Travels of Fah-Hian and Sung-Yun, Buddhist pilgrims : from China to India (400 A.D. and 518 A.D.) / translated from Chinese by Samuel Beal.

  • Faxian
Date:
1869
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Travels of Fah-Hian and Sung-Yun, Buddhist pilgrims : from China to India (400 A.D. and 518 A.D.) / translated from Chinese by Samuel Beal. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Rahula.1 Tlie professors of the Abhidharma pay their religious offerings to that work, and so also with, the masters of the Yin ay a. Every year there is one such religious service, each individual having his own day. Men who belong to the Great Vehicle worship the Prajna Paramita,2 Man- of him again. He must then request the priest to impart to him the threefold protective formulary (Sansc. tri sarana, Ch. san kwei)，viz.: I take refuge in Buddha, in the Law, in the Associated Priesthood. And lie then repeats the ten obligations, which, are, (1.) Not to kill; (2.) Not to steal， (3.) Not to marry; (4.) Not to lie; (5.) Not to drink intoxicating liquors; (6.) Not to eat after mid-day; (7.) Not to attend dancing, singing, music parties or theatres; (8.) Not to use perfumes, unguents, or ornamental flowers; (9.) Not to seek high, or honourable seats or conches in company; (10.) Not to covet or receive gold, silver or precious articles” (The duties of the Shami may be learned from the Catecliisni of the Shamans, or from M. B. pp. 24, 25). 1 Eahula, the son of Buddha by his wife Yasod^ri. R. translates this very differently. 2 This expression refers to a class of works in Buddhist literature so called. Prajna is knowledge, sanctified knowledge. Paramita [para + mita，pp. from, ma (E. Burnouf), but rather from para (sc. par am) and ita, pp. from i (emi) to go]，is, literally, u transported across，” therefore the whole phrase is equivalent to this, a the knowledge (of one wlio has been) transported across,” or as we might say “Divine wisdom.” The idea is fully explained and tediously dwelt upon, by commentators of tlie Chinese Paramita works. Let us content ourselves with the following, which occurs in the commentary of Tai Teen，on the Hridaya Prajna Paramita Sutra. “ Prajna (wisdom) is like the pole that propels the boat, so it advances the human soul. The heart putting forth its power (i.e. of this wisdom), emerges from the surging sea of life. The body advances straight to the shore of Bodhi (perfect enlightenment) with free and elastic gait; the man assumes his original nature, like the moon emerging from the clouds. Paramita (that shore). After emerging from the sea of life and death the shore on which we land is called ‘that shore/ whilst ihe shore on which men are subject to the necessity of life and death is called ^ this shore/ Those who corrupt