308 



NOTICES ON THE LIFE OF SHAKYA. 



Note 17. —The substance of Brahma's address is: P Leaf 284. " It is unbecoming to 

 him (Shakya) to remain so indifferent after having acquired such great perfection and 

 wisdom. There are many in the world who both desire to learn and can understand 

 his doctrine. Brahma, therefore, with Indra and several other gods, beg him that 

 he will please to teach his doctrine (or that he will beat the drum, blow the shell or 

 trumpet, and kindle or light the lamp of religion, and cause to fall a shower of religious 

 instruction.) And that he will please to save or deliver men out of the ocean of transmigration, 

 to cure their moral diseases, to assuage their afflictions, to bring into the right way those that are 

 gone astray, and to open the door of emancipation (or final liberation from bodily existence.) 



Note 18. — The Mongols say he ascended a throne at Vardnasi. There are at Vardnasi 

 (according to the dreams of the Buddhists) one thousand (spiritual) thrones ( Sengehi-khri, 

 lion-chair ) iot the 1,000 Buddhas oi this happy age {S. Bhadra Culpa) four of whom have 

 appeared, and the rest are to come hereafter. Shakya after becoming Buddha, when first 

 visited Vardnasi, paid respect to the thrones of his three predecessors by circumambulating each 

 of them, and then he sat down on the fourth throne. 



These 1,000 Buddhas are described in the first volume of the Do class of the Kagyur, 

 to which beg to refer. Some wealthy Tibetians delight to keep the images of these 1,000 

 Buddhas, made of silver or other metal, and to pay respect to them. 



j^ote 19. With respect to the four truths little further explanation is afforded. — Ignorance 



is the source of almost every real or fancied misery ; and right knowledge of the nature of things, 

 is the true way to emancipation ; therefoi-e, they, who desire to be freed from the miseries of 

 future transmigrations, must acquire true knowledge of the nature of divine and human things. 



Note 20. Shakya had accepted the Vihar (in the /taZanfaAa grove, ne&v Rrljngriha) offered 



him by VimbasaRA ; where he passed afterwards several years, and many of his lectures were 

 delivered in that Vihar (or Behar.) There was, likewise, another place near Rdjagriha, called 

 in Sanscrit the Griddhrakuta parvata, where he gave several lectures, especially on the 

 Prdjnapardmita. 



jifofg 21. The principal female persons of the religious order established by Shakya, 



were : Gautami (his aunt) Yashodhard, Gopd, and Utpalavarnnd (his wives.) 



Lechin ^N^i^ (Lhas-byin; Sans. Devadatta) and Shakya (or Siddhdrtha) were the 

 sons of two brothers. This of the eldest, that of the youngest. Each had one brother. Lechin 

 had A'NANDA (in Tib. Kungdvo) Shakya had Nanda (Tib. Gdvo). 



In the Dulva, and in several Sutras, Devadatta is represented always as inimical to 

 Shakya. He slew with his fist an elephant sent by the Lichavyies of Vaishali as a present to 

 Shakya, when he was yet at Capita. He hired some persons to destroy Shakya by hurling 

 on him a large stone. He caused many times dissensions among his disciples. 



