THE THREE PREDECESSORS OF SAKYAMUNI IN THE BUDDHASHIP.
Fifty le to the west of the city bring (the traveller) to a town named
Too-wei,(1) the birthplace of Kasyapa Buddha.(1) At the place where he
and his father met,(2) and at that where he attained to pari-nirvâna,
topes were erected. Over the entire relic of the whole body of him, the
Kasyapa Tathagata,(3) a great tope was also erected.
Going on south-east from the city of Sravasti for twelve yojanas, (the
travellers) came to a town named Na-pei-kea,(4) the birthplace of
Krakuchanda Buddha. At the place where he and his father met, and at
that where he attained to pari-nirvâna, topes were erected. Going north
from here less than a yojana, they came to a town which had been the
birthplace of Kanakamuni Buddha. At the place where he and his father
met, and where he attained to pari-nirvâna, topes were erected.
NOTES
(1) Identified, as Beal says, by Cunningham with Tadwa, a village nine
miles to the west of Sahara-mahat. The birthplace of Kasyapa Buddha is
generally thought to have been Benares. According to a calculation of
Rémusat, from his birth to A.D. 1832 there were 1,992,859 years!
(2) It seems to be necessary to have a meeting between every Buddha and
his father. One at least is ascribed to Sâkyamuni and his father (real
or supposed) Suddhodana.
(3) This is the highest epithet given to every supreme Buddha; in
Chinese {.} {.}, meaning, as Eitel, p. 147 says, “_Sic profectus sum_.”
It is equivalent to “Rightful Buddha, the true successor in the Supreme
Buddha Line.” Hardy concludes his account of the Kasyapa Buddha (M. B.,
p. 97) with the following sentence:—“After his body was burnt, the
bones still remained in their usual position, presenting the appearance
of a perfect skeleton; and the whole of the inhabitants of Jambudvipa,
assembling together, erected a dagoba over his relics one yojana in
height!”
(4) Na-pei-kea or Nabhiga is not mentioned elsewhere. Eitel says this
Buddha was born at the city of Gan-ho ({.} {.} {.}) and Hardy gives his
birthplace as Mekhala. It may be possible, by means of Sanskrit, to
reconcile these statements.