A. His son and daughter introduced Buddhism into Ceylon: his monks gave it to the whole of Northern India, to fourteen Indian nations outside its boundaries, and to five Greek Kings, his allies,

with whom he made treaties to admit his religious preachers.

303. Q. Can you name them?

A. ANTIOCHUS of Syria, PTOLEMY of Egypt, ANTIGONUS of Macedon, MARGAS of Cyrene, and ALEXANDER of Epiros.

:304. Q. Where do we learn this?

A. From the Edicts themselves of Ashoka the Great, inscribed by him on rocks and stone pillars, which are still standing and can be seen by everybody who chooses to visit the places.

305. Q. Through what Western religious brother-floods did the Buddha Dharma mingle itself with Western thought?

A. 'Through the sects of the Therapeuts of Egypt and the Essenes of Palestine.

306. Q. When were Buddhist books first introduced into China?

A. As early as the second or third century B.C. Five of Dharmashoka's monks are said--in the Samanta Pasadika and the Sarattha Dipaui--two Pali books--to have been sent to the five divisions of China.

307. Q. Whence and when did it reach Korea?

A. From China, in the year 372 A.D.

308. Q. Whence and when did it reach Japan?

A. From Korea, in 552 A.D.

309. Q. Whence and when did it reach Cochin China, Formosa, Java, Mongolia, Yarkand, Balk, Bokhara, Afghanistan and other Central Asian countries?

A. Apparently in the fourth and fifth centuries A.D..

310. Q. From Ceylon, whither and when did it spread?

A. To Burma, in 950 A.D., and thence gradually into Arakan, Kamboya and Pegu. In the seventh century (638 A. D.) it got to Siam, where it is now, as it has been always since then, the state religion.

311. Q. From Kashmir, where else did it spread besides to China?

A. To Nepal and Tibet.

312. Q. Why is it that Buddhism, which was once. the prevailing religion throughout India, is now almost extinct there?

A. Buddhism was at first pure and noble, the very teaching of the Tathagata; its Sangha were virtuous and observed the Precepts; it won all hearts and spread joy through many nations, as the morning light sends

life through the flowers. But after some centuries, bad bhikkhus got ordination (Upasampada), the Sangha became rich, lazy and sensual, the Dharma was corrupted, and the Indian nations abandoned it.

313. Q. Did anything happen about the ninth or-tenth century A.D. to hasten its downfall?

A. Yes.

314. Q. Anything besides the decay of spirituality, the corruption of the Sangha, and the re-action of the populace from a higher ideal of man to unintelligent idolatry?

A. Yes. It is said that the Mussalmans invaded, over-ran and conquered large areas of India; everywhere doing their utmost to stamp out our religion.

315. Q. What cruel acts are they charged with doing?