The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-02-26
BUDDHIST DOCTRINE
a STATEMENT ABOUT SOME O
IT'S MYSTERIOUS PHASES.
The Teaching of Rebirth ExplaiDe d-TtI@
Fundamental Rules Upon which tbs
Whole Religion of Buddba Is Huils,
How Rebirth Is Obtained.


A deep BuddhiSticai vein IS now going
through the modern world Of western na
tons having become especially forcefpl
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
entific works In reference to Buddhism.
and poets also nave been unable to resist
the great attraction of the doctrines of this
Indian sage. rs is shown in the works of
Richard Wagner, which are largely infiu-
enced 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-
tions of scenes relating to the world in
which we i've 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 reincorporation of onr real spiritual
being. forms the fundamental principle of
the great Asiatic religions.
The doctrine of the rebirth is alone suf-
icient 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 gainsay him; neither god nor a 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 |
of these four cardinal |
truths that we have to travel so long the |
and dreary road of rebirths. But |
when the truths are once fully recognized |
and acted upon the will to live disappears, |
,he longing which leads to renewed exist
.nce ceases, and the Samsara is thing of |
The past. There are two roads of error,
brethren which he who is striving for
freedom from earth dominion may not
,raveL.
The one, the longing to satisfy our pas
lions and sense desires of whatever kind,
: iOH. ASdIA- anu
{ is the road on which travel the children
If this world. The other, the asceticism
md self torture, is somber, painful and
Utterly useless.
THE EIRvAEA.
The middle road alone, which has been
ound by the one who has attained perfec-
ion, avoids these two error roads, opens
he eyes, imparts self knowledge and leads
o peace, to truth. to enlightenment. to
Sirvapa
The Nirvana, according to the explana-
ion of the Buddhist scholar, is condition
# holy peace. accompanied by the indie
tructible certainty of obtained freedom
md release Nirvana means, literally, to
'e extinguished. The will to live, the
onging for earthly joys, here or somewhere
lse, is extinguished- The false idea that
Material goods can have any value or be
asting has evaporsted. Gone is the fame
sensuaIity and selfishnesS
Although it is possible TO reach Nirvana