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causes of (animate) mundane existence, as well as the causes of its complete cessation; implying, by the latter, translation to the eternal quiescence of Nirvṛitti, which is the grand object of all Buddha vows."

Several hundreds of these chaityas have been discovered. Mr. Thomas states, that "the entire number of these diminutive prayer-temples seem to have been placed as votive offerings in one and the same position, to the right front of the chief figure of Buddha. Whether, however, this was the appropriate spot, so far removed from the statue, for the deposit of the pilgrims' offering, or whether, when once dedicated at the shrine itself, the officiating priest considered this site of sufficient proximity for absent worshippers' leavings, may be a question; but the little varying uniformity of the character and execution of the legends contained within the chaityas would seem to indicate that they were manufactured on the premises, or, at all events, that the ruling hierarchy had a beneficial interest in the trade, and, possibly, went so far as to make the site above indicated a location for sale and delivery, at an opportune pitch of devotional excitement on the part of the confiding votary. Besides the three varieties of inclusive chaityas, there were found specimens of a more primitive form, of the same manufacture, in which the entire mould of clay seemed to have been prepared at one and the same operation, and after the external outline had been received. The impression was made by forcing the engraved seal into the soft clay, from the base of the chaitya. In this case the inscription remained comparatively un

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protected; but the manipulative process was more simple, and, possibly, more assuring to the mass, who were then enabled to see the writing that was to aid their act of worship." A plan was adopted, too, by means of flat clay cakes, on which chaityas were represented, offering as many as twenty of these sacred objects at one and the same time.

was for

It has already been observed that the city of Benares was associated with the early history of Buddhism, and merly one of the chief seats of that religion,

and that it

veloped itself, and

vas in Benares that the religion first de

by degrees, flowed over

whence the streams proceeded which,

India, Ceylon, Burmah, China, istinguishing doctrines and rished in India long (Nága sprang into exform of reed, holding

and Tibet. Some of its a principles had, indeed, been che before Buddhism, as a historical religion, istence; but, as a definite and distinctive itself aloof from Hinduism, and claiming an individuality of its own, the religion must date frorelics from the lifetime of him who gave it historical reality. le of ba other than Buddha himself, or Sákya Muni, int abvho, some de of baThis is no say, was born in the sixth century before Chriptioist,? died B.C. 477. This wonderful personage was they from of the Raja of Kapila, a small territory, probabing the the neighbourhood of Goruckpore, upwards of a ts, the dred miles to the north of Benares. Until his twe These ninth year, Sákya paid no special attention to religwhich, but passed his time in the pursuit of pleasure. At thd is age, however, his habits changed; and, becoming a or ascetic, he practised the austere rites which were then his Bengal Asiatic Journal, for 1854, pp. 474, 475.

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in vogue. But it was chiefly by meditation that he is said to have gained that mysterious knowledge which he afterwards preached, and the possession of which raised him, as he imagined, to the rank of Deity, and constituted him the visible representation and embodiment of the Supreme. When he was thirty-five years of age, he is said to have become Buddha, on attaining which condition, he proceeded to Benares, and there made himself known in his new character. Here his ministry commenced, which continued for upwards of forty-five years, during which period he visited a multitude of places, and gathered to himself a great number of followers. "At his death," says Major-General Cunningham, "his doctrines had been firmly established; and the divinity of his mission was fully recognized by the eager claims preferred, by kings and rulers, for relics of their divine teacher In the short space

of forty-five years, this wonderful man succeeded in establishing his own peculiar doctrines over the fairest districts of the Ganges-from the Delta to the neighbourhood of Agra and Cawnpore."

Buddhism continued to advance in India, with steady step, until the reign of Aśoka, grandson of Chandra Gupta, in the third century B.C., when, through his conversion, it received a prodigious impulse. Aśoka showed his zeal for Buddhism by erecting, in various places in his dominions, spacious Viháras or templemonasteries, enormous topes or towers, and massive stone pillars, on which his edicts for the propagation of the faith were inscribed. Similar edicts were, likewise, engraven on rocks in various parts of the country.

In his reign, Buddhist missionaries were sent to distant places in India, and to countries out of India, for the purpose of making converts to Buddhism. Among them was his celebrated son, Mahendra, who, together with his sister, Sangamitrá, had the honour of preaching the Buddhist doctrines to the inhabitants of Ceylon, and of being chief instruments in their conversion. With the era of Aśoka, commenced the palmy days of Buddhism in India, which then became the popular and paramount religion, and continued to remain so for several hundred years. The history of this period is, to a great extent, involved in obscurity; but the evidence that exists, while fragmentary and confused, is decidedly in favour of the general prevalence of the Buddhist, and of the depression and weakness of the Brahmanical, faith. Much, though not all, of this evidence is gathered from coins and inscriptions. Even in the fifth century of our era, when the Chinese pilgrim, Fa Hian, travelled through Northern India, the national religion was Buddhism. "At the time of Fa Hian's visit, Buddhism was the prevailing religion of the Punjab and of Northern India, from Mathurá to the mouth of the Ganges. Between the Punjab and Mathurá,— that is, in Brahmávarta Proper,-the law of Buddha was not held in honour. But this was the original seat and stronghold of the Brahmans and their religion; and its exception, by Fa Hian, is one amongst the many proofs of the pilgrim's accuracy. Everywhere else, Buddhism was honoured and flourishing; the kings were firmly attached to the law, and showed their reverence for the ascetics by taking off their tiaras before

them. But at Shachi and at Shewei in Oudh, the heretical Brahmans had attempted to destroy a sacred nettle and some holy topes. The very attempt shows the increasing power of the Brahmans, and their confident hope of ultimate success." In the seventh century, when Hiouen Thsang visited India, Buddhism was losing its influence, and was being supplanted by its powerful rival.

Although Buddhism was in this age declining very sensibly, yet it still retained considerable vigour. The existence of so many sacred monuments at Sárnáth is strong evidence of this; especially as their number seems to have been greatly increased since the visit of the previous traveller, Fa Hian. It is always a work of time for ideas which have been inwoven into the national life of a people to undergo complete expulsion, and for other ideas to be introduced in their room. Religious ideas are, of all ideas, the most tenacious and powerful; and, when once a set of dogmas, no matter how false and erroneous, has taken possession of a nation, those dogmas will never relax their hold of the popular mind, until after a long conflict with ideas which are more cogent than themselves; and, although, through exhaustion, they are compelled to give place to them, they will, as they retire, nevertheless, fight every inch of the way, and continue the contest even when reduced to absolute weakness. Thus, it took several centuries for Buddhism to expire in India. It is possible that the erection of so many sacred edifices at Sárnáth and in its neighbourhood, between the periods of Fa Hian and

1 Bhilsa Topes, p. 156.

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