PAGE
Preface v
Postscript on the common error in regard to the comparative
prevalence of Buddhism in the world xiv
List of Illustrations xxix
Rules for Pronunciation xxxi
Pronunciation of Buddha, etc. Addenda and Corrigenda xxxii
LECTURE I.
Introductory Observations.
Buddhism in its relation to Brāhmanism. Various sects in Brāhmanism.
Creed of the ordinary Hindū. Rise of scepticism and infidelity.
Materialistic school of thought. Origin of Buddhism and Jainism.
Manysidedness of Buddhism. Its complexity. Labours of various
scholars. Divisions of the subject. The Buddha, his Law, his Order
of Monks. Northern Buddhism 1-17
LECTURE II.
The Buddha as a Personal Teacher.
The Buddha’s biography. Date of his birth and death. His names,
epithets, and titles. Story of the four visions. Birth of the
Buddha’s son. The Buddha leaves his home. His life at Rāja-gṛiha.
His study of Brāhmanical philosophy. His sexennial fast. His
temptation by Māra. He attains perfect enlightenment. The
Bodhi-tree. Buddha and Muhammad compared. The Buddha’s proceedings
after his enlightenment. His first teaching at Benares. First
sermon. Effect of first teaching. His first sixty missionaries.
His fire-sermon. His eighty great disciples. His two chief and
sixteen leading disciples. His forty-five years of preaching and
itineration. His death and last words. Character of the Buddha’s
teaching. His method illustrated by an epitome of one of his
parables 18-52
LECTURE III.
The Dharma or Law and Scriptures of Buddhism.
Origin of the Buddhist Law (Dharma). Buddhist scriptures not like the
Veda. First council at Rāja-gṛiha. Kāṡyapa chosen as leader.
Recitation of the Buddha’s precepts. Second council at Vaiṡālī.
Ćandra-gupta. Third council at Patnā. Composition of southern
canon. Tri-piṭaka or three collections. Rules of discipline, moral
precepts, philosophical precepts. Commentaries. Buddha-ghosha.
Aṡoka’s inscriptions. His edicts and proclamations. Fourth council
at Jālandhara. Kanishka. The northern canon. The nine Nepālese
canonical scriptures. The Tibetan canonical scriptures (Kanjur)
53-70
LECTURE IV.
The Saṅgha or Buddhist Order of Monks.
Nature of the Buddhist brotherhood. Not a priesthood, not a hierarchy.
Names given to the monks. Method of admission to the monkhood.
Admission of novices. Three-refuge formula. Admission of full
monks. Four resources. Four prohibitions. Offences and penances.
Eight practices. The monk’s daily life. His three garments.
Confession. Definition of the Saṅgha or community of monks. Order
of Nuns. Lay-brothers and lay-sisters. Relation of the laity to
the monkhood. Duties of the laity. Later hierarchical Buddhism.
Character of monks of the present day in various countries 71-92
LECTURE V.
The Philosophical Doctrines of Buddhism.
The philosophy of Buddhism founded on that of Brāhmanism. Three ways
of salvation in Brāhmanism. The Buddha’s one way of salvation. All
life is misery. Indian pessimistic philosophy. Twelve-linked chain
of causation. Celebrated Buddhist formula. The Buddha’s attitude
towards the Sāṅkhya and Vedānta philosophy of the Brāhmans. The
Buddha’s negation of spirit and of a Supreme Being. Brāhmanical
theory of metempsychosis. The Buddhist Skandhas. The Buddhist
theory of transmigration. Only six forms of existence. The
Buddha’s previous births. Examples given of stories of two of his
previous births. Destiny of man dependent on his own acts.
Re-creative force of acts. Act-force creating worlds. No knowledge
of the first act. Cycles of the Universe. Interminable succession
of existences like rotation of a wheel. Buddhist Kalpas or ages.
Thirty-one abodes of six classes of beings rising one above the
other in successive tiers of lower worlds and three sets of
heavens 93-122
LECTURE VI.
The Morality of Buddhism and its chief aim—Arhatship or Nirvāṇa.
Inconsistency of a life of morality in Buddhism. Division of the moral
code. First five and then ten chief rules of moral conduct.
Positive injunctions. The ten fetters binding a man to existence.
Seven jewels of the Law. Six (or ten) transcendent virtues.
Examples of moral precepts from the Dharma-pada and other works.
Moral merit easily acquired. Aim of Buddhist morality. External
and internal morality. Inner condition of heart. Four paths or
stages leading to Arhatship or moral perfection. Three grades of
Arhats. Series of Buddhas. Gautama the fourth Buddha of the
present age, and last of twenty-five Buddhas. The future Buddha.
Explanation of Nirvāṇa and Pari-nirvāṇa as the true aim of
Buddhist morality. Buddhist and Christian morality contrasted
123-146
LECTURE VII.
Changes in Buddhism and its disappearance from India.
Tendency of all religious movements to deterioration and
disintegration. The corruptions of Buddhism are the result of its
own fundamental doctrines. Re-statement of Buddha’s early
teaching. Recoil to the opposite extreme. Sects and divisions in
Buddhism. The first four principal sects, followed by eighteen,
thirty-two, and ninety-six. Mahā-yāna or Great Method (vehicle).
Hīna-yāna or Little Method. The Chinese Buddhist travellers,
Fā-hien and Hiouen Thsang. Reasons for the disappearance of
Buddhism from India. Gradual amalgamation with surrounding
systems. Interaction between Buddhism, Vaishṇavism, and Ṡaivism.
Ultimate merging of Buddhism in Brāhmanism and Hindūism 147-171
LECTURE VIII.
Rise of Theistic and Polytheistic Buddhism.
Development of the Mahā-yāna or Great Method. Gradual deification of
saints, sages, and great men. Tendency to group in triads. First
triad of the Buddha, the Law, and the Order. Buddhist triad no
trinity. The Buddha to be succeeded by Maitreya. Maitreya’s heaven
longed for. Constitution and gradations of the Buddhist
brotherhood. Headship and government of the Buddhist monasteries.
The first Arhats. Progress of the Mahā-yāna doctrine. The first
Bodhi-sattva Maitreya associated with numerous other
Bodhi-sattvas. Deification of Maitreya and elevation of Gautama’s
great pupils to Bodhi-sattvaship. Partial deification of great
teachers. Nāgārjuna, Gorakh-nāth. Barlaam and Josaphat 172-194
LECTURE IX.
Theistic and Polytheistic Buddhism.
Second Buddhist triad, Mañju-ṡrī, Avalokiteṡvara or Padma-pāṇi and
Vajra-pāṇi. Description of each. Theory of five human Buddhas,
five Dhyāni-Buddhas ‘of meditation,’ and five
Dhyāni-Bodhi-sattvas. Five triads formed by grouping together one
from each. Theory of Ādi-Buddha. Worship of the Dhyāni-Buddha
Amitābha. Tiers of heavens connected with the four Dhyānas or
stages of meditation. Account of the later Buddhist theory of
lower worlds and three groups of heavens. Synopsis of the
twenty-six heavens and their inhabitants. Hindū gods and demons
adopted by Buddhism. Hindū and Buddhist mythology 195-222
LECTURE X.
Mystical Buddhism in its connexion with the Yoga Philosophy.
Growth of esoteric and mystical Buddhism. Dhyāni-Buddhas. Yoga
philosophy. Svāmī Dayānanda-Sarasvatī. Twofold Yoga system. Bodily
tortures of Yogīs. Fasting. Complete absorption in thought.
Progressive stages of meditation. Samādhi. Six transcendent
faculties. The Buddha no spiritualist. Nature of Buddha’s
enlightenment. Attainment of miraculous powers. Development of
Buddha’s early doctrine. Eight requisites of Yoga. Six-syllabled
sentence. Mystical syllables. Cramping of limbs. Suppression and
imprisonment of breath. Suspended animation. Self-concentration.
Eight supernatural powers. Three bodies of every Buddha. Ethereal
souls and gross bodies. Buddhist Mahātmas. Astral bodies. Modern
spiritualism. Modern esoteric Buddhism and Asiatic occultism
223-252
LECTURE XI.
Hierarchical Buddhism, especially as developed in Tibet and Mongolia.
The Saṅgha. Development of Hierarchical gradations in Ceylon and in
Burma. Tibetan Buddhism. Northern Buddhism connected with
Shamanism. Lāmism and the Lāmistic Hierarchy. Gradations of
monkhood. Avatāra Lāmas. Vagabond Lāmas. Female Hierarchy. Two
Lāmistic sects. Explanation of Avatāra theory. History of Tibet.
Early history of Tibetan Buddhism. Thumi Sambhoṭa’s invention of
the Tibetan alphabet. Indian Buddhists sent for to Tibet. Tibetan
canon. Tibetan kings. Founding of monasteries. Buddhism adopted in
Mongolia. Hierarchical Buddhism in Mongolia. Invention of
Mongolian alphabet. Birth of the Buddhist reformer Tsong Khapa.
The Red and Yellow Cap schools. Monasteries of Galdan, Brepung,
and Sera. Character of Tsong Khapa’s reformation. Resemblance of
the Roman Catholic and Lāmistic systems. Death and canonization of
Tsong Khapa. Development of the Avatāra theory. The two Grand
Lāmas, Dalai Lāma and Panchen Lāma. Election of Dalai Lāma.
Election of the Grand Lāmas of Mongolia. List of Dalai Lāmas.
Discovery of present Dalai Lāma. The Lāma or Khanpo of Galdan, of
Kurun or Kuren, of Kuku khotun. Lāmism in Ladāk, Tangut, Nepāl,
Bhutān, Sikkim. In China and Japan. Divisions in Japanese
Buddhism. Buddhism in Russian territory 253-302
LECTURE XII.
Ceremonial and Ritualistic Buddhism.
Opposition of early Buddhism to sacerdotalism and ceremonialism.
Reaction. Religious superstition in Tibet and Mongolia. Accounts
by Koeppen, Schlagintweit, Markham, Huc, Sarat Chandra Dās.
Admission-ceremony of a novice in Burma and Ceylon. Boy-pupils.
Daily life in Burmese monasteries, according to Shway Yoe.
Observances during Vassa. Pirit ceremony. Mahā-baṇa Pirit.
Admission-ceremonies in Tibet and Mongolia. Dress and equipment of
a Lāmistic monk. Dorje. Prayer-bell. Use of Tibetan language in
the Ritual. A. Csoma de Körös’ life and labours. Form and
character of the Lāmistic Ritual. Huc’s description of a
particular Ritual. Holy water, consecrated grain, tea-drinking.
Ceremonies in Sikkim and Ladāk. Ceremony at Sarat Chandra Dās’
presentation to the Dalai Lāma. Ceremony at translation of a chief
Lāma’s soul. Other ceremonies. Uposatha and fast-days.
Circumambulation. Comparison with Roman Catholic Ritual 303-339
LECTURE XIII.
Festivals, Domestic Rites, and Formularies of Prayers.
New Year’s Festivals in Burma and Tibet. Festivals of Buddha’s birth
and death. Festival of lamps. Local Festivals. Chase of the
spirit-kings. Religious masquerades and dances. Religious dramas
in Burma and Tibet. Weapons used against evil spirits. Dorje.
Phurbu. Tattooing in Burma. Domestic rites and usages.
Birth-ceremonies in Ceylon and Burma. Name-giving ceremonies.
Horoscopes. Baptism in Tibet and Mongolia. Amulets.
Marriage-ceremonies. Freedom of women in Buddhist countries.
Usages in sickness. Merit gained by saving animal-life. Usages at
death. Cremation. Funeral-ceremonies in Sikkim, Japan, Ceylon,
Burma, Tibet, and Mongolia. Exposure of corpses in Tibet and
Mongolia. Prayer-formularies. Monlam. Maṇi-padme or ‘jewel-lotus’
formulary. Prayer-wheels, praying-cylinders and method of using
them. Formularies on rocks, etc. Man Dangs. Prayer-flags. Mystic
formularies. Rosaries. ḍamaru. Manual of daily prayers 340-386
LECTURE XIV.
Sacred Places.
The sacred land of Buddhism. Kapila-vastu, the Buddha’s birth-place.
The arrow-fountain. Buddha-Gayā. Ancient Temple. Sacred tree.
Restoration of Temple. Votive Stūpas. Mixture of Buddhism and
Hindūism. Hiouen Thsang’s description of Buddha-Gayā. Sārnāth near
Benares. Ruined Stūpa. Sculpture illustrating four events in the
Buddha’s career. Rāja-gṛiha. Scene of incidents in the Buddha’s
life. Deva-datta’s plots. Satta-paṇṇi cave. Ṡrāvastī. Residence in
Jeta-vana monastery. Sandal-wood image. Miracles. Vaiṡālī, place
of second council. Description by Hiouen Thsang and Fā-hien.
Kauṡāmbī. Great monolith. Nālanda monastery. Hiouen Thsang’s
description. Saṅkāṡya, place of Buddha’s descent from heaven.
Account of the triple ladder. Sāketa or Ayodhyā. Miraculous tree.
Kanyā-kubja. Ṡilāditya. Pāṭali-putra. Aṡoka’s palace. Founding of
hospitals. First Stūpa. Kesarīya. Ruined mound. Stūpa.
Kuṡi-nagara, the place of the Buddha’s death and Pari-nirvāṇa
387-425
LECTURE XV.
Monasteries and Temples.
Five kinds of dwellings permissible for monks. Institution of
monasteries. Cave-monasteries. Monasteries in Ceylon, Burma, and
British Sikkim. Monastery at Kīlang in Lahūl; at Kunbum; at Kuku
khotun; at Kuren; at Lhāssa. Palace-monastery of Potala. Residence
of Dalai Lāma, and Mr. Manning’s interview with him. Monasteries
of Lā brang, Ramoćhe, Moru, Gar Ma Khian. Three mother-monasteries
of the Yellow Sect, Galdan, Sera, and Dapung. Tashi Lunpo and the
Tashi Lāma. Mr. Bogle’s interview with the Tashi Lāma. Turner’s
interview with the Grand Lāma of the Terpaling monastery. Sarat
Chandra Dās’ description of the Tashi Lunpo monastery. Monasteries
of the Red Sect, Sam ye and Sakya. Monastery libraries. Temples.
Cave-temples or Ćaityas. The Elorā Ćaitya. The Kārle Ćaitya.
Village temples. Temples in Ceylon. Temple at Kelani. Tooth-temple
at Kandy. Burmese temples. Rangoon pagoda. Temples in Sikkim,
Mongolia, and Tibet. Great temple at Lhāssa; at Ramoćhe; at Tashi
Lunpo 426-464
LECTURE XVI.
Images and Idols.
Introduction of idolatry into India. Ancient image of Buddha. Gradual
growth of objective Buddhism. Development of image-worship.
Self-produced images. Hiouen Thsang’s account of the sandal-wood
image. Form, character, and general characteristics of images.
Outgrowth of Buddha’s skull. Nimbus. Size, height, and different
attitudes of Buddha’s images. ‘Meditative,’ ‘Witness,’
‘Serpent-canopied,’ ‘Argumentative’ or ‘Teaching,’ ‘Preaching,’
‘Benedictive,’ ‘Mendicant,’ and ‘Recumbent’ Attitudes.
Representations of Buddha’s birth. Images of other Buddhas and
Bodhi-sattvas. Images of Amitābha, of Maitreya, of Mañju-ṡrī, of
Avalokiteṡvara, of Kwan-yin and Vajra-pāṇi. Images of other
Bodhi-sattvas, gods and goddesses 465-492
LECTURE XVII.
Sacred Objects.
Sung-Yun’s description of objects of worship. Three classes of
Buddhist sacred objects 493-495
Relics. Hindū ideas of impurity connected with death. Hindū and
Buddhist methods of honouring ancestors compared. Worship of the
Buddha’s relics. The Buddha’s hair and nails. Eight portions of
his relics. Adventures of one of the Buddha’s teeth. Tooth-temple
at Kandy. Celestial light emitted by relics. Exhibition of relics.
Form and character of Buddhist relic-receptacles. Ćaityas, Stūpas,
Dāgabas, and their development into elaborate structures. Votive
Stūpas 495-506
Worship of foot-prints. Probable origin of the worship of foot-prints.
Alleged foot-prints of Christ. Vishṇu-pad at Gayā. Jaina pilgrims
at Mount Pārasnāth. Adam’s Peak. Foot-prints in various countries.
Mr. Alabaster’s description of the foot-print in Siam. Marks on
the soles of the Buddha’s feet 506-514
Sacred trees. General prevalence of tree-worship. Belief that spirits
inhabit trees. Offerings hung on trees. Trees of the seven
principal Buddhas. The Aṡvattha or Pippala is of all trees the
most revered. Other sacred trees. The Kalpa-tree. Wishing-tree.
Kabīr Var tree 514-520
Sacred symbols. The Tri-ratna symbol. The Ćakra or Wheel symbol. The
Lotus-flower. The Svastika symbol. The Throne symbol. The
Umbrella. The Ṡaṅkha or Conch-shell 520-523
Sacred animals. Worship of animals due to doctrine of metempsychosis.
Elephants. Deer. Pigs. Fish 524-526
Miscellaneous objects. Bells. Seven precious substances. Seven
treasures belonging to every universal monarch 526-528
Supplementary Remarks on the Connexion of Buddhism with Jainism.
Difference between the Buddhist and Jaina methods of obtaining
liberation. Nigaṇṭhas. Two Jaina sects. Dig-ambaras and
Ṡvetāmbaras. The three chief points of difference between them.
Their sacred books. Characteristics of both sects as distinguished
from Buddhism. Belief in existence of souls. Moral code.
Three-jewels. Five moral prohibitions. Prayer-formula. Temples
erected for acquisition of merit 529-536
LECTURE XVIII.
Buddhism contrasted with Christianity.
True Buddhism is no religion. Definition of the word ‘religion.’ Four
characteristics constitute a religion. Gautama’s claim to be
called ‘the Light of Asia’ examined. The Buddha’s and Christ’s
first call to their disciples. The Christian’s reverence for the
body contrasted with the Buddhist’s contempt for the body.
Doctrine of storing up merit illustrated, and shown to be common
to Buddhism, Brāhmanism, Hindūism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism,
and Muhammadanism. Doctrine of Karma or Act-force. Buddhist and
Christian doctrine of deliverance compared. Buddhist and Christian
moral precepts compared. The many benefits conferred upon Asia by
Buddhism admitted. Religious feelings among Buddhists. Buddhist
toleration of other religions.
Historic life of the Christ contrasted with legendary biography of the
Buddha. Christ God-sent. The Buddha self-sent. Miracles recorded
in the Bible and in the Tri-piṭaka contrasted. Buddhist and
Christian self-sacrifice compared. Character and style of the
Buddhist Tri-piṭaka contrasted with those of the Christian Bible.
Various Buddhist and Christian doctrines contrasted. Which
doctrines are to be preferred by rational and thoughtful men in
the nineteenth century? 537-563