Her only child, as long as life doth last,
So let us, for all creatures great or small,
Develop such a boundless heart and mind,
Ay, let us practise love for all the world,
Upward and downward, yonder, thence,
Uncramped, free from ill-will and enmity.[a]

[Footnote a: Mrs. Rhys Davids, _Buddhism_, p. 219.]

(2 and 3) Faith in the universality of inspiration and a hearty
admission that spiritual pre-eminence is open to women. As to the
former, Suzuki has well pointed out that Christ is conceived of by
Buddhists quite as the Buddha himself. [Footnote: Suzuki, _Outlines
of the Mahayana Buddhism_.] 'The Dharmakaya revealed itself as
Sakya Muni to the Indian mind, because that was in harmony with its
needs. The Dharmakaya appeared in the person of Christ on the Semitic
stage, because it suited their taste best in this way.' As to the
latter, there were women in the ranks of the Arahats in early times;
and, as the _Psalms of the Brethren_ show, there were even
child-Arahats, and, so one may presume, girl-Arahats. And if it is
objected that this refers to the earlier and more flourishing period
of the Buddhist religion, yet it is in a perfectly modern summary of
doctrine that we find these suggestive words, [Footnote: Omoro in
_Oxford Congress of Religions, Transactions_, i. 152.] 'With this
desire even a maiden of seven summers [Footnote: 'The age of seven is
assigned to all at their ordination' (_Psalms of the Brethren_,
p. xxx.) The reference is to child-Arahats.] may be a leader of the
four multitudes of beings.' That spirituality has nothing to do with
the sexes is the most wonderful law in the teachings of the Buddhas.'