The Light of Asia; Or the Great Renunciation (Mahâbhinishkramana): Being the Life and Teaching of Gautama, Prince of India and Founder of Buddhism (Classic Reprint)

In the following Poem I have sought, by the medium of an imaginary Buddhist votary, to depict the life and character and indicate the philosophy of that noble hero and reformer. Prince Gautama of I ndia, the founder of Buddhism. A generation ago little or nothing was known in Europe of this great faith of A sia, which had nevertheless existed during twenty-four centuries, and at this day surpasses, in the number of its followers and the area of its prevalence, any other form of creed. Four hundred and seventy millions of our race live and die in the tenets of Gautama; and the spiritual dominions of this ancient teacher extend, at the present time, from Nepaul and Ceylon over the whole Eastern Peninsula to China, Japan, Thibet, Central A sia, Siberia, and even Swedish Lapland.
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)

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