Fa-hien

Having stayed there till the third month of winter, Fa-hien and the two others,1 proceeding southwards, crossed the Little Snowy mountains. 2 On them the snow lies accumulated both winter and summer.

A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms 2003

Fa-hien was himself one of them from his childhood.

A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms 2003

Fa-hien also took his pitcher4 and washing-basin, with some other articles, and cast them into the sea; but fearing that the merchants would cast overboard his books and images, he could only think with all his heart of Kwan-she-yin,5 and commit his life to (the protection of) the church of the land of

A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms 2003

In consequence (of this success in his quest) Fa-hien stayed here for three years, learning Sanskrit books and the Sanskrit speech, and writing out the Vinaya rules.

A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms 2003

When Fa-hien and Tao-ching first arrived at the Jetavana monastery, and thought how the World-honoured one had formerly resided there for twenty-five years, painful reflections arose in their minds.

A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms 2003

Fa-hien, however, applies this term only to Brahmanical temples.

A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms 2003

We must suppose that Fa-hien went on from Nan-king to

A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms 2003

It was in the year Keah-yin,16 the twelfth year of the period E-he of the (Eastern) Tsin dynasty, the year-star being in Virgo-Libra, in the summer, at the close of the period of retreat, that I met the devotee Fa-hien.

A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms 2003

These, like Fa-hien itself, are all what we might call “clerical” names, appellations given to the parties as monks or sramanas.

A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms 2003

We must conclude that Fa-hien, when in Ceylon, heard neither of Mahinda nor Sanghamitta.

A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms 2003