History of Hindu Chemistry From The Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D.

the salient features of the fomer appear:' The question now arises : when did the votaries of the religion of Stikyamuni find themselves called upon to engraft upon their simple and pure creed the ensemble of the gross and grotesque superstitions the hideous incantations as also the speculative the metphysical and esoteric phases of spiritual aspirations of which the Tantras are the repos [...] At any rate we find that immediately after the tidings of the death of Buddha had spread about there was a squabble among his followers for the possession of the master's corporeal relics and in course of time stiipas were raised over them which no less than the three jewels (Rainatraya)—the Buddha the Dharma and the Saingha ---and the Bodhi-tree became ojects of worship of the devotee. [...] Thus we find that within 150 years after the pasing away of Buddha tedious and circumstatial regulations as to the quality of robes to be worn by the Bhikshus the mode of bathing and fasting the taking of the midday meal the drinking of unchurned milk probation and penance dwellings and furniture and so forth were amongst the weighty subjects for dicussion in the Second General Counci [...] Right conduct is the last of the four noble truths of Budhism.'' It was this phase of Buddhism that with the strenuous efforts of the missionaries and of the Eperor Asoka enables it to achieve success amongst the masses of the people ; and what was wanting on the theistic side was supplied by the perfection and marvellous powers attributed to the founder of the religion. [...] 3"come across in the Buddhacharita " of Asvaghosha who is admitted on all hands to be a contemporary of Kanishka such a passage 'as this : " this Sirs is the Mah6.- pina the instrument of the law of the pefect Buddha which is the establisher of the welfare of all beings set forth by all the Buddhas." * The " Lotus of good Law was translated into Chinese at the close of the second centu