Part 15 (1/2)
307. Q. _Whence and when did it reach Korea?_
A. From China, in the year A. D. 372.
308. Q. _Whence and when did it reach j.a.pan?_
A. From Korea, in A. D. 552.
309. Q. _Whence and when did it reach Cochin China, Formosa, Java, Mongolia, Yorkand, Balk, Bokhara, Afghanistan and other Central Asian countries?_
A. Apparently in the fourth and fifth centuries A.D.
310. Q. _From Ceylon, whither and when did it spread?_
A. To Burma, in A.D. 450, and thence gradually into Arakan, Kamboya and Pegu. In the seventh century (A.D. 638) it spread to Siam, where it is now, as it has been always since then, the State religion.
311. Q. _From Kashmir, where else did it spread besides to China?_
A. To Nepal and Tibet.
312. Q. Why is it that Buddhism, which was once the prevailing religion throughout India, is now almost extinct there?
A. Buddhism was at first pure and n.o.ble, the very teaching of the Tathagata; its Sangha were virtuous and observed the Precepts; it won all hearts and spread joy through many nations, as the morning light sends life through the flowers. But after some centuries, bad Bhikkhus got ordination (_Upasampada_) the Sangha became rich, lazy, and sensual, the Dharma was corrupted, and the Indian nation abandoned it.
313. Q. _Did anything happen about the ninth or tenth century A.D. to hasten its downfall?_
A. Yes.
314. Q. _Anything besides the decay of spirituality, the corruption of the Sangha, and the reaction of the populace from a higher ideal of man to unintelligent idolatry?_
A. Yes. It is said that the Mussalmans invaded, overran and conquered large areas of India; everywhere doing their utmost to stamp out our religion.
315. Q. _What cruel acts are they charged with doing?_
A. They burnt, pulled down or otherwise destroyed our viharas, slaughtered our Bhikkhus, and consumed with fire our religious books.
316. Q. _Was our literature completely destroyed in India?_
A. No. Many Bhikkhus fled across the borders into Tibet and other safe places of refuge, carrying their books with them.
317. Q. _Have any traces of these books been recently discovered?_
A. Yes. Rai Bhadur Sarat Chandra Das, C.I.E., a noted Bengali pandit, saw hundreds of them in the vihara libraries of Tibet, brought copies of some of the most important back with him, and is now employed by the Government of India in editing and publis.h.i.+ng them.
318. Q. _In which country have we reason to believe the sacred books of primitive Buddhism have been best preserved and least corrupted?_
A. Ceylon. The _Encyclopaedia Britannica_ says that in this island Buddhism has, for specified reasons, ”retained almost its pristine purity to modern times”.
319. Q. _Has any revision of the text of the Pitakas been made in modern times?_