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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1he turning of the wheel of the law/ as it has been usually rendered ; but c the inaugura- tion, or foundation, of the Kingdom of Righteousness.' Is it possible that the praying wheels of Thibet have led to the misapprehension and mistranslation now so common ? But who would explain a passage in the New Testament by a superstition current, say, in Spain in the twelfth century ? And so when Mr. Da Cuftha thinks that the Dhamma is symbolised by the wheel, because 'Gotama ignored the beginning, and was uncertain as to the end V h e seems to me to be following a vicious method of interpreting such figures of speech. It cannot be disputed that the term * wheel' might have implied such an idea as he puts into it. But if we want to know what it did imply, we must be guided wholly by the previous use of the word at the 1 ' Buddhism/ p. 45. 2 ' Memoir on the Tooth Relic,' &c, p. 15. INTRODUCTION. time when it was first used in a figurative sense : and that previous use allows only of the interpretation given above. Perhaps, however, Mr. Da Cunha is only copying (not very exactly) Mr. Alabaster, who has said, ' Buddha, as I have tried to show in other parts of this book, did not attempt to teach the beginning of existence, but as- sumed it as a rolling circle of causes or effects. This was his circle or wheel of the law V Mr. Alabaster therefore calls his very useful book on Siamese Buddhism, c The Wheel of the Law ; ' — an ex- pression which he on the first page of his preface takes to be about equivalent to Buddhism. But his theory of the meaning of the term seems to be based upon a misunder- standing of a passage in the Siamese ' Life of Buddha/ which he there translates. At page 78 he renders his text, i The Holy Wheel which the Law taught is plenteous in twelve ways/ and he explains this on p. 169 as referring to the twelve Nid&nas, the chain of causes and effects. But the passage in the Siamese text is evidently a reminiscence of the ' twelvefold manner ' spoken of in the same connection in our Sutta (§21), and does not refer to the Nidanas at all. A better comment on the word is the legend of the Treasure of the Wheel, which will be found below in the * Book of the Great King of Glory 2 / a passage which shows that this figure belonged to that circle of poetical imagery which the early Buddhists so often borrowed from the previous poets of Vedic literature to aid them in their attempts to describe the most important events in the life of their revered Teacher. And, like the day of Pentecost by the early Christians, this Inauguration of the Kingdom of Righteousness was rightly regarded by them as a turning-point in the history of their faith. We find this even in the closing sections of our Sutta ; and in later times the poets of every Buddhist clime have vied one with another in endeavouring to express their sense of the importance of the occasion. i The evening was like a lovely maiden ; the stars 1 ' Wheel of the Law/ p. 388.
2ith. We find this even in the closing sections of our Sutta ; and in later times the poets of every Buddhist clime have vied one with another in endeavouring to express their sense of the importance of the occasion. i The evening was like a lovely maiden ; the stars 1 ' Wheel of the Law/ p. 388. 8 Chap. I, §§ 10-20. 142 FOUNDATION OF KINGDOM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. were the pearls upon her neck ; the dark clouds her braided hair ; the deepening space her flowing robe. As a crown she had the heavens where the angels dwell ; these three worlds were as her body ; her eyes were the white lotus flowers which open to the rising moon ; and her voice was as it were the humming of the bees. To do homage to the Buddha, and to hear the first preaching of his word, this lovely maiden came.' The angels (devas) throng to hear the discourse until the heavens are empty ; and the sound of their approach is like the rain of a storm ; all the worlds in which there are sentient beings are made void of life, so that the congregation assembled was in number infinite, but at the sound of the blast of the glorious trumpet of Sakka, the king of the gods, they became still as a waveless sea. And then each of the countless listeners thought that the sage was looking towards himself, and was speaking to him in his own tongue, though the language used was M£gadhi ! It is most curious that this last figure should be so closely analogous to the language used with respect to the corresponding event in the history of the Christian church : and I do not know the exact source from which Hardy (Manual of Buddhism, p. 186) derives it. But I think it is highly improbable that there is any borrowing on the one side or on the other. It cannot be denied that there is a real beauty of an Oriental kind in the various expressions which the Bud* dhists use ; and that there was real ground for the enthusiasm which gave them birth. Never in the history of the world had a scheme of salvation been put forth so simple in its nature, so free from any superhuman agency, so independent of, so even antagonistic to the belief in a soul, the belief in God, and the hope for a future life. And we must not allow our estimate of the importance of the event to be influenced by our dis- agreement from the opinions put forth. Whether these be right or wrong, it was a turning-point in the religious history of man when a reformer, full of the most earnest moral purpose, and trained in all the intellectual culture INTRODUCTION. H3 of his time, put forth deliberately, and with a knowledge of the opposing views, the doctrine of a salvation to be found here, in this life, in an inward change of heart, to be brought about by perseverance in a mere system of self-culture and of self-control.
3ctual culture INTRODUCTION. H3 of his time, put forth deliberately, and with a knowledge of the opposing views, the doctrine of a salvation to be found here, in this life, in an inward change of heart, to be brought about by perseverance in a mere system of self-culture and of self-control. That system, it will be seen, is called the Noble Path, and is divided into eight sections or divisions, each of which commences with the word sammd — a word for which we have no real equivalent in English, though it has been rendered by such terms as 'right/ 'perfect,' and ' correct/ Our word ' right/ in some of its uses, would be a sufficiently adequate translation, but it is based on a different derivation, and connotes a set of ideas not alluded to by samml If used as an adjective this word — signifying literally 'going with* — means either ' general, common/ or ' corresponding, mutual/ and as an adverb, ' commonly, usually, normally/ or ' fittingly, pro- perly, correctly ; ' and hence, in a secondary sense, and with allusion to both these ideas, ' round, fit, and perfect, normal and complete/ When used to characterise such widely different things as language, livelihood, and belief, the meaning of the term is by no means difficult to grasp ; but it is difficult, if not impossible, to find any single English word which in each case would convey its full force without importing also some extraneous idea. From a desire to follow closely the Pali form of expression I had first in my manual of ' Buddhism ' adopted the one word ' right ' throughout the translation of the text ; and I have kept to this below, though I feel that that word quite fails to give the force of the preposition sam (aw-, con-), which is the essential part of the P41i sam ma. But I think the meaning of the Buddhist ideal, of the summary which is the most essential doctrine, the very pith of Buddhism, would be better brought out by a diversified rendering in the way I afterwards attempted in an article in the Fortnightly Review (No. CLVI) ; or, as above (p. 107), with the authorised interpretation appended. It would then run — 144 FOUNDATION OF KINGDOM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. 1. Right Views; free from superstition or delusion. 2. Right Aims; high, and worthy of the intelligent, earnest man. 3. Right Speech; kindly, open, truthful. 4. Right Conduct; peaceful, honest, pure. 5. Right Livelihood; bringing hurt or danger to no living thing. ' 6. Right Effort; in self-training, and in self-control. 7. Right Mindfulness ; the active, watchful mind. 8. Right Contemplation; earnest thought on the deep mysteries of life. It is interesting to notice that Gogerly, who first rendered samma throughout by correct 1 , afterwards adopted the other method 2 ; and as these eight divisions of the perfect life are of such vital importance for a correct understanding of what Buddhism really was, I here add in parallel columns his two versions of the terms used : — 1.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1he turning of the wheel of the law/ as it has been usually rendered ; but c the inaugura- tion, or foundation, of the Kingdom of Righteousness.' Is it possible that the praying wheels of Thibet have led to the misapprehension and mistranslation now so common ? But who would explain a passage in the New Testament by a superstition current, say, in Spain in the twelfth century ? And so when Mr. Da Cuftha thinks that the Dhamma is symbolised by the wheel, because 'Gotama ignored the beginning, and was uncertain as to the end V h e seems to me to be following a vicious method of interpreting such figures of speech. It cannot be disputed that the term * wheel' might have implied such an idea as he puts into it. But if we want to know what it did imply, we must be guided wholly by the previous use of the word at the 1 ' Buddhism/ p. 45. 2 ' Memoir on the Tooth Relic,' &c, p. 15. INTRODUCTION. time when it was first used in a figurative sense : and that previous use allows only of the interpretation given above. Perhaps, however, Mr. Da Cunha is only copying (not very exactly) Mr. Alabaster, who has said, ' Buddha, as I have tried to show in other parts of this book, did not attempt to teach the beginning of existence, but as- sumed it as a rolling circle of causes or effects. This was his circle or wheel of the law V Mr. Alabaster therefore calls his very useful book on Siamese Buddhism, c The Wheel of the Law ; ' — an ex- pression which he on the first page of his preface takes to be about equivalent to Buddhism. But his theory of the meaning of the term seems to be based upon a misunder- standing of a passage in the Siamese ' Life of Buddha/ which he there translates. At page 78 he renders his text, i The Holy Wheel which the Law taught is plenteous in twelve ways/ and he explains this on p. 169 as referring to the twelve Nid&nas, the chain of causes and effects. But the passage in the Siamese text is evidently a reminiscence of the ' twelvefold manner ' spoken of in the same connection in our Sutta (§21), and does not refer to the Nidanas at all. A better comment on the word is the legend of the Treasure of the Wheel, which will be found below in the * Book of the Great King of Glory 2 / a passage which shows that this figure belonged to that circle of poetical imagery which the early Buddhists so often borrowed from the previous poets of Vedic literature to aid them in their attempts to describe the most important events in the life of their revered Teacher. And, like the day of Pentecost by the early Christians, this Inauguration of the Kingdom of Righteousness was rightly regarded by them as a turning-point in the history of their faith. We find this even in the closing sections of our Sutta ; and in later times the poets of every Buddhist clime have vied one with another in endeavouring to express their sense of the importance of the occasion. i The evening was like a lovely maiden ; the stars 1 ' Wheel of the Law/ p. 388.
2ith. We find this even in the closing sections of our Sutta ; and in later times the poets of every Buddhist clime have vied one with another in endeavouring to express their sense of the importance of the occasion. i The evening was like a lovely maiden ; the stars 1 ' Wheel of the Law/ p. 388. 8 Chap. I, §§ 10-20. 142 FOUNDATION OF KINGDOM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. were the pearls upon her neck ; the dark clouds her braided hair ; the deepening space her flowing robe. As a crown she had the heavens where the angels dwell ; these three worlds were as her body ; her eyes were the white lotus flowers which open to the rising moon ; and her voice was as it were the humming of the bees. To do homage to the Buddha, and to hear the first preaching of his word, this lovely maiden came.' The angels (devas) throng to hear the discourse until the heavens are empty ; and the sound of their approach is like the rain of a storm ; all the worlds in which there are sentient beings are made void of life, so that the congregation assembled was in number infinite, but at the sound of the blast of the glorious trumpet of Sakka, the king of the gods, they became still as a waveless sea. And then each of the countless listeners thought that the sage was looking towards himself, and was speaking to him in his own tongue, though the language used was M£gadhi ! It is most curious that this last figure should be so closely analogous to the language used with respect to the corresponding event in the history of the Christian church : and I do not know the exact source from which Hardy (Manual of Buddhism, p. 186) derives it. But I think it is highly improbable that there is any borrowing on the one side or on the other. It cannot be denied that there is a real beauty of an Oriental kind in the various expressions which the Bud* dhists use ; and that there was real ground for the enthusiasm which gave them birth. Never in the history of the world had a scheme of salvation been put forth so simple in its nature, so free from any superhuman agency, so independent of, so even antagonistic to the belief in a soul, the belief in God, and the hope for a future life. And we must not allow our estimate of the importance of the event to be influenced by our dis- agreement from the opinions put forth. Whether these be right or wrong, it was a turning-point in the religious history of man when a reformer, full of the most earnest moral purpose, and trained in all the intellectual culture INTRODUCTION. H3 of his time, put forth deliberately, and with a knowledge of the opposing views, the doctrine of a salvation to be found here, in this life, in an inward change of heart, to be brought about by perseverance in a mere system of self-culture and of self-control.
3ctual culture INTRODUCTION. H3 of his time, put forth deliberately, and with a knowledge of the opposing views, the doctrine of a salvation to be found here, in this life, in an inward change of heart, to be brought about by perseverance in a mere system of self-culture and of self-control. That system, it will be seen, is called the Noble Path, and is divided into eight sections or divisions, each of which commences with the word sammd — a word for which we have no real equivalent in English, though it has been rendered by such terms as 'right/ 'perfect,' and ' correct/ Our word ' right/ in some of its uses, would be a sufficiently adequate translation, but it is based on a different derivation, and connotes a set of ideas not alluded to by samml If used as an adjective this word — signifying literally 'going with* — means either ' general, common/ or ' corresponding, mutual/ and as an adverb, ' commonly, usually, normally/ or ' fittingly, pro- perly, correctly ; ' and hence, in a secondary sense, and with allusion to both these ideas, ' round, fit, and perfect, normal and complete/ When used to characterise such widely different things as language, livelihood, and belief, the meaning of the term is by no means difficult to grasp ; but it is difficult, if not impossible, to find any single English word which in each case would convey its full force without importing also some extraneous idea. From a desire to follow closely the Pali form of expression I had first in my manual of ' Buddhism ' adopted the one word ' right ' throughout the translation of the text ; and I have kept to this below, though I feel that that word quite fails to give the force of the preposition sam (aw-, con-), which is the essential part of the P41i sam ma. But I think the meaning of the Buddhist ideal, of the summary which is the most essential doctrine, the very pith of Buddhism, would be better brought out by a diversified rendering in the way I afterwards attempted in an article in the Fortnightly Review (No. CLVI) ; or, as above (p. 107), with the authorised interpretation appended. It would then run — 144 FOUNDATION OF KINGDOM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. 1. Right Views; free from superstition or delusion. 2. Right Aims; high, and worthy of the intelligent, earnest man. 3. Right Speech; kindly, open, truthful. 4. Right Conduct; peaceful, honest, pure. 5. Right Livelihood; bringing hurt or danger to no living thing. ' 6. Right Effort; in self-training, and in self-control. 7. Right Mindfulness ; the active, watchful mind. 8. Right Contemplation; earnest thought on the deep mysteries of life. It is interesting to notice that Gogerly, who first rendered samma throughout by correct 1 , afterwards adopted the other method 2 ; and as these eight divisions of the perfect life are of such vital importance for a correct understanding of what Buddhism really was, I here add in parallel columns his two versions of the terms used : — 1.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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