San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-07
BUDDHIST DOCTRINE.
A STATEMENT ABOUT SOME OF
IT'S MYSTERIOUS PHASES.


through the modern world of western ma
TONS having become especially forceful
and penetrating since the period when
Schopenhauer erected his philosophical
system, more or less, on the very old teach
ings of Buddha Gautama
There is no want of comprehensive sci
entiic works In reference to Buddhism,
and poets also have been unable to resist
the great attraction of the doctrines of this
Indian sage, as is shown in the works of
Richard Wagner, which are largely infiu-
epced by the ground thoughts Of Bud
dhism. The Samsara and Nirvana have
become current expressions of many of our
modern poets, not only in their descrip
lions of scenes relating to the world in
which we live, but also in their pictures Of
salvation from this world of error, guilt
suffering, birth and death. The doctrine
of Buddhism, of rebirth, that is, the con
tinued incorporation of our real spiritual
being. forms the fundamental principle of
the great Asiatic religions.
The doctrine of the rebirth is alone suf
ficient to explain to the Buddhists the
mystery of existence; it explains why the
righteous man is often so poor and de
spised. while the evildoer enjoys riches
and honor, it replies to the despairing
question, addressed constantly, but vainly
to heaven by millions of souls "Why have
we to suffer and endure so much?" 1t ex
plains that indestructible as are the forces
of nature and matter, so likewise is the
innermost being of man. Death is no ami
hilation, but only the passing over from
one feeble form into another; whatsoever
takes pleasures in this world. there is none
to gansay him, neither god nor devil
can rob him of them. but he must abide by
the consequences
FOUR CARDINAL TRUTHS.
Mans real fate depends solely on his in
ward being on his own will, and he has
the prospect of countless rebirths in which
he will earn the fruits of both his good
and his evil deeds But to him who is
weary of this increasingly renewed exist
ence. and will earnestly strive for freedom
and release is opened way of redemp
ton. The cause Of suffering, death and
rebirth is the will to live, which fills us
all, the desire of individual existence in
this or in some other world.
The will to live in Buddhistical sense is
not only the conscious will. but that un
conscious life force which dwells in all
creatures and organisms. in animals and
plants, as well as in man. Only by aban.
doning this will and by totally suppress
ing the desire for an individual existence
in this or in some future world, can man
ever be freed and redeemed and reach
eternal peace.
The road to this release, to Nirvana, we
can find through the recognition of four
healing truths, viz, the truth of suffering.
the truth Of the cause of suffering, the
truth of the cessation of suffering and the
truth of the way which will lead to cessa
ton from suffering
Buddha teaches that it is because of our
nonrecognition of these four cardinal
truths that we have to travel so long the
mournful and dreary road of rebirths. But
when the truths are once fully recognized
and acted upon the will to live disappears,
the longing which leads to renewed exist
ence ceases, and the Samsara is a thing of
the past. There are two roads of error,
brethren. which he who is striving for
,, freedom from earth dominion may not
| LlaraL
TIE one, the longing to satisfy our pas
sions and sense desires of whatever kind,
| is low, mean diShonorable and destructive;
| it is the road on which travel the children
| of this world. The other, the asceticism
| and self torture, is somber. painful and
utterly useless.
THE EIRvANA.
The middle road alone. which has been
| tound by the one who has attained perfec
ton avoids these two error roads, opens
the eyes. imparts self knowledge and leads
| TO peace TO truth, to enlightenment, to
| Sirvana
The Nrvana, according to the explana
| ton of the Buddhist scholar. is n condition
| Of holy peace, accompanied by the indie
structihle certainty Of obtained freedom
| and release. Nirvana means, literally, to
| TIE extinguished. The will TO live, the
longing for earthly Joys, here or somewhere
| else, IL eXtinguished. The false idea that
| material goods can have any value or be
lasting has evaporated Gone is the fame
Of sensuality and seltishness.
Although it is possible to reach Nirvana
| already in this life. an extremely small
/ number are able to accomplish it. Our
| mental and moral condition. through the
| effect of deeds in former births is gener
| ally so deficient that many rebirths are
| needed before we can arrive at this haven
| of peace. But to obtain rebrth under
| favorable conditions is within the power OF
! every one who earnestly strives for it. Ii
solely depends on the wish to live which
dwells in all of US and forms the kernel Of
| our existence.
The nature of our rebirth depends en-
tirely on our deeds, and is regulated by
merit and guilt as exhibited in our former
lives If our merit is greatest, we shall be
born again in higher state or world and
under favorable conditions Ii, however.
we have subjected ourselves to heavy guilt
through evil deeds a rebirth in n lower
place, and rich in sorrow and suffering, is
the necessary and inevitable result. The
consequences depend on our Karma, the
moral law of the world, of which the phys