Buddhism and its Legends. 423 



prolonged ; but he resisted with, like success the menaces of 

 frightful fiends and the allurements of beauty, under all the 

 forms that licentiousness could devise, until, before the setting 

 of the sun, he was the acknowledged victor; and, before the 

 light had again dawned, the great end of his toil was accom- 

 plished, and he stood forth before all worlds a supreme Buddha, 

 e wiser than the wisest, and higher than the highest/ " 



His first intention was to keep his newly-acquired wisdom 

 to himself, but, on second thoughts, he resolved to commence 

 preaching the Dharmma, unfolding the principles of his reli- 

 gion. Five Brahmins, who had been the associate of his first 

 ascetic wanderings, were chosen as his first hearers and dis- 

 ciples. He taught them that sorrow is connected with every 

 mode of existence, and that its cause is desire or attachment to 

 sensuous objects, from which, by right conduct and mental 

 tranquility, man may be relieved. Perfect freedom from desire 

 would constitute the nirwana, or state of final perfection. 



The King of Magadha became a convert "on hearing 

 the stanza so often found in monuments" now existing in 

 India, " All things proceed from some cause : this cause has 

 been declared by the Tathagato : all things will cease to exist : 

 this is that which is declared by the great Sramana (Buddha)." 

 It is, perhaps, impossible for any member of the modern 

 Western world to understand how such maxims or dogmas 

 could be accepted as the results of a supernatural exaltation 

 to the highest medium, or how the metaphysical system of the 

 ascetic sage could so readily obtain its marvellous sway. Mr. 

 Spence Hardy considers that, at the period when the new 

 religion was introduced, the popular theology was in a tran- 

 sition state between the Yedantic and the Brahminical systems, 

 but with a tendency towards the latter, which developed its 

 cumbrous mythology at a later date. In times when wealth 

 and power are concentrated in few hands, an ascetic religion is 

 sure to exercise a fascination over those who are hopelessly 

 shut out from luxurious enjoyments, and it also comes as a 

 relief and contrast, needed by those who repent of licentious- 

 ness when they are satiated and nauseated with its evanescent 

 delights. The power of self-renunciation for a good object 

 must likewise, in all stages of society, exercise a charm over 

 the human mind, and ISakya-Muni, the "Penitent," must 

 have appeared, in the eyes of his followers, elevated far above 

 the earthly dignities which he abandoned in his resolute and 

 arduous, though misguided pursuit of truth. 



Were any one now to profess to be " wiser than the wisest," 

 his pretensions would be tested according to the positive 

 methods of physical science ; but pre-scientific times were of 

 necessity times of credulity, in which there were no means 



