Art. XVIII.—The Eighteen Lohan of Chinese Buddhist Temples

T. Watters

doi:10.1017/S0035869X00025223

Art. XVIII.—The Eighteen Lohan of Chinese Buddhist Temples

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011

T. Watters

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When you enter the chief hall of a Buddhist temple in China you cannot fail to notice two rows of large yellow figures—one along the east and the other along the west wall. These figures, which are usually numbered and labelled, are called the Eighteen Lohan, and if you ask your guide what they are he will probably reply “belong joss.” This answer may not be deemed satisfactory, but further inquiry will only elicit the information that these are images of Buddha's eighteen great disciples. The names, however, show that this information is not quite correct, some of them being unknown to the original Buddhist canon. If you go on to Korea and visit the curious old Buddhist temples in that country, you will find that Buddha's Hall has rows of similar figures, but sixteen in number. If you continue your journey and visit Japan, you will find there also Sixteen Rakan lining the side walls of the Buddhist temples. Lohan and Rakan are for A-Io-han, the Chinese way of expressing the Sanskrit word Arhan for Arhat. Suppose you could go back and travel to Lhassa, there also you would find Sixteen Arhats, or as they are called there, Sthaviras, in the Chief Hall of Buddha's temples. Tibet, however, seems to have also its Eighteen Lohan, imported from China apparently in modern times.

Type: Original Communications
Information: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , April 1898 , pp. 329 - 347

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0035869X00025223 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1898

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^{page 332 note 1} The “Chīh-shih-tzŭ-kuo” of this sūtra and the “Shih-tzŭ-kuo” of the “Tsêng-i-a-han-ching” are probably the Simhadvīpa of Schiefner's, “Tāranātha,” S. 83. This last cannot be Ceylon, and the mention of the Lusthain in it reminds us of the garden in the Shih-tzŭ-kuo. In the Sarvata Vinaya Yao-shih, ch. 8, we have mention of a Shih-tzŭ district which lay between Srāvasti and KājagrihaGoogle Scholar.

^{page 333 note 1} For illustrations and details of the Lohan see Anderson's “Catalogue of Japanese and Chinese Paintings in the British Museum”; Pandar's, “Das Pantheon d. Tschangtscha Hutuktu,” S. 83 f.Google Scholar; Hsiang-chiao-p'i-pien ch. 2.

^{page 333 note 2} Tsêng-i-a-han-ching, ch. 3 (Bun., No. 543, tr. A.D. 385); Fo-shuo-a-lohan-chü-tê-ching (Bun., No. 897, tr. about 900).

^{page 334 note 1} Vinaya Texts, iii, p. 79.

^{page 334 note 2} Ch'ing-Pin-t'ou-lu-ching (or -fa) (Bun., No. 1,348, tr. 457).

^{page 334 note 3} Tsa-a-han-ching, ch. 23 (Bun., No. 544, tr. between 420 and 479).

^{page 334 note 4} Tsêng-i-a-han-ching, ch. 20.

^{page 334 note 5} Ch'ing-Pin-t'ou-lu-ching.

^{page 334 note 6} Diyyāvadāna, p. 402; Burnouf, Introd., p. 397; Tsa-a-han-cbing, I.c.

^{page 335 note 1} Ta-Sung-sêng-shi-liao ch. 2.

^{page 335 note 2} Kên-pên-shuo-i-ch'ie-yu Vinaya Yao-shi, ch. 16 (tr. by I-ching about 710).

^{page 335 note 3} Fo-shuo-a-lo-han-chü-tê-ching.

^{page 337 note 1} Tsêng-i-a-han-ching, cits. 3, 23.

^{page 337 note 2} Tsa-a-han-ching, eh. 5; A-Io-han-chü-tê-ching.

^{page 338 note 1} In the Sarvata Vinaya Yao-shīh, ch. 8, we find mention of the “Lion Town” which lay between Srāvasti and Eajagriha.

^{page 338 note 2} Sarvata Vinaya Yao-shih, ch. 17.

^{page 338 note 3} Tsa-a-han-ching, ch. 29.

^{page 339 note 1} Fên-pie-kung-tê-lun, ch. 5 (Bun., No. 1,290, tr. perhaps about 200).

^{page 339 note 2} Abhidharma pa-kan-tu-lun, ch. 27 (Bun., No. 1,273, tr. 383).

^{page 339 note 3} A-lo-hau-chü-tê-ching.

^{page 339 note 4} Tsêng-i-a-han-ching, ch. 3.

^{page 340 note 1} Fên-pie-kung-tê-lun, I.c.

^{page 340 note 2} But the Chinese pilgrims were taught that priyāngu was the Indian name for the chestnut.

^{page 341 note 1} Tsêng-i-a-han-ching, ch. 3; Fên-pie-kung-tê-lun, ch. 5.

^{page 341 note 2} Tsa-pao-tsang-ching, ch. 9 (Bun., No. 1,329, tr. 472).

^{page 341 note 3} Abhidharma-kośa-vyākhyā-śāstra, ch. 22 (Bun., No. 1,269, tr. 565); Abhidharma-kośa-śāstra, ch. 30 (Bun., No. 1,267, tr. 652).

^{page 341 note 4} Na-hsien-pi-chiu-ching (Bun., No. 1,358, tr. between 317 and 420).

^{page 341 note 5} “The Questions of King Milinda,” translated from the Pāli by T. W. Rhys Davids.

^{page 342 note 1} Tsêng-i-a-han-ching, ch. 3.

^{page 342 note 2} A-lo-han-chü-tê-ching.

^{page 343 note 1} Tsêng-i-a-han-ching, ch. 11; Fên-pie-kung-tê-lun, ch. 5; Sarvata Vinaya Yao-shih, ch. 17. Compare the account of Chulla – Panthaka in Jātaka (Chalmers), p. 14, and see note at p. 20.

^{page 344 note 1} Fa-chü-pi-yü-ching, ch. 2 (Bun., No. 1,353, tr. about 300); Ch'u-yao-ching, ch. 19 (Bun., No. 1,321, tr. 399).

^{page 344 note 2} Tsêng-i-a-han-ching, l.c.

^{page 344 note 3} Abhidharma-pa-kan-tu-lun, ch. 27 (Bun., No. 1,273, tr. 383); Abhidharma-fa-chih-lun, ch. 18 (Bun., No. 1,275, tr. about 660).

^{page 344 note 4} Fa-chü-pi-yü-ching, l.c.

^{page 344 note 5} Tsêng-i-a-han-ching, chs. 3 and 22.

^{page 345 note 1} “Travels and Researches in Western China,” p. 31.

¹ “Narrative of a Journey to Lhasa,” p. 145.

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