A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms

FROM CH’ANG-GAN TO THE SANDY DESERT

Fâ-Hien had been living in Ch’ang-gan. Deploring the mutilated and imperfect state of the collection of the Books of Discipline, in the second year of the period Hwăng-che, being the Ke-hâe year of the cycle, he entered into an engagement with Kwuy-king, Tâo-ching, Hwuy-ying, and Hwuy-wei, that they should go to India and seek for the Disciplinary Rules.

After starting from Ch’ang-gan, they passed through Lung, and came to the kingdom of K’een-kwei, where they stopped for the summer retreat. When that was over, they went forward to the kingdom of Now-t’an, crossed the mountain of Yang-low, and reached the emporium of Chang-yih. There they found the country so much disturbed that travelling on the roads was impossible for them. Its king, however, was very attentive to them, kept them (in his capital), and acted the part of their danapati.

Here they met with Che-yen, Hwuy-keen, Sang-shao, Pao-yun, and Sang-king; and in pleasant association with them, as bound on the same journey with themselves, they passed the summer retreat (of that year) together, resuming after it their travelling, and going on to T’un-hwang, (the chief town) in the frontier territory of defence extending for about 80 le from east to west, and about 40 from north to south. Their company, increased as it had been, halted there for some days more than a month, after which Fâ-Hien and his four friends started first in the suite of an envoy, having separated (for a time) from Pao-yun and his associates.