river in Magadha, was exiled by his father for acts of turbulence and
immorality. Sent adrift on the ocean with his companions after having
their heads shaved, Buddhist-Bhikshu fashion, as a sign of penitence, he
was carried to the shores of Lanka. Once landed, he and his companions
conquered and easily took possession of an island inhabited by
uncivilized tribes, generically called the Yakshas. This--at whatever
epoch and year it may have happened--is an historical fact, and the
Ceylonese records, independent of Buddhist chronology, give it out as
having taken place 382 years before Dushtagamani (i.e., in 543 before
the Christian era). Now, the Buddhist Sacred Annals record certain
words of our Lord pronounced by Him shortly before His death. In
Mahavansa He is made to have addressed them to Sakra, in the midst of a
great assembly of Devatas (Dhyan Chohans), and while already "in the
exalted unchangeable Nirvana, seated on the throne on which Nirvana is
achieved." In our texts Tathagata addresses them to his assembled
Arhats and Bhikkhuts a few days before his final liberation:--"One
Vijaya, the son of Sinhabahu, king of the land of Lala, together with
700 attendants, has just landed on Lanka. Lord of Dhyan Buddhas
(Devas)! my doctrine will be established on Lanka. Protect him and
Lanka!" This is the sentence pronounced which, as proved later, was a
prophecy. The now familiar phenomenon of clairvoyant prevision, amply
furnishing a natural explanation of the prophetic utterance without any
unscientific theory of miracle, the laugh of certain Orientalists seems
uncalled for. Such parallels of poetico-religious embellishments as
found in Mahavansa exist in the written records of every religion--as
much in Christianity as anywhere else. An unbiased mind would first
endeavour to reach the correct and very superficially hidden meaning
before throwing ridicule and contemptuous discredit upon them.
Moreover, the Tibetans possess a more sober record of this prophecy in
the Notes, already alluded to, reverentially taken down by King
Ajatasatru's nephew. They are, as said above, in the possession of the
Lamas of the convent built by Arhat Kasyapa--the Moryas and their
descendants being of a more direct descent than the Rajput Gautamas, the
Chiefs of Nagara--the village identified with Kapilavastu--are the best
entitled of all to their possession. And we know they are historical to
a word. For the Esoteric Buddhist the