, 1877-07-28


ornaments.
He first went to Naisale ana became
the pupil of II famous Brahmon who had
gathered round him three hundred dis.
ciples. Having learned all that the
Bmhman could teach him he went away
disappointed.
After trying another still more famous
teacher with similar result, he went
away followed by five of his fellow stu.
dents, and dwelt in solitude for six
years, subjecting himself to scyerest pen.
ances, before appearing before the world
as II teacher At the end Of this period
however, he arrived ut the conviction
that asccticism, far from giving peace OF
mind and preparing the way ot saliva.
tion, was snare and a stumbling block
in the way OF truth. He gave up his
exercises and was Immediately deserted
by his five diciplcs. Left to himself he
began to elaborate his own system. He
had learned that neither the doctrines
were Of any avail, in accomplishing de
liverance from fear of old age, disease
and death. After long mcdtations and
eXstatic visions, he at last imagined
that he had arrived at that true knowl-
edge, which discloses the cause, and
thereby destroys the fear of all the
changes inherent in life. 1t WAS from
this moment that he claimed the name
of Buddha the wise, the Enlightened.
AT that moment" says Max Muller,
from whom we take the above sketch
almost word for word. AT that mo-
ment we may truly say that the tate Of
many millions Of human beings trembled
in the balance; Buddha hcsitated for n
time, whether he should keep the knowl-
edge to himself or communicate it to
the world. Compassion tor the suffering
of man prevailed and the young prince
became the founder of u religion which
after more than 5000 years is still pro
iessed by 45500O,OO0 of human beings
From the time when he became the
Buddha he went about preaching and
making diciples. Now he taught at
Benares, now lectured at n Monastery,
and now on the hill top. He is said to
have wrought many miracles to alleviate
the suffering of those with whom he was
brought in contact. He thus lived to
the good old age Of eighty years, His
wife became one of his followers, and his
worst enemy, the assassin Of his father
was also converted, confessed his many
crimes, was forgiven and became dici-
pie. He toretOld his death when leaving
Il city, and crossing the Gangcs, he
looked back Mt the city saying with
emotion, shall not look on it again.
On his last journey he halted in the
year 246 b. C. This date is fixed
through the Greek records of one king
Chandragupta who was grandfather of
Asoka and contemporary of Alexander the
Great
OF the canonicAl books Of the Budd
hist scriptures, shall not attempt any
particular exposition. The sacred liter
ature of this religion is so voluminous
and the relations of the books TO each
other, and their differing degrees OF
sacredness, for so complicated system
that any attempt at explanation short
of an entire lecture would be vain.
shall not even burden your memories
with the names of more than one on two
of these books. There is to begin with
the sayings of Buddha himself, this is
most sacred of all. King Asoka the Con.
stantine of Buddhism as he is called re-
minded the council that finally settled
the sacred canon that what Buddha him.
self said, that only was well said. Upon
these sayings there are commentaries
and explanatory parallels, and then there
are explanations of the explanation and
so on till confused and weary, We give
up trying to remember all about it. This
has at least been my own experience.
And doubtless the difficulty is greatly
increased by the fact, that Only few of
these books have been translated into
any modern language, and our knowl-
edge of them is confused by miSunder-
standings and ignorance of their true