178 THE Buddhist's " nirvana 



Grows pure and sinless ; either never more 



Needing to find a body and a place, 



Or so informing what fresh form it takes 



In new existence, that the new toils prove 



Lighter and ligliter not to be at all, 



Thus, ' finishing tlie Path,' free from Earth's cheats ; 



Until — greater than Kings, than (iods more glad ! — 



The aching craze to live ends, and life glides 



Lifeless to nameless quiet, nameless joy, 



Elessed Nirvana — sinless, stirless rest — 



That change which never changes ! " 



Froyn Euavtn Arnold's " fAcjlit of Asia."" 



Flower decoration enters very largely into all the rites 

 of the two older systems, Hinduism and Buddhism, 

 and idol worship has gradually crept into the latter 

 faith, which has lost much of its original purity. 

 In the northern districts of Ceylon the Malabars 

 follow the Hindu religion, and worship Seva, 



Those who have studied the spread of civilization in 

 the early times of the world's history must have 

 noticed the resemblance of many of Buddha's precepts 

 with well-known apophthegms of his coatemporary, 

 Solon, as — 



" In all things let reason be your guide ; " 

 " Diligently contemplate excellent things; " 



and many others. It is a curious coincidence that 

 these two great men should have been born within a 



