INTRODUCTION

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imperceptibly within every natural and spiritual sphere; and that they have at least a semblance of reason for their belief, the following exquisite lines clearly indicate:—

" This is its touch upon the blossomed rose,
The fashion of its hand shaped lotus-leaves.
" That is its painting on the glorious clouds,
And these its emeralds on the peacock's train.
" Out of the dark it wrought the heart of man,
Out of dull shells the pheasant's pencilled neck.
" It spreadeth forth for flight the eagle's wings
What time she beareth home her prey.
" This is its work upon the things ye see
The unseen things are more ; men's hearts and minds,
The thoughts of peoples and their ways and wills,
Those, too, the great Law binds. " ^1^

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As we consider the manifold operations of this "Law which moves to righteousness," perhaps we may gradually appreciate the dignified mind of Sakyamuni The historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, when he addressed Subhuti One of the Buddha's senior disciples, noted for his understanding of "Emptiness", saying: "What is usually referred to as the 'Law' original: Dharma, meaning the cosmic order or the Buddha's teachings of Buddha, is not in reality a 'Law' attributive to Buddha, it is merely termed the 'Law' of Buddha." ^2^

^1^ Compare The Light of Asia A famous 1879 epic poem by Edwin Arnold about the life of the Buddha. Perhaps this aspect of the "Law" Dharma of Buddha may be conceived of as harmonising with Shakespeare's idea of a "Divinity" Likely referencing the line "There's a divinity that shapes our ends" from Hamlet.
^2^ It may be interesting to observe that, according to our Chinese text, Sakyamuni Buddha evidently disclaimed any desire to formulate, or to perpetuate, a stereotyped system of "Law" or "doctrine." Sakyamuni Buddha also made it plain, that the "Law" Dharma which he enunciated, was presented