1836.] Authorities on Buddhism. 37 



very complete, nor very accurate. In a religious point of view, by the 

 first member is understood the founder of the creed, and all who, follow- 

 ing his steps, have reached the full rank of a Maha Yanika Buddha; by 

 the second, the law or scriptures of the sect ; and by the third, the 

 congregation of the faithful, or primitive church, or body of original 

 disciples, or even, any and every assemblage of true, i. e. of conventual 

 ascetical observers of the law, past or present. 



In a philosophical light, the precedence of Buddha or of Dharma 

 indicates the theistic or atheistic school. With the former, Buddha is- 

 intellectual essence*, the efficient cause of all, and un derived. Dharma 

 is material essencef, the plastic cause, and underived, a co-equal by unity 

 with Buddha ; or else the plastic cause, as before, but dependent and 

 derived from Buddha. Sangha is derived from, and compounded of, 

 Buddha and Dharma, is their collective energy in the state of action ; 

 the immediate operative cause of creation, its type or its agentj. With 

 the latter or atheistic school, Dharma is Diva natura, matter as the sole 

 entity, invested with intrinsic activity and intelligence, the efficient and 

 material cause of all. 



Buddha is derivative from Dharma, is the active and intelligent force 

 of nature, first put off from it and then operating upon it. Sangha is 

 the result of that operation ; is embryotic creation, the type and sum of 

 all specific forms, which are spontaneously evolved from the union of 

 Buddha with Dharma^ . The above are the principal distinctions, others 

 there are which I cannot venture here to dwell on. 



With regard to Rem u sat' s remark, " ou voit que les trois noms sont 

 places sur le meme niveau, comme les trois representations des meme 

 etres dans les planches de M. Hodgson avec cette difference que sur 

 celles-ci, Sanga est a droite, et Dharma a gauche," I may just add, that 

 the placing of Sangha to the right is a merely ritual technicality* 

 conformable to the pujd of the Dakshindchdrs\\ , and that all the philo- 

 sophers and religionists are agreed in postponing Sangha to Dharma. 



* Bodhanatmaka iti Buddha, ' the intellectual essence is Buddha.' 



"T Dharanatmaka iti Dharma, ' the holding, sustaining or containing substance 

 is Dharma.' Again, Prakriteswari iti Prajna, ' the material goddess is Prajna,* 

 one of the names of Dharma. The word Prajna is compounded of the intensive 

 prefix pra, and jnyana wisdom, or jna to know. It imports the supreme wisdom 

 of nature. Dharma is the universal substratum, is that which supports all form* 

 and quality in the versatile world. 



% Samudayatmika iti Sangha, ' the multitudinous essence is Sangha :' multi- 

 tude is the diagnosis of the versatile universe, as unity is of that of abstraction. 



§ Prajnaupaytmakang Jaggata. 



|| The theistic sects so call themselves, styling their opposites, the Swabhavikas> 

 and Prajnikas, Vhmachars. The Pauranikas, too, often designate the Tantrikaz 

 by the latter name, which is equivalent to left-handed. 



