How Buddhism came to Karnasuvarna

·期刊原文

How Buddhism came to Karnasuvarna

Xuan Zang

UNESCO Courier

April 1987 p.24

COPYRIGHT UNESCO (France) 1987

How Buddhism came to Karnasuvarna KARNASUVARNA was 4,400 or 4,500 li
in circumference and its capital was over 20 li in circumference. It
was a prosperous state with a large population. Its land was low and
moist and farming operations there were conducted regularly in
accordance with the seasons. Everywhere in the state, there were
blooming flowers and trees laden with rare fruits. The climate was
temperate and the people were of good character. They were patrons
of learning and beleived in both Buddhism and other religions. There
were more than ten Buddhist monasteries and over two thousand
Brethren who were all adherents of the Sammatiya School. There were
also fifty Deva-Temples and the followers of the various religions
were very numerous. There were another three Buddhist monasteries
where the Brethren did not eat milk products in accordance with the
teaching of Devadatta.

Near the capital was the Luoduoweizhi Monastery (or Red Mud
Monastery in the language of the T'ang Dynasty). With its spacious
rooms and courtyards and lofty pavilions and platforms, it was a
magnificent and famous establishment, the resort of illustrious
Brethren and scholars from throughout the state. They gathered there
to exchange ideas and discuss theories and philosophies.
In earlier years, no one in the state believed in Buddhism. Once,a
person of another religion from South India strutted into the
capital with a walking stick in his hand, with his stomach girded by
a copper sheathing and bearing on his head a light.

Someone asked this person: "Why are you putting such odd things
around your stomach and on your head?"

The man answered: "I have too much learning and my stomach would
burst out (if not protected by the copper sheathing) and I pity
those stupid and ignorant masses, so I bear a light on my head to
enlighten them."

He was beating a drum and challenging anyone to debate with him. Ten
days went by, and no one dared to ask the man any questions. Even a
search through all the elites in the state proved vain.
The King said: "Why is it that we can't find a wise and illustrious
person in the whole state? It's a galling shame that when a guest
here asks a question, no one in the state can answer it. Try again
among those hermits."

Then someone came forward and told the King: "There is a stranger in
the forest who calls himself Sramana. He has been living in solitude
for a long time and devoting himself to study. If he is not a
learned and highly moral person, how could he behave in this way?"
After hearing the story, the King himself went to the forest to
invite the stranger to take part in the debate.

Sramana told the King: "I am from South India and staying here as a
guest. I do not have much learning and probably cannot live up to
your expectations. I am grateful for your invitation and cannot
persist in declining it. If I win the debate, I wish you would found
a Buddhist monastery and invite the Brethren to spread the doctrines
ob Buddhism."

The King answered: "I promise and we will never forget your great
kindness."

Sramana accepted the King's invitation and went to meet the
braggart. The latter made a speech of more than 30,000 words on the
doctrines of his religion. The speech, imbued with profound meaning
and a wide range of knowledge, touched on almost everything under
the sun, from theories created by famous persons to his own
experiences.

However, after listening to the speech no more than a moment,
Sramana saw all the meaning in it. He used only a few hundred words
in his reply and interpretation, making not a single mistake, and
then asked some hard questions about his opponent's doctrines. The
braggart realized that he had been defeated in the argument, and
fell silent. He was totally discredited and retreated in disgrace.
The King deeply respected the talent of Sramana and founded the
Luoduoweizhi Monastery to begin spreading the doctrines of Buddhism.