English
9 indeed, if it were the true doctrine of our perfect teacher Sdkja, that no certain stability can be traced by reason in the fluctu- ating forms of life and matter, I am not able to see that it is our duty to falsify the facts of the case, in order to make perishable forms appear more certain than they really are." " Certainly not," here assented Moimtain; "and indeed what you say re- minds me of a Christian doctor, St Augustine, who teaches that God does not behold things because they are, but by beholding causes them to be ; only I am not sure if I yet understand how far this doctrine, for which you now suggest an apology, resem- bles or diflFers ifrom the perisliableness of which we before spoke." " Only so far," replied the Saugata, " that the total perishable- ness then spoken of resulted from the decomposition of material forms, which we fiilly maintain, without on that account acknow- ledging that the intelligence of which we partake perishes. Now at least the doctrine which we are at present discussing is the very opposite of the materialism of the Chdrvdcas ; nor does it at all imply that the holders of it disown a future life, or what you call another world. But again, you are perhaps aware that the Sdtras of Buddha, upon which my own belief is fashioned, do not maintain either an universal void, or the unreality of the external world, quite so clearly as the venerable Achdrya sup- poses." "Upon that point," remarked Blancombe, "neither my friend here nor myself can presume to judge confidently, and we shall be glad to learn from you. I had, however, a notion that the terms used in the Stitras were such as seemed to point in the direction in which you are unwilling to follow them. Do they not, for example, call matter ignorance ? and body (or sub- stance) appearance? and our senses the^ve roots? while again I have some impression of having heard that they call spirit the void. So that, if they take away matter and body by calling them ignorance or appearance, and spirit by calling it void, and at the same time make the senses as it were the roots of our apprehensions, I scarcely know how they can be said not to have taken away the two things most commonly believed to 10 TERMS EXPLAINED. exist, namely, body and spirit, and with these, all other certain- ties/' Here the Saugata fully acknowledged that such terms as those mentioned occur in the earliest Stitras, and that those who follow them most literally were considered by some the earliest Bauddha sect ; "But I am not sure," he continued with a gentle smile, "that the natives of Europe in general, with the exception of a few, such as those happily present, are the fittest interpreters of the wise language of our sacred books. We do indeed call body appearance^ for which name I have already given some rea- sons, and we call matter ignorance^ which is not an inappropriate name for that which is unintelligent, and even comparatively passive, as opposed to mind, which is intelligently active ; and again, we call spirit voidj because the very idea of spirit is to be unlike, and negative of, all colours and shapes such as we see or handle: by what better name therefore could it be designated than simply void? Whatever other name we selected would only lead the simple to confound it with outward and visible forms, whereas we judge it to be something far more mysterious, ineflFable, and sacred.'' " You would not then, it appears, con- cede," asked Blancombe, " that your system is one of absolute negation, or of mystical nihilismy as if you loosened in turns the several foundations on which the belief of everything depends." "Certainly not," answered the Saugata, "though such a descrip- tion of it, as I have heard, has been given. Whereas the Bauddha faith, so far as I am capable of judging, reposes, as all true know- ledge amongst mankind must ultimately repose, upon the twcu foundations of perception and intelligence, external things being perceived by the senses, and internal or spiritual things inferred by reasoning. Hence I both believe in the revolution of life and external forms, on some such evidence as to yourself appeared probable, and I also seek the sanctification of my intelligence by purity and knowledge, as well as by religious worship." "May I then ask farther," continued Blancombe, "with respect to Him whom we consider both the Creator of the external world and the Giver of intelligence, do you both acknowledge and BAUDDHA RELIGION. 11 honour him ? in which case 1 suppose the Bauddha designation of Him must be explained on the same principle as those other terms abready mentioned : or is it true, as some have said, that your religion is only a deification of the human reason, and thereby a putting of man in the place of God?" "You have asked indeed a hard question," answered the Saugata; "but assuredly we do not deify each man his own reason. On the contrary, we subject it to the necessity of practising virtue, of reverencing all life, of worshipping with pure oblations of honey or flowers, restraining the passions, forgiving injuries, doing good to all men, and especially promoting their eternal welfare, hold- ing fast the faith, obeying the true priests, and honouring the relics of holy men. By persevering in such practices we trust finally to attain Nirvana^ or the blessedness of a perfect calm, and fireedom from the passions which attend a personality in- volved in the errors and obstructions of this life: but we are well aware, that by passion the intelligence may become dark- ened, and so entangled in the necessity of sufiering, that it must tmdergo many transmigrations before it arrive at the blessedness of repose. Seeing then that we acknowledge the allegiance of piety and duty, and do not pretend that these are established by ourselves, it cannot fairly be said that we deify our own reason : least of all should such an account of us be given by any Chris- tian : for many of our doctrines correspond so nearly, that who- ever ridicules the one may be said to injure the other. You have sacred books or treatises upon retributive justice ; so have we ; you also recommend * universal repentance,' and so do we ; and if you boast of expecting * everlasting life,' we also entertain the same expectation." " These remarks of yours," said Blancombe, " interest me highly ; and I should be desirous of learning here- afiter on what groimds the great expectation which you have just mentioned is entertained among yourselves ; but first it occurs to me to ask, since you have spoken of worship, to what Being in particular is your worship addressed?" " Evidently," answered the Saugata, "to the supreme Buddha." "And Buddha, if 12 THEORY OF THE WORLD. I understand aright/' interposed Blancombe, "means intelli- gent." Saug. " Precisely so." Blan. "Well, since the Deity must be conceived to have cre- ated and disposed all things by wisdom, and since the commands which he utters to his creatures must be the expression of intel- ligence, I do not know that any better name need be given to Him who is properly ineflfable, than the one you appear to have chosen." Saug. " But here, if you please, we must go gently ; for although some of my friends would willingly acquiesce in even the appearance of agreement with one so much honoured as yourself, you must not suppose me to believe that the Highest of all intelligences is degraded by contact with such grovelling things as are employed in the fashioning of the world, or that his blessed calm is disturbed by anxiety about things constantly changing, and being destroyed. For, imless you think other- wise, that would appear to me an impious lowering of the Most Blessed to our imperfect conceptions ; and again, there are many things daily happening, so fall of passion, and darkness, and suffering, that we cannot piously make the Deity accountable for them, instead of rather laying the blame, as we ought, upon our own folly, negligence, and ignorance.