Fa-Hsien, however, whose original purpose had been to secure the introduction of the complete Vinaya rules into the land of Han, returned there alone.
NOTES (1) Mentioned before in chapter xxvii.
(2) Mahasanghikah simply means "the Great Assembly," that is, of monks.

When was this first assembly in the time of Sakyamuni held?
It does not appear that the rules observed at it were written down at the time.

The document found by Fa-Hsien would be a record of those rules; or rather a copy of that record.

We must suppose that the original record had disappeared from the Jetavana vihara, or Fa-Hsien would probably have spoken of it when he was there, and copied it, if he had been allowed to do so.
(3) The eighteen pu {.}.

Four times in this chapter the character called pu occurs, and in the first and two last instances it can only have the meaning, often belonging to it, of "copy." The second instance, however, is different.