How Buddhism came to Karnasuvarna

Xuan Zang

UNESCO Courier
April 1987
p.24

COPYRIGHT UNESCO (France) 1987

            How Buddhism came to Karnasuvarna KARNASUVARNA was 4,400 or 4,500 li 
            in circumference and its capital was over 20 li in circumference. It 
            was a prosperous state with a large population. Its land was low and 
            moist and farming operations there were conducted regularly in 
            accordance with the seasons. Everywhere in the state, there were 
            blooming flowers and trees laden with rare fruits. The climate was 
            temperate and the people were of good character. They were patrons 
            of learning and beleived in both Buddhism and other religions. There 
            were more than ten Buddhist monasteries and over two thousand 
            Brethren who were all adherents of the Sammatiya School. There were 
            also fifty Deva-Temples and the followers of the various religions 
            were very numerous. There were another three Buddhist monasteries 
            where the Brethren did not eat milk products in accordance with the 
            teaching of Devadatta. 
            Near the capital was the Luoduoweizhi Monastery (or Red Mud 
            Monastery in the language of the T'ang Dynasty). With its spacious 
            rooms and courtyards and lofty pavilions and platforms, it was a 
            magnificent and famous establishment, the resort of illustrious 
            Brethren and scholars from throughout the state. They gathered there 
            to exchange ideas and discuss theories and philosophies. 
            In earlier years, no one in the state believed in Buddhism. Once,a 
            person of another religion from South India strutted into the 
            capital with a walking stick in his hand, with his stomach girded by 
            a copper sheathing and bearing on his head a light. 
            Someone asked this person: "Why are you putting such odd things 
            around your stomach and on your head?" 
            The man answered: "I have too much learning and my stomach would 
            burst out (if not protected by the copper sheathing) and I pity 
            those stupid and ignorant masses, so I bear a light on my head to 
            enlighten them." 
            He was beating a drum and challenging anyone to debate with him. Ten 
            days went by, and no one dared to ask the man any questions. Even a 
            search through all the elites in the state proved vain. 
            The King said: "Why is it that we can't find a wise and illustrious 
            person in the whole state? It's a galling shame that when a guest 
            here asks a question, no one in the state can answer it. Try again 
            among those hermits." 
            Then someone came forward and told the King: "There is a stranger in 
            the forest who calls himself Sramana. He has been living in solitude 
            for a long time and devoting himself to study. If he is not a 
            learned and highly moral person, how could he behave in this way?" 
            After hearing the story, the King himself went to the forest to 
            invite the stranger to take part in the debate. 
            Sramana told the King: "I am from South India and staying here as a 
            guest. I do not have much learning and probably cannot live up to 
            your expectations. I am grateful for your invitation and cannot 
            persist in declining it. If I win the debate, I wish you would found 
            a Buddhist monastery and invite the Brethren to spread the doctrines 
            ob Buddhism." 
            The King answered: "I promise and we will never forget your great 
            kindness." 
            Sramana accepted the King's invitation and went to meet the 
            braggart. The latter made a speech of more than 30,000 words on the 
            doctrines of his religion. The speech, imbued with profound meaning 
            and a wide range of knowledge, touched on almost everything under 
            the sun, from theories created by famous persons to his own 
            experiences. 
            However, after listening to the speech no more than a moment, 
            Sramana saw all the meaning in it. He used only a few hundred words 
            in his reply and interpretation, making not a single mistake, and 
            then asked some hard questions about his opponent's doctrines. The 
            braggart realized that he had been defeated in the argument, and 
            fell silent. He was totally discredited and retreated in disgrace. 
            The King deeply respected the talent of Sramana and founded the 
            Luoduoweizhi Monastery to begin spreading the doctrines of Buddhism.