“眾食”、“客僧”暨“四方僧房” —— 法顯所見之西域僧侶食宿風習=“Communal Dining”, “Guest Monks” and “Guesthouse”: The Custom of Dining and Lodging in the Western Regions as Observed by Faxian 法顯（337–422）
Based on Faxian’s (337–422) Foguo ji 佛國記 (‘Record of Buddhist Kingdoms’) as well as other sources, the article starts with Faxian’s observation of the ;communal living’ (Ch. zhongshi 眾食), ‘guest monks’ (Ch. keseng 客僧) and ‘guesthouse’ (Ch. sifang sengfang 四方僧房) in order to investigate, from various angles, the custom of dining, the Buddhist facilities and the way of receiving foreign monks in the Khotanese region during the Eastern Jin (317–420). This discussion could help us understand the Buddhist precepts and the transmission of Buddhism in India, the Western Regions and China during the medieval period.
