EXPOSITION OF BUDDHISM AND DISPROVING OF DEATH.
Argument:—Showing the utility of _Buddhistic doctrines_ in
strengthening the Mind to cool apathy.
Ráma rejoined:—Tell me sir, the perfection which a holy man attains to,
after he is acquainted with the supreme essence, which is without its
beginning and end.
2. Vasishtha replied:—Hear the high state to which the holy man arrives,
after he has known the knowable; and the mode of his life and conduct,
throughout the whole course of his existence.
3. He lives apart from human society, in his solitary retreat in the
woods, and there has the stones of the dales, the trees of the forest,
and the young antelopes, for his friends, kindred and associates.
4. The most populous city, is deemed as a lonely desert by him; his
calamities are his blessings, and all his dangers are festivities to
him.
5. His pains are his pleasure, and his meditations are as musings to
him; he is silent in all his dealings, and quiet in all his conduct
through life.
6. He is somnolent in his waking hours, and remains as dead to himself
while he is living; he manages all his affairs with a coolness, as if he
was engaged in nothing.
7. He is pleasant without tasting any pleasure, and is friendly to his
fellow beings without any selfish interest of his own; he is strict to
himself but ever kind to others, and is undesirous of everything, with
his full desire for common weal.
8. He is pleased with the conduct of others, without having any course
of action for himself; and devoid of sorrow, fear and care, yet he is
seen always to wear a melancholy appearance. (A heavily pensive
melancholy).
9. He afflicts nobody, nor is afflicted by any body; and though full
with his private afflictions and privations, he is ever pleasant in
company. (Pleased with himself, he pleases all).
10. He is neither delighted with his gain, nor depressed at his loss,
nor desirous to get any thing; and though there may be causes, for his
feeling joy as well as sorrow, yet they are never visible in his face.
11. He sympathises with the unhappy, and congratulates with happy
people; but his collected mind is always invincible, in every
circumstance of life.
12. His mind is not inclined to acts, beside those of righteousness; as
it is the wont of noble-minded men by their nature, and not any effort
on their part.
13. He is not fond of pleasantry, nor is he addicted to dulness either;
he does not hanker after wealth, but is inappetent and impossible with
all his appetites and sensibleness.
14. He abides by law and acts accordingly, whether he is pinched by
poverty, or rolling in riches; nor is he ever dejected or elated, at the
unforeseen good or bad events of life.
15. They are seen to be joyous and sorrowful also at times, without
changing the sedateness and serenity of their nature at any time. They
act the part of players on the stage of the earth (that display many
figures in their outward mein).
16. Those that know the truth, bear no more affection for their
mercenary relatives and false friends, than they look upon the bubbles
of water (that swell and swim, only to burst in a moment).
17. Without the affection of the soul, they bear full affection for
others in their hearts; and the wise man remains quite possessed of
himself, with showing his paternal affection to all. (Universal
benevolence).
18. The ignorant are as the winds passing over running streams; they
slightly touch the poisonous pleasures of their bodies, as the winds
touch the rising waves, and are at last drowned in the depth of their
sensuality.
19. But the wise man deals outwardly alike with all, with perfect
coolness and stillness of his soul within himself; he seems outwardly to
be engaged in business, but his inward mind is wholly disengaged from
all worldly concerns whatsoever.
20. Ráma rejoined:—But how can a true sage of such nature, be
distinguished from the many pretended ones and the ignorant also, who
assume such a character falsely only to beguile others.
21. Many hypocrites rove about as horses, in the false garb of devotees,
for the assurance of mankind in their devout devotedness to religion.
22. Vasishtha replied:—I say Ráma, that such a nature (or disposition),
whether it is real or feigned, is the best and highest perfection of
man; and know that, the learned in Vedic lore, have always this state as
the model of perfection in their view.
23. Those who are dispassionate and unconcerned with acts, manage still
to conduct their secular affairs and actions, like those that are
actuated by their passions; and though they are averse to derision, yet
they cannot help to deride at the ignorant from their kind heartedness
towards them.
24. The visibles are all imprest in the mirror of their minds, as the
shades of edifices are reflected in a reflector; they look upon them
with full knowledge of their shadowiness, as they perceive the fallacy
of their laying hold on a lump of gold in dream.
25. There is a coolness pervading their minds, which is altogether
unknown to others; just as the sweet fragrance of the sandal wood, is
unperceived by brutes at a distance.
26. They that know the knowable, and are equally pure in their minds,
can only distinguish them from other people, as a snake only can trace
the course of another snake.
27. They are the best of men, that hide their good qualities from
others; for what man is there that will expose his most precious
treasure in the market, along with the raw produce of his land? (_i.e._
The hidden virtues of a man, unlike the aroma of flowers, aught not to
be laid open before the public).
28. The reason of concealing the rare virtues, is to keep them unnoticed
by the public; because the wise who are undesirous of reward or
reputation, have nothing to reap or expect from the public.
29. Know Ráma, that solitude, poverty and disrespect and disregard of
men, are more pleasing to the peaceful sage; than the most valuable
gifts and honors from mankind.
30. The ineffable delight which attends on the wise man, from his
conscious knowledge of the knowable; inexpressible in words, and
invisible to others as to its knower also. (The secret joy of divine
knowledge and grace, is felt unseen by the holy sage).
31. Let men know this qualification of mine, and honour me for it, is
the wish of the egotist, and not of that are from their egoistic
feelings.
32. It is possible even to the ignorant, to succeed to reap the results
of their practices, such as their rising and moving about in the air
(and upon the surface of water); by means of mantras, and the power of
certain drugs, that are adapted to those ends.
33. He who can afford to take the pains to any particular end; succeeds
to accomplish the same, whether he is a clever or ignorant man. (Success
depends on action, and not on knowledge alone).
34. Tendencies to good or evil, are implanted in the bosom of man, as
results of the acts of their past lives; and these come to display
themselves into action at their proper time, as the sandal wood emits
its latent fragrance in its season all around.
35. He who is prepossessed with the knowledge of his egoism, coupled
with his desire for enjoyment of the visibles; he betakes himself to the
practice of _khechariyoga_, whereby he ascends in the air, and reaps the
reward of his action.
36. The wise man that has nothing to desire, knows such practices to be
as false as empty air; and refrains from displaying his actions, which
he knows at best but cast to the winds.
37. He derives no good from his observance of practical yoga, nor does
he lose aught of his holiness by his non-observance of them; and neither
has he any thing to gain from any body, nor lose a mite at the loss of
any thing.
38. There is nothing in earth or heaven, nor among the gods nor any
where else: which may be desirable to the magnanimous, and to one who
has known the supreme soul.
39. What is this world to him, who knows it to be but a heap of dust,
and deems it no better than a straw; What then is that thing in it,
which may be desirable to him?
40. The silent sage whose soul is full of knowledge, and whose mind is
quite at rest from its fondness for human society; remains content in
the state as he is, and quite satisfied with whatever occurs to him.
41. He is always cool within himself and taciturn in his speech, and
eternal truths form the ground work of his mind; which is as full and
deep as the ocean, and whose thoughts are as bright as day light.
42. He is as full of cool composure in himself, as a gladsome lake
reposing with its limpid waters; and he gladdens also all others about
him, as the fair face of the fullmoon, cheers the spirits of all
around.
43. The Mandara groves of Paradise, with their woodlands strewn over
with the dust of their blossoms, do not delight the soul so much, as the
wise sayings of _pandits_ cheer the spirit.
44. The disc of the moon diffuses its cooling beams, and the vernal
season scatters its fragrance around; but the pithy sayings of the wise
and great, scatter their sound wisdom all about, which serve to ennoble
and enrich all mankind.
45. The substance of their sayings, proves the erroneous conception of
the world to be as false as a magic show; and inculcates the prudence of
wearing out the worldly cares day by day.
46. The wise saint is as indifferent, to the suffering of heat and cold
in his own person; as if they are disturbances in the bodies of other
men. (Or that he feels the pain of others as his own).
47. In his virtues of compassion and charity, he resembles the fruitful
tree, which yields its fruits, flowers, shed and all to common use, and
subsists itself only upon the water, it sucks from the ground or
receives from heaven.
48. It deals out to every body, whatever it is possest of in its own
body; and it is by virtue of its unsparing munificence to all creatures,
that it lifts its lofty head above them all (or stretches its roots in
air).
49. One seated in the edifice of knowledge, has thaught of sorrow for
himself; but pities the sorrows of others, as a man seated on a rock,
takes pity for the miserable men, grovelling in the earth below.
50. The wise man is tossed about like a flower, by the rolling waves in
the eventful ocean of this world; and is set at rest, no sooner he gets
over it, and reaches the beach on the other side (_i.e._ his way to
bliss).
51. He laughs with the calmness of his soul, at the same unvaried course
of the world and its people; and smiles to think on the persistence of
men, in their habitual error and folly. (The laughing philosopher).
52. I am amazed to see these aberrant men, wandering in the mazes of
error; and fascinated by the false appearances of the phenomenal world,
as if they are spell-bound to the visibles.
53. Seeing the eight kinds of prosperity to be of no real good, but
rather as causes of evil to mankind, I have learnt to spurn them as
straws; and though I am inclined to laugh at them, yet I forbear to do
so from my habitual disposition of tolerance and forbearance.
54. I see some men abiding in mountain caves, and others resorting to
holy places; some living at home amidst their families, and others
travelling as pilgrims to distant shrines and countries.
55. Some roving about as vagrants and mendicants, and others remaining
in their solitary hermitage; some continuing as silent sages, and
observant of their vow of taciturnity; and others sitting absorbed in
their meditation.
56. Some are famed for their learning, and others as students of law and
divinity; some are as princes and others their priests, while there are
some as ignorant as blocks and stones.
57. Some are adepts in their exorcism of amulets and collyrium, and
others skilled in their sorcery with the sword, rod and magic wand; some
are practiced in their aerial journey, and others in other arts and some
in nothing as the ignorant _pariahs_.
58. There are many that are employed in their ceremonial observances,
and others that have abandoned their rituals altogether; some are as
fanatics in their conduct, and others that indulge themselves in their
peregrinations and vagrancy.
59. The soul (that you wanted to know), is not the body nor its senses
or powers; it is neither the mind nor the mental faculties, nor the
feelings and passions of the heart. The soul is the Intellect which is
ever awake, and never sleeps nor dies.
60. It is never broken nor consumed, nor soiled nor dried up (by the
death or burning of the body); it is immortal and omnipresent, ever
steady and immovable, infinite and eternal.
61. The man who has his soul, thus awakened and enlightened in himself;
is never contaminated by anything (pure or impure), in whatever state or
wherever he may happen to remain.
62. Whether a man goes down to hell or ascends to heaven, or traverses
through all the regions of air, or is crushed to death or pounded to
dust; the immortal and undecaying Intellect which abides in him, never
dies with his body, nor suffers any change with its change; but remains
quite as quiet as the still air, which is the increate Deity itself.