1848.] A few Gleanings in Buddhism. 593 



B. C. 543, seems to have had no connexion personally with the nations 

 of the west. But from his religious system, whose roots seem to pene- 

 trate to a greater depth than any one appears yet to have reached, or 

 may perhaps he ahle to reach, and of the volumes, of which not per- 

 haps more than a mere fractional portion has yet heen classically 

 examined, rays of light may hereafter emanate to brighten the path 

 both of history and archaiology. 



The fact that scarcely any of the names by which Buddha is known 

 are patronymical, but mere titles, leaves open a wide field for their 

 application, and might give rise to a belief that they, or some of them 

 at the least, might have appertained to previous deified mortals. 



Of the names, worldly titles, and parentage of the present Buddha, 

 there is now I believe no doubt, and the principal ones may be found 

 in the Mahawanso. 



But if any of the names or appellatives now bestowed upon him as 

 contained in the following list, could be proved to have been borrowed, 

 a clue might possibly be found to their original application. 



Sir "W. Jones gave us a list of Buddha's names, but I believe they 

 are Hindu ones, and most of them also used by Buddhists. But I 

 apprehend that whatever we may receive from that source, relating to 

 Buddhism, cannot, unless corroborated by Buddhist writings be depended 

 upon. I would even look with suspicion upon Buddhist works com- 

 posed in Sa?iscrit, for when this language superseded the Pali or 

 Magadhi, a change was gradually advancing, the brahmans were spread- 

 ing their nets in secret, heresies were corroding the but lately purified 

 doctrines of Buddhism ; and the use of Sanscrit rendered it easy for 

 both heretics and brahmans to color, distort, eliminate or falsify all the 

 Buddhist books which fell into their hands ; and which they hoped at 

 least to be able to dovetail into their own system, when they should 

 find it convenient. 



The rest, as it is suspected, or rather known, they destroyed. 



The names of Buddha, in general, according to Sir W. Jones, are — 



1 Muni. 2 Sastri. 3 Munindra. 4 Vinayaca. 5 Samanta. 6 

 Bhadra. 7 Dharma Raja. 8 Sugata. 



And his titles — 



1 Sacyamuni. 2 Sacyasingha. 3 Sarvartha-siddha. 4 Snd'hodhani. 

 5 Gautama. 6 Arcaband'hu, or kinsman of the sun. 7 Maya or 

 child of Maya, (delusion) or Mayadevisuta. 



