And so the night wore on, when Sabbakâmî thought thus, "This stranger priest has come from far, and although worn and weary, still persists in ecstatic contemplation; how much more ought I to persevere in mine?" and so the venerable sage still sat on, engaged in deep thought.

And now the night was passed, and they engaged in conversation. Addressing Revata, Sabbakâmî said, "Venerable sir! what system of religion (fă) has engaged your mind during your contemplation to-night?"

Answering, he replied, "Formerly when I was a white-clothed (Upâsaka, a layman), I constantly cultivated a 'loving heart;' this night, during my moments of deep thought, I entered the Samâdhi called love (tsz)." On this Sabbakâmî answered, "You have occupied yourself in a minor sort of Samâdhi (siu teng) to-night, for such is this Samâdhi of love."

And now Revata inquired, "And in what have you been engaged during your contemplation?"

He answered, "When I was formerly a white-clothed disciple, I engaged myself in investigating the Law of Emptiness,' and to-night I have been absorbed in the 'Samâdhi of Emptiness."" The other said, "You have been engaged in a Samâdhi appropriate to a great man."

And then he thought, this is now a good opportunity for entering on the questions under consideration. He therefore addressed Sabbakâmî and said, "Most reverend and venerable sir! is it lawful to take two fingers or not?" [Questions and answers just as before.]

Sabbakâmî was now the first Sthavira in the world, Sambuno (Sambuto?) the second, Revata the third, and Vasabhagamika the fourth. All these were related alike to Ananda as their Upadhyaya.1

Forthwith the venerable Sabbakâmî addressed (the assembled Sangha and) said, “Venerable priests, listen! If the priests will now hear me, let them patiently attend! The Sangha is now about to go over the Dhammavinaya and give its assent; (say, "So it is.")

On this the Po-i-na Bhikshus addressed the Po-li Bhikshus

1 Teacher or preceptor.

and said, “You ought to select a certain (equal) number of men (to represent you)." Forth with they named the Sthavira Sabbakâmî, Revata, Yasa, and Sumana. The Po-li Bhikshus then addressed the Po-i-na Bhikshus in the same way, on which they selected the venerable Sambuto, Vâsabhâgâmika, the venerable Salha, and Pacchesuma (Khujjasobhita ?).

Now, amongst the number of assembled persons there was a certain Bhikshu called Ajita,1 who earnestly addressed the other Bhikshus in these words: "Keep these Bhikshus in our midst, my friends, for their business concerns us; we ought therefore to be in one place together, and therefore I exhort you to do so."

Then those Sthaviras reflected thus: "If we remain in the assembly, various questions will be asked and further strife stirred up;" and therefore they thought, "To what spot shall we adjourn to settle these matters?" and finally they moved that they should go to the Po-li grove (Vâlikârâmo).

Then the venerable Sabbakâmî spoke as follows: "Venerable sirs listen; with reference to this matter, if it is convenient to the Sangha, let them patiently attend. We purpose to go over the Dhammavinaya in the Vâlikârâmo grove, and in the absence of the rest to assent to what is recited (or the contrary), and having done so, then by the selection of the congregation, two or three of the Sañgha may join themselves with us in the Vâlikârâmo grove (as a deputation?) to join in the after consultation." Thus it was Sabbakâmî addressed the assembled Bhikshus.

Then the Sthaviras afore named adjourned to the Vâlikârâmo grove, and Sabbakâmî addressed them as follows: "Reverend priests! listen; if it is now convenient, let the priests patiently attend. We will now go over the Dhammavinaya whilst the priests give their assent."

Then Revata spoke thus: "Reverend brethren! listen; if the time is a suitable one, let the priests patiently attend, and whilst I ask Sabbakâmî respecting the Dhammavinaya, let the priests give their assent." Then Sabbakâmî again spoke, "Reverend sirs! let the priests listen, &c.; let Revata

1 O-i-tau.

question me whilst I answer whether the Dhammavinaya is so or not."

Then Revata addressed Sabbakâmî saying, "Most reverend Sthavira is it lawful to take 'two fingers' or not?" He answered, "Explain the meaning of two fingers,'" [and so on as before]. (In reply to all which Sabbakâmî replies that it is not lawful, nor according to the Dhammavinaya.)

The Sthaviras having all agreed to the determination of Sabbakâmî, they again adjourn to Vesali, and there, in the presence of the whole congregation, recite the law respecting the ten transgressions [as before], and according to the provisions of the Dhammavinaya each fault is exposed, and the contrary made binding on the community.

(The Assembly of the Seven Hundred at Vesāli, to determine the provisions of the Dhammavinaya in relation to certain indulgences.)

LECTURE III.

ASVAGHOSHA.

AMONG the distinguished Buddhists who lived about the time of Kanishka (the Indo-Skythian conqueror of North India), the twelfth Buddhist patriarch, Asvaghosha, was not the least so. It is now tolerably certain1 that Kanishka's reign began about 78 A.D. It is not strange, then, if we find in Asvaghosha's writings many allusions and illustrations derived apparently from foreign, and perhaps Christian, sources. To me, indeed, it appears, if the date above named be the true one, that much in the Buddhist development coming under the name of the Greater Vehicle may be explained on this ground.

With respect to Asvaghosha, we find from a notice in a biographical work (the Lai-tai-san-paou-ki, vol. i. p. 13), that he was a native of Eastern India and of the Brahman caste, and having been converted to Buddhism, he did his best to overthrow the system of the Brahmans. There is a brief memoir of him also in a Chinese work written by Kumârajiva. According to this author, he was a disciple of Parsva. The latter (who was president of the Council held under Kanishka), having gone from North India to Central India, found that the Buddhist clergy were afraid to sound the gong, that is, were unable to challenge their opponents to discuss questions of difference. The cause of this humiliation was Asvaghosha, who belonged to the best instructed of the heretics (Tirtikas), and had by his superior skill silenced the Buddhists. Parsva ordered it to be sounded, and entered into dispute with Asvaghosha. In consequence the latter became a disciple of Parsva, who advised him to study Buddhism, and

1 Compare Fergusson's Saka, Samvat, and Gupta Eras, with Dr. Oldenberg in the Zeitschrift für Numismatik, vol. viii.

afterwards returned to his own country. Asvaghosha remained in Mid-India and rendered himself conspicuous for his superior talents. The king of the Little Yue-chi (i.e., Kanishka) having invaded Magadha, demanded from the people the cups (beggingdishes) of Buddha and Asvaghosha; the inhabitants murmured, thinking that the king valued the latter at too high a price. But the king, to show his right estimation of Asvaghosha's merit, selected seven horses, and after keeping them without food for six days, he took them to the place where Asvaghosha was preaching, and ordered forage to be given them; but the horses, instead of eating, shed tears on hearing the words of the preacher and refused the food. Asvaghosha therefore became celebrated because the horses understood his voice, and hence he was called "The voice of the horse "-Asvaghosha.

This is the account of Kumârajiva, translated probably from an original Life of the patriarchs Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, and Asvaghosha. We may remark, however, that the Mahâyanists make Asvaghosha a disciple of Aryadeva and not of Parsva, the former being a convert of Nagârjuna and a native of Ceylon. But in any case, the date of Asvaghosha will not be affected much by this explanation, as Nagârjuna, if any reliable date can be given to him, lived not far from the time of Kanishka. We have some small additional information respecting Asvaghosha in a communication made by the late Archimandrite Paladii; it is found in the second vol. (pp. 156 ff.) of the Memoranda of the Russian Mission at Pekin (quoted 1 by Weber). From this we find that Asvaghosha was an historical person who lived in the time of Kanishka; he was, with Nagarjuna, the founder of the Mahayana system of Buddhism, and afterwards, in conjunction with Bodhisatwa, i.e., Aryadeva, opened the way to the spread of the Yogâchârya school. He flourished at Benares. He was renowned for his acquaintance with the Vedas and the six Shasters, which were used in the six schools of the Brahmans, and also with the Vyakaranas, or the treatises on the meaning of words. He was a renowned dialectician, so that no one could stand before him in argument. He was a Pantheist-that is, he maintained

1 Die Vajrasûçî des Açvaghosha, p. 259.