~The Jetavana Vihâra--Legends of Buddha~
Going on from this to the south, for eight yojanas, the travellers came
to the city of Sravasti in the kingdom of Kosala, in which the
inhabitants were few and far between, amounting in all only to a few
more than two hundred families; the city where king Prasenajit ruled,
and the place of the old vihâra of Maha-prajâpati; [1] of the well and
walls of the house of the Vaisya head Sudatta; [2] and where the
Angulimâlya [3] became an Arhat, and his body was afterwards burned on
his attaining to pari-nirvâna. At all these places topes were
subsequently erected, which are still existing in the city. The
Brahmans, with their contrary doctrine, became full of hatred and envy
in their hearts, and wished to destroy them, but there came from the
heavens such a storm of crashing thunder and flashing lightning that
they were not able in the end to effect their purpose.
As you go out from the city by the south gate, and one thousand two
hundred paces from it, the Vais'ya head Sudatta built a vihâra, facing
the south; and when the door was open, on each side of it there was a
stone pillar, with the figure of a wheel on the top of that on the left,
and the figure of an ox on the top of that on the right. On the left and
right of the building the ponds of water clear and pure, the thickets of
trees always luxuriant, and the numerous flowers of various hues,
constituted a lovely scene, the whole forming what is called the
Jetavana vihâra.
When Buddha went up to the Trayastrimsas heaven, and preached the Law
for the benefit of his mother, after he had been absent for ninety days,
Prasenajit, longing to see him, caused an image of him to be carved in
Gosirsha Chandana wood, and put in the place where he usually sat. When
Buddha, on his return entered the vihara, this image immediately left
its place, and came forth to meet him. Buddha said to it, "Return to
your seat. After I have attained to pari-nirvâna, you will serve as a
pattern to the four classes of my disciples," [4] and on this the image
returned to its seat. This was the very first of all the images of
Buddha, and that which men subsequently copied. Buddha then removed, and
dwelt in a small vihara on the south side of the other, a different
place from that containing the image, and twenty paces distant from it.
The Jetavana vihâra was originally of seven stories. The kings and
people of the countries around vied with one another in their offerings,
hanging up about it silken streamers and canopies, scattering flowers,
burning incense, and lighting lamps, so as to make the night as bright
as the day. This they did day after day without ceasing. It happened
that a rat, carrying in its mouth the wick of a lamp, set one of the
streamers or canopies on fire, which caught the vihâra, and the seven
stories were all consumed. The kings, with their officers and people,
were all very sad and distressed, supposing that the sandalwood image
had been burned; but lo! after four or five days, when the door of a
small vihâra on the east was opened, there was immediately seen the
original image. They were all greatly rejoiced, and cooperated in
restoring the vihâra. When they had succeeded in completing two stories,
they removed the image back to its former place.
When Fâ-hien and Tâo-ching first arrived at the Jetavana monastery, and
thought how the World-honored one had formerly resided there for
twenty-five years, painful reflections arose in their minds. Born in a
border-land, along with their like-minded friends, they had travelled
through so many kingdoms; some of those friends had returned to their
own land, and some had died, proving the impermanence and uncertainty of
life; and today they saw the place where Buddha had lived now unoccupied
by him. They were melancholy through their pain of heart, and the crowd
of monks came out, and asked them from what kingdom they were come. "We
are come," they replied, "from the land of Han." "Strange," said the
monks with a sigh, "that men of a border country should be able to come
here in search of our Law!" Then they said to one another, "During all
the time that we, preceptors and monks, have succeeded to one another,
we have never seen men of Han, followers of our system, arrive here."
Four li to the northwest of the vihâra there is a grove called "The
Getting of Eyes." Formerly there were five hundred blind men, who lived
here in order that they might be near the vihâra. Buddha preached his
Law to them, and they all got their eyesight. Full of joy, they stuck
their staves in the earth, and with their heads and faces on the ground,
did reverence. The staves immediately began to grow, and they grew to be
great. People made much of them, and no one dared to cut them down, so
that they came to form a grove. It was in this way that it got its name,
and most of the Jetavana monks, after they had taken their mid-day meal,
went to the grove, and sat there in meditation.
Six or seven li northeast from the Jetavana, mother Vaisakha built
another vihâra, to which she invited Buddha and his monks, and which is
still existing.
To each of the great residences for the monks at the Jetavana vihâra
there were two gates, one facing the east and the other facing the
north. The park containing the whole was the space of ground which the
Vaisaya head, Sudatta, purchased by covering it with gold coins. The
vihâra was exactly in the centre. Here Buddha lived for a longer time
than at any other place, preaching his Law and converting men. At the
places where he walked and sat they also subsequently reared topes, each
having its particular name; and here was the place where Sundari [5]
murdered a person and then falsely charged Buddha with the crime.
Outside the east gate of the Jetavana, at a distance of seventy paces to
the north, on the west of the road, Buddha held a discussion with the
advocates of the ninety-six schemes of erroneous doctrine, when the king
and his great officers, the householders, and people were all assembled
in crowds to hear it. Then a woman belonging to one of the erroneous
systems, by name Chañchamana, prompted by the envious hatred in her
heart, and having put on extra clothes in front of her person, so as to
give her the appearance of being with child, falsely accused Buddha
before all the assembly of having acted unlawfully towards her. On this,
Sakra, Ruler of Devas, changed himself and some devas into white mice,
which bit through the strings about her waist; and when this was done,
the extra clothes which she wore dropped down on the ground. The earth
at the same time was rent, and she went down alive into hell. This also
is the place where Devadatta, trying with empoisoned claws to injure
Buddha, went down alive into hell. Men subsequently set up marks to
distinguish where both these events took place.
Further, at the place where the discussion took place, they reared a
vihâra rather more than sixty cubits high, having in it an image of
Buddha in a sitting posture. On the east of the road there was a
devâlaya [6] of one of the contrary systems, called "The Shadow
Covered," right opposite the vihâra on the place of discussion, with
only the road between them, and also rather more than sixty cubits high.
The reason why it was called "The Shadow Covered" was this: When the sun
was in the west, the shadow of the vihâra of the World-honored one fell
on the devâlaya of a contrary system; but when the sun was in the east,
the shadow of that devâlaya was diverted to the north, and never fell on
the vihâra of Buddha. The malbelievers regularly employed men to watch
their devâlaya, to sweep and water all about it, to burn incense, light
the lamps, and present offerings; but in the morning the lamps were
found to have been suddenly removed, and in the vihâra of Buddha. The
Brahmans were indignant, and said, "Those Sramanas take our lamps and
use them for their own service of Buddha, but we will not stop our
service for you!" [7] On that night the Brahmans themselves kept watch,
when they saw the deva spirits which they served take the lamps and go
three times round the vihâra of Buddha and present offerings. After this
administration to Buddha they suddenly disappeared. The Brahmans
thereupon knowing how great was the spiritual power of Buddha, forthwith
left their families, and became monks. It has been handed down, that,
near the time when these things occurred, around the Jetavana vihâra
there were ninety-eight monasteries, in all of which there were monks
residing, excepting only in one place which was vacant. In this Middle
Kingdom there are ninety-six sorts of views, erroneous and different
from our system, all of which recognize this world and the future world
and the connection between them. Each has its multitude of followers,
and they all beg their food: only they do not carry the alms-bowl. They
also, moreover, seek to acquire the blessing of good deeds on
unfrequented ways, setting up on the roadside houses of charity, where
rooms, couches, beds, and food and drink are supplied to travellers, and
also to monks, coming and going as guests, the only difference being in
the time for which those parties remain.
There are also companies of the followers of Devadatta still existing.
They regularly make offerings to the three previous Buddhas, but not to
Sâkyamuni Buddha.
Four li southeast from the city of Srâvastî, a tope has been erected at
the place where the World-honored one encountered king Virûdhaha, when
he wished to attack the kingdom of Shay-e, and took his stand before him
at the side of the road.
[Footnote 1: Explained by "Path of Love," and "Lord of Life." Prajâpati
was aunt and nurse of Sâkyamuni, the first woman admitted to the
monkhood, and the first superior of the first Buddhistic convent. She is
yet to become a Buddha.]
[Footnote 2: Sudatta, meaning "almsgiver," was the original name of
Anâtha-pindika, a wealthy householder, or Vaisya head, of Srâvasti,
famous for his liberality. Of his old house, only the well and walls
remained at the time of Fâ-hien's visit to Srâvasti.]
[Footnote 3: The Angulimâlya 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.]
[Footnote 4: Ârya, meaning "honorable," "venerable," is a title given
only to those who have mastered the four spiritual truths:--(i) that
"misery" is a necessary condition of all sentient existence; this is
duhka: (ii) that the "accumulation" of misery is caused by the passions;
this is samudaya: (iii) that the "extinction" of passion is possible;
this is nirodha: and (iv) 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--Srotâpannas, Sakridâgamins, Anâgâmins, and Arhats.]
[Footnote 5: Hsüan-chwang does not give the name of this murderer; see
in Julien's "Vie et Voyages de Hiouen-thsang "--"a heretical Brahman
killed a woman and calumniated Buddha." See also the fuller account in
Beal's "Records of Western Countries," where the murder is committed by
several Brahmacharins. In this passage Beal makes Sundari to be the name
of the murdered person. But the text cannot be so construed.]
[Footnote 6: A devâlaya is a place in which a deva is worshipped--a
general name for all Brahmanical temples.]
[Footnote 7: Their speech was somewhat unconnected, but natural enough
in the circumstances. Compare the whole account with the narrative in 1
Samuel v. about the Ark and Dagon, that "twice-battered god of
Palestine."]