Buddha was placed in the Hada[1] Temple at Kadono. The other articles, namely the relics, the golden pagoda, and the baptismal flags, were all deposited in Shitenōji.[2] At this time, the Buddhist priests E-sai and E-kō, with the physicians E-jitsu and Fuku-in, students of the learning of Great Thang, arrived in company with Chi-syön-i and the others. Now E-jitsu and the rest made together a representation to the Empress, saying:—"Those who have resided in Thang for study[3] have all completed their courses, and ought to be sent for. Moreover, the Land of Great Thang is an admirable country, whose laws are complete and fixed. Constant communication should be kept up with it."
This year Silla invaded Imna,[4] and Imna became a dependency (XXII. 35.) of Silla. The Empress thought of invading Silla, and consulted with the Oho-omi. She also asked the opinion of all the Ministers. Then Tanaka no Omi answered and said:—"An invasion should not be too hastily undertaken. It will not be too late to attack when we have first learnt the condition of affairs and ascertained that they are (really) mutinous. I pray that the experiment be made of sending an envoy thither to view the state of things."
Kuni, Nakatomi no Muraji, said:—"Imna is originally an inner Miyake of ours. The Silla people have now attacked and taken possession of it. I pray that our troops be disciplined, that Silla be chastised, and Imna taken from it and given to Pèkché. Would not this be better than that it should be possessed by Silla?" Tanaka no Omi said:—"Not so!
- ↑ Called the Hachiwoka Temple above.
- ↑ At Osaka. See above, 1st year of reign.
- ↑ See above, XXII 21.
- ↑ The "Tongkam" says nothing of this. Pèkché and Silla were on hostile terms about this time. Besides, the downfall of Imna is already mentioned above.
Tchakra Râdja (vide Eitel), and ultimately of a Buddha. Fishes were benefited by such flags being floated down a river.
There is at the present day a survival of this practice in the Nagare-kanjō (kanjō means baptism, or head-sprinkling), described in Yamada's Dictionary as follows:—"Four posts are set up near water, on which white cloth is hung. To this are attached leaves of lign-aloes, etc., as offerings for the benefit of the souls of the friendless dead, of drowned persons, or of still-born children." There is an interesting account of the nagare-kanjō in a little book called "Our Neighbourhood," by T. A. P. (the late Dr. Purcell, of Tokio).
