804 Review of L'histoire [No. 167. 



Upasakas, (devotees) of both sexes. The external organization of 

 Buddhism like its metaphysics, must have rather passed through numer- 

 ous degrees in consolidating itself, before it attained the state in which 

 we find it among nations, a long time converted to Buddhism. The books 

 of Nepal even allow us to watch the progress of this organization, which 

 commences indeed from a small germ. Sakya has first five disciples, 

 who soon desert him, when their master, exhausted from long fasting, 

 has broken the vow of abstinence. The number of his disciples gra- 

 dually increases ; kings, Brahmans, merchants, join them to hear the 

 word of their master. These are the Upasakas, the assistants, at a 

 later period the true devotees. 



Still the ascetics alone formed the assembly of Sakya ; it is therefore 

 called in the texts " the assembly of the mendicants." The term 

 San-gha implies a double relation, first of all the religious with the 

 Buddha, and secondly, of the religious with each other. As regards 

 the principle, the only bond, which unites them with their master and 

 with each other, is the common submission to his word. Having re- 

 ceived from Sakya the knowledge of the fundamental truths and the 

 title of ascetic, they live in all other points differently, some in the soli- 

 tude of woods and mountains, others in deserted houses, others in for- 

 ests near villages or towns, which they leave only to procure their sub- 

 sistence by begging. 



Several circumstances, related in the legends and Sutras, go far to 

 show the commencement of this organization. While Sakya lived, it 

 was natural, that his disciples should attach themselves to his person. 

 Not all the religious, however, lived in solitary places, and even those who 

 had chosen this kind of life, left it sometimes to hear the Buddha. At the 

 approach of the rainy season the ascetics could give up the vagrant life of 

 mendicants, and were allowed to retire to fixed abodes. Then they dis- 

 persed to reside with Brahmans or house-holders, favourably disposed 

 towards them, and occupied themselves with explaining the truths of their 

 belief, or with studying and meditating on the points of their doctrine, with 

 which they were less familiar. This was called staying during the rains 

 (Varsha). When the Varsha expired, they again met, and formed a real 

 religious assembly. All conspires to establish the opinion, that this usage 

 was introduced by Sakya himself or his first disciples. This is one of 

 the circumstances, which favoured the organization of the religious as a 



