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At present, I am not in a position to identify this with the so-called Sakti of Durga or Deri worship. Howéver, it is beyond doubt that Saktism was prevailing ac the time of Nagarjuna and Aryadeva and that also became one of the objects of attack by the Buddhists at.the time. The main Puranas which cover generally the time from Apastamba-Dharma-sastra (which is not later than the third century B. C.)* to the Gupta age (3rd and 4th centuries A. D.), much helped to further the above- mentioned popular religious movements. Not only that, the Purinas themselves created other new popilar faiths like the worship of ten incarnations of Visnu, Gopala Krisna and allied Pauranic faiths during the period covering from the time of Nagarjuna to Vasubandhu. Ihave given above almost a full account of the philosophical and religious condition of India at the time of Nagarjuna and Aryadeva respectively.. Of these two- fold aspects—philosophical and religious, the former may be termed the theoretical site which none but advanced men (constituting the high intellectual social class) could accept but the latter was the popular religion proper, propovnded for the acceptance and benefit of the masses 1 Indo-Aryan Races, ‘pp. 153-156. * Early History of the Vaignava Sect hy Dr. Hemchandra Raychaudhuri, p. 90. 40 ORIGIN OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISM or common people. The time required the meeting of both these demands by any movement which wanted to establish a firm ‘hold over the country. Nagarjuna understood the situation aright and consequently systematized a Buddhist philosophy on the one hand and established the so-called ‘ Sahaja-mairga’ on the other, as auxiliary religious practices. ; At the time of Asaiga and. Vasubandhu (about 310 or 320-400 A. D.)° the ‘Sahaja-marga’ inculeating a recital of Buddha’s names was prevailing in the Buddhist community in a much more preponderate condition than that of Nagarjuna. For, at the time of Asanga and Vasubandhu, the Nama-vada and other allied religious practices were prevailing not only among the common mass but also among highly advanced people. From this the reader should not suppose that in the Buddhist community at that time there were no followers of the Kathina-marga. ‘Therefore, Asanga stated in his Mahayanasamparigra-ha-Sastra thus :— “If any one recite the name of Prabhuta-ratna Buddha, thereby he will obtain the supreme perfect Enlightenment,” ! Again, in the Mahayana-Siitralankara-Sastra-karika, - we meet with the following statement :— “In order to destroy the indolence, Mahayana sutra speaks that, if any one pray to be born in the Sukhivati (pure-land), he will certainly be born there. And if any one who reciting even the name of Tathagata-Vimalacan- draprabha he will certainly obtain perfect Enlighten- ment.” * 1 Lai Bundle, Vol. 9, p. 69a of Chinese Tripitaka (see Nanjio’s catalogue No, 1188). rathaacen sfarrdng) 3 qarat wfewd afeaty & atone far faq FT aU aMyETaaW fara] waaqauat waadaruifefa | (Edited by Dr, 8. Lévi, p. 83.) - INTRODUCTORY NOTE 41 The same idea is found, again in his Mahayanabhi- dharma-sangiti-Sastra.? Next let us see what was the corresponding condition at the timeef Asvaghosa II (probably former part of the 5th century A. D.). In the Mahayana-sradhotpada-sastra he stated thus :-— ‘“‘ Therefore, it is advisable for those novices to cherish this thought: All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the ten quarters having great, unimpeded supernatural powers (abhijia), are able to emancipate all suffering beings by means of various expediencies that are good and excellent (upaiyakausalya). *‘ After this reflexion, they should make great vows (mah&pranidhana), and with full concentration of spiritual powers think of Buddhas and Bodhisattva, whe they have such a firm canz‘rtion, free from all doubts, they will assuredly be able to be born in the Buddha- country beyond (buddha-kshetra), when they pass away. from this present life, and seeing there Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, to complete their faith and to eternally escape from all evil creations (apaya). Therefore, it is said in the Siitra that if devoted men and women be filled. with concentration of thought, think of Amitabha Buddha in the world of highest happiness (sukhavati). in the Western region, and direct (parinaima) all the root of their good work towards being born there, they would assuredly be born there. “ Thus always seeing Buddhas there, their faith will be strengthened, and they will never relapse therefrom. Receiving instruction in the doctrine, and recognising the Dharmakaya of the Buddha, they will by gradual 1 Lai Bundle, Vol. 8, p. 77a of Chinese Triptiaka (see also Nanjio's ae da No. 264). 42 ORIGIN OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISM discipline be able to enter upon the state of truth (i.e., Buddhabood).”’! In the above statement we should mark one thing that at the time of Nagarjuna as wellas Asanga and Vasubandhu, the ‘Sahaja-marga’ was simply reciting the name of any Buddha. But in the time of Asvaghosa II, the ‘Sahaja-marga’ was not simply reciting the name of any Buddha but limited to the name of Amitabha-Buddha only. This fact can be proved even from Archzeological evidence.. Because, we find many images of Amit&bha-Buddha in the Buddhist sculpture specially in the Gupta period. A tendency of the worship of Amitabha-Buddha or reciting the name of him: was existing even in the time of Asanga and Vasubauuite as an adjunct of the ‘Sahaja-marga.’ -But it was only at the time of Asvayybosa II and later on, that ‘Sahaja-marga’ exclusively came to include only the reciting of the name of Amitaébha-Buddha. _ The great Chinese teacher of Amitibha sect, Tsh2’- ming some time called Hui-zib, met with Itsing as soon as be had gone back to China from India, and Tshz’.ming determined to come to India. So he started from China in 702 A. D. by sea and after passing Kun-lun (Siam and states of the Peninsula of Malacca), Fo-shi (modern Palambang, the north-eastern coast of Sumatra)* and finally Ceylon after three years he arrived in India. He lived 13 years in India. During this time he asked many teachers many times such questions as “ By what form of Buddhism and by what kind of practice one can obtain salvation ?” From every quarter he received the same answer, viz., worship the Amitabha-Buddha and * Awakening OF Faith py (. Suzuki, pp. 144-146. 9 J, Takukus’s I Tsing, p. J, and Chan-Ju-kuo by F. Hirth and W. W. Rockkill, p. 63. INTRODUTORY NOTE 43 you gé to Sukhavati.' This piece of information clearly shows that the worship of Amit&bha-Buddha or reciting his name strongly prevailed in India at that time. To conclude, in the above, our aim has been to present 1istorical account of the terms ‘Sahaja-marga’ and ‘Kathina-marga’ in Buddhism and at the same time specially we have noted the particular form of Buddhist religion known as ‘Saliaja-marga’ was decidedly the result of under the great influence of popular Hindu faiths from the time of Nagarjuna onwards. Let us at the end of this introduction summarize, in charts, different terms already dealt with. Buddhism ee | : 1. Geographical division Northern ropa Scuthern Buddhisn: | 2. Doctrinal division Mahayina Hinayadna Hinayéna 3. Division from the way of | Guhyayana Vyaktayana Vyaktayana Buddha’s preaching | | 1, i a * Division from a practical Sahajayaéna Kathinayana Kathinayana point of view 1 Chih Bundle, Vol. 5, p. 103b.a, PART |! CHAPTER I I—The Significance of the terms Mahiyina and Hinayana. From the etymological point of view, ‘ Mahayana’ means Great Vehicle, and ‘Hinayaina’ means small Vehicle. Now, as you know, ‘ Yana’ (or Vehicle) implies at least two things; one, the Vehicle itself and secondly, the traveller who uses the Vehicle te go from place to place. From the religious standpoint, ‘Yana’ (or Vehicle) itself indicates doctrines, while the figure of the traveller suggests the religieux. Again, the terms ‘ Mahayana ’and ‘ Hinayana’ in relation with one another, have the implication of superiority and inferiority, praise and depreciation; in other words, the terms ‘Mahayina’ and ‘ Hinayana’ suggest some rivalry between, the two schools,; and the word ‘Maha’ or Great is used by way of striking a note of superiority and praise of one -school over the contending school, Hinayaéna,—as ‘ Hina’ means small, and implies inferiority and depreciation. So these terms imply naturally superiority and inferiority respec- tively of the doctrines on the one hand and the religieux on the other. If we further particularly amplify these two points, then the ‘ Doctrines’ will resolve themselves into two features, one is the ‘Teaching’ and another the. ‘Doctrinal idea’; the former aspect at present stands in the ‘Siitra-form’as record in which doctrinal ideas have | 46 ORIGIN OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISM been embodied aud the latter is the ‘Doctrine’ (the dharma) itself; again the ‘ Religieux’ also will resolve itself into two features ; one is the ‘ Religious practices’ and the other is ‘Salvation.’ Therefore, the terms ‘ Mahiyana and Hinayana’ naturally indicate a relation of superiority and inferiority on those four points. Among Buddhist scholars there is a good deal of divergence of opinion as to the conception of the terms ‘Mahayana and Hinayana’, for example, among our Japanese Buddhist scholars, Dr. Eyun Mayeda, holds that the terms ‘ Mahayana’ and ‘Hinayaina’ imply a particular relation on the point of ‘ Religieux’ only but definitely not on that of the ‘ Doctrinal,’' while there are others who hold quite a contrary view. But to me the terms indicate both the features;the point of the religieux and the point of the doctrine.