Return to Index

The Gospel of Buddha

Preface

  • Preface:
    by Paul Carus


    Introduction
  • Chapter 01:
    Rejoice
  • Chapter 02:
    Samsara and Nirvana
  • Chapter 03:
    Truth the Saviour


    Prince Siddhattha becomes Buddha
  • Chapter 04:
    The Bodhisatta's Birth
  • Chapter 05:
    The Ties of Life
  • Chapter 06:
    The Three Woes
  • Chapter 07:
    The Bodhisatta's Renunciation
  • Chapter 08:
    King Bimbisara
  • Chapter 09:
    The Bodhisatta's Search
  • Chapter 10:
    Uruvela, the Place of Mortification
  • Chapter 11:
    Mara, the Evil One
  • Chapter 12:
    Enlightenment
  • Chapter 13:
    The First Converts
  • Chapter 14:
    Brahma's Request


    The Foundation of the Kingdom of Righteousness
  • Chapter 15:
    Upaka
  • Chapter 16:
    The Sermon at Benares
  • Chapter 17:
    The Sangha
  • Chapter 18:
    Yasa, the Youth of Benares
  • Chapter 19:
    Kassapa
  • Chapter 20:
    The Sermon at Rajagaha
  • Chapter 21:
    The King's Gift
  • Chapter 22:
    Sariputta and Moggallana
  • Chapter 23:
    Anathapindika
  • Chapter 24:
    The Sermon on Charity
  • Chapter 25:
    Jetavana
  • Chapter 26:
    The Three Characteristics and the Uncreate
  • Chapter 27:
    The Buddha's Father
  • Chapter 28:
    Yasodhara
  • Chapter 29:
    Rahula


    Consolidation of the Buddha's religion
  • Chapter 30:
    Jivaka, the Physician
  • Chapter 31:
    The Buddha's Parents Attain Nirvana
  • Chapter 32:
    Women Admitted to the Sangha
  • Chapter 33:
    The Bhikkhus' Conduct Toward Women
  • Chapter 34:
    Visakha
  • Chapter 35:
    The Uposatha and Patimokkha
  • Chapter 36:
    The Schism
  • Chapter 37:
    The Re-establishment of Concord
  • Chapter 38:
    The Bhikkhus Rebuked
  • Chapter 39:
    Devadatta
  • Chapter 40:
    Name and Form
  • Chapter 41:
    The Goal
  • Chapter 42:
    Miracles Forbidden
  • Chapter 43:
    The Vanity of Worldliness
  • Chapter 44:
    Secrecy and Publicity
  • Chapter 45:
    The Annihilation of Suffering
  • Chapter 46:
    Avoiding the Ten Evils
  • Chapter 47:
    The Preacher's Mission


    The Teacher
  • Chapter 48:
    The Dhammapada
  • Chapter 49:
    The Two Brahmans
  • Chapter 50:
    Guard the Six Quarters
  • Chapter 51:
    Simha's Question Concerning Annihilation
  • Chapter 52:
    All Existence is Spiritual
  • Chapter 53:
    Identity and Non-Identity
  • Chapter 54:
    The Buddha Omnipresent
  • Chapter 55:
    One Essence, One Law, One Aim
  • Chapter 56:
    The Lesson Given to Rahula
  • Chapter 57:
    The Sermon on Abuse
  • Chapter 58:
    The Buddha Replies to the Deva
  • Chapter 59:
    Words of Instruction
  • Chapter 60:
    Amitabha
  • Chapter 61:
    The Teacher Unknown


    Parables and Stories
  • Chapter 62:
    Parables
  • Chapter 63:
    The Widow's Two Mites and the Parable of the Three Merchants
  • Chapter 64:
    The Man Born Blind
  • Chapter 65:
    The Lost Son
  • Chapter 66:
    The Giddy Fish
  • Chapter 67:
    The Cruel Crane Outwitted
  • Chapter 68:
    Four Kinds of Merit
  • Chapter 69:
    The Light of the World
  • Chapter 70:
    Luxurious Living
  • Chapter 71:
    The Communication of Bliss
  • Chapter 72:
    The Listless Fool
  • Chapter 73:
    Rescue in the Desert
  • Chapter 74:
    The Sower
  • Chapter 75:
    The Outcast
  • Chapter 76:
    The Woman at the Well
  • Chapter 77:
    The Peacemaker
  • Chapter 78:
    The Hungry Dog
  • Chapter 79:
    The Despot
  • Chapter 80:
    Vasavadatta
  • Chapter 81:
    The Marriage-Feast in Jambunada
  • Chapter 82:
    A Party in Search of a Thief
  • Chapter 83:
    In the Realm of Yamaraja
  • Chapter 84:
    The Mustard Seed
  • Chapter 85:
    Following the Master Over the Stream
  • Chapter 86:
    The Sick Bhikkhu
  • Chapter 87:
    The Patient Elephant


    The Last Days
  • Chapter 88:
    The Conditions of Welfare
  • Chapter 89:
    Sariputta's Faith
  • Chapter 90:
    Pataliputta
  • Chapter 91:
    The Mirror of Truth
  • Chapter 92:
    Ambapali
  • Chapter 93:
    The Buddha's Farewell Address
  • Chapter 94:
    The Buddha Announces His Death
  • Chapter 95:
    Chunda, the Smith
  • Chapter 96:
    Metteyya
  • Chapter 97:
    The Buddha's Final Entering into Nirvana


    Conclusion
  • Chapter 98:
    The Three Personalities of the Buddha
  • Chapter 99:
    The Purpose of Being
  • Chapter 100:
    The Praise of All the Buddhas


  • Click for The Reluctant Messenger (Host Site)
    Click here to go The Reluctant Messenger (Host Site)

    The Gospel of Buddha

    Pataliputta

    When the Blessed One had stayed as long as convenient at Nalanda,
    he went to Pataliputta, the frontier town of Magadha;
    and when the disciples at Pataliputta heard of his arrival,
    they invited him to their village rest-house.
    And the Blessed One robed himself, took his bowl
    and went with the brethren to the rest-house.
    There he washed his feet, entered the hall,
    and seated himself against the center pillar,
    with his face towards the east.
    The brethren, also, having washed their feet, entered the hall,
    and took their seats round the Blessed One,
    against the western wall, facing the east.
    And the lay devotees of Pataliputta, having also washed their feet,
    entered the hall, and took their seats opposite the Blessed One
    against the eastern wall, facing towards the west. [1]

    Then the Blessed One addressed the lay-disciples of Pataliputta, and he said: [2]

    "Fivefold, O householders,
    is the loss of the wrong-doer through his want of rectitude.
    In the first place, the wrong-doer, devoid of rectitude,
    falls into great poverty through sloth;
    in the next place, his evil repute gets noised abroad;
    thirdly, whatever society he enters shyly and confusedly;
    fourthly, he is full of anxiety when he dies;
    and lastly, on the dissolution of the body after death,
    his mind remains in an unhappy state.
    Wherever his karma continues, there will be suffering and woe.
    This, O householders, is the fivefold loss of the evil-doer!
    [3]

    "Fivefold, O householders,
    is the gain of the well-doer through his practice of rectitude.
    In the first place the well-doer, strong in rectitude,
    acquires property through his industry;
    in the next place, good reports of him are spread abroad;
    thirdly, whatever society he enters,
    whether of nobles, Brahmans, heads of houses, or members of the order,
    he enters with confidence and self-possession;
    fourthly, he dies without anxiety;
    and lastly, on the dissolution after death,
    his mind remains in a happy state.
    Wherever his karma continues, there will be heavenly bliss and peace.
    This, O householders, is the fivefold gain of the well-doer."
    [4]

    When the Blessed One had taught the disciples,
    and incited them, and roused them, and gladdened them
    far into the night with religious edification, he dimissed them, saying,
    "The night is far spent, O householders.
    It is time for you to do what ye deem most fit."
    [5]

    "Be it so, Lord!" answered the disciples of Pataliputta,
    and rising from their seats, they bowed to the Blessed One,
    and keeping him on their right hand as they passed him,
    they departed thence. [6]

    While the Blessed One stayed at Pataliputta,
    the king of Magadha sent a messenger to the governor of Pataliputta
    to raise fortifications for the security of the town. [7]

    And the Blessed One seeing the labourers at work
    predicted the future greatness of the place, saying:
    "The men who build the fortress act
    as if they had consulted higher powers.
    For this city of Pataliputta will be a dwelling-place of busy men
    and a center for the exchange of all kinds of goods.
    But three dangers hang over Pataliputta,
    that of fire, that of water, that of dissension."
    [8]

    When the governor heard of the prophecy of Pataliputta's future,
    he greatly rejoiced and named the city-gate
    through which the Buddha had gone towards the river Ganges,
    "The Gotama Gate." [9]

    Meanwhile the people living on the banks of the Ganges
    arrived in great numbers to pay reverence to the Lord of the world;
    and many persons asked him to do them the honour to cross over in their boats.
    But the Blessed One considering the number of the boats and their beauty
    did not want to show any partiality,
    and by accepting the invitation of one to offend all the others.
    He therefore crossed the river without any boat,
    signifying thereby that the rafts of asceticism
    and the gaudy gondolas of religious ceremonies
    were not staunch enough to weather the storms of Samsara,
    while the Tathagata can walk dry-shod over the ocean of worldliness. [10]

    And as the city-gate was called after the name of the Tathagata
    so the people called this passage of the river "Gotama Ford." [11]

    End Chapter 90


    [Previous] [Next]


    01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100 | Preface



    The Gospel of Buddha
    The Gospel of Buddha
    Compiled from ancient records by Paul Carus, 1894

    $3.99 Kindle eBook
    The Reluctant 
Messenger of Science and Religion Book Cover
    Buy from Amazon.com




    The Reluctant Messenger's Recommended Books and CDs

    Book of Chester (sacred scripture)