resident at the place, to carry
them to the peak. When he himself got to it, he made his offerings with
the flowers and incense, and lighted the lamps when the darkness began
to come on. He felt melancholy, but restrained his tears and said, "Here
Buddha delivered the Surangama Sutra. I, Fa-hien, was born when I could
not meet with Buddha; and now I only see the footprints which he has
left, and the place where he lived, and nothing more." With this, in
front of the rock cavern, he chanted the Surangama Sutra, remained there
over the night, and then returned towards the New City.

CHAPTER XXX

~Srataparna Cave, or Cave of the First Council~

Out from the old city, after walking over three hundred paces, on the
west of the road, the travellers found the Karanda Bamboo garden, where
the old vihara is still in existence, with a company of monks, who keep
the ground about it swept and watered.

North of the vihara two or three li there was the Smasanam, which name
means in Chinese "the field of graves into which the dead are thrown."

As they kept along the mountain on the south, and went west for three
hundred paces, they found a dwelling among the rocks, named the Pippala
cave, in which Buddha regularly sat in meditation after taking his
mid-day meal.

Going on still to the west for five or six li, on the north of the hill,
in the shade, they found the cavern called Srataparna, [1] the place
where, after the nirvana of Buddha, five hundred Arhats collected the
Sutras. When they brought the Sutras forth, three lofty seats had been
prepared and grandly ornamented. Sariputtra occupied the one on the
left, and Maudgalyayana that on the right. Of the number of five hundred
one was wanting. Mahakasyapa was president on the middle seat. Ananda
was then outside the door, and could not get in. At the place there was
subsequently raised a tope, which is still existing.

Along the sides of the hill, there are also a very great many cells
among the rocks, where the various Arhans sat and meditated. As you
leave the old city on the north, and go down east for three li, there is
the rock dwelling of Devadatta, and at a distance of fifty paces from it
there is a large, square, black rock. Formerly there was a bhikshu, who,
as he walked backwards and forwards upon it, thought with
himself:--"This body is impermanent, a thing of bitterness and vanity,
and which cannot be looked on as pure. I am weary of this body, and
troub