THE CREED OF HALF ASIA

TO SIN KING

THIS Creed deserves to rank among the sublimest literary productions of the human mind, from Job to Kant, together with those of the best thinkers of India and China.

Many devout people of the Confucian and Taoist schools, as well as Buddhists, recite it daily just as Christians sing a choice hymn.

It states the solid fundamental principles of religion which commend themselves, not merely to the majority of Asiatics, but also to the majority of men universally. It includes the need of Divine Power to save men, the great At-One-ment, Divine Inspiration, Divinest Miracles, past, present, and to come, and Immortality.

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When this best Eastern thought is united to the best Western thought, whatever may be deficient in definition in either singly, may meet the approval of that conscience which God has given to mankind collectively.

The Creed is as follows--

Hail self-existent Illuminator. Who in exercising deepest Wisdom seest the unreality of all that is reached by the five senses, and canst save from all troubles and dangers.

O Sariputra (the Divine Seed?), the Manifested is not different from the Eternal, and the Eternal is not different from the Manifested. Thought and Action are also thus mutually related.

The Divine Seed (?) is the Eternal in all laws of the Universe. He was never born, nor will ever die.

He is neither clean nor unclean, is neither added to nor subtracted from. He is without sorrow, and will not perish. He is without acquired Wisdom, because he has received none.

The Illuminators depending on this Eternal Wisdom are without anxiety. Having no anxiety, they have no fear and are far from impossible dreams and thoughts. They are eventually immortals.

All the Illuminated past, present, and to come, depending on this Divine Wisdom, obtain the Highest Wisdom.

Therefore know that this Divine Wisdom is a great Divine Magic, a great brilliant magic, the greatest magic, and a magic without a peer.

It can deliver you from all kinds of troubles. This is a real truth without any falsehood. Therefore in repeating this magic Incantation, sum up and say--

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  Praise, Praise,
Praise God.
Praise His eternal wisdom (Law)
Praise the students of this Law
  The Illumined!

(Translated from the Buddhist Tripitaka, Nanjio's Catalogue, No 20)