A. They burnt, pulled down or otherwise destroyed our viharas, slaughtered our bhikkhus, and consumed with fire our religious books.

316. Q. Was our literature completely destroyed in India?

A. No. Many bhikkhus fled across the borders-into Tibet and other safe places of refuge, carrying. their books with them.

317. Q. Have any traces of these books been recently discovered?

A. Yes. Rai Bahadur Sarat Chandra Das, C.I.E., a noted Bengali pan.dit, saw hundreds of them in the vihara libraries of Tibet, brought copies of some of the most important back with him, and is now employed by the Government of India in editing and publishing them.

318. Q. In which country have we reason to believe the sacred books of primitive Buddhism have been best preserved and least corrupted?

A. Ceylon. The Encyclopaedia Britannica says that in this island Buddhism has, for specified reasons, "retained almost its pristine purity to modern times."

319. Q. Has any revision of the text of the Pitakas been made in modern times?

A. Yes. A careful revision of the Vinaya Pitaka was made in Ceylon in the year 1875 A. D., by a convention of the most learned bhikkhus, under the presidency of H. Sumangala, Pradhana Sthavira.

320. Q. Has there been any friendly intercourse in the interest of Buddhism between the peoples of the Southern and those of the Northern Buddhist countries?

A. In the year 1891 A.D., a successful attempt was

made to get the Pradhana Nayakas of the two great divisions to agree to accept fourteen propositions as, embodying fundamental Buddhistic beliefs recognised' and taught by both divisions. These propositions, drafted by Colonel Olcott, were carefully translated into Burmese, Sinhalese and Japanese, discussed one by one, unanimously adopted and signed by the chief monks, and published in January 1892.

321. Q. With what good result?

A. As the result of the good understanding now existing, a number of Japanese bhikkhus and samaneras have been sent to Ceylon and India to study Pali and Samskrit.

322. Q. Are there signs that the Buddha Dharma is growing in favour in non-Buddhistic countries?

A. There are. Translations of our more valuable books are appearing, many articles in reviews, magazines and newspapers are being published, and excellent original treatises by distinguished writers are coming. from the press. Moreover, Buddhist and non-Buddhist lecturers are publicly discoursing on Buddhism to large audiences in Western countries. The Shin Shu sect of Japanese Buddhists have actually opened

missions at Honolulu, San Francisco, Sacramento and other American places.

323. Q. What two leading ideas of ours are chiefly taking hold upon the Western mind?

A. Those of Karma and Re-incarnation. The rapidity of their acceptance is very surprising.

324. Q. What is to be the explanation of this?