SOO-HO-TO. LEGEND OF BUDDHA.
In that country also Buddhism(1) is flourishing. There is in it the
place where Sakra,(2) Ruler of Devas, in a former age,(3) tried the
Bodhisattva, by producing(4) a hawk (in pursuit of a) dove, when (the
Bodhisattva) cut off a piece of his own flesh, and (with it) ransomed
the dove. After Buddha had attained to perfect wisdom,(5) and in
travelling about with his disciples (arrived at this spot), he informed
them that this was the place where he ransomed the dove with a piece of
his own flesh. In this way the people of the country became aware of
the fact, and on the spot reared a tope, adorned with layers(6) of gold
and silver plates.
NOTES
(1) Buddhism stands for the two Chinese characters {.} {.}, “the Law of
Buddha,” and to that rendering of the phrase, which is of frequent
occurrence, I will in general adhere. Buddhism is not an adequate
rendering of them any more than Christianity would be of {to euaggelion
Xristou}. The Fa or Law is the equivalent of dharma comprehending all
in the first Basket of the Buddhist teaching,—as Dr. Davids says
(Hibbert Lectures, p. 44), “its ethics and philosophy, and its system
of self-culture;” with the theory of karma, it seems to me, especially
underlying it. It has been pointed out (Cunningham’s “Bhilsa Topes,” p.
102) that dharma is the keystone of all king Priyadarsi or Asoka’s
edicts. The whole of them are dedicated to the attainment of one
object, “the advancement of dharma, or of the Law of Buddha.” His
native Chinese afforded no better character than {.} or Law, by which
our author could express concisely his idea of the Buddhistic system,
as “a law of life,” a directory or system of Rules, by which men could
attain to the consummation of their being.
(2) Sakra is a common name for the Brahmanic Indra, adopted by Buddhism
into the circle of its own great adherents;—it has been said, “because
of his popularity.” He is generally styled, as here, T’een Ti, “God or
Ruler of Devas.” He is now the representative of the secular power, the
valiant protector of the Buddhist body, but is looked upon as inferior
to Sâkyamuni, and every Buddhist saint. He appears several times in
Fâ-Hien’s narrative. E. H., pp. 108 and 46.
(3) The Chinese character is {.}, “formerly,” and is often, as in the
first sentence of the narrative, simply equivalent to that adverb. At
other times it means, as here, “in a former age,” some pre-existent
state in the time of a former birth. The incident related is “a Jataka
story.”
(4) It occurs at once to the translator to render the characters {.}
{.} by “changed himself to.” Such is often their meaning in the sequel,
but their use in chapter xxiv may be considered as a crucial test of
the meaning which I have given them here.
(5) That is, had become Buddha, or completed his course {.} {.}.
(6) This seems to be the contribution of {.} (or {.}), to the force of
the binomial {.} {.}, which is continually occurring.