Mr. COLEsnooKE on the Philosophi/ o/' Indian Sectaries. .>(!.'> 



tlirougli reasoning- ; thereby intimating, as is remarked l)y liis annotator, 

 tliatthe means of knowledge are two.* 



Concerning the atomic doctrine, maintained not only by the Vaiscs!hictis, 

 or followers of CANAni;, snrnamed CAs'vAi-A.t but by the sect of BuuniiA, and 

 likewise by several others as well heterodox as orthodox, no ])erson needs to 

 be told, that a similar doctrine was maintained by many among the ancient 

 Greek philosophers ; and in particular by Leucijjpus (if not jjreviously by 

 Moschus), and after him by Democritus ; and likewise by Kmpedoeles, wlio 

 was of the Pythagorean school. They disagreed, as tiie Indian i»hiloso|)hers 

 likewise do, respecting the number of elements or dilferent kinds of atoms. 

 Empedocles admitted five, develojjed in the following order : ether, lire, 

 earth, water, and air. Here we have the five elements (Miita) of the 

 Hindus, including dcds'a. The great multitude of philosopiiers, however, 

 restricted the numl)er of elements to four ; in which respect they agree with 

 the Jainas, Bauddlia.s, Cluirvdcas and some other sectaries, who reject the 

 fifth element afiirmed by tlie Hindus in general, and especially by (he 

 orthodox. 



In published accounts of the religious opinions of Bauddhus and Jainas, 

 derived principally from oral information, doubts have been expressed as to 

 the sense attached by them to the terms which they use to signify tlie ha|)py 

 state at which the j)erfect saints arrive. It has been questioned wheliier 

 annihilation, or what other condition short of such absolute extinction, is 

 meant to be described. 



Both these sects, like most others of Indian origin, ])ropose for the grand 

 object to which man siiould aspire, the attaiuMient of a iinal happy state, 

 from which there is no return. 



• Opusc. Mj'tliolog. pliys. and etli. p. 605. 



\ A remark may be liere made, which was omitted in its proper place (Part 2 of this essay), 

 that tlie folhiwerH of tlie atomic hectare sometimes contimu'liouHly d<'sif,'nated by their orthodox 

 oppoiients, as ('iiii'a/j/iiij (n) or Can'iihhncshii, in ullusioii to the liniiider's name. Ci'iii'a signifies a 

 crow ; and the import of Ccin'a-bhuj, synonymous with Ctin'ad, is crow-eater ( can' n-ari ) . 'I'lie 

 original name, however, is derivable from cau'a little, (with ad to eat, or add, to receive) 

 implying abstemiousness o'r disinterestedness of the person bearing the name. Conformably 

 with the fi.st of those derivations, Can'auk himself is sometimes called Can'abhacshn or 

 Caii'al/huj, 



(n) S'anc. on Br. SUlr. 2. 3. § \2 (>. 18;. 



