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ESOTERIC BUDDHISM

by CHARLES JOHNSTON, F.T.S.

[FROM THE Dublin University Review, JULY, 1885.]

reprinted fro !T"eo#op"i$%& Siftin'#( )o&*e 1 +

T"ere %re %o $e&e#ti%& bodie#, %nd bodie# terre#tri%&.

- FE ye%r# %'o no one in E*rope "%d %ny /no0&ed'e of t"e #t*pendo*# %$"ieeent#of o*r -ry%n %n$e#tor# in #$ien$e %nd p"i&o#op"y. Re$ent&y, "o0eer, t"e "eredit%ry'*%rdi%n# of E%#tern 0i#do, t"e fo&&o0er# of t"e Ri#"i# of o&d, "%e di#$&o#ed % &%r'e p%rt

of t"eir #e$ret /no0&ed'e, of 0"i$" t"e fo&&o0in' i# % brief o*t&ine.

"i&e e#tern #$ien$e "%# $oe to t"e $on$&*#ion t"%t %n i# odified %tter %nd ind %ode of otion, t"e#e profo*nd p"i&o#op"er# "%e di#$oered t"%t % perfe$t "*%n bein'i# $opo#ed of #een po0er# or prin$ip&e#, 0"i$" t"ey %rr%n'e t"*#23

1. T"e 4ody, of $"ei$%& e&eent#.. )it%&ity, 0"i$" di#tin'*i#"e# or'%ni$ %tter.6. -#tr%& 4ody, %n et"ere%& $o*nterp%rt of t"e body.7. -ni%& So*&, or body of 0i&& %nd de#ire.5. H*%n So*&, or #e%t of eory %nd re%#on.

. Spirit*%& So*&, or 9iine e##en$e.:. Spirit,

T"e t"ree &o0er prin$ip&e# %re %&to'et"er of t"e e%rt", %nd %re %b#o&*te&y done 0it" by %n%t de%t". T"e fo*rt" %nd fift" for in *# t"e terre#tri%& per#on%&ity, %nd %re i&&*in%ted byt"e "i'"er prin$ip&e#, 0"i$" %re t"e e%n%tion# of t"e 9iine #o*&, %nd, t"erefore,oni#$ient.

Fro one point of ie0, t"e ob;e$t of eo&*tion i# to *nite t"e per#on%&ity 0it" t"e #pirit*%o*&, t"*# %/in' %n % diine bein'< t"i# *nitin' 0it" t"e #i=t" prin$ip&e %/e# % %n %tr*e %dept, or M%">t%.

?n t"e %ni%&, t"e $on#$io*#ne## i# $on$entr%ted in t"e fo*rt" prin$ip&e.

T"e eo&*tion of #*$" % $op&e= bein' %# %n i# de#tined to be$oe doe# not t%/e p&%$eon t"e e%rt" %&one, b*t i# e=tended t"ro*'" % $"%in of #een p&%net#, e%$" of 0"i$" "%# %#pe$i%& p%rt to p&%y in t"e dee&opent of "*%nity. ?t 0i&& re%di&y be #*ppo#ed t"%t t"ep&%net# 0"i$" for t"i# $"%in %re not e=%$t&y #ii&%r in $on#tit*tion< in re%&ity, t"ey %re ery*n&i/e e%$" ot"er, not ere&y in o*t0%rd $ondition#, b*t in t"%t #*pree $"%r%$teri#ti$, t"eproportion bet0een t"eir #pirit*%& %nd %teri%& $"%r%$teri#ti$#. On t"e e%rt" t"e b%&%n$ebet0een t"e#e $"%r%$teri#ti$# i# een< t"e ot"er p&%net# in t"e $"%in %re ore et"ere%&. ?nt"e #o&%r #y#te t"ere %re #i= ot"er p&%net%ry $"%in#, not $onne$ted, "o0eer, 0it" t"ep&%net%ry #y#te to 0"i$" 0e be&on'. Ro*nd t"e #een p&%net# of t"e $"%in t"e indiid*%&entitie# $ir$&e, %nd ret*rn %'%in to t"e p&%net on 0"i$" t"ey be'%n t"eir e=i#ten$e, not,"o0eer, to re#*e t"e $ondition t"ey &eft i&&ion# of ye%r# preio*#&y. On t"e #e$ond i#it

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to t"e fir#t p&%net t"e entitie# "%e re%$"ed t"e #e$ond #t%'e, or ro*nd, of t"eir e=i#ten$e.E#oteri$ p"i&o#op"y re$o'ni@e# #een /in'do# of n%t*re, e%$" of 0"i$" #ee# to t%/e#een ro*nd#, or p%##%'e#, %ro*nd t"e p&%net%ry $"%in for it# $op&ete dee&opent

T"e t"ree &o0e#t /in'do# %re $%&&ed t"e e&eent%& or %#tr%& /in'do#< t"e fo*rt" i# t"e

iner%& /in'do< t"e fift", t"e e'et%b&e< t"e #i=t", %ni%&< t"e #eent", %n. To t"e &%#t0e *#t $onfine o*r %ttention.

M%n, it %ppe%r#, "%# to p%## #een tie# ro*nd t"e $op&ete $"%in of #een p&%net#< inot"er 0ord#, t"e $op&ete eo&*tion of "*%nity reA*ire# #een ro*nd#. e %re in t"efo*rt" ro*nd. T"e indiid*%& entity doe# not, "o0eer, on&y p%y % f&yin' i#it to e%$" p&%net%nd t"en p%## on to t"e ne=t. On e%$" p&%net t"ere %re #een 're%t r%$e# of "*%nity0"i$" #*$$e##ie&y ri#e, f&o*ri#", %nd de$&ine< t"%t i#, t"ere %re #een $*&in%tion# ofdee&opent %nd $ii&i@%tion on e%$" p&%net in t*rn. E%$" of t"e#e #een 're%t r%$e# i#f*rt"er diided into #een br%n$" r%$e#, %nd e%$" br%n$" r%$e into #een root r%$e#. ?ne%$" of t"e#e root r%$e# eery indiid*%& entity, or on%d, "%# to p%## %t &e%#t t0o

in$%rn%tion#, or e%rt" &ie#< #o t"%t t"ere %re %bo*t 8BB in$%rn%tion# for e%$" indiid*%& one%$" p&%net in t*rn. T"e %;ority of %n/ind no0 &iin' be&on' to t"e fift" 're%t r%$e 3 t"ebro0n+0"ite #e$tion of %n/ind. T"e -#i%ti$ -ry%n# be&on' to t"e fir#t br%n$" r%$e, 0"i&e0e, t"e E*rope%n -ry%n#, be&on' to [Page 16] t"e fift" br%n$" r%$e of t"e fift" 're%t r%$e.T"e fo*rt" 're%t r%$e, 0"o#e p*re de#$end%nt# %re fo*nd %on' t"e in&%nd C"in%en,in"%bited % $ontinent $%&&ed, by D&%to, -t&%nti#, 0"i$" i# no0 #*ber'ed, b*t indi$%tion# of0"i$" 0ere di#$oered, it i# be&ieed, by t"e #o*ndin'# of t"e C"%&&en'er. T"eprede$e##or# of t"e ree/# %nd Ro%n# 0ere -t&%nte%n#. T"e fo*rt" 're%t r%$e i# t"ered+ye&&o0 br%n$" of %n/ind. T"e t"ird r%$e in"%bited % no0 #*ber'ed $ontinent in t"e?ndi%n O$e%n, 0"i$" 0e %y $%&& Le*ri%. T"eir de'ener%te de#$end%nt# %re t"e f&%t+"e%ded %bori'ine# of -*#tr%&i%.

-fter e%$" in$%rn%tion of t"e indiid*%& $oe# % period in 0"i$" "e i# re0%rded %$$ordin'to "i# de#ert# in %n et"ere%& 0or&d, "i# #o;o*rn in 0"i$" %y &%#t fro ,BBB to 1B,BBBye%r#, %$$ordin' to t"e A*%&ity of #pirit*%& ener'y dee&oped by t"e "i'"er n%t*re of t"eindiid*%&. T"i# et"ere%& 0or&d "%# %ny p"%#e#< it# e=tree p"%#e# %re $%&&ed 9e%$"%n%nd -it$"i< $orre#pondin' ro*'"&y to t"e ide%# of "e%en %nd "e&&, b*t differin' fro t"e#eide%# in t"%t t"ey refer to % #t%te not to % &o$%&ity. To -it$"i, "o0eer, 'o on&y t"e%ri#to$r%t# in $rie, $"%r%$ter# 0"o %y be $op%red or%&&y to Mi&ton# S%t%n. T"e re#tof %n/ind, t"e #inner# r%t"er $oonp&%$e, #*ffer for t"eir #in# in t"e ne=t in$%rn%tion#