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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The Boy
Said, "I Am Making A Tope For Buddha." The King Said, "Very Good;" And
Immediately, Right Over The Boy's Tope, He (Proceeded To) Rear
Another, Which Was More Than Four Hundred Cubits High, And Adorned
With Layers Of All The Precious Substances.
Of all the topes and
temples which (the travellers) saw in their journeyings, there was not
one comparable to this in solemn beauty and majestic grandeur.
There
is a current saying that this is the finest tope in Jambudvipa.[5]
When the king's tope was completed, the little tope (of the boy) came
out from its side on the south, rather more than three cubits in
height.
Buddha's alms-bowl is in this country. Formerly, a king of Yueh-she[6]
raised a large force and invaded this country, wishing to carry the
bowl away. Having subdued the kingdom, as he and his captains were
sincere believers in the Law of Buddha, and wished to carry off the
bowl, they proceeded to present their offerings on a great scale. When
they had done so to the Three Precious Ones, he made a large elephant
be grandly caparisoned, and placed the bowl upon it. But the elephant
knelt down on the ground, and was unable to go forward. Again he
caused a four-wheeled waggon to be prepared in which the bowl was put
to be conveyed away. Eight elephants were then yoked to it, and
dragged it with their united strength; but neither were they able to
go forward.
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