English
"The Soul of the True Form is the great essence of the invisible and visible worlds"; so says The Awakening of the Faith. Another statement in this classic is as follows: As to the work of the True Form, it is that which is in all the Buddhas and the Coming One from that first moment of great love and desire to cultivate their own salvation and then to save others, to the time of their great vow to save all beings throughout all future endless kalpas. Thus it is seen through these ten elements of Buddhist teachings that Buddhism does not mean materialism, atheism, pessimism, egoism, or nihilism. Buddhism in its fundamental ideas has much to be admired and to conserve. It needs a new reformation — the first principle to be appreciated — so that the erroneous elements which have crept in may be cast out and the good may be retained. Buddhism needs to have the essence of its principles brought forth into the light, like breaking the nut that we may get the kernel. The nearer we approach to the great founders of the different schools of Buddhistic thought, the more easily does the Chris- tian have feelings of honest appreciation. "Back to Buddha" needs to be said as well as "Back to Christ."