The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-06
THE BONES OF BUDDHA.
Their Proposed Removal to Japan
Probably Only a Money Raising
From the New York Tribu

From the New York Tribune.
A report to the effect that the bones
Of Buddha will Resent from Siam to ia
pan, that extensive preparations are
making fer their reception, and that an
elaborate structure will be erected for
their permanent housing, has been wide
ly circulated and has caused much COM
mont
The Japanese consul-general when ask
ed r. gardng the matter said that he had
no official knowledge of the contemplate
ed transfer, but he thought it might pos
sibly be scheme on the part of some
of the Buddhist priests in Japan to raise
money.
There are many Buddhists in Japan"
hesaid, land these are divided into many
sects, just as Christianity is divided inco
sects and churches. The Buddhists belong
| for the most part to the lower or work
| ing classes, and may easily be imposed
upon with bones and similar religious rel
les. Their priests. having priests in other
countries in mind, have probably decided
on the scheme for mercenary motives. /
have no doubt they will collect much
money"
| David Banks Sickes who lived in Siam
a number of years, speaking of the trans
portation of the bones of Buddha with
ceremonial pomp from Siam to. Japan,
said: 1885,
This remarkable statement will sur
prise many Oriental students who are ia
miliar with the. history and traditions of
| the Buddhistic order.
"In order that on4 may fully appre-
| ciate the absurdity of the statement con-
| tanned in the article referred to 1t should
be known that the bones of Buddha never
| were inferred in SIAM and, even if they
! had been, tie Siamese are such profound
believers in the ancient faith of the Great
| Enlightener, as Sir Edwin Arnold has en-
titled him, that they would never con-
| sent to their removal to any other coun-
try and they are so conscientious in their
| devotion to their rel gious faith and to
/ a of its sacr d tradi ions that they could
not be induced by any consideration to
| dispose of such precious relics, even if
| they existed But the bores of Buddha
do not exist anywhere to-day, and in all
probability were consumed soon after his
DEATH according to the ancient records,
! as contained in the Thibetan annals:
when the Blessed One expired the
mighty earth was shaken. thunderbolts
did fall and the gods in the sky did
shrek, and when the earth quaked RAJ
| jagriba thought what might be the rea-
! son, and he saw that the Blessed One had
passed away. Then Mallas asked that
seven days be allowed them to get every
| thing ready for the funeral. On the sew
enth day, having prepared golden bier
! and got together all the perfumes, gar
| lands and musical instrum snts they went
| out of The town TO the Sala Tree grove,
/ end they carried mis- body to the western
gate of the city, and, having replaced the
cover of the coffin, the fire burst forth
] from the p lie and consumed the body.
! When the Budoha had been consumed the
Mallas Iut out the FIRE with milk and put
the remains in an Indian vase, and they
! . aced II on the golden bier, and. having
honored it with perfumes and the sound
of music, they took it to Kusinara'
ut is the consensus of opinion among
Oriental scholars and the highest author
tiles in Buddh. site re, as well as the tes-
timony contans d in che records among
the Siamese and Cingaese, that Sakya-
muni Gauiama Buddha died a natural
deaf wien he was about so years of age,
and that this event occurred during the
eign of .Adazathat. According to Sir Ed
win Arnold, Buddha was born about $40
years 3. c., ana died in 5i2; but Prof.
Max Mu | r, who may be regarded as the
most trustworthy authority in such mat
tiers, maintains that the time of Buddha's
birth was 553 years b. G. There seems TO
be considerable diversity of opinion
among OIi-ntal students upon this sub
ject but thir k they generally agree that
ne was born some time between $50 and
years before the birth of our Saviour.
"Accoi ding to the legends of the Buddha
as derived from the Pail and Sanscrit
texts, as well as from the sacred books
of the order especially those found in
the royal library of the King Of Siam at
bangkok. il would appear TO be a well
established fact that Buddha was born
in TIE tie vi lsge of Kbpolavastu. where
he was known as Sakyamuni the Wise.
His father was a Ra3ah of Mahadha and
oh Of ore of the Aryan tribes
Accord ng to the Slam Sc version of
the life of Buddha, which is doubtless the
commingl ng CT uncertain historical re-
cords with ancient legends, 1t was pre-
dicted by the Brahmins that he would
prove a bles sing 70 the world and enjoy
great prosperity. During his early boy
hood it is ated that he visited a sacred
t mple to wors hip, and there. 1t is al
legged. he astonished the most learned
doctors by his unders anding and his an