BAUDDHAS, &c. OF NEPAL. 445 



quently drew down the lineage of the former to Earth. Again, among the 

 Buddhas confessedly of mortal mould, there are three wide degrees, that of the 

 Pratyeka Buddha, that of the Srdvaka Buddha, and that of the Mahd Ydnika 

 Buddha. But the two former are regarded, even by their worshippers, as 

 little more than mere men of superior sanctity ; and as infinitely inferior to the 

 Mahd Ydnika Buddhas, such as Sakya and his six gi'eat predecessors. We have, 

 however, multitudes even of this highest degree : and besides, the title belongs 

 not only to the supreme Mdnushi Tathdgatas, but also to all the Dhydnis in- 

 discriminately. Upon the whole, then, it seems peculiarly desirable, in the pre- 

 sent state of our information, to keep a steady eye upon the authoritative 

 old scriptures, that Sakya is the seventh, and last of the Buddhas^ 



It is very worthy of remark, too, that, according to those scriptures, the 

 duration of these seven Buddhas fills the whole extent of time : the two first 

 being assigned to the Satya Yuga ; the two second to the Treta > the two 

 third to the Dwdpara ; and Sakya and the Buddha yet to come, being the 

 declared Lords of the Kali or present Yuga. It will hardly, I imagine, be 

 considered an answer to this difficulty to observe, that the Chronology of the 

 BuddhaSf supposes an eternal world, and confounds time and eternity. 



It has not occurred to me at present to doubt the historical existence of 

 Sakya's six predecessors, but I have not failed to remark that, while the 

 Buddha writings make ample mention of SIkya's birth, sayings, and doings ; 

 and while they ascribe to him, the arrangement at least, and scripture of all 

 the work, they are nearly silent with respect to the origin and actions of 

 the six Buddhas, who went before him. To go farther into this matter would 

 lead me beyond the bounds I have prescribed myself on the present occa- 

 sion. What I have said will suffice to shew why the catalogue has been so 

 long withheld, and perhaps would justify the withholding of it still. 



