Evening star., 1927-10-16
The Doctrine of Buddlla.

T 6rst when Buddha left his solitary
n ascettc life and went forth to preach
~ his doctrine to the world he startled
those who heard him. for the religion
which he announced seemed the most irre-
ugious atheism He did not speak of God. and
ba did not offer a heaven; there might be many
gods but the way did not lie in prayer or sac
riice to them the way concerned only the soul
in relation to man. Nor was the soul Immortal;
1t might have many lives. in the sense OF the
rebrth of many men; yet the goal was not the
everlasting existence of the self but Its COM
plete annhiation. Not TO be reporh-lhat was
the supreme boon.
what, then, did Buddha teach? Here is his
First Sermon
These two extremes, 0 monks, are not to
be practiced by one who has gone forth from
the world. What are the two? That con-
Joined with passions. low. vulgar, common,
ignobe and useless; and that conJolned with
selftorture painful, ignobe and useless
Avoiding these two extremes. the Tathagata
dhe Buddha) has gained the knowledge of
the Middle Way which gives sight ana
knowledge and tends to calm, to insight
enlightenment, NirVana
IL Now this. o monks, is the noble truth
of pain: Birth is painful, old age Is palhIui.
sickness is painful. death is painful, sorrow,
lamentation. detection and despair are PAIN
full. Contact with unpleasant things is pain
full. not getting what one wishes Is PAIN
full
(2) Now this o monks. is the noble truth
OF the cause of pain: That craving which
leads to rebirth. combined with pleasure ana
lust. finding pleasure here and there, namely
the craving for passion the craving Tor en-
istence, the craving for non-eXlstence.
(3) Now this, 0 monks is the noble truth
of the cessation of pain: The cessation with
out a remainder of that craving abandon
ment. forsaking. release, nonattachment
(D Now this. o monks. is the noble truth
OF the way that leads to the cessation OF
pain: This is the noble Eightfold Path,
namely right views. right intention, right
speech, right action right livelihood, right
effort. right mindfulness, right concentra-
ton.
These are the -Four Truths to realize them
is to have entered the stream and to be on
the way to Nirvana Add to them the Five
Moral Rules" which bind all Buddhists:
l.; Never to kill;
y. Never to steal;
3. Never to indulge wrongfully in the
passions:
q. Never to lie;
s.. Never to take intoxicants.
This is simple CODE and like the DecaloSue
too negative; the difference between it and our
own is that its adherents practice 1t. The
Hindus are known for gentleness and kind
ness; the Buddhists everywhere are credited
with unwillingness to kill injure any living
thing. Here is religion more widespread than
any other; and yet it has never used violence
never waged war; to propagate itself. Let
Christians and Mohammedans consider this.
When Buddha's father, Suddhodana, heard
that his son was near he sent messenger to
invite him to spend the day in his old home
Buddha went. and according to the legend per.
formed many miracles in the paternal man
sion. He went also to see his wife. who had
mourned him and been faithful to him during
his years of fasting and preaching. When she
saw him she clasped his ankles, placed his
' feet about her head. and reverenced him as
CD
of her great love:
Lord my daughter in-law), when she heard
that you were wearing yellow robes, put on
yellow robes; when she heard of you having
one meal a day, herself took one meal; when
she knew that you had given up large bed she