The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-02

all similar to II was ever cnunciatsI tH'u
Of the philosophic schools OF India vii, W" 'u
same clearness. the Same breadth md Ja,.,,L",
view and absolute certainty regarIi,, ".
tranecendent moment as was this nAs,o,
Of one who. to quote Prof. IIuyl.v .'"
deeper than the greatest Of moderr Ia"
ists.'" When a man died. when tho rlero,a.'
which Buddha hold to constitute s "S
passed away-in these elements thers
abiding soul all that remained. acoo-dfroo. w
, Duddha was his karma. that is to saw tbs "
come OF his doings. the result Of his GOOD Nv,
evil actions. OF his words and Of his tboncs..i
This karma had to work out its potentisr,v" .
had to receive punishment or reward, -
new conscious existence. unconnected win ~
old. was produced as a habitation for ,.s w,..
ings. Tho assumption was an ingenion, he.
pothesis to account for transmigratIon wiz
out the necessity OF assuming the eSis,e,,o
a soul or OF any underlying substance n, MAJ,
ter or OF mind. In this doctrine O, k,rr.
Buddha gave his compatriots the hes, a.
surest motive they could ever reach. un,,1.s
from without. for the deepening Of a senss ~,
Individual responsibility for act, speech AVA
thought.
The first OF the -four noble truth.- an
nounced by Buddha shows that sorrow IA in
separable from birth. old age. disease, ana
death: from union with those not loved and
separation from those loved from non.attair.
ment OF what one desires. The second "tru,h-
was that the thirst for existence led 10 now
"becomings." new eSistences, ACCOMPANIED
by pleasure and lust. finding its delight
here and there. The third truth" wa, that
surcease from sorrow comes only from IN.
destruction. in which no craving remains over
! OF this very thirst the la aging aside OF, the GET.
ting rid OF. the being freed from. the har.
boring no longer OF this thirst" The fou,,h
truth" was that II tho "eight-fold path
OF right discipline" be followed ,ufYer.
ing will be extinguished by following IN,
eight-fold path. the Buddhist first frees him.
self from all delusion Of self. from doubt a, IN
the teachings OF Buddha. from trust In rita.
and ceremonies. and reaches a stage better
than universal empire In this world, better
than going to heaven. better than lordshin
over all worlds" By further progress in ths
right path. the Buddhist becomes almost freed
from all bodily passion. from III feelings toward
others. from desire to live on earth his karms
will but act to produce one more new
birth. SO the course goes on. until all
remnant OF longing for life on earth
or in heaven. all pride. Ill feeling. bod.
lily passion. self-righteousness and ignorance
vanish. the man becoming "a perfect ARAFAT,
having attained N,rvana." When a sage at.
tains Nirvana. when there is no result OF his
karma calling for new existences In which to
WIN out io cuoSSo, ~ oDuy vi IL hdRe, In
deed. remains. and while his boiy shall
abide. he will be seen by gods and men. hut
after the termination OF life. upon the dissolu.
ton OF the body. neither gods nor mon will ever
see him."
From the extant Buddhistic literature-no
work OF which the author or date is known can
be referred to a time earlier than the middle
Of the third century B. Cit Is almost imros.
sible to e~xtricate the real teachings of Buddla
a.. h. a H.. Va -,
mounds erected to his memory and temples
wherein his sayings were reclted demonstrate
that his whole system was free from super.
stition. idolatry or the worship OF Buddhs
himself as a divine being to whom mi.
raculous and supernatural powers were
ascribed. 1t was not long. however. after
Buddha's death that strange changes crept
over the spirit OF his religion. We are told that
when he died. 500 OF his disciples gathered
together In a cave near RaJagriha. where all
his teachings. rules and precepts. as recollected
by those who had listened to his words. were
brought together. learned and recited 10y every
member OF the council. 80 that they might lie
forever emembered. The ~stricter BudGhists
OF Ceylon hold that. in the Pail books If the
three Pitakas. or baskets. they possess the
doctrines Of Buddha as these were propounded
at the First Council The second great Bud
dhist Council met at Vaisali. the ancient cari-
tai OF the Wajjians. in 377 D. @. Here the edi-
nee raised by Buddha received the arst OF the
rude shocks which ultimately shattered it IN
India and left its crumbling ruins to form q
relic Of the past In Ceylon. Burmah nnd Siam.
and to offer an ignoble and debasing
refuge to the myriad peoples classed as
Buddhists in China and Thibet. The WajJians
OF Vaisali strove. In this council. to formulate
ten indulgences. including the right OF the
Buddhists to receive gold and silver. Touching
the propriety Of these ten indulgences. the
S sRists Of d MaIs a ,o %ith the Rs, %Ya iRs ls the BID:
tives of the more remote outlying southern and
c WTf' . e9 eeaehies c 81 B1s tS f6e 0i Ss 5s sHa m21s
iL3,tiS VsSisICs & ST sou.hs SSs0n sshsooI Io ana sni
which came to he Known as the Great Vehicle.
9 dehased form of Buddhism. The unoriho:
their own known as the Great Council. but. By
the southern School. its, .proceedinGs were de-
having become debased. was practically driven
out 6 6a india BY Brahma1ism: There are ,s ss
Ruddhists in the peninsula. 1909 "AA -'0''''
In a chapter on the literature OF Southern
india we eI ma some account Of the "Naladi;
school. This work consists OF 400 duatrains
OF moral and didactic savings. each one COM
celtic. The story goes that 1000 jams came 10
ttimS Of famine to a monarch Of the Pandiya
ence. might add additional lustre to his
court. They. however. departed in secret.
leaving each 2 verse behind. The Indignant
King threw all the verses into the river. when.
70 his surprise. 400 OF them ioated against
the current. In consequence Of This
MIRACULOUS event. these were preserved,
and formed into the present col ection. They
treat OF topics familiar to a student OF Sans.
krlt literature. the misery OF transmigration.
bondage and rebirth. We are told that each
aphorism 10 lighted up with a bril- liant play u
fancy: and exrmplifes the Oriental love for
soothing sounds. apt and startling similes.
QUAINT %concetts and sensuous images. This
9natra1ns have been Translated by DR.. POpe.
We append two OF the versions: Youth lie.
Gays. Desire not her whose eyes CLEAN bright
as darts: Full soon she. too. will walk hens
down with 2 STAFF. to aid her dim sight. "They
went to oathe IN, the great sea, but cri-d. We
vii, wait ill all its roar is hnshed, then battle
such is their worth who, say. We will get rid
OF az our households tolls and cares, and then
we VIII practice virtue and he WISE"
The same topics are exhaustively dealt with
u me 2'SIn short %couplets Of the "Kprral.'
genius: These verses were composed ior tho