Vol. 11 · pages 616–620

597 EPILOGUE VIII 33. “The Buddha’s doctrine of Anicca (transitoriness) is confirmed. 34. “Science has proved that the course of the Universe is a grouping and dissolution and regrouping. 35. “The trend of Modern Science is the trend of an ultimate reality, unity and diversity of ego. 36. “Modern Science is the echoing of the Buddhists doctrines of transitoriness (annica) and of egolessness (anatta).” 37. Mr. E. G. Taylor, in his “Buddhism and Modern Thought,” says: 38. “Man has been ruled by external authority long enough. If he is to be truly civilized, he must learn to be ruled by his own principles. Buddhism is the earliest ethical system where man is called upon to have himself governed by himself. 39. “Therefore a progressive world needs Buddhism to teach it this supreme lesson.” 40. The Reverend Leslie Bolton, unitarian minister, says : 41. “I see in the spiritual psychology of Buddhism its most powerful contribution. 42. “Unitarian Christians like Buddhists reject the external authority of church books or creeds and find in man himself the guiding lamp. 43. “Unitarians see in Jesus and Gautama noble exponents of the way of life.” 44. Prof. Dwight Goddard says: 45. “Among the world’s religious teachers, Buddha alone has the glory of having rightly judged the intrinsic greatness of man’s capacity to work out his salvation without extraneous aid.” 46. “If the worth of a truly great man consists in his raising the worth of all mankind, who is better entitled to be called truly great than the Blessed One. 47. “Who instead of degrading him by placing another being over him, has exalted him to the highest pinnacle of wisdom and love.” 48. Mr. E. J. Mills, author of “Buddhism,” says: 49. “In no other religion are the values of

598 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES VIII knowledge and evil of ignorance so much insisted upon as they are in Buddhism.” 50. “No other religion lays so much stress upon keeping one’s eyes open. 51. “No other religion has formulated such deep laid plans for mental culture.” 52. Prof. W. T. Stace says in his Buddhist ethics : 53. “the Buddhist moral ideal, the Arhat, had to be both morally and intellectually great. 54. “He had to be a philosopher, as well as a man of good conduct. 55. “Knowledge was always stressed by Buddhism as essential to Salvation, and ignorance as one of the two main causes of failure to attain it (craving or attachment being the other). 56. “On the contrary, knowledge has never been any part of the Christian ideal man.” 57. “Owing to the unphilosophical character of its founder in the Christian Scheme of thought the moral side of man has been divorced from the intellectual side. 58. “Far more of the world’s misery is caused by stupidity and blind faith than by wickedness. 59. “The Buddha did not allow this.” 60. Enough unto this to show how great and how unique is the Buddha and his Dhamma. 61. Who would not say let such a one be our Master ? § 2. A Vow to Spread His Dhamma 1. “There are beings without limit, Let us take the vow to convey them all across. 2. There are depravities in us without number, Let us take the vow to extinguish them all. 3. There are truths without end, Let us take the vow to comprehend them all. 4. There is the Way of Buddha without comparison, Let us take the vow to accomplish it perfectly.” Encyclopedia of Religion & Ethics, Vol. X, p. 168.

599 EPILOGUE VIII § 3. A Prayer for His Return to His Native Land 1. “O Exalted One! I trust myself whole-heartedly To the Tathagata whose light pervades, Without any impediment, the regions in the ten quarters, And express my earnest desire to be born in Thy Land. 2. In realizing in vision the appearance of Thy Land, I know that it surpasses all realms in the threefold existence. 3. That it is like sky, embracing all, Vast and spacious without boundaries, 4. Thy mercy and compassion in accordance with the righteous way, Is an outgrowth of the stock of merits (accumulated by Thee), which are beyond all worldly good; 5. And Thy light permeates everywhere, Like the mirrors of the Sun and the Moon. 6. Let me pray that all beings, having been born there, Shall proclaim the Truth, like Buddha Thyself. 7. Herewith I write down this essay and utter these verses, And pray that I could see Thee, O Buddha, face to face, 8. And that I could, together with all my fellowbeings, Attain the birth in the Land of Bliss.” Encyclopedia of Religion & Ethics, Vol. X, p. 169.

PALI AND OTHER SOURCES OF Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s “THE BUDDHA AND HIS DHAMMA” WITH AN INDEX