Origin of the Mani Wheel -(Actual Text)

The legend of the origin of the mani-wheel is like a journey to another world or dimension comparable to something out of Lord of the Rings or Indiana Jones and his quest for the Holy Grail.

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Arya Chenrezig predicted to Master Ludrup Nyingpo, "In the palace of the land of Naga is the Naga King Bodhisattva, who is the owner of a profound wheel of Dharma. By hearing, seeing, touching or thinking of this wheel, one can swiftly attain liberation from the suffering of the three lower rebirths. If you go and fetch this wheel, the benefits to sentient beings will be enormous."

Consequently, Master Ludrup visited the land of Naga and said to Naga King Bodhisattva, "Oh, Naga King Bodhisattva, please pay attention to me. I have come here because Arya Cherezig prophesized that the benefits to sentient beings will be enormous if I beg from you your profound wheel of Dharma, which can liberate beings from all types of sufferings of lower rebirths just by hearing, seeing, touching or thinking of it. Kindly give it to me."

Naga King Bodhisattva replied, "This wheel of Dharma, which has the quality of quickly liberating all transmigrators from the great suffering of the three lower rebirths merely by hearing, seeing, touching or thinking of it, was kindly given to us in the past by the Buddha Mar Mezed, and has given nagas much happiness. through it many have been led to the grounds and paths of Buddhahood. This Dharma Wheel is the wheel of the mantra Om Mani Padme Hung, the essence mantra Arya Chenrezig received from the Buddhas upon request, and which represents the essence of all the qualities of body, speech, mind and actions of the Buddhas. I shall give this wheel to you. You must place it on or in earth, water, fire or wind and use it for the sake of Dharma and living beings."

The wheel was passed on to Master Nagarjuna together with its instructions for use. Master Nagarjuna brought it to India and later passed it on to the Lion-Faced Dakini, Senge Dongma (Tibetan) Simhamukha (Sanskrit). From her the lineage passed through Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa and Milarepa to Dakpo Lha Je, then to Khampa Yu Se and so on.

Source:
http://www.tantricheartwheels.com/

Explanation of Infinite Benefits (Actual Text)

Namo Guru Arya Lokesvaraya

May the transcendent Compassionate Eyed One, who trained in the two collections from beginningless time and whose holy mind filled with the treasure of great compassion encircle migratory beings like a lasso and guide beings forever.

The Infinite Light Buddha (Amitabha) said, "In order to benefit degenerate time sentient beings, the benefits of the six syllables are explained here. Anyone who recites the six syllables while turning the Dharma Wheel at the same time is equal in fortune to the Thousand Buddhas,"

Shakyamuni Buddha said, "Listen well, Completely Eliminating Obscurations (Dikpa Nangsel), the sublime practicioner of the heart meaning turning the inside shaft [Dharma Wheel]once is better than having done retreat for one year; the middle practicioner of the heart meaning turning the Dharma Wheel once is better than having done retreat for seven years; and even the lower practicioner of the heart meaning turning the Dharma Wheel is better than having done retreat for nine years. Turning the Dharma Wheel is better than listening, reflecting and meditating for aeons.

Completely Eliminating Obscurations (Dikpa Nansel) then said, "Turning the Dharma Wheel once is better than attemting to practice the ten paramitas for a thousand years, It is even better than explaining and listening to the Tripitaka and the four tantras for aeons."

The Saviour Maitreya Buddha said, "If one offers well divine dress (katas, scarves, canopy) to the profound Dharma Wheel, one will receive rich dress for five-hundred lifetimes. From the merit of offering the hook, one will proceed along the entire path of liberation. From the merit of having offered the shaft(central rod), one will become the guide of all sentient beings.

Source:
http://www.tantricheartwheels.com/

History Of Buddhism in China

HSUAN TSANG (var. Hiuen Tsiang) - 7th Century Chinese Buddhist Pilgrim

A well known Chinese monk who visited India and traversed a large number of countries covering more than 50,000 Li. Though the dangers that he encountered were many he fulfilled his main objective undaunted by them. His contribution to the cause of Buddhism in general and to the Great Vehicle in particular is immense. For these and many other reasons he is held by the Chinese Buddhists in the highest esteem among the pilgrims of his calibre.

The following information on Hsūan-tsang's travels and his accounts of India and other countries which he travelled in his long journey is based mainly on two sources, namely, "Si-yu-ki, Buddhist Records of the Western World" an English translation of the Chinese version of Hsūan-tsang and "The Life of Hiuen-tsiang" an English translation of his biography written in Chinese by Shaman Hwui-li, a disciple of his. Among secondary sources the most useful treatise is 'On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India', a critical study written by Thomas Watters in 1961. This work is based on Hsūan-tsang's Hsi-Yu-Shi (or Si-Yu-Ki) also entitled Buddhist Records of the Western World.

Hsūan-tsang was born in 603 A.C. in Chin-lu in the reign of Emperor Wen of the Sui dynasty and lived about sixty-five years. Opinions, however, differ regarding the exact years of his birth and death. His secular name was Ch'en-Chin and he was the youngest of four brothers. His father was Ch'en-hui who devoted himself to the study of Confucious' teachings. Even as a child Hsūan-tsang was unusually of grave temperament and intelligence. He did not enjoy the company of boys of his age nor did he appreciate their life style. His second brother, Chang-tse who had entered the Order previously took Hsūan-tsang to his own convent and made arrangements to impart instruction to him there.

Hsūan-tsang (= Ht.) was so studious that at times he studied without sleep and even food. At one hearing he is said to have comprehended a book thoroughly and after a second reading needed no further instruction. At the age of eleven he was versed in the Saddharmapundarika Sutra and the Vimalakirtinirdesa. At the age of thirteen he was admitted into the Order and was engaged in further studies.

The political situation in the country being unsatisfactory the two brothers went to Chang'an and from there again to Ch'eng-tu, the capital of Shu. There Hsūan-tsang followed lectures on the scriptures delivered by eminent scholars and in a few years he mastered the scriptures of various schools and earned a name as a scholar. It was about this time or a few years later that he came to be known by the appellation "The Master of the Law".

In the fifth year of Wu-te he received full ordination at Ch'eng-tu. He went to Chin-chow for further studies where he also conducted sermons as an advanced student. Scholar monks who gathered there as listeners treated him with great respect and admiration. Thereupon he went to Chaochow, Hsiang-chow and Ch'ang-an and studied the Samyuktābhidharma-hrdaya, the Mahāyāna-sangraha, the Abhidharma-kosa etc.

In a short time Ht. mastered all the theories of the different schools of Buddhism and was acclaimed as a great scholar. He found that Buddhist teachings he had learned, mainly those concerned with the theory of Dharmalaksana and the views held by the propounders of the Mahāyāna-Sangraha and those held by the followers of the Dasabhūmivyākarana were at variance. Moreover, he discerned many defects in the Chinese translations of the sacred books, and consequently he cherished the idea of going to India to learn at the feet of orthodox scholars. In this he was inspired to some extent by his forerunners Fa-hsien and Chi-yen who undertook similar tasks.

Overcoming many obstacles Ht., at the age of twenty-six years set forth from Chang-an and going through several provinces or countries came to Liang-chow where he received a companion to travel to the West. Despite the attempts of spies to detain him the governor of the province, Li-chiang, however, let him proceed on his journey. Some of the territories or countries which he traversed until he reached the borders of North India were Turfan (Kau-chang), Agni (O-ki-ni), Kuche (Kiuchi) an oasis in the Gobi desert, Nujkend (Nu-chin-kien), Chaf (Che-shi), Ferghanah (Fei-han in Turkestan), Sutrishna (Su-tu-Ii-sse-na), Samarkhand (Sa-mo-kien), Kesh (Ki-shwang-na), Kunduz (Hwo), Bhaktra or Bactria (Fo-ho-lo), Bamiyam (Fan-yen-na) and Kapisa (Kia-pi-she).

His journey was beset with dangers and hardships. As the only guide given him to accompany until the last of the watch towers in sandy desert also deserted him he went on all alone. The worst experience encountered was in the heart of the Mo-kia-yen desert which extended for 800 li. One hundred li after entering the desert he lost his way. By accident his water bag gave way without leaving a drop of water in it and he had to spend four nights and five days in the desert without water.

At a later stage when wending their way up the snow-clad Ling mountain, and the snowy mountain (Hindukush) lying to the south of Balkh, twelve or fourteen of his companions and an even greater number of oxen and horses met with death.

Obstacles caused by robbers on his way to India and also in India itself were more than embarrassing. Even governors or kings of certain countries embarrassed him as he was proceeding towards India. Although very hospitable and respectful to Ht. the king of Kam-chang, Khio-wen-tai planned to detain him in his court as his spiritual head. Ht. got out of this grip only by the threat of fasting unto death. Another attempt to detain him was made by the Great Khan of the Turks. As will appear below, Ht. underwent another such experience in Eastern India as well.

Of the countries which were traversed by Ht. on his way to North India, Bhaktra (Po-ho-lo), Bamiyan (Fanyen-na) and Kapisa (Kia-pi-she) were active centres of Buddhism. According to Ht, there were about three thousand monks of the Little Vehicle in Bhaktra. There was a scholar monk called Prajñākara who was versed in the three pitakas of the Little Vehicle. Ht. was pleased with his explanation of the doctrine of that school.

Ht. reached Bamiyan crossing Hindu-kush. In both Bamiyan and Kapisa, there were several thousand monks of the Little Vehicle. In Bamiyan there were three imposing figures of the Buddha. One of these was a standing figure of about 140 or 150 feet high. Another figure of the standing Buddha measures 100 feet in height. An enormous figure of the recumbent Buddha depicting his 'Nirvana' measures 1000 feet in length.

At a conference held in a temple of the Great Vehicle in Kapisa Ht. being thorough with the teachings of both schools, proved his superiority over all who participated in it. From Kapisa onwards his itinerary covered territories in North India of which the following place names are graphed by Ht. into a separate unit. Lamghan (Lanpo), Nagarahara (Na-kie-to-ho), Gandhara (Kien-to-lo), Udyana (U-chang), Takshasila (Ta-ch'a-shi-lo), Urasa (Wu-la-sa), Kashmir (Kia-shi-mi-lo), Punach (Pun-nuh-t'so) and Rajapuri (Ho-lo-she-pu-lo). According to Ht, common people in the above territories differ to some extent from those of India in respect of manners, clothing and language.

Si-yu-ki, Buddhist Records of the Western World (Records) ed. Samuel Beal., New Delhi, 1981, Bk. II, pp. 68, 917; The Life of Hiuen Tsiang (=The Life) ed. Samuel Beal., New Delhi, 1973, pp. 57-72. The countries from Lamgham to Rajapuri both inclusive were not regarded by the people of India proper as forming parts of their territory (Watters, Thomas, On Yuang Chwang's Travels in India, pub. Munshi Ram Manohar Lal, Oriental Publishers and Booksellers, Delhi, 1961, p. 180, (Abbreviated as Watters).

Nagarahara (Jelalabad) occupies a prominent place as a country possessing Buddha's relics. In Nagarahara or its neighbourhood Ht. rejoined his companions and went to Gandhara by the Khyber Pass. He gives the names of a number of sages and saints who composed sāstras there. Then he goes to describe the famous stupa of 400 feet in height ascribed to king Kanishka. It was situated in Purushapura (Po-lu-shu-po-lo), the capital of Gandhara.

Either side of the river Subhavastu (Su-po-fa-sa-tu) in the country of Udyana is said by Ht. to have been thickly populated by Buddhists in former days. At the time of his visit he saw the country depopulated. The few monks who were there at the time belonged to five different schools viz. the Dharmaguptas, the Mahisāsakas, the Kasyapiyas, the Sarvāstivadins and the Mahāsanghikas. Among the objects of worship are mentioned figures of Avalokitesvara and Maitreya bodhisattva.

In Takshasila, Urasa and Kashmir, too, he saw various Buddhist sites. The chief monk in Kashmir was of high moral character and of remarkable intelligence. This monk explained many parts of the doctrine to him. This learned teacher was so impressed by Ht. that the latter was compared to Asanga bodhisattva in respect of his wisdom. According to Ht. Kanishka, convened an assembly, known to history as the Fourth Council, in the four hundredth year from the 'Nirvana' of the Tathāgata. Ht. stayed for two years studying sutras and sāstras.

Leaving Kashmir Ht. made his way to Punach and from there to Rajapuri. From Rajapuri he entered a different zone in North India arriving at Takka (Teheka) as its starting point. To the east of the town called Narasimha (Na-lo-sang-ho) he and the accompanying sāmaneras encountered a band of fifty robbers who robbed them of their belongings. However, a brahmin in the neighbourhood came to their help and they managed to escape with no loss of life. There he remained for one month, and for fourteen months in the kingdom of Chinapati (Chi-na-po-tai) studying various texts.

Before reaching the next important kingdom, Mathura (Mo-t'u-lo) he passed through the kingdoms of Jalandhara (She-lan-t'o-lo), Kuluta (Kiu-la-ta), Satadra (Shete-to-lu) and Paryatra (Po-li-ye-to-to). An interesting custom of making offerings in honour of the disciples of the Buddha is said to have prevailed in Mathura. The followers of Abhidhamma made offerings in honour of Sāriputta, those who practised meditation....... in honour of Maudgalyāyana, the students of the sutras...... in honour of Purnamaitrāyaniputra, the followers of the Vinaya..... in honour of Upāli, the bhikkhunis..... in honour of Ananda, the Srāmaneras.... in honour of Rāhula and followers of the Great Vehicle.... in honour of bodhisattvas (Watters, pp. 302, 303; The Life, p. 77).

After Mathura he visited Matipuram (Ma-ti-pu-lo) which was ruled by a king of the Sūdra caste. He makes reference to Gunaprabha the author of Tattvavibhanga Sāstra and to a learned doctor called Sanghabbadra who was versed in the Vibhāsā of the Sarvistivāda school and who composed the Kosa-kārikā. Ht. stayed there for a few months and studied various texts under the eminent monk called Mitrasena.

On his way to Kapitha (Kis-pi-tha) also called Sankassa he had to go past Brahmapura (P'o-lo-hih-mo-pu-lo), Ahikshetra ('O-hi-shi-to-lo) and Virāsana (Pi-to-shanna). Proceeding two hundred li towards north-west from Kapitha he reached Kanauj or Kānyakubja (Kie-jo-kio-she-kwo). Its capital borders on the Ganges on the West.

Watters argues that the direction shown in the text is wrong and it should be South East. He also argues that the river in question is not the Ganges but a tributary of that river (Waiters, p. 340; cp. also Records, Bk. V. p. 207.

It was a busy centre of Buddhism and there were ten thousand monks who studied both vehicles very ardently. His account on Harsavardhana or Harsha also called Silāditya is of immense historical value.

Countries from Ayodhyā (O-yo-t'o) to Hiranya parvata (I-lam-na-po-fa-to) constitute another phase of his long pilgrimage. Six hundred li to the south-east from Kanauj is Ayodhya. Several thousand monks there studied both vehicles, and it is here that Vasubandhu and Asanga carried out their literary activities. When Ht. and his companions were going from Ayodhya to Hayamukha ('O-ye-mu-khi) along the course of the Ganges a gang of pirates took the crew captive. As worshippers of goddess Durga the pirates were looking out for a man of good form and comely features for sacrificing to the goddess. They earmarked Ht. as the most suitable person for the purpose and were about to kill him. Suddenly a typhoon arose smiting down the trees. Clouds of sand flew on every side and the lashing waves of the river tossed the boats to and fro. The pirates getting terrified at the calamity thought that it all happened due to the spiritual power of Ht, and came down in repentance and confessed their fault.

After this nasty experience Ht. went to Hayamukha and from there to Prayāga (Po-lo-ye-kia). He describes Prayāga, the confluence of two rivers, Gangā and Yamunā and the level ground of about fourteen li in circuit, to the West. From Prayāga he set out for Kausambi (Kiau-shang-mi) where he saw many sanghāramas, stūpas and a sandalwood image of the Buddha fashioned by king Udayana. According to Ht, there were about three thousand monks belonging to the Sammitiya school of the Little Vehicle in the Kingdom of Visākha (Pi-so-kia).

In Srāvasti, the next important Buddhist centre he visited, there were several hundred sanghārāmas belonging to the Sammitiya school. Sites connected with various incidents are described: for instance, the spot on which Angulimāla gave up his evil acts and was converted, the convent where Brahmacāri heretics killed a woman and accused the Buddha of her murder, the venue in which the Buddha defeated all the heretics, the place where the Buddha met his father, king Suddhodana, for the first time since Enlightenment and so on.

From Srāvasti he went to Kapilavastu (Kie-pi-lo-fa-sutu) where the capital as well as some thousand villages were in a state of ruin. There he saw old foundations of the main palace of Suddhodana and the sleeping quarters of Queen Māyā etc. Hsūan-tsang's account of Kapilavastu and Kusinagara (Kushi-na-kie-lo) or Kusinārā is replete with accounts of the life of the Buddha before and after his Enlightenment, for example the place of his birth, prophetic pronouncement, sites of the Four Signs, Parinirvāna etc. According to Ht. the contemporary tradition has it that the Buddha's Nirvina' took place on the fifteenth day of the latter half of the month of Vaisākha. The Sarvāstivādins held that it took place during the second half of the month of Kārtika i.e. November.

Referring to the kingdom of Banaras or Bārānasi (Po-lo-ni-sse) he speaks of two schools of monks, one belonging to the Sarvāstivāda and the other to the Sammitiya school both belonging to the Little Vehicle. Important sites such as the venue of the Buddha's first sermon and his washing tank are mentioned in his account.

From Bārānasi he went to Ghazipur (Chen-chu) and then to Vaisāli. There the capital city was in a state of devastation and ruin. The inhabitants at the time of his visit were very few in number. In a sanghārāma there the Buddha is said to have recited the Vimalakirti Sutra. Three important places relating to his Parinirvana are also mentioned.

On his way to Magadha (Mo-kie-to) he stopped at the town of Svetapura where he obtained the sūtra called the Bodhisattva-pitaka. He had a high esteem for the people of Magadha. According to him there were about ten thousand monks mostly belonging to the Great Vehicle in Magadha. The capital of Magadha was desolate and in ruins. According to Ht. Asoka held a convocation of a thousand monks at a monastery called Kukkutārāma. This is an allusion to the Third Council held under the patronage of King Asoka. The monastery in question is named as Asokārāma in the Dpv.vamsa and the Mahāvamsa, the two ancient Pali chronicles of Sri Lanka.

Referring to Nairañjāna and other important sites at Bodhgayā he mentions various beliefs regarding the Vajrāsana. One such belief holds that the site of the Vajrāsana was the centre of the universe. He says that the Bo-tree had been continually cut down and destroyed by the members of the royalty. Elsewhere he refers to one king named Sasānka of Karnasuvarna in Eastern India who destroyed the Bo-tree (Records Bk. viii, p. 121). The following account of Ht. regarding the Bo-tree seems interesting in respect of rituals which developed in later times. "The Bo-tree sheds its leaves when the day of the Nirvana approaches and tender leaves begin to grow after this day. Every year on that day kings, ministers and magistrates pour milk on its roots, light lamps, scatter flowers and they go away collecting leaves.

The account on the Nālandā monastery gives some idea about its academic activities, maintenance, academic staff and student population, curriculum and residential quarters. It says that after the "Nirvana" of the Buddha an old king of that country called Sakrāditya built this convent out of his great attachment for the Buddha. By the time of Ht.'s visit it had been about 700 years since its establishment. Thus its founding dates back to 1st century B.C.

His purpose of going to Nālandā was to learn the principles of the Yoga-sastra, The chief monk Silabhadra admitted Ht. as his disciple. Among the students there were many foreigners. According to Ht. of all the sanghārāmas of India Nālandā Monastery was the most remarkable for its grandeur and height. Resident students numbered ten thousand. They studied the teachings of all the eighteen schools and also subjects such as the Vedas, the Hetuvidyā, Sabdavidyā, the Cikitsāvidyā, the works on magic (Atharvaveda) and the Sānkhya system. There were 1541 scholars who were versed in various branches of study. Within the temple hundred pupils were being arranged every day for preaching and students attended these and participated in discussions without fail.

As for the source of income of the Nālandā monastery Ht. tells us that there was a farm-house belonging to the monastery. The account does not say anything about the way in which the farm was run and how the income accrued to the monastery. There were other sources of income too. According to Ht. the king of the country remitted the revenue of about hundred villages for the endowment of the convent. Two hundred house holders in these villages contributed rice, butter and milk daily. Hence students had no complaints to make about their requisites.

In Rājagrha he locates many important sites connected with various episodes; for instance, the site of the stupa where Devadatta in conjunction with Ajātasatru rājā let loose the drunken elephant with intent to kill the Buddha. Referring to the Grdhrakūta (Ki-li-to-lo-kiu) it is said that while residing there the Buddha declared the Saddharmapundarika (Fa-hwa), the Mahāprajñā (Tapan-jo) and numerous other Sutras.

His account on the First Council held in Rājagrha is rather misleading. It appears that he has incorporated into it certain details which deal with later councils. According to Ht. the collection of scriptures authorised by the Council came to be called Sthavira collection because Kāsyapa (Mahā Kassapa) officiated as the president of the assembly. As regards the emergence of the Mahāsanghika school Ht. informs us that monks who were excluded from the Council held by Mahā Kāsyapa assembled in Rājagrha and made a collection of the doctrine in five Pitakas, the Sutra Pitaka, the Vinaya Pitaka, the Abhidhamma Pitaka, the Miscellaneous Pitaka and the Dhārani Pitaka. How this assembly got the name Mahāsanghika is explained as follows: "As in this assembly there were ordinary persons (Fan-fu) and holy men it was called the Convocation of the Mahāsanghikas (The Life, p. 117 cp. Dpv.vamsa, H. Oldenberg, New Delhi, 1982, 5,30).

Having visited sacred places in the vicinity of Nālandā Ht. returned to the Nālandā Monastery again and studied several texts such as the Yoga-sastra, the Nyāyānusārasastra, the Hin-hiang-tui-fa-ming, the Hetuvidyā-sastra, the Prānyamūla-sastra-tīkā and the Sata-sastra. Although he had studied the Kosa-vibhāsā and the Satpadābhidharma-sastra in different parts of Kashmir yet he studied them again at Nālandā Monastery. He also studied Brahman literary works and a grammatical treatise the author of which is not known. On the task of studying the Buddhist and Brahman texts he spent five years.

The next country he visited was Hiranyaparvata (I-lanna-po-fa-to) where he stayed for one year and read the Vibhāsā and the Nyāyānusāra-sastra etc. From Hiranyaparvata he made his way to the kingdom of Champa where monks followed the Little Vehicle. This country was infested with wild beasts such as the elephant, wolf, rhinoceros and black leopard. Elephants in that country were used for drawing carriages.

Countries between Champa (Chen-po) and Samatata (San-to-ch'a) form another phase of his long journey. He visited Hiranya, Kajughira (Ki-shu-ko-kie-lo), Pundravardhana (Pu-na-fa-tan-na) Karnasuvarna (Kielo-na-su-fala-na) before arriving at Samatata. Monks in Pundravardhana belonged to both vehicles whereas those in Karnasuvarna belong to the Little Vehicle of the Sammitiya school. Monks in Karnasurvarna did not use either butter or milk in keeping with the traditional teachings of Devadatta. Immediately after his account on Samatata he refers to Pegu and Siam which, however, lay outside his itinerary.

Countries included in his itinerary in the East and South-east of India were Tāmralipti (Tan-mo-li-ti), Orissa, Kalinga (Kie-ling-kia), Southern Kosala (Kiao-sa-lo), Andhra (An-to-lo), Dhanakataka (To-na-kie-tse-kia) and Chulya. All these countries had centres of Buddhism. He refers to an entrepot called Caritra (Chi-li-ta-lo) situated on the South-eastern frontier of Orissa.

Dhanakataka, according to Ht. was once a reputed centre of learning, and learned men used to come and dwell there but at the time of his visit it was entirely desolate.

The Kingdom of Chulya may be identified with the Cola Kingdom. He locates the Chulya Kingdom outside the Dravida country. What made him follow this description is not clear. The Cola Kingdom formed part of the Dravida country through the ages.

The next place he visited was the Kingdom of Dravida. The territory occupied by Dravida people could have consisted of several kingdoms or countries, but Ht. refers to it as forming one kingdom. However, the capital of that kingdom is named Kanchipura, the birth place of Dharmapāla Bodhisattva.

Whilst in Kanchipura Ht. met some three hundred monks from Sinhala. They informed him of the unsettled situation prevailing in Sri Lanka at the time. This dissuaded him from going there. His purpose of going to Sinhala was to get the Tripitaka explained according to the Sthavira school there and also to study the Yoga Sāstra.

Malakūta was the next important place he visited. He refers to Malayagiri which was well-known for sandalwood and the karpūra scented tree. After Malakūta (Mole-kiu-ch'a) he refers to Sinhala again. According to Ht. Sinhala was originally called Po-chu as it had many gems of a rare character. As for the origin of the Sinhala he narrates with slight variations the legend which traced the origin to a lion king and the murder of the lion by his son. According to Ht. it was the son of the lion who arrived in Po-chu and not his grandson Vijaya as recorded in Sri Lankan chronicles. A second theory about the origin of the Sinhala is narrated as follows: "But it is also said that Sinhala is the name of a merchant's son, who...... came to Po-chu island and slew the Rakshasas and established his capital in the country.

With regard to the teachings prevailing in Sri Lanka he adds that monks there follow the teachings of the Great Vehicle and they belong to the school of the sthaviras. He also refers to the schism which resulted in the division of the Sangha into two factions, the Mahāviharavāsins who were opposed to the Great Vehicle and the Abhayagirivāsins who studied both vehicles. His reference to a mountain named Lankāgiri may be the Samantakūta (Adam's Peak) and it was on that mountain the Tathāgata delivered the Lankāvatāra Sutra according to Ht.

Going two thousand li from Dravida he arrived at Konkanpura (Kin-na-po-lo) and from there to Maharashtra, He tells us that in a vihāra at Konkanpura there was a precious head-dress of Prince Siddhārtha. With reference to Maharashtra he says that the people of that country were a warlike nation. He cites in evidence the unsuccessful attempt of Silāditya rājā to subjugate Pulakesin. This king may be identified as Pulakesin II (609-642 A.C) of the Chalukyas of Vatapi in the Bijapur District.

Among the countries included in his itinerary to the West and North-west of Narmada were Broach (Baroche), Mālava (Mo-la-po), Brāhmanapura (K'ie-ch'a), Vallabhi (Fa-la-pi), Anandapura, Surāshtra (Lasn-c'ha) Gurjjara (Kiu-che-lo), Ujjayin (U-che-yen-na), Chi-ki-to, Mahesvarapura, Surātha, Atyanabakela (O-tin-p'o-chi-lo) and Langala (Lang-kie-lo). The last country is situated near the Great Sea towards the country of western women. If Mālavas were the people of Malava or Malwa in Central India as is generally taken the countries named about are not placed in right order. Ujjayini which is the capital of Malwa is named after Surashtra and Gurjjara situated in Gujarat.

Of all the countries in India, Ht. had a very high opinion of Mālava and Magadha. He says that people of these two countries had the reputation of loving the study of literature, of honouring virtue, of polite language and refined speech. In Mālava there were twenty thousand monks studying the teaching of the Sammitiya school of the small vehicle.

We are told that going north-west from Langāla he went to Persia (Po-la-sse) which, lay outside India. It is said that the bowl (patrā) of the Sakyamuni Buddha was in the royal palace of the country. On its frontier is the city of Ormus (Ho-mo). The countries mentioned next are Babylon? (Fo-lin), an island called the country of the Western women, which is tributary to Fo-lin, Langala, Pitasila (Pi-to-shi-lo), Avanda, Sindh (Sin-tu) Mūlasthānapura or Multan (Mu-lo-s'an-po-la) and Parvati.

If Avanda is to be identified with Avanti in Central India which seems probable in view of his desçriptions of that country, it is difficult to place Avanda on the route followed from Langala to Multan.

The country called Parvata was noted for renowned scholars. Ht. stayed there for two years and studied the Mūlābhidharma-sastra, the Saddharma-samparigrahasāstra and the Prasiksāsatya-sāstra as preserved in the Sammitiya school.

From Parvata he returned south-eastwardly to Magadha and from there to the Nālandā Monastery. There was in Nālandā a renowned monk called Prajñabhadra who was versed in the Three Pitakas, Sāstras etc. Ht. remained there for two years and had his doubts cleared through discussions. He spent two more years studying several branches of study under a renowned lay scholar named Jayasena.

He is said to have been apprised of the time for his return journey in a dream by Maitreya Bodhisattva. However, he was delayed due to unavoidable circumstances. In the meantime, Silabhadra, the master of sastras at Nālandā deputed Ht. to expound to the congregation there the Mahāyāna-samparigraha-sastra and to comment on the difficult points of the Vidyā-mātra-siddhi-sastra.

About this time Simharasmi and Ht. held two different views about the principles of Yoga. Ht. proved more competent in the encounter and composed a sastra in three thousand slokas resolving the controversy. This work was later approved for study. At this time further disputes took place between the adherents of the two vehicles.

Monks in Orissa belittled the Great Vehicle and were used to calling it "Sky Flowers". But the king of that country had a high regard for the Great Vehicle and challenged the authority of the critics. Monks thereupon requested the king to hold a conference at which they would settle the issue. The controversy does not appear to have taken place at a conference as expected but it came to an end with the compilation of a book which was written by Ht. in refutation of the heretical views held by the monks of Orissa. The way he refuted heretical views made his fame so widespread that king Kumārarāja of Karnasuvarna in Eastern India longed to have him as his spiritual head in his kingdom. When Ht. showed his reluctance for the third time the king turned furious and even went to the extent of threatening that he would destroy the whole of Nālandā Monastery in case his request was turned down. Although at last Ht, complied with the request of the king, Silāditya rāja's intervention enabled him to get out of another embarrassing situation.

Silāditya rāja on his part made arrangements to hold a conference for the exposition of the Great Vehicle and to refute the views of the followers of the Little Vehicle. Princes of eighteen countries were invited to participate in the conference. Renowned Buddhist monks, celebrated Brahmans, heretics, non-believers and secular persons attended the conference. For five days Ht. extolled the teachings of the Great Vehicle and no opponent had any opportunity to assert his views. Adherents of the Little Vehicle learning that their school was shattered plotted to kill him. The king, however, threatened to behead any one who made an attempt on the life of Ht. It is said that, at the end, large multitudes forsook the Little Vehicle and embraced the Great-Vehicle. When the conference was over Ht. made up his mind to go back to his country. But on a request made to him by Silāditya to witness the quinquennial distribution called 'Mahā moksa parisad' he had to postpone for ten days his return journey.

For his return journey Ht. chose to follow the northern route in order to keep the pledge made by him to the king of Kan-chang that he would visit him on his way back. Getting out from the city of Prayāga he took the route which lay across Kausambi, Jalandhara, Simhapura, Taksasilā and the river Indus. The boat laden with ola manuscripts and flower seeds capsized in the Indus and fifty manuscript copies and flower seeds were lost. From there he went past Lamghan (Lan-po), Varna, Avakan, the snowy mountains, Kunduz (Hwoh), Tukhara, Kuran, Bolor and Kashgar up to Khotan.

Of these countries Kashgar and Khotan were renowned centres of the Great Vehicle. Whilst in Khotan he states that he accomplished a journey of more than 50,000 li. His journey through various kingdoms took seventeen years. Here he faced the problem of transporting his books, images and such articles and sent a messenger to Kau-chang asking for help. Seven or eight months later transport facilities were arranged.

Among the books he brought were 224 sutras and 192 sāstras of the Great Vehicle; 15 works of the same categories belonging to the Sammitiya School; 22 books of the same belonging to the Mahisāsaka school; 67 books.... of the Sthaviravādin school; 17 works.... of the Kāsyapiya school; 42 works..... of the Dharmagupta school; 36 copies of the Hetuvidyā Sāstra; 13 copies of the Sabdavidyā sastra. Altogether there were 520 copies comprising 657 volumes carried upon twenty horses.

Then he set upon the gigantic task of translating these books into Chinese. For carrying out this project he retired to the monastery of Hong-fu in Si-gan-fu. He completed the translation of 74 distinct works having 1335 chapters. He had moreover made a vast number of pictures and wrote with his own hands copies of various sutras. When all these works had been finished he closed his eyes and lay perfectly still. "Having recited some verses in adoration of Maitreya, he gradually sank until the day of his demise on the 10th March, the 13th day of the year 664."

Hsūan-tsang's travel accounts which appear in the foregoing description furnish information on a wide variety of subjects. Some of these such as physical barriers, the relative distribution of the centres of the Little and the Great Vehicle in and outside India, Buddhist monuments, hospitality shown in different countries, conferences, religious encounters have been surveyed in brief in the above account. Apart from these he presents a wealth of information on a wide range of subjects such as economic, educational and social conditions, religious practices, mannerism, customs administration and so on. He enumerates a number of ways of showing respect and paying homage that was prevalent among the people of India. Some such forms are

(i) greeting with a kind of enquiry;

(ii) reverently bowing the head;

(iii) raising the hands to the head with an inclination of the body;

(iv) bowing with hands folded on the chest;

(v) bending a knee;

(vi) kneeling down;

(vii) going down on the ground on hands and knees;

(viii) bowing down with knees, elbows and forehead to the ground and

(ix) prostrating oneself on the ground.

Regarding the general education meant for Indians he describes that children in the beginning followed the 'Twelve Chapters' and at the age of seven they began to study the great treatises of the 'Five Sciences'. Some idea of Buddhist education may be gained from his description of Nālandā referred to earlier, But his estimation of the Brahmanic system of educating beginners is very high. Regarding the Brahmanic teachers he says: "These teachers explain the general meaning and teach them minutely, they rouse them to activity and skilfully win them over to progress, they instruct the inert and sharpen the dull. When disciples intelligent and acute are addicted to idle shirking the teachers doggedly persevere repeating instruction until their training is finished....."

Ht. states that differences among various schools of Buddhism were seen in their tenets and also in customs. According to Ht. different schools had their own tenets, and controversies ran high. As a result each of the eighteen schools claimed that each system was intellectually superior to others. Tenets of the Great and the Little systems differed widely. Certain concessions and gains were accorded to monks in keeping with their knowledge and where the spiritual attainments were high the distinctions conferred were extraordinary.

Referring to the three robes allowed for monks as their costume he narrates that different schools adhered to different styles having broad or narrow fringes and small or large folds. Ht.'s description about wearing sanghāti (seng-kio-ki) conforms to the present day practice of its wearing by monks in Sri Lanka and other Theravāda countries. As for the antaravāsa, (ni-po-so-na) the undergarment, he says that it was worn without a belt. Rather it was made into plaits and then secured by one of these plaits.

Regarding social organisation Ht. informs us that society consists of four caste groups. These four castes form classes of various degrees of ceremonial purity. The members of a caste marry within the caste. Relatives whether by the father's or mother's side do not intermarry and a woman never contracts a second marriage.

Speaking about the character of the Indian people he tells us that they were of hasty and irresolute temperament but of pure moral principles. They fear retribution for sins in future lives and take lightly their plight in the present life. They keep their sworn obligations.

His account on law and punishment too, is interesting. According to him the offenders who violate statute law were imprisoned for life. For offences against social morality, disloyalty and unfilial conduct the punishment was mutilation or banishment of the offender out of the country or into the wilderness. Other offences can be atoned for by paying a fine. He also describes the four ordeals by which the innocence or guilt of an accused person is determined.

For offences against the Vinaya, the community of brethren has a gradation of penalties. If the offence was slight a reprimand was ordered and the punishment became harsh according to the gravity of the offence. Expulsion from the community was the worst punishment meted out to the most serious offender.

As for the disposal of the dead and the performance of the last rites, there were three recognised customs. The first of these was cremation. The second was water burial, the corpse being put into a stream to float and dissolve. The third was burial in the wilderness, the body being cast away in the woods to be eaten up by wild animals.

The Buddhist brethren were forbidden to wail aloud over a departed one. On the death of a parent they read a service of gratitude to secure for the deceased person bliss in the next life.

If we are to depend on the records left by Ht. certain kings of the Gupta dynasty have patronised Buddhism. According to him Purugupta Vikrama Prakāsāditya, a brother of Skandagupta, Narasimhagupta Balāditya, son and successor of Purugupta, Tathāgatarāja Vainyagupta, another son of Purugupta and Vajira, a son of Narasimhagupta Balāditya patronised Buddhism. All these kings contributed to the promotion of Buddhist learning by building monastic establishments at Nālandā.

According to Ht. the worship of relics was widely practised in many Buddhist countries traversed by him and among these the most popular was the cult of the Tooth Relic of the Buddha. It was prevalent in Bhaktra; in an unnamed temple of a small valley situated to the east of the snowy mountain; Kashmir and Simbala. The next popular Buddhist cult was that of the Bowl-relic.

Purusapura, the capital of Gandhāra as well as Persia are mentioned as countries where the Bowl-relic was venerated. The following objects too were venerated: the sweeping brush made of kusa grass in Bhaktra, the skull-bone at Hidda (Kilo of Fa-hsien) in Nagarahara (Jelalabad), the eye ball, the sanghāti robe, and the staff at the same site and the garment washing stone obtained in Udyāna. A strong tradition about the Buddha presenting pieces of his nails and some hair to two merchants who offered him honey and rice cake is recorded by Ht. with regard to Bhaktra (The Life p.50). This is evidently based on the account in the Vinays Mahāvagga where two merchants play a similar role at Bodh Gaya though no reference is made there to the presentation of nails to them.

On his way to India he passed through countries where Buddhism did not have adherents. Two such countries were Kan-chang and Sa-mo-kien. He succeeded in propagating Buddhism in those countries by delivering effective sermons. In the latter some devotees were so taken up with the teachings that they even entered the Buddhist Order. It was partly due to his evangelist endeavours that Buddhism which lay dormant after the age of the Guptas began to flourish during the reign of Harshavardhana.

Source:
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/DPPN/h/hiuen_tsang.htm

Nalanda

Historical evidence shows that that Nalanda was a great Buddhist centre and a center of learning. Today, Nalanda is a part of the Budhist circuit, i.e. all the destinations that were associated with the life of Lord Buddha.

The University of Nalanda, established during Gupta Period, was a center of international repute and a residential university more than ten thousand students. Students from various parts of the world come to Nalanda to study Buddhism, Vedas, Logic, Grammar, Medicine, Meta-Physics, Prose Composition and Rhetoric. Students from China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Java, and Sumatra would come and study here at the University of Nalanda. The university was involved mainly in research and deep study of intrinsic truth.

The library of the university had a huge collection of literature and books, which according to some scriptures numbered 9 million volumes. The remnants of the university are scattered in an area of some 14 hectares even now. The fact itself shows that the university was flourishing in a large area and catered the need of a huge section of the students.

Chinese traveler Hsuan Tsang, who came here as faculty lived for some twelve years and taught at the university, describes the versatility of the university. Though a large part of the university has been explored, a huge portion remains unexcavated. It is believed that the Nalanda University could accommodate 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers easily. The famous Chinese traveler describes that the university had such a wonderful scholars that each was outshining another.

Later on a monument was built at the place in 12th century AD. Later, invaders destroyed the whole university and burnt the entire campus including the manuscripts. The whole knowledge was in this way was destroyed by the Turkish invader Bakhtiar Khilji. Some of the rare collections are left and can be found in the museum.

Indian government has tried its best to restore the ancient glory of the place, and in this effort in the year 1951 an international center for Buddhist studies was founded. The centre is also accompanied by another modern institution located at the same place- the Nava Nalanda Mahavir Research. The institute houses some of the rare manuscripts.
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Hiuen Tsang Memorial At Nalanda

Hiuen Tsang Memorial is one of the major tourist attractions in Nalanda. Hiuen Tsang Memorial is erected in the memory of the famous Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang. During the glorious days of Nalanda University, Hiuen Tsang came to study Buddhism and mysticism in India. He came in India in 633 AD i.e. during the Gupta period and stayed at Nalanda University for twelve years. He traveled the whole India during his stay at Nalanda.

Acharya Shil Bhadra was his teacher from whom he learned Yoga at the place of the present memorial hall. Later on when the memorial hall was destroyed another construction was done at the same spot in the memory of Hiuen Tsang. Hiuen Tsang was a compulsive traveler; he traveled extensively the whole of India. He visited Takshashila, which was a Buddhist center of learning for further extension of dimension of his learning.

According to a legend, Hiuen Tsiang's visit to Nalanda Mahavihara was towards the fulfillment of his life-long wishes. He ever wanted to study in India and learn Buddhism. He appreciated Indian hospitality and ambience for study and profound learning. He learned Buddhism and Yoga from Shilabhadra and Buddhabhadra. Both the teachers who taught him were of great intelligence and Hiuen Tsang learned a lot of things from them. Study of medicine, crafts, linguistic, and craft was done at the famous university.

Hiuen Tsang returned to China in 645 AD and he opted for the same route which route has had come from. On his way to China he lost many crucial documents which were highly relevant for Buddhist studies. On his way to China he stayed at Kusha and Kashghar monasteries and collected some documents and information relevant for Buddhism which he had lost in Indus River. On his return to China, the emperor built a pagoda at the southern gate of the Hogn-Fu temple in Si-gan-fu and entire collection of Hiuen Tsang was kept and protected in it.

Hiuen Tsang had collected relics, golden and sandalwood statues of Lord Buddha, 224 books of the sutras, 192 Shastras, 15 works of the Sthavira schools, 67 books of the Sarvastivada school, and 17 works of the Kasyapiya school to take to China. After seeing Hiuen Tsang, Chinese emperor got upset because of his learning of different religion. Later on the king accepted him and gave him royal welcome in the capital of the state and built a library to keep all the documents gathered by Hiuen Tsang in it, which are relevant source of history writing of Buddhism
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Nalanda Museum


Heritage and culture are something which every nation is proud of. Each civilized country in the world has tried to preserve its heritage and the sources from which history of the nation is sketched upon in museums. India too has a great heritage, and university at Nalanda is one such heritage which needs care and preservation. Keeping all these things in mind government of India in the year 1917 established Nalanda Archeological Museum at Nalanda. The museum houses the antiques found at the excavated site at Nalanda University which is in ruins since twelfth century AD.

Nalanda Archeological Museum has a collection of more than 13463 antiques. Out of these 349 are on display in the four galleries of the museum. These antiques found in Nalanda date back to fifth century. Since the university was vandalized by the Turkish invaders in twelfth century, all the collection is of before twelfth century.

The antiques that have been found at Nalanda including sculptures of stone, bronze, stucco, and terracotta have been kept in Nalanda Museum. The main gallery of the museum shows sixteen sculptures inclusive of Trailokya Vijay, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, Maitreya, and Buddha in Varad, Dharmachakra and Bhumisparsh posture, Samantbhadra, Parshvanath and Nagaraj. The huge collection of the antique products kept here shows that Buddhism had great influence in and around the region and people followed Dhamma.

The museum at the third gallery displays some ninety-three specimens of bronze sculpture including two images of Buddha in boon giving posture, Tara, Prajnaparmita, Loknath, Bodhisattava padmapani. Another sculpture shows Lord Buddha in earth touching posture at Nalanda Museum. Other than these the images of Lord Ganesh, Surya, Kamadeva, Indrani and Vishnu, etc. of Brahminical religion are found in Nalanda Museum.
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How to Reach Nalanda

Nalanda is known for its oldest university of human kind. It was a great center of learing during the ancient times. Hieun Tsang, a Chinese traveler, came here during 5th century AD to study the social and political conditions. His descriptions are major source of history writing of Gupta period, also of Buddhism.

By Road
Nalanda has a good network of roads, which connect it with other major cities of the state including of Patna, Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Delhi, Kolkata.

By Rail
The nearest railhead is Bakhtiyarpur at the distance of 38 Kms from Nalanda. Being centrally located on the Delhi-Howrah (Kolkata) main line, most of the trains pass through this station.

By Air
The nearest airport from Nalanda is at Patna which is 90 kms away. As Patna is the capital of Bihar there are regular flights through and from cities like, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Bangalore.

Source:
http://www.bharatonline.com/bihar/travel/nalanda/index.html

Gurpa: The mountain where Mahakassapa waits for Maitreya

When Maha Kassapa, the Buddha's successor, realised that his life was drawing to a close he set out for Kukkutapadagiri, his favourite mountain resort. When his progress to the peak was hindered by rocks he struck them with his staff and they opened to let him through. On arriving at the summit a cavity opened in the rocks, he entered, fell into a deep meditative trance and the rocks closed around him.

Legend says that in the distance future when Maitreya appears in the world he will come to Kukkitapadagiri, awaken Maha Kassapa, receive the Buddha's robe from him and then begin to announce the new dispensation. This sacred mountain is now called Gurpa. When you arrive at the village of Gurpa, cross the railway line and take one of the paths that lead to the mountain. From its foot a rough and rather steep path leads up. This path will eventually stop at the base of a sheer cliff which has a huge narrow crack in it. Enter this crack and proceed upwards. Don't forget to bring a torch, you'll need it. After emerging from the dark into the open again keep climbing and soon you will come to another cave.

This may be the place where Asanga spent many years meditating. Leaving this cave and continuing to climb you will soon arrive at the summit where their there are several Hindu shrines and a few Buddhist antiquities. The view from the top is breathtaking and the whole place is very conducive to meditation. This is a wonderful place to read and reflect on Maha Kassapa's beautiful and evocative 'Ode to the Mountains' from the Theragatha. A translation can be found in K R Norman's Elder's Verses published by the Pali Text Society. For more details about Gurpa and its history you can also read my 'Where Maha Kassapa Waits' in The Middle Way, London, February 1998. To get to Gurpa take the Fatipur road from Gaya via Fatipur to Gurpa, a distance of about 33 kilometres over fairly good roads. It will be a long days journey from Bodh Gaya so leave early.

Source:
Gurpa: The mountain where Mahakassapa waits for Maitreya

Kesariya: Where the Buddha taught the famous Kalama Sutta

One of the Buddha's most celebrated discourses is the Kalama Sutta in which he advised that his teachings be accepted only after careful scrutiny and reflection. For a translation of the discourse get The Buddha's Charter of Free Inquiry: Kalama Sutta, Wheel No 8. This discourse was delivered to the Kalama people while the Buddha was staying in their chief town, Kessaputta.

According to legend, in the last year of the Buddha's life when he left Vesali on his way to Kusinara a large group of Vijjians followed him and refused to leave him. When they finally got to Kessaputta the Buddha urged the throng to return to their homes and they reluctantly agreed. To console them he gave them his begging bowl. Later, a stupa was built on the site of this incident. The later history of the famous bowl relic is to be found in Middle Land Middle Way. Both Fa-hian and Hiuen Tsiang visited this stupa and left short accounts of it. Today Kessaputta is represented by the small town of Kesariya about 55 kilometres north-west of Vesali. The stupa rises in five huge terraces each of a different shape so that from above it would look like a giant mandala. In each terrace are niches enshrining life size statues of the Buddha.

The stupa is still undergoing excavation and restoration. Cunningham measured it and found it to be 1400 feet in circumference and 51 feet high and estimated that its dome would have originally been about 70 feet high. Concerning his further findings he wrote, "The excavations have disclosed the walls of a small temple 10 feet square, and the head and shoulders of a colossal figure of the Buddha, with the usual crisp curly hair". To get to Kesariya from Vesali return to the main Muzaffarpur - Motihari r

Source:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/pilgrim/pg_12.htm

Pragbodhi: The mountain where Prince Siddhartha practised austerities

After Prince Siddhartha renounced the world he practised austerities for six years. One of the places he stayed during this period was a mountain that later came to be called Pragbodhi (Prior to Enlightenment) and which is now known as Dhungeswara. Tradition says he sheltered in the small cave half way up this mountain. Today there is a small temple near the cave run by some friendly Tibetan monks. If you climb from the cave to the top of the mountain you will see the remains of several ancient stupas and be rewarded by a great view. You will also be able to see the spire of the Mahabodhi temple in the distance. Pragbodhi is a wonderful place to spend the day or even a few days. The monks will be happy to provide you with a basic accommodation but water is scarce so use as little as you can; you might even consider bringing your own drinking water with you.

The usual way to get to Pragbodhi is to take the bus that plies the old Gaya road following the river, get off at the village of Kiriyama and walk from there. Kiriyama is where the second line of power pylons cross the river. The more enthusiastic pilgrim might like to go all the way by foot. To do this head directly east from Bodh Gaya towards the mountains, crossing the Neranjara and Mohana Rivers on the way. When you get to the mountains simply follow them northward until you get to the cave. It is a pleasant walk of about 6 kilometres through very attractive countryside. If you set out at dawn you can arrive at about noon, spend the day at Pragbodhi meditating, sleep overnight and walk back the next morning. You might also like to take with you a copy of the Mahasihanada Sutta and or the Ariyapariyesana Sutta in which the Buddha vividly about his six year quest for truth. Both suttas are in Bhikkhu Bodhi's The Middle Length Discourses.

Source:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/pilgrim/pg_22.htm

Kapilavatthu: The town where Prince Siddhartha grew up

The ruins outside the small village of Piprahwa is now identified with Kapilavatthu, the town where Prince Siddhartha spent his first thirty years. Legend says his father was a great king and that Kapilavatthu was a magnificent city. In actual fact Suddhodana was more like a feudal chief and Kapilavatthu was something like a town clustered around his manor house. The ruins you see today are mainly of the temples and monasteries built in later times.

The stupa was built by the Sakyans over their share of the Buddha's ashes and was enlarged on several later occasions. Sit under the trees a little to the west and read the profound Madhupindika Sutta from The Middle Length Discourses which the Buddha taught here. There has been some controversy as to the exact location of Kapilavatthu. Nepal insists that it is in its territory at a place called Taulihwakot. The issue is discussed fully in Middle Land Middle Way. About a kilometre before the ruins is a small Sri Lankan temple that will be happy to offer you accommodation should you need it.

Source:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/pilgrim/pg_11.htm

Savatthi: The city where the Buddha spent his last twenty years

Painting in Nava Jetavana Vihara, Savatthi.

While in Rajgir the wealthy businessman Anathapindika first met the Buddha and invited him to come to Savatthi. The Buddha said he would be happy to come but asked that suitable accommodation be provided. When Anathapindika returned to Savatthi he purchased a park near the town and built a large monastery on in. Called Jetavana, this park became the Buddha's favourite resort and he spent every rainy season of the last 20 years of his life except one there.

Today the ruins of Jetavana's many monasteries are set in attractive and peaceful gardens. The Buddha delivered more discourses here than in any other place so if you wish to read some while you are you have plenty to choose from. I recommend the Kakacupama Sutta, the Vimamsaka Sutta and or the Angulimala Sutta, all of them from The Middle Length Discourses. There are plenty of Buddhist temples near the ruins that offer accommodation. Perhaps the best is the Sri Lankan temple right next to the main gate. Don't miss the paintings in the main shrine (see above). If you do not intend to go on to Sankassya you can take a bus or vehicle from Savatthi to Lucknow and from there get the train to Delhi. If you have the time visit the State Museum in Lucknow which is in the grounds of the zoo. It has an excellent collection of Buddhist sculpture and is open from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm and closed on Monday.

Source:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/pilgrim/pg_26.htm

4 Places Of The Lord Buddha

Lumbini - The Birth Place of The Lord Buddha

Prince Siddhartha was born in a lovely garden called Lumbini. The main things to see in Lumbini today are the Asokan pillar with its inscription mentioning that "here the Buddha was born", the nearby ruins that are presently undergoing restoration and the modern temples. Lumbini is just a few kilometres inside Nepal but getting there requires all the formalities of crossing an international border.

There are plenty of hotels in Bhairawa which you have to pass through to get to Lumbini but it is better to stay in some of the temples near Lumbini. If you intend to enter Nepal and return to India you will need to apply for a Multiple Entry Visa when you get your Indian visa. You can apply for a Nepalese visa at the border itself. A 15 day visa costs US $15 and a 30 day visa costs US $25 payable only in either US $ or Nepalese rupees. Crossing the border can be a slow tedious business unless 'baksheesh' is offered to officials.
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Bodh Gaya: Where Prince Siddhartha attained Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree


This small town, known at the Buddha's time as Uruvela, is the place where all Buddhas, past and future, did and will become enlightened, it is the centre of the Buddhist universe, the Navel of the Earth. In the middle of the town is the Mahabodhi Temple with the Bodhi Tree behind it and the surrounding shrines marking the Buddha's seven weeks in Bodh Gaya. Sit in the gardens or walk through the town and you will see pilgrims from Thailand and Tibet, Bhutan and Burma, Singapore, Sri Lanka and a dozen other nations. Go to the great tank just south of the Temple and admire the hundreds of pink water lilies in bloom. Stroll through the museum and look at the sculptures and other antiquities or rise before dawn and watch the lamas in the Tibetan temple doing their puja.

If you feel the need to get away from the town and its temple for a while then go for a stroll along the wide and sandy Naranjara River. If you are there during the full moon spend the night meditating under the Bodhi Tree. There is the 80 foot high Japanese Buddha at the far end of town but I prefer the ancient Buddhas around the temple with their more human dimensions and their sublime smiles. Just outside the town a new 152 meter high statue of Maitriya is being constructed as if to prove that bigger is not always better. Many Buddhists countries or organisations have built temples around Bodh Gaya, most in traditional styles. The Tibetan, Bhutanese and Thai temples are particularly attractive.

There are plenty of hotels to choose from but you may prefer to stay in a place run by Buddhists. The Root Institute a little out of town is clean, quite and set in a lovely garden. The Mahabodhi Society Rest House is very convenient being close to the Temple and like the Burmese Temple is good for a long term stay. The Mahabodhi Society, the Root Institute and the Korean temple have excellent projects to help local people. Check out what they are doing, you might like to make a donation. Christopher Titmuss conducts meditation courses each year at the Thai temple. For information concerning dates and other details contact Gaia House, West Ogwell, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 6EN, UK.

If you want read more about Bodh Gaya you will find my Navel of the Earth, The History and Significance of Bodh Gaya full of information about this most sacred place. It is available from the BDMS, 567A Balestier Road, Singapore, 1232. Apart from Gaya you can make three other day trips from Bodh Gaya; to Pragbodhi, to Gurpa and to the little visited Barabar Hills.

If you plan to hire a car try Middle Way Travels 7\11 Main Road, Bodh Gaya, just near the main gate of the Temple. Phone or Fax + 91361

Source:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/pilgrim/pg_02.htm
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A History of Bodh Gaya
by Venerable S. Dhammika

Just before the full moon day of the month of Vesakha in about the year 528 BCE, a young ascetic of noble birth, worn out by years of self denial, arrived on the outskirts of the small village of Uruvela nestled on the banks of the sandy Neranjara River. Many years later he described the scene that unfolded before him. "There I saw a beautiful stretch of countryside, a beautiful grove, a clear flowing river, a lovely ford and a village nearby for support. And I thought to myself; 'Indeed, this is a good place for a young man set on striving' ". He settled himself under the spreading branches of the a nearby tree and prepared to begin his meditation. Just then a young woman named Sujata happened to be passing and noticing how thin he was, ran quickly home and brought him a bowel of milk rice and sweet honey. Strengthened by this nutritious meal the ascetic began his meditation. All night he sat there as the leaves of the tree quivered in the gentle breeze and the moon shone bright in the velvety black sky. Eventually the clouds of ignorance dissolved and he saw the Truth in all its glory and splendour. He was no longer Prince Siddhartha or the ascetic Gotama. He had become the Awakened One, the Compassionate One, the Light of the World, the Buddha Supreme. The Buddha spent the next seven weeks near Uruvela experiencing the bliss of enlightenment and moving to a different location every seven days. Then he set off for Sarnath near Varanasi to proclaim to the world the profound and liberating truths he had realised. Some months later, back in Uruvela again, he met three old ascetics with matted hair of the type that some Hindu swamis still wear, the brothers Nadi Kassapa, Gaya Kassapa and Uruvela Kassapa. Although revered teachers themselves they had never heard such wisdom as they did from the Buddha's lips nor had they ever experienced the serenity and joy that showed so clearly on his smiling face. The three brothers, followed by their thousand disciples, bowed at the Buddha's feet and asked him to ordain them as monks. This done, the whole party with the Buddha at its head set out for Rajgir. There is no evidence that the Buddha ever returned to Uruvela. But as his teachings spread and attracted more followers some of these people began to want to see the place where their teacher had attained enlightenment. Understanding that this could arouse faith or further nourish faith already aroused, the Buddha encouraged such visits. Thus the Buddhist tradition of pilgrimage began. By the 2nd century BCE the name Uruvela fallen into abeyance and the village came to be known as either Sambodhi, Vajrasana or Mahabodhi. The name Bodh Gaya only came into use in the 18th century.

There are records of pilgrims coming to Bodh Gaya from all over India and from almost every land and region where Buddhism spread. In the 11th century Acarya Dharmakirti from Sumatra made a pilgrimage to Lumbini, Kapilavatthu and Bodh Gaya. When I Tsing was in Bodh Gaya in the 7th century he met a monk who had come all the way from what is now Kazakhstan. Vietnamese began coming to India on pilgrimage soon after the introduction of Buddhism into their country in the 6th century. One of the earliest such records concerns two monks, Khuy Sung and Minh Vien, who took a ship to Sri Lanka, sailed up the west coast of India and then went from there by foot to the holy land. The two companions reached Bodh Gaya and then continued on to Rajgir where poor Khuy Sung died. He was only twenty five years old. In about 402 CE, after an epic journey through the mountains and deserts of Central Asia, the gentle and pious Fa Hien reached Bodh Gaya , the first Chinese monk ever to do so. On returning home he wrote an account of his pilgrimage which in later centuries inspired hundreds of others to follow in his footsteps. The most famous of these was Hiuen Tsiang who stayed in India from 630 to 644 visiting Bodh Gaya at least twice during that time. He too wrote an account of his pilgrimage in which he included much detailed and accurate information about Bodh Gaya. In fact, we today are able to identify many locations in and around the Mahabodhi Temple and know their histories and the legends associated with them, because of Hiuen Tsiang's book. Another pilgrim, this time a Tibetan, who also bequeathed to us much information about Bodh Gaya's past was the scholar monk Dharmasvamin. He arrived in the spring of 1234 only to find that "the place was deserted and only four monks were staying there. One of them said; 'It is not good! All have fled from the Turushka soldiers'. The monks blocked up the door in front of the Mahabodhi Image with bricks and plastered it. Near it they placed another image as a substitute. They also plastered up the outside door of the Temple. On its surface they drew an image of Mahesvara to protect the Image from the non-Buddhists. One of the monks said; 'We five dare not stay here and shall have to flee'. As the days stage was long and the heat great, they felt tired and as it became dark, they remained there and fell asleep. Had the Turushkas come they would not have known it". The danger passed and Dharmasvamin and the other monks were able to come back. Dharmasvamin stayed for three months, went off to Rajgir and Nalanda and then returned to Tibet. His biography includes details of everything he saw and experienced in Bodh Gaya and is the last full account of the place until 1811.

The first evidence of a Sri Lankan coming to Bodh Gaya is an inscription by a monk named Bodhiraksita written in the 1st century BCE. This inscription is incidentally, also the earliest evidence of any pilgrim from outside India coming to Bodh Gaya. According to the Rasavahini a monk named Culla Tissa and a group of lay pilgrims made their way Bodh Gaya in about 100 BCE. King Silakala of Sri Lanka (518 -531) spent his youth as a novice in one of Bodh Gaya's monasteries. The last Sri Lankan we know of to have visited Bodh Gaya until modern times came in the second half of the 15th century. This monk, named Dharmadivakara, went to Bodh Gaya and then decided to go on from there to Wu Tai Shan in China. While at the sacred mountain he met some Tibetans who invited him to their country where he travelled and taught widely. However, the strain of several long years of travel, the strange food and the cold climate all proved too much for poor Dharmadivakara for we read that on his way back to Sri Lanka he disrobed in Nepal and later died in India. But Sri Lankans were not just enthusiastic about going to Bodh Gaya on pilgrimage, they also did much to make it a vibrant and thriving centre of Buddhism. When, during the first half of the 4th century CE, the younger brother of King Meghavana (304-332) went on pilgrimage to India he found it difficult to get proper accommodation. On his return to Sri Lanka he mentioned this to his brother the king who decided to ask the Indian ruler for permission to build pilgrims' rests at all the holy places. Permission was given to build one such establishment and thus the great Mahabodhi Monastery came to be built at Bodh Gaya on the north side of the Temple compound. An inscribed copper plaque above the door of this monastery announced that hospitality was to be given to everyone who came. It read, "To help all without distinction is the highest teaching of all the Buddhas". In later centuries the Mahabodhi Monastery grew into a great monastic university on a par with Nalanda and Vikramasila and became the premier centre for the study of Theravada Buddhism in India. Buddhaghosa wrote both the Atthasalani and the now lost Nanodaya at this monastery before going to Sri Lanka. Other famous names associated with it include the Chinese monks Chin-hung and Hsuan-chao, the south Indian monk Dharmapala, author of the Madyamakacatuhsatika, and the Kashmiri Tantric siddha Ratnavajra. Tsami Lotsawa Sangye Trak is described in one ancient book as "the only Tibetan ever to hold the chair at Vajrasana" suggesting that he was a professor at the university. The last Therevadin monk whose name is mentioned in connection with the Mahabodhi Monastery is the Sri Lankan pundit Anandasri who subsequently lived and taught in Tibet. He is eulogised in one Tibetan book as "...foremost amongst the many thousands in the Sangha of the island of Simhala, a disciple of Dipankara, residing at Vajrasana, a great scholar... skilled in two languages, one who seeks the benefit of the Sangha, the excellent one". As Anandasri was translating Pali text in the Land of Snows at the very beginning of the 14th century, it is likely that he was teaching at Bodh Gaya at least up to the end of the 13th century, proof that the university still functioned at that time.

Sri Lankans were also ready to help when the Temple needed repairs. A Tibetan work, the Mkhas-pa'i dga-ston, mentions a Tibetan yogi named Ugyen Sangge who, during one of his frequent trips to India, made contact with the king of Sri Lanka and repaired the Mahabodhi Temple with his help. This is said to have happened around the year 1286. The Mkhas-pa'i dga-ston also says that while the work was being done Ugyen Sangge stayed to the north of the Temple with 500 other yogis. This must be a reference to the Mahabodhi Monastery and its inmates and we cannot doubt that it was they who put Ugyen Sangge into contact with the Sri Lankan king in the first place and that they had a major role in the repairs. Given the Sri Lankan Buddhists' deep regard for Bodh Gaya it is not surprising that it was yet again a Sri Lankan, Anagarika Dharmapala, who began the struggle to restore the Temple in 1893 and who build the first modern pilgrims' rest at Bodh Gaya. Like the Sri Lankans the Burmese have long been coming to Bodh Gaya and on at least four occasions have renovated or repaired the Temple. In 1100 King Kyanzittha " got together jewels of diverse kind and sent them in a ship with intent to build up the holy temple of Vajrasana, the great temple built by Asoka, which had fallen utter ruin. His Majesty proceeded to build it anew, making it finer than ever before" Three centuries later in 1471 King Dhammacetiya got "monks endowed with study and practice to embark at Bassein together with skilled masons, painters and builders, much treasure, royal letters written on gold under the authority of his seal and ambassadors of greater and lesser rank" and sent them to repair the Temple once again and to make offerings under the Bodhi Tree.

The main attraction for pilgrims at Bodh Gaya was the Vajrasana and the other six locations where the Buddha had stayed. Another attraction was the Mahabodhi Image, a statue in the Mahabodhi Temple that was believed to be an exact likeness of the Buddha himself. The legend concerning the origins of this famous statue is thus. When the Temple was built it was decided to enshrine a statue in it but for a long time no sculpture good enough could be found. One day a man appeared saying that he could do the job. He asked that a pile a scented clay and a lighted lamp be put in the Temple sanctum and the door be locked for six months. This was done but being impatient the people opened the door four days before the required time. Inside was found a statue of great beauty, perfect in every detail except for a small part on the breast that was unfinished. Sometime later a monk who slept in the sanctum had a dream in which Maitriya appeared and said that it was he who had made the statue. The Mahabodhi Image was the most revered statue in the Buddhist world and is mentioned in records for nearly a thousand years. The main temples at both Nalanda and Vikramasila had copies of this statue in them. When the Chinese envoy Wang Hiuen Ts'e returned home in the 7th century with a model of the Mahabodhi Image he was swamped with requests by people wanting to make copies of it. When the great Bengali pundit Atisa was in Tibet in the 11th century he sent a message back to Vikramasila in India asking that a painting of the Mahabodhi Image be made and sent to him. A Buddha statue the same dimensions as the Image is enshrined in the great stupa at Gyantse. The measurements for this copy were obtained from Sariputra, the last monk from Bodh Gaya when he was passing through Tibet in 1413. The Tibetan Tantric siddha Man-luns-po mentions seeing the Mahabodhi Image when he was in Bodh Gaya in 1300 and another pilgrim, Jinadasa of Parvata, came and worshipped it some time during the 15th century. But after that we here no more of it. The statue now on the Vajrasana inside the Mahabodhi Temple was found in the ruins and placed there by Cunningham in 1880. It dates from about the 10th century.

There were also colourful festivals to attract pilgrims. The most important of these was at Vesakha in May when people would worship the Bodhi Tree. Hiuen Tsiang wrote, " On this day princes , monks and lay people come of their own accord in myriads to the Bodhi Tree and bathe it with scented water and milk to the accompaniment of music, flowers are offered and lights are kept continually burning". The Kathina festival at the end of the rainy season in October went for seven days and attracted large numbers of monks and nuns, while the third festival was an exhibition of relics. When pilgrims returned home they wanted of course to take souvenirs and mementoes with them. Several small models of the Mahabodhi Temple made of stone have been found which are thought to have been made for the pilgrim trade. Another popular souvenir were seeds and leaves from the Bodhi Tree. A 13th century inscription from Pagan in Burma mentions pilgrims returning from Bodh Gaya with such seeds. The Chinese monk Kwang Yuen returned from India in 982 with several leaves and in 1009 an Indian monk arrived at the Chinese court and presented the emperor with several leaves from the Bodhi Tree and an impression of the Vajrasana.

The popularity of pilgrimage gave rise to a whole body of literature, mainly stutras praising the holy places and exhorting the faithful to visit them. There were also mahatyaya or guide books to help pilgrims find there way and to inform of the times of particular festivals. The 14th century Tibetan scholar Jamdun Rigpel Rilti is said to have written a guide book to Bodh Gaya but unfortunately this work is now lost. Ancient Buddhist maps always showed either Mount Meru or Bodh Gaya in their centre. The most famous of these is the Gotenjiku Zu, Map of the Five Indias, drawn by the Japanese monk Juaki in 1364. This map is based carefully on Hiuan Tsiang's account of his pilgrimage to India and indeed even marks his route with a red line. Mount Meru and Lake Anotatta with the traditional four rivers flowing out of it is shown in the centre while Bodh Gaya is located towards the south-east The purpose of maps like the Gotenjiku Zu was didactic and scholarly rather than practical but route maps meant to be used by those going to India existed too. One of the few such maps that survives, from northern Thailand, was drawn in the 19th century although based on a much earlier prototype, probably by someone who had actually been to India. The map shows important pilgrimage sites like Rajgir, Kusinara, Campa and Dona's stupa, and gives their direction and the number of days needed to reach them from the Mahabodhi Temple, which is depicted in the centre of the map.

It is widely believed that Bodh Gaya's temples and monasteries were destroyed soon after the Muslim invasion of India in 1199. There is no evidence to support this belief. On the contrary, records show that Bodh Gaya continued to function as a centre of Buddhist scholarship and pilgrimage up to at least the beginning of the 15th century. When Dharmasvamin came in 1234 there were still 300 Sri Lankan monks in the Mahabodhi Monastery. Shortly before his visit some Muslim soldiers had tried to steal the gems from the eyes of the Mahabodhi Image but this seems to have been just a part of a brief smash and grab raid that did little other damage. Twenty eight years later King Jayasena donated some land in trust to Mangalasvamin, the abbot of the Sri Lankan monastery. In 1298 a party of Burmese came to make offerings at the Bodhi Tree and to repair the Temple. They were helped in what they did by the resident monks. If you look at the paving stones on the floor inside the Mahabodhi Temple you will notice some have inscriptions and drawings on them. These were made between 1302 and 1331 by groups of pilgrims from Sindh . At the beginning of the 15th century Cingalaraja repaired some of Bodh Gaya's shrines with the help of a monk named Sariputra and shortly after this an embassy from the emperor of China arrived with a letter for Sariputra, inviting him to visit that country. Records mention Sariputra passing through Kathmandu in 1412 and Gyantse in Tibet the following year. This is the last mention until the 19th century of monks actually residing at Bodh Gaya although a trickle of pilgrims kept coming. In 1427 the Indian Tantric siddha Vanaratana planned to go to Bodh Gaya to erect a statue of his teacher but fear of being attacked by bandits made him cancel his trip. There is no doubt that Bodh Gaya endured at least two attacks by Muslims but the monks survived these and continued with their meditation and study. However with the stream of pilgrims gradually drying up and royal patronage no longer forthcoming, staying at Bodh Gaya became increasingly difficult and one by one the monks and nuns drifted away and Bodh Gaya was deserted.

Sometime in perhaps the 16th or 17th centuries a Hindu swami settled down near the crumbling Mahabodhi Temple and being ignorant of the true identities of the Buddha statues scattered around, began worshipping them as Hindu gods. This swami's successors , the Mahants, eventually became powerful and wealthy and began to look upon the Mahabodhi Temple as their private property. In 1877 the king of Burma received permission from the British Government to repair the Mahabodhi Temple and soon after sent a large delegation of officials and craftsmen to do the work. Knowing nothing of archaeology these Burmese did enormous damage and destroyed much important evidence about the Temple's history. Finally, at the insistence of Alexander Cunningham, the then Director General of the Archaeological Survey, the government intervened and did the job at a total cost of 100,000 rupees. In 1891 a young man named Anagarika Dharmapala came to Bodh Gaya to worship the place where the Buddha had attained enlightenment. He expected to be inspired and uplifted by such a holy place but all he saw were greedy brahmins nagging him for money and local people using the Temple compound as a toilet. He was deeply shocked and being of strong faith and abundant energy he then and there conceived the audacious idea of restoring Bodh Gaya to its former glory. This immediately put Dharmapala on a collision course with the Mahant and his minions. Until his death in 1932 he struggled on ,often alone, through physical attacks and court cases, despite reversals and disappointments, but never lost sight of his noble goal. Finally in 1949, mainly due to the efforts of Mahabodhi Society, the organisation Dharmapala had founded to continue his work, the Bodh Gaya Act was passed, making provision for the setting up of a committee of four Hindus and four Buddhists to manage the affairs of the Temple. Even today this arrangement is far from satisfactory and is still the cause of problems which can only be resolved when Buddhists alone administer the Temple built on the spiritual and geographical heart of their religion.

Source:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/pilgrim/pg_histbg.htm
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Sarnath: The deer park where Buddha preached his first two discourses


Just 13 kilometres from Varanasi is Isipathana, now called Sarnath, the deer park where the Buddha first proclaimed the Dhamma to the world. He taught two discourses here, the Dhammacakkhapavathana Sutta and the profound Anattalakhana Sutta. Both discourses are in the booklet Three Cardinal Discourses of the Buddha, Wheel No 17. Set in well maintained gardens Sarnath's ruins are a pleasant place to stroll amongst or meditate in. The main things to see are Asoka's pillar, the ruins of the Mulagandhakuti and the huge Dharmek Stupa. Further to the east is the modern Mulagandhakuti Vihara with its beautiful wall paintings and behind it the Deer Park. The Sarnath Museum houses some of the greatest treasures of Indian Buddhist art and should not be missed. Asoka's lion capital and the beautiful Teaching Buddha are amongst the most beautiful sculptures ever made. It is open from 10 am to 5 pm and closed on Friday.

There are also several modern temples to see as well; the Burmese, Chinese, Korean and Thai temples, three Tibetan temples and the Japanese temple. The new Vidyadhara Tibetan Institute behind the Deer Park is particularly attractive. You can either stay in one of the numerous hotels on offer in Varanasi or better, at Sarnath itself which is quieter and cleaner than Varanasi and has a definite Buddhist atmosphere. You will also be able to join the chanting in the Mulagandhakuti Vihara at 6 each night. The bell announces the commencement of the service. The main places to stay in Sarnath are the basic but adequate Mahabodhi Society next to the archaeological park or the Thai temple just down from the museum. This place is clean and bright and is set in extensive gardens. One other tip. Avoid Sarnath on the weekends when there are big and very noisy crowds. During your stay in Sarnath I recommend you go into Varanasi on at least two or three occasions, it is one of the most fascinating cities in India. You can take the early bus and return in the evening. If you need to hire a vehicle try Mr Lal Nehru right next to the gate of the Thai temple; Tel and Fax 585380, Email: chrisnehrulal@yahoo.com. After your stay head for Gaya, some 200 kilometres south-east of Varanasi.
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Kusinara: Where the Buddha attained Parinivana

Ramabhar Stupa: The Buddha's creamation place, Kusinara.

In his eightieth year the Buddha and a group of monks arrived in this small place. Ananda described it as 'a wattle and daub town'. Exhausted and sick the Buddha was unable to go on and he laid down to rest between two sal trees. His final hours and the events that filled it are movingly described in the last part of the Mahaparinibbana Sutta which you will find in the Long Discourses. The Nirvana Temple and stupa later built over the site of the parinivana as well as the ruins of several monasteries are set in attractive and well maintained gardens. The tall slender trees on the right of the path as you enter are sal trees.

A little further down the road is the ruins of the stupa marking the place where the Buddha's body was cremated. A new museum had recently been built in Kusinara but it has a very modest collection of exhibits. Of late pseudo monks hassling visitors for money had become a real problem at Kusinara. Don't make it worse by encouraging them. The Tourist Bungalow opposite the ruins offers Indian standards at western prices so you might prefer staying at Burmese, Thai or Tibetan monasteries. Alternatively you can stay in Gorakhpur which you have to pass through to get to Lumbini. Try the Hotel Elora near the railway station or the nearby Standard Hotel. When you are ready to move on head for the India-Nepal at Sonauli via Gorakhpur and Nautanwa.

Source:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/pilgrim/pg_15.htm

The Dharani Sutra of the Buddha on Longevity, the Extinction of Offences and the Protection of Young Children

Thus I, Ananda, have heard. At one time, the Buddha was at Mount Grdhrakuta, at the City of Royal Palace, together with a thousand two hundred and fifty disciples, who accompanied Him wherever He went.

There were also twelve thousand Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas, the eight fold division of Gods and dragons, ghosts and spirits, humans and non-humans, who came together from different directions to listen to The Buddha Dharma.

At the same time, before expounding the Dharma, The Buddha, with His Spiritual Power, emitted different colourful lights, such as green lights, yellow lights, red lights, white lights and other lights, which shone forth from His face. In every ray of the colourful lights, there appeared uncountable Transformation Buddhas.

Every Transformation Buddha was able to carry out inconceivable tasks of the Buddha, and transform uncountable and limitless Transformation Bodhisattvas. Everyone of the Transformation Bodhisattvas again praised, and sang about the merits and virtues of The Buddha.

The lights which were emitted by the Buddha were subtly wonderful and immeasurable. They shone forth pervasively up to the Heavenly Dwelling of Neither Thought Nor Non-Thought and down to the Avici Hell.

Those living beings who had encountered the illumination of the Buddha`s Lights would naturally be mindful of the Buddha. Hence they were able to obtain skills-in-means in Zen concentration and attain the fruition position of The First Ground.

At that time, in the assembly there were forty-nine Bodhisattvas who had just brought forth the Bodhi Resolve. They also wished to enquire The Buddha concerning ways and means to obtain longevity, but they did not know how to do so.

At the same time, Manjushri Bodhisattva knew about their wish, so he stood up from His seat, revealed His right shoulder and put His palms together respectfully before the Buddha. On behalf of the forty-nine Bodhisattvas, He asked the Buddha:

`World-Honoured One, I know there are people in this Dharma Assembly who harbour doubts, but do not know how to ask about them. So I wish to ask on their behalf, and may The World Honoured One grant your permission.` The Buddha said, `Good indeed! Good indeed! Manjushri Bodhisattva. Please do not hesitate, but ask on their behalf in order to clear their doubts!`

Manjushri Bodhisattva said, `World Honoured One, all the living beings who are within the sea of birth and death create all kinds of evil karma. From the kalpas of no beginning until now, they revolve constantly on the wheels of the six paths, without any respite. At times, even if they may obtain a human body, (due to) retribution , their lifespan is very short.
In what ways can all these living beings obtain longevity and put an end to all evil karma? May The World Honoured One teach them the Dharma on ways to attain longevity and the means to extinguish all their offences?`

The Buddha answered, `Manjushri! Your kindness and compassion is great and immeasurable. Out of the pity for all sinful beings, you enquire on their behalf the Dharma for longevity and the ways to put an end to all offences. But if I were to talk about them in detail, I am afraid that most sentient beings would be unable to believe, accept, practise and uphold this Dharma.`

Again Manjushri Bodhisattva pleaded with The Buddha for His compassion, `World Honoured One! You are endowed with Great Wisdom. You are the Leader and Teacher of gods and people, the compassionate father of all living beings. You are the Great Dharma King who is able to pronounce all wonderful Dharma with one sound. May the World Honoured One have pity on all living beings and bless them widely with this Dharma!`

Then The Buddha smiled and said to the great assembly, `Please listen wholeheartedly and carefully. Now I will expound widely to you The Dharma?`

`In the past, there was world known as The Pure Land with No-Filth. In that Pure Land, a Buddha by the name The Thus Come One of Pervasive Lights and Proper Views came into the world.`

He was also known as The One Who Is Worthy of Offering, or The Equal and Proper Enlightened One, or The One Who Is Perfect in Wisdom and Practice, or The One Who Is Skillful In Leaving the World Through Liberation, or The One Who Understands the World, or The Unsurpassed Teacher, or The Taming Hero, or The Teacher of Gods and People, or The Buddha, or The World Honoured One. The Buddha was surrounded respectfully by uncountable and limitless Great Assemblies of Bodhisattvas.

When The Buddha was in the world, there was Laywoman by the name Confusion. She was practising the Buddha Dharma in her home life. She begged The Buddha to allow her to leave the home life. Sorrowfully she cried to The Buddha, `World Honoured One, I have created deep and evil karma. I am regretful of my evil conduct, and seek to repent my offences. I hope to reform, in order to lead a life of goodness. I only hope The World Honoured One will bestow kindness upon me and listen to the details!`

`My circumstance is such that my family`s condition does not allow me to bear any children. That is why I used medicine to murder the foetus, which was fully eight months old. The foetus that I aborted was fully grown with four healthy limbs and was complete with a human form.`

`Later I met with a wise man who told me, `People who have purposely aborted the foetus will be infected with serious illnesses in the present lifespan and receive the retribution of a short lifespan with very little blessing. After they have passed away, they will fall into the Avici Hell to experience terribly acute sufferings.`

`After listen to that, I was very frightened and I deeply regret what I have done. I only hope that the World Honoured One, with your strength of great kindness and compassion, will save me from falling into the deep pit. Please tell me the ways of liberation. Do allow me to leave the home life, so as to not undergo such acute sufferings.`

The Thus Come One of Pervasive Lights and Proper Views said to Confusion, `There are five kinds of Evil Karma which are difficult to extinguish, even if one were to repent of them. What are the five kinds of offences? The first one is killing the father, the second one is killing the mother, the third one is abortion, the fourth one is to injure The Buddha, the fifth one is to create disharmony among the Sangha assemblies. These five types of evil and sinful karma are difficult to extinguish.`

After listening to that, the woman Confusion wept sorrowfully with tears like falling rain. Sadly, she made obeisance to The Buddha. Then she fell down before The Buddha and again she begged, `The World Honoured One is of great kindness and compassion, who is able save all beings. I beg the World Honoured One to have pity on me and tell me the way to liberation.`

The Thus Come One of Pervasive Lights and Proper Views told her, `You are supposed to fall down into The Avici Hell because of your evil karma, and experience the acute suffering without any respite. In the cold Hell, the offenders will encounter the severely cold wind and be tortured by the sudden chill. In the feverish Hell of heat, the offenders will experience sudden heat waves, which are brought about by the hot wind.\`

\`In the Uninterrupted Hell, there is no alternating sufferings of sudden coldness or sudden heat as experienced here. But there is a great burning fire, which plunges from the top to the bottom of the hell, then again shoots up from the bottom to the top. The four walls are made of iron, and covered with iron nettings. The four gates, on the East, West, South and North, are also filled with great burning fire of karma.\`

\`The length of time the offender is in the Uninterrupted Hell is eight million Yojanas. Even though he is alone, his body still fully covers the entire hell. If there are more people, each of their bodies also pervasively fills up the entire hell.\`

\`The body of the offenders is covered with great iron snakes. The suffering thus experienced by him is more severe than the great burning fire. Some of the iron snakes may enter his mouth and then come out from his eyes and ears.\`

\`Or there are iron snakes which fully encircle his body. Great fire often bursts out from the limbs and joints of the offender. There are also the iron crows that peck and eat his flesh.\`

\`There are also copper dogs which bite and chew his body. The hellish guards with bulls` heads hold the weapons and roar like thunder. With a harsh voice full of anger, they scolded`

\` `You have purposely murdered the foetus, so you have to undergo this great torture from one kalpa to another kalpa without any respite!` If I were to lie to you about such torturing retribution, then I am not known as The Buddha.\`

\`When the woman Confusion heard the teaching of The Buddha, she was so sorrowful that she fainted and fell on the floor. After some time, she gradually recovered, and again she asked, \`World Honoured One! Is it the case that I alone will experience such torment? Or is this suffering to be experienced by all those women who have purposely aborted their foetus?\`

\`The Thus Come One Pervasive Light told the woman Confusion, `Your foetus is fully grown like a human being. And its dwelling in the womb resembles that of a hell. It also resembles that of a great rock, which oppresses one`s body. If the mother has partaken hot food, the foetus will feel as though it is dwelling in the Heated Hell. If the mother has taken cold food, the foetus will feel as though it is dwelling in the icy cold and chilling Hell. It is tormented by acute suffering the whole day\`

\`You are emotionally unstable because of the fire of delusion which gives rise to evil thoughts. That is why you have purposely taken the poison to abort the foetus.\`

\`You have created such evil karma, so it is natural for you to fall into The Avici Hell. The offenders in the Uninterrupted Hells are your partners.\`

After hearing that, the women Confusion cried sorrowfully. Again she said to The Buddha, \`Once I heard a wise man say, `If we are able to encounter The Buddha, or pure Sangha members, whatever evil offences that we have created will be extinguished, if we seek to repent and reform sincerely`.\`

\` Even when such a man has already passed away and entered the hells, if the relatives who are still alive are able to cultivate goodness and small blessing on his behalf, the dead one will be able to get a rebirth in the heavens!` Are there really such happenings? I beg The World Honoured One to explain this to me!\`

The Thus Come One Pervasive Lights and Proper Views told the Woman Confusion, \`It is true. If there is a living being who has committed all kinds of offences, but was able to encounter The Buddha and the members of the pure Sangha assembly, to repent sincerely and never to commit any more offences, then his sinful karma will be extinguished.\`

\`Even if he has passed away, but his family and relatives are able to pay respect and make obeisance to The Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. If, within the seven days, they are able to read and chant ,on behalf of him, the Sutra of Great Vehicle, and to make offerings to the Triple Jewels with fragrant incense and flowers, the messenger from the Dark Realm will carry the Spiritual Banner of Five Colours, and go to the hall of The King Yama. There troops of ghosts will stand around the front and back of the Banner. They will sing and praise the dead man. With a gentle and subtly wonderful voice, they report to King Yama, `The dead man has accumulated lots of merits!\`

\`When King Yama sees the arrival of the Banner of five colours, he is greatly happy and says aloud, `May my body which is full of offences be like him, in order to accumulate all merits.` \`

\`Immediately, the hells are transformed into pure streams. The hills of knives and the trees of swords are transformed into lotuses. All the offenders feel refresh and blissful.\`

\`If there is another dead man who does not have faith in the Buddha Dharma, who does not read and chant the Sutra of Great Vehicle, whose mind has a lack of filial piety, respectfulness, kindness and compassion, who (instead) believes in deviant paths and evil views. And if, within the seven days, there is no next of kin who is alive to perform goodness and blessings on his behalf., then the messenger from the dark realm will hold the Black Banner, together with innumerable evil ghosts, who make the following report to King Yama, `The dead one has accumulated lots of evil deeds.` \`

When King Yama sees the Black Banner, he gets angry immediately. All the halls and houses vibrate under his thunder-like harsh voice. The offender is immediately sent down to the eighteen layers of hells.\`

\`The offender is forced to climb the trees of swords and hills of knives. Or he is forced to lie on the iron bed, to embrace the bronze pillar, or his tongue is being pulled out and ploughed by a bull. Or his body is being beaten by stony rod, his bones and flesh are grind to powder by a stone grinder.\`

\`In a single day, there are millions of occurrences of birth and death. And then the offender will repeatedly fall into the Avici Hell, to experience acute suffering from one kalpa to another without respite.\`

Before The Thus Come One Pervasive Lights And Proper Views had finished His teaching, suddenly there arose from the empty space a great thunderous roar of harsh and evil voices, which called out to the woman Confusion, \`You have purposely murdered the foetus. You should receive the retribution of a short life. I am the messenger of the ghostly troop, here to catch you to settle the case.\`

The woman Confusion was frightened and lost. She caught hold of the feet of The Thus Come One and wept. She begged, \`May The World Honoured One widely propound the Great Dharma Store of The Buddhas for me, and the way to extinguish all sinful offences. Only then will I die in peace!\`

At that time, The Thus Come One Pervasive Lights and Proper Views, with the awesome spiritual strength of The Buddha, told the ghost messenger, \`Ghastly ghost of impermanence, I am now going to teach the woman Confusion on the Sutra of Longevity and the extinction of offences. Please wait for a while. Naturally there will be a change in circumstances.\`

\`You also should pay attention and listen carefully. I will also tell you the Secret Dharma Door which was taught by The Buddhas in the past, The Sutra of the extinction of offences and the prolongation of lifespan, in order to help you all to stay away from the evil paths.\`

The Buddha said, \`Confusion, you should know that the ghastly ghost of Impermanence does not give any special favours to people. Even if you use innumerable amounts of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, beryl, red pearls, carnelian and other jewelry to bribe him in exchange of your life, it will still be in vain.\`

\`Even people who are in honourable positions, such as The King, the princes, great officers, respectable elder and others, with their awesome spiritual strength, will still be unable to escape the ghastly ghost of impermanence who comes to claim their lives.\`

\`Confusion, you should know that only the word `Buddha` is able to sever the suffering of death. Confusion, there are two types of people who are very rare to be found. They are like the Udumbara Flowers which rarely bloom.\`

\`The first type refers to those people who never practise any evil dharma, nor commit any karmic offences. The second type refers to those who are able to repent and reform when they realise their offences.\`

\`People like these are rare and most precious. As you are able to repent sincerely before me, I will of course teach you The Sutra of Longevity and The Extinction of Offences, in order to free you from the suffering of being chased and caught by the evil ghost of impermanence.\`

\`Confusion, let me tell you. In the future World of Five Turbidities, if there are people who kill the father, harm the mother, who purposely abort the foetus, who destroy The Buddha`s Pagoda and Temple`

\`Who shed The Buddha`s Blood, who create disharmony among The Sangha and others, they have created the five unwholesome deep offences and will surely fall into the Uninterrupted Hell to suffer the acute torments.\`

\`If these beings who have committed the five unwholesome offences are able to accept, uphold this Sutra of Longevity and The Extinction of Offences, to write it down, read and memorize it, or copy it down by themselves, or ask others to copy the Sutra, they will be able to put an end to their offences, and be born in the Brahman Heaven to enjoy the heavenly blessing.\`

\`Isn`t that a better chance for you to extinguish your evil karma, as you are able to meet me personally at this time? Luckily, you have already cultivated lots of good roots in innumerable long kalpas past. In addition, you are eloquent in asking questions, besides repenting and reforming sincerely.\`

\`So, not long from now, you will be able to turn the Unsurpassed Dharma Wheel, and cross over limitless great seas of birth and death. You will be able to fight against the Heavenly Demon Papiyan and destroy the Banner of Victory which was erected by him. You should listen wholeheartedly. I will teach you once the Twelve Conditioned Links of Causation, which was taught by The Buddhas in the past.\`

\`All the living beings are originally pure. But, the arising of a single false thought out of delusion in the past leads to the creation of activities. Because of activities, there create karmic forces, and hence leads to the arising of consciousness to enter the womb. The consciousness that enters the womb will lead to the formation of a foetus presently. When there is a foetus, it is then complete with the six roots such as eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind.\`

\`After leaving the womb, the six roots will experience the six senses of touch. The six senses of touch will give rise to six kinds of feelings. When there is feeling, love will arise. When there is love, the feeling of attachment will arise. Once there is attachment, a man will try to fight to possess. When there is fighting for possession, it will give rise to future karmic causes.\`

\`When there are the future karmic causes, a man will experience birth in the future. When there is birth, it will naturally lead to the process of old age and death, and also all the worries, sorrows, sufferings and torments. This is known as the Door Which Is Accordance with the Production of Twelve Conditioned Links of Causation.\`

\`If there is no false thought because of delusion, then from where will activities and karmic deeds arise? If there is no activity and Karmic deeds, from where will there be the entering of womb by consciousness? When there is no consciousness to enter the womb,what then will give rise to a foetus, the form of a body?\`

\`When there is no feeling, there is no love. Without love, attachment to possession will not arise. When there is no attachment to possession, there are no more karmic causes for future birth`

\`When there is no karmic cause for the future birth, there is no more birth in the future. Without birth, there is also no old age and death. And the worries, sorrows, sufferings and Extinction of the Twelve Conditioned Links of Causation.\`

\`Confusion, you should know that all the living beings are unable to contemplate the Dharma of Twelve Conditioned Links of Causation, and so they revolve and suffer in the seas of birth and death. If there is a man who is able to contemplate the Dharma of Twelve Conditioned Links of Causation, then he is able to see the Reality of Form Dharma. If a man is able to see the Reality of Form Dharma, he indeed sees The Buddha.\`

\`When a man sees The Buddha, he is able to see The Buddha Nature. Why did I say so? Because all The Buddhas also base on the Twelve Conditioned Links of Causation as The Dharma Nature. Now that you are able to listen to the Twelve Conditioned Links of Causation from me, you will obtain the Pure Buddha Nature. You are suitable to be the Dharma Vessel in the Door of The Buddha.\`

\`Now I will again tell you the only True Path. You should give thought to protect single mindfulness. The single mindfulness is known as The Bodhi Mind. The Bodhi Mind is also known as The Mind of the Great Vehicle.\`

\`Because the root nature of the living beings is different, so all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas teach and differentiate the Three Vehicles. You should constantly be mindful, and look after the Bodhi Mind. Never should you forget it.\`

\`Even if your body is burnt by the five skandas of forms, feelings, thoughts, activities and consciousness, is being swallowed and eaten by the four snakes of earth, water, fire and wind, is being attacked by the three poisoning of greed, hatred and delusion, is being invaded by the six thieves of forms, sounds, fragrance, tastes, senses of touch and dharma, and is being harmed and tormented by the devils and demons, you should remain unmoving and never should you change your Bodhi Mind.\`

\`With the Bodhi Mind, your body will be as hard and firm as the Vajra. Your mind will resemble the empty space, where no one can really harm and destroy it.\`

\`If the Bodhi Mind is firm and solid, it is replete with the four virtues of Nirvana, namely, Permanence, Bliss, True Self and purity. It will help us to attain The Unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment.\`

\`When you are replete with four virtues of Nirvana, you will be liberated from the conditions of birth, old age, sickness and death, and all the realms of hells. Then the ghastly ghost of Impermanence will naturally have no way to chase and catch hold of you to settle the case.\`

After The Buddha had finished His Teaching, the messenger of the ghosts who dwell in the empty space gave rise to the following thought, \`Then the World Honoured One has said that even the hells could also be transformed into Pure Lotus Pond. Why then do I not renounce the state of the ghost realm?\`

Then he told the woman, Confusion, \`After you have certified to the sagely path, please do not forget to ferry me over!\`

After that, The Thus Come One of Pervasive Lights and Proper Views again taught the woman, Confusion, \`I have already taught you the Dharma of Twelve Conditioned Links of Causation. Now I will teach you also The Six Paramitas, which are also practised by the Bodhisattvas.\`



\`What are the Six Paramitas? The first Paramita is to give expansively. Giving helps us to cross over the feelings of greed and stinginess. The second Paramita is to uphold the precepts firmly. By doing so, we will cross over wrong actions and intentions; of being heedless in committing offences.\`

\`The third Paramita is to be patient always. Such practice will cross over the feelings of hatred and anger. The fourth Paramita is to be diligent constantly. A man who is diligent will cross over laxity and heedlessness. The fifth Paramita is to cultivate concentration diligently. Concentration helps to cross over confusion.\`

\`The sixth Paramita is to clearly penetrate wisdom. A wise man will cross over his delusion and ignorance. When a man is able to uphold the six paramitas fully and completely, only then will he arrive at the other shore. He should never even neglect any one of the Paramitas. There is also a verse on the accomplishment of Buddhahood by The Buddhas in the past.\`

\`All activities are impermanent.

They are the dharma of birth and death.

When there is no more birth and death, a man will enjoy the bliss of quietude and extinction.

You should uphold and practise this dharma joyfully.\`

At that time, the woman Confusion was full of happiness after listening to the Buddha Dharma. Her heart opened up, and became clear and pure. She understood deeply, and had an awakening to the Dharma. With the endowment of the spiritual strength of The Buddha, she rose up to the empty space, and reached a height of seven times the height of a Tor-Lo tree, and sat in meditation peacefully in the empty space.

At that time, there was a wealthy Brahman, of Great Surname, whose wealth was incomparable by others, who, one day, was infected with a serious disease. After being examined by the doctor, it was found that his disease could only be cured by partaking of a mixture of human eyes and herbs.

So, the Wealthy Elder ordered a servant to sing out aloud as follows in all roads and lanes`

\`Who can tolerate the pain of digging out his eyes to sell? I will buy them at a good price. I will exchange them with gold, silver, pearls and jewels. You can take as much as you wish. I will not be stingy. It is a promise!\`

The woman, Confusion heard those words while sitting in the empty space. She was filled with joy, and immediately gave rise to the following thought, \`Now I have listened to the teaching of The Buddha on The Sutra of Longevity. All my evil and sinful karmas have been extinguished. My mind has clearly awakened to The Buddha Nature. And I am able to stay far away from the ghastly ghost of Impermanence, and the acute torments in the hells.\`

\`I should repay the kindness of The Buddha, even if it means to grind down my body and bones into powder.\` After thinking like that, she sang out, \` I am forty-nine years old now. After listening to The Sutra of Longevity and The Extinction of offences from The Buddha, I will give up my body and life and vow to write forty-nine copies of the Sutra on Longevity, even if it means to grind my body down into powder. I only hope that all the living beings will be able to accept, uphold, read and memorize this Sutra. I must sell my eyes in order to pay those who help me to write the Sutra. The value of my eyes is not fixed. So you can pay me as you wish.\`

At that time, the Heavenly King Shakra transformed himself into forty-nine men who came to the home of the woman, Confusion. They said, \`We wish to write the Sutra for you. Only after you have seen the Sutra will you sell your eyes. What do you think?\`

The woman Confusion was genuinely happy, and grateful for their help. Immediately, she cut her body and took out a piece of bone. Then she sharpened it to become the shape of a pen, then offered her blood as ink for them to use to write the Sutra.

After seven days, they managed to finish writing The Sutra. The men who were the transformation bodies of The Shakra Heavenly King told Confusion, \`We hope that you will keep your promise. As we have already finished writing The Sutra, you should dig out your eyes for us after you have read them. Then we will sell them to the Brahman.\`

Then the woman Confusion ordered a man by the surname Chandera to dig out both her eyes. She also asked the forty-nine men to give Chandera a share of the money for selling her eyes.

When Chandera was about to dig out her eyes, the forty-nine men cried out together to prevent him from doing so. They praised her thusly,

\`Rare indeed! Rare indeed! It is inconceivable! This woman, Confusion, who cares not for her body or life, was able to sharpen her bone as pen, to squeeze out her blood as ink, and endure great pain and injuries, just for the sake of writing down this Sutra. How could we have the heart to dig out her eyes?\`

So, with kindness and compassion, they told the woman, Confusion, \`Now, we do not need to sell your eyes to the Brahman. But we hope that after you have accomplished The Way, please come first to rescue and ferry us over!\`

\`In life after life, wherever you are born, we hope to come together to you, to become good knowing advisers, and widely proclaim this Sutra, in order to rescue and carry over all sinful living beings.\`

At that time, the Dragon King Nanda, by using his spiritual penetration power, performed magical transformations, stole the Sutra of the woman Confusion, and kept it at the Dragon Palace. He accepted, upheld and made offerings to The Sutra. The woman, Confusion, who had suddenly lost the Sutra in such a short space of time, was greatly disturbed. She cried tearfully and ran to see The Buddha. She said, \`World Honoured One, I, who care not for body nor lifespan , cut the flesh and dug out the bone to write the Sutra of Longevity, only hoping to widely circulate it among all living beings. But now I have lost the Sutra. I feel extremely sad, just as though my body was pierced by the poisonous arrow. Such pain is difficult to bear.\`

The Thus Come One Pervasive Lights told Confusion, \`Your Sutra was taken by the eight-fold Dragon King, who accepts, upholds and makes offering to it in the Dragon Palace. In fact, you should be happy about it. Don`t be so worried and sorrowful.\`

\`Confusion, your present deed is very good. After your lifespan is over, you will be born into the Heavenly Realm of No-form. With the merits and virtues thus accumulated, you will enjoy the heavenly blessings and bliss. Never will you be born in the form of a woman.\`

At that time, the woman Confusion told The Buddha, \`World Honoured One! My wish is not to enjoy heavenly blessings. But I only hope to meet The World Honoured One in every life, to protect the Bodhi Mind and never to retreat from the Bodhi Path. Wherever I go, I will proclaim this Dharma constantly to all sinful living beings.\`

The Thus Come One Pervasive Lights said, \`Are you telling me a false speech?\` The woman, Confusion answered, \`If I were to falsely lie to you, may I be again chased and tormented by the gh