CHAPTER III. LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF GÓTAMA BUDDHA. B.C. 623-543. manism. THE rise of Buddhism opens up an entirely new CHAPTER III. era in the history of religious development in India. Failure of BrahThe dogma of the transmigrations of the soul had spent its force in vain. It had not eradicated the worship of the gods, nor broken down the caste system, nor overthrown the spiritual domination of the Brahmans. It had found some expression in the Brahmanism of the sages, but that also had proved a failure. Wherever such Brahmanism exercised any real influence it had tended to check the play of the affections by introducing a ritualism and asceticism which had no moral meaning for the masses. It had stripped the primitive religions of all the associations which endeared them to mortals, and reduced them to a creed, which, had it been universally accepted, would have ignored the old gods of man and the universe, and stifled all the yearnings and aspirations of common humanity. It was consequently doomed to stiffen into lifeless forms; to leave the vast populations of India hopelessly sunk in a childish superstition; and thus to await the inevitable revolution which was to restore the religion of humanity to the world. CHAPTER III. Such phases of quiescence are by no means unReligious qui frequent in the history of religious development. ceeded by revolt. In reality the currents of spiritual thought are ever escence suc flowing and ever intermingling; but sometimes one or other may seem to stagnate for awhile, and harden into a material creed and formula which will last for generations. Finality, however, is impossible. The hardening is only on the surface. Beneath the upper strata of outward rites and observances, the elements of faith and worship, new and old, are seething like burning lava, until at last they assume a spiritual life, and burst through the crust of conventional belief, and create what the world calls a reformation or revolution. Sometimes the new movement is the revolt of humanity against an effete superstition, proclaimed by an earnest and self-denying apostle. But not unfrequently it is the re-action of the religious sentiment against a common-place humanity; the rehabilitation of the old gods and old worship in new and more spiritual forms, in order to arouse the world from a selfish and materialistic torpor. A type of either revolution is to be found in the history of ancient India. The advent of Gótama Buddha was the revolt of humanity against the superstition of the Bráhman priest and asceticism of the Brahman sage. The Brahmanical revival was the rehabilitation of the old gods against the lifeless indifference of the Buddhist monk, and the general growth of luxury and ease. The revolt of Buddhism against Brahmanism is only to be appreciated by those who are familiar with the results of both systems. The India of the present day presents many of the characteristics which must have distinguished ancient India prior manism on the to the advent of Gótama Buddha. It is a land of CHAPTER III. deities, temples, and priests, which inspire a melan- Results of Brahcholy bordering on despair. The whole Indian people of India. continent is dotted with little sanctuaries, which appear like the sepulchres of defunct gods, whose grotesque and distorted effigies are to be seen within; and fathers and mothers bow down to these idols, praise them, propitiate them with gifts and offerings, and invoke them for help and prosperity. Again, there are temples of more colossal dimensions, with pyramidal towers or cone-shaped domes covered with sculptures, and surrounded by walls, court-yards, and roofed passages. But all are of the same sepulchral character. Some are the receptacles of archaic gods, who are arrayed in jewels and tinsel; but even these deities are little better than the gaudy mummies of a primeval age. The women alone seem to be fervent worshippers, for the men have begun to groan beneath the oppression of idolatry and Brahmanism. Indeed the rapacity of the temple priests is unbounded, whilst their culture is beneath contempt. They celebrate their temple festivals like children playing with dolls. They carry the gods in procession, or induce the gaping crowd to drag them along in huge idol cars; but they cannot evoke those joyous outpourings of adoration or thanksgiving, which indicate the presence of religious feeling in the hearts of the worshippers. The excited mob cry aloud "victory" and "glory," as though their gods had won great battles. The Bráhmans chant their mechanical laudations, amidst the deafening noise of drums and tom-toms. But beyond a passing effervescence there is rarely any real enthusiasm in such demonstrations. Yet the Hindús They tell their CHAPTER III. are essentially a religious people. beads and repeat their prayers. always ready with their simple offerings to the gods and their gifts to the priests. The rich will exhaust their means in constructing temples, tanks, wells, resting-places for travellers, and bathing steps on the banks of rivers; or in feasting a crowd of mendicant Bráhmans and presenting them with clothes and money. But their religious life, so far as it finds expression, is one of inflated ostentation, accompanied by settled gloom. Whether on pilgrimage to sacred shrines, or gathered together in hundreds of thousands at the great religious fairs, or sacrificing to the village gods with all the paraphernalia of flags and garlands, the people of India seem on most occasions to take their pleasures with sadness of heart. By the favour of the gods they may hope to obtain heaven; but by the anger of the gods they may be condemned to the torments of hell. They give apparent vent to great rejoicings on such occasions as a marriage ceremony or the birth of a son; but in their inmost hearts they are lamenting over a lavish expenditure forced upon them by the tyranny of custom, which reduces them to poverty for the rest of their days. They are virtuous and contented, but their aspirations are stifled by priestly repression, and their contentment is little better than a helpless resignation to their destiny. Their family affections are as strong as elsewhere, but from the cradle to the burning ground they are hemmed around with caste rules, religious observances, and Brahmanical exactions. The women are kept in seclusion and dependence. The son is mar ried whilst yet a boy, and brings his wife to reside in the family. The daughter is given away whilst CHAPTER III. yet a girl, and condemned to live under the eye of a mother-in-law; and if her husband dies, she is doomed to perpetual widowhood. Thus amidst much outward placidity, dissensions and jealousies are frequently burning in the household. Too often the mother will not eat, the daughter-in-law is in an agony of tears, one female will not speak, another will not move, and husbands and fathers are looking on in despair. Buddhism on the people of Burma. But Buddhism, as it once flourished in India, Results of and as it still flourishes in Burma, has exercised a very different influence upon its millions of followers. It is a religion not of fear and sorrow, but of hope and joy. It is a creed which turns on the dogma of the metempsychosis in its simplest form; that goodness in the present life will ensure happiness in the next life. It is thus a faith without gods, without priests, properly so-called, and without sacrifices, penances, or supplications to deity. Yet its votaries are joyous and light-hearted, and generally good and benevolent. Their pagodas are airy structures 1 1 This definition of modern Buddhism is only applicable to the masses of the laity and not to the monks. It will be seen hereafter that there was as broad a distinction between the religion of the Buddhist monks and that of the Buddhist laity, as there was between the popular superstitions of the Hindú populations and the metaphysical speculations of the Brahman sages. 2 The statements in the text are sufficiently accurate, but yet open to question. In theory Buddhism does deny the existence of deity, and hence in the bitterness of controversy Buddhists are often denounced as atheists. Perhaps Buddhist monks deserve the epithet; but they live in an abstract world of their own, apart from all humanity. It is, however, impossible for the Buddhist laity, who live as husbands and fathers in the world of humanity, to deny deity; because all such men must be practically conscious of the existence of an unseen ruler, as God or providence, who presides over the concerns of life and carries on the government of the world; and the dogmas of merits and demerits, of destiny or inexorable law, cannot eradicate a belief which has become an instinct in humanity. Consequently Buddhism does recognize the existence of deity, and instinctively supplicates the assistance of divine beings, after a fashion that will be indicated hereafter. |