Indian Antiquary Vol 03

SR No.: 032495
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 420
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 391

NOVEMBER, 1874.)
INDIAN SOCIETY IN THE TIME OF BUDDHA, &c.
329
canoes, traversed Yunnan, and finally descended the Yang-tze-kiang, and reached Shanghai in 1868. The results of this journey were publishud by Lieut. Garnier in two splendid volumes quarto, with a folio atlas of plates, and are replete with interesting information regarding the antiquities and ethnography, as well as the geography, of these very little-known countries. After the
completion of this work, Lieut. Garnier returned to China, with the intention of penetrating into Thibet; but being recalled by the Governor of the French settlement at Saigon, he was sent on an expedition to Tonquin, where ho was assassinated when imprudently truating himself almost alone and unarmed into the hands of his enemies.
REMARKS OF M. AUGUSTE BARTH ON THE STATE OF INDIAN SOCIETY IN THE TIME OF BUDDHA, AND THE CHARACTER OF BUDDHISM.
Translated from the French by J. Muir, D.C.L, LL D., P.D. The Nos of the Revue Critique for 13th and else. It is in the midst of this state of things, it 20th June last contain a notice by M. Barth on is in this society, and not in that represented in tho new edition of the 2nd volume of Lassen's the Code of Manu, that the nascent Buddhism Indian Antiquities, in which the writer, whilo should be placed. It is there, in what one may doing justice to the great merits of the veteran call the old Vedantism, rather than in the Sankhya Indianist's work, expresses his dissent from somo philosophy, that its source should be sought, and of tho opinions therein maintained. I refer in that parallels to it may be found. It is, in fact, particular to his remarks on the condition of Indian probable that before formally rejecting tlie Veda, society and opinion at the time when Buddha, ap- Buddhism was content, like other schools, to investi. peared, and on the chamcter of Buddhism. Lassen, gate independently of it; andas regards ita atheism as represented in M. Barth's summary, holds that, or rather its tendency to substituto metaphyat the period in question, Brahmanism was a sical abstractions for the Deity (for it never denied fully formed and developed system, carried out the existence of the gods), did the authors of into practice in matters religious, political, and the Upanishads, who sought the primal Principle, social; that the caste regulations as theoretically some of them in thought, others in breath, others laid down were enforced in all their rigour, and
in the vital energy, do anything essentially were felt by the people to be a great burthen; and different? These points of contact between the that Buddhism was a vigorous reaction against
Brahmanicnl and Buddhist speculations] explain this state of things, against the oppression of the
better than the supposition of] positive conver. sacerdotal class, and a moral and religious emanci- sions [from Brahmanism to Buddhism) the fact pation. I will translate the acute and judicious that the same personages sometimes play a part remarks which M. Barth makes on these subjects equally marked in both traditions. If Lassen had at pp. 373 ff. and 385 ff. of his notice, as they made more use of these documents, his description may be acceptable to readers who have not access of Brahmatism would thereby have been sensibly to the Revue Critique :
modified. “For the period in question we possess, in the "I believe that we should say the same of the most modern parts of the Brahmanas, and in picture which M. Lassen has drawn of caste such several of the Upanishads, contemporary testi- as it must have existed atthe time when Buddhism monies, which avail at least as much as the portions arose. Here, too, he seeks his point of departure, hitherto published of the Buddhist writings. Now, and his great authority, in the Dharmaseistras, none of these works exhibits to us the Indian and and in particular in that of Manu. Now, it is Brahmanical society in the complete and com- allowable to ask whether here, as in other cases, pacted form which Lassen supposes. There are practice was not different from theory, and no traces of an imperious and jealous orthodoxy. whether the system which is presented to us in Philosophical speculations, religious novelties, these books was, even after it has been stripped even criticisms addressed to the Brâhmans, are of certain manifest impossibilities,--ever rigorously in no wise restricted in them. Everything breathes applied. In any case it is sufficiently difficult to life, movement, and liberty. One thing, it is true, say for what period it can be considered as perfectly appears to be on the decline, viz. faith in the old exact. It is certainly not so for the era of worship 88 & means of ensuring salvation. The Megasthenes, who describes to us a society sen. traditional practices and doctrines no longer sufficesibly different. In fact, it would scarcely be to the awakened conscience; it wants something intelligible how the establishment of great mon
• &me année, ler sem. Pp. 360-375, 385-390.