..续本文上一页 speak of this shining about him

　　A. In the Mahâ-Parinibbana Sutta. Ānanda, his

　　p. 99

　　favorite disciple, noticing the great splendor which came from his Master”s body, the Buddha said that on two occasions this extraordinary shining occurs, (a) just after a Tathâgatâ gains the supreme insight, and (b) on the night when he passes finally away.

　　341. Q. Where do we read of this great brightness being emitted front the body of another Buddha

　　A. In the story of Sumedha and Dipânkara Buddha, found in the Nidânakathâ of the Jâtaka book, or story of the reincarnations of the Bodhisattva Siddhârtha Gautama.

　　342. Q. How is it described

　　A. As a halo of a fathom”s depth.

　　343. Q. What do the Hindus call it

　　A. Tejas; its extended radiance they call Prâkâsha.

　　344. Q. What do Europeans call it now

　　A. The Human Aura.

　　345. Q. What great scientist has proved the existence of this aura by carefully conducted experiments

　　A. The Baron Von Reichenbach. His experiments are fully described in his Researches—published

　　p. 100

　　in 1844-5. Dr. Baraduc, of Paris, has, quite recently, photographed this light.

　　346. Q. Is this bright aura a miracle or a natural phenomenon

　　A. Natural. It has been proved that not only all human beings, but animals, trees, plants and even stones, have it.

　　347. Q. What peculiarity has it in the case of a Buddha or an Arhat

　　A. It is immensely brighter and more extended than in cases of other beings and objects. It is the evidence of their superior development in the power of Iddhî. The light has been seen coming from dâgobas in Ceylon where relics of the Buddha are said to be enshrined.

　　348. Q. Do people of other religions besides Buddhism and Hindûism also believe in this light

　　A. Yes, in all pictures of Christian artists this light is represented as shining about the bodies of their holy personages. The same belief is found to have existed in other religions.

　　349. Q. What historical incident supports the modern theory of hypnotic suggestion

　　p. 101

　　A. That of Chullapanthaka, as told in the Pâlî Commentary on the Dhammapada, etc.

　　350. Q. Give me the facts.

　　A. He was a bhikkhu who became an Arhat. On that very day the Buddha sent a messenger to call him. When the man reached the Vihara, he saw 300 bhikkhus in one group, each exactly like the others in every respect. On his asking which was Chullapanthaka, every one of the 300 figures replied: "I am Chullapanthaka."

　　351. Q. What did the messenger do

　　A. In his confusion he returned and reported to the Buddha.

　　352. Q. What did the Buddha then tell him

　　A. To return to the vihâra and, if the same thing happened, to catch by the arm the first figure who said he was Chullapanthaka and lead him to him. The Buddha knew that the new Arhat would make this display of his acquired power to impress illusionary pictures of himself upon the messenger.

　　353. Q. What is this power of illusion called in Pâlî

　　A. Manomaya Iddhî.

　　p. 102

　　354. Q. Were the illusionary copies of the Arhat”s person material

　　 Were they composed of substance and could they have been felt and handled by the messenger

　　A. No; they were pictures impressed by his thought and trained will power upon the messenger”s mind.

　　355. Q. To what would you compare them

　　A. To a man”s reflection in a mirror, being exactly like him yet without solidity.

　　356. Q. To make such an illusion on the messenger”s mind, what was necessary

　　A. That Chullapanthaka should clearly conceive in his own mind his exact appearance, and then impress that, with as many duplicates or repetitions as he chose, upon the sensitive brain of the messenger.

　　357. Q. What is this process now called

　　A. Hypnotic…

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