Sankasaya ,Buddha’s ascent to and descent from the trayastrimsas heaven and other legends .

From the this they proceeded south-east for eighteen yojanas,and found themselves in a kingdom called Sankasya(The name is still remaining Sankassa(ඇඹිලිපිටිය) a village forty -five ) at the place where Buddha came down ,after ascending to the trayastrimsas heaven, (it is situated between the four Peaks of the Meru ,and consists of thirty two of of devas,eight one each of the four corners of the mountain .Indra’s capital of Bellevue is in the center .There he is enthroned,with a thousand heads and a thousand eyes ,and four arms grasping the vajra ,with his wife and 119,000 concubines .There he receives the monthly reports of the four Maharajas ,concerning the progress of good and evil in the world .)and there preaching for three months his Law for the benefit of his mother.(Buddha’s mother Maya and Mahamaya ,the mater immaculate of the Buddhist ,died seven days after his birth “reborn in Tushita ,She was visited there be her son and converted “The Tushita was a more likely place to find her than the Trayastrimsas ; but was the former a part of the latter hardly gives a long account of Buddha’s visit to Trayastrimasa,which he calls Taustisa ,and speak his mother in it ,who had now become a deva by the changing of her sex .)Buddha had gone up to this heaven by his supernatural power ,(Compare the account of the arahath’s conveyance of the artist to the Tushita heaven .The first expression here is more comprehensive) Compare the account of the arahath’s conveyance of the artist to the Tushita heaven .The first expression here is more comprehensive without letting his disciples know ;but seven days before the completion (of the three months )he laid aside his invisibility , and Anuruddha,
(Anuruddha was a first cousin of Sakyamuni ,being the son of his uncle Amritodana .He is often mentioned in the account we have of Buddha’s last moments His special gift was the divyachakshus or “heavenly eye” the first of the six abhijnas or supernatural talents ,the faculty of comprehending in one instantaneous view ,or by intuition ,all being in all worlds he could see with his heavenly eyes ) saw the world -honored one,and immediately said to the honored one ,the Great Mugalan ,”Do you go and salute the world -honored one” Mugalan forthwith went ,and with head and face did homage at Buddha’s feet .They then saluted and questioned each other ,and when this was over ,Buddha said to Mugalan “seven days after this I will go down to Jambudvipa “and thereupon Mugalan returned .At this time the great kings of eights countries with their ministers and people ,not having seen Buddha for a long time ,were all thirstily looking up for him .and had collected in clouds in this kingdom to wait for the world -honored one .

Then the bhikshuni Uthpala (uppalawanna )thought in her heart ,”To -day the kings with their ministers and people ,will all be meeting (and welcoming)Buddha .I am (but ) a woman ; how shall I succeed in being the first to see him? “(Perhaps we should read here “to see Buddha “,and then ascribe the transformation to the nun herself .It depends on the punctuation which view we adopt ;and in the structure of the passage ,there after “Buddha “and the one view is as reasonable ,or rather as unreasonable as the other .)Buddha immediately ,by his spirit -like power ,changed her into the appearance of a Chakravartti (“A holy king who turns the wheel “that is ,the military conqueror and monarch of the whole or part of a universe .)king ,and she was the foremost of all in doing reverence to him .

As Buddha descended from his position aloft in the Trayastrimasas heaven ,when he was coming down ,there were made to appear three flights of precious steps of which were composed of the seven precious substances .The king of Brahma -loka (This was brahma ,the first person of the brahmanical trimurti ,adopted by Buddhism ,but placed in an inferior position ,and surpassed by every Buddhist saint who attains to bodhi .)also made a flight of silver steps appear on the right side ,where he was seen )attending with a white chowry in his hand ,Sakra Ruler of Devas ,made (a flight of )steps of purple gold on the left side ,(where he was seen ) attending and holding an umbrella of the seven precious substances .An innumerable multitude of the devas followed Buddhas in hid descent .When he was come down ,the three flights all disappeared in the ground ,excepting seven steps ,which continued to be visible .Afterwords King Ashoka ,wishing to know where their ends rested ,sent men to dig and see . They went down to the yellow springs (A common name for the earth below ,where ,on digging water is found .)without reaching the bottom of the steps ,and from this the king received an increase to his reverence and faith ,and built a vihara over the steps ,with a standing image ,sixteen cubits in height,right over the middle flight .Behind the vihara he erected a stone pillar ,about fifty cubits high ,(the height is given as thirty chow ,the being the distance from the elbow to the finger tip which is variously estimated .)with a lion on the top of it .Let in to the pillar ,on each on the top its four sides,there is an image of Buddha,inside and out shining and transparent,and pure as it were of lapis lazuli. Some teachers of another doctrine once disputed with the Sramanas about (the right to)this as a place of residence,and the latter were having the worst of the argument,when they took an oath on both sides on the conditions that,if the place did indeed belong to the Sramanas ,there should be some marvelous attestation of it.When these words had been spoken,the lion on the top gave a great roar,thus giving the proof ;on which their opponents were frightened ,bowed to the decision,and withdrew.

Though Buddha having for three months partaken of the food of heaven,his body emitted a heavenly fragrance,unlike that of an ordinary man.He went immediately and bathed;and afterwards,at the spot where he did so,a bathing -housing was built ,which is still existing.At the place where the bhikshuni Uthpala was the first to do reverence to buddha,a tope has now been built.

At the places where Buddha, when ha was in the world ,cut his hair and nails,topes are erected;and where the three Buddhas that preceded Sakyamuni Buddha and himself sat;Where they walked.and where images of their persons were made ,and are still existing.At the place where Sakra ,Ruler of the Devas,and the king of the Brahmaloka followed Buddha down (from the Trayastrimsas heaven )they have also raised a tope.

At this place the monks and nuns may be a thousand,who all receive their food from the common store,and pursue their studies,some of the mahayana and some of the hinayana. Where they live,there is a white -eared dragon,which acts the part of danapati to the commuity of these monks,causing abundant harvests in the country ,and the enriching rains to come in season,without the occurrence of any calamities,so that the monks enjoy their repose and ease. In gratitude for its kindness ,they have made for it a dragon -house(naaga wiharaya),with a carpet for for it to sit on,and appointed for it a diet of blessing,which they present for its house,and eat there.When ever the summer retreat ended,the dragon straightway changes its form,and appears as a small snake,with the white spot at the side of its ears.As soon as the monks recognize it,they fill a copper vessel with cream,into which they put the creature ,and then carry it round from the one who has the highest seat(at the tables)to him who has the lowest,when it has been taken round,immediately it disappeared; and every year it thus comes forth once.The country is very productive,and the people are prosperous, and happy beyond comparison.When people of other countries come to it,they are exceedingly attentive to them all,and supply them with what they need.

Fifty yojanas north-west from the monastery there is another,called 'The Great Heap'(මහියංගනය ).Great Heap was the name of a wicked demon,who was converted by Buddha, and subsequently at this place reared a vihara. When it was being made over to an Arahath by pouring water on his hands,some drops fell on the ground .They continue to be visible ,and cannot be made to disappear.

At this place there is also a tope to Buddha,where a good spirit constantly keeps (all about it)swept and watered,without any labor of man being required. A king of corrupt views once said,'Since you are able to do this,I will lead a multitude of troops and reside there till the dirt and filth has increased and accumulated ,and (see)where you can cleanse it away or not 'The spirit thereupon raised a great wind,which blew (the filth away), and made the place pure.

At this place there a hundred small tops,at which a man many keep counting a whole day without being able to know (their exact number).If he be firmly bent on knowing it,he will place a man by the side of each tope. When this is done ,proceeding to count the number of men, where they be many or few,he will not get to know (the number).

There is a monastery,containing perhaps 600 or 700 monks,in which there is a place where a Pratyeka Buddha used to take his food .The nirvana ground (where he was burned after death)is as large as a carriage wheel ;and while grass grows all around,on this spot there is none .The ground also where they lay on it ,continues to the present .........

මහියංගන නාග  විහාරයේ  නටබුන්. 

KANYAKUBJA   

            Fa-Hsien Stayed Dragon vihara (Naga viharaya-Mahiyangana ) till after the summer retreat,and then travelling to the south -east for seven yodunas ,he arrived at the city of Kanyakubja,lying along the Ganges (මහවැලි ගඟ).There are two monasteries in it,the inmates of which are students of the hinayana. At a distance from the city of six or seven le,on the west,on the northern bank of Ganges,is a place where Buddha preached the Law to his disciples.It has been handed down that his subjects of discourse were such as 'The bitterness and vanity (of life)as impermanent and uncertain,'and that 'The body is as a bubble or foam on the water'.At this spot a tope was erected,and still exists.

                           Having crossed the Ganges,and gone south for three yojanas,(the travelers)arrived at a village name A-le, containing places where Buddha  preached the Law,Where he sat,and where he walked ,at all of which topes have been built.

         Going on from this to the  southeast for three yojanas,they  came to the great kingdom of Sha-che . As you go out of the city of Sha-che by the southern gate,on the east of the road (is the place) where Buddha ,after he had chewed his willow branch,stuck it in the ground,when it forthwith grew up seven cubits,(at which height it remained)neither increasing nor diminishing.The Brahmans with their contrary doctrines became angry and jealous.Sometimes they cut the tree down,sometimes they  plucked it up,and cast it to a distance,but it grew again on the same spot as at first.Here also is the place where the four Buddhas walked and sat,and at which a tope was built that is still existing. 

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