[1] 龔
[2] 平陽, 武陽
[3] 荆州
THE
TRAVELS OF FÂ-HIEN
OR
RECORD OF BUSSHISTIC KINGDOMS
CHAPTER I.
FROM CHʽANG-GAN TO THE SANDY DESERT.
Fâ-hien had been living in Chʽang-gan.[1] Deploring the mutilated and imperfect state of the collection of the Books of Discipline, in the second year of the period Hwăng-che, being the Ke-hâe year of the cycle,[2] he entered into an engagement with Hwuy-king, Tâo-ching, Hwuy-ying, and Hwuy-wei,[3] that they should go to India and seek for the Disciplinary Rules.[4]
After starting from Chʽang-gan, they passed through Lung,[5] and came to the kingdom of Kʽeen-kwei,[6] where they stopped for the summer retreat.[7] When that was over, they went forward to the kingdom of Now-tʽan,[8] crossed the mountain of Yang-low, and reached the emporium of Chang-yih.[9] There they found the country so much disturbed that travelling on the roads was impossible for them. Its king, however, was very attentive to them, kept them (in his capital), and acted the part of their dânapati.[10]
Here they met with Che-yen, Hwuy-keen, Săng-shâo, Pâo-yun, and Săng-king;[11] and in pleasant association with them, as bound on the same journey with themselves, they passed the summer retreat (of that year)[12] together, resuming after it their travelling, and going on to Tʽun-hwang,[13] (the chief town) in the frontier territory of defence extending for about 80 le from east to west, and about 40 from north to south. Their company, increased as it had been, halted there for some days more than a month, after which Fâ-hien and his four friends started first in the suite of an envoy,[14] having separated (for a time) from Pâo-yun and his associates.