and　his　mother　and　tried　to　be　happy。　A　little　while　later　he
  left　the　palace　a　second　time。　His　carriage　met　a　man　who
  suffered　from　a　terrible　disease。　Siddhartha　asked　Channa
  what　had　been　the　cause　of　this　man's　suffering；　but　the　coachman
  answered　that　there　were　many　sick　people　in　this　world
  and　that　such　things　could　not　be　helped　and　did　not　matter
  very　much。　The　young　prince　was　very　sad　when　he　heard　this
  but　again　he　returned　to　his　people。
  A　few　weeks　passed。　One　evening　Siddhartha　ordered　his
  carriage　in　order　to　go　to　the　river　and　bathe。　Suddenly　his
  horses　were　frightened　by　the　sight　of　a　dead　man　whose　rotting
  body　lay　sprawling　in　the　ditch　beside　the　road。　The　young
  prince；　who　had　never　been　allowed　to　see　such　things；　was
  frightened；　but　Channa　told　him　not　to　mind　such　trifles。　The
  world　was　full　of　dead　people。　It　was　the　rule　of　life　that　all
  things　must　come　to　an　end。　Nothing　was　eternal。　The　grave
  awaited　us　all　and　there　was　no　escape。
  That　evening；　when　Siddhartha　returned　to　his　home；　he
  was　received　with　music。　While　he　was　away　his　wife　had
  given　birth　to　a　son。　The　people　were　delighted　because　now
  they　knew　that　there　was　an　heir　to　the　throne　and　they
  celebrated　the　event　by　the　beating　of　many　drums。　Siddhartha；
  however；　did　not　share　their　joy。　The　curtain　of　life　had　been
  lifted　and　he　had　learned　the　horror　of　man's　existence。　The
  sight　of　death　and　suffering　followed　him　like　a　terrible　dream。
  That　night　the　moon　was　shining　brightly。　Siddhartha
  woke　up　and　began　to　think　of　many　things。　Never　again
  could　he　be　happy　until　he　should　have　found　a　solution　to　the
  riddle　of　existence。　He　decided　to　find　it　far　away　from　all
  those　whom　he　loved。　Softly　he　went　into　the　room　where
  Yasodhara　was　sleeping　with　her　baby。　Then　he　called　for
  his　faithful　Channa　and　told　him　to　follow。
  Together　the　two　men　went　into　the　darkness　of　the　night；
  one　to　find　rest　for　his　soul；　the　other　to　be　a　faithful　servant
  unto　a　beloved　master。
  The　people　of　India　among　whom　Siddhartha　wandered　for
  many　years　were　just　then　in　a　state　of　change。　Their　ancestors；
  the　native　Indians；　had　been　conquered　without　great　difficulty
  by　the　war…like　Aryans　（our　distant　cousins）　and　thereafter
  the　Aryans　had　been　the　rulers　and　masters　of　tens　of
  millions　of　docile　little　brown　men。　To　maintain　themselves　in
  the　seat　of　the　mighty；　they　had　divided　the　population　into
  different　classes　and　gradually　a　system　of　‘‘caste''　of　the　most
  rigid　sort　had　been　enforced　upon　the　natives。　The　descendants
  of　the　Indo…European　conquerors　belonged　to　the　highest
  ‘‘caste；''　the　class　of　warriors　and　nobles。　Next　came　the　caste
  of　the　priests。　Below　these　followed　the　peasants　and　the
  business　men。　The　ancient　natives；　however；　who　were　called
  Pariahs；　formed　a　class　of　despised　and　miserable　slaves　and
  never　could　hope　to　be　anything　else。
  Even　the　religion　of　the　people　was　a　matter　of　caste。　The
  old　Indo…Europeans；　during　their　thousands　of　years　of
  wandering；　had　met　with　many　strange　adventures。　These　had
  been　collected　in　a　book　called　the　Veda。　The　language　of
  this　book　was　called　Sanskrit；　and　it　was　closely　related　to　the
  different　languages　of　the　European　continent；　to　Greek　and
  Latin　and　Russian　and　German　and　two…score　others。　The
  three　highest　castes　were　allowed　to　read　these　holy　scriptures。
  The　Pariah；　however；　the　despised　member　of　the　lowest　caste；
  was　not　permitted　to　know　its　contents。　Woe　to　the　man　of
  noble　or　priestly　caste　who　should　teach　a　Pariah　to　study　the
  sacred　volume！
  The　majority　of　the　Indian　people；　therefore；　lived　in
  misery。　Since　this　planet　offered　them　very　little　joy；　salvation
  from　suffering　must　be　found　elsewhere。　They　tried　to
  derive　a　little　consolation　from　meditation　upon　the　bliss　of
  their　future　existence。
  Brahma；　the　all…creator　who　was　regarded　by　the　Indian
  people　as　the　supreme　ruler　of　life　and　death；　was　worshipped
  as　the　highest　ideal　of　perfection。　To　become　like　Brahma；　to
  lose　all　desires　for　riches　and　power；　was　recognised　as　the　most
  exalted　purpose　of　existence。　Holy　thoughts　were　regarded
  as　more　important　than　holy　deeds；　and　many　people　went
  into　the　desert　and　lived　upon　the　leaves　of　trees　and　starved
  their　bodies　that　they　might　feed　their　souls　with　the　glorious
  contemplation　of　the　splendours　of　Brahma；　the　Wise；　the
  Good　and　the　Merciful。
  Siddhartha；　who　had　often　observed　these　solitary　wanderers
  who　were　seeking　the　truth　far　away　from　the　turmoil
  of　the　cities　and　the　villages；　decided　to　follow　their　example。
  He　cut　his　hair。　He　took　his　pearls　and　his　rubies　and　sent
  them　back　to　his　family　with　a　message　of　farewell；　which　the
  ever　faithful　Channa　carried。　Without　a　single　follower；　the
  young　prince　then　moved　into　the　wilderness。
  Soon　the　fame　of　his　holy　conduct　spread　among　the　mountains。
  Five　young　men　came　to　him　and　asked　that　they　might
  be　allowed　to　listen　to　his　words　of　wisdom。　He　agreed　to　be
  their　master　if　they　would　follow　him。　They　consented；　and
  he　took　them　into　the　hills　and　for　six　years　he　taught　them
  all　he　knew　amidst　the　lonely　peaks　of　the　Vindhya　Mountains。
  But　at　the　end　of　this　period　of　study；　he　felt　that　he　was　still
  far　from　perfection。　The　world　that　he　had　left　continued　to
  tempt　him。　He　now　asked　that　his　pupils　leave　him　and　then
  he　fasted　for　forty…nine　days　and　nights；　sitting　upon　the　roots
  of　an　old　tree。　At　last　he　received　his　reward。　In　the　dusk　of
  the　fiftieth　evening；　Brahma　revealed　himself　to　his　faithful
  servant。　From　that　moment　on；　Siddhartha　was　called　Buddha
  and　he　was　revered　as　the　Enlightened　One　who　had　come　to
  save　men　from　their　unhappy　mortal　fate。
  The　last　forty…five　years　of　his　life；　Buddha　spent　within
  the　valley　of　the　Ganges　River；　teaching　his　simple　lesson　of
  submission　and　meekness　unto　all　men。　In　the　year　488　before
  our　era；　he　died；　full　of　years　and　beloved　by　millions　of　people。
  He　had　not　preached　his　doctrines　for　the　benefit　of　a　single
  class。　Even　the　lowest　Pariah　might　call　himself　his　disciple。
  This；　however；　did　not　please　the　nobles　and　the　priests　and
  the　merchants　who　did　their　best　to　destroy　a　creed　which　recognised
  the　equality　of　all　living　creatures　and　offered　men　the
  hope　of　a　second　life　（a　reincarnation）　under　happier　circumstances。
  As　soon　as　they　could；　they　encouraged　the　people　of
  India　to　return　to　the　ancient　doctrines　of　the　Brahmin　creed
  with　its　fasting　and　its　tortures　of　the　sinful　body。　But
  Buddhism　could　not　be　destroyed。　Slowly　the　disciples　of　the
  Enlightened　One　wandered　across　the　valleys　of　the　Himalayas；
  and　moved　into　China。　They　crossed　the　Yellow　Sea
  and　preached　the　wisdom　of　their　master　unto　the　people　of
  Japan；　and　they　faithfully　obeyed　the　will　of　their　great　master；
  who　had　forbidden　them　to　use　force。　To…day　more　people
  recognise　Buddha　as　their　teacher　than　ever　before　and　their
  number　surpasses　that　of　the　combined　followers　of　Christ　and　Mohammed。
  As　for　Confucius；　the　wise　old　man　of　the　Chinese；　his
  story　is　a　simple　one。　He　was　born　in　the　year　550　B。C。　He
  led　a　quiet；　dignified　and　uneventful　life　at　a　time　when　China
  was　without　a　strong　central　government　and　when　the　Chinese
  people　were　at　the　mercy　of　bandits　and　robber…barons　who
  went　from　city　to　city；　pillaging　and　stealing　and　murdering
  and　turning　the　busy　plains　of　northern　and　central　China　into
  a　wilderness　of　starving　people。
  Confucius；　who　loved　his　people；　tried　to　save　them。　He
  did　not　have　much　faith　in　the　use　of　violence。　He　was　a　very
  peaceful　person。　He　did　not　think　that　he　could　make　people
  over　by　giving　them　a　lot　of　new　laws。　He　knew　that　the　only
  possible　salvation　would　come　from　a　change　of　heart；　and　he
  set　out　upon　the　seemingly　hopeless　task　of　changing　the　character
  of　his　millions　of　fellow　men　who　inhabited　the　wide　plains
  of　eastern　Asia。　The　Chinese　had　never　been　much　interested
  in　religion　as　we　understand　that　word。　They　believed　in
  devils　and　spooks　as　most　primitive　people　do。　But　they　had
  no　prophets　and　recognised　no　‘‘revealed　truth。''　Confucius
  is　almost　the　only　one　among　the　great　moral　leaders　who　did
  not　see　visions；　who　did　not　proclaim　himself　as　the　messenger
  of　a　divine　power；　who　did　not；　at　some　time　or　another；　claim
  that　he　was　inspired　by　voices　from　above。
  He　was　just　a　very　sensible　and　kindly　man；　rather　given
  to　lonely　wanderings　and　melancholy　tunes　upon　his　faithful
  flute。　He　asked　for　no　recognition。　He　did　not　demand　that
  any　one　should　follow　him　or　worship　him。　He　reminds　us
  of　the　ancient　Greek　philosophers；　especially　those　of　the　Stoic
  School；　men　who　believed　in　right　living　and　righteous　thinking
  without　the　hope　of　a　reward　but　simply　for　the　peace　of
  the　soul　that　comes　with　a　good　conscience。
  Confucius　was