CHINESE SUPERSTITIONS - University of Oregon

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Lotus of the good Law (1); the Discipline of the Ten Chants; and
the Mahalamkara Sutra (2), or a series of 66 sermons, written by
Asvaghosa. He also wrote a life of the latter. Under the super-
vision of Kumarajiva, the Shaman Pun} T
atara, Fuh-yeh to-lo j$, fp§ ^
$$, translated the Vinaya, Lil-tsaiig ffi He, according
to the School
of the Sarvastavadins (3). Later on, Buddhajiva completed the work.
The king conferred on him the honorary
title of "Doctor of the
Three Pitakas", San-tsang fah-shi j£ H £; BflL adding thereto
many other favours. The high officials also held him in great
esteem.
One day he told the ruler that he beheld in the royal park two
children disporting round him, hinting thereby that he longed after
hymen's vaunted joys. The king said to him with a smile: "how
can you, who are so highly gifted, remain without posterity ?"
Hereupon he sent him a pair of wives from his harem, and added
later on ten concubines .
(4) Kumarajiva never afterwards set foot in the
monastery, but lived in his own home with his family and children.
The public violation of his monkish vows exerted such a fatal
influence over his fellow brethren, that some would fain imitate his
example. To prevent any farther lapses, Kumarajiva taking a
handful of needles, placed them on a dish, and swallowing them
wholly, said to the assembled monks: "let him w7 ho wishes to
marry, try this experiment first, and if he survives the ordeal, he
may imitate me". Nobody dared to make the experiment (5).
A short time afterwards he fell ill, and summoning
to his
bedside some Buddhist monks, he said to them: "if all the trans-
it) See Chinese Superstions. Vol. VI. p. 109 (Introduction of Amidism
into China).
(2) Beal. Four Lectures on Buddhist Literature in China, p. 101 (The
Alamkara Sutra).
(3) Beal. Four Lectures on Buddhist literature in China, p. 19.
(4) General Mirror of Gods and Immortals, Shen-sien thing Itien jjjijj f|I| M
fg. Book 12. Art. 5 and 6.
(5) Biographies of Gods, Show-shen-ki £§ jjjijj f£. Vol. 2. p. 29.