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THE

BHILSA TOPES.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

1. THE Buddhist religion has long been extinct in India, but it still flourishes in Nepál and Tibet, in Ava, Ceylon, and China, and amongst the IndoChinese nations of Anam, Siam, and Japan. Its votaries far outnumber those of all other creeds, except the Christian, and they form one-fourth of the whole human race.* The valley of the Ganges was the cradle of Buddhism; which, from its rise in the sixth century before Christ, gradually spread over the whole of India. It was extended by Asoka to Kashmir and Kâbul shortly after Alexander's invasion; and it was introduced into China about

*The Christians number about 270 millions; the Buddhists about 222 millions, who are distributed as follows:-China, 170 millions; Japan, 25; Anam, 14; Siam, 3; Ava, 8; Nepál, 1; and Ceylon, 1: total, 222 millions.

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the beginning of our era by five hundred Kashmirian missionaries. In A. D. 400, when Fa Hian visited India, Buddhism was still the dominant religion; but the Vaishnavas were already rising into conIn the middle of the seventh century, sequence. although the pilgrim Hwán Thsang found numerous temples of the Saivas, whose doctrines had been embraced by Skanda Gupta and the later princes of Pátaliputra, yet Buddhism was still the prevailing religion of the people. But the progress of religion is like the existence of a tree; which, after the first symptoms of decay, can neither be strengthened nor renewed. The faith of Sákya was evidently on the decline; and though it still lingered about the holy cities of Benares and Gaya for two or three centuries later, it was no longer the honoured religion of kings and princes, protected by the strong arm of power, but the persecuted heresy of a weaker party, who were forced to hide their images under ground, and were ultimately expelled from their monasteries by fire.*

2. Buddhism had in fact become an old and worn-out creed, whose mendicant monks no longer begged their bread, but were supported by lands

In 1835 I excavated numerous Buddhist images at Sárnáth, near Benares, all of which had evidently been purposely hidden underground. I found quantities of ashes also; and there could be no doubt that the buildings had been destroyed by fire. Major Kittoe, who has made further excavations during the present year, is of the same opinion.

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long since appropriated to the monasteries. Srámanas and Bhikshus were not like those of ancient days, the learned and the wise, whose bodily abstinence and contemplative devotion, combined with practical exhortations and holy example, excited the pious wonder of the people. The modern Buddhists had relapsed into an indolent and corrupt body, who were content to spend a passive existence in the monotonous routine of monastic life. There was still the daily chanting of an appointed number of hymns; still the same observance of forms and ceremonies; there were still the same outward signs of religion; but there was no fervent enthusiasm in the lifeless performance of such monotonous routine; and the ardent zeal which once burned in the heart of every Buddhist monk for the propagation of his religion, had long since become extinct. The only virtue now consisted in abstinence from evil, which was accounted equal to the performance of good. Indolent. listlessness and passive indifference took the place of devout contemplation and pious abstraction; and thus the corrupt practices

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of modern Buddhists would seem to countenance the idea, that the more useless they became in this life, the more fitted did they consider themselves for the next.

3. But though the religion of the Buddhists has long been extinct, and though the monks' "call to refection" has been silent for ages, yet their monasteries and temples still remain; their paintings and

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sculptures still exist; their historical writings still live, to attest the wonderful sway which a single enthusiastic individual may succeed in establishing over the minds of a whole people. The sculptures illustrate the history; and in both we may read of kings bowing reverentially before Topes and Trees; of princes bearing caskets of relics on their heads, to be shrined in the Topes; and of the universal reverence paid to the monks.

4. The Buddhist remains now existing may be divided into four distinct classes.

1st. Cave Temples, containing Topes, Sculp-
tures, Paintings, and numerous inscriptions.
2nd. Viháras, or Monasteries.

3rd. Inscriptions on Rocks and Pillars.
4th. Topes, or Religious Edifices.

5. The Cave Temples have been made known by the beautiful pictorial illustrations of Fergusson; but the curious paintings which adorn the interior must be copied, and the numerous inscriptions must be deciphered, before the historical value of these remarkable monuments of the Buddhists will be fully appreciated. Captain Gill, of the Madras

* The principal paintings are in the Cave Temples at Ajanta and Ellora; the sculptures at Sánchi, on the gateways of the Great Tope. The identity of the head-dresses of the paintings with those of the sculptures, and more particularly the recent forms of the alphabetical characters in the Cave Temples, show that the caves cannot date earlier than the beginning of the Christian era. My own opinion is, that they are not earlier than A.D. 200.

Army, is now employed at Ajanta in copying the paintings; but the volumes of inscriptions in the Caves of Nasik, Junir, Kanari, and Karli, still remain to be copied.*

6. The Viháras, or Monasteries, are of two kinds-1st, Cave Vihúras, of which several magnificent specimens have been published by Mr. Fergusson; and 2nd, Structural Viháras, of which some specimens still remain at Sánchi, but in a very ruinous condition.

7. The Inscriptions on the Pillars at Delhi and Allahabad, and on the Tirhut Pillars at Mathiya and Rádhiya have long ago been deciphered and translated by the remarkable ingenuity of James Prinsep. The Inscriptions on the Rocks at Junagiri in Gujrat, and at Dhauli in Kuttack, were also interpreted by him. A third version of the rock inscriptions (but in the Ariano Pali character), which was found at Kapur-digiri, near Peshawur, has been carefully collated with the others by

* In Bird's learned "Historical Researches on the Origin and Principles of the Bauddha and Jaina Religions," there are several plates of inscriptions from the Caves of Kanari, Karli, Ajanta, Ellora, Nasik, &c. Of some of these, Dr. Bird has offered translations; but as he has an evident leaning towards identifying Buddhism with the ancient Sun-worship, the translations are not so accurate as could be wished. For instance, wherever the proper name of Mitra (a friend) occurs, he has translated it as if it was the Persian Mithra, the sun. His third inscription, p. 51, which gives the name of Budha Mitra (the friend of Buddha), should have taught him the true value of Mitra.

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