法苑珠林 29.9

29.9

The Record of the Western Regions says: Master Xuanzang set out from Chang'an, and upon gradually arriving in Gaochang, he received generous hospitality. Provided with mounts from Gaochang, he was relayed all the way to the eastern border of the kingdom of Kustana, which is what the Han histories call the kingdom of Yutian (Khotan); the people of that land call it the kingdom of Yudun. Over two hundred li to the east lies the city of Pīmā, in which stands an upright sandalwood image over twenty feet tall. It displays exceedingly many divine wonders and brilliant lights. When the sick apply gold leaf onto the image at the place corresponding to their ailment, the pain is immediately healed. This image was originally in the kingdom of Kauśāmbī, commissioned by King Udayana. Soaring through the air, it came to the city of Rāvaka north of this kingdom. There was an extraordinary arhat who would frequently go to pay homage to it. The king initially did not believe, and threw sand and dirt over the arhat. The arhat then told those who had respectful faith: 'Seven days from now, sand and dirt will fill the city.' Two days later, jewels rained down to fill the streets. When it came to the seventh night, dirt truly rained down and buried it, leaving almost no one alive. Those who had been forewarned had dug holes in the ground beforehand and escaped through the apertures. Now, one hundred and sixty li west of the king's capital city, amidst the great desert along the road, there are only rat mounds. The rats are as large as hedgehogs, with fur of gold and silver hues. In the past, when the Xiongnu came to invade, the king prayed to the spirit rats; during the night, they gnawed and ruined the men's and horses' harnesses and bowstrings, and the invaders naturally fled in retreat. About five li west of the capital city, a temple has a stupa over a hundred feet tall that frequently displays luminous signs. The king was moved to obtain several hundred grains of relics. An arhat lifted the stupa with his right hand and placed them inside a reliquary, then lowered the stupa back without any tilting or swaying. Over ten li southwest of the capital city lies Mount Gośṛṅga, which translates as 'Ox-Horn Mountain'. There is a temple whose image displays bright light; the Buddha once traveled here to preach the Dharma to gods and humans. In a stone chamber on the mountain cliff, an arhat has entered the absorption of cessation, awaiting Maitreya Buddha. The southern border of this kingdom adjoins the Eastern Women's Kingdom.