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Hence sprang distinctions, such as excellence and in- feriority, and from these came contentions about *^yes" or " no." Gradually the taste of the earth was exhausted, and then men began to be angry, and full of anxiety. ' Alas ! they said, what misery! the earth no longer retains its taste !' Then was produced a surface to the earth like a thin cake ; after which, the surface being destroyed, there was produced a substance soft like flesh, which in its turn disappeared, and a rich loam was of itself generated, like the extract of the peach" (or sugar cane)." The Lau-Tan Sutra says : " The unctuous character of the earth no longer continuing, there was produced a double- stem pii-tau plant, whose taste was also sweet. For a long time eating this, the appearance of all (men) was pleasant and jovial. Afterwards, when this disappeared, there was produced a sort of dry powder like bran, without any gluti- nous qualities, and incapable of being sweetened, after eating which the sexes were developed.^' The Nyayauusara Shaster says : " Moreover, there sprang up of itself an illicit sort of scented paddy, which caused the bodies of those who ate it to become weak and de- generate, and finally the sexes to be developed, and habitual intercourse to ensue." The Ekottarikagama Sutra^ says : " When men began to lust after many things, then the sexes were developed, and ^ This phrase, " chong sing" is the one commonly used in Buddhist books, to denote "all sentient creatures," or "all things that have breath." - The " p'u t'au," explained afterwards as being the same as the "lin fang," probably the " wild vine," or perhaps the " sugar cane." '■' Tsang-yih-King. SCRIPTUKES FEOM THE CHINESE. Ill from this came the name of man and wife. Afterwards, when the lustful passion in different creatures continually increased, then was constituted the fixed relationship of marriage ; and after this the Abhasvara Devas came down, and were born of women ; and thus the race continued to be propagated. Then men began to build cities and towns, and the fruits of the earth which were gathered in the morning ripened again of themselves before the evening, and those gathered in the evening, ripened before the morning." The Madyamagama^ Sutra says : " The grain when four inches in length, had no more reed f men used to gather then as much as they required for the day ; after this, they came to gather as much as they wanted for five days; then gradually the grain deteriorated, and when reaped did not grow again, but there sprung up in its place briars and weeds. At this time men were filled with anxiety and grief, so that they shed tears. Each one forthwith began to appropriate a certain amount of land to himself, in order to a fair distribution of the earth^s fruits. After this, when they had learned to gather in and store their fruits, they began to pillage and rob each other's land, so that there was no safety, on which they determined to appoint one man as judge, who should protect the people on virtuous principles — rewarding the good, and punishing the bad ; whom they agreed to support and enrich from the com- mon stock. They therefore elected a man of command- ing presence and conspicuous virtue, and this man they called their Lord. From this circumstance arose the title of people and king ; he, indeed, walking in the line of per- fect virtue, protected the people as a father and a mother protect their child, and the people venerated him as the child venerates its father ; the years of men were very many, and their happiness without bounds." The Agama says : " At the time of the renovation of the ' Clnnio-ho-hoin-kiiiij. - The text is here defective. 112 A CATENA OF BUDDHTST world, the Abliasvara Devas came clown to tlie earth, each possessed of a shining body, flying as they went, and self- existent. Seeing the earth's crust was fragrant and sweet, they took it, and ate it much. Then they lost their spiritual powers, their bodies became heavy, and their brightness disappeared. The sun and the moon then began to be ; and (because men coveted to eat), the richness of the earth came to an end. Then was produced the Po-lo^ plant ; when this disappeared, there was produced a sort of fragrant rice (kang mai), in length four inches, which being cut down in the morning grew again before night. Nourished by this, the distinctions between of male and female began to be ex- hibited, and men began to do things contrary to purity ; this caused them to collect in families, and to become idle and listless, so that they began to think thus : ' It is much labour to gather food for each day's supply, come ! let us gather enough for seven days, and store it up.' Then the grain, after being gathered in the morning, did not grow again. So men began to cultivate the ground, and divide it in lots ; whereupon they began to rob and pillage each other, and wars and fightings commenced. Then all men agreed to obey one man full of wisdom, called San-mo-to (Sammata), whom they made lord of the soil ; all whom he blamed, they agreed to blame, (or, whatever went wrong, they held him responsible), and whatever fruits the class of the landowners obtained, they agreed to apportion a share of it to him as his right — hence sprang the caste of the Kshatriyas. Then, again, there were some men who left their homes and resorted to the mountains to seek wisdom, and to remove themselves from the influence of evil : these were called the caste of the Brahmans. Those who practised the arts of the artificer were called the caste of the Ku-sse (house lords), whilst those who laboured in the fields for their daily bread, were called Sudras (otherwise, pi-she, Vaisyas). ^ This maybe the equivalent of " Vara,'' an odoriferous shrub ; or it is possible it may be connected with the Hebrew 7^5 ^ leguminous plant. SCRIPTURES PROM THE CHINESE. 113 From among these castes, men who used much consideration, and, in view of the impurity of the world resulting from the sin of covetousness, resolved to forsake their home, and becom^e ascetics, these are called * Shamans,' and to these we belong/' In the middle of this Kalpa of establishment, the heavens and the earth being perfected, all creatures are at rest. And so twenty small Kalpas elapse. During each of these small Kalpas at the grand climacteric a universal king is born ; at the opposite period the earth is destroyed in one of three ways to be described hereafter. ON THE KALPA OF DECADENCE (SAMVARTTA KALPa). 5. This Kalpa relates to the period when the world and all created things, after the period of establishment has been fulfilled, begin to perish. The Avatamsaka Sutra says : '' At the time of the con- flagration of the great universe, every tree and shrub is burnt up, and the fi.re extends to the very limit of the earth, even to the great iron mountain circle. There is also a tempest destruction, at which time a furious wind arises, which destroys everything in the universe, and grinds it all to powder. Were it not that this wind is restrained by another, which confines its destructive power to the gi'eat Chiliocosm, the whole field of creation throughout space would be completely devastated." The Abhidharma' prakarana sasana Shaster says : " The Kalpa of destruction (samvartta kalpa) relates to the period when the sufferings of those in hell come to an end, and all the outside world is destroyed. Every thing that has life, during twenty small Kalpas, disappears from the world, and even from the superior heavens, and then the destruction of the entire fabric, the universe, ensues. This destruction is either by fire, or water, or wind." [Here follow extracts from the Abhidharma and Samyuk- tabridaya Shasters, to the same efi:ect.] > Hieu-tsong-luu. I 114 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST ON THE KALPA DURING WHICH THERE IS " VOID." 6. This Kalpa relates to that period after the general de- struction of the world, when there is no definite form in existence, but all is shapeless and void. And so it lasts for twenty small Kalpas, after which the Kalpa of renovation again begins, and the universe is established as before. GENERAL SUMMARY.^ 7. Every great Kalpa (Mahakalpa) consists of four distinct periods. A period of renovation, of perfection, of destruc- tion, and of void. The period of perfection is divided into two £eras, viz., the sera of increase, and the sera of decrease.