of what is good, cherishing a gentle and sympathizing heart, and carefully cultivating good faith and righteousness.  When each one in this way practises that faith and righteousness, life will go on to double its length till it reaches eighty thousand years.  When Maitreya appears in the world, and begins to turn the wheel of this Law, he will in the first place save those among the disciples of the Law left by the Sakya who have quitted their families, and those who have accepted the three Refuges, undertaken the five Prohibitions and the eight Abstinences, and given offerings to the Three Precious Ones; secondly and thirdly, he will save those between whom and conversion there is a connection transmitted from the past.’” [1]

Such was the discourse, and Fa-hien wished to write it down as a portion of doctrine; but the man said, “This is taken from no Sutra, it is only the utterance of my own mind.”

[Footnote 1:  That is, those whose Karma in the past should be rewarded by such conversion in the present.]

CHAPTER XL

After Two Years Fa-hien Takes Ship for China

Fa-hien abode in this country two years; and, in addition to his acquisitions in Patna, succeeded in getting a copy of the Vinaya-pitaka of the Mahisasakah school; the Dirghagama and Samyuktagama Sutras; and also the Samyukta-sanchaya-pitaka;—­all being works unknown in the land of Han.  Having obtained these Sanscrit works, he took passage in a large merchantman, on board of which there were more than two hundred men, and to which was attached by a rope a smaller vessel, as a provision against damage or injury to the large one from the perils of the navigation.  With a favorable wind, they proceeded eastward for three days, and then they encountered a great wind.  The vessel sprang a leak and the water came in.  The merchants wished to go to the smaller vessel; but the men on board it, fearing that too many would come, cut the connecting rope.  The merchants were greatly alarmed, feeling their risk of instant death.  Afraid that the vessel would fill, they took their bulky goods and threw them into the water.  Fa-hien also took his pitcher and washing-basin, with some other articles, and cast them into the sea; but fearing that the merchants would cast overboard his books and images, he could only think with all his heart of Kwan-she-yin, and commit his life to the protection of the church of the land of Han, saying in effect, “I have travelled far in search of our Law.  Let me, by your dread and supernatural power, return from my wanderings, and reach my resting-place!”