, 1880-12-26


tention Id England. It is intended to Illus
trate the great central doctrine OF Hindoo-
ism and Buddhism, the Nirvana, that per
fectfon OF grace or exaltation Of spirit, as
Christians would term the condition, but In
Buddhism that perfect mastery Of body and
spirit, which enables the soul to become self
sufticing and seltexistent, and peryaded with
the attributes Of Deity TO such al extent that
one evenly poised between Heaven aud He'll
would care for one as little as the other, and
become utterly obuvious to all earthly con-
ditlQqs, influences, and circumstances. Per-
hapslt is well expressed III the lines Of
Platen: III God were not rest, then would
I turn even from Him." 1t is also included
in the question of the Brahman,-If man can
be higher than God, and it God Is not tran-
quill.
The hero Of this remarkable story Is IA
yati, a Prince who, after passing sensual
life, is doomed to become suddenly old,
therein reversing the legend Of FAUST He
appeals for few years of youth, that he
may exhaust the pleasures Of life and prove
their folly, and his prayer Is granted, upon
condition, however, that some one else shall
0N\oA&4N D!A al 9kC&AAs a 9OAA NO44S(AAAo ~
make the sacrifice, and even to make it per-
petual; but, utter q few years, youth be-
comes a burden to Yayati, and he gives 1t
back to his son, saying:
My son, clothed in thy youth, hare tasted the
ties. Ihaye used time and strength accorjtng
to my own will. But this ia what have found:
the heat attainment Of the thing desiEed does not
is poured clarified butter. II all the rice and
barley, all the hocks, all tho gold. all the beauti
ful women the earth contains, cannot satisfy the
desire altogether. This thirst, the foolish so
yafnly strive to siake, is never quenched; It does
not grow old when men grow old; 1t Is a mortal
fever; happy he who ia free from It'll t'or me,
have passed many years attached to pleasures
OF the senses, and always amidst one enjoyment
4 thirst fur new joys was awakened. Puru, am
content; take now thy youth and this empire.
For me. will put or desire, and, turning my
gully in the home OF the gazeles,
Having uttered these pesslmistic senti-
ments, he enters upon the life OF an ascettc,
and finally ascends to Heaven, whence he is
expelled By Indra, because he had sought
Heuven not so much for the sake OF rest, or
the Nirvana condition, as to taste its joys.
He descends to an intermediate region, a
sort Of purgatory, occupied by saints not
yet ready for Heaven, ruled by Asl1taka. to
whom he says: II have fallen from Swarga
[Heavenl, but feel no pain or terror.
The source Of pain and pleasure is not
in myself; all my strength then is put
forth to remain untroubled by either.
One man says, i must
give aims 'Sacrfice,' they command an
other: I must read the Vedas, says third.
must bind myself by vow of penance,'
observes the fourth. One must lay aside !
these restless fears. These practices are OBJ
stacles in the souls path. What is best Is to |
identify oneself with the Eternal Being, and |
10 aspire to supreme Quietude in this world |
and the next" Ashtaka offers him his own !
place in Heaven, but Tayati declines it and |
is about to plunge himself into He1l, when |
five flaming charlots appear to take Ashtaka, |
his three friends, and himself to Swarga,
and the last we see of him be is declaring in
bis fre-chartot: Better than Swarga Is it /
to possess ones soul in tranquility
The charm Of the story lies In the light 1t
throws upon the mystical doctrine OF
Niryana,-a doctrine which, judged by
Christian philosophy, seems akin to annl-
['ilation, and yet cannot be that since It In
,1udes the Idea Of place Of everlasting bliss.
Fhe Buddhist explains it by saying that, as
re came from the ALI, so we are absorbed
nto the All again,-one drop In the great
iyer, invisible, impotent unconscious, for
yer at rest and yet not annihilated because
till part Of the whole aud higher In beati-
ude even than condition OF supreme bliss
The Spectator, commenting upon the story,
ays of the results OF such doctrine:
1kood iHooI IN fta roo,%fte Frr - 1aodo |
Fhen 1t dominates ordinary men, to q poor and
peagre life Of ascettcism, self torture ton end;
Iced and holy IN oil negative ENTHUSIASTICALLY
9 much cleaner in life than Buddhist phoon-
zee, or one Of the better Pundtts.-bur self
hrough with spiritual pride; but IT is 4 very
fferent ideal from that which EnHlish1neu ordi-
arlly think Of as entertained hy Hlndoos. It
1913 nobility in 1t, or pOreutlalfty OF being !
ootc. and develops the power OF self suppress
loa, OF which no Hindoo, however debased or
fher human being ever sat IL dhus1,a. a'0 Tho
over of self suppression, In which he exceeds
u men, may be innate and the origin OF his ,
haosophy. but his philosophy has also strong
cen less when the hrcd ideal which You rerer~ {
ne*, though you DO not seek It, is to be utterly
or .oy and as little for torture, to regard not ;
ven Heaven or Hell, but to be yourself trap- .
uilthongh the universe rush down. self poised
Ike divlnity, which indeed your soul, the | /
sstutlal "you," every Hlndoo believes to DO. 4
The tremendous power Of this doctrine, be- {
eyed in by three hundred millions of peo- !
le, is shown by the comparative weakness t
I Christianity in reaching the Buddhists. I
II philosophical habit Of life and mode =
MUD, the strong fortress within the out =
ing walls which must be reduced before
ny Impression can be made upon them. It 8
nota form, or ceremony, or practice, but t
ruling conviction, which sets up an ideal :
virtue, to obtain which the buddhist will :
ndure the last degree Of aseetic torture or =
enance. That must be attacked, and its fu~ q
fity must be shown before Buddhism will p
ED to the assaults Of Christianity. 8
WILLIAM L. ROYAL late of Richmond. .
A., nov of New York, an ex-Confederate. ?
believer in the code, twice second In an
fair Of aonor, etc., ETC., has in the press and