At the place where in front of his
rocky apartment Buddha was walking from east to west in meditation, and
Devadatta, from among the beetling cliffs on the north of the mountain,
threw a rock across, and hurt Buddha's toes, the rock is still there.
The hall where Buddha preached his Law has been destroyed, and only the
foundations of the brick walls remain. On this hill the peak is
beautifully green, and rises grandly up; it is the highest of all the
five hills. In the New City Fa-hien bought incense-sticks, flowers, oil
and lamps, and hired two bhikshus, long resident at the place, to carry
them to the peak. When he himself got to it, he made his offerings with
the flowers and incense, and lighted the lamps when the darkness began
to come on. He felt melancholy, but restrained his tears and said, "Here
Buddha delivered the Surangama Sutra. I, Fa-hien, was born when I could
not meet with Buddha; and now I only see the footprints which he has
left, and the place where he lived, and nothing more." With this, in
front of the rock cavern, he chanted the Surangama Sutra, remained there
over the night, and then returned towards the New City.
CHAPTER XXX
~Srataparna Cave, or Cave of the First Council~
Out from the old city, after walking over three hundred paces, on the
west of the road, the travellers found the Karanda Bamboo garden, where
the old vihara is still in existence, with a company of monks, who keep
the ground about it swept and watered.
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