The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-02-28


dualiSln was rampant. so was material
ism from sensual epicures nisnl to trans
cendental nhilism. In the words
Of DIR. Oldenburg: When the
moral ideas, when painful longing for
deliverance from the burden of being
was met BY the first signs of moral de-
cay. Buddha appeared
Infinite is the wisdom Of the Buddha.
Boundless is the love of Buddha 10 all
that live" SO say the Buddhist scrip
lures.
Buddha is called the Mahamall
karumika, which means the all merci-
ful Lord, who has compassion on all
that live. TO the human mind the
Buddha's wisdom and mercy is iucosn-
prehensible. The foremost and greatest
of his disciples. the blessed Sartputta,
even he has Acknowledged that he could
no. gauge the Buddha's wisdom and
mercy. g
It is difficult to properly comprehend
the system of Buddha by a spiritual
study OF its doctrines. and especially by
those who have been trained to think
that there * no truth in other religions.
When the scholar. Nachcha, approach
ing Buddha. demanded a complete
flucidation of his doctrines. he said:
This doctrine is hard to see. hard 10
understand, solemn and sublime. not
resting on dalcctic. subtle and per
ceived only by the wise IT is hard for
YOU To learn who are Of different views
different ideas of fitness. different choice,
trained and taught in another school.
Us systematic study Of Buddha's dec
trine has not yet been made 10y the
western scholars hence the conflicting
opinions expressed by them A. various
times IN the religion Of
Burrha is found a comprehensive system
Of ethics. and a transcentental meta
phySiC embracing a sublime psychology.
To the simple minded it offers a code
Of morality. to the earnest student "A
system of pure thought. But the basic
doctrine is the elf-puI1fCation Of man.
Spiritual progress is impossible for
him who does not lead a life of prity
and compa SSion. The supeTstTucture has
to be built ON the basis of a pure life
81 long AZ one is fettered by SelfiShneSS.
passion. prejudice. fear, so long the
doors Of his higher nature are closed
against truth. The rays Of the sunlight
Of truth enter the mind Of him who is
fearless to examine truth. who IS free
from prejudice. who is not tied by the
sensual passion and who has reasoning
faculties to think.
Human brotherhood forms the funda-
mental teaching of Buddha-univefSal
love and sympathy with all mankind
and with animal life. Everyone is en-
joipcd to love all beings as a mother
loves her only child and takes care Of
il even at the risk Of her life. The real
iZdtiOn of the ideal of brotherhood Is
obtained when the first stage of holiness
is realized. The idea of separation Is
destroyed and the oneness of life IS
recognized. There is pessimism in the
teachings Of Buddha. for he strictly en-
JONES on his holy disciples not even
to suggest TO others that life Is not
worth living. ON the contrary the use
fulness of life is emphasized for the
sake Of doing good 70 self and hu-
manity
To realize the unseen is the goal of
the student of Buddhas teachings and
such a one has to lead an absolutely
pure life. Buddha says:
Let him fulfill all righteousness, let
him be devoted to that quietude Of heart
which springs from within. let him not
drive back the ecStacy of contemplation.
let him look through things. let him be
much alone. fulfill all righteousness for
the sake Of the living and for the sake
Of the blessed ones that are dead and
gone
Charity. observance OF moral rules,
purifying the mind, making others par
ticipate in tho good work that one is do
ing. cooperating with others in doing
good nursing the sick. giving gifts to
the deserving ones. hearing all that is
good and beautiful. making others learn
the rules Of morality, accepting the law
of cause and effect, are the common ap-
ponage of all good men.
Prohibited emplOyments include slave
dealing. sale of weapons of warfare. sale
of poisons. sale Of intoxicants, sale OF
fiesh-alI deemed the lowest Of profess
siOns.
The five kinds Of wealth: Faith. pure
life. receptivity Of the mind to all that
is good and beautiful, liberality and
wisdom Those who possess these five
kinds of wealth in their past incarna-
tions are Influenced by the teachings of
Buddha.
Buddha also says:
Know that from time to time a Tath-
agata is born into the world, fully en-
lightened.
blessed and worthy, Astounding in
wisdom and goodness. happy with
knowledge Of the world. unsurpassed as
a guide to erring mortal. a teacher of
gods and men, blessed Buddha. He.
by himself, thoroughly understands and
sees, as il were, face TO face this uni
verse, the world below, with all It's spir-
its. and the worlds above and all crea-
lures, all religious teachers, gods and
men, and he then maketh his knowledge
known to others. The truth doth he pro-
claim. both N its letter and in its spirit,
lovely in its origin, lovely in its progress,
lovely in its contamination: the higher
life doth he proclaim in all its purity
and in all its perfectness.
Buddha taught that sin, sorrow and
deliyerance. the state of man in this
life in all previous and in all future
lives. are the inevitable results of his
own acts (<arma). He thus applied the
inexorable law of cause and effect to the
soul. What a man sows he must reap.
As no evil remains without punish
ment and no good deed without reward,
il follows that neither priest nor God can
prevent each act bearing it's own conse-
quences. Misery or happiness in this
life is the unavoidable result Of our con-
duct in a past life and our actions here
will determine our happiness or misery
in the life TO come. When any creature
dies he is born again in some higher or
lower state of existence, according to his
merit or demerit His merit or demerit,
that is. his character. consists Of the
sum total of his actions in all previous
lives.
BY this great law of Karma Buddha
explained the inequalities and apparent
injustice of mems estate in this world
as the consequence Of acts in the past.
while Christianity compensates these In
eduaIitiepby rewards IN the future. .
The great practical aim of Buddha'e
teaching was TO subdue the lusts of the
flesh and the cravings of self. and this