English
Pritiya, joy, that which causes gladness, as when a man travelling through the desert, in the hot season, and overcome by thirst, sees a pond in which the five kinds of water lilies are growing. It is the opposite of wydpAda, the wish to injure another. It is accompanied by sepa, satisfaction or enjoyment ; where there is the one, there is always the other. Pritiya is like the finding of the water, whilst the drinking of it is sepa. There is pharana-pritiya, which like wind in an instrument, or water in a cave, pervades every part of the being by whom it is possessed ; it is sometimes so powerful as to cause the hair of the body to become erect. There is a second kind of pritiya that is again and again repeated, with intervals between, like the flashes of the lightning ; and a third that is no sooner present than it is gone, like the waves of the sea that expend themselves, and lose their existence, by rolling upon the shore. There is also udw6ga-pritiya. The priest Maha Tissa resided at the wihara of Panagal. It was his custom to worship at the digoba, and on a certain festival he looked towards the place where the principal relics were deposited, thinking thus within himself, '* In former periods many priests and religious persons assembled here that they might worship ;" and as he was in the act of making this reflection, he received the power of udw^ga- 426 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. pritiya, by which he was enabled to rise into the air, and go to the sacred place. Near the Girikanda wihara was a village called Wattakala, in which resided a respectable woman who was a devotee, npdsi* kikwa. One evening, when her parents were abont to go to the wihara to hear bana, they said to her, " On account of yonr present situation it will not be proper for you to accompany us to the wihara ; we will go alone, and hear bana, and whatever benefit we receive we will impart to you." She was exceedingly desirous to hear bana, but as she could not disobey her parents she remained at home. The wibara could be seen from the court-yard of her house ; so from that place she looked towards it ; and seeing the lights of the festival and the people in the act of worship, whilst at the same time she could hear the voices of the priests, she thought within herself, ** They who can thus be present at the festival are blessed." Thus udwega-pritiya was formed in her mind, and in an instant she began to ascend into the sky, so that she arrived at the wihara before her parents ; who, when they entered and saw her, asked how she had come, and she replied that she had come through the sky. When they further asked how she had thus become a rahat, she said, *^ I only know that I did not remain in the same place any longer after I felt the joy ; I know nothing more." As when the water of many different rivers, or many different kinds of oil, are poured into the same vessel, it is difficult to separate the water of one river from that of another, or one kind of oil from another ; so is it difficult to separate the three states, pritiya, sukha (pleasure or deUght), and winydna. 12. Chanda, determination, that which carries the intention into effect, as when the hand is stretched out in the house- resembling thought. 13. Adhimokha, steadfastness, that which gives stability to the mind, as the firm pillar of emerald. 14. Sardhdwa, purity, that which cleanses the mind from evil desire; as when a chakrawartti travels, and the feet of his soldiers foul the water through which they pass, the water is cleansed by the udakaprasanna jewel, in order that he may drink it. When sardhawa is carried out to its most powerful exercise it is called ogha (stream, or torrent). In this way. There are IX. THE ONTOLOGY OF BUDHISM. 427 many persons assembled on both the banks of a rapid river ^ho are wishful to cross ; bnt their timidity prevents them, until one, more daring than the rest, plunges into the flood, and crosses the stream. This man is to the other persons what 6gha is to sardhiLwa. " There are," said Nilgas6na, " two principal properties of sardhdwa, viz., purification, sangprasddhana, and progress, sangpakkhandana (literally, leaping). By the former, evil desire is subdued, and that clearness of the mind is produced which brings with it tranquillity, or freedom from all agitation. When the four-fold army of a chakrawartti passes a brook in which there is only a small quantity of water, it is fouled by the feet of those who pass, and becomes muddy ; the water and the mud are mixed together, until it becomes like the pool iu which buffaloes have wallowed. The emperor, when he also has passed over, tells his nobles to bring him some of the water to drink. But how can his majesty drink water that is thus defiled ? In his possession there is a magical jewel ; and when this is put into the water, the mud falls to the bottom, and it becomes perfectly clear, so that it is now fit for the chakrawartti to drink. The muddy water is the mind. The noble who cast the jewel into the water is he who is seeking nirwiina. The mud and other impurities in the water are evil desire. The jewel is sardhawa. The water when cleared is the mind freed from impurity. Thus sardhawa subdues evil desire, and the mind, when free from evil desire, becomes pure ; and it is in this way that sardhdwa produces purity. " Again, when he who is seeking nirwana sees that evil desire is overcome by some other being, he endeavours to enter, as it were by a leap, one or other of the four paths ; he exerts himself to gain the advantages not yet gained, to attain that which is not yet attained, and to accomplish that which is not yet accom- plished. When the waters of a heavy rain fall upon a rock, they do not remain upon the summit, but fall to the low places and fill the rivers. A traveller arrives at the bank of a swollen river, where others have preceded him, but they know not the depth of the stream, and are afraid to venture across. By and bye a more courageous man arrives, who arranges his garments, enters the stream, and gains the opposite bank. This is seen by the others, who soon follow his example in crowds. In like 428 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. manner, when he who is seeking nirwdna, sees in what way others have become free from impnritj, he enters, as by a leap, one of the foar paths ; and it is in this way that sardhdwa leads to progress. The same tmths are declared by Badha in the Sanynt-sangha : ' Bj sardhawa the four rivers, viz., evil desire, the repetition of existence, scepticism, and ignorance, may be crossed ; by assidaity, the ocean of birth may be crossed ; by resolution, all sorrow may be driven away ; and by wisdom, freedom from impurity may be obtained. 15. Smirti, the conscience, or faculty that reasons on moral subjects ; that which prevents a man from doing wrong, and prompts him to do that which is right ; it is like a faithful noble who restrains and guides the king, by giving him good advice, and informing him of all things that it is necessary for him to know. *' It is the property of smirti," said Nagas^na, " to divide that which is united or combined, one kind or species being separated from another, or distinguished from it, according to its own essential nature. It distinguishes the four satipattbanas, the four samyakpradhdnas, the four irdhi-padas, <fec. ; kusala and akusala ; that which is criminal and that which is not criminal ; that which is low and that which is exalted ; and that which is white and that which is black. Thereby he who seeks nirwana unites that which it is proper to unite, and refrains from uniting that which it is improper to unite ; he separates that which it is proper to separate ; and refrains from separating that which it is improper to separate. The treasurer, or high steward, of the chakrawartti informs him every morning and evening of the extent of his retinue, saying, Tour elephants are so many, your cavalry so many, your chariots so many, and your infantry so many ; your gold is so much ; you have so many pieces of coin, and so many stores ; your majesty will be pleased to take note of these things.