yond its level; but the inhabited worlds are numberless. The world
upon which a person is to have his next birth, as well as the nature of
the rebirth itself, is decided by the preponderance of the individual's
merit or demerit. In other words, it will be controlled by his
attractions, as science would describe it; or by his Karma, as we,
Buddhists, would say.

144. Q. _Are there worlds more perfectly developed, and others less
so than our Earth?_

A. Buddhism teaches that there are whole _Sakwalas_, or systems of
worlds, of various kinds, higher and lower, and also that the
inhabitants of each world correspond in development with itself.

145. Q. _Has not the Buddha summed up his whole doctrine in one
g[=a]th[=a], or verse?_

A. Yes.

146. Q. _Repeat it?_

A. _Sabba p[=a]passa akaranm,
Kusalassa upasampad[=a]
Sachitta pariyo dapanam--
Etam Buddh[=a]nus[=a]sanam._

"To cease from all evil actions,
To generate all that is good,
To cleanse one's mind:
This is the constant advice of the Buddhas."

147. Q. _Have the first three of these lines any very striking
characteristics?_

A. Yes: the first line embodies the whole spirit of the _Vinaya
Pitaka_, the second that of the _Sutta_, the third that of the
_Abhidhamma_. They comprise only eight P[=a]l[=i] words, yet, as the
dew-drop reflects the stars, they sparkle with the spirit of all the
Buddha Dharma.

148. Q. _Do these precepts show that Buddhism is an active or a
passive religion?_

A. To "cease from sin" may be called passive, but to "get virtue" and
"to cleanse one's own heart," or mind, are altogether _active_
qualities. Buddha taught that we should not merely not be evil, but
that we should be _positively_ good.

149. Q. _Who or what are the "Three Guides"[2] that a Buddhist Is
supposed to follow?_

A. They are disclosed in the formula called the Tisarana: "I follow
Buddha as my Guide: I follow the Law as my Guide: I follow the Order as
my Guide." These three _are_, in fact, the Buddha Dharma.

150. Q. _What does he mean when repeating this formula?_

A. He means that he regards the Buddha as his all-wise Teacher, Friend
and Exemplar; the Law, or Doctrine, as containing the essential and
immutable principles of Justice and Truth and the path that leads to
the realisation of perfect peace of mind on earth; and the Order as the
teachers and exemplars of that excellent Law taught by Buddha.