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 00 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY. [Maech, 1875. that the wanting papers arc several times referred to in this reprint. Mr. Hodgson's papers are of such sterling value that Ave cannot but look on the appearance of this volume with disappointment : it must Stand in the way of the publication of a more complete collection, and, besides the dis- advantage of a doable pagination for the two parts, it is disfigured by very numerous press errors, only a portion of which are noticed in the three pages of 'Additions and corrections' prefixed. The Index of three pages is also utterly inadequate to enable t lie reader to refer with facility to the very minute and varied information in the volume. We trust some worthier and more complete reprint of all the invaluable essays of the veteran who first made available the Buddhistic literature of Nepal and Tibet to European scholars, will yet be pub- lished. THE BUDDHIST WORKS IN CHINESE IN THE INDIA OFFICE LIBRARY.* BY Rev. SAMUEL BEAL. There are 72 distinct Buddhist compilations in 112 volumes among the Chinese books in the Library of the India Office. Of these 47 are t.nnisluiiona from the Sanskrit. 1. There are two copies of a work styled the Mo-lw^an-nyirpan-king (i.e. the Mahdparinib- bana Sntf >). 1 was anxious to determine whether this work resembled the Sutra known by the same name in the Southern School (Ceylon, Burmah, See.) ; and, if not, to investigate, so far as possible, the degree and character of the divergence. The general outline is this ; Buddha, on a Certain occasion, proceeded to Kinsinagarn, and entering a grove of sula trees, there rep sect He received a gift of food from C h a n d a, an artizan of the neighbouring town. After par- taking of the food he was seized with illness. He discoursed through the night with his •.It's, juiil disputed with certain heretical teachers. At early dawn he turned on his right with his head to the north, and died. The aula trees bent down to form a canopy over his head. The acconut then proceeds to relate the <•!!•' 'ii instance of his cremation, and the subse- quent disputes, between the Mallas and others, ii.!' ins ashes. In these main features the Northern sutra is in agreement with the Southern, t but when con- sidered in deia.il the divergence between the two is great. The whole of the first an. I some portion of the second books of the Chinese ion is occupied by the narrative of Chanda's offering; the details are most minute and - some, consisting ol sofa regularly ring order, In the subsequent books the nan ii pied with laboured proofs tl: i Nirvana is ttOt ! i Mr. Tunier imbh'ahed a brief or.tliiu-of the Hukapari- it, and that the four characteristics of Nirvana are these : — Personality, Parity, Happiness, and Eternity. One chief peculiarity of this book is the particular stress it lays on the fact that it was ths first made of all the Vaipulya class of Buddhist works, and for that reason it some- times gives expression to donbts whether or no it would be acknowledged as belonging to the canon. The history of Buddha's controversies with the heretical doctors Kasyupa, Basita. and others, is of an interesting nature, the point of the argument in every case being to prove that Nirvana is the one true and universal con- dition of being, in opposition to all pre-existing theories respecting a future life in heave:!, or anintelligible state of existence snpposed i > be enjoyed in the Arupa worlds. From the consideration of this S/ih-ti it seems likely that the plan adopted in the later (Northern) school of Buddhism, in the composi- tion of their works (the MaMyma and Vdijnilya Sdtras), was to take the shorter and more ancient scriptures as a germ, and T by the inter- polation of dialogues and discussions, an 1 same time by todioas expansion of triv occurring in the course of the narrative, t.. produce a work nnder the same name of a totally different character. This method of develop- ment, I think, may be observed in nearly all the works of which we possess both Northern and Southern versions. 2. The above remarks apply with equal force to (hi' Fa, Northern version of the Jirahmaj, work well 1 through the pages of the 0< fflbn /" oieh Mr. Gogerly published a brief transla- tion of it. The Chinese version was made by K n 7ii "i raj i va about '420 a.iv, but it has none -. fr in the ME, in the Asiatic Society' t Journal oj Bengal.
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