In the following Poem I have sought, by the medium of an imaginary Buddhist votary, to depict the life and character and indicate the philosophy of that noble hero and reformer, Prince Gautama of India, the founder of Buddhism.
A generation ago little or nothing was known in Europe of this great faith of Asia, which had nevertheless existed during twenty-four centuries, and at this day surpasses, in the number of its followers and the area of its prevalence, any other form of creed.
Four hundred and seventy millions of our race live and die in the tenets of Gautama; and the spiritual dominions of this ancient teacher extend, at the present time, from Nepal and Ceylon, over the whole Eastern Peninsula, to China, Japan, Tibet, Central Asia, Siberia, and even Swedish Lapland.
India itself might fairly be included in this magnifi cent Empire of Belief; for though the profession of Buddhism has for the most characteristic habits and convictions of the Hindus are clearly due to the benign infl uence of Buddha’s precepts.
More than a third of mankind, therefore, owe their moral and religious ideas to this illustrious prince, whose personality, though imperfectly revealed in the existing sources of information, cannot
but appear the highest, gentlest, holiest, and benefi cent, with one exception, in the history of Thought.
Discordant in frequent particulars, and sorely overlaid by corruptions, inventions, and misconceptions, the Buddhistical books yet agree in the one point of recording nothing no single act or word which mars the perfect purity and tenderness of this Indian teacher, who united the truest princely qualities with the intellect of a sage and the passionate devotion of martyr.
Even M. Barthélémy St. Hilaire, totally misjudging, as he does, many points of Buddhism, is well cited by Professor Max Muller as saying of Prince Siddhàrtha, “Sa vie n’a point de tache.
Son constant héroãsme égale sa conviction; et si la théorie qu’il préconise est fausse, les exemples person- nels qu’il donne sont irréprochables.
Il est le modèle achvé de toutes les vertus qu’il préche; son abnégation, sa charité, son inaltérable douceur ne se démentent point un seul instant.... Il
prépare silencieusement sa doctrine par six années de retraite et de méditation; il la propage par la seule puissance de la parole et de la persuasion pendant plus d’ un demi-siè cle, et quand il meurt entre les bras de ses disciples, c’est avec la sérénité d’un sage qui a pratiqué le bien toute sa vie, et qui est assuré d’avoir trouvé le vrai.”
To Gautama has conse- quently been granted this stupendous conquest of human- ity; and though he discountenanced ritual, and declared himself, even when on the threshold of Nirvana, to be only what all other men might become the love and gratitude of Asia, disobeying his mandate, have given him fervent worship.
Forests of flowers are daily laid upon his stainless shrines, and countless millions of lips daily repeat the for- mula “I take refuge in Buddha!”
