Text of Confucianism Part 02

SR No.: 007676
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: James Legge
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1882
Total Pages: 2405
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 43 MB

Page 1893

336
FO-SHO-HING-TSAN-KING.
V, 38.
attention in the use of means, practising (the way of) wisdom, (all these) (Arhats) obtained Nirvana; 2292
Those now able so to do, or hereafter able, shall attain Nirvana, in the same way. King Asoka ? born in the world when strong, caused much sorrow; 2293
When feeble , then he banished sorrow; as the Asoka-flower tree, ruling over Gambudvipa, his heart for ever put an end to sorrow, 2294
When brought to entire faith in the true law; therefore he was called 'the King who frees from sorrow. A descendant of the Mayūra family, receiving from heaven a righteous disposition, 2295
He ruled equally over the world; he raised everywhere towers and shrines, his private name the 'violent Asoka,' now called the 'righteous Asoka.' 2296
Opening the Dagobas raised by those seven kings to take the Sartras thence, he spread them everywhere, and raised in one day eighty-four thousand towers 3; 2297
Only with regard to the eighth pagoda in Råmagrama, which the Någa spirit protected, the king was unable to obtain those relics; 2298
1 This episode about Asoka is a curious one. It would seem from it that Asvaghosha knew only of one king of that name, called first the fierce,' afterwards the righteous.
? There are one or two Avadanas to be met with in Chinese Buddhist literature, relating to Asoka's sickness, and how he then desired to redeem his character by making offerings to Buddha. But the accounts are too uncertain to be admitted as conclusive evidence in the question of his conversion.
* This is a story everywhere received in Northern books. These eighty-four thousand towers are supposed to represent the number of sections, or perhaps letters, in the Pitakas.
• See Fă-hien's account, cap. xxiii.
Digitized by Google