216 



journal b. a. s. (ceylon). [Vol. VII., Pt. III. 



BUDDHA'S SERMON ON OMENS. 



By Louis De Zoysa, Maha Mudaliyar. 

 (Read, September 14th, 1882.) 



That the Founder of Buddhism has repudiated caste and 

 superstition both in theory and practice, is well known. A 

 high authority* has characterized Buddha as " the great oppo- 

 nent of Hindii caste and superstition." But in countries like 

 Ceylon, in which Hinduism had prevailed before the introduction 

 of Buddhism, caste and superstition still exist though in a 

 modified form ; and writers whose information is derived from 

 secondary sources are apt to forget the real teachings of Buddha 

 on these subjects. A notable instance of this I may mention 

 here. A recent writer,! " On the Religions of India" has, 

 according to a review of his work in the Athenceum, attributed 

 the introduction of caste into Ceylon to the influence of Bud- 

 dhism ! 



I hope to lay before the Society from time to time, trans- 

 lations of extracts from Buddhist writings bearing on these two 

 subjects. In the present note I shall confine my remarks to the 

 subject of " superstition," reserving those on " caste" for a fu- 

 ture occasion. 



A fair idea of Buddha's views on superstition may be 

 formed on reference to two papers published in this Society's 

 Journal. I allude to the able translation of " Brahmajala Sutton' \ 

 by the late Revd. D. J. Gogerfy, in which various superstitions 

 are enumerated and condemned as " unworthy and animal 

 sciences," and to my own translation of two Jatakas, (Nak- 

 khatta and Ndmasiddhi),§ one of which exposes the folly of 



* The late learned Dr. Mill, Principal of Bishop's College, Calcutta. 



f Mr. A. Earth. (Triibner's Oriental Series.) ' 



I C A, S. Journal 1846 (Reprint, 1861) pp. 17—62. 



§ 0. A. S, Journal 1880, Part II, pp, 29—33. 



