The Gospel of Buddha, Compiled from Ancient RecordsCarus, Paul
ReligionEastern
The Gospel of Buddha, Compiled from Ancient Records
Carus, Paul
Buddhism; Christianity and other religions -- Buddhism; Gautama Buddha; Gautama Buddha -- Teachings
Oh, that we could have cessation of anxiety, that our burning
desires would be extinguished! When shall the mind become
tranquil and composed? 6
The Buddha, our Lord, was grieved at the ills of life. He saw the
vanity of worldly happiness and sought salvation in the one thing
that will not fade or perish, but will abide for ever and ever. 7
Ye who long for life, know that immortality is hidden in
transiency. Ye who wish for happiness without the sting of
regret, lead a life of righteousness. Ye who yearn for riches,
receive treasures that are eternal. Truth is wealth, and a life
of truth is happiness. 8
All compounds will be dissolved again, but the verities which
determine all combinations and separations as laws of nature
endure for ever and aye. Bodies fall to dust, but the truths of
the mind will not be destroyed. 9
Truth knows neither birth nor death; it has no beginning and no
end. Welcome the truth. The truth is the immortal part of mind. 10
Establish the truth in your mind, for the truth is the image of
the eternal; it portrays the immutable; it reveals the
everlasting; the truth gives unto mortals the boon of
immortality. 11
The Buddha has proclaimed the truth; let the truth of the Buddha
dwell in your hearts. Extinguish in yourselves every desire that
antagonizes the Buddha, and in the perfection of your spiritual
growth you will become like unto him. 12
That of your heart which cannot or will not develop into Buddha
must perish, for it is mere illusion and unreal; it is the source
of your error; it is the cause of your misery. 13
You attain to immortality by filling your minds with truth.
Therefore, become like unto vessels fit to receive the Master's
words. Cleanse yourselves of evil and sanctify your lives. There
is no other way of reaching truth. 14
Learn to distinguish between Self and Truth. Self is the cause of
selfishness and the source of evil; truth cleaves to no self; it
is universal and leads to justice and righteousness. 15
Self, that which seems to those who love their self as their
being, is not the eternal, the everlasting, the imperishable.
Seek not self, but seek the truth. 16
If we liberate our souls from our petty selves, wish no ill to
others, and become clear as a crystal diamond reflecting the
light of truth, what a radiant picture will appear in us
mirroring things as they are, without the admixture of burning
desires, without the distortion of erroneous illusion, without
the agitation of clinging and unrest. 17
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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