The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-05-18

she might get peep into her future.
After this j repaired to the "Weli OF
Knowledge." in which Siva himself is sup
posed TO reside. II ever saw manifesto
| ton OF ignorance II was around this Well
| OF Knowledge. Although fearful stencil
was proceeding from It hundreds OF Hin
dus were crowding TO drink It's defiled wa
ters. Near IL was sacred tree (Pipul),
around which man and woman were
walking and sprinkling It with water
or some other fluid from ladle. As
usual they were praying for offspring.
Another well II the Serpents Well, In
which the "Naga," or Serpent, is wor-
shipped. To this dav, however. serpents
are believed 10 guard wells in certain parts
OF Germany. So here / had TO restrain
contempt or send II westward. Benares
itself is deified in the Goddess kasl. Her
temple Is supposed to be In the centre OF
Benares. These are few OF the temples
have visited. The last that came to was
the famous Monkey Temple, one OF the
largest and most famous In the city.
THE MONKEY TEMPLE.
II Is dedicated to Durga, In her ferocious
asnrct. and the pavement in front Is red
with the blood OF the sacrifices offered TO
her. She has a face OF silver, necklace
OF gold coins, and generally gaudy dress.
Along with Durga in this temple monkeys
are worshipped. When entered the pre-
cincts priest came and threw wreath OF
marigolds around my neck, informing
me that l was now sacred enough
TO enter and behold the goddess. /
was also by this conservation fitted to pay
him rupee. But found the monkeys
more interesting than Durga or her
priests. There were more than hundred
Of them amusing themselves in the sun
shine. They gathered around me and ate
leisurely, as il used TO the treat, some
sugar-cakes which / had purchased for
them at the door. that being the custom.
When the crowd OF monkeys had retired
patriarchal monkey, whom l had obsei yea
sitting apart in the sunshine, approached
me, and having received particularly
large cake rewarded me by some informa-
ton while my guide was conversing with
the priest. gathered from our interview
that my surprise at the temples, shrlnes,
and ceremonies which / had witnessed in
Benares, though natural, was due TO my not
understanding that these are all surviyals
from the time when man did not exist,
when the banks OF the Gauges were occu-
MED by the simiaI race. 1t was the reli-
zion OF monkeys / had been witnessing,
| though man since he came upon the scene
| has misunderstood much of that aboriginal
| faith and philosophy and embodied his
| errors and dogmas along with them.
| Nevertheless the religion OF Benares TO-
day preserves an unbroken continuity with
the religion OF simial antiquity, and the
priests and apes dwell together in unity.
after our interview the old ape gave me a
wink and walked away munching his
cake, a little bit Of which he threw to
the Goddess Durga. Back OF the tenn
pie | saw an aged and large Tama-
rind tree with hollow, which is
the lying-in home OF the sacred mon
KEYS. Formerly there were thousands OF
these monkeys dwelling in and about this
temple, but they became so troublesome
and mischievous that the authorities OF Be-
mares had to interfere. and all monkeys
found outside OF the enclosure were trans
ported for life. In some mysterious way
the monkey population has largely de-
creased, though whether this has been
through the impiety OF man or the influ-
ence OF some simial Nautilus my philosOphi-
cal ape did not inform me. There are some
curious old legends connected with Be-
mares. silva Is the supreme god Of this
region. One OF bis sacred garments is the
elephants skin, about which it is related
that il belonged to a demon named Gaya.
THE TEMPLE OF silva.
This demon, by his virtues and austeri-
ties. acquired a power in the universe
ibove that of the gods and the holy NUNS
6ed in terror TO Benares, where they took
refuge in the temple OF silva. In answer
to their prayers Siva destroyed this virtu-
Gus and pious demon, and stripping off his
elephants hide henceforth wore it himself
Us cloak. II one will read carefully DR..
Mitra's great work on the ruins Of Bodha-
Gaya he will discover that this sO-called
demon (Gaya) is no other than the great
Buddha himself, and that the elephants
hide is taken from that white elephant
which has passed from the dream OF Maia,
mis- mother, all the way to Barnum's mena-
gerie in New York! Vicisti, . silva! Budd-
,h has indeed been banished, and 1t looks
rs IL it might be many generations before
the worshippers of the Phallus and the Co
bra, which make thy brutal glory, shall say.
blessed is he that cometh in the name OF
the Light OF Asia" Yet it is the true sage
not forgotten. AT Gaya intelligent English
architects are repairing the temple where
Buddha sat beneath the DO tree, and here,
lust outside OF Benares, find the tent OF
the Engllshman engaged in preserving
the ruins connected with the first
Ministry Of Indla's great teacher. Here
it was that few gathered round the
young Prince, who had laid aside his glory
md wealth 10 save mankind from such
degradations and sanctified obscenities as
these that still held sway in the temples OF
Benares. As moved about the Deer Park
Of Sennath, picking up here and there
carved relics of the golden candlestick,
long removed from its place, l for the first
time felt the full meaning Of that grand
Buddhist movement. l could see the sor-
rowiul face OF the wise and faithful friend
IF man turning away from the hideous
IDOLS. the reeking idols, the lust worship
and blood worship Of ignorance and fear.
and repairing to the peaceful grove, there
to uplift his mind to right reason and his
heart to divine love. though it might be
l1.s l. -.