[3] Tsze-hoh has not been identified. Beal thinks it was Yarkand,
which, however, was north-west from Khoten. Watters ("China Review,"
p. 135) rather approves the suggestion of "Tashkurgan in Sirikul" for
it. As it took Fa-hien twenty-five days to reach it, it must have been
at least 150 miles from Khoten.
[4] The king is described here by a Buddhistic phrase, denoting the
possession of viryabala, "the power of energy; persevering exertion -
one of the five moral powers" (E. H., p. 170).
[5] Nor has Yu-hwuy been clearly identified. Evidently it was directly
south from Tsze-hoh, and among the "Onion" mountains. Watters hazards
the conjecture that it was the Aktasch of our present maps.
[6] This was the retreat already twice mentioned as kept by the
pilgrims in the summer, the different phraseology, "quiet rest,"
without any mention of the season, indicating their approach to India,
E. H., p. 168. Two, if not three, years had elapsed since they left
Ch'ang-gan. Are we now with them in 402?
[7] This is the Corean reading {.}, much preferable to the {.} of the
Chinese editions.
[8] Watters approves of Klaproth's determination of K'eeh-ch'a to be
Iskardu or Skardo. There are difficulties in connexion with the view,
but it has the advantage, to my mind very great, of bringing the
pilgrims across the Indus. The passage might be accomplished with ease
at this point of the river's course, and therefore is not particularly
mentioned.
[9] Who had preceded them from Khoten.
CHAPTER V
GREAT QUINQUENNIAL ASSEMBLY OF MONKS. RELICS OF BUDDHA.
PRODUCTIONS OF THE COUNTRY.
It happened that the king of the country was then holding the pancha
parishad, that is, in Chinese, the great quinquennial assembly.[1]
When this is to be held, the king requests the presence of the Sramans
from all quarters (of his kingdom). They come (as if) in clouds; and
when they are all assembled, their place of session is grandly
decorated. Silken streamers and canopies are hung out in, and water-
lilies in gold and silver are made and fixed up behind the places
where (the chief of them) are to sit. When clean mats have been
spread, and they are all seated, the king and his ministers present
their offerings according to rule and law. (The assembly takes place),
in the first, second, or third month, for the most part in the spring.
After the king has held the assembly, he further exhorts the ministers
to make other and special offerings. The doing of this extends over
one, two, three, five, or even seven days; and when all is finished,
he takes his own riding-horse, saddles, bridles, and waits on him
himself,[2] while he makes the noblest and most important minister of
the kingdom mount him. Then, taking fine white woollen cloth, all
sorts of precious things, and articles which the Sramans require, he
distributes them among them, uttering vows at the same time along with
all his ministers; and when this distribution has taken place, he
again redeems (whatever he wishes) from the monks.[3]
The country, being among the hills and cold, does not produce the
other cereals, and only the wheat gets ripe. After the monks have
received their annual (portion of this), the mornings suddenly show
the hoar-frost, and on this account the king always begs the monks to
make the wheat ripen[4] before they receive their portion. There is in
the country a spitoon which belonged to Buddha, made of stone, and in
colour like his alms-bowl. There is also a tooth of Buddha, for which
the people have reared a tope, connected with which there are more
than a thousand monks and their disciples,[5] all students of the
hinayana. To the east of these hills the dress of the common people is
of coarse materials, as in our country of Ts'in, but here also[6]
there were among them the differences of fine woollen cloth and of
serge or haircloth. The rules observed by the Sramans are remarkable,
and too numerous to be mentioned in detail. The country is in the
midst of the Onion range. As you go forward from these mountains, the
plants, trees, and fruits are all different from those of the land of
Han, excepting only the bamboo, pomegranate,[7] and sugar-cane.
NOTES
[1] See Eitel, p. 89. He describes the assembly as "an ecclesiastical
conference, first instituted by king Asoka for general confession of
sins and inculcation of morality."
[2] The text of this sentence is perplexing; and all translators,
including myself, have been puzzled by it.
[3] See what we are told of king Asoka's grant of all the Jambudvipa
to the monks in chapter xxvii. There are several other instances of
similar gifts in the Mahavansa.
[4] Watters calls attention to this as showing that the monks of
K'eeh-ch'a had the credit of possessing weather-controlling powers.
[5] The text here has {.} {.}, not {.} alone. I often found in
monasteries boys and lads who looked up to certain of the monks as
their preceptors.
[6] Compare what is said in chapter ii of the dress of the people of
Shen-shen.
[7] Giles thinks the fruit here was the guava, because the ordinary
name for "pomegranate" is preceded by gan {.}; but the pomegranate was
called at first Gan Shih-lau, as having been introduced into China
from Gan-seih by Chang-k'een, who is referred to in chapter vii.
CHAPTER VI
ON TOWARDS NORTH INDIA. DARADA. IMAGE OF MAITREYA BODHISATTVA.
From this (the travellers) went westwards towards North India, and
after being on the way for a month, they succeeded in getting across
and through the range of the Onion mountains.
