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left¡¡the¡¡palace¡¡a¡¡second¡¡time¡£¡¡His¡¡carriage¡¡met¡¡a¡¡man¡¡who

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awaited¡¡us¡¡all¡¡and¡¡there¡¡was¡¡no¡¡escape¡£



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That¡¡night¡¡the¡¡moon¡¡was¡¡shining¡¡brightly¡£¡¡Siddhartha

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unto¡¡a¡¡beloved¡¡master¡£



The¡¡people¡¡of¡¡India¡¡among¡¡whom¡¡Siddhartha¡¡wandered¡¡for

many¡¡years¡¡were¡¡just¡¡then¡¡in¡¡a¡¡state¡¡of¡¡change¡£¡¡Their¡¡ancestors£»

the¡¡native¡¡Indians£»¡¡had¡¡been¡¡conquered¡¡without¡¡great¡¡difficulty

by¡¡the¡¡war¡­like¡¡Aryans¡¡£¨our¡¡distant¡¡cousins£©¡¡and¡¡thereafter

the¡¡Aryans¡¡had¡¡been¡¡the¡¡rulers¡¡and¡¡masters¡¡of¡¡tens¡¡of

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the¡¡seat¡¡of¡¡the¡¡mighty£»¡¡they¡¡had¡¡divided¡¡the¡¡population¡¡into

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Pariahs£»¡¡formed¡¡a¡¡class¡¡of¡¡despised¡¡and¡¡miserable¡¡slaves¡¡and

never¡¡could¡¡hope¡¡to¡¡be¡¡anything¡¡else¡£



Even¡¡the¡¡religion¡¡of¡¡the¡¡people¡¡was¡¡a¡¡matter¡¡of¡¡caste¡£¡¡The

old¡¡Indo¡­Europeans£»¡¡during¡¡their¡¡thousands¡¡of¡¡years¡¡of

wandering£»¡¡had¡¡met¡¡with¡¡many¡¡strange¡¡adventures¡£¡¡These¡¡had

been¡¡collected¡¡in¡¡a¡¡book¡¡called¡¡the¡¡Veda¡£¡¡The¡¡language¡¡of

this¡¡book¡¡was¡¡called¡¡Sanskrit£»¡¡and¡¡it¡¡was¡¡closely¡¡related¡¡to¡¡the

different¡¡languages¡¡of¡¡the¡¡European¡¡continent£»¡¡to¡¡Greek¡¡and

Latin¡¡and¡¡Russian¡¡and¡¡German¡¡and¡¡two¡­score¡¡others¡£¡¡The

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The¡¡Pariah£»¡¡however£»¡¡the¡¡despised¡¡member¡¡of¡¡the¡¡lowest¡¡caste£»

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noble¡¡or¡¡priestly¡¡caste¡¡who¡¡should¡¡teach¡¡a¡¡Pariah¡¡to¡¡study¡¡the

sacred¡¡volume£¡



The¡¡majority¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Indian¡¡people£»¡¡therefore£»¡¡lived¡¡in

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derive¡¡a¡¡little¡¡consolation¡¡from¡¡meditation¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡bliss¡¡of

their¡¡future¡¡existence¡£



Brahma£»¡¡the¡¡all¡­creator¡¡who¡¡was¡¡regarded¡¡by¡¡the¡¡Indian

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as¡¡the¡¡highest¡¡ideal¡¡of¡¡perfection¡£¡¡To¡¡become¡¡like¡¡Brahma£»¡¡to

lose¡¡all¡¡desires¡¡for¡¡riches¡¡and¡¡power£»¡¡was¡¡recognised¡¡as¡¡the¡¡most

exalted¡¡purpose¡¡of¡¡existence¡£¡¡Holy¡¡thoughts¡¡were¡¡regarded

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into¡¡the¡¡desert¡¡and¡¡lived¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡leaves¡¡of¡¡trees¡¡and¡¡starved

their¡¡bodies¡¡that¡¡they¡¡might¡¡feed¡¡their¡¡souls¡¡with¡¡the¡¡glorious

contemplation¡¡of¡¡the¡¡splendours¡¡of¡¡Brahma£»¡¡the¡¡Wise£»¡¡the

Good¡¡and¡¡the¡¡Merciful¡£



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who¡¡were¡¡seeking¡¡the¡¡truth¡¡far¡¡away¡¡from¡¡the¡¡turmoil

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He¡¡cut¡¡his¡¡hair¡£¡¡He¡¡took¡¡his¡¡pearls¡¡and¡¡his¡¡rubies¡¡and¡¡sent

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Five¡¡young¡¡men¡¡came¡¡to¡¡him¡¡and¡¡asked¡¡that¡¡they¡¡might

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their¡¡master¡¡if¡¡they¡¡would¡¡follow¡¡him¡£¡¡They¡¡consented£»¡¡and

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But¡¡at¡¡the¡¡end¡¡of¡¡this¡¡period¡¡of¡¡study£»¡¡he¡¡felt¡¡that¡¡he¡¡was¡¡still

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the¡¡fiftieth¡¡evening£»¡¡Brahma¡¡revealed¡¡himself¡¡to¡¡his¡¡faithful

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The¡¡last¡¡forty¡­five¡¡years¡¡of¡¡his¡¡life£»¡¡Buddha¡¡spent¡¡within

the¡¡valley¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Ganges¡¡River£»¡¡teaching¡¡his¡¡simple¡¡lesson¡¡of

submission¡¡and¡¡meekness¡¡unto¡¡all¡¡men¡£¡¡In¡¡the¡¡year¡¡488¡¡before

our¡¡era£»¡¡he¡¡died£»¡¡full¡¡of¡¡years¡¡and¡¡beloved¡¡by¡¡millions¡¡of¡¡people¡£

He¡¡had¡¡not¡¡preached¡¡his¡¡doctrines¡¡for¡¡the¡¡benefit¡¡of¡¡a¡¡single

class¡£¡¡Even¡¡the¡¡lowest¡¡Pariah¡¡might¡¡call¡¡himself¡¡his¡¡disciple¡£



This£»¡¡however£»¡¡did¡¡not¡¡please¡¡the¡¡nobles¡¡and¡¡the¡¡priests¡¡and

the¡¡merchants¡¡who¡¡did¡¡their¡¡best¡¡to¡¡destroy¡¡a¡¡creed¡¡which¡¡recognised

the¡¡equality¡¡of¡¡all¡¡living¡¡creatures¡¡and¡¡offered¡¡men¡¡the

hope¡¡of¡¡a¡¡second¡¡life¡¡£¨a¡¡reincarnation£©¡¡under¡¡happier¡¡circumstances¡£

As¡¡soon¡¡as¡¡they¡¡could£»¡¡they¡¡encouraged¡¡the¡¡people¡¡of

India¡¡to¡¡return¡¡to¡¡the¡¡ancient¡¡doctrines¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Brahmin¡¡creed

with¡¡its¡¡fasting¡¡and¡¡its¡¡tortures¡¡of¡¡the¡¡sinful¡¡body¡£¡¡But

Buddhism¡¡could¡¡not¡¡be¡¡destroyed¡£¡¡Slowly¡¡the¡¡disciples¡¡of¡¡the

Enlightened¡¡One¡¡wandered¡¡across¡¡the¡¡valleys¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Himalayas£»

and¡¡moved¡¡into¡¡China¡£¡¡They¡¡crossed¡¡the¡¡Yellow¡¡Sea

and¡¡preached¡¡the¡¡wisdom¡¡of¡¡their¡¡master¡¡unto¡¡the¡¡people¡¡of

Japan£»¡¡and¡¡they¡¡faithfully¡¡obeyed¡¡the¡¡will¡¡of¡¡their¡¡great¡¡master£»

who¡¡had¡¡forbidden¡¡them¡¡to¡¡use¡¡force¡£¡¡To¡­day¡¡more¡¡people

recognise¡¡Buddha¡¡as¡¡their¡¡teacher¡¡than¡¡ever¡¡before¡¡and¡¡their

number¡¡surpasses¡¡that¡¡of¡¡the¡¡combined¡¡followers¡¡of¡¡Christ¡¡and¡¡Mohammed¡£



As¡¡for¡¡Confucius£»¡¡the¡¡wise¡¡old¡¡man¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Chinese£»¡¡his

story¡¡is¡¡a¡¡simple¡¡one¡£¡¡He¡¡was¡¡born¡¡in¡¡the¡¡year¡¡550¡¡B¡£C¡£¡¡He

led¡¡a¡¡quiet£»¡¡dignified¡¡and¡¡uneventful¡¡life¡¡at¡¡a¡¡time¡¡when¡¡China

was¡¡without¡¡a¡¡strong¡¡central¡¡government¡¡and¡¡when¡¡the¡¡Chinese

people¡¡were¡¡at¡¡the¡¡mercy¡¡of¡¡bandits¡¡and¡¡robber¡­barons¡¡who

went¡¡from¡¡city¡¡to¡¡city£»¡¡pillaging¡¡and¡¡stealing¡¡and¡¡murdering

and¡¡turning¡¡the¡¡busy¡¡plains¡¡of¡¡northern¡¡and¡¡central¡¡China¡¡into

a¡¡wilderness¡¡of¡¡starving¡¡people¡£



Confucius£»¡¡who¡¡loved¡¡his¡¡people£»¡¡tried¡¡to¡¡save¡¡them¡£¡¡He

did¡¡not¡¡have¡¡much¡¡faith¡¡in¡¡the¡¡use¡¡of¡¡violence¡£¡¡He¡¡was¡¡a¡¡very

peaceful¡¡person¡£¡¡He¡¡did¡¡not¡¡think¡¡that¡¡he¡¡could¡¡make¡¡people

over¡¡by¡¡giving¡¡them¡¡a¡¡lot¡¡of¡¡new¡¡laws¡£¡¡He¡¡knew¡¡that¡¡the¡¡only

possible¡¡salvation¡¡would¡¡come¡¡from¡¡a¡¡change¡¡of¡¡heart£»¡¡and¡¡he

set¡¡out¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡seemingly¡¡hopeless¡¡task¡¡of¡¡changing¡¡the¡¡character

of¡¡his¡¡millions¡¡of¡¡fellow¡¡men¡¡who¡¡inhabited¡¡the¡¡wide¡¡plains

of¡¡eastern¡¡Asia¡£¡¡The¡¡Chinese¡¡had¡¡never¡¡been¡¡much¡¡interested

in¡¡religion¡¡as¡¡we¡¡understand¡¡that¡¡word¡£¡¡They¡¡believed¡¡in

devils¡¡and¡¡spooks¡¡as¡¡most¡¡primitive¡¡people¡¡do¡£¡¡But¡¡they¡¡had

no¡¡prophets¡¡and¡¡recognised¡¡no¡¡¡®¡®revealed¡¡truth¡£''¡¡Confucius

is¡¡almost¡¡the¡¡only¡¡one¡¡among¡¡the¡¡great¡¡moral¡¡leaders¡¡who¡¡did

not¡¡see¡¡visions£»¡¡who¡¡did¡¡not¡¡proclaim¡¡himself¡¡as¡¡the¡¡messenger

of¡¡a¡¡divine¡¡power£»¡¡who¡¡did¡¡not£»¡¡at¡¡some¡¡time¡¡or¡¡another£»¡¡claim

that¡¡he¡¡was¡¡inspired¡¡by¡¡voices¡¡from¡¡above¡£



He¡¡was¡¡just¡¡a¡¡very¡¡sensible¡¡and¡¡kindly¡¡man£»¡¡rather¡¡given

to¡¡lonely¡¡wanderings¡¡and¡¡melancholy¡¡tunes¡¡upon¡¡his¡¡faithful

flute¡£¡¡He¡¡asked¡¡for¡¡no¡¡recognition¡£¡¡He¡¡did¡¡not¡¡demand¡¡that

any¡¡one¡¡should¡¡follow¡¡him¡¡or¡¡worship¡¡him¡£¡¡He¡¡reminds¡¡us

of¡¡the¡¡ancient¡¡Greek¡¡philosophers£»¡¡especially¡¡those¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Stoic

School£»¡¡men¡¡who¡¡believed¡¡in¡¡right¡¡living¡¡and¡¡righteous¡¡thinking

without¡¡the¡¡hope¡¡of¡¡a¡¡reward¡¡but¡¡simply¡¡for¡¡the¡¡peace¡¡of

the¡¡soul¡¡that¡¡comes¡¡with¡¡a¡¡good¡¡conscience¡£



Confucius¡¡was¡¡

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