1882 .] 
of Ancient China. 
Ill 
prime duty to treat his subjects kindly. One’s own body being derived 
from bis parents, they are bis great benefactors. Among bis subjects 
those who are intelligent, industrious, learned, able and powerful should 
help their king in the administration of the State and in war. The people 
generally should in return help him with tribute, revenue and presents. 
Again it will be the duty of all men to respect their parents besides sup¬ 
porting them and ministering to their wants ; and after their death 
to honour and pay homage to their manes and bones.—Thus his moral 
sayings are excellent, but at the end he rushes into blaming Buddha : — 
“ Afterwards one S'akya Muni, unmindful of his duties towards his king and 
parents and forgetful of their kindness, quitted his home and preached a 
religion of which selfishness is the leading feature, inasmuch as it enjoins 
on each man separation from the world and care for only his own 
food and clothing. This religion being introduced into China during the 
reign of the Emperor Hwan-min-yun-phih, many a family became 
destitute and extinct. The excellent creed of ancient times faded away 
as the new one progressed.” But, indeed, the religion of Buddha does not 
specify one’s duties towards his parents and the king, but aims at a wider 
good,—the good and well being of all living beings of the world by freeing 
them from miseries and sorrows not only of this present life but also of 
all transitory existences. The aim of Buddhism is to know how to lead 
all living beings from misery and grief to a state of endless beatitude. 
So that there is a vast difference between the doctrines of Cho-u-tse and 
those of Buddha, the aim of the former being as small as the point of a 
needle, while that of the latter is as wide as the immeasurable Heavens. The 
writings of Cho-u-tse with the exception of some vilifying expressions to¬ 
wards Buddhism contains not a word of argument and refutation. They 
only contain some erroneous views besides some commonplace principles. 
Since the introduction of Buddhism into China to the present day all 
the monarchs, with the exception of one or two, were devoted followers 
of the Buddhist faith in consequence of which such insane observations 
as those of Cho-u-tse and other profane writers, have been as ineffectual in 
their aims as echoes returned by rocks. Nowadays there are some among 
the vulgar classes who obstinately follow these stupid writers who can 
show no reasons but bark like old dogs. 
p 
