Which of these funeral scenes (chosen because Buddhism plays almost
its chief part at such times) is most true to type? It is a perplexing
question. Buddhism has from the very beginning been chiefly a religion
for monks, calling men and women to leave the world. It was never
exactly optimistic, and yet another permanent root of its remarkable
power over humankind has been that often men and women who obeyed
possessed a sense of discovery, of hopefulness, of sheer joy;
especially strong in its golden age, the first five centuries of its
existence. There was something vernal in the air. "In joy we live,
hating none; let us live in the midst of those who hate, unhating; in
the midst of those who ail, let us live in perfect health; having
nothing, yet we possess great riches." Such is the spirit of the early
_sangha_ (monastic community). And when we turn to the Buddhism of
to-day we find that it retains these two dominant characteristics:
this blending of sadness and quiet joy. Even in sunny Burma the old
people and the monks seem sad at times, and even in Ceylon and Siam
the ordinary folk are fairly cheerful as they go on pilgrimages or
make their offerings to monk or image.