Faxian, 法顯 (337-422 AD), “A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms 佛國記”.

Scroll scripture and scroll library are shown­ ABOVE.

玄奘 Xuanzang (602-664 AD), “The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions”, also was the topic of an earlier blog post.

Here I present: Faxian, 法顯 (337-422 AD), “A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms 佛國記”, which was a travelogue of Buddhist lands.

The Chinese monk travels bring Buddhist scriptures from India and Sri Lanka between 399-412 AD.  On the map from the book (shown ABOVE) the travel from Ch’ang-Gan to Nanjing, CHINA is counter-clockwise circle.  The Buddhist kingdoms of CHINA, TIBET and INDIA are shown on Faxian’s map. 

The book contains 40 chapters; and chapter #1 is Ch’ang-Gan, CHINA the start city of Faxian’s travelogue.  The last chapter #40 in Nanjing, CHINA, Faxian’s travelogue end city.  The “title” of each of the 40 chapters is shown BELOW as the complete:

“Table of Contents”.

Chapter Number. “Title”.

1.. FROM CH’ANG-GAN TO THE SANDY DESERT.
2.. ON TO SHEN-SHEN AND THENCE TO KHOTEN.
3.. KHOTEN. PROCESSIONS OF IMAGES. THE KING’S NEW MONASTERY.
4.. THROUGH THE TS’UNG OR “ONION” MOUNTAINS TO K’EEH-CH’A;—PROBABLY SKARDO, OR SOME CITY MORE TO THE EAST IN LADAK.
5.. GREAT QUINQUENNIAL ASSEMBLY OF MONKS. RELICS OF BUDDHA. PRODUCTIONS OF THE COUNTRY.
6.. ON TOWARDS NORTH INDIA. DARADA. IMAGE OF MAITREYA BODHISATTVA.
7.. CROSSING OF THE INDUS. WHEN BUDDHISM FIRST CROSSED THE RIVER FOR THE EAST.
8.. WOO-CHANG, OR UDYANA. MONASTERIES, AND THEIR WAYS. TRACES OF BUDDHA.
9.. SOO-HO-TO. LEGEND OF BUDDHA.
10.. GANDHARA. LEGENDS OF BUDDHA.
11.. TAKSHASILA. LEGENDS. THE FOUR GREAT TOPES.
12.. PURUSHAPURA, OR PESHAWUR. PROPHECY ABOUT KING KANISHKA AND HIS TOPE. BUDDHA’S ALMS-BOWL. DEATH OF HWUY-YING. 
13.. NAGARA. FESTIVAL OF BUDDHA’S SKULL-BONE. OTHER RELICS, AND HIS SHADOW.
14.. DEATH OF HWUY-KING IN THE LITTLE SNOWY MOUNTAINS. LO-E. POHNA. CROSSING THE INDUS TO THE EAST.
15.. BHIDA. SYMPATHY OF MONKS WITH THE PILGRIMS.
16.. ON TO MATHURA OR MUTTRA. CONDITION AND CUSTOMS OF CENTRAL INDIA; OF THE MONKS, VIHARAS, AND MONASTERIES.
17.. SANKASYA. BUDDHA’S ASCENT TO AND DESCENT FROM THE TRAYASTRIMSAS HEAVEN, AND OTHER LEGENDS.
18.. KANYAKUBJA, OR CANOUGE. BUDDHA’S PREACHING.
19.. SHA-CHE. LEGEND OF BUDDHA’S DANTA-KASHTHA.
20.. KOSALA AND SRAVASTI. THE JETAVANA VIHARA AND OTHER MEMORIALS AND LEGENDS OF BUDDHA. SYMPATHY OF THE MONKS WITH THE PILGRIMS.
21.. THE THREE PREDECESSORS OF SAKYAMUNI IN THE BUDDHASHIP.
22.. KAPILAVASTU. ITS DESOLATION. LEGENDS OF BUDDHA’S BIRTH, AND OTHER INCIDENTS IN CONNEXION WITH IT.
23.. RAMA, AND ITS TOPE.
24.. WHERE BUDDHA FINALLY RENOUNCED THE WORLD, AND WHERE HE DIED.
25.. VAISALI. THE TOPE CALLED “WEAPONS LAID DOWN.” THE COUNCIL OF VAISALI.
26.. REMARKABLE DEATH OF ANANDA.
27.. PATALIPUTTRA OR PATNA, IN MAGADHA. KING ASOKA’S SPIRIT-BUILT PALACE AND HALLS. THE BUDDHIST BRAHMAN, RADHA-SAMI. DISPENSARIES AND HOSPITALS.
28.. RAJAGRIHA, NEW AND OLD. LEGENDS AND INCIDENTS CONNECTED WITH IT.
29.. GRIDHRA-KUTA HILL, AND LEGENDS. FA-HIEN PASSES A NIGHT ON IT. HIS REFLECTIONS.
30.. THE SRATAPARNA CAVE, OR CAVE OF THE FIRST COUNCIL. LEGENDS. SUICIDE OF A BHIKSHU.
31.. GAYA. SAKYAMUNI’S ATTAINING TO THE BUDDHASHIP; AND OTHER LEGENDS.
32.. LEGEND OF KING ASOKA IN A FORMER BIRTH, AND HIS NARAKA. 
33.. MOUNT GURUPADA, WHERE KASYAPA BUDDHA’S ENTIRE SKELETON IS.
34.. ON THE WAY BACK TO PATNA. VARANASI, OR BENARES. SAKYAMUNI’S FIRST DOINGS AFTER BECOMING BUDDHA.
35.. DAKSHINA, AND PIGEON MONASTERY.
36.. IN PATNA. FA-HIEN’S LABOURS IN TRANSCRIPTION OF MANUSCRIPTS, AND INDIAN STUDIES FOR THREE YEARS.
37.. TO CHAMPA AND TAMALIPTI. STAY AND LABOURS THERE FOR THREE YEARS. TAKES SHIP TO SINGHALA, OR CEYLON.
38.. AT CEYLON. RISE OF THE KINGDOM. FEATS OF BUDDHA. TOPES AND MONASTERIES. STATUE OF BUDDHA IN JADE. BO TREE. FESTIVAL OF BUDDHA’S TOOTH.
39.. CREMATION OF AN ARHAT. SERMON OF A DEVOTEE.
40.. AFTER TWO YEARS TAKES SHIP FOR CHINA. DISASTROUS PASSAGE TO JAVA; AND THENCE TO CHINA; ARRIVES AT SHAN-TUNG; AND GOES TO NANKING.

On the map ABOVE, is Bihar INDIA.  Important holy sites in the life of Buddha at Bihar INDIA are depicted: Lumbini, Sarnath, Nalanda, Boghgaya, and Kushinagara.

 

Here I presented: Faxian, 法顯 (337-422 AD), “A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms 佛國記”, which was a travelogue of Buddhist lands.

Kumarajiva कुमारजीव (344-413 AD) 鳩摩羅什  was an Indian-Kuchan Buddhist translator that was a contemporary of Faxian. 

 During the time of Faxian & Kumarajiva Buddhist kingdoms were spread across Asia, shown on the map BELOW.  Chinese monks traveled by foot to obtain scriptures from Buddhist kingdoms.

玄奘 Xuanzang (602-664 AD), “The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions”, also was the topic of an earlier blog post.