the story of mankind-第46章

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and　his　mother　and　tried　to　be　happy。　A　little　while　later　he

left　the　palace　a　second　time。　His　carriage　met　a　man　who

suffered　from　a　terrible　disease。　Siddhartha　asked　Channa

what　had　been　the　cause　of　this　man's　suffering；　but　the　coachman

answered　that　there　were　many　sick　people　in　this　world

and　that　such　things　could　not　be　helped　and　did　not　matter

very　much。　The　young　prince　was　very　sad　when　he　heard　this

but　again　he　returned　to　his　people。



A　few　weeks　passed。　One　evening　Siddhartha　ordered　his

carriage　in　order　to　go　to　the　river　and　bathe。　Suddenly　his

horses　were　frightened　by　the　sight　of　a　dead　man　whose　rotting

body　lay　sprawling　in　the　ditch　beside　the　road。　The　young

prince；　who　had　never　been　allowed　to　see　such　things；　was

frightened；　but　Channa　told　him　not　to　mind　such　trifles。　The

world　was　full　of　dead　people。　It　was　the　rule　of　life　that　all

things　must　come　to　an　end。　Nothing　was　eternal。　The　grave

awaited　us　all　and　there　was　no　escape。



That　evening；　when　Siddhartha　returned　to　his　home；　he

was　received　with　music。　While　he　was　away　his　wife　had

given　birth　to　a　son。　The　people　were　delighted　because　now

they　knew　that　there　was　an　heir　to　the　throne　and　they

celebrated　the　event　by　the　beating　of　many　drums。　Siddhartha；

however；　did　not　share　their　joy。　The　curtain　of　life　had　been

lifted　and　he　had　learned　the　horror　of　man's　existence。　The

sight　of　death　and　suffering　followed　him　like　a　terrible　dream。



That　night　the　moon　was　shining　brightly。　Siddhartha

woke　up　and　began　to　think　of　many　things。　Never　again

could　he　be　happy　until　he　should　have　found　a　solution　to　the

riddle　of　existence。　He　decided　to　find　it　far　away　from　all

those　whom　he　loved。　Softly　he　went　into　the　room　where

Yasodhara　was　sleeping　with　her　baby。　Then　he　called　for

his　faithful　Channa　and　told　him　to　follow。



Together　the　two　men　went　into　the　darkness　of　the　night；

one　to　find　rest　for　his　soul；　the　other　to　be　a　faithful　servant

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

millions　of　docile　little　brown　men。　To　maintain　themselves　in

the　seat　of　the　mighty；　they　had　divided　the　population　into

different　classes　and　gradually　a　system　of　‘‘caste''　of　the　most

rigid　sort　had　been　enforced　upon　the　natives。　The　descendants

of　the　Indo…European　conquerors　belonged　to　the　highest

‘‘caste；''　the　class　of　warriors　and　nobles。　Next　came　the　caste

of　the　priests。　Below　these　followed　the　peasants　and　the

business　men。　The　ancient　natives；　however；　who　were　called

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

three　highest　castes　were　allowed　to　read　these　holy　scriptures。

The　Pariah；　however；　the　despised　member　of　the　lowest　caste；

was　not　permitted　to　know　its　contents。　Woe　to　the　man　of

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

sacred　volume！



The　majority　of　the　Indian　people；　therefore；　lived　in

misery。　Since　this　planet　offered　them　very　little　joy；　salvation

from　suffering　must　be　found　elsewhere。　They　tried　to

derive　a　little　consolation　from　meditation　upon　the　bliss　of

their　future　existence。



Brahma；　the　all…creator　who　was　regarded　by　the　Indian

people　as　the　supreme　ruler　of　life　and　death；　was　worshipped

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

as　more　important　than　holy　deeds；　and　many　people　went

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。



Siddhartha；　who　had　often　observed　these　solitary　wanderers

who　were　seeking　the　truth　far　away　from　the　turmoil

of　the　cities　and　the　villages；　decided　to　follow　their　example。

He　cut　his　hair。　He　took　his　pearls　and　his　rubies　and　sent

them　back　to　his　family　with　a　message　of　farewell；　which　the

ever　faithful　Channa　carried。　Without　a　single　follower；　the

young　prince　then　moved　into　the　wilderness。



Soon　the　fame　of　his　holy　conduct　spread　among　the　mountains。

Five　young　men　came　to　him　and　asked　that　they　might

be　allowed　to　listen　to　his　words　of　wisdom。　He　agreed　to　be

their　master　if　they　would　follow　him。　They　consented；　and

he　took　them　into　the　hills　and　for　six　years　he　taught　them

all　he　knew　amidst　the　lonely　peaks　of　the　Vindhya　Mountains。

But　at　the　end　of　this　period　of　study；　he　felt　that　he　was　still

far　from　perfection。　The　world　that　he　had　left　continued　to

tempt　him。　He　now　asked　that　his　pupils　leave　him　and　then

he　fasted　for　forty…nine　days　and　nights；　sitting　upon　the　roots

of　an　old　tree。　At　last　he　received　his　reward。　In　the　dusk　of

the　fiftieth　evening；　Brahma　revealed　himself　to　his　faithful

servant。　From　that　moment　on；　Siddhartha　was　called　Buddha

and　he　was　revered　as　the　Enlightened　One　who　had　come　to

save　men　from　their　unhappy　mortal　fate。



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　inha