m the differences of
fine woollen cloth and of serge or haircloth. The rules observed by the
Sramans are remarkable, and too numerous to be mentioned in detail. The
country is in the midst of the Onion range. As you go forward from these
mountains, the plants, trees, and fruits are all different from those of
the land of Han, excepting only the bamboo, pomegranate, and sugarcane.

[Footnote 1: Watters calls attention to this as showing that the monks
of K'eeh-ch'a had the credit of possessing weather-controlling powers.]

CHAPTER VI

~North India--Image of Maitreya Bodhisattva~

From this the travellers went westward towards North India, and after
being on the way for a month, they succeeded in getting across and
through the range of the Onion mountains. The snow rests on them both
winter and summer. There are also among them venomous dragons, which,
when provoked, spit forth poisonous winds, and cause showers of snow and
storms of sand and gravel. Not one in ten thousand of those who
encounter these dangers escapes with his life. The people of the country
call the range by the name of "The Snow mountains." When the travellers
had got through them, they were in North India, and immediately on
entering its borders, found themselves in a small kingdom called
T'oleih, where also there were many monks, all students of the hinayana.

In this kingdom there was formerly an Arhan, [1] who by his supernatural
power took a clever artificer up to the Tushita [2] heaven, to see the
height, complexion, and appearance of Maitreya Bodhisattva, [3] and then
return and make an image of him in wood. First and last, this was done
three times, and then the image was completed, eighty cubits in height,
and eight cubits at the base from knee to knee of the crossed legs. On
fast-days it emits an effulgent light. The kings of the surrounding
countries vie with one another in presenting offerings to it. Here it
is--to be seen now as of old.

[Footnote 1: Lo-han, Arhat, Arahat are all designations of the perfected
Arya, the disciple who has passed the different stages of the Noble
Path, or eightfold excellent way, who has conquered all passions, and is
not to be reborn again. Arhatship implies possession of certain
supernatural powers, and is not to be succeeded by Buddhaship, but
implies the fact of the saint having already attained Nirvana.]

[Footnote 2: Tushita is the fourth Devaloka, where all Bodhisattvas are
reborn before f