Chinese and Arabian Literature - E. Wilson - The Search For Mecca

254
THE TRAVELS OF FA-HIEN
Pisuna, having assumed the form of a large vulture, took his
place in front of the cavern, and frightened the disciple. Then
Buddha, by his mysterious, supernatural power, made a cleft
in the rock, introduced his hand, and stroked Ananda's shoul-
der, so that his fear immediately passed away. The footprints
of the bird and the cleft for Buddha's hand are still there, and
hence comes the name of " The Hill of the Vulture Cavern."
In front of the cavern there are the places where the four
Buddhas sat. There are caverns also of the Arhats, one where
each sat and meditated, amounting to several hundred in all.
At the place where in front of his rocky apartment Buddha
was walking from east to west in meditation, and Devadatta,
from among the beetling cliffs on the north of the mountain,
threw a rock across, and hurt Buddha's toes, the rock is still
there.
The hall where Buddha preached his Law has been de-
stroyed, and only the foundations of the brick walls remain.
On this hill the peak is beautifully green, and rises grandly up
it is the highest of all the five hills. In the New City Fa-hien
bought incense-sticks, flowers, oil and lamps, and hired two
bhikshus, long resident at the place, to carry them to the peak.
When he himself got to it, he made his offerings with the
flowers and incense, and lighted the lamps when the darkness
began to come on. He felt melancholy, but restrained his
tears and said, " Here Buddha delivered the Sijrangama Sutra.
I, Fa-hien, was born when I could not meet with Buddha ; and
now I only see the footprints which he has left, and the place
where he Hved, and nothing more." With this, in front of the
rock cavern, he chanted the Siirangama Siitra, remained there
over the night, and then returned towards the New City.
CHAPTER XXX
Srataparna Cave, or Cave of the First Council
Out from the old city, after walking over three hundred
paces, on the west of the road, the travellers found the Karanda
Bamboo garden, where the old vihara is still in existence, with
a company of monks, who keep the ground about it swept and
watered.
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