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He furnished medical aid to the sick, and won converts by kindness, and not by war. He sent Mahinda, his son, and a band of missionaries, and, later, his daughter and a company of nuns, to Ceylon to convert that people. And considering the slow and toilsome means of travel then, it was a longer and more tedious journey than to circle the globe today. Mahin- da's labors, and those of his missionaries and nuns, were not in vain, for the history of Ceylon tells us that the pure doctrines of Buddha yet live in hearts and minds of the people. In truth, Asoka did more to push and extend Buddhism, than did Constantine (A. D. 325) in behalf of Christianity. The chasm between those tv/o is noteworthy. Asoka's reign was permeated with charity and kindness. On the other hand, Constantine's hands were stained with blood. 124 A QUESTION OF MIRACLES He murdered Licinius, and put to death Cripus, his own son. lie also murdered Licinius. his nephew. While it is true that he helped, rather than hindered Christianity, yet all that he did for it was done from motives of statecraft. (12) The religion which Mahinda taught the people of Ceylon, was to eschew falsehood, intemperance, dis- honesty, anger, pride and covetousness, and to forgive injuries, practice chastity, contentment, patience and cheerfulness. Asoka's activity in behalf of Buddhism was so great that he sent his missionaries to all barbarian countries, and ordered them to intermingle with Brahmans and beggars and unbelievers of every class in India, and in all foreign lands. He not only sought to spread the faith, but he published its doctrines in book form, in the Magadhi dialect, and that canon, for more than twenty-two centuries, has been held sacred by the southern Buddhists. This Hindu King, who styles himself the beloved of the Gods in one of his edicts, says he wnshes,for all creatures forbearance, justice and clemency. He wants no conquest, only by the good Danamma (the law, or religion of Buddha). And he mentions the King of the Yavanas (the Greeks) and Antiyoga (Antiochus), his neighbor; everywhere he wants Buddha's good law followed. "To make that peaceful conquest," he says, (12) Eusebius, who was more of the courtier than a Christian, wrote a flaming biography of Constantine, but it is partial and untruthful. A QUESTION OF MIRACLES 125 "fills him with joy." The only thing of worth, he says, is that which has reference to the Beyond. He wants his sons, and his grandsons, to the end of time, to avoid contests; but if a contest comes, they must exercise mercy and clemency; and they shall only regard conquest by the law (Law of Buddha). "Such a con- quest," he says, "brings Salvation here to you. The joy is in the efifort. This brings Salvation here and beyond." In my next chapter, I shall offer proof that Buddhism was known, not only in Syria and Palestine, but also in Rome. CHAPTER XL Buddhism Known in Syria, Greece, Rome, Before THE Birth of Jesus. Section i. In the preceding chapter I mentioned the sending of Mahinda and others to convert Ceylon. But just before, or about that time, Asoka sent Maharakita at the head of a missionary delegation to Egypt and Greece. There were most certainly amica- ble relations between India and Greece, for Antiochus Theos, the grandson of Seleucus Nicator, and Asoka, the grandson of Chandra-Gupta, about 250 years B. C, made a friendly treaty with each other. ( i ) In short, those two people were then, and later, upon such a firm footing of peace that Asoka's inscriptions of Buddhist texts upon the rocks at Guzerat, were not only allowed to remain unobliterated, but on the same rocks the name of Antiochus the Great likewise ap- pears. Here is one inscription : "Moreover, within the dominions of Antiochus, the Greek King, of which his generals are the rulers, Asoka's double system of medical aid is established; both medical aid for men and for animals, together with medicants of all sorts which are suitable for men and animals." (1) Br. Ency., Vol. 12, p. 788, 9th edition. 126 A QUESTION OF MIRACLES 127 This is a Greek inscription. The storms and beat- ings for more than twenty-one hundred years have not yet obHterated it. This ancient landmark yet tells its historic story. Another piece of history, deeply engraven upon these rocks, w^as, and yet is, as fol- lovi^s : "The Greek King has been, moreover, induced to permit the people, both here and in foreign coun- tries, everywhere, to follow the doctrines of the re- ligion of Asoka wheresoever it reacheth" (2). This last incision on those rocks is especially noteworthy in that it permits the Greeks and all others under that flag to give up their gods and their religions and adopt Buddhism. The Greek king here "permits" his people to adopt or accept the Buddhist faith, and a permit from the king to do a certain thing in those days was the equivalent of a request, if not a command. It should also be remembered in this connection that this rock carving was made when the old Mosaic religion was the only one professed by the Jews. And that faith never did commend itself to the Greeks. Jesus did not appear until more than two hundred years later. With the Greeks, therefore, it was simply a choice between their old gods and the mild and more sensi- ble faith of the Buddhists. We are told that somewhat later than those rock engravings, on the erection of a (2) King Asoka was called Deva-Nampiya, the loved of the good Devas (angels). He sent his proselyting missionaries to every nation, including Palestine, where the Jews were follovdng the old Mosaic code, and buying their brothers for bond-men. Leviticus 25, v. 39 to 44. 128 A QUESTION OF MIRACLES great tope, or monument, over some Buddhist relics in Ceylon, a large number of Bhikkhus. or Monks, journeyed from the vicinity of Alassada (Alexandria) to witness those ceremonies (3). In fact, Buddhism had so impressed itself upon India that it was ready to attempt distant fields. For that purpose Nagasena, one of its devotees, about 190 years B. C, challenged Greeks and Jews alike to a public discussion of their and his religion in Antioch, the capital of Syria. Palestine then formed a part of the Syrian empire, and Jews, Greeks and Egyptians had so flocked to this new capital that even before this discussion the city had been compelled to enlarge its borders. Jews, no doubt, heard that debate and probably engaged in it, but from all that appears, they clung doggedly to their old Mosaic superstitions. Section 2. In further proof that Palestine before Jesus came was in touch with Buddhism and was not ignorant of its religion, I will cite the fact that twen- ty-two years before Jesus was born an elaborate Indian embassy came as far West as Rome and presented its credentials to Augustus. Those credentials were written on the skins of animals, and that embassy, with its Buddhistic faith, was graciously received there. (4) Pliny (5), the elder, likewise tells us that Buddhist missionaries, generations before his day, were settled in Palestine not far from the Western shores of the (3) Alassada was the Buddhist name of Alexandria. (4) Br. Ency., 9th edition: Title, India: vol. 12, p. 788. (5) Pliny, born 23 A. D., died A. D. 72. A QUESTION OF MIRACLES 129 Dead Sea. The doctrines of Buddhism were there- fore taught in Palestine before Christianity was heard of, or even dreamed of. The Essenes of Palestine were Jews by birth, and they and the Therapeutae of Alexandria seem to have copied, at least in part, their doctrines from Persia and from India, for they be- lieved in the immortality of the soul, and the Old Testament makes no certain statement or promise of such a thing. It is true that in the last chapter of Daniel there is a sort of prediction that at a time of great trouble many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt (6). Moreover, the Essenes and Therapeutae did not copy entirely any prevailing religion. They punished with death anyone who blasphemed Moses, and at the same time they went beyond Moses and taught that the wicked will suffer eternal punish- ment. Perhaps here and in Tobit is where Jesus ob- tained His idea of eternal punishment for the wicked (7). But the Essenes followed Buddhism in teaching the impermanence of the body and the immortality of the soul. After the apocryphal book of Tobit ap- (6) Daniel, ch. 12, v.