There are
still the ruins of a great town, the name being Sahet Mahat. It was in
this town, or in its neighbourhood, that Sakyamuni spent many years of
his life after he became Buddha.
[2] There were two Indian kingdoms of this name, a southern and a
northern. This was the northern, a part of the present Oudh.
[3] In Singhalese, Pase-nadi, meaning "leader of the victorious army."
He was one of the earliest converts and chief patrons of Sakyamuni.
Eitel calls him (p. 95) one of the originators of Buddhist idolatory,
because of the statue which is mentioned in this chapter. See Hardy's
M. B., pp. 283, 284, et al.
[4] Explained by "Path of Love," and "Lord of Life." Prajapati was
aunt and nurse of Sakyamuni, the first woman admitted to the monkhood,
and the first superior of the first Buddhistic convent. She is yet to
become a Buddha.
[5] Sudatta, meaning "almsgiver," was the original name of Anatha-
pindika (or Pindada), a wealthy householder, or Vaisya head, of
Sravasti, famous for his liberality (Hardy, Anepidu). Of his old
house, only the well and walls remained at the time of Fa-hien's visit
to Sravasti.
[6] The Angulimalya were a sect or set of Sivaitic fanatics, who made
assassination a religious act. The one of them here mentioned had
joined them by the force of circumstances. Being converted by Buddha,
he became a monk; but when it is said in the text that he "got the
Tao," or doctrine, I think that expression implies more than his
conversion, and is equivalent to his becoming an Arhat. His name in
Pali is Angulimala. That he did become an Arhat is clear from his
autobiographical poem in the "Songs of the Theras."
[7] Eitel (p. 37) says: - "A noted vihara in the suburbs of Sravasti,
erected in a park which Anatha-pindika bought of prince Jeta, the son
of Prasenajit. Sakyamuni made this place his favourite residence for
many years. Most of the Sutras (authentic and supposititious) date
from this spot."
[8] See chapter xvii.
[9] See chapter xiii.
[10] Arya, meaning "honourable," "venerable," is a title given only to
those who have mastered the four spiritual truths: - (1) that "misery"
is a necessary condition of all sentient existence; this is duhkha:
(2) that the "accumulation" of misery is caused by the passions; this
is samudaya: (3) that the "extinction" of passion is possible; this is
nirodha: and (4) that the "path" leads to the extinction of passion;
which is marga. According to their attainment of these truths, the
Aryas, or followers of Buddha, are distinguished into four classes, -
Srotapannas, Sakridagamins, Anagamins, and Arhats. E. H., p. 14.
[11] This is the first time that Fa-hien employs the name Ho-shang {.}
{.}, which is now popularly used in China for all Buddhist monks
without distinction of rank or office.
![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
-
NOTES
[1] In Singhalese, Sewet; here evidently the capital of Kosala. It is
placed by Cunningham (Archaeological Survey) on the - Page 51](../images/travel.jpg)
