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" The power of evil doubtless will prevent many from embracing the truth of my doctrine, yet if there should be no profit at all to mankind by the declaration of the truth, I would return forthwith to the condition of non- being (Nirvana) .^' As he thought thus, Sakra, monarch of the Trayastrinshas heaven, cloud-compelled; and the great ruler of the universe,^ Brahma, approaching Buddha, with reverence, adored him, and besought him to promulgate his doctrine and declare the law according to its true principles, adopted by the ancient sages, and adapted to the condition of men in their actual state of hfe. At the same time the Buddhas of the different quarters of the universe, reveahng themselves, uttered in his hearing words of commendation and comfort, to this effect, "that all the different systems of the one Law were designed to one end, and that to overthrow the strong- holds of sin !" From this moment leaving the Bodhi tree he directed his steps to the Deer-park* at Sarnath, where after three months 1 That is Alara aud Udiika. - The five men were the five ascetics who had lived with hiiu at Ura- vilva, until he began to alter his severe manner of life, when they left him. :! Vide ri. xxvi., fiir. 1, Tree and Serpent Worship, and compare Fah- llian, p. 125. ' Vide ri. xxix, fig. 2, Tree and Serpent Worship. SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. 135 kindly instruction^ he succeeded in converting the five men, his former companions ; Adjnata Kaundinya being the first to embrace his doctrine, and therefore he was called Adjnata, or the converted. After this, Sariputra accidentally meeting Asvajit, declared to him the bare outline of Buddha's doctrine,^ by which he also was converted. After this, Moudgalaputra also follow- ing in the same steps, and adhering to the same doctrine, found deliverance. Moreover, the whole of the fire-worship- pers^ returned to right reason through the conversion of Kasyapa. All these were but instances of the virtue of the overflowing streams of the heavenly dew (Divine grace) and the enlightening power of the Mani gem (Divine wisdom). Nor was the virtue of his teaching confined to the world of men, it extended also to the world of Devas.^ He taught in the Parrot forest, between Sravasti and Magadha, and also in the grove on the bank of the Ganges, called Chi- Sheou, also at the Heron Lake, and the Yulture Peak, also in the Dragon Palace, and the Mango-grove, and at the Monkey Stream, and at the cave of Gopala; he dwelt at Benares, and in Magadha, and in the Sala Grove, and at Vaisali, at Lankagiri and Potalaka, and in the Bamboo Garden, also in the Jetavana at Sravasti. He exhibited himself in various ways ; unsuppoi-ted in the air, at the re- quest of Prasenadjit ; passing from the mountain tops through the various heavenly mansions; exemplifying his law by the custom of bowing to the six divisions of space ; transforming his body into one only three feet in height ; placing his hand on Ananda's head ; pointing to the earth; dispersing the rays of his glory through the boundless ^ He declared to him the "four-truths" (arya satyani), which he at the fonudationof primitive Buddhism, vid. M.B., 19G. - This scene is depicted, PI. xxiv, fig. 1, Tree and Serpent Worship. ^ Viz. , when he ascended into the Trayastrinshas Heaven to declare the law for the sake of his mother. His descent from this heaven, or the ladder of Sakra, is depicted, PI. xxvii, fiy. o, Tree and Serpent Worship, 136 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST reo-ions of space, and causing the different Buddlias to appear in his presence, causing also the countless worlds of space to be revealed to the sight of Videha, and changing the appearance of the earth by his transforming energy. ^ As to his method of teaching, he made the ordinary method of instruction illustrate the true method of his own, just as the echo of the hollow dell answers to the voice, or the bell responds to the stroke of the hammer. Amongst the discourses which he uttered, we find the four Agamas, which favour the reality of sensible phcenomena, and the eight Prajna^ which declare all to be void, the Ganda Vyuha and the Avatamsaka, the Tathagatagarbha and the Kchiti- garbha, the questions of Tchintavardana, the conversations at Lankagiri, the Surafigama, the Samadhi, also the Maha- karuna pundarika, also the book of Dharanis, which are as the torch of the law, also the auspicious advent of Sudana (the Vessantara Jataka), also the Itivrittakas, the Jatakas, the Geyas, and Gathas. Then he illustrated his doctrine under several parables,^ such as that of the elephant, the horse and the hare crossing the river, the three chariots leaving the house, and drawn respectively by sheep, deer, and oxen. Then he spoke of it as something which really exists, at other times as empty, at other times as preserving the medium; again, he described it [i.e., his doctrine) as the centre of invariable splendor, again, as the dull and the gradual, the incomplete and the full, the unutterable and the ever-spoken, as something which cannot be heard, and yet is ever heard; moreover, he gave them an assurance* as a sound basis of trust, he also supplied all that was lacking, so that there should be no forgetfulness. He explained his system as neither little, and yet not great, as being without ' These various events arc to be found in the usual accounts of Buddha's teaching, and are explained in the notes of the work we are considering. 2 The eight chief works of the Mahayana system. 3 These parables are to be found in the Lotas of the (Jood Land. ' The assurance here sjiokcn of is that we all have the nature of Buddha, and shall eventually return to it. SCRirTUilES FROM THE CHINESE. 137 bounds, and yet not central; the three vehicles of deliverance he declared were identical with the one vehicle of Buddha, and the three Natures^ the same as the one nature of the law. Thus it was he truly described himself as the father and the mother of his helpless children, their guide and leader along the precipitous path of life : shedding the light of his truth like the sun and moon in the vault of heaven ; providing a ferry-boat for passengers over this vain sea of shadows, as a propitious rain cloud, restoring all nature to life ; providing salvation and refuge, by directing men into the final path that leads to the eternal city. But, alas ! the end is now at hand, his completed merit cannot dwell with us ; he is now about to return to his original condition, and resume his true nature; the fuel ex- pended, the fire dies out and perishes ! Accordingly, he directs his steps to the country of the Litchhavis, and onwards to the Golden river y^ the bright rays of glory poured forth from his face, and spread far and wide through the innumer- able kchetras of the Buddhas ; the mountains shook, and the earth quaked, whilst on every side were heard cries of lamentation. Then as the end approached, the blood of the Palasa flower^ poured forth, and he received the last offering of Chunda, and also the protective formula of Papiyan ; he then recited the four characteristics^ of the condition of Nirvana, in order to illustrate the three eternal truths ; pointing out to all that the countless forms of life resolve themselves into the one invariable nature. Complying with the request of Tara Kasyapa,^ he answered the forty-two questions; and converted Subhadra, just completing his eighty-first year; finally, he overthrew the arguments of the ^ Viz., the nature Sravaka, the Pratyeka Buddha, audthe Bodhisatwa. 2 The Goldeu River is the Hiranyavati or Gaudaki. The country of the Litchhavis is Vaisali. ^ Compare witli this the story of Adonis or Thammuz. * The four characteristics are permanency, joy, personal existence, purity. The three eternal truths (often signified by three dots, thus, ,',) are supreme wisdom, complete deliverance, the essential body. ^ Tara appears to be the name of a Bodhisatwa, reverenced by this family o^ Kasyapa. 138 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST ten Risliis^ so that they also received the day dawn into their hearts. How beautifully finished those four Dagobas !^ But now desiring to illustrate the perishable character of all things possessed of personal existence, he explained how the absence of conditions leads to an absence of birth, and so raising his diamond body above the ground, he remained fixed in the air. The sun and moon shall decay, what then is the sparkle of the glow-worm ?