PROFESSOR MINAIEFF AND THE SANSKRIT

LITERATURE.

V.

We now give an extract from the chapter (V.) in which the author makes the following reflections on the astronomical and philosophical achievements of the ancient Hindus:

"The antiquity of the Indian astronomy and the originality of its premises has already long ago awakened the curiosity of many European specialists. It is beyond all doubt, that the Indians had already in deep antiquity arrived at certain extremely important and exact results in their astronomical observations. Equally so in arithmetic, and especially in algebra, in which they had made important discoveries. But even in all these spheres, the national genius manifested itself with all its defects, and accordingly with the intellectual penetration and the originality of premises is frequently mingled an extravagance of fancy and a constant tendency to sacrifice real for cloudy considerations, which explains why in the Indian astronomy there are to be found side by side with exact observations, fables and inventions of priests.

"The six chief schools of the old Indian philosophy, notwithstanding their difference in parts, possess much that is general and parental amongst themselves. They all pursue one chief end, to wit: Means of saving Man from the fetters of Life; and they all agree in this, that the chief cause of fetters and of pain is Ignorance. This Ignorance consists in this, that the Soul, although distinct from Reason, Sentiment and Body, identifies herself with them.

"From this identification follows, that the Soul regards certain objects as her own, others as foreign belonging to other individuals, that through the medium of body she receives satisfaction from the one and pain from the other.

"Hence arises in her a desire of satisfaction, that is to say, a longing after that which procures the same, and a turning off from that which causes pain. This longing after and turning off excite

her to different acts, good or bad, from which arise virtue and vice; according to virtue and vice, the soul goes either into heaven or into hell, or lives over various new births.

"In this way, out of Ignorance arises pain or fetters, and in salvation from them consists the cardinal problem of all the philosophical schools of India.

"But an attentive study of the peculiarities of the old Indian philosophical teachings discovers to us many things which remind us of those of the far West. In this vast literature we meet with questions of eternal interest for the human race: on the Cause of all Causes, on the relations between Mind and Matter, on the creation of the World, on Fate, &c. Various doctrines on the eternity of Matter, on its emanation from the Divinity, on the existence of a Higher Being, on the emanation of souls from God and their final absorption in Him, theories on Atoms, on universal Cataclysms, all these approach in certain respects the philosophical systems of ancient India to certain systems of the West, and offer quite a peculiar interest to the study of the old Indian Philosophy, unfortunately as yet very insufficiently studied and comprehended." (Part I, p. 130-31).

VI.

We next come to Buddhism (VI.), the special subject of study and research of the author. And here we must confess our great disappointment in finding such a vast subject so meagrely treated. What the author gives is hardly anything beyond a simple catalogue of well-known names. Even the word Nirvâna does not occur a single time. From Professor Minaieff we had certainly expected something better and more complete on a subject with which his name is associated before the scientific world. As it is, it might also have been written by what the Germans call a "Laie," an observation which we are afraid must be equally made about his chapters on the Kâvyas (VIII). and the Fables (IX.), in both of which our Sanskrit literature has the just reputation of being so unusually rich. But we anticipate.

"Even before the beginning of our era (Christian era) Buddhist literary works, Buddhistic opinions, after having made the conquest of many peoples of Central Asia, seem to have penetrated through

ways till now not fully known to the far-off European West. The study of the Buddhistic works is still more important for a comprehension of the old Indian life.

"In them we find data which represent to us this life in a new light, not exclusively from a Brahmanical point of view; we make acquaintance with other views about the universe and other explanations of the eternal problems for ever occupying the human mind-questions on the beginning and the final end of this worldly life. Wide humanity and a high ideal morality preached almost at every page of the Buddhistic Canons offers to these books not merely an exclusively Indian but a general human importance, and at the same time represent the national Indian genius in a different and indeed in a more flattering and in a more sympathetic light." (Part I., p. 132).

The words we have italicised above contain a statement full of meaning to us. From the very beginning of our studies on Buddhism and Christianity, we have been greatly struck with the many analogies which exist between the two religions. These analogies are equally curious in internal principles and doctrines as in external rites, ceremonies and institutions. About a year and a half ago, we published an article in our well-known theological and philosophical journal, Tattvabodhini patriká, of the Adi-Brâhma Samâja, in which we tried to point out some of these analogies. As this is not a place to enter into a detailed discussion on this vast though highly interesting subject, we shall give below, under a few distinct heads, the chief points of this analogy, making use of the statements of well-known Orientalists as much as, and of our own reflections as little as, possible. We fitly introduce the subject with the words of Professor Albrecht Weber:-"Finally, the similarity of the Buddhistic rites to those of the Christian ones, as these gradually began to develop themselves (a similarity which it is well known gave origin to the legends of the Priest Johannes in the middle ages) is indeed so remarkable, that it is difficult not to admit some connection between both. To this belongs the institution of monks and nuns, celibacy, relic-worship, the construction of towers (which remind of the Buddhistic topes), the use of bells, of rose garlands, the tonsure and certainly many things more. The valuable work

of Hardy's (Eastern Monachism) is of high interest on this point." "Indische Skizzen," s. 92.

The points of analogy are as follow:

(1). That many of the incidents related about the life and activity of Buddha (Sâkyamuni) and of Christ are very similar.

N. B. Perhaps the most interesting work on this point is Mr. Samuel Beal's, "The Romantic Legend of Sakya Buddha," translated from the Chinese. We recommend quite especially the Introduction, in which this justly celebrated scholar gives a sort of resumé of the chief sources bearing on this subject. In reviewing this book Albrecht Weber makes the following reflections :"The special relations which in this book the Buddhistic legends bear to the Christian ones are extremely striking. Which is here the borrowed part, Beal leaves no doubt with reason still undecided. Nevertheless, here is probably the very same case which we have in the adoption of the Christian legends by the worshippers of Krishna."—"Indische Litteraturgeschichte," s. 320.

In the article already referred to above in the Tattvabodhinîpatrika, we have given some of our reasons for not being able to accept the latter part of this quotation from Prof. Weber's.

(2). That the character of both the Prophets, as well as the moral principles they taught, are very similar.

N.B. To convince ourselves of this, the best thing no doubt would be an attentive study of the Christian gospels and at least two of the principal sacred books of the Buddhists, to wit, Dhammapadam and Lalitavistara. If after that authorities are still wanted, we might begin by mentioning the names of Burnouf ("Introduction à l'histoire du bouddhisme indien "); Köppen ("die Religion des Buddha"), Wassilieff ("Buddhism"), and Fussböll ("Ten jâtakas," p. 8), and finish with those of Max Müller ("Chips," Vol. I.), of Barthélemy Saint-Hilaire (le Buddha et sa Religion," p. 5), and of Ernst Renan ("la Vie de Jesus," chapitre 28).

(3). That many of the ecclesiastical dogmas, rites, ceremonies and institutions of the Buddhistic and Christian churches are very similar.

N.B.-In confirmation of this it is simply necessary to tran* Vide further, A. Weber's "Indische Skizzen," s. 64-65.

scribe below the following repeatedly quoted passage of Abbé Huc: "On ne peut s'empecher d'être frappé de leur rapport avec le Catholicisme. La croix, la mitre, la dalmatique, la chape ou pluviale que les grands Lamas portent en voyage, ou lorsqu'ils font quelque cérémonie hors du temple; l'office à deux choeurs, la psalmodie, les exorcismes, l'encensoir, soutenu par cinq chaines, et pouvant s'ouvrir et se fermer à volonté, les bénédictions données par les Lamas en étendant la main droite sur la tête des fidèles; le chapelet, le célibat ecclesiastique, les retraites spirituelles, le culte des saints, les jeûnes, les processions, les litanies, l'eau bénite; voilà autant de rapports que les Buddhistes ont avec nous."-" Voyage dans le Thibet," chapitre iii., p. 190. To which Max Müller adds: "He might have added tonsure, relics and the confessional.". Chips," vol. I., p. 190.

As to the dogmas we know that the Guostics and the NeoPlatonists of Alexandria, who exercised such a deep and unequivocal influence on the formation of the early Christian dogmas, were greatly indebted in their turn to the Buddhistic and Vedantic philosophers of India. Says A. Weber: "If in the teachings of the Gnostics and the Neo-Platonists there are to be found many things borrowed from India, and indeed not merely from the Buddhists but also from the Brahmins, so we have to follow their way much less through Persia than through Alexandria, which was their real home. Pantainos, who subsequently became the teacher of Clement of Alexandria, had previously lived long in India as a missionary. The teachings of Bardesanes must also have undoubtedly owed much to India. The very same about the teachings of Ammonias and Scytheanus."*" Indische Skizzen," s. 64.

(4). That the saints of both the churches are also very similar.

N. B.-In evidence of what we say we invite the reader to make a comparison between two of the most representative saints of the Buddhistic and the Christian churches, to wit, the Italian Francis of Assisi (Vide Mrs. Oliphant's "Life of Saint Francis of Assisi"), and the Chinaman Hiouen-thsang (Vide "La Vie et les voyages de Hiouen-thsang," par Stanislas Julien.) A very * Vide further Weber's "Indische Litteraturgeschichte, s. 320.