The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1885-01-28
For the Central Presbyterian.
Christianity and Buddhism.

Perhaps no book issued within the last
decade has done so much to unsettle the
faith of the reading public as Arnold
Light of Asia" This book makes no
direct attack on Christianity This would
have been we'll nigh impossible in such a
book. Yet few direct attacks have ever
done so much to discredit it. Christian
ity makes the claim of being the only
true religion. 1t holds forth Christ to a
perishing world as the only Saviour.
The Light of Asia" presents another
religion In such a way as to make the
impression that it is almost, if not quite
as good religion for mankind as Chris.
tianlty. Buddhism is painted with those
features which have been generally con-
sidered as the peculiar characteristics of
Christianity. The legendary being,
Buddha, is supposed (by the few who
believe that such a person ever existed)
to have fourished about 500 years before
the Christian era. Thus, the impression
Is made not only that Buddhism is, in all
essential points as good as Christianity
but that we have been wrong in suppos-
ing that Christianity first gave to the
world those sublime truths and holy
principles of action which it teaches
that, in reality, the world had them be-
fore in somewhat different form, and
that the original fountain of these living
waters was not Christianity but Budd.
hism.
We have recently read an interesting
little work on this subject Edwin Ar.
mold as POetizer and as Paganizer, by w.
@. Wilkinson, Funk & Wagnalls), in
which the author addresses himself to
gaining true answer to the question,
Does Mr.. Arnold give true picture of
Buddhism p In order to decide this
question it is necessary to compare Mr..
Arnold's portraiture of Buddhism as
drawn in Light of Asia" with the orig
inal Buddhist sources from which it is
professedly derived Mr.. Wilkinson
makes the comparison, using for the pur-
pose, chiefly, Mr.. R. Spence Hardy
Manual of Buddhism" an authorize
tive translation Of the Singhalese version
of the Buddhist legends" referring at
the same time to other recognized au-
thorities on Indian matters.
OF course it will be impossible to fol.
low him through this comparison in
which be shows that Mr.. Arnold has en-
tirely misrepresented Buddhism in all
essential characteristics. We can only
select a few instances as samples of the
whole
Let us first look at the character of the
founder of Buddhism Mr. Arnold com.
pares it with that of Him who was "holy,
harmless, indebted, and separate from
sinners Mr.. Wilkinson quotes from
the History of India, by j. Talboys
Wheeler work which cannot be sus-
pected OF Christian jealousy as toward
Buddhism, which, in truth, treats Budd-
hism with sympathy, as follows &" It
may be inferred that at this period of his
life early manhood after marriage he
Gautama plunged into every kind of
pleasure, until at last he was oppressed
with safety and his old melancholy be-
gan to return. The same author re.
marks in note, The sensualty indi
Gated in the text is almost incredible"
After further quotations. Mr.. Wilkin.
son concludes: The fact then, probably
was that this prince, represented by Mr..
Arnold to have been blameless from his
birth, was already in early youth an ex
hausted voluptuary He "felt the full
ness OF safety. When he became an
ascetic the remuneration was with him a
reaction Of disgust, etc.
So much for the author. Let us see
how the morality Of the system itself.
corresponds with that Of Christianity
How does Buddhism influence it's vota.
ries in their duties toward God Re.
ligion, az its very name imports, should
bind again the bonds of iealty to that
being who has made US and "in whom