The Country of Jiabishi迦畢試國

The country of Jiabishi is more than four thousand li around. To the north it has the Snow Mountains at its back, and on three sides are the Black Ridges. The great capital city of the country is more than ten li around. The land suits grain and barley, and there are many fruit trees. It yields fine horses and saffron. Rare goods of other regions gather in this country in plenty. The climate is windy and cold, and the nature of the people is violent and rough. Their words are coarse, and their marriages are disordered. Their letters are much the same as in the country of Duhuoluo, but their habits, their speech, and the teaching of their customs are quite different. They wear wool and cotton, together with hides and coarse hemp. For money they use gold coins, silver coins, and small copper coins, and the standard and the pattern differ from those of the other countries. The king is of the Kshatriya line. He has wisdom and plans, and his nature is brave and fierce. His awe holds down the lands around him, and he rules more than ten countries. He loves and nourishes his people, and he reveres and serves the Three Jewels. Every year he makes a silver image of the Buddha eighteen feet high, and he holds a great assembly open to all besides, helping the poor everywhere and giving to widowers and widows. There are more than a hundred monasteries and more than six thousand monks, and most of them study the Law and teaching of the Greater Vehicle. The stupas and the monasteries are high and great, wide and stern and clean. There are some tens of temples of the gods and more than a thousand followers of other ways. Some go bare, some smear themselves with ashes, and they string skulls together for caps and necklaces.

Three or four li east of the great city, at the foot of the northern mountain, there is a great monastery with more than three hundred monks, and all of them study the Law and teaching of the Lesser Vehicle. It is said in the old records that long ago King Jianisejia of the country of Jiantuoluo spread his awe over the neighboring countries and let his teaching reach far places. He ordered his troops and widened his land until he came east of the Pamirs, and the many border states of Hexi feared his awe and sent hostages. When King Jianisejia had received the king's son sent as hostage, he treated him with special courtesy and had him move his dwelling with the seasons. In winter he lived in the countries of India, in summer he returned to the country of Jiabishi, and in spring and autumn he stayed in the country of Jiantuoluo. And so a monastery was built at each of the three places where the hostage stayed. This monastery is the one built where he stayed in summer. For that reason the hostage is painted on the walls of the many rooms, and his face and his dress are much like those of China. Later he was able to return to his own country, but his heart stayed with his old dwelling, and though mountains and rivers lay between, he never failed in his offerings. And so even now, whenever the monks enter the retreat and break the retreat, they hold a great assembly of the Law and pray for blessing and plant goodness for the hostages. It has gone on one after another without a break down to this day.

South of the east gate of the Buddha court of the monastery, beneath the right foot of the great image of the spirit king, a hollow was dug in the ground and treasure was hidden there, and it was the hostage who hid it. And so the inscription there says, "When the monastery falls into ruin, take this out and repair it." Not long ago there was a king of the border who was greedy and cruel. He heard that much treasure was hidden in this monastery, drove out the monks, and set about digging it up. Then the image of a parrot in the crown of the spirit king shook its wings and cried out in alarm, and the earth shook with it. The king and his soldiers drew back and fell over, and only after a long while did they rise, beg pardon for their fault, and go home.

On the ridge north of the monastery there are several stone chambers, the place where the hostage practiced concentration. Many kinds of treasure are hidden within them, and beside them there is an inscription, and a yaksha guards them. If anyone wishes to open them and take the treasure inside, this yaksha spirit changes and shows itself in strange shapes. Sometimes it becomes a lion, sometimes a great serpent, a fierce beast, or a poisonous insect, and it rages in these uncommon shapes. For this reason no one dares to dig them open.

On the crest of a great mountain two or three li west of the stone chambers there is an image of the bodhisattva Guanzizai. If anyone wishes with all his heart to see him, the bodhisattva comes out of that image in a body of wondrous color and comforts the one who has come.

More than thirty li southeast of the great city one comes to the monastery of Heluohuluo. Beside it is a stupa more than a hundred feet high. Sometimes on fast days a bright light shines from it. From a crack in the stone above the shape of the overturned bowl a black fragrant oil flows out, and in the still of the night the sound of music is sometimes heard. It is said in the old records that long ago it was built by Eluohuluo, a great minister of this country. When the work was finished, in a dream at night someone told him, "The stupa you have raised has no relics in it yet. Tomorrow morning there will be one who offers them. You should ask it of the king." In the morning he went into court and asked, "Not measuring my own dullness, I dare to have a wish." The king said, "What is it you want?" He answered, "Today, if there is one who offers something first, grant it to me in your kindness." The king said that it should be so. Eluohuluo stood at the palace gate and watched for whoever should come. Before long a man came holding a jar of relics. The minister asked, "What do you wish to offer?" He said, "Relics of the Buddha." The minister said, "I will keep them for you, but the king must be told first." Eluohuluo feared that the king would prize the relics and repent of the favor he had granted, so he hurried to the monastery and climbed the stupa. His utter sincerity moved it, and that overturned stone bowl opened of itself, and he laid the relics inside. He came out again in haste, and the hem of his robe was caught. The king's messenger came after him, but the stone had already closed. And so a black fragrant oil flows from the crack.

Going more than forty li south of the city, one comes to the city of Xibiduofalaci. Whenever the earth shakes greatly and the mountain cliffs fall down, within the bounds of this city nothing is shaken.

Going more than thirty li south of the city of Xibiduofalaci, one comes to Mount Alunao. The cliff tops are steep and sheer, and the rocky valleys are dark and deep. Its peak grows several hundred feet higher every year, and when it has risen until it can just be seen facing Mount Zhunaxiluo in the country of Caojuzha, it falls down at once. The people of that place say that in the beginning the heavenly god Zhuna came from far away and wished to stay on this mountain, and the mountain god was greatly angered and shook the valleys. The heavenly god said, "It is because you do not wish to give me up that you shake so. Receive me as a guest for a little while, and I will fill you with wealth and treasure. I go now to Mount Zhunaxiluo in the country of Caojuzha. Every year, when the time comes for me to receive the offerings of the king and his great ministers, let us look toward one another." And so they say that Mount Alunao grows higher and then straightway falls down.

Going more than two hundred li northwest of the royal city, one comes to the Great Snow Mountains. On the mountain top there is a pool, and those who pray there for rain or for clear weather have what they seek. It is said in the old records that long ago there was an arhat in the country of Jiantuoluo who always received the offerings of the dragon king of this pool. Whenever the midday meal came, by his spiritual power he went there through the air, seated on his rope couch. The novice who served him clung in secret beneath the rope couch and hid there, and only when the arhat came in due time to the dragon palace did he see the novice. The dragon king therefore asked him to stay and eat. The dragon king served the arhat with the sweet dew of heaven and served the novice with the food of men. When the arhat had finished eating, he spoke to the dragon king of the essentials of the many laws. The novice was washing the vessels for his master as he always did, and grains of rice were left in the vessel, and he was startled at their fragrance and taste, and at once he raised an evil wish. Resenting his master and angry at the dragon, he said, "May the power of all my blessings appear in full now and cut off the life of this dragon, and let me become king myself." At the moment the novice made this wish, the dragon king's head already ached. The arhat spoke the Law and admonished him, and the dragon king begged pardon for his fault and blamed himself, but the novice held his anger and would not take the admonition and the apology. When he had returned to the monastery he made his wish with all his heart, and by the power of his blessings he died that very night and became a great dragon king. He rose up fierce and strong, came at last into the pool, killed the dragon king, lived in the dragon palace, held its people, and took all command. Because of his former wish he raised fierce wind and rain, breaking and tearing up the trees, and he meant to bring down the monastery. King Jianisejia thought this strange at the time and asked about it, and that arhat told the king all of it. The king then built a monastery for the dragon at the foot of the Snow Mountains and raised a stupa more than a hundred feet high. The dragon held his former anger and raised wind and rain at last. The king kept a heart that would save far and wide, and the dragon rode the poison of his rage and did violence, and the monastery and the stupa were ruined six times and built seven. King Jianisejia was ashamed that the work did not succeed, and he meant to fill up the dragon's pool and tear down the place where he lived. He raised his soldiers at once and came to the foot of the Snow Mountains. Then that dragon king was struck deep with fear, changed into an old Brahman, tapped the king's elephant, and admonished him, saying, "Great king, in your former life you planted roots of goodness and made many fine causes, and you became a king of men, and there is nothing that does not bow to you. Why then do you strive with a dragon today? A dragon is a beast, of a low and evil kind. Yet he has great power, and one cannot contend with him by force. He rides the clouds and drives the wind, he treads the air and walks on the water, and he is not to be held down by the strength of men. How is he worth the anger of the king's heart? If the king now raises the soldiers of the whole country and fights with one dragon, then if he wins there is no awe in the king for having subdued a distant land, and if he loses there is shame in the king for having been no match. As a plan for the king, it is right to turn the soldiers back." King Jianisejia did not follow him. The dragon then went back into his pool, and his voice shook like thunder, and a fierce wind tore up the trees, and sand and stones poured down like rain. Clouds and mist grew dark, and the soldiers and the horses were in fear. The king then gave his life over to the Three Jewels and begged their help, saying, "In my former life I planted much blessing and became a king of men. My awe held down strong enemies and I ruled the continent of Shanbu. Now I am bent by a beast, a dragon, and truly it is because my blessing is thin. May the power of all my blessings appear before me now." At once great smoke and flame rose from his two shoulders. The dragon drew back, the wind grew still, the mist rolled up, and the clouds opened. The king ordered his soldiers that every man should carry one stone and fill up the dragon's pool with it. The dragon king became a Brahman again and asked the king once more, saying, "I am the dragon king of that pool. I fear your awe and give my life over to you. Let the king only pity me and forgive my former fault. The king holds and nourishes and covers all living things; why then does he add cruel harm to me alone? If the king kills me, both I and the king fall together into the evil paths. The king will have the guilt of cutting off a life, and I will have a heart that holds a grudge. The recompense of deeds is plain, and good and evil are clear." The king then made a clear covenant with the dragon and said, "If you offend again hereafter, I will surely not forgive you." The dragon said, "By evil deeds I received this body and became a dragon. The nature of dragons is fierce and evil and cannot hold itself, and if a heart of anger rises in me I shall forget what holds me back. If the king now builds the monastery again, I will not dare to tear it down. Send one man to watch the mountain ridge, and when black clouds rise let him strike the bell in haste. When I hear that sound, my evil heart will stop." That king then repaired the monastery again and raised the stupa, and the watching of the clouds has not ceased to this day.

It is said in the old records that within the stupa there are relics of the bone and flesh of the Tathagata, more than a quart of them. The matters of spiritual change are hard to tell in full. Once smoke rose suddenly inside the stupa, and in a moment fierce flames came out. The people then thought that the stupa had already burned to ashes. They looked up for a long while, and the fire went out and the smoke cleared, and they saw the relics like a banner of white pearls, circling the pillar and winding as they rose, climbing to the edge of the high clouds and turning as they came down.

In the old king's monastery on the south bank of the great river northwest of the royal city there is a tooth that Sakyamuni Bodhisattva shed in his young years, more than an inch long. Southeast of that monastery there is another monastery, also named the old king's. It holds a piece of the bone of the crown of the Tathagata's head, more than an inch wide. Its color is yellow and white, and the pores of the hair are clear. There is also hair of the Tathagata. The color of the hair is dark blue black, and it curls to the right like a snail. Drawn out it is more than a foot long, and rolled up it is about half an inch. On each of the six fast days the king and his great ministers scatter flowers and make offerings to these three things.

Southwest of the monastery of the bone of the crown of the head there is the monastery of the old queen. In it there is a gilt bronze stupa more than a hundred feet high. The people of that place say that in this stupa there are relics of the Buddha, more than a quart of them. On the fifteenth day of each month, on that night, it sends out a round light that lights up the dew basin, and the glow runs on until dawn. Then the light slowly draws in and enters the stupa.

Southwest of the city there is Mount Biluosuoluo. The god of the mountain takes the shape of an elephant, and so it is called Xiangjian. Long ago, when the Tathagata was in the world, the spirit Xiangjian invited the World Honored One and twelve hundred great arhats. On the mountain top there is a great flat rock, and the Tathagata went to it and received the offering of the spirit. Afterward King Wuyou raised a stupa on the flat rock, more than a hundred feet high. People now call it the stupa of Xiangjian. It is also said that within it are relics of the Tathagata, more than a quart of them.

Beneath the mountain rock north of the stupa of Xiangjian there is a dragon spring. It is where the Tathagata, after he had received the food of the spirit, rinsed his mouth with the arhats and chewed a willow twig. The root was planted there, and now it is a thick grove. Later men built a monastery here and named it Bingduoqu.

From here one goes east more than six hundred li. The mountain valleys run one into another, and the peaks and crags are steep. Crossing the Black Ridges, one enters the border of North India and reaches the country of Lanbo.