,note3 for ease of reading1 this portion of the text file does not indicate the source book's macron-ized characters4 ,for completeness and more information1 refer to the fully macron-ized version that follows this portion--search for ,note34 ,namo ,tassa ,bhagavato ,arahato ,samma ,sambuddhassa ,,the ,,buddhist ,,catechism ,,by ,,henry ,s4 ,,olcott ,,president-,,founder ,,of ,,the ,,theosophical ,,society ,approved and recommended for use in ,buddhist schools by ,h4 ,sumangala1 ,pradhana ,nayaka ,sthavira1 ,high ,priest of ,sripada and the ,western ,province and ,principal of the ,vidyodaya ,parivena ,,forty-,,fourth ,,edition4 7,corrected7 ,theosophical ,publishing ,house1 ,adyar1 ,madras ,,london ,,and ,,benares3 ,,theosophical ,,publishing ,,society #aiae ,,dedication ,in token of respect and affection ,i dedicate to my counsellor and friend of many years1 ,hikkaduwe ,sumangala1 ,pradhana ,nayaka ,sthavira and ,high ,priest of ,adam's ,peak 7,sripada7 and the ,western ,province1 ,,the ,,buddhist ,,catechism1 in its revised form4 ,h4 ,s4 ,,olcott ,adyar1 #aijc4 ,,contents ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,buddha ,,the ,,dharma ,,or ,,doctrine ,,the ,,sangha ,,the ,,rise ,,and ,,spread ,,of ,,buddhism ,,buddhism ,,and ,,science ,,appendix--,the ,fourteen ,propositions accepted by the ,northern and ,southern ,buddhists as a ,platform of ,unity ,,certificate ,,to ,,the ,,first ,,edition ,,vidyodaya ,,college1 ,colombo1 #gth ,july1 #ahha4 ,i hereby certify that ,i have carefully examined the ,sinhalese version of the ,catechism prepared by ,colonel ,h4 ,s4 ,olcott1 and that the same is in agreement with the ,canon of the ,southern ,buddhist ,church4 ,i recommend the work to teachers in ,buddhist schools1 mid to all others who may wish to impart information to beginners about the essential features of our religion4 ,h4 ,,sumangala1 ,high ,priest of ,sripada and ,galle1 and ,principal of the ,vidyodaya ,parivena4 ,,vidyodaya ,,college1 ,april #g1 #ahig4 ,i have gone over the thirty-third 7,english7 edition of the ,catechism1 with the help of interpreters1 and confirm my recommendation for its use in ,buddhist schools4 ,h4 ,,sumangala4 ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,thirty-,,third ,,edition ,in the working out of my original plan1 ,i have added more questions and answers in the text of each new ,english edition of the ,catechism1 leaving it to its translators to render them into whichever of the other vernaculars they may be working in4 ,the unpretending aim in view is to give so succinct and yet comprehensive a digest of ,buddhistic history1 ethics and philosophy as to enable beginners to understand and appreciate the noble ideal taught by the ,buddha1 and thus make it easier for them to follow out the ,dharma in its details4 ,in the present edition a great many new questions and answers have been introduced1 while the matter has been grouped within five categories1 viz43 7#a7 ,the ,life of the ,buddha2 7#b7 the ,doctrine2 7#c7 the ,sangha1 or monastic order2 7#d7 a brief history of ,buddhism1 its ,councils and propaganda2 7#e7 some reconciliation of ,buddhism with science4 ,this1 it is believed1 will largely increase the value of the little book1 and make it even more suitable for use in ,buddhist schools1 of which1 in ,ceylon1 over one hundred have already been opened by the ,sinhalese people under the general supervision of the ,theosophical ,society4 ,in preparing this edition ,i have received valuable help from some of my oldest and best qualified ,sinhalese colleagues4 ,the original edition was gone over with me word by word1 by that eminent scholar and bhikkhu1 ,h4 ,sumangala1 ,pradhana ,nayaka1 and the ,assistant ,principal of his ,pali ,college at ,colombo1 ,hyeyantuduve ,anunayaka ,terunnanse2 and the ,high ,priest has also kindly scrutinised the present revision and given me invaluable points to embody4 ,it has the merit1 therefore1 of being a fair presentation of the ,buddhism of the ,southern ,church1 chiefly derived from first-hand sources4 ,the ,catechism has been published in twenty languages1 mainly by ,buddhists1 for ,buddhists4 ,h4 ,s4 ,o4 ,,adyar1 #agth ,may1 #ahig4 ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,thirty-,,sixth ,,edition ,the popularity of this little work seems undiminished1 edition after edition being called for4 ,while the present one was in the press a second ,german edition1 re-translated by the learned ,dr4 ,erich ,bischoff1 was published at ,leipzig1 by the ,griebens ,co41 and a third translation into ,french1 by my old friend and colleague1 ,commandant ,d4 ,a4 ,courmes1 was being got ready at ,paris4 ,a fresh version in ,sinhalese is also preparing at ,colombo4 ,it is very gratifying to a declared ,buddhist like myself to read what so ripe a scholar as ,mr4 ,g4 ,r4 ,s4 ,mead1 author of ,fragments of of a ,faith ,forgotten1 ,pistis ,sophia1 and many other works on ,christian origins1 thinks of the value of the compilation4 ,he writes in the ,theosophical ,review3 ,it has been translated into no less than twenty different languages1 and may be said without the faintest risk of contradiction1 to have been the busiest instrument of ,buddhist propaganda for many a day in the annals of that long somnolent dharma4 ,the least that learned ,buddhists of ,ceylon can do to repay the debt of gratitude they owe to ,colonel ,olcott and other members of the ,theosophical ,society who have worked for them1 is to bestir themselves to throw some light on their own origins and doctrines4 ,i am afraid we shall have to wait long for this help to come from the ,buddhist bhikkhus1 almost the only learned men of ,ceylon2 at least ,i have not been able during an intimate intercourse of twenty-two years1 to arouse their zeal4 ,it has always seemed to me incongruous that an ,american1 making no claims at all to scholarship1 should be looked to by the ,sinhalese to help them teach the dharma to their children2 and as ,i believe ,i have said in an earlier edition1 ,i only consented to write ,,the ,,buddhist ,,catechism after ,i had found that no bhikkhu would undertake it4 ,whatever its demerits1 ,i can at least say that the work contains the essence of some #ae1jjj pages of ,buddhist teaching that ,i have read in connexion with my work4 ,h4 ,s4 ,o4 ,,adyar1 #gth ,february1 #aijc4 ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,fortieth ,,edition ,the popularity of this little work is proved by the constant demand for new editions1 in ,english and other languages4 ,in looking over the matter for the present edition1 ,i have found very little to change or to add1 for the work seems to present a very fair idea of the contents of ,southern ,buddhism2 and1 as my object is never to write an extended essay on the subject1 ,i resist the temptation to wander off into amplifications of details which1 however interesting to the student of comparative religion1 are useless in a rational scheme of elementary instruction4 ,the new ,sinhalese version 7#chth edition7 which is being prepared by my respected friend1 ,d4 ,b4 ,jayatilaka1 ,principal of ,ananda 7,buddhist7 ,college1 ,colombo1 is partly printed1 but cannot be completed until he is relieved of some of the pressure upon his time4 ,the ,tamil version 7#dast edition7 has been undertaken by the leaders of the ,pachama community of ,madras1 and will shortly issue from the press4 ,the ,spanish version 7#cith edition7 is in the hands of my friend1 ,seor ,xifr1 and the ,french one 7#cgth edition7 in those of ,commandant ,courmes4 ,so the work goes on1 and by this unpretending agency the teachings of the ,buddha ,dharma are being carried throughout the world4 ,h4 ,s4 ,o4 ,,adyar1 #gth ,january1 #aije4 ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,forty-,,second ,,edition ,the writer of this ,catechism has passed away from earth1 but1 before he left the body1 he had arranged with the ,high ,priest ,sumangala to make some small corrections in the text4 ,these are incorporated in the present edition by the ,high ,priest's wish1 expressed to me in ,colombo1 in ,november #aijg4 ,i have not altered the numbering of the questions1 as it might cause confusion in a class to change the numbers1 if some pupils had the older editions and some the new4 ,,adyar1 7 #agth ,february1 #aijh4 7 ,,annie ,,besant ,,the ,,buddhist ,,catechism ,,part ,i ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,buddha #a4 ,question4 ,of what religion#a are you8 ,answer4 ,the ,buddhist4 #b4 ,q4 ,what is ,buddhism8 ,a4 ,it is a body of teachings given out by the great personage known as the ,buddha4 #c4 ,q4 ,is ,buddhism the best name for this teaching8 ,a4 ,no2 that is only a western term3 the best name for it is ,bauddha ,dharma4 #d4 ,q4 ,would you call a person a ,buddhist who had merely been born of ,buddha parents8 ,a4 ,certainly not4 ,a ,buddhist is one who not only professes belief in the ,buddha as the noblest of ,teachers1 in the ,doctrine preached by ,him1 and in the ,brotherhood of ,arhats1 but practises ,his precepts in daily life4 #e4 ,q4 ,what is a male lay ,buddhist called8 ,a4 ,an ,upasaka4 #f4 ,q4 ,what a female8 ,a4 ,an ,upasika4 #g4 ,q4 ,when was this doctrine first preached8 ,a4 ,there is some disagreement as to the actual date1 but according to the ,sinhalese ,scriptures it was in the year #beac of the 7present7 ,kali-,yuga4 #h4 ,q4 ,give the important dates in the last birth of the ,founder8 ,a4 ,he was born under the constellation ,visa on a ,tuesday in ,may1 in the year #bdgh 7,k4,y472 he retired to the jungle in the year #bejf2 became ,buddha in #beac2 and1 passing out of the round of rebirths1 entered ,paranirvana in the year #beeh1 aged eighty years4 ,each of these events happened on a day of full moon1 so all are conjointly celebrated in the great festival of the full-moon of the month ,wesak 7,vaisakha71 corresponding to the month of ,may4 #i4 ,q4 ,was the ,buddha ,god8 ,a4 ,no4 ,buddha ,dharma teaches no divine incarnation4 #aj4 ,q4 ,was he a man8 ,a4 ,yes2 but the wisest1 noblest and most holy being1 who had developed himself in the course of countless births far beyond all other beings1 the previous ,,buddhas alone excepted4 #aa4 ,q4 ,were there other ,buddhas before him8 ,a4 ,yes2 as will be explained later on4 #ab4 ,q4 ,was ,buddha his name8 ,a4 ,no4 ,it is the name of a condition or state of mind1 of the mind after it has reached the culmination of development4 #ac4 ,q4 ,what is its meaning8 ,a4 ,enlightened2 or1 he who has the all-perfect wisdom4 ,the ,pali phrase is ,sabbannu1 the ,one of ,boundless ,knowledge4 ,in ,samskrt it is ,sarvaja4 #ad4 ,q4 ,what was the ,buddha's real name then8 ,a4 ,,siddhartha was his royal name1 and ,,gautama1 or ,,gotama1 his family name4 ,he was ,prince of ,kapilavastu and belonged to the illustrious family of the ,okkaka1 of the ,solar race4 #ae4 ,q4 ,who were his father and mother8 ,a4 ,king ,suddhodana and ,queen ,maya1 called ,maha ,maya4 #af4 ,q4 ,what people did this ,king reign over8 ,a4 ,the ,sakyas2 an ,aryan tribe of ,kshattriyas4 #ag4 ,q4 ,where was ,kapilavastu8 ,a4 ,in ,india1 one hundred miles north-east of the ,city of ,benares1 and about forty miles from the ,himalaya mountains4 ,it is situated in the ,nepal ,terai4 ,the city is now in ruins4 #ah4 ,q4 ,on what river8 ,a4 ,the ,rohini1 now called the ,kohana4 #ai4 ,q4 ,tell me again when ,prince ,siddhartha was born8 ,a4 ,six hundred and twenty-three years before the ,christian era4 #bj4 ,q4 ,is the exact spot known8 ,a4 ,it is now identified beyond question4 ,an archaeologist in the service of the ,government of ,india has discovered in the jungle of the ,nepal ,terai a stone pillar erected by the mighty ,buddhist sovereign1 ,asoka1 to mark the very spot4 ,the place was known in those times as the ,lumbini ,garden4 #ba4 ,q4 ,had the ,prince luxuries and splendours like other ,princes8 ,a4 ,he had2 his father1 the ,king1 built him three magnificent palaces--for the three ,indian seasons--the cold1 the hot1 and the rainy--of nine1 five1 and three stories respectively1 and handsomely decorated4 #bb4 ,q4 ,how were they situated8 ,a4 ,around each palace were gardens of the most beautiful and fragrant flowers1 with fountains of spouting water1 the trees full of singing birds1 and peacocks strutting over the ground4 #bc4 ,q4 ,was he living alone8 ,a4 ,no2 in his sixteenth year he was married to the ,princess ,yasodhara1 daughter of the ,king ,suprabuddha4 ,many beautiful maidens1 skilled in dancing and music1 were also in continual attendance to amuse him4 #bd4 ,q4 ,how did he get his wife8 ,a4 ,in the ancient ,kshattriya or warrior fashion1 by overcoming all competitors in games and exercises of skill and prowess1 and then selecting ,yasodhara out of all the young princesses1 whose fathers had brought them to the tournament or mela4 #be4 ,q4 ,how1 amid all this luxury1 could a ,prince become all-wise8 ,a4 ,he had such natural wisdom that when but a child he seemed to understand all arts and sciences almost without study4 ,he had the best teachers1 but they could teach him nothing that he did not seem to comprehend immediately4 #bf4 ,q4 ,did he become ,buddha in his splendid palaces8 ,a4 ,no4 ,he left all and went alone into the jungle4 #bg4 ,q4 ,why did he do this8 ,a4 ,to discover the cause of our sufferings and the way to escape from them4 #bh4 ,q4 ,was it not selfishness that made him do this8 ,a4 ,no2 it was boundless love for all beings that made him devote himself to their good4 #bi4 ,q4 ,but how did he acquire this boundless love8 ,a4 ,throughout numberless births and aeons of years he had been cultivating this love1 with the unfaltering determination to become a ,buddha4 #cj4 ,q4 ,what did he this time relinquish8 ,a4 ,his beautiful palaces1 his riches1 luxuries and pleasures1 his soft beds1 fine dresses1 rich food1 and his kingdom2 he even left his beloved wife and only son1 ,rahula4 #ca4 ,q4 ,did any other man ever sacrifice so much for our sake8 ,a4 ,not one in this present world-period3 this is why ,buddhists so love him1 and why good ,buddhists try to be like him4 #cb4 ,q4 ,but have not many men given up all earthly blessings1 and even life itself1 for the sake of their fellow-men8 ,a4 ,certainly4 ,but we believe that this surpassing unselfishness and love for humanity showed themselves in his renouncing the bliss of ,nirvana countless ages ago1 when he was born as the ,brahmana ,sumedha1 in the time of ,dipankara ,buddha3 he had then reached the stage where he might have entered ,nirvana1 had he not loved mankind more than himself4 ,this renunciation implied his voluntarily enduring the miseries of earthly lives until he became ,buddha1 for the sake of teaching all beings the way to emancipation and to give rest to the world4 #cc4 ,q4 ,how old was he when he went to the jungle8 ,a4 ,he was in his twenty-ninth year4 #cd4 ,q4 ,what finally determined him to leave all that men usually love so much and go to the jungle8 ,a4 ,a ,deva#b appeared to him when driving out in his chariot1 under four impressive forms1 on four different occasions4 #ce4 ,q4 ,what were these different forms8 ,a4 ,those of a very old man broken down by age1 of a sick man1 of a decaying corpse1 and of a dignified hermit4 #cf4 ,q4 ,did he alone see these8 ,a4 ,no1 his attendant1 ,channa1 also saw them4 #cg4 ,q4 ,why should these sights1 so familiar to everybody1 have caused him to go to the jungle8 ,a4 ,we often see such sights3 he had not seen them1 so they made a deep impression on his mind4 #ch4 ,q4 ,why had he not also seen them8 ,a4 ,the ,brahmana astrologers had foretold at his birth that he would one day resign his kingdom and1 become a ,,buddha4 ,the ,king1 his father1 not wishing to lose an heir to his kingdom1 had carefully prevented his seeing any sights that might suggest to him human misery and death4 ,no one was allowed even to speak of such things to the ,prince4 ,he was almost like a prisoner in his lovely palaces and flower gardens4 ,they were surrounded by high walls1 and inside everything was made as beautiful as possible1 so that he might not wish to go and see the sorrow and distress that are in the world4 #ci4 ,q4 ,was he so kind-hearted that the ,king feared he might really wish to leave everything for the world's sake8 ,a4 ,yes2 he seems to have felt for all beings so strong a pity and love as that4 #dj4 ,q4 ,and how did he expect to learn the cause of sorrow in the jungle8 ,a4 ,by removing far away from all that could prevent his thinking deeply of the causes of sorrow and the nature of man4 #da4 ,q4 ,how did he escape from the palace8 ,a4 ,one night1 when all were asleep1 he arose1 took a last look at his sleeping wife and infant son2 called ,channa1 mounted his favourite white horse ,kanthaka1 and rode to the palace gate4 ,the ,devas had thrown a deep sleep upon the ,king's guard who watched the gate1 so that they could not hear the noise of the horse's hoofs4 #db4 ,q4 ,but the gate was locked1 was it not8 ,a4 ,yes2 but the ,devas caused it to open without the slightest noise1 and he rode away into the darkness4 #dc4 ,q4 ,whither did he go8 ,a4 ,to the river ,anoma1 a long way from ,kapilavastu4 #dd4 ,q4 ,what did he then do8 ,a4 ,he sprang from his horse1 cut off his beautiful hair with his sword1 put on the yellow dress of an ascetic1 and giving his ornaments and horse to ,channa1 ordered him to take them back to his father1 the ,king4 #de4 ,q4 ,what then8 ,a4 ,he went afoot towards ,rajagrha1 the capital city of ,king ,bimbisara1 of ,magadha4 #df4 ,q4 ,who visited him there8 ,a4 ,the ,king with his whole ,court4#c #df;a4 ,q4 ,thence whither did he go8 ,a4 ,to ,uruvela1 near the present ,mahabodhi ,temple at ,buddha ,gaya4 #dg4 ,q4 ,why did he go there8 ,a4 ,in the forests were hermits--very wise men1 whose pupil he afterwards became1 in the hope of finding the knowledge of which he was in search4 #dh4 ,q4 ,of what religion were they8 ,a4 ,the ,hindu religion3 they were ,brahmanas4#d #di4 ,q4 ,what did they teach8 ,a4 ,that by severe penances and torture of the body a man may acquire perfect wisdom4 #ej4 ,q4 ,did the ,prince find this to be so8 ,a4 ,no2 he learned their systems and practised all their penances1 but he could not thus discover the cause of human sorrow and the way to absolute emancipation4 #ea4 ,q4 ,what did he then do8 ,a4 ,he went away into the forest near ,uruvela1 and spent six years in deep meditation1 undergoing the severest discipline in mortifying his body4 #eb4 ,q4 ,was he alone8 ,a4 ,no2 five ,brahman companions attended him4 #ec4 ,q4 ,what were their names8 ,a4 ,kondaa1 ,bhaddiya1 ,vappa1 ,mahanama1 and ,assaji4 #ed4 ,q4 ,what plan of discipline did he adopt to open his mind to know the whole truth8 ,a4 ,he sat and meditated1 concentrating his mind upon the higher problems of life1 and shutting out from his sight and hearing all that was likely to interrupt his inward reflections4 #ee4 ,q4 ,did he fast8 ,a4 ,yes1 through the whole period4 ,he took less and less food and water until1 it is said1 he ate scarcely more than one grain of rice or of sesamum seed each day4 #ef4 ,q4 ,did this give him the wisdom he longed for8 ,a4 ,no4 ,he grew thinner and thinner in body and fainter in strength until1 one day1 as he was slowly walking about and meditating1 his vital force suddenly left him and he fell to the ground unconscious4 #eg4 ,q4 ,what did his companions think of that8 ,a4 ,they fancied he was dead2 but after a time he revived4 #eh4 ,q4 ,what then8 ,a4 ,the thought came to him that knowledge could never be reached by mere fasting or bodily suffering1 but must be gained by the opening of the mind4 ,he had just barely escaped death from self-starvation1 yet had not obtained the ,perfect ,wisdom4 ,so he decided to eat1 that he might live at least long enough to become wise4 #ei4 ,q4 ,who gave him food8 ,a4 ,he received food from ,sujata1 a nobleman's daughter1 who saw him sitting at the foot of a nyagrodha 7banyan7 tree4 ,he arose1 took his alms-bowl1 bathed in the river ,nerajara1 ate the food1 and went into the jungle4 #fj4 ,q4 ,what did he do there8 ,a4 ,having formed his determination after these reflections1 he went at evening to the ,bodhi1 or ,asvattha tree1 where the present ,mahabodhi ,temple stands4 #fa4 ,q4 ,what did he do there8 ,a4 ,he determined not to leave the spot until he attained perfect wisdom4 #fb4 ,q4 ,at which side of the tree did he seat himself8 ,a4 ,the side facing the east4#e #fc4 ,q4 ,what did he obtain that night8 ,a4 ,the knowledge of his previous births1 of the causes of rebirths1 and of the way to extinguish desires4 ,just before the break of the next day his mind was entirely opened1 like the full-blown lotus flower2 the light of supreme knowledge1 or the ,four ,truths1 poured in upon him4 ,he had become ,,buddha--the ,enlightened1 the all-knowing--the ,sarvaja4 #fd4 ,q4 ,had he at last discovered the cause of human misery8 ,a4 ,at last he had4 ,as the light of the morning sun chases away the darkness of night1 and reveals to sight the trees1 fields1 rocks1 seas1 rivers1 animals1 men and all things1 so the full light of knowledge rose in his mind1 and he saw at one glance the causes of human suffering and the way to escape from them4 #fe4 ,q4 ,had he great struggles before gaining this perfect wisdom8 ,a4 ,yes1 mighty and terrible struggles4 ,he had to conquer in his body all those natural defects and human appetites and desires that prevent our seeing the truth4 ,he had to overcome all the bad influences of the sinful world around him4 ,like a soldier fighting desperately in battle against many enemies1 he struggled3 like a hero who conquers1 he gained his object1 and the secret of human misery was discovered4 #ff4 ,q4 ,what use did he make of the knowledge thus gained8 ,a4 ,at first he was reluctant to teach it to the people at large4 #fg4 ,q4 ,why8 ,a4 ,because of its profound importance and sublimity4 ,he feared that but few people would understand it4 #fh4 ,q4 ,what made him alter this view8#f ,a4 ,he saw that it was his duty to teach what he had learnt as clearly and simply as possible1 and trust to the truth impressing itself upon the popular mind in proportion to each one's individual ,karma4 ,it was the only way of salvation1 and every being had an equal right to have it pointed out to him4 ,so he determined to begin with his five late companions1 who had abandoned him when he broke his fast4 #fi4 ,q4 ,where did he find them8 ,a4 ,in the deer-park at ,isipatana1 near ,benares4 #gj4 ,q4 ,can the spot be now identified8 ,a4 ,yes1 a partly ruined stupa1 or dagoba1 is still standing on that very spot4 #ga4 ,q4 ,did those five companions readily listen to him8 ,a4 ,at first1 no2 but so great was the spiritual beauty of his appearance1 so sweet and convincing his teaching1 that they soon turned and gave him the closest attention4 #gb4 ,q4 ,what effect did this discourse have upon them8 ,a4 ,the aged ,kondaa1 one who understood 7,anna71 was the first to lose his prejudices1 accept the ,buddha's teaching1 become his disciple1 and enter the ,path leading to ,arhatship4 ,the other four soon followed his example4 #gc4 ,q4 ,who were his next converts8 ,a4 ,a rich young layman1 named ,yasa1 and his father1 a wealthy merchant4 ,by the end of three months the disciples numbered sixty persons4 #gd4 ,q4 ,who were the first women lay disciples8 ,a4 ,the mother and wife of ,yasa4 #ge4 ,q4 ,what did the ,buddha do at that time8#g ,a4 ,he called the disciples together1 gave them full instructions1 and sent them out in all directions to preach his doctrine4 #gf4 ,q4 ,what was the essence of it8 ,a4 ,that the way of emancipation lies in leading the holy life and following the rules laid down1 which will be explained later on4 #gg4 ,q4 ,tell me what name he gave to this course of life8 ,a4 ,the ,noble ,eightfold ,path4 #gh4 ,q4 ,how is it called in the ,pali language8 ,a4 ,ariyo atthangiko maggo4 #gi4 ,q4 ,whither did the ,buddha then go8 ,a4 ,to ,uruvela4 #hj4 ,q4 ,what happened there8 ,a4 ,he converted a man named ,kashyapa1 renowned for his learning and teacher of the ,jatilas1 a great sect of fire-worshippers1 all of whom became also his followers4 #ha4 ,q4 ,who was his next great convert8 ,a4 ,king ,bimbisara1 of ,magadha4 #hb4 ,q4 ,which two of the ,buddha's most learned and beloved disciples were converted at about this time8 ,a4 ,sariputra and ,moggallana1 formerly chief disciples of ,sajaya1 the ascetic4 #hc4 ,q4 ,for what did they become renowned8 ,a4 ,sariputra for his profound learning 7,praja71 ,moggallana for his exceptional spiritual powers 7,iddhi74 #hd4 ,q4 ,are these wonder-working powers miraculous8 ,a4 ,no1 but natural to all men and capable of being developed by a certain course of training4 #he4 ,q4 ,did the ,buddha hear again from his family after leaving them8 ,a4 ,oh yes1 seven years later1 while he was living at ,rajagrha1 his father4 ,king ,suddhodana1 sent a message to request him to come and let him see him again before he died4 #hf4 ,q4 ,did he go8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,his father went with all his relatives and ministers to meet him and received him with great joy4 #hg4 ,q4 ,did he consent to resume his old rank8 ,a4 ,no4 ,in all sweetness he explained to his father that the ,prince ,siddhartha had passed out of existence1 as such1 and was now changed into the condition of a ,buddha1 to whom all beings were equally akin and equally dear4 ,instead of ruling over one tribe or nation1 like an earthly king1 he1 through his ,dharma1 would win the hearts of all men to be his followers4 #hh4 ,q4 ,did he see ,yasodhara and his son ,rahula8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,his wife1 who had mourned for him with deepest love1 wept bitterly4 ,she also sent ,rahula to ask him to give him his inheritance1 as the son of a prince4 #hi4 ,q4 ,what happened8 ,a4 ,to one and all he preached the ,dharma as the cure for all sorrows4 ,his father1 son1 wife1 ,ananda 7his half-brother71 ,devadatta 7his cousin and brother-in-law71 were all converted and became his disciples4 ,two other famous ones were ,anuruddha1 afterwards a great metaphysician1 and ,upali1 a barber1 afterwards the greatest authority on ,vinaya4 ,both of these gained great renown4 #ij4 ,q4 ,who was the first ,bhikkuni8 ,a4 ,prajapati1 the aunt and foster-mother of ,prince ,siddhartha4 ,with her1 ,yasodhara and many other ladies were admitted into the ,order as ,bhikkhunis or female devotees4 #ia4 ,q4 ,what effect did the taking up of the religious life by his sons1 ,siddhartha and ,ananda1 his nephew1 ,devadatta1 his son's wife1 ,yasudhara1 and his grandson1 ,rahula1 have upon the old ,king ,suddhodana8 ,a4 ,it grieved him much and he complained to the ,buddha1 who then made it a rule of the ,order that no person should thenceforth be ordained without the consent of his parents if alive4 #ib4 ,q4 ,tell me about the fate of ,devadatta8 ,a4 ,he was a man of great intelligence and rapidly advanced in the knowledge of the ,dharma1 but being also extremely ambitious1 he came to envy and hate the ,buddha1 and at last plotted to kill him4 ,he also influenced ,ajatashatru1 son of ,king ,bimbisara1 to murder his noble father1 and to become his--,devadatta's--disciple4 #ic4 ,q4 ,did he do any injury to the ,buddha8 ,a4 ,not the least1 but the evil he plotted against him recoiled upon himself1 and he met with an awful death4 #id4 ,q4 ,for how many years was the ,buddha engaged in teaching8 ,a4 ,forty-five years1 during which time he preached a great many discourses4 ,his custom and that of his disciples was to travel and preach during the eight dry months1 but during the season of ,way--the rains--he and they would stop in the pansulas and viharas which had been built for them by various kings and other wealthy converts4 #ie4 ,q4 ,which were the most famous of these buildings8 ,a4 ,jetavanarama2 ,veluvanarama2 ,pubbarama2 ,nigrodharama and ,isipatanarama4 #if4 ,q4 ,what kind of people were converted by him and his disciples8 ,a4 ,people of all ranks1 nations and castes2 rajas and coolies1 rich and poor1 mighty and humble1 the illiterate and the most learned4 ,his doctrine was suited to all4 #ig4 ,q4 ,give some account of the decease of the ,buddha8 ,a4 ,in the forty-fifth season after his attaining ,buddhahood1 on the full-moon day of ,may1 knowing that his end was near1 he came at evening to ,kusinagara1 a place about one hundred and twenty miles from ,benares4 ,in the sala grove of the ,mallas1 the ,uparvartana of ,kusinagara1 between two sala trees1 he had his bedding spread with the head towards the north according to the ancient custom4 ,he lay upon it1 and with his mind perfectly clear1 gave his final instructions to his disciples and bade them farewell4 #ih4 ,q4 ,did he also make new converts in those last tours8 ,a4 ,yes1 a very important one1 a great ,brahmana pandit named ,subhadra4 ,he had also preached to the ,mallya princes and their followers4 #ii4 ,q4 ,at day-break what happened8 ,a4 ,he passed into the interior condition of ,samadhi and thence into ,nirvana4 #ajj4 ,q4 ,what were his last words to his disciples8 ,a4 ,bhikkhus1 he said1 ,i now impress it upon you1 the parts and powers of man must be dissolved4 ,work out your salvation with diligence4 #aja4 ,q4 ,what convincing proof have we that the ,buddha1 formerly ,prince ,siddhartha1 was a historical personage8 ,a4 ,his existence is apparently as clearly proved as that of any other character of ancient history4 #ajb4 ,q4 ,name some of the proofs8 ,a4 7#a7 ,the testimony of those who personally knew him4 7#b7 ,the discovery of places and the remains of buildings mentioned in the narrative of his time4 7#c7 ,the rock-inscriptions1 pillars and dagobas made in memory of him by sovereigns who were near enough to his time to be able to verify the story of his life4 7#d7 ,the unbroken existence of the ,sangha which he founded1 and their possession of the facts of his life transmitted from generation to generation from the beginning4 7#e7 ,the fact that in the very year of his death and at various times subsequently1 conventions and councils of the ,sangha were held1 for the verification of the actual teachings of the ,founder1 and the handing down of those verified teachings from teacher to pupil1 to the present day4 7#f7 ,after his cremation his relics were divided among eight kings and a stupa was erected over each portion4 ,the portion given to ,king ,ajatashatru1 and by him covered with a stupa at ,rajagrha1 was taken1 less than two centuries later1 by the ,emperor ,asoka and distributed throughout his ,empire4 ,he1 of course1 had ample means of knowing whether the relics were those of the ,buddha or not1 since they had been in charge of the royal house of ,patna from the beginning4 7#g7 ,many of the ,buddha's disciples1 being ,arhats and thus having control over their vital powers1 must have lived to great ages1 and there was nothing to have prevented two or three of them1 in succession to each other1 to have covered the whole period between the death of the ,buddha and the reign of ,asoka1 and thus to have enabled the latter to get from his contemporary every desired attestation of the fact of the ,buddha's life4#h 7#h7 ,the ,mahavansa1 the best authenticated ancient history known to us1 records the events of ,sinhalese history to the reign of ,king ,vijaya1 #edc ,b4,c4--almost the time of the ,buddha--and gives most particulars of his life1 as well as those of the ,emperor ,asoka and all other sovereigns related to ,buddhistic history4 #ajc4 ,q4 ,by what names of respect is the ,buddha called8 ,a4 ,sakyamuni 7the ,sakya ,sage72 ,sakya-,simha 7the ,sakyan ,lion72 ,sugata 7the ,happy ,one72 ,satthta 7the ,teacher72 ,jina 7the ,conqueror71 ,bhagavat 7the ,blessed ,one72 ,lokanatha 7the ,lord of the ,world72 ,sarvaja 7the ,omniscient ,one72 ,dharmaraja 7the ,king of ,truth72 ,tathagata 7the ,great ,being71 etc4 #a ,the word religion is most inappropriate to apply to ,buddhism which is not a religion1 but a moral philosophy1 as ,i have shown later on4 ,but1 by common usage the word has been applied to all groups of people who profess a special moral doctrine1 and is so employed by statisticians4 ,the ,sinhalese ,buddhists have never yet had any conception of what ,europeans imply in the etymological construction of the ,latin root of this term4 ,in their creed there is no such thing as a binding in the ,christian sense--a submission to or merging of self in a ,divine ,being4 ,agama is their vernacular word to express their relation to ,buddhism and the ,,buddha4 ,it is pure ,samskrt1 and means approach1 or coming2 and as ,buddha is enlightenment1 the compound word by which they indicate ,buddhism--,buddhagama--would be properly rendered as an approach or coming to enlightenment1 or possibly as a following of the ,doctrine of ,,sakyamuni4 ,the missionaries1 finding ,agama ready to their hand1 adopted it as the equivalent for religion2 and ,christianity is written by them ,christianagama1 whereas it should be ,christianibandhana1 for bandhana is the etymological equivalent for religion4 ,the name ,vibhajja vada--one who analyses--is another name given to a ,buddhist1 and ,advayavadi is a third4 ,with this explanation1 ,i continue to employ under protest the familiar word when speaking of ,buddhistic philosophy1 for the convenience of the ordinary reader4 #b ,see the definition of deva given later4 #c ,for an admirable account of this interview consult ,dr4 ,paul ,carus' ,gospel of ,buddha1 page #bj1 et seq4 #d ,the term ,hindu1 once a contemptuous term1 used by the ,musalmans to designate the people of ,sindh1 whom they conquered1 is now used in an ecclesiastical sense4 #e ,no reason is given in the canonical books for the choice of this side of the tree1 though an explanation is to be found in the popular legends upon which the books of ,bishop ,bigandet and other ,european commentators are based4 ,there are always certain influences coming upon us from the different quarters of the sky4 ,sometimes the influence from one quarter will be best1 sometimes that from another quarter4 ,but the ,buddha thought that the perfected man is superior to all extraneous influences4 #f ,the ancient story is that the ,god ,brahma himself implored him not to withhold the glorious truth4 #g ,brahmanism not being offered to non-,hindus1 ,buddhism is consequently1 the oldest missionary religion in the world4 ,the early missionaries endured every hardship1 cruelty1 and persecution1 with unfaltering courage4 #h ,at the ,second ,council there were two pupils of ,ananda1 consequently centenarians1 while in ,asoka's ,council there were pupils of those pupils4 ,,part ,,ii ,,the ,,dharma ,,or ,,doctrine #ajf4 ,q4 ,what is the meaning of the word ,buddha8 ,a4 ,the enlightened1 or he who has the perfect wisdom4 #ajg4 ,q4 ,you have said that there were other ,buddhas before this one8 ,a4 ,yes2 our belief is that1 under the operation of eternal causation1 a ,buddha takes birth at intervals1 when mankind have become plunged into misery through ignorance1 and need the wisdom which it is the function of a ,buddha to teach4 7,see also ,q4 #aa47 #ajh4 ,q4 ,how is a ,buddha developed8 ,a4 ,a person1 hearing and seeing one of the ,buddhas on earth1 becomes seized with the determination so to live that at some future time1 when he shall become fitted for it1 he also will be a ,buddha for the guiding of mankind out of the cycle of rebirth4 #aji4 ,q4 ,how does he proceed8 ,a4 ,throughout that birth and every succeeding one1 he strives to subdue his passions1 to gain wisdom by experience1 and to develop his higher faculties4 ,he thus grows by degrees wiser1 nobler in character1 and stronger in virtue1 until1 finally1 after numberless re-births he reaches the state when he can become ,perfected1 ,enlightened1 ,all-wise1 the ideal ,teacher of the human race4 #aaj4 ,q4 ,while this gradual development is going on throughout all these births1 by what name do we call him8 ,a4 ,bodhisat1 or ,bodhisattva4 ,thus the ,prince ,siddhartha ,gautama was a ,bodhisattva up to the moment when1 under the blessed ,bodhi tree at ,gaya1 he became ,buddha4 #aaa4 ,q4 ,have we any account of his various rebirths as a ,bodhisattva8 ,a4 ,in the ,jatakatthakatha1 a book containing stories of the ,bodhisattva's reincarnations1 there are several hundred tales of that kind4 #aab4 ,q4 ,what lesson do these stories teach8 ,a4 ,that a man can carry1 throughout a long series of reincarnations1 one great1 good purpose which enables him to conquer bad tendencies and develop virtuous ones4 #aac4 ,q4 ,can we fix the number of reincarnations through which a ,bodhisattva must pass before he can become a ,buddha8 ,a4 ,of course not3 that depends upon his natural character1 the state of development to which he has arrived when he forms the resolution to become a ,buddha1 and other things4 #aad4 ,q4 ,have we a way of classifying ,bodhisattvas8 ,if so1 explain it4 ,a4 ,bodhisattvas--the future ,buddhas--are divided into three classes4 #aae4 ,q4 ,proceed4 ,how are these three kinds of ,bodhisats named8 ,a4 ,pannadhika1 or ,udghatitaja--he who attains least quickly2 ,saddhadhika1 or ,vipachitaja--he who attains less quickly2 and ,viryadhika1 or ,gneyya--he who attains quickly4 ,the ,pannadhika ,bodhisats take the course of ,intelligence2 the ,saddhadhika take the course of ,faith2 the ,viryaahika take the course of energetic ,action4 ,the first is guided by ,intelligence and does not hasten2 the second is full of ,faith1 and does not care to take the guidance of ,wisdom2 and the third never delays to do what is good4 ,regardless of the consequences to himself1 he does it when he sees that it is best that it should be done4 #aaf4 ,q4 ,when our ,bodhisattva became ,buddha1 what did he see was the cause of human misery8 ,tell me in one word4 ,a4 ,ignorance 7,avidya74 #aag4 ,q4 ,can you tell me the remedy8 ,a4 ,to dispel ,ignorance and become wise 7,praja74 #aah4 ,q4 ,why does ignorance cause suffering8 ,a4 ,because it makes us prize what is not worth prizing1 grieve when we should not grieve1 consider real what is not real but only illusionary1 and pass our lives in the pursuit of worthless objects1 neglecting what is in reality most valuable4 #aai4 ,q4 ,and what is that which is most valuable8 ,a4 ,to know the whole secret of man's existence and destiny1 so that we may estimate at no more than their actual value this life and its relations2 and so that we may live in a way to ensure the greatest happiness and the least suffering for our fellow-men and ourselves4 #abj4 ,q4 ,what is the light that can dispel this ignorance of ours and remove all sorrows8 ,a4 ,the knowledge of the ,four ,noble ,truths1 as the ,buddha called them4 #aba4 ,q4 ,name these ,four ,noble ,truths8 ,a4 #a4 ,the miseries of evolutionary existence resulting in births and deaths1 life after life4 #b4 ,the cause productive of misery1 which is the selfish desire1 ever renewed1 of satisfying one's self1 without being able ever to secure that end4 #c4 ,the destruction of that desire1 or the estranging of one's self from it4 #d4 ,the means of obtaining this destruction of desire4 #abb4 ,q4 ,tell me some things that cause sorrow8 ,a4 ,birth1 decay1 illness1 death1 separation from objects we love1 association with those who are repugnant1 craving for what cannot be obtained4 #abc4 ,q4 ,do these differ with each individual8 ,a4 ,yes3 but all men suffer from them in degree4 #abd4 ,q4 ,how can we escape the sufferings which result from unsatisfied desires and ignorant cravings8 ,a4 ,by complete conquest over1 and destruction of1 this eager thirst for life and its pleasures1 which causes sorrow4 #abe4 ,q4 ,how may we gain such a conquest8 ,a4 ,by following the ,noble ,eight-fold ,path which the ,buddha discovered and pointed out4 #abf4 ,q4 ,what do you mean by that word3 what is this ,noble ,eight-fold ,path8 7,for the ,pali name see ,q4 #gi47 ,a4 ,the eight parts of this path are called angas4 ,they are3 #a4 ,right ,belief 7as to the law of ,causation1 or ,karma72 #b4 ,right ,thought2 #c4 ,right ,speech2 #d4 ,right ,action2 #e4 ,right ,means of ,livelihood2 #f4 ,right ,exertion2 #g4 ,right ,remembrance and ,self-discipline2 #h4 ,right ,concentration of ,thought4 ,the man who keeps these angas in mind and follows them will be free from sorrow and ultimately reach salvation4 #abg4 ,q4 ,can you give a better word for salvation8 ,a4 ,yes1 emancipation4 #abh4 ,q4 ,emancipation1 then1 from what8 ,a4 ,emancipation from the miseries of earthly existence and of rebirths1 all of which are due to ignorance and impure lusts and cravings4 #abi4 ,q4 ,and when this salvation or emancipation is attained1 what do we reach8 ,a4 ,,nirvana4 #acj4 ,q4 ,what is ,nirvana8 ,a4 ,a condition of total cessation of changes1 of perfect rest1 of the absence of desire and illusion and sorrow1 of the total obliteration of everything that goes to make up the physical man4 ,before reaching ,nirvana man is constantly being reborn2 when he reaches ,nirvana he is born no more4 #aca4 ,q4 ,where can be found a learned discussion of the word ,nirvana and a list of the other names by which the old ,pali writers attempt to define it8 ,a4 ,in the famous ,dictionary of the ,pali ,language1 by the late ,mr4 ,b4 ,o4 ,childers1 is a complete list4#a #acb4 ,q4 ,but some people imagine that ,nirvana is some sort of heavenly place1 a ,paradise4 ,does ,buddhism teach that8 ,a4 ,no4 ,when ,kutadanta asked the ,buddha ,where is ,nirvana1 he replied that it was wherever the precepts are obeyed4 #acc4 ,q4 ,what causes us to be reborn8 ,a4 ,the unsatisfied selfish desire 7,skt41 trshna2 ,pali1 tanha7 for things that belong to the state of personal existence in the material world4 ,this unquenched thirst for physical existence 7bhava7 is a force1 and has a creative power in itself so strong that it draws the being back into mundane life4 #acd4 ,q4 ,are our rebirths in any way affected by the nature of our unsatisfied desires8 ,a4 ,yes1 and by our individual merits or demerits4 #ace4 ,q4 ,does our merit or demerit control the state1 condition or form in which we shall be re-born8 ,a4 ,it does4 ,the broad rule is that if we have an excess of merit we shall be well and happily born the next time2 if an excess of demerit1 our next birth will be wretched and full of suffering4 #acf4 ,q4 ,one chief pillar of ,buddhistic doctrine is1 then1 the idea that every effect is the result of an actual cause1 is it not8 ,a4 ,it is2 of a cause either immediate or remote4 #acg4 ,q4 ,what do we call this causation8 ,a4 ,applied to individuals1 it is ,karma1 that is1 action4 ,it means that our own actions or deeds bring upon us whatever of joy or misery we experience4 #ach4 ,q4 ,can a bad man escape from the outworkings of his ,karma8 ,a4 ,the ,dhammapada says3 ,there exists no spot on the earth1 or in the sky1 or in the sea1 neither is there any in the mountain-clefts1 where an 7evil7 deed does not bring trouble 7to the doer74 #aci4 ,q4 ,can a good man escape8 ,a4 ,as the result of deeds of peculiar merit1 a man may attain certain advantages of place1 body1 environment and teaching in his next stage of progress1 which ward off the effects of bad ,karma and help his higher evolution4 #adj4 ,what are they called8 ,a4 ,gati ,sampatti1 ,upadhi ,sampatti1 ,kala ,sampatti and ,payoga ,sampatti4 #ada4 ,q4 ,is that consistent or inconsistent with common sense and the teachings of modern science8 ,a4 ,perfectly consistent3 there can be no doubt of it4 #adb4 ,q4 ,may all men become ,buddhas8 ,a4 ,it is not in the nature of every man to become a ,buddha2 for a ,buddha is developed only at long intervals of time1 and seemingly1 when the state of humanity absolutely requires such a teacher to show it the forgotten ,path to ,nirvana4 ,but every being may equally reach ,nirvana1 by conquering ,ignorance and gaining ,wisdom4 #adc4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism teach that man is reborn only upon our earth8 ,a4 ,as a general rule that would be the case1 until he had evolved beyond its level2 but the inhabited worlds are numberless4 ,the world upon which a person is to have his next birth1 as well as the nature of the rebirth itself1 is decided by the preponderance of the individual's merit or demerit4 ,in other words1 it will be controlled by his attractions1 as science would describe it2 or by his ,karma1 as we1 ,buddhists1 would say4 #add4 ,q4 ,are there worlds more perfectly developed1 and others less so than our ,earth8 ,a4 ,buddhism teaches that there are whole ,sakwalas1 or systems of worlds1 of various kinds1 higher and lower1 and also that the inhabitants of each world correspond in development with itself4 #ade4 ,q4 ,has not the ,buddha summed up his whole doctrine in one gatha1 or verse8 ,a4 ,yes4 #adf4 ,q4 ,repeat it8 ,a4 ,sabba papassa akaranm1 ,kusalassa upasampada ,sachitta pariyo dapanam-- ,etam ,buddhanusasanam4 ,to cease from all evil actions1 ,to generate all that is good1 ,to cleanse one's mind3 ,this is the constant advice of the ,buddhas4 #adg4 ,q4 ,have the first three of these lines any very striking characteristics8 ,a4 ,yes3 the first line embodies the whole spirit of the ,vinaya ,pitaka1 the second that of the ,sutta1 the third that of the ,abhidhamma4 ,they comprise only eight ,pali words1 yet1 as the dew-drop reflects the stars1 they sparkle with the spirit of all the ,buddha ,dharma4 #adh4 ,q4 ,do these precepts show that ,buddhism is an active or a passive religion8 ,a4 ,to cease from sin may be called passive1 but to get virtue and to cleanse one's own heart1 or mind1 are altogether active qualities4 ,buddha taught that we should not merely not be evil1 but that we should be positively good4 #adi4 ,q4 ,who or what are the ,three ,guides#b that a ,buddhist ,is supposed to follow8 ,a4 ,they are disclosed in the formula called the ,tisarana3 ,i follow ,buddha as my ,guide3 ,i follow the ,law as my ,guide3 ,i follow the ,order as my ,guide4 ,these three are1 in fact1 the ,buddha ,dharma4 #aej4 ,q4 ,what does he mean when repeating this formula8 ,a4 ,he means that he regards the ,buddha as his all-wise ,teacher1 ,friend and ,exemplar2 the ,law1 or ,doctrine1 as containing the essential and immutable principles of ,justice and ,truth and the path that leads to the realisation of perfect peace of mind on earth2 and the ,order as the teachers and exemplars of that excellent ,law taught by ,buddha4 #aea4 ,q4 ,but are not some of the members of this ,order men intellectually and morally inferior8 ,a4 ,yes2 but we are taught by the ,buddha that only those who diligently attend to the ,precepts1 discipline their minds1 and strive to attain or have attained one of the eight stages of holiness and perfection1 constitute his ,order4 ,it is expressly stated that the ,order referred to in the ,tisarana refers to the ,attha ,ariya ,puggala--the ,noble ,ones who have attained one of the eight stages of perfection4 ,the mere wearing of yellow robes1 or even ordination1 does not of itself make a man pure or wise or entitle him to reverence4 #aeb4 ,q4 ,then it is not such unworthy bhikkhus as they1 whom the true ,buddhist would lake as his guides8 ,a4 ,certainly not4 #aec4 ,q4 ,what are the five observances1 or universal precepts1 called the ,pacha ,sila1 which are imposed on the laity in general8 ,a4 ,they are included in the following formula11 which ,buddhists repeat publicly at the viharas 7temples73 ,i observe the precept to refrain from destroying the life of beings4 ,i observe the precept to refrain from stealing4 ,i observe the precept to abstain from unlawful sexual intercourse4#c ,i observe the precept to refrain from falsehood4 ,i observe the precept to abstain from using intoxicants4 #aed4 ,q4 ,what strikes the intelligent person on reading these ,silas8 ,a4 ,that one who observes them strictly must escape from every cause productive of human misery4 ,if we study history we shall find that it has all sprung from one or another of these causes4 #aee4 ,q4 ,in which ,silas is the far-seeing wisdom of the ,buddha most plainly shown8 ,a4 ,in the first1 third and fifth2 for the taking of life1 sensuality1 and the use of intoxicants1 cause at least ninety-five per cent of the sufferings among men4 #aef4 ,q4 ,what benefits does a man derive from the observance of these ,precepts8 ,a4 ,he is said to acquire more or less merit according to the manner and time of observing the precepts1 and the number observed2 that is1 if he observes only one precept1 violating the other four1 he acquires the merit of the observance of that precept only2 and the longer he keeps that precept the greater will be the merit4 ,he who keeps all the precepts inviolate will cause himself to have a higher and happier existence hereafter4 #aeg4 ,q4 ,what are the other observances which it is considered meritorious for the laity as such to undertake voluntarily to keep8 ,a4 ,the ,atthanga ,sila1 or the ,eightfold ,precept1 which embraces the five above enumerated 7omitting the word unlawful in the third71 with three additional2 viz43 ,i observe the precept to abstain from eating at an unseasonable time4 ,i observe the precept to abstain from dancing1 singing1 music and unbecoming shows1 and from the use of garlands1 scents1 perfumes1 cosmetics1 ointments1 and ornaments4 ,i observe the precept to abstain from using high and broad beds4 ,the seats and couches here referred to are those used by the worldly-minded for the sake of pleasure and sensual enjoyment4 ,the celibate should avoid these4 #aeh4 ,q4 ,how would a ,buddhist describe true merit8 ,a4 ,there is no great merit in any merely outward act2 all depends upon the inward motive that provokes the deed4 #aei4 ,q4 ,give an example8 ,a4 ,a rich man may expend lakhs of rupees in building dagobas or viharas1 in erecting statues of ,buddha1 in festivals and processions1 in feeding priests1 in giving alms to the poor1 or in planting trees1 digging tanks1 or constructing rest-houses by the roadside for travellers1 and yet have comparatively little merit if it be done for display1 or to hear himself praised by men1 or for any other selfish motives4 ,but he who does the least of these things with a kind motive1 such as love for his fellow-men1 gains great merit4 ,a good deed done with a bad motive benefits others1 but not the doer4 ,one who approves of a good deed when done by another shares in the merit1 if his sympathy is real1 not pretended4 ,the same rule applies to evil deeds4 #afj4 ,q4 ,but which is said to be the greatest of all meritorious actions8 ,a4 ,the ,dhammapada declares that the merit of disseminating the ,dharma1 the ,law of ,righteousness1 is greater than that of any other good work4 #afa4 ,q4 ,what books contain all the most excellent wisdom of the ,buddha's teachings8 ,a4 ,the three collections of books called ,tripitakas or ,three ,baskets4 #afb4 ,q4 ,what are the names of the three ,pitakas1 or groups of books8 ,a4 ,the ,vinaya ,pitaka1 the ,sutta ,pitaka and the ,abhidhamma ,pitaka4 #afc4 ,q4 ,what do they respectively contain8 ,a4 ,the first contains all that pertains to morality and the rules of discipline for the government of the ,sangha1 or ,order2 the second contains instructive discourses on ethics applicable to all2 the third explains the psychological teachings of the ,buddha1 including the twenty-four transcendental laws explanatory of the workings of ,nature4 #afd4 ,q4 ,do ,buddhists relieve these books to be inspired1 or revealed1 by a ,divine ,being8 ,a4 ,no2 but they revere them as containing all the parts of that most ,excellent ,law1 by the knowing of which man may break through the trammels of ,samsara4 #afe4 ,q4 ,in the whole text of the three ,pitakas how many words are there8 ,a4 ,dr4 ,rhys-,davids estimates them at #a1geb1hjj4 #aff4 ,q4 ,when were the ,pitakas first reduced to writing8 ,a4 ,in #hh-gf ,b4,c41 under the ,sinhalese ,king1 ,wattagamini1 or three hundred and thirty years after the ,paranirvana of the ,buddha4 #afg4 ,q4 ,have we reason to believe that all the discourses of the ,buddha are known to us8 ,a4 ,probably not1 and it would be strange if they were4 ,within the forty-five years of his public life he must have preached many hundreds of discourses4 ,of these1 in times of war and persecution1 many must have been lost1 many scattered to distant countries1 and many mutilated4 ,history says that enemies of the ,buddha ,dharma burnt piles of our books as high as a coco-nut tree4 #afh4 ,q4 ,do ,buddhists consider the ,buddha as one who by his own virtue can save us from the consequence of our individual sins8 ,a4 ,not at all4 ,man must emancipate himself4 ,until he does that he will continue being born over and over and over again--the victim of ignorance1 the slave of unquenched passions4 #afi4 ,q4 ,what1 then1 was the ,buddha to us1 and all other beings8 ,a4 ,an all-seeing1 all-wise ,counsellor2 one who discovered the safe path and pointed it out2 one who showed the cause of1 and the only cure for1 human suffering4 ,in pointing to the road1 in showing us how to escape dangers1 he became our ,guide4 ,he is to us like one leading a blind man across a narrow bridge over a swift and deep stream and so saving his life4 #agj4 ,q4 ,if we were to try to represent the whole spirit of the ,buddha's doctrine by one word1 which word should we choose8 ,a4 ,justice4 #aga4 ,q4 ,why8 ,a4 ,because it teaches that every man gets1 under the operations of unerring ,,karma1 exactly that reward or punishment which he has deserved1 no more and no less4 ,no good deed or bad deed1 however trifling1 and however secretly committed1 escapes the evenly-balanced scales of ,karma4 #agb4 ,q4 ,what is ,karma8#d ,a4 ,a causation operating on the moral1 as well as on the physical and other planes4 ,buddhists say there is no miracle in human affairs3 what a man sows that he must and will reap4 #agc4 ,q4 ,what other good words have been used to express the essence of ,buddhism8 ,a4 ,self-culture and universal love4 #agd4 ,q4 ,what doctrine ennobles ,buddhism1 and gives it its exalted place among the world's religions8 ,a4 ,that of ,mitta or ,maitreya--compassionate kindness4 ,the importance of this doctrine is moreover emphasised in the giving of the name ,maitri 7the ,compassionate ,one71 to the coming ,buddha4 #age4 ,q4 ,were all these points of ,doctrine that you have explained meditated upon by the ,buddha near the ,bo-tree8 ,a4 ,yes1 these and many more that may be read in the ,buddhist ,scriptures4 ,the entire system of ,buddhism came to his mind during the ,great ,enlightenment4 #agf4 ,q4 ,how long did the ,buddha remain near the ,bo-tree8 ,a4 ,forty-nine days4 #agg4 ,q4 ,what do we call the first discourse preached by the ,buddha--that which he addressed to his five former companions8 ,a4 ,the ,dhammacakka-ppavattana sutta--the ,sutra of the ,definition of the ,rule of ,doctrine4#e #agh4 ,q4 ,what subjects were treated by him in this discourse8 ,a4 ,the ,four ,noble ,truths1 and the ,noble ,eightfold ,path4 ,he condemned the extreme physical mortification of the ascetics1 on the one hand1 and the enjoyment of sensual pleasures on the other2 pointing out and recommending the ,noble ,eightfold ,path as the ,middle ,path4 #agi4 ,q4 ,did the ,buddha hold with idol-worship8 ,a4 ,he did not2 he opposed it4 ,the worship of gods1 demons1 trees1 etc41 was condemned by the ,buddha4 ,external worship is a fetter that one has to break if he is to advance higher4 #ahj4 ,q4 ,but1 do not ,buddhists make reverence before the statue of the ,buddha1 his relics1 and the monuments enshrining them8 ,a4 ,yes1 but not with the sentiment of the idolater4 #aha4 ,q4 ,what is the difference8 ,a4 ,our ,pagan brother not only takes his images as visible representations of his unseen ,god or gods1 but the refined idolater1 in worshipping1 considers that the idol contains in its substance a portion of the all-pervading divinity4 #ahb4 ,q4 ,what does the ,buddhist think8 ,a4 ,the ,buddhist reverences the ,buddha's statue and the other things you have mentioned1 only as mementoes of the greatest1 wisest1 most benevolent and compassionate man in this world-period 7,kalpa74 ,all races and people preserve1 treasure up1 and value the relics and mementoes of men and women who have been considered in any way great4 ,the ,buddha1 to us1 seems more to be revered and beloved than any one else1 by every human being who knows sorrow4 #ahc4 ,q4 ,has the ,buddha himself given us something definite upon this subject8 ,a4 ,certainly4 ,in the ,maha ,pari-,nirvana ,sutta he says that emancipation is attainable only by leading the ,holy life1 according to the ,noble ,eight-fold ,path1 not by eternal worship 7amisa puja71 nor by adoration of himself1 or of another1 or of any image4 #ahd4 ,q4 ,what was the ,buddha's estimate of ceremonialism8 ,a4 ,from the beginning1 he condemned the observance of ceremonies and other external practices1 which only tend to increase our spiritual blindness and our clinging to mere lifeless forms4 #ahe4 ,q4 ,what as to controversies8 ,a4 ,in numerous discourses he denounced this habit as most pernicious4 ,he prescribed penances for ,bhikkhus who waste time and weaken their higher intuitions in wrangling over theories and metaphysical subtleties4 #ahf4 ,q4 ,are charms1 incantations1 the observance of lucky hours and devil-dancing a part of ,buddhism8 ,a4 ,they are positively repugnant to its fundamental principles4 ,they are the surviving relics of fetishism and pantheistic and other foreign religions4 ,in the ,brahmajata ,sutta the ,buddha has categorically described these and other superstitions as ,pagan1 mean and spurious4#f #ahg4 ,q4 ,what striking contrasts are there between ,buddhism and what may be properly called religions8 ,a4 ,among others1 these3 ,it teaches the highest goodness without a creating ,god2 a continuity of life without adhering to the superstitious and selfish doctrine of an eternal1 metaphysical soul-substance that goes out of the body2 a happiness without an objective heaven2 a method of salvation without a vicarious ,saviour2 redemption by oneself as the ,redeemer1 and without rites1 prayers1 penances1 priests or intercessory saints2 and a summum bonum1 i4e41 ,nirvana1 attainable in this life and in this world by leading a pure1 unselfish life of wisdom and of compassion to all beings4 #ahh4 ,q4 ,specify the two main divisions of meditation1 i4e41 of the process by which one extinguishes passion and attains knowledge8 ,a4 ,samatha and ,vidarsama3 7#a7 the attenuation of passion by leading the holy life and by continued effort to subdue the senses2 7#b7 the attainment of supernormal wisdom by reflection3 each of which embraces twenty aspects1 but ,i need not here specify them4 #ahi4 ,q4 ,what are the four paths or stages of advancement that one may attain to8 ,a4 7#a7 ,sottapatti--the beginning or entering into which follows after one's clear perception of the ,four ,noble ,truths2 7#b7 ,sakardagami--the path of one who has so subjugated lust1 hatred and delusion that he need only return once to this world2 7#c7 ,anagami--the path of those who have so far conquered self that they need not return to this world2 7#d7 ,arhat--the path of the holy and worthy ,arhat1 who is not only free from the necessity of reincarnation1 but has capacitated himself to enjoy perfect wisdom1 boundless pity for the ignorant and suffering1 and measureless love for all beings4 #aij4 ,q4 ,does popular ,buddhism contain nothing but what is true1 and in accord with science8 ,a4 ,like every other religion that has existed many centuries1 it certainly now contains untruth mingled with truth2 ever gold is found mixed with dross4 ,the poetical imagination1 the zeal1 or the lingering superstition of ,buddhist devotees have1 in various ages1 and in various lands1 caused the noble principles of the ,buddha's moral doctrines to be coupled more or less with what might be removed to advantage4 #aia4 ,q4 ,when such perversions are discovered1 what should be the true ,buddhist's earnest desire8 ,a4 ,the true ,buddhist should be ever ready and anxious to see the false purged away from the true1 and to assist1 if he can4 ,three great ,councils of the ,sangha were held for the express purpose of purging the body of ,teachings from all corrupt interpolations4 #aib4 ,q4 ,when8 ,a4 ,the first1 at ,sattapanni cave1 just after the death of the ,buddha2 the second at ,valukarama1 in ,vaisali2 the third at ,asokarama ,vihara1 at ,pataliputra1 #bce years after ,buddha's decease4 #aic4 ,q4 ,in what discourse does the ,buddha himself warn us to expect this perversion of the true ,doctrine8 ,a4 ,in the ,sanyutta ,nikaya4 #aid4 ,q4 ,are there any dogmas in ,buddhism which we are required to accept on faith8 ,a4 ,no3 we are earnestly enjoined to accept nothing whatever on faith2 whether it be written in books1 handed down from our ancestors1 or taught by the sages4 #aie4 ,q4 ,did he himself really teach that noble rule8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,the ,buddha has said that we must not believe in a thing said merely because it is said2 nor in traditions because they have been handed down from antiquity2 nor rumours1 as such2 nor writings by sages1 merely because sages wrote them2 nor fancies that we may suspect to have been inspired in us by a ,deva 7that is1 in presumed spiritual inspiration72 nor from inferences drawn from some haphazard assumption we may have made2 nor because of what seems an analogical necessity2 nor on the mere authority of our own teachers or masters4 #aif4 ,q4 ,when1 then1 must we believe8 ,a4 ,we are to believe when the writing doctrine or saying is corroborated by our own reason and consciousness4 ,for this1 says he in concluding1 ,i taught you not to believe merely because you have heard1 but when you believed of your own consciousness1 then to act accordingly and abundantly4 7,see the ,kalama ,sutta of the ,anguttara ,nikaya1 and the ,maha ,pari ,nirvana ,sutta47 #aig4 ,q4 ,what does the ,buddha call himself8 ,a4 ,he says that he and the other ,buddhas are only preachers of truth who point out the way3 we ourselves must make the effort4 #aih4 ,q4 ,where is this said8 ,a4 ,in the ,dhammapada1 ,chapter xx4 #aii4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism countenance hypocrisy8 ,a4 ,the ,dhammapada says3 ,like a beautiful flower full of colour without scent the fine words of him who does not act accordingly are fruitless4 #bjj4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism teach us to return evil for evil8 ,a4 ,in the ,dhammapada the ,buddha said3 ,if a man foolishly does me wrong1 ,i will return to him the protection of my ungrudging love2 the more evil comes from him1 the more good shall go from me4 ,this is the path followed by the ,arhat4#g ,to return evil for evil is positively forbidden in ,buddhism4 #bja4 ,q4 ,does it encourage cruelty8 ,a4 ,no1 indeed4 ,in the ,five ,precepts and in many of his discourses1 the ,buddha teaches us to be merciful to all beings1 to try and make them happy1 to love them all1 to abstain from taking life1 or consenting to it1 or encouraging its being done4 #bjb4 ,q4 ,in which discourse is this stated8 ,a4 ,the ,dhammika ,sutta says3 ,let him 7the householder7 not destroy1 or cause to be destroyed1 any life at all1 or sanction the act of those who do so4 ,let him refrain from even hurting any creature4#h #bjc4 ,q4 ,does it approve of drunkenness8 ,a4 ,in his ,dhammika ,sutta we are warned against drinking liquors1 causing others to drink1 or sanctioning the acts of those who drink4#i #bjd4 ,q4 ,to what are we told that drunkenness leads8 ,a4 ,to demerit1 crime1 insanity1 and ignorance--which is the chief cause of rebirth4 #bje4 ,q4 ,what does ,buddhism teach about marriage8 ,a4 ,absolute chastity being a condition of full spiritual development1 is most highly commended2 but a marriage to one wife and fidelity to her is recognised as a kind of chastity4 ,polygamy was censured by the ,buddha as involving ignorance and promoting lust4 #bjf4 ,q4 ,in what discourse8 ,a4 ,the ,anguttara ,nikaya1 ,chapter iv1 #ee4 #bjg4 ,q4 ,what does it teach as to the duty of parents to children8 ,a4 ,they should restrain them from vice1 train them in virtue2 have them taught arts and sciences2 provide them with suitable wives and husbands1 and give them their inheritance4 #bjh4 ,q4 ,what is the duty of children8 ,a4 ,to support their parents when old or needy2 perform family duties incumbent on them2 guard their property2 make themselves worthy to be their heirs1 and when they are gone1 honour their memory4 #bji4 ,q4 ,what of pupils to the teacher8 ,a4 ,to show him respect2 minister to him2 obey him2 supply his wants2 attend to his instruction4 #baj4 ,q4 ,what of husband to wife8 ,a4 ,to cherish her2 treat her with respect and kindness2 be faithful to her2 cause her to be honoured by others2 provide her with suitable ornaments and clothes4 #baa4 ,q4 ,what of the wife to her husband8 ,a4 ,to show affection to him2 order her household aright2 be hospitable to guests2 be chaste2 be thrifty2 show skill and diligence in all things4 #bab4 ,q4 ,where are these precepts taught8 ,a4 ,in the ,sigalovada ,sutta4 #bac4 ,q4 ,do riches help a man to future happiness8 ,a4 ,the ,dhammapada says3 ,one is the road that leads to wealth1 another the road that leads to ,nirvana4 #bad4 ,q4 ,does that mean that no rich man can attain ,nirvana8 ,a4 ,that depends on which he loves most4 ,if he uses his wealth for the benefit of mankind--for the suffering1 the oppressed1 the ignorant--then his wealth aids him to acquire merit4 #bae4 ,q4 ,but if the contrary8 ,a4 ,but if he loves and greedily hoards money for the sake of its possession1 then it weakens his moral sense1 prompts him to crime1 brings curses upon him in this life1 and their effects are felt in the next birth4 #baf4 ,q4 ,what says the ,dhammapada about ignorance8 ,a4 ,that it is a taint worse than all taints that a man can put upon himself4 #bag4 ,q4 ,what does it say about uncharitableness towards others8 ,a4 ,that the fault of others is easily perceived1 but that of oneself difficult to perceive2 a man winnows his neighbour's faults like chaff1 but his own fault he hides1 as a cheat hides the bad die from the gambler4 #bah4 ,q4 ,what advice does the ,buddha give us as to man's duty to the poor8 ,a4 ,he says that a man's net income should be divided into four parts1 of which one should be devoted to philanthropic objects4 #bai4 ,q4 ,what five occupations are said to be low and base8 ,a4 ,selling liquor1 selling animals for slaughter1 selling poison1 selling murderous weapons1 and dealing in slaves4 #bbj4 ,q4 ,who are said to be incapable of progress in spirituality8 ,a4 ,the killers of father1 mother1 and holy ,arhats2 ,bhikkhus who sow discord in the ,sangha2 those who attempt to injure the person of a ,buddha2 those who hold extremely nihilistic views as to the future existence2 and those who are extremely sensual4 #aba4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism specify places or conditions of torment into which a bad man's ,karma draws him on leaving this life8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,they are3 ,sanjiva2 ,kalasutra2 ,sanghata2 ,raurava2 ,maha-,raurava ,tapa2 ,pratapa2 ,avichi4 #bbb4 ,q4 ,is the torment eternal8 ,a4 ,certainly not4 ,its duration depends on a man's ,karma4 #bbc4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism declare that non-believers in ,buddha will of necessity be damned for their unbelief8 ,a4 ,no2 by good deeds they may enjoy a limited term of happiness before being drawn into rebirth by their unexhausted tanha4 ,to escape rebirth1 one must tread the ,noble ,eight-fold ,path4 #bbd4 ,q4 ,what is the spiritual status of woman among ,buddhists8 ,a4 ,according to our religion they are on a footing of perfect equality with men4 ,woman1 says the ,buddha1 in the ,chullavedalla ,sutta1 may attain the highest path of holiness that is open to man--,arhatship4 #bbe4 ,q4 ,what does a modern critic say about the effect of ,buddhism on woman8 ,a4 ,that it has done more for the happiness and enfranchisement of woman than any other creed 7,sir ,lepel ,griffin74 #bbf4 ,q4 ,what did the ,buddha teach about caste8 ,a4 ,that one does not become of any caste1 whether ,pariah1 the lowest1 or ,brahmana the highest1 by birth1 but by deeds4 ,by deeds1 said ,he1 one becomes an outcast1 by deeds one becomes a ,brahmana 7,see ,vassala ,sutta74 #bbg4 ,q4 ,tell me a story to illustrate this8 ,a4 ,ananda1 passing by a well1 was thirsty and asked ,prakrti1 a girl of the ,matanga1 or ,pariah1 caste1 to give him water4 ,she said she was of such low caste that he would become contaminated by taking water from her hand4 ,but ,ananda replied3 ,i ask not for caste but for water2 and the ,matanga girl's heart was glad and she gave him to drink4 ,the ,buddha blessed her for it4 #bbh4 ,q4 ,what did the ,buddha say in ,vasala ,sutta about a man of the ,pariah ,sopaka caste8 ,a4 ,that by his merits he reached the highest fame2 that many ,khattiyas 7,kshattriyas7 and ,brahmanas went to serve him2 and that after death he was born in the ,brahma-world3 while there are many ,brahmanas who for their evil deeds are born in hell4 #bbi4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism teach the immortality of the soul8 ,a4 ,it considers soul to be a word used by the ignorant to express a false idea4 ,if everything is subject to change1 then man is included1 and every material part of him must change4 ,that which is subject to change is not permanent3 so there can be no immortal survival of a changeful thing4#aj #bcj4 ,q4 ,what is so objectionable in this word soul8 ,a4 ,the idea associated with it that man can be an entity separated from all other entities1 and from the existence of the whole of the ,universe4 ,this idea of separateness is unreasonable1 not provable by logic1 nor supported by science4 #bca4 ,q4 ,then there is no separate ,i1 nor can we say my this or that8 ,a4 ,exactly so4 #bcb4 ,q4 ,if the idea of a separate human soul is to be rejected1 what is it in man which gives him the impression of having a permanent personality8 ,a4 ,tanha1 or the unsatisfied desire for existence4 ,the being having done that for which he must be rewarded or punished in future1 and having ,tanha1 will have a rebirth through the influence of ,karma4 #bcc4 ,q4 ,what is it that is born8 ,a4 ,a new aggregation of ,skandhas1 or personality#aa caused by the last generative thought of the dying person4 #bcd4 ,q4 ,how many ,skandhas are there8 ,a4 ,five4 #bce4 ,q4 ,name the five ,skandhas8 ,a4 ,rupa1 ,vedana1 ,saa1 ,samkhara1 and ,viana4 #bcf4 ,q4 ,briefly explain what they are8 ,a4 ,rupa1 material qualities2 ,vedana1 sensation2 ,saa1 abstract ideas2 ,samkhara1 tendencies of mind2 ,viana1 mental powers1 or consciousness4 ,of these we are formed2 by them we are conscious of existence2 and through them communicate with the world about us4 #bcg4 ,q4 ,to what cause must we attribute the differences in the combination of the five ,skandhas which make every individual differ from every other individual8 ,a4 ,to the ripened ,karma of the individual in his preceding births4 #bch4 ,q4 ,what is the force of energy that is at work1 under the guidance of ,karma1 to produce the new being8 ,a4 ,tanha--the will to live4#ab #bci4 ,q4 ,upon what is the doctrine of rebirths founded8 ,a4 ,upon the perception that perfect justice1 equilibrium and adjustment are inherent in the universal system of ,nature4 ,buddhists do not believe that one life--even though it were extended to one hundred or five hundred years--is long enough for the reward or punishment of a man's deeds4 ,the great circle of rebirths will be more or less quickly run through according to the preponderating purity or impurity of the several lives of the individual4 #bdj4 ,q4 ,is this new aggregation of ,skandhas--this new personality--the same being as that in the previous birth1 whose ,tanha has brought it into existence8 ,a4 ,in one sense it is a new being2 in another it is not4 ,in ,pali it is--nacha so nacha ao which means not the same nor yet another4 ,during this life the ,skandhas are constantly changing2#ac and while the man ,a4 ,b41 of forty1 is identical1 as regards personality1 with the youth ,a4 ,b41 of eighteen1 yet1 by the continual waste and reparation of his body1 and change of mind and character1 he is a different being4 ,nevertheless1 the man in his old age justly reaps the reward of suffering consequent upon his thoughts and actions at every previous stage of his life4 ,so the new being of a rebirth1 being the same individuality as before1 but with a changed form1 or new aggregation of ,skandhas1 justly reaps the consequences of his actions and thoughts in the previous existence4 #bda4 ,q4 ,but the aged man remembers the incidents of his youth1 despite his being physically and mentally changed4 ,why1 then1 is not the recollection of past lives brought over by us from our last birth1 into the present birth8 ,a4 ,because memory is included within the ,skandhas2 and the ,skandhas having changed with the new reincarnation1 a new memory1 the record of of that particular existence1 develops4 ,yet the record or reflection of all the past earth-lives must survive2 for1 when ,prince ,siddhartha became ,buddha1 the full sequence of his previous births was seen by him4 ,if their several incidents had left no trace behind1 this could not have been so1 as there would have been nothing for him to see4 ,and any one who attains to the fourth state of ,dhyana 7psychical insight7 can thus retrospectively trace the line of his lives4 #bdb4 ,q4 ,what is the ultimate point towards which tend all these series of changes in form8 ,a4 ,nirvana4 #bdc4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism teach that we should do good with the view of reaching ,nirvana8 ,a4 ,no2 that would be as absolute selfishness as though the reward hoped for had been money1 a throne1 or any other sensual enjoyment4 ,nirvana cannot be so reached1 and the unwise speculator is foredoomed to disappointment4 #bdd4 ,q4 ,please make it a little clearer8 ,a4 ,nirvana is the synonym of unselfishness1 the entire surrender of selfhood to truth4 ,the ignorant man aspires to nirvanic happiness without the least idea of its nature4 ,absence of selfishness is ,nirvana4 ,doing good with the view to getting results1 or leading the holy life with the object of gaining heavenly happiness1 is not the ,noble ,life that the ,buddha enjoined4 ,without hope of reward the ,noble ,life should be lived1 and that is the highest life4 ,the nirvanic state can be attained while one is living on this earth4 #bde4 ,q4 ,name the ten great obstacles to advancement1 called ,sanyojanas1 the ,fetters8 ,a4 ,delusion of self 7,sakkaya-ditthi72 ,doubt 7,vicikiccha72 ,dependence on superstitious rites 7,silabbata-paramasa72 ,sensuality1 bodily passions 7,kama72 ,hatred1 ill-feeling 7,patigha72 ,love of life on earth 7,ruparaga72 ,desire for life in a heaven 7,aruparaga72 ,pride 7,mana72 ,self-righteousness 7,uddhacca72 ,ignorance 7,avijja74 #bdf4 ,q4 ,to become an ,arhat1 how many of these fetters must be broken8 ,a4 ,all4 #bdg4 ,q4 ,what are the five ,nirwaranas or ,hindrances8 ,a4 ,greed1 ,malice1 ,sloth1 ,pride1 and ,doubt4 #bdh4 ,q4 ,why do we see this minute division of feelings1 impulses1 workings of the mind1 obstacles and aids to advancement so much used in the ,buddha's teachings8 ,it is very confusing to a beginner4 ,a4 ,it is to help us to obtain knowledge of ourselves1 by training our minds to think out every subject in detail4 ,by following out this system of self-examination1 we come finally to acquire knowledge and see truth as it is4 ,this is the course taken by every wise teacher to help his pupil's mind to develop4 #bdi4 ,q4 ,how many of the ,buddha's disciples were specially renowned for their superior qualities8 ,a4 ,there are eighty so distinguished4 ,they are called the ,asiti ,maha ,savakas4 #bej4 ,q4 ,what did the ,buddha's wisdom embrace8 ,a4 ,he knew the nature of the ,knowable and the ,unknowable1 the ,possible and the ,impossible1 the cause of ,merit and ,demerit2 he could read the thoughts of all beings2 he knew the laws of ,nature1 the illusions of the senses and the means to suppress desires2 he could distinguish the birth and rebirth of individuals1 and other things4 #bea4 ,q4 ,what do we call the basic principle on which the whole of the ,buddha's teaching is constructed8 ,a4 ,it is called ,paticca ,samuppada4#ad #beb4 ,q4 ,is it easily grasped8 ,a4 ,it is most difficult2 in fact1 the full meaning and extent of it is beyond the capacity of such as are not perfectly developed4 #bec4 ,q4 ,what said the great commentator ,buddha ,ghosha about it8 ,a4 ,that even he was as helpless in this vast ocean of thought as one who is drifting on the ocean of waters4 #bed4 ,q4 ,then why should the ,buddha say1 in the ,parinibbana ,sutta1 that he has no such thing as the closed fist of a teacher1 who keeps something back8 ,if his whole teaching was open to every one's comprehension why should so great and learned a man as ,buddha ,ghosha declare it so hard to understand8 ,a4 ,the ,buddha evidently meant that he taught everything freely2 but equally certain is it that the real basis of the ,dharma can only be understood by him who has perfected his powers of comprehension4 ,it is1 therefore1 incomprehensible to common1 unenlightened persons4 #bee4 ,q4 ,how does the teaching of the ,buddha support this view8 ,a4 ,the ,buddha looked into the heart of each person1 and preached to suit the individual temperament and spiritual development of the hearer4 #a ,mr4 ,childers takes a highly pessimistic view of the ,nirvanic state1 regarding it as annihilation4 ,later students disagree with him4 #b ,saranam4 ,wijesinha ,mudaliar writes me3 ,this word has been hitherto very inappropriately and erroneously rendered ,refuge1 by ,european ,pali scholars1 and thoughtlessly so accepted by native ,pali scholars4 ,neither ,pali etymology nor ,buddhistic philosophy justifies the translation4 ,refuge1 in the sense of a fleeing back or a place of shelter1 is quite foreign to true ,buddhism1 which insists on every man working out his own emancipation4 ,the root ,sr in ,samskrt 7sara in ,pali7 means to move1 to go2 so that ,suranim would denote a moving1 or he or that which goes before or with another--a ,guide or ,helper4 ,i construe the passage thus3 ,gachchami1 ,i go1 ,buddham1 to ,buddha ,saranam1 as my ,guide4 ,the translation of the ,tisarana as the ,three ,refuges1 has given rise to much misapprehension1 and has been made by anti-,buddhists a fertile pretext for taunting ,buddhists with the absurdity of taking refuge in non-entities and believing in unrealities4 ,the term refuge is more applicable to ,nirvana1 of which ,saranam is a synonym4 ,the ,high ,priest ,sumangala also calls my attention to the fact that the ,pali root ,sara has the secondary meaning of killing1 or that which destroys4 ,buddham saranam gachchhami might thus be rendered ,i go to ,buddha1 the ,law1 and the ,order1 as the destroyers of my fears--the first by his preaching1 the second by its axiomatic truth1 the third by their various examples and precepts4 #c ,this qualified form refers1 of course1 to laymen who only profess to keep five precepts2 a ,bhikkhu must observe strict celibacy4 ,so1 also1 must the laic who binds himself to observe eight of the whole ten ,precepts for specified periods2 during these periods he must be celibate4 ,the five ,precepts were laid down by ,buddha for all people4 ,though one may not be a ,buddhist1 yet the five and eight ,precepts may profitably bo observed by all4 ,it is the taking of the ,three ,refuges that constitutes one a ,buddhist4 #d ,karma is defined as the sum total of a man's actions4 ,the law of ,cause and ,effect is called the ,patice a ,samuppada ,dhamma4 ,in the ,anguttara ,nikaya the ,buddha teaches that my action is my possession1 my action is my inheritance1 my action is the womb which bears me1 my action is my relative1 my action is my refuge4 #e ,after the appearance of the first edition1 ,i received from one of the ablest ,pali scholars of ,ceylon1 the late ,l4 ,corneille ,wijesinha1 ,esq41 ,mudaliar of ,matale1 what seems a better rendering of ,dhammacakka-ppavattana than the one previously given2 he makes it ,the ,establishment of the ,reign of ,law4 ,professor ,rhys-,davids prefers1 ,the ,foundation of the ,kingdom of ,righteousness4 ,mr4 ,wijesinha writes me3 ,you may use ',kingdom of ,righteousness1' too1 but it savours more of dogmatic theology than of philosophic ethics4 ,dhammacakkappavattana suttum is the discourse entitled ',the ,establishment of the ,reign of ,law'4 ,having shown this to the ,high ,priest1 ,i am happy to be able to say that he assents to ,mr4 ,wijesinha's rendering4 #f ,the mixing of these arts and practices with ,buddhism is a sign of deterioration4 ,their facts and phenomena are real and capable of scientific explanation4 ,they are embraced in the term magic1 but when resorted to1 for selfish purposes1 attract bad influences about one1 and impede spiritual advancement4 ,when employed for harmless and beneficent purposes1 such as healing the sick1 saving life1 etc41 the ,buddha permitted their use4 #g ,a ,buddhist ascetic who1 by a prescribed course of practice1 has attained to a superior state of spiritual and intellectual development4 ,arhats may be divided into the two general groups of the ,samathayanika and ,sukkha ,vipassaka4 ,the former have destroyed their passions1 and fully developed their intellectual capacity or mystical insight2 the latter have equally conquered passion1 but not acquired the superior mental powers4 ,the former can work phenomena1 the latter cannot4 ,the ,arhat of the former class1 when fully developed1 is no longer a prey to the delusions of the senses1 nor the slave of passion or mortal frailty4 ,he penetrates to the root of whatsoever subject his mind is applied to without following the slow processes of reasoning4 ,his self-conquest is complete2 and in place of the emotion and desire which vex and enthral the ordinary man1 he is lifted up into a condition which is best expressed in the term ,nirvanic4 ,there is in ,ceylon a popular misconception that the attainment of ,arhatship is now impossible2 that the ,buddha had himself prophesied that the power would die out in one millennium after his death4 ,this rumour--and the similar one that is everywhere heard in ,india1 viz41 that this being the dark cycle of the ,kali ,yuga1 the practice of ,yoga ,vidya1 or sublime spiritual science1 is impossible--,i ascribe to the ingenuity of those who should be as pure and 7to use a non-,buddhistic but very convenient term7 psychically wise as were their predecessors1 but are not1 and who therefore seek an excuse6 ,the ,buddha taught quite the contrary idea4 ,in the ,niga ,nikaya he said3 ,hear1 ,subbhadra6 ,the world will never be without ,arhats if the ascetics 7,bhikkhus7 in my congregations well and truly keep my precepts4 7,imeccha ,subhaddabhikkhu samma vihareiyum asunno loko ,arahantehiassa47 #h ,kolb1 in his ,history of ,culture1 says3 ,it is ,buddhism we have to thank for the sparing of prisoners of war1 who heretofore had been slain2 also for the discontinuance of the carrying away into captivity of the inhabitants of conquered lands4 #i ,the fifth ,sila has reference to the mere taking of intoxicants and stupefying drugs1 which leads ultimately to drunkenness4 #aj ,the soul here criticised is the equivalent of the ,greek psuche4 ,the word material covers other states of matter than that of the physical body4 #aa ,upon reflection1 ,i have substituted personality for individuality as written in the first edition4 ,the successive appearances upon one or many earths1 or descents into generation1 of the tanhaically-coherent parts 7,skandhas7 of a certain being are a succession of personalities4 ,in each birth the personality differs from that of the previous1 or next succeeding birth4 ,karma the deus ex machina1 masks 7or shall we say reflects87 itself1 now in the personality of a sage1 again as an artisan1 and so on throughout the string of births4 ,but though personalities ever shift1 the one line of life along which they are strung like beads1 runs unbroken1 it is ever that particular line1 never any other4 ,it is therefore individual--an individual vital undulation--which is careering through the objective side of ,nature1 under the impulse of ,karma and the creative direction of ,tanha and persists through many cyclic changes4 ,professor ,rhys-,davids calls that which passes from personality to personality along the individual chain1 character or doing4 ,since character is not a mere metaphysical abstraction1 but the sum of one's mental qualities and moral propensities1 would it not help to dispel what ,professor ,rhys-,davids calls the desperate expedient of a mystery 7,buddhism1 p4 #aja71 if we regarded the life-undulation as individuality and each of its series of natal manifestations as a separate personality8 ,we must have two words to distinguish between the concepts1 and ,i find none so clear and expressive as the two ,i have chosen4 ,the perfected individual1 ,buddhistically speaking1 is a ,buddha1 ,i should say2 for a ,buddha is but the rare flower of humanity1 without the least supernatural admixture4 ,and1 as countless generations--four asankhyyas and a hundred thousand cycles 7,fausboll and ,rhys-,david's ,buddhist ,birth ,stories1 ,no4 #ac7--;are required to develop a man into a ,buddha1 and the iron will to become one runs throughout all the successive births1 what shall we call that which thus wills and perseveres8 ,character1 or individuality8 ,an individuality1 but partly manifested in any one birth1 built up of fragments from all the births4 ,the denial of ,soul by ,buddha 7see ,sanyutta ,nikaya1 the ,sutta ,pitaka7 points to the prevalent delusive belief in an independent personality2 an entity1 which after one birth would go to a fixed place or state where1 as a perfect entity1 it could eternally enjoy or suffer4 ,and what he shows is that the ,i am ,i consciousness is1 as regards permanency1 logically impossible1 since its elementary constituents constantly change and the ,i of one birth differs from the ,i of every other birth4 ,but everything that ,i have found in ,buddhism accords with the theory of a gradual evolution of the perfected man--viz41 a ,buddha--through numberless natal experiences4 ,and in the consciousness of that individual who1 at the end of a given chain of births1 attains ,buddhahood1 or who succeeds in attaining the fourth stage of ,dhyana1 or mystic self-development1 in any of his births anterior to the final one1 the scenes of all these serial births are perceptible4 ,in the ,jatakat-thavannana--so well translated by ,professor ,rhys-,davids--an expression continually recurs which1 ,i think1 rather supports such an idea1 viz43 ,then the ,blessed ,one made manifest an occurrence hidden by change of birth1 or that which had been hidden by1 etc4 ,early ,buddhism then clearly held to a permanency of records in the ,akasha1 and the potential capacity of man to read the same when he has evolved to the stage of true individual enlightenment4 ,at death1 and in convulsions and trance1 the javana chitta is transferred to the object last created by the desires4 ,the will to live brings all thoughts into objectivity4 #ab ,the student may profitably consult ,schopenhauer in this connection4 ,arthur ,schopenhauer1 a modern ,german philosopher of the most eminent ability1 taught that the ,principle or ,radical1 of ,nature1 and of all her objects1 the human body included1 is1 intrinsically what we ourselves are the most conscious of in our own body1 viz41 ,will4 ,intellect is a secondary capacity of the primary will1 a function of the brain in which this will reflects itself as ,nature and object and body1 as in a mirror444 ,intellect is secondary1 but may lead1 in saints1 to a complete renunciation of will1 as far as it urges life and is then extinguished in ,nirvana 7,l4 ,a4 ,sanders in ,the ,theosophist for ,may #ahhb1 p4 #bac74 #ac ,physiologically speaking1 man's body is completely changed every seven years4 #ad ,this fundamental or basic principle may be designated in ,pali1 ,nidana--chain of causation or1 literally1 ,origination of dependence4 ,twelve ,nidanas are specified1 viz43 ,avijja--ignorance of the truth of natural religion2 ,samkhara--causal action1 karma2 ,viana--consciousness of personality1 the ,i am ,i2 ,nama rupa--name and form2 ,salayatana--six senses2 ,phassa--contact1 ,vedana--feeling1 ,tanha--desire for enjoyment2 ,upadana--clinging1 ,bhava--individualising existence2 ,jati--birth1 caste2 ,jara1 narana1 sokaparidesa1 dukkha1 domanassa1 upayasa--decay1 death1 grief1 lamentation1 despair4 ,,part ,,iii ,,the ,,sangha #bef4 ,q4 ,how do ,buddhist ,bhikkhus differ from the priests of other religions8 ,a4 ,in other religions the priests claim to be intercessors between men and ,god1 to help to obtain pardon of sins2 the ,buddhist ,bhikkhus do not acknowledge or expect anything from a divine power4 #beg4 ,q4 ,but why then was it worth while to create this ,order1 or ,brotherhood1 or ,society1 apart from the whole body of the people1 if they were not to do what other religious orders do8 ,a4 ,the object in view was to cause the most virtuous1 intelligent1 unselfish and spiritually-minded persons to withdraw from the social surroundings where their sensual and other selfish desires were naturally strengthened1 devote their lives to the acquisition of the highest wisdom1 and fit themselves to teach and guide others out of the pleasant path leading towards misery1 into the harder path that leads to true happiness and final liberation4 #beh4 ,q4 ,besides the ,eight1 what two additional observances are obligatory upon the ,bhikkhus8 ,a4 ,i observe the precept to abstain from dancing1 singing and unbecoming shows4 ,i observe the precept to abstain from receiving gold or silver4 ,the whole ,dasa1 or ,bhikkhu ,sila or ,ten ,precepts1 are binding on all ,bhikkhus and ,samaneras1 or novices1 but optional with lay devotees4 ,the ,atthanga ,sila are for those who aspire to higher stages beyond the heavenly regions1#a aspirants after ,nirvana4 #bei4 ,q4 ,are there separate ,rules and ,precepts for the guidance and discipline of the ,order8 ,a4 ,yes3 there are #bej1 but all come under the following four heads3 ,principal ,disciplinary ,rules ,patimokkha ,samvara ,sila74 ,observances for the repression of the senses 7,indriya ,samvara ,sila74 ,regulations for justly procuring and using food1 diet1 robes1 etc41 7,paccaya ,sannissita ,sila74 ,directions for leading an unblemished life 7,ajivapari ,suddha ,sila74 #bfj4 ,q4 ,enumerate some crimes and offences that ,bhikkhus are particularly prohibited from committing8 ,a4 ,real ,bhikkhus abstain from3 ,destroying the life of beings2 ,stealing2 ,false exhibition of occult powers to deceive anybody2 ,sexual intercourse2 ,falsehood2 ,the use of intoxicating liquors1 and eating at unseasonable times2 ,dancing1 singing1 and unbecoming shows2 ,using garlands1 scents1 perfumes1 etc42 ,using high and broad beds1 couches1 or seats2 receiving presents of gold1 silver1 raw grain and meat1 women1 and maidens1 slaves1 cattle1 elephants1 etc42 ,defaming2 ,using harsh and reproachful language2 ,idle talk2 ,reading and hearing fabulous stories and tales2 ,carrying messages to and from laymen2 ,buying and selling2 ,cheating1 bribing1 deception1 and fraud2 ,imprisoning1 plundering1 and threatening others2 ,the practice of certain specified magical arts and sciences1 such as fortune-telling1 astrological predictions1 palmistry1 and other sciences1 that go under the name of magic4 ,any of these would retard the progress of one who aimed at the attainment of ,nirvana4 #bfa4 ,q4 ,what are the duties of ,bhikkhus to the laity8 ,a4 ,generally1 to set them an example of the highest morality2 to teach and instruct them2 to preach and expound the ,law2 to recite the ,paritta 7comforting texts7 to the sick1 and publicly in times of public calamity1 when requested to do so2 and unceasingly to exhort the people to virtuous actions4 ,they should dissuade them from vice2 be compassionate and tender-hearted1 and seek to promote the welfare of all beings4 #bfb4 ,q4 ,what are the rules for admission into the ,order8 ,a4 ,the candidate is not often taken before his tenth year2 he must have the consent of his parents2 be free from leprosy1 boils1 consumption and fits2 be a free man2 have no debts2 and must not be a criminal or deformed or in the royal service4 #bfc4 ,q4 ,as a novice what is he called8 ,a4 ,samanera1 a pupil4#b #bfd4 ,q4 ,at what age can a ,samanera be ordained as ,sramana--monk8 ,a4 ,not before his twentieth year4 #bfe4 ,q4 ,when ready for ordination what happens8 ,a4 ,at a meeting of ,bhikkhus he is presented by a ,bhikkhu as his proposer1 who reports that he is qualified1 and the candidate says3 ,i ask the ,sangha1 ,reverend ,sirs1 for the ,upasampada 7ordination7 ceremony1 etc4 ,his introducer then recommends that he be admitted4 ,he is then accepted4 #bff4 ,q4 ,what then8 ,a4 ,he puts on the robes and repeats the ,three ,refuges ,tisarana7 and ,ten ,precepts 7,dasa ,sila47 #bfg4 ,q4 ,what are the two essentials to be observed8 ,a4 ,poverty and ,chastity4 ,a ,bhikkhu before ordination must possess eight things1 viz41 his robes1 a girdle for his loins1 a begging-bowl1 water-strainer1 razor1 needle1 fan1 sandals4 ,within limitations strictly specified in the ,vinaya1 he may hold certain other properties4 #bfh4 ,q4 ,what about the public confession of faults8 ,a4 ,once every fortnight1 a ,patimokka 7,disburdenment7 ceremony is performed1 when every ,bhikkhu confesses to the assembly such faults as he has committed and takes such penances as may be prescribed4 #bfi4 ,q4 ,what daily routine must he follow8 ,a4 ,he rises before daylight1 washes1 sweeps the vihara1 sweeps around the ,bo-tree that grows near every vihara1 brings the drinking-water for the day and filters it2 retires for meditation1 offers flowers before the dagoba1 or relic-mound1 or before the ,bo-tree2 then takes his begging-bowl and goes from house to house collecting food--which he must not ask for1 but receive in his bowl as given voluntarily by the householders4 ,he returns1 bathes his feet and eats1 after which he resumes meditation4 #bgj4 ,q4 ,must we believe that there is no merit in the offering of flowers 7mala puja7 as an act of worship8 ,a4 ,that act itself is without merit as a mere formality2 but if one offers a flower as the sweetest1 purest expression of heartfelt reverence for a holy being1 then1 indeed1 is the offering an act of ennobling worship4 #bga4 ,q4 ,what next does the ,bhikkhu do8 ,a4 ,he pursues his studies4 ,at sunset he again sweeps the sacred places1 lights a lamp1 listens to the instructions of his superior1 and confesses to him any fault he may have committed4 #bgb4 ,q4 ,upon what are his four earnest meditations 7,sati-patthana7 made8 ,a4 #a4 ,on the body1 ,kayanapassana4 #b4 ,on the feeling1 ,vedananupassana4 #c4 ,on the mind1 ,chittannpassana4 #d4 ,on the doctrine1 ,dhammanupassana4 #bgc4 ,q4 ,what is the aim of the four ,great ,efforts 7,sammappadhana78 ,a4 ,to suppress one's animal desires and grow in goodness4 #bgd4 ,q4 ,for the perception by the ,bhikkhu of the highest truth1 is reason said to be the best1 or intuition8 ,a4 ,intuition--a mental state in which any desired truth is instantaneously grasped4 #bge4 ,q4 ,and when can that development be reached8 ,a4 ,when one1 by the practice of ,jana1 comes to its fourth stage of unfolding4 #bgf4 ,q4 ,are we to believe that in the final stage of ,jana1 and in the condition called ,samadhi1 the mind is a blank and thought is arrested8 ,a4 ,quite the contrary4 ,it is then that one's consciousness is most intensely active1 and one's power to gain knowledge correspondingly vast4 #bgg4 ,q4 ,try to give me a simile8 ,a4 ,in the ordinary waking state one's view of knowledge is as limited as the sight of a man who walks on a road between high hills2 in the higher consciousness of ,jana and ,samadhi it is like the sight of the eagle poised in the upper sky and overlooking a whole country4 #bgh4 ,q4 ,what do our books say about the ,buddha's use of this faculty8 ,a4 ,they tell us that it was his custom1 every morning1 to glance over the world and1 by his divine 7clairvoyant7 sight1 see where there were persons ready to receive the truth4 ,he would then contrive1 if possible1 that it should reach them4 ,when persons visited him he would look into their minds1 read their secret motives1 and then preach to them according to their needs4 #a ,the ,upasaka and ,upasika observe these on the ,buddhist ,uposatha 7,sabbath7 days 7in ,skr4 ,upavasata74 ,they are the #hth1 #adth and #aeth days of each half lunar month4 #b ,the relationship to his ,guru1 or teacher1 is almost like that of godson to godfather among ,christians1 only more real1 for the teacher becomes father1 mother1 family and all to him4 ,,part ,,iv ,,the ,,rise ,,and ,,spread ,,of ,,buddhism #bgi4 ,q4 ,as regards the number its followers1 how does ,buddhism at this date compare with the other chief religions8 ,a4 ,the followers of the ,buddha ,dharma outnumber those of every other religion4 #bhj4 ,q4 ,what is the estimated number8 ,a4 ,about five hundred millions 7#e1jjj lakhs or #ejj crores73 this is five-thirteenths1 or not quite half1 of the estimated population of the globe4 #bha4 ,q4 ,have many great battles been fought and many countries conquered2 has much human blood been spilt to spread the ,buddha ,dharma8 ,a4 ,history does not record one of those cruelties and crimes as having been committed to propagate our religion4 ,so far as we know1 it has not caused the spilling of a drop of blood4 7,see footnote ante--,professor ,kolb's testimony47 #bhb4 ,q4 ,what1 then1 is the secret of its wonderful spread8 ,a4 ,it can be nothing else than its intrinsic excellence3 its self-evident basis of truth1 its sublime moral teaching1 and its sufficiency for all human needs4 #bhc4 ,q4 ,how has it been propagated8 ,a4 ,the ,buddha1 during the forty-five years of his life as a ,teacher1 travelled widely in ,india and preached the ,dharma4 ,he sent his wisest and best disciples to do the same throughout ,india4 #bhd4 ,q4 ,when did ,he send for his pioneer missionaries8 ,a4 ,on the full-moon day of the month ,wap 7,october74 #bhe4 ,q4 ,what did he tell them8 ,a4 ,he called them together and said3 ,go forth1 ,bhikkhus1 go and preach the law to the world4 ,work for the good of others as well as for your own4444 ,bear ye the glad tidings to every man4 ,let no two of you take the same way4 #bhf4 ,q4 ,how long before the ,christian era did this happen8 ,a4 ,about six centuries4 #bhg4 ,q4 ,what help did ,kings give8 ,a4 ,besides the lower classes1 great ,kings1 ,rajas and ,maharajas were converted and gave their influence to spread the religion4 #bhh4 ,q4 ,what about pilgrims8 ,a4 ,learned pilgrims came in different centuries to ,india and carried back with them books and teachings to their native lands4 ,so1 gradually1 whole nations forsook their own faiths and became ,buddhists4 #bhi4 ,q4 ,to whom1 more than to any other person1 is the world indebted for the permanent establishment of ,buddha's religion8 ,a4 ,to the ,emperor ,ashoka1 surnamed the ,great1 sometimes ,piyadasi1 sometimes ,dharmashoka4 ,he was the son of ,bindusara1 ,king of ,magadha1 arid grandson of ,chandragupta1 who drove the ,greeks out of ,india4 #bij4 ,q4 ,when did he reign8 ,a4 ,in the third century ,b4,c41 about two centuries after the ,buddha's time4 ,historians disagree as to his exact date1 but not very greatly4 #bia4 ,q4 ,what made him great8 ,a4 ,he was the most powerful monarch in ,indian history1 as warrior and as statesman2 but his noblest characteristics were his love of truth and justice1 tolerance of religious differences1 equity of government1 kindness to the sick1 to the poor1 and to animals4 ,his name is revered from ,siberia to ,ceylon4 #bib4 ,q4 ,was he born a ,buddhist8 ,a4 ,no1 he was converted in the tenth year after his anointment as ,king1 by ,nigrodha ,samanera1 an ,arhat4 #bic4 ,q4 ,what did he do for ,buddhism8 ,a4 ,he drove out bad ,bhikkhus1 encouraged good ones1 built monasteries and dagobas everywhere1 established gardens1 opened hospitals for men and animals1 convened a council at ,patna to revise and re-establish the ,dharma1 promoted female religious education1 and sent embassies to five ,greek kings1 his allies1 and to all the sovereigns of ,india1 to preach the doctrines of the ,buddha4 ,it was he who built the monuments at ,kapilavastu1 ,buddha ,gaya1 ,isipatana and ,kusinara1 our four chief places of pilgrimage1 besides thousands more4 #bid4 ,q4 ,what absolute proofs exist as to his noble character8 ,a4 ,within recent years there have been discovered1 in all parts of ,india1 fourteen ,edicts of his1 inscribed on living rocks1 and eight on pillars erected by his orders4 ,they fully prove him to have been one of the wisest and most high-minded sovereigns who ever lived4 #bi4e4 ,q4 ,what character do these inscriptions give to ,buddhism8 ,a4 ,they show it to be a religion of noble tolerance1 of universal brotherhood1 of righteousness and justice4 ,it has no taint of selfishness1 sectarianism or intolerance4 ,they have done more than anything else to win for it the respect in which it is now held by the great pandits of western countries4 #bif4 ,q4 ,what most precious gift did ,dharmashoka make to ,buddhism8 ,a4 ,he gave his beloved son1 ,mahinda1 and daughter1 ,sanghamitta1 to the ,order1 and sent them to ,ceylon to introduce the religion4 #big4 ,q4 ,is this fact recorded in the history of ,ceylon8 ,a4 ,yes1 it is all recorded in the ,mahavansa1 by the keepers of the royal records1 who were then living and saw the missionaries4 #bih4 ,q4 ,is there some proof of ,sanghamitta's mission still visible8 ,a4 ,yes2 she brought with her to ,ceylon a branch of the very ,bodhi tree under which the ,buddha sat when he became ,enlightened1 and it is still growing4 #bii4 ,q4 ,where8 ,a4 ,at ,annradhapura4 ,the history of it has been officially preserved to the present time4 ,planted in #cjf ,b4,c41 it is the oldest historical tree in the world4 #cjj4 ,q4 ,who was the reigning sovereign at that time8 ,a4 ,devanampiyatissa4 ,his consort1 ,queen ,anula1 had invited ,sanghamitta to come and establish the ,bhikkhuni branch of the ,order4 #cja4 ,q4 ,who came with ,sanghamitta8 ,a4 ,many other ,bhikkhunis4 ,she1 in due time1 admitted the ,queen and many of her ladies1 together with five hundred virgins1 into the ,order4 #cjb4 ,q4 ,can we trace the effects of the foreign work of the ,emperor ,ashoka's missionaries8 ,a4 ,his son and daughter introduced ,buddhism into ,ceylon3 his monks gave it to the whole of ,northern ,india1 to fourteen ,indian nations outside its boundaries1 and to five ,greek kings1 his allies1 with whom he made treaties to admit his religious preachers4 #cjc4 ,q4 ,can you name them8 ,a4 ,,antiochus of ,syria1 ,,ptolemy of ,egypt1 ,,antigonus of ,macedon1 ,,margas of ,cyrene1 and ,,alexander of ,epiros4 #cjd4 ,q4 ,where do we learn this8 ,a4 ,from the ,edicts themselves of ,ashoka the ,great1 inscribed by him on rocks and stone pillars1 which are still standing and can be seen by everybody who chooses to visit the places4 #cje4 ,q4 ,through what western religious brotherhoods did the ,buddha ,dharma mingle itself with western thought8 ,a4 ,through the sects of the ,therapeuts of ,egypt and the ,essenes of ,palestine4 #cjf4 ,q4 ,when were ,buddhist books first introduced into ,china8 ,a4 ,as early as the second or third century ,b4,c4 ,five of ,dharmashoka's monks are said--in the ,samanta ,pasadika and the ,sarattha ,dipani--two ,pali books--to have been sent to the five divisions of ,china4 #cjg4 ,q4 ,whence and when did it reach ,korea8 ,a4 ,from ,china1 in the year ,a4 ,d4 #cgb4 #cjh4 ,q4 ,whence and when did it reach ,japan8 ,a4 ,from ,korea1 in ,a4 ,d4 #eeb4 #cji4 ,q4 ,whence and when did it reach ,cochin ,china1 ,formosa1 ,java1 ,mongolia1 ,yorkand1 ,balk1 ,bokhara1 ,afghanistan and other ,central ,asian countries8 ,a4 ,apparently in the fourth and fifth centuries ,a4,d4 #caj4 ,q4 ,from ,ceylon1 whither and when did it spread8 ,a4 ,to ,burma1 in ,a4,d4 #dej1 and thence gradually into ,arakan1 ,kamboya and ,pegu4 ,in the seventh century 7,a4,d4 #fch7 it spread to ,siam1 where it is now1 as it has been always since then1 the ,state religion4 #caa4 ,q4 ,from ,kashmir1 where else did it spread besides to ,china8 ,a4 ,to ,nepal and ,tibet4 #cab4 ,q4 ,why is it that ,buddhism1 which was once the prevailing religion throughout ,india1 is now almost extinct there8 ,a4 ,buddhism was at first pure and noble1 the very teaching of the ,tathagata2 its ,sangha were virtuous and observed the ,precepts2 it won all hearts and spread joy through many nations1 as the morning light sends life through the flowers4 ,but after some centuries1 bad ,bhikkhus got ordination 7,upasampada7 the ,sangha became rich1 lazy1 and sensual1 the ,dharma was corrupted1 and the ,indian nation abandoned it4 #cac4 ,q4 ,did anything happen about the ninth or tenth century ,a4,d4 to hasten its downfall8 ,a4 ,yes4 #cad4 ,q4 ,anything besides the decay of spirituality1 the corruption of the ,sangha1 and the reaction of the populace from a higher ideal of man to unintelligent idolatry8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,it is said that the ,mussalmans invaded1 overran and conquered large areas of ,india2 everywhere doing their utmost to stamp out our religion4 #cae4 ,q4 ,what cruel acts are they charged with doing8 ,a4 ,they burnt1 pulled down or otherwise destroyed our viharas1 slaughtered our ,bhikkhus1 and consumed with fire our religious books4 #caf4 ,q4 ,was our literature completely destroyed in ,india8 ,a4 ,no4 ,many ,bhikkhus fled across the borders into ,tibet and other safe places of refuge1 carrying their books with them4 #cag4 ,q4 ,have any traces of these books been recently discovered8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,rai ,bhadur ,sarat ,chandra ,das1 ,c4,i4,e41 a noted ,bengali pandit1 saw hundreds of them in the vihara libraries of ,tibet1 brought copies of some of the most important back with him1 and is now employed by the ,government of ,india in editing and publishing them4 #cah4 ,q4 ,in which country have we reason to believe the sacred books of primitive ,buddhism have been best preserved and least corrupted8 ,a4 ,ceylon4 ,the ,encyclopaedia ,britannica says that in this island ,buddhism has1 for specified reasons1 retained almost its pristine purity to modern times4 #cai4 ,q4 ,has any revision of the text of the ,pitakas been made in modern times8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,a careful revision of the ,vinaya ,pitaka was made in ,ceylon in the year ,a4,d4 #ahge1 by a convention of the most learned ,bhikkhus1 under the presidency of ,h4 ,sumangala1 ,pradhana ,sthavira4 #cbj4 ,q4 ,has there been any friendly intercourse in the interest of ,buddhism between the peoples of the ,southern and those of the ,northern ,buddhist countries8 ,a4 ,in the year ,a4,d4 #ahia1 a successful attempt was made to get the ,pradhana ,nayakas of the two great divisions to agree to accept fourteen propositions as embodying fundamental ,buddhistic beliefs recognised and taught by both divisions4 ,these propositions1 drafted by ,colonel ,olcott1 were carefully translated into ,burmese1 ,sinhalese and ,japanese1 discussed one by one1 unanimously adopted and signed by the chief monks1 and published in ,january #ahib4 #cba4 ,q4 ,with what good result8 ,a4 ,as the result of the good understanding now existing1 a number of ,japanese bhikkhus and samaneras have been sent to ,ceylon and ,india to study ,pali and ,samskrt4 #cbb4 ,q4 ,are there signs that the ,buddha ,dharma is growing in favour in non-,buddhistic countries8#a ,a4 ,there are4 ,translations of our more valuable books are appearing1 many articles in reviews1 magazines and newspapers are being published1 and excellent original treatises by distinguished writers are coming from the press4 ,moreover1 ,buddhist and non-,buddhist lecturers are publicly discoursing on ,buddhism to large audiences in western countries4 ,the ,shin ,shu sect of ,japanese ,buddhists have actually opened missions at ,honolulu1 ,san ,francisco1 ,sacramento and other ,american places4 #cbc4 ,q4 ,what two leading ideas of ours are chiefly taking hold upon the western mind8 ,a4 ,those of ,karma and ,reincarnation4 ,the rapidity of their acceptance is very surprising4 #cbd4 ,q4 ,what is believed to be the explanation of this8 ,a4 ,their appeals to the natural instinct of justice1 and their evident reasonableness4 #a ,see ,appendix4 ,,part ,v ,,buddhism ,,and ,,science #cbe4 ,q4 ,has ,buddhism any right to be considered a scientific religion1 or may it be classified as a revealed one8 ,a4 ,most emphatically it is not a revealed religion4 ,the ,buddha did not so preach1 nor is it so understood4 ,on the contrary1 he gave it out as the statement of eternal truths1 which his predecessors had taught like himself4 #cbf4 ,q4 ,repeat again the name of the ,sutta1 in which the ,buddha tells us not to believe in an alleged revelation without testing it by one's reason and experience8 ,a4 ,the ,kalama ,sutta1 of the ,anguthara ,nikaya4 #cbg4 ,q4 ,do ,buddhists accept the theory that everything has been formed out of nothing by a ,creator8 ,a4 ,the ,buddha taught that two things are causeless1 viz41 ,akasha1 and ,nirvana4 ,everything has come ont of ,akasha1 in obedience to a law of motion inherent in it1 and1 after a certain existence1 passes away4 ,nothing ever came out of nothing4 ,we do not believe in miracles2 hence we deny creation1 and cannot conceive of a creation of something out of nothing4 ,nothing organic is eternal4 ,everything is in a state of constant flux1 and undergoing change and reformation1 keeping up the continuity according to the law of evolution4 #cbh4 ,q4 ,is ,buddhism opposed to education1 and to the study of science8 ,a4 ,quite the contrary3 in the ,sigalowada ,sutta in a discourse preached by the ,buddha1 ,he specified as one of the duties of a teacher that he should give his pupils instruction in science and lore4 ,the ,buddha's higher teachings are for the enlightened1 the wise1 and the thoughtful4 #cbi4 ,q4 ,can you show any further endorsement of ,buddhism by science8 ,a4 ,the ,buddha's doctrine teaches that there were many progenitors of the human race2 also that there is a principle of differentiation among men2 certain individuals have a greater capacity for the rapid attainment of ,wisdom and arrival at ,nirvana than others4 #ccj4 ,q4 ,any other8 ,a4 ,buddhism supports the teaching of the indestructibility of force4 #cca4 ,q4 ,should ,buddhism be called a chart of science or a code of morals8 ,a4 ,properly speaking1 a pure moral philosophy1 a system of ethics and transcendental metaphysics4 ,it is so eminently practical that the ,buddha kept silent when ,malunka asked about the origin of things4 #ccb4 ,q4 ,why did he do that8 ,a4 ,because he thought that our chief aim should be to see things as they exist around us and try to make them better1 not to waste time in intellectual speculations4 #ccc4 ,q4 ,what do ,buddhists say is the reason for the occasional birth of very good and wise children of bad parents1 and that of very bad ones of good parents8 ,a4 ,it is because of the respective ,karmas of children and parents2 each may have deserved that such unusual relationships should be formed in the present birth4 #ccd4 ,q4 ,is anything said about the body of the ,buddha giving out a bright light8 ,a4 ,yes1 there was a divine radiance sent forth from within by the power of his holiness4 #cce4 ,q4 ,what is it called in ,pali8 ,a4 ,buddharansi1 the ,buddha rays4 #ccf4 ,q4 ,how many colours could be seen in it8 ,a4 ,six1 linked in pairs4 #ccg4 ,q4 ,their names8 ,a4 ,nila1 ,pita1 ,lohita1 ,avadata1 ,mangasta1 ,prabhasvra4 #cch4 ,q4 ,did other persons emit such shining light8 ,a4 ,yes1 all ,arhats did and1 in fact1 the light shines stronger and brighter in proportion to the spiritual development of the person4 #cci4 ,q4 ,where do we see these colours represented8 ,a4 ,in all viharas where there are painted images of the ,buddha4 ,they are also seen in the stripes of the ,buddhist ,flag1 first made in ,ceylon but now widely adopted throughout ,buddhist countries4 #cdj4 ,q4 ,in which discourse does the ,buddha himself speak of this shining about him8 ,a4 ,in the ,maha-,parinibbana ,sutta1 ,ananda his favourite disciple1 noticing the great splendour which came from his ,master's body1 the ,buddha said that on two occasions this extraordinary shining occurs1 7a7 just after a ,tathagata gains the supreme insight1 and 7b7 on the night when he passes finally away4 #cda4 ,q4 ,where do we read of this great brightness being emitted from the body of another ,buddha8 ,a4 ,in the story of ,sumedha and ,dipankara ,buddha1 found in the ,nidanakatha of the ,jataka book1 or story of the reincarnations of the ,bodhisattva ,siddhartha ,gautama4 #cdb4 ,q4 ,how is it described8 ,a4 ,as a halo of a fathom's depth4 #cdc4 ,q4 ,what do the ,hindus call it8 ,a4 ,tejas2 its extended radiance they call ,prakasha4 #cdd4 ,q4 ,what do ,europeans call it now8 ,a4 ,the human aura4 #cde4 ,q4 ,what great scientist has proved the existence of this aura by carefully conducted experiments8 ,a4 ,the ,baron ,von ,reichenbach4 ,his experiments are fully described in his ,researches1 published in #ahdd-e4 ,dr4 ,baraduc1 of ,paris1 has1 quite recently1 photographed this light4 #cdf4 ,q4 ,is this bright aura a miracle or a natural phenomenon8 ,a4 ,natural4 ,it has been proved that not only all human beings but animals1 trees1 plants and even stones have it4 #cdg4 ,q4 ,what peculiarity has it in the case of a ,buddha or an ,arhat8 ,a4 ,it is immensely brighter and more extended than in cases of other beings and objects4 ,it is the evidence of their superior development in the power of ,iddhi4 ,the light has been seen coming from dagobas in ,ceylon where relics of the ,buddha are said to be enshrined4 #cdh4 ,q4 ,do people of other religions besides ,buddhism and ,hinduism also believe in this light8 ,a4 ,yes1 in all pictures of ,christian artists this light is represented as shining about the bodies of their holy personages4 ,the same belief is found to have existed in other religions4 #cdi4 ,q4 ,what historical incident supports the modern theory of hypnotic suggestion8 ,a4 ,that of ,chullapanthaka1 as told in the ,pali ,commentary on the ,dhammapada1 etc4 #cej4 ,q4 ,give me the facts4 ,a4 ,he was a bhikkhu who became an ,arhat4 ,on that very day the ,buddha sent a messenger to call him4 ,when the man reached the ,vihara1 he saw three hundred bhikkhus in one group1 each exactly like the others in every respect4 ,on his asking which was ,chullapanthaka1 every one of the three hundred figures replied3 ,i am ,chullapanthaka4 #cea4 ,q4 ,what did the messenger do8 ,a4 ,in his confusion he returned and reported to the ,buddha4 #ceb4 ,q4 ,what did the ,buddha then tell him8 ,a4 ,to return to the vihara and1 if the same thing happened1 to catch by the arm the first figure who said he was ,chullapanthaka and lead him to him4 ,the ,buddha knew that the new ,arhat would make this display of his acquired power to impress illusionary pictures of himself upon the messenger4 #cec4 ,q4 ,what is this power of illusion called in ,pali8 ,a4 ,manomaya ,iddhi4 #ced4 ,q4 ,were the illusionary copies of the ,arhat's person material8 ,were they composed of substance and could they have been felt and handled by the messenger8 ,a4 ,no2 they were pictures impressed by his thought and trained will-power upon the messenger's mind4 #cee4 ,q4 ,to what would you compare them8 ,a4 ,to a man's reflection in a mirror1 being exactly like him yet without solidity4 #cef4 ,q4 ,to make such an illusion on the messenger's mind1 what was necessary8 ,a4 ,that ,chullapanthaka should clearly conceive in his own mind his exact appearance1 and then impress that1 with as many duplicates or repetitions as he chose1 upon the sensitive brain of the messenger4 #ceg4 ,q4 ,what is this process now called8 ,a4 ,hypnotic suggestion4 #ceh4 ,q4 ,could any third party have also seen these illusionary figures8 ,a4 ,that would depend on the will of the ,arhat or hypnotiser4 #cei4 ,q4 ,what do you mean8 ,a4 ,supposing that fifty or five hundred persons were there1 instead of one1 the ,arhat could will that the illusion should be seen by all alike2 or1 if he chose1 he could will that the messenger should be the only one to see them4 #cfj4 ,q4 ,is this branch of science well known in our day8 ,a4 ,very well known2 it is familiar to all students of mesmerism and hypnotism4 #cfa4 ,q4 ,in what does our modern scientific belief support the theory of ,karma1 as taught in ,buddhism8 ,a4 ,modern scientists teach that every generation of men is heir to the consequences of the virtues and the vices of the preceding generation1 not in the mass1 as such1 but in every individual case4 ,every one of us1 according to ,buddhism1 gets a birth which represents the causes generated by him in an antecedent birth4 ,this is the idea of ,karma4 #cfb4 ,q4 ,what say the ,vasettha ,sutta about the causation in ,nature8 ,a4 ,it says3 ,the world exists by cause2 all things exist by cause1 all beings are bound by cause4 #cfc4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism teach the unchangeableness of the visible universe2 our earth1 the sun1 the moon1 the stars1 the mineral1 vegetable1 animal and human kingdoms8 ,a4 ,no4 ,it teaches that all are constantly changing1 and all must disappear in course of time4 #cfd4 ,q4 ,never to reappear8 ,a4 ,not so3 the principle of evolution1 guided by ,karma1 individual and collective1 will evolve another universe with its contents1 as our universe was evolved out of the ,akasha4 #cfe4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism admit that man has in his nature any latent powers for the production of phenomena commonly called miracles8 ,a4 ,yes2 but they are natural1 not supernatural4 ,they may be developed by a certain system which is laid down in our sacred books1 the ,visuddhi ,marga for instance4 #cff4 ,q4 ,what is this branch of science called8 ,a4 ,the ,pali name is ,iddhi-vidhanana4 #cfg4 ,q4 ,how many kinds are there8 ,a4 ,two3 ,bahira1 i4e41 one in which the phenomena-working power may be temporarily obtained by ascetic practices and also by resort to drugs1 the recitation of mantras 7charms71 or other extraneous aids2 and ,sasaniks1 that in which the power in question is acquired by interior self-development1 and covers all and more than the phenomena of ,laukika ,iddhi4 #cfh4 ,q4 ,what class of men enjoy these powers8 ,a4 ,they gradually develop in one which pursues a certain course of ascetic practice called ,dhyana4 #cfi4 ,q4 ,can this ,iddhi power be lost8#a ,a4 ,the ,bahira can be lost1 but the ,sasanika never1 when once acquired4 ,lokottara knowledge once obtained is never lost1 and it is by this knowledge only that the absolute condition of ,nirvana is known by the ,arhat4 ,and this knowledge can be got by following the noble life of the ,eightfold ,path4 #cgj4 ,q4 ,had ,buddha the ,lokottara ,iddhi8 ,a4 ,yes1 in perfection4 #cga4 ,q4 ,and his disciples also had it8 ,a4 ,yes1 some but not all equally2 the capacity for acquiring these occult powers varies with the individual4 #cgb4 ,q4 ,give examples8 ,a4 ,of all the disciples of the ,buddha1 ,mogallana was possessed of the most extraordinary powers for making phenomena1 while ,ananda could develop none during the twenty-five years in which he was the personal and intimate disciple of the ,buddha himself4 ,later he did1 as the ,buddha had foretold he would4 #cgc4 ,q4 ,does a man acquire these powers suddenly or gradually8 ,a4 ,normally1 they gradually develop themselves as the disciple progressively gains control over his lower nature in a series of births4#b #cgd4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism pretend that the miracle of raising those who are dead is possible8 ,a4 ,no4 ,the ,buddha teaches the contrary1 in that beautiful story of ,kisa ,gotami and the mustard-seed4 ,but when a person only seems to be dead but is not actually so1 resuscitation is possible4 #cge4 ,q4 ,give me an idea of these successive stages of the ,lokottara development in ,iddhi8 ,a4 ,there are six degrees attainable by ,arhats2 what is higher than them is to be reached only by a ,buddha4 #cgf4 ,q4 ,describe the six stages or degrees8 ,a4 ,we may divide them into two groups1 of three each4 ,the first to include 7#a7 ,progressive retrospection1 viz41 a gradually acquired power to look backward in time towards the origin of things2 7#b7 ,progressive foresight1 or power of prophecy2 7#c7 ,gradual extinction of desires and attachments to material things4 #cgg4 ,q4 ,what would the second group include8 ,a4 ,the same faculties1 but inimitably developed4 ,thus1 the full ,arhat possesses perfect retrospection1 perfect foresight1 and has absolutely extinguished the last trace of desire and selfish attractions4 #cgh4 ,q4 ,what are the four means for obtaining ,iddhi8 ,a4 ,the will1 its exertion1 mental development1 and discrimination between right and wrong4 #cgi4 ,q4 ,our ,scriptures relate hundreds of instances of phenomena produced by ,arhats3 what did you say was the name of this faculty or power8 ,a4 ,iddhi vidha4 ,one possessing this can1 by manipulating the forces of ,nature1 produce any wonderful phenomenon1 i4e41 make any scientific experiment he chooses4 #chj4 ,q4 ,did the ,buddha encourage displays of phenomena8 ,a4 ,no2 he expressly discouraged them as tending to create confusion in the minds of those who were not acquainted with the principles involved4 ,they also tempt their possessors to show them merely to gratify idle curiosity and their own vanity4 ,moreover1 similar phenomena can be shown by magicians and sorcerers learned in the ,laukika1 or the baser form of ,iddhi science4 ,all false pretensions to supernatural attainment by monks are among the unpardonable sins 7,tevijja ,sutta74 #cha4 ,q4 ,you spoke of a deva having appeared to the ,prince ,siddhartha under a variety of forms2 what do ,buddhists believe respecting races of elemental invisible beings having relations with mankind8 ,a4 ,they believe that there are such beings who inhabit worlds or spheres of their own4 ,the ,buddhist doctrine is that1 by interior self-development and conquest over his baser nature1 the ,arhat becomes superior to even the most formidable of the devas1 and may subject and control the lower orders4 #chb4 ,q4 ,how many kinds of devas are there8 ,a4 ,three3 ,kamavachara 7those who are still under the domination of the passions72 ,rupavachara 7a higher class1 which still retain an individual form73 ,arapavachara 7the highest in degree of purification1 who are devoid of material forms74 #chc4 ,q4 ,should we fear any of them8 ,a4 ,he who is pure and compassionate in heart and of a courageous mind need fear nothing3 no man1 god1 brahmarakkhas1 demon or deva1 can injure him1 but some have power to torment the impure1 as well as those who invite their approach4 #a ,sumangala ,sthavira explains to me that those transcendent powers are permanently possessed only by one who has subdued all the passions 7,klesa71 in other words1 an ,arhat4 ,the powers may be developed by a bad man and used for doing evil things1 but their activity is but brief1 the rebellious passions again dominate the sorcerer1 and he becomes at last their victim4 #b ,when the powers suddenly show themselves1 the inference is that the individual had developed himself in the next anterior birth4 ,we do not believe in eccentric breaks in natural law4 ,,appendix ,the following text of the fourteen items of belief which have been accepted as fundamental principles in both the ,southern and ,northern sections of ,buddhism1 by authoritative committees to whom they were submitted by me personally1 have so much historical importance that they are added to the present edition of ,,the ,,buddhist ,,catechism as an ,appendix4 ,it has very recently been reported to me by ,h4 ,e4 ,prince ,ouchtomsky1 the learned ,russian ,orientalist1 that having had the document translated to them1 the ,chief ,lamas of the great ,mongolian ,buddhist monasteries declared to him that they accept every one of the propositions as drafted1 with the one exception that the date of the ,buddha is by them believed to have been some thousands of years earlier than the one given by me4 ,this surprising fact had not hitherto come to my knowledge4 ,can it be that the ,mongolian ,sangha confuse the real epoch of ,sakya ,muni with that of his alleged next predecessor8 ,be this as it may1 it is a most encouraging fact that the whole ,buddhistic world may now be said to have united to the extent at least of these ,fourteen ,propositions4 ,h4 ,s4 ,o4 ,,fundamental ,,buddhistic ,,beliefs ,i ,buddhists are taught to show the same tolerance1 forbearance1 and brotherly love to all men1 without distinction2 and an unswerving kindness towards the members of the animal kingdom4 ,,ii ,the universe was evolved1 not created2 and its functions according to law1 not according to the caprice of any ,god4 ,,iii ,the truths upon which ,buddhism is founded are natural4 ,they have1 we believe1 been taught in successive kalpas1 or world-periods1 by certain illuminated beings called ,,buddhas1 the name ,,buddha meaning ,enlightened4 ,,iv ,the fourth ,teacher in the present kalpa was ,sakya ,muni1 or ,gautama ,buddha1 who was born in a ,royal family in ,india about #b1ejj years ago4 ,he is an historical personage and his name was ,siddhartha ,gautama4 ,v ,sakya ,muni taught that ignorance produces desire1 unsatisfied desire is the cause of rebirth1 and rebirth1 the cause of sorrow4 ,to get rid of sorrow1 therefore1 it is necessary to escape rebirth2 to escape rebirth1 it is necessary to extinguish desire2 and to extinguish desire1 it is necessary to destroy ignorance4 ,,vi ,ignorance fosters the belief that rebirth is a necessary thing4 ,when ignorance is destroyed the worthlessness of every such rebirth1 considered as an end in itself1 is perceived1 as well as the paramount need of adopting a course of life by which the necessity for such repeated rebirths can be abolished4 ,ignorance also begets the illusive and illogical idea that there is only one existence for man1 and the other illusion that this one life is followed by states of unchangeable pleasure or torment4 ,,vii ,the dispersion of all this ignorance can be attained by the persevering practice of an all-embracing altruism in conduct1 development of intelligence1 wisdom in thought1 and destruction of desire for the lower personal pleasures4 ,,viii ,the desire to live being the cause of rebirth1 when that is extinguished rebirths cease and the perfected individual attains by meditation that highest state of peace called ,nirvana4 ,,ix ,sakya ,muni taught that ignorance can be dispelled and sorrow removed by the knowledge of the four ,noble ,truths1 viz43 #a4 ,the miseries of existence2 #b4 ,the cause productive of misery1 which is the desire ever renewed of satisfying oneself without being able ever to secure that end2 #c4 ,the destruction of that desire1 or the estranging of oneself from it2 #d4 ,the means of obtaining this destruction of desire4 ,the means which he pointed out is called the ,noble ,eightfold ,path1 viz43 ,right ,belief2 ,right ,thought2 ,right ,speech2 ,right ,action2 ,right ,means of ,livelihood2 ,right ,exertion2 ,right ,remembrance2 ,right ,meditation4 ,x ,right ,meditation leads to spiritual enlightenment1 or the development of that ,buddha-like faculty which is latent in every man4 ,,xi ,the essence of ,buddhism1 as summed up by the ,tathagatha 7,buddha7 himself1 as3 ,to cease from all sin1 ,to get virtue1 ,to purify the heart4 ,,xii ,the universe is subject to a natural causation known as ,karma4 ,the merits and demerits of a being in past existences determine his condition in the present one4 ,each man1 therefore1 has prepared the causes of the effects which he now experiences4 ,,xiii ,the obstacles to the attainment of good karma may be removed by the observance of the following precepts1 which are embraced in the moral code of ,buddhism1 viz43 7#a7 ,kill not2 7#b7 ,steal not2 7#c7 ,indulge in no forbidden sexual pleasure2 7#d7 ,lie not2 7#e7 ,take no intoxication or stupefying drug or liquor4 ,five other precepts which need not be here enumerated should be observed by those who would attain1 more quickly than the average layman1 the release from misery and rebirth4 ,,xiv ,buddhism discourages superstitious credulity4 ,gautama ,buddha taught it to be the duty of a parent to have his child educated in science and literature4 ,he also taught that no one should believe what is spoken by any sage1 written in any book1 or affirmed by tradition1 unless it accord with reason4 ,drafted as a common platform upon which all ,buddhists can agree4 ,h4 ,s4 ,,olcott1 ,p4,t4,s4 ,respectfully submitted for the approval of the ,high ,priests of the nations which we severally represent1 in the ,buddhist ,conference held at ,adyar1 ,madras1 on the #hth1 #ith1 #ajth1 #aath1 and #abth of ,january1 #ahia 7,a4,b4 #bdcd74 ,japan 4 4 4 4 4 7 ,kozen ,gunaratana 7 ,chiezo ,tokuzawa ,burmah 4 4 4 4 4 ,u4 ,hmoay ,tha ,aung ,ceylon 4 4 4 4 4 ,dhammapala ,hevavitarana4 ,the ,maghs of ,chittagong 4 4 4 ,krshna ,chandra ,chowdry1 by his appointed ,proxy1 ,maung ,tha ,dwe4 ,,burmah ,approved on behalf of the ,buddhists of ,burmah1 this #crd day of ,february1 #ahia 7,a4 ,b4 #bdcd73 ,tha-tha-na-baing ,saydawgyi2 ,aung ,myi ,shwebon ,sayadaw2 ,me-ga-waddy ,sayadaw2 ,hmat-,khaya ,sayadaw2 ,hti-lin ,sayadaw2 ,myadaung ,sayadaw2 ,hla-,htwe ,sayadaw2 and sixteen others4 ,,ceylon ,approved on behalf of the ,buddhists of ,ceylon this #beth day of ,february1 #ahia 7,a4,b4 #bdcd72 ,mahannwara upawsatha pusparama viharadhipati ,hippola ,dhamma ,rakkhita ,sobhitabhidhana ,maha ,nayaka ,sthavirayan wahanse wamha4 7,hippola ,dhamma ,rakkhita ,sabhitabhidhana1 ,high ,priest of the ,malwatta ,vihare at ,kandy74 7,sd47 ,,hippola4 ,mahanuwara ,asgiri viharadhipati ,yatawatte ,chandajottyabhidhana ,maha ,nayaka ,sthavirayan wahanse wamha--7,yatawatte ,chandajottyabhidhana1 ,high ,priest of ,asgiri ,tihare at ,kandy74 7,sd47 ,,yatawatte ,hikkaduwe ,sri ,sumangala ,sripadasthane saha ,kolamba palate pradhana ,nayaka ,sthavirayo 7,hikkaduwe ,sri ,sumangala1 ,high ,priest of ,adam's ,peak and the ,district of ,colombo74 7,sd47 ,h4 ,,sumangala ,maligawe ,prachina ,pustakalayadhyakshaka ,suriyagoda ,sonuttara ,sthavirayo 7,suriyagoda ,sonuttara1 ,librarian of the ,oriental ,library at the ,temple of the ,tooth ,relic at ,kandy74 7,sd47 ,s4 ,,sonuttara ,sugata ,sasanadhaja ,vinaya chariya ,dhammalankarabhidhana ,nayaka ,sthavira4 7,sd47 ,w4 ,,dhammalankara ,pawara neruttika chariya ,maha ,vibhavi ,subhuti of ,waskaduwa4 7,sd47 ,w4 ,,subhuti ,,japan ,accepted as included within the body of ,northern ,buddhism4 ,shaku ,genyu 7,shingon ,shu7 ,fukuda ,nichiyo 7,nichiren 7 ,sanada ,seyko 7,zen 7 ,ito ,quan ,shyu 7 7 ,takehana ,hakuyo 7,jodo 7 ,kono ,rioshin 7,ji-,shu 7 ,kiro ,ki-ko 7,jodo ,seizan 7 ,harutani ,shinsho 7,tendai 7 ,manabe ,shun-myo 7,shingon 7 ,,chittagong ,accepted for the ,buddhists of ,chittagong4 ,nagawa ,parvata ,vihaaradhipati ,guna ,megu ,wini-,lankara1 ,harbing1 ,chittagong1 ,bengal4 ,,bibliography ,the ,buddhist ,catechism has been compiled from personal studies in ,ceylon1 and in part from the following works3 ,vinaya ,texts 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,davids and ,oldenberg4 ,buddhist ,literature in ,china 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,beal4 ,catena of ,buddhist ,scriptures 4 4 4 4 4 ,do4 ,buddhaghosa's ,parables 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,rogers4 ,buddhist ,birth ,stories 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,fausboll and ,davids4 ,legend of ,gautama 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,bigandet4 ,chinese ,buddhism 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,edkins4 ,kalpa ,sutra and ,nava ,patva 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,stevenson4 ,buddha and ,early ,buddhism 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,lillie4 ,sutta ,nipata 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,sir ,coomara ,swami4 ,nagananda 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,broyd4 ,kusa ,jataka 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,steele4 ,buddhism 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,rhys-,davids4 ,dhammapada 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,fausboll and ,max ,mller4 ,romantic ,history of ,buddha 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,beal4 ,udanavarga 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,rockhill4 ,twelve ,japanese ,buddhist ,sects 4 4 4 4 4 ,b4 ,nanjio4 ,the ,gospel of ,buddha 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,paul ,carus4 ,the ,dharma 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,do4 ,ancient ,india 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,r4 ,c4 ,dutt4 ,the ,sacred ,books of the ,east ,series 4 ,max ,mller's ,edition4 ,encyclopaedia ,britannica ,printed by ,annie ,besant ,vasanta ,press ,adyar ,madras 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,note3 the version of this book that follows contains many macron-ized characters1 vowels with a horizontal bar above them4 ,the macron indicates that the vowel is pronounced long1 e4g4 a-macron is pronounced as in way4 ,since these characters are ,unicode1 they cannot be displayed in a ,latin#a_/;,,iso-#hhei file4 ,they have been indicated as in the line below4 ,in the ,,utf#h version of this file1 the actual characters have been used4 ,the ,,html file uses entities to display the characters4 ,namo ,tassa ,bhagavato ,arahato ,samma ,sambuddhassa ,,the ,,buddhist ,,catechism ,,by ,,henry ,s4 ,,olcott ,,president-,,founder ,,of ,,the ,,theosophical ,,society ,approved and recommended for use in ,buddhist schools by ,h4 ,sumangala1 ,pradhana ,nayaka ,sthavira1 ,high ,priest of ,sripada and the ,western ,province and ,principal of the ,vidyodaya ,parivena ,,forty-,,fourth ,,edition4 7,corrected7 ,theosophical ,publishing ,house1 ,adyar1 ,madras ,,london ,,and ,,benares3 ,,theosophical ,,publishing ,,society #aiae ,,dedication ,in token of respect and affection ,i dedicate to my counsellor and friend of many years1 ,hikkaduwe ,sumangala1 ,pradhana ,nayaka ,sthavira and ,high ,priest of ,adam's ,peak 7,sripada7 and the ,western ,province1 ,,the ,,buddhist ,,catechism1 in its revised form4 ,h4 ,s4 ,,olcott ,adyar1 #aijc4 ,,contents ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,buddha ,,the ,,dharma ,,or ,,doctrine ,,the ,,sangha ,,the ,,rise ,,and ,,spread ,,of ,,buddhism ,,buddhism ,,and ,,science ,,appendix--,the ,fourteen ,propositions accepted by the ,northern and ,southern ,buddhists as a ,platform of ,unity ,,certificate ,,to ,,the ,,first ,,edition ,,vidyodaya ,,college1 ,colombo1 #gth ,july1 #ahha4 ,i hereby certify that ,i have carefully examined the ,sinhalese version of the ,catechism prepared by ,colonel ,h4 ,s4 ,olcott1 and that the same is in agreement with the ,canon of the ,southern ,buddhist ,church4 ,i recommend the work to teachers in ,buddhist schools1 mid to all others who may wish to impart information to beginners about the essential features of our religion4 ,h4 ,,sumangala1 ,high ,priest of ,sripada and ,galle1 and ,principal of the ,vidyodaya ,parivena4 ,,vidyodaya ,,college1 ,april #g1 #ahig4 ,i have gone over the thirty-third 7,english7 edition of the ,catechism1 with the help of interpreters1 and confirm my recommendation for its use in ,buddhist schools4 ,h4 ,,sumangala4 ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,thirty-,,third ,,edition ,in the working out of my original plan1 ,i have added more questions and answers in the text of each new ,english edition of the ,catechism1 leaving it to its translators to render them into whichever of the other vernaculars they may be working in4 ,the unpretending aim in view is to give so succinct and yet comprehensive a digest of ,buddhistic history1 ethics and philosophy as to enable beginners to understand and appreciate the noble ideal taught by the ,buddha1 and thus make it easier for them to follow out the ,dharma in its details4 ,in the present edition a great many new questions and answers have been introduced1 while the matter has been grouped within five categories1 viz43 7#a7 ,the ,life of the ,buddha2 7#b7 the ,doctrine2 7#c7 the ,sangha1 or monastic order2 7#d7 a brief history of ,buddhism1 its ,councils and propaganda2 7#e7 some reconciliation of ,buddhism with science4 ,this1 it is believed1 will largely increase the value of the little book1 and make it even more suitable for use in ,buddhist schools1 of which1 in ,ceylon1 over one hundred have already been opened by the ,sinhalese people under the general supervision of the ,theosophical ,society4 ,in preparing this edition ,i have received valuable help from some of my oldest and best qualified ,sinhalese colleagues4 ,the original edition was gone over with me word by word1 by that eminent scholar and bhikkhu1 ,h4 ,sumangala1 ,pradhana ,nayaka1 and the ,assistant ,principal of his ,pali ,college at ,colombo1 ,hyeyantuduve ,anunayaka ,terunnanse2 and the ,high ,priest has also kindly scrutinised the present revision and given me invaluable points to embody4 ,it has the merit1 therefore1 of being a fair presentation of the ,buddhism of the ,southern ,church1 chiefly derived from first-hand sources4 ,the ,catechism has been published in twenty languages1 mainly by ,buddhists1 for ,buddhists4 ,h4 ,s4 ,o4 ,,adyar1 #agth ,may1 #ahig4 ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,thirty-,,sixth ,,edition ,the popularity of this little work seems undiminished1 edition after edition being called for4 ,while the present one was in the press a second ,german edition1 re-translated by the learned ,dr4 ,erich ,bischoff1 was published at ,leipzig1 by the ,griebens ,co41 and a third translation into ,french1 by my old friend and colleague1 ,commandant ,d4 ,a4 ,courmes1 was being got ready at ,paris4 ,a fresh version in ,sinhalese is also preparing at ,colombo4 ,it is very gratifying to a declared ,buddhist like myself to read what so ripe a scholar as ,mr4 ,g4 ,r4 ,s4 ,mead1 author of ,fragments of of a ,faith ,forgotten1 ,pistis ,sophia1 and many other works on ,christian origins1 thinks of the value of the compilation4 ,he writes in the ,theosophical ,review3 ,it has been translated into no less than twenty different languages1 and may be said without the faintest risk of contradiction1 to have been the busiest instrument of ,buddhist propaganda for many a day in the annals of that long somnolent dharma4 ,the least that learned ,buddhists of ,ceylon can do to repay the debt of gratitude they owe to ,colonel ,olcott and other members of the ,theosophical ,society who have worked for them1 is to bestir themselves to throw some light on their own origins and doctrines4 ,i am afraid we shall have to wait long for this help to come from the ,buddhist bhikkhus1 almost the only learned men of ,ceylon2 at least ,i have not been able during an intimate intercourse of twenty-two years1 to arouse their zeal4 ,it has always seemed to me incongruous that an ,american1 making no claims at all to scholarship1 should be looked to by the ,sinhalese to help them teach the dharma to their children2 and as ,i believe ,i have said in an earlier edition1 ,i only consented to write ,,the ,,buddhist ,,catechism after ,i had found that no bhikkhu would undertake it4 ,whatever its demerits1 ,i can at least say that the work contains the essence of some #ae1jjj pages of ,buddhist teaching that ,i have read in connexion with my work4 ,h4 ,s4 ,o4 ,,adyar1 #gth ,february1 #aijc4 ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,fortieth ,,edition ,the popularity of this little work is proved by the constant demand for new editions1 in ,english and other languages4 ,in looking over the matter for the present edition1 ,i have found very little to change or to add1 for the work seems to present a very fair idea of the contents of ,southern ,buddhism2 and1 as my object is never to write an extended essay on the subject1 ,i resist the temptation to wander off into amplifications of details which1 however interesting to the student of comparative religion1 are useless in a rational scheme of elementary instruction4 ,the new ,sinhalese version 7#chth edition7 which is being prepared by my respected friend1 ,d4 ,b4 ,jayatilaka1 ,principal of ,ananda 7,buddhist7 ,college1 ,colombo1 is partly printed1 but cannot be completed until he is relieved of some of the pressure upon his time4 ,the ,tamil version 7#dast edition7 has been undertaken by the leaders of the ,pachama community of ,madras1 and will shortly issue from the press4 ,the ,spanish version 7#cith edition7 is in the hands of my friend1 ,seor ,xifr1 and the ,french one 7#cgth edition7 in those of ,commandant ,courmes4 ,so the work goes on1 and by this unpretending agency the teachings of the ,buddha ,dharma are being carried throughout the world4 ,h4 ,s4 ,o4 ,,adyar1 #gth ,january1 #aije4 ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,forty-,,second ,,edition ,the writer of this ,catechism has passed away from earth1 but1 before he left the body1 he had arranged with the ,high ,priest ,sumangala to make some small corrections in the text4 ,these are incorporated in the present edition by the ,high ,priest's wish1 expressed to me in ,colombo1 in ,november #aijg4 ,i have not altered the numbering of the questions1 as it might cause confusion in a class to change the numbers1 if some pupils had the older editions and some the new4 ,,adyar1 7 #agth ,february1 #aijh4 7 ,,annie ,,besant ,,the ,,buddhist ,,catechism ,,part ,i ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,buddha #a4 ,question4 ,of what religion#a are you8 ,answer4 ,the ,buddhist4 #b4 ,q4 ,what is ,buddhism8 ,a4 ,it is a body of teachings given out by the great personage known as the ,buddha4 #c4 ,q4 ,is ,buddhism the best name for this teaching8 ,a4 ,no2 that is only a western term3 the best name for it is ,bauddha ,dharma4 #d4 ,q4 ,would you call a person a ,buddhist who had merely been born of ,buddha parents8 ,a4 ,certainly not4 ,a ,buddhist is one who not only professes belief in the ,buddha as the noblest of ,teachers1 in the ,doctrine preached by ,him1 and in the ,brotherhood of ,arhats1 but practises ,his precepts in daily life4 #e4 ,q4 ,what is a male lay ,buddhist called8 ,a4 ,an ,upasaka4 #f4 ,q4 ,what a female8 ,a4 ,an ,upasika4 #g4 ,q4 ,when was this doctrine first preached8 ,a4 ,there is some disagreement as to the actual date1 but according to the ,sinhalese ,scriptures it was in the year #beac of the 7present7 ,kali-,yuga4 #h4 ,q4 ,give the important dates in the last birth of the ,founder8 ,a4 ,he was born under the constellation ,visa on a ,tuesday in ,may1 in the year #bdgh 7,k4,y472 he retired to the jungle in the year #bejf2 became ,buddha in #beac2 and1 passing out of the round of rebirths1 entered ,paranirvana in the year #beeh1 aged eighty years4 ,each of these events happened on a day of full moon1 so all are conjointly celebrated in the great festival of the full-moon of the month ,wesak 7,vaisakha71 corresponding to the month of ,may4 #i4 ,q4 ,was the ,buddha ,god8 ,a4 ,no4 ,buddha ,dharma teaches no divine incarnation4 #aj4 ,q4 ,was he a man8 ,a4 ,yes2 but the wisest1 noblest and most holy being1 who had developed himself in the course of countless births far beyond all other beings1 the previous ,,buddhas alone excepted4 #aa4 ,q4 ,were there other ,buddhas before him8 ,a4 ,yes2 as will be explained later on4 #ab4 ,q4 ,was ,buddha his name8 ,a4 ,no4 ,it is the name of a condition or state of mind1 of the mind after it has reached the culmination of development4 #ac4 ,q4 ,what is its meaning8 ,a4 ,enlightened2 or1 he who has the all-perfect wisdom4 ,the ,pali phrase is ,sabbannu1 the ,one of ,boundless ,knowledge4 ,in ,samskrt it is ,sarvaja4 #ad4 ,q4 ,what was the ,buddha's real name then8 ,a4 ,,siddh,a,,rtha was his royal name1 and ,,gautama1 or ,,gotama1 his family name4 ,he was ,prince of ,kapilavastu and belonged to the illustrious family of the ,okkaka1 of the ,solar race4 #ae4 ,q4 ,who were his father and mother8 ,a4 ,king ,suddhodana and ,queen ,maya1 called ,maha ,maya4 #af4 ,q4 ,what people did this ,king reign over8 ,a4 ,the ,sakyas2 an ,aryan tribe of ,kshattriyas4 #ag4 ,q4 ,where was ,kapilavastu8 ,a4 ,in ,india1 one hundred miles north-east of the ,city of ,benares1 and about forty miles from the ,himalaya mountains4 ,it is situated in the ,nepal ,terai4 ,the city is now in ruins4 #ah4 ,q4 ,on what river8 ,a4 ,the ,rohini1 now called the ,kohana4 #ai4 ,q4 ,tell me again when ,prince ,siddhartha was born8 ,a4 ,six hundred and twenty-three years before the ,christian era4 #bj4 ,q4 ,is the exact spot known8 ,a4 ,it is now identified beyond question4 ,an archaeologist in the service of the ,government of ,india has discovered in the jungle of the ,nepal ,terai a stone pillar erected by the mighty ,buddhist sovereign1 ,asoka1 to mark the very spot4 ,the place was known in those times as the ,lumbini ,garden4 #ba4 ,q4 ,had the ,prince luxuries and splendours like other ,princes8 ,a4 ,he had2 his father1 the ,king1 built him three magnificent palaces--for the three ,indian seasons--the cold1 the hot1 and the rainy--of nine1 five1 and three stories respectively1 and handsomely decorated4 #bb4 ,q4 ,how were they situated8 ,a4 ,around each palace were gardens of the most beautiful and fragrant flowers1 with fountains of spouting water1 the trees full of singing birds1 and peacocks strutting over the ground4 #bc4 ,q4 ,was he living alone8 ,a4 ,no2 in his sixteenth year he was married to the ,princess ,yasodhara1 daughter of the ,king ,suprabuddha4 ,many beautiful maidens1 skilled in dancing and music1 were also in continual attendance to amuse him4 #bd4 ,q4 ,how did he get his wife8 ,a4 ,in the ancient ,kshattriya or warrior fashion1 by overcoming all competitors in games and exercises of skill and prowess1 and then selecting ,yasodhara out of all the young princesses1 whose fathers had brought them to the tournament or mela4 #be4 ,q4 ,how1 amid all this luxury1 could a ,prince become all-wise8 ,a4 ,he had such natural wisdom that when but a child he seemed to understand all arts and sciences almost without study4 ,he had the best teachers1 but they could teach him nothing that he did not seem to comprehend immediately4 #bf4 ,q4 ,did he become ,buddha in his splendid palaces8 ,a4 ,no4 ,he left all and went alone into the jungle4 #bg4 ,q4 ,why did he do this8 ,a4 ,to discover the cause of our sufferings and the way to escape from them4 #bh4 ,q4 ,was it not selfishness that made him do this8 ,a4 ,no2 it was boundless love for all beings that made him devote himself to their good4 #bi4 ,q4 ,but how did he acquire this boundless love8 ,a4 ,throughout numberless births and aeons of years he had been cultivating this love1 with the unfaltering determination to become a ,buddha4 #cj4 ,q4 ,what did he this time relinquish8 ,a4 ,his beautiful palaces1 his riches1 luxuries and pleasures1 his soft beds1 fine dresses1 rich food1 and his kingdom2 he even left his beloved wife and only son1 ,rahula4 #ca4 ,q4 ,did any other man ever sacrifice so much for our sake8 ,a4 ,not one in this present world-period3 this is why ,buddhists so love him1 and why good ,buddhists try to be like him4 #cb4 ,q4 ,but have not many men given up all earthly blessings1 and even life itself1 for the sake of their fellow-men8 ,a4 ,certainly4 ,but we believe that this surpassing unselfishness and love for humanity showed themselves in his renouncing the bliss of ,nirvana countless ages ago1 when he was born as the ,brahmana ,sumedha1 in the time of ,dipankara ,buddha3 he had then reached the stage where he might have entered ,nirvana1 had he not loved mankind more than himself4 ,this renunciation implied his voluntarily enduring the miseries of earthly lives until he became ,buddha1 for the sake of teaching all beings the way to emancipation and to give rest to the world4 #cc4 ,q4 ,how old was he when he went to the jungle8 ,a4 ,he was in his twenty-ninth year4 #cd4 ,q4 ,what finally determined him to leave all that men usually love so much and go to the jungle8 ,a4 ,a ,deva#b appeared to him when driving out in his chariot1 under four impressive forms1 on four different occasions4 #ce4 ,q4 ,what were these different forms8 ,a4 ,those of a very old man broken down by age1 of a sick man1 of a decaying corpse1 and of a dignified hermit4 #cf4 ,q4 ,did he alone see these8 ,a4 ,no1 his attendant1 ,channa1 also saw them4 #cg4 ,q4 ,why should these sights1 so familiar to everybody1 have caused him to go to the jungle8 ,a4 ,we often see such sights3 he had not seen them1 so they made a deep impression on his mind4 #ch4 ,q4 ,why had he not also seen them8 ,a4 ,the ,brahmana astrologers had foretold at his birth that he would one day resign his kingdom and1 become a ,,buddha4 ,the ,king1 his father1 not wishing to lose an heir to his kingdom1 had carefully prevented his seeing any sights that might suggest to him human misery and death4 ,no one was allowed even to speak of such things to the ,prince4 ,he was almost like a prisoner in his lovely palaces and flower gardens4 ,they were surrounded by high walls1 and inside everything was made as beautiful as possible1 so that he might not wish to go and see the sorrow and distress that are in the world4 #ci4 ,q4 ,was he so kind-hearted that the ,king feared he might really wish to leave everything for the world's sake8 ,a4 ,yes2 he seems to have felt for all beings so strong a pity and love as that4 #dj4 ,q4 ,and how did he expect to learn the cause of sorrow in the jungle8 ,a4 ,by removing far away from all that could prevent his thinking deeply of the causes of sorrow and the nature of man4 #da4 ,q4 ,how did he escape from the palace8 ,a4 ,one night1 when all were asleep1 he arose1 took a last look at his sleeping wife and infant son2 called ,channa1 mounted his favourite white horse ,kanthaka1 and rode to the palace gate4 ,the ,devas had thrown a deep sleep upon the ,king's guard who watched the gate1 so that they could not hear the noise of the horse's hoofs4 #db4 ,q4 ,but the gate was locked1 was it not8 ,a4 ,yes2 but the ,devas caused it to open without the slightest noise1 and he rode away into the darkness4 #dc4 ,q4 ,whither did he go8 ,a4 ,to the river ,anoma1 a long way from ,kapilavastu4 #dd4 ,q4 ,what did he then do8 ,a4 ,he sprang from his horse1 cut off his beautiful hair with his sword1 put on the yellow dress of an ascetic1 and giving his ornaments and horse to ,channa1 ordered him to take them back to his father1 the ,king4 #de4 ,q4 ,what then8 ,a4 ,he went afoot towards ,rajagrha1 the capital city of ,king ,bimbisara1 of ,magadha4 #df4 ,q4 ,who visited him there8 ,a4 ,the ,king with his whole ,court4#c #df;a4 ,q4 ,thence whither did he go8 ,a4 ,to ,uruvela1 near the present ,mahabodhi ,temple at ,buddha ,gaya4 #dg4 ,q4 ,why did he go there8 ,a4 ,in the forests were hermits--very wise men1 whose pupil he afterwards became1 in the hope of finding the knowledge of which he was in search4 #dh4 ,q4 ,of what religion were they8 ,a4 ,the ,hindu religion3 they were ,brahmanas4#d #di4 ,q4 ,what did they teach8 ,a4 ,that by severe penances and torture of the body a man may acquire perfect wisdom4 #ej4 ,q4 ,did the ,prince find this to be so8 ,a4 ,no2 he learned their systems and practised all their penances1 but he could not thus discover the cause of human sorrow and the way to absolute emancipation4 #ea4 ,q4 ,what did he then do8 ,a4 ,he went away into the forest near ,uruvela1 and spent six years in deep meditation1 undergoing the severest discipline in mortifying his body4 #eb4 ,q4 ,was he alone8 ,a4 ,no2 five ,brahman companions attended him4 #ec4 ,q4 ,what were their names8 ,a4 ,kondaa1 ,bhaddiya1 ,vappa1 ,mahanama1 and ,assaji4 #ed4 ,q4 ,what plan of discipline did he adopt to open his mind to know the whole truth8 ,a4 ,he sat and meditated1 concentrating his mind upon the higher problems of life1 and shutting out from his sight and hearing all that was likely to interrupt his inward reflections4 #ee4 ,q4 ,did he fast8 ,a4 ,yes1 through the whole period4 ,he took less and less food and water until1 it is said1 he ate scarcely more than one grain of rice or of sesamum seed each day4 #ef4 ,q4 ,did this give him the wisdom he longed for8 ,a4 ,no4 ,he grew thinner and thinner in body and fainter in strength until1 one day1 as he was slowly walking about and meditating1 his vital force suddenly left him and he fell to the ground unconscious4 #eg4 ,q4 ,what did his companions think of that8 ,a4 ,they fancied he was dead2 but after a time he revived4 #eh4 ,q4 ,what then8 ,a4 ,the thought came to him that knowledge could never be reached by mere fasting or bodily suffering1 but must be gained by the opening of the mind4 ,he had just barely escaped death from self-starvation1 yet had not obtained the ,perfect ,wisdom4 ,so he decided to eat1 that he might live at least long enough to become wise4 #ei4 ,q4 ,who gave him food8 ,a4 ,he received food from ,sujata1 a nobleman's daughter1 who saw him sitting at the foot of a nyagrodha 7banyan7 tree4 ,he arose1 took his alms-bowl1 bathed in the river ,nerajara1 ate the food1 and went into the jungle4 #fj4 ,q4 ,what did he do there8 ,a4 ,having formed his determination after these reflections1 he went at evening to the ,bodhi1 or ,asvattha tree1 where the present ,mahabodhi ,temple stands4 #fa4 ,q4 ,what did he do there8 ,a4 ,he determined not to leave the spot until he attained perfect wisdom4 #fb4 ,q4 ,at which side of the tree did he seat himself8 ,a4 ,the side facing the east4#e #fc4 ,q4 ,what did he obtain that night8 ,a4 ,the knowledge of his previous births1 of the causes of rebirths1 and of the way to extinguish desires4 ,just before the break of the next day his mind was entirely opened1 like the full-blown lotus flower2 the light of supreme knowledge1 or the ,four ,truths1 poured in upon him4 ,he had become ,,buddha--the ,enlightened1 the all-knowing--the ,sarvaja4 #fd4 ,q4 ,had he at last discovered the cause of human misery8 ,a4 ,at last he had4 ,as the light of the morning sun chases away the darkness of night1 and reveals to sight the trees1 fields1 rocks1 seas1 rivers1 animals1 men and all things1 so the full light of knowledge rose in his mind1 and he saw at one glance the causes of human suffering and the way to escape from them4 #fe4 ,q4 ,had he great struggles before gaining this perfect wisdom8 ,a4 ,yes1 mighty and terrible struggles4 ,he had to conquer in his body all those natural defects and human appetites and desires that prevent our seeing the truth4 ,he had to overcome all the bad influences of the sinful world around him4 ,like a soldier fighting desperately in battle against many enemies1 he struggled3 like a hero who conquers1 he gained his object1 and the secret of human misery was discovered4 #ff4 ,q4 ,what use did he make of the knowledge thus gained8 ,a4 ,at first he was reluctant to teach it to the people at large4 #fg4 ,q4 ,why8 ,a4 ,because of its profound importance and sublimity4 ,he feared that but few people would understand it4 #fh4 ,q4 ,what made him alter this view8#f ,a4 ,he saw that it was his duty to teach what he had learnt as clearly and simply as possible1 and trust to the truth impressing itself upon the popular mind in proportion to each one's individual ,karma4 ,it was the only way of salvation1 and every being had an equal right to have it pointed out to him4 ,so he determined to begin with his five late companions1 who had abandoned him when he broke his fast4 #fi4 ,q4 ,where did he find them8 ,a4 ,in the deer-park at ,isipatana1 near ,benares4 #gj4 ,q4 ,can the spot be now identified8 ,a4 ,yes1 a partly ruined stupa1 or dagoba1 is still standing on that very spot4 #ga4 ,q4 ,did those five companions readily listen to him8 ,a4 ,at first1 no2 but so great was the spiritual beauty of his appearance1 so sweet and convincing his teaching1 that they soon turned and gave him the closest attention4 #gb4 ,q4 ,what effect did this discourse have upon them8 ,a4 ,the aged ,kondaa1 one who understood 7,anna71 was the first to lose his prejudices1 accept the ,buddha's teaching1 become his disciple1 and enter the ,path leading to ,arhatship4 ,the other four soon followed his example4 #gc4 ,q4 ,who were his next converts8 ,a4 ,a rich young layman1 named ,yasa1 and his father1 a wealthy merchant4 ,by the end of three months the disciples numbered sixty persons4 #gd4 ,q4 ,who were the first women lay disciples8 ,a4 ,the mother and wife of ,yasa4 #ge4 ,q4 ,what did the ,buddha do at that time8#g ,a4 ,he called the disciples together1 gave them full instructions1 and sent them out in all directions to preach his doctrine4 #gf4 ,q4 ,what was the essence of it8 ,a4 ,that the way of emancipation lies in leading the holy life and following the rules laid down1 which will be explained later on4 #gg4 ,q4 ,tell me what name he gave to this course of life8 ,a4 ,the ,noble ,eightfold ,path4 #gh4 ,q4 ,how is it called in the ,pali language8 ,a4 ,ariyo atthangiko maggo4 #gi4 ,q4 ,whither did the ,buddha then go8 ,a4 ,to ,uruvela4 #hj4 ,q4 ,what happened there8 ,a4 ,he converted a man named ,kashyapa1 renowned for his learning and teacher of the ,jatilas1 a great sect of fire-worshippers1 all of whom became also his followers4 #ha4 ,q4 ,who was his next great convert8 ,a4 ,king ,bimbisara1 of ,magadha4 #hb4 ,q4 ,which two of the ,buddha's most learned and beloved disciples were converted at about this time8 ,a4 ,sariputra and ,moggallana1 formerly chief disciples of ,sajaya1 the ascetic4 #hc4 ,q4 ,for what did they become renowned8 ,a4 ,sariputra for his profound learning 7,praja71 ,moggallana for his exceptional spiritual powers 7,iddhi74 #hd4 ,q4 ,are these wonder-working powers miraculous8 ,a4 ,no1 but natural to all men and capable of being developed by a certain course of training4 #he4 ,q4 ,did the ,buddha hear again from his family after leaving them8 ,a4 ,oh yes1 seven years later1 while he was living at ,rajagrha1 his father4 ,king ,suddhodana1 sent a message to request him to come and let him see him again before he died4 #hf4 ,q4 ,did he go8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,his father went with all his relatives and ministers to meet him and received him with great joy4 #hg4 ,q4 ,did he consent to resume his old rank8 ,a4 ,no4 ,in all sweetness he explained to his father that the ,prince ,siddhartha had passed out of existence1 as such1 and was now changed into the condition of a ,buddha1 to whom all beings were equally akin and equally dear4 ,instead of ruling over one tribe or nation1 like an earthly king1 he1 through his ,dharma1 would win the hearts of all men to be his followers4 #hh4 ,q4 ,did he see ,yasodhara and his son ,rahula8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,his wife1 who had mourned for him with deepest love1 wept bitterly4 ,she also sent ,rahula to ask him to give him his inheritance1 as the son of a prince4 #hi4 ,q4 ,what happened8 ,a4 ,to one and all he preached the ,dharma as the cure for all sorrows4 ,his father1 son1 wife1 ,ananda 7his half-brother71 ,devadatta 7his cousin and brother-in-law71 were all converted and became his disciples4 ,two other famous ones were ,anuruddha1 afterwards a great metaphysician1 and ,upali1 a barber1 afterwards the greatest authority on ,vinaya4 ,both of these gained great renown4 #ij4 ,q4 ,who was the first ,bhikkuni8 ,a4 ,prajapati1 the aunt and foster-mother of ,prince ,siddhartha4 ,with her1 ,yasodhara and many other ladies were admitted into the ,order as ,bhikkhunis or female devotees4 #ia4 ,q4 ,what effect did the taking up of the religious life by his sons1 ,siddhartha and ,ananda1 his nephew1 ,devadatta1 his son's wife1 ,yasudhara1 and his grandson1 ,rahula1 have upon the old ,king ,suddhodana8 ,a4 ,it grieved him much and he complained to the ,buddha1 who then made it a rule of the ,order that no person should thenceforth be ordained without the consent of his parents if alive4 #ib4 ,q4 ,tell me about the fate of ,devadatta8 ,a4 ,he was a man of great intelligence and rapidly advanced in the knowledge of the ,dharma1 but being also extremely ambitious1 he came to envy and hate the ,buddha1 and at last plotted to kill him4 ,he also influenced ,ajatashatru1 son of ,king ,bimbisara1 to murder his noble father1 and to become his--,devadatta's--disciple4 #ic4 ,q4 ,did he do any injury to the ,buddha8 ,a4 ,not the least1 but the evil he plotted against him recoiled upon himself1 and he met with an awful death4 #id4 ,q4 ,for how many years was the ,buddha engaged in teaching8 ,a4 ,forty-five years1 during which time he preached a great many discourses4 ,his custom and that of his disciples was to travel and preach during the eight dry months1 but during the season of ,way--the rains--he and they would stop in the pansulas and viharas which had been built for them by various kings and other wealthy converts4 #ie4 ,q4 ,which were the most famous of these buildings8 ,a4 ,jetavanarama2 ,veluvanarama2 ,pubbarama2 ,nigrodharama and ,isipatanarama4 #if4 ,q4 ,what kind of people were converted by him and his disciples8 ,a4 ,people of all ranks1 nations and castes2 rajas and coolies1 rich and poor1 mighty and humble1 the illiterate and the most learned4 ,his doctrine was suited to all4 #ig4 ,q4 ,give some account of the decease of the ,buddha8 ,a4 ,in the forty-fifth season after his attaining ,buddhahood1 on the full-moon day of ,may1 knowing that his end was near1 he came at evening to ,kusinagara1 a place about one hundred and twenty miles from ,benares4 ,in the sala grove of the ,mallas1 the ,uparvartana of ,kusinagara1 between two sala trees1 he had his bedding spread with the head towards the north according to the ancient custom4 ,he lay upon it1 and with his mind perfectly clear1 gave his final instructions to his disciples and bade them farewell4 #ih4 ,q4 ,did he also make new converts in those last tours8 ,a4 ,yes1 a very important one1 a great ,brahmana pandit named ,subhadra4 ,he had also preached to the ,mallya princes and their followers4 #ii4 ,q4 ,at day-break what happened8 ,a4 ,he passed into the interior condition of ,samadhi and thence into ,nirvana4 #ajj4 ,q4 ,what were his last words to his disciples8 ,a4 ,bhikkhus1 he said1 ,i now impress it upon you1 the parts and powers of man must be dissolved4 ,work out your salvation with diligence4 #aja4 ,q4 ,what convincing proof have we that the ,buddha1 formerly ,prince ,siddhartha1 was a historical personage8 ,a4 ,his existence is apparently as clearly proved as that of any other character of ancient history4 #ajb4 ,q4 ,name some of the proofs8 ,a4 7#a7 ,the testimony of those who personally knew him4 7#b7 ,the discovery of places and the remains of buildings mentioned in the narrative of his time4 7#c7 ,the rock-inscriptions1 pillars and dagobas made in memory of him by sovereigns who were near enough to his time to be able to verify the story of his life4 7#d7 ,the unbroken existence of the ,sangha which he founded1 and their possession of the facts of his life transmitted from generation to generation from the beginning4 7#e7 ,the fact that in the very year of his death and at various times subsequently1 conventions and councils of the ,sangha were held1 for the verification of the actual teachings of the ,founder1 and the handing down of those verified teachings from teacher to pupil1 to the present day4 7#f7 ,after his cremation his relics were divided among eight kings and a stupa was erected over each portion4 ,the portion given to ,king ,ajatashatru1 and by him covered with a stupa at ,rajagrha1 was taken1 less than two centuries later1 by the ,emperor ,asoka and distributed throughout his ,empire4 ,he1 of course1 had ample means of knowing whether the relics were those of the ,buddha or not1 since they had been in charge of the royal house of ,patna from the beginning4 7#g7 ,many of the ,buddha's disciples1 being ,arhats and thus having control over their vital powers1 must have lived to great ages1 and there was nothing to have prevented two or three of them1 in succession to each other1 to have covered the whole period between the death of the ,buddha and the reign of ,asoka1 and thus to have enabled the latter to get from his contemporary every desired attestation of the fact of the ,buddha's life4#g 7#h7 ,the ,mahavansa1 the best authenticated ancient history known to us1 records the events of ,sinhalese history to the reign of ,king ,vijaya1 #edc ,b4,c4--almost the time of the ,buddha--and gives most particulars of his life1 as well as those of the ,emperor ,asoka and all other sovereigns related to ,buddhistic history4 #ajc4 ,q4 ,by what names of respect is the ,buddha called8 ,a4 ,sakyamuni 7the ,sakya ,sage72 ,sakya-,simha 7the ,sakyan ,lion72 ,sugata 7the ,happy ,one72 ,satthta 7the ,teacher72 ,jina 7the ,conqueror71 ,bhagavat 7the ,blessed ,one72 ,lokanatha 7the ,lord of the ,world72 ,sarvaja 7the ,omniscient ,one72 ,dharmaraja 7the ,king of ,truth72 ,tathagata 7the ,great ,being71 etc4 #a ,the word religion is most inappropriate to apply to ,buddhism which is not a religion1 but a moral philosophy1 as ,i have shown later on4 ,but1 by common usage the word has been applied to all groups of people who profess a special moral doctrine1 and is so employed by statisticians4 ,the ,sinhalese ,buddhists have never yet had any conception of what ,europeans imply in the etymological construction of the ,latin root of this term4 ,in their creed there is no such thing as a binding in the ,christian sense--a submission to or merging of self in a ,divine ,being4 ,agama is their vernacular word to express their relation to ,buddhism and the ,,buddha4 ,it is pure ,samskrt1 and means approach1 or coming2 and as ,buddha is enlightenment1 the compound word by which they indicate ,buddhism--,buddhagama--would be properly rendered as an approach or coming to enlightenment1 or possibly as a following of the ,doctrine of ,s,a,,kyamuni4 ,the missionaries1 finding ,agama ready to their hand1 adopted it as the equivalent for religion2 and ,christianity is written by them ,christianagama1 whereas it should be ,christianibandhana1 for bandhana is the etymological equivalent for religion4 ,the name ,vibhajja vada--one who analyses--is another name given to a ,buddhist1 and ,advayavadi is a third4 ,with this explanation1 ,i continue to employ under protest the familiar word when speaking of ,buddhistic philosophy1 for the convenience of the ordinary reader4 #b ,see the definition of deva given later4 #c ,for an admirable account of this interview consult ,dr4 ,paul ,carus' ,gospel of ,buddha1 page #bj1 et seq4 #d ,the term ,hindu1 once a contemptuous term1 used by the ,musalmans to designate the people of ,sindh1 whom they conquered1 is now used in an ecclesiastical sense4 #e ,no reason is given in the canonical books for the choice of this side of the tree1 though an explanation is to be found in the popular legends upon which the books of ,bishop ,bigandet and other ,european commentators are based4 ,there are always certain influences coming upon us from the different quarters of the sky4 ,sometimes the influence from one quarter will be best1 sometimes that from another quarter4 ,but the ,buddha thought that the perfected man is superior to all extraneous influences4 #f ,the ancient story is that the ,god ,brahma himself implored him not to withhold the glorious truth4 #g ,brahmanism not being offered to non-,hindus1 ,buddhism is consequently1 the oldest missionary religion in the world4 ,the early missionaries endured every hardship1 cruelty1 and persecution1 with unfaltering courage4 #h ,at the ,second ,council there were two pupils of ,ananda1 consequently centenarians1 while in ,asoka's ,council there were pupils of those pupils4 ,,part ,,ii ,,the ,,dharma ,,or ,,doctrine #ajf4 ,q4 ,what is the meaning of the word ,buddha8 ,a4 ,the enlightened1 or he who has the perfect wisdom4 #ajg4 ,q4 ,you have said that there were other ,buddhas before this one8 ,a4 ,yes2 our belief is that1 under the operation of eternal causation1 a ,buddha takes birth at intervals1 when mankind have become plunged into misery through ignorance1 and need the wisdom which it is the function of a ,buddha to teach4 7,see also ,q4 #aa47 #ajh4 ,q4 ,how is a ,buddha developed8 ,a4 ,a person1 hearing and seeing one of the ,buddhas on earth1 becomes seized with the determination so to live that at some future time1 when he shall become fitted for it1 he also will be a ,buddha for the guiding of mankind out of the cycle of rebirth4 #aji4 ,q4 ,how does he proceed8 ,a4 ,throughout that birth and every succeeding one1 he strives to subdue his passions1 to gain wisdom by experience1 and to develop his higher faculties4 ,he thus grows by degrees wiser1 nobler in character1 and stronger in virtue1 until1 finally1 after numberless re-births he reaches the state when he can become ,perfected1 ,enlightened1 ,all-wise1 the ideal ,teacher of the human race4 #aaj4 ,q4 ,while this gradual development is going on throughout all these births1 by what name do we call him8 ,a4 ,bodhisat1 or ,bodhisattva4 ,thus the ,prince ,siddhartha ,gautama was a ,bodhisattva up to the moment when1 under the blessed ,bodhi tree at ,gaya1 he became ,buddha4 #aaa4 ,q4 ,have we any account of his various rebirths as a ,bodhisattva8 ,a4 ,in the ,jatakatthakatha1 a book containing stories of the ,bodhisattva's reincarnations1 there are several hundred tales of that kind4 #aab4 ,q4 ,what lesson do these stories teach8 ,a4 ,that a man can carry1 throughout a long series of reincarnations1 one great1 good purpose which enables him to conquer bad tendencies and develop virtuous ones4 #aac4 ,q4 ,can we fix the number of reincarnations through which a ,bodhisattva must pass before he can become a ,buddha8 ,a4 ,of course not3 that depends upon his natural character1 the state of development to which he has arrived when he forms the resolution to become a ,buddha1 and other things4 #aad4 ,q4 ,have we a way of classifying ,bodhisattvas8 ,if so1 explain it4 ,a4 ,bodhisattvas--the future ,buddhas--are divided into three classes4 #aae4 ,q4 ,proceed4 ,how are these three kinds of ,bodhisats named8 ,a4 ,pannadhika1 or ,udghatitaja--he who attains least quickly2 ,saddhadhika1 or ,vipachitaja--he who attains less quickly2 and ,viryadhika1 or ,gneyya--he who attains quickly4 ,the ,pannadhika ,bodhisats take the course of ,intelligence2 the ,saddhadhika take the course of ,faith2 the ,viryaahika take the course of energetic ,action4 ,the first is guided by ,intelligence and does not hasten2 the second is full of ,faith1 and does not care to take the guidance of ,wisdom2 and the third never delays to do what is good4 ,regardless of the consequences to himself1 he does it when he sees that it is best that it should be done4 #aaf4 ,q4 ,when our ,bodhisattva became ,buddha1 what did he see was the cause of human misery8 ,tell me in one word4 ,a4 ,ignorance 7,avidya74 #aag4 ,q4 ,can you tell me the remedy8 ,a4 ,to dispel ,ignorance and become wise 7,praja74 #aah4 ,q4 ,why does ignorance cause suffering8 ,a4 ,because it makes us prize what is not worth prizing1 grieve when we should not grieve1 consider real what is not real but only illusionary1 and pass our lives in the pursuit of worthless objects1 neglecting what is in reality most valuable4 #aai4 ,q4 ,and what is that which is most valuable8 ,a4 ,to know the whole secret of man's existence and destiny1 so that we may estimate at no more than their actual value this life and its relations2 and so that we may live in a way to ensure the greatest happiness and the least suffering for our fellow-men and ourselves4 #abj4 ,q4 ,what is the light that can dispel this ignorance of ours and remove all sorrows8 ,a4 ,the knowledge of the ,four ,noble ,truths1 as the ,buddha called them4 #aba4 ,q4 ,name these ,four ,noble ,truths8 ,a4 #a4 ,the miseries of evolutionary existence resulting in births and deaths1 life after life4 #b4 ,the cause productive of misery1 which is the selfish desire1 ever renewed1 of satisfying one's self1 without being able ever to secure that end4 #c4 ,the destruction of that desire1 or the estranging of one's self from it4 #d4 ,the means of obtaining this destruction of desire4 #abb4 ,q4 ,tell me some things that cause sorrow8 ,a4 ,birth1 decay1 illness1 death1 separation from objects we love1 association with those who are repugnant1 craving for what cannot be obtained4 #abc4 ,q4 ,do these differ with each individual8 ,a4 ,yes3 but all men suffer from them in degree4 #abd4 ,q4 ,how can we escape the sufferings which result from unsatisfied desires and ignorant cravings8 ,a4 ,by complete conquest over1 and destruction of1 this eager thirst for life and its pleasures1 which causes sorrow4 #abe4 ,q4 ,how may we gain such a conquest8 ,a4 ,by following the ,noble ,eight-fold ,path which the ,buddha discovered and pointed out4 #abf4 ,q4 ,what do you mean by that word3 what is this ,noble ,eight-fold ,path8 7,for the ,pali name see ,q4 #gi47 ,a4 ,the eight parts of this path are called angas4 ,they are3 #a4 ,right ,belief 7as to the law of ,causation1 or ,karma72 #b4 ,right ,thought2 #c4 ,right ,speech2 #d4 ,right ,action2 #e4 ,right ,means of ,livelihood2 #f4 ,right ,exertion2 #g4 ,right ,remembrance and ,self-discipline2 #h4 ,right ,concentration of ,thought4 ,the man who keeps these angas in mind and follows them will be free from sorrow and ultimately reach salvation4 #abg4 ,q4 ,can you give a better word for salvation8 ,a4 ,yes1 emancipation4 #abh4 ,q4 ,emancipation1 then1 from what8 ,a4 ,emancipation from the miseries of earthly existence and of rebirths1 all of which are due to ignorance and impure lusts and cravings4 #abi4 ,q4 ,and when this salvation or emancipation is attained1 what do we reach8 ,a4 ,,nirv,a,,na4 #acj4 ,q4 ,what is ,nirvana8 ,a4 ,a condition of total cessation of changes1 of perfect rest1 of the absence of desire and illusion and sorrow1 of the total obliteration of everything that goes to make up the physical man4 ,before reaching ,nirvana man is constantly being reborn2 when he reaches ,nirvana he is born no more4 #aca4 ,q4 ,where can be found a learned discussion of the word ,nirvana and a list of the other names by which the old ,pali writers attempt to define it8 ,a4 ,in the famous ,dictionary of the ,pali ,language1 by the late ,mr4 ,b4 ,o4 ,childers1 is a complete list4#a #acb4 ,q4 ,but some people imagine that ,nirvana is some sort of heavenly place1 a ,paradise4 ,does ,buddhism teach that8 ,a4 ,no4 ,when ,kutadanta asked the ,buddha ,where is ,nirvana1 he replied that it was wherever the precepts are obeyed4 #acc4 ,q4 ,what causes us to be reborn8 ,a4 ,the unsatisfied selfish desire 7,skt41 trshna2 ,pali1 tanha7 for things that belong to the state of personal existence in the material world4 ,this unquenched thirst for physical existence 7bhava7 is a force1 and has a creative power in itself so strong that it draws the being back into mundane life4 #acd4 ,q4 ,are our rebirths in any way affected by the nature of our unsatisfied desires8 ,a4 ,yes1 and by our individual merits or demerits4 #ace4 ,q4 ,does our merit or demerit control the state1 condition or form in which we shall be re-born8 ,a4 ,it does4 ,the broad rule is that if we have an excess of merit we shall be well and happily born the next time2 if an excess of demerit1 our next birth will be wretched and full of suffering4 #acf4 ,q4 ,one chief pillar of ,buddhistic doctrine is1 then1 the idea that every effect is the result of an actual cause1 is it not8 ,a4 ,it is2 of a cause either immediate or remote4 #acg4 ,q4 ,what do we call this causation8 ,a4 ,applied to individuals1 it is ,karma1 that is1 action4 ,it means that our own actions or deeds bring upon us whatever of joy or misery we experience4 #ach4 ,q4 ,can a bad man escape from the outworkings of his ,karma8 ,a4 ,the ,dhammapada says3 ,there exists no spot on the earth1 or in the sky1 or in the sea1 neither is there any in the mountain-clefts1 where an 7evil7 deed does not bring trouble 7to the doer74 #aci4 ,q4 ,can a good man escape8 ,a4 ,as the result of deeds of peculiar merit1 a man may attain certain advantages of place1 body1 environment and teaching in his next stage of progress1 which ward off the effects of bad ,karma and help his higher evolution4 #adj4 ,what are they called8 ,a4 ,gati ,sampatti1 ,upadhi ,sampatti1 ,kala ,sampatti and ,payoga ,sampatti4 #ada4 ,q4 ,is that consistent or inconsistent with common sense and the teachings of modern science8 ,a4 ,perfectly consistent3 there can be no doubt of it4 #adb4 ,q4 ,may all men become ,buddhas8 ,a4 ,it is not in the nature of every man to become a ,buddha2 for a ,buddha is developed only at long intervals of time1 and seemingly1 when the state of humanity absolutely requires such a teacher to show it the forgotten ,path to ,nirvana4 ,but every being may equally reach ,nirvana1 by conquering ,ignorance and gaining ,wisdom4 #adc4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism teach that man is reborn only upon our earth8 ,a4 ,as a general rule that would be the case1 until he had evolved beyond its level2 but the inhabited worlds are numberless4 ,the world upon which a person is to have his next birth1 as well as the nature of the rebirth itself1 is decided by the preponderance of the individual's merit or demerit4 ,in other words1 it will be controlled by his attractions1 as science would describe it2 or by his ,karma1 as we1 ,buddhists1 would say4 #add4 ,q4 ,are there worlds more perfectly developed1 and others less so than our ,earth8 ,a4 ,buddhism teaches that there are whole ,sakwalas1 or systems of worlds1 of various kinds1 higher and lower1 and also that the inhabitants of each world correspond in development with itself4 #ade4 ,q4 ,has not the ,buddha summed up his whole doctrine in one gatha1 or verse8 ,a4 ,yes4 #adf4 ,q4 ,repeat it8 ,a4 ,sabba papassa akaranm1 ,kusalassa upasampada ,sachitta pariyo dapanam-- ,etam ,buddhanusasanam4 ,to cease from all evil actions1 ,to generate all that is good1 ,to cleanse one's mind3 ,this is the constant advice of the ,buddhas4 #adg4 ,q4 ,have the first three of these lines any very striking characteristics8 ,a4 ,yes3 the first line embodies the whole spirit of the ,vinaya ,pitaka1 the second that of the ,sutta1 the third that of the ,abhidhamma4 ,they comprise only eight ,pali words1 yet1 as the dew-drop reflects the stars1 they sparkle with the spirit of all the ,buddha ,dharma4 #adh4 ,q4 ,do these precepts show that ,buddhism is an active or a passive religion8 ,a4 ,to cease from sin may be called passive1 but to get virtue and to cleanse one's own heart1 or mind1 are altogether active qualities4 ,buddha taught that we should not merely not be evil1 but that we should be positively good4 #adi4 ,q4 ,who or what are the ,three ,guides#b that a ,buddhist ,is supposed to follow8 ,a4 ,they are disclosed in the formula called the ,tisarana3 ,i follow ,buddha as my ,guide3 ,i follow the ,law as my ,guide3 ,i follow the ,order as my ,guide4 ,these three are1 in fact1 the ,buddha ,dharma4 #aej4 ,q4 ,what does he mean when repeating this formula8 ,a4 ,he means that he regards the ,buddha as his all-wise ,teacher1 ,friend and ,exemplar2 the ,law1 or ,doctrine1 as containing the essential and immutable principles of ,justice and ,truth and the path that leads to the realisation of perfect peace of mind on earth2 and the ,order as the teachers and exemplars of that excellent ,law taught by ,buddha4 #aea4 ,q4 ,but are not some of the members of this ,order men intellectually and morally inferior8 ,a4 ,yes2 but we are taught by the ,buddha that only those who diligently attend to the ,precepts1 discipline their minds1 and strive to attain or have attained one of the eight stages of holiness and perfection1 constitute his ,order4 ,it is expressly stated that the ,order referred to in the ,tisarana refers to the ,attha ,ariya ,puggala--the ,noble ,ones who have attained one of the eight stages of perfection4 ,the mere wearing of yellow robes1 or even ordination1 does not of itself make a man pure or wise or entitle him to reverence4 #aeb4 ,q4 ,then it is not such unworthy bhikkhus as they1 whom the true ,buddhist would lake as his guides8 ,a4 ,certainly not4 #aec4 ,q4 ,what are the five observances1 or universal precepts1 called the ,pacha ,sila1 which are imposed on the laity in general8 ,a4 ,they are included in the following formula11 which ,buddhists repeat publicly at the viharas 7temples73 ,i observe the precept to refrain from destroying the life of beings4 ,i observe the precept to refrain from stealing4 ,i observe the precept to abstain from unlawful sexual intercourse4#c ,i observe the precept to refrain from falsehood4 ,i observe the precept to abstain from using intoxicants4 #aed4 ,q4 ,what strikes the intelligent person on reading these ,silas8 ,a4 ,that one who observes them strictly must escape from every cause productive of human misery4 ,if we study history we shall find that it has all sprung from one or another of these causes4 #aee4 ,q4 ,in which ,silas is the far-seeing wisdom of the ,buddha most plainly shown8 ,a4 ,in the first1 third and fifth2 for the taking of life1 sensuality1 and the use of intoxicants1 cause at least ninety-five per cent of the sufferings among men4 #aef4 ,q4 ,what benefits does a man derive from the observance of these ,precepts8 ,a4 ,he is said to acquire more or less merit according to the manner and time of observing the precepts1 and the number observed2 that is1 if he observes only one precept1 violating the other four1 he acquires the merit of the observance of that precept only2 and the longer he keeps that precept the greater will be the merit4 ,he who keeps all the precepts inviolate will cause himself to have a higher and happier existence hereafter4 #aeg4 ,q4 ,what are the other observances which it is considered meritorious for the laity as such to undertake voluntarily to keep8 ,a4 ,the ,atthanga ,sila1 or the ,eightfold ,precept1 which embraces the five above enumerated 7omitting the word unlawful in the third71 with three additional2 viz43 ,i observe the precept to abstain from eating at an unseasonable time4 ,i observe the precept to abstain from dancing1 singing1 music and unbecoming shows1 and from the use of garlands1 scents1 perfumes1 cosmetics1 ointments1 and ornaments4 ,i observe the precept to abstain from using high and broad beds4 ,the seats and couches here referred to are those used by the worldly-minded for the sake of pleasure and sensual enjoyment4 ,the celibate should avoid these4 #aeh4 ,q4 ,how would a ,buddhist describe true merit8 ,a4 ,there is no great merit in any merely outward act2 all depends upon the inward motive that provokes the deed4 #aei4 ,q4 ,give an example8 ,a4 ,a rich man may expend lakhs of rupees in building dagobas or viharas1 in erecting statues of ,buddha1 in festivals and processions1 in feeding priests1 in giving alms to the poor1 or in planting trees1 digging tanks1 or constructing rest-houses by the roadside for travellers1 and yet have comparatively little merit if it be done for display1 or to hear himself praised by men1 or for any other selfish motives4 ,but he who does the least of these things with a kind motive1 such as love for his fellow-men1 gains great merit4 ,a good deed done with a bad motive benefits others1 but not the doer4 ,one who approves of a good deed when done by another shares in the merit1 if his sympathy is real1 not pretended4 ,the same rule applies to evil deeds4 #afj4 ,q4 ,but which is said to be the greatest of all meritorious actions8 ,a4 ,the ,dhammapada declares that the merit of disseminating the ,dharma1 the ,law of ,righteousness1 is greater than that of any other good work4 #afa4 ,q4 ,what books contain all the most excellent wisdom of the ,buddha's teachings8 ,a4 ,the three collections of books called ,tripitakas or ,three ,baskets4 #afb4 ,q4 ,what are the names of the three ,pitakas1 or groups of books8 ,a4 ,the ,vinaya ,pitaka1 the ,sutta ,pitaka and the ,abhidhamma ,pitaka4 #afc4 ,q4 ,what do they respectively contain8 ,a4 ,the first contains all that pertains to morality and the rules of discipline for the government of the ,sangha1 or ,order2 the second contains instructive discourses on ethics applicable to all2 the third explains the psychological teachings of the ,buddha1 including the twenty-four transcendental laws explanatory of the workings of ,nature4 #afd4 ,q4 ,do ,buddhists relieve these books to be inspired1 or revealed1 by a ,divine ,being8 ,a4 ,no2 but they revere them as containing all the parts of that most ,excellent ,law1 by the knowing of which man may break through the trammels of ,samsara4 #afe4 ,q4 ,in the whole text of the three ,pitakas how many words are there8 ,a4 ,dr4 ,rhys-,davids estimates them at #a1geb1hjj4 #aff4 ,q4 ,when were the ,pitakas first reduced to writing8 ,a4 ,in #hh-gf ,b4,c41 under the ,sinhalese ,king1 ,wattagamini1 or three hundred and thirty years after the ,paranirvana of the ,buddha4 #afg4 ,q4 ,have we reason to believe that all the discourses of the ,buddha are known to us8 ,a4 ,probably not1 and it would be strange if they were4 ,within the forty-five years of his public life he must have preached many hundreds of discourses4 ,of these1 in times of war and persecution1 many must have been lost1 many scattered to distant countries1 and many mutilated4 ,history says that enemies of the ,buddha ,dharma burnt piles of our books as high as a coco-nut tree4 #afh4 ,q4 ,do ,buddhists consider the ,buddha as one who by his own virtue can save us from the consequence of our individual sins8 ,a4 ,not at all4 ,man must emancipate himself4 ,until he does that he will continue being born over and over and over again--the victim of ignorance1 the slave of unquenched passions4 #afi4 ,q4 ,what1 then1 was the ,buddha to us1 and all other beings8 ,a4 ,an all-seeing1 all-wise ,counsellor2 one who discovered the safe path and pointed it out2 one who showed the cause of1 and the only cure for1 human suffering4 ,in pointing to the road1 in showing us how to escape dangers1 he became our ,guide4 ,he is to us like one leading a blind man across a narrow bridge over a swift and deep stream and so saving his life4 #agj4 ,q4 ,if we were to try to represent the whole spirit of the ,buddha's doctrine by one word1 which word should we choose8 ,a4 ,justice4 #aga4 ,q4 ,why8 ,a4 ,because it teaches that every man gets1 under the operations of unerring ,,karma1 exactly that reward or punishment which he has deserved1 no more and no less4 ,no good deed or bad deed1 however trifling1 and however secretly committed1 escapes the evenly-balanced scales of ,karma4 #agb4 ,q4 ,what is ,karma8#d ,a4 ,a causation operating on the moral1 as well as on the physical and other planes4 ,buddhists say there is no miracle in human affairs3 what a man sows that he must and will reap4 #agc4 ,q4 ,what other good words have been used to express the essence of ,buddhism8 ,a4 ,self-culture and universal love4 #agd4 ,q4 ,what doctrine ennobles ,buddhism1 and gives it its exalted place among the world's religions8 ,a4 ,that of ,mitta or ,maitreya--compassionate kindness4 ,the importance of this doctrine is moreover emphasised in the giving of the name ,maitri 7the ,compassionate ,one71 to the coming ,buddha4 #age4 ,q4 ,were all these points of ,doctrine that you have explained meditated upon by the ,buddha near the ,bo-tree8 ,a4 ,yes1 these and many more that may be read in the ,buddhist ,scriptures4 ,the entire system of ,buddhism came to his mind during the ,great ,enlightenment4 #agf4 ,q4 ,how long did the ,buddha remain near the ,bo-tree8 ,a4 ,forty-nine days4 #agg4 ,q4 ,what do we call the first discourse preached by the ,buddha--that which he addressed to his five former companions8 ,a4 ,the ,dhammacakka-ppavattana sutta--the ,sutra of the ,definition of the ,rule of ,doctrine4#e #agh4 ,q4 ,what subjects were treated by him in this discourse8 ,a4 ,the ,four ,noble ,truths1 and the ,noble ,eightfold ,path4 ,he condemned the extreme physical mortification of the ascetics1 on the one hand1 and the enjoyment of sensual pleasures on the other2 pointing out and recommending the ,noble ,eightfold ,path as the ,middle ,path4 #agi4 ,q4 ,did the ,buddha hold with idol-worship8 ,a4 ,he did not2 he opposed it4 ,the worship of gods1 demons1 trees1 etc41 was condemned by the ,buddha4 ,external worship is a fetter that one has to break if he is to advance higher4 #ahj4 ,q4 ,but1 do not ,buddhists make reverence before the statue of the ,buddha1 his relics1 and the monuments enshrining them8 ,a4 ,yes1 but not with the sentiment of the idolater4 #aha4 ,q4 ,what is the difference8 ,a4 ,our ,pagan brother not only takes his images as visible representations of his unseen ,god or gods1 but the refined idolater1 in worshipping1 considers that the idol contains in its substance a portion of the all-pervading divinity4 #ahb4 ,q4 ,what does the ,buddhist think8 ,a4 ,the ,buddhist reverences the ,buddha's statue and the other things you have mentioned1 only as mementoes of the greatest1 wisest1 most benevolent and compassionate man in this world-period 7,kalpa74 ,all races and people preserve1 treasure up1 and value the relics and mementoes of men and women who have been considered in any way great4 ,the ,buddha1 to us1 seems more to be revered and beloved than any one else1 by every human being who knows sorrow4 #ahc4 ,q4 ,has the ,buddha himself given us something definite upon this subject8 ,a4 ,certainly4 ,in the ,maha ,pari-,nirvana ,sutta he says that emancipation is attainable only by leading the ,holy life1 according to the ,noble ,eight-fold ,path1 not by eternal worship 7amisa puja71 nor by adoration of himself1 or of another1 or of any image4 #ahd4 ,q4 ,what was the ,buddha's estimate of ceremonialism8 ,a4 ,from the beginning1 he condemned the observance of ceremonies and other external practices1 which only tend to increase our spiritual blindness and our clinging to mere lifeless forms4 #ahe4 ,q4 ,what as to controversies8 ,a4 ,in numerous discourses he denounced this habit as most pernicious4 ,he prescribed penances for ,bhikkhus who waste time and weaken their higher intuitions in wrangling over theories and metaphysical subtleties4 #ahf4 ,q4 ,are charms1 incantations1 the observance of lucky hours and devil-dancing a part of ,buddhism8 ,a4 ,they are positively repugnant to its fundamental principles4 ,they are the surviving relics of fetishism and pantheistic and other foreign religions4 ,in the ,brahmajata ,sutta the ,buddha has categorically described these and other superstitions as ,pagan1 mean and spurious4#f #ahg4 ,q4 ,what striking contrasts are there between ,buddhism and what may be properly called religions8 ,a4 ,among others1 these3 ,it teaches the highest goodness without a creating ,god2 a continuity of life without adhering to the superstitious and selfish doctrine of an eternal1 metaphysical soul-substance that goes out of the body2 a happiness without an objective heaven2 a method of salvation without a vicarious ,saviour2 redemption by oneself as the ,redeemer1 and without rites1 prayers1 penances1 priests or intercessory saints2 and a summum bonum1 i4e41 ,nirvana1 attainable in this life and in this world by leading a pure1 unselfish life of wisdom and of compassion to all beings4 #ahh4 ,q4 ,specify the two main divisions of meditation1 i4e41 of the process by which one extinguishes passion and attains knowledge8 ,a4 ,samatha and ,vidarsama3 7#a7 the attenuation of passion by leading the holy life and by continued effort to subdue the senses2 7#b7 the attainment of supernormal wisdom by reflection3 each of which embraces twenty aspects1 but ,i need not here specify them4 #ahi4 ,q4 ,what are the four paths or stages of advancement that one may attain to8 ,a4 7#a7 ,sottapatti--the beginning or entering into which follows after one's clear perception of the ,four ,noble ,truths2 7#b7 ,sakardagami--the path of one who has so subjugated lust1 hatred and delusion that he need only return once to this world2 7#c7 ,anagami--the path of those who have so far conquered self that they need not return to this world2 7#d7 ,arhat--the path of the holy and worthy ,arhat1 who is not only free from the necessity of reincarnation1 but has capacitated himself to enjoy perfect wisdom1 boundless pity for the ignorant and suffering1 and measureless love for all beings4 #aij4 ,q4 ,does popular ,buddhism contain nothing but what is true1 and in accord with science8 ,a4 ,like every other religion that has existed many centuries1 it certainly now contains untruth mingled with truth2 ever gold is found mixed with dross4 ,the poetical imagination1 the zeal1 or the lingering superstition of ,buddhist devotees have1 in various ages1 and in various lands1 caused the noble principles of the ,buddha's moral doctrines to be coupled more or less with what might be removed to advantage4 #aia4 ,q4 ,when such perversions are discovered1 what should be the true ,buddhist's earnest desire8 ,a4 ,the true ,buddhist should be ever ready and anxious to see the false purged away from the true1 and to assist1 if he can4 ,three great ,councils of the ,sangha were held for the express purpose of purging the body of ,teachings from all corrupt interpolations4 #aib4 ,q4 ,when8 ,a4 ,the first1 at ,sattapanni cave1 just after the death of the ,buddha2 the second at ,valukarama1 in ,vaisali2 the third at ,asokarama ,vihara1 at ,pataliputra1 #bce years after ,buddha's decease4 #aic4 ,q4 ,in what discourse does the ,buddha himself warn us to expect this perversion of the true ,doctrine8 ,a4 ,in the ,sanyutta ,nikaya4 #aid4 ,q4 ,are there any dogmas in ,buddhism which we are required to accept on faith8 ,a4 ,no3 we are earnestly enjoined to accept nothing whatever on faith2 whether it be written in books1 handed down from our ancestors1 or taught by the sages4 #aie4 ,q4 ,did he himself really teach that noble rule8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,the ,buddha has said that we must not believe in a thing said merely because it is said2 nor in traditions because they have been handed down from antiquity2 nor rumours1 as such2 nor writings by sages1 merely because sages wrote them2 nor fancies that we may suspect to have been inspired in us by a ,deva 7that is1 in presumed spiritual inspiration72 nor from inferences drawn from some haphazard assumption we may have made2 nor because of what seems an analogical necessity2 nor on the mere authority of our own teachers or masters4 #aif4 ,q4 ,when1 then1 must we believe8 ,a4 ,we are to believe when the writing doctrine or saying is corroborated by our own reason and consciousness4 ,for this1 says he in concluding1 ,i taught you not to believe merely because you have heard1 but when you believed of your own consciousness1 then to act accordingly and abundantly4 7,see the ,kalama ,sutta of the ,anguttara ,nikaya1 and the ,maha ,pari ,nirvana ,sutta47 #aig4 ,q4 ,what does the ,buddha call himself8 ,a4 ,he says that he and the other ,buddhas are only preachers of truth who point out the way3 we ourselves must make the effort4 #aih4 ,q4 ,where is this said8 ,a4 ,in the ,dhammapada1 ,chapter xx4 #aii4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism countenance hypocrisy8 ,a4 ,the ,dhammapada says3 ,like a beautiful flower full of colour without scent the fine words of him who does not act accordingly are fruitless4 #bjj4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism teach us to return evil for evil8 ,a4 ,in the ,dhammapada the ,buddha said3 ,if a man foolishly does me wrong1 ,i will return to him the protection of my ungrudging love2 the more evil comes from him1 the more good shall go from me4 ,this is the path followed by the ,arhat4#g ,to return evil for evil is positively forbidden in ,buddhism4 #bja4 ,q4 ,does it encourage cruelty8 ,a4 ,no1 indeed4 ,in the ,five ,precepts and in many of his discourses1 the ,buddha teaches us to be merciful to all beings1 to try and make them happy1 to love them all1 to abstain from taking life1 or consenting to it1 or encouraging its being done4 #bjb4 ,q4 ,in which discourse is this stated8 ,a4 ,the ,dhammika ,sutta says3 ,let him 7the householder7 not destroy1 or cause to be destroyed1 any life at all1 or sanction the act of those who do so4 ,let him refrain from even hurting any creature4#h #bjc4 ,q4 ,does it approve of drunkenness8 ,a4 ,in his ,dhammika ,sutta we are warned against drinking liquors1 causing others to drink1 or sanctioning the acts of those who drink4#i #bjd4 ,q4 ,to what are we told that drunkenness leads8 ,a4 ,to demerit1 crime1 insanity1 and ignorance--which is the chief cause of rebirth4 #bje4 ,q4 ,what does ,buddhism teach about marriage8 ,a4 ,absolute chastity being a condition of full spiritual development1 is most highly commended2 but a marriage to one wife and fidelity to her is recognised as a kind of chastity4 ,polygamy was censured by the ,buddha as involving ignorance and promoting lust4 #bjf4 ,q4 ,in what discourse8 ,a4 ,the ,anguttara ,nikaya1 ,chapter iv1 #ee4 #bjg4 ,q4 ,what does it teach as to the duty of parents to children8 ,a4 ,they should restrain them from vice1 train them in virtue2 have them taught arts and sciences2 provide them with suitable wives and husbands1 and give them their inheritance4 #bjh4 ,q4 ,what is the duty of children8 ,a4 ,to support their parents when old or needy2 perform family duties incumbent on them2 guard their property2 make themselves worthy to be their heirs1 and when they are gone1 honour their memory4 #bji4 ,q4 ,what of pupils to the teacher8 ,a4 ,to show him respect2 minister to him2 obey him2 supply his wants2 attend to his instruction4 #baj4 ,q4 ,what of husband to wife8 ,a4 ,to cherish her2 treat her with respect and kindness2 be faithful to her2 cause her to be honoured by others2 provide her with suitable ornaments and clothes4 #baa4 ,q4 ,what of the wife to her husband8 ,a4 ,to show affection to him2 order her household aright2 be hospitable to guests2 be chaste2 be thrifty2 show skill and diligence in all things4 #bab4 ,q4 ,where are these precepts taught8 ,a4 ,in the ,sigalovada ,sutta4 #bac4 ,q4 ,do riches help a man to future happiness8 ,a4 ,the ,dhammapada says3 ,one is the road that leads to wealth1 another the road that leads to ,nirvana4 #bad4 ,q4 ,does that mean that no rich man can attain ,nirvana8 ,a4 ,that depends on which he loves most4 ,if he uses his wealth for the benefit of mankind--for the suffering1 the oppressed1 the ignorant--then his wealth aids him to acquire merit4 #bae4 ,q4 ,but if the contrary8 ,a4 ,but if he loves and greedily hoards money for the sake of its possession1 then it weakens his moral sense1 prompts him to crime1 brings curses upon him in this life1 and their effects are felt in the next birth4 #baf4 ,q4 ,what says the ,dhammapada about ignorance8 ,a4 ,that it is a taint worse than all taints that a man can put upon himself4 #bag4 ,q4 ,what does it say about uncharitableness towards others8 ,a4 ,that the fault of others is easily perceived1 but that of oneself difficult to perceive2 a man winnows his neighbour's faults like chaff1 but his own fault he hides1 as a cheat hides the bad die from the gambler4 #bah4 ,q4 ,what advice does the ,buddha give us as to man's duty to the poor8 ,a4 ,he says that a man's net income should be divided into four parts1 of which one should be devoted to philanthropic objects4 #bai4 ,q4 ,what five occupations are said to be low and base8 ,a4 ,selling liquor1 selling animals for slaughter1 selling poison1 selling murderous weapons1 and dealing in slaves4 #bbj4 ,q4 ,who are said to be incapable of progress in spirituality8 ,a4 ,the killers of father1 mother1 and holy ,arhats2 ,bhikkhus who sow discord in the ,sangha2 those who attempt to injure the person of a ,buddha2 those who hold extremely nihilistic views as to the future existence2 and those who are extremely sensual4 #aba4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism specify places or conditions of torment into which a bad man's ,karma draws him on leaving this life8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,they are3 ,sanjiva2 ,kalasutra2 ,sanghata2 ,raurava2 ,maha-,raurava ,tapa2 ,pratapa2 ,avichi4 #bbb4 ,q4 ,is the torment eternal8 ,a4 ,certainly not4 ,its duration depends on a man's ,karma4 #bbc4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism declare that non-believers in ,buddha will of necessity be damned for their unbelief8 ,a4 ,no2 by good deeds they may enjoy a limited term of happiness before being drawn into rebirth by their unexhausted tanha4 ,to escape rebirth1 one must tread the ,noble ,eight-fold ,path4 #bbd4 ,q4 ,what is the spiritual status of woman among ,buddhists8 ,a4 ,according to our religion they are on a footing of perfect equality with men4 ,woman1 says the ,buddha1 in the ,chullavedalla ,sutta1 may attain the highest path of holiness that is open to man--,arhatship4 #bbe4 ,q4 ,what does a modern critic say about the effect of ,buddhism on woman8 ,a4 ,that it has done more for the happiness and enfranchisement of woman than any other creed 7,sir ,lepel ,griffin74 #bbf4 ,q4 ,what did the ,buddha teach about caste8 ,a4 ,that one does not become of any caste1 whether ,pariah1 the lowest1 or ,brahmana the highest1 by birth1 but by deeds4 ,by deeds1 said ,he1 one becomes an outcast1 by deeds one becomes a ,brahmana 7,see ,vassala ,sutta74 #bbg4 ,q4 ,tell me a story to illustrate this8 ,a4 ,ananda1 passing by a well1 was thirsty and asked ,prakrti1 a girl of the ,matanga1 or ,pariah1 caste1 to give him water4 ,she said she was of such low caste that he would become contaminated by taking water from her hand4 ,but ,ananda replied3 ,i ask not for caste but for water2 and the ,matanga girl's heart was glad and she gave him to drink4 ,the ,buddha blessed her for it4 #bbh4 ,q4 ,what did the ,buddha say in ,vasala ,sutta about a man of the ,pariah ,sopaka caste8 ,a4 ,that by his merits he reached the highest fame2 that many ,khattiyas 7,kshattriyas7 and ,brahmanas went to serve him2 and that after death he was born in the ,brahma-world3 while there are many ,brahmanas who for their evil deeds are born in hell4 #bbi4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism teach the immortality of the soul8 ,a4 ,it considers soul to be a word used by the ignorant to express a false idea4 ,if everything is subject to change1 then man is included1 and every material part of him must change4 ,that which is subject to change is not permanent3 so there can be no immortal survival of a changeful thing4#aj #bcj4 ,q4 ,what is so objectionable in this word soul8 ,a4 ,the idea associated with it that man can be an entity separated from all other entities1 and from the existence of the whole of the ,universe4 ,this idea of separateness is unreasonable1 not provable by logic1 nor supported by science4 #bca4 ,q4 ,then there is no separate ,i1 nor can we say my this or that8 ,a4 ,exactly so4 #bcb4 ,q4 ,if the idea of a separate human soul is to be rejected1 what is it in man which gives him the impression of having a permanent personality8 ,a4 ,tanha1 or the unsatisfied desire for existence4 ,the being having done that for which he must be rewarded or punished in future1 and having ,tanha1 will have a rebirth through the influence of ,karma4 #bcc4 ,q4 ,what is it that is born8 ,a4 ,a new aggregation of ,skandhas1 or personality#b caused by the last generative thought of the dying person4 #bcd4 ,q4 ,how many ,skandhas are there8 ,a4 ,five4 #bce4 ,q4 ,name the five ,skandhas8 ,a4 ,rupa1 ,vedana1 ,saa1 ,samkhara1 and ,viana4 #bcf4 ,q4 ,briefly explain what they are8 ,a4 ,rupa1 material qualities2 ,vedana1 sensation2 ,saa1 abstract ideas2 ,samkhara1 tendencies of mind2 ,viana1 mental powers1 or consciousness4 ,of these we are formed2 by them we are conscious of existence2 and through them communicate with the world about us4 #bcg4 ,q4 ,to what cause must we attribute the differences in the combination of the five ,skandhas which make every individual differ from every other individual8 ,a4 ,to the ripened ,karma of the individual in his preceding births4 #bch4 ,q4 ,what is the force of energy that is at work1 under the guidance of ,karma1 to produce the new being8 ,a4 ,tanha--the will to live4#ab #bci4 ,q4 ,upon what is the doctrine of rebirths founded8 ,a4 ,upon the perception that perfect justice1 equilibrium and adjustment are inherent in the universal system of ,nature4 ,buddhists do not believe that one life--even though it were extended to one hundred or five hundred years--is long enough for the reward or punishment of a man's deeds4 ,the great circle of rebirths will be more or less quickly run through according to the preponderating purity or impurity of the several lives of the individual4 #bdj4 ,q4 ,is this new aggregation of ,skandhas--this new personality--the same being as that in the previous birth1 whose ,tanha has brought it into existence8 ,a4 ,in one sense it is a new being2 in another it is not4 ,in ,pali it is--nacha so nacha ao which means not the same nor yet another4 ,during this life the ,skandhas are constantly changing2#ac and while the man ,a4 ,b41 of forty1 is identical1 as regards personality1 with the youth ,a4 ,b41 of eighteen1 yet1 by the continual waste and reparation of his body1 and change of mind and character1 he is a different being4 ,nevertheless1 the man in his old age justly reaps the reward of suffering consequent upon his thoughts and actions at every previous stage of his life4 ,so the new being of a rebirth1 being the same individuality as before1 but with a changed form1 or new aggregation of ,skandhas1 justly reaps the consequences of his actions and thoughts in the previous existence4 #bda4 ,q4 ,but the aged man remembers the incidents of his youth1 despite his being physically and mentally changed4 ,why1 then1 is not the recollection of past lives brought over by us from our last birth1 into the present birth8 ,a4 ,because memory is included within the ,skandhas2 and the ,skandhas having changed with the new reincarnation1 a new memory1 the record of of that particular existence1 develops4 ,yet the record or reflection of all the past earth-lives must survive2 for1 when ,prince ,siddhartha became ,buddha1 the full sequence of his previous births was seen by him4 ,if their several incidents had left no trace behind1 this could not have been so1 as there would have been nothing for him to see4 ,and any one who attains to the fourth state of ,dhyana 7psychical insight7 can thus retrospectively trace the line of his lives4 #bdb4 ,q4 ,what is the ultimate point towards which tend all these series of changes in form8 ,a4 ,nirvana4 #bdc4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism teach that we should do good with the view of reaching ,nirvana8 ,a4 ,no2 that would be as absolute selfishness as though the reward hoped for had been money1 a throne1 or any other sensual enjoyment4 ,nirvana cannot be so reached1 and the unwise speculator is foredoomed to disappointment4 #bdd4 ,q4 ,please make it a little clearer8 ,a4 ,nirvana is the synonym of unselfishness1 the entire surrender of selfhood to truth4 ,the ignorant man aspires to nirvanic happiness without the least idea of its nature4 ,absence of selfishness is ,nirvana4 ,doing good with the view to getting results1 or leading the holy life with the object of gaining heavenly happiness1 is not the ,noble ,life that the ,buddha enjoined4 ,without hope of reward the ,noble ,life should be lived1 and that is the highest life4 ,the nirvanic state can be attained while one is living on this earth4 #bde4 ,q4 ,name the ten great obstacles to advancement1 called ,sanyojanas1 the ,fetters8 ,a4 ,delusion of self 7,sakkaya-ditthi72 ,doubt 7,vicikiccha72 ,dependence on superstitious rites 7,silabbata-paramasa72 ,sensuality1 bodily passions 7,kama72 ,hatred1 ill-feeling 7,patigha72 ,love of life on earth 7,ruparaga72 ,desire for life in a heaven 7,aruparaga72 ,pride 7,mana72 ,self-righteousness 7,uddhacca72 ,ignorance 7,avijja74 #bdf4 ,q4 ,to become an ,arhat1 how many of these fetters must be broken8 ,a4 ,all4 #bdg4 ,q4 ,what are the five ,nirwaranas or ,hindrances8 ,a4 ,greed1 ,malice1 ,sloth1 ,pride1 and ,doubt4 #bdh4 ,q4 ,why do we see this minute division of feelings1 impulses1 workings of the mind1 obstacles and aids to advancement so much used in the ,buddha's teachings8 ,it is very confusing to a beginner4 ,a4 ,it is to help us to obtain knowledge of ourselves1 by training our minds to think out every subject in detail4 ,by following out this system of self-examination1 we come finally to acquire knowledge and see truth as it is4 ,this is the course taken by every wise teacher to help his pupil's mind to develop4 #bdi4 ,q4 ,how many of the ,buddha's disciples were specially renowned for their superior qualities8 ,a4 ,there are eighty so distinguished4 ,they are called the ,asiti ,maha ,savakas4 #bej4 ,q4 ,what did the ,buddha's wisdom embrace8 ,a4 ,he knew the nature of the ,knowable and the ,unknowable1 the ,possible and the ,impossible1 the cause of ,merit and ,demerit2 he could read the thoughts of all beings2 he knew the laws of ,nature1 the illusions of the senses and the means to suppress desires2 he could distinguish the birth and rebirth of individuals1 and other things4 #bea4 ,q4 ,what do we call the basic principle on which the whole of the ,buddha's teaching is constructed8 ,a4 ,it is called ,paticca ,samuppada4#ad #beb4 ,q4 ,is it easily grasped8 ,a4 ,it is most difficult2 in fact1 the full meaning and extent of it is beyond the capacity of such as are not perfectly developed4 #bec4 ,q4 ,what said the great commentator ,buddha ,ghosha about it8 ,a4 ,that even he was as helpless in this vast ocean of thought as one who is drifting on the ocean of waters4 #bed4 ,q4 ,then why should the ,buddha say1 in the ,parinibbana ,sutta1 that he has no such thing as the closed fist of a teacher1 who keeps something back8 ,if his whole teaching was open to every one's comprehension why should so great and learned a man as ,buddha ,ghosha declare it so hard to understand8 ,a4 ,the ,buddha evidently meant that he taught everything freely2 but equally certain is it that the real basis of the ,dharma can only be understood by him who has perfected his powers of comprehension4 ,it is1 therefore1 incomprehensible to common1 unenlightened persons4 #bee4 ,q4 ,how does the teaching of the ,buddha support this view8 ,a4 ,the ,buddha looked into the heart of each person1 and preached to suit the individual temperament and spiritual development of the hearer4 #a ,mr4 ,childers takes a highly pessimistic view of the ,nirvanic state1 regarding it as annihilation4 ,later students disagree with him4 #b ,saranam4 ,wijesinha ,mudaliar writes me3 ,this word has been hitherto very inappropriately and erroneously rendered ,refuge1 by ,european ,pali scholars1 and thoughtlessly so accepted by native ,pali scholars4 ,neither ,pali etymology nor ,buddhistic philosophy justifies the translation4 ,refuge1 in the sense of a fleeing back or a place of shelter1 is quite foreign to true ,buddhism1 which insists on every man working out his own emancipation4 ,the root ,sr in ,samskrt 7sara in ,pali7 means to move1 to go2 so that ,suranim would denote a moving1 or he or that which goes before or with another--a ,guide or ,helper4 ,i construe the passage thus3 ,gachchami1 ,i go1 ,buddham1 to ,buddha ,saranam1 as my ,guide4 ,the translation of the ,tisarana as the ,three ,refuges1 has given rise to much misapprehension1 and has been made by anti-,buddhists a fertile pretext for taunting ,buddhists with the absurdity of taking refuge in non-entities and believing in unrealities4 ,the term refuge is more applicable to ,nirvana1 of which ,saranam is a synonym4 ,the ,high ,priest ,sumangala also calls my attention to the fact that the ,pali root ,sara has the secondary meaning of killing1 or that which destroys4 ,buddham saranam gachchhami might thus be rendered ,i go to ,buddha1 the ,law1 and the ,order1 as the destroyers of my fears--the first by his preaching1 the second by its axiomatic truth1 the third by their various examples and precepts4 #c ,this qualified form refers1 of course1 to laymen who only profess to keep five precepts2 a ,bhikkhu must observe strict celibacy4 ,so1 also1 must the laic who binds himself to observe eight of the whole ten ,precepts for specified periods2 during these periods he must be celibate4 ,the five ,precepts were laid down by ,buddha for all people4 ,though one may not be a ,buddhist1 yet the five and eight ,precepts may profitably bo observed by all4 ,it is the taking of the ,three ,refuges that constitutes one a ,buddhist4 #d ,karma is defined as the sum total of a man's actions4 ,the law of ,cause and ,effect is called the ,patice a ,samuppada ,dhamma4 ,in the ,anguttara ,nikaya the ,buddha teaches that my action is my possession1 my action is my inheritance1 my action is the womb which bears me1 my action is my relative1 my action is my refuge4 #e ,after the appearance of the first edition1 ,i received from one of the ablest ,pali scholars of ,ceylon1 the late ,l4 ,corneille ,wijesinha1 ,esq41 ,mudaliar of ,matale1 what seems a better rendering of ,dhammacakka-ppavattana than the one previously given2 he makes it ,the ,establishment of the ,reign of ,law4 ,professor ,rhys-,davids prefers1 ,the ,foundation of the ,kingdom of ,righteousness4 ,mr4 ,wijesinha writes me3 ,you may use ',kingdom of ,righteousness1' too1 but it savours more of dogmatic theology than of philosophic ethics4 ,dhammacakkappavattana suttum is the discourse entitled ',the ,establishment of the ,reign of ,law'4 ,having shown this to the ,high ,priest1 ,i am happy to be able to say that he assents to ,mr4 ,wijesinha's rendering4 #f ,the mixing of these arts and practices with ,buddhism is a sign of deterioration4 ,their facts and phenomena are real and capable of scientific explanation4 ,they are embraced in the term magic1 but when resorted to1 for selfish purposes1 attract bad influences about one1 and impede spiritual advancement4 ,when employed for harmless and beneficent purposes1 such as healing the sick1 saving life1 etc41 the ,buddha permitted their use4 #g ,a ,buddhist ascetic who1 by a prescribed course of practice1 has attained to a superior state of spiritual and intellectual development4 ,arhats may be divided into the two general groups of the ,samathayanika and ,sukkha ,vipassaka4 ,the former have destroyed their passions1 and fully developed their intellectual capacity or mystical insight2 the latter have equally conquered passion1 but not acquired the superior mental powers4 ,the former can work phenomena1 the latter cannot4 ,the ,arhat of the former class1 when fully developed1 is no longer a prey to the delusions of the senses1 nor the slave of passion or mortal frailty4 ,he penetrates to the root of whatsoever subject his mind is applied to without following the slow processes of reasoning4 ,his self-conquest is complete2 and in place of the emotion and desire which vex and enthral the ordinary man1 he is lifted up into a condition which is best expressed in the term ,nirvanic4 ,there is in ,ceylon a popular misconception that the attainment of ,arhatship is now impossible2 that the ,buddha had himself prophesied that the power would die out in one millennium after his death4 ,this rumour--and the similar one that is everywhere heard in ,india1 viz41 that this being the dark cycle of the ,kali ,yuga1 the practice of ,yoga ,vidya1 or sublime spiritual science1 is impossible--,i ascribe to the ingenuity of those who should be as pure and 7to use a non-,buddhistic but very convenient term7 psychically wise as were their predecessors1 but are not1 and who therefore seek an excuse6 ,the ,buddha taught quite the contrary idea4 ,in the ,niga ,nikaya he said3 ,hear1 ,subbhadra6 ,the world will never be without ,arhats if the ascetics 7,bhikkhus7 in my congregations well and truly keep my precepts4 7,imeccha ,subhaddabhikkhu samma vihareiyum asunno loko ,arahantehiassa47 #h ,kolb1 in his ,history of ,culture1 says3 ,it is ,buddhism we have to thank for the sparing of prisoners of war1 who heretofore had been slain2 also for the discontinuance of the carrying away into captivity of the inhabitants of conquered lands4 #i ,the fifth ,sila has reference to the mere taking of intoxicants and stupefying drugs1 which leads ultimately to drunkenness4 #aj ,the soul here criticised is the equivalent of the ,greek psuche4 ,the word material covers other states of matter than that of the physical body4 #aa ,upon reflection1 ,i have substituted personality for individuality as written in the first edition4 ,the successive appearances upon one or many earths1 or descents into generation1 of the tanhaically-coherent parts 7,skandhas7 of a certain being are a succession of personalities4 ,in each birth the personality differs from that of the previous1 or next succeeding birth4 ,karma the deus ex machina1 masks 7or shall we say reflects87 itself1 now in the personality of a sage1 again as an artisan1 and so on throughout the string of births4 ,but though personalities ever shift1 the one line of life along which they are strung like beads1 runs unbroken1 it is ever that particular line1 never any other4 ,it is therefore individual--an individual vital undulation--which is careering through the objective side of ,nature1 under the impulse of ,karma and the creative direction of ,tanha and persists through many cyclic changes4 ,professor ,rhys-,davids calls that which passes from personality to personality along the individual chain1 character or doing4 ,since character is not a mere metaphysical abstraction1 but the sum of one's mental qualities and moral propensities1 would it not help to dispel what ,professor ,rhys-,davids calls the desperate expedient of a mystery 7,buddhism1 p4 #aja71 if we regarded the life-undulation as individuality and each of its series of natal manifestations as a separate personality8 ,we must have two words to distinguish between the concepts1 and ,i find none so clear and expressive as the two ,i have chosen4 ,the perfected individual1 ,buddhistically speaking1 is a ,buddha1 ,i should say2 for a ,buddha is but the rare flower of humanity1 without the least supernatural admixture4 ,and1 as countless generations--four asankhyyas and a hundred thousand cycles 7,fausboll and ,rhys-,david's ,buddhist ,birth ,stories1 ,no4 #ac7--;are required to develop a man into a ,buddha1 and the iron will to become one runs throughout all the successive births1 what shall we call that which thus wills and perseveres8 ,character1 or individuality8 ,an individuality1 but partly manifested in any one birth1 built up of fragments from all the births4 ,the denial of ,soul by ,buddha 7see ,sanyutta ,nikaya1 the ,sutta ,pitaka7 points to the prevalent delusive belief in an independent personality2 an entity1 which after one birth would go to a fixed place or state where1 as a perfect entity1 it could eternally enjoy or suffer4 ,and what he shows is that the ,i am ,i consciousness is1 as regards permanency1 logically impossible1 since its elementary constituents constantly change and the ,i of one birth differs from the ,i of every other birth4 ,but everything that ,i have found in ,buddhism accords with the theory of a gradual evolution of the perfected man--viz41 a ,buddha--through numberless natal experiences4 ,and in the consciousness of that individual who1 at the end of a given chain of births1 attains ,buddhahood1 or who succeeds in attaining the fourth stage of ,dhyana1 or mystic self-development1 in any of his births anterior to the final one1 the scenes of all these serial births are perceptible4 ,in the ,jatakat-thavannana--so well translated by ,professor ,rhys-,davids--an expression continually recurs which1 ,i think1 rather supports such an idea1 viz43 ,then the ,blessed ,one made manifest an occurrence hidden by change of birth1 or that which had been hidden by1 etc4 ,early ,buddhism then clearly held to a permanency of records in the ,akasha1 and the potential capacity of man to read the same when he has evolved to the stage of true individual enlightenment4 ,at death1 and in convulsions and trance1 the javana chitta is transferred to the object last created by the desires4 ,the will to live brings all thoughts into objectivity4 #ab ,the student may profitably consult ,schopenhauer in this connection4 ,arthur ,schopenhauer1 a modern ,german philosopher of the most eminent ability1 taught that the ,principle or ,radical1 of ,nature1 and of all her objects1 the human body included1 is1 intrinsically what we ourselves are the most conscious of in our own body1 viz41 ,will4 ,intellect is a secondary capacity of the primary will1 a function of the brain in which this will reflects itself as ,nature and object and body1 as in a mirror444 ,intellect is secondary1 but may lead1 in saints1 to a complete renunciation of will1 as far as it urges life and is then extinguished in ,nirvana 7,l4 ,a4 ,sanders in ,the ,theosophist for ,may #ahhb1 p4 #bac74 #ac ,physiologically speaking1 man's body is completely changed every seven years4 #ad ,this fundamental or basic principle may be designated in ,pali1 ,nidana--chain of causation or1 literally1 ,origination of dependence4 ,twelve ,nidanas are specified1 viz43 ,avijja--ignorance of the truth of natural religion2 ,samkhara--causal action1 karma2 ,viana--consciousness of personality1 the ,i am ,i2 ,nama rupa--name and form2 ,salayatana--six senses2 ,phassa--contact1 ,vedana--feeling1 ,tanha--desire for enjoyment2 ,upadana--clinging1 ,bhava--individualising existence2 ,jati--birth1 caste2 ,jara1 narana1 sokaparidesa1 dukkha1 domanassa1 upayasa--decay1 death1 grief1 lamentation1 despair4 ,,part ,,iii ,,the ,,sangha #bef4 ,q4 ,how do ,buddhist ,bhikkhus differ from the priests of other religions8 ,a4 ,in other religions the priests claim to be intercessors between men and ,god1 to help to obtain pardon of sins2 the ,buddhist ,bhikkhus do not acknowledge or expect anything from a divine power4 #beg4 ,q4 ,but why then was it worth while to create this ,order1 or ,brotherhood1 or ,society1 apart from the whole body of the people1 if they were not to do what other religious orders do8 ,a4 ,the object in view was to cause the most virtuous1 intelligent1 unselfish and spiritually-minded persons to withdraw from the social surroundings where their sensual and other selfish desires were naturally strengthened1 devote their lives to the acquisition of the highest wisdom1 and fit themselves to teach and guide others out of the pleasant path leading towards misery1 into the harder path that leads to true happiness and final liberation4 #beh4 ,q4 ,besides the ,eight1 what two additional observances are obligatory upon the ,bhikkhus8 ,a4 ,i observe the precept to abstain from dancing1 singing and unbecoming shows4 ,i observe the precept to abstain from receiving gold or silver4 ,the whole ,dasa1 or ,bhikkhu ,sila or ,ten ,precepts1 are binding on all ,bhikkhus and ,samaneras1 or novices1 but optional with lay devotees4 ,the ,atthanga ,sila are for those who aspire to higher stages beyond the heavenly regions1#a aspirants after ,nirvana4 #bei4 ,q4 ,are there separate ,rules and ,precepts for the guidance and discipline of the ,order8 ,a4 ,yes3 there are #bej1 but all come under the following four heads3 ,principal ,disciplinary ,rules ,patimokkha ,samvara ,sila74 ,observances for the repression of the senses 7,indriya ,samvara ,sila74 ,regulations for justly procuring and using food1 diet1 robes1 etc41 7,paccaya ,sannissita ,sila74 ,directions for leading an unblemished life 7,ajivapari ,suddha ,sila74 #bfj4 ,q4 ,enumerate some crimes and offences that ,bhikkhus are particularly prohibited from committing8 ,a4 ,real ,bhikkhus abstain from3 ,destroying the life of beings2 ,stealing2 ,false exhibition of occult powers to deceive anybody2 ,sexual intercourse2 ,falsehood2 ,the use of intoxicating liquors1 and eating at unseasonable times2 ,dancing1 singing1 and unbecoming shows2 ,using garlands1 scents1 perfumes1 etc42 ,using high and broad beds1 couches1 or seats2 receiving presents of gold1 silver1 raw grain and meat1 women1 and maidens1 slaves1 cattle1 elephants1 etc42 ,defaming2 ,using harsh and reproachful language2 ,idle talk2 ,reading and hearing fabulous stories and tales2 ,carrying messages to and from laymen2 ,buying and selling2 ,cheating1 bribing1 deception1 and fraud2 ,imprisoning1 plundering1 and threatening others2 ,the practice of certain specified magical arts and sciences1 such as fortune-telling1 astrological predictions1 palmistry1 and other sciences1 that go under the name of magic4 ,any of these would retard the progress of one who aimed at the attainment of ,nirvana4 #bfa4 ,q4 ,what are the duties of ,bhikkhus to the laity8 ,a4 ,generally1 to set them an example of the highest morality2 to teach and instruct them2 to preach and expound the ,law2 to recite the ,paritta 7comforting texts7 to the sick1 and publicly in times of public calamity1 when requested to do so2 and unceasingly to exhort the people to virtuous actions4 ,they should dissuade them from vice2 be compassionate and tender-hearted1 and seek to promote the welfare of all beings4 #bfb4 ,q4 ,what are the rules for admission into the ,order8 ,a4 ,the candidate is not often taken before his tenth year2 he must have the consent of his parents2 be free from leprosy1 boils1 consumption and fits2 be a free man2 have no debts2 and must not be a criminal or deformed or in the royal service4 #bfc4 ,q4 ,as a novice what is he called8 ,a4 ,samanera1 a pupil4#b #bfd4 ,q4 ,at what age can a ,samanera be ordained as ,sramana--monk8 ,a4 ,not before his twentieth year4 #bfe4 ,q4 ,when ready for ordination what happens8 ,a4 ,at a meeting of ,bhikkhus he is presented by a ,bhikkhu as his proposer1 who reports that he is qualified1 and the candidate says3 ,i ask the ,sangha1 ,reverend ,sirs1 for the ,upasampada 7ordination7 ceremony1 etc4 ,his introducer then recommends that he be admitted4 ,he is then accepted4 #bff4 ,q4 ,what then8 ,a4 ,he puts on the robes and repeats the ,three ,refuges ,tisarana7 and ,ten ,precepts 7,dasa ,sila47 #bfg4 ,q4 ,what are the two essentials to be observed8 ,a4 ,poverty and ,chastity4 ,a ,bhikkhu before ordination must possess eight things1 viz41 his robes1 a girdle for his loins1 a begging-bowl1 water-strainer1 razor1 needle1 fan1 sandals4 ,within limitations strictly specified in the ,vinaya1 he may hold certain other properties4 #bfh4 ,q4 ,what about the public confession of faults8 ,a4 ,once every fortnight1 a ,patimokka 7,disburdenment7 ceremony is performed1 when every ,bhikkhu confesses to the assembly such faults as he has committed and takes such penances as may be prescribed4 #bfi4 ,q4 ,what daily routine must he follow8 ,a4 ,he rises before daylight1 washes1 sweeps the vihara1 sweeps around the ,bo-tree that grows near every vihara1 brings the drinking-water for the day and filters it2 retires for meditation1 offers flowers before the dagoba1 or relic-mound1 or before the ,bo-tree2 then takes his begging-bowl and goes from house to house collecting food--which he must not ask for1 but receive in his bowl as given voluntarily by the householders4 ,he returns1 bathes his feet and eats1 after which he resumes meditation4 #bgj4 ,q4 ,must we believe that there is no merit in the offering of flowers 7mala puja7 as an act of worship8 ,a4 ,that act itself is without merit as a mere formality2 but if one offers a flower as the sweetest1 purest expression of heartfelt reverence for a holy being1 then1 indeed1 is the offering an act of ennobling worship4 #bga4 ,q4 ,what next does the ,bhikkhu do8 ,a4 ,he pursues his studies4 ,at sunset he again sweeps the sacred places1 lights a lamp1 listens to the instructions of his superior1 and confesses to him any fault he may have committed4 #bgb4 ,q4 ,upon what are his four earnest meditations 7,sati-patthana7 made8 ,a4 #a4 ,on the body1 ,kayanapassana4 #b4 ,on the feeling1 ,vedananupassana4 #c4 ,on the mind1 ,chittannpassana4 #d4 ,on the doctrine1 ,dhammanupassana4 #bgc4 ,q4 ,what is the aim of the four ,great ,efforts 7,sammappadhana78 ,a4 ,to suppress one's animal desires and grow in goodness4 #bgd4 ,q4 ,for the perception by the ,bhikkhu of the highest truth1 is reason said to be the best1 or intuition8 ,a4 ,intuition--a mental state in which any desired truth is instantaneously grasped4 #bge4 ,q4 ,and when can that development be reached8 ,a4 ,when one1 by the practice of ,jana1 comes to its fourth stage of unfolding4 #bgf4 ,q4 ,are we to believe that in the final stage of ,jana1 and in the condition called ,samadhi1 the mind is a blank and thought is arrested8 ,a4 ,quite the contrary4 ,it is then that one's consciousness is most intensely active1 and one's power to gain knowledge correspondingly vast4 #bgg4 ,q4 ,try to give me a simile8 ,a4 ,in the ordinary waking state one's view of knowledge is as limited as the sight of a man who walks on a road between high hills2 in the higher consciousness of ,jana and ,samadhi it is like the sight of the eagle poised in the upper sky and overlooking a whole country4 #bgh4 ,q4 ,what do our books say about the ,buddha's use of this faculty8 ,a4 ,they tell us that it was his custom1 every morning1 to glance over the world and1 by his divine 7clairvoyant7 sight1 see where there were persons ready to receive the truth4 ,he would then contrive1 if possible1 that it should reach them4 ,when persons visited him he would look into their minds1 read their secret motives1 and then preach to them according to their needs4 #a ,the ,upasaka and ,upasika observe these on the ,buddhist ,uposatha 7,sabbath7 days 7in ,skr4 ,upavasata74 ,they are the #hth1 #adth and #aeth days of each half lunar month4 #b ,the relationship to his ,guru1 or teacher1 is almost like that of godson to godfather among ,christians1 only more real1 for the teacher becomes father1 mother1 family and all to him4 ,,part ,,iv ,,the ,,rise ,,and ,,spread ,,of ,,buddhism #bgi4 ,q4 ,as regards the number its followers1 how does ,buddhism at this date compare with the other chief religions8 ,a4 ,the followers of the ,buddha ,dharma outnumber those of every other religion4 #bhj4 ,q4 ,what is the estimated number8 ,a4 ,about five hundred millions 7#e1jjj lakhs or #ejj crores73 this is five-thirteenths1 or not quite half1 of the estimated population of the globe4 #bha4 ,q4 ,have many great battles been fought and many countries conquered2 has much human blood been spilt to spread the ,buddha ,dharma8 ,a4 ,history does not record one of those cruelties and crimes as having been committed to propagate our religion4 ,so far as we know1 it has not caused the spilling of a drop of blood4 7,see footnote ante--,professor ,kolb's testimony47 #bhb4 ,q4 ,what1 then1 is the secret of its wonderful spread8 ,a4 ,it can be nothing else than its intrinsic excellence3 its self-evident basis of truth1 its sublime moral teaching1 and its sufficiency for all human needs4 #bhc4 ,q4 ,how has it been propagated8 ,a4 ,the ,buddha1 during the forty-five years of his life as a ,teacher1 travelled widely in ,india and preached the ,dharma4 ,he sent his wisest and best disciples to do the same throughout ,india4 #bhd4 ,q4 ,when did ,he send for his pioneer missionaries8 ,a4 ,on the full-moon day of the month ,wap 7,october74 #bhe4 ,q4 ,what did he tell them8 ,a4 ,he called them together and said3 ,go forth1 ,bhikkhus1 go and preach the law to the world4 ,work for the good of others as well as for your own4444 ,bear ye the glad tidings to every man4 ,let no two of you take the same way4 #bhf4 ,q4 ,how long before the ,christian era did this happen8 ,a4 ,about six centuries4 #bhg4 ,q4 ,what help did ,kings give8 ,a4 ,besides the lower classes1 great ,kings1 ,rajas and ,maharajas were converted and gave their influence to spread the religion4 #bhh4 ,q4 ,what about pilgrims8 ,a4 ,learned pilgrims came in different centuries to ,india and carried back with them books and teachings to their native lands4 ,so1 gradually1 whole nations forsook their own faiths and became ,buddhists4 #bhi4 ,q4 ,to whom1 more than to any other person1 is the world indebted for the permanent establishment of ,buddha's religion8 ,a4 ,to the ,emperor ,ashoka1 surnamed the ,great1 sometimes ,piyadasi1 sometimes ,dharmashoka4 ,he was the son of ,bindusara1 ,king of ,magadha1 arid grandson of ,chandragupta1 who drove the ,greeks out of ,india4 #bij4 ,q4 ,when did he reign8 ,a4 ,in the third century ,b4,c41 about two centuries after the ,buddha's time4 ,historians disagree as to his exact date1 but not very greatly4 #bia4 ,q4 ,what made him great8 ,a4 ,he was the most powerful monarch in ,indian history1 as warrior and as statesman2 but his noblest characteristics were his love of truth and justice1 tolerance of religious differences1 equity of government1 kindness to the sick1 to the poor1 and to animals4 ,his name is revered from ,siberia to ,ceylon4 #bib4 ,q4 ,was he born a ,buddhist8 ,a4 ,no1 he was converted in the tenth year after his anointment as ,king1 by ,nigrodha ,samanera1 an ,arhat4 #bic4 ,q4 ,what did he do for ,buddhism8 ,a4 ,he drove out bad ,bhikkhus1 encouraged good ones1 built monasteries and dagobas everywhere1 established gardens1 opened hospitals for men and animals1 convened a council at ,patna to revise and re-establish the ,dharma1 promoted female religious education1 and sent embassies to five ,greek kings1 his allies1 and to all the sovereigns of ,india1 to preach the doctrines of the ,buddha4 ,it was he who built the monuments at ,kapilavastu1 ,buddha ,gaya1 ,isipatana and ,kusinara1 our four chief places of pilgrimage1 besides thousands more4 #bid4 ,q4 ,what absolute proofs exist as to his noble character8 ,a4 ,within recent years there have been discovered1 in all parts of ,india1 fourteen ,edicts of his1 inscribed on living rocks1 and eight on pillars erected by his orders4 ,they fully prove him to have been one of the wisest and most high-minded sovereigns who ever lived4 #bi4e4 ,q4 ,what character do these inscriptions give to ,buddhism8 ,a4 ,they show it to be a religion of noble tolerance1 of universal brotherhood1 of righteousness and justice4 ,it has no taint of selfishness1 sectarianism or intolerance4 ,they have done more than anything else to win for it the respect in which it is now held by the great pandits of western countries4 #bif4 ,q4 ,what most precious gift did ,dharmashoka make to ,buddhism8 ,a4 ,he gave his beloved son1 ,mahinda1 and daughter1 ,sanghamitta1 to the ,order1 and sent them to ,ceylon to introduce the religion4 #big4 ,q4 ,is this fact recorded in the history of ,ceylon8 ,a4 ,yes1 it is all recorded in the ,mahavansa1 by the keepers of the royal records1 who were then living and saw the missionaries4 #bih4 ,q4 ,is there some proof of ,sanghamitta's mission still visible8 ,a4 ,yes2 she brought with her to ,ceylon a branch of the very ,bodhi tree under which the ,buddha sat when he became ,enlightened1 and it is still growing4 #bii4 ,q4 ,where8 ,a4 ,at ,annradhapura4 ,the history of it has been officially preserved to the present time4 ,planted in #cjf ,b4,c41 it is the oldest historical tree in the world4 #cjj4 ,q4 ,who was the reigning sovereign at that time8 ,a4 ,devanampiyatissa4 ,his consort1 ,queen ,anula1 had invited ,sanghamitta to come and establish the ,bhikkhuni branch of the ,order4 #cja4 ,q4 ,who came with ,sanghamitta8 ,a4 ,many other ,bhikkhunis4 ,she1 in due time1 admitted the ,queen and many of her ladies1 together with five hundred virgins1 into the ,order4 #cjb4 ,q4 ,can we trace the effects of the foreign work of the ,emperor ,ashoka's missionaries8 ,a4 ,his son and daughter introduced ,buddhism into ,ceylon3 his monks gave it to the whole of ,northern ,india1 to fourteen ,indian nations outside its boundaries1 and to five ,greek kings1 his allies1 with whom he made treaties to admit his religious preachers4 #cjc4 ,q4 ,can you name them8 ,a4 ,,antiochus of ,syria1 ,,ptolemy of ,egypt1 ,,antigonus of ,macedon1 ,,margas of ,cyrene1 and ,,alexander of ,epiros4 #cjd4 ,q4 ,where do we learn this8 ,a4 ,from the ,edicts themselves of ,ashoka the ,great1 inscribed by him on rocks and stone pillars1 which are still standing and can be seen by everybody who chooses to visit the places4 #cje4 ,q4 ,through what western religious brotherhoods did the ,buddha ,dharma mingle itself with western thought8 ,a4 ,through the sects of the ,therapeuts of ,egypt and the ,essenes of ,palestine4 #cjf4 ,q4 ,when were ,buddhist books first introduced into ,china8 ,a4 ,as early as the second or third century ,b4,c4 ,five of ,dharmashoka's monks are said--in the ,samanta ,pasadika and the ,sarattha ,dipani--two ,pali books--to have been sent to the five divisions of ,china4 #cjg4 ,q4 ,whence and when did it reach ,korea8 ,a4 ,from ,china1 in the year ,a4 ,d4 #cgb4 #cjh4 ,q4 ,whence and when did it reach ,japan8 ,a4 ,from ,korea1 in ,a4 ,d4 #eeb4 #cji4 ,q4 ,whence and when did it reach ,cochin ,china1 ,formosa1 ,java1 ,mongolia1 ,yorkand1 ,balk1 ,bokhara1 ,afghanistan and other ,central ,asian countries8 ,a4 ,apparently in the fourth and fifth centuries ,a4,d4 #caj4 ,q4 ,from ,ceylon1 whither and when did it spread8 ,a4 ,to ,burma1 in ,a4,d4 #dej1 and thence gradually into ,arakan1 ,kamboya and ,pegu4 ,in the seventh century 7,a4,d4 #fch7 it spread to ,siam1 where it is now1 as it has been always since then1 the ,state religion4 #caa4 ,q4 ,from ,kashmir1 where else did it spread besides to ,china8 ,a4 ,to ,nepal and ,tibet4 #cab4 ,q4 ,why is it that ,buddhism1 which was once the prevailing religion throughout ,india1 is now almost extinct there8 ,a4 ,buddhism was at first pure and noble1 the very teaching of the ,tathagata2 its ,sangha were virtuous and observed the ,precepts2 it won all hearts and spread joy through many nations1 as the morning light sends life through the flowers4 ,but after some centuries1 bad ,bhikkhus got ordination 7,upasampada7 the ,sangha became rich1 lazy1 and sensual1 the ,dharma was corrupted1 and the ,indian nation abandoned it4 #cac4 ,q4 ,did anything happen about the ninth or tenth century ,a4,d4 to hasten its downfall8 ,a4 ,yes4 #cad4 ,q4 ,anything besides the decay of spirituality1 the corruption of the ,sangha1 and the reaction of the populace from a higher ideal of man to unintelligent idolatry8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,it is said that the ,mussalmans invaded1 overran and conquered large areas of ,india2 everywhere doing their utmost to stamp out our religion4 #cae4 ,q4 ,what cruel acts are they charged with doing8 ,a4 ,they burnt1 pulled down or otherwise destroyed our viharas1 slaughtered our ,bhikkhus1 and consumed with fire our religious books4 #caf4 ,q4 ,was our literature completely destroyed in ,india8 ,a4 ,no4 ,many ,bhikkhus fled across the borders into ,tibet and other safe places of refuge1 carrying their books with them4 #cag4 ,q4 ,have any traces of these books been recently discovered8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,rai ,bhadur ,sarat ,chandra ,das1 ,c4,i4,e41 a noted ,bengali pandit1 saw hundreds of them in the vihara libraries of ,tibet1 brought copies of some of the most important back with him1 and is now employed by the ,government of ,india in editing and publishing them4 #cah4 ,q4 ,in which country have we reason to believe the sacred books of primitive ,buddhism have been best preserved and least corrupted8 ,a4 ,ceylon4 ,the ,encyclopaedia ,britannica says that in this island ,buddhism has1 for specified reasons1 retained almost its pristine purity to modern times4 #cai4 ,q4 ,has any revision of the text of the ,pitakas been made in modern times8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,a careful revision of the ,vinaya ,pitaka was made in ,ceylon in the year ,a4,d4 #ahge1 by a convention of the most learned ,bhikkhus1 under the presidency of ,h4 ,sumangala1 ,pradhana ,sthavira4 #cbj4 ,q4 ,has there been any friendly intercourse in the interest of ,buddhism between the peoples of the ,southern and those of the ,northern ,buddhist countries8 ,a4 ,in the year ,a4,d4 #ahia1 a successful attempt was made to get the ,pradhana ,nayakas of the two great divisions to agree to accept fourteen propositions as embodying fundamental ,buddhistic beliefs recognised and taught by both divisions4 ,these propositions1 drafted by ,colonel ,olcott1 were carefully translated into ,burmese1 ,sinhalese and ,japanese1 discussed one by one1 unanimously adopted and signed by the chief monks1 and published in ,january #ahib4 #cba4 ,q4 ,with what good result8 ,a4 ,as the result of the good understanding now existing1 a number of ,japanese bhikkhus and samaneras have been sent to ,ceylon and ,india to study ,pali and ,samskrt4 #cbb4 ,q4 ,are there signs that the ,buddha ,dharma is growing in favour in non-,buddhistic countries8#a ,a4 ,there are4 ,translations of our more valuable books are appearing1 many articles in reviews1 magazines and newspapers are being published1 and excellent original treatises by distinguished writers are coming from the press4 ,moreover1 ,buddhist and non-,buddhist lecturers are publicly discoursing on ,buddhism to large audiences in western countries4 ,the ,shin ,shu sect of ,japanese ,buddhists have actually opened missions at ,honolulu1 ,san ,francisco1 ,sacramento and other ,american places4 #cbc4 ,q4 ,what two leading ideas of ours are chiefly taking hold upon the western mind8 ,a4 ,those of ,karma and ,reincarnation4 ,the rapidity of their acceptance is very surprising4 #cbd4 ,q4 ,what is believed to be the explanation of this8 ,a4 ,their appeals to the natural instinct of justice1 and their evident reasonableness4 #a ,see ,appendix4 ,,part ,v ,,buddhism ,,and ,,science #cbe4 ,q4 ,has ,buddhism any right to be considered a scientific religion1 or may it be classified as a revealed one8 ,a4 ,most emphatically it is not a revealed religion4 ,the ,buddha did not so preach1 nor is it so understood4 ,on the contrary1 he gave it out as the statement of eternal truths1 which his predecessors had taught like himself4 #cbf4 ,q4 ,repeat again the name of the ,sutta1 in which the ,buddha tells us not to believe in an alleged revelation without testing it by one's reason and experience8 ,a4 ,the ,kalama ,sutta1 of the ,anguthara ,nikaya4 #cbg4 ,q4 ,do ,buddhists accept the theory that everything has been formed out of nothing by a ,creator8 ,a4 ,the ,buddha taught that two things are causeless1 viz41 ,akasha1 and ,nirvana4 ,everything has come ont of ,akasha1 in obedience to a law of motion inherent in it1 and1 after a certain existence1 passes away4 ,nothing ever came out of nothing4 ,we do not believe in miracles2 hence we deny creation1 and cannot conceive of a creation of something out of nothing4 ,nothing organic is eternal4 ,everything is in a state of constant flux1 and undergoing change and reformation1 keeping up the continuity according to the law of evolution4 #cbh4 ,q4 ,is ,buddhism opposed to education1 and to the study of science8 ,a4 ,quite the contrary3 in the ,sigalowada ,sutta in a discourse preached by the ,buddha1 ,he specified as one of the duties of a teacher that he should give his pupils instruction in science and lore4 ,the ,buddha's higher teachings are for the enlightened1 the wise1 and the thoughtful4 #cbi4 ,q4 ,can you show any further endorsement of ,buddhism by science8 ,a4 ,the ,buddha's doctrine teaches that there were many progenitors of the human race2 also that there is a principle of differentiation among men2 certain individuals have a greater capacity for the rapid attainment of ,wisdom and arrival at ,nirvana than others4 #ccj4 ,q4 ,any other8 ,a4 ,buddhism supports the teaching of the indestructibility of force4 #cca4 ,q4 ,should ,buddhism be called a chart of science or a code of morals8 ,a4 ,properly speaking1 a pure moral philosophy1 a system of ethics and transcendental metaphysics4 ,it is so eminently practical that the ,buddha kept silent when ,malunka asked about the origin of things4 #ccb4 ,q4 ,why did he do that8 ,a4 ,because he thought that our chief aim should be to see things as they exist around us and try to make them better1 not to waste time in intellectual speculations4 #ccc4 ,q4 ,what do ,buddhists say is the reason for the occasional birth of very good and wise children of bad parents1 and that of very bad ones of good parents8 ,a4 ,it is because of the respective ,karmas of children and parents2 each may have deserved that such unusual relationships should be formed in the present birth4 #ccd4 ,q4 ,is anything said about the body of the ,buddha giving out a bright light8 ,a4 ,yes1 there was a divine radiance sent forth from within by the power of his holiness4 #cce4 ,q4 ,what is it called in ,pali8 ,a4 ,buddharansi1 the ,buddha rays4 #ccf4 ,q4 ,how many colours could be seen in it8 ,a4 ,six1 linked in pairs4 #ccg4 ,q4 ,their names8 ,a4 ,nila1 ,pita1 ,lohita1 ,avadata1 ,mangasta1 ,prabhasvra4 #cch4 ,q4 ,did other persons emit such shining light8 ,a4 ,yes1 all ,arhats did and1 in fact1 the light shines stronger and brighter in proportion to the spiritual development of the person4 #cci4 ,q4 ,where do we see these colours represented8 ,a4 ,in all viharas where there are painted images of the ,buddha4 ,they are also seen in the stripes of the ,buddhist ,flag1 first made in ,ceylon but now widely adopted throughout ,buddhist countries4 #cdj4 ,q4 ,in which discourse does the ,buddha himself speak of this shining about him8 ,a4 ,in the ,maha-,parinibbana ,sutta1 ,ananda his favourite disciple1 noticing the great splendour which came from his ,master's body1 the ,buddha said that on two occasions this extraordinary shining occurs1 7a7 just after a ,tathagata gains the supreme insight1 and 7b7 on the night when he passes finally away4 #cda4 ,q4 ,where do we read of this great brightness being emitted from the body of another ,buddha8 ,a4 ,in the story of ,sumedha and ,dipankara ,buddha1 found in the ,nidanakatha of the ,jataka book1 or story of the reincarnations of the ,bodhisattva ,siddhartha ,gautama4 #cdb4 ,q4 ,how is it described8 ,a4 ,as a halo of a fathom's depth4 #cdc4 ,q4 ,what do the ,hindus call it8 ,a4 ,tejas2 its extended radiance they call ,prakasha4 #cdd4 ,q4 ,what do ,europeans call it now8 ,a4 ,the human aura4 #cde4 ,q4 ,what great scientist has proved the existence of this aura by carefully conducted experiments8 ,a4 ,the ,baron ,von ,reichenbach4 ,his experiments are fully described in his ,researches1 published in #ahdd-e4 ,dr4 ,baraduc1 of ,paris1 has1 quite recently1 photographed this light4 #cdf4 ,q4 ,is this bright aura a miracle or a natural phenomenon8 ,a4 ,natural4 ,it has been proved that not only all human beings but animals1 trees1 plants and even stones have it4 #cdg4 ,q4 ,what peculiarity has it in the case of a ,buddha or an ,arhat8 ,a4 ,it is immensely brighter and more extended than in cases of other beings and objects4 ,it is the evidence of their superior development in the power of ,iddhi4 ,the light has been seen coming from dagobas in ,ceylon where relics of the ,buddha are said to be enshrined4 #cdh4 ,q4 ,do people of other religions besides ,buddhism and ,hinduism also believe in this light8 ,a4 ,yes1 in all pictures of ,christian artists this light is represented as shining about the bodies of their holy personages4 ,the same belief is found to have existed in other religions4 #cdi4 ,q4 ,what historical incident supports the modern theory of hypnotic suggestion8 ,a4 ,that of ,chullapanthaka1 as told in the ,pali ,commentary on the ,dhammapada1 etc4 #cej4 ,q4 ,give me the facts4 ,a4 ,he was a bhikkhu who became an ,arhat4 ,on that very day the ,buddha sent a messenger to call him4 ,when the man reached the ,vihara1 he saw three hundred bhikkhus in one group1 each exactly like the others in every respect4 ,on his asking which was ,chullapanthaka1 every one of the three hundred figures replied3 ,i am ,chullapanthaka4 #cea4 ,q4 ,what did the messenger do8 ,a4 ,in his confusion he returned and reported to the ,buddha4 #ceb4 ,q4 ,what did the ,buddha then tell him8 ,a4 ,to return to the vihara and1 if the same thing happened1 to catch by the arm the first figure who said he was ,chullapanthaka and lead him to him4 ,the ,buddha knew that the new ,arhat would make this display of his acquired power to impress illusionary pictures of himself upon the messenger4 #cec4 ,q4 ,what is this power of illusion called in ,pali8 ,a4 ,manomaya ,iddhi4 #ced4 ,q4 ,were the illusionary copies of the ,arhat's person material8 ,were they composed of substance and could they have been felt and handled by the messenger8 ,a4 ,no2 they were pictures impressed by his thought and trained will-power upon the messenger's mind4 #cee4 ,q4 ,to what would you compare them8 ,a4 ,to a man's reflection in a mirror1 being exactly like him yet without solidity4 #cef4 ,q4 ,to make such an illusion on the messenger's mind1 what was necessary8 ,a4 ,that ,chullapanthaka should clearly conceive in his own mind his exact appearance1 and then impress that1 with as many duplicates or repetitions as he chose1 upon the sensitive brain of the messenger4 #ceg4 ,q4 ,what is this process now called8 ,a4 ,hypnotic suggestion4 #ceh4 ,q4 ,could any third party have also seen these illusionary figures8 ,a4 ,that would depend on the will of the ,arhat or hypnotiser4 #cei4 ,q4 ,what do you mean8 ,a4 ,supposing that fifty or five hundred persons were there1 instead of one1 the ,arhat could will that the illusion should be seen by all alike2 or1 if he chose1 he could will that the messenger should be the only one to see them4 #cfj4 ,q4 ,is this branch of science well known in our day8 ,a4 ,very well known2 it is familiar to all students of mesmerism and hypnotism4 #cfa4 ,q4 ,in what does our modern scientific belief support the theory of ,karma1 as taught in ,buddhism8 ,a4 ,modern scientists teach that every generation of men is heir to the consequences of the virtues and the vices of the preceding generation1 not in the mass1 as such1 but in every individual case4 ,every one of us1 according to ,buddhism1 gets a birth which represents the causes generated by him in an antecedent birth4 ,this is the idea of ,karma4 #cfb4 ,q4 ,what say the ,vasettha ,sutta about the causation in ,nature8 ,a4 ,it says3 ,the world exists by cause2 all things exist by cause1 all beings are bound by cause4 #cfc4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism teach the unchangeableness of the visible universe2 our earth1 the sun1 the moon1 the stars1 the mineral1 vegetable1 animal and human kingdoms8 ,a4 ,no4 ,it teaches that all are constantly changing1 and all must disappear in course of time4 #cfd4 ,q4 ,never to reappear8 ,a4 ,not so3 the principle of evolution1 guided by ,karma1 individual and collective1 will evolve another universe with its contents1 as our universe was evolved out of the ,akasha4 #cfe4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism admit that man has in his nature any latent powers for the production of phenomena commonly called miracles8 ,a4 ,yes2 but they are natural1 not supernatural4 ,they may be developed by a certain system which is laid down in our sacred books1 the ,visuddhi ,marga for instance4 #cff4 ,q4 ,what is this branch of science called8 ,a4 ,the ,pali name is ,iddhi-vidhanana4 #cfg4 ,q4 ,how many kinds are there8 ,a4 ,two3 ,bahira1 i4e41 one in which the phenomena-working power may be temporarily obtained by ascetic practices and also by resort to drugs1 the recitation of mantras 7charms71 or other extraneous aids2 and ,sasaniks1 that in which the power in question is acquired by interior self-development1 and covers all and more than the phenomena of ,laukika ,iddhi4 #cfh4 ,q4 ,what class of men enjoy these powers8 ,a4 ,they gradually develop in one which pursues a certain course of ascetic practice called ,dhyana4 #cfi4 ,q4 ,can this ,iddhi power be lost8#a ,a4 ,the ,bahira can be lost1 but the ,sasanika never1 when once acquired4 ,lokottara knowledge once obtained is never lost1 and it is by this knowledge only that the absolute condition of ,nirvana is known by the ,arhat4 ,and this knowledge can be got by following the noble life of the ,eightfold ,path4 #cgj4 ,q4 ,had ,buddha the ,lokottara ,iddhi8 ,a4 ,yes1 in perfection4 #cga4 ,q4 ,and his disciples also had it8 ,a4 ,yes1 some but not all equally2 the capacity for acquiring these occult powers varies with the individual4 #cgb4 ,q4 ,give examples8 ,a4 ,of all the disciples of the ,buddha1 ,mogallana was possessed of the most extraordinary powers for making phenomena1 while ,ananda could develop none during the twenty-five years in which he was the personal and intimate disciple of the ,buddha himself4 ,later he did1 as the ,buddha had foretold he would4 #cgc4 ,q4 ,does a man acquire these powers suddenly or gradually8 ,a4 ,normally1 they gradually develop themselves as the disciple progressively gains control over his lower nature in a series of births4#b #cgd4 ,q4 ,does ,buddhism pretend that the miracle of raising those who are dead is possible8 ,a4 ,no4 ,the ,buddha teaches the contrary1 in that beautiful story of ,kisa ,gotami and the mustard-seed4 ,but when a person only seems to be dead but is not actually so1 resuscitation is possible4 #cge4 ,q4 ,give me an idea of these successive stages of the ,lokottara development in ,iddhi8 ,a4 ,there are six degrees attainable by ,arhats2 what is higher than them is to be reached only by a ,buddha4 #cgf4 ,q4 ,describe the six stages or degrees8 ,a4 ,we may divide them into two groups1 of three each4 ,the first to include 7#a7 ,progressive retrospection1 viz41 a gradually acquired power to look backward in time towards the origin of things2 7#b7 ,progressive foresight1 or power of prophecy2 7#c7 ,gradual extinction of desires and attachments to material things4 #cgg4 ,q4 ,what would the second group include8 ,a4 ,the same faculties1 but inimitably developed4 ,thus1 the full ,arhat possesses perfect retrospection1 perfect foresight1 and has absolutely extinguished the last trace of desire and selfish attractions4 #cgh4 ,q4 ,what are the four means for obtaining ,iddhi8 ,a4 ,the will1 its exertion1 mental development1 and discrimination between right and wrong4 #cgi4 ,q4 ,our ,scriptures relate hundreds of instances of phenomena produced by ,arhats3 what did you say was the name of this faculty or power8 ,a4 ,iddhi vidha4 ,one possessing this can1 by manipulating the forces of ,nature1 produce any wonderful phenomenon1 i4e41 make any scientific experiment he chooses4 #chj4 ,q4 ,did the ,buddha encourage displays of phenomena8 ,a4 ,no2 he expressly discouraged them as tending to create confusion in the minds of those who were not acquainted with the principles involved4 ,they also tempt their possessors to show them merely to gratify idle curiosity and their own vanity4 ,moreover1 similar phenomena can be shown by magicians and sorcerers learned in the ,laukika1 or the baser form of ,iddhi science4 ,all false pretensions to supernatural attainment by monks are among the unpardonable sins 7,tevijja ,sutta74 #cha4 ,q4 ,you spoke of a deva having appeared to the ,prince ,siddhartha under a variety of forms2 what do ,buddhists believe respecting races of elemental invisible beings having relations with mankind8 ,a4 ,they believe that there are such beings who inhabit worlds or spheres of their own4 ,the ,buddhist doctrine is that1 by interior self-development and conquest over his baser nature1 the ,arhat becomes superior to even the most formidable of the devas1 and may subject and control the lower orders4 #chb4 ,q4 ,how many kinds of devas are there8 ,a4 ,three3 ,kamavachara 7those who are still under the domination of the passions72 ,rupavachara 7a higher class1 which still retain an individual form73 ,arapavachara 7the highest in degree of purification1 who are devoid of material forms74 #chc4 ,q4 ,should we fear any of them8 ,a4 ,he who is pure and compassionate in heart and of a courageous mind need fear nothing3 no man1 god1 brahmarakkhas1 demon or deva1 can injure him1 but some have power to torment the impure1 as well as those who invite their approach4 #a ,sumangala ,sthavira explains to me that those transcendent powers are permanently possessed only by one who has subdued all the passions 7,klesa71 in other words1 an ,arhat4 ,the powers may be developed by a bad man and used for doing evil things1 but their activity is but brief1 the rebellious passions again dominate the sorcerer1 and he becomes at last their victim4 #b ,when the powers suddenly show themselves1 the inference is that the individual had developed himself in the next anterior birth4 ,we do not believe in eccentric breaks in natural law4 ,,appendix ,the following text of the fourteen items of belief which have been accepted as fundamental principles in both the ,southern and ,northern sections of ,buddhism1 by authoritative committees to whom they were submitted by me personally1 have so much historical importance that they are added to the present edition of ,,the ,,buddhist ,,catechism as an ,appendix4 ,it has very recently been reported to me by ,h4 ,e4 ,prince ,ouchtomsky1 the learned ,russian ,orientalist1 that having had the document translated to them1 the ,chief ,lamas of the great ,mongolian ,buddhist monasteries declared to him that they accept every one of the propositions as drafted1 with the one exception that the date of the ,buddha is by them believed to have been some thousands of years earlier than the one given by me4 ,this surprising fact had not hitherto come to my knowledge4 ,can it be that the ,mongolian ,sangha confuse the real epoch of ,sakya ,muni with that of his alleged next predecessor8 ,be this as it may1 it is a most encouraging fact that the whole ,buddhistic world may now be said to have united to the extent at least of these ,fourteen ,propositions4 ,h4 ,s4 ,o4 ,,fundamental ,,buddhistic ,,beliefs ,i ,buddhists are taught to show the same tolerance1 forbearance1 and brotherly love to all men1 without distinction2 and an unswerving kindness towards the members of the animal kingdom4 ,,ii ,the universe was evolved1 not created2 and its functions according to law1 not according to the caprice of any ,god4 ,,iii ,the truths upon which ,buddhism is founded are natural4 ,they have1 we believe1 been taught in successive kalpas1 or world-periods1 by certain illuminated beings called ,,buddhas1 the name ,,buddha meaning ,enlightened4 ,,iv ,the fourth ,teacher in the present kalpa was ,sakya ,muni1 or ,gautama ,buddha1 who was born in a ,royal family in ,india about #b1ejj years ago4 ,he is an historical personage and his name was ,siddhartha ,gautama4 ,v ,sakya ,muni taught that ignorance produces desire1 unsatisfied desire is the cause of rebirth1 and rebirth1 the cause of sorrow4 ,to get rid of sorrow1 therefore1 it is necessary to escape rebirth2 to escape rebirth1 it is necessary to extinguish desire2 and to extinguish desire1 it is necessary to destroy ignorance4 ,,vi ,ignorance fosters the belief that rebirth is a necessary thing4 ,when ignorance is destroyed the worthlessness of every such rebirth1 considered as an end in itself1 is perceived1 as well as the paramount need of adopting a course of life by which the necessity for such repeated rebirths can be abolished4 ,ignorance also begets the illusive and illogical idea that there is only one existence for man1 and the other illusion that this one life is followed by states of unchangeable pleasure or torment4 ,,vii ,the dispersion of all this ignorance can be attained by the persevering practice of an all-embracing altruism in conduct1 development of intelligence1 wisdom in thought1 and destruction of desire for the lower personal pleasures4 ,,viii ,the desire to live being the cause of rebirth1 when that is extinguished rebirths cease and the perfected individual attains by meditation that highest state of peace called ,nirvana4 ,,ix ,sakya ,muni taught that ignorance can be dispelled and sorrow removed by the knowledge of the four ,noble ,truths1 viz43 #a4 ,the miseries of existence2 #b4 ,the cause productive of misery1 which is the desire ever renewed of satisfying oneself without being able ever to secure that end2 #c4 ,the destruction of that desire1 or the estranging of oneself from it2 #d4 ,the means of obtaining this destruction of desire4 ,the means which he pointed out is called the ,noble ,eightfold ,path1 viz43 ,right ,belief2 ,right ,thought2 ,right ,speech2 ,right ,action2 ,right ,means of ,livelihood2 ,right ,exertion2 ,right ,remembrance2 ,right ,meditation4 ,x ,right ,meditation leads to spiritual enlightenment1 or the development of that ,buddha-like faculty which is latent in every man4 ,,xi ,the essence of ,buddhism1 as summed up by the ,tathagatha 7,buddha7 himself1 as3 ,to cease from all sin1 ,to get virtue1 ,to purify the heart4 ,,xii ,the universe is subject to a natural causation known as ,karma4 ,the merits and demerits of a being in past existences determine his condition in the present one4 ,each man1 therefore1 has prepared the causes of the effects which he now experiences4 ,,xiii ,the obstacles to the attainment of good karma may be removed by the observance of the following precepts1 which are embraced in the moral code of ,buddhism1 viz43 7#a7 ,kill not2 7#b7 ,steal not2 7#c7 ,indulge in no forbidden sexual pleasure2 7#d7 ,lie not2 7#e7 ,take no intoxication or stupefying drug or liquor4 ,five other precepts which need not be here enumerated should be observed by those who would attain1 more quickly than the average layman1 the release from misery and rebirth4 ,,xiv ,buddhism discourages superstitious credulity4 ,gautama ,buddha taught it to be the duty of a parent to have his child educated in science and literature4 ,he also taught that no one should believe what is spoken by any sage1 written in any book1 or affirmed by tradition1 unless it accord with reason4 ,drafted as a common platform upon which all ,buddhists can agree4 ,h4 ,s4 ,,olcott1 ,p4,t4,s4 ,respectfully submitted for the approval of the ,high ,priests of the nations which we severally represent1 in the ,buddhist ,conference held at ,adyar1 ,madras1 on the #hth1 #ith1 #ajth1 #aath1 and #abth of ,january1 #ahia 7,a4,b4 #bdcd74 ,japan 4 4 4 4 4 7 ,kozen ,gunaratana 7 ,chiezo ,tokuzawa ,burmah 4 4 4 4 4 ,u4 ,hmoay ,tha ,aung ,ceylon 4 4 4 4 4 ,dhammapala ,hevavitarana4 ,the ,maghs of ,chittagong 4 4 4 ,krshna ,chandra ,chowdry1 by his appointed ,proxy1 ,maung ,tha ,dwe4 ,,burmah ,approved on behalf of the ,buddhists of ,burmah1 this #crd day of ,february1 #ahia 7,a4 ,b4 #bdcd73 ,tha-tha-na-baing ,saydawgyi2 ,aung ,myi ,shwebon ,sayadaw2 ,me-ga-waddy ,sayadaw2 ,hmat-,khaya ,sayadaw2 ,hti-lin ,sayadaw2 ,myadaung ,sayadaw2 ,hla-,htwe ,sayadaw2 and sixteen others4 ,,ceylon ,approved on behalf of the ,buddhists of ,ceylon this #beth day of ,february1 #ahia 7,a4,b4 #bdcd72 ,mahannwara upawsatha pusparama viharadhipati ,hippola ,dhamma ,rakkhita ,sobhitabhidhana ,maha ,nayaka ,sthavirayan wahanse wamha4 7,hippola ,dhamma ,rakkhita ,sabhitabhidhana1 ,high ,priest of the ,malwatta ,vihare at ,kandy74 7,sd47 ,,hippola4 ,mahanuwara ,asgiri viharadhipati ,yatawatte ,chandajottyabhidhana ,maha ,nayaka ,sthavirayan wahanse wamha--7,yatawatte ,chandajottyabhidhana1 ,high ,priest of ,asgiri ,tihare at ,kandy74 7,sd47 ,,yatawatte ,hikkaduwe ,sri ,sumangala ,sripadasthane saha ,kolamba palate pradhana ,nayaka ,sthavirayo 7,hikkaduwe ,sri ,sumangala1 ,high ,priest of ,adam's ,peak and the ,district of ,colombo74 7,sd47 ,h4 ,,sumangala ,maligawe ,prachina ,pustakalayadhyakshaka ,suriyagoda ,sonuttara ,sthavirayo 7,suriyagoda ,sonuttara1 ,librarian of the ,oriental ,library at the ,temple of the ,tooth ,relic at ,kandy74 7,sd47 ,s4 ,,sonuttara ,sugata ,sasanadhaja ,vinaya chariya ,dhammalankarabhidhana ,nayaka ,sthavira4 7,sd47 ,w4 ,,dhammalankara ,pawara neruttika chariya ,maha ,vibhavi ,subhuti of ,waskaduwa4 7,sd47 ,w4 ,,subhuti ,,japan ,accepted as included within the body of ,northern ,buddhism4 ,shaku ,genyu 7,shingon ,shu7 ,fukuda ,nichiyo 7,nichiren 7 ,sanada ,seyko 7,zen 7 ,ito ,quan ,shyu 7 7 ,takehana ,hakuyo 7,jodo 7 ,kono ,rioshin 7,ji-,shu 7 ,kiro ,ki-ko 7,jodo ,seizan 7 ,harutani ,shinsho 7,tendai 7 ,manabe ,shun-myo 7,shingon 7 ,,chittagong ,accepted for the ,buddhists of ,chittagong4 ,nagawa ,parvata ,vihaaradhipati ,guna ,megu ,wini-,lankara1 ,harbing1 ,chittagong1 ,bengal4 ,,bibliography ,the ,buddhist ,catechism has been compiled from personal studies in ,ceylon1 and in part from the following works3 ,vinaya ,texts 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,davids and ,oldenberg4 ,buddhist ,literature in ,china 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,beal4 ,catena of ,buddhist ,scriptures 4 4 4 4 4 ,do4 ,buddhaghosa's ,parables 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,rogers4 ,buddhist ,birth ,stories 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,fausboll and ,davids4 ,legend of ,gautama 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,bigandet4 ,chinese ,buddhism 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,edkins4 ,kalpa ,sutra and ,nava ,patva 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,stevenson4 ,buddha and ,early ,buddhism 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,lillie4 ,sutta ,nipata 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,sir ,coomara ,swami4 ,nagananda 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,broyd4 ,kusa ,jataka 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,steele4 ,buddhism 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,rhys-,davids4 ,dhammapada 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,fausboll and ,max ,mller4 ,romantic ,history of ,buddha 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,beal4 ,udanavarga 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,rockhill4 ,twelve ,japanese ,buddhist ,sects 4 4 4 4 4 ,b4 ,nanjio4 ,the ,gospel of ,buddha 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,paul ,carus4 ,the ,dharma 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,do4 ,ancient ,india 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,r4 ,c4 ,dutt4 ,the ,sacred ,books of the ,east ,series 4 ,max ,mller's ,edition4 ,encyclopaedia ,britannica ,printed by ,annie ,besant ,vasanta ,press ,adyar ,madras