The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-04-04

right. Nevet for one moment do neil escape beyond
drawing them back into itself. For brief interval
and by great effort, they may resist the force OF
nua they may ay1 resist esr the SeS, @ great
non-self In the midst OF which they live and and
have the,r being. But each effort leaves them weaker
Tor the next Before long the dream, the srug-
Gle Of life will be over; the thin lm which separates
them, which gives them Individuality win dissolve
the great permanent stream Of existence and scpa
rate entities their place win know thei no MORE
Now IL "a the oifoit, the struggle necessary to main
tain Individuality which, according TO the Buddha, IA
the essence OF sorrow; and the conditions OF this in
birth at the starting into life Of The Individual there
Is u mighty efforts nature is arraycd, as II were,
against itself and there follows pain severe because
the effort Is severe With bound and Leap full Of
the strength borne with the pain tho individual starts
along lbs COURSE Bit the strength nags and
becomes exhausted. To maintain itself a separate |
being, the effort must DO continually maintained; but
the effort Is pan-tho palm OF decay-and dies out at
It's course from birth TO DEATH whenever the indvidu
alty, the separaeDess, Is brought most distinctly into
play lin the severance from what 1t loves for instance,
or In the union with what II haes there, with the
assertion OF the Individuality Is found also the
duction Of pain. This Is tho first Noble TRUTH tho
I can scarcely ask the reader TO acknowledge the
accuracy OF theory which must be so new TO him and
strange. But II Is siirely not premature to claim
for 1t the credit of being bold and most original at
tempt to deal earnestly with perhaps the greatest
and TO maintain that 1t contains at least great amount
OF truth
The second Truth carries the argument somewhat
farther. These being the conditions of SORROW, what
is It's Its cause says the teacher Is strange
and almost Irresistible craving felt by every indvid
uaa craving 1t seeks to crafty in various ways but
especially In tho lust OF the aesh the OF info,
the attempt TO escape from the consequences of Its
The protest against sensuallty Is common to all re-
ligions and all PHILOSOPHERS, and the universal exist
ence Of this arst form Of tile craving will not be dis
puedi On the second point few words OF comment
arc necessary. The protest against the craving for
existence Includes tho desire for that future life Of
which we have been speaking. And necessarily So
for what future life he unless II is continuation
OF individuality without that no future life Is con-
the individual must be separate finite, conscious, or
Its life would cease. II finite. how will It maintain
itself against the infinite without the effort which
there, as here, will show Itself In painp II nite how
can u be otherwise than ignorant2 But u Ignorant
capable OF and liable therefore to the fruits Of
fc In Short is possible without lust those conditions
which iuscparable from sorrow, and the craving
for continued existence will be a hindrance, not
help, on tho only path TO the only true salvation
Tho third protest Ia directed against the doctrine
LET us eat and drink for to- morrow morrow we de III
teacher would say, as to have discarded the current
pagan notions Of SOUL cast not therefore ai scrupes
to the Winds devote not yourself therefore to the
qualification of your bascs capabilities. This would
Indeed be escape evil only to fall into greater
You must get rid, Indeed, OF tho delusions regarding
your individuality, but 1t wculd he vain to attempt
now to escape from that duality rs would
And it is only the base and cowardiy whom the strug-
gle against the lust OF life or the sense OF the evils OF
existence, can drive to suicide or to despair. The
only true corrollary from the second Truth is the
third. You must conquer the evils Of life, which are
due to this strange but undenable craving, by the
destruction Of the craving from which they spring.
And this is to be done in no other way than that laid
down by the fourth Truththe cultivation, namely Of
the opposite condition of mind of the equanmity that
will result from kindness. from sefcuure. and from
with the Noble Eghtfold Path the argument begins,
and with 1t the argument closes. 1t is Mt once the
foundation and the top stone of tho stately bridge
which the great teacher tried to build over the mys-
tnrlae and prfl NH
Noble Path contain the answers which he would give
to the deepest questions that theooglans have raised
and they the description In detail of the only SAL
vaticn that in his opinion is worth contendiny for
this middle path of intelligent self culture which he
Ing will lead to peace of mind, to the higher wisdom,
30 complete enghtenment--in word, to Nirvana. y
to s IS Ss Of
as clearly and shortly I can to explain what Is
meant in the earliest Buddhist writings by this goal
to which the Noble Path will lead, the highest aim for
every wise and earnest man to seek But before doing
so. ii right to let the reader know that he will
have to grappe with any deep and diHcult metaphy
scal reasoning. He viii already have climbed the
@ IN mastering te @ o. nS w a
paratively easy descent on the other side.
Every one, according to the Baddha ought to he :,
narrow and the path is long. There lions, too, in
the path, and few are they who conquer all Its dim
cuties and reach the end Of 1t. The chief of these
difficulties ten in number and are called the Ten
Fetters or Iindrances.
1neSe are, nFsty, tne DeIislOn OF SeIs anu IL IL
instructive to find that this is made the first of the
series, the very entrance to the Noble Path SO lone
asa man Is wholly occupied with himself chasing
the cravings of his heart. there is Noble Path fol
g him Only when his eyes have been opened to thu
fact that he is but tiny part of measureless whole,
only when lie begins to realize how impermanent
thing is his temporary individuality, has he even en-.
tered upon the narrow path. After what has beer
said above the meaning of this First Fctter Will b'
easy to grasp.
ODeueu to the mystery of exist
ence, the impermanence OF every individuality, II,
must make "a, up his mind to follow .s teacher T.
Q Will get no farther.
; The Third Fetter is Dependence on the Efficacy o
4 Rites and Ceremonies. SOgOOd resolutions hOweye
firm, will lead to anything unless man gets rid o
the low pagan, and degrading error of riualisln,
the belief that any outward acts, any presy powers
any holy ceremonies, afford him any assistance
any kind. 1t is scarcely surprising TO find this doc
Path, but 1t is interesting to learn the
that 1t is under this Fetter that the modern Buddhs
ranks all those representations of Christianity tina
have been urged upon his acceptance by missiOnare
It of different schools. When he has broken this Fet
IS ter, and not till then, man has reached the state
II and sooner or later he will win the victory.
The next Feter consists Of tho Bodily PASSIONS an
the fifth is I-wil toward other individuals. Wit
It the long battle against the powerful temptations
these great foes to progress two entire stages OF tn
path are occupied, and to have conquered them is
have reached the fruit of the third stage of the NObl
d Path.
Highest Fruit, the result Of the breaking of the as
remaining Fetters: First the suppression Of the de
sire for future life with material body and ne.
OF the desire for future life In an material world
BY the first of these the hope and belief OF the earl
y Christians is anticipated, and It's wisdom denied
q the second modification OF that early belief ofe
held by modern Christians Is equally repudiated an
10 condemned.
The next on the list are Pride and
These the last Fetters hut one to DO brokent
l. temptations to which the most advanced are the mo-
y liabe' the failings which, with one exception, y
superior minds are peculiarly able-a Pharsaical cor
tempt for those who are less able and less holy tina
10 themselves.
Lastly (and the fact is again most instructive an
most Interesting Is placed the pettsr 81 ignonc
D. the thorn In the flesh OF the wise and good the la
y enemy and the bitterest foe Of man.
y OF course the order In which the Fetters are give
is not Intended actual representation OF the0rd
no In which man always conquers his weaknesses
errors; but It Is an attempt In way to sugge
s. the course the Buddhist must pursue and to c0mpa
x with one another the difficulties with which he VI
vs. meet ~ his progress along the Noble Path q
TO he should sednousy cultivate the Ten Feers sho
u the temptations he should most earnestly confer
able to gather very Idea Of the state of mil
nd called In buddhist writings Ardhatship, or the FRU
90 OF the Noble Eightfod Path. 1t would l,e easy
We fill pages with the awe-struck, and ecstatic prai
ID lavished In Buddhist writings oil the condition
nd mind In which this state has been fully reached, Il
state OF man made perfect according the Buddhi
r. Faith when the Noble Path has been traverscd al
he all the Feters broken; but everything that could
IS is designated, the word Niryana.
nd There have been many mystic and long drawn q
In cussions AS to whether Nirvana the annihil
ton OF the SOUL eternal existence OF the soul
nd state OF trance II can mean neither, for the sii
pie reason that the Budda did not teach the exsie
Of OF any soul at all In the Christian sense and the
H. fusion which gave rise TO the varied interpretao
nd was entirely In the minds of the Interpreters. IN
took for granted that the bonin must he
future life. That could seek for salyati
r. TO DO perfected here earth did not to thei
That the highest aim OF man could be considered
consist only OF an inward subjective change duri
TINS lie was an Idea so strange that IL was beyond
lgs grasp Of those who were accustomed to think
he highest happiness could only be obtained In heave
Its when all the ottiodrd conditions of mems existeI
ize would be changed Whenthey told therefore, II
nd the Buddhist salvation was Nirvana they not u
H. naturally presumed 1t To he sort Of future III
he and In attempting to apply to future life and Il
le- soul expressions meant To- apply to a state mind