The second division embraces later developments in metaphysics and cosmogony. In the Prajna paramita, through a hundred and twenty volumes, the favourite dogma of extreme idealism, the non-existence of mind and matter in all their forms, is reiterated to satiety. In the legends of the Eastern and Western paradise--that of Ach'obhya and that of Amitabha--and regarding the formation of various other vast worlds and powerful divinities, the new mythological tendencies of this system

are exhibited. These books must be assigned to about the first century B.C.

By help of the catalogue of Buddhist books published A.D. 730 (K'ai-yuen-shi-kiau-lu), the earliest and most noted translators may be divided between these two schools. Works of the Siau-ch'eng or "Lesser Development," i.e., primitive Buddhism, were introduced by the following persons:--

Translator.

Country.

Date A.D.

Kashiapmadanga

Central India

70

Chu-fa-lan

Central India

70

An-shi-kau

Ansi

147

Chi-yau

India

185

K'ang-meng-ts'iang

K'ang-ku (Thibet)

194

Dharmati

Ansi

254

Chu-liu-yen

India

230

Chi-kian

"Massagetae" or Ta-yue-chi

250

K'ang-seng-hwei

K'ang-ku (Thibet)

250

Fa-ku

India

300

Chu-dharma-lan

380

Gaudamsenghadeva

Cophen

390

Among the translators of the books of the Larger Development, were the following individuals:--

Name.

Country.

Date A.D.

An-shi-kau

Ansi

147

Chi-lu-ka-ts'an

Massagetae

147

K'ang-seng-k'ai

India

254

Peh-yen

India

258

Chi-kian

Massagetae

250

Chu-dharmaraksha

Massagetae

313

Malach'a

Udin

299

Dabadara

Central India

400

Kumarajiva

India

401

Fa-hien

China

414

Dharmaraksha

Central India

433

Gunabadara

Central India

435

Paramoda

Western India (Oujein)

540

Hiuen-tsang

China

650

Bodhiruchi

Southern India

705

To assist in numbering and distinguishing the books belonging to the great threefold collection, the characters contained in the "Book of a Thousand Characters" (Tsien-tsi-wen) are made use of.