e., in 543 before
the Christian era). Now, the Buddhist Sacred Annals record certain
words of our Lord pronounced by Him shortly before His death. In
Mahavansa He is made to have addressed them to Sakra, in the midst of a
great assembly of Devatas (Dhyan Chohans), and while already "in the
exalted unchangeable Nirvana, seated on the throne on which Nirvana is
achieved." In our texts Tathagata addresses them to his assembled
Arhats and Bhikkhuts a few days before his final liberation:--"One
Vijaya, the son of Sinhabahu, king of the land of Lala, together with
700 attendants, has just landed on Lanka. Lord of Dhyan Buddhas
(Devas)! my doctrine will be established on Lanka. Protect him and
Lanka!" This is the sentence pronounced which, as proved later, was a
prophecy. The now familiar phenomenon of clairvoyant prevision, amply
furnishing a natural explanation of the prophetic utterance without any
unscientific theory of miracle, the laugh of certain Orientalists seems
uncalled for. Such parallels of poetico-religious embellishments as
found in Mahavansa exist in the written records of every religion--as
much in Christianity as anywhere else.
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