2SQ JOTJKtfAL R. A. S. (CEYLON). I Vol. lit, 



"And when Wasawarti Mara saw that king Milindu had 

 thus set aside his two and sixty artifices, and his established 

 moral and ceremonial customs, he reflected thus r c King Milindu 



fabrication of the Buddhist priesthood, to bring contempt on our holy 

 Religion is a matter well worthy the attention and investigation of 

 Oriental Scholars to whom, and to the Asiatic Society in particular, I am 

 prepared to submit an EriglM translation in MS. of this little work. 

 Opposed, however to such a supposition is the undeniable and welVmowii 

 fact, that Buddhists look upon Christianity without jealousy, — nay more, 

 that there is a disposition on their part to conform to Christianity along 

 with Buddhism The He v. D. J. Gogerly says, in a paper printed in Sir 

 E. Tennent's work on Christianity in Ceylon, p. 240 :— ^" I have seen it 

 stated in a controversial Tract written- by a Buddhist priest of Matura, 

 not fifteen years since, that probably Christ in a former state of existence 

 was a God, residing in one of the six heavens (a position which they repre- 

 sented Gautama as having occupied immediately previous to his birth, as 

 Buddha); that animated by benevolence he desired and obtained a birth as 

 man, and thought truth so far as he was acquainted with it." Nor is this 

 a creature of modern and enlightened times. So far back as the age of 

 the great Asoka, the liberal monaicli of Asia, we find that far from any 

 hostility being shewn to other religions, Buddhists actually honored them. 

 Thus, in one of the Inscriptions of that BVddhist sovereign we find it 

 declared (See Max Mailer's Buddhism cCnd Buddhist Filg rims, p. 23,) 

 that " there are circumstances where the religion of others ought to be 

 honored. Ami in acting thus, a man fortifies his own faith, and assists the 

 faith ot others. He who acts otherwise, diminishes his own faith and hurt® 

 the faith of others.'' See also Hue's Tartary, Thibet ana ' China, p. 210. 



The following concluding passage, contains important data for the 

 elucidation of Ceylonese and Indian history. " This is the history of the 

 Tirtaka. * * He is called by the Tamils Nasarinu (Nazarine) ; by the 

 Sinhalese Tirtaka, * * a religious Teacher ; and by others Kirsta (Christ). 

 He was born 485 years after thedeath of Buddha, the teacher of the three 

 worlds. King Milindu entered rc'pdn his dialectic controversies in 490 

 A. B. Those controversies lasted nine months and nine days ; at the 

 termination of which the king became a convert to Buddhism, entertained 

 Nagasena, and 80,000 priests for 12 years. In 513 A.B. the Carpenter's 

 Son was killed and buried. At this time by reason of an innocent Brah- 

 man female having been killed, there was 'a famine for 12 years. [This 

 event, as detailed in the Rasavukini, a Pali historical record, serves to 

 eonfirnt the dates here given.] lairing this period Valagam Bahu reigned 

 at Anuradhapura in Lanka and erected 99 monuments and edifices. Two 

 years and four months In fore the famine, which is called the Beminiti 

 seya, two Priests from Lanka went to worship the great Bo, and visited 

 the various places in the five and thirty citiesin which Buddha had dwelt. 

 During this pilgrimage was the famine, called Beminisiti scya. They 

 next proceeded to Sagal, and there were 80,000 Priests in the four 

 Temples of that city. 



They having heard the renown of Lanka in respect of the Buddhist 

 religion' established in it, were highly delighted and expressed their 

 gratulations. The two priests who went over were kindly treated by 

 them. After the expiration of the 12 years, during which the famine 

 had lasted, a body of Priests came to Ceylon on a religious mission from 

 the countries of Mallawa, Gandara, Aramana, Pygoa, Pelalup, Rakkadu, 

 and Sagal. They rendered much service to the religion of Buddha, by 

 elucidating his doctrines, and by the compilation of hooks concerning 

 bis dharrma. At that time these two histories, viz. , one relating to Milindu, 

 and the other regarding the Tirtaka of a Carpenter's Son, were brought 



