Page:The World's Parliament of Religions Vol 1.djvu/254

226 INTRODUCTION TO PARLIAMENT PAPERS. idea of benevolence is that of gentleness and liberal minded- ness. As the spring influences are gentle and liberal and life- giving, so is the benevolent man the life. Extend and develop benevolence and all under heaven may be benefited thereby. Confucianism rests its superiority on its not encouraging mysteries and marvels, but presenting a doctrine of great impartiality and strict uprightness which one may body forth in one's person and carry out with vigor in one's life. The fifthT-day paper of the representative of Siamese Bud- dhism pointed out how in Buddhist teaching these eight paths lead to the cessation of lusts and of other evils : (i) right understanding or proper comprehension, especially of suffer- ings ; (2) right resolutions, to act kindly to fellow creatures, to bear no malice and never seek revenge, to control our desires and cravings and endeavor to be good and kind to all; (3) right speech, always to speak the truth, never to incite one's anger towards others, always to speak of things useful and never use harsh words destined to hurt the feelings of others ; (4) right acts, never to harm our fellow creatures, neither steal, take life, nor commit adultery, and to observe temperance ; (5) right way of earning a livelihood, always to be honest, never to use wrongful means to attain an end ; (6) right efforts, to persevere in our endeavors to do good, and to mend our conduct should we ever have strayed from the path of virtue; (7) right meditation, always to look upon life as being tempo- rary, to consider our existence as a source of suffering and endeavor always to calm our minds under any sense of pleas- ure or of pain ; and (8) right state of mind, that we should be firm in our belief and strictly indifferent to either pleasure or pain. Papers covering the topic of this chapter were read by President Scovell, Prof. Toy, Rev. Ida C. Hultin and many others. The relations of Christianity to morals had repeated and elaborate discussion. Buddhist ethics were criticized by Prof. Wilkinson on the fifteenth day.