102 



BUDHISM. 



Kuruna," for the Sun, Moon and Stars are represented as 

 travelling daily round Maha Meru at the altitude of Yug- 

 handera. 



In a sermon on earthquakes (19) in the AnguttaraNikaye 

 Budha states, that the earth rests on water, and that water 



(new moon) she becomes totally invisible ; the moon being below 

 and the sun right above ; as the covering of a small vessel by a 

 larger one or the overpowering of a lamp by the sun's rays at 

 midday, the moon is covered by the sun. There are three paths, 

 the goat, the bull, and the elephant, the goats hate water, the ele- 

 phants desire it, and the bulls desire heat and cold in equal pro- 

 portions. Therefore when the sun and moon rise up to the goat 

 path, then there is not one drop of rain ; when they are on the 

 elephant path the rain pours down as if the heavens were opened; 

 when they rise up to the bull path the seasons continue alike. The 

 sun and moon during six months of the year, move from Maha 

 Meru towards the Sakwala rocks; and during the other six months 

 from the Sakwala rocks towards Maha Meru. In the month of 

 J uly they move close to Maha Meru, then going off for two months 

 in November they move in the centre ; thence going towards Sak- 

 wala, move near it three months, then coming off in April they 

 move in the centre, and afterwards, in two months, arrive near 

 Maha Meru. To what extent do they give light ? They give 

 light at once to three continents. When the sun rises on this con- 

 tinent (Jambudwipa) it is midday in Pubbewidehe, it is evening in 

 Utterakuru, and midnight at Aperagoyana; when it is rising in 

 Pubbewidehe, it is midday in Utterakuru, evening at Aperagoyana 

 and midnight in this continent. When it is rising in Utterakuru, 

 it is midday in Aperagoyana, evening in this continent, and mid- 

 night in Pubbewidehe. When it is rising in Aperagoyana, it is 

 midday in this continent, evening in Widehe, and midnight in 

 Utterakuru (Page 



(19.) The same is stated in the Mahaparinibbana suttan in 

 Digha nikaya qi^°ty^^®&do&££q®3S)&&£)&3<5q&oQo®&&&& 



< 3^S3o«)©<^c2'2d>9 <255®8s3°a& QS*s>° §°-S5°^©C3^S. Ayan Ananda 

 maha patewi udeke pathittitha, udakan wate pathittithan watho 

 akasatto hothi yokho araoda sameyo yan mahawatha wayantha 

 udakan kampenti udakan kampitan patewin kampeti. "Ananda, 

 this great earth rests on water, the water rests on the wind, and 



