New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-04-17
IN PRAISE or BUDDHISM.
Eastern Ideas Interpreted for Vest
en- Readers.

BUDDHISM Si MQRTA d5 S,T TIE IR 59ss S%
I6no, ~. -. Iioughton Mif1n Company
BUDDHIST ESSAYS BY Paul Dahlle- Trans
lated from the German by 8h!ki4u oi!acaTa'
SvO pp. vi Sol. The Macmillan Company
The tractate in which MI Bigeiow endeavors
10 show how exactly the doctrine of Nirvana fits
into certain Western categories is more Of an
excursion in psychology than an exposition of
the Buddhist creed. once, toward the end of his
life. Dr. Oliver Wendell, Holmes gave Mr.. Bige-
low definition of man in the words A series
Of states of consciousness" Amending this an
swer so as to read "A man consists of states of
consciousness we get a definition identical with
that given by Buddhism. Among the many
forms Of our consciousness the central fact is
the will This permeates all other forms; and
what is of UNNECESSARILY more Importance it
can. II need be. create them. Fully to realize
this says Mr.. Bigelow, is to hold the key TO i'm
mortality Working from the centre outward.
the will is hndered in its free action by the
forms of consciousness dependent on external
stimuli The task. therefore, for freedom and
for spiritual growth is to expand the conscious
ness away from that material self which is
usually the fixed point from which man is meas
ured. Inasmuch it is on the material plane
that the struggle for existence takes place, II
follows that the penalty for altruism is exter-
rnination. The ultimate object of life is to
ACQUIRE freedom from the limitations of the ma
terial world by substituting volitional for SEN
sorry consciousness. Since matter is separate
and particular. while consciousness is continu-
GUS and universal the goal OF religion is not
some celestial individual existence but, and this
is what Buddhism announces. the peace Of Mir
with limitless will. So it turns out n this lat
est of the IngersoH lectures on The immortal
ity Of Man that man is not to be considered
immortal In preaching immortality while dis
pensing with personality Mr.. Bigelow is moving
in world OF words where anything may mean
ANYTHING. and TO speak of attaining to Nirvana
as TO q peace that passeth all understanding is
but to employ eupheTnisms to cover mans ex-
tinction.
AS religion that does not strive nor cry
Buddhism dsdaiIs the use for itself Of the
carnal weapons of missionary aggression, but
we may suppose that when champions in the
West arise 10 win wider sphere for the infu-
ence Of the teaching the passivity Of the system
i so complete that It does not even scowl at its
militant apologists. An almost apostolic fervor
is shown by Dr. Dahlke in his defence Of what
ne regards as the only religion not standing
priori in contradiction to the authentic results
OF human progress. In its purest form
Buddhism is nothing bat the truth Of the uni
versalIy valid laws OF nature extended into the
realm of morals Up till now we have, unfortu-
nately. despised our Inheritance from the Ganges
simply because we have failed to comprehend
IFS great value. Up till now" for in the West
ern world of our day there are large numbers OF
men who find themselves incapable of faith;
F.., rfsefs- tlEt- re-
tired Of mere hypothesis about the supernatural
they are aware that life i but transiency, and
they know that transiencs makes only for sor-
row. Here. then. are destitute folk, exposed 10
the perils Of despair or frivolity. meet scholars
for the school of the Buddha, who has "a
beckon for the brave"
Buddhism at its best mas to do emily with
things that can be proved, and DR.. Dahlke has
no interest in the popular corTuptions Of the
religion in which room IS found for gods and
miracles and icy bells. He confines himself to
the tenets of Southern Buddhism as it fourishes
in Ceylon Burmah and Siam. In expounding
the doctrine he points out that Buddhism is the
one completely atheistical system in the world
Not that Ruddha ever denied the existence Of "a
deity" but deity was not within the circle of
Buddha's operations. The problem to which the
teacher vas devoted was the destruction Of sor-
row. as me remedy vas 10 d. sought III the
repression Of the will TO live the introduction
Of what Dr. Dahl1e calls the God idea" would
have made impossible the solution of the prob
lem For the longing after union with Coz is
nothing but the desire for life the universes in
stinct for preservation. "AH other religions
with their God beliefs are only so many modes
of instruction in the art OF keeping the play of
life going on forever. Buddhism alone instrrcts
how 70 bring the play 10 end Freedom from
pain. but entirely IN the negative sense and not
some heavenly bliss in disguise, this for the
Buddhist Is the highest good. To perceive that
is the primal truth. The arising of sorrow is
due 10 natural craving; the craving for the
graf fcation Of the passions, the craving for
continued existence. the LUST for present delight
\ total humiliation Of this very craving must
take place * sorrow is to cease. Such annjbi-
laticn is secured By him who walks the eight
staged path: right comprehension. right resolve
right speech. right action. right livelihood righ-
effort. right mindfulness. right meditation. In
Buddhist perfection the right comprehension in
Guides Z recognition Of ones seeming self as
part OF the general transiency- Sorrow, cor
porcality. not-self are synonymous terms Scr
row is real only so long as our corporeality is
looked upon as true. soul-endo7-ed I The
knowledge of l as not Not-I is par excellence
the Buddha knowledge, because at one stroke
abolishing both sorrow and life
In unfolding the Buddhist philosophy The