Evening star., 1927-10-16

lay on a narrow couch and when she knew
that You had given up garlands and scents.
she gave them up"
Buddha blessed her, and went his way. HIS
SON. Rahua, came to him now and loved him'
pleasant is your shadow, ascetic, he Sald;
and the Buddha though Rahua's mother had
hoped to see him King. ordained him into the
Buddhist order. Asked to be present at the
conservation of his half-brother Nanda as heir
apparent to the realm, he let Nanda hold his
bowl; whereupon Nanda. strangely inspired. fol-
lowed him and joined the order, abandoning
kingdom. When Suddhodana heard Of
Rahulas ordination he was sad, and coming
to Buddha asked boon saying:
"When the Lord abandoned the world. it
was no small pain to me- so when Nanda went
and even more so with Rahula. The love of Il
son cuts through the skim through the hide
the flesh. the sinew the bone the marrow
Grant Lord that thy noble ones may not con.
fer the ordination on a son without the per.
mission Of his father and mother"
Y x y
Buddha consented. and made such permission
a prerequisite of all future ordination. 1t Is
human touch that reconciles us somewhat to
his abandonment of wife and home; but 1t Is
regrettable that so many religions begin with
rejection of the family Confucius was wiser,
and saw in the loyalty of mate to mate, of chill
dren to parents and of parents to children, the
source of morals and the core of character
place spreading his gospel of Nirvana OF peace
to be found in the shady groves of selflessness
He did not attempt political or economic re-
forms; these things seemed secondary to MIN.
He made no effort to abolish caste; but Wnen
men accepted his doctrine they became equals.
"As the four streams that flow into the Ganges
lose themselves as soon as they mingle their
waters in the holy river. all who believe in
Buddha cease to be Hrahmans, Kshatryas.
Vaisyas and Sudras.
He died in 4S3 B. c., at the age of so. "Now
then, monks" he said IT address you: SUBJ
iect to decay compound things strive with
earnestness." They were his last words
X * * X
After Buddha.
II is too ouiescent a faith for the West Tor
should we say the North). which prefers to
strive after wealth and power; but 1t pleased
people weakened with heat, ground to the earth
in poverty and helplessly subject to famine
and invasion.
In 327 B. c., Alexander, symbol of the West,
swept down upon India and made it subject to
his generals and his tax-gatherers Then Chan
dragupta, the bold adventurer, after serving
his apprenticeship in the camp of the con-
queror, turned upon the Greeks, drove them
back over the mountains and gave to India the
peace that prepared the way for the enlightened
rule of the great Asoka
Chandragupta (321-296 B. c. had built up an
army of 100000 infantry, 10000 horses, $4,000
chariots and $4,000 elephants; but Asoka
t264-227 B. c. built S4,0 900 Buddhist monasteries;
supported $4,000 Buddhist priests and set up
$4,000 columns with inscriptions that aimed to
spread the Buddhist faith. Ee vas both the
Constantine and the Theodosus Of India
thought he converted by pacific teaching rather
than by law and war. 1t was the horrors he
had in battle that turned him to the doc
trine of Gautama.
For a time it seemed that Asoka would win;
hl1t he hat m pd he
longed for miracles and myths finding faith so
much easier than nobility They accepted
Buddhism. but corrupted it with fanaticism,
legends and ceremonies and though for Gen.
turies it spread India. 1t grew more and
more like the old Grahmanic religion. until at
last the clever priests took it and swallowed
1T into their compromising creed. Today there
are but 100000 Buddhists in India: only beyond
reach of the Brahmans has it held it's power:
and in China, Japan, Burma, Tibet and Ceylon