________________
MAY, 1875.]
BIOGRAPHIES OF AŠVAGOSHA, &c.
143
an Utpala leaf, and tearing it in two pieces, found in the temple of preaching, addressing the threw them on different sides, and began to people upon the Sutra of Seventeen Worlds, and walk in the middle. Vishņu, understanding explaining the meaning of it clearly : nobody the meaning of this action, tore the body of the but Asanga could see him,-the others could Asura into two pieces and passed between them; only hear the preaching,--and every one believed then the Asura died. He had formerly obtained in the Mahayana. Maitreya taught Asañga from a Rishi the privilege that if any of his the Samadhi of the solar ray; then everything limbs should be cut off they should reunite, but became intelligible to him, and he composed in the Rishi had not promised that his body would Jambudvipa thc Upadesa upon the Sútras of the be joined together again if it should be torn Mahayana. asunder. As Vishņu had shown here the cour- The second son Vasubandhu advanced age of a man, the kingdom was thus named also in the spiritual calling at the Sarvastivada Purusha. There was in this kingdom a royal school in the extent of his learning, the num. chief who was a Bråhman of the Kausika* ber of the subjects which he understood, and his family. He had three sons who bore the single knowledge of books, he was unequalled. As his name Vasubandhu, which was common brothers had received other names, the name of to them, and which signifies celestial parent' Vasubandhu remained to him alone. (Tiane-tzine). It is the custoin in India to give Towards the five-hundredth year after the all children only one name, which is common to nirvana of Buddha, the Arhana Katyayana - them, and besides that, in order to distinguish | putra, who had advanced in the spiritual calling thom, another one is added as a special distinc- at the Sarvâstivada school, lived. He was purely tion. The third son V a su bandhu had ad- Indian, but in course of time he came into the vanced into the spiritual calling at the Sarvästi. kingdom of Kipine(Kofene, Cabul), which is on vada school. He became an Arhana and was the north-west of India, where at the same time named Bi-lin-chi Vatsya (ba-po); Bilinchi there were 500 Arhanas and 500 Bodhisatvas (?). was his mother's name, and Vatsya signifies He began to compose the Abhidharma of the * son ;' but it is thus that the children of servants, Sarvâstivada school, which consists of 8 grantas. cattle and specially calves are called. The eldest A declaration was published everywhere that son Vasubandhu advanced equally in the spiritual those who knew anything of the Abhülharma of calling at the Sarvâstiva da school, and although Buddha should tell what they knew of it. Then he might have escaped suffering he could not men, gods, dragons, Yakshas, and even the understand the idea, and wished to put himself inhabitants of the heaven A ka nishta comto death; but the Arhana Pindola, who municated everything that they knew, were dwelt in the eastern Videhadvipa, having seen it only a phrase of a verse. Katyayanahim, came to him and instructed him in the putra, with the Arhanas and the Bodhisatvas, contemplation of the void of the Hinayana; but chose out of all what was not contradictory Vasubandhu, not being satisfied with that, sent to the Sutras and to the Vinaya; they formed a messenger into the heaven named Tushita to of it a composition which they divided into make special inquiries of Maitreya, and after eight parts, in which there were 50,000 slokas. having received from him an explanation of the Then they wished to compose the Vaibháshya to void of the Mahảyana, he returned to Jambu- explain the Abhidharma. At this time Asva. dvipa, where, having given himself up to study, gosha was living in India, a native of the he received the gift of foresight, and because of Po-dyi-do country in the kingdom of Sra. that he was surnamed A sanga (U-thyo, 'unim- vasti; he understood eight parts of the peded'). He still went sometimes into Tashita to Vyákarana, the four Vedis, the six sciences, and Maitreya to make particular inquiries about the the three Pitakas of eighteen schools : so Kat. meaning of the Sútras of the Mahîyâna; but ya yaņa putra sent an ambassador to Sravasti when he explained to others what he had learn- to invite Asvagosha to correct the writing of the ed they did not believe him, and he was obliged proposed Vaibhashya. For twelve consecutive to ask Maitreya to return to the earth, to which years after his arrival in Kipine Aśvagosha he consented. For four months Maitreya waswas occupied with the work of which Katya
• Kiao-chi-kia, one of the names of Indra himself.
