Chapter VI: The Buddhism of Northern Asia

"Life is a dream is what the pilgrim learns,
Nor asks for more, but straightway home returns."
--Japanese medieval lyric drama.

"The purpose of Buddha's preaching was to bring into light the
permanent truth, to reveal the root of all suffering and thus to
lead all sentient beings into the perfect emancipation from all
passions."--Outlines of the Mahayana.

"Buddhism will stand forth as the embodiment of the eternal
verity that as a man sows he will reap, associated with the
duties of mastery over self and kindness to all men, and
quickened into a popular religion by the example of a noble and
beautiful life."--Dharmapala of Ceylon.

"Buddhism teaches the right path of cause and effect, and
nothing which can supersede the idea of cause and effect will be
accepted and believed. Buddha himself cannot contradict this law
which is the Buddha, of Buddhas, and no omnipotent power except
this law is believed to be existent in the universe.

"Buddhism does not quarrel with other religions about the truth
... Buddhism is truth common to every religion regardless of the
outside garment."--Horin Toki, of Japan.

"Death we can face; but knowing, as some of us do, what is human
life, which of us is it that without shuddering could (if we
were summoned) face the hour of birth?" -De Quinccy.

The prayer of Buddhism, "Deliver us from existence."
The prayer of the Christian, "Deliver us from evil."

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the
earth."--Genesis.

"I am come that they might have life and that they might have it
more abundantly."--Jesus.