Indian Sculpture and Painting, Illustrated by Typical Masterpieces, with an Explanation of their Motives and Ideals c8.13

c8.13

The people themselves shared fully in the feeling of their spiritual leaders. To take the pilgrim’s staff in hand and leave the worldly life, to be one with Nature in all her moods, was the supreme desire of every devout Buddhist or Hindu, whatever his sect might be. The pious Buddhist would set out to follow, step by step, the Master’s life on earth, from his birthplace in the Lumbini garden to the final accomplishment of Nirvana at Kusinara. And, as the great story was told again and again round the camp-fires at night, the teeming life in the jungle around seemed to become part of it, and wondrous legends grew of the *jâtakas*, the Master’s pre-existence in the form of bird or beast, preparing, by many an act of devotion and self-sacrifice, to show the way of release for suffering humanity.