FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113  
114   115   116   117   118   >>  
Professor Rhys-Davids prefers, "The Foundation of the Kingdom of Righteousness". Mr. Wijesinha writes me: "You may use 'Kingdom of Righteousness,' too, but it savours more of dogmatic theology than of philosophic ethics. _Dhammacakkappavattana suttum_ is the discourse entitled 'The Establishment of the Reign of Law'." Having shown this to the High Priest, I am happy to be able to say that he assents to Mr. Wijesinha's rendering. [6] The mixing of these arts and practices with Buddhism is a sign of deterioration. Their facts and phenomena are real and capable of scientific explanation. They are embraced in the term "magic," but when resorted to, for selfish purposes, attract bad influences about one, and impede spiritual advancement. When employed for harmless and beneficent purposes, such as healing the sick, saving life, etc., the Buddha permitted their use. [7] A Buddhist ascetic who, by a prescribed course of practice, has attained to a superior state of spiritual and intellectual development. Arhats may be divided into the two general groups of the _Samathayanika_ and _Sukkha Vipassaka_. The former have destroyed their passions, and fully developed their intellectual capacity or mystical insight; the latter have equally conquered passion, but not acquired the superior mental powers. The former can work phenomena, the latter cannot. The Arhat of the former class, when fully developed, is no longer a prey to the delusions of the senses, nor the slave of passion or mortal frailty. _He penetrates to the root of whatsoever subject his mind is applied to_ without following the slow processes of reasoning. His self-conquest is complete; and in place of the emotion and desire which vex and enthral the ordinary man, he is lifted up into a condition which is best expressed in the term "Nirv[=a]nic". There is in Ceylon a popular misconception that the attainment of Arhatship is now impossible; that the Buddha had himself prophesied that the power would die out in one millennium after his death. This rumour--and the similar one that is everywhere heard in India, _viz._, that this being the dark cycle of the _Kali Yuga_, the practice of Yoga Vidy[=a], or sublime spiritual science, is impossible--I ascribe to the ingenuity of those who should be as pure and (to use a non-Buddhistic but very convenient term) psychically wise as were their predecessors, but are not, and who therefore seek an excuse! The Buddha tau
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113  
114   115   116   117   118   >>  



Top keywords:

Buddha

 

spiritual

 

phenomena

 

developed

 

passion

 

impossible

 
intellectual
 

superior

 

practice

 

purposes


Righteousness
 

Wijesinha

 

Kingdom

 

complete

 

emotion

 

desire

 

conquest

 

processes

 
reasoning
 

lifted


condition

 
expressed
 

ordinary

 

enthral

 

delusions

 
senses
 

longer

 
mortal
 

Davids

 

applied


subject

 

whatsoever

 

frailty

 

penetrates

 

popular

 

ingenuity

 

ascribe

 
science
 

sublime

 

Buddhistic


excuse
 
predecessors
 

convenient

 
psychically
 
prophesied
 
Professor
 

misconception

 

attainment

 

Arhatship

 

similar