26 INTRODUCTION. 8. The Literature of the Sahajiyūs. The Literature of the Sahajiyā-cult dealt with under group 16, the spirit of which is breathed in Chandidas' poems, quoted on pp. 997-1002 shows a curious and interesting phase of Buddhistic doctrines. It is clearly Buddhistic in its origin and though latterly the sect identified itself with and was merged in the Vaisnava community it has retained under the flag of Vaisnavism some old forms and ideas which ill disguise the creed of Buddhist Täntrics of the Mahāyana school. The Vaisnavas were well-satisfied if a class of people admitted Chaitanya and Nityananda as incarnations of the Deity, and they opened the portals of their society to all such people without scrutimising their views. It is well known that the Sufis amongst Mahomedans, who became converts from Buddhism, have retained the philosophy of their original creed veneered with faith in a personal God enjoined by Islam. The theology of the Sahajiyās is Buddhistic in the like manner. Not only is its hostile attitude towards the Brahmanic religion well marked in the various treatises propounding their Shahajiyās attack the * — a - - - worship of Krisha's doctrines, but even towards Vaisnavism itself which image. sets so much importance on the worship of the image of Krisna. Such worship is uncompromisingly attacked by some of the Sahajiyā writers though they outwardly profess the Vaisnavite creed. I quote below an interesting passage from a book called 'Jnanádi Sādhanā' written by a Sahajiyā, extracts from which will be found on pp. 1630 1637 of this book:— “The child, as soon as he is born, forgets the true nature of the soul, It hostile attitude to and is caught in the snares of illusion created by the wards Brahmanism. false Brahmins of india, and becomes accustomed later on to their ways of thought. Under their false advice he takes the sacred thread at the dawn of youth, and goes on performing evening and morning rites as prescribed in the Vedas. Then in the hope of obtaining four-fold blessings, viz. spiritual reward, wealth, satisfaction of desires and emancipation from earthly bonds, he goes on praying to God and worshipping Him under the instructions of his religious preceptor. But he never sees the God he worships. He reads in his false and unreliable Shāstras that Krissya dwells in the so-called heaven called the Baikuntha, and without seeing such a Deity he makes His image in stone and clay and worships it. The false Brahmins tell him on the authority of the false Vedas, that if he can perform the Ashvamedha and other sacrifices, and make gifts of cows (to the Brahmins), he will have a place in heaven after death. He does as he is bidden, but not knowing the true nature of
