THE LIFE OF VASU-BANDHU

')

BY

PARAMRTHA

(A.D. 499-569)

TRANSLATED BY

TAKAKUSU,

J.

Ba-su-ban-du

means "hero"

(Vasu-bandhu), Master of the Law, was a native

*)

of Fu-lu-sha-fu-la

')

It is said in the
^):

"He

(Indra)

').

The

1) Chinese

6)

was a younger brother of Sakra the Lord

latter sent

to

be born in Jambu-dvipa

Tripifaka, Japanese edition, vol.

not occur, as a

S ff ti

XXIV,

part 9, pp.115 v"

')

llSr".

as a

Cf.

n". 1468.

"^^'^

'"""*

*<

"''n

Visou-purio, bat the

whole, though there are occasional allnsions to

the Puraua.

8)

him

WkSIft^^BEtft'-

does

^).

"Genealogy of Bi-shu-nu" (Visnu) the lord of

(Viu)

BuNYiu Nanjio, Catalogue,

story

(Purua-pura), N. ludia. "Fu-lu-sha" (purua)

and "Fa-la" (pura) "territory"

*),

heaven

M.A., Ph.D.

i-^Iodia.

it

throughout

270

TAKAK8U.

3.

King, in order to subdue Asura

as

He was

^).

born in Jambu-dvpa

a son of the King Ba-su-dai-ba (Vasu-deva)

Asura

name

called

(Indra-damana)

In-da-la-da-ma-na

of Sakra

the Lord,

Asura was erer in

*").

There was an
"Indra"

'^).

is

and "damana" means "subduing". This

battle with

He had

akra the Lord.

The

signifying that he was able to subdue Sakra.

that

name

treatise Bi-ka-la '^)

(Vykarana-sstra) explains the meaning of the word "Asura" as

"without virtuous pleasure"

must be understood
their

enjoyment,

in

*')

this

consider

hence the name. The word (A-sura) also

Asura in question had a younger

gods ever regard good as

All

sense.

A suras

while

thus the word "Asura" in Chinese

evil

as

signifies

sessed

of beauty.

The Asura, wishing

duced

his

to

entice

to

kill

Through

him.

his

brought darkuees upon a part of Jambu-dvpa.

the dark,
to be

If

as

not to

by herself in the

to take

my

so

you

for

wife,

let

light.

are

able

to

He

with

He

my

is

'If

He

iiiagic

he

hid himself in
his sister

man

wish

to take

me,

possessed of great strength.

brother I will then give

and was exceedingly delighted with her.

power of

you want

consent'". Visu, the god, afterwards saw that

')

the god, Visnu, in-

further told her: "If a

you are to say:

fight

The

**).

The lady was pos-

anyone see him, and ordered

elder brother is sure to object.

you

"non-god"

sister Ba-la-ha-ba-ti (prabhavat) '^).

"Prabha" means "splendour", "vati" a "lady".

sister

their pleasure,

He

woman

asked her

my

in the light,

who

she was.

S ^ SP
I

THE LIFE OV VASU-BANDUU.

am

'*I

young womau belonging

271

an Asura" was the answer.

to

"Asura women frequently marry gods.

The god

said,

no

wife,

and you too have no husband.

80

that

we may

each

see

other;

Now

myself have

wish to marry you

She then

you consent?"

will

answered him in the words previously taught by her brother.

"You think

said:

you love me
will

husband

and asked
sister

as

when

and

He

wife".

your

take

wife; your sister

why

is

sister

you

call yourself a

As

have great strength,

went

then

and they

last

the

to

am

may

not a hero you

But

am

light

my

Why

wife.

qualification

object

a hero and had no

young woman and had no husband.

"What

said:

so.

he had unceremoniously taken his

wife.

to

reasonable that I took her as

The Asura

Asura

"If I

replied:

you say

She consented at

The

wife.

the god,

Visiju,

therefore

not leave you alone. Since

with your brother".

fight

became

will

me and

favourably of

He

It is

but

do you wonder at it?"

have you, on account of which

hero? If you are really a hero you will be able

you

my

sister in

marriage". The god answered: "If you do not believe

me

we

put

to

fight

me and win

with

will

to

it

the

weapons and began

The

eflfect.

came

other

portions

to strike each other.

god

cut

the

Asura's

till

Vis^u

is

seized their

an incarnation

head

off,

but instantly the

evening the god continued striking, yet the

Asura shewed no sign of death.

exhausted, and he

embarrassed.
all

Then they

of his frame; they recovered as soon as they were

From morning

gradually

duel)".

will give

back to his body, and so with his hands, arms, and

head

cut.

(by

test

then

victory,

upon whose body no striking or wounding can take

of Nryaca,

any

the

When

the greater.

her husband

The strength

of the god

became

seemed more and more fatigued and

night approached the power of the Asura became

The Lady of Light (Prabh-vati), being

might not be a match

afraid that

for the Asura, took a flower

10

272
of Ut-ba-la (Utpala)

one

TAKAKUSU.

J.

side,

she

meant.

tore

it

into

The god seeing

caught hold

Thereupon

he

two

which he threw on

pieces,

them

between

and

back

had

"Pray

my

body recover at once whenever

to

The Ri gave him

wounded".

he did not lose his

life

him the

his

Brahman
three

sous,

(just

family

the

why he

afterwards

in

lost his life

by

it

is

"Land

called the

of the

named)
of

there

was a court

"Kiau-shi-ka"

(Kausika)

priest
'^).

*^),

He had

named Ba-su-bau-du (Vasu-bandhu); Vasu means

all

the

so he

Vinu, the god, showed himself a

"God" and Bandhu "Kinsman". In Tien-chu

obtains

him and

kill

the

^').

country

of

cut through or

when he was wounded. But

hero (purua) in this region, therefore

the

am

benefit of recovery in case of his being split

being torn into two pieces.

In

expired.

the benefit requested, and therefore

afterwards

This was the reason

Hero" (Purua-pura)

Asura

the

Rsi himself was desirous that the gods might

did not give

He walked

Rsi and asked a blessing, saying,

he

let

gone

Asura's body and

either side.

Thereupon

again.

understood what

it

of the

Formerly

asunder.

and threw one on

pieces,

the other on the other. She then walked between the two

and came back again.

pieces

two

split it into

^''),

naming

(India)

Though they

of children.

and the same name, they, nevertheless, give

^'')

call

dififerent

this

custom

all

by one

epithets

in

order to distinguish one from the other.

16)

^^^

17) All the above

Yu-po-lo, Jap. Ut-ba-la, Utpala, blue lotus.

is

an

explanation of the

name "Purusa-pura", and has nothing

to

do with the subject-matter of this work.

18)

g|

pjp

lit.

priest of renown. In

19) 'j*!^ Jr^ yIP

20)

^ ^C

"Teacher of the country", an honorific

want of any better word for

it

Kiao-ssu-chia. Jap. Kiau-shi-kia.

Tien-chu, originally for Sindhu.

title

in

China given to a

I use here "court priest".

273

THE LIFE OF VASU-BANDH.

The

Vasu-bandhu, became a priest in the Sat-ba- ta

third son,

*')

(Sarvstivada) school, and attained the Arbatship. His distinguishing

was

epithet

was the name of

"child".
for

The

word (Bat-sa) applies equally

calf

however, a calf

eldest

is

is

called

also

called

"tu"

^*).

"Vatsa".

to

In

man and

with the innate character of a Bodhisattva.

the

doctrine

about

to

to

suicide.

Eastern

in

him

nothingness

free

of nothinguess,

commit

was then

came

became

and

from

peculiar

from

He

to

he practised

Though he

desire.

Biu-du-la

(Piijdlola) ")

Videha "),

region,

**),

too became a priest

investigated

he could not understand

(Parva)

that

country

this

in the Sat-ba-ta (Sarvsti-vda) school, but afterwards

meditation

animal,

was a man who was endowed

Vasu-bandhu,

sou,

(Virinci)

Bi-Iiu-ji

mother and Bat-sa (Vatsa) means "son" qr

his

latter

instance

The

(Virinci-vatsa);

Bi-lin-ji-bat-sa ^*)

He

it.

was.

an Arhat, who

having perceived

this,

and expounded the doctrine of

the Hina-yna.

He

arranged his thought

according as he was taught, and at once comprehended

it.

Though

he attained the doctrine of nothingness peculiar to the Hna-yna he

nevertheless did not find comfort in

be right to drop

it

altogether, he

it.

it

would not

to the Tuita

heaven ")

Thinking that

went up

by the supernatural power peculiar to the Hna-yua and enquired

of Maitreya, the Bodhi-sattva,

21)

^^ ^S ^^

^^)

i^MW^^

Sa

who expounded

p'o-to, Jap. Sat-ba-ta.

Pi-lin-tsu-p'o-sha.

23) "This country" here seems to mean "China".

for

him the doctrine

274

TAKAKUS.

i.

When

of aothingaess belonging to the Mah-yna.

he returned to

Jambu-dvpa he investigated by the methods explained

became

soon

the earth began

he

the

doctrine of the

Mah-yna

extensively

him.

come

back

him

hearing

the

doctrine

Master,

now

yna

in

order

that

teach

to

him.

He

to ask

afterwards

Maitreya the

to

all

to others.

it

at

night,

it

to

Most of those

make
I

all

beings fully believe

only pray thee.

Oh

Great

Jambu-dvpa and propound the Mah-

may be

beings

convinced of

fully

Maitreya, thereupon, in accordance with his prayer, came

Jambu-dvpa

himself

Asanga, Teacher of the Law,

intend to

Mah-yna.

of the

come down

to

called

The Bodhi-sattva expounded

sitras.

believe

then prayed saying: "I

in

he

nothingness

Whenever he acquired anything he used

not

did

accord) in six ways. Since

heaven in order

Jambu-dvpa

to

in investigation

means "without attachment".

to the Tuita

for

own

its

of

doctrine

which

^*),

went up

often

quake (of

to

understood

"Asanga"

While he was engaged

enlightened.

him, and

to

flooding

"with

it

it".

down

to

great rays of light, had a

large assembly of those connected with (the law) called in a lecture

hall,

and

began

recite the stitra of the

to

After having recited

seventeen

Bhumis were

Although

all

the

discourse,

passage he would explain

its

purport.

*^).

The

finished during the nights of four months.

were together in one and the same hall listening

was,

it

Law, who had access

nevertheless,

discourse

to

only Asaga, Teacher of the

to the Bodhisattva Maitreya, while the others

him from

could merely hear

religious

Sapta-dasa-bhmis

by

At

afar.

Maitreya,

night,

while

in

all

together heard the

the

day time Asanga,

Teacher of the Law, commented once again, for the sake of the
others,

28)
29)

upon what was taught by the Bodhisattva. In

#
"p -b ^ i%

|5J

A-sang-kia.
^^ Nanjio'8

No.

170.

this

way

all

THE LIFE OF VASU-BAN1IU.

275

the people could hear and believe in the doctrine of the Mah-yna.

Maitreya,

study

the

"sunlight"

the

taught Asanga, Teacher of the Law, to

Bodhisattva,

(meditation)

saraadhi

^'').

As he

studied

it

according as he was taught he subsequently attained to that abstract

After he attained to this abstract meditation, what he

meditation.

could not understand formerly became

heard

or

saw

was

never

forgotten,

Whatever he

intelligible.

all

memory being

his

retentive,

whereas he formerly could not fully understand the stras of the

Mah-yna such

Avataihsaka,

the

as

Buddha. Maitreya explained for him

the

Teacher

remembered

Law

the

of

them

thus

He

all.

which he expounded

all

taught

by

the

these in the Tuita heaven,

all

became well versed

afterwards

several -pa-dai-sha (Upade^a)

in

previously

in

them and

Jambu-dvpa composed

in

on the stras of the Mah-yna,

'')

the teachings of the

Mah-yna taught

by the Buddha.

The second

Vasu-bandhu

Sat-ba-ta (Sarvsti-vda)

many

he was

sided;

personal

names,
called

this

elder

the

by

no means be

brothers had

distinguishing

could

high,

younger

Teacher of the Law

His intellectual

was absolutely unequalled, while

and

pure

and

in

(i. e.

the second son) was simply

"Vasu-bandhu".

yd

^^^
patti, 24.6);

"
'-

cS

'I^E

'^^'

'*

* samadhi called "nrya-j)rabhii-tejaH" (Mahavyut-

otherwise interpreted in Chinese

kindly furnished

31)

his

also

His learning was wide, his knowledge

transparent,

discipline,

As

excelled.

priesthood

the

well versed in all literature.

genius, brilliant and

his

'*).

entered

me

-^

P -^

HH

Mr. Wogiwara

with the note.

1^ "^

^-

'^^^

cussion", "discourse", in Chinese.

32) See above, 21.

commentaries so-called.

It is translated

^^

"dii-

276

TARAKUSU.

J.

In the sixth century ") after the Buddha's Nirvana there lived

an

Arhat

"son of Ka-shen-yen" (Katyyan-putra)

the

called

He was named

mother,

his

after

name being Ka-shen-yen

In early years he entered the priesthood in the Sat-

(Ktyyani).

He was

ba-ta (Sar7sti-vda) school.

Afterwards

her

^*).

went

he

(Kamra)

Ki-pin

to

north-west of Tien-chu (India).

a native of Tien-chu (India)

which

^^),

He with 500

*^).

situated

is

other Arhats and 500

Bodhi-sattvas collected the A-bi-dat-ma (Abhidharma) ") belonging

to the Sat-ba-ta (Sarvsti-vda) school

Ka-lan-ta

"Eight Kan-tu"

in

33)

Tl^

500

599

"Ka-lan-ta" (Grantha)

^).

fp

^^^p

which are

*^),

Chinese means "In the

ill

called

may

five

here

China)

(in

be interpreted "Joint"

hundred years"

i.

e.

time

at a

years A.B., therefore "the sixth century".

MM^^'

34)

^ k.

35)

1^ ^S

36)
corrected

lately

earlier

texts,

Ki-pin

with

317

book)

(Grantha,

and arranged them in eight

420,

was considered

"Ki-pin"

and held to he Kapisa.

and

2.

following

the

for

this

Kasmira.

he

to

But

"Kubh"

in reality

it

Kabul

(Eitel),

but this was

stands for Kasmira, at least, in

reasons: 1. Chinese authorities always identify

The Chinese Miliada-panho,

has Ki-pin for the Pali "Kasmira". 3.

said to have been translated .O.

The Chinese Samauta-psSdik

ghosa, translated A.D. 488, has "Ki-pin" also for Kasmira, where Asoka sends

of

Buddha-

his.

mission.

Nanjio's Nos. 1358, 1125. I think these are sufficient to show that "Ki-pin" was intended
for

Kasmira, say, before the 5th century. With the introduction

cription

by

Hiuen-tsang,

altogether.

"Ki-pin"

council

here

i.

here

Ka-shu-mi-la

e.

in

Song-yun's

to.

In
(4),

Journal Asiatique, 1895,

371384;

alluded

37) The text

Kpf MJ'

"compiled".

38) iWR
as

Nanjio

^m

II,

-j^ "^r

lit.

^^ j^

57

yM ^

^M)'

(3).

"Ki-pin"

trans-

disappears

travels

'Ki-pin'

is

Kasmra, see Chavannes,

(But comp, on the identity of Ki-pin and Kapisa,

1896,

I.

161; 1897.

II,

"selected and put together". It

529, note 2.)

may mean

"collected" or

A-p'i-ta-ma, Jap. A-bi-dai-ma.

"Ugi "Ka-lan-ta"

supposed.

iQD

more accurate

our passage must mean Kasmira in any case, for Kaniska's

Voyage de Song-yun, pp. 39

is

of a

is,

The work being

according to Paramartha, "Grantha", not "Khapda",

a principal text-book of the Sarvasti-vadins

is

well

preserved in China and Japan. Nanjio's Nos. 1273, 1275.

^^)

J^

rather represents a

^* stands
^.
Prakrit form "Gantho".
''

*!

for

"Grantha" according

to

Paramartha, or

277

THE LIFE OF VA8U-BANDHU.

or "Section"

together

cannot
has

in

that

it,

own

because each group of principles

"section",
limits.

definite

bound together that they

are so

say,

to

is

sundered;

be

its

"Joint" because the groups of priucipl es are joined

*),

Again, this compilation

"Discourse on the Production of Knowledge"*').

is

called the

By means

of his

divine wisdom, and the power born of his vows, the Arhat proclaimed
to

all,

and

far

"If there be any

near,

knows

whether

it

be

Ngas, Ya-sha (Yaksa)

*^),

heaven,

much

him communicate what

or little".

Thereupon the Devas,

even to the regents of the Akanitha

who had heard formerly

some

and Bodhi-sattvas, made a selection

putra, together with the Arhats

the

contradict

they

thus

principles

Shu-ta-la

the

When

collected.

and

(Sutra)

and registered them

assorted

conflicted

extensive,

even to one sentence or one verse (Gth). Ktyyan-

short,

from

*')

Abhidharma by

the teaching of the

the Buddha, and brought their several contributions,

some

the

let

Abhidharraa propounded by the Buddha,

he

who formerly heard

with these authorities

*'),

*').

the

the principles did not

(Vinaya)

Bi-na-ya

but rejected

all

**),

those which

The compositions they

selected

were grouped together according to their principles; those illustrating

the

principle

Wisdom"

wisdom (prajna) were

of

^0)

i^

41)

^^ ^^ gS

*2)

>-

of

Book of Meditation (Dhyua-grantha), and

^ 31
&

-^f !^S

or

gm

i.e. "Jfiana-prasthna (Nanjio's

1276).

48) 1$^

45) 4ffi

"Book

those expounding the principle of me-

(Prajn-grautha),

ditation (dhyna) in the

collected in the

^^

iS

text

Bt 5^

has

^K

4ffi

ka-ni-shi-ta".

"selected

and

engraved",

which

might have

suggested to Hiuen-tsang the story of an engraving on copper plates after the CoonciL.

46) This sentence

Digha 2, 124126.

is

the

old

doctrine laid

down

in the

Book of the Great Dcceaie;

278

remainiag groups. The eight books (grantha) atnoauted

SO with the
to

TAKAKSU.

J.

50,000 verses (slokas)

When
also

*7).

they had finished composing the eight books they intended

compose a Bi-ba-sha (Vibhs)

to

in order to explain

**),

the

meanings.

The
of

Ma-ming

Bodhi-sattva,

Sha-ki-ta

(Sketa)

was well versed

*^),

who was

a native

country of Sha-yei (rSvast)

the

of

^*')

(Ai^va-ghosa)

^'),

the eight divisions of the Bi-ka-la (Vyakaraia)

in

treatise, in the four

^*)

Vedas, and the six treatises on them (Vedangas),

and was conversant with the Tri-pitakas of all the eighteen (Buddhist)
schools.

the

He was

Home

the Laureate of Literature, the Treasury of Learning,

of every

Virtue

Ma-ming (Asva-ghosa)

Sha-yei (ravast) to invite

for

bellish

him the

ghosa) came to
eight

books

Ktyayan-putra sent an envoy to

^*),

literary

succession.

in

All

At the end

47) Here the

the Arhats and the Bodhi-sattvas

When

the

meaning of the

principles

Ma-ming (Asva-ghosa) put them one by one

settled,

form.

(Asva-

Ki-pin (Kasmra), Ktyyan-putra expounded the

then thoroughly examined them.

had been

When Ma-ming

compositions.

literary

em-

in order to

\Ri

ha?

text

collection seems to have been

years the composition of the

of twelve

'Ge',

much

into

Gth; but

it

stands

as usual for "Sloka".

larger than the original of the Chinese, which

is

The
said

to have been 15,072 Slokas in Sanskrit. (See Nanjio's 1273).

48)

p^ J^ ^^

49) ,||
50)

p.

51)

^ ^.

52)

/\

only

'^^

IPJT

tentative.

Sketa was a city adjoining with Ayodhy (Oude), see Rhys Davids'

% & ,^ i^'

:S^

'W'
I

39 and the Authorities cited there.

53) This passage

"/l^

so-called.

R|.

^- ^^ ^^

Buddhist India

"Vibhs" "optional principles", a commentary

is

^""^

take

32 chapters. See below 88.

by no means easy to translate, the text runs,

jV

* ^^^^ ^"^

Hit Ujm

"^T*

"Tripitaka"

had a Tripitaka differing from one another. (See

w^'ch makes

with

my

-J-

it

i^ ^^R

l-tsing's

^T

worse.

^r^

My

^^

f^sf*

"18 schools",

Record, p. xxiti).

is

,9

which

rendering

THE LIFE OK VA8U-BANDHU.

Bi-ba-sha (Vibh^) was

"Bi-ba-sha"

(lokas).

finished.

(Vibhaa)

consisted of 1,000,000 verses

It

be

to

is

279

interpreted

into

Chinese

"Extensive Analysis" ").

When

the literary composition was finished Ktyyni-putra set

up a stone inscribed with

learn this

No

Law must

this proclamation:

not go out of the country of Ki-pin (Kamira).

sentence of the eight books (Ata-grantha), no sentence of the

Bi-ba-sha (Vibhs) must pass out of the land,

the

"Those who hereafter

Mah-yna

(sic)

like a fortified

of Ki-pin

and

them

set

Law

(Kara) had

The sages

one could go iu or out.

vows, had

in

subjection

mountains on

all

it.

sides,

through the power born

there,

Ya-sha (Yaksa)

the

all

Anyone

guard the gate.

to

who duly approved

^*),

There was only a single gate through which

town.

of their

the other schools, or

should corrupt the true Law". The setting up of this

proclamatiou was reported to the King

The country

lest

way

interrupted.

made the 500 Ya-sha (Yaksa)

wet' (patrons, Dana-pati) ") through the

To one who was studying

the

Law

gods,

desirous of learning the

could come to Ki-pin (Kasmira) and was in no

All the sages moreover

^'')

power born of

there,

no

their 'Tan-

their vows.

article required for

personal use was lacking.

In the country of A-yu-ja (Ayodhy)

Law named

the

^4)

^[ ^^

"Ba-sha-su-ba-da-la"

"Enlarged exposition".

*')

there was a teacher of

who

^^),

possessed an unsur-

it

has 438,449 characters (Nanjio's

said to be a

contemporary of Ara-ghosa, and

In Chinese

1263).

55) This King will be Kaniska,

under

whom

who

is

the Buddhist Council, alluded to here,

66)

:j^X-

57)

>j

^%

Tanwet

i.

e.

is

believed to have taken place.

Unapati, "benefactor", "patron".

58) Cf. above (49).

59) Ch.
siibhadra
p.

375

but

(36).

^^ ^. ^^ ^
I

fl|

" lia-sha-8u-ba-da-la"

propose "Vasu-bhadra" the

S^

may

be

something like vasa-

"Sha" being superfluous. Comp. Nanjio,

280

J.

passed

aud

intellect

remembered.

He

great

TAKAKUSU.

intended to learn the meanings of the eight books,

and the Bi-ba-sha (Vibhs) in order

other

countries.

went

to

hearing

and
in

would

(Kasmra).

Law,

his speech

the

He assumed

Ki-pin
the

Anything once heard, he

knowledge.

but

his

the

to

promulgate them in the

appearance

He was always

of a

madman and

in the great assembly

manner was strange and incongruous,

and laughter were

Now

ill-assorted.

he would discuss

assembly the principles of the Bi-ba-sha (Vibhsa), then he

inquire

The people thought

disregarded him.

the story of the La-ma-yen (Rmyacia)

about

lightly of

him and, though hearing him

^).

talk,

During the period of twelve years he learned the

Bi-ba-sha (Vibhs) several times and became conversant with the

meanings of the composition. He committed

all

to his

memory, and,

with the intention of returning to his native laud, came to the gate.

The Ya-sha (Yaksa) on guard proclaimed

in a loud voice that the

great master of the A-bi-dat-ma (Abhidharma) was about to go out

of the country. Thereupon they took hold of him and escorted

back to the great assembly.

him

His colleagues examined him, but his

speech was disconnected and could not be understood by any. All

considered him to be a

was

madman and

let

again passing through the gate.

him

alone. Afterwards he

The gods (Yaksas) a second

time stopped him and took him back. At last this was reported to
the King,

who

himself examined him in the great assembly. The

others re-examined him, but failed to understand

him

just as before.

For a third time he repeated the same action and was brought back.

But

when he

did

so

fourth time,

although the gods (Yaksas)

took him back, nobody would examine him any more, but ordered
the Ya-sha (Yaksa)

he

reached

60)

his

to

send

native land

him

away

from the country.

(Ayodhya) he

at

When

once proclaimed, so

THE LIFE OF VA8U-BADHU.

that

and

near

those

all

hear aud know, as

could

far

281
follows:

"1 have learned the Bi-ba-sha (Vibhs) of Ki-pin (Karaira); the

me.

Those who are

at once and acquire all".

Thereupon the

meanings of the composition are complete

may come

to learn

able

people thronged together -from

all

in

the four quarters just as clouds

gather.

As he was already advanced

the transmission

not finish
acquire

was taught, and at

(Kamra)

last it

over

sighed

was afraid that he could

He

Law.

of the

ordered his pupil to

was written out as soon

as quickly as possible. It

it

among

in age he

The

was completed.

as it

teachers in Ki-pin

news that the Law was promulgated

the

the people of another country.

In the tenth century

^')

after the

Buddha's Nirvi^a there was

a heretic called the "Bin-ja-ka-ba-sha" (Vindhya-vasa)

(Vindhya)

name

the

is

The

"residing".

**).

"Bin-ja-ka"

means

of a mountain and "Ba-sha" (Vasa)

was

heretic

so

called

because he lived in that

mountain. There was a King of the Ngas named "Bi-li-sha-ka-na"

(Vrsa-gana, Varsa-ga^ya)

knowing

that

to study

under

l)

1^

living in a lake at the foot

The King of the Nagas was

of that mountain.

"Seug-ch'ia-lun"

who was

"')

(Sihkhya-sstra).

*)

Nga was

the

^^^ years,

'"

ft'

heretic

above

named,

well versed (in the doctrine), wished

The Nga used

hira.

The

well versed in the

to disguise himself

e.,

at

time

in

and assume

900999

years A.B.,

therefore "the lOth century".

Ch.

62)

corresponds

"i)in-8he-ho-po-8ha"

to

wrong,

therefore

Garbe, S. ph.,
63) flit
64)

by

"dhya"

rs

Wassilieff,

sitra was

p.

as

the

of

Garbe

has

fl^

already

Wassilieff's

suggested.

The "She-ho", Jap.

transliteration

"ja-ka",

"Vindhyaka-vasa"

(See Wassilieff, Buddhismus, p.

is

230;

37).

5^

jjj^ il/n

f-

Mm

Biililer

first

^ ^ ^ ^^

Sanskrit;

JR

Ph. "pi-li-sha-chieh-na". Cf. Garbe, S. ph

37.

have used here the Chinese sounds because they have been used

and Garbe

The

identification of the "Seng-ch'ia-liin" with Siiikhya-

suggested by Bhler. (See Garbe,

s.

ph., p. 37).

Compare below

73.

282

TA K AKUSU.

J.

the form

of a

him

visited

Rsi,

a hut built

living in

new

The
putting

heretic

there and expressed his desire to learn from him, and

once received permission to do

at

The

of leaves.

on

it

gathered

pupil
his

head,

so.

carried

Each time he

to his teacher.

it

and,

of flowers,

basketful

large

walked round the teacher he threw a flower as an offering; each

time

he

ofiered

composed a verse

he

flower

Nga King, who, on hearing

it,

turn,

back to the

it

meaning of the

the

re-asserted

meaning

refuted the

took the flower offered, and threw

in praise of the

of the verse,

He, in

heretic.

throwing the flower

verse,

again towards his teacher. This went on until the whole basket of

was

flowers

emptied

and

refuting

thus,

and re-asserting,

all

his

verses were successfully set forth.

The Nga King much admired

him

for

the "Seng-ch'ia-lun" (Sihkhya-sastra)

"When you

his pupil:

not

to

might

alter

He

it".

him.

supersede

learned from his

changed

But when the

teacher he found

altogether.

The

Then he

sstra, take care

that

As

was revising what he

latter
it

was wrongly arranged,

meaning

to the

lecture

of

latter,

"I
I

presented the result of his work to the

on

seeing

the

commanded you not

forbid

"Oh

the

revised
to

lecture

change

me

same time.

65) See the

still

last.

going on.

and

enraged

it

The

said:

dare you do so?

heretic replied:

when

had finished

me from changing

it

command

of

never violate the

the

Nga King. The

how

stra;

not to change

but you did not prohibit

was

my

became

promulgation of your treatise".

Master! you ordered

learning;

text

required to

it

Nga King and

the

revision of his pupil were concluded at one and the

He

said to

because he feared that his pupil

this

or that the wording was clumsy.

be

^).

have finished learning the

said

and expounded

his intelligence,

while the

my

master.

283

THE LIFK OF VA8U-BAKDHU.

Why
Oh

then

you

do

reproach

my

Master! While

life

shall not be destroyed".

me

Pray have mercy on me,

so?

survives I pledge myself that this stra

The master then pardoned him. The pupil

having obtained the sstra became very proud and thought that the
doctrine

could

by himself was the greatest, and that nothing

forth

set

be superior to

muni which

refute

it

Law

of Okya-

was greatly flourishing in the world, and

at that time

people regarded

all

There was, however, the

it.

He

Law.

as the great

resolved therefore to

it.

Accordingly he went to the country of A-yu-ja (Ayodhya) and

drum

beat the

of dispute") with his head and said: "I will dispute

am

(with any Buddhist ramaija). If I

6ut

my

me

his head".

head

but

off;

defeated

on the contrary, he

if,

The King,

is

my

opponent

shall

beaten, he shall give

Pi-ka-la-raa-a-chi-ta (Vikramaditya)

*'),

being interpreted, means the "Right-effort-sun", being in-

which,

formed of the matter summoned the heretic and asked him about
it,

whereupon the

latter

or

art,

mind there should be no

the Land, in whose

ramaas

answered: "Thou

Brhmaijas.

If there be

King, the Lord of

partial love to either

any doctrines prevailing

(in

thy country) thou shouldst put them to the test (and see whether)
they are right or wrong.
of

akya-muni

Now

to determine

Each should vow

intend (to dispute) with a disciple

which party

to stake his

own

is

head".

him permission and despatched men

the winner or the loser.

The King thereupon gave

to ask all the Buddhist teachers

country in the following words: "Is there anyone

of the
able to

who

is

oppose this heretic? Whosoever thinks himself competent

should dispute with him".

66)
"to

^R
^x W^
PI

keep a drum

at

njR/

the

"It was castomary for a king in India" a

Royal Gate.

When

man wants

commentator

to appeal to the

says.

Court or to

challenge a dispute, he has to heat it".

67) M

BM^^^M'^^EmB

Read

tor

1^.

284

TAKAKUSU.

3.

At

time

that

(Manoratha)
absent

all

great

the

Ba-su-ban-du

'^^),

travelling

means "Mind-desire"

Teachers

of

Law, Ma-iiu-la-ta

the

(Vasu-bandhu)

and others were

^^),

other countries. Ma-nu-la-ta (Manoratha)

in

'").

There was at home only But-da-mi-ta-la (Buddha-mitra)

teacher of Vasu-bandhu. But-da-mi-ta-la (Buddha-mitra)

'*)

the

means the

"Friend of the Enlightened". This Teacher of the Law was formerly

now advanced

very learned, but he was

in

mind and

Law

of the

are

all

must not be

let

He

the

informed

The

abroad.

you

will

replied

You

"I

am

are like a

opinion

the

like a great

lump

you had better

teacher,

permanence (Anitya) and

of

destruction

heretic

70)

He

opponent

i.

myself".

meet and dispute.

to

set

first

forth

set

first

as

you

your opinion? Or

me?" The

forth by

own

like".

all

priest

that comes.
it

comes

His opponent said: "Then

opinion

(first).

I will refute it".

thereupon, set forth his doctrine of imsaid: "All composite things are in process

every ksana (moment)

appear in the end".

The

it

where the heretic

ocean which swallows up

your

set forth

The Buddhist

see to

of earth which will be submerged if

You may do

to the ocean.

now

to the hall of discussion,

"Will you

said:

refute

the great champions

strong and obstinate and

is

will

and therefore weak

King, who appointed a day on which he sum-

and the Buddhist teacher were

heretic

"Now

said:

heretic

alone any longer.

moned a great assembly

The

He

feeble ia his speech.

in years

'^),

why? because they

dis-

further supported this by various arguments.

could

repeat

all

these

arguments of the

THE LIFE OP VA8U-BANDHU.

Buddhist

priest

hearing them

once

after

285

and began to

criticise

them one by one by processes of reasoning. On being requested

commit
do

memory and

to

He

so.

to

repeat these refutations the priest failed to

own arguments, though

could not even re-construct his

requested to do so.

Thus the Buddhist

said

We
in

''You

are

and

I will beat

am

the victor".

it

among

Bin-ja-ka (Vindhya)

Through

his

named "Chu-lin"

as

also

am

a Brahman.

you on the back

He

did so.

On

heretic

instead,

The King gave

receiving the gold

people at large and returned to the

the

mountain where he entered a rocky cave.

'*)

power of magic he invoked a female y ash a (yak sa)

(Thick-forest)

following words: "Let

so

The

defeated.

lacs (laksa) '^) of gold as a prize.

distributed

stone

caste

kill.

order to show that I

he

was completely

Brahman by

are not allowed to

him three

priest

''^),

and prayed for her favour in the

me change my body

never to be destroyed".

after death

The female

and become

deity (yaki)

granted the request. Thereupon he closed the cave with stones and
died

within; his body becoming a stone.

stone originated from the

vow formerly

mercy of

Nga King,

his

his teacher, the

His request to become a

uttered

the

when he was asking

vow

that so long as

body survived, the "seng-ch'ia-lun" (smkhya-sstra)

'")

compiled

by himself should not be destroyed.

Thus

73)

it

is

|g- y?

that this sastra exists even now.

"lak-sha", lac.

74) See above 62.

Here

it

is

clear

that

Bin-ja-ka

can

only be

"Vindhya", *ka"

representing the "hya" of the original.

76)

^ffl

TWn,

Ch. "Choa-lin". It

is

or a translation. If the latter be the case

^& j^

by no means certain whether

it

"mi-lin" (Thick-forest) in Chinese.

76) See above 64 and below 78.

would be something

this is a transliteration

like "Abbaya-giri",

which

is

286

TAKAKUS.

J.

Ba-su-ban-du

home

came

(Vasu-bandhu)

and on

afterwards,

heariug of the incident was vexed and angry.

However, he could not

wished
off

mountain

(Vindhya)

Bin-ja-ka

subdue

to

the shame

find the

of the

search

that was on the disgraced

heretic had already

bandhu)

was

all

sastra

the

heretic;

to the

he

for

arrogance of his opponent, and thus wipe

the

But the

composed

in

man

enemy, and sent a

become a

Ba-su-ban-du (Vasu-

stone.

more enraged and

Thereupon he

depressed.

"Truth-Seventy"

the

entitled

teacher (Buddha- mitra).

'''),

which he

in

refuted the "Seng-ch'ia-lun" (Sriikhya-sstra) '^) composed by that

heretic,

whose doctrine

to pieces like the broken tiles,

fell

from the

beginning to the end, leaving no sentence which could hold together.

All the heretics grieved as though

it

were their

own

life

that was

thus destroyed, for although he (Vasu-bandhu) did not encounter

his -opponent,

the

sit-tan

latter's

(doctrine, siddhanta) '^)

was nothing

discredited in all its branches that there

Thus he took

to fall back upon.

wiped

off the disgrace

Everyone was

amount he

vengeance (on

left for

his

so

them

enemy) and

put (upon his teacher).

on hearing the news. The King (Vikra-

gratified

mditya) gave him

full

was

three

lacs

(laksa)

three portions

divided into

of gold as a prize. This

^)

with which he built three

monasteries in the country of A-yu-ja (Ayodhya):

1.

77)

-b

monastery for pi-ku-ni (Bhiksu)

~f"

^l
pl]J pW
^Q ^^
^fe

S ff i&

^*

^^

otherwise called

it,

hare had

7'>

79)

translation too

^^ ^^

80) 3 lacs
81)

"f" pH

verses

exist in China.

or topics, and Vasu-handhu,

seems also to have composed 70 verses or topics. This sSiiikhya-work

probability the smkhya-kSrik of Isvara-krsua, which

The Chinese

^ ^ "t

which ^point to Sanskrit "naramrtha-saptati".

This does not
*
^

,
'

78) This smkhya-sstra seems to

refuting

*').

is

Ch. "si-t'an"; siddhnta, "settled doctrine".

is

in all

otherwise called "Samkhya-saptati".

called the "Gold-seventy" (Suvara-saptati or Hiravya-saptati).

see above 73.

J:k J:

is

"'"^*"-

THE LIFE OF VA8-BANDHU.

2.

A monastery

3.

287

for the Sat-ba-ta (Sarvusti-vrida) school.

monastery for the Mah-yna school.

The Teacher of the Law (Vasu-bandhu) afterwards

Law

re-established the true

When

principles of the Bi-ba-sha (Vibhiia) ").

in

them, he lectured thereupon

close

each

of

summed up
Each

day's

he

lecture,

composed

intoxicated

verse

come

doctrines

each

of

This he hung on

beating

public declaration: "Is there anyone

Let him

a drum, made

who can

who

is

of

verse he repeated the

50 pounds of gold

refute them. This

Law

to Ki-piu

process.

is

verses,

amount

to

the

all

all

the verse portion of the

sum

them together with

exceedingly pleased, thinking

now

received

all.

They

be widely promulgated.

therefore added 50 pounds

from Vasu-bandhu, thus raising the

100 pounds altogether, and sent

it

back to him, requesting

to write a prose ^*) explanation of the verses.

Thereupon he com-

82) See above 48.

^^

83)

'^

84)

-^^ 4~T

there

however, were so abstruse in meaning that

they could not understand them

to

After

In the

(Kamra) to the Bi-ba-sha (Vibhs)

held by themselves would

The words of the

in which all

^^).

masters, who, on seeing them, were

him

same

these verses were completed, he sent

of gold

competent

were contained.

Bi-ba-sha (vibhc)

the

(Abhidharraa) Kosa

that the true

refute

forth".

was no one who could

When

At the

which he

in

Thus he gradually composed more than 600 verses

case

the

he was well versed

plate.

and,

elephant,

the principles set forth in this verse?

the

first,

the general public.

before

was engraved on a copper

of an

the following

to do so

studied,

his expositiou for the day.

verse

the head

He

(of the Buddha).

successfully

Jap. "Ku-sha" (Kosa). See below note 116.

"longer lines" always means "prose".

80

288

TAKAKSU.

3.

posed the prose portion of the Abhidharma-kosa, which

upon them. He thus

vda)

school;

extreme

that

in

Sautrantika

it

found

he

he

school,

commentary

refuted

doctrine

pushed to an

by the principles of the

it

This work was called the A-bi-dat-ma-ku-sha

school.

(Abhidharma-kosa

established the tenets of the Sat-ba-ta (Sarvsti-

whenever

but

is

^^).

When

he had completed the work he forwarded

to the Bi-ba-sha (Vibhs) teachers of Ki-pin (Kamra),

seeing their

own

The Crown

named

who, on

opinions therein refuted, were grieved.

the

Prince,

"Ba-la-chi-ti-ya"

of the King, Vikramaditya,

son

means

Bala

(Blditya) ^^j;

was

"new" and

ditya the "sun".

In former days the King (Vikramaditya) sent the Crown Prince

to

Vasu-bandhu

receive

to

forth from her family and

When

the

his

instruction.

became

the Boyal support.

went

the throne, he and the

Ayodhya and accept

accepted the invitation.

The brother-in-law of the King,

"Ba-shu-la-ta" (Vasu-fSta)

(Vykaraa)

to

their teacher to settle in

He

too

his pupil.

Crown Prince succeeded

Queen-mother invited

The Queen

^'),

(Blditya), a

Brahman named

was versed in the "Bi-ka-la"

treatise

^').

When Vasu-bandhu

composed the Koa

by the principles of the "Bi-ka-la"

treatise

*^),

this heretic criticised

(Vyakara^a) the construction

of the words and sentences of that work.

By pointing out

87)

^ 1^ ^ ^

88) Vykarana

is

the contradictions between Vasu-bandhu's

ch.

"p'o-shu-lo-to".

"Grammar"

89) The bhidbarma-koa.

work

in 8 divisions,

32 chapters,

see above

52 and below.

289

THE LIVE OP VAS-BANDHU.

and the ''Bi-ka-la" (Vykara^a)

treatise, the heretic

meant

to force

the author into a controversy in defence of his work, failing which,

work would be destroyed.

his

Law (Vasu-bandhu)

The Teacher of the

understand the Bi-ka-la (Yyiikaraca)

treatise,

the excellent truth (of Buddhism) which

Thereupon he wrote a
(Vyakara^a)

Bi-ka-la

the

treatise

"If I do not

said:

how can

understand

and refuted the 32 chapters of

The head and the

treatise.

tail

work were broken asunder. Thus the Bi-ka-la (Vyakaraija)

was

while this work

lost,

The King
Queen-mother

two

lacs

is

divided

the

sum he

received

and built three temples, one each in the laud

Hero (Purua-pura, Peshwar),

of the

treatise

a lac (laksa) of gold and the

He

(laksa).

of this

extant.

still

gave him

(Biilditya)

portions

three

into

*")

"")

extremely profound?

is

Ki-pin (Kamra) and in

in

A-yu-ja (Ayodhya, Oude).

The

heretic

was angry and ashamed, and, resolving

to

vanquish

the Buddhist teacher, sent a messenger to Tien-chu (Central India)

to invite the Buddhist priest, "Saug-ka-ba-da-la" (Sangha-bhadra) '')
to

come

This

Koa.

One,

to

Ayodhy
teacher

entitled

the

in order to compile a treatise

of

Law came and

the

"Samaya

of Light"

and refute the

compiled two astras.

contained 10,000 verses,

^'),

which merely explain the doctrines of the "Bi-ba-sha" (Vibhc).

"Samaya" means "Groups of meanings"

"Conformity to the Truth"

0)

^&

"*),

82)

M.mmw'^ # -i.

e.

it.

---

-^'

verses. It refutes

-:g HE

'as

follow the former readiof^.

the Abhidharma-kosa.

# ^
|6

See N.njio,

94) Something like "concordance"; Ch.

95)

The other bore the name

and contained 120,000

as the small Japanese edition has

91)

^*).

B^ ^r 3^

remarks there.

p.

378

^ ^^

(48).

Skt. 'Satynusra' or 'Nyynusra, see Nanjio, no.

1266 and

his

290

TAKAKV8.

When

Kosa in favour of the Vibhs.

the

these

were

treatise

completed, he invited Vasu-bandhu to meet him in person and have

a decisive debate.

The

knowing

latter,

that, in spite of his

his

opponent had not been able

of

the

He
I

"I

said:

formerly

with you.

not

composed
is

after all to

overthrow the doctrine

debate

with him in person.

inclined

am now

There

Vibhs.

already
the

You may

old.

sastra

no need

to

to

refute

to enter further

You have now composed two

of challenging
self

was

Kosa,

attempted refutation,

do as you please.

the

doctrines

upon

a decisive debate

What

estras.

in the right and which

is

The Teacher of the Law (Vasu-bandhu) was versed

is

in

the use

is

me? Any person endowed with knowledge

judge which party

of the

will

in the

all

him-

wrong?

the principles

of the eighteen schools (of Buddhism) and thoroughly understood the

Hna-yna.

He

It

was the Hna-yna which he held firmly

Mah-yna thinking that the 'Ma-ka-yeu"

did not believe in the

(Mah-yna) was not the Buddha's own teaching

A-saug-ka (Asanga)

to be right.

^'),

^^).

teacher of the Law, saw that his younger

brother was endowed with an intelligence surpassing that of others,

his

knowledge

esoteric

being

deep

and

and exoteric doctrines.

compose a

sastra

wide,

He was

and himself well versed

afraid that the latter

in

might

and crush the Mah-yna. He was living then in

the land of the Hero (Purua-pura) and sent a messenger to Vasu-

bandhu
ill

at.

in

Ayodby with the following message: "I am

present.

You had

better

attend

me

quickly".

seriously

Vasu-bandhu

followed the messenger to his native land, saw his brother and in-

quired

what was the cause of

96)

g If f ^Y #

97)

|$^f##.

J9f

his illness.

He

answered: "I have

THE LIKE Of VASU-BANDHU.

now

291

a serious disease of the heart, which arose on account of you".

"Why

Vasu-bandhu again asked:

He

"You do not

answered:

do you say on occount of nie?"

always attacking and discrediting

be sure to sink for ever in

in

the

Mah-yna and

For

this

wickedness you will

believe
it.

a miserable

am now

life.

my

troubled for your sake to such an extent that

On

survive.

and asked

grieved and

not long

life will

was surprised and alarmed

hearing this Vasu-bandhu

expound the Mah-yna

his brother to

are

for him.

He

then

gave him a concise explanation of the essential principles of the

Law

Mah-yna. Thereupon the Teacher of the

(Vasu-bandhu),

who

was possessed of clear intelligence and especially of deep

insight,

became

excelled

at once convinced that the truth

of the

Mah-yna

even that of the Hna-yana.

He

then fully investigated, under his brother, the principles of

Mah-yna.

the

Soon

he

after

became as thoroughly acquainted

with the whole as his brother was.

clear to

him he would meditate on

When
it.

meaning was already

its

From

the beginning to the

end everything was perfectly in accordance with the truth, there

being

nothing

contradictory

were

no

Mah-yna,
and

(rarga)

no

fruition

(phala)

now

then had no faith, he was

ill

of

time he realized
right. If there

Tri-yna

the

^').

Since

he

of the Mah-yna, in which he

afraid that he

might

fall

into a miserable

on account of that wickedness. He deeply reproached himself and

earnestly repented of his previous fault.

confessed his error, saying: "I

not

first

then (he thought) there would be no path

formerly did harm by speaking

life

For the

it.

wrong and the Mah-yna

the Hna-yna was

that

to

know by what means

98)

99)

The

'_

Sfc

desire to

make a

can be pardoned for

my

his brother

and

confession. I do

former slander"

'").

Bodhi-sattva-yna, pratyeka-buddha-yana and srvaka-yana.

text has

of similar form.

now

He approached

jJ^L

but

it

may

b u misprint of

^^
im

"slander" or some character

292

He

TAKAKUSU.

J.

"I formerly did harm speaking

said (further):

my

by means of
to atone

my

for

tongue.

now

I will

my

cut out

(of the truth)

ill

tongue in order

His brother answered: "Even

crime".

if

you cut

out your tongue a thousand times, you can not wipe out your crime.
If

you

want

really

wipe out your crime, you must find some other

to

means". Thereupon he asked his brother to explain the means

wiping out the

ofifence.

The

"Your tongue was

latter said:

of

able to

speak very skilfully and effectively against the Mah-yna, and thus
discredit

If

it.

you want to wipe out your

propound the Mah-yua equally

After

the

Maha-yna
All

the

treatises

saka

*""),

the

the

on the Mah-yna

Ne-pan (Nirvana)

Pan-nya (Prajn-pramit)

the ari-ml

^^),

the Mahyna-saihparigraha

"Door of the Nectar"

00)

3BE

J^

jj^

*^)

03)
04)
05)
06)
07)

08)

09)

'^),

*^)

^ ^^^
^ ^ 1^
3^ J^ ^^ ^^
^ ^ D^;^ i^ ^ WS
^ y '^ l^.

write the
sGtras.

stras, such as the Avataih-

the

**),

to

Mah-yna

several

Saddharma-pudarika

^^),

Yui-ma (Vimala-krti)

*"*),

Law. He

also

the

*"'),

and compiled the commentaries on

the "Nature of the Ratna-traya"

and other Mah-yna

The Gada-vyuha forms

^0 '
02)

effectively".

are the works of our Teacher of the

wrote the Vijnna-mtra-siddhi

the

you must now

Vasu-bandhu began

comment on

and

and

skilfully

death of Asanga,

treatises

offence,

*^),

treatises.

Avafamsaka, no. 87.

a part of the

N"Ji'8 1206, 1207, 1209.

Nanjio's 1232, 1233.

Nanjio's 1168, 1231.

Vimala-klrti-nirdesa

nos.

1447,

149, 181.

erl-ml-siiha-nda

nos.

23

59.

(48),

Nanjio's 1238, 1239, 1240, 1215.

"H*

^^ PH

oi

'^^^^

This
^^"^

^^^
is

^*

^y Asanga, see Nanjio's 1183, 1184, 1247.

probably Nanjio's 1219.

"l>oor of

the Nectar"

is,

no doubt, the Amrta-dvra

Gate of Immortality) and may mean Vasii-baudhu's Dhiirmacakra-pravartana-SQtropadesa

(Nanjio's 1205: translated A.D. 51-1), as in the said sntra Buddha declares himself to open

(i. e.

the gate of immortality.

THE LIFE OF VASU-BANDHU.

The sense conveyed

there

compositions

his

no one who, on hearing or seeing

is

pursue

in

Therefore

it.

yna in India and

Vasu-bandhu

in

who

those

all

all

293
fine

is

and excellent;

does not believe and

it,

study the Maha-yana and Hlna-

the frontier countries use the works of

as their text-books.

There are no teachers of any other schools (of Buddhism) or

of the heretical

sects

who, on hearing his name,

will not

become

quite nervous and timid.

He

A-yu-ja (Ayodhya) at the age of eighty.

died in

Though he

an earthly

lived

life,

his real nature is indeed difiBcult

to be understood.

NOTE
to

"From

^'):

the beginning as far as here the narrative refers

Vasu-bandhu and

his brothers. Hereafter

of the crya of the Tri-pitaka

the capital of Tai-chou

**')

and

records

it

hand them down

Here ends the

110)

who

We

struck

and thence to Kwang-

Mah-yna works,

re-translated the

the incidents after

also

records the travel

Paramartha himself) from

(i. e.

to the east,

Ohou (Canton)''*), where he

it

death, in order to

his

to subsequent ages".

Vasu-bandhu.

Life of

do not know who wrote this note.

It is certain,

however, that

out the portion relating to the author, Paramartha, and

of Vasu-bandhu.

We

it

made the

is

by one

life

purely

can see from this note that the original form of the work was different

from what we have now, being a sort of memorandum giving biographical notes of Vasu-

bandhu and PararaSrtha, and incidents connected with these two teachers of the vidy-mtra
(vijfiua-vdins).

translator

of an

This makes
already

it

at

existing

the

same time very

biography of

likely that

Vasu-bandhu,

but

Paramartha
a

is

not the

narrator of what he

himself remembered or heard of Vasu-bandhu and his time.

111)
112)

N.B.

My

-^ j^

This

is

in

Cheh-kiang,

liSt.

28

54',

Long. 121

06".

^ j^.
article

on the "Life" will appear in the Journal U. A.

S.,

October, 1904.

294

TAKA.KUSU,

J.

Abstracts of the
Paramartha's

"Life

of Vasu-bandhu.

life

Vasu-bandhu"

of

furnishes

with

us

the

following facts:

Born

at

Purusa-pura (Peshwar) of the Brahman family of Kausika,

Vasu-bandhu

the second of the three brothers.

is

A. Vasu-bandhu Asanga (Asanga, the

eldest).

B. Vasu-bandhu Virinci-vatsa (the youngest).

Vasu-bandhu

C.

A. Asanga,

first

the Hna-yna,

(the second).

an adherent of the Sarvsti-vda school and of

promoter of the Mah-yna and an

afterwards a

author of the Upadesas on the Mah-yna stras.

The works

attributed to Asanga:

1.

The Saptadasa-bhmi

2.

The Mah-yna-satra upadea

3.

The Mah-yna-saihparigraha-astra

He

Vasu-bandhu

converts

stra

to

***).

the

^**).

"^).

Mah-yna and

dies

before

Vasu-bandhu's compilation of the Mah-yna works.

B. Virinci-vatsa, an adherent of the Sarvsti-vda school, an Arhat.
C. Vasu-bandhu, the second

no other distinguishing name:

but

school,

teaching

is

of

his

**')

compiled

by

of the three brothers,

an adherent of the Sarvsti-vda

and never confines himself to the

His

school.

representing his opinion,

Vibhs

first

free-thinker

own

and the greatest

work

"Abhidharma-koe"

'*')

which presupposes the philosophy of the

and put into

Ktyyani-putra,

literary

form by Ava-ghosa. These, in their turn, propound the principles

113) This
114)

is

attributed to Maitreya but really a

No work

called

"Upadesa"

is

work

of Asanga.

Comp. Nanjio's 1170.

preserved, but several books called sstra, krik

or tka are found in the Chinese Collections. See Nanjio's Catalogue

115) Nanjio's nos. 1183. 11S4, 1247; compare no. 1171

116) Nanjio's nos. 1267, 1269, 1270.

117) Nanjio's nos. 1263, 1264, 1279.

(2).

p.

371,

&

THE LIFB OF VA8U-BA.NDHU.

set

forth iu the

Grantha
after

he

"'),

the
writes

(probably

work J&na-prasthna, otherwise

called the Ata-

composed by Katyayan-putra in the 6th century

also

As the tendency of

Buddha's death.
the

295

"Saptati

Truth"

of

Sariikhya-saptati,

e.

i.

against

time requires,

his

the

Sariikhya-astra

Karika) of Vindhya-vasa, a pupil

of Vrsa-gai^ia (compare Varsa-gaya) in the 10th century after the

Buddha's death.

King Vikramaditya

of Ayodhya,

school, but afterwards that of

the patron of the Sariikhya

first

Buddhism,

its

influence being recovered

by Vasu-bandhu.
Blditya, the
of Vasu-bandhu,

Crown Prince and

the latter

invite

to

the Queen-mother, both pupils

Ayodhya

after

the

death of

Vikramaditya. Vasu-bandhu disputes with Vasu-rata, a Grammarian,

and Sangha-bhadra, an authodox Vaibhasika.

So far Vasu-bandhu
The Sarvsti'Vda
1.

is

represented as a Hnayanist

The Shkhya

school.

Katyayan-putra &c.

The Jnna-prasthna-stra

1.

Vrsa-gana.

The

or

school.

original Sihkhya-astra.

The Ata-Grantha.
2.

Katyayan-putra, Ava-ghosa&c.

2.

The Abhidharma-maha-vibhasa.

Vindhya-vasa.
I'he revised Sariikhya-astra or

The
3.

Vasu-bandhu.

3.

The Abhidharma-koia.

Sariikhya-saptati.

Vasu-bandhu. (In opposition)

The Paramartha-saptati.

Vikramaditya of Ayodhya
Patron or Contemporary

Buddha-mitra

Vrsa-gana

Vasu-bandhu

Vindhya-vasa

118) Nanjio'8 nos. 1278, 1375.

296

TAKAKSU.

J.

Blditya (son of Vikramditya)

Patron or Contemporary
Sanglia-bhadra

Vasu-bandhu

Vasu-rta

The two works against

The work against

The work against

the Koa.

the Vyakaraa.

the Koa.

Asanga

invites

the Mah-yna.

Vasu-bandhu

to

Peshwar and converts him

to

death of Asanga, the latter begins to

After the

write the works relating to the Mah-yna, and the commentaries

on several Mah-yna

stltras.

A. The Mah-yna stras commented on by Vasu-bandhu

1.

The Avatamsaka.

2.

The Nirvana

3.

The Saddharma-pudarka

4.

The Prajn-pramit "0.

5.

The Vimala-kirti.

6.

The Srl-ml-siihhanda.

"9).
^^).

B. The Mah-yna estras compiled by Vasu-bandhu

1.

The Vijnu-mtra-siddhi

2.

The Mah-yua-saihparigraha-vykhy

3.

The Nature

4.

The Gate

Here he

is

'**).

'").

of the Ratna-Traya.

to the Nectar "*).

represented as a Mahyanist, his conversion to the

school being told at length.

Buddhist students of

all

India and of

Frontier countries use Vasu-bandhu's works as their text-books. All

the heretics in fear of him.

He

dies at

119) Nanjio's nos. 1206, 1207, 1209.

120) Nanjio's nos. 1232, 1233.

121) Nanjio's nos. 1231. 1168.

122) Nanjio's nos. 1215,
123) Nanjio's nos. 1171

124) Nanjio's no. 1205

1238, 1239, 1240.

(2,

(?).

3, 4).

Ayodhy aged

80.