It was believed for long that the Taoists, following the teaching of their master, did not recognise a hell. But this opinion has had to be abandoned, because the “Taoist clergy have provided, in the temples dedicated to the tutelary deities of their cities, paintings illustrating the torments prepared for the guilty by the ten courts of justice that sit in the depths of an ocean hidden in the interior of the earth.”[180] Clearly then, many Chinese, both Taoists and followers of Confucius, believe in the existence of a world beyond the grave. However, the denial of immortality has been ascribed to Buddhists in particular. Buddha accepted the Brahmanist doctrine of transmigration of the soul. This has been established clearly on the evidence of several documents of admitted authenticity. Orthodox Buddhism is somewhat vague on the immortality of the soul. Buddha himself avoided making a decisive statement on this matter. In such circumstances “those who were terrified at annihilation, and who could not give up the hope of eternal happiness, interpreted the silence of Buddha according to their own desire, and inferred that he did not forbid them to hope.”[181] There are many instances of the evasions of Buddhist teachers when they were pressed with this disturbing question. Pasénadi, the king, once met Khémâ, the nun, a disciple of Buddha, renowned for her wisdom. The king put to her the following question: “Does the Perfect One (Buddha) exist after death?” “The Sublime One, O great king, has not revealed to us the existence of paradise beyond the grave.” “Then the Perfect One exists no longer now that he is dead, O reverend lady?” “Neither, O king, has the Sublime One revealed that He who is perfect does not exist now that He is dead.” “Am I to believe, then, O reverend lady, that the Perfect One still lives, although He is dead, and at the same time does not live? Am I to believe, O wise lady, that the Perfect One being dead, neither exists nor does not exist?”[182] Take again the mode in which Soumirmitá,[183] “the son of a god, and surrounded and preceded by a crowd of gods,” worshipped Bouddha (Tathâgata): “Thou art the physician, skilful to save, and who givest the gift of life everlasting.” The Buddhists, as they were not given clear doctrines on this subject, very naturally followed their inclinations by accepting the idea of life beyond the grave. And certainly Buddhism does not teach annihilation of the body after death, although this has been lightly taken for granted. On the contrary, it is so persuaded of survival after death as being the rule, that it grants only to rare and elect souls the privilege of at length laying down the burden of continuous life.[184]