73d 54s
E. See E. H. p. 30. I am myself in more than doubt on the point.
Cunningham ("Ancient Geography of India," p. 82) says "Darel is a
valley on the right or western bank of the Indus, now occupied by
Dardus or Dards, from whom it received its name." But as I read our
narrative, Fa-hien is here on the eastern bank of the Indus, and only
crosses to the western bank as described in the next chapter.
[2] Lo-han, Arhat, Arahat, are all designations of the perfected Arya,
the disciple who has passed the different stages of the Noble Path, or
eightfold excellent way, who has conquered all passions, and is not to
be reborn again. Arhatship implies possession of certain supernatural
powers, and is not to be succeeded by Buddhaship, but implies the fact
of the saint having already attained nirvana. Popularly, the Chinese
designate by this name the wider circle of Buddha's disciples, as well
as the smaller ones of 500 and 18. No temple in Canton is better worth
a visit than that of the 500 Lo-han.
[3] Riddhi-sakshatkriya, "the power of supernatural footsteps,"="a
body flexible at pleasure," or unlimited power over the body. E. H.,
p. 104.
[4] Tushita is the fourth Devaloka, where all Bodhisattvas are reborn
before finally appearing on earth as Buddha. Life lasts in Tushita
4000 years, but twenty-four hours there are equal to 400 years on
earth. E. H., p. 152.
[5] Maitreya (Spence Hardy, Maitri), often styled Ajita, "the
Invincible," was a Bodhisattva, the principal one, indeed, of
Sakyamuni's retinue, but is not counted among the ordinary
(historical) disciples, nor is anything told of his antecedents. It
was in the Tushita heaven that Sakyamuni met him and appointed him as
his successor, to appear as Buddha after the lapse of 5000 years.
Maitreya is therefore the expected Messiah of the Buddhists, residing
at present in Tushita, and, according to the account of him in Eitel
(H., p. 70), "already controlling the propagation of the Buddhistic
faith." The name means "gentleness" or "kindness;" and this will be
the character of his dispensation.
[6] The combination of {.} {.} in the text of this concluding
sentence, and so frequently occurring throughout the narrative, has
occasioned no little dispute among previous translators. In the
imperial thesaurus of phraseology (P'ei-wan Yun-foo), under {.}, an
example of it is given from Chwang-tsze, and a note subjoined that {.}
{.} is equivalent to {.} {.}, "anciently and now."
CHAPTER VII
CROSSING OF THE INDUS. WHEN BUDDHISM FIRST CROSSED THE
RIVER FOR THE EAST
The travellers went on to the south-west for fifteen days (at the foot
of the mountains, and) following the course of their range. The way
was difficult and rugged, (running along) a bank exceedingly
precipitous, which rose up there, a hill-like wall of rock, 10,000
cubits from the base.
![A Record Of Buddhistic Kingdoms - Being An Account By The Chinese Monk Fa-hien Of His Travels In India And Ceylon (a.d. 399-414) By James Legge
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NOTES
[1] Eitel and others identify this with Darada, the country of the
ancient Dardae, the region near Dardus; lat - Page 23](../images/travel.jpg)
