l had developed himself in the next anterior birth. We do not
believe in eccentric breaks in natural law.

APPENDIX

The following text of the fourteen items of belief which have been
accepted as fundamental principles in both the Southern and Northern
sections of Buddhism, by authoritative committees to whom they were
submitted by me personally, have so much historical importance that
they are added to the present edition of THE BUDDHIST CATECHISM as an
Appendix. It has very recently been reported to me by H. E. Prince
Ouchtomsky, the learned Russian Orientalist, that having had the
document translated to them, the Chief Lamas of the great Mongolian
Buddhist monasteries declared to him that they accept every one of the
propositions as drafted, with the one exception that the date of the
Buddha is by them believed to have been some thousands of years earlier
than the one given by me. This surprising fact had not hitherto come
to my knowledge. Can it be that the Mongolian Sangha confuse the real
epoch of S[=a]kya Muni with that of his alleged next predecessor? Be
this as it may, it is a most encouraging fact that the whole Buddhistic
world may now be said to have united to the extent at least of these
Fourteen Propositions.

H. S. O.

FUNDAMENTAL BUDDHISTIC BELIEFS

I Buddhists are taught to show the same tolerance, forbearance, and
brotherly love to all men, without distinction; and an unswerving
kindness towards the members of the animal kingdom.

II The universe was evolved, not created; and its functions according
to law, not according to the caprice of any God.

III The truths upon which Buddhism is founded are natural. They have,
we believe, been taught in successive kalpas, or world-periods, by
certain illuminated beings called BUDDHAS, the name BUDDHA meaning
"Enlightened".

IV The fourth Teacher in the present kalpa was S[=a]kya Muni, or
Gautama Buddha, who was born in a Royal family in India about 2,500
years ago. He is an historical personage and his name was
Siddh[=a]rtha Gautama.

V S[=a]kya Muni taught that ignorance produces desire, unsatisfied
desire is the cause of rebirth, and rebirth, the cause of sorrow. To
get rid of sorrow, therefore, it is necessary to escape rebirth; to
escape rebirth, it is necessary to extinguish desire; and to extinguish
desire, it is necessary to destroy ignorance.

VI Ignorance fosters the belief that rebirth is a necessary thing.
When ig