e
following decree: "The spirits of our imperial ancestors, reflecting
their radiance down from heaven, illuminate and assist us. All our
enemies have now been subdued, and there is peace within the seas. We
ought to take advantage of this to perform sacrifice to the heavenly
deities, and therewith develop filial duty."

He accordingly established spirit-terraces among the Tomi hills, which
were called Kami-tsu-wono no Kaki-hara and Shimo tsu-wono no Kaki-hara.
There he worshipped his imperial ancestors, the heavenly deities.

Seventy-sixth year, Spring, 3d month, 11th day. The emperor died in the
palace of Kashiha-bara. His age was then 127. The following year,
Autumn, the 12th day of the 9th month, he was buried in the Misasigi,
northeast of Mount Unebi.

THE FOUNDATION OF BUDDHISM

B.C. 623

THOMAS WILLIAM RHYS-DAVIDS

Not so many years ago, at the time when Buddhism first became known
in Europe through philosophic writings of about six centuries after
Buddha, then newly translated, it caused amazement that a religion
which had brought three hundred millions of people under its sway
should acknowledge no god. But the religion of Buddha, during a
thousand years of practice by the Hindus, is entirely different
from the representations given us in these translations. As shown
by the bas-reliefs covering the ancient monuments of India, this
religion, changed by modern scientists into a belief in atheism,
is, in fact, of all religions the most polytheistic.

In the first Buddhist monuments, dating back eighteen to twenty
centuries, the reformer simply figures as an emblem. The imprint of
his feet, the figure of the "Bo tree" under which he entered the
state of supreme wisdom, are worshipped; and though he disdained
all gods, and only sought to teach a new code of morals, we shortly
see Buddha himself depicted as a god. In the early stages he is
generally represented as alone, but gradually appears in the
company of the Brahman gods. He is finally lost in a crowd of gods,
and becomes nothing more than an incarnation of one of the Brahman
deities. From that time Buddhism has been practically extinct in
India.

This transformation took a thousand years to bring about. During
part of this great interval Buddha was being worshipped as an
all-powerful god. Legends are told of his appearance