M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-02-11
The BOOdIlisI Faith.

| OF the seven hundred and thirty
millions Of human beings who inhabit
the continent Of Asia, nearly five hun,
dred millions OF them are Boodhists,
or worshipers Of gods, who, having
passed through every form OF exist,
ence, through millions Of years, have
become, at last, purified from mortal
faint and become fitted for the heaven
Of eternal beatitude. A contributor
to the Southern Literary Messenger,
has given some interesting facts con.
cerning this religion, so widely preva.
lent, which we condense for our col.
umns.
The Boodhist, as we'll as the Chris
tan, has his "Ten Commandments" "
The first prohibits killing any man or
other animal; the second, third and
fourth prohibit stealing, lying and
adultery; the fifth, drinking any in
toxicating beverage. These five are
binding upon all. The remaining five
are biuding only upon the priesthood,
and they are commanded mot to look
at or speak to a female; not to sleep
on anything more than a cubit high !;
not to eat between the hours Of noon
and midnight; not to visit any place
Of public amusement, as gambling
houses, theatres, circus and such like"
The primary design Of enforcing this
severe ritual upon the Boodhist clergy
was, doubtless, merely for the inculca-
ton of spirit Of humility and self,
denial, but as corruptions have crept
in, the spirit has been lost, and only
the letter of the law remains.
Boodhism exerts a boundless inAu-
ence over the minds Of all the nations
of Southern Asia. Even those who
have little regard for it in life, will
send for a Boodhist priest when
near death, and often leave immense
legacies to the temples in order to
purchase merit, which they are taught
to regard as the very groundwork OF
future bliss. There is no collective
worship. The temples are open at
all hours Of the day, but are closed at
sunset. Devotees resort to them just
whenever they can find it convenient
TO do so, bringing with them such
offerings as they wish to present.
These they silently deposit on the al
tar in front of the principal idol, and
there, prostrating themselves three OR
four times, in token Of alteration, they
audibly repeat some form OF prayer.
This concluded, they depart as they
came, without waiting for other wor-
slippers to finish their devotions, or
perhaps, even seeing priest.
Their sacred books are numerous.
| They locate their heavens, seven in
number, around the sides of the great
mountain Pra-su- -ma-ru-rat, which, as
they suppose, constitutes the center Of
the universe. The beings occupying
these regions rise successfully higher
in the social scale, and when the top,
most one has been attained, the fortu,
nate aspirant may hope, provided that
fate will allow him to accumulate
sufficient degree of merit, that Nicban,
which is the highest possible point oI
happiness-a consummation Of bliss
hoped for by all, but, alas attained
by tew-is not far off. In the first
and second heavens body and soul are
united as in ourselves; in the third
fourth and fifth, the body exists with.
out any admixture of mind, but per
feet in its condition, resplendently
glorious in appearance, and suscepti.
bic of the most exquisite enjoyment
while in the sixth and seventh heay-
ems, the soul is wholly ufettered from
the body, and roams free as air where
ever it lists throughout the universe
Their hells are more numerous,
there being eight major and sixteen
minor ones. They are located within
the base of the mountain, and tho de-