Art. XIV.—The Legend of Dipañkara Buddha. Translated from the Chinese (and intended to illustrate Plates XXIX. and L., ‘Tree and Serpent Worship’)

Extract

From a brief examination of a work in the India. Office Library, called “K'ai yuen shĭ kiau,” (one volume of which is unfortunately missing), I find that the number of books included in the Chinese Buddhist Canon, down to the time of Tchi-Shing, the compiler of the work in question (who lived A.D. 730 during the Tang dynasty (618–904 A.D.), and shortly after Hwen-Thsang), amounted altogether to 1076, divided into 5048 chapters (kiouen), and included within 480 wrappers (chih). Of these, 330 belong to the “Little vehicle,” and 968 to the “Great vehicle,” leaving 108 miscellaneous and unclassified. Of the “Little vehicle,” 240 are Sûtras, in 618 chapters, and 48 wrappers; 54 belong to the Vinaya Piṭaka, in 446 chapters and 45 wrappers; 36 belong to the Abidharma Piṭaka, in 698 chapters and 72 wrappers. Of the 968 belonging to the “Great vehicle,” 515 are Sûtras, in 2173 chapters and 203 wrappers; 26 belong to the Vinaya Piṭaka, in 54 chapters and 5 wrappers; and 97 belong to the Abidharma Piṭaka, in 518 chapters and 50 wrappers.