< As to Some Qualities of Buddhistic Adepts (continued from page 11-175) >
born in the good way, into the world of heaven.”
“The religious person perceiving his mind thus concentrated, turns his mind towards the knowledge of the destruction of the stains of vice; he knows what grief is, and says, behold this is grief; this is the production of grief; this is the cessation of grief; this is the degree or stage which leads to the destruction of grief; he knows the stains of vice, and says; behold the stains of vice, this is the production of the stains of vice; this is the path which conducts to the cessation of the stains of vice. When he thus sees, when he thus knows, his mind is delivered from the stains of desire, from those of existence from those of ignorance. His mind being delivered, his knowledge is thus: existence is exhausted; (for me) the duties of religious life are accomplished; what is to be done has been done; there is no place to return here below. This is the general and foreseen result; the most eminent and the most precious.”
This is a short summary of this remarkable Sutta—A more detailed account and a learned critique on these different stages is given in appendix No. XIII. It is evident from it that the great aim and object of the Buddhistic religion was to relieve every one who chose to take the proper means, that is the religious life, or the life of an Adept, from a return to a new life on this earth. Many scholars suppose that this is to be effected by means of annihilation. But it is, to the writer, inconceivable how anyone who at all studies the Buddhistic writings, can arrive at this conclusion; for the expressions used describing the final state of the blessed Nirvana all imply continued consciousness and perfect happiness. No doubt this view as to annihilation has been arrived at by merely looking at the etymology of the word “Nirvana” insecure foundation to build such an extraordinary edifice on. The punishment of sin was a return to earth life; the escape was by means of the before mentioned stages of Adeptship, by which Nirvana or the annihilation of earth life for the individual was attained, and his continued existence in the Heaven of Brahma secured.
C. C. M. and the majority of the Theosophists seem to differ from the undoubted teaching and practice of Buddha and his followers as to avoiding flesh diet and alcohol (Buddha knew nothing' of tobacco or he would undoubtedly have forbidden it also); it will be seen from the foregoing that Sakya makes this abstinence the very first precept and stage in the upward path of Adeptship or the religious life, truly considering it as the necessary foundation and basis of all progress.
That general progress towards the higher life, can only be made through Vegetarian practice, seems to the writer to be clear; when we consider the hardening of the sensitive feelings, and the indifference to the pain and tortures of the animal world involved in flesh-eating, how can the tenderer feelings of sympathy and love exist? It is in vain to say that a flesh diet is necessary, the highest scientific evidence has been produced against that view; and the practice of the majority, and of the healthiest and strongest of the human family, cries out against the absurd statement. Economically, it is the only and best means of getting rid of poverty, and of enabling the world to be fully peopled with a happy and innocent population; as it has been proved that seven times the population could be supported in health and comfort, if humanity would but consent to abandon blood and cruelty, and live on the pure fruits of the earth.
Louis Lambert, who was a Spiritualist before “Spiritualism,” so-called, was known, and whose life has been sketched by Balzac, in his “Etudes Philosophiques,” had a theory that all our thoughts and emotions were material (etherealised material) substances; if this theory be true, and it well may be, as in truth we know nothing whatever of any substance, either matter or spirit, how important it becomes that our diet should be pure, undiseased, and not vitiated by torture and agony, as it is with flesh diet.
The members of humanity in Europe and in America, particularly the flesh-eating part, are unhealthy and unsound, and becoming more so every decade; and the animals they feed on they make also unsound and diseased by unnatural habits and vitiated food, and so the evil goes on increasing.
Surely those who aspire to adeptship, and the true religious life, should set an example to others, who, for the most part, sin through ignorance of the truth. The best Adepts, the best thinkers, and the holiest livers the world has even seen, have, in all ages, agreed in perhaps but this one principle, abstinence from cruelty to the sentient world, shown by abstinence from a flesh diet.
Lucerne, Switzerland.
<Untitled> (Next Sunday evening...)
Next Sunday evening at 7 o’clock, the Hon. J. L. O’Sullivan will deliver an address at Mr. Burns’s, 15, Southampton Row, on Extraordinary Spiritual Manifestations in the United States. A collection will be made to support the work of a Spiritualist whose troubles we regret.
Editor's notes
- ↑ Next Sunday evening... by unknown author, London Spiritualist, No. 466, July 29, 1881, p. 52
Sources
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London Spiritualist, No. 466, July 29, 1881, p. 52