The Story of the Sacred Tooth of Buddha

Admiral Zhongha and the third treasure fleet returned to Nangjing on July 6th, 1411. According to legend, Buddha was cremated, and one of his teeth did not turn to ash and the fire. The belief was that whoever had the relic was divinely ordained to rule the land. In some sources, the Chinese took the sacred tooth at this time. Other theories are that the king of Ceylon, Vijay Aabahu, brought the tooth with him to China as a way to keep it from falling to the hands of the supporters of Alekasharwa.