[663] Bigandet’s ‘Life of Gaudama,’ p. 323.
[664] ‘Embassy to Ava,’ loc. cit.
[665] ‘Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal,’ vol. vi. p. 715.
[666] Unfortunately the Chinese annals, to which we generally look for assistance in our difficulties, are not likely to afford us any in this. Confucius was born 551 B.C., and died 478; he was consequently only eight years old when Buddha died, and in order to give Buddha the necessary precedence in date, the Buddhists boldly added five centuries to this, placing him about 1000 B.C. This struggle between truth and falsehood led to such confusion that in the 7th century Hiouen Thsang wrote: “Depuis le Nirvana jusqu’aujourd’hui les uns comptent 1200 ans, les autres 1500 ans: il y en a qui affirment qu’il s’est écoulé plus de 900, mais que le nombre de 1000 n’est pas encore complet.” (‘Histoire,’ p. 131. ‘Vie et Voyages,’ i. 335.) The first is the nearest, according to our ideas. He was writing apparently in 1190 A.B. It may be 1200, if it was written after his return to China; but from this confusion it is evident no reliance can be placed on any dates he may quote from the Nirvana.
[667] ‘Embassy to Ava.’ Appendix.
[668] Vishnu Purana, p. 463.
[669] ‘Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society,’ vol. iv. (N.S.) p. 85.
[670] Crawfurd’s ‘Embassy to Ava,’ vol. ii. p. 277.
[671] ‘Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal,’ vol. vii. p. 261; ‘Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society,’ vol. xii. p. 232; Cunningham’s ‘Archæological Reports,’ vol. v. p. 20, &c., &c.
[672] ‘Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal,’ vol. vi. p. 714.