On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c10.9

v1.c10.9

The people of Udyāna held Buddhism in high esteem and were reverential believers in the Mahāyāna. Along the two sides of the *Su-p'o-fa-su-tu* river there had formerly been 1400 Monasteries but many of these were now in ruins, and once there had been 18 000 Brethren but these had gradually decreased until only a few remained; these were all Mahāyānists who occupied themselves with silent meditation; they were clever at reciting their books without penetrating their deep meaning; they lived strictly according to their rules and were specially expert in magical exorcisms. There were five redactions (*pu*) of the Vinaya taught, viz. the *Fa-mi* (Dharmagupta), the *Hua-ti* (Mahīśāsika), the *Yin-kuang* (Kāśyapīya), the *Shuo-yi-ch'ie-yu* (Sarvāstivādin) and the *Ta-chung* (Mahāsaṅgika) Vinaya. Of Deva-Temples there were above ten and the various sectarians lived pellmell.