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his companions into the monastery； while the thieves left the grain and
went away； all the monks； of whom there were several hundred； doing
homage to his conduct and courage。
When he had finished his noviciate and taken on him the obligations
of the full Buddhist orders； his earnest courage； clear intelligence； and
strict regulation of his demeanour were conspicuous； and soon after； he
undertook his journey to India in search of complete copies of the Vinaya…
pitaka。 What follows this is merely an account of his travels in India and
return to China by sea； condensed from his own narrative； with the
addition of some marvellous incidents that happened to him； on his visit to
the Vulture Peak near Rajagriha。
It is said in the end that after his return to China； he went to the capital
（evidently Nanking）； and there； along with the Indian Sramana Buddha…
bhadra； executed translations of some of the works which he had obtained
in India； and that before he had done all that he wished to do in this way；
he removed to King…chow （in the present Hoo…pih）； and died in the
monastery of Sin； at the age of eighty…eight； to the great sorrow of all who
knew him。 It is added that there is another larger work giving an account
of his travels in various countries。
Such is all the information given about our author； beyond what he
himself has told us。 Fa…hien was his clerical name； and means 〃Illustrious
in the Law；〃 or 〃Illustrious master of the Law。〃 The Shih which often
precedes it is an abbreviation of the name of Buddha as Sakyamuni； 〃the
Sakya； mighty in Love； dwelling in Seclusion and Silence；〃 and may be
taken as equivalent to Buddhist。 It is sometimes said to have belonged to
〃the eastern Tsin dynasty〃 （A。D。 317…419）； and sometimes to 〃the Sung；〃
that is； the Sung dynasty of the House of Liu （A。D。 420…478）。 If he became
a full monk at the age of twenty； and went to India when he was twenty…
five； his long life may have been divided pretty equally between the two
dynasties。
2。 If there were ever another and larger account of Fa…hien's travels
than the narrative of which a translation is now given； it has long ceased to
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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
be in existence。
In the Catalogue of the imperial library of the Suy dynasty （A。D。 589…
618）； the name Fa…hien occurs four times。 Towards the end of the last
section of it （page 22）； after a reference to his travels； his labours in
translation at Kin…ling （another name for Nanking）； in conjunction with
Buddha…bhadra； are described。 In the second section； page 15； we find 〃A
Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms；〃with a note； saying that it was the
work of the 〃Sramana； Fa…hien；〃 and again； on page 13； we have
〃Narrative of Fa…hien in two Books；〃 and 〃Narrative of Fa…hien's Travels
in one Book。〃 But all these three entries may possibly belong to different
copies of the same work； the first and the other two being in separate
subdivisions of the Catalogue。
In the two Chinese copies of the narrative in my possession the title is
〃Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms。〃 In the Japanese or Corean recension
subjoined to this translation； the title is twofold； first； 〃Narrative of the
Distinguished Monk； Fa…hien；〃 and then； more at large； 〃Incidents of
Travels in India； by the Sramana of the Eastern Tsin； Fa…hien； recorded by
himself。〃
There is still earlier attestation of the existence of our little work than
the Suy Catalogue。 The Catalogue Raisonne of the imperial library of the
present dynasty （chap。 71） mentions two quotations from it by Le Tao…
yuen； a geographical writer of the dynasty of the Northern Wei （A。D。 386…
584）； one of them containing 89 characters； and the other 276； both of
them given as from the 〃Narrative of Fa…hien。〃
In all catalogues subsequent to that of Suy our work appears。 The
evidence for its authenticity and genuineness is all that could be required。
It is clear to myself that the 〃Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms〃 and the
〃Narrative of his Travels by Fa…hien〃 were designations of one and the
same work； and that it is doubtful whether any larger work on the same
subject was ever current。 With regard to the text subjoined to my
translation； it was published in Japan in 1779。 The editor had before him
four recensions of the narrative； those of the Sung and Ming dynasties；
with appendixes on the names of certain characters in them； that of Japan；
and that of Corea。 He wisely adopted the Corean text； published in
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A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS
accordance with a royal rescript in 1726； so far as I can make out； but the
different readings of the other texts are all given in top…notes； instead of
foot…notes as with us； this being one of the points in which customs in the
east and west go by contraries。 Very occasionally； the editor indicates by a
single character； equivalent to 〃right〃 or 〃wrong；〃 which reading in his
opinion is to be preferred。 In the notes to the present republication of the
Corean text； S stands for Sung； M for Ming； and J for Japanese； R for right；
and W for wrong。 I have taken the trouble to give all the various readings
（amounting to more than 300）； partly as a curiosity and to make my text
complete； and partly to show how； in the transcription of writings in
whatever language； such variations are sure to occur；
〃maculae； quas aut incuria fudit； Aut humana parum cavit
nature；〃
while on the whole they very slightly affect the meaning of the
document。
The editors of the Catalogue Raisonne intimate their doubts of the
good taste and reliability of all Fa…hien's statements。 It offends them that
he should call central India the 〃Middle Kingdom；〃 and China； which to
them was the true and only Middle Kingdom； but 〃a Border land；〃it
offends them as the vaunting language of a Buddhist writer； whereas the
reader will see in the expressions only an instance of what Fa…hien calls
his 〃simple straightforwardness。〃
As an instance of his unreliability they refer to his account of the
Buddhism of Khoten； whereas it is well known； they say； that the
Khoteners from ancient times till now have been Mohammedans；as if
they could have been so 170 years before Mohammed was born； and 222
years before the year of the Hegira！ And this is criticism in China。 The
Catalogue was ordered by the K'ien…lung emperor in 1722。 Between three
and four hundred of the 〃Great Scholars〃 of the empire were engaged on it
in various departments； and thus egregiously ignorant did they show
themselves of all beyond the limits of their own country； and even of the
literature of that country itself。
Much of what Fa…hien tells his readers of Buddhist miracles and
legends is indeed unreliable and grotesque； but we have from him the truth