6 THE BUDDHIST TRADITION in outlook is the revolt of the most intelligent people of the times against the sterile sacrificial cults of the brahmans. No explanation is wholly satisfactory, and we must admit our virtual ignorance of the factors which led to this great change in the direction of religious thought which was to have such an effect on the life of India and the world. Both the sages of the Upanishads and the heresiarchs of the unorthodox schools taught the way of knowledge, as opposed to the way of works. Their primary aim was to achieve salvation from the round of birth and death, and to lead others to achieve it. Most of them maintained that salvation could only be obtained after a long course of physical and mental discipline, often culminating in extreme asceticism, but this was chiefly of value as leading to the full realization of the fundamental truths of the universe, after which the seeker for salvation was emancipated from the cycle of transmigration and reached a state of timeless bliss in which his limited phenomenal personality disintegrated or was absorbed in pure being. The basic truths of the various schools differed widely. THE RISE OF BUDDHISM The founder of Buddhism was the son of a chief of the hill- tribe of the Shakyas, who gave up family life to become an ascetic when he was some twenty-nine years old, and, after some years, emerged as the leader of a band of followers who pursued the “Middle W ay” between extreme asceticism and worldly life. The legends which were told about him in later times are mostly unreliable, though they may contain a grain of historical truth here and there. Moreover many of the sermons and other pronouncements attributed to the Buddha^ are not his, but the work of teachers in later times, and there is considerable doubt as to the exact nature of his original message. However, the historicity of the Buddha is * "The Enlightened” or "Awakened,” a religious title with which we may compare the Christian “Christ” (i.e., “Anointed” ) and “Savior.” The Buddha’s teal name was Siddhartha Gautama (Pali, Siddhattha Cotama).

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6 THE BUDDHI S T T R A D I T I ON

in outlook is th e revolt of th e m ost intelligent people of the tim es against the sterile sacrificial cults of the brahm ans. N o explanation is wholly satisfactory, and we m ust adm it our virtual ignorance of the factors w hich led to this great change in the direction of religious though t which w as to have such an effect on th e life of Ind ia and the world.

B oth th e sages of th e U panishads and the heresiarchs of th e unorthodox schools taugh t the way of knowledge, as opposed to the way of works. T heir primary aim was to achieve salvation from the round of b irth and death, and to lead others to achieve it. M ost o f them m aintained th a t salvation could only be obtained after a long course of physical and m ental discipline, often culm inating in extrem e asceticism, b u t this was chiefly of value as leading to the full realization of the fundam ental tru ths of th e universe, after which th e seeker for salvation was em ancipated from th e cycle of transm igration and reached a state of timeless bliss in which his lim ited phenom enal personality disintegrated or was absorbed in pure being. T h e basic tru ths of th e various schools differed widely.

THE RISE OF BUDDHISMT h e founder of Buddhism was th e son of a chief of the hill- tribe of the Shakyas, who gave up family life to becom e an ascetic when he was som e tw enty-nine years old, and, after some years, em erged as th e leader of a band of followers who pursued the “M iddle W a y ” between extrem e asceticism and worldly life. T h e legends which were told about h im in later tim es are m ostly unreliable, though they m ay contain a grain of historical tru th here and there. M oreover many of th e sermons and o ther pronouncem ents attribu ted to the Buddha^ are no t his, b u t the work of teachers in later times, an d there is considerable doub t as to th e exact nature of his original message. However, th e historicity o f the B uddha is

* "The Enlightened” or "Awakened,” a religious title with which we may compare the Christian “Christ” (i.e., “Anointed” ) and “Savior.” The Buddha’s teal name was Siddhartha Gautama (Pali, Siddhattha Cotama).