DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2371#0305
AJANTA. 283
pres les anciermes descriptions de ce pays, elles sont soutenues par
la force des voeux du Lo-han (de l'Arhat).
" Suivant quelques personnes, ce prodige est du a, la force de ses
facultes surnaturelles, et, selon d'autres, a la puissance de sa science
medicale. Mais on a beau interroger l'histoire, il est impossible de
trouver 1'explication de ce prodige. Tout autour du Vihara on a
sculpte les parois de la pierre, et Ton a represente les evenements de
la vie de Jou-lai (du Tathagata) dans tous les lieux oii il a rempli le
role de Bddhisattva, les presages heureux qui ont signale son eleva-
tion a la dignite (L'Arhat, et les prodiges divins qui ont suivi son
entree dans le Nirvana. Le ciseau de l'artiste a figure tous ces faits
dans les plus petits details, sans en oublier un seul.
" En dehors des portes du couvent, au midi et au nord, a gauche
et a droite, on voit un elephant en pierre. J'ai entendu dire a des
gens du pays que, de temps en temps, ces (quatre*) elephants pouss-
ent des cris terribles qui font trembler la terre. Jadis Teh' in-na-
p'ou-sa (Djina Bddhisattva) s'arreta souvent dans ce couvent."2
This account can only be applied to Ajanta, and though only
reported on hearsay is remarkably descriptive of these caves, but of
no other group.
In some respects the series of caves at Ajanta is more complete
and more interesting than any other in India. All the caves there
belong exclusively to the Buddhist religion without any admixture
either from the Hindu or Jaina forms of faith, and they extend
through the whole period during which Buddhism prevailed as a
dominant religion in that country. Two of them, a Ohaitya cave
and a vihara, IX. and VIII., certainly belong to the second century
before Christ, and two others, No. XXVI., a chaitya at one end of the
^nes, and Fo. 1, a vihara at the other end, were certainly not
mshed in the middle of the seventh century, when Buddhism was
'ottering to its fall. Between these two periods, the 29 caves found
ere are spread tolerably evenly over a period of more than eight cen-
9 nes, ^th only a break, which occurs, not only here, but everywhere,
et*een the Hinayana and Mahayana forms of faith. Five or six
* at Ajanta, belong to the former school, and consequently to the
great division into which we have classed these monuments.
1 TM. . " ~-----------------------—-----------------------------—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------'
s interpolation 0f M, Julien's is evidently a mistake, only two elephants are
i*»Ken of.
'■ Julkm, Mem. stir les tout. Occident, tome ii. pp. 151-52.
pres les anciermes descriptions de ce pays, elles sont soutenues par
la force des voeux du Lo-han (de l'Arhat).
" Suivant quelques personnes, ce prodige est du a, la force de ses
facultes surnaturelles, et, selon d'autres, a la puissance de sa science
medicale. Mais on a beau interroger l'histoire, il est impossible de
trouver 1'explication de ce prodige. Tout autour du Vihara on a
sculpte les parois de la pierre, et Ton a represente les evenements de
la vie de Jou-lai (du Tathagata) dans tous les lieux oii il a rempli le
role de Bddhisattva, les presages heureux qui ont signale son eleva-
tion a la dignite (L'Arhat, et les prodiges divins qui ont suivi son
entree dans le Nirvana. Le ciseau de l'artiste a figure tous ces faits
dans les plus petits details, sans en oublier un seul.
" En dehors des portes du couvent, au midi et au nord, a gauche
et a droite, on voit un elephant en pierre. J'ai entendu dire a des
gens du pays que, de temps en temps, ces (quatre*) elephants pouss-
ent des cris terribles qui font trembler la terre. Jadis Teh' in-na-
p'ou-sa (Djina Bddhisattva) s'arreta souvent dans ce couvent."2
This account can only be applied to Ajanta, and though only
reported on hearsay is remarkably descriptive of these caves, but of
no other group.
In some respects the series of caves at Ajanta is more complete
and more interesting than any other in India. All the caves there
belong exclusively to the Buddhist religion without any admixture
either from the Hindu or Jaina forms of faith, and they extend
through the whole period during which Buddhism prevailed as a
dominant religion in that country. Two of them, a Ohaitya cave
and a vihara, IX. and VIII., certainly belong to the second century
before Christ, and two others, No. XXVI., a chaitya at one end of the
^nes, and Fo. 1, a vihara at the other end, were certainly not
mshed in the middle of the seventh century, when Buddhism was
'ottering to its fall. Between these two periods, the 29 caves found
ere are spread tolerably evenly over a period of more than eight cen-
9 nes, ^th only a break, which occurs, not only here, but everywhere,
et*een the Hinayana and Mahayana forms of faith. Five or six
* at Ajanta, belong to the former school, and consequently to the
great division into which we have classed these monuments.
1 TM. . " ~-----------------------—-----------------------------—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------'
s interpolation 0f M, Julien's is evidently a mistake, only two elephants are
i*»Ken of.
'■ Julkm, Mem. stir les tout. Occident, tome ii. pp. 151-52.