sun, or as the higher principle of which the sun is the image or emblem, or of which the sun is the residence. The second is, that the word Buddha means wisdom. Now, we cannot believe that this wisdom would be called by so singular a name as Buddha, without a cause.
It has been observed by several philologers that the letters B D, B T, universally convey the idea either of former or of creator. But Genesis says the world was formed by Wisdom. Wisdom was the Buddha or former of the world: thus Wisdom, I conceive, became called Bud. Wisdom was the first emanation, so was Buddha. Wisdom was the Logos by which the world was formed; but Buddha was the Creator: thus the Logos and Budd are identical, the same second person of the Trinity.
Rasit, or Wisdom, was contemporaneous with the commencement of creation—it was the beginning of things, and the beginning was Wisdom, the Logos.
The beginning, as the word Rasit is explained by our version, is contradictory to the context, because the existence of space, of time, of created angelic beings, is implied, before the moment which gave birth to the mundane system. This will not be thought to be too refined for the inventors of the Trinity,—the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. I shall shew that Logos, Bud, and Rasit, were only names in different languages for the same idea.
Mr. Whiter says, “Through the whole compass of language the element B D denotes Being: hence we have the great Deity worshiped all over the East—Budda.”[1] Then Buddha will mean the existent or self-existent wisdom, self-existent as an integral part of the Trinity. He then informs us that, in Persian, Bud-en Bud, signifies to be. The same as Is, est, existo. Bud is clearly the I am that I am of our Bible; or, in the original, which has no present tense, the I shall be, or the I have been; or what, perhaps, this celebrated text may mean, That which I have been, I shall be—Eternity, past and future.
4. Mr. Crawfurd says, oriental scholars have for some time suspected that the religions of Brahma and Buddha are essentially the same, the one being nothing but a modification of the other.[2] This we shall find hereafter confirmed.
The following is the speech of Arjoon respecting Vishnu as Cristna—Thou art all in all. Thou art thyself numerous Avatars. Thy Hyagrive Avatar killed Madhu, the Ditya, on the back of a tortoise. In thy Comma Avatar did the Devites place the solid orb of the earth, while from the water of the milky ocean, by the churning staff of mount Meru, they obtained the immortal Amrita of their desires. Hirinakassah, who had carried the earth down to Patal, did thy Varaha Avatar slay and bring up the earth on the tusks of the boar: and Prahland, whom Hirinakassah tormented for his zeal towards thee, did thy Narasing Avatar place in tranquillity. In thy dwarf or Bahmen Avatar thou didst place Bali in the mighty monarchy of Patal. Thou art that mighty Parasa Rama, who cut down the entire jungle, the residence of the Reeshees:[3] and thou art Ram the Potent slayer of Ravar. O supreme Bhagavat, thou art the Buddha Avatar who shall tranquillize and give ease to Devaties, human creatures, and Dityes.[4]
I think I could scarcely have wished for a more complete proof of the truth of my doctrine of the renewal of the Avatars, than the above. It shews, in fact, that both Buddha and Cristna are nothing but renewed incarnations in each cycle.
The ancient identity of the worship of Buddha and of Cristna, receives a strong confirmation
- ↑ Etymol. Univ. Vol. I. p. 310.
- ↑ Hist. Ind. Arch. Vol. II. p. 222.
- ↑ I apprehend the Reeshees, or Rishees, when the word is applied to men, are the Ras-shees—the φιλοσοφοι. They are said to have been seven in number, and the Pleiades were dedicated to them. But I shall return to this subject hereafter.
- ↑ Camb. Key, Vol. II. p. 294.
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