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letter to the emperor and present precious stones and other things. Wlien 

 the envoys had arrived , they made a picture of the emperor which they took 

 home to their country and, comparing it with the original drawing, it was 

 found to be exactly the same. The king now mounted this picture on a 

 precious frame and honoured it more and more every day (*). 



Some time afterwards the king died and his son Pi-ya-pa-mo ( 2 ) came to 

 the throne. In 519 he sent a high official, called Pi-yen-pa-mo ( 3 ), to present 

 a letter of the folio win g contents: //To the ever victorious emperor, who is 

 //world-honoured as the different Bucldha's, ever happy and quiet; who pos- 

 //sesses the six supernatural talents and the three stages of wisdom, who is 

 //the most exalted on earth and is as Tathagata himself. He takes care of 

 //the true light (Bödhi) and of the relies of Bucldha's body, making pagodas 

 //and images all over his country , so that it looks imposing as the mountain 

 //Sumêru. His cities and villages are covered with houses; the dwellings of 

 //his functionaries in towns and suburbs are as the palaces in Indra's heaven. 

 //Numerous are his soldiers and able to subdue all his enemies; his country 

 //is quiet and happy, exempt from all disasters. His people are harmonious 

 //and good, they have been renovated by the true law and the happiness 

 //resulting from this is pervading everywhere; just as a mountain covered 

 //with snow, of which the water flows down on all sides: fresh and clear 

 //all the rivulets are filled with it, they meander in every direction, but 

 //dutifully bring it to the sea, all living creatures meanwhile enjoying it; 

 //of all countries in the world China certainly must be named first. 



(') About this story we find the following sensible observations in the Wen Hsien T'ung- 

 k'au of the eelebrated Ma Tuan-lin, published in 1319. 



//The Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty was a great admirer of Buddliism ; this was 

 //known in and out of China and when, in his time, envoys from Kandali came to bring 

 //tribute, crafty ministers and priests introduced them with this story, in order to natter him; 

 //it is not that the thing is really true. 



//The barbarians of the islands only brought tribute, because they sought the advantages 

 //of trade and the imperial presents , but they did not come because they really had a senti- 

 //ment of then- duty, and if they were told to say something to please the Emperor , they would 

 //certainly do so. Moreover this king was himself a follower of Buddlia, who therefore was 

 //glad to see his religion estabhshed in China, and perhaps he has conceived this idea himself 

 //in order to meet the wishes of the emperor." 



o ««tl. 

 o 



