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stumbling, than to walk slowly, the Hindoo's endeavour is to repress into Eternal calm all our emotions, and thus to resemble God. The attitude of the European is sword in hand-half wild with excitement, to meet an enemy, or to utter his tragic "Jaire vous pleurez." The slow and steady pace of the Hindoo seems unmanly to such a character. But we might do well to tame our half savage steps into a more staid and self-restraining measure. The European reader must therefore arm himself with patience when he would read the life of a Budhist Saint. The legend, however, of King Açôka is not without its interest. We translate and condense that part which relates the tragedy of his life, when his wife Tichyarakchita by stratagem, and without his knowing it, obtained from him an order to put out the eyes of his Son Kunâla, whom he had designed heir to his Kingdom. This son, celebrated for his personal beauty and his virtues, was governor of a distant city. When informed of the cruel order, the youth cried out :

"The order is worthy of confidence, do what is commanded.' But the executioners declared that they had not courage, 'For he alone who would deprive the moon of her splendour, would tear out the eyes from thy visage, thou who resemblest the star of night.' But he urged them on, saying, 'When I consider the frailty of all things, and reflect on the counsels of my masters, I do not tremble, my friend, at the idea of punishment; for I know that mine eyes are perishable things.'

"While thus reflecting on the perishable nature of all things, he acquired the state of Crota âpatti, one of the most important in the way to Nirwana, and having lost the eyes of flesh, while the eyes of science were purified, he exclaimed :

"The eye of flesh has been taken from me, but I have acquired the perfect and irreproachable eyes of wisdom.'

"If I am forsaken by the King, I become the son of the magnanimous King of the law, of which I am called the child.'

"If I have fallen from the supreme grandeur, which brings in its train so much pain and grief, I have acquired the supremacy of the law, which destroys pain and grief.'

"Some time after, learning the author of his misfortune, he cried, 'May she long preserve happiness, life and power, for she has employed means which have assured me so great an advantage.' Embracing then the life of a Mendicant, and with his princess begging his way, he went to his father's house, who was ignorant of what had befallen his son.

"Being prevented from entering the palace by the guard, they took refuge in the chariot-house. At day-break Kunâla began to touch the Vînâ, and to sing how his eyes had been torn out, and how the view of the truth had appeared to him, and he pronounced this stanza: The sage who sees with the pure light of science the eye and the other senses, is released from the law of transmigration. If thy spirit delivered to sin is tormented by the griefs of existence, and you desire happiness in this world, hasten to renounce for ever the objects of the senses. The King Açôka heard the songs of the Prince, and he said with a sentiment of joy, The songs of Kunâla, and the sounds of this Vînâ, which I have not heard for so long a time, are addressed to me. The Prince is returning to my dwelling, but he does not wish to see any person. Then calling one of his guards, the King said to him-'Do you not find a resemblance between this chant and that of Kunâla? The manner of singing betrays some trouble. This voice has strongly moved my soul; I am like the elephant, which having lost its young, should hear its voice. Go, then, and bring Kunâla to me.' The guard went immediately, and found Kunâla deprived of his eyes, his body burnt by the sun and wind; but not having recognised him, he returned to the King Açôka, and said to him-'Oh, King, this is not Kunâla, it is a blind beggar who, with his wife, is in the chariothouse.' At these words the King was troubled, and said—' This is the effect of the mournful dreams I have had; certainly this is Kunâla, whose eyes have been torn out;' and bursting into tears, he cried-Bring this mendicant immediately into my presence; for my heart can find no calm in dreaming of the misfortune which may have struck my son.' The guard having returned, said to Kunâla'Who is thy father, and what is thy name?' 'Açôka,' replied he, 'is my father, and my name is Kunâla. But to-day I am the son of Budha, that descendant of the race of the Sun, who has established the Law.' Immediately Kunâla was conducted with his wife into the presence of the King Açôka. The King looked at him several times, but not recognising him, said- Art thou Kunâla ?' 'Yes,' replied the Prince, I am Kunâla.' At these words the King fainted, and fell upon the ground: coming to himself at the end of some moments, the King threw his arms round the neck of his son, and uttered complaints-his voice interrupted with sobs. Formerly at the sight of eyes like those of the Kunâla I called my son Kunâla. To-day, when these eyes are put out, how can I continue to give this name to him. Tell me, my dear son, how this face with beautiful eyes has been deprived of its light, and has become like a sky, from which the setting of the moon has taken its splendour. Consumed by the grief which the loss of thine eyes causes me, my body perishes like a forest devoured by the lightning

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launched by the Nâgas.' Then Kunâla threw himself at the feet of his father. Oh King! we should not thus lament what is passed. Have you not heard the words of the Solitary, that the Djinas themselves, and the Pratyecka Budhas cannot escape the inevitable influence of works? They receive, like ordinary men, the fruit of their bad actions. I have committed in a former existence some fault, and under the influence of this fault I have been born again in this world. Those eyes have been the cause of my misfortune.'

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"But Açôka, unsatisfied, continued his inquiries, till he learnt that the crime was the work of the Queen Tichyarakchita, whom he condemned to death. But the magnanimous Kunâla, full of compassion, having heard these words, said to his father, It will not be honourable for thee to put Tichyarakchita to death: act conformably to honour, and kill not a woman. There is no reward superior to that of kindness. Patience has been celebrated by the Sugata.' Then throwing himself at the feet of the King, the Prince made his father hear these truthful words: :

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Oh king, I feel no grief, and in spite of this cruel treatment I feel no anger. My heart feels only kindness for my mother, who has ordered my eyes to be torn out. According as I speak the truth, may my eyes appear as they were before.' Scarcely had he spoken these words, when his eyes appeared with their first brightness. However, the angry King threw the Queen into a place of torture, where she perished by fire, and he massacred the inhabitants of Takchacilâ. The Religious, who felt some doubts, asked the Sthavira Upagupta, who solves all doubts,-'What action has Kunâla committed to have his eyes torn out ?' The Sthavira replied,—' Formerly, in times past, there lived at Benares a certain hunter, who went in the Himavat and there killed wild animals. One day when he went to the mountain he surprised, at the bottom of a cavern, 500 gazelles assembled together; and he reflected, that if he killed them he would be embarrassed with all that food, therefore, he tore out their eyes, that they might not escape him. This hunter was Kunâla. For this action he suffered the pangs of Hell for several hundreds of thousands of years. Then to expiate the rest of his fault, he had his eyes torn out, in 500 existences as man.'

66 6 But what action has he done to merit to be re-born in a family of rank-to have an agreeable exterior, and to know the truth ?' Formerly, when the life of men was 44,000 years, there appeared in the Earth a perfect Budha, Krakutchhanda: his tomb being destroyed, Kunâla, then a master-artizan, rebuilt it, and placed a statue of the Budha, of the size of life, saying-" May I render myself agreeable to a master like Krakutchhanda, may I never be disagreeable to him!" As a recompense for rebuilding the monument, he was born in an illustrious family; for making the

statue he had an agreeable exterior; by the prayer he obtained the favour of Gótama Budha.'"-Burnouf, Introduction, &c., p. 408414.

The Story of Purna, a slave, who became the chief of the Merchants, and afterwards giving up his wealth became a devotee under the immediate guidance of Gótama, is full of interest, as pourtraying the manners of the times. The following description of a Hindoo infant will be interesting:

"The boy was beautiful, agreeable to look upon, ravishing, having a white complexion, and skin the colour of gold; his head had the form of a parasol—his arms were long, his forehead large, his eyebrows united, his nose prominent. The day when the child was born, the enterprises and the affairs of Bhava, the master of the house, succeeded in an extraordinary manner. At the end of twenty-one days the parents celebrated in a brilliant manner the fête of his birth, and gave him the name of Purna (the accomplished). The little Purna was confided to eight nurses, who were ordered to give him particular care. As he grew up they made him learn writing, arithmetic, accounts, chiromancy, every thing which belongs to divisions, gages and deposits; the art of judging of stuffs, of lands, of precious stones, of trees, of elephants, of horses, of young slaves of both sexes-those eight objects, in a word, in the knowledge of which he became an able, learned sage, and practically experienced."

Another version of the story of the faggot :

However, the time arrived when Bhava began to grow weak. He then reflected,—When I am dead my children will divide; I must find some means to prevent this. He said to them—' My children, bring me some wood.' When the wood was brought—'Set fire to it,' said he; and they set fire to it. He then said—' Separate the sticks.' When they were separated the fire went out. Bhava said to them immediately- Do you understand, my children ?' 'Yes, dear father, we do undertand.' Bhava immediately recited this

stanza :-
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"It is when they are put together that pieces of wood burn: so, also, the union of brothers makes their strength; in separation men also perish.'

Self-devotion of a Budhist Missionary :

"Purna being converted to Gótama, expressed his wish to reside

in the country of the Cronaparantakas. Gótama dissuaded him, saying-The men of Cronaparanta are violent, they are cruel, angry, furious, insolent. When they address to you wicked, gross and insolent words, when they are angry with you and abuse you, what will you think of that ?' I will say that they are certainly good and mild men, who only speak angrily against me, and do not strike me with the hand or with stones.' But if they strike you with the hand or stones, what will you say?' 'I will say that they are good and mild, since they do not strike with the stick or the sword.' 'But if they strike with the stick or the sword, &c.' 'I will say that they are good and mild, since they do not take my life.' 'But if they take your life ?' 'I shall think that there are hearers of Gótama who, on account of this odious body, are tormented, covered with confusion, despised, struck with a sword, who take poison, who die by the cord, who are thrown down precipices. They are certainly good and mild men who deliver me with so little pain from this odious body.' 'Well, well, Purna, with the perfection of patience with which you are endowed, you are able to dwell in the country of the Cronaparantakas. Go, Purna-saved, save; arrived at the other bank, enable others to cross; consoled, console; arrived at perfect Nirwana, enable others to pass there.'"

However, we must not suppose that the spread of Budhism was accompanied with such wars as those of Mahomet, or the bloody persecutions of the Christians. The Priests, according to Mr. Hardy, have little hostility to other systems. All violent opposition to error is against their principles. Hence the annals of Budhism record fewer instances of persecution than those of any other creed.

We will close our quotations from these books by a number of the Budhist Proverbs. The following are among some selected by Mr. Hardy, from a book used in the Ceylon schools:

"As drops of water falling into a vessel gradually fill it, so are all science and instruction and riches to be found."

Though a man be of low caste, if he have wealth he is honoured by the people of the world; but if he have no wealth, though of the race of the moon, he is despised."

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The pearls and gems which a man has collected, even from his youth, will not accompany him a single step further than the place of sepulture; but a man's actions, whether they be good or bad, will not leave him-they will follow him to futurity."

"Neither live with a bad man, nor be at enmity with him; even

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