ON MIRACLES. 



53 



miracles' is, to say the least, contradictory ; and being 

 contradictory incredible : and our incredulity is intensified 

 when on examination, we find that nearly all his miracles 

 were such — as Gotama himself thought, and Kevatta 

 acknowledged — as might be ascribed to magic. We think, 

 therefore, that we may safely trace the word ' laity' to 

 the compilers, and pronounce it to be an unauthorized ad- 

 dition to the Sutta, and to the Sikkha. 



How then are we to account for the existence of records 

 concerning miracles by Gotama and his disciples?* 



We have no difficulty in pronouncing some of them 

 to be allegorical representations, like the battle with 

 Mara ; others exaggerations, like the taming of the Cobra 

 in the Fire-house, vide post ; others inventions, like the 

 traversing over water ; others again magical delusions, 

 like the conversion of one substance into another : but 

 they are all Myths. 



That some wonderful feats were performed by Gotama's 

 disciples we need not hesitate to admit. For instance, we 

 do not disbelieve that Pilindavaccha, like his Master, 

 possessed the art of illuminating a place ; and since the 

 legends shew that the illumination of Bimbisara's palace? 

 like that of a Chirmachurgist was of momentary duration* 

 we need not hesitate to ascribe the work to magic, and pro- 

 nounce it to be a ' Myth.' As myths, we need not necessarily 

 pronounce these miracles to be entirely ' conscious fiction/ 

 for, as remarked by Straussf ' the Myth, in its original form, 

 was not the conscious and intentional invention of an indivi- 



* Mahinda is stated to have produced a mangoe at an unseason- 

 able period ; see Mahavansa. 



"f New Life of Jesus, p. 206, 



