The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-25
A BURMESE CHRISTIAN.
Sau Ahbrah Addresses the First Baptist Con-
gregatiOn on Christianity in India.

Sau Ahbrah Addresses the First Baptist Con-
gregation ON Christianity in India.
Yesterday was the occasion of the annual con
tributions for the American Baptist Union Mis-
sion, which was called into existence by the
work Of the great missionary, Adoniram Judson,
in Burmah, in Farther India. At the First Bap-
fist Church, last evening, Sau Ahbrah, of Hen
thada, Burmah, was introduced to the large au-
dience by Rev. H. C. Mabie, and preached, tax
ing as his text Genesis Xxx, g., Thou shalt have
no other God before me-" Sau Ahbrah has been
in this country since 1869, receiving not only
theological but medical education, and
will soon return to his own country As he
stood before the congregation last night he was
dressed in the costume of his native country, in
silken robes, scarf and jacket. the colors red,
orange and green predominating. He is hardly
of medium height, is slight of figure, his fingers
long and tapering while in color and in the CON
tour of his face he is not unlike fine type of
North American Indian. He is of the people
known as the Karens, many of whom have en-
braced Christianity. He said that afar off to
the east you will perhaps find this text more fit
ting than here in this land favored with the
light, and then took the audience with rapid
but well-chosen words to India, and
showed the degraded millions of that old
land He told of Madras Bombay. Calcutta
Agra, Benares, Allahabad, and their idols and the
worshipers. Brahminism is the great religion
there. 1t acknowledges Brahma as the one god
omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, but he
differs greatly from the God of the Christian.
Brahma takes all forms of nature, all objects of
creation 1t is nature worship; it is pantheism
Besides Brahma there are numerous other gods
male and female, and they are always at war
with each other. The speaker described some
of the religious festivities of the different sects
some of which were frightful. particularly those
of the Goddess Kali and the Goddess Darga
The great river Ganges is still wor-
SHIPPED but not with the saeri-
fees of living victims that formerly attended
that worship. He described the serpent wor-
ship where large numbers of serpents are kept
in temple and offerings of fruits vegetables,
flowers and incense are made to them. and they
are worshiped with music and dancing. The
worship of apes was then described These ami
mails regarded as holy, are kept in groves of man
goes, where they have priests who feed them
regularly with the offerings given by their
shippers. Benares has hundreds of temples de
voted to the different gods, but, numerous as
they are, do not express the number of sects in
India for it is said that many so 900 differ
ent beliefs have existence in thatcountry. Caste is
the most perpleXing thing to western nations
Brahma created different gods, and these crea
lions gave rise to the different castles. From his
head the Brahmin gets his god, and other gods
from different parts of his body. A Brahmin is
so conscious of his high estate that he will walk
in the sun to watch his shadow that no one Of
lower caste might walk in his shadow and thus
defle him. In this country we can have no idea
of the wild superstitons that prevail in India, of
the belief in witchcraft in the vistations of the
dead Narrow and hard as India is for men, it is
worse for women and children. The women of
this country cannot know the degradation of
their sisters in the East. Christianity is the
greatest blessing to women in that land as it at
once improves her temporal condition. The re
ligion of the East, including Burmah gives great
room for the belief in the transmigration of the
soul Their idea is that when a man dies his
soul will go into an animal or insect and inhabit
that animal or insect as long as it lives when
the soul will leave it and take another similar
habitation, making many changes tits thought
that when q wicked man dies his soul will
90 into am animal that has to work-an OK, or
an elephant, a hOPse-and be compelled
to labor as punishment TOR his bad deeds until
by successive transmi grations, he IS relieved
debtor dying, can not undergo any changes.
but must be born over again into the world, and
live his life over again. Il punishment Men
and women, said the speaker, have pointed out
to me the father and mother of their former
lives and seemed thoroughly in earnest about
having lived before. He said that i'll his coun-
try they never kill any animal for fear one
might DO killing some of ones relatives, though
there the necessity for animal food was not as
strong as in this. According to this prac
tee and faith no meat can be eaten in
that country that is lagitimatey taken The
only way is to wait until the animal dies from
disease In Burmah have seen meat Of that
kind carried from house to house. No wonder
that country is the seat Of the cholera and other