SS HISTORY, LITERATURE AND RELIGION, [PART III. CHAP. VII. that were decidedly atheistical, or such as the followers of Booddhů maintain at this day; and it is indisputable, according to the Hindoo writings, that these two sects were numerous before the appearance of Booddhŭ. This king, and his three As the capital of the About 700 years before the commencement of the christian era, Veeru-Vahoo, of the race of Goutůmă, a person attached to one of these sects, destroyed his sovereign Bodhŭmüllü, and immediately seized the throne of Delhi. immediate successors, reigned one hundred and eight years. lord of the earth, was the name of the third of these monarchs, and as most of the writers on this subject agree in placing the era of Booddhŭ in the sixth century B. C. it seems reasonable to suppose, that Booddhŭ was the son or near relation of Muheepătee. If not connected with this family, why should the family name of this race, Goutůmů, be one of the most common names of Booddhu? most powerful of the Hindoo monarchs of this period was in South Behar, if Booddhŭ was not the son of one of the Mugŭdhů kings, it is possible he belonged to some branch of the family reigning at Benares, which was probably then a separate kingdom. In the Témee Jétů, a history of one of the incarnations of Booddhů, he is said to have been the son of a king of Benares, and to have persevered in choosing the life of an ascetic against every possible artifice and persuasion of his royal parents. The author has been favoured with a translation of this work, by Mr. F. Carey, of Rangoon, and has added it at the close of this account. If then it be admitted, that Booddhu was a person of royal desent, that he chose an ascetic life,* and embrac ed a system of philosophy already prevalent in India, the other scenes of the drama require no assistance from conjecture, he became the patron and idol of the sect which from this time became distinguished by his name; he also received the support of the reigning monarchs, who were attached to him not only by holding the same philosophical opinions, but by the ties of blood. * The disposition manifested by all superstitious nations to honour and even to deify men remarkable for outward austerity, is particularly observable amongst the Hindoos. They suppose that such a saint is a divine oracle, or the visible representative of the deity; they implicitly receive his doctrines, and pay him those honours which they conceive are due to gods come down in the likeness of men.' This attachment to eminent ascetics naturally springs out of the Hindoo system; and to this, the author conjectures, we are to attribute the origin and prevalence of the THREE GREAT SCHISMS among the Hindoos, of Booddhu, of Nanuku, and of Choitunyu, all of whom appear to have been religious mendicants. This sect being thus established by Mühee-pütee, the eleven Bouddhŭ monarchs who succeeded him, and who reigned 291 years, may reasonably be supposed to have done what the bramhuns charge them with, to have obliterated the religion of their opponents. It is certain, however, that the learned adherents of the bramhinical religion did not remain silent spectators of what they deemed the triumph of atheism.* They contended with their equally learned opponents, and this dispute, as is manifest by the tendency of many of the works still read by the Hindoos, called forth all the talents of both sides; challenges to conduct the controversy in the presence of kings and learned assemblies were given and accepted; but here, as in innumerable other instances, the arm of power prevailed; and as long as the reigning monarchs were Bouddhus, the bramhuns were obliged to confine themselves to verbal contentions. At length Dhoorŭndhŭrů, of the race of Muyōori, destroyed Adityŭ, the last Bouddhŭ king, and assumed the sovereignty; and it is probable that from this time (B. C. about 300 years) we are to date the commencement of the persecutions of the Bouddhus.t One or two facts tend to prove, that the bramhuns were not much more mild and tolerant than other persecutors: though a number of Joinus are scattered up and down in various parts of Hindoost'hanü, scarcely a vestige of the Bouddhŭ super * A story respecting these times is still current among the Noiyayiků sect: The wife of the last Bouddhŭ momarch but one was a disciple of Vishnoo, and called day and night upon God, complaining against the Bouddhus as having exterminated his worship, and all traces of a deity: at length Vishnoo, by a voice from heaven, assured her, that he would appear in the forms of two learned men, Bhˇttŭ and Oodayŭnacharjyň, and restore his worship. Another story related by the same sect is, that Oodůyŏnacharjyň, unable to turn the Bouddhus by argument, proposed that himself and any number of this sect should cast themselves from a neighbouring moun"God exists." tain, the Bouddhus in the act of falling calling out "There is no God," and Oodŏyunacharjyň, The challenge was accepted: the Bouddhus perished, and their opponent fell unhurt. + In opposition to this, it is said, "If the conjectures of Sir William Jones, relative to the inscriptions found at Mongheer, and on the pillar at Buddal, be well founded, then the governing power on the banks of the Ganges, as late as about the time of the birth of Christ, was of the sect of Bouddha." Asiatic Researches, vol. vi. p. 165. W w stition is to be found, and all its adherents are seen in the adjoining countries.-The fact respecting these persecutions is, however, placed beyond all doubt by the Prayushchittй-vivékŭ, a Hindoo work on atonements, from which we learn, that Oodăyŭnacharjyŭ, a learned bramhòn, and a fierce combatant against the Bouddhus, actually burnt himself to death on a chaff fire (kooshŭ-anŭlů) as an atonement for the sin of having excited the Hindoo kings to put to death many Bouddhu bramhuns. To avoid the malice of their enemies, therefore, the Bouddhus emigrated to the neighbouring countries, and gave to the uncivilized inhabitants those doctrines for which they had been unsuccessfully contending on the plains of lindoost'hană. We have no authentic documents to prove how long this persecution lasted; but it is a pretty current opinion among the most learned Burmans, that the religion of Booddhu was introduced into that country about 450 years after his death. According to this statement, (admitting that the persecution began with Dhoorăndhňů) it will appear to have continued 183 years. There is a tradition among the Cingalese, that one of the kings of Hindoost'hanu, immediately after Booddhu's death,* collected together five hundred learned ascetics, and persuaded them to write down on palmyra leaves, from the mouth of one of Booddhu's principal disciples, all the doctrines taught by Booddho in his life time. The Cingalese admit that they received their religion from the hands of a stranger; and it is probable that it was propagated in the Burman empire soon after its reception in Ceylon, that is, about 450 years after Boeddhu's death. The Burmans believe, that six hundred and fifty years after that event, in the reign of Muha-moonee, Booddhi-ghoshŭ, a bramhun, was deputed to Ceylon, to copy the work Vishooddhimargă, which includes all the Jatus, or histories of the incarnations of Booddhu; and it is fabled, that the iron stile with which he copied this work, was given him by a heavenly messenger; though others will have it that Bodhee-sütwu gave it to him. These Jatus are said to have amounted to five hundred and fifty books; some of * A native of Ceylon assured the author, that the Cingalese considered it to be about 2500 years since the death of Goutŭmă. Mr. Felix Carey informed him, on the authority of the Burman history, that in 1813 it was 2357 years since the birth of this god. In an account published in the A. Researches, vol. vi. p. 265, it is said, that in 1795 Booddhu had been deified 2362 years. which are, however, lost. A work called the Ten Jatus is now the best known, and is held in the highest veneration. The names of these Jatus are, Témee, Junňků, Sooburnů-ramů, Némee, Muhoshüt'ha, Bhōōriduttu, Chundi-koomarů, Naridů, Vidoorů, and Vésăntura. Since the above period, many Burmans have translated and commented on these writings. In a work entitled 'The Great History of the Burman and Pegu kings,' it is recorded, that during the T'hioorů-kshůtriyŭ dynasty, not less than fifty-five translations were made, and as many comments written on these books. But the Burmans are believed to possess works of greater antiquity than these Jatus, on history, poetry, medicine, astronomy, grammar, &c. whether borrowed from the Sungskritu, or the productions of the Bouddhŭ sect, time must disclose.* It is a singular circumstance, that the Bouddhus should have chosen for their hero, like the Hindoos for Vishnoo, ten incarnations; and still more singular, that they should have designated the histories of these incarnations by the names of ten Hindoosages. The Bouddhus do not believe in a First Cause: they consider matter as eternal; that every portion of animated existence has in itself its own rise, tendency, and destiny; that the condition of creatures on earth is regulated by works of merit and demerit; that works of merit not only raise individuals to happiness, but, as they prevail, raise the world itself to prosperity: while, on the other hand, when vice is predominant, the world degenerates till the universe itself is dissolved. They suppose, however, that there is always some superior deity, who has attained to this elevation by religious merit; but they do not regard him as the governor of the world. To the present grand period, comprehending all the time included in a kŭlpů, they assign five deities, four of whom have already appeared, including Goutümü, or Booddhů, whose exaltation continues five thousand years, 2,356 of which had expired A. D. 1814. After the expiration of the 5,000 years, another saint will obtain the ascendancy, and be deified. Six hundred millions of saints are said to be canonized with Some idea of their advance in science may be gathered from an interesting account of the Religion and Literature of the Burmans inserted in the 6th vol. of the Asiatic Researches, by Dr. F. Buchanan. each deity, though it is admitted that Booddhŭ took only 24,000 devotees to heaven with him. The lowest state of existence is in hell; the next, is that in the forms of brutes: both these are states of punishment. The next ascent is to that of man, which is probationary. The next includes many degrees of honour and happiness up to demi-gods, &c. which are states of reward for works of merit. The ascent to superior deity is from the state of man. The Bouddhus are taught, that there are four superior heavens which are not destroyed at the end of a kŭlpă; that below these, there are twelve other heavens, followed by six inferior heavens; after which follows the earth; then the world of snakes, and then thirty-two chief hells, to which are to be added, one hundred and twenty hells of milder torments. The highest state of glory is absorption. The person who is unchangeable in his resolution; who has obtained the knowledge of things past, present, and to come through one kilpo, who can make himself invisible, go where he pleases, and who has attained to complete abstraction, will enjoy absorption.* Those who perform works of merit, are admitted to the heavens of the different gods, or are made kings or great men on earth; and those who are wicked, are born in the forms of different animals, or consigned to different hells. The happiness of these heavens is wholly sensual. The Bouddhus believe, that at the end of a külpŭ the universe is destroyed. To convey some idea of the extent of this period, the illiterate Cingalese use this comparison: if a man were to ascend a mountain nine miles high, and to renew these journies once in every hundred years, till the mountain were worn down by his feet * The Hindoo idea of absorption is, that the soul is received into the divine essence; but as the Bouddhis reject the doctrine of a separate Supreme Spirit, it is difficult to say what are their ideas of absorption, Dr. Buchanan says, (A. Researches, vol. vi. p. 180) Nirvană “implies (that is, among the Burmans), exemption from all the miseries incident to humanity, but by no means annihilation." |