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Show BUDDHA HEWN IN A CLIFF Crude Testimony to Religious Fervor of Disciples Seen at Kiatang, China. Kiatang, China. Gautama, the alleged al-leged founder of Buddhism, was born -624 B. C, the son of Suddhodana, king of Kapilavastu, in the north of India. The story of his life is a tissue of monstrous fables, but it Is generally believed that there is a historical basis ba-sis to the story. In early life he was of ascetic habits, but, tempted by his father, he abandoned himself to every pleasure for a time. His singular wisdom wis-dom (which like his other marvellous gifts was the fruit of merits gained in previous states of existence) led him to renounce the world and after years of profound study, severe bodily maceration mac-eration and long contemplation, he discovered dis-covered the supreme truth that to return re-turn to the ignorance and state of non-sentient non-sentient repose from whence man If? mM ' Iff' ti j $:t Giant Buddha at Kiatang. .sprang is the highest possible good and the final reward of the Just and pure. After this discovery he was made a Buddha and after a time pass- -ed into Nirvana, or unconsciousness, having died at Kusinagara in 543 H. C. A crude testimony to the religious fervor of his disciples Is a strange cliff-Buddha located at Kiatang, China. The full figure is about 150 feet In hight and the feet are washed by a foaming mountain torrent. It was to guard against the danger of the rapids that the figure was cut in the cliff-side cliff-side by the lifelong labor of a Ringle priest. The rock is Eomewhat soft and there is much earth in the crevices. This has been Ingeniously utilized for a monstrous growth of hair, eyebrows and mustache, which adds considera-bly considera-bly to the appearance. |