Gotama Buddha : A Biography

Abstract

AFTER the lapse of twenty-five centuries Gotama Buddha's influence is still a mighty power in the world. That an Indian monk, embracing poverty and the celi bate life, writing no book, and setting up no hierarchy, should so profoundly sway the destinies of a continent is one of the most impressive facts of history. And the modern world, with its passionate belief in organi sation and in wealth, may learn much from Gotama. Yet he is still strangely misunderstood. 11 There is perhaps no person in history in regard to whom have arisen so many opinions that are either wholly or partly false," says Dr. Hopkins. "In Bud dhism," says de la Vallee Poussin, "it is possible to make but few statements of which the opposite may not be affirmed and proved." These sayings express very truly the confusion which still exists both as to the person of Gotama, and as to his essential teachings — a confusion due partly to the fact that there exists no early biography of him, and partly to the still more remarkable fact that literary criticism of Buddhist books has made very little pro gress, and that it is very difficult to-day to determine what are the authentic teachings of the Founder of Buddhism.