The Life or Legend of Gaudama, the Buddha of the Burmese (Volume II)Bigandet, Paul Ambroise
Religion
The Life or Legend of Gaudama, the Buddha of the Burmese (Volume II)
Bigandet, Paul Ambroise
Buddhism -- Burma; Burma -- Religion; Gautama Buddha
[28] We are without any direct information concerning the history of
Buddhism during the twenty years that elapsed after Gaudama’s death. But
we have allusions made in several places which clearly indicate that
the new religion had to struggle with many difficulties before it could
gain a firm footing in the places lying north of the Ganges. Though they
had been the seat of Buddha’s preachings, though the people had been
intimately acquainted with all his doings, it appears that the pounhas
contrived to thwart to a great extent the results of his labours. At
Kootheinaron, on the very spot rendered illustrious by his death, we have
seen an individual rejoicing at Buddha’s demise, because he would be now
at liberty to act according to his wishes. He was not a solitary instance
of open insubordination, since Kathaba felt that it was necessary, in
order to check the growing evil, to assemble a council three months after
the death of Gaudama. This step does not appear to have produced all
the good effects that were anticipated. The patriarch of the Buddhistic
Church is represented to us as trembling for the safety of the relics.
What could have caused this great anxiety? Doubtless there was a strong
party, either within or without the assembly, which was inimical to the
worship paid to the remains of Buddha, and aimed at procuring their total
destruction. In the relation of Hwen-Thsang the writer has met with
a passage in which mention is made of a period of time when the pure
doctrine alone was held, and of a subsequent period when the worship of
relics would be prevailing. It is not improbable that in this passage
allusion is made to the time when the relics were buried secretly, by the
care of Kathaba, in the neighbourhood of Radzagio, and remained concealed
during two hundred years. The conduct of Kathaba in securing the safety
of the relics reveals an important fact, viz., that there existed from
the earliest days of Buddhism a great antipathy, in a fraction of the
community, against keeping and venerating Buddha’s remains. It created a
schism among the disciples which was never healed up, as the sequel will
show.
[29] In the previous note on Neibban, the writer, having forgotten to
mention the application which the Burmese make of this term to three
distinct objects, supplies here the omission, in the hope that what
follows may enable the reader to come nearer to the true Buddhistic
meaning of Neibban.
There are, say the Buddhist doctors, three kinds of Neibban respecting
the person of Gaudama—the Neibban of _Kiletha_, or passions; the Neibban
of _Khandas_, or supports of the existence of a living being; and the
Neibban of _Datou_, or of the relics.
The first took place at the foot of the gniaong or bodi-tree, when
Gaudama became Buddha. Then, to make use of the language of Buddhists
at that moment, the fifteen hundred passions—that is to say, all
passions—were quieted, extinguished, and for ever put an end to.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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