THE METAPHYSIC OF CHRISTIANITY AND BUDDHISM. _A SYMPHONY._ BY MAJOR-GENERAL DAWSONNE M. STRONG, C.B. (_Late Indian Army_), AUTHOR OF "SELECTIONS FROM THE BOSTĀN OF SÂDI, TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH VERSE." "Let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon."--_Bible._ LONDON: WATTS & CO., 17, JOHNSON'S COURT, FLEET ST. 1899. LOVINGLY DEDICATED TO MY WIFE IN MEMORY OF OUR SOJOURN IN THE EAST. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE INTRODUCTION vii I. JESUS AND GOTAMA 1 II. GOD AND THE KOSMOS 33 III. SOUL, SELF, INDIVIDUALITY, AND KARMA 55 IV. HEAVEN AND NIRVANA 82 V. SOME CONCLUDING REMARKS 103 AT THE MALAGAWA TEMPLE, CEYLON 113 APPENDIX:--METRICAL ADAPTATIONS OF BUDDHISTIC LEGEND AND SCRIPTURE:-- 1. The Last Words of Gotama Buddha to his Favourite Disciple Ananda 115 2. Samsâra and Nirvana 116 3. Rejoice 118 4. The Goal 120 5. Buddha and the Herdsman 123 6. Buddha and the King 126 INTRODUCTION. "Si notre foi diffère quant à la forme et aux dogmes, nos âmes restent toujours d'accord sur un principe éternel et divin."--GEORGE SANDS. An immense difficulty has to be encountered by those who have been deeply impressed by the value and beauty of Christianity when they are called upon to consider the claims of other faiths. Anyone who has had within his experience and under his observation such an exceptional case as that of a sincere Christian who, from childhood to old age, has set before him the ideal Christ and the Christian conception of an all-compassionate Father--a Christian whose inner light has been so pure that no darkness of doubt has ever dimmed it, and no doctrinal warfare has ever stained its radiance--he, I contend, has an almost insuperable obstacle to overcome when he attempts to associate holiness and purity, of the same supreme order, with the followers of other religious systems which have been formulated for the comfort and salvation of humanity. It is doubtful if any ordinary adherent of the Christian faith, however extensive his sympathies towards persons outside his own flock, has ever been able to pass this barrier, which always seems to interpose itself when search is made for a common bond of union with an alien belief.