Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
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TH liiSTORY AND LITRA1:UR OF BUDDHISM
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THE
HISTORY AND LITERATURE
OF
BUDDHISM
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by
T. W. RHYS DAVIDS
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SUSIL GUPTA (INDIA) LTD
CALCUTTA 12
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dW
oo 189&
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f.dilloo ......
Tbird dition 1909
Foomh f.dirlon !!1St
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PUBLISHERS' NOTt:
This \"'Oumt b a reprint of dx lea.ura on the:
(!C\ Hbtory uwS. Uter.uun: ol Buddhis:m T. W. R.h)"J
c\ Ol.vkb delivered in Amaica durin& the winter of 189f.95
in response to the invitation or an abOCiatiou orpniJed
in 1892 in New Yort. ror the purpotc of cocoura&;ing the
tua.dy oC rc:Hgioau.
R.bYJ Oavids had b11 a member oC the Ceylon Civil
Service and apcut ll long time in India, He wu a famous
Pall tcholal' and well known tO all who lnleretted in
the uudy or Indian t"cl igions. few wrilert have oonu1
buttd tO much lO out' k.nowlcd..ge or Ouddhtun. lJi 187$
) he wmte for the London Sodc1y (or Lhc PromDtion of
Chriatia.n k.nowledat: a U.Ctcb or the urc o( Cowna the
Buddha. whid1 was pi.iblUbcd b)' 1he Sodcty under ' the
lil.le BvddhtJm whith a d.yfic. I n 1881 he
....., ddi\'tred 1tw: Hfbbo't .. Led&ucs. lW sUbject bftn1 '7bc
11( OriJin oncl Growth of Religion ., lll...,.lcd by .OO><
poinu In the HU.tory of Indian Buddhism'". In oonjuoc-
}" tion wi!Jl H. Oldc:nbttg. be pub1Uhtd in tbc Sacred
IJr the tout series transl:ulons of Texts.
The long lin of b.is wort..(i includes Quulions n( King
MilwriD, Rurfdhi.1f Birfll Tltt Andcmt Coin.s and
t,!; Men.wrrt tJ/ Ceyllm, The DeJcription nf Sifiri Liou
noch (ne:r Pula!ltipura, Ccylon), Dialogue.s of l he
JhuldJut, 1'wo Old Sinhalese lnscriptiont, Elu
U Tnmbd61'\ and Noles. lnsai pt.ionJ of PDrdramn
.,/ Btthu, besides mJny other publicaLionJ, He founded
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the Pall 1"cxt Society in 1882. :tnd wa :1. c:onltant contri
butor to itJ. public.a1iom.
He wa,. rnadt a professor of Pali a.nd Bt.tddhill Ut6>
atW't at Univnsity CoUqe. IAndon. in tsst. and in
._ 1904 M wa. chosen prOfessor of Comparative: R.digion
c!! at Mlndlc-tttt. He also acttd. for aome dmc: u Secretuy
and t.lbnrlan of the Roy.U Ashnlc: Socitty. He diN on
l)ecember 28. 1922.
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CONTtNTS
LECrURE I. lltLICIOUS THOOIUES IN INDIA
BllfORE BUDDHISM
VAC
RdlgJon
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the mc:oming of the word
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V11lue. from the comparati,c: point of vlew, or the
history of the Budd.h.ist reHsion
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n-r;., oC Cod and lhe Soul. &<ncnlly
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The: tamt in India; tM Vla.t
9
RUe of monothei!m, c:spiaUy in India
13
T be Lok.ayaw and jai111
16
T.he Sanl:.hya S)"tcm
17
The Sixty-two Acraies
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s ......., oe rhu dtapt
25
Importance attached by Buddhitt writen to tM
question of the
21
LECrUR.E U. AUTHORITTF$ ON WHICH OUR
KNOWLEDGE OF RUDOHISM TS BASED
l ntcn::st of the di'M\"'C'rT of new litmtturt:\
Fint ditc:OYCT'\' of Pali
V:msa
Prof. Fa.mboll'll Ohammapa<la
The Dictionary
1'1\c Thrtt Pit.aku
1'be Vinan. 'R.ulet ot the Order
The Great Nibf'l"
T he Abhidhamma
The miJcellaneout book$
Quotation frora the Songs of the
"I"M Pali Text Sodcc.r
56--.57.
Uu of the Piubt.
SI. 32
52
ss
ss
54
.16
.16
40
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45
m - 156
. 155
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LCTURE ID. NOTES ON THE LIFE OF TH
BUDDHA
No aocicm biogaphy ext.ant
The P2H and Sanskrit poems
The Sak.ya clan
The DudcUu not a k.ing't son
The legel'tds of his birth and childhood
The Great Renunciation
King llimbisara's offer.
The Teachers
Auainment of Nirv:to:a
First Sermon
Daily life
The and the Brahmins
rAC
58
59
61
61
62
61
66
66
70
71
73
76
LECTURE IV. 1'H SECREf OF BUDDHISM
PA.It:r J. Tnv. STc .... s, THE PATU, AND 'rut Ftmll.S
Tbe Ajanl2 c:we t:resco of lhe Wheel SO
Wondm: of the Wheel Sl
lmpermanti\Ce
Sorrow and individuality 84
Deh.l$ions about sdf or 500) 85
Kanna 8S
Future. life 89
The Noble Eightfold Path 92
The Four Noble Truths 92
Modern pa.rnllels 9!t
The Tea Feuer:t 9ti
Nirvana 103
LECTURE V. THE SECRET OF BUDDHISM
PART n. THt Wtu:tL OF T.rn AND AitAHA't'StfiP
(oa
from what? 104
The Twel\'e CauteS tOS
pA(:y,
Grasping the cause of rebirth 108
'\.Yestern pan.llds 109
Nit":ana 110
Poems on
The bliss of ll'i
The lon.git'lg for it JlS
Wl\ert it ean be J20
The ideal Recluse 121
Intellectual acti:vity part of ideal Arahatship 125
o[ desi.re not a part o( it . .. 125
The Freedom in Ar:Waubip 126
Real basis or tbe impoTtance of tbe study of tbis
i.cteal 128
LECTURE VI. SOMJ1. NOTFS ON THE HISTORY
Of IIUDDHJSM
The:: various Buddbi,tms
Council of Vesali
Ka.tha
The Se\entctn school$
Bodhisauhip
lbe G-reater Vehicle
The Tanm books
Theosophy
Scbopcnhauer and Huxlq on Buddhism
lNDF.X
129
151
135
135
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HO
142
144
151
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LECTURE l
REucaous Tur(UUF..S lN b.'DlA euott. '8UOI)(tt51ol
Ir H.-\S ll.l!eN WAlNTAlHlV Tl-IAT Tl:lll IS :."0 NATtON
or tribe without l.'digion. But is meant by reli
gion? The word, as is wcll known. is not found in
laLtguages n.ot related to our own. and it& derivation i.s
uncertain. Cicero, in one pas.sage. dcri.\'ed it froln re
and lego. and held th;at its xeal meouti ng lhc repeti
tion of prayers and Anotbe'l" interpreVttion
derivtll l.he word f.rom re and ligo, and makes it$ original
sc11se t.bat of att:."lthment. of a continual binding (that
no doubt. to the gocb). A third derivation connects
the word with lex, and explains it as a Jaw-abiding,
scrupulOlLslr con&cicntious, frame of mind. This last.
liOCUU to be m08t in aocordance with the conceptions
prevalent when the use of the pbrast begau. and more
in hannony with the $i.milar ex:pl"t$Sions tlu.t arme
under similar circuuutanctS elsewhere-in for
irutance, and in lndia. In I ndia, indeed, the $llme word
is usec:l by lhe followers of every school of thought for
law and ror religion-the word Dhanna. ctymologicAlly
tquivalc.nt to the Lntin and oonu:unly rtmhlding
u.s in its implied connotation of the English ph.ra.sc
''good form."
Law did not. of course-. in that early time. tne:m
legislation. It was rather custom. established precedent;
and a. sense of duty tO the esta.blished order of. thing1
included. and implied a rcverenti:d attitude towa.rd the
gods. Tbis lan side of the idea tended. even in Roman
to become predominant; and when the earlv
Christians bt-gan to write in Latin. they not only limited
the sense of the word religi>n to this pan of i ts
meaning. but so used it in this lirnitod sen.se as to ltt it
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in with their own theology, till it s"-duall)' becomes
nea.rly a lynonym 6nt for Cb_rinianity, and then for
<:alholic Cbri.s.tianlty. The ooropletion of this revolu
.aion in meaning was, however, onl)' openi_og the door to
fttsh modifications.
Thus we find St. Thomas in one: place,
.ddining religiot\ :u "goodness rendering to Cod be
honour due to Him''; and in anOlher as
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the mani
ftstation of that f:Lilh, hope, and charity to"Avd Cod to
which roan is, abcwe all, ordained." But 11$ the monastic
-.yatem grew, a "religious bouse" coune to mean a monas-
tery, a '' religious''-that U a religious pt110n-a member
of a monkilh order, a ''going into religion" the uk.ing
.of tbe vows, and evcJ\ a "rcligion .. an order of monks.
M'on curious is it to re:td the decree of the famous founh
Latera.n council regretting lhe con(usioo bl'()ugbt about
jn the church of God by the divertity of "religions," and
laying down that none should ferment a new ''religion,"
but ,.,:hoso de#:irtd to adopt .. :t religion; $bou1d select
one of th011c already approved. Religion throughout
this pa$S3.gt means silnpl)' an order of fl"ian. An Irish
ProteSU.nt. Archbishop Trcncb, find.s in tbis use of tbe
,.,.ord a notable evidence of lhe OlOtal contagion of papal
domination. tnd t$lu .. what an aw(u) light does thi.s.one
wOTd, $0 \lsed, throw on the entire state of 'l'llitid and
habit of thought in th0$C agesl" Writen o s.ll the
numerous .secu o.f Protestant belie( have accordi ngly
endea,'Ou:rod to bring the meaning of the word rc-li.g;on
those points which each. of them rqr.tri\. of
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Btn bow tan they hope to \ ecp it there, and only
For wri ters wbo discard the ttogm:u of Chri.tti
a.Q.ity to put a UlleaTiing intO tbe word which
hannonlae with their newu views f)f ' l ife. 'The
'autbo:r of '&ce Homo sa:yr that rdigion is "habitual and
remJ"ated admintion: i or ' '.\fonb..ip ttf whate'le:r in the
appean worthy of wonbip." Frtderic
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R.I!.UCtOUS TM0K1Jt:f 1N INDIA
Huriton defines it as veneration for the 90""" wnicb
a dorDirunt in:ftucoce ever our me... And
Mttbtw Amold found in it only .. monthy, toucbed
with cmodon ...
h Jt evident tlw ma:o's ddiniliom or rdiP,n will
be pred.tdy u numerous. lli different, and u accunt.e
u their own bdic:fa:. There is only one definition which
aH mull accept, 1.he historical one., and the hlscory ol
tbc COC' back. a long way before Ciccm, and i.s ttill,
to-dny, in the: maki ng. For the:: word i.t ;, convenient
4::Xpruii on Cor a vay complex or memnl comlhioi\s,
;ncluding. 6ndy, belie$ as to internal and aternal
mystlc (10ub and god$)-<$ccond1y, the mental attitude
iodud by thole belids--and thi.n.lly, lbc actions and
conduct dependent upon both. No one or thae coruti
cucnt clanenu of tdigioo is Tbt) art: nner
cnctly the sa:me in any nro .. when these
profat the ame fsitb and uM.cr the amc oondi
dons. Tbe beliefs cspcci&lly (whidl are independent.
upt in a very indirect way. o the will 0( the indivi
dual) ,..,.,., and th;u. in <' deftoitdy progtcuive way, from
century to ot:ntury. And in those oountriet where the
ocpra..\ion has once obt::iined nm-c:ncy. it has
been alwa)'l mu.st still, in fut ure, he npp11cd to
ucw \'llri :Hion. The connotation of the word i.s
Letc.nnintd by popular and poJ)Ul:ir
IL cm llC\' tr, be limited by scbobn or by the te:lrreg:m!
iog dcfinhion of the :.pologh-ta or any p;t"icular crttd.
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Mcuc Mi'Ul.v, in h;s Uduus o'' Scinu of
Rtli{iou, 1875. #J. 287, t#lls of broo.d
.on wllid " rcUtfons b"ilt up,-4h, b4li# in
diCJiM pow:r. the of sin. the Mhil of
.. lht dWre to offer nd tit hope of a
futur- lijc." BUt popul4,. WDft ltu too Sff'o"g /Of'
llim. No OM oj five is found in ytl lte
arlts H"ddhism " religion (p. 142 dnd clltwhtf'e).
or tbe pararuou.ttt iropotll.l\Ot of rt\igion,, Lberc an
be DO <iolabL 1'ht lik ol <"'U"f individual U profoundly
>l!t<d b) rdipw vi""' acl rd;pow !<diop. either
biJ own or tb08C of the people by whocn he is aunound
ed, 1nd lhuc Lt nbLbing which so deeply allceu the
bappi1\al ol. a nation ss tbe predomlnam ttli,gion. It
U ooc aurprising.. Wt tbe prac:nt rniY'll of
historical research lhould have bn ac:companied b)' a
deep lnu:rut in the oompm:ttivc stuOy of the h.inory of
rdigiolll belies. And wr R\ltf the Org.a.nit
ioc Coa:unitttt ol this .sc:bnDc: of lccmm on their da1.n:
to britll before American "uc.Una dl,e btae. TCIUl&.J tO
which these enquiries have at prac:nt reached; and on
tbt witdy tbought.>Out whk:b eruure to
their doru to gat a meuurt of Sl.l()CCN. J
To diiC, 1 confus. the choice 100" Commiuee ban:
made o( tbc first tubjttt fOf' tem'IS panicuJ-
arly happy. For it b 1n l ndla dut, Cor us
Waternt. the: c''Oiudon ol fdicious btlici is most ins
U'DClivc. le Gl:D bt ttaced thrft with to much
and so mucb dcamm: ww: an follow it there
with ao much independence of judgment, with 10 great
an imputiaUty; and it n:nu. ln 'J)ite of t.ht- many differ-
_.., .., ..,-.Jlin<s .., tiaillu 10 the hi--,. ol rdi-
gion in the Wac., c.lu.t the lOIOOS to bt lumt born it
arc of the tUghest value. Nowhere ebe do we find the
Jt(l()rdt of a mcwemcnt stretching unintenupt.cdly over
mort tlw> lbouund ,...,._ Nowh= doe bas
amatns or to muda ability bun dCYOltd ao
continuoutly tO reli3ious questions. Nowhere c:be ttas
tllue bten so much freedom of thought. Nowhere else
has the evolution of been .10 little influenced
&om ouukk. Yet oo.lw:rt- dte clo wt find a at
once to timUar to our own in t.ht scaga and manna ot
its growth, and JO 11'\lCrtsdngty and :t'*>lutdy
tk to our own in 1hc uttimlle c:ondusicms it hat rt:.adl
cd. And nowhtr'f elK do we 6nd so ('ti!IOplctc a
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of dH: l<.odcnde. and inlluc:nces which . btl\'e brought.
about tbe rurvdlow change froru the aude hypolhaes
of tht cad.iest la.h.b tO tbt: wbUmc: conctpLiOO$ ot .ucb
original thinkers u t.bolt: who put me 6nhhlng
to the beautilul lndko'l picture o( the Palace of TTuth.
Our uwn religious belit'& grew up in the b:uin of
1bc Meditunoan. and Creda, :usUted a.ud
inftumd Ul no mWl d<&T by cypti...., l>id lhe
(oundatlons. All lhe most eantat cultuR of tbe Wac
hall only :wailed. through 10 many ccnturiee. to buJid the
upcntruc:t.ure. lde1u simib.r to the two 1na.in and asen
ti.a.l CIOOCC'ptioos ""hicb underlie the _.holo-tbe bdid Jn
.. Cod .. and the belief in lbe no doubt to bt"
round throughout lhe world. Dllt in three pl:tttS only
do we find these two ideas developed into systems which
c:an btar comparison with our own. dther in the manner
or in the length of the: period ot their growth, or in the
<x>rnptc:xity attd ricbACM o( the final muh. Thac: three
places a.re Penin, Cblna, and lodja.
Now, as to Penia. the original bclic(s or t he Akka;.
diaw are only now jwt btainning to be known. l:hen
as modified and rcc:aK by the Au)Tiatll. the records ue
stiil for tbt mOSt pan untn.rulatcd, 1nd
the few rorcmost or 7.om.-unin.nbtn are not hl
:.ltJ'eemcm dt1ler 1u to the of iu sacred boolts or M
to the put il.. pl1)cd up to the litlal .&trugg)c when all was
undu chc: Rood or a ru.t.hlcu Mu.lwnmadan-
Csm. Tbc laboun or m;my &enuations o( Kbobn will
be Tequl.rcd to unr:avcl this scory. and to tcU, whh
any fulnes.t and :tOCUntC)' uf deull, the magic tale. So in
China history is 1\lmoat a b12nk, a 1Und or battle-field. rnr
<OOjcctu.rt". bd'cn: the lime or Conludw. Much bu btcn
clone, no doubt, towndJ the elucidation or the
rounded by him on the mol'c a.ncient faith. But Con
fudus did not stand alone in China. We have only one
wott. of' sulficient imight and authority, on tbe conctp-
tioDS ot Lao Tso. whith senn to the cnmpart.tiTe
1St1DI)JUS)C
$0 much more original. o{ the curious history of
Buddhism in lhat country. of the influence it
on othtt bdic.b., of lhc:: modjfacations it bad itstlf to
submit to, we have: no S)'.S(ematic account at all. It is
onl)' tn lnda that we b;we a very complete and authen-
tic r01n a period more than fifteen cenwrics
before the birth or Christ. down to the present time, of
the C\"'Iudon of relig:ioul belief among a people practi
cally Uolat ed from the ,est 0 the world. There remains.
it i.s true, bcre also a great deal of importa11t work to be
done. Sut on the main littes at least tlH: hiato1y i.s already
l'tmart.abl)' dear. h is full of interest froLU Lhe com
puativc point of view. And it r eaches its culminating
point in ..-be nuddhist movtmtnt.-tbe main subject of
tbc pft5Cllt course of lecturc::s,-a mo,ement wbicb car
ried the e'olution of religious belief one st.tp Cartber tban
h:u !>ten reached by :tll)' other o the t\ umerous reli-
hi.itory ofte11 to our ''iew.
That step--and it is a step of the fint importance-
is th:tt Buddhi.sm, alike in its ethics and in il'l views of
tht pat.t and of the funre, ignorts tbe two tbcories of
God and the soul. 'TI.lis came about in ;;a Ytty curiou.s
:mU way. The olden records in India (as is
true also of tb'e olde:&t records in. aery 00\lO.tr}' lltflt hu
n:ctm!s at alJ) show us a atagt in culb.l.te iil which tbe
t.ltisteoce ol god4 and JO\lb i.s taken for griloted. The
origin of thc:se two theories is at present shroudcd. in
myalery. Primithe man luu left no records. We bave
only the evidence: of th05C bdieCa which are the: later out
(Ome of bis <:rude hrpothNeS. And in atu:rnptiog to
read the lines of these later records--t\'en in
the light, itself \ ' Cry mtaRrC and uncem.in. of lhe e>:ist-
ibg bdicf.s of very .rxvaKc people&-:hola11 are not
trOgether ac. one. .
Ont. Ol' two principal pointS seem, amid of .
opinion as to details, to be generil.llf admitted. trlmi.
the man., Whateftr cllC race he belonged to.. m'ade no
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distinction at all between ht. cxperiet\CCI in evetyday
life and his cx.perieo<:es in drca_ou. And. that waJ 10, t)()t.,
btcaUJe looked upon life as a dtean\, but thal he
lookl upon dreams ralitia. iu his be
taw a penon he knew. on hit awak.eni"J. c.o be dead, he
at once concluded, on the mere eVi dence of bis
that lhc person ln question wu atill allve. And wbc:11
be furtbcr ruollecct'd.. ;u he tOmet.imci muac ba,c done.
that the body of &.be living man bad bn d($UO!<:d-bis
very nightmare may have been the result of h.Ls bavi.og
tea&rcd o n the body of his (oe,-then it Wl\8 quite d ear to
him thll thc:re was a sonclhlng (a breath. a life, he
knew not W'bal) whlch e:xUttd within the body, and wu
like the body, and which fc(t it whtn the breath or Ufc
departed. to carry on a separate existence or it& own. He
did not reuon much about or stay 10 couaider whether
its life was ewnat or not. But he was coo much
mul of it to fO"JU iL And the dftad rt:ality affonSed
.... purectly sh:nplc and a perfectly den t':<planation
of many otberwi.cc m.ys:ttriou thinp.
When be awoke In the morning aJtcr t.toodng aU
nigbt in his drn.au. and l earnt rom hfs fOtnputioru that
his body had bem. there ail the time, it WM of curte biJ
'"tou1'' th"t h.::td been away. The theory grew and flourtsb
ed exceedingly. ln alJ ancient books and in an05C: modem
ones too, and in travtllen' tales about uncivillicd and
civilistd men. we find it aoppina up ac tum. !uc:t
ly bow lt pew. lh< order in wblcb lh< pplicationo ol the
theory tOOk shape, iJ one o lbc b:attlc (fOUnds of tbe
ttudentt of what ia &o oddly called Anthropology. To
discuss the opiniorit on d'l.i.s point ,,otdd u ke ut t oo far
&om our subj:t. SuJJk:t: tO Ay that che .,..b <utddc a
man dntlopcd into pis. Soub wen: bdltvec,l to wtnder
from body to body. Animab h:..d .tOu1..., and all thinp
that men fearl!d., and all that moved. The
pbc-nomtfla o.f nature were inatJnaivdy nyardtd at the
result of spirit aaion: and ri"CT'l. pla.nfl. and
$l:tl', t.be earth and a.ir and beca.rue tull
Of
One diilingui$bed writer who b"'s t wued uide from
1bc ea'y pall of philosophy to tbe alraight and
difficul t one of history, think.s that <tll god' were, in
origin. the gbO!Jts of anccston. So uniform an
tion is mct improbable. A much more solid basis seems
to iuppon the argument that ;u the oldest r<rded g(X),
arc goddesses, and a.s nun makes God in his own image,
the original dei tie3 lll\ISC have ari.sc:n at a tlme when
women were the leaden. :u in ot.her t.hi.ngs. so also in
lbeology. They "'ere born of women, for it was woman
Who conceived lhem. And we mwt make room in our
1.heory at least as muc.h (or t ht awe i n3pired by Mother
I:ntb, and by the mysteries ol the tlan. as for the wor
of. anctston. We have tO explain bow it was thu
the olde$l divinlties were aiJUO$t, if not quile, ocdusivtly
feminine. We have to explain wby Lhe moon was wor
shipped beort tbe sun., and certain stan bc:(ote either;
aod t be Mother Earth before them all.
It is prec:i&dy tbe succmioo o( lhesc curious belie&
that is the inreresting point. It wa. only among the
:ultanciug peoples tbat the changes went very far at all.
A'nCl dfe&e' dunges 11\"e' full bf information about tribal
conhiw and. social For'' lhc! g0<4' had no
ex:Lstc'nce t:Xcept in the briins 'of thcir- woQJ1ippen. They
were idms;, a rou.gb kind of Kienti6c hypotheses. Th'c
arTi.Y.tl of-a ntW 'god mc'ani the' birth of a new idea; and
a book on The Birth f>a'jS oj flu: Cods would be nOt
oii.l y an epitome or b'uiDan hopes a.nd fean, but a history
oftmen's ie"'s on social questions too.
t FoT tbe'goda.lilc the men wbO m'adc them, grew old
ana feeble away. and their W:ty ghost:i wc:rc:
dtgridc:a iri' tbe rl:tiDds' o: die d'esctndabts' of their' crcat,
t!ic r.ank of devilt- The Change in tbe" object of
wdnhip' W:l.s not fuetely' a 'change in 031mc, witb th"c
i:une Of''a similar w61lhip; 1t w:\l' accompcinicd also by a
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ltii.IOIOU$ ,l&Oillf'.S IHUIA
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dlansc ol vie<W as to the Tdatiotu of JCX, u to mode of
lifC', at to qUC$tions of orpnisatioo and pt:mmc:Ot, and
.. to lhc fcnn of ol p>eh ancl b.ncl. The
wonhlppcn ol llle ..,. r;oc1 \h(lupt thcood,... reform
en_. and often ,.."U'C to. Tbc "onhippcn of the o&d pis
loo'ked upon the supponen of thd.r rin.h aa atbeisu
(jUJl "' the po1ylhd.sts OD the lhoro or the
nean calltd t he Christians :athc:ist.1o). nut t11cy were not
in :any aue atheh:u, nor were they the founders o( a new
era, tlut.t WILl eo last and eo cure t lt wot1. They only
tegbtered 11 new st<\ge in the prog:rat of dlO\tght, whlch
(in thlt mnuer as in others) has. in t he hhtoTic tenSe, n
evolution of hs own. independent of the men in whose
br.lin the thought takes $h:ape.. a.nd roltowing (in all
Iima and counuia) prKiscly .similu linet.
M.any such c.ha..ogu bad taken in Indian $pirit
bditb before the time of tbe oWat rccordt that have
come: down to us. lbae ibcnt a "'tt'f adnnced. stace in
the ancient toultbcory. And &here are uo o1dtt records
ol itf dt\'dopment a!oog this pa.niculat bM. The Al.b
dian teCOtda. iL i1 uue, go much f:artbtt bMk, a.nd tbc:y
have manY. pointt of analog)' which teem lO supply the
acl u:tl hbcorlcal origiu of :sevenl l:uer Hindu beliefs.
But this h only because t hO'.Se belicb hnvc: been incor
por1Hc:d lmo orthodox. Hinduism trom tbe desndan1&
of thOIIC Ul'llvidia\ t'CI:ttcd lo the Atkadians.
who precll'ded the Al')'l'lnt. in India. Nothing ha$ yet been
round in the Att.adian lx10k.s sbowh1g any Mstorie:al
councction with Vcdic bdic!s.
On lbe Olhu hand, we b.1,e in the :mdcut boob of
the Crb and Penians. l"((llOI"d.s of belief bis(oric111y
with the Indian. But that TCCOnb are lattt
in lime than the oldest l't:(:02'ds in India. aod prcroene a
later pba.w of the common bdids. '\\-"bc.t'l "'e find.. [or
instance. In the Zoroaifrian books, that lhe hypothetical
bcingt called in the Ved:u ''gods" h;l\'e then: already
beomue "devil."' we know that we have " later phase 6f
10
a cocnmon belief. FOt' lt b ,the oew religion which looM
upon the god of it
1
pred.ecc:ssor at devils, and it i.s un
tnown lhat. [n lht course of tbc dc:\doptnau of the
,.,.. l)'lt<lll ol lailh. ckYib ahould ever become
pis.
t he oldest Indian btx>ks---tbat il. the Veda.s and
8nbi!W1u-c.htrt:forc:, thougb they thc:mselva abow w
an -adnnced in the andcnc. tOOl theory, aft itil1 the
,... ucicnt -
ol the puti<:o!ar Hne cl .S..-dop-
ment which we have to follow. And in them we find the
germs of all the subKquent .slept In philosophy and in
rdigion that wcrt: taken in th.t valley of tbc
c;.,ga.
The O))Jcction of Vtdic:: a4 we now hue iL
bean of coune no date. lt resemble& in this mpcct all
otbtr collections ol t.imilar antiquity, without exception.
known tO ut. of ru earliest books of each rel._.
cion ""' be uccnaintd oal r by b btorial aidciJm. and
ao in India at.,, We have to Raft with Caal Lb.a.t are
tnown'. We can argue back from the W('ll c:ttablisbed
date of the great Buddh.lat Emperor of Iudi.'l, the famolU
Ad.a. tor we fu:ad in tbc litaature extant in his time:
..n.. o1 ......_ oo 10 peak. o1 u.....-, ...t
actiti:y, ead> ol them Indisputable
ol the prt
viOUJ existence of the one before le. The hat ot these
atnta. the Budd.biJt PhaW and the Sansk.rit boob of
the same period. bft1c to his time. Ealimates bYe
- made ol the pavlous insen>l Wl m\Ul be allowed
lUooeaivdy rOt each of the othtr Jtrata, between the
time of Nob and the dose n the Vedic period, wht 11
the: hymns wtrc: put into tbeir pre$C:nt shape. And
acbol.an uc pracric:aUJ unanimous in tbc opinion
tba. the Vedaa uuut have bee c:xbtiag u we now M.-e
tbtcn u leaat lQ00-1200 B.C . to allow time for the
iub&equent devcloptnems.. Sdolan also agree that they
oontain a deal of mataial even much older than
that. aDd tbc: hymGI IWid in l.h;s lua rapect apin on
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lillt.r<: t()US TlU'.Oillf'.S 1.N L\II)IA
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lbc aamt footins as .BuddhiJ.t Pit:aku. or the Old
Tatarncnc.. ot any other :ancic:ot a_non.
Tbey ft'\"ea\ to w " m<t inwtltinc a.nd iOitt\lc-
'hc piCtutt of a number of da.ns. dotodJ related. to our-
id'U. tngJ:ged in forcing their way into a ClOOnny
already mnrc or occupied. and oc:c::bionally Ulming
aside rrvm contests with the da.rkcr n:.llvet to fight
among
Judging from the hymns. the :ts
we now call them--'wcrc inten.sely religious: bt.ll of
morality, except to wilhiu the clans, they
ACC.nl to ha\'C h:t.d vuy primitive concc:ptiont. "t'o them
tbc killing- of opponents "W:at no mutdc:r. and the ''con
vcying"' or cheir nc:ighbou:r" guodt a m.aucr .,, pride.
They ldt UJ no idea on the ri&htt of man (o.- of
woman cilbcr): :and in foreign potitks their C'liding:
priociplc was conquest.. Within tbt dan. 100. Hfc w.u
simple (or Tbcre wen no f>OO" and none c.oo
.-ich. Tbey wa-c DOl uoubltd ,..;th either priesc. or
landJorda. And the dc:Prc o( t.bdr bcuu was for
inO'tMC i n ehildren. and i n cows. plaurc afforded.
ut In t.he hymns of their daily li(e. and ot c.he.ir h:abituaJ'
thoughu. ha.t: a pcculil'l.t c:h:trm. 1l "'AS a ehildlike :and
dcady a hnppy nee, (ul1 of actiVh)', bul lhtle
ttOUblod by oontemp1ation or by doubt. even
their religion sat lightly 1.1p0n tbcm. buL lt would .seem
from the hymns th1t they had an unheaitating ancf
childlike fahb, wbic:h upot! the gu:at aoub
animadnc the round th(1n 11.9 allpowerful iw
woddly affain.
AJ time wmt OQ it is evident tb2.t tome or them
b.ad howt'm' cocnmcncec1 10 speculate on the of
,crrtmpts htJw ruenlly bun rmtde rn t#n'Y lite xr
of thr Pt-dll$ still ftJrther l1atl, h d'JU'"'"It I.Huf'd tm
ltlP$Xtd tJJJrtmomiml 4/lusions. Rut lltt httliJ fnr lllf'St
sel'nu
12
IIUilOMliM
1hc: pis. alld bad dilaly .,._... <0 lhiok that there "'"
.a unhy underlying the manifold !or'co.l of spirit life in
which the people btliC\'ed. 'l'his U plain (toro thotc
spccub.tive: hymm incorpor.tttd into the !.aM and bta.t
boot of tbe er- a>IJoa;oo called tbc Rig Veda.
But it b nbo dear tbat tlte nndcm Arya.1JJ were far
toO manly :tt'ld fr to b<' uoubled much about tbeir
owo Mklb.. either bd'ore afltt the doth ol tbc body.
There only a ''0')' t.hon. and isolated pas.Aga
bcari.ng on thl1 s.ide of theil' tpi.rit theory. They stllt
held with a simple railh to lbt andtnt hypothais of
tbcir Jaft&C anoeston u to the ocitt.cnoe of a "touJ'"
inside thcir bodi u. And it never OUTTCd lO them to
dcubt for a moment that tbuc. IOUlt continued to txi.M:
in a tort of miRJ ny afttt cltath, cw to ditcwl the qoe.
of the d11ntion or cessation or tbat (murt life. ln
all tbiJ we Kt the bright tide of tht mcient natu.re
worship. or rclipxt bated on Lht tou.l tbeorr u held in
its simplicity by 2 fr and ;dvancing and prosper
ow people. Tbe darker side. wbid1 played in all
abUity a grc:aur put in the dlily tbou&flts and axttage
life o( the ordinary man and woman or thOIC days. w11
t bat medley of atnn.gc btlieb feart, l'tYea.lcd in tbe
Atbarva Vcdl,-thc: rtliana: OD omena. and t:pdh. aOO
wp: rite(. tl;lc n_pc tenon of a U!e AUTOUndod by all
soru of mallp inftuenca, tl\e pobonous fruit of the
supmdtioru of demonology.
While all tbesc ideas. cood md bad. wc:re (erment
ing tOgtther, tbe bolder spiriu ever pusbhlg b.rtber
and (a.tt bc:r on into the hot plains o( Tb.e dtu..ilt
0( tbdr gndual propua arc lDdccd hidckn in an obt-
mrity .. we cao IIQI'Otly bope now ever to dear up.
But the results are drcady well :uccnaincd.
&tore lbc riJt of .Buddhi.sm the of the countrY
as &r I.ost " "'-bad 1o.ome -. oc less Aryaniteci
either by alliance t.W by conquest. and the Aryan go&
(that 1t <0 "Y the men wbo wonbipped lhc:m) bdd
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1\lt.ICJOUS Tll0ur8 Ut L"CIA
IS
from Kabul hills down eo the plains of
lkopl.
The d.i&ion wu. ooc. altop:thtr unlfonn..
IU lhe lriba po>h<d on. their lal>aua&<o panlr bf the
ordinary and neceuary growth or decay, p;anty by intu--
counc with other peoples. continually cbangtd. Tbc
b.\'ou:r of tbc gods "'-as to be won ottly by he 1pell, :u
it wc:rc, can over them the faithful tepeLidon of the
andent words. The words lhen:tKI\'ct h;.d no""' become
bm diml y understood. Schools of pricau had been fonn
cd lu KlIU'd. the word' from destruction, 1\0l by writing
-whJd1 w:u unknown4ut by conMant reheaning. To
aid in thdr taSk.. elaborau: conunen :.rfes we:rc
compoeed and bandtd :abo by II'W:fl'IOI')'. of
and of aqcsi.s wt:I'C clevilcd and formulated
into Khcmtt of expositioo. The: whole intellectual
powtr of the n:arion became lot a rime: cooetntntcd on
that aubsidlary uudies.. Worb of oripoal power, with
lhe fJ<e and c:llildlikt pirit whidl animottd the old
bynuu.. became unt nown.
The cnining in these M:boob wu ol a curiou kind.
Hi.uory in ou.r sense, and scitn too, wm nr cour se
entirely unrcpraented. The ehid "'"!I pb.:d
on memory. and the l ngtnuity of comment:ttors was
much in r<nciliOJt the: dl\'erse staccmcnts of
the :mclenc tCXI$-Which couhl not cfl'-41nd in li ndl ng
0\)'Stic t'e:amm to explain nil the various dct.,ih or the
sacrifice.
Now one or the mon striking thin' about chc
anciCJ'\t hymns is tbe W2! in whJ(h ta<b QOet, poutly no
doubt tluou,h his 'lftnl of expennaa in we of
his imbilitv tn to shades
or moninr; but parttr aho the rnt (tt\'OUr of
hb rdi,tioua fedin. directed at the timt on the one
ob;cc. of hit pn.i.$e-iJ the war Ut which ead' poec so
nnen l'dcn to different (fndl":\, Altf"i. Pnjapali.
Vanma. etc.), as bc.intt. eac.h one ol them. the greattsl
IIUDOlUS)I
.a.ud the best.. There was not tta.Hy any clo.r $COst of
comparison, tho\lgb tbe word$ now seem to imply it. It
w:u S:i.mply that the one Cod. lhat is to say, the one idea,
largw. at the time before t.be mental eye of the
potL And i11 the explanation of $UCh pcas:sagt!$ the
Bnhman Comment2tors c;arerully avoid all :tppenr._nc:e
or rivaJry. A truu aud-wh.at was probably of more
importance from the theologian's point o view-a rnore
-edifying explanation lay dose to their bands.
in the Vtdu oc:ruin of the grta.t soub, the gods. are
ideotified with others, and there is even refer-
tn t.() a djvinity which, as it were, lay behind them all,
and was l.he buis of their godhead.
Thus there is a reference in Lbe often quoted p.us.
.age, Rig Veda, iii ... 55, I, tO tb.u "great of tbe
'gods which is one." And the Brahmi.ns gradually ela
borated out of sutb exprcssio1u a conception of a l ingle
'being out of whom all gods. and all men, and an tbings
had pTOCteded.
It may be noticed in pa.ssing that a prccltely 11imilar
Tttuh was reached, thougb not ex.acdy by t he same pro-
cess, and at a $lightly different chronological in
boch . Greece and Olina. And thousU we have no evi
deuce of a -like Jogical proce55 in Assyria, it would SC(m
EJptian thin):ers also had their s.peculatipos of a
:eirnJJar $0.rt. There i$ nothing -ttraoge in tbis coincl
-dence. It iJ rhe exception of As.syria that ;, rc:ally euri
ow. And we need DOt think to explain the c.oincid.ence
by any tbeory.o borrowing by anyone of these peoples
1l'om the other. For the faet is. that., whene,er there is
sufficient inteUigeoa: and $U1TI(ient l eirurc in a country
the soul theory i.s hdd, tbttt, by a logical prOCC$$
wbicb i.s m.cu will come to belie.,.e in a num
ber, o( goc.ls; and on, tO ' f)Uive a ur.ity
lhe many. and: to poctoJa.Q! a 1ingk divinity u
the Alppc'lltd JOuroe of chc many. gods 'whom they them.
ld.m have rtally_ tuhioncd: , .. -
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The cbu'acCerbtiCJ of the new divioity, of tbc one
is to say. the connotatioN of the new idea-
will dilcr according to the dilcttnt a>UCtpc.ioru out of
b.kh it bu arisen. ADd in lhU ropca the 6pt'CUl211
tiont ol the: Bnbmins in !J>dia uc cspcc:bUy worthy ol
consideration. \\fith then fira conception \C":lt
noac:bed, as among the jtw.l. by gradual Jdditioru
to. and modificalioT\1 of the: character of one divinity,
but by o. purely philosophical reasoning Ill to the neces-
s:.ary n:ature of the first cawe.. The l''rlicatts they
npplie:d to him......or, tuort accurately, lO it- were
C)(CIU.tive: ty negative. It is the Clllst or the
'k.nowable, itself however without aw:Je. h it tbe light
in whidl o.ll tbat is perceh,ed. l.s sn, but the:rc it no
ligbt by m.tafls of which it can be vcn. Jt h Invisible,
without dac:ent or (fllms-r, witbout
qa. or u:n. or batlds. er- the , .-utaltinc. all ptr
vacliOC. dcrpRran. txU"CCI''eiJ aubdc:. unchangeable
JOUJ'Ct and support of aU that ia. ,\ll lht reac, IN:!ud
ins the put ph whom the ignorant wc--nhip and
fi&btly wonhip as the highest that they lu\OW, is ddu-
aion. And the: Teal insight, the only :biding &;lhation,
coruhu in getting to knOVo' the hnpcrm:.n,..nce or 2111
else. :.nd t11e identlty of one'!l own soul ,,ith ' hh Gn-at
Soul in which :all else and t1nd has its
There it great beauty and poetry ln the in
whid thiJ very ancient i:t ttt. nut in the
Jher.ature older r,ban the rise of Duddhbm. and though
the c:tact fQITI1ula.tion of this systc.m of thougbt-wc.n
krlown a.s Ved1ntisro-is due to l:uer h1nds. it is M
dtot that thtre wu much eama.t and {tarlas
in the til'IH:: of t.be oldat Upct.nbbadt in
Which ideas find tbciT earfiot and moM pottiol
oprcaion.
The Indian rormobttir:n of thU thMn nf
Mr,d .. llpttnishnd i., 1, 5.
16
the unha w Is indeed. in all probability the mmt logical
and fDOil
of all sb:DUat auempta thu
bave been prnerYcd eo us. 'The ''UT tm"tiDc analopc:s
to Cn:U phil010pby, n.orc: "Ptcially in Pararotnidc:s
(lho<lch he ..... """"'Y =
-...... be J'O'Opct'
1y wot\ed. out owing to the condition in
which alooe the Greek tpUbtio.n.s have J.U.r\' iV
c<L And dK conuponding Chinese
titber
o tht. ConCucian or Taoin Khools, am to be
altopber nnlio( in cl<..- at><! pn<Uion.
very :able aod beautiful monistic: pbiloeopbr
wu clomioam factor in tndiao thought. when
Cot.ama tbc Buddha appca.n:d.
Many centuries aftef'o
wards lt wss elaborated and 1)1letn:ltlted. mort npi
atlr bJ' Sanb:r:l. into dw. VeilanWt. pbiloeopby now
qttite wpr('fll.e in JndJa. tn thOk c:nly d:lJII it had no
doubt lll'Otll" rh-als. When llle Pancbn atra books ba,e
bn rn.a& aC'OCSSibJC' to .tc:bobn it wm bt found. J
think. that tht)' contain a phi10tOphy-built
ol tile ...., wdJ. pcrlpo. ., the Vcdanu (god .. d
aoul)-but independent of it. :and at least tqual to il
in beauty i not in logical pov.c.r. We hear :'lbo of
J..obYJ;cas.. or wbo mw.t iu'ft pnctded
Buddhitm, u they a.re l)).cntioned in the oldest Buddhiu
boob. The Jai.Da faith, whkh arose J.t tbc same: time as
n-:ddbitm. ha. abo a TOluminous litcnture Whtn that
U publlab(d. lt c:annot fll U> throw ruueh Ugbt upon
the rdipou.t Ulc of India at 1bc time whm 1be found
en or the two new religions rinb. Bm there was
licde original tboutbt in Jainism. t u views are nthc:r
belated ptopelfitiooa than a IJIm o( pbiJOIOphy, a.nd
1t 'Ould ne,-er have bt:en a formidable ri:l'a.l to
Vedar.uism.
It wu quite otberwi-.: with the Santbya S)'lttm.
Ste tAt rtrlt of lacobi ('Id '""' k no
bdl" 4ml h0t'i't1) in II.U Ktd/M fi. J.
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R.:Li t:IOUS TH0KIQ IN INDIA
IT
Ct.muria afi.UW'al'dl. wbtn Suddhiiro had become
am"Upted.. it 'Ot.lld K'CUl that the Sutthya ""-u all'GOit
to Alpplan.t the Vcdant.:a; <tnd as it hu often been
bc:ld by l:uzopcan xl>oW> diu Buddhlsm b mon: or
Id$ bued. on the: Sankh-ya.. it will be necc:wrry to coosi-
dCT the quadon ol ir. priority. Logically it 1tancb hill
Wllf between tbe Ved;ant;t and Buddhism., and was there
.a l){lflslble to the fiuddbln pos.itton.
An(! rhc 8uddhi.sts thwuelva ack.nowledge U\at l(apiln,
tu wll mu Lbe Sankb)11. boot.s a.scribe the f'Ound;adon of
111ci l>hJIOtOph)'. lived several genenlioo& bc(ore the
Uuddhn. h b therefore, Lo say the least.,. possible lbat.
the Sn11kh)'l t)1.tem also proded Lhe 8\ddhi.t.t, or vtaS
the O.IICUme oC Lhc u.me intellectual movement.
Uut WhJt e know is. that in lbt: centUI iet jm_nu:..
di:tlC'I)' bcfort: and after tbe binh or Chri.Jc (that is.
tOme cenlUria afra lhe rise ol Buddhitm) it wu t.hc:
Sankh)""a nthc:r &ban tbe Vedan1a., wbi<:h was &be prtdo-
rninam acbool; aod Wt its adhcrcnu dail:otd a Mill
more remote oti&\n for tbeU- speculatioN. OarW. wboo
U tbe bat authority on the subjec:t:.-he has done foC'
the t.bc aame tOrt of as hM been 10 wdl
rcndertd to the Vtdant:. by Deuli&Cn.-.is of opiniou
1l1;el the Sunkhy:. tcachen are r ight. and t hat their Leach-
jnK floes i ndeed go back before the rhe or Jl uddhiam.
Tl1e polnr secrlu to me, I confess, to he motu doubtful.
All the S:mkhy:t IJ.ooks are nulch bttr In d.:ue. The very
oldC$t of thtrn-lhc Karita of Jnara Ktiahna.
--c:tnnoc be Gxcd at an ea.rticr period than a fuJf
tbouio.nd ynn a.te:r the time ol Gou.ma 1 he Buddha.
And tbouJb lt L' quite QttC:ain that the J)"MC'tft, u a sys-
ltm .. ready wdJ worked OUl. was older lha.n that we-
find h td'cntd to. and in gre:u pan adopted. atone with
Ved.antitrn. tn boob. certainly rwo nr thru: omturles
in Mnu, ror im.(a.nce. and in the Dharncf
Cita.-yct there i.t still a great pp to be brfdgtd over.
An the QvailaMe .. cvid01re ;oo the point '' colloacd. wltl'r
z.
d8
IUODHISW
,grt:lt c::are and completeness, by G:ube, in his just pub-
lished S4nllrya Philosopl1it
1
a book which wi.ll, I hope,
soon be uan.s.tatcd into EnglUh. And on weighing all
.the e..,idence it setm.s to me that the only condusion to
be rightly drawn is that, though there is no evidence
.that Kapila wu the real 01uthor o[ the whole Santhya
philosoph)', cl)trt were, before tlae time of the Buddha,
isolated dl.i.nk.CI'$, of whose: words we bavc no trace, wbo
.elaborated views sinlilar to those out of v.hich the San
:khya was eventually dc,>cloped.
For "'bat do we find? There is tunple evidence
eve.u in the books of the orlbodox body of Brahmin
te:aebers to show that wben Buddhism arose: there wu
not only much dist\mion of the ultimate problems of
life. and a keen interest in the result, but a4o that there
'W2S :t <1uitc unusually open 6cld for all SOrts Of specula
tions. I n no other age and country do_. we find so \tni
voully dillused amonr an dasses or t.be people so
e3ntest :t spirit of enquiry, so imparri.al 2nd deep a res-
P' or :Ill who posed as te-<td1m. howe ... er
.tory their doctrines might
lt is true tbu the orthodox. book! <ll'e filled with
the onbodox view. But this is only quite How
,cry little of 2nd ac:cur.ue inform.uion. do we
find t\en in CbtU.tian books oE the early <:enturies con
cerning the views of Even r.he Buddhist
writiZ9 do OOt. rell us mu<:h. Rut we have a detailed
list in tbe tirst Suttama of the Digha NiAaya of sixty
two different of exi.steoc:e: and in the second
o( rhe s:une <:Ollection. the ..,jews of si.x leading
-opponents :a.re ditcuued at length. 1 shall return to
.these huer on. It i.s $ullicient (or the prtstnt
.argument tO poim out t.bat they confirm in t\'U)' parti
.cu)ar the pictUre we fincl in tbe Bra.hm.:tna.s and in the
.old UpanisbaW., and that one at lt2$t of the sixty-two
tbui condemned stmu tO be a forecast . o( the
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kWCIOUS nuOJUd lS U.:DIA
Sanlr.hyiL The it as follows-it is the Buddb1t.
himld! who u rcp<a<nl<d as spm.ing:
"AJld iD the !QWtb pi- brhrccl. 00 "bOt
goundJ and Cor what reason do tbe r<u.es and
.S:rah.tu.itu who arc bciJC\'Ch in tJ)t ewnily or ttisu:nte
dedm-e that both the JOUI and the world are etenu.U
thb tome tttlu.se: or Brahmin Is
.addickd lO logic a.od. rc:a.sonina" He gi,es uu.cranc:e
the !ollo"ing condtUion of hia own reached by h.is
and based on hU $0phi.$U')'.. 'Eternal is
the $CIUI, eurnal i& the world. "l'bey give birth eo noth-
ing; but arc u.nsh.akc:n as a mountain pcat..
., a pillor firmly fix<d. All<! thoup thcoc livifti bdnp
pus al ong, tr.msmigratc, .f.tll out or one a.tate of edM
\ cnce and :u'C bonl f n nnothcr, )"et they Qfl (or ever a.JJd
C\'er: ....
Now lbU last iJ prccisdy the point in the toUl
theory oo whlcb the lauer s..nt.bya teacbin1 diffen from
cbc Vedanta. According to the latter it is nnly C:od who
is the world U a phantom :u it wc.tt,
a dream, a ddusion, and bs iu only rut iJl
God. And the aoui.J lhemsdv-cs h.nc ao lndepcodcnt
uistence. a.re God But tbc San\.hya on
the other holcls lh.at chcre is no God. that the
J>rimordfal Pr:\k.rili (or nuK out or whic-h t he world il
formed) b and that the lOUis b.avc a sepante
exisuncc of their own. aod conlinuc 10 txbt fOr C\'C'I"
in infinite numben.
It will be notictd on t he other hand thar i n the
For btsttiJK"d of tltit su the corn.mcnl?
TA Pli kxt wall be found at vol. p. 16 of tlt.e
Diglua NiluJro_ edited by m'stlf 4rnd ]. Estlln
{or the 1'-'l 'Text Sorift'Y in 1890. J:uddluegl1ostt's c:om
mentary 011 the IMJsGgt hn.s alJo been pubUshtd. b1 w
in Sumangal4 t.'6l. i., l'fl. (PIi
Tut Sodet7, 1886.)
Jj.uddbit . p;tttieul;u: bcrt.'S)' the
ttdlUiC21 c:xpl'C$1100 in the. books
the JYrimo((h!tl stuJE is . . I.t 15 btt<: tbe world .
which tbe hcn:tia are s;ud tU rotuader c:te.:nal. aud tbat
is ooc. tbc: c,:ntcltlim:d by t.lu: Sant.byot. And if "'e
should bold that the ,a.guc: cxptcssiou "h'orld" m;t)' I:H!
taken here in the special $0}$C of We 'original ll\lltcl'"'
o( the Sank.b)'a book$, tben 'we only oome w another
contradiction. Aocordiug lO the Sankh)":.l it i.s precisely
om of ''original mattct" :and the individual 5001s thu
tbc visible world and Hving beings are produeL Tbe
he.rctia dtscribtd in ou:1' passagt bold that the soul and
the world au: b:uttn. give birt.h 10 nothing. I am at a
105S tb.et:t:fore to understand how this passage can be
coosidered as good C\'i<lence that the Sankbya system
existed as a whole. : we find it in books Ulanr
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centuties lata. at du:: time when the p:wage was
less at the time of t he legendary aud\01',
Kapila.
lt is uufortuuatel)' imposs.ibk llerc to go into the
detaili either of t he Sa111:hya (.xpJan:ttion o h()w the
l'o'Orld 21nd Hviug being :u-ose out of tile origin:tl
Pnk.riti. (or matter) and the individual soufa.. or imo the
details ,o( tu ptychologica\ Tbey al.so
Vtr}' inwuctivc analogies "'ith the duUUtic theories in
Creece-analogic:s which will be considered. of greater
importal'lcc u the l odiao s.ide of the picture beoornes .
beuer t.n.own. lt is sullieie:nt to poiht out Lbere is
noching at all in any o( the details peculiar to the
Sa.nl:.hya which b.u been borfO'k'ed b)' Cot:ama. or is
even to be found at all in anr the ofdest 'Buddhist
Writinp.
n.o ,.,itln&" otheT' t han ,those men.
ti.ot:ted, to t_hTO"'' on the nf.giom speo.llntioi\S of
before Buddhum. 'But :ts regards the !;Ou1 a nd
tal'V:ition we have the \efY 1i5t of the 'hertsic:$
on those points condetJuled by the earl}' B\lddbist;' frorrr
IUtUGIOUS 1'HEOiiliES I:'<>Ol,\
21
..Web au cxtnct tw already been rod. Whh your per
Dllaioo I wUI read this list. lt doel not lollow. of ClOUD<.
Wt nd\ one of the opinions quoted iu it rc:pramts tbe
.lCid1ic3 ol a tepUale aod clistioa. tcbool But the
whole ollt b full ol sugestion b to tbc tind ol diKUs-
lom whtch were goiug on wbtn Bucklhb'n arotc.
Tbe c:xtrac:t oocuu in work ol nlO'f't importance
tban any other on DuddbiSln-lhe collection o( the
Uiatoguet, moslly o( Gotama. hiros.elC, togetber
in the Diglua and NiAaytu. rhit wort. con
tnbu the vtew' ol r.be Buddha tet oul, :u they appeared
to hit car\ien disdples, in :\ scrles 186 cotvenMional
dixq_m:KS whidt wut some day COtnc to hold a place. ht
the hbtory of human thought. akin to thfU. held by the
DialOI'Jtt o( Plato. The fint of these 186 Dialogues is
c:alled lhe Q:n.hma th1t is the Perfect Net-the net
wbotc: mc:&ba ue 10 fi.ne that no folly of tuptntition.
boweYft' tubtlc, can sUp througb. In it a-re Kt out tbcty
two nrledes ol txioling hypothaa; and after each of
tbem hu b:n rc)t:ctcd. the doctrine: o( Arahaubip is
put (orwa.rd u the right to1ution.
Thete sixtrtwo heresies arc: as ronowJ:
1-4 SAU41g.Vndls. People: wbo. either frotn mcdi
uuton of three degrees. or rour(h1y through
logic and l'e:tsoning, have oome to believe
thM. botll the cxtcr,,at world :u a whole, and
Individual souls are cternJJ.
5-8 Ebcaa.Sa.tMtifta. People who, in foul' W'a)"'
hold thJt some souls are etttnJJ. and some
are not.
" T'bosc- who hold Wt CoU le eternal. but
not the indi\idU2l IOUit..
b. .rllMe .-bo bold. tNt :all the P ue
etnnal. hut no1 the in.dMdu.al .touls..
Thic /olirth tw<r. it lhe fiiiOietl in full 11boot,
p. 19.
t . Those who bold t.bat ccruin Hh.lttriou.s
gods are c:rna.L but dOt tbe iodivi.
dual lOUts ..
rl. T hose who bold that. while lhe bodily
rorou ue not tterna.l. there i.s a aubtlc
tomdhiaa. callod Hcan or Mind. or
ComdO\Isneu. which b.
9--12 A11t41ncmlilc. People who chop logic :about
fi..DjtJ aod io&nity.
1fho hold ""'r1d t.o be finite.
b. Th03e who hold i t to be infinite.
c. 'Jbcw wbo bold it to be both.
d. 1"bbK 'Who hold it to be ndthu.
IS-16 Am4mtYU.hepiAa.. People: wbo equi\'0-
eace about virtue and vice.
FfOC'D. fear lest, i.l they csptts a dedckd
opiniOQ. grid (at poalble mj.uke)
will hurr t hem.
b. From rcn lest tbey form
menu wbicb will iojwt them.
From fe:tr Jest they may be un:\blt to
:\oswcr AkiHul
d. From dulnea or stupidity.
17-18 People who think
thal the origin ol thi.nga can be ex.ph lned
without :1. cute.
19-60 U.Uitc ....
\
ol the: tcholan of 1 1w Lixne. 1te owe lbe prt:ICJ"V1tiOJ'I ol
the ex:tmsivc, ;md bistoricalJy invahallble, litcratum of
the Vc:dic tcbools. :tnd or tbt Ruddhbt Order: and In,..
_, ol b<il" """!'iob<d that rh< ........ port ol th<
%M has ptrUbcd. we mrght to IIUprtmdy gratc(ul
(
that to m"UC'b h u been preu:rvcd. After all, the old
-tebola.n ot lnd.Q.. wbo were compd.led to m:c a choke,
.,_ """ U. th< <hoia: th<y mad<.
'1"hae two lfltems are the higbctt txprcs$iou. r:rom
the thc:ologictl and the antilheologbl poinu ol 'l'itw.
'1.'apCICthdy. ol Indian lbooJbt. 'T1:Ic:re b: no ooc man
'tO wbom the orig;irtal exposition o Veclcantit pbiJOIO-
-phy can be atcribed. no one name prNminent in preo
lluddiWti<: Vccl&nW... But S.nlw Adw-fo. -wria
' :afta'Wlfds. 1)1kUaatitcd ancl the Vedanthc
<:reoO. and lt U to Gobim:. the nuddh:a. that we owe
-wbat we ull the BUddhist reJicloo. TMn can be no
"'*be: c.bac tbeat two, Sa.llbr and Gooma the
'Buddtla.. arc the g:wua.t names in the intellcc:tual life
Jodla. and that in pracr.'i.hiJ ror us thr: rcconls of the
&wo ,,.,tOJ'IS ol belid: with "'hicb tbc.c na.ma ue assod
atcd, the of the l.Ddian boob bave done (or
f the world tbe SfUleR scnice they O)Uld, do.
We ha.\'C then in India in the \""Jllty o( the
.at the tin.e wben the Buddhist l.bcory of liU was fiRt
prop_ouudcc:l. a ma.r.e of itntncti.ng ideas may be
divadcd ror dearness' p.ke, into tbe (ollowinc beads.
Firatly. the wide and varied grout> of idcu J.bo\.lt
souls. whetbe- io man or i n the leaser powert of Nat.Ure
:1110 i n i\nimalll, and even in tta r.nd planu.
mlil.y be aummcd up undC'r the convenient moden\ temt
.of and include all the conccpdona pt'tstrvtd
in Lhc' books or anrology. m:agic. and rolk..lorc:. the idea."
of a ruture ure :md of tM t:r.l.IUmigtatlon of touls. the
befids as to n.ll SOlS of minor dcmon:t.. and. f:driu, and
s.pirita. and paw. :and god.s.
Secondly, we h2Ve tM later and 1DOfC advanad
iciC:aJ about the JOU.1s M spirits suppoltlel to animate the
grutcr forcet abd pbenom.tna of Natuft. That may
be aummed up under the convenient roodern term of
Polytheism, and include all lhc c:onccp1Jons u to the
god preserved in the and chbornted and
.explained in t-he Brahmana.,.
Thil'flly, we have the nil.l late: :md tdll more ad
' ':tnccd iciC'a ol
1
ll unity lying behind the whole of thest
phen01ncna belch or t he tint and of the xcoml d:Lit, the
hypotbab of :a. 011e Firs.t Cou..sc on which the '"hole uni
,c:nc in wried forms depends. in "'hich it lies and
mova., in which it bu iu whole and only bdnc- Tbi&
-may M w.mmed up in the con,enie.nt modem term of
Pntlfdsm. It Is wed in th< Upanbhadt. and was
nbtequendy elabonud and sys.tttmti.Kd by Sanbr
Acharya.
Tbc:o we ba\"e tl,e still mbfot.oquc:na !t.J.e now prc-
sc:ncd In Lhe alreadr quot:cd Sanlthya hoob. :10d then
l)tOb=-bly #! lready. existing i11 e2rliet Jen
.fMl 01mt. nf n , of life in \\'hirh 1he CauAC is
26
ltiUOHlSM
expreuly rtjeetod, but in which ".-ith that excqni_on t.be
whole iJ nil1 retained side by side With the
tenet of the eternity of matter. This m:ay be summed .
up under lbc convenient modern tum of Dualism. And
tte have slight glimpses of \'et)' numerous other views
(among others of pbilo50pllits allied to wMt we now
understand in the West b)' Epicureani.sro. and M:ueri
alism).
These modem Western terms, though roost useful
as suggestioru:, ne,ea:,. ho.rever, exactly tit the ancient
Eaite:m modes of thought. And we must never forget
that these really contradictory expla.t'U't.tiOns of the pro-
blem of liCe, now so carefully d ifferentiated and kept
apart by modern scllola:rs, were not then mutually ex
dusive. We to deal w-il.b a state of society in which,
not history. nor science.. but precisely these ultimate
questioru the ardent attention and passionate
puiencc o a surprisingly large number of men. of wboro
onlr a ''tty ew had che logical clearness and monl fe2.t:
lcuness to take a deliberate artd exdusi\'C stand. So also
afterw.trds the Vcdantist <.ou1d accept parts: of the
position. really incompatible with the rest of his
bclier, and both of chem cuuld belit\'C in the actual
truc.h. if nOt in the supreme impo.rt.an<lt, of animistic
dtludons. You will follow this the Q)OI"e readil y i02.1-- .. t.
much u a simila.t' state of mind is still the most preva-
lent one in the for in.s-ta.n, a man may
bt a scientit and at the aame time a spiritualist; or may
ao:ept the Darwinian hypothesis and the l'e:$Ull$ of his-
torical research, aod alto the substanti:tl accuracy of the
Hebrew c:os:mogony.
Such were the imelltttual surrounding'$ in which
BuddhUm arose. Wbat I have bad the honom of laying
before you is of c:oune the merest tketch. You will listen
aome day, 1 trutt, to a whole course of on
Animism; to another on the Ved.anta; to another on the
Sankhya; and to yet another on the retnai.ning points of
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JlltUCIOIJS 1."1UOkll" .$ I.N l M}IA
lndian bdid W the sixth century JU;.., lO wb'ch allu
don hb bo made. 1n the '"UJ o.anow IJ.&o.ic.s of tiJne
to wbkb 1 am coo6ncd. it b:u ouly bn fC*iblc: to
dwell oo \be more Alient poiou. and 1 mutt a.polope
foe MvinJ attempted to aowd 10 much into a si..oJie
bou.T. But 1 ba'lt considered it my duty to bring out
into :u dc:ar o\ relief as postible the poln\1 IQOl.t asenti:al
tO a ri&bt undmta.nding of wbat we- eaU lluddbb.rn, and
what the fouode.r of lbu religion e21led the Dhamroa,.
tbat it the Law, or the Norm.
Now the central position o{ the .Uuddhi.u a.llcrlm'
the to tbosc p1evious views nf life wns thiJo-tbat
Coc:IU'JUt I\Ot only ignored tl)e whole of the 10ul thOOI)',
but c\'el\ bdd all dUcuuion 2:1 to the ultimate soul pt0b-
lean5 wltJ which the Vcd2nt.a aDd the other pbi1oeophies,.
w<n chidly (I)OCU1led, as uot only cbildllb and UJdw..
but :u actuall y inimical to the only ideal "''Rb atrivin&
after-the klea.l ol a pc:rlca. lift, here and now. io this.
present '-'Ofld, in Anhmhip.
And 1 am only following tbc mce Jodcnt and the
bc:s:t of t.bc Buddhist autborides in pladng lhU f1'KlU
important point in the front of my OJ)Otltion. The
very fir.c. kl'mon which ('..ouuna prea.checl to hit f1nt
c:onveru i' the L:,kk.ha.na Suua, (the: on
1he nbscnce of an)' s:ign of in any of' all lhc con
atit uc:nl elcmcnu of individual life) pl'etcr\'ed in We
and t:lpilub.tod 1n full in IJ'e Somyutd
Nilto'ytJ,.t ,.nd U':msbted by Oldenberg ,.nd myKlf in our
Pit,. Tcld.s. The ,ery first of lhe colloc:tioo of l_he
dillocuca of C'.otam.a. fonnio& tht principal boot. on the
.n 1l1c Buddhist Scripturn. iJ one &trudy
quOted n whldl the Buddha so
and rejH all poBible curmu theories
'Mtrha f'UO i., 6, '1R--4i.
lf".'(u.. f9.
'flittiiVn Tf','tf.t, vol. i .. pp. lOO. In!.
JIUOOIUSO\I
".souls." Aud l:uu bOO.kll o( t.be lint impott:ulc;C
follow lbe same order. The Knt ho. :1 book o[
.oontroveNy iu tbc tbird oentury
dilSCIHerli within the fold, i one o( the latcat included in
.the .Buddhii:l S<:riptun.-s. Uut it alJo places this queuron
.of the "soul'' the hctd o[ t he poinq it discusses.
;md dt'o'OlC$ tO it an o( which mates j t
oomplttcly oYenh<tdowo 1111 tbe rest. u !:io also with
stg-J.rd tO the etrliC$1. .8uddhi-' book the can<>il W'llS
.dosed. Lhc wxy interesting and series of con
\4-:tS:Itions between tbe Gl\.--e.k kiug, Mcnanda (iMillnda),
of and the J'3.pddbist te:tcber. It is
_precisdy 1his question of lhe "soW" thftt the wlk.nown
tJ\:Ucs tbe subjt of the very ftut discussioP in
which convill(U the k.U1g that there is really. no
lhi1\g as rbc "wul'" in the ordi nary aeru.c:. And be
xeturns to the subject :tgaiu and agaitl. I have no time
left in which to rtad you these clear and t.lccis:ivc pa$-
'*' this lut)Jt ancient Uuddhiu author outside the
knuwn tu Ull. You can fi1l<l them iu full in
Ill)' uull.$lot.tion of the MiHnd:a published
.Qdord,
11
and in abst ract in my lin1'-= m:mu:d entitled
Buddhism. u
We cannot be far wroJlg io auacltiug wcight to a
Niew cousiduod in these ancient and authoJ'ita.U.\e
.8uddhbt _boob to be or such transcendent importance.
Jt . h prte.)otly the not having gra.sptd this preli
.n11nary 10 :t righr undm1anding or Buddhism that has
"See m1 artkle 011 "Bu.idhist in l/u:
Journal of the Rovo! Asiatic Societ1, J$92. I am glad
to be 4ble to ad4 1/ult tlti.s ""o,.,t &O imf)oi'timl from the
IUstorical point of view, is ,jqw bemg edited for the
f41i Text Soc.id.v, by An1old C. Taylttr.
u The Qllt'J./iom of Milinda, VOl. ;,, pp.
-tl, 85-$7; vol. ii., Pfl. 21-25, 86--119. .
u Rh. D., ' 8uddhiJm, /894, pp. 95-98.
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rcnct.cnd- iO \etf 4tJe a porllon of the \'Olumiuous
We.tan wridnp on the sub):& o! so littk nJ:uc. And-
lhe pohu is hi11LOrically abo of the vtty highest intertstr
(OT the Buddhist posiUon is the inevitable logical out
come o{ All d.Ucuu:ioo of the soul t.hoory; aud the
Buddhists of (IC)U,r'$ooe bold tha:t in the Wat alto people
nm" iuevh:ably come to the same conclwion when they
ha,e eisure to tum b:,)m. the prescm all-engl'oss.ing
quac.lom of the ao::umula.tion and <fu:tributioo of weall.h.
You will, however, u.odeatand tb.at tbis :apparently
n.t tint sight purcl) nca"the position is noc. lhc Ob:u:ma
proclaimed by the l t U men:ly his Qnawer
to the- predous rt:l\liow and pbil010phical ')'Stems.
Without the "aoul" they; one nad aU. (all at OJ1 to 1bc.
SrtUU(I. A11d the point i!t on1)' m.allc M liCJ much i mp>r
tance in Buddhist "itiUJ, 'll. lleOI.Il&e the Uuddbisc
u:.;w has bdd, and rigtnh held, h impoW.blC' the
'rubbbh h:td been dt:a.red ;un.y f-rom tbe t.i.te_. tO build
tb(' new Palaoc of Cootl Sense. They held it impcwlbte,
$10 u men WC:f'C haraucd by doubu 11.nd feara about
tbrir .. toU.ls." k> induce In them the e:maocipa.ted atatc:
of mind oscnti.at to a calm pnTIUit or c.lle hi.gbcr life;
they held il impossible to n ir men up Ul the an:lc:m ntd
c:unca.c. and hopchtl 111ruggtc: after :t pcrfoa lire here and '
now. in thit world, iO IOtlg as tky b't-n: aill bamptttd.
autl all tMir virtue: 1>1rnUhed. bT a foolish craving (that
cuuld llC\'Ct IM sati11fict1, :md h'Ou1d be a disaste-r ir il
could be) for an ctemal future li(e in Heaven.
lt must rm:Lain an open qoation how In- thlt posi
tiol i11 redlr nqathc. 1t is a m:Uter to :1 extent of
dcgrtt. rhc r ival art occupied, to the vir tual
exchllion of olhtr maucn. prcdominaully with queatious
ol ACMII. Buddhlsm 0)'1 Wt any rear adnncc: io ethical .
thmry, and ata io the pr:u:ti(:l;l conduct ot life:. rean,.
begins o nly when the dcha11ions about the roul have been
fully, and frcd)' :tnd finally rc.noolCed. The ri"2r
theoria purpon eo nplain t.ht origin and ecd o( all'
30
IUN>KIS!Il
.tbillgt. auddhism dtcl:uu that t\erytbing has a cause;
.and that it is not only a sufficieoc. it is the only crue,
method, to argue. from one cause to lbe next, and
10 on. without any hope or cen desire to expJain the
.ultimate. cause of all things. The roost bmouJ Budd.h.Ut
uanZl'l. found engraved on ten thousand votive giJts lO
,Buddhist shrines ln India. says that,
" Of all <he tbjngo lhat pi,'OOCed from a eau><,
The Buddha the a use b.ath told;
And be tells 100 bow e:t.eb shall come to iu end,
Such atone is the word of the Sage."
1
a
But the pos:ithe s:i.de oE the Dha.n.tLa must be tcttrV
.ed to a (utme lecture. The present one is onJy intended
to $bow the slllTOUndinp among which this remarkably
original and inlttaling view took and it.s attitude
towards the rival theories. not only of t hat day, but also'
.of ou.r own.
.,, Vino)'4 Texls, i., p. 146.
UCTURED
Tul i\U1'tt(I1UTtS ON WIOCH OLt"Jt. 01'
BUliOWS;)( 15 BASCD
How kn mut been the intcllccwal pleasure o
that 1111flll band of scholan in tbe Werl o( Europe. who, :n
1he end ot t be liheenth century, were able lO 11pprcciatc
tbc IYICIUlin' n.nd the value of Creek. MSS. The t:,kin.g
ol Contt..'lntanople by the Turks (l4c53) Wll the la.n step
in a KfClt cat:utropbe which thrtatenod no lc:p than J.u
trucdon to lhe ueasurcs prc.tUVtd In the: c;rcek
.11)p4rt. and death M po,erty tO their ctJuutd if dlc
1oim.tc owntn. The owoen W'tre sc::allutd. to the West.
and tbeir 1\lSS. cbangal hands and round ntw homes.
WbO<V boo bad the good (c>r1UD< to t<U<Iy the <ntranc
inr 11Drf of lh>t tim<. more c::spcciJlly u it 11 1-;n
tbc lile of ScaHger, will be able to n:albe tbe ' "ivid IQlC
or otpcctancy with which the advctlt or cac:h new MS.
" 'at hllilod. The scbol::lrs had a ''tr)' con1idenble
ot wbnt had been written in Crec, :md Jou in ll'<"
Wcat: and devo..:tred each new MS. to .ec whether it
would fill up nny of the gaps. Too nlany of those gaps
A.tc, lu.. 11111 unfillc:d: a.nd b111 l)lll\Oit Caded away
now. Dut in those da)'S aJmost anything could be hoped
lor, tnd the charm o( n:a.dinc something
quite new, of editing a wor-k. mver edhtd. of
trantlatin( a book never tN.Niattd. bcfort', wu within
the nUb of :all. \VeU; we csn now U.-c 1 of equal
t-x-ptancy :and hope. rewuded quite 1.t oftc:n with an
intdiKtual pri:te.
Tbt dliClOYCries that hne bee-n made in the andtnt
Hbnriea of Maopotami.a wjtl no doubt bavc tOme da"
become of even greater impomnce to Lbe bbtorian of
llum.nn ideaJ and institutions than the MSS. acquired by
the scbolatt of the Rcnai.ssance. For wbeat coroplet.el):
underi'tood and interputed they will reveal a wholt:
series of. phenomena. of ? reek.. and
reaching farther back into the m11u of antJ.qu.tt)'. So also I
the: c,li.s(o,e:ries in ma.de picoemeal ynr tO
year have the charm of constant e%pectancy m a vel')' j
high degree. And now we: have a.s a third factor of the I
same kind in the i.otclleaual life of modem Europe, the
gradual utweiJi.ng of lhat unique and original li terature.. .l
which l$ our wbjtctmoauer tHi::L)' . .
Compared with tbe Egyptian aud tbe .Aa.yrian,
has tlle dis.ad,-:tntagc. of )'Outh. f or the PaH books no-
older than the Grttk. ontf n:di.scovered in the fifteen th
century. :Uut they b:we t.he corresponding advan tage of j
com . .aining a rounded and complete picture of a new and i
l trange religious movemen'- the outcome of many
l'iltioru of imeiUgtnt and earntlt tho ught. of the
''Cl)' curious social condhioll$ by which it w;L$ :;urround
r.d and Curthercd.
T he story of the diJCOvcry o( Pali is J)(lt '"'itll out
interest. Wben in the thirties that mon gifLcd aud
original of Jndian :t(cbzologlus, Pl'iusep--clannu
et \'tnerabile nomen- was wearing himself out in hi.s.
enthllJiaMic efforts to dedphtl' the coins and io.scri.ptions.
of India. whilst t he \'et'}' aiJ)h:tbcu :md dialecu were a.t
yet uncertain, he received constant help from Gc01"ge
Turnour. o t.l.u: Ceylon Civil Sen'i. f or in Ceylon
thtre 111':1$ a hls.t01)'. indttd several bOokJ of history.
whereas in Calcuu:a the Indian rtrord.s were devoid or
tny reliable data to hel p in the identification of the new
rra.mcs Priruep thought he could make out. It is not too
much tO say wi thout .t he help of the Ceyl on books
c.hc atnling indentilication of the Ki ng Piyadaul of the
ii\IC:riptlons with tJ_te Ktng of would ne,er
b,een Once made il.: rendered subsequent
easy, and it ga"e to Prinscp. and his.'. .
co;adjutb" JUst tbal and that etemeni i
j
..
I
!
I
I
I
i
;
rut:. A-lrruoMJ'I'lU
of c:c.nahuy, wbicb were needed w kttp t.bdr enthu&i.a.sw..
athe.
Tumour was of ClOW1C much plC'Cd. He W a n:ry.
bu.y aQI.I\, at the head ol the Ctyloo Civil Servioe. But
be bad matt i.ot.dligent and learned aabunu.
2t biJ cunntwnd. And by their bdp be pubiUhed in the
lkng.aJ Atillltic Society's jour.oal i. abort teria of anides
on t.bt book&, and finally brougbt out in IS3? a com
Jdt:te cdhlcm of the text. o the Mllha (or "Grt:at
Chronicle" of t;eylon) with a tttnubtion IntO English.
11 nd n rnoost hit(l'e3ting intrOdtac:tory cu:ay.
1'he value of tbis editl() priru:epg waa ll.l once and.
widdy acknowledged. .llut. on the deatb of "1.\lmou.r, no-
une waa; rou.od to CUT'/ on hi$ ,.,.otk. There WlJ no clic-
'tion:u)' o( Pall., aod no grammar won.lly ol the name..
Eun;;pean ICbolan could 001. go out tO Oc:ytou.. aDd lhcre
en joy lht bene& of tbe hdp which had made Tumoul""s.-
laboun -'blc. Hb boot. ranainl. like dlwy
la.ochnark. in 1\Ul uoexpiOftll country. cbicfty uJCl\Ll :u a.
cond.nu.t ioducernent to some dlobr witb ability ucL
leisure eo explore: beyond. Ooly a few irutaJll6cant
cuays, nibbli1'13 inefficiently 2t the oucllUna of lhe s:ul;).
jecl, appnrc:d in Europe. till at in 1855 Vincent
forward with an t cUtl'o pri,,eps o( a.,.
other 11111i text.
1-'liiUiboll, Professor of At Coptnbv.gen, was
then cnp,pd at the Uui\'<:n.ity Library there, and it was.
a ''er)' bold utWettaking tO :mempt such a wk. wilb tbe
limhnl :udt at disposal. Hr: cbuse, not an hi.ttorical
"-ort., but rcliP,us one.. the a coUcction
ol f U ......, moocly aillcd Iron> th< Buddhitt Scriptura.
( - ol bymn.boclr.): and be pubiWlcd. whb cllc tat.
not only a tn.nslation into Latin, but a.IJO vuy copio1u.
txtncu fto.m the ancient Pali commCt'ltlTf upon it. His
work hat bc:cn of the utmost $Cntice, and lt is the teCOnd
J:Uldmark ln the story Of our k.no'"lcdge of Pali. It is
p1c:as:lnt f O bb to remiud tl'IC: reader th:u the ''etttan
BVODHISM
scholar has steadily adhered tO his first love. He sub-
. .cquently brought ouf a number of specimens of that
wonderful coll ection of ancient folklore included by :A
.fortunate chance i.n t.be canon of the Buddhist Scripttttc:s..
Aod (IJ)ding how great was the interest they excited, be
'h2S now, for man)' yan, been printing an cditio prin-
.aps ol the whole collection. Five wbstantial volutnes
.ba\'e already appeared, the :>ixth is weU advanced in the
preu, :u:w! we may legh.imately 1.urn aside for a moment
to .end tO F:uuboU our coogmtulations. and our tbJnb,
.and eo exprus :t hope, in the interests of historiatl s.tudy,
tb:tt he will ~ spared not only to complete this magnum
.opw, but to add in otbtr ways to the great services be
:has alrtady rendered to b.i.stOrical re&elr<:h.
But to return to our nory. Afttr the publication of
Dh4mmapa.d4 by Fausboll in lill, the study of :P-a..H
again languishro for a whole genc:ntion. and would in
all probabilily have languished still bad it not bttn for
the third l;md:raark in the history of our knowledge of
.Pali, the publication in two vol umes in the ynrs 1870
.a.nd 187!, of the Dictionary.
This great work was due to the $clr$1criliCing Ja.bo\ir
of llobert C;cur Cbilden of the Ceylon Civil Service.
Soon afte:r hit retirement in 1866 be act to wotk to
.arrange alpbabeti c:aUy all the words found in the A.bhi
..dMno PodipiM, a. \'OCabulary o Pa.H in 1205 Pali verses,
.then already edited by Subbuti Unnanse, a well known
<:eyfon tcbol:t.t. In mtkiog this re-arrangement Cbilders
carefully added references to, and :&110 other words t.'lke:o
from, the published text$, and from &ebob.rly European
.book$ on c.bc aubjtct of Buddhism. His wort rapidly
improvtd as it went on. and there can be no doubt thai.
W oompletion Wl3 almost a l'ltctss:uy preliminary to any
&frthtr aerious W01'\ in Pali $Cbol anbip.
The points to whidl I would most especially desire
to invite you.r :mention in this sligtu sketch art, that up
1.(0 tbc year 1870 only two Pali text$ of a ~ y size or impor
1' Ht:. AU'O.lOIU'tl.&s
uoce bad appa.rtd i.u ed.iLioru tO acbolars i.u
!M Wat; and ch1t. of these two. only oat wu a book out
o( the Buddhin and that lhi.l one was a lbort
a>lltion cl cdllyjog tu=U. llOl comJX*d u a boot by
but ldea.ed. without their Ol'iPnal conteXt.
from Othtr BuddhiJL books. then. in 1870. Rill buried in
I-IS.
Ne,c:nbc:les., tbe number of book. good. bad, and
indllfo-em. published on the subjec:l. ol 6uddhhm, wi&5
.:tl d;.te very large. The rea<k1 wlll bo nble to judge
bow tar they were lil:.dy lO be of all)' penmment v;1.luc
when he Clllb to mind that no OtW: o( tlu: :aulbon of a.ny
.one of thoc boob h:sd f!:\'et even red the Unddhi.st Bible
in the <1rlgin:.t. Now l would noL (0'1' :a tUOII\CtU qu:an'd
with che emhusilllll for tbc study of Buddhism which
people to rite :so much about it. 8\lt JW'dy an
entl1wium aceotding to koowledge wouJd lead people to
dCTOte their leisure, lheir ability. and tbcir mea.m. r.uhtT
10 tht publicatio tnnsbtion cl the ........ books
tbenud\'CI. than to dixuaions about Weir cootenc;s car
'l'"icd oo In much the saroe w.ay u 10me chca-playen play
<hen, S4ns voir, without seeing the pieces. W'hac "'e
'Want t hC'n i.J the: tuts themsclvcs, and nm extraccs or
but !.he whole to:l!. And we w:nlt abo th<'
,,,hole or ,.-udl :tids [C) he right undc:rstQJ\dl11g' or lhe
:t.t nrc Jtlll extnm in the llll:tpc of ancient oomment
:and even of more modern Pali trtati.sa, written by
'Buddhin :authon. To thU :aim-the publication alld
-elucidation ot the RuddhiJt texts-1 have devoted wb:&t
ftOlains of my He; and I mwt U'UA ru)'1tlf entirely to
your courtay when I 6nd mysclr here ce>da1-in tpic.e of
whit I haTe j\Ut t:tid. have 10 oltcn aid bdore-
tumint away from tbt wort. to tdl you how br it hu
-p. wbat prwJ)U it ha$ of going oo. aDd chidr in aome
detail what is the and magnitude or l))C won that
'h:u to be accomplishm.
A rottgh lilt of t he Pitab .s, wilh notes on the con-
teol.\ of each boOk. will bt: f<Ml\ld iLl Ut) little oL
Buddhism,' and another list in my Milind4 gives the
number of pap. printed and not )"t\. printed, in e.."'.cb o( .
tbt twtJlt)nine boot...' A siau.ilar list brought up to.
date is appended to this leoure. '
}'rom this last l.iJt it appc;m Lhe whole of the
Pitak.a$ will OCCUP)' about 10,000 s,o .. of the sir.<'
and type used by t he P:ali. Text Soc.itt)' (about the same
as these l:tura). Aud from the calculations set 0\)t in.
the noc.e to the list ln huddhis11r it follows tbat the num
ber of Pali w(ltds in the whole is about twice the number
of words in our English Bible. These figum: are sufli
dent to the of the l}uddb.Ut Scriptures. To
ghe a.n idea o( their is not so e3.Sy, and it would
he rtally impossi ble to fn.me any general descri.ption o
the whole. Tht most accurate, and I bdieve aho the
m05-t inltl't$ling method will be to through lhe whole
l in (it is not a ''tl'}' long one), siving a paragraph Ol' tWO'
to each. You "'ill thus be able to realise what it is that
1he boolu do. and what i.s perbt)>S n.r more import:mce.
what tbc:)' do not. contain.
Aod 6ntly: The whote collc:cliol'l :u we h:we il
divided into three parts. now cdll PitaklU or Baskc:b.
ln that tedmic:al st:llSC the 1\'0rd Pitab does not or
GOW1e ocwr in the themselves, jwt CIA the word
Tt:$l.ttllent (tn i ts tec:bnical sense of a division of t he
Bible) does not occur in the: Bible it&tlf. Tbc: meaning-
or tbe tc:n:n Pitaka or Ba!\.c:t i: not to be uken in
unse of a thiQg to put tWngs in, like a box or other
reptade. but io rhe wuc of txc:a,-ations in
ea.rty times, aud not in. the: t:asc only, used to be: carried
out by the aid or baskets hllnded on from workman to
WOtt.LU11l, posccd in a long line from the point of
ftn'l,oval tO the point of dtpNit. So we to
1
Buddhism, 16th editiofl. to ch4plt:r ;,.
' .o( Milintft, r.ol. i .. p. r .v::rvi.
l
a Ion& tine o( totbm and pupils Jwkiju' on. in hac:
1 hree sacred Phalcu or UMkeu. frotlia ancient times down
to to-day. the m::asurc. ol the Ohamm:. (of tbc
Nonn).
The bnt of the thru-tbe all
that rcbtc:s to the of Mcndic:t.nt ft.cci\Jses, how
h c:ame -.bout th.at the Order wa. founded: the rules
whicb the Brct.brcn and Stitcn to obacn:c. and to
on. The second-the SuHM-comairu the: uuths ol lhe
religion i t.selt prt10t'lttd rroo' very v:.ried point$ of view,
and in \'Cl)' varied 1-tylc: toguher with tbc diawuion
aM dudduion o{ the paychor.opal q'Slem oo wbic:b
those mnhs based. 'fhc third-the
coma.iru. :t runhCJ' aupplemt:lll;!r)' :m<l m<u't' dt{aili dh
t.uQioo. ot lb2t ps)'CboiQiiol i)'lOlt.m. aud or varc>iw
t>uil,b :uislng out f)( it.
So mud' (or th.c leading divi11ion into PitakN Ol'
8.:ukeu. We "';n now consider the dtlailt of each.
Canon Law-(litcnlly rauKbnccj is
dtvidcd lnto three partitions, the Suua Vibbantp, the
teb.andbaha, and t he Pa1'iVa1':a.
Tbe word Suu:a (wtn in is a \'ery ancient
litcr:n'Y tcnn in India. The Ucer.1t mca.ni"J b ' U.rnd;'
:uu.l it ;1pplicd to klnd of boot. the concenu of whkh
:tre, as it were, .. thre;1d, giving lhc: gift or of
nlOI'e' tb.an is ecJ)I"CMC!d in them in words. 'Thi.s mn ol
book was the bte.s>t development in Vcdic litc:ratutt ju.st
befOt'C and aCter the rise o( 6uddhltrn. The word w:u
adopted by the Buddhists to roean a diJooune,. a chap-
tu, a small ponk>n of 3 IQCI'J bonl in W'hicb ror the
most pan some nnc pOint b r.t.i.sed, :md mort' or tf18 di.J.
posed o(. Uut lite Sutt11 fHn t":.;rtdlf'uce, i that
uau;1Uenl of aU rult:t: () the On1tt, which is also
taHed the b on tvtry' Upc:lAtha
dny. On th:lt d:t)' the dn\' of the ruu moon. the mtm
ben ol the tesidcni in any OIIC: d inrict lO
mete togtlher :md hea.r thl.J .utoncm of the tuJc:s
JJUODtUSW
The 227. rules at:e dividod into eight sections. a(C'C)r
'ding tO the gravity Of lht mauer dealt \>:itb, and at the
eod of each $Ctllioo tbc: recittr :llks tbe a.ssernbly,
v. bc:lher it is blameless in respect thereof, and receivc:s
lhc: a.sson noc: that it U. U any member bas offend!,
he has then and there w confa.s, and receive absolution.
or withdraw. The completion o( the recitation i.s t here
fore t'\idence that ill who ba,e ta.kcn pan in it are pure
in respect of the sptci6ed ollenoes. And this is the origin
of 1hat Sond name, the Patimoilla, which meatU the
or Deliverance, or Discharge. A ooropletc.
t..rarulalion, with of this statc:meflt of the Rules of
tbe Order will be found in Vinoya Textt, the joint won..
ot Otdenberg and mysc:lf, oontributed to the Oxford
stries of .S0C1'e4 Books of the &ut. .
This is the Sutta, of which the &nt book in tbC
the Sulla Jlibhanga, is t he: exposition in full-
(or t h:tt i.s the meaning o Vibh.anp. The book
with c:td) tlf 1he m in order :t.nd following
throughout one M:t or method. That is to
it u!:ll( us firstly how and when ancl why the particula r
rule in question caOle to be b id down. Thi.s histOrical
introdoction 2.lwa)'$ clOtes wilh the wOTtb (')f t be rule in
full. Tbtn follows a very ancient wordfor-word corn
mentaJ)' on the: 50 old that it was
already about B.C. (t1le probable approximate date
of the Suu:t Vibbanga) considered 10 sacred that it wat
included in the canon. And the Old Comroemary is
rua:ecdcd. where necusary. by {urthCT expl2nations
o doubtful points. Tbtse arc sometimes or
vel')' great historical -nlue. The dUc:uss.ions. for inn.ance
(in the rul es as 10 murder aod theft). of what
murder. and what oonu.itutes theft, ;uuiclp:ttt in a \ ' tf)'
rc:marbbJe degr the kind of .6ne.dQ11-'tl distinctiont
ftnd in modem law boob. These \(hen made
aectSs:ible. in tnnilation. to Western muSt be
of the intcres. tO $1udcnts of 1hc Of law.
'flU: AU'rliO"-rnts
2S they arc quhe the oldett documenu o( thO\t
\.ind. iD the 1to'odd..
The .$C(()nd boot. in tbc ViQ.i.P, Pitab i' called
ply the Kltn:ndltnluts or Trotbes. !' tl.c::IJs ouc after
another with illl those tntuts rtlatult( to the Otder
wblch are in so many wordt in the Rules of
tbc Padmou.ha. There ""enty of t..hac
and the poims djJCll$1JoCd. in tbuu arc f., the f'l.lUowi.ng-
kind:
1. Admission into tbc Order.
2. The Cettmony and the Patimokkha.
s. On rcnuu.. to be b.dd durinc tbe ninr .tat1011-
t On a attmony et.llcd h\---antna hdd at the end'
o the rena.t.
1'1. On food. etc.
6. Ot\ medicatn.tnts.
7. On
8. On the rqulation b)' ubitr:uion of difttcnca-
C)( opinion.
g, On swpcn1ion and l't.habiHt:uion.
10. On t..hc tpcdal rulet for Sistut oi the Order.
h would CJ1'J'Y us toO fu tO attempt a detcriptiOtl'
jn det.aU of thae tre:uiscs. 6ut I mar dcsc:n"bc one o
t..ht nt, :u :t speduten. and will chOOtoi.: on
as it h;u. nn especial l merest ol iu own.
1'1lc gcnenl ru1e u t.o food of meo1L>en ol We
Ordit' U stated quite dnrly in tM Pouhnotkha. Th.c.tt
wu a lligbt repan of fruit and cakn, whh milk or watu
:LS the bC:\'et;IJ(e, in the early mo1-ni11g. no doubt vtty
early eo our idta)., Then between 11 otnd 12'
was taten W priDCip:al meal ol thC' day. consbt
ins of OJ:rr'f and ritt. :and gmc was auacbod"
to the thAt thi.s was not be proloogecf
beyond the time when t..he n m case :t ahadow! rn the
'l'et:iUiyo, 17; Khu44oko 1'111,., (Mr. 2; Cui/or
xii., 1: IUt. D._, # 160i 164.
JWUOlUSt.l
latitUde ot lbc valley o[ the Ganges that ll)eans midda)'.
After tutltum no more: JOlid .ubstantial food v .. a.s 1..0 be
.taken t..hat day. But alight repn3u in afternoon, and
at W'hat "''e should all supper-time., were allowed and
praaisc:d. Now it be<:aroe a pretty point of a.suist:ry lO
determine what waJS $0lid food and what wa.s l'l()t, and a
longish list o[ thit)g held permissible might be ooro
.Piled !row the earlier poruons of the Kbandbaka.s.
Among the there wu a considenble number of
th ings all o\loed as medicine in the case of n affaers (Jom
CXrtaira spccifial dbc::.ues. AM so in tbe Khalxlhat.'l Ol'
Trtatlse on this matter vt,t:. obc.ain quite incidentally a
'\'try fair insight into a. gopd deal Of 1):1(: rocdical lore
CUI'l'tllt u that early period, ll1at is about 4-00 B.C., in
the V2lley of the Ganges. h is a pity that t he cun-ent
.authorities on the history or law and medicine have
entirely ignored the details obtainable from these anci-
ent boob of Uuddbin C:lnon L:lw. "nlc whole of these
li.hllndbak.as ba\'C: translated by myself and Olden
.herg i n the Yin4)'42 Texts :already referred to.
There is only one other book included in the cnnou
the bad of Vinaya. is the book called tbe
(or Appendix). lt is ''cry shon, and is l itde
tbaq a k.iod of nudeot's manual, containing lists
to usi.at the memory, and various set5 of puules whleh
.are not unlike aomc modern examination papers.. It is
Of course later than lhe other books on whicb it is
' founded, and il a ''er)' interestiug bit o evidence on
early roetbO<b of tduc:uic>n.
The nex.t peat division i.s tbt Sutca Pit:aka, or the
1b.sk:et of Di!OOUl:'SCS, and here we eome to the S(lurces
-or pur knowledge ol lhe most ancient Buddhism. Tbe
'":,bole B:uket o( four great Nikay:u (or collec-
'tiOOI), and of these the tint two fonn wbnt we should
now Oil tingle book. l t is in two \'OlUmet, SO ro speak.
Digfta and M11jjhima-tbat is to say
1ong and o( medi um length (or to tnn&late more idiC:
-
'
'
I
l
i
nd AUTUOilniU
atically. looF and shorter). It comtiru 186 dialogues
<>f Cowu unngod aa=ling to thdr Imp. Tbey
.arc dlocuMiona oa .n the and pbll-bi<21
poinu ol the Buddhist vinr oE ti(c. Buddha him
.scU iJ the intc:doou.or. but tc"i'm.l of his prin
.Opal dbclplts play a di.Jtinguisbcd p:trt in the book. In
dcptb of philo.ophic insight, in lhe method o[ Soaatic
.quot:ioning often a.dop1ed, in the carneJt and elevated
tone of the whole, in the evidence they afford of the
l'lllOit c"lturcd tbought of the day. tl1etc: diiOOunet con
itantly temlnd the reader of the Dialogues of Pll\to. It
would be woi"'C than foolish to ntteJnpt nny description
-of thelr conunts. E.uh of the 186 di:llogua: would de-
mand at lwt a s.ingle ltun to make iu meaning dear.
lhcy haw a style of their own, always dlgnifitd and
Nll'll into doquenct. lt it a slyle intcxsd
cd. bowna-. not to be read. but to be learnt by hart.
'You trill euily understand c.bcrtforc t.hal i.t is a style
intc:rucly abhorttnt to the t:'OOCkm dct'oorcr of D(';Ws-
prapen and review aod the llUl ne- no,d. Schola.n
lhoWC\'CI' will l'C\'cte this book -at one ol che moat prioe-
!ltsi ol the creuuu of aotiquit)' !Hill pl'tfO'Vtd 1.0 us.
.And it i.J quit.e inevitable that, as IIOOtl "'' it b properly
tnUJtlntod and undernood, ll\il coltt.'c;CIOI\ o[ tbc
DialQ8llef or Couum will tu be placed. i o our
JChOOb Of phll(lf()pby ;md h i$U)1'y. Ull level with tbC
Dlal<lg'ltl ol Plato
'l'hc whole o[ thac: 186 have nuw bc:cn edited in
the ori&ln:al Pali (M Pali To:t Sodet.y. :about a
.core b&ve been O":UUSlated into Enallsb. thirteen of
&Mm by myw:lf in the: '"'Olume enticled DiJ.topts of the
.Buddb>."
A dis>dvanlogi: ol the ........,..,, in clialogua.
more e.:pccially 2' thq rnlkn.. one anochtr ooordin& to
n4 noL tu i that it is not
-e:asy to find the statement uf dort nn any pardc.:ular
:POilu "' hic'h iJ one at the momcut. It wa!
\'Cry likely jwc this coruidet-alion which led to oom
plbtion of the other t.,'O ooUcctions included in this.
PiW:.a. I o tbe flnt, calted lhe Angutt41'a Nilr.4ya. aH
th06C: points of Buddhin doctrine capable of expression
in daucs are set out io order. This pnctically ioc:ludC$
most o( the psychology and ethics of Buddhism. Fot i t
is a distingtlishing mark of tbe Dialogues themsclv.es to-
arrange the raulu arrived 2t in carefully S)'ltematl$Cd
pups. You arc famili:tr enough in the Wut with sinti
lar .nrmmed up in such expressions :u the
Seven De:tdly Sim, the Ten Commaodmencs, the 'thi rt) ...
nine Atti.dn. the }'our Cardina.l Virtues. tbe Seven
S:tcn.ments. a.od a bo.t ()( othcn. 'l"bes.c numbered listf
(it iJ true) are goi ng out of fa.shlon. The aid which lhcy
aft'otd to memory is oo longer requirtd in an age 11\ J'
whicb boob of reertncc abound. ll wu precisely as a.
help lO t112.t the)' were found so uscfol in the .. ,
dltl)' Buddhist times, when the books were aU learnt by
heart. and bad ll<'\'C!' :u )'<.'l boe-n written. Aod in the
Anguttara we fiod set OUl in order 6nt of a.U Llte oues ..
then all tbe pAlrs.. tbcn all tlte trios, ;uul .so ou up to tbt
1
eleven qualities nteeuat}' tO tbe :m-:.inroent, in thi.$ li(..:.. I
of Nin'D.na or the clt:'ltu Gates lO Arnhaubip. It is the
longut book in the BuddJ1jn Bible (and fills 1837 pages.
Svo. The wb())c of the P;21i t ext has been pub1i$hed by
the Pali Text Sodet)', but onl y of it have }'et
been mwlau:d into English).
The ntxt-and last-of these great collections con-
tains agail) the whole of the Buddhi..u doctrioc, but
arranged this time lo the order of subjects. It con.sUts:
of liftrfh't' so-callM or Croups, and in each
nl these a number or sllort cbapun. {Smt2s). either oo
the same subjeCt or addresstd to the: same sort of people.
are grouped together. The Sam)lltul i.f dhidcd intO fi,e-
votumes. {:tll or w.hi.ch been aJrea.dy publlshed by
the Pah Ten Socrety. w11h :a lull index as a sixdt:
\'Ohunc). None of it has been imo English.
Jt would be \l:ltdcss w spUlatc "'bcc.bcr lbeae nro
o the: Budd.bi:s.t docttiDc arc entitdy
u.pon the Dialogues foe thrit m:aucr. or r.iu
wt:Ut.o or "Whether thq are dn"lll'tt. alio from CKht:r IOUl'CIC:L
We \.now that large portio.ns o( lbau rc.au bodily in
lbe l)iaosues.. aod that tho6e porliotU not yu cnoed in
t.be Dia.logua contain noc.hing inoonsi11tc:ru whh
Ancl it wln not be very long be(orc. t.bc: publication of
the whole o{ the Lhree books, n ial ogue:t, Atlguu.ara, and
S:unyuwu. wlll enable us to state with "cettr:acy the ..
cion trcm. '1'hi5 roocludei the: KCOd
Batktt.
Tbc thi rd n.nd 1an of Lhc Pit:Lk.a! ot is lhc-
lfbhulftltrfllfttl Pitalul, cootain.ing ""c11 bookl of which
at pruent only thm: have been publisbttl by lbc P2.li
Text Soc:k<Y. Abbidhamma !w hitherto ba renclaul'
MctapbytiCS: But this is an cntirdy midtadlnc uans--
latiou. You wtll realiMd from prtviow:
that tbc wbotc Buddhi.n view of life b coru;cru.acd
without the ti:me.bonowed conceptioo of a tOU1 within-
the body. \Ve know nothing, aocordh'& to 8uddbi4m,
accpt that which U derived from ape:r1cocc, the appre-
btntiol\ of phcnomen:.\. ln aud, a tytcc:m there is oo.
room for Mccnphysic:s at :all. The nuu.mcllOI\ la llOI. dis
cuucd. Wbat t he Buddhist$ tl\cmtelva undcnctand by
Abbidh:unmn is dear from tbc explaJtnlion given of the
word by We J"C1'C 8uddhi$t acholar .and c01nmemator,
lluddbagl>91 The P"""&" diiiCX>ver<d by Arnold C.
Taytor. Jus been cditftl and tnoalaud by bi.m in a :re--
cent iuue of the ]ounaol oJ rAt- R,.l lfJitit Sodcty.
Aaonlins to <ha< of lludclhla JCI>olan, Abhid-
b1m.ma ma.ns merdy the a:pa.nsion. cnh:rpl tn:at
meot. cx-po.-idoo io dcu.il. of the Obatrtm.a.. And t.he
Dbamma. )'OU know, is the 'Rdigion, the Truth, the
Nonn. The 1bree book$ already pub\l,bcd e:ntirel). and
J. R . A. S .. /891. p. <60.
ISUI>I)ICI$)(
!the complete of a (Oil tth primed by me two
)"tart ago, entil-cly col'l.hnn this view.
One. lhe Puggaln P1.1nnoUi, or ''ldeo.Lification of
JnodiYiduats,'' is a small wu.:t of teu tban dgbty pap
.in which men and women are and daJSified I
from the n.hical point of \' icw. tbe Dha4u
K41ha, i.s on che b:ut$ of chot.racttr, and disesses tbt
.meoW c.:baraeterhtics most lik.cly to be found i.n con
in oonYerted and folk.
The third alreldy printed iJ the Dh1mmlll Sangcst,JF,
.or "Enumeration of Sta.tet:.'' and it the 5tates of ,..
.mind rtatbed by religious people. lluddhisl& and
-othen. 'I1le rourth book. above referred to i.J the
Kalho J'althu, or "Account of Opinion,," and is t he I
.oDI)' book. in' the Buddhist Saiptum of which "''e know
the :authot and date. lt was written (or rather put
together, for books ,.,m: not then writlcn) by Tissa, the
son or Moggali, about the year 250 B.C.. at the Court
.of the famous Buddhist E.mpt.'l'OT of Judi:a. At
late ptdod iu tbc l1istOf)' of early Buddhism, the
cburth or c.:omrnunity w:t.S n\uc.h tOm by diuerujon and
bcrc:s.ics. Asob took great pains to reswte tbe purh y of
<the original faith. And Tissa. in furtherance of l.hat .
1
1
.object.. refuted in this roost curlow ancient book two
.hundred :md fitr-two of the most dangerous aod im I
-ponant heresies put forward b)' the Jeading opponents
of the onhodox school. There is l'lc)thing metaphysi cal
m it. B:ut it is most interesting frorn the comparative
yoiut or ,iew that the most farn:aching cause of the
s J, R. ..t. s., 1892, pp. 1-JJ.
5
T ht '"mmen14ry on thit boclc, the first tcOrA of
t he uleb-mted Buddhnghosn, if j11Jl being edited for the
Pali Text StXiety b:t &J. M:.dler of Bem; and a complete
lranslatio11 i11tn En.(lish b;t Mrs. Rh'js Dauid.r, wilh
nml mlfe.t, hat been tmMiJIIfrl by the R<ry4l
.isiatic S()dtly.
ru& AU'fHOklfU.S
dcay ot tbc prUnil.he .a.itb U hetc ahQwn w b;,.\"( l.lu.
the powtb ot what we should call wpcnddou
about t.bc pc:non ol the Buddha.. You wiJl rccolJea_
bow, in !.be tWtory of dw:: Cbrisli.an Cnuc:b. a vay simi-
lar sate ol dUnp ex:Uted. bow the early Cbu.rcb was-
rern by dbscnsions arising out o( tbe dUfc:riuc vkw'S as
tO pcnon of QrU.. and as to bit r"l:uioo tu tM
Fint Pcnon i_n the Trinity. liul in the Chri.ntan Chun.ll
it was tht new views, noc. round in the New 1."en:mtcm,
that JU'tvnilod. In tbe Buddhist c:onumullty, the new
view bcld bay. and only liu:c:cdod, :1tcr a long
lll di.u:utt tau&. in obtaining '1\lde l'eo.>g
nltlou, ' "'c 11h.al1 ban: to with thlj 1ubject further
in our lau w it need not detain longer here.
Amoltl <:. ' f :t.)'lor hat now 0:101pleted hil edition or tbe
KAtlt I' Hitu the Pali Text Sociery. hat under
t.atm to muubu: it :also.
Wo bavc now s-e 11>< prinapol bools ;,
chc: Thru Pitabs. b\lt q a mWll.aneow coil
tion. l'I'I.Ottl y ol &boner worls. hid:! h:as come be in-
dudtcl in the Canon. I h ,e lftc. this tO the JUl. bccauK
UuddhiJu tbemK":lves l'O'In the '\'tt)' times have
been dl"idcd in opinion ahout it; or them cun.\i
dcring thi! Nik.a)a ill :m :lppendix: w the Smt:t 1
1
iLak:a.
5omc of chcul eonii.Jering il as ::11\ appendix tu the
Abhhllnul'lllll& l'itaka, ne of tbiJ dJ[et'tllC:t of
opinion Wfl$ probably tomet.hing of che (ollnwing ki nd.
The mUM hnponant for cbe membc:n of the
8uddbbt Order to presene m Ut.refull)' h1 tbeir
nonory wc:n: caerui:dly the Rulea of the Communit)' or
AJIOCbtion tbq' had joined. and tM ccneu: of tbt Faith
1h<:y Thete were contained i n the Ca.oon
Law, aod. in the: Oi:alopo of Cotama. lfld in the van.
ous otbCI' books a1f'C2dv refcntd to In whid\ the doeu:ine-
set out in the Dialogues was re-:unnp. cluddattd. :and
expounded. During the time when the Canon was stilt
there wa.4 grt:at acti\'ity in le3mihg. rehcar
1SU'OOUIS)I
.li11g. repnting, and discussiog these sacred books. But
there wis also considerable activity in what we should
now call a more litei"U)' diroc:tion. There was a great
love of poc:try ln the comm\.lnitit$ among which Bud -
dhism arose. T be adhaenu of the new faith round.
pl easure in putting into appxopri:ue the fedinp
of entbwiasm and of eausy wbich thtir faitb jnspirM.
When pUliarly happy in l.heit literary 6.nisl). ot pecu
liarly rich in feeling, such poems would no.t be
1ost. They would be banded on from mouth to moUth.
in the lC'I:tll corop1nies of the Brethren or Sitten,
some of them.. either the ol dest or tbe most popul&J?': .
.,.,ould gradu:ally ooatc tO inspire so m.ucb veneration. so
mo<b' loft.. that when the Canon finally fixed, they
OOuld scucety be left ouL The qutStion where to put
them wa.s howe\cr difficult. They could not, except in
a very ew iti.1C:AilCCS, be inserttd either in the books on
1:b e Rules or the Order, nor in 1he collection. of the
Dialogues or tbc Mit:S1cr. 1 bC)' must l>c: added lhercforc
either to lhe oth:r p:.m. 1 nf 1he Suua Pi1::.h in which
1be doetrlne is set ntu. or to the Ahhidhamma where tbe
psydtological $ide or it is enh:rged upon in de1ail. It
w:u not a point or vital imporwnoe. aDd we 1lted not be
too much surprised tb.at !Ome put tbm boots as an ap
pend;x in one place, :md tome in another.
lt w-u not only 1bat (ound their way into
1llii appendi x. lt contains at l t2st one very ancient
<Ormneutary ucribed to a famous leader and teadler in
1be Ordtt. '!'here is abo ;a book on 1h e Lhes of tbe
Saints, and :mocber of ancient folklore. But the same
sort ol rc-.a.son that ltd 10 dte inclusion of the poetry,
cove.rtld ;&}so tbt'$e other worb. And the. whole collec-
tion is .so \'Cry interesting :u evidence of the Jitenry life
In the \'idl er of the in those times, tb:lt I
hope you w11J allow me to de\ote a shon tjme to ea())
.ot curious books.
111e the KlmddDM Ptttha; or ' 'ShOrt Rit:t
1
..
,
I
l
1.'H4 AU .. HO.l"I' I.U 47
ti0ll4'' b a little U'I.C1 of ouly a pa(C$. mnlna wi.lb
lhe oo-allod Buddhist aeod'
"I ..W, my tdug< in the Budcibo.
1 W.e my ..tug< in lhe Jt.dislon.
1 take my refuge in r.be Ordc:r."'
. Then follow a paragraph ' w:c:tins ouc: the thirtY"
four cotudtuenu of the human body-bones, blood.
nen"C:tt and to incongruou whh what
followt. f'or that is limply a sclccdon of a rew of the
m01t bt<autiful J>Oel& to be found Jn Lhc: nudd.bi.n
Saiptura.. There Ls no apparent rt.1L10h, txc:c:pt tlu:il'
exqub.llc vettiGcation, why that particular pieoes
ahould h11.\'C: been bc:re brought rogc:cher. I cannot help
thinking that tbiJ tiny \'O!mne w:u. Umpl)' JMt of fint
lc:t10n book for young nmph)"tes when thq joinrd the
Onk!r. l.n :any c:uc: th:a.t is one of the UICI t4 which it ls
put at prucnt.
Tbc D"-,.,..l'ad., already 0'1(1ltaoneci 10 you (as
bJvlnc btcn edited by FausboU in 18"), is UJOlha of
auch tdecliOJJ.t. but this time noc. of c:nt.ire poems. Here
are broucht from ten to twenty sum:u Oft each
of ntc:nty!flx Aelec:ttd points of Buddhln IICIItnining or
cthia. ln almost all cases thest \'C:I"'U. jf.\thercd fron)
v:.riout tou.rcu, :a.re here rogether without any
other l ntem:d connection thnn that thC)' rcln.tc mot'C or
1c:WI to the: s.amc: subjec.t, and lhe CJ011cc:tor hru: not
thou.sbt lt at 1111 necessary LO ch005C written in
the same metre or in the same number of llnc:a. We
know thlt the early Christians were aocuuornt to sing
hym:u both in lhdr homes and on the: OC'UJJona or their
meuin& toe;ubcr. Tbele hymnt are now
toa. Had aomc: one t'l)ade a <'OIIeccion or abotu twcntv
isob.tcd tlanus.. chosen from thOK hymru. nn tach ol
11:boot twany .rubjcct.s-sucb 3:S J":ahh. Rope. Lo\T, Tbc
ConVMed Man, Times of Ttnublt, Quiet Da)'- The
S:avioor. The 'nu of LiJc. The Sweet Name. The 'DM'e.
'Tbe King, The Angels. The l.:md ol Vt"llcc. The Jay
UNpt:lbblt. and .o oo-we Would b&\'C a Clll'btlau.
DbaJDIDipada; and ""'1 priow - coiiDoo would
be. The llucldbU< Dlwnnlapada lw bc<4 !rcqucntly
translated. Where the \'entl deal with dLOt!C idw that
arc com.mon ground to CbrlJ.tla.ns aud Buddhi.w, tbt-
\usionl are c:ui1J intdligiblc anc1 aomc of tbc \'ttld .
appal ...., suoactr 10 the w ....... -
of nlfcious-
be:luty. Where the ttantas an: lull of the teChnical
wms of the BuddhiSt syJ.tem o telf.c:ultute and tdf
c:onuol. it is impossible, "''itbout ocparuiont tbu
tpoil tbc: Kt or the tbou&b4 or leuned notes lb.a.t ruin
the pocety, to conve1 the fuJI IC'OSC of the original. ln
all thete d.islinctively Buddbi1t vcncs cbc existing ti":Lns
latiooa art: i.nadeq\late, and toJntl.i.ma quilt erroneous.
Tbc ancient commenwy oo lhnc. m \'tti(:S cdh a storr
about each of tbml, trtting fonh bow. and wbcP, and by
whom. and OIJ what occ:uion each or these aanw was
J)J'OOOIUlctd. ttories. :tre wriuen in \'Cry
easy P.aU a.ncl mauy ol tbem lte fuU or human iruerc:a..
'J'bco bit l.)r. wmld aDd li:I)'Wil were prt"paring in colb
boration :. complc niitio twi,tccpt or chcx storics-<be
oopy b tl ,Uhtd and nearly ready for the Vret5 and wiU
be issued u tOOn .at I c&D 61'1d the time 11nd the mone)'
Cannot iOfOe oat undena1tc- tna.slation for us into
Engtitlt. Of and intcttstiog old-world storiC$
about a colltion of vt.rte& 110 widely popular nmong
Buddhi,a.,, and now aunctinK 10 much in the
West?
A a peral nde IUcb opla.fl1cory ol ancient
vtrses.-..ond without which vtry orccn the Vent$ thttn
sehe:s would be q\he unintelliglbJe-wei'C Ltanded do,.,. rr
in lndla by -way o( tr.adition.a1 Q)lnmt-nt. In rwo cua
tbc .Buddbiscs have ioc:tudtd the stOriC't thcaasdva u
wdl as lhe w:nes In tbc mbccllanfOus appendix eo their
One ins.unce iJ the Ud,ma# or .. Eat-atic Uucr-
The Rudcll1:a is rt:prescmed on '':.riow ooca.tlon.s
dun,._ Jus QIW'r to ha'--e btt-o 10 much
br
49
.orae 0( 1pecc:h .. or action. that be c:ave u it
.... to hb pent up ed.inp in a ibon CQQtic uttcr.lDIX.
couched for tbe mon pan in occ ar two lino ot pocuy.
Tbae outbunu. nry unc and aU,rmattc. are
with rdi&ious emotion. and tu.m often on acme aubtle
point of Anhauhip, that is of the Buddbitt ideal ot
JUt. The origin:tl text has publhbed by the Pali
Text Sodcay. .Sut the little book.-a garl:.nd of fifty of
thoe gc.-nt-has bn u amlated by Ceneral Strong
(London. ' 1002).
The otl)tr i nau.nce (also edited but not tranalatcd)
iJ the Jt ' JlultaAarn.. TbiJ oonc.aint 1hort pwages..
c:ach o( 1hc1n leading up tO a terse, deep u.ying of lhc
Buddha'a, and int.roduo:d in each Clllt wllh the words
1ti l'ultdm 8Mp'4lo,. ''Thus ...,-u h Aid by the BICNCd
One: h it always invidious to loot a &ift bone in the
UOI.lth;, and even did wish 10 do 10t the time has
not ytt come to diJcws with profit wbether tbac a.ayinp
wttt actua,Uy tald as btu rcpttSented.. What we t oow,
is. that chc.tt (ofs.tn dd.icatdy boudtut) puulo of
thouaf't on tome of the deepen questions of human liCe
were aaually cxta.nt and so widely known and
that they were included in the- Canon, when the
Canon WIU finally fixed. I think it would I>C lmposs.l
hie to aulgn tJu:m to a later date than 100 n.c., and J
ha,c no hcslutiou i.n a.ayi ug that, at thnt t.imc, thue
had been productd 1\0.here in the world 11\y works
approaching to t.hese fou.r boot.lecs in de1icaqo of coru-
truction, in exqub:itc: beauty of tt:ne es.pra-
sion, in dtpth ol tam.CitDcss,. aDd in rv.1 of the
1'DOit diflicuh pnlblans that mankind hu had. to {ace.
T'bcw tatatic uuen.na:s and dp ayinp ut attri
butcd &o lhe .Buddha himscl. Tbttc fJ alto lndud.ed
in the Caoon 1 collection (caUed, the Tltmtltni-p:Jr.,
or "Songs of the .Elders; men and. women) of atan:zu
anributcd to 264 of the l eading Theru- (iA., Brethren),
7!1 of the leading 1'hcris (i.e., Sintn), in tbc Order
during the lifetime of hinuelf. 'The: uorie:s C:lC.
pb.n:noJ:y (){ the vel'1t:S. gi11ing a shon account of the:
. life history of each of the authon and authOrCS$C$, arc:
handed dovm in the comtntmary. The: commentary on
the: Q'I.Cn's nnt3 has oot )'tt been published; but that
on the. ''cnes has just been ,edited by
Eduard Muller, of Bern, for the J,>al i Teltt Societ y. With
the bdp of this commentary my wife wrote' an account
of these Buddhist lady scholan for the Oriental Col).o
bdd in London in 1S92. It is published in the
Prou,dang$ of tbe Congress;'
1
affords a very itU
wcth-c picture of tbf' life they ltd in tbe of the
Canges in the time of Gotama tl'c Buddha. It wu :a
bold $ltp on the pan of the: le.lden of tlle Buddhist
reformation to so much freedom, and to concede
ro high a pos:ition to women. But it is quite dear that
the seep was a grca.t success, and that many of
ladies were as dJ$tinguished for high imel.loctual
mtlll! a$ they were for rcligious e:amatness and lnsigh(.
A good m.:tny of the verses tO them Me beauti
ful in form. and not a few i''e evidence 0{ a ''Cl')' higb
dcgr of that mental sclf.alture which pt:.yed $0 great
11 p:m in lbe nuddhist ideal or the perfect li.e. Women
of acknowledged culture arc represented as being the
teachers of men. and as expounding, tO less advanced I
Brethren or SU.ten in .the Order, the deeper and o1ore
t:ubde points in the Buddhist philosophy of life. ft
Ai 1 have not so far troubled )'OU with quotations, j
J venture u> the substance o[ two of these legends.
TIe lim is about Soma. She Wl'l$ born. $:1.)1 the Com I
mel1t3tor, Dhammapala, as tha daughter of the Court I
of Kinr Dimbi.sara at Rajagaha. Then, ater J
ral:.mg the \'01\'S. $he, with insight and good worb, be
came an Arahat (that is, auained to Nirvana, tbe Bud
dhi.n ideaJ of the JX-rfect life). Dwelling tbus in the
1
lAndon, 1891. f.IOI. i . pp. 114 to J61.
Tltt AIJ'TliOilmf.S
happiaa.t ol frealoro at S:l-ntthi, abc c:ntcred one cb.J
the Andba Grovc: to pass the bat ol tbc: clay. and sat
tbcrc at lhe foot of 2 U'C'C'.. Then. Man.. the Evil Ooc..
wbbiDC" to fri&htcn her from her mcdilatioN. ac.ood
lbC'I'C- in invb.ible fonn. and uuerc:d t.bc. words.
1
'Tbc vant.'\gt ground the uga m1y attain, it h:t.rd tO
reach.
Wilh her two.lingno test.. wonuan cannot 1Ld1ieve those
dlauult hc:lgbu."
The Commentator p;tusts here tO exphin chat what
the .Evil One reCcn to, is that women, t11ough rrom their
.eventh yur upwards they always cooklng ricc:. ytt
thq cannot tell wbcthc:r it ha.s bcc.n boiled or not. They
ba\-c: to take torm out in a pooR and aquzc it bctwcc:o
tbdr two 6.nccn; they t.now.
Now when she beard Ibis Thai rebuked the
Evil One. and uicl:
''How lhould our woman's nature bindtr w.
hcaru an: firmly set, wbote f'cct mount up
Unfahering to those cool heighu. oC Truth,
Jn growing of the Arah:rn ny?
On e\'Cry hand the IO\'C or plc:unre )iddf,
Uome down by knowledge :tnd the ac.me or Law,
And the thick. gloom of ignomnct is rtnt 't
Jn twain. Know this, 0 .tvil Onct and know
0 death! found out and wonted!
The:n the Evil One. thU$ rebuked, vanished 2-w:t.);
.ind Thni. tt:rontt in !.M or bate tutrgation.1
ovuconK, contlnum in meditation till the cool of t.bc-
cvui"'-
1"b.e otbtr poem is Su:t.bs. Born of a Wt:2lth'f'
f'amil'f in Jbjapba. she became au ad.bcm1t of
Buddha'J. a.lrcady in the 6nc. rear of' hit public appnr-
u a teacher. and afterwards studying uDdC1' another
: famous lady teacher {the whose story
r. ' o 2
0 i) ()
52
.BUDDHISM
Mrs. Bode has told us in t h ~ J . .R. A. S. for
1
189!), she
wu convertM, and bame an Anh:tt. She tbcn attain.
ed. t<' such mastery in excguU and extempor1ry exposi
tion that, in ber hermitage neat; ltajagaha, &he g;tve lee;
tutu open to the public. and gained great ioOuence for
good among the m ide.nts in btr native city. Such was
ber eloquetlc<: as she taughl. vr.llking. tO 2nd !ro in her
shady terraoe, all who cJ.me &om l11e city to see her,
that the Dryad in tbe uee ~ t the end of the terrace w4.5
filled with impctuoUJ enthusiasm at her wi.sdbm, and
quitting ics cool shri ne, went off to Rajaga.ha and called
aloud:
"Wh.at would )t: men of Ka.jag:t.ha have?
What ba\e )'C. done? that mute and idle here
Ye He about, like mco bonused with wine.
Nor upon Sukb wait, while she rC\'tals
The precious t n l l h ~ of t11e Ambl'();sial way.
Tbe wi.se in_ hearr, methinl:s, were fain to quaff
That life's Elixir (once 83incd, ne'\'er lost,)
That welletb ever tip in her sweet words
E'en as the waJfarer we:lcomC$ che r:ain."
And w.ben the .people heard, they forthwith with
eageme.ss went [ortb to Sukk:l, and would noc: make an
end of listeniDg to her.
And when the Theri had reached hu appointed
span of life, ~ n d wu about lO pas:s aW:ty, she bore wjt.
nm to the victory .she had gained, and to hetldf, as to
anothtt penon, uttertd these words:
"0 child of light. Sukka.,' by Truth set free
From mvin3J dirt; firm, sclfpo$SC:md, serene,
Bear to t.he end this thy last tnnsient {r;ame;
For thou bast oonquercd Mua and his bO!Lsl"
AddhlJgu, pcutibly the sun.
'SuAM means bright, radianl
1
lustrom.
TH. AUTII Ok lnts
There is one ion.;:mce, and one only, of a oommcn
ta.ry, detached &om i ts subject-matter, having been
a place among the Sacred Book$. Ther.e muse
be .ome 4pecial reason for this. But i t would be perro:t
ture tO d i$CUSS the matter t ill we h;we the text bdorc:
. us, and 1 a01 very happy to say that a distinguished
American scholar. Lanman has undert.ak.tn an Milion of
c.his unique text for the Pall Text Society. It is called
the and it is a comroenta,ry ascribed tO Sariput>
u. one of the mo.st dlstinguiJbod of the personal disci
pies o( the Buddha, on t.he lint part of the Sutta Nipata.
ThiJ last boot, also included in our appendix to the
c;tnon. bas been cditocP and trnnslat.ed
11
by Fuuboll.
lt codsi.su of poems arranged in five book.s. the 6tst four
of whidt contain fiftyfou.t separate poems. eacb of them
only a pngc or two in lcngtlt. llut tltc 6flh book is one
poem almost cena.inly forming an indepenW:ot whole.
It i.s very unlikely that the Qther are all the work
of the t:1me band. ln all prob2biliLy we here, an
other coUcction.-thi6 Lime not of \'et$C$, b,ut of com
plete btm.n.s.--popu.lar among the e:arl-y but
due to separate minds.
I hope to read to )'OU i n :.. {ulure lecture translations
of two of these l yrics.
There are tv;o other .c.hort poems i ndudcd in our
.appt-ndix, e.'l.eh of t hem the work or one unknown au
tbor, and probably Jater than the other book$ in the
appendix. One of these i.s the Buddha Van.sa
1
pnel-ical
mernor:mda on tbe legends of the Buddhas supposed to
have preceded the b4torical Buddha, the founder of
Buddh.ism. 'The othe;r is the Cariya Pit<tlta-a fragment
never oomplettd-givitlg a few short \'crsti (sc-.u-cely
more than :to aid to the memory) on thirt}'fou.r c.f the
supposed prcvi.ou.s births of the hi.s:torical Buddha him
10
Pali Socr'ety, 188J and /89J.
Jl 1886.
sd. Both of these 1h01't, 2nd from a literary J)Oipt of
view uninteresting, tcxla have bn publi.shed tor the
hll Tut Scci<ty.
Th<f< u. - O<bcr mort J>CI<"" in wblch lq<ndf
tbe r\.llurt: li!c axe: put into ,--enc. Thqo art
caJicd :upcaivcly tltc l'eta.;_nd JlimanaJitUtiiU, and .
been edited !or tbc Pali Text Society, but not yet
m.nsbted. SOme of the longer lqt:nds. arc intcrtsting as
poems. and the whole ttt of bdkf cxcmpli.W. io thac:
books is hiA.Orially IDW't:Sting u being in all probabi
lity tbc: IOllr'te of a good deal ot anediacwt Christian
bdicf in aod HcU. l3ut lhe greater pcart of thac
boots. com pcwcd aaordinc eo a. tct pauern. u devoid of
>t)io; and the colloctlon is altophcr ol an
lat.er date tlun the bulk o! the book$ indudccl in t.h.is
appendJx.
We now come to tht These aories
MmiWJ. y ol tbe MO previous bi.rth.t of the Buddha, but
retlly a collcc:tioo o( the l'nOI5l popular folk-lore c.ales ol
all tincb- labies. fairy talcs. riddles, puzz.lcs, oldworld
legends, clever and wicty judgme:nu, lnstallo:t' of current
supentitiont good.flurnourcd.ly talct of magic
"'"' and .. Alsb'oc and wisbloc ...... o1 old
mJlhoiOC'J. and to oo. At iCimr period not quJtc l.tott
tainod, but Ct-rtainly bd'ore 500 n.c., it bad bomc the
C\13tOm to identify the principal btro of each or these
popular talu wilb thee !uddha hlmsd! in a previous
birth. tt waul4 be
to ur-tsa: on the &et
ahat this is eruird)' without foundation.
For it is J01dy due to the fortunue cha.oce oF the growth
()f this that we have thus preserved to us the mott
completr-, the. moat aulhmtic. and ITlOSt andcnt col
ltion ol foll-lor< i the collc<:tiocl <ntirdy
unaduJtmted. as modern folllore 50 often are.
the inevitable PJ'OCU:' of piiJJing through a Western
m10d. .11th atory <OnUms a stanza or atanm attributed
to the Buddha either in bh prac.nt or in his
55
previous births. And it is only the \'<b that are ir.dud
cd ia the unoo. Thq arc wuaUy by
tbtl'luchu: but the coma:tmt.. wbkb gives tbe whole
lD P"* s.hu a1Jo a fut\ha explanalloon of lhun; aod
fawboU ed.iu the bolt.. tat and commentary.
lOJCilia-. 1 had at t..i.r:nt contem.pJ:u.cd a translation
into ,.cliah of this most interesting, but tl.o most ,.-oJu-
rntoot.u wotk.. Tbe tint volwne of tbit tranlilaLion
peucd io 1881, under the title o( BtuJdMII Birth Stories .
.Out 1 have long been obHged to give up t he hope of
on chJs wor-k, and :arn noW delighted to be ;able
to lhtu a. complcre translallon ts bdng brought out
by a tyndicatc of English. scholars, under the editonhip
of CowcU and th.nt tbe fint two vo1uma. by Robnt
Chalmcn :.nd W. R. D. Roust. mcmben or Pali. Text
Society, h:ne jll)( been issued by the CaJnbrid&'t Univtt
aity Prc:M.
There arc OM or twO ocMr boOU included in this
appendix to lhe Three Pilllu. but u &lley a.re oot yet
. publiahcd, it would be prc:osturt to d.iJcusl, their mn
tenu. You will have suHiciently undtntoOd Lhe nat,urc
of the aucbetrltla on which our knowledst' o( early
8uddhltm mun principally TCs:t. You wlll have noticed
that the rul es or the Order-the books of Cnnon t.:aw. i
1 m:ay be w to deiCf'i bc: the book!> of
the Abhidharnmn. the expansion of che psycho1oglca1
laid down in the Dialogue.. are or hist.orical
rather tb:t.n of l ittn.ry v;tlue. But in the Di:t.1ogues thtm
ache&, and in aome of tbc: mOTe ancient poerns. we have
documents of the fint literary importance. Vou will
have obterwd. a1Jo that the: contents of t.hc: boots are not
mJ<holocical, .,.. tbcolociol. nor mctapb)'IIC>I. but
bov all <thial, and iD. the: sond pbce plT(hologial.
You will have obKivcd that thue iJ very little of
wbat b popularly to lhe e:uenda1 chanctC'J"'
bdc or religion-nothing about Cod and the aoul, and
the nature or them both. and the relation tM:tween the
55'
I UODKISM
tlO.'O. But Buddhism it none the l .l a religion; and it is
the rc-Ugiou which oomet qearcu of all the other religions
in the world to .Chrisdanity, and the which has
influenced more lhu than any otber rdigion, not
excepting even Christianity. I t. would not be the place
here to discuss the docu:ines of Buddhi.un, or tO atte1Ilpt
to give the reasons of i t.s great wcx:esscs, and of its equally
great bilw-a.. 1 sha11 have time in the wbsequent lec-
tures to lay be(ore )'QU the essence at least of its positive
pbiiOOphy of life. Here l would only invite your auen
tion to tbe fact that a small batld of scholars ne endea
vouring. without pecuniary reward of any kind, tO make
acceaible to the West the earliest dOGl.lments of one of
the trl0$t i mpona.nt and moet intesting iJHellcctual .
mo\erotou the world has e\'tr seen. And I do not hesi-
tate to appt'il to you for your cordial symt>atby with
I heir s.clf-denying labours . .
When 1 retuf1\td from Ceylon, I made up my mind
thit. if my life "':U I would try to gtt the whole
o.f this Hter.:uure <i1ed Md tr.ar\Jb.tcd. When I beg:'ln
to tpe:tk or t he advisability or SUirting a Pali Text Society
with this object, I w:u told that the project w.u doomed
to fail urt:. No one c.1.red. enoogh Cor Pali lO oontribute
the nCcessary funds; and t\'ert if they did, there wen no
competent scholan. not already otherwise engaged. t o
cart')' out the work. Well! lhe King of Siam, one of tbe
most cultured and enlightened of 110\'ert:igos. sent me
money to brift$' out the &m \'Ol ume; and private
friends of my own mowed tbeir interest in binorical
enquiry b)' sub!CI"ibinsr enough eo bring out a teoond;
:md I 5001l had a cmall lin of supportcn:, mostly poor
:1.nd scbolaf'l, - illing tO subscribe a guinea a year.
T b.is was enough for me to ventUre on a beginning. It
t1Jr tl!k to find MSS. arid competent scholars
wtlhng to spend yea.rs of labour without fee OT reward
of any ldnd. Bttt both di&ulties hne been IUrmounted.
Jl.a.s noW gone oh for twtlve ye3n. We b:tvt
'
Tltl!. AuntORmts 57
publi.s.hed thinyfour \'Ol umC$, amotmting in the whole.
tO 7200 p3gts. Out of the twenty-$evtn books ln the
Buddbi.1.t Phakas, thineen :ne now publi$hed in fuU.
five otheN in part. one more 4 .in the prest, and nearly
all t.be remainder an: in preparation. About one b;.lf of
the work hall been done. and the interest of scholan
throughout the world has been so thorougbl)' aroused,
t hat it is now only a ques,1on of money wbethe:r the
work shall go on, and bow soon it .s.hall be completed.
' f here 01re already three or four public Ji braries in
Europe whidl have a fair collection of Buddhist MSS.;
and I have a good man)' in my private collection, and
conespondents bOth in Burtni' and Ceylon, who are
helping to procure otben as they are watlted. The num
ber of $Cbolan able and willing to co.opcrate in the
underc:aking i.s $lowly but ite.'l.dily inerea.sing. But the
prilllCI'$ will not work Cor noc.hing, and the only dHii
cult)' is the want of money to _pay the printer'a bills.
Will not America come forward to 'aui$t In Lhe impor
tant '"orl:. of diaentotnbing this ancient now
burfed in J\fSS?
1 shall be bapp)' to receive lhe subscriptions or dona
rions of any one intdligent enough to see the importance
or the work, ;and gencrou' enough to ghc. n
n Pagr.s 18-86 left as they stood in 1895.
The Pali Texl Society has uctitiCd J/)00 in
donations, of wltUh 50 came from Anr&ricn. l t ha.r
publ-ished 6] volumts and is slill worAing. Pres"'t
dre.ss, 1908: Harbors Grnnge, Ashtonon Mersey.
...
LCI'URE lU
THt Lln OJi THE BUOOI(A
l'r is a tt'r'2ngc thing. and ''ery cbaracterittie o tbc real
meatting of the true Buddhism, thon there U no life of
Cotama the .Buddha in the- Buddhist Scriptures. Indeed
1be only $0 r-ar ltnown to u3, that can be called a
.biography in our Western is a quite modern bOok
alltd the MclalanA.GJ'(} t>f unknown date, but
.aJmost certainly quite two thousand yea.n later tbat\ the
Buddha binUelf.
1
T here: is a much older $kett:b of .t.bc:
.lint part or t he Buddha's life, down to hiJ thirtytixth
)'car, in tbe Introduction to the collection of Duddhi.il
Folk-Lore called the JatabBoot. and written about t he
fifth century of our ern.' Both of these prose ,.,orks rest
.on the !:tmc tndition, ;and are \\-rilt<:n in P::ali, one in
6tmna :md the other in C".eylon. Then thc:re i$ a Pali
-poem c;21led the j in2 Carita, ''The Co!lCJucror's Career/'
"'Tiuen in Ctylon by Buddbadatta in the lbi neemh cen-
tury of our era.. .aod dealing at length witb t he tradi
dooa.l episode$ down to the tbirty-tixth year, and also
with 1he event$ ol rbe b.n few months of the Teo1chcr's
1ift:., There nre al\0 two "eJI know:n poems.
the Carita and the Lalita Vistam, both of which
l /t Juu lieen translated into nglish by Bigandtt
umlrr lh( 'The Life or Legend of Go1tdGma' (Jd
ed., T.cndtm, I$8'1).
Tlli.r also htn bn translated intongliJh by my
self in the 'BilddhUt Birth Stories,' London, 1881, pp.
36210.
l Edited 1md t-ranslDII!d b1 lt01LSc in t.he Journal of
the P111i Society, 1905.
'59
bavc: bn tnnslatcd. the 6nt into nbiiJ.h by
and the t<nd into frenc:h. by foucaux.. The: former ..
of whk:b a portion iJ lOSt. on be d.aud hh coruidtnble
tut.tnly at the end o tM 6nc. c:entury ol our a_nd.
the tc(Ond. (thot'!h ill-date is unkno--n) b prob1bly C\'efl
lutt .OH.
1"hae poc:nu an: not hU:tori<:J-1 biographiea. MiltQn's
J1Modlu is of value not tor wllll.t it tells us
:.bout the lire or its hefO, but for t.hc: liternry ability willl
whidt h hat reust a ltOt)' der ived Clllitel y from older
docurnc: nu. The b.inorical value of those documcnu
MUll be determined by a critidsm whldt will, of ooune.
u ke no notice or the later poetiW vcnion. A
ponding oug;bt to holcl good with rapca to
thoe Pa.li and Sanskrit poems. and a fortiori with ttS
pcct to the Chinese and Tibetan ft'producdo.ft.t of the
Sanlkrit ones. They lik'ra.ty l'liOt hlnorial doo.J.
menu. and aucb hiAorical at they have is tbc 'Uf
;ns:lruahe way in whKh thq )how bow far the oldtr
bdid about the life of the Buddha had been, at the
time when these boob were oomJl'OI'Cd. dt'\'eloped (or
t<ath er (lC)mlpttd) by inevitable ht"J''iwonlaip of the
foHnwm of his rcliftion.
lt ,, unrortunatt1y precisely Lhc:K: '"ttr S;u\sk.rit
J)OCifC:II I :IC<.' OUOI-5 wh ich h:tv(: bCCI\ the M"-lrtc or modern
popular notions about the life o the Uuddhn, and the
beautiful poem of Sir E.dwil\ Amold emhled che Lilhl
o/ Asi11, no doubt well known to many or you, is an
eloquent txprnsion in ' 'ette of the Uuddbist
b<JidJ at the when later poems woe
poc.ed. Clearlv the: only proper coune to punue ls to ,.o
bad. behind tboc: later poetical docummu. lO the aaual
tot o( tN: Thr Pitab.s tbc.nudvcs. to collect chtrt:
bate'\'U is .aid incidenuUy about tbc: li((, family. and
4
Btw>Ju of &ut. 1894.
Muue 1888.
60'
AUODKISW
personal a:urrouodings of the Buddha, and to piece tbem
togecher into a connected whole. 'This has not yet been
done, a.Jld cinnot of eoune be done in a. tati.sia.ctory way
undl the whole ol the uxt or the Sacred Canon &hall
have been pUblished by the Pali Text 59ciety or elsc-
wb=.
.But certain ptegresl has been There are
acxou.nts more Or Jeu circuuutantia.l, in the introduCtory
pans of m:t.n)' of the ])ialogues.. of v.uious cpiiOda in
Cotama's carttr. Occa3iowly in an argument iq.,lu;p;
pOrt of one or anOther ethi.c:al autobio-
grotpbical rem.inisctnces au placed i.n the mouth of the
:Budd.h2 h'i.rna.elf a& the prin.cipal int.erlocucor in tlle dia
Wgue. Some oC !.be anclent poems abo relate tO sitnil:tt
epbodct.. and in tht lmroductory stories to rr.ain ol the
rules of the Order, tpHying tbe occasion on which t.hc
rule in quescitm wu orig-inally estotblishod by the
Founder, other autobiograpl!icaJ incidents arc incident
ally alludW to.
Jt .,..iU be impcmible {or me, whhin the limits o(
ti me :u my dlspo. <;tl, to do more than summarise the
result' which an be reached from a comparison of such
pas...cagcs :u thue.
As )'OU a.re aJI aware, the aaual date o lhe binh of
:
the Buddha is 6till a matc.cr of conlro\ersy, but may be
fixed approximately at about a.c. 600. He wa$ born in I
the city of KapUa.va.stu, 2.bout one huodnd miles due
of the ci ty of Ben;m:s. This was one of those por tl,
liOns of 1he va1Jcy of the Cange5 whidt had not yec. beet\
brought under the influence of t11e Urahmiru. It was
far 10 the t:lSt of the Holy Land ot Brahmin t:rn.d.ition,
and tbtre can be but Jiute doubt that, :n the time or
wh.ich "'e speak. the Inhabitants or chat c1istric:t Wt:re in
mmy retpcctJ more independent of tl1e Bnhmins than
the coomries fttrtbo- en. We bave no evidence chat
t here w:u aoy large number of BDhmins settled i n the
rountry, which was inhabictd by a high-caste tribe. form ..
TU LU'.l OF TUE }IUUOUA 61
in& tllc cbn. Bnl, uanslator o( to auny ChinCIC:
llud4hbc boob, was of oplnioo lhat thb wont
.. wu wf6cidU. evideuet to ahow that the dao. was
of Sqtblan. 2nd tbc:rdore ol Moopla.n. ori_Jin. '1'b.i$
ICC:MI to me a wry .use condu.lion to dra:"' lrotn. a
ch&J'lCC dmibarlty of name. and a very 'I'Uh c:onclu-
lon when .o many dtuib confirm the nuhe tradition
t h:n tbc dan, or aL l east itt princit,A.I mcmbcn, was of
Arr:u\ detecm. lu government was c::er1.alnly ari&tocr.u_ic.
We fi nd indeed. in tl\c .si:ttb ccntmy before ChrL.t, in l.he
of the Ganges, a stage of .ochl evolution \'try
aimHar' to that rt2cb ed i n Cr ee at t he tfmc: or Plato.
WJlh bnc or two exceptions. kingdoms had not ytt arisen
.. fhc country was politic:t.lly split up hno small commu
nitio. SOVffOcd under rtpublican iwlitudON, ao.u a,rU.
lO(I"atic. and aomc l.l)(ft democn.tic in Theae
were jwt bqinning to lo5c: tbdr iodc:pendcna by bdnc
lnoo kincdoms lonnecl 1>r - o<aal dapoo.
The b.ttr Jqendl tbe Buddha as luving bec:rt
the eon of tllCh a king.. But thiJ i' d.ildna.ly COOtndiC1cd
by' the earliest documents. The texu arc: mOtt p3.ni
cubrl y, almo&t l udicrously, earcl'ul to apcak of everrone
whh the dcgr of rnuencc or rape" due to tl1cir
worldly JXIShion. Now Cotanllt's fat her is not t poll.en o(
111 a ki ng until we come to l ater docmnent.s,' wherea.s
his c:ousill, '8baddi}'1. i.s addrmcd by t he title of
ftaj. Even Raja, however, U not t.be s.:Lme as
"ling'' in English. lt "ruler," a.nd may weU b:.vc:
no ttrongtr signification than t h.at of ''uchon"' or
'
1
coruul."
The probability 1bcnfore is thll Cota.nu wu born
in a fa_mUy belon&ing to tbc higbat nlliftC c::as.te o( the
sm.a11 Arpn comtnunitv c:enmd at Xapila?stu in
Xoeala. The later "SCCOUriY: "''ou1d lead one lo infer tlut
PoY i'uto.nct' MahofJDdand SutltJ, and Buddha
Jlmso (b()lh included i n the Conon).
62
tbe Sakya domai.n was a rich and cou ntry.
'I'be:rc: is nol.hJng in t he older books to conlimt tl.IS
opinion. Indeed, from the rcfertnce.s to tbe _adjoining
suta,.' il l'I'Ould Stem tO have l>ctn a m1all. tcmtory; not
much more than 1500 .square miles in extc:ot.
'
'
His people were agriculturists and. no doubt, the
economic position even of the principal families among
them was of a \'C::ry simple tind. All t.he marvellous
det:aib ol the wt.llth and gloTy of the royal palace, jn
which be Jht:d in Orient:tl 1u!<ury, are due to t.ho
natural desire to magnify the sp!endou..;. of the position.
he renouncod, when, for the sake of others, be "came
out'' :u a mendicant ttacllC'r. The name of his mother
has not yet been found in the oldest ttxi.IS, but il,. is gh-ttl
in the Buddht ,ansa :u and we are told that she
dil!d when he wu days old, and that he was
brought up by his :tunt, Maha Pajapati of the {;Qtamids.
We abo th:u l1e w:u married (though the name of,
his wdc is not !thtn), that he had a M>n namod Rahula .
and rb:u this &On altc1Wirds bcxa.u.c an insigni6c:mt
member of the Order found! b>' hi$ rather. 0
Gourna's childhoo& and early )'OUib we k.now next to-
nothing &om the earlier .But there are not want
iog e,c:n there dCICriptions of the l\'OI)den which attend j
ed hi binb, and of the m.anrcllous precocity of the boy.
" He WJS not born as ordinary men :u-e; he had no canhly
lather: he de&Cended of his own accord into bjs motbu't;
womb Crom hls throne in and be ga\'e unmistak l
able signs. immediately after his binh, of his high cha l
:md of his future grt:atness. Earth and heaven at
bU birth united to pay him hom:'tte, the .;ery trees bent
of rheir o!"'"n accord O\'tr his mother. and the angels and'
archangels pruent wirh their hdp. His mOther
was the btst and the purest of .the d:aughten of men, and'
his atbcr W2S ol royal lineage, a king of '1\'a;lth and
It' wa! a piow task to nukc his abncgntion and
h1s conde.ni!on greater by the comp:tri.son berwctn
' U-ll. Ut'l. TH.Z nUOOIIA. 63
.pt:aMlour ()( tht: poe.itioo M wu \0 abandon. and the
Ul WtUCD ilc: hYC!Cl. t\UO ID (:Ottfttnd.
oi.Ut&Ol trom lbe lDC.'Oalialt:not. bttwccu
tuen ctownnt au.uanu. ancl me 'U)' nawa tbcy contaan..
paiiC'Oo u.nnuucc:d by acdulous beutn. .. ,
:tUCb Jqr:no ux1cut ol the cruteit pouible bit-
toric:al Vlllue lTom tnc companuve poin' ol view.
Si.ruaht.r lqt:ndt :a.rc rdaled of aH Ule luundcn of gre:n
rtlagic.:uu, and even ot tbe mort klns and con
qnc:ron in the anc.ient world. Jn :.. certain ttage o i n
tc:Jicctunl progrtu lt iJ a necmity of the human mind
tb.llt uc.b legends thould ga'Ow up. They a.ae due, in
r:vuy cue, t.o tlmilar causes. and IDOIIt lnnructhe ia it
to watGh. 1hot<: causes at work. l b:avc. dealt witb this.
1D05L intcradnc aubjca at c.ons.idenble lcncth both in
my manu.al BuddJtism and in my Hibbcrl Ucltlt>U.
1 ba,e pointed out the SOUI"CU of the Bod.dbUt
.l...qaWl. and hne shown bow tM t..-o klus of the X:itiJ
ol tht Coldtft Agt and of the Propb<..S'I< ha.e inftu.
coccd Budd.hiat.a m prccisdy the: llmt way u the tW"O
ideu olthe Meuiab and the Logos hnc. lnAucooed CbriJ.
llan ... and how .similar :u-e the Jtsulu Jtu.incd
by each. 1 will therefore oomem m)'clr referring
on thit occasion 10 those upollit..iont, and will only
n:.nlnd you or the extreme importance o{ noting. J10l
only the 10urcc o( each particular incidcm in the lq;cnd,
but aho the d:ue. :u nearly a.s poaibl c. when each
cpitOdc bamc actually hleorpon.ted hno the C\'er-
growing talc-. How long dOI.':I h. take pcoplc. perfectly
t.incttdy 111nd honady. to belteve in thc Divine: fatbcr-
boocl ol lhrir hero, in his immacul.ltc conoeption, in tbc:
otnonl.i.nary and co.cn sopc:nutunl of \M
pm:ochy of the child, and 10 011 t.hrouJb a.U the liK?
In thil rc:rpoct il is d.t:sinble to call auention to the
publication by ltobcn OWmen in the la.& '"'Olome of
' nh. D., Buddloism, 1891, pp. 182, 18J.
lhc Joutnal of the Royal N:iatic SOciety of the impon
ant. tCxt cntiHed the Sulla, or '' fhe
J)isoounc on Wondc:n and Mar; eh. Thit is one of the
o
1
alDgl.lCS rc:lerred to in the last c:hapter, No. Jt8 in the
s.bone.r collection. ln it is laid down as true of each
Buddha (and tbCTefore abo of the historical Buddha)
that the universe; is i\Jumincd with brilliant light a.t. the
moment or his conception; Wat the womb is transparent
.o tMt his mother can set t.he babe before it is born;
lh;,.t the pregnancy lasts exactly 280 da)'S; thu the mother
stands during parwrilion; that on the birth of tlle babe
u is fint intO the bands of heavenly beings,, and
that JUpematttral !bowen pro._,ide first hot and then
cotd water in which the child is ))alhed; that the future
BuddbJ. walk.s And speaks at once, and that the whole
. m.ivei'S( is again illuminro with a brilliant light. There
are olhrr details, but tbjs is enough to show-as- the
collection ol is certai nly one of the \'Cry oldest
texts "'e very W.ort i.s the tirne (less than :t
c:tmury) rcquirtd for .ruch belief in tlte rnar,ellou.s to
spring up.
We know tJ11t in hit: twentyninth year Cota.ma
ab:.ndoncd his home, his )'Oung wjfe, and hU inlant son,
and went fonh into the v.'Orld lO become a homeless
W2n dm:r, and to spend hU life, 6nt in thinki ng out for
him.u.tr the deepe$C problems of experience, and cben in
spreading abroad to others the good tidings of the s:tJ.,.
which l1e deemed: himself 10 ha,e discovered. b
ma)' seem strnngt to western people, even of the most
e:atncst and wlturcd tort, tha.t any m:an, at such
results, sbou.ld ha,e thought it necessary eo t:tke this
step. But che conditions of life at that time in the
' 'alley of t he Ganges were very different from those
at present. , To work. in one's study for the
regeonauon of manl.and w:u a1most There
wtre no writte11 boob throu.,gh which to communicate
"'ith the outside world. On tbt other hand the noccssi
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I
TtW I,JFJ: .Ot" TH BUDDHA
ties were much (eer and mtu::b simpler. l n lhat gorge-
OUJ dim.atc and. in tba.t ball occupied country, to retire:
inlO c.be wooc:U and devote one' Klf to the J:Ucbtt life
w;u not only but was ncn not unCDm.mon.
\Ve h.ear of many instances of a aimdar kind. In the
bwboob. by which the liva of the: 8r.ahmiru were n:-
gulaud, it b considered so rou.ch a matter o( cours.e that
a man hotald rcdtt from the wo1'ld, th:at. the l ife of the
good l)r:1hmin i.t divided into three tllf.'tt, during tbc
1irat or which he is eo a student-<luring the second
of which he U lO marry, rear a ramil)' nud J>el'(orm all
Lhe religiou1 ritet and J:t.Cl'ifices, and Lhe houJChold
dutic:t uf a good Br:lbmio--2nd during the: third of
which he i.J to leave bi.s home and rttire, with or without
hi.$ wife. into the forc::st. and Jive. :u a rcclust, a Ji.(e o
mrditation. We arc not un&miliar, c\ea a.moog
Oublia.ru. with &he idea of Rental, into wbida a =an
may rtdn: and, rid '>I 1le wortcl. ioC"YOte hJQUd
to the educ:uioo of his hett:. And at that timt in
the doctrine o( the R.ttftat wat a favourite: one, not only
among 8r.1hmiru. but among the numerou.t JU wbidl
prolcl&(d, c:ad\ in a. different way, to proJ)()und a 10lu-
tion, independent of the Brahmin theoriet, of t bt pro-
blem' or Ufc. We h:we rtfe:rencx: in the
lluddhln books to wandering ascctia of C\'Cry I'IICC and
c-aste and tcel, men and womt'n alike, who wa.ndercd
from villag.: to village. 2.nd were rudy to hold d iscu ..
tions with the world.
Thus we are told. in the just publbhed Paramattba
Dipa.ni, ol a lady wbo wu in the habit or waadering
from vlltacc: lO and xttin' up at the tntran
10 the a bcoomstid with the annoul\ttment, tbat
ahe wu wUllo.g to dUcws with anyone who Jboukl OVtt
tum the broomsridt. At one village whieh -.be rncbcd
2 follower of. the Buddha aa::epttd htt du.llengt:. On
the following day a public was held between
the two In the prucnce o all the vill:agc. The Jiuddhi.tt
5
nnswcred all her puules, but she could not answer his..
and fu11 of conlu$ion at a deeat (wbich (or so many
years $he b.a.d nevtt suffered) she threw herself at tht _feet.
of her opponem, and aclwowledgcd btNelf a disciple
from tb:u day forth of the Blessed One. lll the
ltatthap:tltt. Suttal'lt2, one o! the dialogues o( ..
tnrulated by Lupton. in lhe }01lr'flal of 1ht: Royal AsatJc
Socidy (or !.here is a full di!cussion of the mOtive!!.
"-'hich Jed at that time in India to the adoption of sudt
a li{e. R"" tthapala. 1 may ndd, who is the rcduse of
this dialogue. is rtprcsented :u yoWlg ;\lld tieb, and in.
tvery scnsc ol the word happy, when he rnil"ed f-rom the
world. And he explains to the king why persons. should
:.dopt this course horn other motive$ than those of dis-
appointment, poverty. or old age.
"gone forth,'' as the tec.hnical expression
T'\lns. Cocama went lint to R.ajagal.t:a., the capital city of
the nci!thbouring ki ngdom of Mapdh:t. Hi$ visit is
descrihed in one of the ancient poerm l have recncd to-
being included in tl1e :md I will quote it ou a
Jlimen or the kind of biographical material we find irt
these rct'Ord.s. It is called the Pal1bajja Sutta, and i$ con
tained in the Nipata. Of course all tl1e beauty of
d1e rhythm in the Pal i text of the tinple ba11ad i.s
in my prose ,e.rsion.
J. I wi.ll praise the homdtss lite. such as tbe Far-
Seeing One led, such as when be bad thought t11e maucr
o'er he deliberately ch0$C a\ the rlomelw life.
2. "Full of biodranccs is thi.s household Jife, the
haunt or pass.ion: (f'Ce as the 1i.r is the homeless lt:tte.' ..
Thus he considered, ancl went forth.
3. And when he had gone forth he gave up
doing, both actiOn and in words, and he made his
mode or livelihood quite pure.
4. To the town the- Buddha went, to Cirib
haia in Magadha: fl.lll of outw:trd signs of wortb, he
colleC'Ied ahns for food.
Ttt I! un 0'6 TH )llltlOUA 61
&. K.lm aw Bimbis:ua. au.oc:Ung on the upper
tcrnCc: of bis palace. On xc:.iog hiiD wuh ud) ,;lgn.l. he
Jj)dc U folJOOAt :
6. ' Be cardul, Sirs. o lhiJ ma.n. lu.odlomc is he,
grot and pure: guarded in amd.Ud., he loot.& nCM. mon:
than a length bd01e bUn.
1. "With. downcut e)'e. -.nd sc.lfpottcmd is he:.
Sucb an 01'e ia of no low castt.. Let the klng'J me.K:ng
ers nul forth and ;.sk.: Where is the tnend1CAnt goingt"
8. T hus Kill, the me.ssengtn hurried urtcT him.
1.'bcy fiJkcd: ''Where i& the Dhikk.hu going) Where
doe. he mean to ..
9. Wandaing straight on .1'0Cn house
guarded u tO door (o! his well
miodful and aeUpOM:stcd, be- (lukkly
bowl.
to huu.
ratr.aintd,
flllcd his
10. Wlw> h< b>d finish! his round I alms 1be
Sage wc:nt forth from the ci1y, and pined the
Pandava. WU my ddlins be."
l 1. On ,.,here be stopped, there the: mea&en
Ktn ta)cd.; and one tne5$ellgtt "''ent back. and told 1 hb
to tbc kJn.g:
12. "The mendicant. 0 King. ia no,., on
Pandav11 hill. like to a mighty ligta. like :. Hon in a
ntount.1il\ c.we."
13. On hearing the messenger's wordt the prince
in a state c.hariot hurrifdl) went forth tOW;trdA the
rock.
14. And where the C2ll'iage road "ndtd tbtre
ali&fllinl from his car. on foot the prince went on till
be came nor: and then sat down.
1$. On thtina: down. the Kio" with f'OUrtctv. o:
ch:a.nlfd with him grtttings of a friend. ThCn he
s:pab thuJ:
16. an thou r.nd dd.ica.tc, a lad In his font
youth: tine b thy oolour, like a hip)lbotn noblc'i.
17. ''The glory of the vanguard or the anny. at
68
tbc head ol a band of: be:roea.. 1 will gi vc thee th.
J)o chog ao::cpt i&. a.od tdl w thy . .,,.hen
asked...
" Hard by H.imalaya's Jlopes. 0 King. "
1 oourttry stron,g 1n wealth, the d'o<ellert therein <'Ire of
the Xoulu.
19. " D<s=>danu of tb< SUo by roa. Sakps lh<T
are by birth. 1' it from. that ic.ock 1 have cone fCTtb,
longing no m<:ll'e (or acruu<tl de.Hpu.
tu. ''Seeing the danger therein. looktng on going
forth ., bliJI.. 1 mall r 00 in me: ttm.ggte. (or in that
rDY mind ddigbu."'
Rtrt ends the Pabbajja Suua.
Having thut rcja:tcd the royal ofFer the reclute
placed himself as a pupil undC'I' one o( the rocluses ,..-bo
bad atablhbed them.ehu in the mountains nor
Ra.Pglh.t. We ha'ft an account in t.bc: Ariyta Pri-tcJ4M
Sllttfl. tthcn hr C',oc:una himJCJr, ot the essence of
ot tl1is ,.,ge, whose wu Ala m Kalama, :.nd
of the rt:uons which loci COtama to be dJu:ui;.Uod wilh
the ft"'AA!t.
Re then to anothcT ol thae riwcs, to
Udd;ab, the ton or Ra.ma. but wu again whh
tlte tr1chlng that he heard.
We hJ\'e o&her accounts of 1bac two P.gts, a trof'O
nC certlin which they put forward. in pu-
ACS ol Sut1'lll, in which timilu propasitions are
djscusocd. From thete it appears that tbe teach
ol I hest nt:'ls.te:rt W1.J of no k.ind. Jt wu :m
C::b.bor.1tdy thougbt.out solution of. the problems di ..
amed (&J already poincul out in our fint lecturt:} by
such lac-er 1th6ob at the Stnkhya and Vedanta. And it
is cttt:dnly 1h:u Gotama. either dUring or
this pcdod. mwt hnvc ,zone a very lYllematic
'Ud <fttinued course of stud)' in all the decpeu philOIO-
Mjjhima NiAirJ", wl. l., pp. /6}-J.
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TK& UJ1a OF '1lU
.. t
(.:trly metbods of. 15, <t.O
FJut. &he rip t3
1tpbantt. cave beno.itagcs, 80
INUJ'.X
161
.m:mcipadon, 126, 127
Emp<oklet. 110
101
flotc.ric teaching, none in Buddhism, 144.
Evil. origin of. 85
EviiJ. the: (our Cf'Ul 96. 122:
v<l1ution, of rellgi()Us belief. 95; ol ethical d\lncta>, t 10
Faith :and works. 99, ltl
F:tu:, mync:ry of, 88. 106
Fat.UboU, rro .. SS
Ftttus. the: 96 foU.
J' innt aSllurance, 6uddbln dOClrine of. ton
Fiohy and infinity, 21
Foucaux. Prof. 59
Foundation of Lhe JUngdoru of Rigl:at cOtl.:a:Dcss, il. 9195
Frd4on. lluddhU., 127
Futu.rc life, 22; potms on, 54; in Buddhism, 11. 89. 90.
91; one o the four great t\111., 96:, love of, i.1 one of
the fetters. 102; tbe Anbat untamis.hed b)' love o.
122
Garb<, Pro( . 17, 110
Cod, l!i; ctvnity of, 21
GodJ, the eadJeet. 8; c.temit"y of, 21
.Harrisoo, Fredcric, 2
HCI\\'en, not tO be desired, 89. 102: ldta of, not
the Cbrittian, 101
Fleraies, the 19, 21 foil.. 4!1: :u the ('.ouno1 ol Voali.
Huxley. Pl'Cf. &I
Ignorance. 86. 96: th e: last rcucr. in thf' Wht.'f+l oF
Uft, 105. Ill
nlwill, che fifth fcttn. 101
lmpennantnct. Ind ian d octrin<" of. 8t foil., R8
Individuality. the tause !')( torTOW. SW. gt}; not denied in
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162
SS; the delusioi'IS rtguding it, 86, 87, 89
Ind.ulgence3. the ten, 181
l ntclligcnce, result of .. 96
11
lti Vultaka," book JM>.c:alled, 49, 50
J acobi, ProL, 16
j ap.1.nese Buddhism. 148, 147
Jau.k.as. old s1orics, 54
Jewels. lhe &eVen, of the lllessed One, 127
Jina Carita, poetlt on Buddha's Jifc, 58
Kapila, founder of tbe Santh)'i, 17, 18, 20
Karma, theory o(. 129 foll., 90, 116. 1!8
Kusapa o U ru"\el a, ll S
Katha Va.tthu, 28, 41, US foll.
Kern, Prof., 140
Kh.anda.kas, 89
Khudd:l.ka Path:t, 46
Konfuci us, 5. 95
"Lalit;l Vistara," (JOC:IO, !)8, 59
U.111Uan, Prof., !iS
J.ao Tw, 5
Law, <illcitnt mt.oanlng of. I; e_arly discussion of pOints of.
$8, 40
Libcny of t hought, 77, ?8, '127
" Light or Asia," the poem, 59, 10, 108
Livelihood. right means of, 9S
Lolw or t he good law, 14()
Love. Buddhist exercise, of. 101, 120. 121
Lupton. Mr., 66
Mah.a Pajapati, t he Buddha's aunt. 62
M:tba Parinibbana Sutt.'l, 76. 97, 12!
Maha VO&Jtu, 13g..141
Ma.r1:, the Evil Onr .. 5'1, $2, 70
MaLeriali..sts, l ndia.n. \6, 26
INOtlilC.
Maya, the Buddha's motber, b'2
Medicine. 400 B.C .. 40, 121
Memory, J 8, 24
Miliuda, 28, 118. 127
Mlndfuln<.:$$, the right, 9j
Monislic 16
Monot.beism, lf, 9.S
Mor.tlity, mere, not lOCI
Muller, Pt'of. Edward, 44. [1()
Muller, l"rof. 1\{ax,. 8
Nag'.trjunoa, !12
2$, 118
Name, pan o[ perscmalil)', 107
Niddesa, m ancient t.'Ont.tutJ\tat'y, 5l\
reft:rTed to, 92, 98; defined. 102, IJ I;
11 4 foil.; rca1i$i1Liou of, 118-120; place or.
Noble Condition, 101
Noble Eighrfold Path, 929$
Noble Truths.. tl1c four, !'1!1
P:tbbajja Sutta, translated ti6 fotl.
Pahlavi 1'exc.s, 9G
Pali, 82 tvll., !ib
l)ali. Text Sociely, 5&fl7.
Pantheism,
Para.mil!IS, the ten, 13S
Parivara . .fO
Path, t..he Mhlt eiJ!,hl fnltl.
Pati.mokkha, :l!l
Pavarana, S!>
Penance,
Pet:aV:tu hu. M
Pi ndar, 1'10
Pitaku. !'587. 51. I!H
l 'ity. practi C"c or. 101
Piy:ulassi. !\:!
161
aUODI:llSM
J-lato, 11, JOS, 110, Ill
Polytbeiw 25. 95
Potter and his wheel, 106, 107
Pml.estin.alion, 88
Pride, last enemy to be conquered, 102
Primitive m:m, 6
Primordi al stulf, 20
Prirucp, 82
Puggala Pan.l'latti, 44
Pythagoras, '110
the Buddha's son, 62
Ratn2i, Uddal:.a's father, 68
Rap<un, lh<: rigb\, 93. 99, lOS, 122
Rauhap:da. Sutt.anta., 66
R:luse. the Buddhis-t, described, 121 foil .
RcligiOl), dtfi11td, 1-1-; in Tndia, +G
'Reuncialion, 64 .. 65
Rhys David Mn.. 4o(, 50, 126
Rouse, W. H. D., 55
RniC\ of .the Order, 57-40;
Sih:1tion, whu it is, 89, 104
42
Sankhya philosophy, 16 oil.
Saligec, 31
SobtliJng, Prof.., 89
Schism, the fint, I 51
150, 151
Sebeunnan, President, 128
Sell, ddusioru of, Delusion.
Self-reliance, essenti:\1 in Buddhitrn, 9i, 121. 124
Stlfrighteousneu, the ni nth fett er, 102
Serutn ... M. Emile, 1!19
Sen.sepm:eption, 10'7
St.ruuality. one of the fO\Ir great evils, 96. lOO
"Sisten of the Order. 39
f
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166
Som>w. cause ol. U. 85
Soul, early belief in, 1; e.temily or lhe, 21; Buddhist doc-
trine about, 2729; btHef in a_, fatal to goodness, liS.
84; not the real link between thb Hrc and the next.
87, 90
Spc<d>. the 9J
5<ori<s, why liU the 1\uddhiou, 0}
St. Thomas Aquinu. !
57
Suua Nip:tta, poenu JO<alled, 58
SUllll Vibhanga, 88
Symonds. Mr. J. A., !OS
s,.porhy, 101
su: Thim..
Taylor, Mr. Amold C., .U, 4.5
1'empenoc.e, 100, JOS
Tevijjn Suu11., 112
Tbeooopby. 14+147
Tbcnthetigarho, Son11 of !he 1d<n. 49
!1!.
!he mc<hod ol iu vowth. 9
THP.. 2uthor ol K:uba Vaubu, ISS
Toleration, in l ndla, 17; a.mortg the 8uddb.isu, ?8. 127
"!l'Muc:endentallsu. 1 S7, 159
Tnntmigralion, 1:1?89, 104, 126
Tn:nd>, An:hbisbop. 2
'I"Nth. '" .ObamiiiL
Trutha. the four noble, 9!
Tumour, CcorJc, 52.
Udan:11, E<:st.at.ic uttemncc, 48
Uddak.a. son of Rama, 68
Upo<!.,., gr.upin(. 107, 111
U-tb>. 37, S9
Uuanpahat :u the IS6
I lW
JWDI,)HI.SW
Vedanlism, 1!), li
Vcd, show an ad.-.nc<d ""l" in \be toul theory, 9, 10
Vchido, lhc Crater and U.C l...csS, \40
v ... H. eouocil . tSt
v;.w,. llko "-"' 9S
ViJU-m. V:auhu, tbc poc:wu. S4
V"&na.Y.. Qnolt Law, )7, 40
'roll Schrocdcr. Prof 110
Wad<kll, Mr. 81, 106
W andcring uottics. 6f.6G
Wamn, Mr. C.. 109, tt l
'\Vtst, Mr., 96
'Wheel ol Life, 81. lOS Coli., 110
'Whirlpool of rt:binhi, 105
Women. nuulc the carli<:lll p b, 8; teachers a1ld poct11 in
e:trl )' Uuddhisnl, &o.!SS
Wo'l'b anti 00, 100
-vuan 141. lo4S
'S\ \
.. 'l
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PUBUCATIONS OF D.ISTINCTION
H.ittol')' Of India, 15 Volt.
Heritaga of IDclia .
H,..,. of the RiaVoda
Veclanta PMlooophy
Elliot and Dawt.cm
MaxMull ..
..,
Man.n!na: .
Max Muller
Yora-Sutrat of . Ballant,"ne and Shutri De.a ' .
Indian Pbiloaopby, 4 Vo1a.. . . Mu Muller
Mediaeval India, 2 Volt.
y ora Esploiood
BU<ldiUot IDclia .
Dhammapacla
Ufe in Ancient India
Rammohan to Ramakrilh.n.a
Hiaduilai .
Leadinr ldeat of Hinduism .
Sodal Life .in Ancient India
Life of Buddha
Daneet oi India
Sbadiee iD BoddA.ina
AJ.cieo!t IDclia .
Hiouen Th.tanr in India
ladia: Vedie and Po.tVedie
cmldatW,a of Ancient India
J...pu.d WritloaJ of HiDdW....
n-.tre of the HiDdua .
RaoJit Sioch
..
. Lane-Poole
Y
Rhya Daid
Beal
Adotf Kaeri
Max Mulle<
.
. Hair.h
Chalcaclar
Ala'baater
Rqiai Devi
Mu Muller
CoweD
. S..intHilaire
. Wheeler
R ..... u
Gold.&tUeker
Sbin.)i md. the Rite of t.he Ma.hrattat
SUSU. GUPTA (IDdia) LIMITED
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