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Index
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The great Monastery of Nalanda—The "High
Priest of all the World"—Is he the modern Pontiff of
Tibet?—S’iva supposed to be incarnate in each successor—S’iva
and Durgâ worshipped in all Buddhist rituals.—Great revolution
effected by King Kaniska—Strong remonstrance on the part of the
"High Priest of all the World"—He declares that the
encroaching cultus is pure S’ivism and Nihilism.
Schlagintweit tells us that Avalokitishwara brought Buddhism to
Tibet in the
seventh century A. D. *
We have seen that the Dalai Lama claims to be the head of the
Buddhist Church with Avalokitishwara for divine guide. Was this a more
ancient claim?
Certainly, there was a "High Priest of all the world" as
early as the second convocation, according to the Mahâwanso, †
and this Achârya, as he was also called, was always the pupil of his
predecessor, as General Cunningham has pointed out. ‡
Hiouen Thsiang throws some light on the status of the Achârya in
his day. He gives him the same title as is given to him in the Mahâwanso.
It must be mentioned that India at this time was governed by a
powerful monarch, Śîlâditya, whose dominions, according to Dr.
Hunter, extended from the Punjab to North-East Bengal—from the
Himalayas to the Narbadda River.
But the centre of the Buddhist spiritual power and the centre of
the imperial power were many miles apart. The emperor's capital was
Kanouj. The Rome of the Buddhists was still in Magadha, and their
largest ecclesiastical centre on a mountain at Nalanda (Baragaon). It
would seem as if this spot was not in the actual territory ruled by
Śîlâditya, for a king named Kumâra, in Eastern India, sent a
message to the Mahâthęrô that if he did not send Hiouen Thsiang to
him, he would come to Nalanda and make it a heap of ruins. As a nod
from King Śîlâditya brought this king fawning along the Ganges
in a superb travelling palace to pay his homage, we may presume that
Śîlâditya's soldiers were not actually posted at Nalanda. If
they had been, King Kumâra would no more have thought of threatening
to lay it in ruins than the King of the Belgians would propose to go
and burn the palace of the Archbishop of Paris.
Hiouen Thsiang's visit to Nalanda and its convents throws some
light on the sunny days of Buddhism. These convents were built by King
Śakrâditya and his five successors. There were eight courts
surrounded by a long brick wall. Lines of tall towers pierced the sky.
Pavilions adorned with coral were surmounted, some with domes, and
some with graceful pinnacles, amongst which floated the mountain
mists. The houses of the "Men of Pure Life" were four
storeyed. The temples had pillars, ornamented with dragons, and
rafters shining with rainbow tints. Precious jade adorned the red
columns and the richly-carved roof. The pilgrim tells us that Indian
architecture was exactly like the Chinese. "Carved balustrades
allowed the light to shine through them," says the worthy
pilgrim. We can easily conjure up the scene.
Vast tanks outside the convents were spread with the blue lotus.
The spot had once been a mango garden, and as such, was given to
Buddha by a rich merchant. The fine mango plantations still gave shade
to the "Men of Pure Life." Inside, or attached to the
convent, when Hiouen Thsiang visited it, were no less than ten
thousand monks. Amongst the many convents in India, he adds, were none
as rich and as grand as this. *
The Achârya was so respected that "nobody dared even mention
his name." † He
was alluded to as the "Treasury of Dharma (Saddharmakośa)."
Hitherto, in India, kings and monks had always paid their reverence
to the Chinese pilgrim. As his adventures are given to us by two of
his disciples, this may be a little exaggeration to gratify Chinese
susceptibilities. But when Hiouen Thisang was presented to the Achârya
in the Nalanda convent, there can be no mistake as to who paid the
homage on that occasion. Twenty old monks introduced the pilgrim to
Dharmakośa:—
"When he was in the presence of the superior he paid him all
the duties of a disciple, and exhausted every token of homage. In
obedience to the sacred regulations and the official etiquette, he
(the Chinese pilgrim) moved forwards on his knees, supporting himself
on his elbows. He struck the ground with his forehead, and made it
resound with the tappings of his feet." ‡
The Convocation of Kanouj took place shortly after this, and its
details were fixed by the High Priest of all the World.
The Grand Lâma of Tibet seems to me to be the representative of
the Âchârya of Magadha, who, on the sacking of the great vihâra of
Nalanda, took refuge first of all in North India, and on the expulsion
of the Buddhists from that quarter, escaped to Tibet. The traditions
that we possess, though scanty, seem to point to this conclusion. In
1417, there was already a Grand Lâma in Tibet, one Tsonkhapa, a
Buddhist from India. Like the earliest Âchâryas, he appointed his
successor to the office, one Dharma Rancha. *
It is worthy of remark that the Lâma is recognised as the head of the
Buddhist Church by the Chinese and Japanese. M. Abel de Rémusat, in
his "Origines de l’Hiérarchie Lamaďque," cites the
literature of the latter to show that it was conceived that at the
death of Buddha he at once reappeared on earth in Bengal as a
"teacher" of kings. That seems to be as the Achârya; and it
is stated that Buddha as the Grand Lâma is always on earth. †
Gengis Khan patronised the Buddhists; and his grandson officially
designated the "Master of Doctrine" in Tibet, the
"Living God," the "Self-existent Buddha," etc. ‡
Intolerant Mussulmans could only have proceeded to such extremities on
the supposition that a vast body of Buddhists in their dominions
believed that the Grand Lâma was the Achârya, and that it was
politic to conciliate them.
The Roman Catholic bishop Bigandet, was much astonished to find
amongst "the Burmans, Siamese, Cingalese and Tibetans" a
distinct "hierarchy, well-defined, with constitutions and
laws," with "postulants," "catechumens,"
"heads of houses and communities," with a
"Provincial" whose jurisdiction extends over the Communities
of his district, and with a "Supérieur Général." In fact,
he found in Buddhism a hierarchical system very like that of the Roman
Catholics, with even a Pontifical Court and a College of Cardinals. He
makes a special note of the fact that these hierarchies are so solidly
organised that they have everywhere lasted through centuries of
change. *
Let us now consider the ritual of the Buddhist Churches to see if
there is any trace of S’iva worship there.
This is part of the litany in China:—
"And thou ever-present Kwan-shi-Yin Bodhisatwa who hast
perfected wondrous merit, and art ossessed
of great mercy, who in virtue of thine infinite power and wisdom art
manifested throughout the universe for the defence and protection
of all creatures, and who leadest all to the attainment of boundless
wisdom."
Professor Beal gives us this as part of a Chinese ritual. He has
explained to us before that Kwan-shi
yin is Avalokitishwara, that is, "S’iva looking down."
Let us now turn to Nepal.
"I salute that 'Sangha,' who is Avalokitishwara." This is
part of the solemn consecration of the novice. †
Let us now turn to Tibet.
"We implore thee, Oh, Revered Victorious Bhâgavatî (Durgâ)
and Merciful one, to purify us and all other beings of the universe
thoroughly from the two evil thoughts, and make us quickly obtain the
perfection of Buddhahood. If we cannot obtain this perfection within a
few life cycles, then grant us the highest heavenly and earthly
happiness and all knowledge, and preserve us from evil spirits,
plague, disease, untimely death, etc. ‡
Here is portion of a hymn addressed to Durgâ as the "White Târâ
(Star)."
All hail Târâ, hail to thee!
Deliveress sublime,
Avalokita's messenger
Rich in power and thought.
Hail to thee whose hand is decked
With the lotus gold and blue,
Eager soother of our woe
Ever tireless worker thou.”
Surgeon-Major Waddell is here reminded of the Litanies to the
Virgin Mary, who is "Stella Maris," like Târâ, also
"Rosa mystica," the rose doing duty for the lotus in the
west.
The word "Durgâ" also means "Tower," and the
Virgin Mary is the "Tower of Ivory." Why Ivory? A curious
Indian detail.
Other prayers are not so innocent.
"O Ghosts of heroes! Witches! Demoniacal Defenders of the
Faith! The holy guardians of the Commandments! and all those that we
invited to this place, I beg you all now to depart!
"O most powerful King of the Angry Deities, Strong Îśwara,
and the host of Country Guardian Gods and the others that we invited
to this place with all their retinues. I beg you all now to
depart." *
It is here confessed that the Yakshas and female demons were
"invited to the place;" does that mean summoned by black
magic?
Now, if we view these separate Buddhist organisations as a whole
what do we find?
(1) That the recognised head of the Buddhist hierarchies chased
from India, has taken refuge in Tibet, and that this Pontiff now is
believed to be S’iva in person.
(2) Everywhere S’iva, and the worship of the Lingam, has
displaced the harmless rites of early Buddhism.
(3) Everywhere the Left-handed Tântrikas, the cultus of S’iva as
Bhairava, and Durgâ as the terrible corpse-eating Kâlî, is adopted
by each Buddhist hierarchy in cases of sickness and worldly trouble.
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