BUDDHA:HISLIFE,HISDOCTRINE,HISORDER,BYDR. HERMANNOLDENBERG,IMIOFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OPBERLIN,EDITOR OP THE VINAYAPITAKAM%ANDTHEDIPAVAMSAIN PALI.fount fbe (SernurrBYWILLIAMHOEY, M.A., D.LlT,,MEMBEROF THE ROYAL ASIATICSOCIETY,ASIATIC SOCIETY OFBENGAL,ETC.OF HERMAJESTYS BENGAL CIVILSERVICE.WILLIAMSANDNOEGATE,14,HENRIETTASTREET,COVENTGARDEN,LONDONjAND20,SOUTHFREDERICKSTREET,EDINBURGH.1882.LONDON:. NOKMANANDSON, PKINTEES,HASTSTRKET,COVKKT GARDEN.6a.XBUDDHA:EIS LIFE,HISDOCTRINE,HIS ORDER..TRANSLATORS PREFACE.THISbookis atranslation of a Germanwork,Buddha,SeinLeben,seineLehre,seineG-emeinde,byProfessorHermannOldenberg,ofBerlin,editor of the "Pali Texts of theVinayaPitakam and theDipavamsa."Theoriginalhasattracted the attention ofEuropeanscholars,and the nameof Dr.Oldenbergis a sufficientguaranteeof the value ofits contents. AreviewoftheoriginaldoctrinesofBuddhism,comingfrom thepenof the eminent Germanscholar,thecoadjutorof Mr.EhysDavids in the translation of the PaliscripturesforProfessor MaxMiillers"Sacred Books of theEast/andtheeditorofmanyPalitexts,mustbewelcomeasan addition to the aids which wepossessto thestudyofBuddhism. Dr.Oldenberghas in the work now translatedsuccessfullydemolishedthescepticaltheoryofasolarBuddha,putforwardbyM. Senart. He has sifted thelegendaryelements of Buddhisttradition,and hasgiventhe reliableresiduum of factsconcerningBuddhas life : hehas examinedtheoriginal teachingofBuddha,shown that the cardinaltenets of thepessimismwhich hepreachedare "the truthofsufferingandthetruthof thedeliverance fromsuffering:"he hasexpoundedtheontologyof Buddhism andplacedtheNirvtmainatruelight.Todothis hehasgoneto the rootsof Buddhism inpre-BuddhistBrahmanism: andhehasgivenOrientalists theoriginalauthorities forhisviews of BuddhistdogmaticsinExcursusattheendof hiswork.Tothoughtfulmen whoevinceaninterestinthecomparativeivTRANSLATORS PREFACE.studyofreligious beliefs, Buddhism,as thehighesteffort ofpureintellect to solvetheproblemofbeing,is attractive. Itis notless so to themetaphysicianandsociologistwhostudythephilosophyof themodern Germanpessimisticschool andobserve its socialtendencies. TothemDr.Oldenbergsworkwillbeasvaluableas it is totheOrientalist.Myaiminthistranslationhasbeentoreproducethethoughtof theoriginalin clearEnglish.If Ihave donethis,I havesucceeded. Dr.Oldenberghaskindlyperused mymanuscriptbeforegoingtopress: and in a fewpassagesof theEnglishI have madeslight alterations, additions,oromissions,ascomparedwiththeGermanoriginal,athisrequest.*IhavetothankDr.Eost,theLibrarianof the IndiaOffice,atwhosesuggestionIundertook thiswork,for his kindnessandcourtesyinfacilitatingsomereferences which I found itnecessarytomaketo theIndia OfficeLibrary.W.HOEY.BELFAST,October21,1882.*Atp. 241-2,Dr.Oldenbergrefers to theimpossibilityofBuddhistterminologyfindingadequateexpressionintheGermanlanguage.Imaymake a similarcomplaintof theEnglish tongue,andpointinprooftothe samewordwhichoccasioned his remark:Sankhara. This term istranslated inthe Germanby"Gestaltungen,"whichwould beusuallyrendered inEnglish by"shapes"or"forms:" but the"shape"or"form,"andthe"shaping"or"forming,"areonetoBuddhistthought:henceIhaveused for"sankhara"anEnglishwordwhichmayconnotebothresult andprocess,and is atthe same timeetymologicallysimilarto,thoughnotquite parallel to,"sankhara." Thewordchosen is"conformations." The selection of the term isarbitrary,as allsuchtranslationsofphilosophicaltechnicalities mustbeuntil aconsensus ofscholarsgivescurrencytoafixedterm.Theconceptionintendedtobeconveyedbytheterm"sankhara"has,asfarasIknow,noexactparallelinEuropeanphilosophy.Thenearestapproachto it is inthemodiofSpinoza.BuddhistSankhara aremodiunderlying which,be theresubstance or be therenot,we donotknow.CONTENTS,INTRODUCTION.CHAPTEE I.INDIA AND BUDDHISM 1 15IndiaandtheWest,p.1. TheTriad ofBuddha,theDoctrine,theOrder, p.6.Westernand Eastern India TheBrahman-castes, p.7. TheAryansinIndia andtheirextension,p.9.AryanandVedicculture, p.10. The Indianpeoples, p.11. The Brahman-castes,p.13.CHAPTEE II.INDIAN PANTHEISM AND PESSIMISM BEFORE BUDDHA . 1660SymbolismoftheofferingTheAbsolute,p.16. EudimentsofIndianspeculation, p.17. Sacrifice and thesymbolismofsacrifice, p.20. TheAtman, p.25. TheBrahma, p.27.TheAbsoluteasAtman-Brahma,p.29.The Absolute andtheExternalworld, p.32. EarlierandlaterformsoftheAtmanidea, p.34. ConversationofYajnavalkyawithMaitreyi, p.35. Thenon-ego,p.38.Pessimism,Metempsychosis,Deliverance,p.42.TheTempterBrahman, p.54. TheKa^aka-Upanishad,Naciketas andthe God ofDeath,p.54. TheGodof DeathandMaratheTempter,p.58.Brahman,p.59.CHAPTEE III.ASCETICISM. MONASTIC ORDERS ..... 61 71BeginningofMonasticism,p.61. Advance of asceticismfromWestern India to the East: formation of monasticorders,p.63. Sectsandheadsofsects, p.66.Sophistic, p.68.> iCONTENTS.PARTI.BUDDHAS LIFE.CHAPTERI.THE CHAEACTER OF TRADITION.LEGEND AND MYTH. 7291DoubtofthehistoricalrealityofBuddhaspersonality;Buddhaand theSun-hero,p.73. Basis of the traditionsregardingBuddha: the sacred Paliliterature, p.75.Characterof thememorandaregardingBuddhasperson, p.76. Wantof anancientbiographyofBuddha,p.78.Biographicalfragmentshandeddownfromancienttimes,p.81.Legendaryelements,p.82. Examination of thehistoryof the attainmentofdeliveringknowledge, p.86. Character of the statementsregardingthe externalsurroundingsofBuddhaslife, p.91.CHAPTERII.BUDDHAS YOUTH ....95 H~-TheSakyas, p.95. Buddha not akingsson, p.99.Childhood, marriage, p.100.Departurefromhome, p.103.Periodof fruitlesssearch, p.105. Decisiveturning-pointofhislife, p.107.CHAPTER III.BEGINNING OF THE TEACHERS CAREER.. . . 113137Thefour-timessevendays,p.114.Historyof theTemptation,p.116.ThesermonatBenares,p.123. Thefirstdisciples, p.130.FurtherConversions,p.131.CHAPTER IV.BUDDHAS WORK138105-Buddhaswork, p.140.DailyLife,p.141.Rainyseason andseasonofItinerancy,p.142. Allotmentoftheday,p.149.Buddhasdisciples, p.150.Layadherents,p.162.Women,p.164.Dialoguebetween BuddhaandVisakha,p.167.Buddhasopponents, p.170. Brahmanism, p.171. Buddhascriticism of the sacrificialsystem, p.172. Relations withothermonasticorders,Criticismofself-mortifications,p.175.Buddhas method ofteaching, p.176.Dialect, p.177. Hisdiscourses,their scholasticcharacter, p.178.Typeof thehistories ofconversions,p.184.Dialogues,p.188.Analogy,Induction,p.189.Similes,p.190. FablesandTales,p.193.Poeticalsayings,p.193.CHAPTER V.BUDDHAS DEATHCONTENTS. viiPART II.THEDOCTRINESOFBUDDHISM.CHAPTEE I.THE TENET OF SUFFERING 204222Buddhismadoctrine ofsufferinganddeliverance, p.204. Itsscholasticdialectic,p.207.Difficultyofcomprehension,p.208.The four sacred truths. The first and Buddhistpessimism,p.209. TheNothingandSuffering, p.212. Dialecticfoundation ofpessimism;discussion of thenon-ego, p.213. ThetoneofBuddhistpessimism,p.221.CHAPTEE II.THE TENETS OF THE ORIGIN AND OF THE EXTINCTIONOF SUFFERING 223285Theformulaofthecausalnexus,p.223.The third link inthe chain ofcausality.Consciousness andcorporealform,p.227.Thefourthtotheeleventhlinkinthechainofcausality, p.231.Thefirst andsecond links ofthecausalchain,p.237.Ignorance,p.237. TheSa?>ikharas, p.242. Kamma(moralretribution),p.243.BeingandBecoming.Substance andFormation, p.247.Dhamma,Sawikhara, p.250.TheSoul, p.252.The Saint. TheEgo.TheNirvana,p.263. TheNirvanainthislife, p.264. The death of theSaint, p.266. Is theNirvana theNothing? p.267. Buddhas conversation withVacchagotta,p.272;withMalukya,p.275.Disallowingthequestionastotheultimategoal,p.276. Veiledanswerstothequestion:the conversation between Khema andPasenadi,p.278.Sariputtas conversationwithYamaka,p.281.CHAPTEE III.THE TENET OF THE PATH TO THE EXTINCTION OFSUFFERING . .. 286-330Duties toothers, p.286. Thethreecategoriesofuprightness,self-concentration,andwisdom, p.288. Prohibitions andcommands, p.290. Love andcompassion,p.292.StoryofLong-lifeandLong-grief, p.293.StoryofKunala,p.296.Beneficence : thestoryofVessantara,p.302. ThestoryofTheWiseHare,p.303.Moralself-culture, p.305.Mara,theEvilOne,p.309.Thelaststagesof thepathof salvation. Abstractions. SaintsandBuddhas,p.313.iii CONTENTS.PART III.THEORDEROFBUDDHAS DISCIPLES.TheconstitutionoftheOrderandits codesoflaws,p.332.TheOrderandtheDioceses. Admissionandwithdrawal,p.336.Property. Clothing. Dwelling. Maintenance,p.354.TheCultus,p.369.TheOrderofNuns,p.377.ThespiritualOrderandthelay-world, p.381.EXCUESUS.FIEST EXCUESUS.ON THE RELATIVE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OP VEDICAND BUDDHIST CULTURE.....391 411SeparatedemarcationofAryanandVedicculture,p.391. Theenumeration ofpeoplesin theAitareyaBrahmanaTexts,p.392. DittoinManu,p.393. ThestocksmentionedintheBrahma??aTexts,p.395. TheKurus, p.396.Yajnavalkyaand theVidehas, p.397. ThelegendofAgni Vaicvanara,p.399.TheMagadhas, p.400. The stocks named in theEik-Sawhita, p.401. TheTurvapas, p.404. The Tntsu-Bharatas,p.405.SECONDEXCUKSUS.NOTESAND AUTHORITIES ONTHE HISTORY OF BUDDHASYOUTH.411-42(>TheSakyas,p.411. ThenameGotama,p.413. Buddhanotakingsson, p.416. His youth and departurefromKapilavatthu,p.417.TheperiodfromPabbajjatoSambodhi,p.420. TheSambodhi,p.424.THIEDEXCUESUS.APPENDICESAND AUTHORITIES ON SOME MATTERS OFBUDDHISTDOGMATIC .....427 4501. TheNirvana, p.427.Upadhi, p.427.Upadana, p.429.Upadisesa,p.433.Passages bearingontheNirvana,p.438.NirvanaandParinirva?ia,p.444.2.Namarupa,p.445.3. TheFourStagesofHoliness,p.448.INTBODTJCTION.CHAPTERI.INDIA AND BUDDHISM,THEhistoryof the Buddhist faithbeginswith a band ofmendicantmonkswhogatheredround thepersonofGotama,theBuddha,in thecountry borderingon theGanges,aboutfiyehundredyearsbeforethe commencement of theChristiane,ra.Whatboundthemtogetherandgaveastampto theirSimpleandearnestworldofthought,was thedeeplyfelt andclearlyandsternly expressedconsciousness,that allearthlyexistenceis full ofsorrow,andthattheonlydeliverance fromsorrowis inrenunciationof theworldandeternalrest.Anitinerantteacher and his itinerantfollowers,not unlikethosebands,whoin later times borethroughGalileethetidings:"thekingdomof heavenis athand/wentthroughtherealmsof Indiawiththeburdenof sorrow anddeath,andtheannouncement:"openyeyourears;thedeliverancefromdeathis found."Vastgaps separatethe historicalcircle,in the middleofwhichstandstheformofBuddha,fromtheworldonwhichwe12 INDIA AND BUDDHISM.are wont next to fix ourthoughts,when wespeakof thehistoryoftheworld.Thoseupheavalsofnaturewhichpartitionedoff India fromthe cooler lands of the west and northbyagiganticwallof vastmountains,allotted at the same time to thepeople,who should first tread thishighlyfavouredland,a role ofdetached isolation. The Indiannation,in a mannerscarcelyparalleled by anyother nation in the civilizedworld,hasdevelopedits life outof itself andaccordingto itsown.laws,far removed alike from the alien and thecognate peoples,whointhewest,withinthecompassofclosermutualrelations,haveperformedthepartstowhichhistorycalled them. Indiatooknoshare in this work. For those circles of the Indianrace,among whomBuddhapreachedhisdoctrine,the idea ofnon-Indianlandshadhardlyamoreconcretesignificationthantheconceptionofthoseotherworlds,which,scatteredthroughinfinitespace,combinewithothersuns,othermoonsandotherhells,toformotheruniverses.Thedaywasyettocome, whenanoverpoweringhandbrokedownthepartitionbetweenIndia and the west the hand of*Alexander. ButthiscontactofIndiaandGreecebelongstoamuchlaterperiodthanthatwhichformedBuddhism: betweenthedeathofBuddhaandAlexanders Indianexpeditionthereelapsedperhapsaboutonehundredandsixtyyears.Whocanconceivewhatmighthavebeen, if,at an earlierepoch,whenthenationallife of the Indiansmighthaveopeneditselfmorefreshlyandgeniallyto the influences of aforeign life,such,events had overtaken it as thisincursion of MacedonianweaponsandHellenicculture? ForIndiaAlexander cametoolate. Whenheappeared,the Indianpeoplehadlongsincecome,in thedepthof theirloneliness,to stand aloneamongnations,ruledbyforms of life andhabits ofthought,whichINDIA AND THEWEST. 3differedwhollyfromthestandardsof the non-Indian world.Without apast livingin theirmemory,,without apresent,whichtheymightutilize inloveandhate,withoutafuture,forwhich menmight hopeandwork,theydreamed morbid andprouddreams of that which isbeyondalltime,and of thepeculiargovernmentwhichis withintheseeverlastingrealms.Onscarcelyanyof the creations of the exuberant culture ofIndia,dowefind thestampof this Indian characteristic sovsharply,andtherefore, too,soenigmatically impressed,as onBuddhism.Butthemorecompletelydoall external bonds betweenthesedistantregionsandtheworldwithwhichweareacquainted,asfarastheyconsistoftheintercourseofnationsandthe interchangeoftheirintellectualwealth,seemtoustobesevered,somuchthemoreclearlydoweperceiveanothertie,which holdscloselytogether internallywhat areoutwardlyfarapartandapparently foreign:the bond of historicalanalogybetweenphenomena,whicharecalledintobeingin differentplaces bytheworkingofthesamelaw.Invariably,wherever a nation has been in apositiontodevelope its intellectuallife inpurityandtranquillitythroughalongperiodoftime,thererecursthatphenomenon, speciallyobservableinthedomainofspirituallife,which we mayventureto describeasashiftingofthecentreofgravityof allsupremehumaninterests from without to within: an oldfaith,whichpromisedtomensomehoworotherbyanoffensive and defensive alliancewiththeGodhead,power,prosperity, victoryandsubjectionof theirenemies, will,sometimesby imperceptibledegrees,and sometimesby great catastrophes,besupplantedbya newphaseofthought,whosewatchwordsare nolongerwelfare,victory,dominion,butrest,peace, happiness,deliverance. The blood of the sacrificial victim nolongerbrings1*4 INDIAANDBUDDHISM.reconciliationto thedismayedanderringheart ofman: new-waysaresoughtandfound,toovercometheenemywithin theheart,andtobecomewhole,pure,andhappy.Thisalteredconditionof theinnerlifegivesriseexternallyto a newform ofspiritualfellowship.In the old order ofthingsnature associatedreligiousunitywith thefamily,theclan,andthenationjointly,andinsidetheseunityoffaithandworshipexisted of itself. Whoeverbelongsto apeoplehastherebytherightto,and is boundto have a sharein,theworshipof thepopular gods.Near thispeopleare otherpeoplewithothergods;foreachindividualit is determinedasa naturalnecessity bythe circumstancesof hisbirth,whatgodsshallbetohimthetrueandforhimtheoperativedeities.Aparticularcollectivebody,whichmaybe denominated achurch,thereis notand there cannotbe,for the circle of allworshippersof thepopular godsisnonarrowerandnowiderthanthepeoplethemselves.Thecircumstancesunderwhichthe later forms ofreligiouslife come to the surface are different.Theyhave not anantiquityco-eval with thepeople amongwhomtheyarise.Whentheycomeinto existencetheyfindafaithalreadyrootedin thepeopleandgivinganimprinttopopularinstitutions.Theymustbegintogatheradherents to themselves fromamongthe crowds ofprofessorsof another faith. It is nolongernaturalnecessity,butthewill of theindividual,whichdetermineswhetherhehopestofind his salvationon this sideor onthat. Therearisetheformsoftheschool,thesociety,andthenolyorder. Fromthenarrowsocial circle of teacher anddisciplestheremayeventuallygrowachurch, which,exceedingthelimits ofthenation,thelimits of all seats ofculture,mayextendto distancesthemostremote.Were it allowable to borrow from oneparticularinstancePRIMARYANDSECONDARYRELIGIONS.5of those cases which illustratethis,adesignationfor thisrevolutionof universaloccurrence,which transforms thereligiouslife of nationsinternallyas well asexternally,wemightdescribe it as the transition from the OldTestamentdispensation tothe NewTestamentdispensation.The honourofLavinggiventhemostuniqueand most markedexpressiontothis transition in formsunequalledinhistory, belongsto theSemitic race. Somewhere about five hundredyearsearlierthaninPalestine,analogousoccurrencestookplaceamongtheIndo-G-ermanic nations in twoplaces, widely separatedinlocality,butapproximateintime,inGreeceandinIndia.In the former case we find the most eccentricamongtheAthenians,thedefiningexplorerof thebasesofhumanaction,who,inthe market andoverthewine-cup,to Alkibiades aswell astoPlato,demonstrates thatvirtue can betaughtandlearned,in the latter case therestepsout as the mostprominentamongtheworld7sphysicians,who then traversedIndia in monasticgarb,the nobleGotama,who calls himselftheExalted,theholy, highlyIlluminatedOne,who has comeinto theworld to showtogodsandmenthepathout ofthesorrowfulprisonofbeinginto the freedom ofeverlastingrest.Whatcanbemoredifferentthantherelativeproportionsinwhichinthesetwospiritsandhistoricaltreatmentwillpermitus to add asathird theirgreatcounterpartinhismysteriousmajesticformofsufferinghumanitytheelements ofthoughtandfeeling,ofdepthandclearness,werearrangedandmixed?But even in thesharply-defineddifference of that whichwas,and stillis,Socratic, Buddhistic,and Christianvitality,historicalnecessityholdsgood.For it was a matter ofhistoricalnecessitythat,when thestepwas attainedatwhichthisspiritualreconstructionwasrequiredand calledfor,theG INDIAANDBUDDHISM.Greeks wereboundtomeetthisdemand witha newphilosophy,theJewswithanewfaith. The Indian mindwaswantinginthatsimplicity,which can believewithoutknowing,aswellasinthatboldclearness,which seeks toknowwithoutbelieving,and therefore the Indian had to frame adoctrine,areligionandaphilosophycombined,andtherefore,perhaps,if it mustbesaid,neither the one nor theother;Buddhism. Oursketchisintended tokeepinview,atevery stepindetail,theparallelismof thesephenomena.While it obtains from thesimilar historicalpicturesof thewesternworldalightwhichenables it inmanya darkplacewithin its ownprovincetodescryoutlines andforms,ithopesonitspartinreturnto aidtherebyinsuggestingbases founded onfacts,sifted andassured,for thediscoveryof thoseuniversallyvalidrules,whichgovernthechangesinthereligiousthoughtofnations.The coursewhich our sketchwill have tofollow,isclearlyindicatedbythenatureof thecase.Obviously,our first taskis to describe the historical nationalantecedents,thegroundand base on which Buddhismrests,above all thereligiouslife andphilosophical speculationofpre-BuddhistIndia;forhundreds ofyearsbefore Buddhas time movementswere inprogressin Indianthought,whichpreparedthewayforBuddhismandwhichcannotbeseparatedfromasketchofthelatter. Then the review of Buddhism willnaturallydivideitself into threeheads,correspondingto thatTriad,underwhich even in theveryoldest time the Buddhistsocietyintheirliturgicallanguage,distributedthe wholeofthosematterswhichtheyesteemedsacred,thetrinityofBuddha,theLaw,the Order. Buddhas ownpersonstandsnecessarilyin oursketchalso,asit didinthatancientformula,intheforeground.Wemustacquaintourselveswith his lifeand hisdeath,withhisdebut asteacherof hispeople,with his bandofdisciples,BUDDHA,THELAW,THECHURCH.7whogatheredroundhim,and with his intercourse with richandpoor,highand low. Weshall thenturn,in the secondplace,tothedogmaticthoughtof the oldestBuddhism,aboveall to thatwhich stands evermore as a focus in this worldofthought,tothedoctrineofthesorrowofall thatisearthly,thedeliverance fromthissorrow,thegoalof all effort toescape,theNirvana. Therethenremainsthecharacteristic feature ofBuddhism,as well as ofChristianity,that whichexternallybindstogetherall who are unitedbya commonfaith,andacommoneffort fordeliverance,inbondsofacommon churchfellowship.InthatformulaoftheBuddhisttrinitywefindtheorder namedafterBuddhaand the Lawas thethirdmember.We shall follow this courseand,when we havespokenofBuddhaandhisLaw,weshallkeepinview,inthethirdplace,the Order and theircorporatelife. Weshallcometounderstand theorganizationwhich Buddhism hasgivento thenarrower circle ofbelievers,who have taken their vows asmonks andnuns,aswell asto thelaycommunity,whoacceptthedoctrineofBuddha. WiththiswillendtheinvestigationofthemostancientBuddhism; or,moreaccuratelyexpressed,the sketch of Buddhism in thatform,which is to us theoldest;and to thisinvestigation onlywill our sketch beconfined.. *WESTERNAND EASTERN INDIA THE BRAHMAN-CASTES.Thestage uponwhich antecedenthistoryas well as themost ancienthistoryof Buddhism wasenacted,is theGangetic valley,the most Indian of Indian lands. In thetimesofwhichwehave tospeak,theGangeticvalley,almostalone in the wholepeninsula, comprisedwithin itself allcentres ofAryan state-governmentand culture. Thegreat8 WESTERNANDEASTERNINDIA THEBRAHMAN-CASTES.natural divisions of thisterritory,which, coincidewithstagesinthedistributionof the Indianfamily-stock,andwithstagesin the extension of old-Indianculture,correspondalso tostagesin the course ofdevelopmentwhich thisreligiousmovementhastaken.Atthe outsetwearecarriedinto the north-west half of theGangeticvalley,tothoseterritorieswhere theGangetictractsand the Indus tractsapproacheachother,and to thosethroughwhich the two twin streams of theGangesandYamuna flow asthey convergeto theirconjunction. Here,andfor along periodherealone,laythe true settlements ofBrahmanicalculture;herefirst,centuries before the timeofBuddha,in the circles of Brahmanthinkers,at theplaceof sacrificeand in the solitudes of forestlife,thosethoughtswerethoughtanduttered,in which the transition from theold Yedicreligionof nature to the doctrine ofdeliverancebeganandultimatelyfounddevelopment.The culture fostered in thenorth-west,and with it thesethoughts, followingthe course of theGanges,flowed on tothesouth-eastthroughthosepowerfulveinsinwhich from ofoldbeatmoststronglythelife of India.Amongnewpeoplestheyassumed new-forms,and when Buddha himself at lastappeared,thetwogreatestkingdomsin thesouth-eastern halfoftheGangeticvalley,thelandsofKosala(Oude)andMagadha(Bihar),became the chief scenesof histeachingandlabours.Thus there lie broadstripsof land between the tracts inwhich,longbeforeBuddha,Buddhismbeganitspreparatorycourse ofdevelopment,and those in which Buddha himselfgatheredround him hisfirstbelievers;and thischangeofsceneryandactorshashad,it could not have beenotherwise,anappreciableeffect inmore thanonerespecton the courseoftheplay.THEARYANSININDIA.9Wenext take aglanceat thetribes,,which,successivelymeetus,someastheoriginatorsand others as thepromotersofthisreligiousmovement.TheAryan populationof India came intothepeninsula,asis wellknown,from the north-west. Thisimmigration layalreadyin the remotepastat the time towhich the oldestmonuments whichwe have ofreligious poetrybelong.TheIndians had ascompletelylost thememoryof this as thecorrespondingeventshad beenforgotten bythe Greeks andItalians. FairAryanspressedonandbrokedownthestrongholdsof theaboriginalinhabitants,the"black-skinned,"the"lawless,"and"godless."Theenemywas drivenback,annihilated,orsubjugated.Whenthesongsof theYedaweresung, Aryanclans,though perhaps onlyasadventurous,solitarypioneers,hadalreadypressedontowheretheIndusinthewest,andpossiblyalso towhere theGangesin theeast,emptytheirmightywaters into the sea;inexhaustiblyrichregionsin which the flocks of theAryans grazedand theAryandeitieswerehonouredwithprayerandsacrifice.Probablythe firstimmigrants,and, therefore,the farthestforward to theeast,whether confederate or disassociated weknownot,are those tribeswhichmeetuslateron east of thejunctionof theGangesandYamuna,settledonbothbanks oftheGanges,theAngaandMagadha,theVideha,theKaciandKosala.Asecondwaveofthegreattideofimmigration broughtwithit newgroupsofAryans,anumberof tribescloselyinterconnected, who,.surpassingtheir brothersintellectually,haveproducedthe most ancientgreatmonuments of the Indianmindwhichwepossess,andwhichwecallbythename of theVedas. We findthesetribesatthetimeofwhichthehymnsoftheEig Vedagiveusapicture,neartheentrancesoftheIndian10 WESTERNANDEASTERNINDIA THEBRAHMAN-CASTES.peninsula,,at the Indus andin thePanjab;laterontheyaredriventothesouth-eastandhavefoundedontheupperstreamof theGangesandontheYamuna thosekingdoms,which arecalled in"Manu sInstitutes"the land of the"Brahmarshis," thehome and thetypeofholy,upright living:"Bya Brahmanwho hasbeen born in thisland/saysthe Law(of Manu),"shall all men on earth be instructed as to their conduct."The names of the Bharatatribe, Kuru, Pancala, stand;outamongthepeoplesof this classic landofYedicculture,whichlies before ourgazein clear illumination as a land rich inadvanced intellectualcreation,whilethedestiniesof the othertribes,who hadimmigratedat an earlierdate,remained indarknessuntiltheperiodwhentheycameinto contact withthecultureoftheirbrothertribes.*InaYedicwork,the"Brahmanaofthehundredpaths,"wehave a remarkablelegend,in which isclearly depictedthecoursewhichtheextensionofthecultandcultureoftheYedatook. Thenaming godAgniYai9vanara,the sacrificialfire,wanders eastward from the riverSarasvati,beyondthe oldsacredhome-landof theYedicSacra. Eivers cross hispath,butAgniburnsonacrossallstreams,and afterhimfollowtheprinceMathavaandtheBrahmanGotama. Thustheycametothe riverSadanira,which flows downfrom thesnowymountainsinthenorth:Agnidoesnotcross it."Brahmanscrossedit not in formeragesforAgni Yaisvanarahad not burnedbeyondit. But nowmanyBrahmansdweltbeyondit totheeast. This wasformerly verybadland,inundatedsoil,forAgniYaic.vanarahad not made it habitable. Butnow it isvery goodland,for Brahmans have since made itenjoyable*Furtherproofsinsupportof theviewheretakenoftheseparationofthewesternYedicandthe eastern non-Yedictribes,areadvancedatthecloseofthisworkinExcursusI.ARYANANDVEDICCULTURE.11through, offerings;"in India badland is notconvertedintogood,asin the rest of theworld,bypeasantswhoploughanddig,butby sacrificingBrahmans. Prince Mathava takesuphisabodetothe east of theSadanira,in the badland,whichAgnihadnotessayedto enter. Hisdescendantsarethe rulersof Yideha. Theoppositionis clear in which theselegendsplacethe eastern tribes to thewestern,amongwhomAgniYaigvanara,the idealchampionof Yediclife,isfrom of old athome. Whoeverpursuesaninquiryintothebeginningof theextensionofBuddhism,must rememberthatthe home of theoldest Buddhist communities lies in the tracts or near thelimitsofthosetracts,intowhichAgniYai9vanaradidnotcrossinhisflamingcoursewhenhetravelledtotheeast.Weare unable to fixanygraduatedseries ofdates,eitherby yearsorbycenturies,indicatingtheprogressof thisvictoriouscampaign,inwhichAryansandYedic culture overrantheGangeticvalley.But,whatismoreimportant,weareable from thelayersof Yedic literature which overlie eachother,togathersome idea ofhow,under the influences of anewhome,ofIndiannatureandIndianclimate,achangecameover the life of thepeoplefirst and foremost of the Yedicpeoples,the tribes of the north-west and how thepopularmindreceived thatmorbidimpressionof sorrow anddisease,whichhas survivedallchangesoffortune,andwhichwill lastaslongasthereis anIndianpeople.In thesultry,moist,tropicallands of theGanges, highlyendowedbynaturewithrichgifts,thepeoplewhowere in theprimeofyouthfulvigourwhentheypenetratedhitherfromthenorth,soonceasedtobeyoungandstrong.Menandpeoplescomerapidlytomaturityin thatland,like theplantsof thetropicalworld, onlyjustasrapidlyto fallasleepbothbodilyandspiritually.Theseawithitsinvigoratingbreeze,andthe12 WESTERNANDEASTERNINDIA THEBRAHMAN-CASTES.schoolof noblenationalenergy,playnopartinthelife oftheIndians. TheIndian has aboveall,at anearlystage,turnedaside fromthat whichchiefly preservesapeople youngandhealthy,from the battle andstruggleforhome,country,andlaw. Thethoughtof freedomwithall thequickening,and,itistrne,alsowith all thedeadlypowerswhich itbringsin itstrain,hasalwaysbeen unknown andincomprehensibleinIndia. ThefreewillofmanmaynotchafeagainstthesystemofBrahma,the natural law ofcaste,which hasgiventhepeopleintothepowerof thekingandthekingintothepowerofthepriest.Wellmightitawakenthe astonishment of theGreek to see in India thepeasant calmlygoforth betweenopposingarmiesto till his fields:*"He is sacredandinviolablefor he is the commonbenefactorof friendandfoe." But inwhattheGreeksmentionasabeautifulandsensiblefeature inIndiannationallife,there liessomethingmore than mere softmildness. When Hannibalcame,the Romanpeasantceasedto sow his fields. The Indians arewholly strangersto thehighestinterests and ideals which are at the basis of allhealthynational life. Will and action areovergrown bythought.Butwhenonce the internal balance isdisarrangedandthenaturalrelationshipbetweenthespiritand therealityof theworldisdisturbed,thoughthasnolongerthepowertotakeawholesomegraspof what iswholesome. Whateveris,appearsto the Indian worthlesscomparedto themarginalilluminationswithwhichhisfancysurroundsit,andtheimagesof hisfancy growintropical luxuriance,shapelessand distorted,and turneventuallywith terrificpower againsttheircreator. Tohimthetrueworld,hiddenbytheimagesof hisowndreams,remainsanunknown,whichheis unable to trust*This fact mentionedbyMegasthenesis also confirmedbymodernwriters,cf.Irving,"TheoryandPracticeofCaste,"p.75.THEINDIANPEOPLE.15andoverwhichhehas no control : life andhappinessin thisworld break down under the burden ofexcessivelycrushingcontemplationof thehereafter.Thevisible manifestationoftheworldto comeinthemidstofthepresentworld is the caste of theBrahmans,who haveknowledgeandpower,who canopenand shut to man theapproachto thegods,and make friends or enemiesfor himabove. Thosepowers,whichwereexcludedfromdevelopmentinpoliticallife,couldfindinthe case oftheBrahmansaloneasphereforcreation,butverilyforwhatacreation ! InsteadofaLykurgusoraThemistokles,whomfateperemptorilydeniedto theIndians,theyhave had all the more Arunis andYajnavalkyas,who knew how to found withmasterlyhandthemysteriesoffire-offeringand soma-offering,and togivecurrencyinnotlessmasterlyfashiontothose claimswhichareadvancedagainstthe secular classesbythechampionsofthekingdomwhichis notofthisworld.NoonecanunderstandthecoursewhichIndianthoughthastaken,withoutkeepinginviewthepicture,withitslightsandshadows,ofthis orderofphilosophers,astheGreeks namedtheBrahmanical caste. Andabove all it must be rememberedthat,atthattime atleast,whichhasshapedthedeterminativefundamentalthoughtsfor theintellectual effortsofasubsequentageand forBuddhismalso,thispriestlyclasswassomethingmorethan a vain andgreedy priestcraft,thatit was thenecessaryformin whichtheinnermostessence,theevilgenius,if wemayso callit,oftheIndianpeoplehasembodieditself.Thedaysof the Brahmanpassedin solemn routine. Ateverystepthosenarrow,restraininglimits heldhimin,whichtheholydignitythatherepresentedimposedonthe innerandouterman. Hepassedhisyouthinhearingandlearningthesacredword,foratrueBrahmanishealonecwhohasheard."And if heacquiredthereputation"ofhavingheard/his14: EASTERNANDWESTERNINDIA TEEBRAHMAN-CASTES.adult lifepassedinteaching,in thevillageor out in thesolitude of the forest inthe consecratedcircle,onwhich thesunshoneintheeast,where alonethemostsecretinstruction,could beimparted openlyto themuffled scholar. Or hewasbe found at theplaceofsacrifice,performingfor himselfand for othersthe sacredoffice, which,with its countlessobservances,demanded the mostpainfulminuteness and themost laboriousproficiency,orhefulfilledthelife-longdutyofBrahma-offering,thatis,thedaily prayerfrom the sacredYeda. Wellmightriches flow into his handsbythe remuneration forsacrifice,whichkingsandnoblesgaveto theBrahmans,but hepassedas mostworthy,wholived,notbyofferingsforothers,butbythegleaningsofthefield,whichhegathered,orbyalms forwhich he had notasked,or suchcharityas he hadbeggedas a favour.Still,livingeven asabeggar,he looked on himself as exalted aboveearthlypotentatesandsubjects,made of other stuffthanthey.TheBrahmans call themselvesgods,and,intreatywiththegodsofheaven,thesegodsof earthknowthemselvespossessedofweaponsofthegods,weaponsofspiritualpower,beforewhichallearthly weaponssnappowerless."TheBrahmans," saysaVedicsong,(carry sharparrows:theyhave darts;theaim,whichtheytake,fails not.Theyattacktheirenemyintheirholyardourandtheirfury, theypiercehimthrough fromafar."Theking,whomtheyanoint to rule over theirpeople,is nottheirking;thepriest,atthecoronation,whenhepresentstherulertohissubjects, says:"Thisisyourking, people;thekingover us Brahmans is Soma."They,theBrahmans,standingwithout thepaleof theState,bind themselvestogetherin agreat confederacy,which extends as farastheordinancesof the Veda are current. The members of thisconfederacyare theonlyteachers of therisingyouth.TheyoungIndianofAryanbirthis asgoodasout-caste,if hebeTHEBRAHMAN-CASTES.15notbroughtat aproperageto aBralimanteacher,toreceivefrom Mmthesacredcord,themarkofthespiritualtwice-born,andtobeinducted into thewisdomof theVedas."Intomycontrol,"thensaystheteacher,"Itakethy heart,letthythoughtfollowmythought,with allthysoulrejoiceinmyword." Andthroughthelong years,whichthepupil passesinthemastershouse,he is coercedbyhis fearandobediencetohim. The house of the Brahmanis,like thearmyinthemodernState,thegreatschool,whichdemandsofeveryoneashare of the bestpartof hislife,todischargehimeventuallywiththeindeliblyimplantedconsciousness ofsubordinationtotheideaembodied,inthe one caseintheState,in the othercaseintheBrahman-class.Inthestrengthandtheweaknessofthe formsoflife ofthisclass of thinkers liesalso,as it were in agerm,thestrengthandweakness of theirthought. They were,so tospeak,banishedinto a self-madeworld,cut off fromtherefreshingatmosphereofreallife,bynothingshakenintheirunboundedbelief inthemselves and in theirunique omnipotence,incomparisonwith which all thatgavecharacter to the life ofothers,must haveappearedsmall andcontemptible.Andthus,therefore,in theirthoughtalso theutmost boldness ofworld-disclaimingabstractionshowsitself,whichsoarsbeyondall thatis visibleintotheregionsofthespacelessandtimeless,tocaperinsicklycompanyinbaselesschimeras,withoutlimitoraim,infancies such as can be conceivedonly byaspiritwhichhaslost all taste forthe soberrealities of fact.Theyhave created a mode ofthoughtin which thegreatandprofoundhasjoined partnershipwith childish absurdities souniquelythat thehistoryof theattemptsofhumanitytocomprehendself and the universe affords noparallel.Tostudythisthoughtinitsdevelopmentis ournexttask.CHAPTER II.INDIAN PANTHEISMAND PESSIMISM BEFOREBUDDHA.SYMBOLISM OF THE OFFERING THE ABSOLUTE.THE rudiments of Indianspeculationextend back to thelyricpoetryoftheRig Yeda.Here,intheoldestmonumentofVedicpoetry, among songsat sacrifice andprayerstoAgniandIndra forprotection, prosperity,andvictory,we discoverthefirstboldefforts of areflectingmind,whichturnsitsbackon thespheresofmotleyworlds ofgodsandmyths,and,inconscious reliance onits ownpower, approachestheenigmasofbeingandorigination:"NorAuglitnorNaughtexisted,yonbrightskyWasnot,norheavensbroadroofoutstretchedabove."What coveredall? Whatsheltered? Whatconcealed?Wasitthewaters fathomlessabyss?"Therewasnotdeathyetwastherenaughtimmortal,Therewasnoconfinebetwixtdayandnight;TheonlyOnebreathedbreathlessbyitself,OtherthanIttherenothingsincehasbeen."Darknesstherewas,andall atfirstwasveiledIngloomprofoundanoceanwithoutlightThegermthatstilllaycoveredinthehuskBurstforth,onenature,fromtheferventheat.RUDIMENTSOFINDIANSPECULATION.17"Whoknowstlie secret? whoproclaimedithere,Whence,whencethismanifoldcreationsprang?ThegodsthemselvescamelaterintobeingWhoknowsfromwhencethisgreatcreationsprang?"Hefromwhomall thisgreatcreationcame,WhetherHiswillcreatedorwasmute,TheMostHighSeerthatis inhighestheaven,Heknowsit orperchanceeven Heknowsnot."*Andinanothersong1apoet speaks,who,estrangedfromthefaithinthe olddeities,seeks afterthe oneGod,"whoaloneisLordoverallthatmoves:""Hewhogivesbreath, Hewhogivesstrength;Whosecommandallthebrightgodsrevere,Whoseshadowisimmortality,whoseshadowis death;WhoistheGodtowhomweshallofferoursacrifice?"Hethroughwhosegreatnessthesesnowymountainsare,Andthesea,theysay,withthedistantriver(theRasa)Heof whomtheseregionsarethetwoarms;WhoistheGodto whomweshallofferoursacrifice?"Hethrough whomtheskyisbrightandtheearthfirmHethroughwhomthe heavenwasstablished,naythehighestheavenHewhomeasuredoutthespaceinthesky?Who istheGodtowhomweshallofferoursacrifice?"HewhobyHismightlookedevenoverthewatersWhichheldpowerandgeneratedthe sacrificialfire,HewhoaloneisGodaboveallgods;WhoistheGodtowhomweshallofferoursacrifice?f"Eachstropheofthelyricends in these words: who isthe God to whomwe shall offer our sacrifice?"Thegapisclearly perceptiblewhich lies betweeninquiringhymnslikethis andthepositivefaith of anearlierage,whichknew,but*RigVeda,x. 129. TranslatedbyMaxMiiller.t Ibid.,x. 121. TranslatedbyMaxMiiller.218 SYMBOLISMOFSACRIFICETHEABSOLUTE.inquirednotregardingthegodstowhomtheyshould makesacrifice.Wecanonlytouch with brief comment this first flash of:consciousthoughto theIndiansregardingthe fundamentalquestionsof the universeand life. Thedevelopmentofspeculationor, rather,itsself-developmentoutof aworld ofphantasmsfirst assumes a connectedprogressiveform, at atimewhich is laterprobablymuchlater thanthattowhichthesehymns,quotedfromtheRigVeda,belong.Itwasthatperiodofwidelyramified and exuberantliterary productionwhichhasgivenbirthtotheendless mass of sacrificial worksandmysticcollections ofdogmasanddiscourses,written inprose,which areusuallynamedBrahmana,Aranyaka,andUpanishad.Theageof theseworks,uponwhich alone wecanrelyforthisportionof oursketch,wecandetermineonlyapproximatelyandwithinuncertainlimits. Weshallscarcelybemuchinerror,if weplacetheiroriginsomewherebetweentheninthandseventhcenturiesbefore theChristianera. Thedevelopmentofthought,whichwasprogressinginthisperiod,whilerestingapparentlyonthebasis of the old faith,ingods,hadreallyundermined thatfaith, and,forcingitswaythroughendlessvoids of fantasticchimeras,had at last createdanewgroundofreligious thought,the belief in theundisturbed,unchangeableuniversal-Unity,whichreposesbehindtheworldof sorrow andimpermanence,and to which thedelivered,leavingthisworld,returns. Onthisveryfoundation,moreover,centuriesaftertheBrahmanical thinkershad laidit,were thedoctrine and the churchbuilt,which were named after thenameofBuddha.Wenowproceedto tracestep bysteptheprocessof thatself-destruction of the Vedicreligious thought,which hasproducedBuddhismasitspositiveoutcome.RUDIMENTSOFINDIANSPECULATION. 19At the timewhenthisprocessbegins,allspiritualexerciseswhichareperformedinIndiaareconcentratedroundonefocus,the sacrifice. Theworld,which surrounds theBrahmans,istheplaceof sacrifice;thematters,ofwhich,aboveallothers,hehasknowledge,arethoserelatingto sacrificial duties. Hemust understand the sacrificewith all itssecrets,forunderstandingisall-subduing power. Bythispowerthegodshavechainedthedemons"mighty,"sorunsthepromiseforthosewhohaveknowledge,fcdothhehimselfbecome,andpowerlessbecomes hisenemyandcontroverter,whopossessessuchknowledge."Theelements,of which thisknowledgeof themeaningofthe sacred sacrificial ritesconsists,aretwofold;somespringfromthespiritualbequestsof thepast,andothersareanewly-acquiredpossession.On the oneside,thelegacyinherited fromthetimeof thesimplebelief inAgniandIndraandYaruna,andall thehostsofgods,beforewhomfathersandancestors hadbowed themselvesinprayerandsacrifice.Everyhalidlaidontheofferingpointsto these. Whentheoffererseizesthesacredimplement,hesays,"Igraspthee at the call ofgodSavitar,with thearms of theAcvins,withPushans hands." If the sacrificialobjectis tobeconsecratedwithsprinklingofwater,hesaystothewaters,Indra hath chosenyouas his associates at theconquestofYritra; yehave chosenIndra asyourassociateattheconquestof Yritra." Andfromearly mornuntileveningthere resound at theplaceof sacrificepraisesandsongstoUshas,theredness ofdawn,thedivinemaiden,who,withherglisteningsteeds,approachesthedwellingsofman,dispensingblessings;toIndra, who,firedbythesoma-draught,breaksin wild battle thelegionsof demons with histhunderbolt;toAgni,thebenign god,theheavenly guest,who beams in2*20 SYMBOLISMOFSACRIFICETEEABSOLUTE.the habitations ofmen,and bearstheir sacrificialgiftstoheaven.Buttheworldof theoldgods,theliving godsof flesh andblood,can nolongerof itself alonesatisfythe mind of thelaterage.Everstrongerbecomesthetendencytonamebytheirpropernames thepowerswhichgovernthewideworldand the life of man. There isspace;theIndiansnamed it"theregionsof the world." There istime,withitscreatinganddestroying power;the Indians named it"theyear."Therearetheseasons,themoon,dayandnight,earth andair,the sun"he whoburns,"and thewind"hewho blows."Therearethebreath-powers,whichpass throughthe humanbody.There arethoughtandspeech,"which are one witheachotherandyet separate."Themovementsandoperationsof thesepowers governthecourseoftheuniverse,andbringmenwealandwoe.And nowmen look forananswer,in the newlanguageoftheir ownage,to thequestionwhich the sacrifice and theworld ofgods,to whom sacrifice ismade,suggestto thethought.Then theatmosphereassumes a state in whichmysteriesandsymbolsincrease. In all thesurroundingsofthe Brahman at the altar ofsacrifice,and above all in thesacred officewhich he thereperforms,thegodAgniand thegodSavitarwillnolongerbepresentalone,but there shall bethere all the hiddenpowerswhich move to and fro in theuniverse,"for theuniverse,"it issaid,"isswayed bythemovement of sacrifice." Whatmeetstheeyein theofferingisnotmerelywhatit isorappearstobe,butthereissomethingfurther that which itsignifies. Speechand action have adoublesignification,theapparentand thehidden; and,ifhumanknowledgefollows theapparent,yetthegodslove thehiddenandabhortheapparent.ELEMENTSOFTHESYMBOLISMOFSACRIFICE.21Numbers havemysteriouspower,words andsyllableshavemysteriouspower,rhythmshavemysteriouspower.There isanimaginaryplaybetweenimaginaryforces which issubjecttonolawofperceptibility.Consecration(diksha)escapesfromthegods;theysearch for itthroughthe months;theyfindit neitherwith summer norwithwinter,buttheyfind itwiththe months of the cool season(c^ira);therefore manmustconsecrate himselfwhen the monthsof thecoolseasonhavecomeround. Themetraflyuptoheaven tobringthesoma-draught;thevoicespeaksstandingintheseasons.Thesystemofofferingis atypeof theyear,or,briefly,the.sacrifice is theyear;theofficiating priestsare theseasons oftheyear;theobjectsofferedupare the months. Weshouldimport something foreigninto theseplaysofthoughtifweattemptedtotraceinthemanysharply-definedline of demarcation between thebeingand thesignifying,between therealityand itsrepresentative;the oneoverlapstheother."Prajapati (the Creator)created as hisimagethat which istheoffering.Thereforepeople saytheofferingisPrajapati.Forhecreatedit ashisimage."Morningaftermorning,andeveningafterevening,twoofferingsareplacedin thesacredfire;theoneis thepast,theother thefuture;the one isto-day,the other the morrow.To-dayis certain; therefore,thefirst of bothofferingswillbemade with an utterance of sacrificialformula,forspeechiscertainty.The morrow isuncertain; therefore,the secondofferingwillbemadeinsilence,forsilence,astheIndiansays,istheuncertain.Intheconfusedcloud-world of thesemysteries,therelurk,concealed from theeyeof theignorant,countlessenemiesofthedestinies of thechildren of men;daysandnightsrollon,andbearawaywith themtheblessingswhich thegooddeeds.22 SYMBOLISMOFSACRIFICE THEABSOLUTE.of menhadwonforthem;abovetherealm ofchanging daysandnightsthesun,"whoshines/isenthroned;and "he whoburns is death. Since he isdeath,therefore the creatureswhodwellbelowhimdie;thosewho livebeyondhimarethegods;therefore are thegodsimmortal. Hisraysare thetraces,wherewithall thesecreaturesareyokedto life. Whosesoeverlifehewishes,he drawstohimself andhedepartshedies." But thewisemanknowsformulasandofferings,whichexalt him above theregionofrolling daysandnights,andabove theworld,inwhich thesun,with hisheat,haspoweroverlife anddeath.Dayandnightrobnothimof therewardof hisworks;hesets his life free from death"that is thedeliverancefromdeath,whichis intheAgnihotraoffering.""Theworldthusdarkensdownforthefancyofthisrace to adismalarena for the movement of unlimited lifelessshapes.Symbolsareheapedunceasingly onsymbols;whereverthoughtturns,newgodsandnewmiraculouspowersconfrontit,eachasformlessastherest. ThatGod,it istrue,whowas beforeallgodsand allexistences,the creator ofworlds,Prajapati,whowasaloneinthebeginninganddesired"mightIbecomeaplurality,mightIproducecreatures,"stands out above all>andinthehot work oftoilsome creation hegaveforth fromhimselftheworlds,andgodsandmen, andspaceandtime,andthoughtandspeech.Buteven thethoughtofPrajapati,thelordofbeings,evokednolouderresponsefrom the breast ofthebeliever;theimageof the Creator floatshazily amongothersinthegreat, gray, shapelessmist,which surrounds theworldofcreatures.Wherever welookinthevast massofmonuments,whichthestrange activityof thatagehasbequeathedtous,there is-nowheretobeseenanoperationof theinquiring mind,proceedingfromthedepths,nowherethat effort of boldthought,EMPTINESSOFTHESYMBOLISM.23whichplaysforaheavystakeand wins. Thatimbecile wisdomwhichknowsallthingsanddeclares allthings,sitsenthronedinself-contentinthemiddleofits absurdimages,andnot evenquakesbefore thespectralhosts which it hasconjured up;whereforeshouldthewisetremble,whoknowsthewordbeforewhichspiritsanddemonsbow? Onegenerationafteranothergrowsupunder theban of confusedthoughts,and one afteranother unwearied adds itsquotato the contributions ofdepartedraces,andthenit alsopassesaway.Oureyesmustaccustomthemselves,untiltheyhavelearnedtoseein thedimlightofthisshadow-land,inwhichthefancifulimagesof thoseagesmove,crowding formlessly together.Butthenevenherethere reveals itself a kind ofnatural lawoperatingintheregionofthespiritual.Let us first on ourparttracewhatispreservedtousinthe oldest monuments ofthosespeculations,and then the work of latergenerationssuccessively,and thus as we mountup layer by layer,thepicturewhich we seechanges,and thechangeshaveconnectionandmeaning.Themoreimportantoftheseconceptionsof thefancygradually emergefrom theconfusedmass,pressinto theforeground,trampledowntheweak,andsteptriumphantlyintothe centreofeverycircle. Thepowersandsymbols,onwhoseworkingtheIndianthinkerfanciesthesystemof the universe torest,arewhattheyare,not in andbythemselvesalone,but thefartherthoughtgoes,themoreclearlydothey appearto restongreatfundamentalforces,from which their existenceisprincipallyderived,or in whichtheyareagainmerged,whenthegoalof theirbeingis reached.Fromthesurface, whereeachphenomenonpresentsitself assomethingdifferentfromeveryother,thespeculativeimaginationstrives topierceintothedepthsbelow,inwhichliestheunifyingbondof all diver-24 SYMBOLISMOFSACRIFICE-THEABSOLUTE.sity.Manlooksfortheessenceinthings,and theessence oftheessence,*forthereality,the truth ofphenomena,and thetruthofthetrue. Thisquestof thesubstanceisnecessarilyasearchforunityinalldiversity.Andthusthought laysholdseparatelyupononesinglegroupofphenomena,connectedbyacommonfeature,andregardsthem as united in a commonroot,anderelong thought passesall boundsandboldlydeclares,soandso is theuniverse. Andthenit letsgowhatitlaidholdof;that onephenomenonwhich hadjustnow beendeclaredto betheuniverse is lostagaininthefloating crowdofallthepowers,whichholdswayinmanandtheworld,inspaceandtime,inwordandspeech.InnoneoftheYedictexts canwe trace thegenesisof the*Cf."ChandogyaUpanisliad,"i.1,2:"Theessenceof allbeingsistlieearth,theessenceof theearthiswater,theessence of watertheplants,the essence ofplantsman,the essence ofmanspeech,the essence ofspeechtheEig Veda,theessenceof theEigYedathe SamaVeda,theessence of the SamaVeda theTJdgitha (whichisOm).ThatUdgitha(Om)is thebestof allessences,thehighest,deservingthehighestplace,theeighth."Theconceptionwhichlies at the bottom of thiseight-foldseries ofessence,essence of theessence,and soon,is(inthe words ofMaxMiiller)somethinglikethis :"Earthis thesupportof allbeings,waterpervadestheearth,plantsarisefromwater, man livesby plants,speechis thebestpartof man,theEigVedathebestpartofspeech,the SamaVedathebestextractfromtheRile,Udgitha,or thesyllable Om,thecrownoftheSama Veda."Lateron,wheretheideaofthe Brahma will claim ourattention,weshallhavetospeakofthesymbolicalrelationor of the hiddenintrinsicidentity,whichtheIndianfancydetectsbetweennatureandtheworldoflanguage,especiallythe sacred word. Thispassagehas animportantbearingonthis,inasmuchas itshowshow,inthemindof theIndian,theobjectsofnaturepointbackthrougha series of middleterms,to thewordof theVeda,andfinallytotheOm,themost suitableexpression oftheBrahma,as it weretothelife-givingpowerinthem.EMERGINGOFCENTEALPOINTS.25conceptionoftheunityinall thatis,from the first dim indicationsof thisthoughtuntil it attains asteady brilliancy,asclearlyas in thatwork,which,next to thehymnsof theRigVeda,deservestoberegardedas the mostsignificantin thewholerangeof Yedicliterature,the"Brahmanaofthe hundredpaths."The"Brahmanaofthehundredpaths"shows us first andforemosthowfromtheseconfused masses of ideas the notionof the(cego"pressesto the front of allothers,and willdomineer overthem,in thelanguageof the Indians: theAtman,thesubject,inwhichtheforcesandfunctionsofhumanlife find root andfooting.Thebreath-powers penetratethehumanbodyandgiveit life;theAtmanis lordoverallbreath-powers;he is the centralpower,which worksand-creates inthebasisofpersonallife,the innominatebreath-power,"fromwhichtheotherecnominate"breath-powersderivetheirbeing.ffA decadeof breathstruly,"sosaystheBrahmana,dwellsinman;the Atmanistheeleventh,on himaredependent thebreath-powers.""From theAtmancome all these members(ofthehumanbody)intobeing,""ofallthatis,theAtrnanis thefirst."A centralpointis here found for the domain of humanpersonality,withits limbs and itsfaculties,thatpowerwhichistheintrinsicandessential,workinginallformsoflife. AndwhattheIndianthinkerhasconceivedintheparticular"ego"extendsinhisidea,byinevitablenecessity,to the universeatlargebeyondhim;accordingtohimmicrocosm and macrocosmcontinuously play corresponding parts,and here andyondersimilarappearancespoint significantlyto each other. Astheliumaneyeresemblesthecosmiceye,thesun,andasthegods,resemblinginthegeneralsystemthe humanbreath-powers,actasthebreath-powersoftheuniverse,so also theAtman,thecentralsubstanceofthe"ego," stepsforth on the domain of2G SYMBOLISMOFSACRIFICE THEABSOLUTE.thebarehumanindividual,andis takenasthecreating powerthatmovesthegreatbodyof the universe.He,the lord ofthebreath-powers,thefirstling,fromwhom the limbs of thebodywereformed,is atthesametimethelordofthegods, thecreator ofcreatures,who has caused the worlds toproceedfrom his"ego"the Atman isPrajapati.Yea,theveryexpressionoccurs,"theAtmanis theuniverse." Atthisstagethisphraseisonlyoneplayofthefancy amongathousandothers,notthethoughtgraspedinitsfulness,that the boundless universeandtherestricted"ego,"whichcontemplatesit,areintruth one. Acrowd of otherfigures pushesto thefrontanddivertsthe attention from theAtman,who is theuniverse;but theexpressiononceuttered,thoughit dieaway,worksonin secret and awaits the time when he whoonceutteredit,willturnhisthoughtsbackto it.Meanwhilefromanothertrainofconceptionsanotherpowernot lesspotent pushesitselfforward,with a claim to berecognizedasthegreatcosmicenergy.The sacredword,the-establishedguideinsacrifice,ispreservedin its three formsofhynm, formula,andsong,* making upthe "threefoldknowledge"ofthosewho knew the Vedas. Thespiritualfluid,,whichbearsthesacredwordanditssupporters,theBrahmans,floatingabovetheprofanewordandtheprofane world,is theBrahma:fit is thepowerwhichdwellsinhymn, formula,andsong,asthepowerofholiness;"thetruthof the word is the-Brahma/*Thatis Eic(hymnof theEig Veda),Yajus (sacrificialformulaof theYajurVeda),Saman(songscontained intheSama Veda).Translator.fItwillnotbesuperfluoustobearinmindthatthetimes,of which wearespeaking,knownothingof thegodBrahman. While"brahman,""brahmana" occurfrequently enoughin the oldest texts in thesignificationof"Priest,"thegodBrahmanappearsfirstonlyintheverylatestpartsoftheVeda.THEEGO,THEATMAN.27Theworldofthewordis tothe Indiananothermicrocosm.Intherhythmof thesacredsonghe hears the echoes oftherhythmoftheuniverseresound.* Thus must thatsubstancefromwhichthesacred wordderivesitsbeing,also be apowerwhichoperatesat the basis, of allthings.The fancifulsubtleties^regardingtheenigmaof theBrahmareposingin the* Of thecountlesspassageswhich could bequotedin illustrationofthis,letusmerelyrefertoone,totheworkingoutbythetheologiansofthe SamaVeda ofthe idea of thesymbolicrelation of the Saman-(song-)dictionwith its fiveparts (" ChandogyaUpanishad,"ii.2, etc.)."Let a manmeditate onthe fivefold Saman as the five worlds. Thehinkaraistheearth, theprastava thefire,theudgithathesky,thepratiharathesun,thenidhanaheaven. LetamanmeditateonthefivefoldSaman,asrain. Thehinkaraiswind(thatbringstherain) ;theprastavais thecloud is come;theudgithais it rains;thepratihara,itflashes,itthunders;thenidhana itstops.There is rainforhimandhebringsrain forothers,who,thusknowing,meditatesonthe fivefold Samanasrain."Andthenitgoesonthroughaseriesofothercomparisons;theSamanwithits fiveparts representsthewaters,theseasons,the animals,andmoreof thelike. Oftenthesesymbolizingsrestuponnothingmorethanthemostmeaninglesssuperficialities,as whenthemattertreatedof isthethreesyllablesof thewordudgitha(sacredsong),"ut(ud)is breath,forbymeansofbreathamanrises(ut-tishthati);giisspeech,forspeechesarecalledgirah;thaisfood,forbymeans offood all subsist(sthita)."["Chand.Up.,"i.3,6. TothispassageMaxMiillerfurnishesfromIrishsourcesinteresting parallelsin thefancifulconceitsoftheChristiansofthe MiddleAges.]Howeversenselesssuchfanciesmayappeartous,theycannotbeoverlooked asprecursorsof the mostimportantevent inthereligious developmentof India. Inthesymbolicalinterpretationormysticalidentification,whichtheindividualwordorthe individualsacredsongfurnishes,oftheindividualphenomenoninthelife ofnature or oftheego,theultimatetendencyofthisdevelopmentisbeing shaped: theidentification ofthe centralpowerin the wholerangeofthe^sacredword(Brahma),with the centralpowerof the humanperson(Atman),and withthelife-centreofnature : thegenesisoftheideaoftheuniversalOne.28 SYMBOLISMOFSACRIFICE THEABSOLUTE.Yedictext,andthepriestlyprideof thehumansupportersoftheBrahma,combine to elevate thisentityto a dominantpositionintheIndiansworldofthought.Hemakes,"it issaidofthepriest whocompletesaspecificsacrificialoperation,"theBrahmatheheadofthisuniversejthereforetheBrahmanis theheadof this universe." TherewasanancientVedicodewhichbegan:eeOntruthistheearth founded,onthesunis theheaven founded.Bytherightdo theAdityas (the supremegods,thesonsoftheAditi,theinfinite)consist." Nowitissaid"theBrahmais theword,thetruthinthe wordis theBrahma.""TheBrahmais theright.""BytheBrahmaaretheheavensandtheearthheldtogether."Hereis anexamplefurnishedmoreillustrativethananythingelse of thepeculiaritiesof Indianthought.Thisgradual,persistent pressureof anidea,which arises not from thecontemplationofvisiblenature,butfromthespeculationaboutthesacrednessoftheholy Vedictext thepressureofthis ideaandof thisworduntil all theloftiest anddeepestconceptionswhichthemindcangraspareassociatedwiththisword.Thisstageisnotattained at one bound. When it issaid,feTheBrahmais thenoblestamongthegods,"it is also saidinanotherplaceinproximitytothis,"IndraandAgniarethenoblestamongthegods."Well,thepowerof sacredtruth,whichtheIndiancalls theBrahma^hassteppedintoapositionamongthe mostprominentforces of the universe;it isrecognizedasthepowerwhichholdstheheavensandtheearthtogether,butit is notyetthe first and last theone and all.Theyoung upstartamongthe ideas is notyet sufficientlypowerfultopushthe ancientcreatorand rulerof theworlds,Prajapati,from histhrone;but he is become the nearest tothis throne. Thespirit,Prajapati,"thussaystheBr&hmanaof the hundredpaths,"wished:MayIbecome apluralityTHEBRAHMA.29mayIpropagate myself/He exerted himself lie took onhimself severepangs.Whenheexertedhimself,whenhehadenduredseverepangs,hecreated theBrahmafirst,thethreefoldknowledge.That became asupportforhim;thereforepeople say,"The Brahma is thesupportof thisuniverse."Therefore,he who haslearned(thesacredword)hasgainedasupport,for what is the Brahma is thesupport."TheBrahma/it is alsosaid,""is the first-born in this universe."It is notyettheeverlastingunborn,fromwhicheverythingthat is has beenborn,but it is the first-bornamongthechildrenofPrajapati,thefatherof worlds.There issomethingof the calmuncontrollablenecessityofa naturalprocessin thisemergingorgrowthofboth thesenotions,theAtmanandtheBrahma,each of which firstgainsthe dominantpositionin its owncircle,and is then carriedforwardby theprogressofthoughtintotheexpanseof worlds;and there alsoplaysanever-widening part. Thoughtheimageswhichwereoriginallyassociatedwitheach,inthemindof theIndian,weresodifferent,yetit could not but bethat,inthecourseofsuchadevelopment,thethoughtofthe Atmanshould assimilateitselfcontinuallymore and more to that oftheBrahma,and that of the Brahma to that oftheAtman.The first-born in this universeis theBrahma,"as has beensaid. And of theAtman it is saidinanotherplace,"Of allthatexists,the first existent is theAtmaii."TheBrahma isthefaceoftheuniverse,and thefirstlingof thisuniverse"istheAtman. TheBrahmadisplayshimselfinhymn,formula,andsong;"the nature of theAtmanconsists,"it is furthersaid,ofhymn,formula,andsong."Thedefinite, obviouslypresented,and limitedmeaning,whichsimpleconsciousnesshadatonetimeattachedto theideaof theAtman,andtotheidea of theBrahma,extendsitself to unlimitedranges,and30 SYMBOLISMOFSACRIFICE THEABSOLUTE.thenthedifferencebetween the two ideasgraduallyvanishes.Theimaginationof theIndian,eagertograsptheunityunderlying thiugs,iswantingin thepowertopreservetheimagesof thedifferentnotionswithintheirseverallimitations,andin theirseparationfrom each other.Andtheremainingbarriersarepassedatlast. Whatheretoforeemergedmomentarily,andwasagainlostinthecurrentof an erraticimagination,isgraspedanewbythemind,to belost no moreagain: theconceptionof thegreat everlastingandeternalOne,in whichalldiversityvanishes,fromwhicharespiritanduniverse,and inwhichtheylive and move. It iscalledtheAtrnan,it is calledtheBrahma;AtmanandBrahmaconvergein theOne,inwhich theyearningspirit,wearied ofwanderingin aworld ofgloomy,formlessphantasms,finds itsrest."That whichwas,"it iswritten,thatwhichwillbe,Ipraise,thegreatBrahma,theOne,theImperishable,thewideBrahma,the OneImperishable.""To the Atman let manbringhisadoration,thespiritual,whosebodyis thebreath,whoseformthelight,whosesoultheaether,whoassumeswhatformshewill,quickasathought,full ofrightpurpose,full ofrightperformance,thesourceofevery vapour,ofeveryessence,whoextendsto alltheregionsof theworld,whopervadesthisuniverse,silent and unmoved. Small as agrainofrice,orbarley,orhirse,oramillet-seed,thisspiritdwells in theego;golden,like alightwithoutsmoke,ishe;wider than theheavens,wider than theasther,wider than thisearth,widerthanalltherangeofbeing;heis theegoof thebreath,he ismyego (Atman);withthis Atman shallI,when Iseparatefromthisstate,unitemyself.Whosoeverthinketh thustruly,thereisnodoubt. Thussaid(^andilya."Anewcentre of allthoughtisfound,a newgod, greaterthan all oldgods,for he is theAll;nearer to thequestofATMANANDBRAHMAIDENTICAL.31mansheart,for lie is theparticularego.The name of thethinkerwhowasthefirst topropoundthisnewphilosophy,weknownot;*the circle ofpeoplein which it foundresponsemusthavebeenatthattimeverynarrow. Buttheywere themostenlightenedof the Indianpeople,and we see howforthemall otherthoughtsfade,and all otherquestsaremergedin the onequest,thequestof theAtrnan,the foundation ofthings.Thepartingwords of the wiseman,who leaves hishomeandspeaksforthelasttimewithhiswife,havereferenceto the Atman. The debates of theBrahmans,who cometogetheratthegorgeoussacrificial solemnitiesatthecourtsofkings,deal with theAtman.Manyalively descriptionhascome downtous,showinghowBrahmanseagerfor thefray,and Brahman females not lesseagerfor thecontest,havecrossed lances inargument regardingtheAtman. ThewiseGargi saystoYajnavalkya,"AsanheroicyouthfromKacior"Videha bendshisunbentbow,and takestwodeadlyarrowsinhishand,Ihavearmedmyselfagainsttheewithtwoquestions,whichsolvefor me." Andanotherof thoseopponents,whomthelegendofthe"Brahmana ofthehundredpaths"representsasconfronting Yajnavalkyainthisgreattournamentofdebate,andasbeingconquered byhim,saystohim,Whenanyonesaysthat is anox,thatis ahorse/it istherebypointedout.*The names of the teachers in whose mouths our textsputthediscoursesregardingtheAtmancannot beregardedotherwisethanwithdistrust. Inthe"QatapathaBr."Yajnavalkyaappearsastheone whohasmostsuccessfullyadvocatedthe newdoctrinesatthecourtoftheVidehaking.Butwhilethefirstbooksof the saidtext,whichmust have beencompiledat a not inconsiderablelengthoftimebeforethedevelopmentofthesespeculations,frequentlyquoteYajnavalkyaasanauthority,therolewhich heplaysin the later books must be a fabrication.Thetraditions,whichgiveCandilyaasimilarplacein thehistoryofIndianthought,arehardlydeservingofgreatercredence.32 THEABSOLUTEANDTHEEXTERNALWORLD.Point out to me therevealed,unveiledBrahma,,theAtman,which dwells ineverything: theAtman,which dwells ineverything,what isthat,,Yajnavalkya?"Thus the combatantscommence,and theprinceslistentothedebate,to seewhich has thedeeperknowledgeof theBrahma;andhewhoconquersin thefight gainsthe Brahmanicows,with hornshungwithgold.Andsidebysidewiththesehighly-colouredcourtscenes,whererenownedmastersfromalllands, whohaveknowledgeof theAtman,contend with each other forfame,patronage,andreward,the same textgivesus anotherverydifferentpicture:"Knowinghim,theAtman,Brahmansrelinquishthe desireforposterity,the desire forpossessions,thedesireforworldlyprosperity,andgoforthasmendicants."This is the earliest trace of Indianmonasticism;from thoseBrahmanswho,knowingtheAtman,renounce all that isearthly,and becomebeggars,the historicaldevelopmentprogressesinaregularlineuptoBuddha,wholeaveskithandkin,andgoodsandchattels,to seekdeliverance,wanderinghomeless in theyellowgarbof a monk. Theappearanceofthedoctrine of the eternalOneandtheoriginofmonasticlifeinIndia,aresimultaneous;theyare two issues of the sameimportantoccurrence.THE ABSOLUTE AND THE EXTERNAL WORLD.We must moreclosely examinethevariousmeanings attachedby theIndianmindtotheideaof the Atman,the Brahma,aloneandinitsconnectionwiththematerialworld,for it is in andbythesethoughtsthat thosetendencies,whichhavegiventothe Buddhist world its characteristicstamp,were,at firstimperceptiblybutsubsequentlymoredecidedly, developed.TEEPEOFESSOE8OFTHEATMANFAITH.33ThedoctrinesoftheBrahmansregardingtheAtmando notformasystem: their mindhas,it istrue,thecourageandstrengthforagreatventure-,buthow couldit,inthe excitement of thiscreation,preserveat the same time the coolequanimity,necessaryforarrangingandharmonizingitscreation? While the mind is everseekingnewpaths,evermakingnewcomparisons,which shallexplaintheenigmaoftheAtman; while,nomatterwhether mansinquirybe as totheremotepastof theworldsbeginning,or as to the futureofthehumansoulinaworldtocome,the first and last wordisinvariablytheAtman,whocanbeastonishedifoften,in theaccumulatedmasses of thesenotions,the mostirreconcilabledifferencesremainedinjuxtaposition,probablywithout theirinherent contradictions havingbeenevennoticed?I shall now abstractfrom one of the mostimportantmonumentswhich have come down to us from thosetimes,fromtheconcludingsectionsof the"Brahmanaofthe hundredpaths,"apassagewhichseemsto be connected with the firstrudeeffortsofspeculationregardingthe Atman. Ifthebeingwho createdthe worlds out ofhimself,here also bears thatname,whichlatertimes havegiven him,Atman,onemaywellbetemptedtobelievethatthethoughtsthemselveswith theirantiqueandcrudestampbelongtotheprecedingage."TheAtman/itsays,"existedin thebeginning,in aspiritform;he looked roundhim and sawnothingelse buthimself;hespokethe first word:Iam;hence comes thename I/therefore evennowalso,whoeveris addressedbyanother,saysfirst : ItisI/andthenhenamestheother namewhich hebears. ...Hewasafraid;thereforewhoeverisaloneis afraid. Thenhethought: Thereisnothingelse butI,of whatthenamIafraid? Sohisfearvanished.Of whathad hetobeafraid? Manexperiencesfearofanother.But he334:THEABSOLUTEANDTHEEXTERNALWORLD.didnotfeelcontent;thereforewhoeveris alone does not feelcontent.He desired another.He combined in himself thenaturesof femaleandmalewhich are locked in each othersembrace.Hedividedthis nature of his into twoparts:bythis camehusbandandwife;thereforeeach of usalike,is ahalf,says Yajnavalkya;therefore is this void(ofa mansnature)filledup bythe woman. Hejoinedhimself toher;thusweremenborn."It is then furthernarrated,how the two halves of thecreatingAtman,as sireanddam,assumeall animalformsafterthehuman,andproducethe animalkingdom,and how thentheAtmanproducesfrom himself fire andmoisture,or thedivinitiesAgniand Soma."This is Brahmas creationsuperiorto himself. Inasmuchashehascreatedgods greaterthan he himselfis,inasmuch ashe,amortal,has createdimmortals,thereforeit is acreatingofthesuperiorto himself."Whosoeverhas thisknowledge,finds hisplaceinthis,hissuperiorcreation."Astheforegoingtextmayapparentlyresemblethose ancientcosmogonieswhichbegin:"InthebeginningwasPrajapati"so, internallyalso,thisnaiveconceptionofthehighestbeingor of theoriginal being,for it is not thehighest yetscarcelydiffersfromthatwhichaprecedingagehadconceivedinPrajapati,thecreatorandruler of the world. The Atmanhereresemblesapowerfulfirst man more than agod,not tosaythe onegreatbeent,in whom all otherbeinglives andmoves.ThisAtman is afraid in hisloneliness,like aman;hefeelsdesire,likeaman;hebegetsandbringsforth likehumanbeings.It istrue, godsareamonghiscreatures,butthese creatures arehigherthanthe creator;creating greaterthanhimself, he,amortal,producesfrom himself immortaldeities.EARLIERANDLATERFORMSOFTHEATMANIDEA.35Sidebysidewiththiscosmogonyweplaceotherfragmentsof thesametext,whichare of anageprobablynotmuchlaterthanthepassagequoted.Yajnavalkya,therenownedBrahman,is about toleavehishome,to wander as amendicant. He divides hispropertybetweenhistwowives. ThenhiswifeMaitreyisaystohimaslie isdeparting,"Ifmypropertyincluded the wholeearth,would I therefore be immortal?" Hereplies,fcThylifewouldbelike the life of the rich: but ofimmortalityrichesbring nohope."Shesays,"If I cannot beimmortal,whatuseis all this to me? Tellme,exaltedone,whateverthouknowest." AndheaddressesherregardingtheAtman."Aswhenthe drum isbeaten,a man cannotpreventitssoundgoingforth,but if he seize the drumor thedrummer,thesoundisstayed;aswhentheluteisplayed,amancannotpreventits soundgoingforth,but if he seize the lute or thelute-player,the sound isstayed;as when thetrumpetisblown,amancannotpreventits soundgoingforth,but if heseizethetrumpetorthetrumpeter,the sound isstayed;asfromafire,inwhichamanplacesdampwood,cloudsofsmokeissuehereandthere,sotrulyis the exhalation of thisgreatbeing;he isBig Veda,he isYajurVeda,he isSamaVeda,theAtharvanandAngirassongs,tale andlegend,knowledgeand sacreddoctrine, verses, rules,he is theexplanationandthe secondexplanation;allthisis his exhalation. As alump)fsalt,whichis thrownintothewater,dissolvesandcannotbeitheredup again,but wherever water isdrawn,it issalty,sotrulyit is withthisgreatbeing,theendless,theunlimited,the fulness ofknowledge: from these(earthly) beingsitime into view and with them it vanishes/There is nomsciousnessafterdeath; hearken,thusIdeclare unto thee."ThusspokeYajnavalkya.ThenMaitreyisaid,"Thisspeech3*361HEABSOLUTEANDTHEEXTERNALWORLD.ofthine,exaltedone,perplexesme;thereis no consciousnessafterdeath."ThensaidYajnavalkya,"I telltheenothingperplexing;it isquitecomprehensible;wherethere is adualityof existences,onecanseetheother,one can smell theother,onecanspeaktotheother,onecanheartheother,onecanthinkof theother,one canapprehendthe other.Butwhereforeacheverythinghasturnedintohisego(theAtman),bywhomand whomshallhesee,bywhomand whomshall hesmell,by whomand to whomshallhespeak,bywhomandwhomshallhehear,thinkandapprehend?By whomshallheapprehendhimthroughwhomheapprehendsthis universe?Throughwhomshallheapprehendhim,theapprehender?"Thisisthe farewellconversationofYajnavalkyawithhis wife.Betweenthisandthosecosmogonicspeculations,which wehavealreadydescribed,therelies adevelopmentofthought,whichisnot muchlessthanarevolution.ThereistheAtman,whoisafraid, whosoliloquizes, whoexperiencesdesire, whocanbecomparedwithhiscreatures,asto whetherheortheybethegreater,and whomustfall backbehindthehighestof hiscreatures.HereistheAtman,whois free from all limits ofpersonal,human-likeexistence.Canthere,man nowinquires,beperception,thought,consciousness,intheUniverse-Being?No,for allperceptionrestsuponaduality,on theoppositionofsubjectandobject.Intheexternalworld withitsunlimitedpluralitythereiseverywherea field for thisopposition,butin theabsolutelyexistentallpluralityceases,and with itnecessarilyallperception,and all consciousness,which havetheirorigininaplurality.TheAtmanisnotblindanddeafheisonthecontrarytheonegreatseerandhearer,who doesalltheseeingandhearingin the externalworld but in hisowndomainheseesnotandhearsnot,for in theunity,whichthereprevails,theoppositionofseeingandseen,ofhearingPLURALITY ANDUNITY.37andheard,isremoved. LiketheultimatesupremeOneoftheNeoplatonics,whichcannotberegardedasintellectnoryetasintelligible,,buttranscends the reason(v7rep/3e/3?jKb$ rqvvovfyvG-iv),theAtmanalso,asthesefarewellwordsofYajnavalkyarepresenthim,transcends thepersonal,is the root of allpersonality,thecomprehensivefulness of all thosepowers,inwhichpersonallife finds its termination: but thesepowerscomeintooperationonlyinthisphenomenalworld,not in thedomain of theeverlastingOne,theeverlastingunchangeableitself.The one be&nt is neithergreatnorsmall,neitherlongnorshort,neitherhiddennorrevealed,neitherwithinnorwithout;the"No,No"is hisname,inasmuchas he cannot be comprehended byanyepithets,andyethisrepresentativeis thesyllableofaffirmation,Orn ;*heis theensrealissimum.Thereyetremainedfor Indianspeculationthetaskoffindingitswayback from this ultimategroundof allbeingto theempiricalstate ofbeing,to define the relationwhichsubsistsbetweentheAtmanand the externalworld.Is the externalworldsomethingseparate,sidebysidewith theAtman;suchthat,apartfromthatwhichtheAtmanis orworksinit,somethingelse,howsoever it have to beapprehended,mayyetbeleft,which isnotAtman? oris theworldofpluralityabsolvedwithoutresiduumintheAtrnan?It wasnecessarytoapproachthisquestionin some form,moreorlessdefinite,assoon as mencametospeakat all oftheAtmanandthematerialworld;butthequestionis hintedatbytheIndianthinkers of theseancienttimes,ratherthanputdirectlyorpointblank.In theirestimation,thisaloneis*In Sanscrit the sameexpression(ekamaksliaram)has thesamedoublemeaning,"the oneimperishable,"namely,theAtman;and"theonesyllable," namely,theOm.38 THEABSOLUTEANDTEEEXTERNALWORLD.of alltilingsmostimportant,that theAtmanmayberecognized as thesolesource of life in all thatlives,,and as thethread in which allpluralityfinds itsunity;but where theattemptismadetoshowhowtheproblemof the co-existenceof thatpluralityand thisunity,orof theirexistence in eachother,finds asolution,they speakin thevague languageofsimilesandsymbols,ratherthaninexpressionswhichadmitoftheirsignificationbeingsharplydefined.The Atman,theyjsay,pervadesthings,asthesalt,whichhasdissolvedinwater,pervadesthewater;fromthe Atmanthingsspring,as thesparksflyoutfromthefire,asthreadsfromthespider,asthesoundcomes fromthe flute orthe drum.teAsallthespokesareunitedtogetherinthenaveand thefellyofawheel,so in" this Atman are united allbreath-powers,allworlds,allgods,allbeings,alltheseego-ities/JThere isgreat danger,ininterpretingsuchsimiles,of notkeepingwithin the faint line whichseparatesthatwhich itwasintendedtheyshouldconvey and thatwhich liesinthembeyond this,accidentallyandunintentionally; yethe whowould avoid thisdangeraltogethermustsimplyforbeartolifttheveilwhichlies overtheIndianworld ofthought,shroudedintypesandsymbols.Andwe,for ourpart,thinkwe candetectbehindthesesimilitudes,bywhichmenstrove tobringtheliving powerof the Atman in the universe near to hisunderstanding,aconviction,thoughat the same time but ahalf-consciousconviction,of the existence of an element inthingsseparatefromthe Atman. The Atman,saystheIndian,pervadestheuniverse,as the salt thewater in which it hasdissolved;butwemayeasilygoontoadd,asacomplementtothis,althoughnodropof the salt wateriswithoutsalt,thewatercontinues,notwithstanding,to besomething separatelyconstituted from the salt. Thespokesof the wheel are allfittedintothenaveandthefelly,and fastenedin,andstill theTHENON-EGO. 39spokeissomethingwhichthenaveand thefellyarenot. Andthus wemayinfer,theAtman is to theIndiancertainlythesoleactuality,, light-diffusing,theonly significant realityinthings;butthere is a remainder left inthings,which he isnot."Hewhodwells in theearth/it is said of theAtman,"beingwithin theearth,whom the earth knowsnot,whosebodyis theearth,whooperateswithin theearth,that is theAtman,thein-dwellingruler,the immortal. Hewhodwellsinthewater,whodwellsinthefire, whodwellsintheaether,whodwells in thewind,who dwells in thesun,moon,andstars,whodwellsinspace,whodwellsinlightningandthunder, whodwellsin allworlds,who is illatent in allYedas,allofferings,allbeings,whomallbeingsknownot,whosebodyallbeingsare,whooperateswithin allbeings,that is theAtman,thein-dwellingruler,the immortal.-"And in anotherpartofthe samedialogue,from which thesepropositionshavebeenexcerpted: "bythe commandof thisunchangeablebeingheaven and earth standfast; bythe commandof thisunchangeablebeingsunandmoonstandfast,daysandnights,half monthsandmonths,seasonsandyearsstandfast; bythecommandof thisunchangeablebeingsomeriversflowfromthesnowymountainstotheeast,and otherstothewestandotherpointsof theheavens;bythecommandof thisunchangeablebeingmen commend thegiver,thegodstheofferer,and thelibationmadewiththespoonis theproperpartbelongingtothe Manes."Thoughthusvariedis thegarbin whichthoughtwrapsitselfinall theseexpressions,yetit isalwaysthesame,viz.,thattheAtman,as the soledirecting power,is in all thatlivesandmoves,butthattheworldof creaturesoperatedonstandsside,bysidewiththedirecting power,pervadedbyhisenergy,andyetseparatefromhim.40 TEEABSOLUTEANDTHEEXTERNALWORLD.Thoughhere andthere,byallmeans,thelanguageseemsmorefree,andexpressionsarefoundwhichconveyahint thattheAtmaniseverythingwhich livesandmoves,yet,Itakeit,thecontradictionliesmoreinthewordsemployedthan in thethought.Is it notallowable,fortheboldlanguageinwhichthesehazardousventures ofyoungthoughtclothethemselves,tosaythatthe Atmanistheuniverse,evenwherethethought,ifitwereaccuratelyexpressed,isonlythis,thatintheuniversetheAtman is theonlyvaluable,thesource of all life and alllight?Since,then,thereremainsinthingsa residue which is notAtman,weask : inwhatlightwasthisresidueviewed?whencecomes it ? whatsignificancehas it?Naturallycomes theexpectationthat itwasconceivedtobematter,or darkchaos,which,formless initself,receives its form from theAtman,thesourceofformsandlight.Our texts havepreservedforus but few hints on thissubject.Theknowledgeof theAtmanitself,whichwasinseparablyassociated with the ideasof the deliverance of thespiritfrom the domain of sorrow-fraughtimpermanence,hadsuchunlimitedvaluefortheIndian,that the other side of theproblemreceded inspeculativeimportancebefore it into thebackground.But whereutterancesbearingon thesequestionsarefound, theydoactuallypointtothenotionofachaos,a worldofpotentialities,from which theoperationof the Atmanproducesrealities.Thebeent,that was in thebeginningalone,Uddalaka thusinstructshisson,*thought:mayI becomeaplurality.Itsentforthfirefromitself: the fire sentforthwaterfromitself: thewaterproducedfood. Thenthoughtthisbeing: let menowenterthesethreebeingswiththislivingself and let methen*"ChandogyaUpan.,"vi.2,etc. Similar but much more involvedis"9at. Br.,"xi.2,3.THENON-EGO. 41revealnamesand forms." And it enters with its breath oflifeintothefire,intothewater,andinto thefood,mixes theelementsoftheonewiththoseoftheother,and thus the realworld ispreparedfrom the threeoriginalexistentsbythedemiurgicoperationoftheAtman.It is clear that those three oldestexistents,thoseoriginalcreationsof theAtman,in which he then reveals name andformbyhis breath oflife,are treated before this act ofrevealingasachaoticsomething,whichisthere,but is not asyet anything preciselydeterminate,older than the world ofthingswesee, and noteternalliketheAtman, butthe Atmansfirst creation.But theseattemptsto demonstrate what inthingsismatter,bearveryperceptiblythe marksofimmaturity.Onewouldexpecttofindinthechaos, beforethebreathof lifeof thedemiurgusproducesin it"nameandform/anamelessandformless,anabsolute,indeterminatesomething,andyetitis inthevery beginningorganic,ofthethreefoldnature,offire,water,andfood,andthusithastherebyoriginallyin itself anelement of distinctness and nomination.Andsimilarily,ontheotherhand,is theAtman,the creatorand vivifierof thechaotic,lessfirmlymaintainedin thatparamountpositionresultingfromtheabstractionwhichwefound attainedin thefarewelldiscourseofYajnavalkya.It is notthesimpleOne,fromwhosenature,forhisunityssake,all reflectionandprojectionmust beexcluded,asinvolvingthedualityofsubjectandobject;hethinks,anbootless searchhavebeenlike? Atevery stepthedisciplesofBuddhahad to contendagainstthe tendencies of ascetics,whoexpectedto attainquietudethrough fastingandseverebodily discipline.It is notsurprisingthat thisoppositioninwhichtheyfeltthemselvesto betothesetendenciesshouldhaveinfluenced the belief of theearlyChurchregardingBuddhasownprevious history:he, too, must,before he becamepartaker of theimperishabletreasure of truedeliverance,havesoughtfor salvationinthe mazesofbodilydiscipline;hemusthavesurpassedall that Brahmans and devotees had accomplishedbefore him in thewayofself-mortification,and hemust have realized for himself the fruitlessness of such acourse,untilheatlast, turningfromthefalse tothetruepath,becametheBuddha.Itis, therefore.,evidentthatthenarrativeconcernedmaybeamyth: theconditions,whichsuffice to make the concoctionof such amyth comprehensible,certainlyexist.And thispossibilityof apurely mythicalconception gainsfurthersupport bytheundoubtedmythicalcharacteroftheoccurrencesyetto bediscussed,whichfollowedon the attainmentofBuddhahood.Butshowingthatathing maybe amythis notequivalenttoshowingthat it isamyth,andIaminclinedtothinkthatthatwhichcanbeurgedinfavourofanoppositeconceptionisbynomeanswithoutweight.Thecomingof such a suddenturning-pointin Buddhasinnerlife"corresponds"mucITtoocloselywithwhatin all timessimilar natures haveactuallyexperiencedunder similarconditions,for us not to beinclinedto believein suchanoccurrence.In the mostwidelydifferentperiodsofhistorythe notion oF"a revolutionorchangeof the wholemanperfectingitself in one momentmeetsus inmanyforms :110BUDDHAS YOUTH.adayand hour it must bepossibletodetermine,inwhichtheunsaved andunenlightenedbecomesasavedandenlightenedman: andif menhopeand look forsuch asudden,andprobablyalsoviolent,breaking throughof the soul tothelight,theyrealize itin fact. Within the Christian Churchwe havetheMethodistsespecially,but nottheyalone,who beartestimonytothis.Furthermore,phenomenaof this kind are notconfinedbyanymeanstopersonsof avulgartype,livinginadullreligiousatmosphere.Onthecontrary,natureswhichareendowedwiththe keenestspiritual sensibility,with the mostversatilepowerofimagination,areespecially susceptibleofsuchexperiences.Aflashofthought,asuddenexcitementofwarm emotionorvividimagination,or a moment oftranquilbreathing-time followingon times of internalstrife,is metamorphosedforthemintothatopeningoftheheart,orthatcallbydivineomnipotence,for whichtheywereconsciouslyorunconsciouslywaiting,and which is sufficient togivea newturntotheirwholelife.In theageof which the sacredwritingsof the Buddhistsgiveus apicture,and,wemayadd withprobability,inBuddhasowntime,the belief in a suddenilluminationof thesoul,inthe fact of an internalemancipation perfectingitselfin onemoment,wasuniversallyprevalent:peoplelooked forthe "deliverance fromdeath/and told one another withbeamingcountenance that the deliverance from death hadbeenfound:peopleasked howlongit was till onestrivingforsalvationis abletoattainhisgoal,andgaveone anothertounderstand,withandwithoutfigureorparable,that of coursethedayandhour,in which the fruit ofimmortalitywill begiventoman,are not in hispower,but still the Masterpromisedto his followerthat,if he trod theright path,"after a short time that forwhich nobleyouthsleave theirTURNINGPOINTOFLIFE. Ill3iomes to lead apilgrimlife,thehighestachievement ofreligiouseffort,would be vouchsafed tohim,that he wouldyetinthislifeapprehendthe truthitself,and see it face toface."Thisvisionarygraspof truth somepursuedbymortification,othersbyabstraction of themind,pushedto theutmostlimit andaccompanied by long-protractedretentionof thebodyinfixedpostures,allwaitingthemomentinwhichtheattainmentof theiraimwould beclearlyrealizedbythemwith absolutecertainty.Whenanyone came toregardhisnaturalstateasimpermanentanddark,that to which heaspired,and whichhe, therefore, expected finallytoactuallyrealize,couldnotbutappeartohimtobeacondition ofpurerinternalilluminationandself-knowledge,and with this condition ofpureinternalillumination was combined theconsciousnessof his ownpowertolook,by visionaryintuition, throughthewholeconcatenationoftheuniverse.Wecanscarcelydoubtthatsuch a modeofviewing thingsprevailedamongreligiousinquirersat Buddhas time.r5Via=everlefthishomeandbecameamendicantdid solookingforthecovetedfruitofenlightenment.Maywenot also surmisethatsimilarexpectationsfilled the heart of theSakya youth,when he left his native town?That he thenexperieiicficlwithinhimselfthosestruggles,those combatsbetweenhopeanddoubt,ofwhichthehistoryof thosewhohavepavednewpathsforreligiousfeelingandthoughthave so much tosay?Thatafterperiodsof intensemental,andwhynot alsobodily,:anguTshthereliroseinhimataparticularmomentthefeelingof clearerrestandinternalcertainty,andhe laid hold on thisasthelonged-forillumination,asatokenofdeliverancecome?Thathethenceforwardfelthimselfto be theBuddha,the onecalledbyauniversallawto bea followerof theBuddhasof112 BUDDHAS YOUTH.bygoneages,anddetermined tobringto others theblessingwhichhadbeenimpartedtohim?If theprocesswasanythinglikethis,it cannot but havefollowed that Buddha at a later time communicated to thedisciples,towhomhepointedout thepathtoholiness,theseinnerexperiencesalso,throughwhich he was conscious ofhavinghimself attainedhisgoal: andthoughthememoryofthesecommunicationsmayhavereceivedintheChurch in thecourse of time astampof scholasticdogmatism, yettheiroriginalcharacter mustalwayshave shonethrough.In thissense it isquite possiblethat this narrativemaycoveractualfact.Thehistoricalinquirercannotcreate certaintieswhere thereareonly potentialities.Let each individual come to a conclusion,or refrainfromcomingtoaconclusion,ashe thinksporper;let me beallowed,formypart,to declaremybeliefthat,in the narrative of how theSakya youthbecame theBuddlia,thereisreallyanelementof historicalmemory.CHAPTERIII.BEGINNINGOFTHETEACHERS CAREER.WITHthis decisiveturning-pointbeginsin our authoritiesalong-connectednarrative.*Thisgivesus apictureof howtheearlyChurchrepresentedto itselfBuddhas firstpublicappearance,thewinningof the firstconverts,andthetriumphoverthefirstopponents.Theywerestillfarfromthinkingofanattemptto delineatea continuoussketchof Buddhaslife,butthesefirstdaysofhispubliclife,aswellas his lastdays,wereinvestedwithanespecialinterest,andthereforethispartofhislifehasalreadyinveryancienttimesfor thenarrativebearsunmistakablythestampofhighantiquityassumedtheform of a fixedtradition.Whohas notexperiencedin hisown casethat inlong,monotonousperiodsoftime,inwhichreminiscencesfloatpromiscuouslyand bluroneanother,theearlybeginnings,thedaysoffreshnessandself-adjustment,usuallypreservethemselvesclearinthememory?Wecannotreadthebeginningof thenarrativereferredtowithoutcallingtomindthestoryinourgospels.ThereJesus,before Hebeginsopenlytoteach,spendsfortydaysfastinginthewilderness,andwastemptedof Satan;andHewaswit.*"MaUvagga,"i,1-24(pp.1-44of myEdition).8114:BEGINNINGOFTHETEACHERS CAREER.the wild beasts;and tlieangelsministeredunto Him."SoBuddhaalso,before lie sets out topropagatehisdoctrine,remainsfourtimes sevendays*fastingin theneighbourhoodof thetreeofknowledge,"enjoyingthehappinessof deliverance." Theideawhich underlies this isreadilyunderstood:afteraseverestrugglethevictoryhas beenwon: it is naturalthat thevictor,before he betakes himself to newconflicts,shouldpausetoenjoywhat he hadwon,that thedelivered,beforehepreachesdeliverance toothers,shouldhimself tasteitshappiness.Buddhaspendsthe first sevendays, wraptinmeditation,underthesacredtree itself.Daringthenightfollowingtheseventhday,he causes his mind topassthroughtheconcatenation of causes andeffects,from which thepainofexistence arises :fcFromignorancecomeconformations;ffromconformationscomesconsciousness"andso onthrough*Theoldest formof thetradition in the"Mahavagga."Later narrativesgiveseven timessevendays.TheoldesttraditionspecificallystatesthatBuddhaattheendof theseventhdaywentfrom tlie tree ofknowledgeto thefig-treeAjapala ("tree ofthegoat-herds");the later narrativeliere inserts threeperiodsof sevendays.ThepatristiccommentatorJ3uddhagoshaisnaturally anxioustoexplainawaythe differencebetweenthetwonarratives."Itis aswhenonesays: afterhehaseaten,helayshimself downtorest.Therebyit is notimpliedthatheliesdownwithoutfirstwashinghishands,rinsingouthismouth,havinggonetohiscouch,liavingindulgedinanyconversationwhatever but it isonlymeanttoconvey: afterdinner-timeheliesdown,he does not omit to lie down.Soherealsoit isnotmeant: afterhehadrisenfrom this meditation heimmediatelywentforward,butitmerelymeans: after he hadrisen,hewentforward lateron,hedidnotomittogoforward. ButwhatdidtheExaltedOnedoimmediatelybeforehewentforward? Hetarried otherthreetimessevendaysintheneighbourhoodofthe tree ofknowledge,"andsoon.t Weshallhavetoreturnlaterontothesepropositions,in the review oftheBuddhistdoctrine.THEFOUR-TIMESSEVENDAYS.115alongseries ofintervening links, until,"fromdesirecomesclinging (toexistence);fromclinging (toexistence)comesbeing: frombeingcomes birth: frombirthcomeoldageanddeath,painandmourning,suffering, sorrow,anddespair."Butif thefirst causeberemoved,onwhichthischainofeffectshangs,ignorancebecomesextinct,andeverythingwhicharisesfromitcollapses,andallsufferingisovercome."RealizingthistheExaltedOne atthattimespokethesewords:Whentheconditions(ofexistence)revealthemselvesTotheardent,contemplatingBrahman,Thenmusteverydoubtgiveway,WJientheoriginofallbecomingis revealedtohim.:fThreetimes,inthethree watches of thenight,he causedliismindtopassthroughall this series of causes and effects:atlasthespokethus :Whentheconditions(ofexistence)revealthemselvesTotheardent,contemplatingBrahman,Hecasts toearththetemptershosts,Likethesun,whichshedsitslightthroughspace.ThenBuddharose,whenthesevendayshadpassed,fromthemeditation inwhich he had beenabsorbed,left thespotunderthetree ofknowledge,andwentto thefig-treeAjapstla(treeofthegoat-herds)."Anotherandprobablylatercastofthis traditionhereinsertsanaccountofatemptation:justasonJesusalso Satan madeanattack,whenHespentthosefortydaysin thewilderness,trying,before He should enter onHiscareer,to make Himunfaithfulto Hiscallingasthe Saviour.**It seemsscarcelynecessaryto observe that in both casesthesamoobviousmotives havegivenrise to thecorrespondingnarratives;thenotionofaninfluenceexertedbyBuddhisttraditiononChristian cannot8*116 BEGINNINGOFTHETEACHERS CAREER.Itwould begoingtoo far if weweretosupposethatthereispreservedto us in the Buddhist tradition thememoryofsingleandspecificvisions ofgoodand evilspirits,withwhichBuddhaprofessedto have hadintercourse : but it isbeyonddoubtthathehimself andhisdisciplessharedthebeliefsof allthe Indian world in suchappearances,and thattheywereconvincedthattheyhadseenthelike.Mara,thetempter,knows that fear or lust can have nofurther influenceoverBuddha: he hadvanquishedallearthlythoughtsandemotionsunderthetreeofknowledge.Toundothisvictoryisimpossible,but there is onethingstill leftwhichthetemptermayeffect: hemayinduce Buddhato turnhisbackatthisstageonearthlylife andto enterintoNirvana.Then he alone would be delivered from Harasspower:hewould not haveproclaimedthe doctrine of deliverancetomen."Thencame"thusBuddhaafterwards relates thehistoryofthistemptationto hisdiscipleAnanda"Mara,thewickedone,untome.Cominguptome,heplacedhimselfatmyside:standingatmyside, Ananda, Mara,the wickedone,spakeuntome,saying: Enter now intoNirvana,ExaltedOne,enterNirvana,PerfectOne: nowis thetimeofNirvanaarrivedfor the ExaltedOne/ As he thusspake,Ireplied,Ananda,toMara,thewickedone,saying: Ishall not enterNirvana,thou wickedone,until I shall havegainedmonks asmydisciples,whoare wise andinstructed, intelligenthearers oftheword,acquaintedwiththedoctrine,expertsintheDoctrineandthesecondDoctrine,versedin theordinances,walkingintheLaw,topropagate,teach,promulgate,explain,formulate,beentertained. The Buddhisthistoryofthetemptationis to befoundinthe"MahaparinibbanaSutta,"p.30,seq., andisinsertedinthecontextof thewholecontinuousnarrativeinthe"LalitaVistara,"p.489.HISTORYOFTHETEMPTATION.117analyze,whattheyhaveheard fromtheirmaster,to annihilateandexterminatebytheirknowledgeanyheresywhicharises,andpreachthedoctrinewithwonder-working.Ishall notenterNirvana,thou wickedone,until I shall havegainednuns asmy disciples,who are both wise and instructed(and here,afterthefashionof the Buddhist ecclesiasticalstyle,what.hasbeen said of monks follows aboutnuns,lay brothers,andlaysisters).I shall not enterNirvana,thou wickedone,untilthelife ofholinesswhichIpointout,hasbeensuccessful,growninfavour,andextendedamongallmankind,and is invogueandthoroughlymadeknownto allmen/;Wereturnto theolderversionof thenarrative.*Buddha still tarries thrice sevendaysin variousplacesintheneighbourhoodof the tree ofknowledge"enjoyingthehappinessof deliverance."Asortof overtureis hereplayedtothegreatdrama of whichhe is to be thehero:significanttypicaloccurrencesforeshadow thefuture.Themeeting witha"Brahmanofhaughtyair,"causesus to think of astrugglewithandconquestof Brahmanism.Wehearnothingof thetauntwithwhichthatBrahmanmayhaveaccostedBuddha: it*Inadditiontotheexternalgroundofthehistoryof thistemptationbeingwantingin the"Mahavagga,"there is still anotherdeeperconsiderationwhich determinesmetobelievethatitwasexcluded fromthoolder traditions. Weshall afterwardscometothehistoryofBuddhasinternalstrugglewheth