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" 3 His body of the law — dharmakaya — where Dhanna may be com- pared to the Platonic "idea" (compare the assertion of Prof essor Butler of Dublin, who explains " ideas " as the Laws according to which God regu- lates the Universe." Professor Fcrrier's Remains, i, 325). But probably Dliarma in this connection is the " prakriti," or the <pvais of Strabo, whicli he says was considered as a fifth element by the Bralimans (Ban- erjca's Hindoo Plulosophy, p. 2-11). iS'ow it is well known that in the Buddhist scholastic treatises, " fah" or " dharma " is spoken of as the element or object apprehended by " mind,'' where " mind " is regarded as a fifth sense. ''Dharmakaya" in this sense would therefore cor- respond to " ffi/ua (pvaiKov." SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. 131 descended to the country of Kapila, and assumed the title of Sarvarthasiddha. His family had been selected by the assembled Dcvas (golden mass) of the heaven in which he resided ; Suddhodana was selected as his father. His incar- nation was on this wise: like a shining gemmous elephant he descended^ into the womb of Maya, the wife of the king, and there took up his abode. Predicted a Universal Mon- arch, he was born beneath the Sala trees,^ in the garden of Lumbini. His body adorned with every excellency, lovely as the Lotus ; marked with the thirty-two superior signs ; bright as the shining moon ! At his birth he faced the four quarters, and took seven steps each way, whilst his body was bathed by the streams of water which the nine dragons caused to flow over it. At this time the Udambara^ flower appeared, as he uttered with his lion voice, " My births are now at an end, I await the unchangeable body, I have come and gone for the salvation of all men, but now there is an end ; henceforth, there shall be no more birth." Thus, wrapped in swaddling clothes, he was manifested as a little child. And now came the taking his horoscope ! See how the Rishi Asita is grieved !^ And now behold him carried to the ancestral temple !^ With what reverence did the God salute him ! Growing up as a child he learned all the wisdom of the age,^ and increased in all martial skill, as the ^ Vide this scene depicted, PI. xxxiii, Tree and Serpent Worship. From the fact that the sculptures at Sanchi are taken principally from the early hfo of Buddha, and from the Jatakas, it is plain that these in- cidents must date from B.C., if the temple of Sanchi is of the date as- signed to it. 2 Vide Plate Ixv, fig. 3, Tree and Serpent Worship. ^ Ficus glomerata, fabled to appear whenever a universal monarch is born. ^ He wept because, being old, he himself would not benefit by the " preaching of the law." '•• He was taken by his father to the temple of Maheshwara, then all the figures of the Gods rose up, and did him obeisance. — Ch. Ed. ^ The Sabdavidya, the treatise on sound, which includes all the wis- dom of the other treatises (i.e., the five vidyas). — Ch. Ed. K 2 132 A CATENA OF BFDDHIST Pagoda of the arrow,^ and the flowing well may certify; and as to his personal prowess let the elephant ditch bear testi- mony ! Then for ten entire years he indulged himself in every sensual delight^ until after taking a tour of observa- tion from the ''four gates/^ he beheld the various sightswhieh affected his mind so deeply, viz., the sight of the old worn out man, the leper, the corpse, and the Shaman with a joyful countenance ;" then returning to his palace, the watchful Deva, in order to excite his heart to wisdom, caused the women to assume every unbecoming attitude in their sleep, by which he was so resolved, that even now the prancing of his steed'^ Kanika could hardly be restrained as he left the city on the eighth day of the second month. Then he so- journed for six years in the neighbourhood of the snowy mountains, having dismissed his charioteer and the steed so fondly attached to his person, that it shed tears on the eve of its separation from him ! Forthwith, he cut his flowing locks from his head, with the sword, and these conveyed by Sakra to the heavenly mansions were enshrined in a sacred edifice. And then discarding his royal garments, he ex- chanofed them for the leather hose and doublet of the hunter in the mountains. No mere system of human in- vention would satisfy his mind,* he reduced himself by the exercise of rigid discipline, to the grain of millet and hemp ' Referring to the well-known fables found in the Lalita Visfcara, and in the note of the present work (which see). Mr, Fergusson identifies the scene, PI. xxxvi, fig. 2, Tree and Serp. Worship, with this incident. 2 This is the well known fable of Buddha's conversion, which was appropriated by John of Damascus, in favour of a fictitious Christian saint called Josaphat, or Joasaph. Vide Max Miiller's lecture on the "IMigration of Fables." This scene is depicted, PI. xxxiii, Tree and Serpent Worship, where I believe the placid figure in front of the chariot is intended to represent the " Shaman with a pleasant countenance." 3 This scene is depicted, PI. lix. Tree and Serpent Worship, where we observe the four Yakshas, spoken of in the note of the Chinese Editor, supporting the feet of the horse. " Four Yakshas support the feet of the horse, whilst Devas offer precious gifts." — Ch. Ed. * " lie rejected the system of the Mountain Rishis," i.e., Alara and lldaka.— ]\1. P.. 104, SCKIPTUKES FROM THE CHINESE. 133 seed, until his body was worn and haggai'd with self-mortifi- cation. Then he realised the truth of the medium course, that like the man, who would discourse sweet music, must tune the strings of his instrument to the medium point of tension, so he who would arrive at the condition of Buddha, must exercise himself in a medium course of discipline. From this moment he directed his steps to the place beyond the Dragon cave,^ when bathing his body in the Nairanjana river, he received the rice and milk of Nanda, and the grass mat of Santi. Then tending onwards to the Bodhi-mandala,^ the site on which he was destined to arrive at complete deliverance, he ascended the diamond throne, and there exhibited his superior qualifications, which were proofs of his coming emancipation. Then the army of Mara^ (death) advanced to assail him, but they were all put to confusion by the exercise of his love, and took to fiight. In vain the ogling women''' attacked him with their lascivious devices ; they were abashed at his presence, and by his power changed into hideous hags. Then the " Earth- God"° leaping forth, testified to his merit, whilst the Devas residing in space, spread the news of his spiritual victory far and wide ! Then pure as a Lotus he came from the contest; like the shining moon issuing from the clouds he scattered the rays of his beauty far and wide. After seven days he received the wheat and honey of the two merchants Trapusha and Bhallika,^ who had been excited to make the offering by the direction of the Tree Deva, whilst he ex- ^ That is the cave of the Dragon Kalika. — Burnouf, lutrod., p. 386. ^ The Bodhi-maudala, i. e., the sacred precinct under the Bo Tree, where all Buddhas are supposed to arrive at complete inspiration. * Mara, or death, or, as we say, the Devil. TMs temptation scene is figured on the middle beam of the northern gateway at Sanchi. Vid. Frontispiece, Tree and Serp. Worship. * The four daughters of Mara. ^ Stavara. Vid. Zal. Vist., p. 305, also Jul. iii, 468. I believe this scene to be intended in Plate Ivii, fig. 1, Tree and Serp. Worship, as the scene fig. 2, same Plate, represents the offering of Nanda. 134 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST plained to Trapuslia the refuge to be found in the observance of the five precepts. At length, completely inspired, he considered who would be the first to arrive at salvation. Alas ! the two Rishis^ whose instruction he had first Hstened to, were no more, but he was rejoiced to see that the five men- who had left him at Uravilva would be able to receive the transforming in- fluences of his doctrine. Such is the feebleness and confusion attending all human methods of deliverance, and such the wisdom of the sage, deep and vast beyond de- scription ! The one excludes the other, as light excludes the darkness !