The Life or Legend of Gaudama, the Buddha of the Burmese (Volume I)Bigandet, Paul Ambroise
Religion
The Life or Legend of Gaudama, the Buddha of the Burmese (Volume I)
Bigandet, Paul Ambroise
Buddhism -- Burma; Burma -- Religion; Gautama Buddha
[2] Dewadat, in insisting upon the adoption of regulations of a
more rigid character, intended to imitate, to a certain extent,
the conduct of the mendicants of the opposite party. He aimed at
rivalling them in the practice of austere observances. It does
not appear that he innovated in the dogmas that he had learned
at the school of his great teacher. As his royal pupil,
Adzatathat, had hitherto supported the party of the pounhas, it
is not improbable that Dewadat wished to lessen the differences
between the practices and observances of the two parties, to
render them less perceptible, and by doing so, to prepare the
way, by gradual approximation, for a complete fusion. He
exhibited himself in the character of a rigid reformer, who was
displeased with the too lenient tenor of the disciplinary
regulations instituted by Buddha. Be that as it may, it is
certain that jealousy in the beginning inspired him with the
idea of separating from the assembly. This first step led him
farther than he at first contemplated. He wished to set up an
assembly, or thinga of his own, and thereby to place himself on
a footing of equality and rivalry with his cousin. Meeting with
greater resistance than he expected, and being convinced that he
could not succeed so long as Buddha should be alive, he did not
shrink from making several attempts on his life. It is a fact
worthy of notice that the disturbances which took place
subsequently in the Buddhist society had their origin, in most
instances, in points of discipline of a trivial importance,
which were altered or rejected by a fraction of the assembly,
whilst they were upheld with the utmost tenacity by the greater
portion of the Rahans, as having been established by Gaudama.
This observation will be fully corroborated by the particulars
that we shall relate on the subject of the councils or meetings
held after Gaudama's death.
END OF VOL. I.
Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO.
Edinburgh & London
Trübner's Oriental Series.
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KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO. LTD
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Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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