c a n o n ly b e co n sid ered as a m o s t v a g u e a n d u n c e rta in t r a d
itio n , a n d th e e ra o f th e B u d d h istic sect an d th e com m
e n c em e n t o f In d ia n h is to ry as d e d u c e d from re a l o r
c o n tem p o ra ry a n n a ls , m u s t b e d a te d from . th e b ir th o f
S a k y a -M u n i.
is no historical proof th a t any of the personages, with whom Sakya Buddha
ehose to connect his name, were promulgators of a particular creed or moral
system. As- for the pretension of the sect to a higher antiquity than th a t of
their really known leader, they are: too vague and contradictory • for serious
attention, and are .among Me many claims of the same description wki'cli '
appear to have had their origin in sectarian or national variity; The notion, th a f
there was a Tartar Buddha long antecedent to the Indian Buddha is contrar
dieted by history. The Mongolian historian, Sanang-Setzen, derives all the
improvement of.Jus couritryirien, and indeed the origin of all things, from
India, *nor can any notion be traced among the Buddhists-in any part of the
world of amp- other origin to their sect than the Indian brie. Kg
“To those of my r i d e r s who haye not directed their attention to the history of
Buddhism, and who feel curiosity on the subject, I beg to .recjpmpiend an qx-
cellent paper on the history of that doctrine and sect, by Professor Neumann^
o f Munich, entitled **Odup d’tml'historiqne sur le's'PeupIes,-&c.’ di^&ririlft^’
the fourteenth number of the Nouveau Journal Asiatiqrie. ~ Amongotheriiriter-
esting matters contained in th a t memoir is an attempt to estimate the numbqj
of people devoted to the religion of Buddha in .various 'eoUntiiesin; ttie „East.
This is doubtless founded^ on very imperfect data, but it may. h a^revidence
sufficient to show th a t Buddhism is the most prevalent of all existing Keli^ons,
and a most important subject of consideration.” Professor Neumann computes
the whole number of Buddhists in CHiha,'Tibet,. the Indo-Chinese countries,
and in Tartary, to amount collectively to two hundred and sixty-nine millibfas
of souls.
The following are said to be the ten precepts of the Moral Law of Bud“
dhism
To kill no living creature.
Not to steal.
To commit no immodest action.
To tell nodie or falsehood.
To drink no spirituous liquor.
To feed only on vegetables.
To anoint neither head nor body.
To be preserit at no song or spectacle.
Not to sleep on a high or wide bed.
To eat but once a-day, and th a t before noon.
J^ot'e 1 to 'S'ictiön I I .— O n tb e A stro n om ic a l C h ro n o lo g y o f
th e B ra hm a n s .
T h e K a li-Y u g , o r B la c k Ag e o f th e H in d o o s, may b e co n sid
e red as co rre sp o n d in g w ith th e Iro n Age o f th e G re e k s.
L ik e o th e r J a p e tic n a tio n s, th e H in d o o s feig n ed fo u r p e riods^
o f successive- d e te rio ra tio n , w h ic h th e y n am e d th e
S a ty a , th e T re ta , th e D w a p a r a n d K a li Y u g s. T h is was
p u M |i m y th o lo g ic a l, h u t th e .a s tro n om e rs c o n n e c te d * : :ini
a 'c om p a ra tiv e ly la te r.-p e rio d , th é m y th o lo g ^ a n d h is to ry o f
early's times> w i t h -th é /re v o lu tio n s o f a stro n om ic a l cycles.;
T h e g re a te s t periodt-to w h ich th e ir w ild fan cy ex te n d e d was
th e assumed d u ra tio n o f th e life o f B ra hm a ' th e c re a to r.
T h is was thes,whole d u ra tio n ó f th é „Ufljverse..:" A t a t s comm
e n c em e n t a ll existence: b e g a n ; a t its te rm in a tio n a ll th in g s
a re tó ; cease. T h e y .gave B ra hm a a lo n g life, n am e ly , a
h u n d r e d y è a r s . B u t e ach o f th e s e : y e a rs was a d iv in e y e a r,
a n d :the.;;days which?, it com p reh en d ed w e re d iv in e d ay s.
E a c h d ay fo® B ra hm a is -the e ra o f a n ew .d ev e lo p em en t ó f
u n iv e rsa l nature*. ( A day p f B ra hm a is :a : k a lp a .* , T h e.com -
rn én è em en t o f a k a lp a was/thafcpoint o f tim e ' co u n te d b a c k wards?
When, a c c o rd in g to sthiS* c om p u ta tio n o f th e p la n e ta ry
m o tio n s as th e H in d u •astronomers h a d d e te rm in e d th em ,
th e p la n e ts m u s t h av e b e e n in co n ju n c tio n in th e b e g in n in g
o M e s h a o r Aries; A t th a t p e rio d it was th a t th e c re a tio n
tookvptfesfeep B u t this?’ co n ju n c tio n , as ^ c o n c e r n e d th e
m e re ly , wo u ld hav#T,equired b u t a m o d è ra te te rm o f
y e a rs5.'co 'm p ared to. th e en o rm o u s v a n tiq u ity to whiebèrthe
Hmdoös c a r r y "h a fk th e ir re c k o n in g o f tim e j fo r, h a y ih g ’dis-
öovéi»ed: a ;slow m o tio n o f .'th e no d es a n d ap sid es, an d ta k in g
th isd rito th e ir c om p u ta tio n ; th e y fo u n d th a t it w o u ld re q u ire
a le n g th o f tim e co rre sp o n d in g w ith 1 ,955,894,890 y e a rs
a lre a d y e x p ire d from th e tim e w h en tlie lp la n e ts w e re s itu a te d
as above ‘d e s c r ib e d .- In a d d itio n to th is ; 2 ,3 6 4 ,1 4 5 ,1 1 0
* SeeM-iv Davis. According te Majöir Wilford, there Are fbte great krilpas,
■which include five hundred years of Brahma, a t the énd; of .whiöh'alHhfrrgs
are annihilated or absorbed into the essence of the supreme Being. Every
kalpa except' the first is preceded by an universal deluge' or cataclysm. At
"the end' óf each manwantara there is a less entire destruction and renovation.
—See Asiatic Res., vol. 5, p, 248.