216

'IOLTRN;\L
ll. a. s,
(cntr,ox).
[\ro1,
VJI., Pt.IIL
BUDDITA'S SIi] RMON OT{ OMEI{S.
TJy T:oI:Is Ih Zovs.q.. M,l,Hi l'Irrl.qr,rv,(n.
(Ti ead,,\eptenLlter 1-jt It, I8 82.)
'--
That thc n'ounder of Buddhisrn has r:epudiatecl caste and
supelstitior-i Jroth in the'orv anti practicc, is rvell lttrotvn. A
high nuthor:iiyx hns characterizod Bu<ltlha as
'(
the great oppo-
nent of I-Iiudrl caste and sttpcrstition," Jlut in countries like
L)evlon, in rrhich Hindriisrn had prerailt t{ be{bre thc introcluction
of llutklhisrir, caste ancl superstition still erist though in a
rnoclified forin
I
irntl rvt"iters rvhosc' infbrnurtion is derir-ed from
secontlnry so11r:cr\r ale tpt to fblgei the i:eal teaching-< of Buddha
on thcsc, sul-rjocts. A notablc instailcre oi' ihis I rnlrY rncntion
here. A reccrt rvriter,t
('On
thc fioligions of lndia" has,
:rccording to r let,icw o{'his work in the tltlLetrceunt, attributcri
the introcluction of cl-ttt into fc1'lep to the influr:ncc of' Butl-
tlhi-.ru l
I hopc io lity ltefblc tlrc S<-rcictr- I'r'onr tirne to tirne, ti'ans-
lations <-rt' cxtlrc'ts Ii:orn Butl.lirist it-riiings llcaring on thesc tl'o
,iub,iects. Itr tltc
|r"oscut
uott'I sh'rll coufinc rrrl' r'cnrarks to thrr
su.lr.jc.ct of
(r-*upcrstitiotr,o'
t'ttclt"ing tliorc on
t{
cir-*te" for lr fn-
turr, occasiou.
A fiLir icleu c,f llldclha's \.ie$,s oil srr-pcr:stition rnav be
fbrrmed on leference to tr-o prpers prrblished in this Societ;'.<
Joulnal. I allurle to the able trlrnshtion of'
((
.Ilralunctlllrt Strttatz"f
]iv the late ]tr,r-rl. L). .L Clogorlr-, in s-hic,h t-nlions supcrstitions
lr'{}
(rnrlrne1'atcil lrttl coniLi'tntti,l ls
t'
tturvortht- :ltl11 ltttirnll
s(,ienc(,F," anri to 1nv
()\\r
ti'air"lrLtiort of ts'o J:iillias, (-Airl'-
I'lrottn, t:atl
j!tinect-qirld/i
)^r\
onr' o{' r-hich
(r\pc$ct
ilto 1b1l.v ol
The late leerncd Dr'. IIi1J. I\'irrcipal of Bishop's []ollc::r:,
(.':rlclrltir^
l{r. ,\. l}artl}. (1'liiltncr"s Olicntal Sct'ics,)
C,\. S.,Jolmal 181li (Rcprirrt" 1$ti1) pp. l7-fi2.
(i. ,\"
!:1. .l{)ilrr1:ll l!Ef)" i)xri Ii. pl), :llr-:lil.
No. 25-1882.]
BUDDHA's srjRMoN oN oMENS.
2I7
believing: in astr:ology,
antl thc, other of the practice of confer-
ring on individuals
lvh:rt are s'pposed to be iuck.y or ansllicious
llil l)l(rs.
..
M;.
-spocial object horvever in the present note is to bring
ttr light the true object of Mctggalutg, Suttary,one o{, tlre rnoj
lr:r'arl<able discoursos o1' Ruddhn agrinst
(a
superstition," rvhich
is fb.nd i* tr'vo of the_cnrurnical
script.res of B'cldiris'r,
'a'relv in tlrc"9z11rrl-qoataand
Khruklr,tlrapittlto.sdctionsctf
ilrc Klnrrlr,!rrl.;a
f itt/t,r
of tire Szfla
p,itaka.
The.e are tlr'ee Dnglish tra.-"latior:rs extant ofthis dir",,Lrrn,,-
one ]ly the latc }i,er.. D. J. Gogerl,r., in the Cellon l,tt"ienrl for
.T.'e 1839, rr'other bv the late
p'ofessor
R.
(
l.
(
rhilclers
in his t.irrsl:rtiorr of tht, l{lu,tdcrukct r)atltrr, uttd u ihirrl irr
ttrre latt' sir If.
(l'.rnli'l
Su...rf-'s
trn'il:rtiorr ot' sttirn A,ilrrtn
;
llrt h,.]- an un lrilrpv r*,,r,,lerj,ri,- of' or.rt. expression br- thc
ll'ltntcrl tranll:rto;'s, tlrt'tt,r;rr oliicct rif i.lrc rliicrortrs,,, ,,,,,rr,,1",
tltrrl o,l' t,rltosintr {/tt'
,/'tll.,1
a,7' l,t!it'rin.tt
,iLt,
{tnt:tt:,, l,ao 1,"0,,, ,.,,,,,_
trlrrtolt' iit'1r1, otrl, o1'r'.r,ri., :ri,rl tiri, rlist,ourso is sirrrpi.t- r.eg-irlrlgrl ris
l ,qcrics 1',f s'v1 1:li1,i1i: ;rlr,r"lil rrlxinis. Idr.
(*og.r,ii.
rcn,lr,re,l 11.r,,
tirlrrIs
t;
e'rrl ttrot,!cl1t:t itii(tt]t6r!."
ri
1]11,. l, :tir, r"lricf' r,xc,cllltr_
,,ics": l"lr'. 111,;1,;,..r,,
,,i,lrs
;s tlic gleate,,l
lriessin9..,:
this is rrls.
iltc rt,ndoring- rrrlolrir.ri lr.r- Sir' .l\l , {
toorr .jlrr
Sr.r.jrrr.r..
wherr l'lr.
(.lhiitl.;'s'
,lrl. ,rri li;r,iri r.r:r'sr.1i.rr.f i\'/rtr,r-
,irtli,.r. Pri.ilttt lrlrir<'rrt,rl ir 1liz.l, I
'r''1:.r,r.rl
.to lrrlriless li leti.r.i.
t.lrrrt ger..i.ltrirr:tn r.r'1'r,r'r'irri1 l;;rrr to t.ltc: .1!tltti/,,trl/rrz or {lornilri,rr_
trr^' rirr tlie rlisc.u:":,r', *-lri.li .xlrlriir:,, il,s ,r.igirr rrrrrl ,bier,ts, ,'rl
strlrirril,tirig
to hiirr rvlrctlrr,r' 1lit, l.orrii
i,
d(nt ttt !).t,tttlttn trflrtttt,ut."^
*'hich he llas
't
rri.,r',',i " 1lr;* iq trrt, g.l'r,rrt.st
blt ssing,,'
sliotlrl
riot llr: tltoi,(l ('()tr{!(,tlr.;.rrnri<,r.t,rl ,,iltit
is ilre }rcsl, ,rlll(,n.,'
.r'
r(fl1ir51'
lr*-: tlre lNr.,i ,rrr.rrs." L i,r,1rl 1r. ,1,irr,r,r,ri .f ilr",.
1't'riiilrsr',i
.rr,rrrlering,
lnrr unfirlirrn,rit'lv lnLr.in3 rrri"l;ri,l liis
j,,rr,.r..
.l
:lirr ,ir:Pt'i'.rl .f tllr, gr.rrtili.:.ti,rrr,f
1,;.ry.1111,i11rr;
ir, irtrt it r-iii
lr1'.'q,1r1v
tlurt rrrr- llit.lirrnnrl.t'ri f'ri*rr,l i*ls rrir,ie tiu, iir[].*,in,,
itut.
irr lirt-'Arltlt,rrri, t. iris I'rili I)icti'rrrrrv vr,i. I[. lr. rilT s. i
,"
!il.'il!t,tit,. 'tilttilt!t!1,til.'
l)t{.;lit> ;,jc!,
,11t1
,,,,,,.,,,
I i,,lrt.tt l.,.,,trr
I r,';t]p ,11,
li,,.t'rlr tllrt
"r,'t!t.l
rt.tr!).t(lul{rt,t ttllLr)itii}t, slioulrl lic rt,ttrlcr.r,ll
tlltis
i:. tlr1' ixrst 9rrr1rr.,
,,
I
j.
+.
\t
218 rouRNAL R. A. s. (cnvr,on).
fYol.
VII.,
pt.
III.
The reasons r,vhich ha,ve induccci me thus to render the lvords
(t
etcr,n m,o,ngctlan uttcmtap" r,vill bc scen frorn the follor,ving
condensed tri'rnslation of the introducti.n o{'this discourse in the
0ommentary.
('
\\rhat is the origin of rrcn"tgaLcrl3 su.ttrnr. ? It rvas the
practice fol people in Jambudipa to asscrnble at the g:rtcs of
cities, in rr-rersfjllg- ho1.*cs and otlier placr:s, antl to hear the recital
of
yar:io*s
storic-* such .s those of Sitri, Rha*ta, &c. ilhe people
discussed valions
-qub,jects at thesc rncotir-rgs. Each rijscussion
some tirne lrsted for fbur month-*. on one occusion, the subiect
of cliscn-qsion happc'ed to be that o{l
,ntcrt.tgttlrn
(hapPv or a*spi-
cious tlrings i. e. good ornens). What is t dittltn. n or,gnlrro
(a good omen of sight) ? \\'hat is
.;r
suta. tnarSrlctlap (a
good ornen of' srnell or taste or ttiuch) ? Do you hnorv rvirat a
nmngultrn is ?, ,saicl
-*ome
uf the aurlicnce prer-rent). One of
tltern, a believer in r-rrnens of sig.ht (ctittln nzatltlaliko), srici,
(I
know rvhat a marpertlan is, For cxaurple) a rnan rising up enr:lv
i'tire rnorning sees a sl,trJri'g lrir,lr,F t*.'rlcr fi"uits ol'the bitrla
1,vs.p (',{!r1le
mcn'rtelos), a pregnant r1-onrlln, a chiltj, an orna_
'te'terl
briur'ring j.r, a 1i'esh cr-;rii'us fi:rh, r i,irorougJr b'r,rl
hor-"e, oi'the liiione.qs of one, a bull, il co1r, lr tar,vlr\-
'
rlorrr<,rl
cowr 01'anv oiher object oi'nn lnrspicrionr, ultirrs,-it is:r
rtcnt.gal.ttrt.'
Soinr: of tlte audiencer accelrted trris tlreolv, llrt tlrtis,,
rvho clid not entelrxl inio a dislrutc iyi,r,ir hin.
((A
irclir,r'el irr onrrlrs of' lrt'nrirrg (..srrirt
ittr.r.t.trltrli,/ll) rciuu:.1;,',1
tli:Ll ttrre elie s(rr-rs n'hat, is prr'. .ntl *ir*i. is irnlrur',-.. u-lurt i,
good and rvlurt is lxrcl, r'r,lr:r1, is
lricas:rnt
rrnrl whlt is uulritns:rni.
-[f rv]rat is s..n b3- 11,,, t-,.r-. be a ntrr.ltrla{t.tt"r. (!',oil onier), t}re'
elcr'.r- o1-riocl of siglrt rrrust lro .;re.
r,{lurt
ir stx'rr trrt:r*:iolt i-q
ncri, ;r trtrtrulclolt: llirri. ri.hiclr ii rloernoi] ir tnt, t.no?zq(rl(nt
is ilrrrt .t' iri,:l'il'rg. I{'u rr'ilr
'ising
rilr e:lrl.r- i' tlur *r.r''r''g
lrea.s a sriillll rllr,lr lrs
,
ii hu-o
iii.os|r:r,r,r.[,'
(il,
is
1r.,s1rerlrr11,.
,it
is
f*il,'
(itis
fr"l sJr,'
(
ii is ileiiglrtiril,'
,iri'osn.r;t).,, ,ircrrr..qrr
',,f
1,r,,s-
lrclit.v'
'
tlr"-, iui-iur t,onstelluiiolr,'
,i.o-rirr.
is lrns|icious,'
,
ll luclir-
illorn{-:;rt,':r.
Ilnc]ir-
ilir.\.,' rlr lrilr- ol,]tt:r
1r1t,;ts,llnt
sornr,i rler,ineii
rtuslricioirs,
.t.iris
is r'lirl ttt lir, rL tnrt.rtrJcrla.tt.
'
S i,.ll ;i- I i:,rt, i. lli,ti,,,\,,
No,2d-1882.1 nrDDrra's sanlros ot{ oiluNs. ?tg
((
Whereupon a beiieler in omens of surell, tasie ancl touch,
(mutcc tttctTrtgaliko) addre."sed the meeting saying :-( A man
heals lvhat is good and l'hat is bar1, rvhat is pieasant and rvhat is
unplea,cant
;
if lrhat is hearcl hy the ear be n mangola.n, (good
ornen) theu erverything herrcl rnust be u good omen alsr:.
I sav therefore tlinl nttct ttzclttgalnp is not a tme mc(.llgo-
lat"t,randtirat the true mu"g.gctlrr,zisl'hat, is oallecl mu,tu,tt'tctngalcnot.
l'or ext"rrnple, i{'a rnan rising up enrly in the morning smelis
the fragranc,e of the lotus ancl other slveet srnelling {lon'ersr
nses lresh dentrifice, fouches the eurth, or ripe corn, ol
ti'esh colr'-d11ng', 01' a turtle, or r heap of sesarnurn seecl, or
fl<-rr'vers, or: {rnits, daubs (t}re floor) rvith fres}r enrth, puts on
r nelv cloth, lr,'ears il, nelv tur:bnn. or srnells nny other sweet
smelis, tastes or touches an ol.rject cleerned nuspiciou.r*it iii n
marygalcn4,,'
(rThus
rrren all over Jarrbudipa fbnned themselves into
groups, and bt-.gan to discuss rvhat the ret| mnrygctl(rni we"
Fr<xu meno their gnl,rdiau tieitieso fi'om theiu, their friencls the
terrestrial deitie"", f rom them, their fi ibnds the celestial cieities, from
tirern, theirfriends the cieities of the [lhdturnrnnhrirdjiha heavens,
and I'rom thern, all the tleities as far as Akaniftha, the highest of'
tlrc he*vctrs, tooh up ihe srr-biect c:f. m,apgu,Ict1e, aud foritring
i.henrselves into groups, begnn lo discnss what 'mcr,r"tgctld,r,,i aye.
illhus the discussion lastetl for trvelr.e yeer:r amongst men and gocls"
(cxcept alnong the disciples of Buddha) throughout the ten
thousanrl worltls of the nnilelse, bui ihe;'r-ere unable to soln
ther problerri. At last the gocls of the Trirratir{sn heavens ap-
pr"oached Sakko, ancl beggecl of hirn to declare 'lvhat the rnap-
ytltini are. The I{ing of the gr:cls encprired of them lvhere
tire Supreme Budclha was then residiug. Bein6; told that ho
wns then residirrg at Jeltarana Monasterv in the city of Sdvatthi,
]re clirected one of the gocls to repair to hiur, nnci beg hin: to
,lee.riare
trhat ntco;galali ale, ancl tire god ditl so."
The setpel is tc'ld in ihc Suttan itsei! and nou' I have the
1rlr'a-rnrtr
fe le,procltce Mr'. {l}rikler's rnastet'11r velsion of }:[angalrt
Sirilrrn, onlv substituting the erplessiotr
'llris
is tlrcbest ttnen"' for
'ihis i-o the glertest blessing.'
)q,n
r0uriNAr, n. A. s, (cnvr,ox)'
[Yoi.
YII., Pt, I1I.
t(Thus
I have heard. On a certaiu dny clwelt Buddha a,t
Srrivasti, at the Jdtavana Monaster:y, in the garden of Andtha-
pinclaka, And rvhen the niglrt r'r'as far advanced a certain
ladiant celestiiil being, illuninating the uhole of Jitavtrna,
approitcfied the biesserl one, lntl salntcti hirn and stood rsitle'
Anrl stlrudiug irsirlc udtlressecl hjrn liththj-* r'elscr :-
'l1Lnny
gotls irntl rncn, ytaLning aftel goocl, ltavc helcl tiivers
thirrgs to be l"rk.*sings (goort
on'tenx)
;
sar thou, u.htt is the
greatest bles.oing (tlLe best ztnen 0r tlrc best onrcrts)
'l
tsuddha r-( To serre lvise men irntl not serve fools, to gJive
honour to lvhom honour is cluc-., this is the greatest blessing (//rris
ir tlrc best om,erl el' tlLese a,re tJu be$ on'tens)"
(
To direll in n
l.rleasant
laud, to har.e done good deeds in a
li-,rrner existence, to hirve a soul fiiled ivith right rk'sire's, this is
thc greatest blessing (tlis is the best ometT or these cn"e lhe l,est
orrens).
(Much
iinowlotlge and rnuch science, thc rliscipline of a well
fi'ainecl rnincl, and el n-ortl rvcll spoiicn, this is the gleatest
lrlessing (tlLis is tlLe best onl,erL o1' tlrcse crre tlLe best ontens),
t'Io
succour ftrthor and rnotlter, to cherjslt wif'e an<l chikl, io
lbllorv a peaceful calling, this is the greatest blessing
(thil
is tlrc
ltest lm.ert, rtr tltese o,re tlrc best omens),
rTo
give alm,<, to live religiously, to give he\-r to relntir.cs, to
do blarneless deeds, this is the grentesi blessing (this is tlrc best
()tn,erL
or these are tlrc best omens),
('Io
cease and abstain frorn sin, to cscherv strong clrinli, to
lrc diligent in good deeds, this is the g-rettest blessing (this is
Ilte be.gt ornen or t/rcse cn'e the ltest ontens).
'Iieverence
and lol-line-qs, corltentlnent nnd gratitude. to
receir-e religious tcaching at tlue seasorls, this is the grcittosi.
l.,lt'ssing (t/rl,r is t/rcl,te*t om,ul t)1' tJt.exe ure tlte lrst onzetts),
,
T9 L.t, long-sufft,riri g anrl rn eeli, to lr.soci atc' rr-itlr thc prit'r.i
-<
of Rudtlh:r, to lrolri leligious cljscorilse rrt duc s(]as.)ns! this
js
ther
grerrtcst ltlessing (1ris ?i t/rcbett o)ttetL L)t t/tcsc are tltelte*t ortens,)
t
Ternperance and chastity, tljscttlnrucnt o1' thc: fonl glcat
truths, thc prosprrct of'Nin'd,na, this is the greatt'st blcssing
(ilri.s is t/te |.tesl ottl{,l1 01' thr:se cr. e tlto ltest ontens),
r\c,25.*-iliitt,]
trLiDorrA,$"*,r,u,r:),0;,* iiliri\s,
n")l
d
The soul of or:e utshuhen hy the cLange-" of this life, a
soul inaccessible to
-qorro\\,, passionl.ss, re.,tr.l this is the great-
est blessing (tlLis is tlrc best oilten (il,these
cn"e tlrc best ournrrri.
I
They that do these things ale iirvincible on every sitle, on
every ,side they rn'alk in saf'ety,
1'ea,
their.s is thc grcatest bless_
ing, (th,eirs are the best ontetu').' "
It rnay be lemarliecl, horv could such <iisting-uished
scholars as Goge'ly nnd chilclers h.vc co'''itteci s.ch a inistahe
ru,s the one ref'erred to ? The rnatter is e:r.*ily explainecl. They
have evide'tly tran-rl*ted the rvortl
,n
nrrg'lru, in its orclinarv
sensc',x r'vitho.t referri'g to the cornrne'tilry which explains
lhe special sen-qe i' rvhich the r,vorcl is used in this clisco*rse.
This is not to be rvondereri at, seeing that cven sorne of thr,r
lcarned Buddhist Priests of the present dir;,
grrrm',
thc sarno
rnisl;nlir: atid intci:1rlct the rli-ocotrrse
-.im1,11- r$ a
-oeric-q
of rnoral
rnuxiurs. striu.rgr:lvenough, tliiri di,*coruse is usr:tl by l_iuddhists
e'.' fbl putl)osos .f suire'stitior, snch iis, oxolcisrn, ctc. Ii is
so usecl by the Knndy an Budrllists acc,orrling to Mr. C. J. It.
Irelfesulier, c.o.s., r.ho, i.ry thc rl,a"r-, ca11s it
{(
tbo Sutra of
|.'p'sli1'xls)' r,vhich
'right
lead one to sur)r)ose thai it rras somc
,-'ouncctiou
lvith thc varjous l(anrlyan l{ind6 tr'estir.iLls, ri,hich
he describes in his accro*nt
'1'
('The
p'i'cipa1
Rerigio's cer.e-
uronies obserr-eci by the Ka1rl1'x1ig {rf Ce.1.1611,"t
l-t i-* unlv *'he' tLis tliscorr,r's. is r.re',r:r-l irl"iire rigirti,irrou.n
on it i:rl' Lhc co'ruienLa'r-" i,Lnt ii ,1.ri.,oa's irr its h.Lrc char.aclei'"
as oue of' tire rnosl
|olve::I'Lrl
erlrr,rsriL'es of Hirr'hi rulrcr.rtitioil on
rcc,rrd,
't
.
)fu.ligulo (adj .)
,.luspir:iots,' ,lLLck-y.' ,jo;,ous,, rlestire,, rbelolgirrg
bo state
ccca-*icins.'
,\b, 83. llugrlulay,
,r'cjoicirrg.,, rfestivaJ,'1lestivity,, ,holiclry,; ,fcstive
Lel('1iru.y:
(Dh.217) l'lcsri'g.'
tboo''
(Kh, 5),-chilclcr''s l,{li Dictiorrlr,-1".
Ii,1,
I.. p. 2;t7.
,
,l[uygulya, Jlay1lalytt/1, )Ia,7ot.tLy6,, ,X[ttt111ul4r.r7r.,A.uspiciotis,,,1iropitiou;:,'
'cou{erlirr3 hap1,irre.s,'
,l,r'ospelity,' :bcautifrit.,'ipicasi,rg;
,*greeaiiie,; ,1,or",'
'1rious.
-1\'ilson's
Srursklit Dictionaly, Sccoucl Ilclitiorr, p. 6J1.
'i
O, A, S. Joulnal, \rel. VIL, l,t, L. No.2i. liiEJ.1,, Jti.