Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

10 INTRODUCTION.
not the case, that any lengthened remarks on the point
seem to he unnecessary. We have already in English
a translation of the Patimokkham, or, as it is kno^im in
Sanscrit, the PrS,timoksha, from the Chinese; and this
version is found to agree accurately (except in some
additions of a later date) with the translation from
the PMi hy Mr. Gogerly. Then again, we have
the Samajataka in Chinese, agreeing in the main with
the Paii;- the BrahmajMa Sfitra (Case Ixxvii. Cata-
logue); the Parinu-vS,na Stoa (do.); the SigaiovMa
(do.) ; the S§,rdula Kama Siitra (Case xxxii.), .and many
others, which from internal evidence we may certainly
conclude were not translated from Sanscrit. And that
this is so, is corroborated by the fact that many of the
Buddhist books known in China were brought immediately
to that country from Ceylon by Fa-hieil, and translated
into Chinese directly from the sacred language of that
country. But before the time of Fa-hien there had been
a continuous migration of Indian priests into China, who
brought with them books from Northern and Central
India, written, therefore, in the dialects of those countries,
and which were from Jhem carefully translated. ^ These
remarks will be sufficient to correct the mistake alluded
to without going into further particulars; Nor would
even so much have been necessary if the statements as
to the character of Chinese Buddhist translations had not
been endorsed by some leading scholars of the time. Take,
' for example, the remark of Professor Childers (" Contem-
porary Eeview," February 1876), that " the Northern books
(so-called), [which of course include the Chinese,] are of
as little value for a critical examination of Buddhism, as
works found in Abyssinia bearing on the Christian religion
would be for an exact acquaintance with Christianity.'' It
is plain, however, that the Buddhist works in China are of
great value for an exact knowledge of that religion, because
1 In the present work we have the Sanscrit, " Gpdhrat6ta," " Eija.
forms, "Giijhakiito," "ESjagaha," gpha," "graTastl,"&o.
"Sivatthl," &o., to represent the