Canonical Books.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2549, 8 March 1877, Page 3

Canonical Books.

We have in the history of Buddhism an ■excellent opportunity for watching the process by which a canon of sacred books is called into existence. We see here, as elsewhere, that during the lifetime of the teacher, no record of events, no sacred code containing the sayings of the master was wanted. His presence was enough, and thoughts of the future, more particularly of future greatness, seldom lentered the minds of those who followed him. It watonly after Buddha had left the world .to* enter into Mirvana, that his disciples attempted to recall. the sayings and doings of their departed friend and master. At that time everything that seemed to redound to the glory of Buddha, however extraordinary and incredible, was eagerly welcomed, while witnesses who would have ventured to qriticise or reject unsupported statements, or to detract in any way from the holy character of Buddha, had no chance of even being listened to. And when, in spite of all

this, differences of opinion arose, they were not brought to the tost by a careful weighing of evidence, but the names of "unbeliever and " heretic "were quickly inventedinlndia as elsewhere, and bandied backwards and forwards between contending parties till at lust, when the doctors disagreed, the help of the secular power had to be invoked, and kings and emperors assembled councils for:the suppression of Scbim, for the settlement of an orthodox creed, and for the completion of a sacred, canon. We know* ot' Kirg Asoka, the contemporary of Se'leucus, sending his royal missive to the assembled elders, and telling'"them what to to do, and what to avoid, warning them also in bis own name of the apocryphal or heretical character of certain books which, l&s he thinks; ought-riot to Jbe-admitted into the sacred canon. We'here learn a lesson, which is confirmed by the study of other, religions,: that canonical books, though, they may furnish in most cases the most ancient and most authentic information within the reach of the student of religion, are not to bo trusted implicitly, nay, that they must be submitted to a more searching criticism and to more stringent tests than any other historical books—"Lectures on the Science, of Keligion" by Max MxiUerV,

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