102 V. A. Smith and W. Hoey — Buddliist Sutras. [July, 



The language is good grammatical Sanskrit prose. With the ex- 

 ception of the legends of the Gupta coins, inscriptions dating from the 

 period between A.D. 250 and 400 are almost altogether lacking. The 

 discovery now announced, therefore, helps to fill a considerable gap in 

 Sanskrit palaeography and epigraphy.^ 



We are not prepared to oifer complete transcripts and translations 

 of these curious bi-ick inscriptions, and must leave that task to professed 

 scholars. Bat there is very little difficulty in deciphering most of the 

 characters, and there is no doubt as to the general nature of the con- 

 tents of the inscriptions. They all deal with Buddhist ontology, and 

 specially with the doctrine of the twelve ?ii(?aMas, or ' causes ' which 

 connect AviJya, or Blind Ignorance, with Jara-marana, Decay and Death, 

 and thus form the Bhava-cakra, or Cycle of Existence. 



This ontological doctrine has recently been twice discussed and 

 illustrated in the publications of this Society, and is, of course, familiar 

 to all students of Buddhism. 



Dr. Waddell, in a most valuable paper, has shown that the so-called 

 Zodiac in the cave-paintings at Ajanta is really a pictorial represention 

 of the Cycle of Existence, practically identical with the pictures now 

 commonly used by the Lamas of Tibet.* 



Pandit Hari Mohan Yidyabhusan has published a Sanskrit text and 

 English translation of the Bhava-cakra Sutra in eleven glokas, forming 

 the 27th Pallava of the Avadana Kalpalata, entitled Pratitya Samutpdda 

 Avaddna, the work of the poet Ksemendra.^ This metrical exposition 

 of the doctrine by Ksemendra is practically identical in substance with 

 the prose version given on brick No. I. The inscription on that brick 

 is a complete Siitra, and begins with the well-known formula, Evam 

 mayd grutam ekasmin samaye Bhagavdn Cravastydm, etc : — " Thus have 

 I heard — Once upon a time, Bhagavau was dwelling at ^I'^-vasti in the 

 Jetavana, in the garden of Anathapindada, etc." 



The other bricks (Nos. II-V) do not seem to contain the opening 

 siitra formula, though all treat of the niddnas. 



Bricks ISTos. II-V are the property of Dr. Hoey, who proposes to 

 present No. II, to the British Museum, and No. Ill, to the Lucknow 

 Provincial Museum. No. I is the property of Mr. V. A. Smith, who 

 gave a high price for it, and reserves the question of its disposal. 

 Nos. IV and V, will be disposed of under Dr. Hoey's instructions. 



1 E. Senart, Indian Antiquary for July 1892, Vol. XXI, p. 209 : and V. A. Smith 

 Oiservatioiis on the Oupta Coinage, J. R. A. S. for 1893, p. 90. 



8 The Buddhist Pictorial Wheel of Life. By L. A. Waddell, M. B. With three 

 plates. (J. A. S. B, for 1892, Part I, p. 133 ) 



3 The Buddhist Bhavacakra (Cycle of Exiafcence). By Hari Mohan Yidyabhusan. 

 {Proc. A. B B. for 1892, p. 98.) 



