135
See Burnouf,
136
Abstract by Rajendralala Mitra,
137
See Nanjio, No. 127 and F.W.K. Muller in
138
Abstract by Raj. Mitra,
139
The statement was first made on the authority of Takakusu quoted by Winternitz in
140
Abstract by Raj. Mitra,
141
See
142
Abstract by Raj. Mitra,
143
Translated in part by Beal,
144
See Śikshâs, ed. Bendall, pp. 8,91 and
145
Mahâyâna-sûtrâlankâra, XIX. 29.
146
147
There is another somewhat similar collection of sûtras in the Chinese Canon called Ta Tsi or Mahâsannipâta but unlike the Ratnakûṭa it seems to contain few well-known or popular works.
148
I know of these works only by Raj. Mitra's abstracts,
149
Raj. Mitra,
150
Avadâna is primarily a great and glorious act: hence an account of such an act.
151
The Avadâna-śataka (Feer,
152
Edited by Senart, 3 vols. 1882-1897. Windisch,
153
So too do the words Horâpâthaka (astrologer), Ujjhebhaka (? Uzbek), Peliyaksha (? Felix). The word Yogâcâra (I. 120) may refer simply to the practice of Yoga and not to the school which bore this name.
154
Edited by Cowell and Neil, 1886. See Nanjio, 1344.
155
Edited by Bendall in
156
Nanjio, No. 1466. For a learned discussion of this work see Lévi and Chavannes in
157
It is not likely that the Tathâgata-guhya-sûtra which it quotes is the same as the Tantra with a similar name analysed by Rajendralal Mitra.
158
Watters,
159
Many works with this title will be found in Nanjio.
160
But the Chinese title seems rather to represent Ratnarâsi.
161
See Nanjio, pp. xiii-xvii.
162
Mahâyâna-sûtrâlankâra. See Lévi's introduction, p. 14. The "Questions" sutra is Brahma-paripṛicchâ.
163
Translated by Schiefner, 1869. Târanâtha informs us (p. 281) that his chief authorities were the history of Kshemendrabhadra, the Buddhapurâna of Indradatta and Bhaṭaghaṭî's history of the succession of the Âcâryas.
164
The Tibetans generally translate instead of transliterating Indian names. It is as if an English history of Greece were to speak of Leader of the People instead of Agesilaus.
165
They place Kanishka, Vâsishka, Huvishka and Vasudeva before Kadphises I and Kadphises II.
166
167
My chief difficulty in accepting 78-123 A.D. as the reign of Kanishka is that the Chinese Annals record the doings of Pan Ch'ao between 73 and 102 in Central Asia, with which region Kanishka is believed to have had relations, and yet do not mention his name. This silence makes it
The catalogues of the Chinese Tripitaka state that An-Shih-Kao (148-170 A.D.) translated the Mârgabhûmi-sûtra of Sangharaksha, who was the chaplain of Kanishka. But this unfortunately proves nothing except that Kanishka cannot have been very late. The work is not a scripture for whose recognition some lapse of time must be postulated. An-Shih-Kao, who came from the west, may very well have translated a recent and popular treatise.
168
In this connection we may remember Târanâtha's statement that Kanishka's Council put an end to dissentions which had lasted about a century. But he also states that it was after the Council that Mahayanist texts began to appear. If Kanishka flourished about 50 A.D. this would fit in with Târanâtha's statements and what we know of the history of Buddhism.
169
170
Chap. IV.
171
Mahâparinib. Sut. III.
172
Majj. Nik. 72.
173
Udâna. VIII. 1-4.
174
Accariyabbhutasuttam. Majj. Nik. 123.
175
Chap. XVI.
176
That of Rudradaman at Girnar, dated 72 in the Saka Era, has hitherto been considered the oldest, but it is now said that one discovered at Isapur near Muttra is older. See
177