XVI.—Notes on some of the Buddhist Opinions and Monuments of Asia, compared with the Symbols on the Ancient Sculptured “Standing Stones” of Scotland

Thomas A. Wise

doi:10.1017/S0080456800032099

XVI.—Notes on some of the Buddhist Opinions and Monuments of Asia, compared with the Symbols on the Ancient Sculptured “Standing Stones” of Scotland

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 January 2013

Thomas A. Wise

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The general identity, in idea and design, of the ancient monuments of Southern and Western Europe, with those of Hindostan, is so marked, as to appear to justify the inference that races of Asiatics proceeded westward at different ages, and established themselves along the shores of the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas, and part of the Atlantic Ocean; along which route they have left characteristic monuments, which resemble those of their original country.

Type: Research Article
Information: Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh , Volume 21 , Issue 2 , 1857 , pp. 255 - 270

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0080456800032099 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1857

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^{page 255 note *} These eastern races appear to have proceeded westward by Scythia and Scandinavia, on the one hand (Worsaae, Primeval Antiquities of Denmark, edited by Mr Thoms, p. 132 et seq.); and by the shores of the Mediterranean, on the other. Hence, we find the same cromlechs and cinctures of pillar-stones on the mountains of Circassia, and the undulating plains of Tartary (Dennis's Etruria, vol. ii., p. 321); Asia Minor (Irby and Mangles's Travels, ch. vi.: Colonial Libr. Edit., p. 99); Tunis, in Africa (Dennis, l. c.); Etruria and Sardinia (Dennis, ibid.); the Atlantic shores of Spain (Borrow's Bible in Spain, ch. vii.); of Gaul (Histoire des Peuples Britons, par Courson); and the greater part of the British Islands.

^{page 255 note †} Colonel Mackenzie sometimes found in these cromlechs urns, arms, and even coins. See Maria Graham's Journal, p. 168.

^{page 252 note ‡} See Letter by Capt. Newbolt, Asiatic Society, 17th July 1846.

^{page 257 note *} Primeval Antiquities of Denmark, p. 132 et seq.

^{page 257 note †} Pliny, Nat. Hist., xxv. 1.

^{page 257 note ‡} Prichard's Celtic Nations, pp, 20–22.

^{page 258 note *} See the beautiful drawings of the ancient sculptured stones of Angus by J. Chalmers, Esq., and the more recent volume on those of Scotland by the Spalding Club.

^{page 258 note †} On the Kapur di Giri, the Girnar rock Gujerat, and on the Dhale rock of Cuttack; on the Pillars (lats) of Delhi. Allahabad, &c. See Journal of Asiatic Society, Calcutta, vol. vii., pp. 156 and 219.

^{page 258 note ‡} See Asiatic Journal, Bengal, vol. vii., pp. 150 and 219.

^{page 258 note §} Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. xii., p. 246.

^{page 259 note *} See the admirable translation, and most interesting notes, by J. W. Laidlay, Esq. Calcutta, 1848.

^{page 260 note *} See Plate, Fig. 10, Cunningham's Topes of Bhilsa, p. 8.

^{page 260 note †} Journal of the Asiatic society, Bengal, vol. v., p. 81.

^{page 260 note ‡} Ibid., vol. v., p. 37.

^{page 261 note *} On the sculptured stones of Scotland it is represented by some embryotic form of animal or vegetable life, or an imperfect circle.

^{page 261 note †} See annexed plate (No. IV.), in which figures designate the oriental symbols, and letters those on the engraved stones of Scotland. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. vi., p. 451.

^{page 262 note *} As the Hindus as well as the Buddhists suppose that the spiritual essence envelopes the earth, I was curious to see if there was any difference in the size of the circles. I found the figures on the Kinellar stone were sufficiently distinct to enable me to do so; and on carefully measuring the three circles, I found that the upper circle, and that on the right-hand side, were of the same diameter, while that on the left-hand was half an inch larger. I therefore consider that this circle represented Buddha, or spirit.

^{page 262 note †} According to this opinion, man is the union (Sangha) of matter (Dharma), with the soul or divine intelligence (Buddha).

^{page 263 note *} Physici vero serpentem spiritualissimum animal esse dicunt; itaque res divinas, per serpentis naturam notabant.—Eusebius, Prep. Evang., liii., c. 3.

^{page 263 note †} Raoul-Rochette, Mem. de l'Academie Royal des Ins. et Belles Lettres, torn, xvi., p. 312, et xvii., part 2, p. 329.

^{page 263 note ‡} Loc. cit., p. 302. Boldetti Cosservazioni, pp. 87 and 350. Lupi. (Epitaph S. Sever. Mart., p. 11); and on a Christian sarcophagus described by Allegranza (Sacri Monumenti, Milan} 1577), tab. iv. and vi.

^{page 263 note §} Louis Perrets sur les Catacombes de Rome, vol. i., p. 30.

^{page 264 note *} The name in the Sanscrit language is dru, in the Greek drus, Welsh deru, Erse dair, a tree, or oak-tree.

^{page 264 note †} From a bas-relief in the Museum of the Hon. East India Company, London.

^{page 264 note ‡} The artist of Mr Chalmers's beautiful drawings has erroneously represented these as crosses.

^{page 265 note *} Om mani padme houm,—(Oh! the prescious lotus, Amen).—Oh! may I obtain perfection, and be absorbed into Buddha, Amen. See Travels in Tartary, Tibet, and China, vol. i., p. 1941. Klaproth, Journ. Asiat., Second Series, vol. vii., p. 188.

^{page 266 note *} Travels in Tartary, Tibet, and China, vol. i., p. 65.

^{page 266 note †} Britannoruni inaccessa Romanis loca Christo vero subdida. Contra Judæos, c. vii.

^{page 266 note ‡} Innes' Critical Essay, p. 620, and Civil and Eccl. Hist., p. 14.

^{page 266 note §} A.D. 662.

^{page 266 note ∥} Bede, Eccl. Hist., b. hi., ch. 25.

^{page 267 note *} A.D. 60.

^{page 267 note †} See his Archæology and Pre-historic Annals of Scotland, p. 497.

^{page 268 note *} Bede, Eccl. Hist., iii., 2.

^{page 269 note *} Innes' Eccl. Hist, of Scotland, p. 212.

^{page 269 note †} This is expressly stated in more than one place by his biographer Adomnan.

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XVI.—Notes on some of the Buddhist Opinions and Monuments of Asia, compared with the Symbols on the Ancient Sculptured “Standing Stones” of Scotland

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