The Country of Fuhe縛喝國

The country of Fuhe is more than eight hundred li from east to west and more than four hundred li from north to south. To the north it reaches the Fuchu River. The great capital city of the country is more than twenty li around, and everyone calls it a little Rajagriha. The city is strong, but very few people live in it. The things the land brings forth are unusually many, and the flowers of the water and of the land are too many to set down in full. There are more than a hundred monasteries and more than three thousand monks, and all of them study the Law and teaching of the Lesser Vehicle. Outside the city to the southwest is the Nafu monastery, which a former king of this country built. Among the masters who wrote treatises north of the Great Snow Mountains, only in this monastery has that fine work never been broken off. Its images of the Buddha are made bright with famous jewels, and its halls are adorned with rare treasures. For this reason the rulers of many countries have coveted them and tried to take them by attack. This monastery has had from of old an image of Vaishravana, whose holy answering may be relied on, and it guards the place unseen. Not long ago Siyehu khagan, the son of Yehu khagan of the Tujue, emptied out his tribe and led forth his soldiers, meaning to fall upon the monastery all at once and seize the treasures. He halted his army in the open country not far from here. That night he saw Vaishravana in a dream, who said, "What power have you, that you dare to pull down a monastery?" Then with a long halberd he ran him through from breast to back. The khagan woke in terror, and at once his breast hurt him bitterly. At last he told his followers the sign of his fault that he had seen in the dream, and hurriedly called for the monks, wishing to repent and beg pardon. But before the word could come back he was already dead.

In the southern Buddha hall inside the monastery there is the Buddha's water jar. It holds a little more than a dou. Many colors shine from it dazzlingly, and it is hard to give it a name, whether metal or stone. There is also a tooth of the Buddha, a little more than an inch long and eight or nine tenths of an inch wide, yellow and white in color, and bright and clean in substance. There is also the Buddha's broom, made of kasha grass. It is a little more than two feet long and about seven inches around, and its handle is adorned with many jewels. On each of the six fast days monks and lay people all gather, set out these three things, and make offerings to them. When their utmost sincerity is answered, at times a bright light shines forth.

North of the monastery there is a stupa more than two hundred feet high. It is coated with adamantine clay and set about with all kinds of jewels. Within it are relics, which at times light up with a holy radiance.

Southwest of the monastery there is a hermitage, and many years have passed since it was built. From far places men gathered to it like the spokes of a wheel, and high talents came together in crowds. Those who realized the four fruits are too many to set down in full. And so, when the many arhats were about to enter nirvana, they showed their spiritual powers and the crowd came to know them, and stupas were raised for them. Their foundations lie side by side, and they number more than several hundred. Those who realized the holy fruit and yet showed no spiritual change to the end may be counted by the thousand, but no marker was set up to record them. Now there are more than a hundred monks, who are not slack by night or by day, and whether they are ordinary men or sages is hard to measure.

Going more than fifty li northwest from the great city, one comes to the city of Tiwei. More than forty li north of that city is the city of Boli. In each of these cities there is one stupa, more than thirty feet high. Long ago, when the Tathagata had first realized the fruit of Buddhahood, he rose from the bodhi tree and was about to go to the Deer Park. At that time two elders met his awesome light, and out of the provisions they had made ready for their road they offered him parched grain flour and honey. The World Honored One spoke to them of the blessings of men and gods, and they were the very first to hear of the five precepts and the ten good deeds. Having heard the teaching of the Law, they asked for something to make offerings to, and the Tathagata then gave them his hair and his nails. As the two elders were about to return to their own country, they asked for the form in which they should pay reverence. The Tathagata folded his sanghati into a square and spread it below, then set his uttarasanga upon it, then his samkaksika, and then turned his bowl upside down and stood his staff upright. He told them to make a stupa in this order. The two men took his command and each went back to his own city, and following the holy intent they built them high after that form. These are the first stupas in the Law of Sakyamuni.

More than seventy li west of the city there is a stupa more than twenty feet high. It was built long ago, in the time of Kasyapa Buddha.

From the great city, going southwest into the folds of the Snow Mountains, one comes to the country of Ruimotuo.