English
Being thoughtful, they begin to fight. Being thoughtful, they plan to strengthen themselves. Being thoughtful, they fear to be weak- ened by others. Thus, whether their thinldng be skilful or not, some people are flourishing, while others INTRODUCTION. XI are put to shame. There are wise princes and clever ministers. There are rebelhons ministers and villainous sons. Some people are appointed to high office, given large salaries and intrusted with the power of government. Some people are always picking up things which are rejected or useless. Some dwell in splendid houses and halls, and eat excellent food at every meal. Some live in the dilapidated houses, wear torn clothes, and suffer hunger. Some are in fear of assasins; and others in dread of epidemic disease. Some are in dread of inundation and conflagration; and others are afraid of theives and robhers. Some are drowced in the water, and otliers are hanged by the neck. There are people either deaf, dumb, or blind. Thus greatly do they differ in happiness and unhappiness; some being joyful, and others sorrowful. This difference de- pends only on the goodness and badness of their thinking; and they are the effects of the causes of the former existence. In short, all those who are only careful for the present life and can not see into the future, are called the confused, whether they be wise or ignorant, rich or poor. It is quite impossible for human power to cause every man in the world to become rich and noble, wise and healthy, and long-lived. No religion except the doctrine of Buddha can place all beings in the tme state of permanence, joy, self and purity XI [ INTRODUCTION. (Jo-raku-ga-j(3; i. e. tlie four virtues of Nirva^za). This Buddhism does out of compassion, being itself inde- pendent of all the troubles of the three worlds. Buddha /S^akyamuni appeared in the world to j)erform the most important thing, namely, to cause beings to become enlightened. There are many different accounts given of his life. We shall give here an outline of one of these accounts. LIFE OF BUDDHA. Buddha was born in the kingdom of Kapila-vastu (Ka-bi-ra-e) in Central India, on the eighth day of the fourth month of the twenty fourth year of the reign of the king Sho of the Shu (Chow) dynasty in China, 1027 B. C. At the moment of his birth, he said : 'I alone, of all beings in heaven above and mider the heavens, am worthy of honour.' His father was the Maha-ra^/a or * great king ' /S'uddhodana (Jo- bon Dai-o), and his mother was the Devi or ^ ciueen ' Maya (Maya Bu-nin). At the age of seven he was thoroughly acquainted with astronomy, geography, arithmetic and military science. At ten he surpassed other princes in shoot- ing through seven iron targets. At fifteen he was formally recognised as heir-apparent. At seventeen he was married to Yasodhara (Ya-shu-da-ra). At eighteen he began to think of leaving home, because he perceived how existence was traversed by the INTKOBUCTION. XIII pains of birth, old age, disease and deatli. On the seventh day of the second month of his nineteentli year, he entered the forest in order to study the perfect way. On the seventh day of the second month of his thirtieth year, he awoke to }>erfect knowledge, while sitting mider the Bodhi tree. Buddha had three bodies, viz., 1. Dliarma-kaya (Hosshin) or the ' law- body,' which is colourless and formless; 2. Sambhogii- kaya (Ho-shin) or '• the compensation-body/ by which Buddha appears before the Bodhi sattvas of the Dasa- bhiimis (Ju-ji) or ten stages: and 3. Nirma^^a-kaya (0-jin, or Ke-shin) or the * transformed body,' by which he appears before the Pratyekabuddhas, Srk- vakas, Devas and men. This is the reason why Buddha ^S'akyamuni was seen differently by the hearers of the Mali ay ana and Ilinayana doctrine during his whole life. After his enlightenment, Buddha sat for seven days absorbed in meditation, and felt the pleasure of the Law. In the second week, he preached the Buddhava- ta??isaka-mahavaipulya-sutra (Ke-gon-gyo)^ in nine assemblies held at seven different places. This is called the first period of Ke-gon by Ten-dai Dai- shi. On the tliirtieth day of the second month (i. e. tlie ' Nos, 87,88. XEV INTKODUCTION. 4 til week), Buddha converted the Nagara^/a or 'snake king' MaZ^ilinda (Mon-rin Ryu-o). On the seventh day of the third month, he converted Deva- pala (? Dal-i-ha-ri). On the following day, he went to Varawasi, where Kau?icZinya and others were con- verted. At the age of thirty-one, he converted the Sresh^/iin or wealthy merchant Yasas (Ya-sha Cho- ja). Then he went to the kingdom of Magadha and converted Uruvilva-kasyapa and others. Then, going to Ra^agnha, he converted King Bimhisara and his retainers. In the same year, the ^S'reshf/dn Kalya ( ? Ka-ryo Cho-ja) presented to Buddha the monastery of Ve/uivana ^(Chiku-rin-sho-ja) or the ' bamboo grove.' At the age of thirty-two, he con- verted Nagas (Ryti) or snakes and Yakshas (? Ki) or demons, at mount Gajasirsha (Zo-dzu) or the * ele- phant's head.' At thirty-three, /Sariputra and Ma- hamaudgalyayana became his disciples. At this time the disciples who attained to Arhatship num- bered twelve hundred and fifty. In the same year, Mahakasyap became a disciple of Buddha. He pre- sented to Buddha a robe valued at one hundred thousand taels. At thirty-four, Buddha was in Yaisali and established the rules of morality. After this year, he constantly added to the number of these rules. At thirty-five, the Sieshthia Sudatta (Shu- datsu Cho-ja) of /Sravasti together with the Prince (rata, presented to Buddha the 6eta-vana Anatha- INTRODLXTION. XV piwcZada-arama (Gi-ju Gikko-doku-on) or (beta's grove and Anatliapi^zcZada's garden known as the Gi- on-sho-ja. In tliis year, Buddha went back toKapila- vastu, when his father King /S'uddhodana sent his retainers and subject people to meet him at a dis- tance of forty miles. The king also selected five hundred rich men to wait upon Buddlia, so that he was as splendid as a phoenix flying towards Mount Sumeru. At thirty- six, Buddha preached the Pra- tyutpanna-buddhasa7?'imukhavasthita-siitra (Han- ju-kyo),- in Godhanya (Ku-ya-ni). At thirty-seven, Ananda became his disciple, when he w^as eight years old. In this year, Buddha converted a younger brother of Kinnara-ra^a Druma (Jun Shin-da-ra-o) on Mount Eyfi. At thirty -eight, Rahula became his disciple, when he was nine years old. At thirty-nine, Buddha went to Magadha and converted King Pushya ( ? Hokka-sha-o). In this year, a ^ votive altar ' (Kai-dan) was erected on the south-east of the Gi-on. At forty, Buddha preached to Maitreya (Mi-roku) the Abhinishkramawa-sutra (Hon-gi-kyo)."' At forty-one, he returned to Kapila- vastu a second time and preached the Buddha- dhyana-samadlii-sagara-sutra (Kwan-butsu-san-mai- kyo),'* to liis father the king. In this year, his aunt Mahapra^/apati left home and became a Bhikslm??!. During the above twelve years, Buddha spoke for the 2 No. 73. NoTiOdT' No. 430. XVI INTRODUCTION. most part tlie Hinayana doctrine. This is called the second period of Eoku-on (Mr/ga-dava or 'deer park') or A-gon (Agama) by Ten-dai Dai-shi. At the age of forty two^ Buddha preached the Virnahi-kirtti-nirdesa-sutra (Yui-ma-kitsu-kyoy' in the city of Vaisali. At forty-three, he preached the ViseshaA;inta-brahma-paripri7'7^7ia-sutra (Shi-yakn- bon-den-sho-mon-gyo).*'' At forty-fonr, he preached the Laftkavatara-sutra (Ryo-ga-kj^oy on mount Laftka in the Southern sea. In this year he also spoke the Suvar?za-prabhasa-sutra (Kon-ko-myo-ky o)^ and the >S'rimala-devi-s:mhanada-sutra (Sho-man- gyo).^ From the age of forty-five to forty-nine, Bud- dha preached the Mahavaipulya-maha-sa7??nipata- sutra (Dai-ho-do-dai-shikkyo)^^ to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas assembled from ten different regions, by a great stnir-case made between tlie world of desire and tliat of form. He also preached to Ananda the Surkm gama-samadhi-sutra (Shu-ryo- gon-gyo).^^ The above eight years are called the third period of Ho-do (Vaipulya) by Ten-dai Dai- shi. During the next twenty-two years from the age of fifty to seventy-one, Buddha preached the Pra^/z/a- paramita-sutra in sixteen assemblies (Ju-roku-e) held ' Nos. 146,247,149. ' Nos. 189'190. ' Nos. 175, 176,177. Nos. 126,127,130. M. 59. '' No. 61. " No. 399. INTKODUCTTON. XVIT at four different places, namely, 1. Mount Gndhra- kufa (' vulture's peak '), 2. AnatliapmJada's garden in /S'ravasti, 3. the Abode of the Paranirmitavasa- vartins (Ta-ke-ji-zai-ten), and 4.