Mount Potalaka in Malaya mountains

N. Ganesan naga_ganesan at HOTMAIL.COM
Wed Feb 10 21:44:48 UTC 1999


Mr. Petr Mares writes:
>The whole chapter  in Xi Yu Ji, where Xuan Zang describes the
>Malaya Mountain is considered later forgery by all Chinese
>commentators I have seen .


I have a question and since I do not read Chinese, hope
some Sinologists can answer.

What century Malaya Mountain chapter in Xi Yu Ji ascribed to?

> From 10th century and later, Chinese texts and paintings portray
Mount Potalaka as though it is in an island. This is despite
the fact that the two earliest Chinese translations of the
GaNDavyUha sUtra never mention Mount Potalaka in an island!
(cf. A. C. Soper, Literary evidence for early Buddhist art
in China). Also, from the preceding kalyanamitra location,
Sudhana travels by horse carriage to Mt. Potalaka in
Borobudur basreliefs. This is surprising because no boats
are depicted to Mt. Potalaka in Borobudur! Note that
Borobudur sculptors are skillful in depicting sea vessels
elsewhere.

So, my question is:
Does the Chinese commentators consider the chapter
where Malaya Mountain and Mt. Potalaka occur as a later
day "forgery" because at the time of commentators there
is a well established Chinese tradition to take
Mt. Potalaka in an island? Even though their earlier
tradition puts it in South India.

Regards
N. Ganesan


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