,note3 ,images of the original pages are available through ,internet ,archive4 ,see https3_/_/archive4org_/details_/influenc eofbuddh#jjlill ,some characters might not display in this ,,utf-#h text version or in the html version4 ,if so1 the reader should consult the original page images referred to above4 ,transcriber's note3 ,text enclosed by underscores is in italics 7italics74 ,,the ,,influence ,,of ,,buddhism ,,on ,,primitive ,,christianity 99 99 99 99 99 ,by the same ,author1 ,,buddhism ,,in ,,christendom4 ,the most learned1 thoughtful1 and thought-provoking work which has yet appeared on this momentous question4444 ,i read the book from cover to cover with much interest4--,truth4 ,the present work is of the profoundest interest1 and is certain to command attention in all future discussions of the subject with which it deals4444 ,it is exceedingly ably written4--,scotsman4 ,the relation of ,essenism to ,buddhism is here dwelt upon with some fresh illustration of the probably ,indian origin of the ,therapeuts of ,alexandria4 ,mr4 ,lillie's chapters on ritual and observances are rendered attractive by a number of interesting illustrations4--,athenum4 ,discusses the influence which ,buddhism has had on ,christianity4 ,the admission that there is any relationship at all between the two will be vehemently denied by many good people1 but no one can impartially and fairly study ,mr4 ,lillie's book1 examine his evidence1 and give due weight to his arguments1 without admitting that the connection not only exists but is an intimate one4--,evening ,standard4 ,also1 ,,the ,,popular ,,life ,,of ,,buddha4 ,contends that the atheistic and soulless ,buddhism was drawn from the ',great ,vehicle1' which was a spurious system introduced about the time of the ,christian era1 whereas the ',little ,vehicle1' compiled by ,asoka1 contained the motto1 ',confess and believe in ,god4' ,there are a large number of passages drawn from the sacred books1 which tend to prove that ,mr4 ,lillie is right in his theory of ,buddhist theology4 ,even ,dr4 ,rhys ,davids admits that the ,cakkavati ,buddha was to early ,buddhists what the ,messiah ,logos was to early ,christians4 ',if this be so1' as ,mr4 ,lillie is justified in asking1 how can an atheist believe in a ',word of ,god made flesh8' ,mr4 ,lillie thus sums up the originalities of the ,buddhist movement3--,enforced vegetarianism for the whole nation2 enforced abstinence from wine2 abolition of slavery3 the introduction of the principle of forgiveness of injuries in opposition to the lex talionis2 uncompromising antagonism to all national religious rites that were opposed to the gnosis or spiritual development of the individual2 beggary1 continence1 and asceticism for religious teachers4--,spectator4 ,contains many quotations from the ,buddhist religious writings1 which are beautiful and profound--a most readable book4--,saturday ,review4 ,our author has unquestionably the story-teller's gift4--,st4 ,james ,gazette4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,influence ,,of ,,buddhism ,,on ,,primitive ,,christianity by ,,arthur ,,lillie ,author of ,buddhism in ,christendom1 etc4 ,illustration3 ,shield supported by two ,unicorns ,london ,swan ,sonnenschein ,co4 ,new ,york3 ,charles ,scribner's ,sons #ahic 99 99 99 99 99 ,,uniform ,,with ,,this ,,volume1 ,the ,philosophy at ,home ,series4 #a to #e4 ,,selections ,,from ,,the ,,works ,,of ,,arthur ,,schopenhauer--,translated from the ,german by ,t4 ,,bailey ,,saunders1 ,m4,a4 7,oxon71 viz43-- #a4 ,,the ,,wisdom ,,of ,,life1 #dth ,edition4 #b4 ,,counsels ,,and ,,maxims1 #crd ,edition4 #c4 ,,religion1 ,a ,,dialogue1 and other ,essays1 #crd ,edition4 #d4 ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,literature1 #bnd ,edition4 #e4 ,,studies ,,in ,,pessimism1 #crd ,edition4 #f4 ,,outlines ,,of ,,the ,,philosophy ,,of ,,religion1 by ,,hermann ,,lotze4 ,edited1 with an ,introduction1 by ,f4 ,c4 ,,conybeare1 ,m4,a4 7,oxon74 #g4 ,,the ,,problem ,,of ,,reality1 by ,e4 ,,belfort ,,bax4 #h4 ,,the ,,influence ,,of ,,buddhism ,,on ,,primitive ,,christianity1 by ,,arthur ,,lillie4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,preface4 ,a volume that proves that much of the ,new ,testament is parable rather than history will shock many readers1 but from the days of ,origen and ,clement of ,alexandria to the days of ,swedenborg the same thing has been affirmed4 ,the proof that this parabolic writing has been derived from a previous religion will shock many more4 ,the biographer of ,christ has one sole duty1 namely1 to produce the actual historical ,jesus4 ,in the ,new ,testament there are two ,christs1 an ,essene and an anti-,essene ,christ1 and all modern biographers who have sought to combine the two have failed necessarily4 ,it is the contention of this work that ,christ was an ,essene monk2 that ,christianity was ,essenism2 and that ,essenism was due1 as ,dean ,mansel contended1 to the ,buddhist missionaries who visited ,egypt within two generations of the time of ,alexander the ,great4 7,gnostic ,heresies1 p4 #ca47 ,the ,reformation1 in the view of ,macaulay1 was the struggle of layman versus monk4 ,in consequence1 many good ,protestants are shocked to hear such a term applied to the founder of their creed4 ,but here ,i must point out one fact4 ,in the ,essene monasteries1 as in the ,buddhist1 there was no life vow4 ,this made the monastery less a career than a school for spiritual initiation4 ,in modern monasteries ,st4 ,john of the ,cross can dream sweet dreams of ,god in one cell1 and his neighbour may be ,friar ,tuck1 but to both the monastery is a prison4 ,this alters the complexion of the celibacy question1 and so does the fact that the ,christians were fighting a mighty battle with the priesthoods4 ,the ,son of ,man envied the security of the crannies of the fox4 ,he called his opponents wolves4 ,his flock after his death met with closed doors for fear of the ,jews4 ,the pure gospel1 says the ,clementine ,homilies 7ch4 ii4 #ag71 was sent abroad secretly after the removal to ,pella4 ,the new sect1 not as ,christians but as ,essenes1 were tortured1 killed1 hunted down4 ,to such1 two coats1 wives1 daily wine celebrations were scarcely fitted4 ,twice has ,buddhism invaded the ,west1 once at the birth of ,christianity1 and once when the ,templars brought home from ,palestine ,cabbalism1 ,sufism1 ,freemasonry4 ,and our zealous missionaries in ,ceylon and elsewhere1 by actively translating ,buddhist books to refute them1 have produced a result which is a little startling4 ,once more ,buddhism is advancing with giant strides4 ,germany1 ,america1 ,england are overrun with it4 ,m4 ,lon de ,rosny1 a professor of the ,sorbonne1 announces that in ,paris there are #cj1jjj ,buddhists at least4 ,a ,french frigate came back from ,china the other day with one-third of the crew converted ,buddhists4 ,schopenhauer admits that he got the philosophy which now floods ,germany from a perusal of ,english translations of ,buddhist books4 ,even the nonsense of ,madame ,blavatsky has a little genuine ,buddhism at the bottom1 which gives it a brief life4 ,the religions of earth mean strife and partisan watch-cries1 partisan symbols1 partisan gestures1 partisan clothes4 ,but as the daring climber mounts the cool steep1 the anathemas of priests fall faintly on the ear1 and the largest cathedrals grow dim1 in a pure region where ,wesley and ,fenelon1 ,mirza the ,sufi and ,swedenborg1 ,spinoza and ,amiel1 can shake hands4 ,if this new study of ,buddhism has shown that the two great ,teachers of the world taught much the same doctrine1 we have distinctly a gain and not a loss4 ,that religion was the religion of the individual1 as discriminated from religion by body corporate4 ,,contents4 ,,chap4 ,,page ,,introductory #a ,i4 ,,moses #d ,,ii4 ,,buddha #bc ,,iii4 ,,the ,,four ,,presaging ,,tokens #ce ,,iv4 ,,after ,,buddha',s ,,death #gg ,v4 ,,the ,,apostles ,,of ,,the ,,bloodless ,,altar #ih ,,vi4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,according ,,to ,,the ,,hebrews #aaa ,,vii4 ,,the ,,essene ,,jesus #ace ,,viii4 ,,the ,,anti-,,essene ,,jesus #add ,,ix4 ,,the ,,church ,,of ,,jerusalem #afj ,x4 ,,johannine ,,buddhism #afi ,,xi4 ,,rites #agd ,,index #aha ,,influence ,,of ,,buddhism ,,on ,,christianity ,,introductory4 ,in the ,revue des ,deux ,mondes1 ,july #aeth1 #ahhh1 ,m4 mile ,burnouf has an article entitled ,le ,bouddhisme en ,occident4 ,m4 ,burnouf holds that the ,christianity of the ,council of ,nice was due to a conflict between the ,aryan and the ,semite1 between ,buddhism and ,mosaism3-- ,history and comparative mythology are teaching every day more plainly that creeds grow slowly up4 ,none come into the world ready-made1 and as if by magic4 ,the origin of events is lost in the infinite4 ,a great ,indian poet has said1 ',the beginning of things evades us2 their end evades us also4 ,we see only the middle4' ,m4 ,burnouf asserts that the ,indian origin of ,christianity is no longer contested3 ,it has been placed in full light by the researches of scholars1 and notably ,english scholars1 and by the publication of the original texts4444 ,in point of fact1 for a long time1 folks had been struck with the resemblances1 or rather the identical elements contained in ,christianity1 and ,buddhism4 ,writers of the firmest faith and most sincere piety have admitted them4 ,in the last century these analogies were set down to the ,nestorians1 but since then the science of ,oriental chronology has come into being1 and proved that ,buddha is many years anterior to ,nestorius and ,jesus4 ,thus the ,nestorian theory had to be given up4 ,but a thing may be posterior to another without proving derivation4 ,so the problem remained unsolved until recently1 when the pathway that ,buddhism followed was traced1 step by step1 from ,india to ,jerusalem4 ,what are the facts upon which scholars abroad are basing the conclusions here announced8 ,i have been asked by the present publishers to give a short and popular answer to this question4 ,the theory of this book1 stated in a few words1 is that at the date of ,king ,asoka 7,b4,c4 #bfj71 ,persia1 ,greece1 ,egypt1 ,palestine had been powerfully influenced by ,buddhist propagandism4 ,buddha1 as we know from the ,rupnath ,rock inscription1 died #dgj years before ,christ4 ,he announced before he died that his ,dharma would endure five hundred years4 7,oldenburg1 ,buddhism1 p4 #cbg47 ,he announced also that his successor would be ,maitreya1 the ,buddha of ,brotherly ,love4 ,in consequence1 at the date of the ,christian era1 many lands were on the tip-toe of expectation4 ,according to the prophecy of ,zoradascht1 says the ,first ,gospel of the ,infancy1 the wise men came to ,palestine1 expecting1 probably1 ,craosha1 as the ,jews expected ,messiah4 ,the time passed4 ,jesus was executed4 ,his followers dispersed in consternation4 ,the conception that he was the real ,messiah was apparently long in taking definite form4 ,first came a book of sayings only4 ,then a gospel was constructed--the ,gospel of the ,hebrews--of which only a small fragment can be restored4 ,this was the basis of many other gospels4 ,at the date of ,irenus 7#ahj ,a4,d47 they were very numerous4 7,hr i4 #ai47 ,as only the ,old ,testament1 at that time1 was considered the ,bible1 the composers of these gospels apparently thought it no great sin to draw on the ,alexandrine library of ,buddhist books for much of their matter1 it being a maxim of both the ,essenes and the early ,christians that a holy book was more allegory than history4 ,but before ,i compare the ,buddhist and ,christian narratives1 ,i must say a word about the early religion of the ,jews4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,moses4 ,until within the last forty years the ,old ,testament has been practically a sealed book4 ,it found interpreters1 no doubt--two great groups4 ,the first group pointed to its useless and arbitrary edicts1 and pronounced them the inventions of priests inspired by fraud and greed4 ,the second group practically admitted the arbitrary and useless nature of most of the edicts1 but maintained that they were given by the ,all-wise1 in a book penned by ,his finger1 to miraculously prepare a nation distinct from the other nations of the earth1 for a special purpose4 ,they were types of a higher revelation1 a better covenant4 ,practically1 with both of these interpreters ,mosaism was a pure comedy4 ,but comparative mythology1 unborn yesterday1 is telling a different story4 ,it shows that the religion of the ,jews1 far from having been a distinct religion miraculously given to a peculiar people1 had the same rites and gods as the creeds of its ,semitic neighbours4 ,it shows us these ,semites1 or descendants of ,shem1 in two great groups1 differing much in language and religion4 ,it shows us the southern ,semites1 the ,arabs1 the ,himyarites1 the ,ethiopians4 ,it shows us the northern group1 the ,babylonians or ,chaldeans1 the ,assyrians1 the ,arameans1 the ,canaanites1 the ,hebrews4 ,it shows us their gods1 ,el and ,yahve1 and ,astarte of ,sidon2 and going a step back shows how the ,semites borrowed from an earlier civilisation1 that of the ,acadians1 the yellow-faced ,mongols who seem to have preceded the white races everywhere4 ,the ,semite borrowed the old ,acadian pantheon en bloc1 says ,professor ,sayce 7,ancient ,empires1 p4 #aea74 ,but the work of the archologist and the anthropologist has been still more important4 ,the former has suddenly revealed to us chapters in the history of human experience hitherto undreamt of4 ,he has allowed us to peer far1 far into the past1 to see man at an incalculable distance4 ,thousands and thousands of years before ,cain and ,abel we see the palolithic man1 dolichocephalic and with prominent jaws1 pursue the great migrations of urus1 reindeer1 mammoth1 and the thick-nose rhinoceros from ,cumberland to ,algeria1 and ,algeria to ,cumberland1 passing dry-shod to ,france1 and from ,sicily to ,africa4 ,he is naked4 ,he is armed with a javelin with a flint head4 ,he is an animal1 struggling for survival with other animals4 ,he eats his foes as wolves eat vanquished wolves4 ,to extract the marrow from their bones he cracks them with his poor flint celt or langue du chat2 and these cracked human bones #bdj1jjj years afterwards are found in caves and in beds of gravel and sand1 and brick earth1 and tell their story4 ,some are charred1 which proves that the notion of sacrifice to an unseen being was due to him4 ,to this poor savage our debt is quite incalculable4 #a4 ,he invented the missile4 ,this made the monkey dominant in the animal world4 ,he became a man4 #b4 ,he invented religion4 ,here the valuable work of the anthropologist chimes in4 ,he has collected the records of ancient and modern savages1 and compared them with the records of caves and beds of gravel4 ,in this way he has allowed us to peer into the mind of the stone-using savage1 who lived at least #bdj1jjj years ago4 ,and the ,bible of the ,jews1 from being a text-book for sermons which bewildered the moral sense even of children1 has become1 for the study of the great evolution of religion1 one of the most valuable books in the world4 ,it bridges the gap between the neolithic or polished-stone-using man and ,christ and ,mahomet4 ,before we go further1 let us say a word about the authorship of the ,old ,testament4 ,the ,books of ,moses were compiled by ,ezra1 at the date of ,artaxerxes1 the ,king of the ,persians4 ,it is to be observed that this is not an extravagant guess of ,german theorists4 ,it is stated authoritatively by ,clement of ,alexandria4 7,strom4 i4 #bb47 ,irenus1 ,tertullian1 ,eusebius1 ,jerome1 and ,basil give the same testimony4 ,but a greater authority is behind4 ,it is known that ,christ and ,his disciples1 and the early fathers1 used the ,septuagint or ,greek version of the ,bible1 and ,dr4 ,giles goes so far as to say that there is no hint amongst the latter of the knowledge of even the existence of the ,hebrew version4 ,in this ,bible 7#b ,esdras xiv471 it is announced distinctly that the law was burnt2 and that ,ezra1 aided by the ,holy ,ghost and wonderful visions of the night1 wrote down all that hath been done in the world from the beginning which was written in thy law4 ,let us write down a few dates from the accepted chronology4 ,b4,c4 ,adam #djjd ,abraham #aiif ,moses #aega ,nebuchadnezzar leads ,jews in captivity to ,babylon #ehg ,jews restored #eag ,ezra #deg ,thus the story of ,adam in its present form was written down #cedg years after it had occurred4 ,the story of ,abraham was written down #aeci years after it occurred4 ,the transactions between ,yahve and ,moses were written down #aaad years after they occurred4 ,to gauge the full significance of this1 let us call to mind that the poet ,tennyson a few years back compiled from old ballads and chronicles the story of ,arthur1 a king separated from him by about the same gap of time that parted ,ezra and ,moses4 ,the poet was honest1 according to our ideas of honesty1 and sought to give a faithful picture of ,arthur's court--with a success that is only moderate4 ,but ,ezra was not honest1 that is1 in our sense of the word4 ,his nation had been a captive of the ,babylonians1 and had been released from slavery and the lash by ,cyrus4 ,in consequence1 the molten bulls of the temples of the ,jewish taskmasters stank in his nostrils1 and led him to advocate the severe nakedness of the ,persian fire-altar4 ,and he proposed to do this1 not so much by writing new books as by altering the old records and legends1 and proclaiming his views through the mouths of the time-honoured patriarchs4 ,but all this involved a grotesque inference that he seems not to have anticipated4 ,if ,abraham1 ,jacob1 ,moses1 ,solomon1 knew in their secret hearts that the one fierce hatred of ,yahve was the graven image1 their assiduous idolatry spread over #aejj years must have been a pure comedy1 intended to insult ,yahve1 not to conciliate him4 ,what is the object of the religion of the savage8 ,anthropology has recently answered this question4 ,the religion of the savage is a slavish reign of terror4 ,his rites and prohibitions are a vast apparatus of magic1 to obtain food for the tribe1 and safety from the plague and the foeman4 ,in language borrowed from the ,new ,zealander1 it is a ,great ,,taboo4 ,early man found himself in the presence of the mighty forces of nature4 ,the thunder roared4 ,the lightning struck his rude shelter4 ,a hurricane ruined his crops4 ,the fever or the foeman came upon him4 ,he had to guess the meaning of all this4 ,some dead chief1 much feared in life1 is seen in a dream1 or his ghost appears4 ,he is silent and looks very sad4 ,what is the cause of his sorrow8 ,want of food4 ,the early savage knows no other4 ,a storm1 a pestilence vexes the clan1 and the chief appears again1 looking angry4 ,the two facts are connected together4 ,beasts are slaughtered1 and perhaps human victims1 and placed near his cairn4 ,the pestilence ceases4 ,in this way the ,hottentots have made an ancestor1 ,tsui ,goab1 into their god4 ,indeed1 ancestor worship is the basis of all religions4 ,but by and by1 to resume our illustration1 new calamities vex the tribe4 ,tsui ,goab is angry once more4 ,fresh efforts are made to soothe him4 ,soon the ,taboo develops into a number of complicated superstitions4 ,the savage1 says ,sir ,john ,lubbock1 is nowhere free4 ,all over the world his daily life is regulated by a complicated1 and often most inconvenient set of customs 7as forcible as laws71 of quaint prohibitions and privileges4444 ,the ,australians are governed by a code of rules and a set of customs which form one of the most cruel tyrannies that has ever1 perhaps1 existed on the face of the earth4 7,origin of ,civilisation1 p4 #cjd47 ,the lives of savages1 says ,mr4 ,lang1 are bound by the most closely-woven fetters of custom4 ,the simplest acts are 'tabooed4' ,a strict code regulates all intercourse4 7,custom and ,myth41 p4 #gb47 ,now1 unless this system is clearly understood1 ,mosaism will remain a riddle4 ,it is to be observed that ,ezra1 far from having relaxed the reign of terror of the ,great ,taboo of savage survival1 had enlarged the number of petty faults and superstitions2 and the ,levites and ,pharisees at the date of ,christ1 far from considering all this a comedy1 were the most stiff-necked of believers4 ,it results that a new religion that proposed to ignore the chief edicts of the ,taboo must have come from some strong outside influence4 ,the two great foes of the savage1 as ,mr4 ,frazer shows in his able work1 the ,golden ,bough1 were the ghost and the necromancer4 ,the first was deemed all-powerful1 and the second sought to use this power to help the tribe and injure its rivals4 ,his art was that of the farmer1 the warrior1 the doctor--in fact1 in his view1 pure science4 ,and the laws and ordinances were a ,great ,taboo1 acts forbidden or enjoined to control the ghosts4 ,let the ,deuteronomist himself tell us what ,israel was to expect if she kept these laws and ordinances4 ,yahve1 it is said1 will love thee1 and bless thee1 and multiply thee1 and he will also bless the fruit of thy womb1 and the fruit of thy land1 thy corn1 and thy wine1 and thine oil1 the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep4444 ,the ,lord will take away from thee all sickness1 and will put none of the evil diseases of ,egypt which thou knowest upon thee1 but will lay them upon all them that hate thee4444 ,moreover1 the ,lord thy ,god will send the hornet amongst them1 until they that are left1 and hide themselves from thee1 be destroyed4 ,this was the religion of ,moses4 ,the ghostly head of the clan would give abundant flocks and fertile ground to those who fed him with burnt-offerings1 but failing these1 would send the blotch1 the itch1 the scab 7,deut4 xxviii4 #bg71 the victorious foeman--and change the fertilising rain to the powder and dust of the desert4 ,it must be admitted that religion1 says ,sir ,john ,lubbock1 as understood by the lower savage races1 differs essentially from ours4 ,thus their deities are evil1 not good4 ,they may be forced into compliance with the wishes of man4 ,they require bloody1 and rejoice in human sacrifices4 ,they are mortal1 not immortal2 a part not the author of nature4 ,they are to be approached by dances rather than prayers1 and often approve what we call vice rather than what we esteem as virtue4 7,origin of ,civil41 p4 #acc47 ,in point of fact1 the savage believes that sickness1 death1 thunder1 and other human ills come not from nature1 but the active interference of the god4 ,he looks upon every one outside his tribe as an enemy4 ,the west coast negroes represent their deities as black and mischievous1 delighting to torment them in various ways4 ,the ,bechuanas curse their deities when things go wrong4 ,all this throws light on the god of the ,hebrews4 ,professor ,robertson ,smith1 in the new ,encyclopdia ,britannica1 describes him as immoral1 but perhaps it would be more correct to say that he has the gang morality of a savage chief4 ,he counsels the ,jews to borrow the poor silver bangles of the ,egyptian women1 and then to treacherously carry them off 7,exod4 iii4 #bb71 because gang morality recognises no rights of property outside the gang4 ,all through the early books1 stories of cheating and lying are popular4 ,palestine is a narrow strip of land between the ,jordan and the ,mediterranean1 surrounded by deserts4 ,to it1 from a city named ,ur1 in ,chaldea1 #aiif years ,b4,c41 came ,abraham and the ,hebrews1 or ,men from ,beyond4 ,these little ,semite clans were like the modern ,bedouins4 ,they did not live in towns2 they pitched their tents in the country4 ,the soil of ,palestine1 even in ,abraham's day1 was quite unable to support these teeming hordes1 for the sons of ,abraham went several times to ,egypt to escape famine4 ,in similar fashion1 ten or twelve thousand ,arabs from ,tripoli and ,bengazi lately left their own country to reach ,egypt4 ,all this must be borne in mind4 ,it has been debated whether the earliest god of ,israel was a sun-god or a moon-god1 and whether his name was ,el or ,yahve4 ,in point of fact1 his name was ,starvation1 and the ,jewish ,taboo a great food-making apparatus4 ,this accounts for the extreme ferocity with which the struggle for the land flowing with milk and honey was carried on by the rival tribes4 ,when thou comest nigh to a city to fight against it1 then proclaim peace to it4 ,and it shall be1 if it make thee an answer of peace and open unto thee1 then it shall be1 that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee1 and they shall serve thee4 ,and if it will make no peace with thee1 but will make war against thee1 then thou shalt besiege it3 ,and when the ,,lord thy ,god hath delivered it into thy hands1 thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword2 ,but the women1 and the little ones1 and the cattle1 and all that is in the city1 even all the spoil thereof1 shalt thou take unto thyself3 and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies1 which the ,,lord thy ,god hath given thee4 ,thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee1 which are not of the cities of these nations4 ,the cities that are very far off mean1 in reality1 those that are nearer to ,moses in the desert than the cities of the promised land1 but the writer1 composing imaginary laws for ,moses in ,jerusalem1 some hundred years after his death1 overlooked this4 ,these are not pretty ones4 ,these cities have to choose at once between slavery or extinction4 ,but of the cities of these people1 which the ,,lord thy ,god doth give thee for an inheritance1 thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth4 ,but thou shalt utterly destroy them1 namely the ,hittites1 and the ,amorites1 the ,canaanites and the ,perizzites1 the ,hivites and the ,jebusites1 as the ,,lord thy ,god hath commanded thee4 7,deut4 xx4 #aj-ag47 ,it accounts1 too1 for the ferocity of the punishments for the infringement of the ,taboo4 ,death was the penalty4 ,the man who fails to pour dust on the blood of a pigeon that he has knocked down with an arrow1 the man who picks up sticks upon the ,sabbath1 the perfumer who imitates a temple smell1 the man who roasts the smallest particle of fat or blood1 the labourer who has an abscess and fails to take two turtle doves as a sin offering to the priest at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation 7,levit4 xv4 #ae71 may all be cut off4 ,every one may be stoned for infringing the ,taboo4 ,sir ,john ,lubbock has pointed out that the god of the savage is of limited power and intelligence1 and that the ,taboo was designed to control rather than conciliate him4 ,he cites the ,eeweehs of the ,nicobar ,islands1 who put up scarecrows to frighten their gods1 and the inhabitants of ,kamtschatka1 who insult their deities if their wishes are unfulfilled4 ,he cites also the ,rishis and heroes of the ,indian epics1 who are constantly overcoming the gods of the ,indian pantheon4 ,certainly the early god of the ,jew was not deemed all-powerful4 ,when the ,jews fought against ,askelon it is recorded3-- ,the ,,lord was with ,judah1 and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain1 but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley1 because they had chariots of iron4 7,judges i4 #ai47 ,he wrestles with ,jacob 7,gen4 xxxii4 #bi71 and the superior wrestling of the man forces the god to give his blessing4 ,he strives to kill ,moses1 but fails to do it4 7,exod4 iv4 #bd47 ,he is a purely local god1 like ,kemosh and other ,semitic deities4 ,surely ,yahve is in this place1 said ,jacob in ,mesopotamia1 and ,i knew it not4 ,david himself1 says ,m4 ,soury1 who was not and could not have been the monotheistic king of tradition1 ,david1 who had teraphim in his house1 as had ,jacob in his time1 does he not seem to restrict the kingdom of ,yahve to the land of ,israel when he complains that ,saul has driven him out from abiding in the inheritance of ,yahve1 saying1 ',go1 serve other gods'8 ,finally1 many centuries afterwards the contemporaries of ,ezekiel still believed that ,yahve1 having abandoned the country1 could no longer see them4 7,ezek4 ix4 #i47 7,soury1 ,religion of ,israel1 c4 v47 ,anthropology divides the early races who used stone implements into two groups1 the palolithic or rough-stone-using man1 and the neolithic man1 who polished his implements4 ,the editing of ,ezra has burnished up the early ,hebrew a little1 but it is plain that he had not emerged from the stone age4 ,his god is a stone4 ,jacob erected a menhir4 ,a menhir is a piece of chipped rock1 erect1 huge1 imposing1 the neolithic man's first rude piece of sculpture1 the neolithic man's god4 ,moses erected a circle of these stone monoliths4 ,joshua erected twelve stone gods on the ,jordan1 and sacrificed to them4 7,josh4 iv4 #i47 ,palestine abounds in such circles archologists tell us4 ,these circles were the high places of scripture4 ,some hold that the ,yahve who travelled with ,israel in the ,ark was a stone4 ,the mighty ,god of ,jacob is called the ,stone of ,israel4 7,gen4 xlix4 #bd47 ,we read of ,eben-ezer1 the ,stone of ,help1 when the ,ark gives the victory to ,samuel4 7#a ,sam4 vii4 #ab47 ,daniel's stone cut out of the mountain without hands brake in pieces the kings and the kingdoms4 7,dan4 ii4 #de47 ,the ,shem ,hamphoras1 the stone in the ,holy of ,holies in ,solomon's temple1 was said to be the ,stone of ,jacob4 ,circumcision1 a savage rite1 was performed with knives of flint4 7,josh4 v4 #b47 ,mr4 ,tylor 7,early ,history of ,mankind1 p4 #baf7 shows us that even at the date of the ,mishna1 the beast at the altar was killed with the kelt of the neolithic man4 ,stones were the official weights in ,israel1 and also the instruments of execution4 ,david used the sling1 and perhaps the chipped stone missiles that we see in museums1 and his singing and dancing naked before the fetish1 and the very unpleasant scalps that purchased him a wife1 savour a little of the latitude of ,polynesia4 ,and his hanging up the hands and feet of ,rechab and ,baanah remind us of the stakes crowned with sculls round the huts of the ,dyaks of ,borneo4 ,at a late date1 says ,m4 ,soury1 we perceive in ,hebrew legislation the repression of monstrous habits and depraved tastes which are only found amongst the very lowest savages4 ,they are forbidden to tattoo themselves1 to eat insects1 reptiles1 etc4 7,levit4 xi4 #ca2 xix4 #bh47 ,i have still to record a quaint use of stones in ,israel1 another survival from the stone age4 ,in ,astley's ,collection of ,voyages 7vol4 ii41 p4 #fgd17 it is announced that the savages of ,west ,africa consult their god with a sort of ,odd or ,even6 with nuts4 ,in ,israel1 the weightiest questions were settled by the same rude divination4 ,the pebble is cast into the lap1 but the whole disposing thereof is of the ,lord4 7,prov4 xvi4 #cc47 ,by this odd or even ,saul was chosen to be king and ,jonah to be thrown overboard4 ,by stones also malefactors were judged in the ,holy of ,holies1 but the exact method of this is a secret that is lost4 ,in writing thus1 of course1 ,i do not believe myself to be dealing with the actual neolithic period4 ,its survivals are tough4 ,in ,india before the ,mutiny ,i was employed with a force sent to put down the rebellion of the ,santals4 ,these1 a branch of the ,kolarias1 represent the early races that the ,arya displaced4 ,and their institutions were singularly like those of the ,jews4 ,they worshipped in high places rude circles of upright monoliths4 ,they worshipped in groves2 and on one occasion we came across a slaughtered kid still warm1 that under the holy ,sal tree had been sacrificed to obtain the help of ,singh ,bonga against us4 ,they had1 like the ,jews1 twelve tribes4 ,they believed1 like them1 that death ended consciousness4 ,they had marriage by capture1 softened down into a comedy1 like other savage tribes4 ,they believed that all diseases were due to the wrath of evil spirits1 or the spell of a sorcerer4 ,all through the night we could hear their war tom-toms sounding1 the tuph of the ,jews 7whence tympanum1 according to ,calmet74 ,they fought with the bows and arrows and axes that are marked aboriginal weapons in the ,south ,kensington ,museum4 ,when we met them in action a chief came forward like ,goliath with gestures and shouts of defiance4 ,like the ,jews they were stiff-necked in their conservatism4 ,buddhism and ,buddha had risen in their very midst4 ,brahmins1 ,mussulmans1 ,christians1 had ruled them and plied them with missionaries2 but pious ,hindoos1 instead of converting them1 had been persuaded to offer sacrifices to ,bagh ,bhut1 a tiger god1 all-powerful in ,santal jungles4 ,they recited at night their deeds of theft and pillage and slaughter1 like the ,sioux ,indians or the early ,jews4 ,circumcision is another savage rite4 ,we find it with the ,papuans4 ,we find it in ,central ,america4 ,we find it amongst the ,australian aborigines4 ,that it was performed in ,israel with knives of flint 7,josh4 v4 #d7 argues a survival from the men of stone implements4 ,sanitary precautions have been suggested as the origin of the rite1 but such an idea would be in advance of the filthy savages using it4 ,the ,encyclopdia ,britannica holds that it was a sacrifice to ,aschera1 the goddess of generation1 like a somewhat similar mutilation of females4 ,professor ,sayce 7,ancient ,empires1 p4 #aii7 shows that with young men a complete mutilation in honour of the ,phnician ,ashtoreth was common4 ,mr4 ,frazer 7,golden ,bough1 i4 #afi7 explains another cruel law of ,leviticus4 ,the ,maoris believe that if anyone touches a dead body1 and then accidentally touches food1 any one partaking of that food will join the dead man in the shades4 ,this superstition about the power of the dead is the root idea of other practices1 covering pictures and looking-glasses whilst the corpse is still in the house1 shunning the graveyard at night when it is buried4 ,it is treated as an enemy who might pass his soul into the picture and do mischief4 ,the death penalty for touching ,yahve's food 7,levit4 vii4 #ba7 is probably the same superstition4 ,when ,god is supposed to be walking about on earth in human form1 as in the instance of a semi-divine savage chief1 the danger of touching his food increases enormously4 ,mr4 ,frazer shows that the ,mikado used to eat every day off new rude earthenware platters1 which were at once broken and buried1 that no one might lose his life by accidentally touching a particle of his food4 7,golden ,bough1 i4 #aff47 ,mr4 ,frazer gives numerous instances1 where the same fatality is believed to result from food contaminated by a menstruous woman4 ,in the view of ,m4 ,soury1 the early ,jew was a tattooed savage1 who ate insects2 but anthropology has shed an unexpected light on this4 ,the families1 and small clans of early savages1 had each some animal as a ,totem4 ,they were tattooed with this for distinction1 and it was everywhere ruled that cat could not marry cat1 or fox fox4 ,a young man tattooed as a fox would have to capture a lady with another crest1 stunning her first with a blow from his dowak perchance1 like the ,australian savage described by ,sir ,john ,lubbock4 ,it has been shown by ,professor ,robertson ,smith that the unclean animals of the ,old ,testament are these totems4 ,so ,i went in and saw1 and behold every form of creeping things and abominable beasts and all the idols of the house of ,israel pourtrayed upon the wall round about4 7,ezek4 viii4 #aj47 ,this accounts for the hare being abominable in ,israel1 and the beetle edible4 ,it was meritorious to eat the totems of one's foes1 but the totems of friendly tribes1 and one's own totems1 were tabooed4 ,the origin of these ideas is much debated4 ,the custom is believed to be closely connected with marriage by capture4 ,female infanticide was prevalent1 as women only attracted ravishers4 ,the story of the sons of ,benjamin capturing the daughters of ,shiloh is a frequent sort of story in savage annals4 7,judges xxi47 ,the sacrifice has puzzled the modern divine4 ,it is urged that rites are necessary to religion1 and that the sacrifice was an apparatus to train ,israel to a deep sense of sin1 and a necessity for a blood atonement4 ,it is contended that it was merely a form1 as only the useless portions of the carcase were given to ,yahve4 ,those who talk like this libel the ,jewish patriarchs4 ,with savages the blood and the fat are considered the choicest morsels4 ,to stone a poor ,jew because he ate a little fat with his supper would have been infamous1 if the whole affair was a harmless comedy4 ,we have shown that the one thought of the ,jew was a mighty terror1 a ,great ,taboo4 ,starvation or rich harvests1 victory or slavery1 were due direct to ,yahve2 and the bloody sacrifice was the one and sole instrument by which he might be controlled4 ,as late as ,leviticus it was believed that the burnt-offering actually provided food and drink to the ,maker of the universe4 ,it is called the food of ,god 7,levit4 xxi4 #h71 a phrase softened into bread of ,god in our version1 as the ,encyclopdia ,britannica 7article ,bible7 has shown4 ,it was believed also that ,god specially loved the smell4 7,levit4 viii4 #ba47 ,more important still1 as pointed out by ,sir ,john ,lubbock in his ,origin of ,civilisation1 p4 #bgb1 human sacrifices are expressly ordered in ,leviticus 7xxvii4 #bh1 #bi73-- ,notwithstanding1 no devoted thing that a man shall devote unto the ,,lord1 of all that he hath1 both of man and beast1 and of the field of his possession1 shall be sold or redeemed3 every devoted thing is most holy unto the ,,lord4 ,none devoted1 which shall be devoted of men1 shall be redeemed1 but shall surely be put to death4 ,there is indeed no doubt that human victims were offered to ,yahve1 says ,m4 ,soury4 ,the young of man belonged to ,yahve1 just as did the young of the animal and the fruit of the tree4 ,all the gods of the ,semites1--,el1 ,schaddai1 ,adon1 ,baal1 ,moloch1 ,yahve1 ,kemosh1--were conceived in the likeness of ,eastern monarchs4 ,they had right absolute over all that was born and all that died in their realms4 ,man admits his vassalage4 ,he adores the 'master1' and brings to his lord the first-fruits of his flock1 his field1 and his family4 7,religion of ,israel1 c4 vi47 ,the ,french author goes on to say that during their sojourn in ,egypt the ,jews sacrificed human victims4 7,ezek4 xx4 #bf47 ,in all the history of religions there is no human sacrifice better established than that of the daughter of ,jephthah to ,yahve4 ,in the time of the ,judges1 who does not know the story of ,samuel and ,agag8 ,it is 'before ,yahve1' at ,gilgal1 that ,samuel kills his victim4 ,david appeased the wrath of ,yahve1 who had afflicted the land with famine during three years1 by delivering up to the ,gibeonites seven men of ,saul's blood4 ,the seven victims being hanged 'on the hill before ,yahve1' the deity was satisfied4 7#b ,sam4 xxi4 #a-ad47 ,this human sacrifice is1 of course1 a survival of cannibalism4 ,the ,australians1 as ,lumholtz 7,among ,cannibals1 p4 #gj7 shows1 consider talgoro 7human flesh7 the daintiest of food4 ,at their watchfires they discourse upon the delicate fat round the kidneys as an alderman might talk of calipash4 ,what is all this leading up to8 ,simply to this1 that we must put far away from us the theory of modern pulpits that the bloody sacrifice was a comedy of the priest1 a comedy of the ,almighty4 ,the sacrifice was not a comedy at all4 ,to the mind of the savage it was at once business and science4 ,it was the bank1 the war office1 the bureau of agriculture1 the college of physicians of the nation4 ,by it alone could the blood-loving ,semite gods be influenced to give harvests1 shekels1 victory2 and the ferocious ,taboo was pure science likewise4 ,the archer1 for instance1 who killed a partridge without covering the blood with earth was killed in turn1 because the ,taboo was a mechanism that could only be kept in working order by a remorseless attention to its most minute rules4 ,writers like ,kuenen and ,lightfoot assure us that it is quite impossible that ,christianity can be due to any influence outside ,judaism1 because it is such a very obvious development of ,jewish thought4 ,this is a startling statement4 ,christianity pronounced the slaughter of animals at the altar a piece of useless folly1 and tore up the great ordinances of ,taboo1 the ,covenant between ,israel and the ,maker of the ,heavens4 ,it proclaimed three ,gods instead of one4 ,it pronounced that the ,jewish holy books were parables rather than a statement of actual facts4 ,such ideas were at this epoch current in the ,west1 owing to the activity of the missionaries of an ,eastern creed4 ,to them we will now turn4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,buddha4 ,i propose now to give a short life of ,buddha1 noting its points of contact with that of ,jesus4 ,,pre-,,existence ,,in ,,heaven4 ,the early ,buddhists1 following the example of the ,vedic ,brahmins1 divided space into ,nirvritti1 the dark portion of the heavens1 and ,pravritti1 the starry systems4 ,over this last1 the luminous portion1 ,buddha figures as ruler when the legendary life opens4 ,the ,christian ,gnostics took over this idea and gave to ,christ a similar function4 ,buthos was ,nirvritti ruled by ,the ,father 7in ,buddhism by ,swayambhu1 the self-existent71 ,pravritti was the ,pleroma4 ,it was the ,father's good pleasure that in him the whole ,pleroma should have its home4 7,col4 i4 #ai47 ,,behold ,a ,,virgin ,,shall ,,conceive4 ,exactly #eej years before ,christ there dwelt in ,north ,oude1 at a city called ,kapilavastu1 the modern ,nagar ,khas1 a king called ,suddhodana4 ,this monarch was informed by angels that a mighty teacher of men would be born miraculously in the womb of his wife4 ,by the consent of the king1 says the ,lalita ,vistara1 the queen was permitted to lead the life of a virgin for thirty-two months4 ,joseph is made1 a little awkwardly1 to give a similar privilege to his wife4 7,matt4 i4 #be47 ,some writers have called in question the statement that ,buddha was born of a virgin1 but in the southern scriptures1 as given by ,mr4 ,turnour1 it is announced that a womb in which a ,buddha elect has reposed1 is like the sanctuary of a temple4 ,on that account1 that her womb may be sacred1 the mother of a ,buddha always dies in seven days4 ,the name of the queen was borrowed from ,brahminism4 ,she was ,my ,dev1 the ,queen of ,heaven4 ,and one of the titles of this lady is ,kany1 the ,virgin of the ,zodiac4 ,queen ,my was chosen for her mighty privilege because the ,buddhist scriptures announce that the mother of a ,buddha must be of royal line4 ,long genealogies1 very like those of the ,new ,testament1 are given also to prove the blue blood of ,king ,suddhodana1 who1 like ,joseph1 had nothing to do with the paternity of the child4 ,king ,mahasammata had a son named ,roja1 whose son was ,vararoja1 whose son was ,kalyna1 whose son was ,varakalyna1 and so on1 and so on4 7,dpawanso1 see ,journ4 ,as4 ,soc41 ,bengal1 vol4 vii41 p4 #ibe47 ,how does a ,buddha come down to earth8 ,this question is debated in ,heaven1 and the ,vedas were searched because1 as ,seydel shows1 although ,buddhism seemed a root and branch change1 it was attempted to show that it was really the lofty side of the old ,brahminism1 a lesson not lost by and by in ,palestine4 ,the sign of ,capricorn in the old ,indian ,zodiac is an elephant issuing from a ,makara 7leviathan71 and it symbolises the active god issuing from the quiescent god in his home on the face of the waters4 ,in consequence1 ,buddha comes down as a white elephant1 and enters the right side of the queen without piercing it or in any way injuring it4 ,childers sees a great analogy in all this to the ,catholic theory of the perpetual virginity of ,mary4 ,catholic doctors quote this passage from ,ezekiel 7xliv4 #b73-- ,then said the ,,lord unto me1 ,this gate shall be shut1 it shall not be opened1 and no man shall enter in by it2 because the ,,lord1 the ,god of ,israel1 hath entered in by it1 therefore shall it be shut4 ,a ,,double ,,annunciation4 ,it is recorded that when ,queen ,my received the supernal ,buddha in her womb1 in the form of a beautiful white elephant1 she said to her husband3 ,like snow and silver1 outshining the sun and the moon1 a white elephant of six defences1 with unrivalled trunk and feet1 has entered my womb4 ,listen1 ,i saw the three regions 7earth1 heaven1 hell17 with a great light shining in the darkness1 and myriads of spirits sang my praises in the sky4 ,a similar miraculous communication was made to ,king ,suddhodana3-- ,the spirits of the ,pure ,abode flying in the air1 showed half of their forms1 and hymned ,king ,suddhodana thus3 ,guerdoned with righteousness and gentle pity1 ,adored on earth and in the shining sky1 ,the coming ,buddha quits the glorious spheres ,and hies to earth to gentle ,my's womb4 ,in the ,christian scriptures there is also a double annunciation4 ,in ,luke 7i4 #bh7 the angel ,gabriel is said to have appeared to the ,virgin ,mary before her conception1 and to have foretold to her the miraculous birth of ,christ4 ,but in spite of this astounding miracle1 ,joseph seems to have required a second personal one before he ceased to question the chastity of his wife4 7,matt4 i4 #ai47 ,plainly1 two evangelists have been working the same mine independently1 and a want of consistency is the result4 ,when ,buddha was in his mother's womb that womb was transparent4 ,the ,virgin ,mary was thus represented in medival frescoes4 7,see illustration1 p4 #ci1 in my ,buddhism in ,christendom47 ,,we ,,have ,,seen ,,his ,,star ,,in ,,the ,,east4 ,in the ,buddhist legend the devas in heaven announce that ,buddha will be born when the ,flower-star is seen in the ,east4 7,lefman1 xxi4 #abd2 ,wassiljew1 p4 #ie47 ,amongst the thirty-two signs that indicate the mother of a ,buddha1 the fifth is that1 like ,mary the mother of ,jesus1 she should be on a journey 7,beal1 ,rom4 ,history1 p4 #cb7 at the moment of parturition4 ,this happened4 ,a tree 7palsa1 the scarlet butea7 bent down its branches and overshadowed her1 and ,buddha came forth4 ,voltaire says that in the library of ,berne there is a copy of the ,first ,gospel of the ,infancy1 which records that a palm tree bent down in a similar manner to ,mary4 7uvres1 vol4 xl47 ,the ,koran calls it a withered date tree4 ,in the ,first ,gospel of the ,infancy1 it is stated that1 when ,christ was in ,his cradle1 ,he said to ,his mother3 ,i am ,jesus1 the ,son of ,god1 the ,word whom thou didst bring forth according to the declaration of the angel ,gabriel to thee1 and my ,father hath sent ,me for the salvation of the world4 ,in the ,buddhist scriptures it is announced that ,buddha1 on seeing the light1 said3-- ,i am in my last birth4 ,none is my equal4 ,i have come to conquer death1 sickness1 old age4 ,i have come to subdue the spirit of evil1 and give peace and joy to the souls tormented in hell4 ,in the same scriptures 7see ,beal1 ,rom4 ,history1 p4 #df7 it is announced that at the birth of the ,divine child1 the devas 7angels7 in the sky sang their hymns and praises4 ,,child-,,naming4 ,five days after the birth of ,buddha1 says ,bishop ,bigandet1 in the ,burmese ,life1 was performed the ceremony of head ablution and naming the child4 7p4 #di47 ,we see from this where the ceremony of head ablution and naming the child comes from4 ,in the ,lalita ,vistara ,buddha is carried to the temple4 ,plainly we have the same ceremony4 ,there the idols bow down to him as in the ,first ,gospel of the ,infancy the idol in ,egypt bows down to ,jesus4 ,in ,luke the infant ,jesus is also taken to the temple by his parents to do for him after the custom of the law4 7,luke ii4 #bg47 ,what law8 ,certainly not the ,jewish4 ,,herod ,,and ,,the ,,wise ,,men4 ,it is recorded in the ,chinese life 7,beal1 ,rom4 ,history1 p4 #ajc7 that ,king ,bimbisra1 the monarch of ,rjagriha1 was told by his ministers that a boy was alive for whom the stars predicted a mighty destiny4 ,they advised him to raise an army and go and destroy this child1 lest he should one day subvert the king's throne4 ,bimbisra refused4 ,at the birth of ,buddha the four ,mahrjas1 the great kings1 who in ,hindoo astronomy guard each a cardinal point1 received him4 ,these may throw light on the traditional ,persian kings that greeted ,christ4 ,in some quarters these analogies are admitted1 but it is said that the ,buddhists copied from the ,christian scriptures4 ,but this question is a little complicated by the fact that many of the most noticeable similarities are in apocryphal gospels1 those that were abandoned by the ,church at an early date4 ,in the ,protevangelion1 at ,christ's birth1 certain marvels are visible4 ,the clouds are astonished1 and the birds of the air stop in their flight4 ,the dispersed sheep of some shepherds near cease to gambol1 and the shepherds to beat them4 ,the kids near a river are arrested with their mouths close to the water4 ,all nature seems to pause for a mighty effort4 ,in the ,lalita ,vistara the birds also pause in their flight when ,buddha comes to the womb of ,queen ,my4 ,fires go out1 and rivers are suddenly arrested in their flow4 ,more noticeable is the story of ,asita1 the ,indian ,simeon4 ,asita dwells on ,himavat1 the holy mount of the ,hindoos1 as ,simeon dwells on ,mount ,zion4 ,the ,holy ,ghost is upon ,simeon4 ,that means that he has obtained the faculties of the prophet by mystical training4 ,he comes by the ,spirit into the temple4 ,asita is an ascetic1 who has acquired the eight magical faculties1 one of which is the faculty of visiting the ,tawatinsa heavens4 ,happening to soar up into those pure regions one day1 he is told by a host of devatas1 or heavenly spirits1 that a mighty ,buddha is born in the world1 who will establish the supremacy of the ,buddhist ,dharma4 ,the ,lalita ,vistara announces that1 looking abroad with his divine eye1 and considering the kingdoms of ,india1 he saw in the great city of ,kapilavastu1 in the palace of ,king ,suddhodana1 the child shining with the glitter of pure deeds1 and adored by all the worlds4 ,afar through the skies the spirits of heaven in crowds recited the hymn of ,buddha4 ,this is the description of ,simeon in the ,first ,gospel of the ,infancy1 ii4 #f--;,at that time old ,simeon saw ,him 7,christ7 shining as a pillar of light when ,st4 ,mary the ,virgin1 ,his mother1 carried ,him in her arms1 and was filled with the greatest pleasure at the sight4 ,and the angels stood around ,him1 adoring ,him as a ,king2 guards stood around ,him4 ,asita pays a visit to the king4 ,asita takes the little child in his arms4 ,asita weeps4 ,wherefore these tears1 ,o holy man8 ,i weep because this child will be the great ,buddha1 and ,i shall not be alive to witness the fact4 ,the points of contact between ,simeon and ,asita are very close4 ,both are men of ,god1 full of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,both are brought by the ,spirit into the presence of the ,holy ,child1 for the express purpose of foretelling ,his destiny as the ,anointed ,one4 ,more remarkable still is the incident of the disputation with the doctors4 ,a little ,brahmin was initiated1 girt with the holy thread1 etc41 at eight1 and put under the tuition of a holy man4 ,when ,vis'vmitra1 ,buddha's teacher1 proposed to teach him the alphabet1 the young prince went off3-- ,in sounding ',a1' pronounce it as in the sound of the word 'anitya4' ,in sounding ',i1' pronounce it as in the word 'indriya4' ,in sounding ',u1' pronounce it as in the word 'upagupta4' ,and so on through the whole ,sanscrit alphabet4 ,in the ,first ,gospel of the ,infancy1 chap4 xx41 it is recorded that when taken to the schoolmaster ,zaccheus1 ,the ,lord ,jesus explained to him the meaning of the letters ,aleph and ,beth4 #h4 ,also1 which were the straight figures of the letters1 which were the oblique1 and what letters had double figures2 which had points and which had none2 why one letter went before another2 and many other things ,he began to tell him and explain1 of which the master himself had never heard1 nor read in any book4 #i4 ,the ,lord ,jesus further said to the master1 ,take notice how ,i say to thee4 ,then ,he began clearly and distinctly to say ,aleph1 ,beth1 ,gimel1 ,daleth1 and so on to the end of the alphabet4 #aj4 ,at this1 the master was so surprised1 that he said1 ,i believe this boy was born before ,noah4 ,in the ,lalita ,vistara there are two separate accounts of ,buddha showing his marvellous knowledge4 ,his great display is when he competes for his wife4 ,he then exhibits his familiarity with all lore1 sacred and profane1 astronomy1 the syllogism1 medicine1 mystic rites4 ,the disputation with the doctors is considerably amplified in the twenty-first chapter of the ,first ,gospel of the ,infancy3-- #e4 ,then a certain principal rabbi asked ,him1 ,hast ,thou read books8 #f4 ,jesus answered that ,he had read both books and the things which were contained in books4 #g4 ,and he explained to them the books of the law and precepts and statutes1 and the mysteries which are contained in the books of the prophets--things which the mind of no creature could reach4 #h4 ,then said that rabbi1 ,i never yet have seen or heard of such knowledge6 ,what do you think that boy will be8 #i4 ,then a certain astronomer who was present asked the ,lord ,jesus whether ,he had studied astronomy4 #aj4 ,the ,lord ,jesus replied1 and told him the number of the spheres and heavenly bodies1 as also their triangular1 square1 and sextile aspects1 their progressive and retrograde motions1 their size and several prognostications1 and other things which the reason of man had never discovered4 #aa4 ,there was also among them a philosopher1 well skilled in physic and natural philosophy1 who asked the ,lord ,jesus whether ,he had studied physic4 #ab4 ,he replied1 and explained to him physics and metaphysics4 #ac4 ,also those things which were above and below the power of nature4 #ad4 ,the powers also of the body1 its humours and their effects4 #ae4 ,also the number of its bones1 veins1 arteries1 and nerves4 #af4 ,the several constitutions of body1 hot and dry1 cold and moist1 and the tendencies of them4 #ag4 ,how the soul operated on the body4 #ah4 ,what its various sensations and faculties were4 #ai4 ,the faculty of speaking1 anger1 desire4 #bj4 ,and1 lastly1 the manner of its composition and dissolution1 and other things which the understanding of no creature had ever reached4 #ba4 ,then that philosopher worshipped the ,lord ,jesus1 and said1 ,o ,lord ,jesus1 from henceforth ,i will be ,thy disciple and servant4 ,visvmitra in like manner worshipped ,buddha by falling at his feet4 ,,the ,,mysteries ,,of ,,the ,,kingdom ,,of ,,heaven4 ,i have now come to a stage in this narrative when a few remarks are necessary4 ,the ,lalita ,vistara professes to reveal the secrets of the ,buddhas1 the secrets of magic1 the secrets of ,yoga1 or union with ,brahma4 ,and whether it be fiction or history1 it does so more roundly than any other work4 ,the ,christian gospels profess also to teach a similar secret4 ,read by the light of the ,buddhist book1 ,i think they do teach it4 ,but read alone1 eighteen centuries come forward to show that they do not4 ,the highest spiritual philosophers in ,buddhism1 in ,brahminism1 in ,christendom1 in ,islam1 announce two kingdoms distinct from one another4 ,they are called in ,india the ,domain of ,appetite 7,kmaloca71 and the ,domain of ,spirit 7,brahmaloca74 ,the ,lalita ,vistara throughout describes a conflict between these two great camps4 ,buddha is offered a crown by his father4 ,he has wives1 palaces1 jewels1 but he leaves all for the thorny jungle where the ,brahmacharin dreamt his dreams of ,god4 ,this is called pessimism by some writers1 who urge that we should enjoy life as we find it1 but modern ,europe having tried1 denies that life is so enjoyable4 ,its motto is ,tout lasse1 tout casse1 tout passe4 ,yes1 say the optimists1 but we needn't all live a life like ,jay ,gould4 ,a good son1 a good father1 a good husband1 a good citizen1 is happy enough4 ,true1 reply the pessimists1 in so far as a mortal enters the domain of spirit he may be happy1 for that is not a region but a state of the mind4 ,but mundane accidents seem1 almost by rule1 to mar even that happiness4 ,the husband loses his loved one1 the artist his eyesight4 ,philosophers and statesmen find their great dreams and schemes baffled by the infirmities of age4 ,age1 disease1 death6 ,these are the evils for which the great ,indian allegory proposes to find a remedy4 ,let us see what that remedy is4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,the ,four ,presaging ,tokens4 ,soothsayers were consulted by ,king ,suddhodana4 ,they pronounced the following3-- ,the young boy will1 without doubt1 be either a king of kings1 or a great ,buddha4 ,if he is destined to be a great ,buddha1 four presaging tokens will make his mission plain4 ,he will see-- #a4 ,an old man4 #b4 ,a sick man4 #c4 ,a corpse4 #d4 ,a holy recluse4 ,if he fails to see these four presaging tokens of an avatra1 he will be simply a ,chakravartin 7king of earthly kings74 ,king ,suddhodana1 who was a trifle worldly1 was very much comforted by the last prediction of the soothsayers4 ,he thought in his heart1 ,it will be an easy thing to keep these four presaging tokens from the young prince4 ,so he gave orders that three magnificent palaces should at once be built--the ,palace of ,spring1 the ,palace of ,summer1 the ,palace of ,winter4 ,these palaces1 as we learn from the ,lalita ,vistara1 were the most beautiful palaces ever conceived on earth4 ,indeed1 they were quite able to cope in splendour with ,vaijayanta1 the immortal palace of ,indra himself4 ,costly pavilions were built out in all directions1 with ornamented porticoes and burnished doors4 ,turrets and pinnacles soared into the sky4 ,dainty little windows gave light to the rich apartments4 ,galleries1 balustrades1 and delicate trellis-work were abundant everywhere4 ,a thousand bells tinkled on each roof4 ,we seem to have the lacquered ,chinese edifices of the pattern which architects believe to have flourished in early ,india4 ,the gardens of these fine palaces rivalled the chess-board in the rectangular exactitude of their parterres and trellis-work bowers4 ,cool lakes nursed on their calm bosoms storks and cranes1 wild geese and tame swans2 ducks1 also1 as parti-coloured as the white1 red1 and blue lotuses amongst which they swam4 ,bending to these lakes were bowery trees--the champak1 the acacia serisha1 and the beautiful asoka tree with its orange-scarlet flowers4 ,above rustled the mimosa1 the fan-palm1 and the feathery pippala1 ,buddha's tree4 ,the air was heavy with the strong scent of the tuberose and the ,arabian jasmine4 ,it must be mentioned that strong ramparts were prepared round the palaces of ,kapilavastu1 to keep out all old men1 sick men1 and recluses1 and1 ,i must add1 to keep in the prince4 ,and a more potent safeguard still was designed4 ,when the prince was old enough to marry1 his palace was deluged with beautiful women4 ,he revelled in the five dusts1 as the ,chinese version puts it4 ,but a shock was preparing for ,king ,suddhodana4 ,this is how the matter came about4 ,the king had prepared a garden even more beautiful than the garden of the ,palace of ,summer4 ,a soothsayer had told him that if he could succeed in showing the prince this garden1 the prince would be content to remain in it with his wives for ever4 ,no task seemed easier than this1 so it was arranged that on a certain day the prince should be driven thither in his chariot4 ,but1 of course1 immense precautions had to be taken to keep all old men and sick men and corpses from his sight4 ,quite an army of soldiers were told off for this duty1 and the city was decked with flags4 ,the path of the prince was strewn with flowers and scents1 and adorned with vases of the rich kadali plant4 ,above were costly hangings and garlands1 and pagodas of bells4 ,but1 lo and behold6 as the prince was driving along1 plump under the wheels of his chariot1 and before the very noses of the silken nobles and the warriors with javelins and shields1 he saw an unusual sight4 ,this was an old man1 very decrepit and very broken4 ,the veins and nerves of his body were swollen and prominent2 his teeth chattered2 he was wrinkled1 bald1 and his few remaining hairs were of dazzling whiteness2 he was bent very nearly double1 and tottered feebly along1 supported by a stick4 ,what is this1 ,o coachman8 said the prince4 ,a man with his blood all dried up1 and his muscles glued to his body6 ,his head is white2 his teeth knock together2 he is scarcely able to move along1 even with the aid of that stick6 ,prince1 said the coachman1 this is ,old ,age4 ,this man's senses are dulled2 suffering has destroyed his spirit2 he is contemned by his neighbours4 ,unable to help himself1 he has been abandoned in this forest4 ,is this a peculiarity of his family8 demanded the prince1 or is it the law of the world8 ,tell me quickly4 ,prince1 said the coachman1 it is neither a law of his family1 nor a law of the kingdom4 ,in every being youth is conquered by age4 ,your own father and mother and all your relations will end in old age4 ,there is no other issue to humanity4 ,then youth is blind and ignorant1 said the prince1 and sees not the future4 ,if this body is to be the abode of old age1 what have ,i to do with pleasure and its intoxications8 ,turn round the chariot1 and drive me back to the palace6 ,consternation was in the minds of all the courtiers at this untoward occurrence2 but the odd circumstance of all was that no one was ever able to bring to condign punishment the miserable author of the mischief4 ,the old man could never be found4 ,king ,suddhodana was at first quite beside himself with tribulation4 ,soldiers were summoned from the distant provinces1 and a cordon of detachments thrown out to a distance of four miles in each direction1 to keep the other presaging tokens from the prince4 ,by and by the king became a little more quieted4 ,a ridiculous accident had interfered with his plans3 ,if my son could see the ,garden of ,happiness he never would become a hermit4 ,the king determined that another attempt should be made4 ,but this time the precautions were doubled4 ,on the first occasion the prince left the ,palace of ,summer by the eastern gate4 ,the second expedition was through the southern gate4 ,but another untoward event occurred4 ,as the prince was driving along in his chariot1 suddenly he saw close to him a man emaciated1 ill1 loathsome1 burning with fever4 ,companionless1 uncared for1 he tottered along1 breathing with extreme difficulty4 ,coachman1 said the prince1 what is this man1 livid and loathsome in body1 whose senses are dulled1 and whose limbs are withered8 ,his stomach is oppressing him2 he is covered with filth4 ,scarcely can he draw the breath of life6 ,prince1 said the coachman1 this is ,sickness4 ,this poor man is attacked with a grievous malady4 ,strength and comfort have shunned him4 ,he is friendless1 hopeless1 without a country1 without an asylum4 ,the fear of death is before his eyes4 ,if the health of man1 said ,buddha1 is but the sport of a dream1 and the fear of coming evils can put on so loathsome a shape1 how can the wise man1 who has seen what life really means1 indulge in its vain delights8 ,turn back1 coachman1 and drive me to the palace6 ,the angry king1 when he heard what had occurred1 gave orders that the sick man should be seized and punished1 but although a price was placed on his head1 and he was searched for far and wide1 he could never be caught4 ,a clue to this is furnished by a passage in the ,lalita ,vistara4 ,the sick man was in reality one of the ,spirits of the ,pure ,abode1 masquerading in sores and spasms4 ,these ,spirits of the ,pure ,abode are also called the ,buddhas of the ,past1 in many passages4 ,the answers of the coachman were due to their inspiration4 ,it would almost seem as if some influence1 malefic or otherwise1 was stirring the good ,king ,suddhodana4 ,unmoved by failure1 he urged the prince to a third effort4 ,the chariot this time was to set out by the western gate4 ,greater precautions than ever were adopted4 ,the chain of guards was posted at least twelve miles off from the ,palace of ,summer4 ,but the ,buddhas of the ,past again arrested the prince4 ,his chariot was suddenly crossed by a phantom funeral procession4 ,a phantom corpse1 smeared with the orthodox mud1 and spread with a sheet1 was carried on a bier4 ,phantom women wailed1 and phantom musicians played on the drum and the ,indian flute4 ,no doubt also1 phantom ,brahmins chanted hymns to ,jatavedas1 to bear away the immortal part of the dead man to the home of the ,pitris4 ,what is this8 said the prince4 ,why do these women beat their breast and tear their hair8 ,why do these good folks cover their heads with the dust of the ground8 ,and that strange form upon its litter1 wherefore is it so rigid8 ,prince1 said the charioteer1 this is ,death6 ,yon form1 pale and stiffened1 can never again walk and move4 ,its owner has gone to the unknown caverns of ,yama4 ,his father1 his mother1 his child1 his wife cry out to him1 but he cannot hear4 ,buddha was sad4 ,woe be to youth1 which is the sport of age6 ,woe be to health1 which is the sport of many maladies6 ,woe be to life1 which is as a breath6 ,woe be to the idle pleasures which debauch humanity6 ,but for the 'five aggregations' there would be no age1 sickness1 nor death4 ,go back to the city4 ,i must compass the deliverance4 ,a fourth time the prince was urged by his father to visit the ,garden of ,happiness4 ,the chain of guards this time was sixteen miles away4 ,the exit was by the northern gate4 ,but suddenly a calm man of gentle mien1 wearing an ochre-red cowl1 was seen in the roadway4 ,who is this1 said the prince1 rapt1 gentle1 peaceful in mien8 ,he looks as if his mind were far away elsewhere4 ,he carries a bowl in his hand4 ,prince1 this is the ,new ,life1 said the charioteer4 ,that man is of those whose thoughts are fixed on the eternal ,brahma ,brahmacharin4 ,he seeks the divine voice4 ,he seeks the divine vision4 ,he carries the alms-bowl of the holy beggar bhikshu4 ,his mind is calm1 because the gross lures of the lower life can vex it no more4 ,such a life ,i covet1 said the prince4 ,the lusts of man are like the sea-water--they mock man's thirst instead of quenching it4 ,i will seek the divine vision1 and give immortality to man6 ,king ,suddhodana was beside himself4 ,he placed five hundred corseleted ,sakyas at every gate of the ,palace of ,summer4 ,chains of sentries were round the walls1 which were raised and strengthened4 ,a phalanx of loving wives1 armed with javelins1 was posted round the prince's bed to narrowly watch him4 ,the king ordered also all the allurements of sense to be constantly presented to the prince4 ,let the women of the zenana cease not for an instant their concerts and mirth and sports4 ,let them shine in silks and sparkle in diamonds and emeralds4 ,the allegory is in reality a great battle between two camps--the denizens of the ,kmaloca1 or the ,domains of ,appetite1 and the denizens of the ,brahmaloca1 the ,domains of ,pure ,spirit4 ,the latter are unseen1 but not unfelt4 ,for one day1 when the prince reclined on a silken couch listening to the sweet crooning of four or five brown-skinned1 large-eyed ,indian girls1 his eyes suddenly assumed a dazed and absorbed look1 and the rich hangings and garlands and intricate trellis-work of the golden apartment were still present1 but dim to his mind4 ,and music and voices1 more sweet than he had ever listened to1 seemed faintly to reach him4 ,i will write down some of the verses4 ,mighty prop of humanity ,march in the pathway of the ,rishis of old1 ,go forth from this city6 ,upon this desolate earth1 ,when thou hast acquired the priceless knowledge of the ,jinas1 ,when thou hast become a perfect ,buddha1 ,give to all flesh the baptism 7river7 of the kingdom of ,righteousness1 ,thou who once didst sacrifice thy feet1 thy hands1 thy precious body1 and all thy riches for the world1 ,thou whose life is pure1 save flesh from its miseries6 ,in the presence of reviling be patient1 ,o conqueror of self6 ,lord of those who possess two feet1 go forth on thy mission6 ,conquer the evil one and his army4 ,in the end the ,buddhas of the ,past triumph4 ,they persuade ,buddha to flee away from his cloying pleasures and become a ,yogi4 ,,then ,,was ,,jesus ,,led ,,up ,,by ,,the ,,spirit ,,into ,,the ,,wilderness1 ,,to ,,be ,,tempted ,,of ,,the ,,devil4 ,comfortable dowagers driving to church three times on ,sunday would be astonished to learn that the essence of ,christianity is in this passage4 ,its meaning has quite passed away from ,protestantism1 almost from ,christendom4 ,the ,lalita ,vistara fully shows what that meaning is4 ,without ,buddhism it would be lost4 ,jesus was an ,essene1 and the ,essene1 like the ,indian ,yogi1 sought to obtain divine union and the gifts of the ,spirit by solitary reverie in retired spots4 ,in what is called the ,monastery of our ,lord on the ,quarantania1 a cell is shown with rude frescoes of ,jesus and ,satan4 ,there1 according to tradition1 the demoniac hauntings that all mystics speak of occurred4 ,i ,,have ,,need ,,to ,,be ,,baptised ,,of ,,thee4 ,a novice in ,yoga has a guru1 or teacher4 ,buddha1 in riding away from the palace by and by reached a jungle near ,vaisal4 ,he at once put himself under a ,brahmin ,yogi named ,arta ,klma1 but his spiritual insight developed so rapidly that in a short time the ,yogi offered to ,buddha1 the arghya1 the offering of rice1 flowers1 sesamun1 etc41 that the humble novice usually presents to his instructor1 and asked him to teach instead of learning4 7,foucaux1 ,lalita ,vistara1 p4 #bbh47 ,,thirty ,,years ,,of ,,age4 ,m4 ,ernest de ,bunsen1 in his work1 ,the ,angel ,messiah1 says that ,buddha1 like ,christ1 commenced preaching at thirty years of age4 ,he certainly must have preached at ,vaisal1 for five young men became his disciples there1 and exhorted him to go on with his teaching4 7,lalita ,vistara1 p4 #bcf47 ,he was twenty-nine when he left the palace1 therefore he might well have preached at thirty4 ,he did not turn the wheel of the law until after a six years' meditation under the ,tree of ,knowledge4 ,,baptism4 ,the ,buddhist rite of baptism finds its sanction in two incidents in the ,buddhist scriptures4 ,in the first1 ,buddha bathes in the holy river1 and ,mra1 the evil spirit1 tries to prevent him from emerging4 ,in the second1 angels administer the holy rite 7,abhisheka74 ,,and ,,when ,,he ,,had ,,fasted ,,forty ,,days ,,and ,,forty ,,nights4 ,buddha1 immediately previous to his great encounter with ,mra1 the tempter1 fasted forty-nine days and nights4 7,chinese ,life1 by ,wung ,puh47 ,,command ,,that ,,these ,,stones ,,be ,,made ,,bread4 ,the first temptation of ,buddha1 when ,mra assailed him under the bo tree1 is precisely similar to that of ,jesus4 ,his long fast had very nearly killed him4 ,sweet creature1 you are at the point of death4 ,sacrifice food4 ,this meant1 eat a portion to save your life4 ,,again ,,the ,,devil ,,taketh ,,him ,,up ,,into ,,an ,,exceeding ,,high ,,mountain1 ,,etc4 ,the second temptation of ,mra is also like one of ,satan's4 ,the tempter1 by a miracle1 shows ,buddha the glorious city of ,kapilavastu1 twisting the earth round like the wheel of a potter to do this4 ,he offers to make him a mighty king of kings 7,chakravartin7 in seven days4 7,bigandet1 p4 #fe47 ,,the ,,third ,,temptation4 ,jewish prudery has quite marred the third temptation4 ,from the days of ,krishna and the phantom naked woman1 ,kotav1 to the days of ,st4 ,anthony and ,st4 ,jerome1 or even to the days of medival monasteries with their incubi and succubi1 sex temptations have been a prominent feature of the fasting ascetic's visions4 ,the daughters of ,mra1 the tempter1 in exquisite forms1 now come round ,buddha4 ,in the end he converts these pretty ladies1 and converts and baptises ,mra himself4 ,,and ,,angels ,,came ,,and ,,ministered ,,unto ,,him4 ,after his conflict with ,mra1 angels come to greet him4 ,,glad ,,tidings ,,of ,,great ,,joy4 ,buddha1 on vanquishing ,mra1 left ,buddha ,gaya for the deer forest of ,benares4 ,there he began to preach4 ,his doctrine is called ,subha ,shita 7glad tidings74 7,see ,rajendra ,l4 ,mitra ,n4 ,buddhist ,lit41 p4 #bi47 ,,behold ,a ,,gluttonous ,,person6 ,five disciples who left him when he gave over the rigid fasts of the ,brahmins1 called out on seeing him in the deer forest1 ,behold a gluttonous person6 7relach et gourmand74 ,,follow ,,me4 ,almost his first converts were thirty profligate young men1 whom he met sporting with lemans in the ,kappasya jungle4 ,he received them1 says ,professor ,rhys ,davids1 into the order1 with the formula1 ',follow ,me4' 7,birth ,stories1 p4 #aad47 ,,the ,,twelve ,,great ,,disciples4 ,except in my religion1 the twelve great disciples are not to be found4 7,bigandet1 p4 #cja47 ,,the ,,disciple ,,whom ,,jesus ,,loved4 ,one disciple was called ,upatishya 7the beloved disciple74 ,in a former existence1 he and ,maudgalyyana had prayed that they might sit1 the one on the right hand and the other on the left4 ,buddha granted this prayer4 ,the other disciples murmured much4 7,bigandet1 p4 #aec47 ,,go ,,ye ,,into ,,all ,,the ,,world4 ,from ,benares ,buddha sent forth the sixty-one disciples4 ,go ye forth1 he said1 and preach ,dharma1 no two disciples going the same way4 7,bigandet1 p4 #abf47 ,,the ,,same ,,came ,,to ,,jesus ,,by ,,night4 ,professor ,rhys ,davids points out that ,ysas1 a young rich man1 came to ,buddha by night for fear of his rich relations4 ,,pax ,,vobiscum4 ,on one point ,i have been a little puzzled4 ,the password of the ,buddhist ,wanderers was ,sadhu6 which does not seem to correspond with the ,pax ,vobiscum6 7,matt4 x4 #ac7 of ,christ's disciples4 ,but ,i have just come across a passage in ,renan 7,les ,aptres1 p4 #bb7 which shows that the ,hebrew word was ,schalom6 7bonheur67 ,this is almost a literal translation of ,sadhu6 ,burnouf says that by preaching and miracle ,buddha's religion was established4 ,in point of fact it was the first universal religion4 ,he invented the preacher and the missionary4 ,a ,,new ,,commandment ,,give ,i ,,you1 ,,that ,,ye ,,love ,,one ,,another4 ,by love alone can we conquer wrath4 ,by good alone can we conquer evil4 ,the whole world dreads violence4 ,all men tremble in the presence of death4 ,do to others that which ye would have them do to you4 ,kill not4 ,cause no death4 7,stra of ,forty-two ,sections1 v4 #abi47 ,say no harsh words to thy neighbour4 ,he will reply to thee in the same tone4 7,ibid4 v4 #acc47 ',i am injured and provoked1 ,i have been beaten and plundered6' ,they who speak thus will never cease to hate4 7,ibid4 v4 #d1 #e47 ,that which can cause hate to cease in the world is not hate1 but the absence of hate4 ,if1 like a trumpet trodden on in battle1 thou complainest not1 thou has attained ,nirvna4 ,silently shall ,i endure abuse1 as the war-elephant receives the shaft of the bowman4 ,the awakened man goes not on revenge1 but rewards with kindness the very being who has injured him1 as the sandal tree scents the axe of the woodman who fells it4 ,,the ,,beatitudes4 ,the ,buddhists1 like the ,christians1 have got their ,beatitudes4 ,they are plainly arranged for chant and response in the temples4 ,it is to be noted that the ,christian ,beatitudes were a portion of the early ,christian ritual4 ,an ,angel4 #a ,many angels and men ,have held various things blessings4 ,when they were yearning for the inner wisdom4 ,do thou declare to us the chief good4 ,buddha4 #b ,not to serve the foolish1 ,but to serve the spiritual2 ,to honour those worthy of honour1-- ,this is the greatest blessing4 #c ,to dwell in a spot that befits one's condition1 ,to think of the effect of one's deeds1 ,to guide the behaviour aright1-- ,this is the greatest blessing4 #d ,much insight and education1 ,self-control and pleasant speech1 ,and whatever word be well spoken1-- ,this is the greatest blessing4 #e ,to support father and mother1 ,to cherish wife and child1 ,to follow a peaceful calling1-- ,this is the greatest blessing4 #f ,to bestow alms and live righteously ,to give help to kindred1 ,deeds which cannot be blamed1-- ,these are the greatest blessing4 #g ,to abhor and cease from sin1 ,abstinence from strong drink1 ,not to be weary in well-doing1-- ,these are the greatest blessing4 #h ,reverence and lowliness1 ,contentment and gratitude1 ,the hearing of ,dharma at due seasons1-- ,this is the greatest blessing4 #i ,to be long-suffering and meek1 ,to associate with the tranquil1 ,religious talk at due seasons1-- ,this is the greatest blessing4 #aj ,self-restraint and purity1 ,the knowledge of noble truths1 ,the attainment of ,nirvna1-- ,this is the greatest blessing4 ,,the ,,one ,,thing ,,needful4 ,certain subtle questions were proposed to ,buddha1 such as3 ,what will best conquer the evil passions of man8 ,what is the most savoury gift for the alms-bowl of the mendicant8 ,where is true happiness to be found8 ,buddha replied to them all with one word1 ,dharma 7the heavenly life74 7,bigandet1 p4 #bbe47 ,,whosoever ,,shall ,,smite ,,thee ,,on ,,thy ,,right ,,cheek ,,offer ,,him ,,the ,,other ,,also4 ,a merchant from ,snaparanta having joined ,buddha's society1 was desirous of preaching to his relations1 and is said to have asked the permission of the master so to do4 ,the people of ,snaparanta1 said ,buddha1 are exceedingly violent2 if they revile you what will you do8 ,i will make no reply1 said the mendicant4 ,and if they strike you8 ,i will not strike in return1 said the mendicant4 ,and if they kill you8 ,death1 said the missionary1 is no evil in itself4 ,many even desire it to escape from the vanities of life4 7,bigandet1 p4 #baf47 ,,buddha',s ,,third ,,commandment4 ,commit no adultery4 ,commentary by ,buddha3 ,this law is broken by even looking at the wife of another with a lustful mind4 7,buddhaghosa's ,parables1 by ,max ,mller and ,rogers1 p4 #aec47 ,,the ,,sower4 ,it is recorded that ,buddha once stood beside the ploughman ,kasibhradvaja1 who reproved him for his idleness4 ,buddha answered thus3--,i1 too1 plough and sow1 and from my ploughing and sowing ,i reap immortal fruit4 ,my field is religion4 ,the weeds that ,i pluck up are the passions of cleaving to this life4 ,my plough is wisdom1 my seed purity4 7,hardy ,manual1 p4 #bae47 ,on another occasion he described almsgiving as being like good seed sown on a good soil that yields an abundance of fruits4 ,but alms given to those who are yet under the tyrannical yoke of the passions1 are like a seed deposited in a bad soil4 ,the passions of the receiver of the alms1 choke1 as it were1 the growth of merits4 7,bigandet1 p4 #baa47 ,,not ,,that ,,which ,,goeth ,,into ,,the ,,mouth ,,defileth ,a ,,man4 ,in the ,sutta ,nipta1 chap4 ii41 is a discourse on the food that defiles a man 7maghanda74 ,therein it is explained at some length that the food that is eaten cannot defile a man1 but destroying living beings1 killing1 cutting1 binding1 stealing1 falsehood1 adultery1 evil thoughts1 murder1--this defiles a man1 not the eating of flesh4 ,,where ,,your ,,treasure ,,is4 ,a man1 says ,buddha1 buries a treasure in a deep pit1 which lying concealed therein day after day profits him nothing1 but there is a treasure of charity1 piety1 temperance1 soberness1 a treasure secure1 impregnable1 that cannot pass away1 a treasure that no thief can steal4 ,let the wise man practise ,dharma4 ,this is a treasure that follows him after death4 7,khuddaka ,ptha1 p4 #ac47 ,,the ,,house ,,on ,,the ,,sand4 ,it the seen world is like a city of sand4 ,its foundation cannot endure4 7,lalita ,vistara1 p4 #agb47 ,,blind ,,guides4 ,who is not freed cannot free others4 ,the blind cannot guide in the way4 7,ibid4 p4 #agi47 ,,as ,,ye ,,sow1 ,,so ,,shall ,,ye ,,reap4 ,as men sow1 thus shall they reap4 7,ta-chwang-yan-king-lun1 sermon #eg47 ,a ,,cup ,,of ,,cold ,,water ,,to ,,one ,,of ,,these ,,little ,,ones4 ,whosoever piously bestows a little water shall receive an ocean in return4 7,ta-chwang-yan-king-lun1 sermon #bj74 ,,be ,,not ,,weary ,,in ,,well-,,doing4 ,not to be weary in well-doing4 7,mahmangala ,sutta1 ver4 #g47 ,,give ,,to ,,him ,,that ,,asketh4 ,give to him that asketh1 even though it be but a little4 7,udnavarga1 ch4 xx4 ver4 #ae47 ,,do ,,unto ,,others1 ,,etc4 ,with pure thoughts and fulness of love ,i will do towards others what ,i do for myself4 7,lalita ,vistara1 ch4 v47 ,,prepare ,,ye ,,the ,,way ,,of ,,the ,,lord6 ,buddha's triumphant entry into ,rjagriha 7the ,city of the ,king7 has been compared to ,christ's entry into ,jerusalem4 ,both1 probably1 never occurred1 and only symbolise the advent of a divine ,being to earth4 ,it is recorded in the ,buddhist scriptures that on these occasions a ,precursor of ,buddha always appears4 7,bigandet1 p4 #adg47 ,,who ,,did ,,sin1 ,,this ,,man ,,or ,,his ,,parents1 ,,that ,,he ,,was ,,born ,,blind8 7,john ix4 #c47 ,professor ,kellogg1 in his work entitled ,the ,light of ,asia and the ,light of the ,world1 condemns ,buddhism in nearly all its tenets4 ,but he is especially emphatic in the matter of the metempsychosis4 ,the poor and hopeless ,buddhist has to begin again and again the weary round of birth and death1 whilst the righteous ,christians go at once into life eternal4 ,now it seems to me that this is an example of the danger of contrasting two historical characters when we have a strong sympathy for the one and a strong prejudice against the other4 ,professor ,kellogg has conjured up a ,jesus with nineteenth century ideas1 and a ,buddha who is made responsible for all the fancies that were in the world ,b4,c4 #ejj4 ,professor ,kellogg is a professor of an ,american university1 and as such must know that the doctrine of the gilgal 7the ,jewish name for the metempsychosis7 was as universal in ,palestine ,a4,d4 #cj1 as it was in ,rjagriha ,b4,c4 #ejj4 ,an able writer in the ,church ,quarterly ,review of ,october1 #ahhe1 maintains that the ,jews brought it from ,babylon4 ,dr4 ,ginsburg1 in his work on the ,kabbalah1 shows that the doctrine continued to be held by ,jews as late as the ninth century of our era4 ,he shows1 too1 that ,st4 ,jerome has recorded that it was propounded amongst the early ,christians as an esoteric and traditional doctrine4 ,the author of the article in the ,church ,quarterly ,review1 in proof of its existence1 adduces the question put by the disciples of ,christ in reference to the man that was born blind4 ,and if it was considered that a man could be born blind as a punishment for sin1 that sin must have been plainly committed before his birth4 ,oddly enough1 in the ,white ,lotus of ,dharma there is an account of the healing of a blind man1 ,because of the sinful conduct of the man in a former birth this malady has risen4 ,but a still more striking instance is given in the case of the man sick with the palsy4 7,luke v4 #ah47 ,the ,jews believed1 with modern ,orientals1 that grave diseases like paralysis were due1 not to physical causes in this life1 but to moral causes in previous lives4 ,and if the account of the cure of the paralytic is to be considered historical1 it is quite clear that this was ,christ's idea when ,he cured the man1 for ,he distinctly announced that the cure was affected not by any physical processes1 but by annulling the sins which were the cause of his malady4 ,traces of the metempsychosis idea still exist in ,catholic ,christianity4 ,the doctrine of original sin is said by some writers to be a modification of it4 ,certainly the fancy that the works of supererogation of their saints can be transferred to others is the ,buddhist idea of good karma1 which is transferable in a similar manner4 ,,if ,,the ,,blind ,,lead ,,the ,,blind1 ,,both ,,shall ,,fall ,,into ,,the ,,ditch4 7,matt4 xv4 #ad47 ,as when a string of blind men are clinging one to the other1 neither can the foremost see1 nor the middle one see1 nor the hindmost see4 ,just so1 methinks1 ,vsittha is the talk of the ,brahmins versed in the ,three ,vedas4 7,buddha1 in the ,tevigga ,sutta1 i4 #ae47 ,,eunuchs ,,for ,,the ,,kingdom ,,of ,,heaven',s ,,sake4 ,in the days of ,st4 ,thomas ,kempis the worshipper was modelled on the ,christ4 ,in our days1 the ,christ seems modelled on the worshipper4 ,the ,bodleian professor of ,sanscrit writes thus3 ,christianity teaches that in the highest form of life love is intensified4 ,buddhism teaches that in the highest state of existence all love is extinguished4 ,according to ,christianity--,go and earn your own bread and support yourself and your family4 ,marriage1 it says1 is honourable and undefiled1 and married life a field where holiness can grow4 ,but history is history2 and a ,french writer has recently attacked ,christ for attempting to bring into ,europe the celibacy and pessimism of ,buddhism4 ,this author in his work1 ,jsus ,bouddha1 cites ,luke xiv4 #bf3-- ,if any man come to ,me1 and hate not his father1 and mother1 and wife1 and children1 and brethren1 and sisters1 yea1 and his own life also1 he cannot be ,my disciple4 ,he adduces also3-- ,let the dead bury their dead4 ,think not that ,i have come to send peace on earth3 ,i come not to send peace1 but a sword4 ,for ,i am come to set a man at variance against his father1 and the daughter against her mother1 and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law4 ,and a man's foes shall be they of his own household4 7,matt4 x4 #cd-cf47 ,and the brother shall deliver up the brother to death1 and the father the child2 and the children shall rise up against their parents1 and cause them to be put to death4 7,ibid4 ver4 #ba47 ,so likewise1 whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath1 he cannot be my disciple4 7,luke xiv4 #cc74 ,the author says that all this is pure nihilism1 and ,essene communism4 ,the most sacred family ties are to be renounced1 and man to lose his individuality and become a unit in a vast scheme to overturn the institutions of his country4 ,qu' importe au fanatisme la ruine de la societ humaine4 ,the anticosmic tendency of the ,christian doctrine1 says ,mr4 ,felix ,oswald 7,secret of the ,east1 p4 #bg71 distinguishes it from all religions except ,buddhism4 ,in the language of the ,new ,testament the 'world' is everywhere a synonym of evil and sin1 the flesh everywhere the enemy of the spirit4444 ,the ,gospel of ,buddha1 though a pernicious1 is1 however1 a perfectly consistent doctrine4 ,birth1 life1 and re-birth is an eternal round of sorrow and disappointment4 ,the present and the future are but the upper and lower tire of an ever-rolling wheel of woe4 ,the only salvation from the wheel of life is an escape to the peace of ,nirvna4 ,the attempt to graft this doctrine upon the optimistic theism of ,palestine has made the ,christian ethics inconsistent and contradictory4 ,a paternal ,jehovah who yet eternally and horribly tortures a vast plurality of his children4 ,an earth the perfect work of a benevolent ,god1 yet a vale of tears not made to be enjoyed1 but only to be despised and renounced4 ,an omnipotent heaven1 and yet unable to prevent the intrigues and constant victories of hell4 ,christianity is evidently not a homogeneous but a composite1 a hybrid religion2 and considered in connection with the indications of history1 and the evidence of the above-named ethical and traditional analogies1 these facts leave no reasonable doubt that the founder of the ,galilean ,church was a disciple of ,buddha ,sakyamuni4 7p4 #aci47 ,all this is very well if the ,buddhists by salvation meant escape from life1 and not from sin4 ,a pessimist ,buddhist kingdom1 according to this1 ought to present the universal sad faces of the ,camelot of a modern school of artists1 and yet the ,burmese are pronounced by all to be the merriest and happiest of ,god's creatures4 ,we know1 too1 that ,india never was so prosperous as in the days of ,buddhist rule4 ,the monks carried agriculture to high perfection2 and ,indian fabrics were famous everywhere4 ,a convent meant less a career than an education in spiritual knowledge4 ,like the ,essene1 the ,buddhist monk was not forced to remain for life4 ,catholicism introduced that change4 ,,then ,,all ,,his ,,disciples ,,forsook ,,him ,,and ,,fled4 ,it is recorded that on one occasion when a must elephant charged furiously1 all the disciples deserted ,buddha4 ,ananda alone remained4 7,fo-sho-hing-tsan-king1 iv4 #ba47 ,,if ,,thy ,,right ,,eye ,,offend ,,thee4 ,mr4 ,felix ,oswald 7,the ,secret of the ,east1 p4 #acd7 announces1 without however giving a more detailed reference1 that according to ,max ,muller's translation of the ,ocean of ,worlds1 a young monk meets a rich woman who pities his hard lot4 ,blessed is the woman who looks into thy lovely eyes6 ,lovely6 replied the monk4 ,look here6 ,and plucking out one of his eyes he held it up1 bleeding and ghastly1 and asked her to correct her opinion4 ,,walking ,,on ,,the ,,water4 ,certain villagers1 hard of belief1 were listening to ,buddha on the shore of a mighty river4 ,suddenly by a miracle the great teacher caused a man to appear walking on the water from the other side1 without immersing his feet4 7,chinese ,dhammapada1 p4 #ea47 ,,and ,,lo6 ,,there ,,was ,a ,,great ,,calm4 ,prna1 one of ,buddha's disciples1 had a brother in danger of shipwreck in a black storm4 ,but the guardian spirits of ,prna informed him of this4 ,he at once transported himself through the air from the distant inland town to the deck of the ship4 ,immediately the black tempest ceased as if ,sumeru had arrested it4 7,burnouf1 ,introd41 p4 #bbi47 ,a ,,buddha ,,multiplying ,,food4 ,buddha once narrated a story of a former ,buddha1 who visited ,king ,sudarsana in his city of ,jambunada 7,fu-pen-hing-tsi-king74 ,now in that city was a man who was the next day to be married1 and he much wished the ,buddha to come to the feast4 ,buddha1 passing by1 read his silent wish1 and consented to come4 ,the bridegroom was overjoyed1 and scattered many flowers over his house and sprinkled it with perfumes4 ,the next day ,buddha with his alms-bowl in his hand and with a retinue of many followers arrived2 and when they had taken their seats in due order1 the host distributed every kind of exquisite food1 saying1 ,eat1 my lord1 and all the congregation1 according to your desire4 ,but now a marvel presented itself to the astonished mind of the host4 ,although all these holy men ate very heartily1 the meats and the drinks remained positively quite undiminished2 whereupon he argued in his mind1 ,if ,i could only invite all my kinsmen to come1 the banquet would be sufficient for them likewise4 ,and now another marvel was presented4 ,buddha read the good man's thought1 and all the relatives without invitation streamed in at the door4 ,they1 also1 fed heartily on the miraculous food4 ,,why ,,eateth ,,your ,,master ,,with ,,publicans ,,and ,,sinners8 7,matt4 ix4 #aj47 ,the ,courtesan ,amrapal invited ,buddha and his disciples to a banquet in the mango grove at ,vaisal4 ,buddha accepted4 ,some rich princes1 sparkling in emeralds1 came and gave him a similar invitation4 ,he refused4 ,they were very angry to see him sit at meat with ,amrapal4 ,he explained to his disciples that the harlot might enter the kingdom of ,dharma more easily than the prince4 7,bigandet1 p4 #bea47 ,,the ,,penitent ,,thief4 ,buddha confronts a terrible bandit in his mountain retreat and converts him4 7,chinese ,dhammapada1 p4 #ih47 ,,there ,,was ,,war ,,in ,,heaven4 ,professor ,beal1 in his ,catena of ,buddhist ,scriptures 7p4 #eb71 tells us that1 in the ,saddharma ,prkasa ,sasana ,stra1 a great war in heaven is described4 ,in it the wicked dragons assault the legions of heaven4 ,after a terrific conflict they are driven down by ,indra and the heavenly hosts4 ,,the ,,kingdom ,,of ,,heaven ,,is ,,like ,,unto ,a ,,merchant-,,man ,,seeking ,,goodly ,,pearls1 ,,who1 ,,when ,,he ,,had ,,found ,,one ,,pearl ,,of ,,great ,,price1 ,,went ,,and ,,sold ,,all ,,that ,,he ,,had ,,and ,,bought ,,it4 7,matt4 xiii4 #de47 ,the most sacred emblem of ,buddhism is called the mani 7pearl71 and in the ,chinese biography1 a merchant-man seeking goodly pearls finds it1 and unfortunately drops it into the sea4 ,rather than lose it he tries to drain the sea dry4 7,rom4 ,hist41 p4 #bbh47 ,,the ,,voice ,,from ,,the ,,sky4 ,this sounds often in the ,buddhist narratives4 7,see ,beal1 ,rom4 ,hist41 p4 #aje47 ,,faith4 ,faith is the first gate of the ,law4 7,lalita ,vistara1 p4 #ci47 ,all who have faith in me obtain a mighty joy4 7,ibid4 p4 #ahh47 ,,thou ,,art ,,not ,,yet ,,fifty ,,years ,,old1 ,,and ,,hast ,,thou ,,seen ,,abraham8 ,in the ,white ,lotus of ,dharma 7ch4 xiv47 ,buddha is asked how it is that having sat under the bo tree only forty years ago he has been able1 according to his boast1 to see many ,buddhas and saints who died hundreds of years previously4 ,he answers that he has lived many hundred thousand myriads of ,kotis1 and that though in the form of a ,buddha1 he is in reality ,swayambhu1 the ,self-,existent1 the ,father of the million worlds4 ,in proof of this statement1 he causes two ,buddhas of the ,past1 ,prabhtaratna and ,gadgadesvara1 to appear in the sky4 ,the first pronounces loudly these words3 ,it is well6 ,it is well6 ,these ,buddhas appear with their sepulchral canopies 7stupas7 of diamonds1 red pearls1 emeralds1 etc4 ,peter1 at the scene of the ,transfiguration1 said to ,christ3-- ,let us make here three tabernacles1 one for ,thee1 one for ,moses1 and one for ,elias4 ,why should ,peter want to adopt a ,buddhist custom and build tabernacles for the dead ,moses and the dead ,elias8 ,why1 also1 should ,moses come from the tomb to support a teacher who had torn his covenant with ,yahve to shreds8 ,,he ,,was ,,transfigured ,,before ,,them4 ,buddha1 leaving ,maudgalyyana and another disciple to represent him1 went off through the air to the ,devaloca1 to the ,heaven ,tusita1 to preach to the spirits in prison and to convert his mother4 ,when he came down from the mountain 7,mienmo71 a staircase of glittering diamonds1 seen by all1 helped his descent4 ,his appearance was blinding4 ,the six glories glittered on his person4 ,mortals and spirits hymned the benign ,being who emptied the hells4 7,bigandet1 p4 #bji47 ,in the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews is a curious passage1 which ,baur and ,hilgenfeld hold to be the earliest version of the ,transfiguration narrative4 ,just now my mother1 the ,holy ,spirit1 took me by one of my hairs and bore me up on to the great mountain of ,tabor4 ,this is curious4 ,buddha and ,jesus reach the ,mount of ,transfiguration1 each through the influence of his mother4 ,but perhaps the ,jewish writer did not like the universalism inculcated in the ,buddhist narrative4 ,,he ,,began ,,to ,,wash ,,the ,,disciples' ,,feet4 7,john xiii4 #e47 ,in a vihra at ,gandhra was a monk so loathsome and stinking1 on account of his maladies1 that none of his brother disciples dare go near him4 ,the great ,teacher came and tended him lovingly and washed his feet4 7,chinese ,dhammapada1 p4 #id47 ,,the ,,great ,,banquet ,,of ,,buddha4 ,in the ,lalita ,vistara 7p4 #ea7 it is stated that those who have faith will become sons of ,buddha1 and partake of the food of the kingdom4 ,four things draw disciples to his banquet1--gifts1 soft words1 production of benefits1 conformity of benefits4 ,,baptism4 ,in a ,chinese life of ,buddha by ,wung ,puh 7see ,beal1 ,journ4 ,as4 ,soc41 vol4 xx4 p4 #agb71 it is announced that ,buddha at ,vaisal delivered a ,stra1 entitled1 ,the baptism that rescues from life and death and confers salvation4 ,,and ,,none ,,of ,,them ,,is ,,lost ,,but ,,the ,,son ,,of ,,perdition4 ,buddha had also a treacherous disciple1 ,devadatta4 ,he schemed with a wicked prince1 who sent men armed with bows and swords to slaughter ,buddha4 ,devadatta tried other infamous stratagems4 ,his end was appalling4 ,coming in a palanquin to arrest ,buddha1 he got out to stretch himself4 ,suddenly fierce flames burst out and he was carried down to the hell ,avichi 7the ,rayless ,place74 ,there1 in a red-hot cauldron1 impaled by one red bar and pierced by two others1 he will stay for a whole ,kalpa4 ,then he will be forgiven4 7,bigandet1 p4 #bdd47 ,,the ,,last ,,supper4 ,buddha had his last supper or repast with his disciples4 ,a treacherous disciple changed his alms-bowl1 and apparently he was poisoned4 7,see ,rockhill's ,buddha1 p4 #acc47 ,fierce pains seized him as he journeyed afterwards4 ,he was forced to rest4 ,he sent a message to his host1 ,kunda1 the son of the jeweller1 to feel no remorse although the feast had been his death4 ,under two trees he now died4 ,it will be remembered that during the last supper of ,jesus a treacherous disciple dipped into his dish1 but as ,jesus was not poisoned1 the event had no sequence4 ,,now ,,from ,,the ,,sixth ,,hour ,,there ,,was ,,darkness ,,over ,,all ,,the ,,land ,,until ,,the ,,ninth ,,hour4 ,the critical school base much of their contention that the gospels do not record real history on this particular passage4 ,they urge that such an astounding event could not have escaped ,josephus and ,tacitus4 ,when ,buddha died1 the sun and moon withdrew their shining1 and dust and ashes fell like rain4 ,the great earth quaked throughout4 ,the crash of the thunder shook the heavens and the earth1 rolling along the mountains and valleys4 7,fo-sho-hing-tsan-king1 v4 #bf47 ,the ,buddhist account is certainly not impossible1 for the chronicler takes advantage of the phenomena of an ,indian dust-storm to produce his dark picture4 ,at ,lucknow1 before the siege1 ,i remember a storm so dense at midday that some ladies with my regiment thought the ,day of ,judgment had arrived4 ,,and ,,many ,,bodies ,,of ,,the ,,saints ,,which ,,slept ,,arose4 ,when ,buddha died at ,kus'inagara1 ,ananda and another disciple saw many denizens of the unseen world in the city1 by the river ,yigdan4 7,rockhill's ,life of the ,buddha1 p4 #acc47 ,,to ,,anoint ,,my ,,body ,,to ,,the ,,burying4 7,mark xiv4 #h47 ,the newly discovered fragments of the ,gospel of ,peter give striking evidence of the haphazard way in which extracts from the ,buddhist books seem to have been sprinkled among the gospels4 ,it records that ,mary ,magdalene1 taking with her her friends1 went to the sepulchre of ,jesus to place themselves beside him and perform the rites of wailing1 beating breasts1 etc4 ,amrapal and other courtesans did the same rites to ,buddha1 and the disciples were afterwards indignant that impure women should have washed his dead body with their tears4 7,rockhill1 ,thibetan ,life1 p4 #aec47 ,in the ,christian records are three passages1 all due1 ,i think1 to the ,buddhist narrative4 ,in one1 a woman anoints ,jesus2 in ,john 7xii4 #g71 ,mary anoints him2 in ,luke1 a sinner1 who kisses and washes his feet with her hair4 ,plainly these last passages are quite irrational4 ,no woman could have performed the washing and other burial rites on a man alive and in health4 ,,they ,,parted ,,my ,,garments4 ,the ,abb ,huc tells us 7,voyages1 ii4 p4 #bgh7 that on the death of the ,bokt ,lama his garments are cut into little strips and prized immensely4 ,,he ,,appeared ,,unto ,,many4 ,buddha prophesied that he would appear after his death4 7,lotus1 p4 #add47 ,in a ,chinese version quoted by ,eitel 7,three ,lectures1 p4 #eg71 ,buddha to soothe his mother1 who had come down weeping from the skies1 opens his coffin lid and appears to her4 ,in the temple sculptures he is constantly depicted coming down to the altar during worship4 7,see illustrations to my ,buddhism in ,christendom47 ,,the ,,great ,,white ,,throne4 ,mr4 ,upham1 in his ,history of ,buddhism 7pp4 #ef1 #eg71 gives a description of the ,buddhist heaven4 ,there is a high mountain1 and a city four square with gates of gold and silver1 adorned with precious stones4 ,seven moats surround the city4 ,beyond the last one is a row of marble pillars studded with jewels4 ,the great throne of the god stands in the centre of a great hall1 and is surmounted by a white canopy4 ,round the great throne are seated heavenly ministers1 who record men's actions in a golden book4 ,a mighty tree is conspicuous in the garden4 ,in the ,chinese heaven is the ,gem ,lake1 by which stands the peach tree whose fruit gives immortality4 ,,the ,,atonement4 ,the idea of transferred good ,karma1 the merits of the former lives of an individual being passed on to another individual1 is of course quite foreign to the lower ,judaism1 which believed in no after life at all4 ,in the view of the higher ,buddhism1 ,sakya ,muni saved the world by his teaching1 but to the lower1 the ,buddhism of offerings and temples and monks1 this doctrine of ,karma was the life-blood4 ,it was proclaimed that ,buddha had a vast stock of superfluous ,karma1 and that offerings at a temple might cause the worshipper in his next life to be a prince instead of a pig or a coolie4 ,in the ,lalita ,vistara 7,chinese version1 p4 #bbe7 it is announced that when ,buddha overcame ,mra all flesh rejoiced1 the blind saw1 the deaf heard1 the dumb spake1 the hells were cleared1 and all by reason of ,buddha's ,karma in previous lives4 ,in ,romans 7v4 #ah71 ,st4 ,paul writes thus3-- ,as by the offence of one1 judgment came upon all men to condemnation1 even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life4 ,for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners1 so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous4 ,here plainly all the world is saved by the ,karma of ,christ4 ,now ,dr4 ,kuenen1 whose main proposition is that ,christianity emerged from ,judaism alone1 should tell us how ,paul got this idea4 ,the priests and the ,levites were the sole interpreters of the law1 and they had settled that a certain ,hebrew had so broken that law that it was necessary to execute him4 ,and now another ,hebrew proclaims that the righteousness of this man is so great that he can bestow the free gift of life to all men4 ,would not ,caiaphas have called the second ,hebrew out of his mind4 ,but ,st4 ,paul was a ,pharisee1 and as a ,pharisee he knew that the ,pharisees that he tried to convert believed that nothing but blood could wipe out sin4 ,in the person of ,christ he mixed up the two ideas4 ,whom ,god hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in ,his blood1 to declare ,his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past1 through the forbearance of ,god4 7,rom4 iii4 #be47 ,but according to our first quotation1 ,christ had already saved all men by his righteousness alone4 ,plainly ,st4 ,paul1 who viewed the ,old ,testament as allegory1 carnal ordinances1 beggarly elements1 and so on1 never meant his trope about ,adam's sin to be taken too literally4 ,,parables4 ,buddha taught in parables4 ,i will give one or two4 ,the reader is referred to my ,popular ,life of ,buddha for some very beautiful ones4 ,,the ,,prodigal ,,son4 ,a certain man had a son who went away into a far country4 ,there he became miserably poor4 ,the father1 however1 grew rich1 and accumulated much gold and treasure1 and many storehouses and elephants4 ,but he tenderly loved his lost son1 and secretly lamented that he had no one to whom to leave his palaces and suvernas at his death4 ,after many years the poor man1 in search of food and clothing1 happened to come to the country where his father had great possessions4 ,and when he was afar off his father saw him1 and reflected thus in his mind3 ,if ,i at once acknowledge my son and give to him my gold and my treasures1 ,i shall do him a great injury4 ,he is ignorant and undisciplined2 he is poor and brutalised4 ,with one of such miserable inclinations 'twere better to educate the mind little by little4 ,i will make him one of my hired servants4 ,then the son1 famished and in rags1 arrived at the door of his father's house2 and seeing a great throne upraised1 and many followers doing homage to him who sat upon it1 was awed by the pomp and the wealth around4 ,instantly he fled once more to the highway4 ,this1 he thought1 is the house of the poor man4 ,if ,i stay at the palace of the king perhaps ,i shall be thrown into prison4 ,then the father sent messengers after his son2 who was caught and brought back in spite of his cries and lamentations4 ,when he reached his father's house he fell down fainting with fear1 not recognising his father1 and believing that he was about to suffer some cruel punishment4 ,the father ordered his servants to deal tenderly with the poor man1 and sent two labourers of his own rank of life to engage him as a servant on the estate4 ,they gave him a broom and a basket1 and engaged him to clean up the dung-heap at a double wage4 ,from the window of his palace the rich man watched his son at his work3 and disguising himself one day as a poor man1 and covering his limbs with dust and dirt1 he approached his son and said1 ,stay here1 good man1 and ,i will provide you with food and clothing4 ,you are honest1 you are industrious4 ,look upon me as your father4 ,after many years the father felt his end approaching1 and he summoned his son and the officers of the king1 and announced to them the secret that he had so long kept4 ,the poor man was his son1 who in early days had wandered away from him2 and now that he was conscious of his former debased condition1 and was able to appreciate and retain vast wealth1 he was determined to hand over to him his entire treasure4 ,the poor man was astonished at this sudden change of fortune1 and overjoyed at meeting his father once more4 ,the parables of ,buddha are reported in the ,lotus of the ,perfect ,law to be veiled from the ignorant by means of an enigmatic form of language4 ,the rich man of this parable1 with his throne adorned by flowers and garlands of jewels1 is announced to be ,tathagata 7,god71 who dearly loves all his children1 and has prepared for them vast spiritual treasures4 ,but each son of ,tathagata has miserable inclinations4 ,he prefers the dung-heap to the pearl mani4 ,to teach such a man1 ,tathagata is obliged to employ inferior agents1 the monk and the ascetic1 and to wean him by degrees from the lower objects of desire4 ,when he speaks himself1 he is forced to veil much of his thought1 as it would not be understood4 ,his sons feel no joy on hearing spiritual things4 ,little by little must their minds be trained and disciplined for higher truths4 ,,parable ,,of ,,the ,,woman ,,at ,,the ,,well4 ,ananda1 a favourite disciple of ,buddha1 was once athirst1 having travelled far4 ,at a well he encountered a girl named ,matanga1 and asked her to give him some water to drink4 ,but she being a woman of low caste1 was afraid of contaminating a holy ,brahmana1 and refused humbly4 ,i ask not for caste1 but for water6 said ,ananda4 ,his condescension won the heart of the girl ,matanga4 ,it happened that she had a mother cunning in love philtres and weird arts1 and when this woman heard how much her daughter was in love1 she threw her magic spells round the disciple and brought him to her cave4 ,helpless1 he prayed to ,buddha1 who forthwith appeared and cast out the wicked demons4 ,but the girl ,matanga was still in wretched plight4 ,at last she determined to repair to ,buddha himself and appeal to him4 ,the ,great ,physician1 reading the poor girl's thought questioned her gently3-- ,supposing that you marry my disciple1 can you follow him everywhere8 ,everywhere6 said the girl4 ,could you wear his clothes1 sleep under the same roof8 said ,buddha1 alluding to the nakedness and beggary of the houseless one4 ,by slow degrees the girl began to take in his meaning1 and at last she took refuge in the ,three ,great ,jewels4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a common objection to ,buddhism is that it fails to proclaim the fatherhood of ,god4 ,the loving ,father of all that lives4 7,tsing-tu-wan47 ,our loving ,father and ,father of all that breathes4 7,imit4 ,buddha1 p4 #fg47 7 ,daily ,manual of the ,shaman1 cited by ,mr4 ,bowden47 ,i am the ,heavenly ,father 7loka pita ,swayambhu71 the ,healer1 the ,protector of all creatures4 7,kern1 ,lotus1 p4 #caj47 ,i will give a pretty parable that pictures ,buddha as a ,father4 ,,parable ,,of ,,the ,,blazing ,,mansion4 ,once there was an old man1 broken1 decrepit1 but very rich4 ,he possessed much land and many gold pieces4 ,moreover1 he possessed a large rambling mansion which also showed plain proofs of ,time's decay4 ,its rafters were worm-eaten2 its pillars were rotten2 its galleries were tumbling down2 the thatch on its roof was dry and combustible4 ,inside this mansion were several hundreds of the old man's servants and retainers1 so extensive was the collection of rambling old buildings4 ,unfortunately1 this mansion possessed only one door4 ,the old man was also the father of many children--five1 ten1 twenty1 let us say4 ,one day there was a smell of burning1 and he ran out by the solitary door4 ,to his horror he saw the thatch in a mass of flame1 the rotten old pillars were catching fire one by one1 the rafters were blazing like tinder4 ,inside1 his children1 whom he loved most tenderly1 were romping and amusing themselves with their toys4 ,the distracted father said to himself1 ,i will run in and save my children4 ,i will seize them in my strong arms4 ,i will bear them harmless through the falling rafters and the blazing beams6 ,then the sad thought seized him that his children were romping and ignorant4 ,if ,i tell them that the house is on fire they will not understand me4 ,if ,i try to seize them they will romp about and try to escape4 ,alas6 not a moment is to be lost6 ,suddenly a bright thought flashed across the old man's mind4 ,my children are ignorant1 he mentally said1 but they love toys and glittering playthings4 ,i will promise them some playthings of unheard-of beauty4 ,then they will listen to me6 ,so the old man shouted out with a loud voice1 ,children1 children1 come out of the house and see these beautiful toys4 ,chariots with white oxen1 all gold and tinsel4 ,see these exquisite little antelopes6 ,whoever saw such goats as these6 ,children1 children1 come quickly or they will all be gone6 ,forth from the blazing ruin came the children in hot haste4 ,the word playthings was almost the only word that they could understand4 ,then the fond father1 in his great joy at seeing his offspring freed from peril1 procured for them some of the most beautiful chariots ever seen4 ,each chariot had a canopy like a pagoda4 ,it had tiny rails and balustrades1 and rows of jingling bells4 ,it was formed of the seven precious substances4 ,chaplets of glittering pearls were hung aloft upon it2 standards and wreaths of the most lovely flowers4 ,milk-white oxen drew these chariots4 ,the children were astonished when they were placed inside4 ,the meaning of this parable is thus rendered in the ,white ,lotus of ,dharma4 ,the old man is ,tathagata1 and his children the blind1 suffering children of sin and passion4 ,tathagata fondly loves them1 and would save them from their unhappiness4 ,the old rambling mansion1 unsightly1 rotten1 perilous1 is the ,domain of ,karma1 the ,domain of ,appetite4 ,this old mansion is ablaze with the fire of mortal passions1 and hates1 and lusts4 ,tathagata in his immense compassion would lead all his beloved children away from this great peril1 but they do not understand his language4 ,their only thought is of tinsel toys and childish pastimes4 ,if he speaks to them of the great inner quickening which makes man conquer human pain1 they cannot understand him4 ,if he talks to them of wondrous supernatural gifts accorded to mortals1 they turn a deaf ear to him4 ,the tinsel chariots provided for the children of ,tathagata are the ,vehicles of the ,buddhist teaching4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,after ,buddha's ,death4 ,from ,buddha's death we turn to ,buddha's religion and its progress4 ,and ,i think the narrative form will help us best1 but a few preliminary remarks are necessary4 ,what is ,buddhism8 ,the religion of ,buddha1 says ,professor ,max ,mller in his ,chips from a ,german ,workshop1 was made for a madhouse4 ,buddha1 says ,sir ,monier ,williams in his ,buddhism1 altogether ignored in human nature any spiritual aspirations4 ,having heard the dictum of ,oxford1 perhaps it is fair to listen to a real ,buddhist4 ,in a work called ,happiness1 an anonymous writer sketches his religion4 ,the teaching of ,buddha1 as set forth by him1 is simple and sublime4 ,there are two states of the soul1 call them ego and non-ego--the plane of matter and the plane of spirit--what you will4 ,as long as we live for the ego and its greedy joys1 we are feverish1 restless1 miserable4 ,happiness consists in the destruction of the ego1 by the ,bodhi1 and ,gnosis4 ,this is that interior1 that high state of the soul1 attained by ,fenelon and ,wesley1 by ,mirza the ,sufi and ,swedenborg1 by ,spinoza and ,amiel4 ,the kingdom of ,god is within you1 says ,christ4 ,in whom are hid the treasures of sophia and gnosis1 says ,st4 ,paul4 ,the enlightened view both worlds1 says ,mirza the ,sufi1 but the bat flieth about in the darkness without seeing4 ,who speaks and acts with the inner quickening1 says ,buddha1 has joy for his accompanying shadow4 ,who speaks and acts without the inner quickening1 him sorrow pursues as the chariot wheel the horse4 ,let us give here a pretty parable1 and let ,buddha speak for himself3-- ,once upon a time there was a man born blind1 and he said1 ',i cannot believe in a world of appearances4 ,colours bright or sombre exist not4 ,there is no sun1 no moon1 no stars4 ,none have witnessed such things4' ,his friends chid him2 but he still repeated the same words4 ,in those days there was a ,rishi who had the inner vision2 and he detected on the steeps of the lofty ,himalayas four simples that had the power to cure the man who was born blind4 ,he culled them1 and1 mashing them with his teeth1 applied them4 ,instantly the man who was born blind cried out1 ',i see colours and appearances4 ,i see beautiful trees and flowers4 ,i see the bright sun4 ,no one ever saw like this before4' ,then certain holy men came to the man who was born blind1 and said to him1 ',you are vain and arrogant and nearly as blind as you were before4 ,you see the outside of things1 not the inside4 ,one whose supernatural senses are quickened sees the lapis-lazuli fields of the ,buddhas of the ,past1 and hears heavenly conch shells sounded at a distance of five yoganas4 ,go off to a desert1 a forest1 a cavern in the mountains1 and conquer this mean thirst of earthly things4' ,the man who was born blind obeyed2 and the parable ends with its obvious interpretation4 ,buddha is the old ,rishi1 and the four simples are the four great truths4 ,he weans mankind from the lower life and opens the eyes of the blind4 ,i think that ,sir ,monier ,williams's fancy1 that ,buddha ignored the spiritual side of humanity is due to the fact that by the word knowledge he conceives the ,buddhist to mean knowledge of material facts4 ,that ,buddha's conceptions are nearer to the ideas of ,swedenborg than of ,mill is1 ,i think1 proved by the ,cingalese book1 the ,samanna ,phala ,sutta4 ,buddha details1 at considerable length1 the practices of the ascetic1 and then enlarges upon their exact object4 ,man has a body composed of the four elements4 ,it is the fruit of the union of his father and mother4 ,it is nourished on rice and gruel1 and may be truncated1 crushed1 destroyed4 ,in this transitory body his intelligence is enchained4 ,the ascetic1 finding himself thus confined1 directs his mind to the creation of a freer integument4 ,he represents to himself in thought another body created from this material body--a body with a form1 members1 and organs4 ,this body1 in relation to the material body1 is like the sword and the scabbard1 or a serpent issuing from a basket in which it is confined4 ,the ascetic1 then1 purified and perfected1 commences to practise supernatural faculties4 ,he finds himself able to pass through material obstacles1 walls1 ramparts1 etc43 he is able to throw his phantasmal appearance into many places at once2 he is able to walk upon the surface of water without immersing himself2 he can fly through the air like a falcon furnished with large wings2 he can leave this world and reach even the heaven of ,brahma himself4 ,another faculty is now conquered by his force of will1 as the fashioner of ivory shapes the tusk of the elephant according to his fancy4 ,he acquires the power of hearing the sounds of the unseen world as distinctly as those of the phenomenal world--more distinctly1 in point of fact4 ,also by the power of ,manas he is able to read the most secret thoughts of others1 and to tell their characters4 ,he is able to say1 ,there is a mind that is governed by passion4 ,there is a mind that is enfranchised4 ,this man has noble ends in view4 ,this man has no ends in view4 ,as a child sees his earrings reflected in the water1 and says1 ,those are my earrings1 so the purified ascetic recognises the truth4 ,then comes to him the faculty of divine vision1 and he sees all that men do on earth and after they die1 and when they are again reborn4 ,then he detects the secrets of the universe1 and why men are unhappy1 and how they may cease to be so4 ,i will now quote a conversation between ,buddha and some ,brahmins which1 ,i think1 throws much light on his teaching4 ,it is given in another ,cingalese book1 the ,tevigga ,sutta4 ,when the teacher was dwelling at ,manaskata in the mango grove1 some ,brahmins1 learned in the three ,vedas1 came to consult him on the question of union with the eternal ,brahma4 ,they ask if they are in the right pathway towards that union4 ,buddha replies at great length4 ,he suggests an ideal case4 ,he supposes that a man has fallen in love with the most beautiful woman of the land4 ,day and night he dreams of her1 but has never seen her4 ,he does not know whether she is tall or short1 of ,brahmin or ,sudra caste1 of dark or fair complexion2 he does not even know her name4 ,the ,brahmins are asked if the talk of that man about that woman be wise or foolish4 ,they confess that it is foolish talk4 ,buddha then applies the same train of reasoning to them4 ,the ,brahmins versed in the three ,vedas are made to confess that they have never seen ,brahma1 that they do not know whether he is tall or short1 or anything about him1 and that all their talk about union with him is also foolish talk4 ,they are mounting a crooked staircase1 and do not know whether it leads to a mansion or a precipice4 ,they are standing on the bank of a river and calling to the other bank to come to them4 ,now it seems to me that if ,buddha were the uncompromising teacher of atheism that ,sir ,monier ,williams pictures him1 he has at this point an admirable opportunity of urging his views4 ,the ,brahmins1 he would of course contend1 knew nothing about ,brahma1 for the simple reason that no such being as ,brahma exists4 ,but this is exactly the line that ,buddha does not take4 ,his argument is that the ,brahmins knew nothing of ,brahma1 because ,brahma is purely spiritual1 and they are purely materialistic4 ,five ,veils1 he shows1 hide ,brahma from mortal ken4 ,these are-- #a4 ,the ,veil of ,lustful ,desire4 #b4 ,the ,veil of ,malice4 #c4 ,the ,veil of ,sloth and ,idleness4 #d4 ,the ,veil of ,pride and ,self-,righteousness4 #e4 ,the ,veil of ,doubt4 ,buddha then goes on with his questionings3-- ,is ,brahma in possession of wives and wealth8 ,he is not1 ,gautama6 answers ,vasettha the ,brahmin4 ,is his mind full of anger1 or free from anger8 ,free from anger1 ,gautama6 ,is his mind full of malice1 or free from malice8 ,free from malice1 ,gautama6 ,is his mind depraved or pure8 ,it is pure1 ,gautama6 ,has he self-mastery1 or has he not8 ,he has1 ,gautama4 ,the ,brahmins are then questioned about themselves4 ,are the ,brahmins versed in the three ,vedas in possession of wives and wealth1 or are they not8 ,they are1 ,gautama6 ,have they anger in their hearts1 or have they not8 ,they have1 ,gautama4 ,do they bear malice1 or do they not8 ,they do1 ,gautama4 ,are they pure in heart1 or are they not8 ,they are not1 ,gautama4 ,have they self-mastery1 or have they not8 ,they have not1 ,gautama4 ,these replies provoke1 of course1 the very obvious retort that no point of union can be found between such dissimilar entities4 ,brahma is free from malice1 sinless1 self-contained1 so1 of course1 it is only the sinless that can hope to be in harmony with him4 ,vasettha then puts this question3 ,it has been told me1 ,gautama1 that ,sramana ,gautama knows the way to the state of union with ,brahma8 ,brahma ,i know1 ,vasettha6 says ,buddha in reply1 and the world of ,brahma1 and the path leading to it6 ,the humbled ,brahmins learned in the three ,vedas then ask ,buddha to show them the way to a state of union with ,brahma4 ,buddha replies at considerable length1 drawing a sharp contrast between the lower ,brahminism and the higher ,brahminism1 the householder and the houseless one4 ,the householder ,brahmins are gross1 sensual1 avaricious1 insincere4 ,they practise for lucre black magic1 fortune-telling1 cozenage4 ,they gain the ear of kings1 breed wars1 predict victories1 sacrifice life1 spoil the poor4 ,as a foil to this1 he paints the recluse1 who has renounced all worldly things1 and is pure1 self-possessed1 happy4 ,to teach this higher life1 a ,buddha from time to time is born into the world1 blessed and worthy1 abounding in wisdom1 a guide to erring mortals4 ,he sees the universe face to face1 the spirit world of ,brahma and that of ,mra the tempter4 ,he makes his knowledge known to others4 ,the houseless one1 instructed by him1 lets his mind pervade one quarter of the world with thoughts of pity sympathy1 and equanimity2 and so the second1 and so the third1 and so the fourth4 ,and thus the whole wide world1 above1 below1 around1 and everywhere1 does he continue to pervade with heart of pity1 sympathy1 and equanimity1 far-reaching1 grown great1 and beyond measure4 ,verily this1 ,vasettha1 is the way to a state of union with ,brahma1 and he proceeds to announce that the bhikshu1 or ,buddhist beggar1 who is free from anger1 free from malice1 pure in mind1 master of himself1 will1 after death1 when the body is dissolved1 become united with ,brahma4 ,the ,brahmins at once see the full force of this teaching4 ,it is as a conservative in their eyes that ,buddha figures1 and not an innovator4 ,he takes the side of the ancient spiritual religion of the country against rapacious innovators4 ,sir ,monier ,williams quotes a part of this ,sutta1 and1 oddly enough1 still maintains that ,buddha was an atheist4 ,there are two great schools of ,buddhism1 and they are quite agreed on this point that ,buddhism is the quickening of the spiritual vision4 ,let us now consider how the two great schools of ,buddhism diverge4 #a4 ,the earliest school1 the ,buddhism of ,buddha1 taught that after ,nirvna1 or man's emancipation from re-birth1 the consciousness of the individual survived1 and that he dwelt for ever in happiness in the ,brahma heavens4 ,this is the ,buddhism of the ,little ,vehicle4 #b4 ,the second1 or innovating school1 maintained that after ,nirvna the consciousness of the individual ceased4 ,their creed was the blank atheism of the ,brahmin ,s'unyavdi4 ,the first serious study of ,buddhism took place in one of our colonies1 and the first students were missionaries4 ,great praise is due to the missionaries of ,ceylon for their early scholarship1 but naturally they ransacked the ,buddhist books less as scholars than missionaries4 ,soon they discovered with delight the teaching of the atheistic school1 and statements that the ,ceylon scriptures were the earliest authentic ,buddhist scriptures1 brought to the island by ,mahinda1 ,king ,asoka's son 7,b4,c4 #cjf74 ,in consequence of this the missionaries concluded that ,ceylon had preserved untainted the original teaching of ,buddha1 and that the earliest school1 that of the ,little ,vehicle1 was atheistic4 ,but the leading ,sanscrit scholar of the world1 ,dr4 ,rajendra ,lala ,mitra1 has completely dissipated this idea4 ,in his work1 ,nepalese ,buddhist ,literature1 p4 #agh1 he shows conclusively that it is the ,buddhism of the innovating school1 that of the ,great ,vehicle1 which preaches atheism4 ,about the epoch of ,christ1 ,kanerkos or ,kanishka1 a king who conquered ,india1 introduced this innovating teaching4 ,hweng ,thsang1 the ,chinese pilgrim1 who visited ,india in the seventh century1 confirms this4 ,there was in ,india at this date amongst the followers of ,siva1 a school who held that ,nothingness was ,god1 and ,nothingness the future of man4 ,they were called the ,s'unyavdis1 the proclaimers of ,nothingness4 ,two priests1 ,parsvika and ,vasabandhu1 were with ,kanerkos1 and they persuaded this monarch to force this ,pyrrhonism on the ,buddhists4 ,a mighty conflict was the consequence4 ,the old ,buddhists remonstrated4 ,they said that ,buddha knew nothing of all this4 ,they called the ,great ,vehicle ,sunyapushpa 7the ,carriage that drives to ,nowhere74 ,but ,parsvika packed a convocation like ,constantine1 and forced the new teaching down their throats4 7,hweng ,thsang1 ,hist4 p4 #aad41 et4 seq4 ,memoirs1 pp4 #agd1 #bbj47 ,rajendra ,lala ,mitra says that the ,buddhist books of the ,great ,vehicle are in a servile manner copied from ,brahmin treatises4 ,let us examine this ,great ,vehicle1 as writers like ,sir ,monier ,williams tells us that it was this school that introduced the ideas of ,god and immortality into ,buddhism1 which until then was pure atheism4 ,its main ,bible is a collection of writings called the ,raksh ,bhagavat4 7,rajendra ,lala ,mitra1 p4 #agi47 ,bryan ,hodgson confirms this4 7,literature of ,nepal1 p4 #af47 ,the work itself is an avowed attack on the ,hinayna or ,little ,vehicle1 which is refuted repeatedly1 says the learned ,hindoo4 7p4 #agh47 ,let us now see what sort of god and what sort of immortality the ,raksh ,bhagavat in its title of chapters proclaimed4 ,chap4 ,i4 ,the subject of ,nothingness 7,sunyata7 expounded4 ,chap4 ,,ii4 ,relation of the soul to form colour and vacuity4 ,chap4 ,,iv4 ,relation of form to vacuity4 ,chap4 ,,vii4 ,how a ,bodhisattwa merges all natural attributes into vacuity4 ,chap4 ,,xii4 ,the doctrine of ,mahyna and its advantages1 derived principally1 if not entirely1 from its recognition of the greatness of ,s'unyavda 7,nihilistic doctrine of the ,brahmin sect of ,s'unyavdis74 ,chap4 ,,xiii4 ,to the ,bodhisattwa there is nothing eternal1 nothing transient1 nothing painful1 nothing pleasant4 ,all qualities are unreal as a dream4 ,chap4 ,,xiv4-,,xvi4 ,the principle of the ,prajn ,paramit imparted by ,buddha to ,indra4 ,the end sought is the attainment of vacuity4 ,chap4 ,,xxxv4 ,all objects attainable by the study of ,nihilism4 7,nepalese ,buddhist ,literature1 p4 #ahj47 ,hodgson gives a bit of what he calls this pure ,pyrrhonism from the same book4 ,buddha is made to talk thus3-- ,the being of all things is derived from belief1 reliance1 in this order3 from false knowledge1 delusive impression2 from delusive impression1 general notions2 from them1 particulars2 from them1 the six seats of the senses2 from them1 contact2 from it1 definite sensation and perception2 from it1 thirst or desire2 from it1 embryolic 7physical7 existence2 from it1 birth or actual existence2 from it1 all the distinctions of genus and species among animate things2 from them1 decay and death1 after the manner and period peculiar to each4 ,such is the procession of all things into existence from delusion 7avidy71 and in the inverse order to that of their procession they retrograde into non-existence4 7p4 #gi47 ,another book1 the ,suvarna ,prabhsa1 makes grand non-existence1 the ,bodhi1 the divine knowledge4 ,i now instruct you on the means of acquiring the knowledge of nothingness1 ,buddha is made to say to his disciples4 7,rajendra ,lala ,mitra1 p4 #bdc47 ,but there is a third school of ,buddhism1 the ,madhyamika1 or ,middle ,pathway4 ,unless all this is definitely understood1 ,buddhism will remain a riddle4 ,for a long time the ,great and the ,little ,vehicles fought furiously4 ,i believe that the ,middle ,pathway was a rude attempt at conciliation4 ,no one can read many ,buddhist writings without observing flat contradictions at every page4 ,thus the ,brahmajla ,stra1 much quoted by missionaries1 who are plainly unaware that it belongs to the literature of the ,carriage that drives to ,nowhere1 announces that the existence of the soul after death in a conscious or even an unconscious state is impossible4 ,but there is a passage which the missionaries do not quote4 ,buddha also tells his disciples that the statement of the ,brahmins and ,buddhist teachers1 that existing beings are cut off1 destroyed1 annihilated1 is founded on their ignorance and want of perception of the truth4 7,see my ,popular ,life of ,buddha1 p4 #bbc47 ,having thus cleared the way1 ,i will now proceed with the history of the progress of ,buddha's religion4 ,before1 it would have been unintelligible4 ,buddha died ,b4,c4 #dgj4 ,asoka1 the ,buddhist ,constantine1 gained ,india ,b4,c4 #bfj4 ,unfortunately1 between these two dates there is scarcely any authentic history at all4 ,buddha left behind him brief instructions to his disciples1 which are called the ,twelve ,observances4 ,they were never to sleep under a roof4 ,in ,ceylon even to this day a ,buddhist monk is called ,abhyvaksika 7he whose covering is the heavens74 ,they were never to stop two nights in the same spot4 ,what was to be their food8 ,refuse victuals4 ,what was to be their dress8 ,rags from the graveyard1 dung-heap1 etc4 ,what was his following to be called8 ,the ,mob of ,beggars 7,bhikshu ,sangha74 ,jumping from ,b4,c4 #dgj to ,b4,c4 #cjb1 history flashes a sudden light upon these wandering beggars4 ,at this date ,seleucus ,nicator sent an ambassador named ,megasthenes to ,king ,chandragupta at ,patna4 ,his account of the ,india of that day is1 unfortunately1 lost2 but through ,diodorus ,siculus1 ,strabo1 ,arrian1 and ,clement of ,alexandria1 some valuable fragments have come down to us4 ,patna1 it must be remembered1 was in the heart of the ,buddhist ,holy ,land4 ,clement of ,alexandria cites a passage from ,megasthenes about the ,indian philosophers4 ,of these there are two classes1 some of them called ,sarman 7,sramanas7 and other ,brahmins4 ,and those of the ,sarman1 who are called ,hylobii1 neither inhabit cities nor have roofs over them1 but are clothed in the bark of trees1 feed on nuts1 and drink water in their hands4 ,like those called ,encratites in the present day1 they know not marriage1 nor begetting of children4 ,some1 too1 of the ,indians obey the precepts of ,buddha1 whom1 on account of his extraordinary sanctity1 they have raised to divine honours4 ,strabo also describes the ,brahmins and the ,hylobii1 or ,germanes1 with similar details4 ,he draws a distinction between the ,germanes and the ,brahmins on the subject of continency1 the ,brahmins being polygamists4 ,no doubt these ,sarman and ,brahmins of ,megasthenes were the ,brahmins and ,buddhist ,sramanas1 or ascetics4 ,to the first were confided sacrifices and ceremonies4 ,they were a caste apart1 and none outside this caste could officiate4 ,their ideas of life and death1 it is announced1 were similar to those of ,plato and the ,greeks4 ,the ,brahmins ate flesh and had many wives4 ,every new year there was a great synod of them4 ,they dwelt in groves near the great cities on couches of leaves and skins4 ,the ,hylobii1 on the other hand1 insisted on absolute continence and strict vegetarianism1 and water drinking4 ,clitarchus gives us an additional fact from ,megasthenes4 ,the ,hylobii derided the ,brahmins4 ,by their means1 says ,strabo1 kings serve and worship ,god4 7,see for all that can be recovered from ,megasthenes1 ,cory1 ,ancient ,fragments1 pp4 #bbe-bbg47 ,that the ,buddhists at first were wandering beggars without any convents is the opinion of the ,russian ,orientalist1 ,wassiljew1 who supports it from a valuable ,chinese history by ,daranatha4 ,it asserts that the ,king ,ajatasatru passed ,varsha or ,lent in a graveyard2 and that until the date of ,upagupta1 a contemporary of ,asoka1 there were no temples4 ,the first was built at ,mathura4 7,ch4 iv41 cited by ,wassiljew1 ,buddhism1 p4 #da47 ,daranatha asserts that a disciple of ,ananda reached ,cashmir4 ,m4 ,wassiljew remarks that this would mean a spread of the doctrines in intermediate lands4 ,i must point out that the first ritual of ,buddhism was the ,praise of the ,seven ,mortal ,buddhas1 who were worshipped1 as ,gen4 ,cunningham has shown from the ,bharhut ,stupa1 in the form of trees4 ,this seems to have been the sole form of worship even in the days of ,king ,asoka1 who enjoins his subjects to worship round ,buddha's tree1 the ficus indicus4 ,i think that my readers are now in a position to judge whether ,india was gained by houseless ,parivrajakas1 ever marching1 ever preaching1 ever enduring hunger1 thirst1 buffets1 death if necessary1 or by lazy monks1 living in sumptuous convents1 and debating whether their couches should have fringes and their dress be silk or cotton4 ,this last is the contention of the ,buddhist histories1 and these dishonest documents have even deceived learned men in the ,west1 more skilful in ,pli roots1 perhaps1 than judicial analysis4 ,these books record that three months after ,buddha's death a vast convocation of monks was assembled at ,rjgriha to render canonical certain holy books1 in bulk four times as big as our ,bible4 ,eighteen disused monasteries were hastily cleared of their cobwebs and rubbish1 and set in order for these monks1 and a cave temple1 whose columns and splendid stone carvings vied with ,ellora1 was cut out of the rock in what must be thought a very small space of time1 namely1 two months4 ,i have shown in my ,popular ,life of ,buddha that we have here most probably the details of a real convocation1 that of ,king ,kanerkos1 assembled about #bj ,a4,d41 by the ,carriage that drives ,nowhere 7,sunyapushpa7 to force their ,pyrrhonism on the old faith1 and that they have dishonestly antedated this convocation by nearly #ejj years1 to make it appear that their innovations were the earliest ,buddhism4 ,hweng ,thsang1 the ,chinese pilgrim1 has given us the details of the convocation4 ,the number of monks was fixed at four hundred and ninety-nine4 ,the ambitious ,vasubandhu1 leader of the ,great ,vehicle movement1 presented himself at the door1 but the traditions of early ,buddhism were still strong4 ,some of the monks desired him to depart1 as none but ,arhats 7the fully enfranchised7 could remain near the building4 ,i care little for the enfranchisement of study 7the rank of ,arhat71 said ,vasubandhu4 ,then1 with some inconsistency1 he performed a great miracle to prove that he had attained that dignity4 ,he flung into the air a ball of thread1 and one end remained fixed in the sky4 ,a similar prodigy was witnessed by ,marco ,polo and other old travellers4 ,vasubandhu was chosen president1 and the convocation proceeded to discuss their ,pyrrhonism4 ,all this is servilely repeated in the fictitious narrative of the first convocation4 ,a difficulty arose about ,ananda1 who had not acquired the miraculous powers that stamp the adept in the knowledge of ,praj ,pramit1 the wisdom of the unseen world4 ,thus1 as first constituted1 the convocation consisted of #dii members and a vacant carpet was spread for ,ananda4 ,during the night he meditated on the ,kyagast ,stiy1 and in the morning these powers came2 and in proof he reached his seat through the medium of the floor of the temple4 ,to culminate this silliness1 ,ananda is then called upon to disclose this wisdom of the unseen world1 because1 being ,buddha's chief disciple1 he is the only one who knows much about it4 ,the ,bible of the ,carriage that drives ,nowhere is the chief book discussed1 the ,brahmajla ,stra1 which ,hoa ,yen1 the greatest ,chinese authority 7see ,rmusat1 ,pilgrimage of ,fa ,hian1 p4 #ajh71 says is distinctly a ,great ,vehicle scripture4 ,in it ,buddha discusses every conceivable theory about the next world1 and contradicts them all4 ,could such an insane ,bible1 in a few years1 have tumbled to pieces the great priesthoods of ,india1 ,china1 ,persia8 ,we now come to ,king ,asoka1 a monarch whose dominions stretched from ,grndhra1 or ,peshawur1 to ,chola and ,pndiya1 the extreme southern provinces of ,india4 ,on the extreme west he cut a rock-inscription at ,girnar1 on the ,gulf of ,cutch4 ,on the east coast at ,ganjam were the ,dhauli and ,jaugada inscriptions4 ,his rule was a broad one4 ,he became a convert to ,buddhism1 and made it the official creed4 ,he carved his ,edicts on rocks and stone columns4 ,let us see from them whether early ,buddhism was the atheism and negation of an immortal life that is depicted in popular treatises4 ,he is called ,devnampiya1 the friend of the spirits4 ,,king ,,asoka',s ,,ideas ,,about ,,god4 ,much longing after the things of this life is a disobedience1 ,i again declare2 not less so is the laborious ambition of dominion by a prince who would be a propitiator of ,heaven4 ,confess and believe in ,god ,isna1 who is the worthy object of obedience4 ,for equal to this belief1 ,i declare unto you1 ye shall not find such a means of propitiating ,heaven4 ,oh1 strive ye to obtain this inestimable treasure4 7,first separate ,edict1 ,dhauli1 ,prinsep47 ,thus spake ,king ,devnampiya ,piyadasi3--,the present moment and the past have departed under the same ardent hopes4 ,how by the conversion of the royal born may religion be increased8 ,through the conversion of the lowly born if religion thus increaseth1 by how much more through the conviction of the high born and their conversion shall religion increase8 ,among whomsoever the name of ,god resteth1 verily this is religion4 ,thus spake ,devnampiya ,piyadasi3--,wherefore from this very hour ,i have caused religious discourses to be preached4 ,i have appointed religious observances that mankind1 having listened thereto1 shall be brought to follow in the right path1 and give glory to ,god4 7,edict ,no4 vii41 ,prinsep47 ,,asoka ,,on ,a ,,future ,,life4 ,on the many beings over whom ,i rule ,i confer happiness in this world2 in the next they may obtain ,swarga paradise4 7,edict vi41 ,wilson47 ,this is good4 ,with these means let a man seek ,swarga4 ,this is to be done4 ,by these means it is to be done1 as by them ,swarga paradise is to be gained4 7,edict ix41 ,wilson47 ,i pray with every variety of prayer for those who differ with me in creed1 that they1 following after my example1 may with me attain unto eternal salvation4 7,delhi ,pillar1 ,edict vi41 ,prinsep47 ,and whoso doeth this is blessed of the inhabitants of this world2 and in the next world endless moral merit resulteth from such religious charity4 7,edict xi41 ,prinsep47 ,unto no one can be repentance and peace of mind until he hath obtained supreme knowledge1 perfect faith1 which surmounteth all obstacles1 and perpetual assent4 7,rock ,edict1 ,no4 vii41 ,prinsep47 ,in the tenth year of his anointment1 the beloved ,king ,piyadasi obtained the ,sambodhi or complete knowledge4 7,rock ,edict1 ,no4 vii41 ,burnouf47 ,all the heroism that ,piyadasi1 the beloved of the gods1 has exhibited is in view of another life4 ,earthly glory brings little profit1 but1 on the contrary1 produces a loss of virtue4 ,to toil for heaven is difficult to peasant and to prince unless by a supreme effort he gives up all4 7,rock ,edict1 ,no4 x41 ,burnouf47 ,may they my loving subjects obtain happiness in this world and in the next4 7,second separate ,edict1 ,burnouf47 99 99 99 99 99 ,early ,buddhism had no prayer1 no worship1 say our popular treatises4 ,devnampiya has also said--,fame consisteth in this act1 to meditate with devotion on my motives and on my deeds1 and to pray for blessings in this world and the world to come4 7,dhauli1 separate ,edict1 ,no4 ii41 ,prinsep47 ,i pray with every variety of prayer for those who differ with me in creed1 that they1 following after my example1 may with me attain unto eternal salvation4 7,delhi ,pillar1 ,edict vi41 ,prinsep47 99 99 99 99 99 ,early ,buddhism knew nothing of soul1 we learn also4 ,as the soul itself1 so is the unrelaxing guidance of ,devnampiya worthy of respect4 7,dhauli1 separate ,edict1 ,no4 ii41 ,prinsep47 ,on the ,bairt rock the king1 too1 gives a list of the holy books that his monks were to learn by heart4 #a4 ,the ,summary of ,discipline4 #b4 ,the ,supernatural ,powers of the ,masters4 #c4 ,the ,terrors of the ,future4 #d4 ,the ,song of the ,muni4 #e4 ,the ,stra on ,asceticism4 #f4 ,the ,question of ,upatishya4 #g4 ,the ,admonition to ,rhula concerning ,falsehood1 uttered by our ,lord ,buddha4 ,nothing can be more important than this4 ,if the ,bairt rock-inscription is genuine1 the ,ceylon history of the convocations is pure fiction4 ,it must be remembered that in the old ,indian creeds1 holy books were handed down entirely by recitation4 ,the letters of the alphabet1 according to ,professor ,max ,mller1 ,general ,cunningham1 and the chief authorities1 were not known in ,india until ,asoka's day4 ,we know from the ,mahwanso that the holy books of ,ceylon were not committed to writing until the reign of ,king ,wattaganini 7#ajd to #gf ,b4,c474 ,so the books that ,asoka ordered to be handed down by the recitation and chantings of his monks must have plainly constituted the entire body of the recognised scriptures4 ,in what way could any other scriptures come down8 ,dr4 ,oldenburg talks of these seven books as if they were passages only1 he believing that the large body of ,pli scriptures of ,ceylon were in existence as early as the second convocation4 ,but if they were passages1 who was to remember and recite the rest of the voluminous canon8 ,asoka's monks were expressly forbidden so to do4 ,of immense importance is one more fact4 ,the ,dhauli inscription announces that the four ,greek kings 7,chapta ,yoni ,raja71 who took over ,alexander's empire1 had allowed their subjects to follow the doctrine of ,asoka4 ,he mentions ,antiochus and ,ptolemy4 ,also ,gongakenos and ,megas of ,cyrene4 ,this plainly proves that his missionaries had reached ,egypt and ,greece4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,the ,apostles of the ,bloodless ,altar4 ,there are two ,zoroasters1 or rather a sort of dual personality4 ,one of these ,zoroasters lived six thousand years ,b4,c4 according to ,darmesteter1 and the other about five hundred years ,b4,c4 ,the earlier ,zoroaster swathed ,persia in a network of silly rites and regulations4 ,a culprit who threw away a dead dog was to receive a thousand blows with the horse goad1 and one thousand with the ,craosha charana4 ,a culprit who slew a dog with a prickly back and a woolly muzzle was to receive a similar punishment4 7,fargard1 xxx47 ,this ,zoroaster was particular about the number of gnats1 ants1 lizards1 that the devout had to kill4 7,fargard1 xiv47 ,this ,zoroaster proclaimed a god who loved to see on his altar a hundred horses1 a thousand cows1 ten thousand small cattle1 and so on4 7,khordah ,avesta1 xii47 ,but the second ,zoroaster proclaimed a bloodless altar1 and sought to tear the network of the first ,zoroaster to shreds4 ,what was the meaning of this8 ,simply that the ,buddhist ,wanderers had by this time invaded ,persia1 and had fastened their doctrines upon the chief local prophet4 ,this was their habit4 ,a study of this second religion1 the religion of ,mithras1 will help us to some of the secrets of ,buddhist propagandism4 ,mr4 ,felix ,oswald cites ,wassiljew as announcing that the ,buddhist missionaries had reached ,western ,persia1 ,b4,c4 #dej4 ,this date would1 of course1 depend on the date of ,buddha's life and ,buddha's death4 ,the latter is now definitely fixed by ,buhler's translation of ,asoka's ,rupnath rock-inscription1 ,b4,c4 #dgj4 ,wassiljew1 citing ,daranatha1 announces that ,madeantica1 a convert of ,ananda1 ,buddha's leading disciple1 reached ,ouchira in ,cashmir4 ,from ,cashmir ,buddhism passed promptly to ,candahar and ,cabul4 7p4 #dj74 ,thence it penetrated quickly to ,bactra1 and soon invaded all the country embraced by the word ,turkistan1 where it flourished until disturbed by ,mahomet4 ,tertullian has two passages which describe the religion of ,mithras4 99 99 99 99 99 ,he says that the devil1 to pervert the truth1 by the mystic rites of his idols vies even with the essential portions of the sacraments of ,god4 ,he too baptises some--that is1 his own believers and faithful followers4 ,he promises the putting away of sins by a laver 7of his own71 and1 if my memory still serves me1 ,mithras there 7in the kingdom of ,satan7 sets his mark on the foreheads of his soldiers1 celebrates also the oblation of bread1 and introduces an image of the resurrection1 and before a sword wreathes a crown4 7,pres4 v41 ,hr4 chap4 xl47 ,here is another passage4 ,some soldier of ,mithras1 who at his initiation in the gloomy cavern1--in the camp1 it may well be said1 of darkness1--when at the sword's point a sword is presented to him as though in mimicry of martyrdom1 and thereupon a crown is put upon his head1 is admonished to resist and cast it off1 and1 if you like1 transfer it to his shoulders1 saying that ,mithras is his crown4 ,he even has his virgins and his ascetics 7continentes74 ,let us take note of the devices of the devil1 who is wont to ape some of ,god's things4 7,de ,corona1 xv47 ,from this it is plain that the worshippers of ,mithras had the simple rites of ,buddhists and ,christians1 baptism and the bloodless altar2 also an early ,freemasonry1 which some detect veiled in the ,indian life of ,buddha4 ,thus the incident of the sword and crown in the ,mithraic initiation is plainly based on the menacing sword of ,mra in the ,lalita ,vistara and the crown that he offered ,buddha4 ,in modern masonry it is feigned that ,hiram ,abiff1 the architect of ,solomon's temple1 made three efforts to escape from three assassins4 ,these are plainly ,old ,age1 ,disease1 and ,death4 ,he sought to evade the first at the east of the temple1 in the same way that ,buddha tried to escape by the eastern gate4 ,the second and third flights of ,hiram and ,buddha were to the same points of the compass4 ,then ,buddha escaped the lower life through the ,gate of ,benediction1 and ,hiram was killed4 ,the disciples of ,mithras had1 in the comedy of their initiation1 seven tortures1--heat1 cold1 hunger1 thirst1 fire1 water1 etc41--experiences by no means confined to histrionics in the experience of ,buddha's ,wanderers4 ,a modern mason goes through the comedy of giving up his gold and silver and baring his breast and feet1 a form that once had a meaning4 ,mithras was born in a cave2 and at ,easter there was the ceremony called by ,tertullian the image of the resurrection4 ,the worshippers1 ,fermicus tells us 7,de ,errore1 xxiii471 placed by night a stone image on a bier in a cave and went through the forms of mourning4 ,the dead god was then placed in a tomb1 and after a time withdrawn from it4 ,then lights were lit1 and poems of rejoicing sounded out1 and the priest comforted the devotees4 ,you shall have salvation from your sorrows6 ,dupuis naturally compares all this to the cierge pascal and ,catholic rites4 ,in ,jerusalem the ,greek pontiff goes into the cave called ,christ's sepulchre and brings out miraculous fire to the worshippers1 who are fighting and biting each other outside1 imaging unconsciously ,buddha's great battle with ,mra and the legions of hell1 its thunder and lightning and turmoil1 followed by a bright coruscation1 and by the angels who greeted his victory4 ,this sudden illumination1 which is the chief rite of ,freemasonry1 of ,mithraism1 and of ,christianity1 has oddly enough been thrown overboard by the ,english ,church4 ,that ,mithraism was at once ,freemasonry and ,buddhism is proved by its great spread4 ,buddhism was the first missionary religion4 ,judaism and the other old priestcrafts were for a chosen people4 ,at the epoch of ,christ1 ,mithraism had already honeycombed the ,roman paganism4 ,experts have discovered its records in ,arthur's ,oon and other ,british caves4 ,a similar ,freemasonry was ,pythagoreanism in ,greece4 ,colebrooke1 the prince of ,orientalists1 saw at once that its philosophy was purely ,buddhist4 ,its rites were identical with those of the ,mithraists and ,essenes4 ,these last must now be considered4 ,they have this importance1 that they are due to a separate propagandism4 ,alexandria was built by the great invader of ,india1 to bridge the east and the west4 ,and an exceptional toleration of creeds was the result4 ,neander divides ,israel at the date of ,christ into three sections3-- #a4 ,pharisaism1 the dead theology of the letter4 #b4 ,sadduceeism1 debasing of the spiritual life into worldliness4 #c4 ,essenism1 ,israel mystical--a co-mingling of ,judaism with the old ,oriental theosophy4 ,concerning this latter section1 ,philo wrote a letter to a man named ,hephstion1 of which the following is a portion3-- ,i am sorry to find you saying that you are not likely to visit ,alexandria again4 ,this restless1 wicked city can present but few attractions1 ,i grant1 to a lover of philosophic quiet4 ,but ,i cannot commend the extreme to which ,i see so many hastening4 ,a passion for ascetic seclusion is becoming daily more prevalent among the devout and the thoughtful1 whether ,jew or ,gentile4 ,yet surely the attempt to combine contemplation and action should not be so soon abandoned4 ,a man ought at least to have evinced some competency for the discharge of the social duties before he abandons them for the divine4 ,first the less1 then the greater4 ,i have tried the life of the recluse4 ,solitude brings no escape from spiritual danger4 ,if it closes some avenues of temptation1 there are few in whose case it does not open more4 ,yet the ,therapeut1 a sect similar to the ,essenes1 with whom you are acquainted1 number many among them whose lives are truly exemplary4 ,their cells are scattered about the region bordering on the farther shore of the ,lake ,mareotis4 ,the members of either sex live a single and ascetic life1 spending their time in fasting and contemplation1 in prayer or reading4 ,they believe themselves favoured with divine illumination--an inner light4 ,they assemble on the ,sabbath for worship1 and listen to mystical discourses on the traditionary lore which they say has been handed down in secret among themselves4 ,they also celebrate solemn dances and processions of a mystic significance by moonlight on the shore of the great mere4 ,sometimes1 on an occasion of public rejoicing1 the margin of the lake on our side will be lit with a fiery chain of illuminations1 and galleys1 hung with lights1 row to and fro with strains of music sounding over the broad water4 ,then the ,therapeut are all hidden in their little hermitages1 and these sights and sounds of the world they have abandoned make them withdraw into themselves and pray4 ,their principle at least is true4 ,the soul which is occupied with things above1 and is initiated into the mysteries of the ,lord1 cannot but account the body evil1 and even hostile4 ,the soul of man is divine1 and his highest wisdom is to become as much as possible a stranger to the body with its embarrassing appetites4 ,god has breathed into man from heaven a portion of ,his own divinity4 ,that which is divine is invisible4 ,it may be extended1 but it is incapable of separation4 ,consider how vast is the range of our thought over the past and the future1 the heavens and the earth4 ,this alliance with an upper world1 of which we are conscious1 would be impossible1 were not the soul of man an indivisible portion of that divine and blessed spirit4 ,contemplation of the divine essence is the noblest exercise of man2 it is the only means of attaining to the highest truth and virtue1 and therein to behold ,god is the consummation of our happiness here4 ,here we have the higher ,buddhism1 which seeks to reach the plane of spirit1 an alliance with the upper world by the aid of solitary reverie4 ,that ,philo knew where this religion had come from is1 ,i think1 proved by another passage4 ,among the ,persians there is the order of ,magi who deeply investigate the works of nature for the discovery of truth1 and in leisure's quiet are initiated into and expound in clearest significance the divine virtues4 ,in ,india1 too1 there is the sect of the ,gymnosophists1 who1 in addition to speculative philosophy1 diligently cultivate the ethical also1 and have made their life an absolute ensample of virtue4 ,palestine1 moreover1 and ,syria are not without their harvest of virtuous excellence1 which region is inhabited by no small portion of the very populous nation of the ,jews4 ,there are counted amongst them certain ones1 by name ,essenes1 in number about four thousand1 who derive their name1 in my opinion1 by an inaccurate trace from the term in the ,greek language for holiness 7,essen or ,essaios--,hosios1 holy71 inasmuch as they have shown themselves pre-eminent by devotion to the service of ,god2 not in the sacrifice of living animals1 but rather in the determination to make their own minds fit for a holy offering4 7,philo1 ,every virtuous man is free47 ,plainly here the ,essenes are pronounced of the same faith as the ,gymnosophists of ,india1 who abstain from the bloody sacrifice1 that is the ,buddhists4 ,i will now jot hastily down the points of contact between one of these monasteries described by ,philo and a ,buddhist monastery4 ,in the centre is the sanctuary4 ,round it1 in an enclosure four square1 are ranged the cells of the monks4 ,the monks in ,thibet1 according to the ,abb ,huc1 may be divided into three categories4 #a4 ,those who live in monasteries and perform the religious services1 and also1 like the ,essenes described by ,josephus1 farm the convent land4 #b4 ,hermits1 in caves1 like ,banos dreaming holy dreams4 #c4 ,wandering missionaries 7,parivrajakas7 who1 like the ,apostles described in the recently discovered ,teaching of the ,twelve ,apostles1 are not allowed to remain more than a day in the same place4 ,in the ,buddhist ,lent the community goes into a hastily built group of mud huts in the jungle4 ,each of these is tenanted by a monk and two novices4 ,each has a guest chamber for a sick man1 or a wandering beggar4 ,this throws light on much4 ,let us continue our parallelism4 ,enforced vegetarianism1 community of goods1 rigid abstinence from sexual indulgence1 also a high standard of purity1 were common to both the ,buddhists and the ,therapeuts4 ,neither community allowed the use of wine4 ,long fastings were common to both4 ,with both1 silence was a special spiritual discipline4 ,the ,therapeut left for ever1 says ,philo1 brothers1 children1 wives1 father and mother1 for the contemplative life4 ,like the ,buddhists1 the ,therapeuts had nuns vowed to chastity4 ,the preacher and the missionary1 two original ideas of ,buddhism1 were conspicuous amongst the ,therapeuts4 ,this was in direct antagonism to the spirit of ,mosaism4 ,the ,therapeut was a healer of the body as well as the soul4 ,turning to the kindred society of the ,essenes we get a few additional points of contact4 ,the ,essenes1 like the ,buddhist monks1 had ridiculous laws relating to spitting and other natural acts1 those of the ,essenes being regulated by a superstitious veneration for the ,sabbath day1 those of the ,buddhists1 by a superstitious respect for a pagoda4 ,in ,buddhist monasteries a rigid obedience1 together with a quite superstitious respect for the person of a superior1 is enacted4 ,in ,buddhaghosa's ,parables is a puerile story of a malicious ,muni1 who1 when an inferior monk had gone out of a hut where the two were sleeping1 lay across the doorway in order to make the novice inadvertently commit the great sin of placing his foot above his superiors head4 ,the penalty of such an act is that the offender's head ought to be split into seven pieces4 ,with the ,essenes similar superstitions were rife4 ,if an ,approacher accidentally touched the hem of the garment of an ,associate1 all sorts of purifications had to be gone through4 ,the principle of thrift and unsavouriness in dress was carried to extremes by both ,essenes and ,buddhists4 ,the sramana 7ascetic7 was required to stitch together for his kowat the refuse rags acquired by begging4 ,the ,essenes were expected to wear the old clothes of their co-religionists until they tumbled to pieces4 ,in the ,thibetan ,life of ,buddha1 by ,rockhill1 it is announced that when the great teacher first cast off his kingly silks he donned a foul dress that had been previously worn by ten other saints4 ,this throws light on the story of ,elisha4 ,dr4 ,ginsburg 7,the ,essenes1 p4 #ac7 shows that the ,essenes had eight stages of progress in inner or spiritual knowledge4 #a4 ,outward or bodily purity by baptism4 #b4 ,the state of purity that has conquered the sexual desire4 #c4 ,inward and spiritual purity4 #d4 ,a meek and gentle spirit which has subdued all anger and malice4 #e4 ,the culminating point of holiness4 #f4 ,the body becomes the temple of the ,holy ,ghost1 and the mystic acquires the gift of prophecy4 #g4 ,miraculous powers of healing1 and of raising the dead4 #h4 ,the mystic state of ,elias4 ,the ,buddhists have likewise eight stages of inner progress1 the ,eightfold ,holy ,path4 ,the first step1 ,those who have entered the stream1 the ,narajana1 the mystic river of ,buddha1 is precisely the same as the first ,essene step4 ,then follow advances in purity1 holiness1 and mastery of passion4 ,in the last two stages the ,buddhists1 like the ,essenes1 gained supernatural powers1 to be used in miraculous cures1 prophecies1 and other occult marvels4 ,it must be mentioned that the ,essenes were circumcised as well as the other ,jews4 ,the word ,essenes1 according to some learned philologists1 means the ,bathers1 or ,baptisers1 baptism having been their initiatory rite4 ,josephus tells us that this baptism was not administered until the aspirant had remained a whole year outside the community1 but subjected to their rule of life4 ,i will here give the rite of ,buddhist baptism 7abhisheka7 when a novice is about to become a monk4 ,it consists of many washings1 borrowed plainly by the early ,buddhists from the ,brahmins1 and brings to mind the frequent use of water attributed to the ,hemero ,baptists or disciples of ,john4 ,it may be mentioned that in some ,buddhist countries--,nepal1 for instance--the various monkish vows are now taken only for form sake4 ,this makes the letter1 retained after the spirit has departed1 all the more valuable4 ,the neophyte having made an offer of scents and unguents 7betel-nut1 paun1 etc47 to his spiritual guide 7guru71 the latter1 after certain formalities1 draws four circles in the form of a cross1 in honour of the ,tri ,ratna 7trinity71 on the ground1 and the neophyte1 seated in a prescribed position1 recites the following text3 ,i salute ,lord ,buddha1 ,dharma1 and ,sangha1 and entreat them to bestow on me the ,pravrajya ,vrata4 ,the first and second days of the ceremonial are consumed in prayers and formalities carried on by the guide and his pupil alone4 ,on the second day another mystical cross is drawn on the ground1 the ,swastica4 ,a pot containing water and other mystic ingredients1 a gold lotus1 and certain confections and charms1 figure in these early rites4 ,at last it is poured on the neophyte's head4 ,this is the baptism4 ,previous to this there is a confession of sins and much catechising4 ,the catechumen's name is changed at the baptism1 and his head is shaved4 ,a light is lit which reminds one of the of the early ,christians4 ,besides their baptism1 the ,essenes and ,therapeuts had a mystery 7sacramentum71 an oblation of bread4 ,part of this was placed upon the bloodless altar1 and part eaten4 ,the ,buddhists with their wheat and rice do exactly the same thing4 ,two other points remain1 the most important of all4 ,the ,buddhists have a ,trinity1 ,buddha or ,swayambhu1 the ,self-,existent1 ,dharma or ,prajn1 which is the same word as ,philo's ,sophia ,wisdom4 ,from these two the ,father and the ,mother have been produced4 ,sangha1 literally ,union1 the union of matter and spirit1 like ,st4 ,paul's ,christ1 ,humanity--ideal ,humanity4 ,that a nation so stiff-necked as the ,jews in the matter of their one ,god1 should have accepted a ,trinity1 shows certainly a foreign influence4 ,the second point is stronger still4 ,the ,buddhist teachers in ,persia and ,egypt in days before ,christ2 in ,japan1 in ,islm1 during the ,middle ,ages2 in ,europe now1--have had and have one method of procedure4 ,they say practically1 ,religion as we conceive it has only one lesson--knowledge of ,god4 ,this is to be acquired not externally through creeds and priests1 but internally by the education and purification of the soul4 ,keep your ,bibles if the weaker brethren insist on them1 but explain that they are symbols1 not history4 ,keep your prophets1 your ,moses1 your ,mahomet1 your ,zoroaster1 and fasten our teaching on him4 ,keep your hob-goblins and folklore1 but give up your bloody altar4 ,now1 in the view of the ,jew1 ,god had made a covenant with ,israel1 which was to last as long as the sun1 the moon1 and the stars4 ,in return for the offerings of the ,lord made by fire 7,levit4 xxiv4 #i7 on the temple altar of ,jerusalem1 ,israel was to triumph over its foes and receive every temporal blessing4 ,the advice of the ,buddhist was practically that the ,jewish half of the bargain was to be broken1 but that the ,bible1 the document containing the contract1 was to be retained4 ,a priori could any one have guessed that advice of this sort could be taken8 ,and yet we see the ,essenes allegorize the bloody altar out of their ,bible1 but cling to the document more fondly than ever4 ,the early ,christians and ,justin and ,irenus do the same4 ,scripture for the early ,church was the ,old ,testament4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews4 ,papias1 the ,bishop of ,hieropolis 7about ,a4,d4 #adj71 wrote a small sentence which1 examined critically recently1 has revolutionised all our ideas about the four eye-witnesses of ,paley4 ,he tells us that ,matthew first in the ,hebrew dialect wrote the 7sayings71 and each person translated as he was able4 ,this tells us everything4 ,matthew in ,aramaic wrote down all the sayings of ,christ that he could remember1 and our three gospels and a number of other gospels were translations1 enlargements1 and fanciful versions of this4 ,matthew's work emerged in the ,church at ,jerusalem1 and was their sole scripture4 ,jerome 7#daf ,a4,d471 writing against the ,pelagians1 says3 ,in the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews--which is written1 indeed1 in the ,chaldee and ,syriac language1 but in ,hebrew letters1 which the ,nazarenes use to this day--according to the ,apostles1 or1 as very many deem1 according to ,matthew4 7,dial4 adv4 ,pelag41 ch4 iii47 ,this gives us its title4 ,the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews was first called the ,gospel according to the ,apostles1 and sometimes the ,gospel according to ,matthew4 ,what do we know about this ,gospel according to the ,apostles8 ,in a great trial1 three or four obscure witnesses often unexpectedly assume a dominant importance4 ,in the great trial now going on of ,christianity 7as distinguished from the religion of ,christ71 four such witnesses have suddenly surged up4 ,they are ,hegesippus1 ,papias1 ,justin ,martyr1 ,irenus4 ,what do they tell us of the ,gospel of the ,apostles--the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews8 ,hegesippus 7#agj ,a4,d47 was the earliest ,church historian1 but his history has been destroyed4 ,eusebius tells us 7,hist41 iv4 #bb7 that he was a ,jew1 and that he used the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews4 ,papias1 according to ,eusebius1 also used it1 for he quotes from it the story of the woman taken in adultery4 ,irenus 7,hr4 i4 #bf7 tells us that the ,ebionites 7,church of ,jerusalem7 used that ,gospel which is according to ,matthew4 ,as we have overwhelming evidence that the ,ebionites used the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews1 it is plain that the ,gospel according to ,matthew of ,irenus was the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews4 ,remains ,justin ,martyr1 and now the din of battle grows loud4 ,did he know anything of the sayings 778 ,had he ever heard of the ,gospel according to the ,apostles8 ,or did he1 according to the conventional defence1 know only our ,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke1 and ,john8 ,the answer on the surface seems convincing4 ,justin never mentions the ,gospels of ,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke1 or ,john at all4 ,he makes one hundred and ninety-seven quotations from the ,old ,testament1 with the names of the authors and books attached4 ,he alludes to a man amongst us named ,john1 as the author of the ,revelations4 ,he gives two hundred gospel quotations1 and professes to get them from the sayings of our ,lord1 though he does not mention ,matthew4 ,he announces also that he is citing the ,memoirs of the ,apostles1 the alternative title apparently of the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews4 ,are the sayings of our ,lord quoted by ,justin precisely similar to the words of ,christ in our gospels8 ,as a matter of fact1 they differ considerably in the ,english translation1 and still more in the ,greek1 as shown by ,dr4 ,giles in his ,hebrew and ,christian ,records4 ,it is replied that ,justin quoted from our gospels and made mistakes4 ,much has been made by the conventional defence of certain words used by ,justin in reference to the works he was quoting from1 which are called gospels1 but ,schliermacher contends that the passage is an interpolation1 and an instance in which a marginal note has been incorporated into the text4 ,he urges1 and so does ,dr4 ,giles1 that1 at the date of ,justin1 could not have been used in the plural for books4 ,it is twice used in the singular by ,justin elsewhere1 and then means simply the ,christian revelation 7literally1 glad tidings74 ,i propose now to give all that can be recovered from the writings of the ,fathers of the ,gospel according to the ,apostles4 ,to this ,i will add the ,sayings of our ,lord as quoted by ,justin4 ,if these are not from the ,gospel of the ,hebrews1 at any rate we get a much earlier version of ,christ's words than those read in our churches4 ,for the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews1 consult ,renan1 ,les ,evangiles1 chap4 vi42 ,hilgenfeld1 ,novum ,testamentum extra ,canonem ,receptum1 ,fasc4 iv42 ,nicholson1 ,the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews2 and ,baring-,gould4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,according ,,to ,,the ,,hebrews4 ,epiphanius has given us the opening verses3-- ,there was a certain man1 by name ,jesus1 and he of about thirty years1 who chose us out4 ,and when he had come to ,capernaum1 he entered into the house of ,simon1 who was surnamed ,peter1 and opened his mouth and said1 ,passing by the ,lake of ,tiberias1 ,i chose out ,john and ,james1 sons of ,zebedee1 and ,simon and ,andrew1 444 and ,thaddus1 and ,simon the ,zealot1 and ,judas the ,iscariot2 ,and thee1 ,matthew1 sitting at the receipt of custom1 ,i called1 and thou didst follow me4 ,i will therefore that ye be twelve apostles for a testimony to ,israel4 ,a fragment shows that the flight into ,egypt was in the gospel4 444 then he arose and took the young child and departed into ,egypt1 ,that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the prophet1 ,out of ,egypt have ,i called my son4 ,now1 supposing that there were no class interests in the way1 it would be difficult to read the opening verses of this gospel without seeing what ,justin meant by the ,memoirs of the ,apostles4 ,in it the ,apostles expressly announce that ,jesus has chosen them out to produce a testimony1 testament1 memorial2 and ,matthew1 apparently1 is to be the amanuensis4 ,this testimony was the entire ,new ,testament1 with the earliest ,church1 the ,church of ,jerusalem4 ,it was called indiscriminately1 as we have seen from ,jerome1 the ,gospel according to the ,apostles1 and the ,gospel according to ,matthew4 ,papias and ,hegesippus1 the immediate predecessors of ,justin1 used it1 and ,irenus some years later4 ,let us go on with the ,gospel of the ,apostles4 ,and ,john began baptizing4 ,and there came out unto him ,pharisees who were baptized1 and all ,jerusalem4 ,and ,john had a raiment of camel's hair and a leathern girdle about his loins1 and his food was wild honey1 whereof the taste was that of manna4 ,and behold the mother of the ,lord and his brethren said to him1 ,john the ,baptist baptizeth for remission of sins4 ,let us go and be baptized by him4 ,but he said to them1 ,wherein have ,i sinned that ,i should go and be baptized by him8 except1 perchance1 this very thing that ,i have said is ignorance4 ,and when the people had been baptized1 ,jesus also came and was baptized by ,john4 ,and as he went up1 the heavens were opened1 and he saw the ,holy ,spirit1 in shape of a dove1 descending and entering into him4 ,and a voice from heaven said1 ,thou art my beloved ,son4 ,i have this day begotten thee4 ,and straightway a great light shone around the place4 ,and ,john fell down before him1 and said1 ,i pray thee1 ,lord1 baptize thou me4 ,but he prevented him1 saying1 ,let be2 for thus it is becoming that all things be fulfilled4 ,and it came to pass when the ,lord had come up from the water1 the entire fountain of the ,holy ,spirit descended and rested upon him1 and said to him1 ,my ,son1 in all the prophets did ,i wait thee1 that thou mightest come and ,i might rest in thee2 ,for thou art my rest4 ,thou art my first-born ,son for ever and for ever4 ,and the ,lord said1 ,if thy brother hath sinned in word1 and hath made thee amends seven times in a day1 receive him4 ,simon1 his disciple1 said to him1 ,seven times in a day8 ,the ,lord answered and said unto him1 ,i tell thee also unto seventy times seven1 for in the prophets likewise after they were anointed by the ,holy ,spirit utterance of sin was found4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and there was a man whose right hand was withered1 and he said1 ,i was a mason1 seeking sustenance by my hands4 ,i beseech thee1 ,jesus1 that thou restore me to health that ,i may not shamefully beg for food4 ,and ,jesus healed him4 ,and it was told to him1 ,behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without4 ,and he answered1 ,who is my mother and brethren8 ,and he stretched out his hand over the disciples1 and said1 ,these are my brethren and mother that do the wishes of my ,father4 ,and behold there came to him two rich men4 ,and one said1 ,good master4 ,but he said1 ,call me not good1 for he that is good is one1 the ,father in the heavens4 ,the other of the rich men said to him1 ,master1 what good thing shall ,i do and live8 ,he said unto him1 ,man1 perform the law and the prophets4 ,he answered him1 ,i have performed them4 ,he said unto him1 ,go1 sell all that thou hast and divide it with the poor1 and come1 follow me4 ,but the rich man began to scratch his head1 and it pleased him not4 ,and the ,lord said unto him1 ,how sayest thou1 ,i have performed the law and the prophets8 seeing that it is written in the law ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself4 ,and behold many of thy brethren1 sons of ,abraham1 are clad with dung1 dying for hunger1 and thy house is full of much goods1 and there goeth from it nought unto them4 ,and he turned and said to ,simon1 his disciple1 sitting by him1 ,simon1 son of ,john1 it is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than a rich man into the kingdom of the heavens4 ,,the ,,sayings ,,of ,,our ,,lord4 7,justin ,martyr47 ,love your enemies4 ,be kind and merciful as your heavenly ,father is4 ,to him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other1 and him that taketh away thy cloak or thy coat forbid not4 ,and whosoever shall be angry shall be in danger of the fire4 ,and every one that compelleth thee to go with him a mile follow him two4 ,and let your good works shine before men1 that they1 seeing them1 may glorify your ,father which is in heaven4 ,give to him that asketh1 and from him that would borrow1 turn not away4 ,for if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive1 what new thing do ye8 ,even the publicans do this4 ,lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth1 where moth and rust corrupt1 and where thieves break through1 but lay up for yourself treasure in heaven1 where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt4 ,for what is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul8 ,and what shall a man give in exchange for it8 ,lay up1 therefore1 treasure in heaven1 where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt4 ,thou shalt love the ,lord thy ,god with all thy heart1 and with all thy strength1 and thy neighbour as thyself4 ,swear not at all1 but let your yea be yea1 and your nay1 nay2 for whatsoever is more than this cometh of evil4 ,if ye love them that love you1 what new thing do ye8 ,for even fornicators do this4 ,but ,i say unto you1 pray for your enemies1 and love them that hate you1 and bless them that curse you1 and pray for them that despitefully use you4 ,there are some who have been made eunuchs of men and some who were born eunuchs1 and some who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake2 but all cannot receive this saying4 ,if thy right eye offend thee1 cut it out2 for it is better for thee to enter the kingdom of heaven with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into everlasting fire4 ,whoso looketh on a woman to lust after her committeth adultery with her already in his heart before ,god4 ,whoso shall marry that is divorced from another husband committeth adultery4 ,i am not come to call the righteous1 but sinners to repentance4 ,fear not them that kill you and after that can do no more1 but fear him who after death is able to cast both soul and body into hell4 ,except ye be born again1 verily ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven4 ,the children of this world marry and are given in marriage1 but the children of the world to come neither marry nor are given in marriage1 but shall be like the angels in heaven4 ,many false ,christs and false apostles shall arise and shall deceive many of the faithful4 ,beware of false prophets1 who shall come to you clothed outwardly in sheep's clothing1 but inwardly they are ravening wolves4 ,and he overthrew the money-changers1 and exclaimed1 ,woe unto ye scribes and ,pharisees1 hypocrites1 because ye pay tithe of mint and rue but do not observe the love of ,god and justice4 ,ye whited sepulchres1 appearing beautiful outwardly1 but are within full of dead men's bones4 ,woe unto ye scribes1 for ye have the keys1 and ye do not enter in yourselves1 and them that are entering in ye hinder4 ,ye blind guides1 ye are become twofold more the children of hell4 ,the law and the prophets were until ,john the ,baptist4 ,from that time the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence1 and the violent take it by force4 ,and if you can receive it1 he is ,elijah who was to come4 ,he that hath ears to hear let him hear4 ,elijah must come and restore all things4 ,but ,i say unto you1 ,elijah is already come1 and they knew him not1 but have done to him whatever they chose4 ,then the disciples understood that he spake to them about ,john the ,baptist4 ,the ,son of ,man must suffer many things1 and be rejected by the ,pharisees and scribes1 and be crucified1 and the third day rise again4 ,not every one who saith to me1 ,lord1 ,lord1 shall enter into the kingdom of heaven1 but he that doeth the will of my ,father which is in heaven4 ,for whosoever heareth me and doeth my sayings1 heareth him that sent me4 ,and many will say unto me1 ,lord4 ,lord1 have we not eaten and drunk in thy name and done wonders8 ,and then will ,i say unto them1 ,depart from me1 ye workers of iniquity4 ,then shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth1 when the righteous shall shine like the sun1 and the wicked are sent into everlasting fire4 ,for many shall come in my name clothed outwardly in sheep's clothing1 but inwardly being ravening wolves4 ,by their works ye shall know them4 ,every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire4 ,i give you power to tread on serpents and on scorpions and on scolopendras1 and on all the might of the enemy4 ,they shall come from the ,east and shall sit down with ,abraham and ,isaac and ,jacob in the kingdom of heaven4 ,but the children of the kingdom shall be cast into outer darkness4 ,there is none good but ,god only1 who made all things4 ,no man knoweth the ,father but the ,son1 nor the ,son but the ,father1 and they to whom the ,son revealeth him4 ,an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign1 and no sign shall be given it save the sign of ,jonah4 ,render to ,csar the things that are ,csar's1 and unto ,god the things that are ,god's4 ,in whatsoever things ,i shall apprehend you1 in those also will ,i judge you4 ,,sayings ,,from ,,the ,,gospel ,,according ,,to ,,the ,,hebrews4 ,i have come to abolish sacrifices2 and if ye do not cease to sacrifice1 the wrath of ,god against you will not cease4 ,be ye approved money-changers4 ,no servant can serve two masters4 ,if we wish to serve both ,god and ,mammon it is unprofitable to us4 ,i am not come to take away from the law of ,moses1 nor add to the law of ,moses am ,i come4 ,it is blessed to give rather than to receive4 ,keep the mysteries for me and for the sons of my house4 ,i am not come to call the just1 but sinners4 ,there is not thank to you if ye love them that love you2 but there is thank to you if ye love your enemies and them that hate you4 ,for there shall be false ,christs1 false prophets1 false apostles1 heresies1 lovings of rule4 ,not every one that saith to me1 ,lord1 ,lord1 shall be saved1 but he that doeth righteousness4 ,if ye have been gathered with me into my bosom1 and do not my commandments1 ,i will cast you away and will say unto you1 ,depart from me1 ,i know not whence ye are1 workers of iniquity4 ,and the ,lord said1 ,ye shall be as lambkins in the midst of wolves4 ,and ,peter answered and said1 ,if then the wolves rend the lambkins asunder8 ,jesus said to ,peter1 ,let not the lambkins after they are dead fear the wolves4 ,and do ye not fear them that kill you and can do nought unto you4 ,but fear him who1 after you are dead1 hath authority over soul and body to cast into the ,gehenna of fire4 ,just now my mother1 the ,holy ,spirit1 took me by one of my hairs and bore me up to the great mountain of ,tabor4 ,he that hath marvelled shall reign1 and he that hath reigned shall rest4 ,i am he concerning whom ,moses prophesied1 saying1 ,a prophet will the ,lord our ,god raise unto you from your brethren even as me4 ,him hear ye in all things1 for whosoever heareth not that prophet shall die4 ,here is the account of the woman taken in adultery afterwards borrowed by ,john3-- ,and they went each to his own house1 and ,jesus went to the ,mount of ,olives4 ,and at dawn he came again into the temple1 and all the people came to him2 and having sat down1 he taught them4 ,and the scribes and the ,pharisees brought up a woman taken up for adultery4 ,and having placed her in the midst1 they said to him1 ,teacher1 this woman hath been taken up in adultery1 in the very act2 ,and in the law ,moses commanded us to stone such4 ,what therefore dost thou say8 ,and this they said1 trying him1 that they might have whereby to accuse him4 ,but ,jesus having bent down1 kept writing with his finger upon the ground4 ,but as they continued asking him1 he unbent and said to them1 ,let the sinless one of you first cast against her the stone4 ,and having bent down again he kept writing on the ground4 ,but they having heard1 went out one by one1 beginning from the elder ones1 and ,jesus was left alone with the woman4 ,and ,jesus having unbent1 said to her1 ,mistress1 where are they8 ,hath none condemned thee8 ,and she said1 ,none1 sir4 ,and ,jesus said1 ,neither will ,i condemn thee1 go and from this time sin no more4 ,the evidence accumulates4 ,justin gives the voice from the sky exactly as it is given in the ,gospel of the ,apostles4 ,thou art my son4 ,this day have ,i begotten thee4 ,he then proceeds to argue against an heretical theory that these words meant that ,jesus was the ,son of ,god on receipt of the ,holy ,spirit at baptism1 and not before4 ,but that is plainly the meaning of the passage1 for the ,ebionites assert1 says ,hippolytus1 that our ,lord was a man in like sense with all4 7,l4 vii4 #b74 ,this is so patent that our first gospel has changed the words to in thee ,i am well pleased4 ,had ,justin known the false ,matthew's false version1 he would have quoted it eagerly instead of taking the trouble to refute the heretics4 ,i come to a second piece of evidence4 ,in the lives of ,krishna1 ,rma1 ,buddha1 etc41 many incidents are plainly inserted as authority for rites4 ,thus ,buddha has his hair cut off by the god ,indra1 and receives the ,abhisheka 7baptism7 at the hands of the heavenly host2 and true ,buddhists are expected to imitate him in this4 ,the baptism of the early church was called 7,illumination71 ,justin tells us2 and in the ,coptic ,church1 as in ,buddhism1 the lighting of a taper is still a part of the ceremony4 ,now ,justin informs us that a light was kindled on the ,jordan on the occasion of ,christ's baptism4 ,it is plain again here that he is quoting from the ,gospel according to the ,apostles1 and not from our gospels1 who have cut out this light altogether4 ,here is another strong piece of evidence4 ,the ,gospel according to the ,apostles had a passage about false ,christs1 false prophets1 false apostles4 ,justin also has a passage about false ,christs1 false apostles ,this is most important1 as it refers to ,st4 ,paul4 ,renan shows that in the original ,gospel according to the ,hebrews1 there must have been more than one attack on this false apostle4 ,he is the enemy who sowed tares amongst the gospel wheat4 ,the enemy was his nickname with the ,church of ,jerusalem4 ,pseudo ,matthew softens this to the devil1 and cuts out the false apostle altogether4 ,it is plain that ,justin is not quoting from him4 ,renan refers to another attack on ,st4 ,paul from the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews4 ,people have prophesied and cast out devils in the name of ,jesus4 ,jesus openly repudiates them1 because they have practised illegality47,les ,evangiles1 chap4 vi47 ,stronger still is this4 ,justin records that when the question was put to ,christ1 ,show us a sign6 he answered1 ,an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign1 and no sign shall be given them1 save the sign of ,jonah4 ,justin goes on to say that ,jesus spoke this obscurely 7,trypho1 ch4 vii471 and he explains the meaning of the sign4 ,had he possessed our ,matthew1 he could not possibly have done this1 for in the #djth verse of the twelfth chapter1 ,jesus1 instead of speaking obscurely1 explains that ,jonah's three days' sojourn in the whale's belly typifies his own three days' sojourn in the tomb4 ,in many other points ,justin's ,memoirs of the ,apostles differ from our gospels4 ,for an ass's foal was standing at a certain entrance to a village1 tied to a vine4 ,our gospels know nothing about the vine incident when they narrate the story of ,christ's entry to ,jerusalem4 ,justin says that ,jesus wrought amongst yokes and ploughs4 ,of this our gospels know nothing4 ,he says1 too1 that ,jesus was born in a cave4 7,trypho1 ch4 lxxviii47 ,the ,first ,gospel of the ,infancy confirms him here4 ,the ,magi from ,arabia came to ,bethlehem and worshipped the child4 7,h4 ,trypho1 ch4 lxxviii47 ,here again ,justin is plainly using some other gospel4 ,our gospels know nothing of the ,magi coming from ,arabia4 ,there is one passage used in the conventional defence to show that ,justin knew the fourth gospel also1 but ,dr4 ,abbott1 in the ,encyclopdia ,britannica1 holds that this is impossible4 ,except ye be born again1 verily ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven4 ,it is so obvious that baptism is a new birth1 that the ,brahmins have been the twice born from time immemorial4 ,the ,buddhist ,abhisheka too is called the whole birth4 ,baptism must have been compared to a birth in the young ,christian ,church from an early date4 ,and if ,justin had known ,christ's explanations about the birth from water and the ,spirit1 he could have scarcely wandered on like this4 ,now1 that it is impossible for those who have once been born to re-enter the wombs of those that bear them1 is evident to all4 ,but there is a more overwhelming argument4 ,justin was a ,platonic philosopher converted to ,christianity1 as he thought4 ,but in the view of the sober ,dr4 ,lamson1 he brought with him into the fold ,philo's doctrine of the ,logos4 ,it does not appear in ,christianity until his date4 ,this ,logos1 according to ,justin and to ,philo1 was a distinct being1 a second ,god4 ,and in ,justin's dialogue with ,trypho1 he tries to prove all this1 enlisting three times into his argument the passage1 ,no man knoweth the ,father but the ,son4 7,varied in ,matt4 xi4 #bg74 ,is it conceivable that if he had had at his command the opening verses of the fourth gospel1 and believed them to be by an apostle of ,christ1 he would have spared ,trypho the infliction of them8 ,the poor ,jew would have heard of nothing else4 ,but a new witness has surged up1 coming1 as it were1 from the tomb4 ,i allude to the fragment of the ,gospel of ,peter4 ,justin writes3-- ,for also1 as said the prophet1 mocking him1 they placed him on a tribunal1 and said1 ,give judgment to us4 ,our gospels know nothing of the incident of the tribunal1 nor of the mocking speech recorded by ,justin4 ,let him who raised the dead save himself4 ,now1 the newly-discovered ,gospel of ,peter says that they did place ,christ on the judgment-seat in mockery4 ,it affirms also at the end that it was inspired by the twelve disciples1 just like the ,gospel of the ,hebrews4 ,in point of fact1 the traditional argument of the advocates of the miraculous origin of our four gospels goes practically on the hypothesis that only these four gospels were in existence in ,justin's time4 ,but ,dr4 ,giles shows that ,christendom at this period was flooded with spurious gospels1 spurious revelations1 spurious epistles4 ,he cites from ,lucian an account of a contemporary of ,justin1 one ,peregrinus1 who murdered his father4 ,consigning himself to exile1 he took to flight1 and wandered about from one country to another4 ,at this time it was that he learnt the wonderful philosophy of the ,christians1 having kept company with their priests and scribes in ,palestine4 ,and what was the end of it8 ,in a short time he showed them to be mere children1 for he became a prophet1 a leader of their processions1 the marshaller of their meetings1 and everything in himself alone4 ,and of their books1 he explained and cleared up some1 and wrote many himself2 and they deemed him a god1 made use of him as a legislator1 and enrolled him as their patron4 7,hebrew and ,christian ,records1 p4 #hb47 ,irenus bears the same testimony4 ,but in addition to these things1 they introduce an unspeakable number of apocryphal and spurious writings1 which themselves have forged1 to the consternation of those that are foolish1 and who do not know the writings of the truth4 7,hr4 i4 #ai47 ,but worse than the composition of imaginary gospels is the falsification of canonical scriptures4 ,it is obvious1 says ,origen1 that the difference between the copies is considerable1 partly from conclusions of individual scribes1 partly from the impious audacity of some in correcting what is written1 partly1 also1 from those who add or remove what seems good to them in the work of correction4 7,origen in ,matt4 xv4 #ad47 ,it might be imagined that a gospel that gives to us the only authentic record of ,christ's words1 written down at an early date under the sanction of ,james1 ,christ's immediate successor as the head of his ,church and of the other ,apostles1 would be cherished in ,christendom as the holiest of treasures4 ,instead of that1 it was garbled1 truncated1 vilified1 pronounced heretical by a ,pope1 and finally suppressed4 ,why was this8 ,this question is the crux of historical ,christianity4 ,at present we must content ourselves with a brief analysis of the gospel1 and say a few words first about the ,ebionites4 ,the word ,ebionite signifies poor1 and seems to be the ,greek rendering of bhikshu or beggar1 the word by which ,buddha described his followers4 ,the ,ebionites were the earliest ,christians4 ,they composed the ,church of ,jerusalem4 ,it fled to ,pella1 on the ,jordan1 just before the destruction of the ,holy ,city4 ,bishop ,lightfoot calls them the ,essene-,ebionites1 because they were plainly in all their rites simple ,essenes4 ,the early fathers gave them five distinctive characteristics3-- #a4 ,they held ,jesus to be a man in like sense with all1 as we have seen from ,hippolytus4 #b4 ,they rejected the writings of ,paul1 and indeed all other ,new ,testament scriptures1 except the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews4 #c4 ,they refused to eat meat1 like the ,essenes4 #d4 ,like the ,essenes also they rejected wine1 even in the ,sacramentum4 ,therefore do these men reject the co-mixture of the heavenly wine1 and wish it to be the water of the world only1 not receiving ,god so as to have union with him1 says ,irenus 7,hr4 v4 #c7 speaking of them4 #e4 ,like the ,essenes they also insisted on the rite of circumcision4 ,here is another passage from ,irenus1 ,they use the ,gospel according to ,matthew only1 and repudiate the ,apostle ,paul1 maintaining that he was an apostate from the law4 ,as to the prophetical writings1 they endeavour to expound them in a somewhat singular manner4 ,they practice circumcision1 persevere in the observance of those customs which are enjoined by the law1 and are so ,judaic in their style of life that they even adore ,jerusalem as if it were the ,house of ,god4 7,hr4 iii4 #a47 ,irenus says also that their opinions were similar to those of ,cerinthus1 who held that ,jesus was the son of ,joseph and ,mary1 and that at his baptism the ,holy ,spirit came to him4 ,these are the main peculiarities of the ,ebionites1 and they seem on the surface to show that if ,christ was an ,essene1 and ,james was an ,essene1 and their ,church after #aej years were still orthodox ,essenes1 the heresy should be sought elsewhere4 ,but at present we will consider the ,gospel according to the ,apostles4 ,epiphanius writes thus3-- ,and they have the ,gospel according to ,matthew very full in ,hebrew4 ,for assuredly this is still kept amongst them as it was at outset written in ,hebrew letters4 ,but ,i do not know whether at the same time they have taken away the genealogies from ,abraham to ,christ4 7,hr4 xxix4 #i47 ,this lets in a flood of light4 ,the main heresy of the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews is that it contains no genealogies4 ,but the same must be said of ,mark and ,john4 ,and there is a version of ,luke that was used by the ,marcionites that was also without the genealogies4 ,and critics affect to show that our ,luke was plainly once without them also3-- ,and the ,holy ,ghost descended in a bodily shape1 like a dove1 upon him2 and a voice came from heaven1 which said1 ,thou art my beloved ,son2 in thee ,i am well pleased4 ,and ,jesus being full of the ,holy ,ghost1 returned from ,jordan1 and was led by the ,spirit into the wilderness4 ,this is a consecutive sentence1 and yet the genealogies have been clumsily pitchforked into the middle of it4 7,luke iii4 #bc47 ,and with regard to ,matthew1 it can1 at least1 be proved that ,justin ,martyr knew nothing of his genealogies4 ,he was the ,son of ,man1 either because of his birth by the ,virgin1 who was1 as ,i said1 of the family of ,david1 and ,jacob1 and ,isaac1 and ,abraham4 ,plainly ,justin thought that it was the ,virgin and not ,joseph that had descended from ,abraham4 ,but the suppressing of genealogies that were not invented until one hundred years after the ,apostles were slumbering in forgotten tombs1 was only a detail of their heresy4 ,their gospel makes out ,christ to be not the ,logos masquerading in a human form1 but a man and a prophet4 ,a prophet will the ,lord our ,god raise up unto you from your brethren1 he says4 ,and prophets can sin1 and he can sin1 for he was plainly without the ,holy ,ghost until his baptism4 ,it comes down1 in the ,hebrew gospel1 not upon1 but into him4 ,and he is the ,son of ,god from that moment1 not before4 ,call me not good1 for he that is good is one the ,father in the heavens6 ,pseudo-,matthew weakens this considerably1 ,there is none good but one1 that is ,god4 ,he that is good is one4 ,that was the motto of the ,essenes of ,jerusalem4 ,tertullian tells us that certain unlearned ,christians in his day protested against the ,trinity4 ,they declare that we proclaim two or three gods1 but they1 they affirm1 worship only one4 7,adv4 ,prax4 c4 #c47 ,the unlearned were the ,church of ,jerusalem that still clung to the text1 ,he that is good is ,one4 ,we come to other heresies4 ,the early gospel knew nothing of ,matthew's interpolation about ,john the ,baptist eating locusts1 because ,john the ,baptist1 as an ,essene1 could do nothing of the sort4 ,and ,jerome tells us that the wicked ,ebionites garbled the passage1 ,luke xxii4 #ae1 to make it appear that ,jesus actually refused to eat flesh at the ,passover supper4 ,this is all that can be restored of this in the ,ebionite gospel3-- 444 ,where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the ,passover8 ,to this1 ,jesus answers3-- ,have ,i desired with desire to eat this flesh1 the ,passover1 with you8 ,it is very plain here that ,luke is the garbler4 ,still more instructive is the question of wine at the ,lord's ,supper4 ,of course1 the genuine gospel being written by water drinkers1 had no passage about the fruit of the vine4 ,but ,luke1 fortunately1 has two accounts of the celebration in chap4 xxii4 ,and he took the cup and gave thanks1 and said1 ,take this and divide it amongst yourselves4 ,for ,i say unto you ,i will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of ,god has come4 ,and he took bread and gave thanks1 and brake it1 and gave it to them1 saying1 ,this is my body which is given for you4 ,this do in remembrance of me4 ,likewise the cup after supper1 saying1 ,this cup is the new testament in my blood1 which is shed for you4 ,now it is perfectly plain that verses #ag and #ah have been clumsily added4 ,they are not in ,marcion's version4 ,mark and ,matthew have been more clever4 ,they have garbled the passage better4 ,verses #ai and #bj fairly represent1 ,i think1 the real ,gospel of the ,hebrews4 ,justin says that in the ,memoirs of the ,apostles1 were these words3-- ,this do ye in remembrance of me4 ,this is my body6 ,in the scene of the ,lord's ,supper1 ,james was apparently the most prominent character4 ,his removal from the list of the twelve apostles in the canonical gospels is significant4 ,and when the ,lord had given his shroud to the servant of the priest1 he went to ,james and appeared to him4 ,for ,james had sworn that he would not eat bread from the hour wherein he had drunk the cup of the ,lord until he saw him rising again from the dead4 ,and the ,lord said1 ,bring a table and bread4 ,and he took the bread1 and blessed and broke1 and afterwards gave it to ,james the ,just1 and said1 ,my brother1 eat thy bread1 for the ,son of ,man is risen from them that sleep4 ,now1 the suppression of all this in the orthodox gospels is1 as ,renan shows1 of immense importance4 7,les ,evangiles1 ch4 vi47 ,then was he seen by ,james1 says ,st4 ,paul 7#a4 ,cor4 xv4 #g71 then by all the ,apostles4 ,this shows that the incident was known to the very earliest ,church4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,the ,essene ,jesus4 ,we now come to an important question1 ,did ,christianity emerge from ,essenism8 ,historical questions are sometimes made more clear by being treated broadly4 ,let us first deal with this from the impersonal side1 leaving out altogether the alleged words and deeds of ,christ1 ,paul1 etc4 ,fifty years before ,christ's birth there was a sect dwelling in the stony waste where ,john prepared a people for the ,lord4 ,fifty years after ,christ's death there was a sect in the same part of ,palestine4 ,the sect that existed fifty years before ,christ was called ,essenes1 ,therapeuts1 ,gnostics1 ,nazarites4 ,the sect that existed fifty years after ,christ's death was called ,essenes or ,jesseans1 according to ,epiphanius1 ,therapeuts1 ,gnostics1 ,nazarites1 and not ,christians until afterwards4 ,each had two prominent rites3 baptism and what ,tertullian calls the oblation of bread4 ,each had for officers1 deacons1 presbyters1 ephemereuts4 ,each sect had monks1 nuns1 celibacy1 community of goods4 ,each interpreted the ,old ,testament in a mystical way1 so mystical1 in fact1 that it enabled each to discover that the bloody sacrifice of ,mosaism was forbidden1 not enjoined4 ,the most minute likenesses have been pointed out between these two sects by all ,catholic writers from ,eusebius and ,origen to the poet ,racine1 who translated ,philo's ,contemplative ,life for the benefit of pious court ladies4 ,was there any connection between these two sects8 ,it is difficult to conceive that there can be two answers to such a question4 ,and if it can be proved1 as ,bishop ,lightfoot affirms1 that ,christ was an anti-,essene1 who announced that ,his mission was to preserve intact every jot and tittle of ,mosaism as interpreted by the recognised interpreters1 this would simply show that he had nothing to do with the movement to which his name has been given4 ,there are two ,christs in the gospels4 ,let us consider the ,essene ,christ first4 ,the first prominent fact of ,his life is ,his baptism by ,john4 ,if ,john was an ,essene1 the full meaning of this may be learnt from ,josephus3-- ,to one that aims at entering their sect1 admission is not immediate2 but he remains a whole year outside it1 and is subjected to their rule of life1 being invested with an axe1 the girdle aforesaid1 and a white garment4 ,provided that over this space of time he has given proof of his perseverance1 he approaches nearer to this course of life1 and partakes of the holier waters of cleansing2 but he is not admitted to their community of life4 ,following the proof of his strength of control1 his moral conduct is tested for two years more2 and when he has made clear his worthiness1 he is then adjudged to be of their number4 ,but before he touches the common meal1 he pledges to them in oaths to make one shudder1 first that he will reverence the ,divine ,being1 and1 secondly1 that he will abide injustice unto men1 and will injure no one1 either of his own accord or by command1 but will always detest the iniquitous1 and strive on the side of the righteous2 that he will ever show fidelity to all1 and most of all to those who are in power1 for to no one comes rule without ,god2 and that1 if he become a ruler himself1 he will never carry insolence into his authority1 or outshine those placed under him by dress or any superior adornment2 that he will always love truth1 and press forward to convict those that tell lies2 that he will keep his hands from peculation1 and his soul pure from unholy gain2 that he will neither conceal anything from the brethren of his order1 nor babble to others any of their secrets1 even though in the presence of force1 and at the hazard of his life4 ,in addition to all this1 they take oath not to communicate the doctrines to any one in any other way than as imparted to themselves2 to abstain from robbery1 and to keep close1 with equal care1 the books of their sect and the names of the angels4 ,such are the oaths by which they receive those that join them4 7,josephus1 ,de ,b4 ,j41 ii4 #h1 #b1 #ac47 ,as a pendant to this1 ,i will give the early ,christian initiation from the ,clementine ,homilies4 ,if any one having been tested is found worthy1 then they hand over to him according to the initiation of ,moses1 by which he delivered his books to the ,seventy who succeeded to his chair4 ,these books are only to be delivered to one who is good and religious1 and who wishes to teach1 and who is circumcised and faithful4 ,wherefore let him be proved not less than six years1 and then1 according to the initiation of ,moses1 he 7the initiator7 should bring him to a river or fountain1 which is living water1 where the regeneration of the righteous takes place4 ,the novice then calls to witness heaven1 earth1 water1 and air1 that he will keep secret the teachings of these holy books1 and guard them from falling into profane hands1 under the penalty of becoming accursed1 living and dying1 and being punished with everlasting punishment4 ,after this let him partake of bread and salt with him who commits them to him4 ,now if1 as is believed by ,dr4 ,lightfoot1 the chief object of ,christ's mission was to establish for ever the ,mosaism of the bloody altar1 and combat the main teaching of the 1 or mystic1 which postulates the false principle of the malignity of matter1 why did ,he go to an to be baptised8 ,whether or not ,christ belonged to mystical ,israel1 there can be no discussion about the ,baptist4 ,he was a ,nazarite separated from his mother's womb1 who had induced a whole people to come out to the desert and adopt the ,essene rites and their community of goods4 ,and we see1 from a comparison of the ,essene and early ,christian initiations1 what such baptism carried with it4 ,it implied preliminary instruction and vows of implicit obedience to the instructor4 ,it is plain too that the ,essene ,christ knows at first nothing of any antagonism to his teacher4 ,the law and the prophets were until ,john4 ,since that time the kingdom of ,god is preached1 and every man presseth into it4 7,luke xvi1 #af47 ,this shows that far from believing that he had come to preserve the ,mosaism of the bloody altar1 he considered that ,john and the ,essenes had power to abrogate it4 ,listen1 too1 to the ,essene ,christ's instructions to his twelve disciples3-- ,as ye go1 preach1 saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand4 ,this is the simple ,gospel of ,john3-- ,provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses1 nor scrip for your journey1 neither two coats1 neither shoes4 ,here again we have the barefooted ,essenes without silver or gold4 ,he that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none1 said the ,baptist4 ,and into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter1 inquire who in it is worthy2 and there abide till ye go thence4 ,and when ye come into an house1 salute it4 ,and if the house be worthy1 let your peace come upon it2 but if it be not worthy1 let your peace return to you4 ,and whosoever shall not receive you1 nor hear your words1 when ye depart out of that house or city1 shake off the dust of your feet4 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,it shall be more tolerable for the land of ,sodom and ,gomorrha in the day of judgment1 than for that city4 ,behold1 ,i send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves3 be ye therefore wise as serpents1 and harmless as doves4 ,but beware of men2 for they will deliver you up to the councils1 and they will scourge you in their synagogues2 and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake1 for a testimony against them and the ,gentiles4 ,but when they deliver you up1 take no thought how or what ye shall speak2 for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak4 ,for it is not ye that speak1 but the ,spirit of your ,father which speaketh in you4 ,and the brother shall deliver up the brother to death1 and the father the child3 and the children shall rise up against their parents1 and cause them to be put to death4 ,and ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake3 but he that endureth to the end shall be saved4 ,this passage is remarkable4 ,no ,christian disciple had yet begun to preach1 and yet what do we find8 ,a vast secret organisation in every city4 ,it is composed of those who are worthy 7the word used by ,josephus for ,essene initiates72 and they are plainly bound to succour the brethren at the risk of their lives4 ,this shows that ,christ's movement was affiliated with an earlier propagandism4 ,there is another question4 ,on the hypothesis that ,christ was an orthodox ,jew1 why should he1 plainly knowing beforehand what mistakes and bloodshed it would cause1 make his disciples mimic the ,essenes in externals8 ,the ,essenes had two main rites1 baptism and the bloodless oblation4 ,christ adopted them4 ,the ,essenes had a new name or conversion4 ,thou shalt be called ,cephas1 which is1 by interpretation1 a stone4 7,john i4 #db47 ,the ,essenes had community of goods3-- ,and all that believed were together1 and had all things common4 7,acts ii4 #dd47 ,if thou wilt be perfect1 go and sell that thou hast1 and give to the poor1 and thou shalt have treasure in heaven2 and come and follow me4 7,matt4 xix4 #ba47 ,a rigid continence was exacted3-- ,all men cannot receive this saying1 save they to whom it is given4444 ,there be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake4 ,he that is able to receive it1 let him receive it4 7,matt4 xix4 #aa1 #ab47 ,and ,i looked1 and1 lo6 a ,lamb stood on ,mount ,zion1 and with him an hundred and forty-four thousand1 having his ,father's name written on their foreheads4444 ,these are they which were not defiled with women1 for they are virgins4 7,rev4 xiv4 #a1 #d47 ,divines tell us that this first passage is to have only a spiritual interpretation4 ,it forbids not marriage but excess4 ,we might listen to this if we had not historical cognizance of a sect in ,palestine at this date which enforced celibacy in its monasteries4 ,the second passage shows that the disciples understood him literally4 ,the bloody sacrifice forbidden3-- ,i will have mercy and not sacrifice4 7,matt4 ix4 #ac47 ,unless ye cease from sacrificing1 the wrath shall not cease from you4 7,cited from ,gospel of the ,hebrews by ,epiphanius1 ,hr4 xxx4 #af47 ,bishop ,lightfoot1 as ,i have mentioned1 considers that ,jesus was an orthodox ,jew1 whose mission was to perpetuate every jot and tittle of ,mosaism2 and that emancipation from the swathing-bands of the law came from the ,apostles4 7,com4 on ,galatians1 pp4 #bhf1 #bhg47 ,it might be thought that this was a quaint undertaking for the ,maker of the million million starry systems to come to this insignificant planet in bodily form to perpetuate institutions that ,titus in thirty years was to end for ever2 even if we could forget that human sacrifices1 concubinage1 polygamy1 slavery1 and border raids were amongst these institutions4 ,but if this ,christ is the historical ,christ1 it appears to me that we must eliminate the ,christ of the gospels almost entirely4 ,for capital offences against the ,mosaic law1 the recognised authorities three times sought the life of ,jesus1 twice after formal condemnation by the ,sanhedrim4 ,these offences were ,sabbath-breaking1 witchcraft1 and speaking against ,mosaic institutions4 ,according to the ,synoptics1 he never went to ,jerusalem during his ministry until just the end of it2 although the three visits for the yearly festivals were rigidly exacted4 ,in my ,buddhism in ,christendom ,i give reasons for supposing that the multitudes whose sudden appearance in stony wastes have bewildered critics1 were in reality the gatherings for the ,therapeut festivals described by ,philo4 ,bishop ,lightfoot makes much of the fact that ,john's gospel makes ,christ go up once for the feast of tabernacles4 ,but did he go as an orthodox worshipper1 to present his offerings for the bloody sacrifice8 ,on the contrary1 on this very occasion he was accused of ,sabbath-breaking and demoniac possession2 and the rulers of the people sent officers to arrest him4 ,leaving ,mr4 ,gladstone and ,professor ,huxley to discuss whether ,christ's acts in the temple among the money changers were illegal1 ,i must point out that ,his dispersing the sellers of doves goes quite against the theory that ,he desired to perpetuate ,mosaic institutions1 for the sale of these doves was a necessity for the temple sacrifices4 ,much has been made in modern pulpits of a vague word1 fulfilling4 ,christ1 it is said1 did not overthrow the old law1 he fulfilled it4 ,this is nonsense4 ,mosaism was an eternal covenant4 ,it was a perpetual statute1 offerings of the food of the ,deity on the altar of burnt sacrifice4 ,it was concubinage1 slavery1 polygamy1 the lex talionis made eternal institutions4 ,to say that a teacher who preaches forgiveness in place of revenge1 continence for concubinage1 slaving for1 instead of slaving others1 immortality of the soul for the religion of to-day1 is fulfilling merely an abuse of words4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,the ,anti-,essene ,jesus4 ,i have said that in the ,new ,testament there is an ,essene and an anti-,essene ,christ4 ,both are most conspicuous in the ,gospel of ,st4 ,luke4 ,catholic and ,protestant disputants are aware of this4 ,until the days of ,ferdinand ,christian ,baur1 ,st4 ,luke had an immaculate reputation4 ,he was believed to be the companion of ,st4 ,paul on his voyages4 ,he was believed to have written the third gospel almost as early as the date of ,paul's imprisonment4 ,he was the reputed author of the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,luke1 the beloved physician1 and ,demas1 greet you4 7,col4 iv4 #ad47 ,in the ,second ,epistle to ,timothy1 and in the ,epistle to ,philemon1 he is also mentioned4 ,but now all is changed4 ,in the first place1 two out of the three epistles that name him are pronounced to be forgeries by all competent critics2 and very few hold even the ,epistle to the ,colossians to be by the pen of ,st4 ,paul4 ,then it is pointed out that there is no mention of ,st4 ,luke's gospel or of the ,acts of the ,apostles until the date of ,irenus 7,a4,d4 #ahj47 ,let us give the opening verses of the gospel as amended by that eminent ,greek scholar1 ,dr4 ,giles3-- ,forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a narrative of those things which have been brought to fulfilment in us1 even as they which from the beginning were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word have handed down to us1 it hath seemed good to me also1 following all accurately from the beginning1 to write unto thee1 in order1 most excellent ,theophilus1 that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed4 ,now1 here it is plain1 as ,dr4 ,giles remarks1 that the author does not profess to have been an original writer1 or to have had perfect understanding of all things from the very first1 which is the erroneous rendering of our authorised version1 but that he follows the accounts of others1 who were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word4 7,giles1 ,apostolical ,records1 p4 #cd47 ,next comes the pertinent question1 ,who was the most excellent ,theophilus8 ,the word used is ,kratistos1 which is thought by ,gibbon to designate a man holding a civil or official dignity4 ,if this be so1 we might find it difficult to suppose that such a title would have been given to a ,christian1 even if there were any one of exalted station1 within a few years after the first promulgation of ,christianity4 7,apostolical ,records1 p4 #ac47 ,but at ,antioch1 about the year #aga1 there was a ,theophilus1 the sixth bishop4 ,he might have been called ,kratistos without anything inappropriate4 ,he was a convert late in life1 which may explain the passage about those things in which thou has been instructed4 ,eusebius tells us that this ,theophilus wrote a treatise against ,marcion4 ,but in the view of modern critics1 the forged epistles of ,paul to ,timothy were also levelled against ,marcion4 ,this has its significance4 ,for the followers of ,marcion have always maintained that ,luke's gospel is ,marcion's gospel enlarged and falsified4 ,one of these1 ,megethius1 declared it was full of errors and contradictions4 ,this controversy has been revived in modern times4 ,but before we deal with this important gospel1 we must say a word about what the ,germans call ,luke's tendency1--his scheme of colour1 to use an artistic expression4 ,baur1 comparing the ,acts with other scriptures1 was struck with the many discrepancies and absolute false statements that it contained4 ,he perceived also that these false statements were not accidental but systematic4 ,soon their motive dawned upon him4 ,it was plain that this ,luke1 writing long after the animosities of ,paul against the historical ,apostles had ceased1 desired to tone down and conceal these animosities4 ,hence the book of the ,acts of the ,apostles could not be the work of a contemporary4 ,and a strong motive for this has been suggested by erudite ,germans4 ,the early enemy of ,christianity was the ,jew4 ,the ,roman official at first treated the animosities of the dominant party as part of the incomprehensible ,jewish superstition1 and sided1 when practicable1 with the weaker section4 ,but when ,christianity began to gain ground1 the ,roman began to examine it more closely1 and soon found much to condemn4 ,for the ,essenes proclaimed that the ,state gods of the ,romans were wicked demons4 ,the ,essenes forbade the use of wine and flesh meat1 important elements in the ceremonial of the ,roman religion4 ,the ,essenes forbade slavery4 ,the ,essenes forbade marriage1 replacing it1 according to rumour1 with lewd rites in their secret orgies4 ,soon violent persecutions arose4 ,now it has been suggested by the ,germans that at the date of ,kratistos1 the school of ,antioch sought to conciliate the ,roman authority by showing that ,christianity was a harmless form of ,judaism1 equally entitled to ,state toleration4 ,this tendency of ,luke must be borne in mind4 ,it is very plain in the earlier chapters of the ,acts4 ,the gospels announce that at ,christ's death consternation and cowardice were amongst his followers4 ,the lambs had fled in all directions from the wolves4 ,st4 ,paul also speaks of the fierce persecutions that followed the event1--,stephen stoned1 and the havoc and the slaughter4 ,and yet in the opening chapters of the ,acts we find the wolves more gentle than the lambs4 ,they are pricked in their heart4 ,they at once allow ,peter to proclaim in the temple1 and also before the ,sanhedrim1 that there is no salvation in any name other than that of the malefactor they have just executed 7by inference not even in ,yahve72 and that all who will not hear this malefactor shall be destroyed4 ,and the ,sanhedrim1 in solemn conclave1 let him go1 finding nothing how they might punish him4 7,acts iv4 #ba47 ,and ,gamaliel1 a solemn doctor1 advises his colleagues to let the hated lambs alone1 lest haply they be found to fight against ,god4 ,had a wolf talked like that1 his brother wolves would have made short work of him4 ,the tendency here is very plain4 ,luke wants it to be understood that from the first the chief doctors saw no harm in ,christianity1 and allowed it to be preached in the temple4 ,i shall not waste time over the controversy1 whether ,luke is an enlargement of ,marcion's or some other shorter gospel4 ,as we know that the earliest and only authentic gospel came from the ,essene ,ebionites1 it is plain that all anti-,essenism is an accretion4 ,we now come to the opening chapters of ,luke's gospel4 ,let us see if it is possible at this distance of time to trace how they were built up4 ,in the ,jerusalem ,talmud1 and also in the ,babylonish1 is a somewhat fanciful account of the slaughter of a priest named ,zacharias4 who was killed in the court of the priests1 near the altar4 ,a great miracle now occurred3 his blood began to bubble1 that it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance6 ,soon ,nebuzaradan 7this fixes the date of the story to the reign of ,nebuchadnezzar7 arrived at the temple4 ,he asked the meaning of the bubbling4 ,he was told that the blood was the blood of calves1 and rams1 and lambs4 ,he caused some calves1 and rams1 and lambs to be slaughtered2 still the blood bubbled4 ,he slaughtered a number of rabbins2 still the blood bubbled4 ,ninety-four thousand priests were slaughtered before the blood of the dead ,zacharias was appeased4 7,talmud ,hierosol4 in ,taannith1 fol4 #fi1 ,lightfoot the ,hebraist47 ,we now come to the ,protevangelion1 a fanciful gospel attributed to ,james1 the ,bishop of ,bishops1 as he is called on the title page4 ,it has incorporated this story of ,zacharias and his avenging blood2 and tacked on to it an account of the birth of the ,virgin ,mary4 ,one ,joachim was much afflicted because ,anna his wife had no issue4 ,he called to mind the patriarch ,abraham1 how that ,god in the end of his life had given him his son ,isaac1 and he went into the wilderness and fasted forty days4 ,an angel appeared to ,anna and promised offspring4 ,mary the child was born1 and dedicated to ,god4 ,zacharias1 the high priest1 received her in the temple4 ,when she was twelve years old a veil was wanted1 and the high priest cast lots to find out what maiden should spin it4 ,the lot fell on ,mary1 and from this moment ,zacharias was dumb4 ,meantime1 ,mary was espoused to ,joseph1 who1 shortly afterwards finding his betrothed with child1 was sorrowful4 ,both were summoned before the deputy of ,zacharias1 who caused them to go through the prescribed ordeal of drinking the water of the ,lord4 ,christ was born4 ,the wise men came4 ,herod slew the infants1 and murdered ,zacharias in the temple4 ,then a mighty miracle occurred4 ,the roofs of the temple howled1 and were rent from the top to the bottom4 ,and a voice from heaven said1 ,zacharias is murdered1 and his blood shall not be wiped away until the revenger of his blood shall come4 ,let us now suppose that ,luke comes across this story1 the ,luke of the epoch of the most excellent ,theophilus1 the ,luke with the tendency to soften subversive ,essenism4 ,how would he proceed8 ,he might argue that ,john the ,baptist would make a more suitable hero4 ,he could be born of old parents like ,mary4 ,and the story would certainly gain in unity and dramatic vigour1 if ,zacharias the priest was made the old father4 ,that one author has copied from the other there can be no doubt4 ,hail1 thou art full of grace1 thou art blessed amongst women4 7,prot4 ix4 #g47 ,mary1 the ,lord ,god hath magnified thy name to all generations4 7,prot4 vii4 #d47 ,mary1 the ,holy ,ghost shall come upon thee1 and the power of the ,most ,high overshadow thee4 ,wherefore1 that which shall be born of thee shall be holy1 and shall be called the ,son of the ,living ,god4 ,and thou shalt call his name ,jesus4 7,prot4 ix4 #ac47 ,for lo1 as the voice of thy salutation reached my ears1 that which is in me leaped and blessed me4 7,prot4 ix4 #ba47 ,hail1 thou art highly favoured4 ,blessed art thou among women4 7,luke i4 #bh74 ,my soul doth magnify the ,lord4 ,henceforth all generations will call me blessed4 7,luke i4 #df1 #dh74 ,the ,holy ,ghost shall come upon thee1 and the power of the ,highest overshadow thee4 ,therefore1 also that holy thing which shall be born1 shall be called the ,son of ,god4 7,luke i4 #ce47 ,and shalt call his name ,jesus4 7,luke i4 #ca47 ,and it came to pass when ,elizabeth heard the salutation of ,mary1 the babe leaped in her womb4 7,luke ii4 #da47 ,the question now arises1 ,which author has copied from the other8 ,three theories are possible4 #a4 ,james copied the story from ,luke1 the companion of ,paul4 #b4 ,james copied the story from ,luke1 of a later date4 #c4 ,luke copied from ,james4 #a4 ,bishop ,lightfoot is angry that an evangelist should be accused of copying from an apocryphal gospel4 ,but there is the difficulty here1 that the ,zacharias of both stories is plainly the ,zacharias of the ,talmudic narrative4 ,so that1 if the bishop could prove that ,james had stolen from ,luke1 there would still be an apocryphal document behind both4 ,and if ,luke was the first to use the ,talmudic story1 how is it that he misses the point of that story1 and ,james copying him1 hits it8 ,that point is the avenging blood4 #b4 ,the details of the picture and the whole local colour point plainly to an age when past events have so faded away from the memory of living people that a writer can afford to play tricks with them4 ,the huge animosity with which dominant ,israel viewed spiritual ,israel would have made even ,torquemada feel lukewarm4 ,christ called the two the wolves and the lambs4 ,and yet a chief wolf1 on being informed that his son is to be a water-drinking ,nazarite1 a leader of the abominable schismatics who prated about the power of ,elias1 and called themselves a people prepared for the ,lord1 feels ecstasy rather than wrath4 ,imagine ,philip of ,spain learning that a son of his had helped to steer the ,english fire-ships at the great battle of ,gravelines4 ,imagine ,legree composing an original song of triumph on learning that ,uncle ,tom was a free citizen4 ,if there was a historical ,luke1 and he was the genuine companion of ,paul1 he of all men would know of the haling men and women and committing them to prison1 of the havoc and the slaughter4 ,he would have known how the priestly party in ,jerusalem would view a proposal to annul the eternal covenant of ,yahve with a better1 a more holy covenant1 and substitute remission of sins by penitence for remission of sins by the bloody sacrifice4 #c4 ,if the opening chapters of ,luke are historical1 many events in his own and the other gospels are plainly unhistorical4 ,if ,john the ,baptist was the cousin of ,christ1 brought up with him from childhood1 how is it that he failed to recognise him on the ,jordan 7,john i4 #cc7 until the ,first ,person of the ,trinity intervened1 and performed the miracle of sending down a dove to indicate him8 ,why1 too1 should he have sent1 as ,luke himself announces 7vii4 #ai71 messengers to his cousin to ask if he was the coming ,messiah1 when he must have known from his mother the announcement of the angels that his cousin was the ,son of the ,highest1 destined to reign over ,jacob for ever8 ,why1 too1 did ,mary1 knowing all this1 forget it when the boy-,christ disputed in the temple8 and why did ,luke forget it too8 7,luke ii4 #dh47 #d4 ,if ,john the ,baptist was really the son of a chief priest1 the silence of the other gospels is unaccountable4 ,certainly if ,justin ,martyr had had the opening chapters of ,luke before him1 he would have used them against ,trypho4 #e4 ,when ,i first read ,luke critically1 ,i asked myself1 ,why has he omitted the death of ,zacharias1 as he has dragged him in8 ,then ,i was struck with the words that he has put into the mouth of ,christ3-- ,from the blood of ,abel to the blood of ,zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple4 7,ch4 xi4 #ea47 ,this passage convinced me that he had the ,protevangelion before him4 ,it is to be remarked that this verse does not appear in ,marcion's version4 ,then ,i came across a whimsical passage in ,bishop ,lightfoot4 ,he shows that an early tradition identified the ,zacharias who is mentioned in the gospels as having been slain between the temple and the altar 7,matt4 xxiii4 #ce7 with this ,zacharias1 the father of the ,baptist4 7,supernatural ,religion1 p4 #bef47 ,the bishop then triumphs over the author of ,supernatural ,religion1 who had declared that ,luke makes no announcement of ,zacharias's death4 ,he appears1 says ,bishop ,lightfoot1 to have forgotten ,luke xi4 #ea4 7,op4 cit4 p4 #beg47 ,but surely the bishop has overlooked one whimsical objection to accepting this story as historical4 ,if the ,john the ,baptist was the son of ,zacharias1 the son of ,barachias1 he must have been #eca years old when he baptised ,christ4 ,bishop ,lightfoot makes much of these opening chapters1 because they show that the parents of ,jesus were orthodox ,jews1 who went up every year to the feast of the ,passover1 and offered doves at the prescribed times4 ,but what about ,herod and the flight into ,egypt8 ,if the first four chapters which ,luke is accused of adding to ,marcion's gospel be historical1 the flight into ,egypt is a fiction4 ,the ,buddhist story about ,simeon1 and the ,buddhist disputation with the doctors1 are borrowed from the ,first ,gospel of the ,infancy4 ,they are not in any other canonical gospel1 and the ,first ,gospel of the ,infancy is the great armoury of ,buddhist legends4 ,it is to be remarked that a young ,buddhist1 that he may acquire readiness in controversy1 is pestered with questions by doctors and theologians4 ,but the rabbis at ,jerusalem would scarcely have allowed a little boy to talk to them about the ,messiah4 7,first ,infancy1 xxi4 #c47 ,we now come to the two passages most relied on by those who desire to show that ,jesus condemned the asceticism of ,john4 ,let us read each with its context4 ,and when the messengers of ,john were departed1 he began to speak unto the people concerning ,john1 ,what went ye out into the wilderness for to see8 ,a reed shaken with the wind8 ,but what went ye out for to see8 ,a man clothed in soft raiment8 ,behold1 they which are gorgeously apparelled1 and live delicately1 are in kings' courts4 ,but what went ye out for to see8 ,a prophet8 ,yea1 ,i say unto you1 and much more than a prophet4 ,this is he1 of whom it is written1 ,behold1 ,i send my messenger before thy face1 which shall prepare thy way before thee4 ,for ,i say unto you1 ,among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than ,john the ,baptist1 but he that is least in the kingdom of ,god is greater than he4 ,and all the people that heard him1 and the publicans1 justified ,god1 being baptized with the baptism of ,john4 ,but the ,pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of ,god against themselves1 being not baptized of him4 ,and the ,lord said1 ,whereunto then shall ,i liken the men of this generation8 and to what are they like8 ,they are like unto children sitting in the market-place1 and calling one to another1 and saying1 ,we have piped unto you1 and ye have not danced2 we have mourned to you1 and ye have not wept4 ,for ,john the ,baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine2 and ye say1 ,he hath a devil4 ,the ,son of man is come eating and drinking2 and ye say1 ,behold a gluttonous man1 and a wine-bibber1 a friend of publicans and sinners6 ,but wisdom is justified of all her children4 7,luke vii4 #bd-ce47 ,it is a singular fact that this short passage has been made the chief armoury of the disciples of gastronomic1 and also of interior ,christianity4 ,thus ,migne's ,dictionnaire des ,asctes cites it to show that ,christ approved of the asceticism of the ,baptist4 ,does not this at starting seem to argue two teachings1 and1 as a corollary1 two distinct teachers8 ,if we omit the passages that ,i have marked in italics it is difficult to find a more eloquent eulogy of ascetic mysticism4 ,the ,buddhist mystics are called the ,sons of ,wisdom 7,dharma or ,praj71 and ,christ adopts the same terminology4 ,plainly the gist of the passage is that the children of the mystic ,sophia have no rivalry and no separate baptism4 ,the lower life of soft raiment and palaces is contrasted with ,john's ascetic life amongst the reeds that still conspicuously fringe the rushing ,jordan4 ,john is pronounced the greatest of prophets1 and his teaching the counsel of ,god4 ,then comes my first passage in italics1 the statement that the most raw catechumen of ,christ's instruction is superior to this the greatest of ,god's prophets4 ,it completely disconnects what follows from what precedes1 and involves the silliest inconsequence1 as shown by the action of ,christ's hearers4 ,it is said that they crowded to the baptism of ,john4 ,had that speech been uttered1 of course they would have stayed away from it4 ,the subsequent insertion of the gospel of eating and drinking1 and piping and dancing1 involves a greater folly4 ,it betrays a writer completely ignorant of ,jewish customs4 ,the fierce enmity of anti-mystical ,israel to the ,nazarites pivoted on the very fact that the latter were pledged for life to drink neither wine nor strong drink4 ,this was the ,nazarite's banner with victory already written upon it4 ,hence the fierce hatred of the ,jewish priesthood4 ,if ,christ in their presence had drunk one cup of wine1 there would have been no crucifixion1 and certainly no upbraiding4 ,this is the second passage that anti-mystical ,christianity builds upon3-- ,and they said unto him1 ,why do the disciples of ,john fast often1 and make prayers1 and likewise the disciples of the ,pharisees2 but thine eat and drink8 ,and he said unto them1 ,can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast1 while the bridegroom is with them8 ,but the days will come1 when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them1 and then shall they fast in those days4 ,and he spake also a parable unto them3 ,no man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old2 if otherwise1 then both the new maketh a rent1 and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old4 ,and no man putteth new wine into old bottles2 else the new wine will burst the bottles1 and be spilled1 and the bottles shall perish4 ,but new wine must be put into new bottles2 and both are preserved4 ,no man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new3 for he saith1 ,the old is better4 7,luke v4 #cc-ci47 ,i have again resorted to italics4 ,i think we have here a genuine speech of ,christ1 and a very important one4 ,his doctrine was new wine1 and it was quite unfit for the old bottles of ,mosaism4 ,the gravity of this speech was felt by the ,roman monks who were trying to force the new wine into the old bottles 7with much prejudice to the wine71 so they tried to nullify it with flat contradiction let in both above and below4 ,for the old is better4 ,this completely contradicts ,christ's eulogy of the ,christian's new wine4 ,moreover1 the words are not found in ,matthew's version1 which makes the cheat more palpable4 ,there1 too1 we have the gospel of eating and drinking1 a gospel that did not require an avatra of the ,maker of the ,heavens for its promulgation4 ,but supposing that we concede the two passages to be genuine1 ,i do not see that the priests of materialism will gain very much4 ,these texts are internecine1 involving contradictions due either to more than one author1 or to an interpolator singularly deficient in logical consistency and common sense4 ,the statement1 as far as it is intelligible1 is that ,christ1 having determined to forsake mystical for anti-mystical ,israel1 made the following enactments3-- #a4 ,that the ascetic practices that ,he had taken over from ,john the ,baptist and the ,nazarenes1 and which in other gospels ,he enjoins under the phrase of prayer and fasting as the machinery for developing miraculous gifts1 interior vision1 etc41 shall be discontinued by ,his disciples during ,his lifetime and then again renewed4 #b4 ,that feastings and the use of wine1 which as ,nazarites ,he and ,his disciples had specially forsworn1 should be again resumed1 with no restrictions in this case in the matter of ,his death4 ,so that by one enactment ,his disciples after ,his death were to remain jovial wine-bibbers by the other fasting ascetics4 ,it is scarcely necessary to bring forward the true ,luke to confute the pseudo ,luke4 ,a valuable historical transaction is recorded by the real ,luke which throws a strong light on the relations between ,christ and ,john the ,baptist4 ,towards the close of the ,saviour's career1 at ,jerusalem itself1 the chief priests accosted ,him and asked ,him by what authority ,he did what ,he did4 ,now if the relations between ,christ and ,john the ,baptist had been what the pseudo ,luke would have us believe1 ,christ had only to state all this and ,he might have saved many valuable lives4 ,he had only to plainly announce that ,his movement was not from anti-mystical to mystical ,israel1 but from mystical to anti-mystical ,israel2 that he had introduced wine and oil as a protest against ,essenism2 that ,he had forbidden its ascetic fastings1 and brought many disciples back from the baptism of ,john to the orthodox fold4 ,if ,he had stated all this clearly1 the high priest and elders would have hailed ,him as a friend instead of slaying ,him as a foe4 ,but the ,saviour1 evidently quite unaware that ,he had led a great movement against the ,baptist1 takes refuge behind ,john instead of condemning him4 ,he asks the pregnant question1 ,was he a prophet of ,god1 or was he not8 inferring1 of course1 that he was1 and that the prophetic gift was authority enough4 7,luke xx4 #a1 et seq47 ,for ,i say unto you1 ,among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than ,john the ,baptist4 7,luke vii4 #bh47 ,here again we have the real ,luke confronting his unskilful interpolator4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,the ,church of ,jerusalem4 ,competent critics hold that ,luke has based the ,acts on earlier records4 ,certainly the picture of the early ,church at ,jerusalem is very ,essenic4 ,the disciples had all things in common4 ,they lived in groups of houses1 with a central house of assembly1 like the ,therapeuts4 ,they had two main rites1 baptism and the breaking of bread4 ,they had for officers1 deacons1 presbyters1 ephemereuts4 ,wine and flesh meat were forbidden1 if we may judge the parent from the daughter4 ,for the ,roman ,christians before the advent of ,st4 ,paul forbade wine and flesh meat1 and the ,roman ,church was the eldest daughter of the ,church at ,jerusalem4 ,also we see from the ,apocalypse that the saints of the ,new ,jerusalem were virgins4 ,thus history flashes a light1 transient but vivid1 on the rising religion at three distinct periods4 #a4 ,when ,christ by the ,sea of ,tiberias preached the memorable 1 and said1 ,be eunuchs1 sell all worldly goods4 ,blessed are the poor6 #b4 ,when ,james started the vegetarian water-drinking celibates of the ,church of ,jerusalem4 #c4 ,when ,irenus attacked the vegetarian water-drinking celibates of the ,church of ,jerusalem which had migrated to ,pella 7,a4,d4 #ahj74 ,now1 these three flashes of light seem to me to dispel much1 notably all disquisitions which seek to combine the ,essene ,christ and the anti-,essene ,christ4 ,renan holds that the ,church of ,jerusalem were ,pharisees4 ,if so1 why had they ,essene rites1 ,a4,d4 #cd and ,a4,d4 #aha8 ,he admits that these rites were borrowed from the ,mendaites1 or ,disciples of ,john1 and that there is the closest analogy between the rise of ,christianity and the rise of other ascetic religions1 ,buddhism for example4 7,les ,aptres1 pp4 #gh-ij47 ,he admits that the accounts in the ,acts of ,peter's bold preachings in the temple1 are not to be reconciled with passages about closed doors for few of the ,jews4 ,what has chiefly led to misapprehensions is not so much the dishonesty of writers like ,luke1 as the fiction of the ,essenes themselves that they were orthodox ,jews4 ,they were most particular about circumcision4 ,they had a ,sanhedrim of ,justice1 and so had the early ,christians4 ,the ,church of ,jerusalem had its chief priest1 as we see from the ,first ,epistle of ,clement to the ,corinthians4 ,the daily sacrifices are not offered everywhere1 nor the peace-offerings1 nor the sacrifices appointed for sins and transgressions1 but only at ,jerusalem1 nor in any place there1 but only at the altar before the temple4 7,ch4 xviii47 ,this chief priest must not be confused with the ,jewish one4 ,he has been established by ,god through ,christ4 7,ch4 xix4 #g47 ,it is also stated that ,christ has laid down what offerings and service must be performed4 7,ch4 xviii4 #ad47 ,this gives a significance to the passages in ,revelations describing the temple of the mystic ,jerusalem1 which would of course be modelled on the temple familiar to the white-robed virgin saints of the material ,new ,jerusalem1 the angel taking the golden censer and filling it with the fire of the altar1 the lamps1 the candlesticks1 the golden altar1 the incense4 ,the ground near ,jerusalem is perforated with caverns4 ,this temple1 probably1 was some secret crypt like a chapel in the catacombs4 ,keim points out that the command given in chap4 xi4 verse #b of the ,revelations to leave out the court of the bloody sacrifices in the ideal temple of the ,new ,jerusalem1 is an additional piece of evidence in favour of the ,essenism of the early ,church4 ,this is what ,hegesippus1 the earliest ,christian historian1 says about ,james1 described in the ,protevangelion as the chief apostle and first ,christian bishop4 ,he was consecrated from his mother's womb4 ,he drank neither wine nor strong drink1 neither ate he any living thing4 ,a razor never went upon his head4 ,he anointed not himself with oil1 nor did he use a bath4 ,he alone was allowed to enter into the holies4 ,for he did not wear woollen garments1 but linen4 ,and he alone entered the sanctuary and was found upon his knees praying for the forgiveness of the people1 so that his knees became hard like a camel's through his constant bending and supplication before ,god1 and asking for forgiveness for the people4 7,eusebius1 ,hist4 ,eccl4 ii4 #cc47 ,this passage seems to settle the question whether the early ,christians were ,essenes or ,pharisees4 ,here we have the chief apostle depicted as an ,essene of ,essenes4 ,he rejects wine and flesh meat4 ,and the temple of the ,essenes was plainly not the ,jewish temple4 ,the temple guards would have made short work of any one rash enough to attempt to enter the ,holy of ,holies4 ,epiphanius adds the two sons of ,zebedee to the list of the ascetics1 and also announces that ,james1 the chief apostle1 entered the ,holy of ,holies once a year4 ,he gives another detail1 that the ,christian bishop wore the bactreum or metal plate of the high priest4 7,epiph4 ,hr4 lxxviii4 #ac1 #ad47 ,clement of ,alexandria gives a similar account of ,st4 ,matthew3-- ,it is far better to be happy than to have a demon dwelling in us4 ,and happiness is found in the practice of virtue4 ,accordingly1 the ,apostle ,matthew partook of seeds1 and nuts1 and vegetables without flesh4 7,pdag4 ii4 #a47 ,the ,clementine ,homilies give a far more authentic picture of the ,church of ,jerusalem than the ,acts4 ,in them ,st4 ,peter thus describes himself3-- ,the ,prophet of the ,truth who appeared on earth taught us that the ,maker and ,god of all gave two kingdoms to two 7beings71 good and evil1 granting to the evil the sovereignty over the present world4444 ,those men who choose the present have power to be rich1 to revel in luxury1 to indulge in pleasures1 and to do whatever they can2 for they will possess none of the future goods4 ,but those who have determined to accept the blessings of the future reign have no right to regard as their own the things that are here1 since they belong to a foreign king1 with the exception only of water and bread and those things procured with sweat to maintain life 7for it is not lawful to commit suicide72 and also only one garment1 for they are not permitted to go naked4 7,clem4 ,hom4 xv4 #g47 ,a word here about the ,sepher ,toldoth ,jeshu1 a work which orthodoxy as usual would modernise overmuch4 ,it is a brief sketch of ,christ's life1 and1 at any rate1 represents the ,jewish tradition of that important event4 ,it announces that the ,saviour was hanged on a tree for sorcery4 ,after that there was a bitter strife between the ,nazarenes and the ,judeans4 ,the former1 headed by ,simeon ,ben ,kepha1 7who1 according to his precept1 abstained from all food1 and only ate the bread of misery1 and drank the water of sorrow17 altered all the dates of the ,jewish festivals to make them fit in with events in ,christ's life4 ,this seems to make ,peter and the ,nazarenes or ,nazarites water-drinking vegetarian ascetics4 ,old ,jerusalem1 considered as a religious centre1 quite eclipsed holy cities like ,benares or medival ,rome1 for the chief rites could only be performed there4 ,the ,jewish ,christians plainly traded with this exceptional importance1 adding a more powerful claim4 ,for in ,israel1 for at least a hundred years1 there had been a strange prophetic book1 believed1 even by the writer of one ,christian scripture 7,jude71 to be written by the patriarch ,enoch4 ,this book was believed to be genuine by ,irenus1 ,clement of ,alexandria1 ,origen1 and ,tertullian4 ,for a thousand years it was lost to ,christendom1 and then ,bruce brought back three copies from ,abyssinia4 ,archbishop ,laurence translated the work in #ahba4 ,the importance of the ,book of ,enoch is that it gives quite a new view of the mission of the ,messiah4 ,from their prophets the ,jews expected a conqueror who was to come with a bow and the sword of the mighty1 and to have dominion from the ,jordan to the ends of the earth4 ,that he was to be a mere mortal is proved by the fact that1 according to ,daniel1 he was by-and-by to be cut off4 7,dan4 ix4 #bf47 ,but the ,son of ,man of ,enoch differed from this3-- ,before the sun and the signs were created1 before the stars of heaven were formed1 his name was invoked in the presence of the ,lord of ,spirits4 ,a support shall he be for the righteous and the holy to lean upon1 without falling1 and he shall be the light of nations4 ,he shall be the hope of those whose hearts are troubled4 ,all who dwell on earth shall fall down and worship before him4 7,enoch xlviii47 ,behold he comes with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment upon them and destroy the wicked4 7,enoch ii47 ,this is the passage cited by ,jude4 ,in those days shall the earth deliver up from her womb1 and hell deliver up from hers1 that which it has received1 and destruction shall restore that which it owes4 ,he shall select the righteous and holy from among them4 7,enoch i47 ,in those days shall the mouth of hell be opened1 into which they shall be immerged4 ,hell shall destroy and swallow up sinners from the face of the elect4 7,enoch liv47 ,i beheld that valley in which 444 arose a strong smell of sulphur4444 ,through that valley rivers of fire were flowing4 7,enoch lxvi4 #e-h47 ,he shall select the righteous and holy from among them1 for the day of their salvation has approached4 444 7,enoch l4 #b47 ,i saw the habitations and couches of the saints4 ,then my eyes beheld their habitations with the angels and their couches with the holy ones4 ,thus shall it be with them for ever and ever4 7,enoch xxxix4 #d47 ,the former heaven shall depart and pass away1 a new heaven shall appear4 7,enoch xcii4 #ag47 ,these texts show where the ,jews got the idea of a ,son of ,man coming in the clouds of heaven and summoning the dead from their graves for a great assize4 ,they show where ,christianity got its heaven and its hell4 ,the author of the ,evolution of ,christianity gives in parallel columns a number of other passages which seem to have suggested corresponding passages in the ,christian scriptures4 ,the defenders of conventional orthodoxy urge that these passages and the passages ,i have quoted are post-,christian interpolations4 ,in the way of this theory stands the fact that ,enoch describes only one advent1 that of a superhuman1 triumphant ,messiah4 ,he knows nothing of a suffering1 crucified mortal4 ,that advent1 according to the ,jewish ideas of the time1 seemed at first blush a failure4 ,surely the first object of an interpolator would have been to suit his prophecies to the double advent1 and make the second explain the failure of the first4 ,it is to be observed1 too1 that ,enoch's ,son of ,man rules in heaven4 ,there is no mention of ,jerusalem4 ,it seems very plain that the ,apocalypse has attempted to fuse together the ,messiah of ,enoch and the ,messiah of ,micah1 and the clumsy expedient of a thousand years preliminary rule in ,jerusalem1 entailing1 as it does1 two resurrections and two judgment days1 is the result4 ,the ,messiah of ,enoch is plainly ,craosha of the ,persians1 who will1 one day1 summon the dead to judgment in their old material bodies1 sending the wicked to ,douzakh1 and the good to ,behisht4 ,let us see how this affects our present inquiry4 ,the ,buddhists took over from the ,brahmins3-- #a4 ,a heaven 7,swarga7 and a purgatory4 #b4 ,ancestor worship 7the ,s'raddha74 ,the ,buddhas of the ,past had offerings given to them at stated periods at their topes1 for which they were expected to perform miracles4 ,nothing can be more explicit than the statements in the gospels about the fate of the dead4 ,souls and bodies are to remain in the festering grave until a trumpet shall sound4 ,then the body as well as the soul will arise for an universal judgment4 ,but side by side with this idea soon sprang up a conflicting one1 the ,communion of ,saints4 ,god dwells in the bones of the martyrs1 said ,st4 ,ephrem1 and by his power and presence miracles are wrought4 7,wiseman's ,lectures1 xi4 #aje47 ,soon the ,buddhist saint worship and the ,buddhist purgatory were taken over by the ,church1 ,alexandrian ,buddhism fighting with the dualism of ,persian ,buddhism4 ,but if there has been no judgment1 how can we tell who is in purgatory1 and who are the saints8 ,this question seems to have stirred ,cardinal ,newman1 and he attempted an answer in his ,dream of ,st4 ,gerontius4 ,christ has a rehearsal of judgment4 ,this is1 of course1 preposterous4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,johannine ,buddhism4 ,the ,indians of old observed that one portion of the sky was dark at night and one portion lit with stars4 ,they judged that the dark portion was spirit--primary substance1 and that the light portion was the same substance made tangible to the senses under the form of matter4 ,the ,buddhists took over these ideas and called the dark portion ,nirvritti and the light portion ,pravritti4 ,in ,nirvritti dwelt the formless1 passionless1 inconceivable ,god--,swayambhu the ,self-,existent4 ,pravritti contained numerous world-systems 7,buddha-,kshetras71 the ,ogdoads of the ,gnostics4 ,these christened ,nirvritti ,buthos1 and ,pravritti1 the luminous worlds1 the ,pleroma4 ,in ,buddhism1 ,pravritti was presided over by five beings1 emanations from ,swayambhu4 ,these are announced in the ,buddhist books to be simply the attributes of ,swayambhu personified4 ,they were probably invented to provide the vulgar with a substitute for the old ,brahmin hierarchy4 ,each has a ,sakti 7wife1 female energy74 ,i give a list of them with their ,saktis1 and the divine attributes that they personify4 ,,attributes4 ,,dhyani ,,buddhas4 ,,saktis4 ,su-vis'uddha ,dharma ,vairochana4 ,vajra ,dhateswat4 ,dhtu4 7,purifying 7,sun-born47 7,goddess of eternal law47 eternal elements47 ,adarsana4 ,akshobhya4 ,lochan4 7,invisibility74 7,immovable47 7,eye goddess47 ,prativekshana4 7,eyes ,ratna-,sambhava4 ,mamukh4 that sleep not47 7,born of the jewel47 ,snta4 7,calmness47 ,amitabha4 7,diffusing ,pndar4 infinite light47 7,pale goddess47 ,kritynushtana4 ,amogha-,siddha4 ,tr4 7,star47 7,one who performs 7,unfailing aim47 rites47 ,turning to ,basilides we find that he placed in ,buthos the ,unnameable1 a being similar to ,swayambhu4 ,from the ,unnameable emanated also five beings1 whom he called ons 7,eternals71 a substitute for the ,dhyani ,buddhas4 ,their names were ,nous 7,mind71 ,logos 7,speech71 ,phronesis 7,prudence71 ,sophia 7,wisdom71 ,dunamis 7,power74 ,plainly these also are simply divine attributes personified1 the five ,dhyani ,buddhas4 ,valentinus has also a supreme on1 ,unbegotten1 ,invisible1 ,self-,existent1 remaining from everlasting in impassive serenity4 ,this ,god1 named ,bythus1 has his ,sakti like the ,dhyani ,buddhas4 ,she is called ,enna 7,idea71 also ,charis 7,grace74 ,bythus is also called ,propator 7,first ,father74 ,after countless ages he determines to evolve the ,pleroma1 and for that purpose brings forth ,nous 7,mind7 and ,aletheia 7,truth74 ,from ,nous1 according to ,valentinus1 by the aid of ,aletheia proceeded ,logos 7,word7 and ,zoe 7,life74 ,nous was also called ,monogenes 7the ,only ,begotten74 ,zoe brought forth ,anthropos 7,man7 and ,ecclesia 7,church74 ,these brought forth other ons4 ,in this system ,christ figures as ,phos 7,light71 ,soter 7,saviour71 and ,logos 7,word74 ,he gives light to the ,pleroma4 ,now let us turn to the famous opening verses of the fourth gospel4 ,i copy down the translation of them by the author of the ,evolution of ,christianity4 ,in the beginning was the ,logos1 and the ,logos was with ,god1 and the ,logos was divine4 ,the same was in the beginning with ,god4 ,all things came into existence through him1 and without him nothing came into existence4 ,that which hath been made in him was ,zoe 7,life71 and ,zoe was the ,phos 7,light7 of men1 and ,phos shineth in the darkness1 and the darkness apprehended it not4444 ,and the ,logos became flesh1 and dwelt amongst us1 full of ,charis 7,grace7 and ,aletheia 7,truth74 ,and we beheld his glory1 glory as of ,monogenes 7the ,only ,begotten7 from the ,father4 ,as the author of the ,evolution of ,christianity truly says1 we have here a condensation of the ons of ,valentinus4 ,john unifies ,christ in ,monogenes1 ,logos1 ,phos1 and ,soter4 ,he descends as ,phos 7,light74 ,he has onic relationship with ,charis and ,aletheia4 ,of his ,pleroma have we all received1 says the fourth evangelist4 7,john i4 #af47 ,it was the ,father's good pleasure that in him the whole ,pleroma should have its home 7,col4 i4 #ai74 ,in him dwells the whole ,pleroma of the ,godhead in bodily shape4 7,col4 ii4 #i74 ,the ,church1 which is his body1 the ,pleroma of him that filleth all in all4 7,eph4 i4 #bc47 ,we turn now to the ons or ,dhyani ,buddhas4 ,according to the purpose of the ons4 7,eph4 iii4 #aa47 ,even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations4 ,the author of the ,evolution of ,christianity shows that the authorised version has no sense4 ,he amends it thus3-- ,the mystery concealed from the ons and from their offspring4 ,from this two things are patent3-- #a4 ,johannine ,christianity is ,gnosticism4 #b4 ,gnosticism is ,buddhism4 ,in chapter ii4 ,i said that ,buddha1 like the ,gnostic ,christ1 ruled the ,pleroma or ,pravritti4 ,in the ,lalita ,vistara many pages are devoted to show that he is ,purusha1 the ,god-man of the ,hindoos4 ,purusha is always contrasted with ,pracriti1 the ,buthos of the ,gnostics1 that part of the ,kosmos which is un-fashioned and non-luminous4 ,purusha is like the divine man of the ,kabbalah1 the ,christ of ,st4 ,paul1 humanity1 ideal humanity4 ,valentinus proclaimed that from ,sophia the ,mother1 proceeded ,ecclesia the ,church4 ,jesus called his flock the sons of ,sophia1 and said that his mother1 the ,holy ,spirit1 had carried him up to the top of ,mount ,tabor4 ,as early as the ,asoka inscriptions the triad of ,buddhism was3-- #a4 ,buddha or ,swayambhu1 the ,self-,existent4 #b4 ,dharma or ,praj 7,sophia74 #c4 ,sangha 7literally ,union74 ,sangha created the worlds1 says the ,pja ,kanda4 7,for this triad1 see ,hodgson1 ,lit4 ,nepal1 p4 #hh47 ,this triad with the vulgar is now ,buddha1 his ,law1 and the ,church4 ,a version of this was not unknown in ,palestine1 for ,hegesippus records of the early ,christians3-- ,in every city that prevails which the ,law1 the ,lord1 and the ,prophets enjoin4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,rites4 ,i have left myself little space to write of the many points of close similarity between the ,buddhists and the ,roman ,catholics4 ,the ,french missionary ,huc1 in his celebrated travels in ,thibet1 was much struck with this similarity4 ,the crozier1 the mitre1 the dalmatic1 the cope or pluvial1 which the grand lamas wear on a journey1 or when they perform some ceremony outside the temple1 the service with a double choir1 psalmody1 exorcisms1 the censer swinging on five chains1 and contrived to be opened and shut at will1 benediction by the lamas1 with the right hand extended over the heads of the faithful1 the chaplet1 sacerdotal celibacy1 ,lenten retirements from the world1 the worship of saints1 fasts1 processions1 litanies1 holy water--these are the points of contact between the ,buddhists and ourselves4 ,listen also to ,father ,disderi1 who visited ,thibet in the year #agad4 ,the lamas have a tonsure like our priests1 and are bound over to perpetual celibacy4 ,they study their scriptures in a language and in characters that differ from the ordinary characters4 ,they recite prayers in choir4 ,they serve the temple1 present the offerings1 and keep the lamps perpetually alight4 ,they offer to ,god corn and barley and paste and water in little vases1 which are extremely clean4 ,food thus offered is considered consecrated1 and they eat it4 ,the lamas have local superiors1 and a superior general4 7,lettres edifiantes1 vol4 iii41 p4 #ecd47 ,father ,grueber1 with another priest named ,dorville1 passed from ,pekin through ,thibet to ,patna in the year #affa4 ,henry ,prinsep 7,thibet ,tartary1 etc41 p4 #ad7 thus sums up what he has recorded3-- ,father ,grueber was much struck with the extraordinary similarity he found1 as well in the doctrine as in the rituals of the ,buddhists of ,lha ,sa1 to those of his own ,romish faith4 ,he noticed1 first1 that the dress of the lamas corresponded with that handed down to us in ancient paintings as the dress of the ,apostles4 ,second1 that the discipline of the monasteries and of the different orders of lamas or priests bore the same resemblance to that of the ,romish ,church4 ,third1 that the notion of an ,incarnation was common to both1 so also the belief in paradise and purgatory4 ,fourth1 he remarked that they made suffrages1 alms1 prayers1 and sacrifices for the dead1 like the ,roman ,catholics4 ,fifth1 that they had convents filled with monks and friars to the number of thirty thousand1 near ,lha ,sa1 who all made the three vows of poverty1 obedience1 and chastity1 like ,roman monks1 besides other vows4 ,sixth1 that they had confessors licensed by the superior lamas or bishops1 and so empowered to receive confessions1 impose penances1 and give absolution4 ,besides all this there was found the practice of using holy water1 of singing service in alternation1 of praying for the dead1 and of perfect similarity in the customs of the great and superior lamas to those of the different orders of the ,romish hierarchy4 ,these early missionaries further were led to conclude from what they saw and heard that the ancient books of the lamas contained traces of the ,christian religion1 which must1 they thought1 have been preached in ,thibet in the time of the ,apostles4 ,in the year #ahbi1 ,victor ,jacquemont1 the ,french botanist1 made a short excursion from ,simla into ,thibet4 ,he writes3 ,the ,grand ,lama of ,kanum has the episcopal mitre and crozier4 ,he is dressed just like our bishops4 ,a superficial observer at a little distance would take his ,thibetan and ,buddhist mass for a ,roman mass of the first water4 ,he makes twenty genuflexions at the right intervals1 turns to the altar and then to the congregation1 rings a bell1 drinks in a chalice water poured out by an acolyte1 intones paternosters quite of the right sing-song--the resemblance is really shocking4 ,but men whose faith is properly robust will see here nothing but a corruption of ,christianity4 7,corr4 vol4 i41 p4 #bfe47 ,it must be borne in mind that what is called ,southern ,buddhism has the same rites4 ,st4 ,francis ,xavier in ,japan found ,southern ,buddhism so like his own that he donned the yellow sanghti1 and called himself an apostle of ,buddha1 quieting his conscience by furtively mumbling a little ,latin of the baptismal service over some of his converts4 ,this is what the ,rev4 ,s4 ,beal1 a chaplain in the navy1 wrote of a liturgy that he found in ,china3-- ,the form of this office is a very curious one4 ,it bears a singular likeness in its outline to the common type of the ,eastern ,christian liturgies4 ,that is to say there is a ',proanaphoral' and an ',anaphoral' portion4 ,there is a prayer of entrance 7 71 a prayer of incense 7 71 an ascription of praise to the threefold object of worship 771 a prayer of oblation 7 71 the lections1 the recitations of the ,dharan 771 the ,embolismus or prayer against temptation1 followed by a ',confession1' and a ',dismissal4' 7,catena of ,buddhist ,scriptures1 p4 #cig47 ,turning to architecture1 ,i must point out that ,mr4 ,fergusson1 the leading authority in ancient art1 was of opinion that the various details of the early ,christian basilica--nave1 aisle1 columns1 semi-domed apse1 cruciform ground plan--were borrowed en bloc from the ,buddhists4 ,mr4 ,fergusson lays special stress on the ,dgoba and its enshrined relics1 represented in the ,christian ,church by the high altar1 the bones of a saint1 the baldechino4 ,relic worship1 he says1 was certainly borrowed from the ,east4 ,of the rock-cut temple of ,krle 7,b4,c4 #gh7 he writes3-- ,the building resembles1 to a great extent1 an early ,christian church in its arrangements1 consisting of a nave and side aisles terminating in an apse or semi-dome1 round which the aisle is carried4444 ,as a scale for comparison1 it may be mentioned that its arrangements and dimensions are very similar to those of the choir of ,norwich ,cathedral1 and of the ,abbaye aux ,hommes at ,caen1 omitting the outer aisles in the latter buildings4 ,immediately under the semi-dome of the apse1 and nearly where the altar stands in ,christian churches1 is placed the ,dgoba4 7,indian and ,eastern ,architecture1 p4 #aag47 ,the list of resemblances is by no means exhausted4 ,the monks on entering a temple make the gesture that we call the sign of the cross4 ,the ,buddhists have illuminated missals1 ,gregorian chants1 a tabernacle on the altar for oblations1 a pope1 cardinals1 angels with wings1 saints with the nimbus4 ,for a full account ,i must refer the reader to my ,buddhism in ,christendom1 where ,i give 7pp4 #ahb1 #ahd7 drawings of monks and nuns1 the ,virgin and ,child 7p4 #bje71 the adoration of the rice cake on the altar 7p4 #hc71 ,buddha coming down to the altar with the heavenly host 7p4 #baj71 the long candles1 artificial flowers1 cross1 incense burner1 and divine figure with the aureole1 of the ,buddhist temple 7p4 #bjh74 ,the election of the ,grand ,lma ,i show to be pin for pin like the election of the ,pope4 ,the list is endless4 ,how is all this to be accounted for8 ,several theories have been started3-- ,the first attempts to make light of the matter altogether4 ,all religions1 it says1 have sacrifice1 incense1 priests1 the idea of faith1 etc4 ,this may be called the orthodox ,protestant theory1 and many bulky books have recently appeared propounding it4 ,but as these books avoid all the strong points of the case1 they cannot be called at all satisfactory to the bewildered inquirer4 ,to this theory the ,roman ,catholics reply that the similarities between ,buddhism and ,catholicism are so microscopic and so complete1 that one religion must have borrowed from the other4 ,in consequence they try to prove that the rites of ,buddhism and the life of its founder were derived from ,christianity1 from the ,nestorians1 from ,st4 ,thomas1 from ,st4 ,hyacinth of ,poland1 from ,st4 ,oderic of ,frioul4 7,see ,abb ,prouvze1 ,life of ,gabriel ,durand1 vol4 ii41 p4 #cfe47 ,in the way of this theory1 however1 there are also insuperable difficulties4 ,buddha died #dgj years before ,christ1 and for many years the ,christian ,church had no basilicas1 popes1 cardinals1 basilica worship1 nor even for a long time a definite life of the founder4 ,at the date of ,asoka 7,b4,c4 #bfj7 there was a metrical life of ,buddha 7,muni ,gatha71 and the incidents of this life are found sculptured in marble on the gateways of ,buddhist temples that precede the ,christian epoch4 ,this is the testimony of ,sir ,alexander ,cunningham1 the greatest of ,indian archologists4 ,he fixes the date of the ,bharhut ,stupa at from #bgj to #bej ,b4,c4 ,there he finds ,queen ,my's dream of the elephant1 the ,rishis at the ploughing match1 the transfiguration of ,buddha and the ladder of diamonds1 and other incidents4 ,at the ,sanchi tope1 an earlier structure 7although the present marble gateways1 repeated probably from wood1 are fixed at about #ai ,a4,d471 he announces representations of ,buddha as an elephant coming down to his mother's womb1 three out of the ,four ,presaging ,tokens1 ,buddha bending the bow of ,sinhahanu1 ,king ,bimbisra visiting the young prince1 and other incidents4 ,a man who invents a novel high explosive1 or a quick-firing gun1 at once puts his idea to a practical test4 ,let us try and construct a working model here4 ,suppose that the present ruler of ,afghanistan were paying us a visit1 and1 introduced at ,fulham ,palace1 he were to suggest that the life of ,mahomet should supersede that of ,jesus in our ,bible1 and ,mussulman rites replace the ,christian ritual in the diocese of ,london4 ,what would be the answer8 ,the bishop1 anxious to deal gently with a valuable ally1 would point out that he was only a cogwheel in a vast machinery1 a cogwheel that could be promptly replaced if it proved the least out of gear4 ,he would show that the ,anglican ,church had a mass of very definite rules called canon law1 with courts empowered to punish the slightest infringement of these rules4 ,he would show that even an archbishop could not alter a tittle of the gospel narrative4 ,every man1 woman1 and child would immediately detect the change4 ,similar difficulties would be in the way of ,st4 ,hyacinth of ,poland in1 say1 a monastery of ,ceylon4 ,the abbot there would be responsible to what ,bishop ,bigandet calls his provincial1 and he again to his suprieur gnral 7p4 #dgh71 and so on to the chrya1 the ,high ,priest of all the ,world1 who1 in his palace at ,nalanda1 near ,buddha ,gay1 was wont to sit in state1 surrounded by ten thousand monks4 ,buddhism1 by the time that a ,christian missionary could have reached it1 was a far more diffused and conservative religion than ,anglicanism4 ,it had a canon law quite as definite4 ,it had hundreds of volumes treating of the minutest acts of ,sakya ,muni4 ,,the ,,end4 ,printed by ,cowan ,co41 ,limited1 ,perth4 ,,index4 ,amrapal1 the ,buddhist ,magdalene1 #fa4 ,alexandria1 bridges ,east and ,west1 #ajb4 ,altar1 ,apostles of the ,bloodless1 #ii et seq4 ,antiochus1 mentioned by ,king ,asoka1 #ig4 ,apostles1 the ,buddhist ,parivrajakas1 #aje4 ,appearances of ,buddha after death1 #fg4 ,architecture1 ,christian1 derived from the ,buddhist rock temples1 #agg4 ,asita1 the ,indian ,simeon1 #bi4 ,asoka1 ,king1 #ic et seq4 ,atheism1 early ,buddhist disproved1 #gg et seq4 ,atonement1 #fh4 ,baptism1 the ,buddhist1 #dc1 #ajh4 ,beal1 ,rev4 ,s41 on a ,buddhist liturgy1 #agf4 ,beatitudes1 the ,buddhist1 #dh4 ,bigandet1 ,catholic bishop1 his ,life of ,gautama cited1 #bg et passim4 ,bimbisra1 advised like ,herod to kill the ,holy ,child1 #bh4 ,bhikshu1 ,buddhist beggar1 ,ebionite1 #abi4 ,bodhi1 ,gnosis1 interior knowledge1 #gg4 ,brahma1 union with1 object of early ,buddhism1 #hj4 ,buddha1 born of a virgin1 #bd2 ,star in the ,east1 #bf2 ,baptism and fasting1 #dd2 ,temptation1 #de2 ,disputation with the doctors1 #cj2 ,third commandment1 #ea2 ,triumphant entry into the city of the king1 #ed2 ,forsaken by disciples1 #eh2 ,transfigured1 #fc2 ,last supper1 #fe2 ,death1 #fe2 ,darkness over all the land at his death1 #fe4 ,buddhism defined1 #gg2 ,schools of1 #hd2 ,eight spiritual states1 #ajh4 ,burnouf1 ,emile1 considers ,christianity due to a conflict between ,mosaism and ,buddhism1 #a4 ,ceylon scriptures1 #he4 ,chakravartin1 ,king of ,kings1 ,messiah1 #ce4 ,chief priest in early ,church modelled on ,jewish1 #afa4 ,circumcision widely spread amongst savages1 #ae4 ,church of ,jerusalem1 creed1 #abi2 ,description of1 #afj4 ,clement of ,alexandria on the ,hylobii and followers of ,buddha1 #hi4 ,colebrooke1 ,henry1 ,orientalist1 sees ,buddhist philosophy in the teaching of ,pythagoras1 #aja4 ,cunningham1 ,sir ,alexander1 traces incidents of ,buddha's life in pre-,christian sculptures in the ,buddhist temples1 #agi4 ,darkness over the land at ,buddha's death1 #fe4 ,daranatha1 ,chinese historian1 valuable testimony about early ,buddhism1 #ij1 #ii4 ,disciple whom ,buddha loved1 #df4 ,disciples1 twelve great1 #df4 ,disderi1 ,father1 visits ,lha ,sa1 #agd4 ,ebionite1 ,buddhist bhikshu1 #abi4 ,enoch1 ,book of1 #afd4 ,epiphanius cited1 #acj4 ,essenes1 due to ,buddhist propagandism1 ,philo on1 #ajc4 ,evolution of ,christianity1 author of cited1 #aga4 ,ezra compiles ,old ,testament1 #f1 #g4 ,faith in ,buddhist books1 #fb4 ,fergusson1 ,james1 architect1 derives ,christian basilica from ,buddhist rock temple1 #agg4 ,follow me6 phrase used by ,buddha1 #df4 ,freemasonry in ,buddhism1 ,mithraism1 etc41 #ajj4 ,fulfilling1 vague word without any meaning in modern polemics1 #adc4 ,giles1 ,rev41 on the ,christian forgeries of ,peregrinus1 #abh2 ,amended version of ,luke's opening verses1 #add4 ,ginsburg1 ,dr41 on the eight spiritual states of the ,essenes1 #ajg4 ,glad tidings 7,subha ,shita71 word used for the ,buddhist revelation1 #df4 ,golden book for the ,buddhist recording angels1 #fh4 ,golden ,bough1 by ,mr4 ,frazer1 cited1 #i4 ,grueber1 ,father1 on ,buddhist rites1 etc41 #age4 ,gymnosophists1 ,buddhists1 #ajd4 ,heaven1 the ,buddhist1 #fh4 ,hebrews1 ,gospel according to1 #aad et seq42 ,st4 ,jerome on1 #aja2 ,condemned and suppressed1 #abi4 ,hegesippus used ,gospel according to the ,hebrews1 #aab2 ,describes ,james1 #afb4 ,hippolytus cited to show that the early ,church held ,christ to be a mere man1 #abi4 ,hodgson1 ,bryan1 on the ,pyrrhonism of the second or ,great ,vehicle school of ,buddhism1 #hf4 ,holy ,ghost descends into ,christ1 in the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews1 #aca4 ,hylobii1 ,greek term for ,buddhists1 #hi4 ,irenus1 on ,gospel according to ,hebrews1 #aab2 ,on the many spurious gospels in his day1 #abh2 ,shows that early ,church of ,jerusalem used water in the communion1 #acj4 ,jacquemont1 ,victor1 ,french botanist1 on similarity of ,buddhist and ,catholic mass1 #agf4 ,james succeeds ,christ1 who appears and gives him communion bread on the very night of the ,crucifixion1 #acc2 ,account by ,hegesippus1 #afb4 ,jerome1 ,st41 on the ,gospel of the ,hebrews1 #aaa4 ,jerusalem1 ,church of1 #afj et seq4 ,josephus1 initiation of ,essenes1 #acg4 ,judas1 the ,buddhist1 #fd4 ,justin ,martyr1 #aab et seq4 ,kanishka1 or ,kanerkos1 introduces atheistic ,buddhism and ,pyrrhonism1 #he4 ,krle1 cave temple1 described1 #agg4 ,karma1 the ,buddhist doctrine1 mixed up with the ,atonement1 #fh4 ,lang1 ,andrew1 on savage terrorism1 #i4 ,lightfoot1 ,bishop1 on the swathing bands of ,judaism1 #ada4 ,luke1 ,gospel of1 analysed1 #add4 ,magic1 ,buddhist1 #gi4 ,maitreya1 ,buddha of ,brotherly ,love1 #b4 ,man born blind1 parable1 #gi4 ,matthew1 ,st41 an ascetic1 #afd4 ,marcion's gospel1 testimony of ,megethius that it has been added to and falsified1 #adf4 ,megasthenes on the ,buddhists1 #ij4 ,mithras1 religion of1 #ii4 ,mller1 ,max1 on ,buddhism1 #gg4 ,newman1 ,cardinal1 his ,dream of ,st4 ,gerontius1 #afh4 ,nicator1 ,seleucus1 sends an ambassador to ,patna1 #hi4 ,nicholson1 ,e4 ,b41 best authority on the ,gospel according to the ,hebrews1 #aad4 ,nirvritti the same as the ,pleroma of the ,gnostics1 #afi4 ,nuns in ,buddhism and ,essenism1 #ajf4 ,origen on the abundant falsification of the gospels in his day1 #abh4 ,oswald1 ,felix1 cited1 #eg4 ,papias1 ,bishop1 on the composition of the gospels1 #aaa4 ,parables1 the ,buddhist1 #gj et seq4 ,pax ,vobiscum6 the ,hebrew ,schalom6 the ,buddhist ,sadhu6 #dg4 ,peregrinus composes ,christian scriptures1 #abh4 ,peter1 ,gospel according to1 cited1 #abg4 ,philo on the ,essenes and ,therapeuts1 #ajd2 ,connects them with the ,gymnosophists of ,india1 #ajd4 ,photismos in early ,church1 #ajg4 ,pravritti1 the ,buthos of the ,gnostics1 #afi4 ,prodigal ,son1 ,buddhist parable1 #gj4 ,protevangelion compared with ,luke's gospel1 #adi4 ,pythagoras1 ,buddha's teaching fathered on1 #aja4 ,racine translates the ,contemplative ,life of ,philo1 #acf4 ,raksh ,bhagavat the great ,bible of atheistic ,buddhism1 #hf4 ,rajendra ,lala ,mitra proves atheistic ,buddhism to have been forced on early ,buddhism by the ,great ,vehicle1 ,a4,d4 #bj1 #he4 ,renan on the ,church of ,jerusalem1 #afa2 ,on the status of ,st4 ,james1 #acd4 ,revue des ,deux ,mondes defines ,christianity as due to a conflict between ,buddhism and ,mosaism1 #a4 ,saints appear at ,buddha's death1 #ff4 ,samanna ,phala ,sutta cited1 #gi4 ,sayings of ,christ1 according to ,justin ,martyr1 #aag4 ,semites1 #d1 #e4 ,smith1 ,professor ,robertson1 on the ,totems of the ,old ,testament1 #ai4 ,son of ,perdition1 the ,buddhist1 #fd4 ,sunyapushpa 7the ,carriage that drives ,nowhere71 nickname of early ,buddhists for innovating ,pyrrhonism1 #ia4 ,supper1 ,buddhist last1 #fe4 ,sutta1 ,tevigga1 gives ,buddha's ideas about ,god1 #hj4 ,therapeuts1 see ,essenes4 ,throne1 great white1 #fg4 ,transfiguration1 the ,buddhist1 #fc4 ,twelve great disciples of ,buddha1 #df4 ,vehicle1 ,great1 #he2 ,little1 #hd1 #he4 ,valentinus1 fourth gospel due to his teaching1 #agb4 ,walking on water1 miracle1 #ei4 ,war in ,heaven1 #fa4 ,washing feet1 #fd4 ,wassiljew cited1 #ij4 ,williams1 ,sir ,monier1 his views on ,buddhism1 #gg4 ,woman at the well1 #gj4 ,zacharias1 legend about1 #adh4 ,zoroaster1 ,buddha as1 #ih4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's note3 ,obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected4 ,revue des ,deus ,mondes corrected to ,revue des ,deux ,mondes4 ,variations in spelling1 punctuation and hyphenation have been retained except in the case of conflict with index entries4 ,perigrinus has been corrected to ,peregrinus and ,ferguson to ,fergusson4