On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c15.103

v1.c15.103

Fa-hsien, who also places the "Wood of obtained eyes" four *li* to the north-west of the Jetavana Vihāra, does not know of brigands, and the 500 who receive their sight and plant their sticks were blind men resident at the monastery. Julien suggests "Āptanetravana" as possibly the Sanskrit original for "Wood of obtained eyes", but we know that the name was Andhavana. This means the *dark* or *blind wood*, and it was translated by *An-lin* (闇林) with the same meaning, or by *Chou-an-lin*, the "Wood of day-darkness". "Obtained Eyes" and "Opened Eyes" (*kai-yen*) are names which must have been given long after the Buddha's time, and it is possible that they exist only in translations. The Andhavana, as we learn from the pilgrims and the Buddhist scriptures, was a favourite resort of the Buddhist Brethren for meditation and other spiritual exercises. Here the early bhikshus and bhikshunīs spent a large portion of their time in the afternoons sitting under the trees on the mats which they had carried on their shoulders for the purpose. The Wood was very cool and quiet, impervious to the sun's rays, and free from mosquitoes and other stinging torments.¹