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" Perhaps the different books at different times ; the earliest Stitras for instance by the immediate followers of Sdkya, such as Andnda ; and the Abhtdarma containing our philosophy, having been arranged at the first great council in the year when the luminary of the world was extinguished. But since the three Pitakas consist of different books, to which may be added the Atthakaiha or commentaries on them, it is not unnaturally a matter of discussion among ourselves as to what date, or by whom, particular portions were written." Blan. "Of what age may we venture to say the Mahd- wansa should be considered?" Saug. " You mean the genealogies and histories of Ceylon ?" Blan. " Exactly." Saug. " According to the Cingalese, with whom I have recently been conversing, they were written about four hundred years after the death of the comforter of the world." Blan. " It is in those books, I think, written about four hundred years after the death of Sdkya, that we read of his flying through the air, of his astonishing the Yakkas with storms, and of various miracles being performed by his relics ; we also, I think, read of a princess being married to a lion, and of BAUDDHA MIRACLES^ INSPIRATION. 33 various beings, half serpents, and half something higher, all of which Saddnanda here would say partook somewhat of the marvellous. Supposing then it should turn out that these sort of stories abound more in writings farther removed from the time of Sdkya, while in the Sdtras which can with more con- fidence be traced to his immediate successors, such as Ananda^ these stories appear less, but we find in their stead traces of your great teacher's wisdom and virtue, would that circumstance make such stories appear to you rather less certain, or less necessarily credible?" Saug. " I do not see that it would ; for all our Scriptures were written before the age of inspiration had ceased. So long as inspiration lasted, it was less necessary that acoounts should be written minutely; but when it was about to cease, though its influence was still felt, our Scriptures were written for the affliction of righteous men, if they compared the degeneracy of their own times, and their delight, if they looked back on what had preceded." Blan. " Then I see, the whole question of inspiration ought to be considered by us. But pray how is it that you talk of Holy Scripture and inspiration, when it is generally imagined that Sdkya was rather what we should call a sceptic, or a devout rationalist, throwing doubt upon the sacred books of his race, and professing to have secured the highest knowledge by the light of his own intelligence?" " That is a question," here Vidydchdrya mildly interposed, ^^ which it rather pleases me to hear asked ; for indeed the incon- sistency both of Sdkya and of his followers has always appeared to me wonderful. He made light of our sacred books, rejected sacrifices, and calumniated the Brahmans, teaching men to over- throw all venerable distinctions, and permitting the Sudra, or even the Chdndftla, to boast himself against the wise and the honourable, so that both the natural and consecrated order of society was overthrown by him ; and not only this, but the justice of the Divinity was blasphemed, since those distinctions in life, M.P. 3 84 sakya's career which are in fact the due requital of whatever we have done in •ome former existence, were suffered to be lightly evaded, aa indeed you have heard the Saugata here boasting ; yet after all, this man, whom the Vishnu Purana justly calls the great Illu- sion, pretended to have been elevated to such a pitch, that his smile gave divine grace, and the effluence of his breath brought knowledge from lieaven. Then we have heard even the reports of his discourses by his disciples spoken of as inspired, and con- sidered as sufficient authority for any marvel. Thus, by over- throwing a rightful and sacred authority, he was only paving the way for a greater despotism. Yet I do not deny Sdkya to have been very eminent in knowledge and sanctity, but it sur- prises mo ho sliould have taught such doctrines, that, according to Sancara, he may well be thought to have been an intentional deluder of mankind in the spirit of some Racshcisa, rather than merely to have fallen into any human error." Saug. " Well, how much may be said in fevour of our Vanquisher of sins, has been already in part explained ; and also the sense in which his inspiration should be understood will be clear to any one who remembers how I shewed that men may become possessed of the highest and most perfect intelligence. But as for the accusation that he opposed the Brahmans, some* thing more may be said. We read that before the conversion of King Asoca, he gave alms daily to sixty thousand Brahmans, and it cannot be doubted that in the earlier time, when the Comforter first taught the world his doctrine, the preponderance and the number of the Brahmans were equally great. Not only was it believed that men are boin in particular castes on account of their merit or demerit in a former life, (which the Saviour never denied,) but they were excluded from the hope of rising to freedom through the highest knowledge. Sacrifices of blood were ordered in the books held sacred, and practised by the priests, though when the compassionate One beheld them, he ^blamed on that account the whole of the Vedas.' In the mean time men cared only for themselves or for their caste, and not AND DOCTRINE. 35 for mankind. While religious ceremonies had a great stress laid on them, good actions were little practised. Men had fallen through false conceptions into all manner of superstition, selfish- ness, ignorance, and sin, with all that misery which such things must entail. Sdkja therefore, the indefatigable straggler, had prayed to each of the supreme Buddhas, that he too might be- come a Buddha, for the sake of delivering mankind from misery, and they all had foretold that he should succeed. In order to fit himself for his sacred work he studied first under the Brah- mans, nor did he at any time refuse them personal respect, though he extended to every man the free option of that sancti- fication by the highest knowledge, which it was previously thought must belong to the upper castes only. But by extending Buch benefits to others, he did no injury to the Brahmans. On the contrary, many of them became his disciples, and, assuming the yellow garb of mendicants, they not only forsook the world, but went about preaching the true faith, and inviting all men to be saved by the six highest excellencies. Then came those remarkable missions which spread our faith from Magadha over a large part of India, to Ceylon in the South, to Nepal in the North, and even to Thibet and China, and a large part of the world. The virtues of King Asoca, whose inscriptions remain to this day as an evidence of the truth of our faith, are well known, and not least was his anxiety for the souls of men. In all this, however, the Brahmans were not injured ; though it is true their bloody sacrifices were forbidden, and the books which enjoin them were considered on that account defile^.'' Blan. " You appear to think, then, that a certain humanity of sentiment should be expected in all books which claim to be B&cred.'" Sauo. " Certainly ; such for instance as we have in the inspired Sdtras of Buddha. If, however, to resume my argument, Sdkya from his victory over sin was called the Vanquisher, and from his benefits to mankind the Saviour, and from his complete liberation the TcUhdgata, or if again the nations in their gratitude 3—2 36 BAUDDHA SCEPTICISM. honour his relics with worship in which thej offer incense and flowers, or even if we address prayers to one who shares the perfection of the divine intelligence, such things offer no just subject for reproach, either against his sacred memory, or against our religion in general. Whereas on the other hand, the cruelties which our saints suffered at the instigation of the fierce Cumdrila, when, after conquering India by persuasion, they were driven out of it by extreme violence, were such as I even shudder to remember." " But whatever may be said of Cumdrila," here resumed •Vidydchdrya, " you do not deny that Sdkya suffered himself to be considered as above our holy triad of deities, and to me I confess such presumption appears impious." Saug.