THE KAILASA AT ELLORA

East Indies.

THE

HE Temples at Ellora are probably the most wonderful examples in the world of buildings hewn out of solid rock. They cover a vast extent. The oldest are probably Buddhist, dating back to the second century B. C., but there are also Brahman and Jain temples in the network of excavations.

219

BUDDHIST IDEAS

THE DATE OF BUDDHA'S birth is uncertain.

Scholars have lately

placed it about 485 B. C., though 543 B. C. used to be generally accepted. His life has been so concealed beneath tradition and fable that it is impossible to pick out the true from the legendary. He was undoubtedly born of well-to-do, the myths say of princely, parents. At nineteen he married his cousin. His first teachers were Brahmans, but at twenty-nine, after the birth of his son, he withdrew from the Brahmans into the forest, and for six years gave himself with five others to the practice of the most rigid asceticism. At the end of that time, he broke away from asceticism and extreme self-mortification, as he had before from the teachings of the Brahmans, and at the end of forty days spent in the most concentrated contemplation under a pipaltree, the light of the "true life" is supposed to have burst upon him. This he explained as given in the sermon "The Foundation of the Kingdom of Righteousness," which he delivered, when, enthused with his new idea, he returned to convert the five ascetics that had been associated with him. From that time the new order, which might be considered a form of monasticism, spread rapidly, and soon overrar western Asia. The monks were vowed to a simple life, celebacy, and existence upon unsolicitated alms. Buddha was about eighty years old when he died.

Brahmanism had developed a rigid system of castes and rituals, and had taught that the nature of one's existence in the hereafter depended upon the performance of ceremonies and the knowledge, which the Brahmans kept to themselves, of the inner nature of the world. Buddha discouraged castes and forms, and made life here and in the hereafter depend, not on knowledge, but conduct.

220

FOUNDATION OF THE KINGDOM

OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

REVERENCE to the Blessed One, the Holy One, the Fully-Enlightened One.

1. Thus have I heard. The Blessed One was once staying at Benares, at the hermitage called Migadaya. And there the Blessed One addressed the company of the five Bhikkhus, and said:

2. 'There are two extremes, O Bhikkhus, which the man who has given up the world ought not to follow-the habitual practice, on the one hand, of those things whose attraction depends upon the passions, and especially of sensuality-a low and pagan way (of seeking satisfaction) unworthy, unprofitable, and fit only for the worldlyminded—and the habitual practice, on the other hand, of asceticism (or self-mortification), which is painful, unworthy, and unprofitable. 3. 'There is a middle path, O Bhikkhus, avoiding these two extremes, discovered by the Tathagata-a path which opens the eyes, and bestows understanding, which leads to peace of mind, to the higher wisdom, to full enlightenment, to Nirvana!

4. 'What is that middle path, O Bhikkhus, avoiding these two extremes, discovered by the Tathagata-that path which opens the eyes, and bestows understanding, which leads to peace of mind, to the higher wisdom, to full enlightenment, to Nirvana? Verily! it is this noble eightfold path; that is to say:

'Right views;

Right aspirations;

Right speech;

Right conduct;

Right livelihood;

Right effort;

Right mindfulness; and

Right contemplation.

"This, O Bhikkhus, is that middle path, avoiding these two extremes, discovered by the Tathagata-that path which opens the eyes,

and bestows understanding, which leads to peace of mind, to the higher wisdom, to full enlightenment, to Nirvana!

5. 'Now this, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning suffering.

'Birth is attended with pain, decay is painful, disease is painful, death is painful. Union with the unpleasant is painful, painful is separation from the pleasant; and any craving that is unsatisfied, that too is painful. In brief, the five aggregates which spring from attachment (the conditions of individuality and their cause) are painful.

"This then, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning suffering. 6. Now this, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the origin of suffering.

'Verily, it is that thirst (or craving), causing the renewal of existence, accompanied by sensual delight, seeking satisfaction now here, now there-that is to say, the craving for the gratification of the passions, or the craving for (a future) life, or the craving for success (in this present life).

"This then, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the origin of suffering.

7. 'Now this, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the destruction of suffering.

'Verily, it is the destruction, in which no passion remains, of this very thirst; the laying aside of, the getting rid of, the being free from. the harbouring no longer of this thirst.

'This then, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the destruction of suffering.

8.

Now this, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the way which leads to the destruction of sorrow. Verily! it is this noble eightfold path; that is to say:

'Right views;

Right aspirations;

Right speech;

Right conduct;

Right livelihood;

Right effort;

Right mindfulness; and

Right contemplation.

'This then, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the destruction of sorrow.

9. 'That this was the noble truth concerning sorrow, was not, O Bhikkhus, among the doctrines handed down, but there arose within me the eye (to perceive it), there arose the knowledge (of its nature), there arose the understanding (of its cause), there arose the wisdom (to guide in the path of tranquillity), there arose the light (to dispel darkness from it).

'And again, O Bhikkhus, that I should comprehend that this was the noble truth concerning sorrow, though it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light.

II. 'And again, O Bhikkhus, that I had comprehended that this was the noble truth concerning sorrow, though it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light.

12. That this was the noble truth concerning the origin of sorrow, though it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye; but there arose within me the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light.

13. 'And again, O Bhikkhus, that I should put away the origin of sorrow, though the noble truth concerning it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light.

14. 'And again, O Bhikkhus, that I had fully put away the origin of sorrow, though the noble truth concerning it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light.

15. That this, O Bhikkhus, was the noble truth concerning the destruction of sorrow, though it was not among the doctrines handed down; but there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light.

16. 'And again, O Bhikkhus, that I should fully realise the destruction of sorrow though the noble truth concerning it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose