ao,^^AA/^. ^^./: ^?^^s^ ,^^?^#A o ^, ^^^:^ .iSIK JI»k j-SSV «r^:^ ^L^Mr-} '^H /^. /^ o,a-aa A A. i^^v.^i'7i'^p^\y^x s^^^l^w^ wM^^^m^^^^m'^^'M LIBRARY OF THE University of California. GI KT OK X^-ig^ 6iJr^AA^ jVa^Q. Cue Received Jyij CLAj . iqo o Accession No. / Q S y ^ • Class No. rWvri^H^rr^^^ THE Outline of Buddhism BY SKESABURO NAGAO "jfSfU RRICE F^IFTKEN CENTS SAN FRANCISCO BUDDHIST MISSION 807 Polk Street 1900 THE Outline of Buddhism BY SKESABURO NAGAO F»RICE FIFTEKN CENTOS SAN FRANCISCO BUDDHIST MISSION 807 Polk Street 1900 ^7 ■ f'-^ THE HICKS-JUDD COMPANV, FRIXTERS, PUBLISHERS, BOOKBI NDKKS 23 FIRST ST., S. F., CAI.. 1900 *?^3yi TABLE OF CONTENTS. I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. LIFE OF BUDDHA. Buddha's Birth 7 Siddartha's Marriage ^ The Three Sights.. « The Great Renunciation. 9 The Long Retirement. 10 The Enlightenment 10 Buddha's Temptation H Opening of Mission 12 Sending Out of the Disciples 12 Epoch of Gospel 13 Buddha's Farewell Address 15 Buddha's Death 16 GENERAL HISTORY OF BUDDHISM. XIII. The First Buddhist Council XIV. The Second Buddhist Council. XV. The Third Buddhist Council XVI. The Divergence of Buddhism... XVII. The Fourth Buddhist Council. XVIII. Buddhism Successes XIX. The Fate of Buddhism in India XX. Buddhism in Ceylon XXI. Buddhism in Tibet XXII. Buddhism in China XXIII. Buddhism in Japan .18 .19 .20 ..22 .23 25 ..26 ..27 ..29 31 .35 XXIV. XXV. XXVI. XXVII. XXVIII. XXIX. XXX. DOCTRINE OF BUDDHISM, Introduction -11 The Principle of Transition 42 The Principle of Cause and Effect 45 The Principle of Transmigration 49 The Confession ^^ Profession of Faith in Triratna 58 Observance of the Ten Precepts 62 PREFACE. The object of this book is intended to give the reader an outline of the general history of Buddhism, together with the life of Buddha Sak^-amuni and his doctrine in brief It is but just, however, that I should own here, being far from an original, the bulk of the present volume is largely taken from the several works of older scholars of great fame on this subject, and the reader will, no doubt, also find many similar state- ments through the writings of some Western scholars. Where I differ from my predecessors in this under- taking is, that I have endeavored to compile the pres- ent work in gathering materials considered only as orthodox Buddhism. So the first chapter on the life of Buddha, for instance, is mostly derived from the Northern Budd- hist canons, using seldom any of the Southern text. The second chapter on the general history of Budd- hism is simply a rearrangement of older texts. The third chapter on the teachings of Buddha is, likewise, a translation of the common canon wildly used among the Japanese Buddhists. The sole aim of my present undertakiug, as stated above, being'^simply to present a fair glimpse of this much talked of Buddhism to the general readers of this continent. If one desires to investigate more fuU}^, I would respectfully refer the reader to those learned works of distinguished Orientalists, such as Max Muller, Oldenberg, Eitel, Beal, Rhys Davids, Childers and Dr. Paul Cams. 6 The Outlhie of Buddhism. A word of explanation concerning my English is necessary. I sincerely hope it will deserve my reader's attention. While the subject matter of my work is absolutely correct, the presentation of it is necessarily crude on account'of my limited command of the English language. I hope, however, my readers will understand the principles of Buddhism through my statements. I cannot conclude without thanking Mrs. Mary Olive Coonradt for her kindness in correcting some parts of this work. I shall thankfully receive, at all times, suggestions for further improvements. Skesaburo Nagao. San Francisco, March 31, 1900. LIFE OF BUDDHA CHAPTER I. BUDDHA'S BIRTH. Our Lord Sal^yamiini, as the Saviour of the world- and 'founder of Buddhism, is regarded by the people as one of the great men the world has produced. He was unquestionably an enlightened man, remark- able in the influence he exercised over his countr)- men when alive, and the still greater influence he has ever since exercised by his doctrine over the world. He was born about the sixth century before Christ, in Kapilavastu, the royal city of his father, Sudd- hadana, who was ruler of a kingdom north of Oude, in India. The prince was called Gautama, from the tribe to which his famil}^ belonged. His person was bright like the shining of the sun and beautiful as a child of heaven, adorned with every excellent distinc- tion seldom seen on the earth. At the moment of his birth he deliberatel}- took seven steps in the direction of each of the cardinal points and said : " I alone, of all beings in heaven above and heaven below, am worthy of honor." His mother, Maya, the queen, to whom the future greatness and mighty sway of the prince over the world was revealed in a dream, died a few days after his birth, and addressing her sister, Prajapati, said: "A mother who has born a future Buddha will never give birth to another child. I shall soon leave the world. When I am gone, be thou a mother to him." When the prince was but a child of seven years of age he seemed to understand all arts and sciences; and he had such great talent that once instructed he surpassed his teachers. After this he was called Sid- 8 The Outline of Hnddhism. dartha, a name given him by his father, Buddha's proper name, and meaning, "He who has reached his goal," and in later years Buddha, or the Enlightened One. CHAPTER n. siddartha's marriage. The prince, Siddartha, dwelt in his beautiful palace, with all kinds of elegant ornaments to delight him, and surrounded by singing women whose music ravished both ear and heart. His mind was, however, unmoved b}' worldly delights, and was far removed from the world. His purposes aiming high, he shunned all evil, and dwelt in his palace practicing every virtue; also he loved to sta}- under the great jamboo tree in the garden of his father, and meditat- ing on the ways of the world, felt deeply the weak- ness and decay of old age, and the horror of sickness and death. Seeing his sadness, his father feared he would grow up a mere dreamer, and with the view of having him enjoy life, chose a lovely princess for his wife. In his seventeenth year, he was married to the Princess Yashodhara, his cousin, the gentle daughter of the king of Koli. It appears, in their wedlock, there was born one son, Rahura, who afterward be- came one of Buddha's disciples. CHAPTER III. THE THREE SIGHTS. Thus, surrounded b}^ his wife and child, Siddartha lived in the calm home of happiness and love, not knowing of woe, want or pain. But at this time he met three woes which deepened his pity for beings. The Outlifie of Buddhism. 9 One day when he was driving in his chariot, through his realm, he saw a feeble old man struggling for life, his heart broken and oppressed, his head white, and shoulders bent, his eyes bleared and body withered, holding a stick to support him along the way ; a man with fever, sick and mud-stained, whose hands and knees contracted, and his tears flowing as he piteously muttered his petition ; also a process- ion of a funeral, bearing along on a litter, with burn- ing torches, streamers and flowers. It is believed by the common Buddhists, that it was a Deva who ap- peared to Siddartha under these different forms to exhort him for the salvation of man. Be it as it may, the fact is that his kind heart felt for all men so strong a pity and love that he afterward resolved to sacrifice himself for their good. CHAPTER IV. THE GREAT RENUNCIATION. One night, when Siddartha was in his nineteenth year, he sat on the couch in the garden and thought, " All the world is full of darkness, ignorance and sorrow ; there is no one who knows the cause of sorrow and how to cure the ills of existence." That moment he resolved to leave his palace and seek the way of salvation. Then he returned to the room where his wife was sleeping, that he might see his beloved wife and son. The child lay in the arms of its mother, and fearing to waken them, he deter- mined to go, and not look upon his boy until he had become the Buddha, or Enlightened. Although it was beyond his power to check the pain of parting, he suppressed his feelings for the sake of man, and went into homelessness for salvation. 10 The Outline of Biiddhism. CHAPTER V. THE LONG RETIREMENT. Leaving his palace, our Lord Gautama went to the river Anoma, a long way from Kapilavastu, where he had his hair and beard shaved, and put on a yellow garment like the hermit of the time. Thus he went into the jungle of Uruvela, there placing himself under two noble Brahmans, Arada and Udraka, to see if their teaching would satisfy his hope of find- ing the knowledge of which he was in search, but he could not discover the reason for human sorrow. He left them and traveled through the kingdom of Magadha, and arrived at the forest near a place called Buddha-Gaya, and spent six years in practicing the most severe rites with his five other companions, Kandanya, Bhadhiji, Wappa, Mahanama, and Assaji. Seeing that these were not the means to extinguish desire and to produce ecstatic contemplation, but were useless and selfish, he left them and went on alone, toward the Bodhi tree, under which he might attain enlightenment. CHAPTER VI. THE ENLIGHTENMENT. /' There our Lord Gautama took his seat under the Bodhi tree (fortunate tree) and uttered: " I shall not rise again from off the seat until I have attained the Enlightenment." And he entered into deep and subtle contemplation. One day, at his thirtieth year of age, the great crisis came to him, for he passed through successive stages of abstraction until he became Buddha, the man who knows about his pre vious birth^ of the pqT|gpc nf.,_t he transmigration of souls, the cailses of sorrow, and t"Ee^ay to cure the ills of' existence The Outline of Btiddhisvt. 11 — in short, the man who discovered the Four Noble Truths. Thus he became Buddha, the Enlightened Afterwards, the Buddha uttered himself: "When I apprehended this (the Noble Truth) and when I beheld this, my soul was released from the evil of desire, released from the evil of earthy existence, released from the evil of error, released from the evil of ignorance. In the released awoke the knowledge of release; extinct is re-birth, finished the sacred course, duty done, no more shall I return to this world, this I know." CHAPTER VII. BUDDHA'S TEMPTATION. When Buddha sat down under the Bodhi tree, Mara, Lord of the five desires, tempted him a second time. At first Mara sent his three daughters. The first was named " Lust-polution," the second " Able to delight a man," and the third " Love-joy," to allure him, but Buddha paid no attention to them. Seeing that Buddha had no desire for the three daughters, Mara ordered his subjects, the five desires, to attack him, even using force, but was again defeated by the power of the great virtues of Buddha. Afterward, when he had become the Buddha, and remained under the tree, fasting, and enjoying the bliss of emancipation, Mara tempted him again and again . The temptation which he felt most severe was to enter at once into Nirvana, instead of preaching his doctrine to men. But finally his deep compassion for all beings made him resolve to proclaim the truth he attained to mankind that they too might be free from sorrow. 12 The Outline of Buddhism. CHAPTER VIII. OPENING OF MISSION. After remaining under tlie Bodhi tree during forty- nine days, Buddha went to Isipatna, near Benares, where he first preached. Some northern Buddhist's books say that, the second week of his enlightenment, Buddha began his gospel. In the assembly there were his former five com- panions, whom he had left when he saw that the reason for human sorrow could not be discovered by their system and practices. Buddha, pitying them for their errors, and point- ing out the uselessness of their endeavors, showed to them the perfect way, or a middle path between mortification and self-indulgence, and the instability of the ego, and lastly the bliss of Nirvana, which only can be obtained by the middle, or the eight-fold path. These doctrines are preserved in the Dharmacha- krapravartana Sutra, or " the sermon of the founda- tion of the kingdom of righteousness." According to some northern Buddhist's books, Buddha preached the Buddhavatamsaka-maha-vai- pulya Sutra in the second week after his enlight- enment, and which was preached nine times in seven different places. CHAPTER IX. SENDING OUT THE DISCIPLES. When Buddha had finished speaking, the five Brahmans perfectly understood the law of complete purity. When he had thus converted the five he went with them and preached in Benares. At that time fifty young men of the wealthy families of Benares had become disciples, and they The Outline of Buddhism. 13 also became Arahats. Knowing them to be perfectly enlightened disciples, Buddha commanded them thus: " O, disciples, be like brothers; one in love, one in holiness ; assist one another, and spread the truth from place to place for the welfare of the people. This is the holy brotherhood, this is Sangha." He thus sent out his disciples in different coun- tries where the people were eager to receive it. And it was his custom during the good weather for him and his disciples to go out preaching to the people, but during the rainy season they would join their master in one place, to receive his instructions. CHAPTER X. EPOCH OF GOSPEL. The doctrines of Buddha's whole life are arranged in a chronological order by the Chinese scholar, Ten- dai-dai-shi. The first is called the period of Kegon by him, because Buddha preached the Kegon Sutra. It embraces the time of the second week after his enlightenment. The second is called the period of Rokuon, or deer park, from the place which formed his principal place of residence. It is also known as the Agon, because Buddha, during the second period, z. ^., twelve years, preached the Agon Sutra. At the beginning of the second epoch, the five Brahmans, before spoken of, were of the most learned men of his day, being the first converts, others soon becoming converts. Now, returning from Benares to Urvera, where he had entered into the enlighten- ment, he preached to a band of Brahmans, and con- verted them. At the age of thirty-one, Buddha converted a noble youth, Yashas by name, the son of a wealthy merchant in Benares. Then he went to the kingdom 14 The Outline of Buddhism. of Magadha. There lived in Urvera the Jatilas, be- lievers of Krishna, fire worshipers; and their chief was Kashapa, whom Buddha converted after a dis- course, and then the believers of Krishna became converts soon after their master. After that, Buddha proceeded to Rajagriha, whose king, Binbisara, had become one of his converts, and presented to Buddha the monastery of the bamboo forest, Venuvana. This was followed by the conver- sion of many distinguished young men of the king- dom of Magadha. It was at the age of thirty-three that Buddha converted Shariputra and Maudgal- yayana, two Brahmans, and chiefs of the followers of Sanjaya; the former was unsurpassed in wisdom, the latter in magical powers. After two years, while Buddha was preaching at Rajagriha, there came a rich merchant of Shravasti called Sudatta, better known on account of his charity in helping the poor and orphans as " the friend of the orphan and destitute," or Anathapindada. He gladly presented to Buddha the Geta-Vana-Vihara. At the time when Buddha was preparing to visit his father's court to make an offering according to his religious doctrine, his father sent word to him to meet him. Now, Buddha, after an absence of twelve years, revisited his father's court. After this first meeting, Buddha took up his abode in the Vihara of the banyan grove, which his father. King Sud- dhadana, built for his reception, and in a short time he converted many of Sakyas. At short intervals after this, his father, his son, Rahula, his foster mother, and later his wife, became followers of his doctrine. Among the converts of Sakyas were Ananda, his half- brother, the son of Prajapati ; Devadatta, his cousin and brother-in-law ; his nephew, Mahakatyayana, who played a prominent role as a missionary ; Upali, the barber, and Anurudha, the philosopher. The Oiitliyie of Buddhism. ' 15 When Buddha returned to Kapilavastu a second time, he preached the Buddha-dhyana-samadhi-sagara Sutra to his father. The third is called the period of Hodo by Ten-dai- dai-shi. During the third period, i. e., eight years, Buddha's important preaching is preserved in the Sut- ras as follows ■ The Vimalakirtti-Nirdesa Sutra, the Viseshakinta-brahma-pari-prikk-ha Sutra, the Lan- kavatara Sutra, the Suvarna-prabhasa Sutra, the Srimala-devi-simhanada Sutra, the Mahavaipulya- maha-samnipata Sutra, and the Suramgama-samadhi Sutra. The next twenty-two years is called the fourth period of Han-uya (Transcendent Wisdom) by Ten- dai-dai-shi. During this period Buddha preached the Pragnaparamita Sutra. The last eight years is called the fifth period of Hoke and Nehan by the same scholar. During this period Buddha preached the Saddhar- mapundarika Sutra, the Samantabhadra-bodhi-sattva- karya-dharma Sutra, the Nirvana Sutra, andtheSuk- havativyuha etc. Thus during forty-five years, our Lord Buddha preached his doctrine in traveling from place to place, through the kingdoms of India, converting all the classes — the Brahman, the Kshatriya (literall}'^ the ruler, /. e , king, nobility, warriors), the Vaisyas (the people proper — farmers, merchants and artisans), the Cludra (the subjected aboriginees). CHAPTER XI. BUDDHA'S FAREWELL ADDRESS. Our Lord Buddha, having accomplished his public mission for about forty-five years after attaining his Buddhahood, one day he asserted to Ananda, who 16 The Outli?ie of Buddhism. was his inseparable attendant, that he had kept back nothing, and he no longer wished to lead the brother- hood, or thonght that the Sangha was dependent upon him. " O, Ananda, I am now grown old and full of years, my journey is drawing to its close, I have reached the sum of my days, I am turning eighty years of age ; and j ust as a worn out cart can only with much difficulty be made to move along, so the body of the Tathagata can only be kept going with much additional care. Therefore, O, Ananda, be you lamps to yourselves. Rely ou yourselves, and do not rely on external help. Hold fast to the truth. Look not for assistance to any one beside your- selves." After having conversed with Ananda, he told him to call the brethren together at the Kapalatchaitya, and there he told them that his end was approaching, and exhorted them to walk in the way of truth and to follow the Sutra, the Vinaya, and the Matrika. CHAPTER XII. BUDDHA'S DEATH. At the full moon night of May, 477 B. C ., Buddha came with Ananda to Kushinara after their long journey, and stopped in the twin sal tree grove. Now, knowing that his last time had come, Buddha told Ananda to place his couch between the sal trees. Ananda did as he was bidden, but he was so sorrowful that he could not restrain his flowing tears. Seeing him weeping Buddha announced to Ananda: "I have ever declared to you that it is in the nature of all things, that we must separate from our near and dear, and leave them. Now then, Ananda, can it be possible for me to remain, since everything that is born, or brought into being. The Outline of Buddhism. 17 contains within itself the inherent necessity of dis- solution ? How, then, can it be possible that this body of mine should not be dissolved ? No such con- dition can exist" Now, when the disciples and the believers heard that their master was about to pass away, they as- sembled around his couch. Our Lord, even in his last hours through the whole night, preached and converted new disciples ; at daybreak he entered Nirvana, lying by the sal trees, with his head to the north. At the last moment he addressed his disciples thus: " Behold now, brethren, I impress upon you that decay is inherent in all components, but the truth will remain forever ! Work out your salvation with diligence," etc. These were the last words of our Lord Buddha His funeral was celebrated with such ceremonies as became the great king of kings. Ambassa- dors came from all the kingdoms to claim a share of the relics, and the relics were divided into eight portions, and eight pagodas were erected for worship over each of them. CHAPTER XIIL THE FIRST BUDDHIST COUNCIL. Very soon after Buddha's death the first Buddhist council was held at the Sattapanni cave, near Rajagriha, to chant together the words of the Buddha, because his teaching was oral and conversational. The council consisted of five hundred Arahats, who were the most prominent and reverend of Buddha's followers, under the presidency of Mahakayapa. By request of the assembly Ananda, who was foremost among those who heard much, who understood what they heard, who remembered what they had heard, recited in a loud voice the Sutras of Buddha as he heard and understood them, mentioning villages, towns, countries and king- doms in which they had been preached by Buddha. When Ananda had finished reciting all the Sutras which Buddha had spoken, the assembly cried aloud, "These, then, are the Dharmas ! " Next, the venerable Upali, a wise man, was re- quested by the assembly to recite the Vinaya which had been taught by Buddha. When he had finished reciting each Vinaya, where and for what reason each Vinaya had been made, the assembly consented by saying, " These, then, are the Vinayas ! " Then Mahakayapa, by the consent of the as- sembly, had compiled the Matrika, or the meta- physical parts of the doctrine, with the purpose which makes perfectly lucid the distinguishing points of that which ought to be known. Thus the teach- ings of Buddha were sung in three divisions called the Tripitaka, or three baskets of Buddha. The Outline of Btiddhisni. 19 During a hundred years after Buddha's death, there were five succeeding teachers, whose names are Mahakayapa, Ananda, Madhyantika, Sanavasa and Upagupta, and Buddhism, by their missionary works, became the influential religion throughout India, al- though, after that, among the Buddhists arose the quarrel. CHAPTER XIV. THE SECOND BUDDHIST COUNCIL, One hundred years after the first council, 377 B. C., the second council was held at Vesali, in the Walukarama temple, under the presidency of Yasat Thera, for the purpose of correcting errors that had crept into the faith ; especially for condemning the bhikshus of Vesali who proclaimed ten false propo- sitions which transgressed the law and the rules, which were not the Buddha's teaching, or comprised in the Sutras, nor to be found in the Vinayas, which transgressed the Dharma ; and the bhikshus of Vesali proclaimed that these unlawful things were lawful. At the same time the Vesali Buddhists who had been excommunicated by the Theras, formed an- other party, and many people, ten thousand, as- sembled and held a council to maintain their ten propositions. Thus Buddhism was divided into two schools. The congregation which was held under the presi- dency of Yasat Thera is called the Sthavirah, on account of the members of the congregation being Sthaviras, or high priests. The council which was held by the Vesali Buddhists is called the Maha- sanghika, on account of the great number of its followers which made it a great assembly. 20 The Outline of Buddhism. CHAPTER XV. THK THIRD BUDDHIST COUNCIL. The third council was held at Patna, in the two hundred and twenty-sixth year of the Buddha era, that is, 251 B. C, in the Asokarama temple, under the presidency of Maggaliputtatissa, and Asoka, the king of Magoda, the second founder of Buddhism. At the time there were five schools of Buddhism, and the king, in doubt as to which school was right, consulted the priests as to what should be done to settle the matter, and they answered that the matter should be settled by the majority. So the matter was settled by a vote and the vic- tory won by the Mahasamghikahs. From this the Mahasamghikahs claimed to be the original portion of the Buddhism. Buddhism, however, as a whole, became the state religion of India in the reign of the king, and con- tinued so for nearl}' nine centuries The king, Asoka, founded many pagodas and monasteries, and subsequently did much to spread the doctrine by sending out missionaries to foreign countries; and he inculcated its principles by having them cut upon rocks and stone pillars, and in caves in his own country. A number of these have been discovered in various parts of India and Afghanistan. They are exhibited in various parts of the world. asoka'vS seventh edict. " King Piyadasi, beloved of the gods, desires that all the sects should dwell (at liberty) in all places. "They all indeed seek (equally) after the sub- jugation (of one's self) and purity of heart, though The Outline of Buddhism. 21 the people are fickle in their aims and fickle in their attachments. They may pursue, either in part or in whole, the aim they set before them. "Andlet everyone, whether he receive abundant alms or not, have self control, purity of heart, thankfulness and firmness of love. That is always excellent." asoka's twelfth edict. " King Piyadasi, beloved of the gods, honors all sects, both recluses and laymen, he honors them with gifts and with every kind of honor. But the be- loved of the gods attaches not so much weight to alms and honors as to (the desire) that the good name and (the moral virtues which are) the essen- tial part of the teaching of all sects, may increase. "Now the prosperity of this essential part of the teaching of all the sects (involves), it is true, great diversity. But this is the one foundation of all (that is to say) moderation in speech ; that there should be no praising: of one's sect and decrying of other sects ; that there should be no depreciation (of other) without cause, but, on the contrary, a rendering of honor to other sects for whatever cause honor is due. By so doing, both one's own sect will be helped forward, and other sects will be benefitted ; by acting otherwise, one's own sect will be destroyed in injuring others. "Whosoever exalts his own sect by decrying others, does so, doubtless, out of love for his own sect, thinking to spread abroad the fame thereof. "But, on the contrary, he inflicts the more an in- jury upon his own sect. Therefore is concord the best, in that all should hear, and love to hear, the doctrines (Dharma) of each other. " Thus it is the desire of the beloved of the gods that every sect should be well instructed and should (profess) a religion that is lovely. 22 The OtUline of Buddhistn. " So tliat all, whatever their belief, should be per- suaded that the beloved of the gods attaches less weight to alms and to honors than to the desire that the good name, and the moral virtues which are the essential part of the teaching of all sects, may increase. " To this end do the ministers of religion everywhere strive, and the of&cers placed over women, and the inspectors, and the other officials. "And this is the fruit thereof; namely, the proserity of his own sect and the exaltation of religion generally." CHAPTER XVI. THE DIVERGENCE OF BUDDHISM. We have seen that, under the second Buddhist coun- cil. Buddhism branched into two schools — Maha- samghikah and Sthavirah. Of these, the Mahasam- ghikah school has gradually been divided into eight schools, t.e.^ the Mahasamghikah proper, Ekavyava- harika, Lokottaravadina, Bahucrutiya, Pradshnap- tivadina, Tchaityika, Purvacaila and Avaracaila. Sthavirah school gradually divided into ten schools, z. e.^ the Sthavirah proper, Sarvastivadina, Vaibadyavadina, Hetuvidya, Vatsiputriya, Dharmat- tariya, Bhadrayaniya, Sammatiya, Mahicasaka, Dharmaguptaka, Saddharmavarshaka, Uttariya. These are called by the northern Buddhists the twenty sects of Hinayana, or the little vehicles. Of the twenty sects of Hinayana, the Sarvastiva- dina school was the most flourishing for a thousand years after Buddha, while many great teachers whose names are Sariputra, Mahamaudgalyayana, Katya- yana, Devasarman, Vasumitra, Vasubandhu, Sam- ghabhdra, and five hundred disciples of Katyayana, etc., succeeded each other. The Outline of Btiddhism.. 23 Now it is in order to treat the development of each of these sects, bnt we cannot tell in detail here, for it would take many pages, and the space will not permit us. CHAPTER XVII. THE FOURTH BUDDHIST COUNCIL. The fourth great Buddhist council was held under Kanishka, who reigned from Kashmir widely over northwestern India, in the first century, A. D. It is stated that the council was the starting-poi nt of the northern scriptures, called Mahayana, the " Great Vehicle," which was written in Sanskrit and afterwards had been translated into Tibetan and Chinese. Others say that the third council was the starting-point of the separation of the northern (Mahayana) and southern (Hinayana) Buddhism. According to the northern Buddhists, there were three different collections of the Tripitaka of Buddha, the first and the second are called the Hinayana books, and the third made by Mangusuri and Maitreya is called the Mahayana books. But the last one is not as clear historically as the first two collections, and it is the reason that the western scholars criticise northern Buddhism or the Great Vehicle founded by Nagarjuna, and it can be regarded only as an admixture of Buddhistic and Brahmanic ideas. Although it is true, this doubt, it seems, can not be claimed as correct, because, as above mentioned, the starting-point of the northern scriptures remained unsettled whether it originated upon the third council of Patna, 251 B. C, or upon the fourth council in the first century, A, D., and, moreover, as we shall see, that some Ma- hayana Sutras were added to the Tripitaka of the 24 The Outline of Buddhism. Hinayana in the second century of Buddha era, and at that time Nagarjuna, so called founder of Mahayana, was not yet born in India, who can, then, say that the Mahayana Sutras are not Buddha's words, but were taught by Nagarjuna? On examining the history of Buddhism, we find ample reason for adhering to the statement of the western scholar, viz.: that the first period during which the prevailing school was the Hinayana, and the Mahayana came long after the Hinayana. But it does not appear from this that the Mahayana is not the original portion of the Buddha's doctrine ; it may be traced back in the primitive Buddhism, but only is it possible to say that it had not gained a predominant influence over the Hinayana until the period of the fourth council. At this period disputes often took place between the sects of the Mahayanas and Hinayanas, and the Mahayanas lost their power, while that of Hinayana became flourishing. But the latter part of the first century before Christ, Asvaghosha, the first advocate of the Ma- hayana, promulgated the Mahayana against the Hinayana schools. A century after him, the well- known Nagarjuna expounded the doctrine of the Mahayana. The century forms the golden age of the Mahayana school. Asamga and his younger brother, Vasubandhu, composed many Sastras, or commentaries of the Sutras, and promulgated the Mahayana doctrine. At the time of Vasubandhu, among the Mahayana a dispute took place, which divided it into two schools, the Yo^a doctrine and the Madhyamika doctrine. In India, however, Mahayana did not diverge so much as did the Hinayana. The Outline of Buddhism. 27 CHAPTER XX. JjuiU'^ BUDDHISM IN CEYLON. Vt^C^CM^ " In the year 250 B, C, or the reign of King Tissa, who was an ally of Asoka, Buddhism was introduced into Ceylon by Mahinda, King Asoka's own son. Mahinda took with him a band of fellow missionaries, and afterwards his sister, Sanghamitta, followed with a company of nuns. Under the reign of this king, Buddhism was pro- mulgated successfully by the devotion of Mahinda, aided by the zeal of the king, who aspired to be the Asoka of Ceylon. During the last two centuries Buddhism did not flourish. But in the latter part it became more estab- lished in the island, and at length, in the reign of Vattagamini Abhaya, about 80 B. C, manjr great pagodas were erected and Buddhist sacred books were committed to writing in the Pali language. During the reign of the king, Buddhism branched into two schools, the Maha Vihara and the Abha- yagiri school. The latter was considered as heresy by the former. During the first three centuries of the Christian era, on the whole, there are no important features. In the reign of Mahasena, about 300 A. D., there came the Jetavana school, a branch of the Abhayagiri. The next century, the fourth, was a period of great development of Buddhism. In the reign of King Buddhadasa, it is said, the Sutras were translated into Cingalese. PsX the end of the fourth century a famous Chinese pilgrim, Fa-Hien, came to Ceylon. iVccording to his record there were sixty thousand monks, and Buddhism flourished in the island. Earl}^ in the fifth centur}' a famous priest of Mag- adha, Buddhaghosha by name, came to Ceylon, where he translated many Buddhist books into 28 The Outline of Buddhism, Pali, and made commentaries of Tripitaka. He is honored as the second founder of Buddhism in Cey- lon. That successful period was followed by a time of depression, and again renewed before the recent period. In the reign of Sena, about 866 A. D., there came two schools, Arannika, or forest monks, and Pamsukulikas, or dust-heap-robe wearers, from the Abhayagiri school. Under the reign of King Parakrama, who lived about the eleventh century. Buddhism was reformed and many shrines and viharas were erected. He is said to have united the several sects which existed in his time, and invited many monks from different parts of Southern India to in- struct native monks. Not long after this reformation, again came troubu- lous times, in which Buddhism began to decline. But from Sri Vijaya Rajasinha's time, about A. D. 1740, onward came many monks from Siam and Arakan, where Buddhism had gained predominance, and they re-established Ceylonese Buddhism. Under the reign of King Kirti Sri Raja Sinha, Buddhism was revived with some of its former interest. From that time onward Buddhism became established, and now it is becoming more and more influential in the island. In the present period there are four sects of Budd- hism in the island, those of Siam, Amarapura, Ram- anya and Kelani. The Siamese is the oldest, and dates its origin from about A. D. 1750, when Kirti Sri Raja obtained twenty Siamese monks from Siam. This sect predominates in the Kandian country, and also in the low country. The Amarapura school was founded about A. D. 1800, by men who had been expelled from the Siames. The Ramanya school is more recent. It thrives in the low country, side by side with the Amarapura school. The Kelani does not differ widely from Siamese. The Outline of Buddhism. 29 Buddhism in Burmah was derived from Ceylon in the fifth century A. D., and that of Siam in the seventh century; Java received the missionaries direct from India between the fifth and seventh centuries, and the faith spread to Bali and Sumatra. While southern Buddhism was thus spreading across the ocean, northern Buddhism had found its way by Central Asia into China, and thence to Corea, in the fourth century, and to Japan in the fifth century. • CHAPTER XXI. BUDDHISM IN TIBET. The first appearance of Buddhism in Tibet was made in the reign of King lyha-tho-tho-ri Snyenbshal, who was born about A. D. 347. When he was eighty years old there fell from heaven into his palace a casket which contained a copy of the Karandavyuha Sutra, an alms bowl, the six essential syllables, a golden tchaitya and a cla}^ image of the chintamani. It is probable that the first introductiou of Buddhism into Tibet was from Nepol, in which it had gained prominence at that time. At the beginning of the seventh century A. D., the King Srong-btsan sent seventeen scholars to India as government students. They went to Southern India, where they learned the Indian language, and before returning to their country they translated many Sutras, and also carried back to Tibet a large num- ber of Buddhist books. Thus Buddhism was estab- lished during the reign of the king who helped to spread it. In this century Chinese Buddhists came to Tibet and translated many Buddhist books into Tibetan. The success of Buddhism in Tibet was only in the eighth and ninth centuries A. D. In the eighth century there was a king called Khri-lde-gtsug-bstan 30 The Outline of Buddhism. mes Ag-ts oms, who built several monasteries and invited learned monks from India to propagate Budd- hism. During his reign many translations of Budd- hist works were made from Indian and Chinese Buddhist books. In 755 A.D., King Khri-srong-lde-bstan, the great protector of Buddhism, invited from India two famous monks, Santarakshita and Padma Sambhava. At that time a Kashmir Buddhist, named Ananda, came to Tibet, where he translated many Buddhist books and propagated the doctrine of his school. After a while there was a famous priest, Kamalsila by name, who belonged to the Madhyamika school of Buddhism. He translated many Buddhist books into Tibetan, and wrote several commentaries. From that time the Madhyamika school became the most popular religion. In the reign of King Mu-khri-btsau-po, who ascended the throne in 788 A. D., and reigned about thirty years, Buddhism had gained prominence in Tibet. The king invited from India many Buddhists, who, assisted by Tibetan priests, translated a large number of Buddhist canonical works, and made numerous commentaries on the sacred books. More- over, they corrected the old translation, and substi- tuted their own new translation in its place. In 816 A. D., Ral-pa-chan made a regular organi- zation of the priesthood, and afterward himself entered the priesthood, and, moreover, he made the canonical regulation, aided by the Indian, Khoten and Chinese priests. During the reign of Glang-dharma, who ascended the throne in 899 A. D , Buddhists were persecuted so cruelly that they had to flee from Tibet. Although the glory of Buddhism vanished through the perse- cution of Glang-dharma, yet many persons were intent on re-establishing the faith of Buddhism. The Oidlinc of Btiddhism. 81 In 1013 A. D., the Indian priest, Dharmapala by name, came to Tibet with many of his disciples, and in 1042 the famous Atisha, a native of Bengal, came there and translated many Buddhist books and also wrote many commentaries. He was succeeded by his Tibetan disciples, the principal one among them being Bu-ston. Under their influence Buddhism revived a^ain,and at that time there came two sects of Buddhism, the yellow sect and the red sect. The former was founded by Bu-ston, who kept the strictest rules of Buddhism ; the latter were more lax, and many of them were married before becoming priests. In the thirteenth century, Kublai Khan adopted Buddhism and greatly promoted the Tibetan monks. At the end of the fourteenth century there arose a reformer, Tsong Khapa, who raised again the stan- dard of orthodoxy and abolished many superstitious forms which clung around it. After this reformation there were no important matters in the Tibetan Buddhism, but the Lama enjoyed his papal power of Tibetan Buddhism without molestation. CHAPTER XXII. BUDDHISM IN CHINA. The introduction of Buddhism in China dates from the one thousand and sixteenth year of the Buddhist era (according to Chinese Buddhist books), when the Emperor Ming (A. D. 61), of the latter Han dynasty, is said to have had a dream in which he saw a golden figure hovering over his palace. He inquired of one of his ministers what this could mean, and was told a sage named Buddha had been born in the West, and that his dream was probably connected with him. The emperor in consequence sent missionaries to India to obtain news concerning this sage. They 32 The Outline of Buddhism. returned in A. D. 67, with two Buddhists, Kayapa Mataga and Chik Ho-ran, together with various books and relics. The emperor listened to them with delight, and had a temple built for them in his capital Loyang, and it was named the monastery of " White Horse," according to their horses, which brought the books and relics. During this dynasty and the Western Tsin, it was not very flourishing Early in the fourth century (the Eastern Tsin, 317-420 A. D.) native Chinese began to take the Buddhist monastic vows. From that time many Indian Buddhists came to China, and they undertook the labor of translating the Buddhist books. The first translation of the Buddhist books had already been made, for we read that at the close of the second century an Indian Buddhist produced the first version of the " Lotus of the Good Law." In the year A. D. 405^ the emperor of the Tsin country gave a high office to Kumarajiva, an Indian priest. The priest was commanded by the emperor to translate the sacred book of Buddhism. Kumara- jiva, assisted by eight hundred priests, produced a new translation of the Buddhist books into Chinese, extending to three hundred volumes. This is an important fact for the history of Chinese Buddhist literature. In the beginning of the fifth century A. D., Fa-hien, a Chinese Buddhist, visited India. (See " The Travels of Fa-hien," translated by Dr. James Legge). About the year 460 it appears from Chinese history that five Buddhists from Ceylon arrived in China by the Tibetan route. In the seventh century, Huen-Siang, an illustrious Chinese Buddhist, traveled from China through India, and brought home many Buddhist books and translated them. Thus the number of the translated The Oidlirie of Bicddhism. 33 scriptures increased to 61,198 volutaes until the time of Suy dynasty. From the introduction of Buddhism into China there were varied sects of Buddhism by prominent priests. They are as follows : tl^/^,'-^ Iv Xhe Abidharma sect. The forming of the sect in China dates from 391 A D., but its promulgation was not until the time of Huen-Siang (about 650 A. D.). 2. The Satyasiddhi-Sastra sect. This sect began with the translation of the Sat3'asiddhi Sastra by Kumarajiva (about 406 A. D.). The Sastra was com- posed by an Indian named Harivarman. ^. ^w 3. The Vinaya sect. The Vinaya sect is of Chinese origin, and was founded by the Chinese priest, Dosen, who lived early in the seventh centur}^ A. D. 4. The Madhyamika-Sastra sect. The Madhya- mika doctrine was founded by Nagarjuna, who lived in Southern India about seven centuries after Buddha, and about three generations afterwards was introduced to Karachar, Central Asia, and thence to China by Kumarajiva, the famous translator of Chinese Budd- hist books, where he propagated its doctrine. But the establishment of the sect was by the Chinese priest Kichizo (589 A. D.). 1 e^5. The Nirvana-Sutra sect. This sect began with the translation of the Nirvana Sutra by Dharmaksha in 423 A. D. But the establishment of the sect was by the Chinese priest, Ekwan, of the So dynasty (424 A. D.). 6. Dasa-bhumika Sastra sect. This sect began with the translation of the Dasa-bhumika Sastra by Bodhiruki in 508 A. D. '^^-^X. L '^^^ Pure Land sect. This doctrine was founded by Vasbanddhu in India, and in 252 A. D., an Indian scholar, Samghavarman, learned in the Tripitaka, came to China and translated the great Amitayas Sutra, and its doctrine was promulgated in China by ^' 34 The Outline of B%iddhism. Fhan-lwan. But its firm establishment was not until the time of Doshaku and Zendo. 8. The Dhyana sect. The Dhyana doctrine was founded by Bodhidarm, the twenty-eighth Indian Buddhist patriarch, who visited China in the sixth century (o20 A. D.). He was the third son of a king of the Kashis, in Southern India. The Dhyana sect branches into two parties, the Northern, which lives undivided, and the Southern, which branched off into five houses and seven schools. 9. The Mahayana-Samparigraha Sastra sect. This sect began with the translation of the Sastra by Paramartha in 563 A. D. Jr:M^,v-10. The Ten-Tai sect. This sect was founded by ^ *^aSikai in the sixth century (597 A. D.). This was one of the most famous Buddhist doctrines of China. 11. The Avatansaka Sutra sect. This doctrine was founded by Nagarjuna, the Sutra was translated by Buddhabhadra in sixty volumes in 557 A. D., but the firm establishment of the sect was not until the time of an eminent priest named Hozo, in the Fan dynasty (712 A. D.). \'