156 



BUDDHISM, 



tor may remain not only as a Buddhist, but a Bhikkhu ; and 

 what is more remarkable is, that crimes the most abominable 

 were judged to be less heinous than others for which some 

 possible excuse might have been pleaded on account of natural 

 desires and the force of temptation. 



But we must leave it to all intelligent readers to draw 

 their own conclusions from premises which we will advance, by 

 giving a succinct and faithful account of the contents of the 

 Parajika book. 



This book opens with an account of Gotamo Buddha's 

 disputation with Weranja Brahman, who accused the former 

 of being an uncivil, destitute, unpractical, scoffing, domineer- 

 ing ascetic, and barren person. Buddha accepted all these 

 epithets, but dexterously changed their signification so as to de- 

 clare by them the nature of his religion, and explained how he 

 arrived at the Buddhahood. The Brahman became a convert, 

 and requested Bhagawa, the blessed one, (the title of Buddha 

 used almost exclusively in this portion of the Buddhist Scrip- 

 tures) to come to his neighbourhood and pass the Was (rainy) 

 season there. Bhagawa assented and Weranj a Brahman departed. 



An account is then given of the manner in which the 

 Great Moggallano, one of the especial favourite Bhikkhus, 

 desired to overturn the surface of the earth, that he might pro- 

 vide the Bhikkhus with the edible crust of honey to be found 

 beneath. Bhagawa objected to this, saying, "It will disturb 

 the animal creation if such be done." 



Another favourite Bhikkhu, Sariputto, asked Bhagawa, 

 why it was that the Brahma chariya, (state of celibacy,) enforced 

 by some previous Buddhas, lasted for only a short time; and 

 why that of others was of long duration. Bhagawa answered, 

 that the first mentioned Buddhas were easily discouraged, and 

 enunciated their Brahma chariya before the proper time ; and 



