On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c20.71

v2.c20.71

The *ching-shê* of this passage is evidently the *ching-shê* of the early translators, that is, monastery or vihāra. Here Yuan-chuang gives to the famous Buddhist establishment outside the north wall of Old Rājagaha its common designation in the Chinese translations, viz—Kalanda Bamboo Park. His version of the story of the establishment follows mainly the accounts given in certain books such as the "Chung-pên-ch'i-ching".¹ These describe the Bamboo Park as the property of a rich and influential man of Rājagaha who gives it to the Tīrthikas. On his conversion to Buddhism he takes the Park back with the help of Yakshas, builds a hall and lodging-places in it, and gives the whole to the Buddha. But in some versions of the story the Bamboo Park was the property of king Bimbisāra, and it was he who gave it to the Buddha and his order.² This king, while a prince, had taken a fancy to the Park then owned by a rich subject; the Prince wanted to buy it, but the owner refused to sell, and the Prince vowed to have it when he became king. In due course he ascended the throne, and then proceeded to take possession of the Park; the owner dying vowed to have revenge in his next birth: he came back into the world as a poisonous serpent, and watched for an opportunity to bite the king. This came one day when the king lay down to sleep in the Park under a tree while his attendants were wandering about. The serpent came out, and was proceeding to bite the king when a squirrel (or according to other versions jays or magpies) made a noise, and saved the king. As this squirrel (or the bird) was called Kalantaka (or Kalandaka) the king ordered that the animal should be allowed to live in security and that its name should be given to the Bamboo Park.³ In the "Shan-hsien-lü" it is the king of Vaiśālī whose life is saved in this Park by a squirrel; and it is this king who perpetuates memory of the act by giving the name Kalantaka to the village of the Park. The Pali name is Veḷuvana Kalandakanivāpa, that is, the Bamboo Park the squirrel's (or jay's) Portion, and this corresponds to the name in a Chinese translation, Chio-fêng (鵲封) or Magpie fief. This Bamboo Park, which as Fa-hsien tells us,¹ was on the west side of the highway about 300 paces from the north wall of Old Rājagaha, was the chosen residence of anchorites, and all devoted to solitary religious meditation. It was also a favourite residence of the Buddha, and it was the first piece of property acquired by the young Buddhist Order. It was a charming place not too near the city, still by day and quiet at night, away from the noise and bustle of common life; it had tanks of clear cold water; the air was mild; there were no stinging insects; and it was in all respects a place eminently adapted for deep and prolonged religious meditation.² The vihāra in it did not belong to the original establishment, and is not mentioned among the residences of the Buddhist Brethren at or near Rājagaha in the Buddha's time. In one treatise it is said to have been built by Indra at the request of Moginlin.³