A comparison of the many striking agreements between Christianity and Buddhism may prove fatal to sectarian conceptions of either religion, but will in the end help to mature our insight into the true significance of both. It will bring out a nobler faith which aspires to be the cosmic religion of universal truth. Let us hope that this Gospel of Buddha will serve both Buddhists and Christians as a help to penetrate further into the spirit of their faith, so as to see its full height, length and breadth. Above any Hīnayāna, Mahāyāna, and Mahāsetu is the Religion of Truth. Paul Carus. PRONUNCIATION. Pronounce: a as the Italian and German short _a_. ā as _a_ in f_a_ther, e as _e_ in _e_ight. i as _i_ in h_i_t. ī as _i_ in m_a_chine. o as _o_ in h_o_me. u as _oo_ in g_oo_d. u as ū in r_u_mor. ai as in _eye_. au as _ow_ in h_ow_. ñ as _ny_. jñ as _dny_. ññ as _n-ny_. ch as _ch_ in _ch_ur_ch_. cch as _ch-ch_ in ri_ch_ _ch_ance. Note that _o_ and _e_ are always long. s, j, y, and other letters, as usual in English words. Double consonants are pronounced as two distinct sounds, e.g., _ka'm-ma_, not _kă'ma_. The h after _p, b, k, g, t, d_ is audible as in du_b h_im, be_g h_er, bric_k h_ouse, an_t h_ill. Pronounce Tat-hāgata, not Ta-thāgata. To the average European it is difficult to catch, let alone to imitate, the difference of sound between dotted and non-dotted letters. All those who are desirous for information on this point must consult Sanskrit and Pāli grammars. Lest the reader be unnecessarily bewildered with foreign-looking dots and signs, which after all are no help to him, all dotted ṭ, ḍ, ṃ, ṇ, and italicized _t, d, m, n_ have been replaced in the text of the book by t, d, m, n, ñ, ññ, dotted ṛ and italicized _s_ have been transcribed by ny, nny, ri, and sh, while the Glossary preserves the more exact transcription. We did not follow the spelling of the _Sacred Books of the East_, where it must be misleading to the uninitiated, especially when they write italicized _K_ to denote spelling of the English sound ch, and italicized _g_ to denote j. Thus we write "rājā," not "rāgā," and "Chunda," not "_K_unda." TABLE OF CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION. I. Rejoice II. Samsāra and Nirvāna III. Truth the Saviour PRINCE SIDDHATTHA BECOMES BUDDHA. IV. The Bodhisatta's Birth V. The Ties of Life VI. The Three Woes VII. The Bodhisatta's Renunciation VIII. King Bimbisāra IX. The Bodhisatta's Search X. Uruvelā, the Place of Mortification XI. Māra, the Evil One XII. Enlightenment XIII. The First Converts XIV. Brahmā's Request THE FOUNDATION OF THE KINGDOM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.