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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
BUDDHISM IN KASHMIR
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mixed, hinting thereby that the people worshipped both Buddha and Siva. He remained for two years in the king's palace where scores of clerks were engaged by the king to copy for him the Buddhist scriptures under the supervision of Yasa. Very likely these are the copies which formed the basis of the Chinese tripitaka of the 6th or 7th century.
The next Chinese traveller of some importance to visit Kashmir was Ou K'ong, who was also known as Dharmadhātu. He came to Kipin in 759 A.C. through the Kabul valley and Gandhāra. He lived in Kashmir for four years and studied Sanskrit, and learnt Vinaya in seven sections from three teachers. In the convent of Moung-ti or Mundi-Vihāra he learnt the Silas and studied the Vinayas of the Mūlasarvāstivādins. He refers to the following seven other Buddhist establishments besides the Moung-ti-vihāra : ?
(1) Amitābhavana u H BE (2) Ananga or Anandabhavana Boy
M the (3) Ki-tchell (4) Nao-ye-le et en ## (5) Je-je (6) Ye-li-t'e-le # # #
() K’o-toen hij €
He noticed more than 300 monasteries in the kingdom and a large number of stūpas and images. After four years' stay he went to Gandhāra and resided in the monastery of Jou-lo-li-a monastery carrying the name of the king, its founder, belonging to the line of Kanishka.
1 Watters, I, p. 258-9.
2
JA., 1895, p. 354.
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