The Sunday herald., 1881-02-20

TmE BUDDHIST WAY OF SALVATION. .-Evcry-
thing corporal Is material and therefore imperna-
ncnt for Il contains within itself the germs of dsso-
tion. SO longas man is bound mp by bodily existence
with the material world he is liable TO sorrow, decay
AMI death. So long as he allows unhoy desires to
reign within him there will he unsatisned longlngs,
useless wcarlncss, and care. To attempt 10 purify
himself 10y expressing his body would be only wasted
effort; II Is the moral evil Of u mans heart which
keeps him chained down In the degraded state OF bodily
ifeof union with the material world. II Is Of little
avail to add virtue to his badness for long there
is evil his goodness Will only Insure him for time,
AMI In another birth, higher form Of material life;
only the complete eradication of all erH viii set him
free from the chains OF existence, and carry him to
the other side, where he VIII be no longer tossed
about ell the waves Of the Of traismigration.
But Christian Ideas must not o put into these Buddhist
expressions or any inmateriai existence Buddhism
knows nothing Tho foundations Of Its creed have
been summed up In the very ancient formula probably
Invented by Its founder which Is called he -Four
great Truths. These are-1, That misery always
accompanies existence; ., That all modes of existence
(o men or animals In earth and heaven) result from,
passion desire, antrA:) B. That there Is no escape
from existence except by destruction of desre That
this may be accomplished by following the fourfol
way to Nirvana. OF these four stages called ''the
| Pdths.' the first Is an awakening OF tho heart.
There are few that 10 not acknowledge that man
can he really called happy, and that born to
trouble as tho sparks hy upwards, but the majority
glide through lfc filling lp their time with bnsines:
or with pleasure, bnoyed np with changing hopes
| In their mad pursuit OF some fqncIed good. When
the scales fall from their eyes, when they begin tG
realize the great mystery OF SOroD, that pain Is In
separable from existence and that all earthly good
leads to veNaton of spirit when they turn for comfort
and guidance to the Enlightened one, then they may
be said TO he awake. and to have entered the frs
stage OF the BUDDHIST way Of salvation. When tn,
| awakened believer has gone further, and got rid,
firstly OF all impure desires, and then OF all rerenge
Jm Jeeiings he has reached the second stage; In tn,
third he becomes successfully free C) from al esi
desires, (2) from ignorance, (3) from doubt "a from
hsresy and t5) from unkindiiness0nd perdtion. "a
"even at the risk Of her own life mother watche
"over her child. her only child so let him 9TH
| "Buddhlst saint exert good d-wiil without measure
''toward all beings, =,
The order here observed Is remarkable. The wa
to be freed from dolbt apd heresy lies through free
dom from inlpurity and revenge and eyl lopglngs q
all kinds; or, In other words u man awakened to
deep sense OF the mystery Of wishes TO under
stand the real facts Of existence wishes to believe no
the false or tho partly false but the tre altogether
Buddha tells him not to sat to work and study not
torture himself with asceticsm or priyation, but I
purify his mind from all unh0y desires and passions
right actions spring from pure mind. and to III
pure Nv heart all things are open, Again, tho frs
enemy the awakened believer has TO fight against
sensualty, and the last IL unklnllness; II Is ip0ssi
BILE to build anything on foundation OF mire; an
the topstone Of all that build, the highes
point he can reach the point above purity, above Jus
tice, above even faith, is, according to Buddha Uni
rersdf charity. TIL he has gained 1t the believer
still bound he is not free, his mind Is still dark
enlightenment, true freedom, are complete only
| Love-
The believer who has gone thus far has reache
the last stage; he has cut the meshes OF Ignorance
passion, and sin, and has thus escaped from the
Of transmigrati0n; Nirvana Is already within h
grasp he has risen above the laws OF material exist
ence; the secrets OF the future and the past lie ope
before him; and when this one short life Is over
win be free forever from birh with Its inevitab
. consequences, decay and death. Mp BBddhlgt no
hopes 10 reach this stage on earth; but he who h,
once entered the paths ~ cannot leave them; u
final perseverance Of the saints b sure; and sooner
later, under easier conditions In some less materI
world. he VIII win the great prize and entering MI
q vana. be at rest f0reyer.-T. ". Rhys Dapids
s Encyclopedia Britannica