished to get something for a sacrifice (the lie!) to Buddha.” Faxian then said, "What country is this?" They answered, “This is the boundary of the Chang'guang prefecture in Qingzhou; all these parts belong to the Liu family.” When they heard this the merchants were very glad, and at once requested that their effects might be landed, sending men off with them to Chang'guang.

Translated by Herbert Giles