But it is rare to find faith so strong in such a case. More often faith is not strong enough to subdue the fear of death, and in proof of this I may recall the instance of the clergyman already given.[191] Stricken with an incurable disease, he, in spite of his religion, underwent extreme agony, and could not reconcile himself to the idea of death. The fear of death showed itself so strongly in this case that I have chosen it as a characteristic instance of the feeling. It is only with fanatics and simple or primitive persons that blind faith can subdue this instinctive fear. For this reason, since the most ancient times, religions have sought out something more than the promise of paradise to mitigate this chief disharmony of our nature. In this connection the doctrines of Buddha are those most interesting. Here I shall not deal with that modified and transformed Buddhism, in which, as I have already shown, there was a return to the doctrine of future life, with its hell of torments and heaven filled with delights. Buddha made no reference to the great blot on human life. His doctrine, in its original form, was extremely pessimistic. Take, for instance, some of his sayings on this subject: “Miserable in truth is this world, in which there is beginning, birth, growing old, death, disappearance and renewal. But we know not how to escape from this world, full of horror though it be. Alas, because of old age, illness, death, and their like, we know not who shall put an end to this world, which is so full of horror. To all who are, there comes old age, and illness, and death, and their like.”[192] When the Buddha came upon the sorrows of the world, as I have already described (p. 119), he reflected as follows: “Woe upon youth, threatened by old age! Woe upon health, which so many maladies destroy! Woe upon the life of man, which lasts but a little space! Woe on the temptations of the flesh, which lure the heart of the wise! Would that there were neither old age nor illness, nor death and the pains of death, which come from the five elements of life (Skandhas)! Would that there were neither old age nor illness nor death, which are for ever bound up together! Nevertheless, when I return again I shall consider deliverance.”[193] Having pondered for many days on these problems, Buddha thought that he had discovered the only solution, and taught men resignation. When a man was young he would ask of his father: “Lord, would that old age would never come upon me, and that I should keep for ever the warm colour of my youth; that I should be always filled with health, and that no disease should come near me; that my life should be prolonged for ever, and that death should pass me by! Such an one later on must learn to give up these longings.”[194]