The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-06
THE DOCTRINE OF BUDDHA.
A Plain Statement About Some of Its
Mysterious Phases.

A Plain Statement About Some of Its
Mysterious Phases.
A deep ~Buddhistical vein is now going
through the modern world of western ma
tions, having become especially forceful
and penetrating since the period when
Schopenhauer erected his philosophical
system, more or less, on the very old teach
inqs of Buddha Gautama, says the Arena.
Thers is no van of comprehensive soien-
tifc works in relation to Buddhism, and
posts, 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 in
auenced by the ground-thouRhts of Bud
dhism. The Samsara and Nirvana have
become current expressions in many of our
modern poets, not only in their desorip-
tions 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. y y =
The doctrine of ~Buddhaism,. of
rsbirth, j.. e.. the continued
forms the fundamental principle of the
great Asiatio religions. Ihe doctrine of
the rebirth is alone sufficient to explain to
the Buddhists the mystery Of e%xistence; it
explains why the righteous man is often 80
poor and .despised, while tho svil-doer
CAJOyb 4OA03 0AA INV " 4CpAAOo w Jag
despairing question, addressed constantly.
but vainly, to heaven by millions of souls.
why have We to suffer and dur 80
much?" It explains that, indestruotible
as are the forces of nature and matter, SO,
likewise; is the lnnermost being of man.
Denth is no humiliation, but only the pass
ing over from one feeble form into another;
whososver takes pleasure in this world,
there is nono to 2ainsay him: neither a God
nor a devil can rob him of them, but he
must abide by the consequences. Mans
real fats depends solely OF his inward be-
psct of countless re-births, in which he will
earn the fruits Of both his good and his
evil deeds. But to him who ia weary of this
increasingly renewed existence, and will
earnestly strive for freedom and re-
tense, is opened a way of redemption. 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 Buddhist
cal sense is not only the conscious will. but
that unconcious life force which dwells in
all creatures and organisms. in animals
abandoning this will, and by totally sup
pressing tho desire for an individual exist
ence, in this or in some future world, can
man ever be freed or redeemed, and reach
eternal peace.
The road to this release. to Nirvnna, We
Gha AAu eAAOukA ouS oCokulIlOA VI lOuF
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 cessation from
suffering.
Ruddha teaches that it is because of our
non recognition 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 Samsars is a thing of
the PAST. y = y There are two roads of
error. brethren. which he who is striving
for freedom from cRrth-dominion may not
travel. The one. tho longing to satisfy our
passions and sense-desires of whatever
kind, 10 low, mean, dishonorabIe and de-
structive; it ia the road on which travel the
children of this world. Tho other. the
nacstioism and self-tortEro. is somber. pain
full and utterly useless. The middle road
alone, which has been found by the one
who has attained perfection, avoids these
two error roads, opens the eyes, impArth
self-knowledge, and leads to peace. to truth,
TO snlightenmlsnt, to Nirvana.
Tho Niryann, according to the explains
ton OF the Buddhist scholar, ia n condi-
ton of holy peace, accompanied by the In
kiestructibla certainty of obtained freedom
md release. Nitvann means, literally, ia
be extinguished. The will to live, the long.
ng for enrthly joys, here or somewhere
Wise, il extingS,ahed. The false idon that
Material goods can have any value, or be