CHAPTER III. manical fashion. But neither contemplations nor austerities would enable Sákya Muni to become a Buddha. As a last experiment he entered on a lengthened fast of such severity that his golden complexion faded into blackness, and he fainted away like a dead man. He now felt that such an ordeal unfitted rather than prepared him for becoming Buddha; and accordingly he broke his fast and recovered his strength. From that day he was averse to all penances and austerities; but his five disciples were disappointed at his weakness, and went away to the deer forest in the neighbourhood of Benares.

Development of the affections.

But whilst Sákya Muni is said to have been inspired by deep sympathies for suffering humanity, it is evident that his religion up to this point was drawn from the intellect rather than from the affections. Indeed his mental abstractions were calculated to deaden his feelings. Yet it is obvious that unless he could move the hearts of men, he never could win their faith. The language of fanaticism, which teaches that book knowledge is of no avail unless the heart is changed, involves one of the profoundest truths in religious teaching. It was by direct appeals to the affections that the more famous teachers have stirred the hearts of millions; and by such appeals even the crude ravings that compose the Koran have been endowed with vitality and power. Whilst Sákya Muni was pondering over Nirvána, a little incident is recorded, which seems to have brought him back to the world of common humanity. He was sitting beneath a tree when a young woman appeared before him and worshipped him, and presented him with a vessel of

rice and milk. It seems that she had previously CHAPTER III. prayed to the deity of the tree for a good husband and a little son; 22 both her requests had been granted, and she now expressed her gratitude by this simple offering to the sage, whom she mistook for the sylvan deity.23 The legend is silent as to the effect of this act of natural piety upon the heart of Gótama. It only states the fact that his soul was subsequently illuminated by a pious joy which convinced him that he was about to become Buddha. In other words the metaphysical dreamer was transformed into one of the greatest moral teachers that the world has ever seen. Sympathy with humanity soon appears to have awakened other emotions of humanity; for about this period Sákya Muni is said to have been tempted by a spirit of evil named Mara, with visions of imperial power, of female loveliness, of death and corruption. But he overcame all temptation, and in the moment of triumph he knew that he had become a Buddha to enlighten an ignorant and miserable world. This event is said in the legend to have been accompanied by an earthquake and

24

22 It is impossible to say whether this deity of the tree was a serpent or a genius; but it may possibly have been referred to both characters; and it will be seen from the text that it was supposed to be able to assume a human form.

23 The story of the woman who mistook Sákya Muni for the deity of the tree, is surrounded with difficulty. According to the monastic legend Sákya Muni was touched by the incident, and subsequently became a Buddha, to teach man to abstract himself from all humanity in order to attain Nirvána. Here there is an absolute contradiction between the story of the woman and the transformation of Sakya Muni. The story of the woman was associated with the popular worship of the old gods. It was also associated with a manifestation of gratitude or kindness on the part of a happy wife and mother. Yet according to the monastic legend Sakya Muni became Buddha in order to enforce the socalled truths that worship was unavailing, and that the object of the wise should be to crush out all the affections.

24 This Mara bears a strong resemblance to the Satan of holy writ, the tempter in the wilderness; but in all probability he is only a personification of what was passing through Sákya Muni's own thoughts.

CHAPTER III. many miracles, which will be noticed hereafter.

The law which Gótama Buddha was about to preach was of a twofold character-namely, religion and discipline.25 The religion was for the masses, the so-called ignorant, who had no longing for Nirvána, and who only desired a happier life in the next state of existence. This religion was based upon the law of universal benevolence or kindness. It found expression in five great commandments—namely, against killing, stealing, adultery, intoxication, and lying. Each of these commandments was ultimately amplified into numerous precepts, intended to guard not only against the commission of sin, but against the inclination or temptation to sin. Every thought, word, and deed was converted into a merit and demerit, and rewarded or punished according to the inexorable rule of endless transmigrations. Against this law there was no appeal. The Bráhmans had taught that sacrifices and penances were exalted merits that would atone for breaches of the moral law. But Buddhism denied that the moral law of the universe could be set aside by prayers or worship. The practice of universal goodness or kindness, in thought, word, and deed, was the only way by which man could raise himself to a higher state of existence. Thus, Buddhism not only taught a

25 The sacred books of the Buddhists lay down a marked distinction between "religion" or dharma, and “discipline" or vináya. Perhaps dharma might be best understood as morality or virtue; but inasmuch as it is associated with a belief in a future state of transmigrations, it might with more propriety be termed religion. Again, vináya might be best understood by the word religion; but it is not associated with any ideas of deity, worship, or a future state of rewards or punishments, but only with the rules of discipline by which the monks may attain Nirvana. Accordingly it will perhaps be best to retain the equivalents to the Buddhist terms which are specified in the text, namely, religion or dharma, and discipline or vináya.

pure morality, but enforced it by obligations which CHAPTER III. were intelligible to all.26

deities and demons, heavens

and hells.

But whilst Buddhism ignored the gods, it did not Existences of actually deny their existence. On the contrary, it admitted that deities might exist, and that each might have a heaven of its own; and that demons might exist in like manner in a variety of hells.27 But neither deity nor demon, neither heaven nor hell, could in any way effect the deliverance of the soul from the trammels and miseries of existence. Deities and demons, the denizens of heaven and the denizens of hell, were alike subject to the law of transmigrations; and the various heavens and hells were merely a part of the moral system of the universe, where transcendant merits might be sufficiently rewarded, and the greatest crimes be sufficiently punished. Then when

26 The five commandments, forcible as they are from their extreme simplicity, furnish but a very imperfect idea of popular Buddhism. They are only an abstract form of the civil law, and not the full expression of the religion of universal loving-kindness and benevolence, which is the true dharma. The duties of the affections will be further brought under review in chapter v. They are repeatedly set forth in the edicts of Asoka, and comprise the relative duties of servants and masters, children and parents, householders towards kinsfolk and neighbours, the laity towards priests and monks, and the human race towards the whole range of animal being. These duties of the affections formed perhaps a prominent part in the early religion of Buddha; whilst monastic teaching, in its more metaphysical form, was the growth of a later age.

27 The recognition of the existence of deity or deities by the Buddhist laity has already been noticed in a previous note. See ante, page 97. The following incident, which occurred during a voyage undertaken by the author in upper Burma in 1870, will serve to illustrate the popular ideas on the subject. At a town beyond the British frontier a Burman official came on board to pay his respects, and brought a singing woman with him, who performed some pieces. She sang one song in the character of a princess who was in love with a prince, but the parents had raised a difficulty against the marriage. She represented how in former times, when people were so afflicted with disappointment in love, the Brahmas (gods) came down to console and help them, and she asked how it was that they did not do so still. "Their conduct," she sang, 66 was cruel. Surely they must be fast asleep; or if they were so short-sighted as not to observe the troubles in this world, the people would present them with diamond magnifying-glasses."

CHAPTER III. the period of reward or punishment came to a close, the soul returned to the universe of animal being, and again entered on its weary way through an endless chain of transmigrations.28

Monasticism for the few.

But in addition to this religion for the ignorant there was a discipline for the wise; for those who were prepared to devote themselves to a religious life of celibacy, mendicancy, and strict discipline; who cared not to continue in the vortex of transmigrations, but sought only to purify their souls from all desire for the hollow and delusive pleasures of the world, and to escape from all the pains and miseries of existence, into the everlasting rest of Nirvána. To effect this deliverance it was necessary to renounce five things, namely,-children, wife, goods, life, and self; in order that the soul might be free from every stain of affection or passion. In the language of Buddhism there were four paths to Nirvána, namely,-perfect faith, perfect thought, perfect speech, and perfect conduct; and the only true wisdom was to walk in these paths. The basis of the monastic discipline of Buddha is thus to be found in four great truths, which are renowned

28 This Buddhist idea of an intermediate state between mortal life and Nirvána, finds a similar expression in later Brahmanism, and may possibly have originated the Roman Catholic conception of purgatory. Indeed the similarities between many of the rites and usages of Buddhism and Roman Catholic Christianity are very remarkable. The monasticism of the Buddhists, the shaven heads of the monks, the sacerdotal robes, the use of great bells, the canopy or umbrella over monks and pagodas, the worship of relics and images, and the lavish employment of flowers, incense, and lighted tapers,-all seem to suggest the idea that at some early period of the Christian era, many of the characteristics of Buddhism, for which no authority can be found in holy writ, had found their way into the Christian Church, and received the sanction of the Holy See. Strange to say the monks also practise confession, and after certain penances obtain absolution; but these rites are now strictly confined to the Buddhist monasteries. In the reign of Asoka a general confession or expiation was carried out every five years. See infra, chap. v.