ers and
melted, during the days of Dharmasoka, who had sent missionaries beyond
Nepaul. The second had a like fate, at Ghar-zha, even before it had
reached the boundaries of Bod-Yul. The third was rescued from a
barbarous tribe of Bhons by a Chinese military chief who had pursued
them into the deserts of Schamo about 423 Buddhist era (120 "B.C.") The
fourth was sunk in the third century of the Christian era, together
with the ship that carried it from Magadha toward the hills of
Ghangs-chhen-dzo-nga (Chitagong). The fifth arriving in the nick of
time reached its destination with Arhat Kasyapa. So did the last two.*

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* No doubt, since the history of these seven statues is not in the hands
of the Orientalists, it will be treated as a "groundless fable."
Nevertheless such is their origin and history. They date from the first
Synod, that of Rajagriha, held in the season of war following the death
of Buddha, i.e., one year after his death. Were this Rajagriha Council
held 100 years after, as maintained by some, it could not have been
presided over by Mahakasyapa, the friend and brother Arhat of Sakyamuni,
as he would have been 200 years old. The second Council or Synod, that
of Vaisali, was held 120, not 100 or 110 years as some would have it,
after the Nirvana, for the latter took place at a time a little over 20
years before the physical death of Tathagata. It was held at the great
Saptapana cave (Mahavansa's Sattapanni), near the Mount Baibhar (the
Webhara of the Pali Manuscripts), that was in Rajagriha, the old capital
of Magadha. Memoirs exist, containing the record of his daily life, made
by the nephew of king Ajatasatru, a favourite Bikshu of the Mahacharya.
These texts have ever been in the possession of the superiors of the
first Lamasery built by Arhat Kasyapa in Bod-Yul, most of whose Chohans
were the descendants of the dynasty of the Moryas, there being up to
this day three of the members of this once royal family living in India.
The old text in question is a document written in Anudruta Magadha
characters. (We deny that these or any other characters--whether
Devanagari, Pali, or Dravidian--ever used in India, are variations of,
or derivatives from, the Phoenician.) To revert to the texts it is
therein stated that the Sattapanni cave, then called "Sarasvati" and
"Bamboo-cave," got its latter name in this wise. When our Lord first
sat in it for Dhyana, it was a large six-chambered natural cav